New Year at Narita-san January 3, 2009

My last flight of December took me back to Narita. I love spending New Years day in Japan as it the main spiritual holiday of the year with O-Bon running a very close second. New Years , known as O-shogatsu, in Japan is like spiritual house cleaning: out with the old and in with the new- literally. You gather up all the old amulets and charms from the previous year and cart them all off to be burnt and then buy replacements for the new year. To visit  a large  temple on the first day of O-shogatsu for the first prayers is especially auspicious with special amulets being only available on the first 3 days of the new year.

Flower sushi

Intricate sushi

Happy maneki-neko cats

Omotesando with Narita-san in the background

The bottom of Omotesando

The new gate

Can you see the plane?

The entrance of Narita-san

The cleansing area

The giant lantern of Narita-san

The steps to the main grounds

The main hall

The other hall

The small pagoda

One of the many statues

The priests of Narita-san

The Abbot of Narita-san

The fortune vending machine

My fortune

Sweet sake- amazake

Me warming up

Omotesando going up

Preparing my lunch

The Unagi restaurant

My O-shogatsu lunch

Though Narita is not as old and beautiful as Kyoto, and is basically a town built around the international airport, it is the home of one of the best known and oldest temples in the Kanto region. The only temple busier than Narita-san ( Narita Mountain) on O-shogatsu is the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.  Over 2 million visitors go through Narita-san’s grounds during the first 5 days of the new year. I think there were a few hundred thousand the morning I was there!

The road to the temple (Omotesando) is lined with colourful traditional shops selling handicrafts, rice crackers, sweets, bamboo goods, tourist trinkets, pickles and dried fish. Narita is famous for it’s river eel known as unagi　and many restaurants, some 100 years old, line the street as well. The atmosphere even on a normal day is colorful and festive- during O-shogatsu it’s down right chaotic!

I wound my way down through the crowds and browsed a little in the shops as I moved closer to the temple grounds- making mental notes of what I wanted to eat on my journey back up. The morning  was sharp and cold and the sun did little to warm the air. At the bottom of the hill sits the entrance gate to Narita-san, rebuilt in 2008. The yellow of the wood- my guess is cypress- is in such a contrast to the grey of all the other wooden buildings on the grounds. I stopped to wash my hands and rinse my mouth before entering. I laughed as an old Japanese woman snatched the ladle out of my hand before I even had a chance to put it down. Obviously me being a foreigner didn’t seem to faze her!

The light was beautiful early in the morning. Once I reached the top of the stairs, I coated myself in the thick smoke of the giant incense burner and wafted it over my head and body. The old folks around me gathered large clouds of incense in their hands and focused the haze to areas of their bodies where they had aches and pains. Just as I was finishing the bells began to ring and the priests began to appear as they made their way to the main hall in a long rainbow procession. Bright green, purple, and red, they solemnly made their way through the crowd with the head abbot coming last draped in gold and sheltered by a large red umbrella.

I quickly ran up behind the procession and shoved my way through the crowds to pull off my boots and sneak a space on the floor of the main hall. I had been there many times for morning prayers but  that morning we were packed in like a morning train in Tokyo. As the ceremony started I quietly thanked myself for my morning yoga practice- though short- had made my limber enough to sit on my legs in oseza. I realized I would be like that for at least 30 minutes. As the prayers started the taiko drums began to sound and a small fire began to rise in front of the abbot. The drums grew louder and the chanting deeper and the fire grew. The heavy smell of incense still enveloped me and the sounds of the room began to blend into this deep vibration that I could feel throughout my body. I remembered coming here shortly after father died for morning prayers and his presence was there with me. As the priest began prayers to Fudo-myoo, Narita-san’s Buddhist deity, the crowd joined in. I thought of each member of my family and my friends and I prayed for them too. Fudo-myoo, known as Acala in Tibet, is known for sitting in a fire and this ceremony, known as Goma, represents his fire- the power to burn away our ignorance. He also holds a rope in one hand- so he can pull us into enlightenment. Lasso to nirvana? I guess we can all use a helping hand.

As the prayers of the abbot finished, the crowd rushed to the side of the alter and started handing over bags and purses to the priests. The priests gathered up five or so at a time and then waved them over the smoke of the Goma fire. I figure I had better make my jump (and I hoped that my legs still worked as I got up) and made my way to the priest. He looked at me quizzically with a “do you know what you are doing?” look and took my bag. I have to admit I think I was the only non-Japanese in the main hall. After my bag was returned, I took a seat again to finish the ceremony. After the ceremony finished a large group of us lined up one last time and we walked single file to the back of the alter to run our hand along a rope that had been wound around a handrail of sorts. I had no one to ask so I assume this must be a representation of Fudo-myoo’s rope but I am not sure.

I popped my boots back on and walked outside; the bright day was really starting to awaken. I could actally feel a little warmth starting to eminate from the sun. I made my way to buy my new amulets for the year and then went down to buy my fortune. The traditional shaking of the wood box with sticks has been replaced by coin vending machines. Hmm..crass but handy I guess. I put my 100 yen in the machine and out pops my fortune- daikichi! Yatta! The best fortune available. The Japanese looked over my shoulder and laughed along with me but I felt bad as a young woman pouted at her boyfriend and showed him her “unlucky” fortune. You tie the not so good fortunes to trees on the temple grounds and the luckiest ones you keep with you. I placed mine in my wallet with a reminder to get it translated. It’s kind of like reading olde English- I find them difficult to accurately translate myself.

I wandered the grounds for a while longer and then started making my way back up Omotesando. The wind was cold and brisk and I stopped for warm sweet sake on the road. The cup was toasty and the sake hot and it did wonders for warming up my insides. I had a chat with a family from Tokyo as we all drank and then I made my way again. Chestnut vendors lined the road and helpers handed out samples of the warm treat. Warm chestnuts always remind me of Charles Dickens’ novels and a snowy London. I read somewhere that even though it doesn’t snow in London, that during Charles’ youth it snowed an abnormal amount and therefore his books aways had snowy winters.

Half way up Omotesando I reached the unagi restaurants and decided to splurge for an expensive eel lunch. I was feeling slightly sorry for myself ,as I really didn’t have much of a Christmas this year with all my flying, and my husband couldn’t join me on this New Year trip like we were planning. I waited beside the men gutting eels on a long timber that is their work table. They plucked live eels from the bucket beside them, nailed their head to the wood, and then quickly gutted them. Gruesome but effective. I payed for my meal ahead of time and had a seat at a crowded table. The atmosphere was frenetic yet friendly with the waitresses weaving and yelling as they moved through the throngs of tables and people.  My tickets were replaced with a meal a few minutes later and the warm soft unagi melted as I picked it up in my chopsticks. As I lingered over my first bite, I wished again that my husband was there with me. He would have ordered the largest meal and then continued to eat from every little stand on the way up the street. He would have spent 30 dollars in the vending machines trying new coffees and exotic strange Japanese drinks before the end of the day. His first trip to Japan was at New Years and Christmas the year we met so we both have special memories of that time of year.

I looked down and realized that I had almost finished my lunch; time to make room for the other customers waiting on the street. I wiggled my way out of the store and on to the street where the crowd seemed to have doubled in size since the morning. I again wandered through a few shops on my way back up and bought a few treats for the flight home. It was then time to go back and rest for the flight home.

I hope all of you will continue to join my adventures for 2009. I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year-

新年明けましておめでっとうございます！

Winter Buddha in Meditation December 29, 2008

 

 

 

野も山も

雪にとられて

何もなし

no mo yama mo

yuki ni torarete

nanimo nashi

Joso ( 1661- 1704)

 

Fields and mountains too,

all captured by the snow

so nothing remains.

Bye Bye Kansai! October 16, 2008

Well, that’s it. Osaka is over. Air Canada decided to cancel the route as of October 23rd and I finished my last flight there on the 12th. My flying life will now radically change and therefore the rest of my life will have to adapt. This is not a prospect I look forward to but I don’t dread it as badly as I had feared. I have used the looming changes to really savour my current blessings and to let them go as gently as possible.

When I first heard about the cancellation of the route, and then the impending layoff of 600 flight attendants, I felt sick to my stomach but I made a decision to just enjoy my last few trips as much as possible and to let the future take care of itself- it was out of my control. As I have said in past blogs, I believe that everything happens for a reason. One door shuts another door opens. Unfortunately, most of us are so busy still pounding on the door that shut behind us, we don’t notice the new one that opened.

One of the Yamas- or restraints- of yogic philosophy is aparigraha- non-clinging or non-possessiveness. It has been interpreted to mean an absence of greed, an abstinence from materialism among other things. I have thought of it as beyond just clinging to material things, but to things that naturally change in our lives. We become so set in our routines and what we think is our “right” that when anything upsets that, we become panicky and fearful. (I mean… I could start speaking on the current economic situations in the world and you would have a ten page diatribe on how we got there because we cannot practice aparigraha but I will leave that to the yogic economists out there…)   I chose instead to embrace the present and look for the new door when this one closed.

What an amazing last few trips it was! I think I gained 10 pounds from all the food I ate. I visited all my favorite establishments that I had come to know over the last twelve years and dined on gourmet noodles, sticky rice sweets, excellent sake and of course my wonderful coffee. I took small gifts of chocolates and cookies to all the shop keepers who called me a “regular”. The Japanese are serious about how they define their customers- being called a regular was an honour usually reserved for local Japanese- not for a foreignor that popped in once or twice a month. Many of them gave me little gifts back- a bottle of homemade soy sauce, a little trinket for my bag. It was sad and wonderful all at the same time.

I was happy to be able to mix my yoga practice into the ritual of saying goodbye because as my door on Kansai closed, it was just opening for my friend Mark. Mark has relocated from San Francisco to Kyoto as the newest teacher at Studio Yoggy. Mark and I met back in June in Yokohama and fast became friends. His Japanese is progressing at an astounding rate and he is doing most of his class in Japanese. This is no small feat in Anusara where we mix philosphy into the physical practice.

Mark moved to Japan just before my last two flights so I decided to catch a couple of his classes during layover. The first layover Mark was teaching in Osaka. “Nice and close”, I thought. Well….            

Mark was teaching at a studio location that I had never been to but I received good directions ( I thought) from the hotel and headed out early to his class- withalittle pit stop for coffee along the way! When I reached the station near the studio I again asked for clarification on the directions and off I went walking…and walking…and walking…until I came upon the next train station. I started to panic just a little as I spun my map around and around to line it up with the streets around me. This was not looking good. I then headed back to the main intersection and started to walk again until I came upon a shop keeper opening up for the morning. I asked about the location I was trying to get to and he shook his head and pointed back to the station that I had originally come from…1/2  a mile away. I looked at my watch and realized I had just 12 minutes to make it to Mark’s class. My heart sunk. All this way just to be late- how frustrating. I started to walk and being jet lagged and a little emotional I started to tear up a little bit. I never get lost in Japan! Why today? I looked at my watch – 8 minutes to go. I decided that if I didn’t make it to class that I would find the studio eventually and that maybe Mark and I could have lunch at least. I started chanting “Om namah shivaya, om namah shivaya..” and slowed down my frantic mind and just thought, “Go withyourinstinct.” My instinct told me I was on the wrong side of the station originally so to walk back up the opposite side. Three minutes later the whole map appeared in solid form before me – landmarks and all- voila- the studio. I ran in with5 minutes to spare and quickly rattled off to the bemused desk clerk my being lost …and late… and so sorry …and is Mark here?.. and where is the change room?.. and where do I pay?…and she looked at me with downcast eyes. “Mark-sensei wa imasen..Mark is not here.” WHAT? Shoot. Did I screw up the times? Maybe he was sick or something. As my mind played with scenarios the clerk continued, “Mark sensei wa mayochatta…Mark is lost.”

Come on. Was this seriously happening? Both of us lost? I jokingly told her that if Mark didn’t show up I could teach. The next thing I knew they handed me the phone to talk to one of the managers , my friend Tomoko, and I was asked to teach if Mark didn’t show up in 10 minutes. Talk about a strange morning. Well ten minutes later I started my impromptu  yoga class, withno prep, and 30 minutes later a very flustered Mark came into the studio. The poor guy- in ten years of teaching he had never once been late- he was beside himself. All ended well. I was payed back for my class fee- given a free class for the next week in Kyoto and payed for teaching the class as well! Mark even bought me lunch and we had a good laugh over how the universe likes to mess with you just to keep you on your toes!

The last trip to Osaka was the best- the most satisfying in so many ways. I started out with a late arrival into Osaka and ran in full uniform to my favorite massage place. They had been wondering where I was ( I don’t make an appointment in case of flight delays) and had just enough time to book me for what I call heaven- an hour and a half aromatherapy oil massage. As you can see from the pictures they are tiny but man are they powerful- it’s like they hone in on all the painful tight places. Like I said heaven- in a sadistic kind of way.

Panekea Hands Massage- the best!

Early morning in front of Osaka Station

Textures of a culture

Morning cleaning of the Yakusaka Shrine

The traditional way to clean

The modern way to clean

Lantern along the canal- Kawaramachi- Kyoto

Kamo river kyoto

Yakasaka Shrine- Heian period

Path behind Yakasaka Shrine

Yakasaka Shrine- Kyoto

Stone Kannon near Kodai-ji

Prayer wheels

Wandering the streets of Higashiyama-”teapot alley”

The veranda of Kiyomizu Temple

Mark getting us into bakasana

Me and Aki

Better face- worse pose

Tim, myself and Mark

Last autumn treat in Osaka

Zensai- sweet red bean soup with chestnuts and sweet rice dumplings

The Japanese Language Crew- Miho, Me and Miwa

Me and the tail of our 767-300- Kansai Airport

I woke up early the next morning to hop the train to Kyoto. The sun was shining so bright and it was slightly cool- just enough to tell your senses that it was becoming fall. I arrived in Kyoto to start my morning walk up Higashiyama- the same place I spent time in last New Year. The weather was perfect and the sun was becoming warmer as I climbed through the meandering streets. I took in every colour, every texture, every scent as I weaved further up the mountain. I stopped in front of a door way just to admire the simplicity and the textures that were contained in no more than 4 feet. A stone road led to a cobbled brick shoulder to a wooden ramp to another stone step upon which sat a bonsai in blue and white ceramic . Two wooden half circles supported the bowl and in behind was a wrapping of straw and framing the whole vignette was a slatted wooden door. So simple, so natural and yet so rich. It completely entranced me.

Textures of a culture

I climbed higher and higher to finally come to my favorite temple, Kiyomizu. Like a grand wooden tree house it seems to float on the mountain side. I came into the main part of the temple to pray and noticed my dragon fountain was out of order but was curious as to what seemed to be a special event going on. I asked one of the Japanese volunteers what was going on and he explained that the image of the Kannonwhich is housed inside the Hondo or main hall-  was open to public viewing today. She would only be open until November then again in March and then they would close the doors on her sacred container to not be opened again for 25 years.  It was the most magnificent hall- lit very softly along the sides. There must have been 50 statues of different gods and demons that protect the Kannon and all around them were hundreds of candles. Similar to lighting candles in church , in Japan you also light candles for those you wish to help or protect. The candles had paper wrapped around the bottom and you could purchase one, write your blessing on the paper and then light it and place it all around the figures in the shrine. Unfortunately due to the age of the relics no pictures are allowed so you will just have to go there yourself! I would suggest this November or next March as 25 years is a bit of a wait….

I wandered back down the mountain to make my way to Mark’s yoga class in Kyoto. He was very punctual and had prepared a wonderful class. Tim, a mutual friend that I had also met in June, was also there so that was a treat. My only regret is that if I had continued that route I could have taken more classes from Mark- I learned so much from him in even that short time. Aki, another teacher who I met last year in Japan, was also there and we rocked out astavakrasana in front of the amazing studio wall. She laughed and agreed that the studio was quintessential Kyoto ” Kyoto-poi“. I felt so blessed to see old friends and have them, and my yoga, as part of my last day.

Tim, myself and Mark

I went home with my fantastic crew and I felt deeply satisfied with how I chose to say goodbye. In Japanese when you are completely full, nothing more can be added to the experience you say ” dai-manzoku“. It really couldn’t have been better and now I am looking for the next door. Bye bye Kansai!

Kobe Craziness August 21, 2008

Yes I know it has been a bit since I have wrote ( as Pamela was reminding me) but my last workshop was so crazy that it took me a little while to write about it.

I taught my first official workshop in Kobe Japan two weeks ago. I was invited by my friend Tomoko to teach at a new studio belonging to a friend of hers called koBEYOGA. We set a date way back in June and I just thought I would teach during my layover as the workshops in Japan are only 1 and 1/2 hours. I could work an Osaka flight on a weekend and then just catch the train to Kobe, teach and get back to to the hotel in time for a nap before flying out again. Well- how does the phrase go?…”if you want God to laugh tell him your plans…” or something like that. Yes- something like that- something exactly like that.

You see, I gambled on the fact I could hold an Osaka flight- and two weeks before the workshop the worst happened…I did not get that flight. I was outbid by senior flight attendants and wound up on a Narita flight. Ok – breath- maybe one of the three flight attendants on Osaka would switch? Surely one of them would? No- not a chance. I was in a canoe and no paddle- and going downstream fast!

Now most of you would say- “Oh – so I guess you called and cancelled the workshop.” No – I did not. I made a very difficult, crazy  and expensive decision. I would fly to Osaka (southern Japan) on my Narita layover (Central Japan) and teach the workshop. I have done some pretty crazy spontaneous things in my life but I have to say this ranked up there at the top. For those of you that know about canoeing, I had no paddle so what do you do? You gunnel hop. You put on foot on either side of the edges of the canoe and you start hopping: I gunnel hopped my way across Japan. Nuts.

In Japan when you make a promise you keep it. I could have called and said ” Oh – I am so sorry but I am not coming.” and they would have said ” Oh – that’s too bad- maybe some other time.” And they would have never asked me again. Reputation in Japan is everything and not losing face is part of that. I made a promise and I must keep it. That simple.

I spent about 10 hours on the computer doing research and making a time line and checking prices and finally came up with a plan that just might work- just- if one plane was late or one bus was late I would not make it back to work the Narita flight home. I spent more than I would make on the workshop on bus and plane tickets and prayed that Grace would take pity on me. ( and I promised her I would never do something like this again!) I put my canoe into the river of Grace and just kept hopping.

I packed my bag as light as possible and figured the clothing changes I would need on route ( uniform, yoga clothes, street clothes) and headed off to my flight. My two girlfriends on the flight knew what I was up too incase anything went wrong or they needed to find me. I got off my working flight in Narita and waited an hour and a half to catch a flight to Osaka Itami Airport- just under an hour and a half. I then took a bus to Osaka and stayed in my fellow flight attendants room in Osaka- she was at a friend’s house for her birthday which is why she could not switch her flight with me. I finally feel asleep late at night and then woke up early to practice and look over my notes. I then met my friend Tomoko at the train station and took a train for 35 minutes to Kobe.

We walked about 10 minutes to the studio. It was in the lower level of a building and was beautifully cool after the 38 degree weather outside and smelled of new wood. Lovely. The owner Nobu-san enthusiastically greeted me and I felt immediately at home. My workshop was called Learning to fly- Realizing your Unlimited Potential and it was an arm balancing wokshop. I wanted to get the students to try something new and challanging but attainable. I found arm balancing very empowering for myself and for my students over the last few years and I really wanted to give the Japanese students a taste of what Anusara could offer. I wanted them to work hard but feel good and if possible…laugh. If you think that dosen’t sound too hard you haven’t been in a room of serious Japanese yogis. Laughing is not a naturally occuring thing….

It started off serious and quiet but by the end of it we were all laughing and arm balancing away. The Japanese students are amazingly quick learners. In an hour and half we did – bakasana, parsva bakasana, eka pada koundinyasa, eka pada bhujasana, astravrakasana. They did them all- some just getting a toe up and others rocking it out - and many had never arm balanced before! My Japanese was a mess as I stumbled through a world of unfamiliar vocabulary but I seemed to get my message across. After the workshop the  students told me they could “truly feel my heart”. I was so happy and deeply satisfied with what little I had to offer- it still made an impact.

After class I tore into my suitcase and dressed back in my uniform- (ugh- nylons in 38 degrees plus humidity)  and hopped a taxi to the train station. From there I took a bus for 40 minutes to the Itami Airport in Osaka. I then flew for over an hour to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. From there I took a bus for 70 minutes to Narita Airport. I met my crew 40 minutes later and flew home. Yup- Crazy!

After all of it was over my husband asked me,”Was it really worth it?” and I would say yes, it was. The greatest gift of teaching is not the money you make or getting a recognized name- it is the look on a student’s face when you see them do something for the first time. They realize that they always had the key- you just showed them how to turn the lock. What a gift.

No more canoes for a while.

Time to Absorb June 30, 2008

The last day of the immersion ended with John talking about taking time to absorb the teachings. It is part of the spanda, to pull back for a bit and just let it all soak in, so to speak. I ended my last night with the merry band over Indian food. John had given a marvelous talk on wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic, and had, as always, managed to weave the underlying principles of tantra into it. It was a very satisfying way to end the week.

I said goodnight to the merry band that night and spent the next morning sleeping in a bit and packing my bags. Madoka from Studio Yoggy had mentioned that there was a large temple in Tsurumi where I was staying. I hadn’t been able to see it in all the rain but apparently it was on a hill behind the station. I put my large bags in a locker at the station and started to walk up the hill. It was pouring so hard that the water was splashing up the back of my legs. My crazy orange buddha umbrella my sister got me was a life savour. Thanks Michelle!

I really don’t know how I could have missed this temple. It took up the entire hillside. It was acres of grounds. I found a set of stone steps and made my climb through dripping hydrangeas to the top of the hill. The graveyard was spread out before me. Rather than morbid or depressing, I find Japanese graveyards quite lovely and colourful. The bamboo buckets to wash the gravestones were all lined up with family names and the whole place was orderly and well kept.

I made my away around the graveyard to what had to be the biggest temple I have ever seen. I mean-this place was huge! Even the iron lanterns outside the entrance were at least 25 feet high. I took a quick peek in the doors but a funeral ceremony was going on and I didn’t want to attract too much attention, so I ventured back out into the rain. I wandered through the grounds to multiple smaller buildings and temples. A beautiful Kannon ( Bodhisattva) graced one of the temples. Her sweet face was so serene in the pouring rain- not minding the weather at all.

A young Buddhist monk hurried along beside me under an umbrella and I asked him quickly if there was a place to meditate. He nodded and asked me to follow him. We wound our way through a long corridor and then into another building that turned out to be the reception hall. He gestured to the entrance and scurried off again into the rain. I felt a little out of place- everyone there was Japanese and dressed in black for funerals or death rituals. Here I am in a t-shirt, pants and orange umbrella! Good grief Leanne- could you stand out more??

Another monk approached me and I asked once again about meditation. He looked a little puzzled and invited me in to the office. He explained that today was Sunday and they were very busy. He said there would be a zazen sitting at 12:30 to 2:30 for a fee. I explained that I was leaving Japan that day and just wanted some where quiet to sit and meditate and that I had to leave by 1:30 or so to catch my plane. The 12:30 sitting wouldn’t give me enough time but I thanked him for the information and went to excuse myself. He asked me to wait again and got on the phone. When he got off the phone he started to ask deeper questions about my interest in Buddhism and meditation and suddenly he became very friendly and animated. He made another phone call.

The next thing I knew there was a young monk named Yanagi by my side. He was to give me a personal tour of the entire facility and grounds and do a personal zazen meditation with me! They handed me a guide book in English and Japanese and suddenly I was on my way. Yanagi-san was about 22 years old. He had a very serious quality about him and he was very careful to make sure that I understood all the rules. “Walk left, don’t talk here, please follow my lead, etc.” He spoke no English.

We started in the long hallway again and he explained how the corridor had three gates- a morning gate, a mid-day gate and an evening gate. The wooden floor section of the corridor gleamed and Yanagi explained that it was part of the monks-in-training duties to polish it every morning by running up and down the corridor on their hands and knees with cloths. The corridor was used to seperate parts of the temple so there was less chance of a fire destroying the whole complex. Which is apparently what happened in the 1800’s when the temple was located in Ishikawa prefecture- only two structures survived the 1898 fire. The temple was relocated to it’s current location in Tsurumi Hills in 1911. 

Soji-ji temple is a soto zen monastery and today is one of the leading centers of SotoZen faith in the world. Yanagi-san led me to the zazen room or sodo. He carefully instructed me on the order of our movements and the preperation of the zaibuton, or pillow, we would sit on. We walked in- bowed- and then picked up the zaibuton and turned it on its side and carefully squished it around to make it more like a little ball. We then carefully turned the tag side away from us. We sat down on the ledge, placing the pillow underneath us. We then crossed our legs and carefully placed our slippers under the ledge. We then sat in full lotus (Yanagi-san was impressed that I didn’t find it painful!) and used our hands to spin us around to face the paper wall. We then placed our left hand in our right and joined the edges of our thumbs together to make an egg like shape. And so began zazen.

                            I remembered what John had been teaching all week and I just opened up my ears. The rain poured down harder and harder and the chanting of the monks mixed with the echos of bells and drums. All the sounds of ceremonies of death mixed with the sounds of nature. Birds, frogs, voices and the rain – the sounds of life echoed along with the sounds of death. The song of nature, the song of dark and light, the pulsation of Grace. The sounds just became clearer and clearer and suddenly I could hear Yanagi-san slipping on his geta. We had sat for over 30 minutes and it had felt like 5!

We continued on our tour and rather than walking through the rain, we quietly walked through beautiful passages underneath the complex. Pictures outlining the rituals and halls of worship were carefully hung and backlit and we moved through the old and the new. We passed the bell and drum tower, a tea ceremony room and garden, living quarters for the monks, and the head abbots official chamber for receiving guests. All the screens in that room were exquisitely painted and were all works of famous artists from the Taisho era ( 1912-1925).

The main hall, or Daisodo,  is one of the largest in the world: 1000 tatami large! Most of the other temples I have been in would be about half the size of Daisodo. The pillars were of concrete and it was definitely built to last. The oldest structure on the property is the Butsuden or Buddha Hall. It is also referred to as the great treasure hall. The Kannon that graces the side of the hall is a fairly new addition. When you stand in the mid-day gate of the corridor you look straight at the Butsuden. It is like a framed picture. What thought went into all those details.

Yanagi-san and I finished up near the bathrooms. Apparently you pray before you enter there too- as the shrine at the entrance of the washrooms indicated. The guardian deity there cleanses impurities….

I had the most marvelous tour and I managed to make it back just in time to see the “official” zazen group of Japanese and tourists leave for their sitting. I was asked for no donation or payment and was cheerfully invited to come back anytime. The monk that made all the arrangements for me gave his card and encouraged me to continue my studies.

I went in to the gift shop of the temple that sells incense, beads, statues and other Buddhist paraphernalia. I spotted a plain wooden jizu, or japanese bracelet mala, in a case and was immediately attracted to it. It was made out of sandalwood and smelled of worship and time- just like the temple itself. It was the perfect momento of not just a perfect day- but a perfect trip.

Thank you to all of those that made this experience in Japan so special and to all of those that followed me vicariously through my writings. Om namah shavaya.

The Culmination of Your Efforts June 30, 2008

Day Three of Immersion

This last day was one of those crazy days. As John starts to settle in to talk, in walks Carlos Pomeda. I have only seen Carlos on DVD so it had that little bit of “rock star” quality when I first saw him. John and Carlos began to give one of the most amazing talks- it was almost what I would call the Anusara pep rally.

John talked on the culmination of all our efforts. He said that nothing that has come before is ever wasted- no effort is ever forgotten. Every time you fall out of a pose you learn something-you gain something, ad then one day that pose suddenly comes. Why is that? It’s because all your previous efforts count. They are collected into the sky of the mind and one day when your right effort aligns you in harmony with Grace- there you are- in the pose. The smallness you felt when you fell out of the pose dozens of times before, all the time you doubted yourself- falls away and the light is revealed. This is the power of Grace.

Carlos had the most elgant way to explain Grace. He said, ” It is not a theory but something you can apply in your life. Grace is available. Grace is difficult to explain but unmistakable when you experience it. It is the power you feel when you are inspired and your heart opens up. The power of your experience of who you are expands.”

John added, ” When Grace descends and and fills us we feel expanded- we feel freedom. There is a revelation of what already is- we do not create something new- the light simply reveals what is already there.”

Carlos went on to say that some people think Grace will be easy, or perhaps should be easy, but it is a play of sun and shadow. It doesn’t mean that it will always be easy, but you will grow fuller and freer. Whether the path is easy or not is another question. But the result is guaranteed. Grace is always there.

The whole morning talk was so rich and so meaningful. They both talked on a few other subjects but if I start getting into them here I will be writing a book! I really could have listened to them both all day and never been bored for a second. I am really looking forward to Carlos coming to Vancouver next Spring.

We took on a rocking practice that day of backbends and arm balancing and just about anything that was challenging and fun. We walked on our hands to each other in urdva dhanurasana and collapsed into laughter. We celebrated each others accomplishments in poses and cheered and clapped. We supported each other in uttita hasta and then all put our legs around our heads. John gave me a helping hand in yogi dandasana- which actually felt amazingly good- I really wish I had a picture of that one! It really is a crazy pose.

It was a culmination of all our previous efforts. All the poses , whether we did them fully or not, counted towards a growing experience of ourselves. We filled that room full of light and everyone’s beauty was revealed. What joy to behold such an experience- the kula in it’s full glory!

John and Carlos summarized the day in one of the last teachings that morning: choice. We alone are responsible for our state. So let’s choose light and align with Grace- this is Anusara.

Powerful and simple. What a way to end!

 

Let Love Rule June 27, 2008

Day 2 Immersion

Are you ruled by your heart or your mind? Do you see difference in things or do you see the unity? John’s lecture today was a fusion of  a few key teachings. The “One” , the absolute becomes two. The heart and the mind. The mind sees difference- it categorizes, it is discriminating. The heart sees unity- it sees the connection between things.

I was trying to puzzle this out from John’s earlier lecture. He said the One was like light. The light shines through a prism ( maya) and becomes this group of colors.  It looks like different colours to us but really it is just one light. In the relative world though we see colours. We gives them names: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple. The mind sees red , green, yellow etc. The heart …I believe….sees a rainbow. I have to see if this analogy works but I kind of like it.

In Anusara we can get very analytical and live in our heads. We can get wrapped up in all the technical parts of the Universal Principles but then it no longer becomes Anusara. When you are in your mind you are are not truly in the flow. To remember the meaning you have to be in your heart. It is the big picture- to see that we are all from the same source and we are all connected. 

I think John was big on the heart and mind lecture because we all do tend to get wrapped up in the details- even in everyday life. We had to discuss and learn alignment detail today but he didn’t want us to lose the bigger picture. 

We went through matching up the 5 elements with the 5 principles: Open to Grace- sky, Muscular Energy- earth, Inner Spiral- water, Outter Spiral – fire, Organic Energy- air. Each Principle then takes on the quality of the elements- ie. inner spiral is water- is it accommodating and accepting and it moves down. Therefore inner spiral helps move energy down the body- you feel more grounded. We then practiced this way using each of the elements in a pose. I have done this before but it was a great review and reminder. Much of what John says is not new material to me but it seems to go deeper every time. i pull new nuances out of the material and become clearer on the teachings. Being with John is like this big hit of energy , of shakti, and he takes you back to the basics in the best way. He helps take you back to the path of the heart.

I practiced with the merry band again at lunch and tried out ekapada rajakopatasana 4 . I am learning how to drop back into urdva dhanurasana. I am not afraid- just not so bendy! The rest of the group were doing sirsasana to dwi pada backbends and I played with that a bit but without an assist I chickened out! I mean- sometimes we are fearful for good reason. I am pretty sure my upper back isn’t ready for that….

I did a demo today which was fun- I don’t get so freaked out anymore. I am trying hard to “let go” a little more- I spent so long getting strong that now I need to soften a bit more. I had some great help this afternoon from Marc in pincha- balanced on my own in pincha and handstand too. He has the best vibe and I was so sad to see him leave this afternoon. I will miss him and I am looking forward to when our paths will cross again. Kelly gave me some geat tips in my drop back as well and I have hope that one day that will come naturally. Lots to work on when I get home. (You better get ready Lauren!)

Some members of the merry band had dinner together and I had a really nice chat with Yasushi Tanaka who is with Studio Yoggy, John’s translator, and only certified teacher in Japan. He has a lovely sense of humour and we have not really ever had the chance to chat. It was a great treat.

One last day to go. Practice all day and then a dharma talk with John on wabi-sabi after class tomorrow. I am still having the best time but I am feeling the pull to home and my family. When I am in my heart, I am with them.

The Map Maker June 26, 2008

Day one Immersion

Well I am the only non-Japanese in the immersion. Lara from Kyoto, Jenna from everywhere but is Canadian, Chops- once Canadian now Taiwanese, are observing. Man – so do I stand out in a crowd! Just look through the photos and you will see what I mean.

John taught one of his most brilliant classes to date this am as far as I’m concerned. He started with the what, why and how of the meaning of life. Yes-  the meaning of life folks. Talk about “immersion”! I am not going to go into all the details of all these things ,because after 6 hours of practice I do need some sleep, but I will give you the essence.

Within the world of Yoga there is path called Anusara Yoga. It takes you to a place where life is bright, where you bathe in your own light, where you want to dance and dance beautifully. You become a master of life and then everything in the relative world- even the not so nice things- become a gateway to the heart.

Three things make up the path: The Universal Principles of Alignment, specific Tantra philosophy and emphasis on community. You can use any of these things with practice and then use them as a way to the heart.

Anusara yoga is all contained on a map. A map that John made. He is the map maker. He could give you the map but if you can’t read the grid then it is useless. Practicing and learning from a teacher- or the map maker- will show you how to use the grid. So he doesn’t just give the map to just anyone- it is precious. Mika asked a great question. She said, ” But where am I on the map?” John replied that you need the map maker to tell you where you are. He then proceeded to take us through a whirlwind practice. He was the map maker- he knew all the best spots on the map- all the best sites and the funnest places. But we had to stay with him. It would be easy to get lost. He said we had to be like Japanese day care kids holding on to the rope as they walked around. He had the flag – he would lead us. Not everywhere on the map was pleasant. He was there to help us avoid those places.

Now this might not sound like much to you- but you have to remember where we were. We were in a country where people travel with guides all the time. They love maps! They relate completely to the flag waving tour guide. John taught them in a completely relevant cultural context. They didn’t have to think about the context- it wasn’t esoteric and confusing- it was simple and visual. It allowed the students to go fast and go deep- straight to the heart of the practice. It was amazing. The energy in the room buzzed. He made great jokes about going to the rest stop for green tea and a rice ball between backbends. He explained that some of the routes on the tour weren’t easy but man- when you got to the top..the view- amazing- totally worth it. He said that if you couldn’t do the journey without help he would get you a wheelchair and find all the elevators so you could come too- everybody goes. Some people needed a cane ( props) to make the journey more comfortable but everybody goes- we don’t lose anybody.  The map maker takes care of       

everybody. That’s his duty- his dharma. 

I just stared at him after class- it was brilliant and I told him so. I was so pumped up that I asked permission to practice at lunch too. Nothing earth shattering today but a nice hip opening practice to reduce the vata. We then hit the big time this afternoon with the elements and their relation to all the emotions,or rasas,  we experience. It was a deep teaching and Yasushi really had his work cut out for him in translating. I gained more clarity on how certain practices affect people. Then we did another hip opening practice. My injured hamstring was getting a little rebellious by the end of the day! Marc gave me a great adjust in triangamuka ekapada pachimatanasana- whew- say that three times fast!! Tomoko also wore her Live Yoga shirt today which looked fabulous on her!

I finished the night with sushi from the conveyor belt. Marc, Mark and I were all a little tired from the big download today and it was the perfect- eat now!- solution. My body is dying for vegetables and dahl though. I can’t wait to hop back on to the clean eating regime when I get home. Here it is “eat now and eat fast for there is more training to be done!” I made the mistake of turning my nose up at Marc’s scone the other day because it was white flour and I paid the price! I was starving. I think tomorrow a big salad and apples are called for!

BTW- don’t you love that picture of Yasushi at the top- he is the best guy!

Shall We Dance? June 24, 2008

Day two of teacher training was glorious. It is the rainy season here in Yokohama and in most of Japan and just whet I thought I would never dry out, the sun came out today and with it a lovely breeze. I felt so happy.

Of course , John used the weather to teach his theme. He said that “wasn’t it nice to wake up and open the curtains today to sunshine after all that rain? ” But would you appreciate the sun if it was sunny everyday? The fact that we have opposites creates more joy in us. You can go back to my old blog from last year on the bathtub story if you want to go deeper on that.

Sun/rain, night/day, male/female, strength/sensitivity- all these seemingly opposing things can be used to teach us. By teaching contrary compliments  ie.effort and surrender  – you find the place of the middle. Why is the middle important? Because the middle is where the grey is- where the place between opposites becomes fuzzy- and this is where we have revelations- awakenings. For example- if I try too hard in backbend I get all tight and then my shoulders lock up more. If I surrender – with no effort- I can’t get my arms straight. But if I play the place of the middle- work hard to get up and then soften a little, bend my elbows a bit and then again put effort into my shoulders- I start open up more. More than if I had just done one or the other. Its a dance between the two.

Raising kids is kind of like that. If I push them too hard they rebel- if I don’t push them at all they think I don’t care. I have to learn when to push and when to back off to stay in a balanced relationship with them. What’s interesting is that what needs effort and what needs surrender will change as they grow from young children, to pre teens, to teenagers- nothing stays exactly the same. It is a constantly changing dynamic. So it is the same in our bodies. That’s why we need both- the place of the middle- what is optimal in the relationship- can change. That is why it is a dance- it flows and moves. 

The students did a lot of demo teaching today. Very hard on the spot stuff. I tried to go over in my head what I would have said or done and wonder how I would react to the pressure of being on the spot in front of John like that. I think Neely from Hong Kong did a brilliant job. Props to Neely!

The Japanese students seemed a little stuck today- I honestly think they did better last year. I think what has happened is that their technical knowledge has gone up in a year and so now they are a bit stuck in their heads. I can relate to that. I have been working on that more this year and I am still trying to do it with consistency. My poor girlfriend Tomoko got very flustered and start to tear up- I felt so awful for her. It really can be difficult- huge pressure.

I spent the break with the merry band doing a delicious hip opener practice. Thank God. I was expecting dwi pada back-bends and all sorts of crazy stuff. I feel the advice on my shins John has given me starting to work and my ardha chandrasana on my left side, that is usually weak, feels more stable. Marc did some therapeutic work on my psoas during the break- OUCH- painful. Apparently mine is tight. He did one side and then we went back to lecture so I sat for two hours before he did the other side and it felt so weird- I could feel more circulation on the side he had worked on. I am going to have to beg Carol for a once a week psoas adjustment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finished up today with laundry and dinner at my computer. Glamorous isn’t it? I sat at the laundry mat dreaming up opposites: clean/dirty, wet/dry, whites/darks- and then watched all my clothes dance together in the dryer. I think I should have had dinner before I did laundry……

Have you ever seen the movie… June 23, 2008

Day Three- The longest day

Day three started out bright and early at Myogetsu-bo Studio with John for a guided meditation. Like the previous day with Pranayama, John gave us a sampling and brief account of the methods of meditation. He categorized them into three main types.

1) Concentrating or focusing on one object  i.e. staring at a candle flame, watching your breath,chanting a mantra

2) Being open i.e. opening up your mind and thinking of something vast and unlimited like the sky, trying to send your senses so far out you can hear every little sound and nuance

3) A combination of the first two i.e. focusing on  one thing and staying open at the same time

We started out with a loving kindness meditation. I have never done it in the way that John has described but I found it interesting. He broke the meditation into four parts: meditating on your teacher, meditating on your student, meditating on your friend, meditating on your enemy. The teacher doesn’t have to be your teacher as in your yoga teacher ( all my students now let out a sigh of relief) but someone who has guided you and made a profound difference in your life like a parent or grandparent- someone you love deeply. The student is one who you have compassion for- your child, your friend who needs compassion at this time in their life- the love of compassion. The friend is someone who has a wonderful event in their life that you are celebrating with them. A marriage a birth- the love of joy. You enemy is someone who has wronged you. You meditate with on them with the love of detachment. John described this as standing from a high vantage point and just overlooking a vast space below you.

I have done something similar with my mediation teacher but it focused more on just the meditation of compassion for someone we knew who was hurting- building light inside our selves and then sending to them. Nun Ann (Anila) MacNeil of the Zuru Ling Buddhist Temple in Vancouver is our in house meditation teacher at our yoga studio in White Rock where she lives. We are blessed to have her as a teacher and guide.

I was in tears during the first part of the meditation. I thought of my father as my teacher and how his death gave me the practice of yoga which had now brought me to this place today. I thought of my son as my student and all the love he needs to grow into a man. I thought of my friend Jennifer as my friend and her celebration of finding a loving husband and hopefully a family. I thought of a nasty flight attendant i worked with last month that was so hurtful to all the crew and passengers. I was definitely not crying by the last one….

The second method was chanting mantra. We chant “om nama shivaya” for three minutes continuously and then sat in silence for I believe it was a minute. You could hear everything so clearly afterwards. The rain and frogs and a distant bell- very effective.

We all then wandered out of this enchanting studio in the Japanese forest to find… what else?..Well An Illy coffee truck OF COURSE!! Really it was too hilarious. I am so grateful to Fran Kuzui for setting up this wonderful time in Nikko and I know I will return.

Well we all packed up and headed to the train and I met up with the Merry band to ride into Yokohama together. We had Marc St.Pierre from Maui, Mark Shveima from San Fran, Yuki- John’s translator this trip, and Stacey- a delightful yogi from Kamakura. I have never been in such a casual setting with my teacher so I found I was a little unsure what was considered “appropriate behaviour”- until John started doing Dustin Hoffman impressions from Rainman. Marc settled in with a book and nursed a cold ( which I seem to have come down with as well), Mark - a icon of studentship- transcribed one of Paul Muller-Ortega’s talks, Stacey and Yuki chatted and I worked on my blog. Later in the trip John started to ask us about spirituality in Japan. He had some great questions and I felt that great old pull of what it felt like to be in university again and having deep discourses on Japanese sociology and history. My degree from UVIC centered around this stuff so I started pulling 20 year old information out of my head and hoping that I was still clear on it. ( John later confirmed – after doing research himself- that I was.) It felt a little strange to be teaching your teacher! Yipes! Very humbling.  

Everyone asked if I was coming to practice that night and I was suddenly presented with the information that there was a mini workshop that night. I had been up since 4:30 and already tired but John said ” Yea- your coming aren’t you?” and of course if my teacher says that how could I say no? So I checked into my cubicle of a hotel room which is very tiny and very perfect and is so small you “don’t have room to change your mind” as one the pilots once said and dragged my tired ass back out the door. I felt like I should be going to bed and resting my sore ears and throat but no- out the door I went. It was raining cats and dogs- grey and ugly- and I was in a daze. Have you ever seen the movie “Lost in Translation”?- well just like that. I made it Yokohama station and found the studio. This studio is apparently bigger than the one in Shinjuku but I found the light in there a bit darker and starker. Maybe it just matched my mood. At least the picture in the entrance was cheery!

I said a little prayer for Grace to help me through the night-I felt sweaty and shaky and worried I might have a fever. Just please don’t let me fall on my head…that was my mantra. Well just as I thought, anugraha, the grace that binds- came up and helped me through practice. I actually felt amazingly good by the halfway point. John was in a funny giddy mood as were the rest of the merry band and the practice started in fits of laughter from the “gaijin corner”. Marc got me to balance on my own in pincha for the first time by moving my arm bones more forward- Thank you Marc! and Mark and John took turns “Breaking me open and molding me out” as John said everytime he worked on my upper back. My backbends were a little weak from fatigue and my low back felt strange so I had a feeling my cycle was coming as that tends to the first indicator- but all in all it was a decent practice. John came to me during one of the last poses where we were resting on our backs and cracked all my toes!! Just like my husband Chris does at home! I didn’t know if I was more shocked or mortified! I was sooooo not expecting that! I gasped and then laughed- “That takes the cake!” I said. I mean really it was one of those nights.

John came back in one of the last poses and I asked him how he knew my toes would crack. “Vata”- he said, ” Even your eyes in meditation and pranayama go up”. Hmm. Vata- I have to ask him more about that. I always feel so heavy- maybe he means my inner body is Vata- that might make sense. Vata is the wind dosha and it always goes up- you are always in you head. Great for writing- not so great for yoga.

It was an amazing night/day/night. As Marc said to John when we went to start asana practice that night, “Hey John- that was a great mediation practice yesterday!”That morning meditation practice seemed very far away in both time and place. St. Pierre wins the prize for summing it all up.