- “Asana is pranayama for restless people.” ~ Richard Freeman. Hey, am I that obvious?
- Phenomenal Women: For me, the @ayc_confluence was all about the women. Dylan signed me up because of big names he recognized, but then I was like hold the phone jessical walden will be there?I came to see Mary Taylor for the first time in years, and to meet yoga crush @waldenjessica (I think She thought I was a stalker given all my glances at her in the Mysore room). I fell in love with assistance from Kiran Kennedy– oh, and Dena Kingsberg’s words in every single panel. Tim Feldmann, who really worked with me on tic tocs Saturday in the Mysore room, also brought it back to the women. I couldn’t help but tell him: “Hey Tim, you know whenever I do this tic toc, I think about @kinoyoga.” He smiled and said: “Me too.””Here;s the thing: Dena and Mary’s words in conference and Jessica as moderator helped me see this world of ashtanga where women are leaders. Sure, most of the names as the headlining “teachers, as opposed to assistants, were men. But in the arena, it did not feel that way at all. This is important for us all to see so that when we picture headliner, experienced, wise yoga teachers, we start to expand our imaginations beyond the masculine. As the New York Times asked, when you picture a leader, is she a woman?
- “The feet are a reflection of the pelvic floor“ (Mary Taylor). Waking up my feet has done wonders for my balance when upside down and in transitions. Go on: check out Ashtanga Dispatch’s great post on “biscuit feet.”
- Don’t do the yoga, aspire to it. “It’s a big claim to say ‘I do ashtanga.’ It’s more like, “I aspire'” (Richard freeman in conference, referencing that ashtanga is “all the limbs.”) There is something oddly static about the verb “do” in this context. “Aspire” feels more like the verb action we’re getting at. When I think of this moment, I think of the daily work to touch on everything this practice lays at your feet, if you let yourself be aware and allow it.
- Just shut up and “merely” do it. Dena Kingsberg said something along these lines (though her words were lovely, elegant and inviting notwithstanding the clear transmission of this sentiment.) I was having trouble the entire weekend landing in Karandavasana. When she came over to help me I did not “do it.” Instead, my mouth launched into a soliloquy about how I really can do this pose– really!! –just, um, not today. Or um, yesterday or this whole weekend, kinda.That’s when she said:”let’s just do it”. So we did. It’s ok to get help, ok to just be with the body you bring in any given day and ok to accept help. No need to explain, just do.In his Akimbo podcast, Seth Godin explained this Nike phrase as “merely doing it.” Merely doing it, he says, “without commentary, without listening to the whining, the excuses, the complaining — all the maneuvering the resistance is doing in the back of your head.” (Around minute 16:10).
- “People respond when you’re soft“ ~ another nugget from Dena. It makes me think of this other nugget from Mark Nepo: “In a world that lives like a fist, mercy is not more than walking with your hands open.”
- “From my experience, you want to continue until such time as you fall over-either literally or metaphorically too. Until you hit something that shows you yourself. Something other than ‘look what I can do,’ So now, I can’t do. Now, how do I feel.” ~ Dena Kingsberg.
- “Our practice is to get off pedestals.” ~ Richard Freeman. Placing teachers on pedestals or Radio K-Fu*cked viewing myself as a separate, Schumpy unworthy fungus buried below, is a similar placing apart. An otherness that is not so much oneness, or– yoga. We rise together. Speaking of which, consider giving here.
- Compare me to Kino– I’ll take it! Day two was all about Tim Feldmann in the mysore room. He was onto me with third series and tic tocs; he had my ticket and he Made me work. I LOVED IT! I got the courage to introduce myself later (and by that I mean, a friend shoved me forward toward where he was standing). I won’t bore you with my star struck awkward conversation skills, but when I said I wanted to come practice with him again, he said that Kino would be interesting for me to work with too. He held up his hands as if holding an invisible yoga block between them, adding:
“You’re like, same size”
I’ll take the comparison to Kino. I’ll take it (even if it means I’m the size of a water bottle).
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Thanks for reading, perhaps read this too: The ACLU of Texas compiled a great list of ways to inform yourself and help families at the border.
I really enjoyed sitting with you on that little beach at the end of the weekend with all of our stuff. I am so glad we connected. ❤️
aw me too!!!!!!