A Bit of Spirituality - I'm Starting to Get It!

Three Jewels with Lisa - and only one other student.

Firstly, I am thankful for an intimate class. If it was my choice, I would have my own private teacher, something I've always had with other belief systems I have been involved with. But, there's something to be said for anonymity in a larger class, no singling out, less pressure.

So we start with some meditation and chanting to Hindu deities. Lisa is using some kind of floor accordion that opens and closes from one side (I will get the name). We dedicate our session to someone that needs it and we do an honoring of a teacher from our past.

I chose a spiritual brother/teacher who passed over about 15 years ago, Shadow. He was a marine sergeant, Special Ops in Viet Nam, a spiritualist priest and strong in Native American ways-all things he taught and passed on to me.

This is another thing I love about Three Jewels, you dedicate your healing Yoga (and its struggle) to someone who needs it and you can call in a long lost teacher back into your life, continuing to benefit from their experiences. It shows me yoga has its own universal center where all belief systems have a common ground.

This session proved to be strong and fulfilling. I can't say "as usual" because every session is different, because I come in with different things each time. I did surprise myself because I was able to do Wheel asana (see photo).

Lisa high fived me, still twisted upside-down.

First Changes In My Diet

Last week I made a list of foods that I could live with and begin the diet transformation process. Okay, I really don't want to give up coffee (yet) and will honor the wishes of my body as I edge toward cleaner living.

Next stop-Whole Foods where I made my way to the skinless, organic chicken (about $3.-$4 for 4 drumsticks or 2 legs), I got Tamari gluten free, low sodium soy sauce, brown rice syrup (surprisingly delicious!) as a honey substitute, hummus, pita and organic yogurt-to have in the morning with cut up fruit and the rice syrup. I also bought an organic beer because I LOVE good beer. All my vegetables and fruits were purchased in Brooklyn while visiting my brother-so incredibly inexpensive. I will try to switch to the organic stuff when I get back to work.

Like I said, I am easing into the new lifestyle, so occasionally I will eat eggs with cheese for breakfast or have non-organic fowl like the turkey I ate today with the skin. If I eat really well for most of the week, I don't feel bad about lapsing on the weekend.

I almost forgot one of my most important purchases-Quinoa (keen-wah) a South American super healthy grain that takes on the flavor of whatever you put in it. I made mine (1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup water) with cut up beets, Tamari and chopped garlic. It was surprisingly really delicious! When I needed to snack later after the grapes I bought didn't fill me up, I ate the rest of the quinoa.

Keeping up with my yoga practice is what makes my body want these healthy things. For the first time in my life I naturally desire the better foods.

I hear that miso soup helps when you want to suppress a craving-coming up next!

Three Jewels 2 - A Spiritual Infusion and Complex Poses

Last Wednesday I made my way over to 4th Ave. To my current Yoga home base, Three Jewels. I had a wonderful conversation with the young lady working behind the counter, Laura. As usual, everyone there was open, kind and attentive-in the moment.

Our instructor Lisa shows up a bit late. She radiates Earth Motherliness and has long, Rasta-ey hair-something I really love.

The class consisted of 3 women and myself and we began with a 15 minute meditation, receiving from an important teacher in our lives, dedicating our Yoga to the healing of a specific individual.

The physical part of the session was nice and intense. I was able to do the Crow asana, which is achieved by putting your hands flat on the floor, hooking your thighs into your arms, lifting legs and feet above the floor-and I was able to do it

Surprised the heck out of me! I also did a shoulder stand (kind of easy for me) and a head stand which I held for a minute.

Now, dear readers, I am not trying for Beijing here, as I've said before, Yoga is not a competitive sport. Its about finding your own integrity in each pose and also finding your edge, that point that makes you try a little harder and grow while feeling comfortable in your pose.

The instructor, Lisa, is a true healer. She assisted in helping us extend our poses and actually laid hands on us if we needed or so desired.

It took me a while to "come back" after the class. When I finally did, I was all blissed out, beaming like a roadside bodhisatva, one with the tree behind him.

Then I was off to a drag queen art show in Soho. Such is the life of a New Yorker.

Yoga To The People

Referred by my very talented dancer/choreographer friend Angela Harriell (www.theloveshownyc.com), I made my way to St. Marks place to the most moderately priced "Yoga To The People" (yogatothepeople.com) for a Vinyasa style class.

I arrived 20 minutes early at YTTP which was a good thing for the space soon filled up with 36 people - young and trendy at that! I was definitely the oldest guy in the room, but not out of place. I was also very happy that all the guys took their shirts off, not just to look at, but more to have permission to take mine off. Ahhh.

The session is led by Nikki, very nice and accomodating. The temperature outside was a very humid 87 degrees and I was sweating like a melting ice pop - there was diminishing Romanian Jewdrops all over my body, shorts and mat. My mat becomes so slippery that I am doing the Downward Dog asana (which means "pose"), my feet are sliding and sloshing around and I'm gripping the front of the mat, with my butt pointed in the air, for dear life. I feel like I'm at a water park ride gone awry.

Luckily, Nikki is checking our poses and I eek out my mat complaint. She gets me a non slip one and all is well. Yay, Nikki!

The class turns out to be not only trendy, but a rigorous workout, the toughest thus far and I loved it!

I did find a slight bit of competitive attitude. I heard a little "Ooh, your poses are so graceful," a Yoga no-no,but all in all a wonderfully crafted session and I will be back.

The Three Jewels - My First Live Class!

Located in a quiet part of 4th Avenue in an old loft building, The Three Jewels (threejewels.org) is a small, spiritual treasure in the commercialized world of Yoga. They also offer workshops, free morning meditation and work in the efforts to free Tibet.

They offer classes in Tibetan Heart Yoga, meditation and Conquering Lion Vinyasa, which I took. There is also a small store which offers t-shirts, books and prayer beads, among other things and classes are paid by donation by an honor system. If you can't afford the $12, then pay what you wish. I feel funny not paying full price, so I did.

The class was led by Annie and consisted of only six people. I loved not only the vigorous, mind and muscle building poses, but the "om-ing" and the caring attention to the integrity of our individual practices.

Even though I will try other classes in other places, I know already that I will return to Three Jewels.

First Immediate Effects

After one or two sessions at home, I went out with a Native American friend and former teacher to hang out and have a bite to eat. We both were reaching a blood sugar low in the intense 90 degree heat on the upper west side of Manhattan, so we stopped into an old, wonderfully dingy Irish bar called Malachy's. I had a club soda with lime and fried chicken fingers and fries.

We then walked down the block to a Bikram Yoga studio (next to an OTB) to check out Yoga mat prices.

The cute gay guys at reception were very "ooh, come sweat with us in our 100 degree heated studio!" Blah! I thought the idea of sweating with these guys was hot, but I hate intense heat! So, Bikram is reserved for another day. I did buy the mat, though.

What I later discovered about mats is that you want a non slip mat, I recommend a Manduka mat. The one I bought is a bit too slippery.

Okay, we're shopping around on West 72nd Street and I start feeling sick with the runs-oh no! Need bathroom NOW! It was then I realized my body wants to ease up on the fried foods.

After that experience, I find I am eating only till I'm full, craving more fruit and veggies and am working on taking my daily eating habits to a new level.

My body is starting to tighten up, my butt is tighter, there's more definition in my abs, pecs and my legs are pretty amazing-lol. Even my walk is different, more open and I am standing taller.

With Yoga, you start to really pay attention to your body and it tells you what it needs. It doesn't matter how much you weigh, either. Just approach it gently and your yoga will increase intensity slowly and naturally.

Stay tuned for my detox adventure!

Baron Baptiste's Power Vinyasa Yoga

So where to start my practice? Good ol' faithful eBay seems to always have the answer!

I found Baron Baptiste's beginner DVD "Journey Into Power." Apologies, Baron. I am currently unemployed and want to test run Yoga without breaking the bank. But, I strongly suggest you buy direct from his site, baronbaptiste.com.

Baron has a gentle, soothing voice that lacks the condescencion of other "gurus" that I have had the displeasure to deal with. You just know he is not an a-hole and really cares that you live your own yoga practice, make it your own.

I recommend in your first approach to not worry about doing perfect poses, ease into it, even pausing constantly or returning to Baby Pose whenever its too much.

Baron talks about always being mindful of your breath and maintaining a soft gaze on one spot to calm your nervous system. Everything he says really works.

I also recommend his companion book of the same title (which I payed full price for at Barnes and Noble). There are great, simple tips for diet, detox and meditation.

Although not in order of exploration, I have recently purchased the Level 2 DVD +more difficult, but approachable after only a month and a half into my practice.

And please, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me!

Yoga Beginnings

Welcome all you fellow twisting pretzel-like lovers of Yoga and wannabes - to my personal Yoga journey. At this point, I'm not even sure if the word "Yoga" should be capitalized. This is all fresh and new to me.
My walk in this life thus far has been along many heady and spiritual paths from Native American to African spiritualism, some of which I embrace to this very day.

It was my body that drew me to Yoga.

Living in this city tends to make me focus inward, creating excellent survival techniques in the head, but disconnecting the body from spirit.

So, after a few months of being unemployed, I felt saggy, falling into the comfortable cushions of my couch, becoming them, trading exercise for daytime television and Little Debbie's treats.

I can't remember the exact moment I decided to try Yoga, but I can give you my simple reasons for writing this blog:

1) to dispel any illusions you or I have about Yoga,

2) to bring you my journey of discovery from a place of knowing absolutely nothing about Yoga and

3) to review different classes, DVDs, workshops and teachers - with interviews - for those new to aforementioned Yoga.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
For all you provincial midwestern types and fundamentalists: this blog may contain gay content. Although not the focus of this blog, as a gay man, my experiences may reflect all aspects of my life - quel horreur!