A note for upcoming RYT and CYT trainings

Hello, A new school year arrives for yoga lovers!

Here is some basic info you will need before starting class: please find your training and read carefully.
Everyone please bring your mat, your books that required you to preread, and items listed below. You will need a notebook, pen and folder also.

 *One of your sweet teachers, Elana Johnson E.R.Y.T. 500, R.C.Y.T., R.P.Y.T.

RYT 200
Meets at Balance Yoga and Wellness, Hot Springs

http://www.balanceyogaandwellness.com/teacher-training.html

Sept 14th  11:30 arrival -5:30  (see below for practice hour)

Sept 15th 10:00 a.m. arrival - 3:00(see below for practice hour)

Choose one class to take this weekend, either the 10:00 a.m. class on Saturday or the 3:30p.m. class on Sunday to attend.

Pre -work: Read Chapter 1 in Instructing Hatha Yoga  and answer questions (bring with you)and
Idiots Guide to Yoga Read Chapter 1
Take notes, highlighting what interest you so you can share in group discussions. 

Wear comfy clothes

Bring one of the following: a vegetarian dish to share,  side item, drink, or paper  or plastic goods (plates,cups, napkins, forks, spoons)

Bring your mat. 

Children (s)Teacher Training: CYT
Meets at Blue Yoga NYLA North Little Rock

http://www.balanceyogaandwellness.com/childrens-teacher-training.html

Sat. Sept 28th
12 - 6 p.m.

Prework -
Yoga Kids Book by Marsha Wenig,read pages 1-17
Teaching Yoga for Life - Tummers , read Chapter 1
The Complete Idiots Guide to Yoga, Yoga with Kids, Komitor and Adamson, Read Chapter 1
On each chapter take a few notes, make highlights of things that interest you or stand out for sharing.

Wear comfy clothes

Bring one of the following: a vegetarian dish to share,  side item, drink, or paper  or plastic goods (plates,cups, napkins, forks, spoons)

Bring your mat. 

Thank you to everyone. If you need anything before class starts please call me or email me.
*Also I request if you need to make a payment please use the link online or write a check at training. 

Business & Yoga

It is the time of year when our teacher training starts to get full and people start booking the Seva Retreat. As with all things in life experience brings perspective. Lately the last five years has run through my mind many times, seventy students have been through the school, sixty five graduated with  the certification to register with Yoga Alliance as 200 hr teachers. Four of those same folks went through the Children's Teacher Training and became certified to register with YA for that training. The Seva Retreat has run for four years and each year we have forty to fifty people attend.
In that five years I have had many life changes as my children have all become teens, one moved out, and I got a divorce. I have now been with a man for over a year who has operated several  successful martial arts schools over a 40 year teaching career. What a gift he has been to me in operating such a business. A business that is blending business with an Asian Art form that has it's basis in integrity, honor, and ethics. So here is a list of what I have learned from teaching, running a brick and mortar business & learning from Jim, a World Champion 7th Degree Martial Artist (Tae Kwon Do). I have to give much credit to my teachers and friends also Robin Johnson and Elana Johnson, Stacey Faught, and the many female entrepreneur friends I have in my life.

1. Yoga & Martial Arts are not about a "goal" they are about a process. Becoming a "better" person is a process, a life long process.
2. History is important. It gives us a framework about where we come from. Learning about the history of yoga or martial arts gives your practice meaning and depth.
3. If you are in the business for the money or the fame.. you will always be searching. A few people become wealthy but I guarantee you that is not where their heart was when they set out on this journey.
4. When you start out becoming a teacher or getting certified to teach you need to have a heart for touching other peoples lives.
5. Running a yoga business or a martial arts business is still a business and should you move beyond teaching to opening a space your time will be dominated by administrative work, not teaching. You will end up teaching less & less very likely.
6. You will meet a diverse group of people and run into many view points, be open minded.
7. Always treat people with respect and honor, respect your seniors and instructors.
8. There is no substitute for experience, take your time and get experience. Don't be in such a hurry.
9. It is not necessarily good to try to teach in many places, it muddles the water when it comes to behaving with ethics. Business Ethics are not different from personal ethics. The Golden Rule applies everywhere. Again this is often why we shouldn't be so much about money. In Martial Arts it would never be acceptable to teach at one Dojo and then teach at another in the same town on regular basis. I am outspoken on this where others do not feel comfortable.
10. This business of being a free agent in yoga and everyone branding themselves is becoming very egotistical and is getting further & further away from yogic philosophy. I didn't become a studio school owner over night, I worked for many years and always respected my teachers and other teachers when doing so. That being said I made some mistakes and once realized them I faced them, made a mends and changed my way of doing things. Often we don't realize we may be behaving unethically until we are faced with a similar situation, then it's time to do the right thing.


The Connection with Martial Arts, Yoga and Business:

Tae Kwon Do exploded in the West in the 60's and 70's, Yoga has been growing by leaps and bounds in the U.S. since the 80's & 90's. Both were introduced to the West in the early 1900's and both have had their growing pains. We can learn a lot from Tea Kwon Do by comparing our similar philosophies that originated in the same part of the world

Tae Kwon Do: Tenants and Student Oath

Explanation of Tenets

1. Courtesy (Ye Ui)

Taekwon-Do students should attempt to be polite to one another and to respect others. Students should address instructors as Sir and to bow to the instructors before and after classes. Turning up early or on time for classes is also an aspect of courtesy.

2. Integrity (Yom Chi)

One who has integrity is able to define what is right or wrong and have the conscience, if wrong, to feel guilt. Taekwon-Do students should strive to be honest and to live by moral principles.

3. Perseverance (In Nae)

Perseverance means having patience. One of the most important secrets of becoming a leader in Taekwon-Do is to overcome every difficulty by perseverance. Confucius said," One who is impatient in trivial matters can seldom achieve success in matters of great importance."

4. Self-Control (Guk Gi)

Without self-control, a Taekwon-Do student is just like any fighter in the street. Loss of self-control is disastrous both in sparring and personal affairs. "The term of stronger is the person who wins over oneself rather than someone else", Lao Tzu.

5. Indomitable Spirit (Baekjul Boolgool)

A true student of Taekwon-Do will never give up, not even when faced with insurmountable odds. The most difficult goals can be achieved with indomitable spirit.

Student Oath

I shall observe the tenets of Taekwon-Do.I shall respect the instructor and seniors.
I shall never misuse Taekwon-Do.
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice.
I shall build a more peaceful world.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

1. Laws of Yama - Abstentions

• Ahimsa: Non-violence
• Satya: Truthfulness
• Asteya: Non-stealing
• Brahmacharya: Sense Control
• Aparigraha: Non-greed

2. Laws of Niyama - Observances

• Saucha: Purity
• Santosa: Contentment
• Tapas: Austerity
• Svadhyaya: Self-study
• Ishwara pranidhana: Attunement to the Indwelling Reality

3. Asana - Posture

4. Pranayama - Breath Control

5. Pratyahara - Sense Withdrawal

6. Dharana - Concentration

7. Dhyana - Meditation

8. Samadhi - Enlightenment

According to the tradition, the eight limbs are interdependent and practiced simultaneously.

Om Shanti

Fear

Fear:
Show me a human that has no fear. It is said most of our motivation in life is based out of fear. I heard a wise yogi say once we are motivated by three things: Fear, hunger &  having to go the bathroom.
It's the time of the year that my students start practice teaching and inevitably I get lots of phone calls, which I am actually grateful for. I believe in fear we also have humility. To this day I get butterflies when I teach. That is right after 7000 hours or 12 yrs of teaching yoga I still get nervous.
How can be expect that we will ever gain anything in our life if we don't step through our fear and try something new. The hardest thing for many in trying yoga is walking in the door the first time. Once you have the big picture break it down into small steps, then take the first one. You will be scared and you will make mistakes and with time you will be so proud of yourself and have a great sense of accomplishment.

Isvara pranidhana / Sweet and Painful Surrender

This one is big, so big it can't be grasped, or in my experience the minute you grasp it..it's gone, like trying to hold sand. Have you ever tried to hold dry sand? It slips right out of your grasp, you will end up with remnants of little pieces of sand but the whole will be gone. For me that sweetness which is surrender, that moment in your meditation when you come to that place that honestly no words can express, you get giddy thinking "I found it!" and then you want to hold it, you want to feel this way all the time, and poof it's gone. Your memory is that of something so profound and pure that you will always try to reconnect to it and that keeps you going.
As with all my post I write from my perspective and cannot speak for others. I've been to this place so many times and I've been to the other side of this place a million more times. The other side for me is anxiety, distress, anger, frustration, fear, and all the other words that make my heart race, tears come to my eyes, and  cause me to feel out of sorts. We as humans all know the hard times, some more than others, but the truth is we are all connected. None of us gets out of life without pain of some sort. I don't care how rich you are with money, things, etc...you will have some pain in your life. Surrendering to God is the definition of Isvara Pranidhana.
What does it mean to Surrender? You will have to ask yourself, you will have to look into your soul to find out. I cannot give you the answers and no one else can, a teacher can do one thing for you, give you guidance. Because to surrender means one thing, you don't know, you don't have the answers. And to truly surrender we have to be in the now, the present moment.
Many paths can lead to this place, no headstand or down dog alone will get you there. It's a process, there is no easy answer. But what you do have to do to find it is this, start. Start doing something to find peace in your life. A yoga practice, a spiritual practice, a devotion, something that completely takes your mind off your troubles. I'd be lying to you if I said it can only happen through doing asanas, because the truth is it can be found in many places, but you have to be open to not knowing, to letting go, to surrendering to the moment, to be willing to try.
Below I will give you some things that have helped me and continue to help me every day, and some ideas and tools I use to help others. These are also things people have shared with me over the years.

Ideas to cultivate awareness, humility, surrender, modesty, and acceptance of a higher power. 

1. Give thanks. Say thank you on paper or in your heart everyday for what you have been given. Several times in my life I have kept a gratitude journal, giving thanks for three things a day. 
2. Be with positive people. When you have troubles don't go to a negative person for help, find someone who is honest and positive to talk to. 
3. Get out in the sun and in nature and marvel at how the world and all the living things work to create a whole. 
4. Watch a small child or an animal. Looking and observing someone or an animal that is not concerned with what others think of them. 
5. Meditate: Consciously turning your mind off or finding something to focus on like a mantra (words repeated over and over for a time period, such as "peace"). There are tapes for guided meditation and there are many teachers. Allowing for quite time allows for creativity. I've heard it and experienced it, for every hour of quite time your working time seems to increase. 
6. Listen and stop talking. You cannot learn when you are constantly talking. Evaluate your words and don't talk if you don't feel led. 
7. Take in each of your senses, take time to fully appreciate good music by closing your eyes and feeling it, taste your food, enjoy and find things to wear that are soft against your skin, have good smells in your home and around you, make your space a place to feed your senses. A comfy bed loaded with comfy covers, a nice candle, good music, luscious natural food, beautiful things to look at that make you happy. 
8. Keep your area clean and clutter free, clutter makes us anxious and weighs us down. 
9. Enjoy a yoga class and cultivate how you feel in the poses.
10. Take a deep long breath and exhale slow and long and get all the carbon dioxide out of your lungs. 
11. Stop complaining, try to go a whole day without saying something negative. 
12. Compliment someone.
13. Help someone that needs your help.
14. Smile at others.
15. Be kind, everyone has their own struggles. That person that pulled out in front of you could have been up all night with a sick person or struggling with pain you have never known. 
16. Give hugs.
17. This is a big one for me: When I am in the throws of anxiety I think "God has always taken care of me. Yes I have had trouble in my life and I have lost people to death, divorce, and indifference, but I have always had shelter and food and someone in my life who loves me." The fact is things may be hard now but they do get better and life is not dessert everyday. If today is hard know that it won't always be this way. 
18. Surround yourself with some community. Don't be alone all the time. It's not healthy. If you are single then find something to do that involves interaction, join a group, go to the gym, go to church, go to a yoga studio. Find your people. 
19. Read something positive and put positive quotes in your path. I put positive sayings around my home and office. 
20. Do something nice for yourself everyday. Make a cup of your favorite coffee, tea, or go for a walk. Make sure you carve out a little time each day that is not taxing or stressful. 

These are just a few tips, I am no expert. The truth is I've struggled with paralyzing anxiety my entire life and this is why I continually look for ideas that give me peace. I hope you have renewed peace now and in the coming year. 

Happy New Year 2013, 

Courtney 

Svadhyaya- Contemplation and Education

Svadhyaya -- Self-study.   Spiritual self-education.   Contemplation and application of the scriptures or sacred texts of our chosen path.

This is a picture of my sweet, dear friend Stacey Faught R.Y.T. reading a psalm at the Lilias Folan workshop we attended together.

Being a yoga teacher it is extremely hard not to mix your business and your personal life. If you truly try to live out your yoga then it's in everything you do and who you are. What I love about yoga is that it is always a "practice". I don't have to perform, and I am not expected to do anything perfectly. Though my faith is Christian I tend to study many texts and philosophies. I find that in doing so I often hear the voice of God through those words. Often the messenger is in a reading, a meditation, and often the messenger is a human or an animal or an event. In doing our asana practice and studying our yogic philosophies or any sacred text we can learn to care for ourselves and open ourselves up to hear God, our higher power, the universe, speak to us. For me yoga philosophy has given me great "Self Talk" and "Self Love". Anytime I need to fill my tank I can read the Yama's and NiYama's and find what I need. Now my challenge this past year has been taking the time to go there before I get out of sorts. It's okay, we all go through cycles. Yoga allows for forgiveness, of self and of others. The others has been tough for me this year, I will admit it, but I know because I have been given this path that I will be more compassionate to someone else who needs some lovin through a tough time. 

When we practice all eight limbs of yoga we allow ourselves to tune our minds and bodies to our inner voice. I hope you find your inner voice and that you have lots of self love and positive self talk in your life, and have peace in knowing that you and no one else has to be on a pedestal, you can get up when you fall down and dust yourself off and start again. Your yoga practice will be there for you, it won't talk back, it won't argue, it will give you comfort, it will give you love, and you will always have it..everywhere you go.

Namaste and Hugs, 

Courtney 

Tapas- Light the Fire Baby

Tapas- Austerity, discipline, lighting your own inner fire. 


This has been an interesting time for me, I chose to write about the Yama's 
and Niyama's over the period of one year, little did I know that within a day of 
doing so my life would completely change. I wrote my first post on the 
subject and within an hour my life completely turned around. Being a wife and a mother, a business owner, with a part time job working 12 hours a week teaching yoga and managing yoga classes for the local YMCA was my old life and within a few days everything changed. My husband and I split up, I'm still a momma but now I am a single mom, my business if flourishing but I am much more reliant on others and have hired more help, and I took on 
more work at the YMCA working 28 plus hours a week. 


So you may be thinking "I thought this was about discipline or tapas, why is 
she rambling on about her life?" Well because that is how we all relate, from 
our own personal viewpoint. This divorce has made me be in the moment 
and adopt a new sense of trust in the things I cannot see, the give and take, 
God, the energy of action and reaction. My personal practice of asana is not 
as strong as I would like and often I only get 20 minutes or so at a time. My 
physical body is weak from stress and my stamina is lacking. My practice of 
pranayama or my breathing is more of a tool that a practice right now, 
I literally live Ujjayi breathing, I am victory breath.I often catch myself 
breathing loudly around others to relax or simply to keep myself calm. 
My focus on the Yama's and Niyama's is stronger than ever but is constantly 
at a point of complete perplexity: how does one follow that feeling of 
contentment when your kids are hurting and you are hurting? How does one 
follow a place of non grasping when you feel like your whole world is slipping 
threw your fingers. Well you just do. You just trust, you self talk, you talk to 
friends, I pray, I tell myself "Today you are okay, and likely tomorrow you will 
be okay." Most of my 41 years God, the universe, has taken care of me and 
my children and I continue to trust in that. 


My discipline with my practice has not been a fire I have had to try to light, 
because I have needed it so badly the past seven months. I have needed to 
focus on the now, on the moment, on the philosophies and on my own 
internal health and wellbeing while being conscious of the fact that I still teach others and guide others and I want to be the honest/ authentic teacher they need. 
Below you will see what I thought was an excellent definition of Tapas: and below that I have included ways I have incorporated that fire in my life. 


"Discipline is having enough respect for yourself to make choices that truly 
nourish your well-being and provide opportunities for expansive growth. Far 
from being a kind of medicinal punishment, tapas allows us to direct our 
energy toward a fulfilled life of meaning and one that is exciting and 
pleasurable".- http://www.healthy.net/Health/Article/The_Ten_Living_Principle 


1. Get enough sleep. I try to get 7 to 8 hours a night, and if I 
am tired I rest. 
2. Accept that everything does not have to get done now. 
Make a list and prioritize. Make good use of your energy. 
3. Eat very healthy. Everyday I try to make sure I'm eating 
veggies, fruit, yogurt, grains, nuts, and healthy low fat 
meals. If I am eating out I try to make a wise choice and 
eat a small meal or only half of my meal. 
4. Watch consumption of alcohol and sweets. I do enjoy a 
glass of wine or a drink occasionally but I limit myself to 
only once in while and no more than two. It never fails 
that I feel terrible the next day no matter if I only have 
one. Sweets are the same. I feel just awful when I have 
them. This is something that I believe when we 
develop self awareness we are more in tune with how the 
food we eat makes us feel. 
5. Spend time with people you love and who love you back. 
6. Be in nature. The past six months I have been out in 
nature a ton, taking lots of country drives, sitting on the 
porch, and taking long walks with no music just the 
sounds of the world. 
7. Listen to your heart. I am a social person, however lately I 
just don't feel like being very social. Before this life 
change I organized large events, went to art galleries, 
music events, and more, lately I just don't have that 
desire. It's almost like it's to much stimulation and I am in 
a place that I don't want to talk about the divorce, and 
often I find myself not knowing what to say. So I honor 
that and I stay back and nourish myself with time with one 
or two people, reading, watching movies, or spending 
time with my kids. 


Love and Light, 
Courtney 

Santosha or Santosa = Contentment

Santosha is a state of self acceptance of life the way it is. It is a place where you feel that you can accept and be present in the now, whatever that now is. Santosha is not being stagnant, or complacent, but understanding that where ever you are that is where you are supposed to be and it's okay not to know all the answers.
Going through major life changes myself I have recently developed a sense of what this means in a very full and real way. My kids are teenagers (yes, all four of them 14,15,16, & 18) and I am going through a long and painful divorce. My future is uncertain, however isn't that true for all living beings? Through pain we often develop a sense of peace once we move through the stages of grief onto acceptance.  This peace surpasses "easy breezy it's a good day peace" but an understanding that in the midst of trial you can find stillness. Many days my mantra has been "I'm okay right now".  When I look back over the past 41 years of my life I can say for the most part I've been okay most of the days of my life.
Yesterday my kiddo's and I went to my parents house for lunch. They live on a beautiful lake and my mom's partner asked the kids to go fishing on the dock. My second born son, Cole was fishing and he hooked a very large catfish. There was this long wonderful moment when I had all my kids with me, my family was there, everyone was cheering for Cole to bring the catfish in. We were all trying to help and encourage and this sense of completely being in the now, appreciating the now, loving the now, and accepting that being right there with my kids and nature that we were all "Okay right now".

*The big catfish was a mamma with a pregnant belly, she was released back into the lake right after the big fish picture was taken.