Maui Weekend Workshop- The Three Goddesses September 28, 2009

Well I am writing two blog posts in one night which is unheard of but I am up so here we go. I am going to summarize the weekend in one go.

Jayantri and the coconuts

Sjanie, Janna and Geordie- cheers!

How to eat a coconut with natural spoon

Me and my coconut- yum!

Mama Maui at her best

Paia swing

If you can tell me what it is I would appreciate it….

Day One Morning

John opened with a talk on Navaratri. It is the 9 sacred nights of the Goddesses- three Goddesses in three incarnations.  He talked about the deep orderliness of the universe. The krama or order of life. You plant a seed in the dark and the roots go down and the stalk goes up and the stalk bears branches and the branches leaves, then fruit and the fruit ripens and falls and goes back into the earth and the cycle starts again. The dark is not necessarily bad or empty- in actually it is one big blank slate full of potential. It is full of anything you want to dream.

We started out our practice with Kali. Kali is raw- she comes from dark where you plant a seed of intention. She is the muscle energy of the pose. We hugged in tight and did really strong poses that need stability. It was a morning of long standing poses and things like press handstand and half lotus handstand- which I had never even thought of let alone tried! It rocked pretty good though and we came out to see the Laulima Farms gang and a truck full of coconuts! For the screaming deal of $3 we had Jayantri open a coconut for us and after drinking the milk he would make us a bowl of the nut and even a little spoon to scoop it with. Oh so good……

We took off during the long break  ( 10am to 4pm) and hit the south side of the island going to Makena and big beach. We had our first swim at the beach in front of the Maui Prince but the lifeguards came by and showed us a portuguese man of war which were in the water. The sting is apparently excruciating so it kind of put a damper on the swim time. We had lunch from the Jaws Taco truck in the Big Beach parking lot and then sat and watched the waves at Big Beach. There is finally a lifeguard tower there which is a longtime coming. The have 90 spinal injuries every year at that beach due to the high shore break which dashes people head first into the sand. I had a bad toss there once and it scared me very badly and I am not a weak swimmer.

We finished the south side with a drive further down the road but the clouds were rolling in from the north- which we had come South to avoid!- so we headed back to prep for afternoon practice.

Day One Afternoon

We started the afternoon with questions and one of them group asked why we ( the Anusara community?) chant so softly. I know why we do, but it was interesting to hear John phrase it. He said it related to integrity in relationship of all of the parts. Can you hear yourself but also hear across the room? Can you blend rather than stand out? I have to say the group took it to heart because day two’s afternoon chant was one of the sweetest I have ever heard- it just rode the flow of the island itself. So good…..

John also talked more about the Turiya state ( see my blog on the Dancing Shiva) as being the “ground of being”, the undifferentiated universal place from which the Goddesses arise. I don’t think I have ever thought about it in that way- like this primordial soup of all potential but it makes sense in the thinking of Spanda or Divine pulsation and where that comes from.

One of the other questions was on why a teacher made the Australians role to the left after savasana. Apparently it really threw the practitioners. John gave an explanation of why we roll to the right. It is not about anything anatomical- as some teachers may say- but it is following what is called “pradakshina”. Pradakshina literally means right in Sanskrit and it is in line with moving clockwise which is considered the movement of nature. In temples in India one always keeps the diety on the right side of the body as the circle the diety in prayer. Pradakshina therefore can also mean circumambulation. If you therefore chose to roll left you should know why. That’s what I love about this method- know what the origins are and why we do something and then choose. Being the southern hemisphere, I guess that teacher thought it more in line with nature to go left.

We had a totally fun practice of being spacious and listening and Ty Burhoe  ,who is one of the foremost tabla players in the world, came in and joined the group. I met Ty in Japan a few years ago and I was pretty stoked when he set up his tabla right in front of Sjanie and I . We had randomly picked a new area in the room and plop- there Ty sat playing right in front of us during our practice. We really had a practice of Sarasvati, for she is the first sound and she is really the goddess of all sound “nada”. John and Ty both explained that we recognize sound from not the sound itself but from the space in between the sounds. I know- ponder that one for a while…..

The physical practice was  full of very deep hip openers, half standing lotus, deep pigeon, yogidandasana, and for the garnish we did firefly which- thank god- Sjanie had introduced to me about a year ago. I got in from the standing entry but John also taught getting in from yogidandasana. I opted out and went for the known but Sjanie decided to rock it out with the new entry and had success. Cool.

Day Two Morning

Day two ended on the last day of Navaratri and we had a very “juicy” practice.  We talked about the higher octaves of the middle three elements: air, fire and water. The higher octave of air is prana- it is charged by sunlight and has the ability to move. Fire’s higher vibration is Tejas- a luminosity. It is the flash of light at the beginning of conception. The higher vibration of water is Ojas- the juicy power of life itself, the nectar of our life force.

John took the juiciness into a curvy spiraling practice of backbended forms of trikonasana and pincha mayurasana and of course the matrix backbend. It was all about keeping all the goddesses in our form: Kali in our strength, Sarasvati in our awareness and then letting Lakshmi pour her delight into the vessel of the body. This is really important to note because you can have all these curved fluid forms without muscle energy and then the juiciness just drains because you have not first created a strong vessel to hold it. Sjanie and I both have found we need a little more play in our practice- we are both strong enough that the rigid forms take away our juice. It can dry you out if you move too quickly and too rigidly. You have to build strength first- that is essential – but then you have to have some flow and play in there once that is established.

We did handstand with our legs revolving around in both directions- thank you Chris Chavez for introducing that to me- and dropbacks with one hand on the collarbone assists. We then finished the practice with a pose I have never ever attempted- mandalasana. It was so juicy by that time it actually seemed easy. I realized that pose would be impossible if you tried to stay rigid or muscle your way through it. It had to be this playful delight that just kept running your feet around your head. We finished the morning in seated meditation and was surprised to have a little voice whisper in my ear,” Breathe deeply” and was delighted by a sudden hit of fresh gardenia under my nose. It seemed super powerful after the morning practice. Tiff, Kelly and a few others softly made their way around the room with scents of the island for all of us to delight in with our eyes closed and hearts open. Sjaine and I were grinning like idiots at the end of practice and we kept it juicy with breakfast at Colleen’s in Haiku. Hawaiian spiced bread french toast seemed oh so appropriate.

We hit the beach for the afternoon in the most amazing weather and managed to finally “be one with nature” during the trip. The wind and water were perfect and the sun felt exquiste…everywhere!

Day Two Afternoon

The afternoon purnahuti ( final celebration) was a deep talk by John on how to really live your life . It was about the four cornerstones of how to live: arta/kama/moksha/dharma. How to keep the juicy delight but have resources to support yourself and be in line with nature and have a sense of pleasure about what you are doing. Many of us get stuck in careers or relationships that literally drain us. You can’t necessarily just run away for that may be adharmic ( against dharma)  if you have a family to care for or responsibilities to others. The key is to find ways to increase  the others to find balance.

We had a practice of discharging excess vata in the body. Vata is usually the first dosha to go out of wack and it’s home in our body is the lower region which regulates elimination in the body. If energy is not moving down naturally ( apanavayu) then it can create discomfort and illness in the body. By releasing vata and getting this to move more naturally the ojas goes up and we get that juicyness back again. 

Getting you thigh bones back helps calm vata and we did lots of poses with that intention. We also did headstand and shoulderstand. Now that might not sound like much to you but John hardly ever teaches those two poses. It was actually really great to get the King and Queen poses ( Headstand/shoulderstand) taught by him because, done well , they can be super healing poses. The whole system responds so well to shoulder stand and it can energize you if you are down or slow you down when you are feeling anxious. It has amazing recuperative effects on the body. I love it for flying because it just feels so good to get upside down when you are in another time zone. Those two poses, handstand and a good walk, makes life pretty good on the other side of the planet.

It was a full and fulfilling workshop. John was really in sync with the island and all of us were really there with him. It seems so funny to look back three years ago to Maui where I first met John and see how far I have come, not just as a student or a teacher, but as a human being. John commented on my luster and I said “I feel so good, I feel so right. I just keep my vessel strong and let the shakti fill me up.” Life is good~

mana mahalo~ thank you spirit of the islands

Day 3 – Ram Dass and John Friend Intensive Maui September 28, 2009

The Bhakti yogi Hanuman

The theme of day three, the last day of the intensive, was ” Faith, Devotion and Grace”. We covered the last 6  chapters of the Gita- except for chapter 15. (Don’t ask) It was really the emphasis of the Bhakti path or devotional path of yoga which was contained in the last chapters of the Gita.

The Bhakti path is not really unfamiliar to us in the West as the worship of Christ is a bhakti path. Many people worship God but the figure of Christ as the embodiment of God and his attributes makes it easier for us to understand than the disembodied divine spirit. As we are manifested in physical form it is hard for us to understand and conceive that which is beyond form and so we take manifested objects and our love for them is what triggers our love and understanding of the universal. We need form or a name in order to have that opening.

I often think of my Dad that is no longer alive and my love for him takes me straight into that place where abstract thought cannot take me. My love for him teaches me about devotion. It takes the absolute realm of the universal and manifests it into something that I can understand. Love is in relationship. You need to love something to understand love- you can’t understand love from a book or from a lecture- it is experienced in relationship.

John asked us all to write down what was the secret of the Gita that Krishna gave to Arjuna- the highest teaching. This is what I wrote, ” That God is in everything and everything is in us. Knowing this, live skillfully with love in your heart”. It is amazing that it takes 18 chapters to get that but you know how we are…..Arjuna keeps asking and doubting and Krishna has to keep explaining and going into more detail….I am wondering if Krishna was a wife….hmm.

We had a rockin’ practice of love in the morning which culminated in hand stand drop over to urdva dhanurasana. I know we did some other cool stuff like a dwi pada with an assist that had our foot in our partner’s back-( I actually adjusted Sjanie’s spine….*pop* ) but we were so blissed out that I forgot. I practiced right beside the Hanuman banner and Maharaji’s picture and it was like Maharaji and the monkey were really digging our practice.

Ram Dass came back for the afternoon and I got brazen enough to ask him to sign my book. As I walked into the room he was in I signaled a bewildered Sjanie and had her grab her book. This is not something Sjanie would normally do, so I kind of cajoled her into it, but I don’t hesitate to say she has no regrets. Ram Dass was very sweet to us and I told him how my daughter loves the monkey ever since we had Satsang with him. He was very pleased about that. Sjanie and I returned to the yoga room with our books clutched to our chests and a little misty trying to soak up Maharaji’s shakti and lookin’ like we just had our favorite movie star autograph our book. Yup- yoga geeks…..

Ram Dass gave the most uplifting and warm talk and he spoke for two hours. He talked about his stroke which was very moving. He said it was like his chapter 11 in the Gita when Krishna reveals himself in the universal form. Before that Arjuna didn’t have faith- he had belief ( which comes from the mind) but he didn’t have faith ( which comes from the heart. When he has his stroke he said he lost faith- he said to Maharaji, ” Hey- did you go out for lunch??? What is THIS?” He was completely depressed in the hospital  and he stared at the picture of Maharaji on the wall. People would come in and say ” How could Maharaji let this happen to you”. It was ” all very sad” he said.

Over time though he started to realize that the stroke wasn’t from Maharaji- it was from nature. It was his karma.  His abilities that he was left with were Maharaji’s Grace. It was fierce Grace, but still Grace. Because Ram Dass had slowed down his audience had to slow down too. His wheel chair and paralysis softened people to him and he was better able to open their hearts. These positive things Maharaji supplied. Maharaji used to say to him, ” I love suffering- it brings me so close to God”.  That’s not saying that suffering is optimal, but isn’t it usually in our darkest times we seek out answers?

Ram Dass explained that devotion cannot be done by intellect. It is done by the heart. A devotee is one whose heart has been opened. He explained that he loved Maharaji and was his devotee but what he really loved was the God within Maharaji. You cannot fall in love with the God in you, your atman, but you can fall in love with the God in someone else.

John had a great quote that went, “ When I don’t know who I am I serve you- when I know who I am I am you.”  It really summerizes the path of the bhakti yogi.

Maharaji used to tell Ram Dass to meditate like Christ. ” Lose yourself in love” he would say. This puzzled Ram Dass so Maharaji showed him and, as Maharaji meditated, tears rolled down his face. Meditation can become like a ritual that is empty of love- this is what Maharaji was trying to explain. Ram Dass said, “You can sing hymns like you are reading the shopping list- but these are the beautiful words of Christ- you need to sing with love”. Ram Dass’ name means servant of God. It also is another name for Hanuman.

This segued into Ram Dass giving us a mini synopsis of the Ramayana. He kept saying he was talking too much and apologizing and we were all ” NO- please, please continue.” His assistant said he hasn’t talked that long to a group since his stroke. His assistant figured our attentiveness was feeding his desire to share. It was so very special.

Ram Dass finished his time with us by telling us his mantra- “ I am loving awareness“.  John sweetly gifted a shawl made from cashmere to Ram Dass and wrapped it around his shoulders. It was so obvious to us that it was like Maharaji’s famous blankets. It all just seemed so right. The perfect way to thank him and honour our time together.

After Ram Dass left,  John took the mantra Ram Dass told us and we used that as our japamala mantra for the afternoon. We also turned our mats and faced one person who we did  a meditation and a partner exercise with. We had to look at them and tell them what we liked about them~ what we saw. It was fun and brought back memories of doing that with Christina Sell many years ago.

We ended the whole day by making a huge circle and taking the whole three days and summarizing it into a few words or a phrase. We went around the circle saying our personal summary. There were some classics. Some of my favorites were, ” Be the loving dude I actually am” ” Love everybody” ” love makes us one” ” Hare Krishna” “Hare Ram” ( back to back no less… ) and “Yum, yum, yum” which is what Ram Dass would say every time he talked about getting to that deepest part of your soul.

I asked Ram Dass only one question during the intensive. I said, “Ram Dass, can faith and love in us awaken it in others?” He emphatically hit his good hand on the arm rest of his wheel chair and said, “YES! Absolutely!” 

My dharma thickens…….

Day 2 -John Friend and Ram Dass on the Bhagavad Gita September 25, 2009

How does a child know a flower is beautiful?

It’s intuitive. You don’t have to tell the child what is beautiful the child knows. Part of our mind is like this  and part of our mind is much more logical and looks for order and difference. We have an intelligence that sees diversity and another that sees unity. We need both. 

That seemed to be the opening flavour this morning. How to use your mind- all parts of it. John themed around fire and put the heat and the light right in our mind to help “light it up” so to speak. He said you have to have a fire in you to “live full on and have no regrets. Full on sweetness, full on sensitivity. We don’t really know why we are here but in time it will be revealed and we don’t know how we will affect the world.” So basically- go out there and live! Be passionate and dharmic about how you lead your life. It was great- he was pretty passionate about it.

We spent the rest of the morning going through chapters 6- 10 and talking about the teachings that stood out to us. Though I have studied the Gita a few times before I learned a new little gem. When Krishna says ” I am” in Sanskrit it is “Aham” – which sounds pretty close to “a” and “ham” which is the sound of the breath. The “a” is Shiva and the “ham” is shakti. There is something that my teacher friends can ponder for a while.

We talked about balancing the Gunas and then took that starting point into balancing the gunas in asana. Our practice was trying to figure out which part of the poses was more Tamasic ( heay, dark, moving slowly) and which part was more Rajasic ( fast moving, upward inertia) and then make the pose more Sattvic ( the place of the middle). Now the interesting thing is that we are always looking for the place of the middle and we think of that as “good” and so sattva is “good” and the other two are “bad”. The reality is that you need the other two to even find the middle. So nothing is bad per se- it can be good if used in a way that is life enhancing.

We spent the afternoon talking a lot about time. Some good questions arose about the new age of thinking of just being in the present and forget your past. John was pretty clear that we need our past- we need to remember- our teachers, how we got here, what informs us nad live in the present. What in your past has helped you reveal the light of your heart now? How did you get here sitting with Ram Dass and John Friend? ( or why are you reading my blog….)

We also need to pay attention to the future. He talked very openly about the melting glaciers he saw this year and how much they have retreated in just the last few years. If we only live in the present then we are not going to be able to be custodians of the future. We have to be aware of all three but not get caught in the sorrow of the past or the fear of the future. Be present- remember the past and look to see what your responsibilities are for the future. This is how we live full on~

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,  Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-

This was the Mahamantra that we did around our Japamalas today…..I first learned it in 1976 at the Honolulu Airport from a man that gave me a book with a lot of blue people in it. I was 6.

Day One- Ram Dass and John Friend on The Bhagavad Gita September 24, 2009

The puja

What are you a disciple to?

This was really the first question of the day. I am still puzzling as I write this what I am a disciple to. The problem is really that the logical mind wants to make the decision for you but I think the whole purpose of this intensive is that the heart is really what needs to decide.

John started the day by contextualizing the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita is part of a larger text called the Mahabharata which consists of 18 volumes…and the Gita is 18 chapters. The Gita is then divided into three 6 chapter sections. Each becoming more detailed in their teachings. One of the most important things that both Ram Dass and John reiterated is that the Gita is a living text- it not “just a book”. It is Krishna. That will make me think twice about resting my coffee mug on it so I don’t make a ring on the table.

The Gita describes three paths or margas to God- aka Krishna- which are Body , Mind and Heart. In Sanskrit we know them as Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. John has the room set up as a mandir or temple so we enter the room with certain gestures and rituals and we observe silence in the room. His idea is that rather than teaching the margas separately that we blend them all together in the teachings so that no marga is more superior to the other.

This was emphasised when we hit the morning practice and we would do a full backbend and then pick up our books and read a quote. Then backbend again and read a quote. I mentioned to Sjanie how much we like to stay in the body when we are in the body ( asana) and how we want to stay in the mind when we are in the mind(studying) and how John’s approach really rocked the boat in a way. Really at its essence that is Anusara and our method because as teachers we are trying to teach all 3 margas at the same time…we chose to call them the 3 A’s ( Attitude ( bhakti) Alignment ( Jnana) and Action( Karma) ).

We did a writing exercise today as well that I liked. Rather than hastily scribbling in your note book your intention( sankalpa) you made it matrika ( words holding power or shakti) by incasing your writing with symbols and words. I used little om signs and the word “shanti” above mine but it could be anything. I am wondering if that is why “Be Here Now” by Ram Dass is so powerful- it is matrika- all the pictures are not just a trippy hippy experience but really something much more. They are the imbedded shakti of Maharaji ( Neem Karoli Baba) delivered through Ram Dass.

The next thing that John talked about was the use of tapasya or austerities to clean the mirror so to speak. During the three day period we will be performing purification and restrictions. I have given up coffee and sugar for the intensive, committed to a 9 pm bedtime and a 5 am wake up ( which is killer without coffee) and to eat only non-processed food. Thank God Sjanie is here because she is doing the cooking so that is easy! The last one is “to tell the truth”. This is an internal restraint and I liberally stole it from Ram Dass’ experience with Maharaji but it works for me. That means I have to tell myself the truth too….not always easy.

John Friend and Ram Dass

We spent a lot of time talking about dharma. How do you find your dharma? Ram Dass had  a great point where he said you know you are in your dharma when it feels intuitively right. John said that whatever expands the light is dharmic and when the dharma goes up so does the karma- the responsibility goes up. Karma are actions that keep us in the web. For example if you give someone a gift and you are waiting for thanks for something in return that is karma- it makes impressions in the web. If you are dharmic you just give for the delight of it; no expectations of thanks or something in return- just give.

Karma is the very basic of all action, it creates ripples and patterns on the web. The Gita is telling us that the Divine- Krishna in this living text- is acting but making no ripples. That action is called kriya. So the idea is to keep acting but to become more dharmic and move from karma to kriya. We never stop acting, doing our work so to speak, but we offer it all as a gift to the Divine. It is much harder to be in and of the world and hold this mindset which is part of Arjuna’s problem and therefore our problem. How do we live life fully and effect change if we stop acting? If we stop fighting? We cannot just leave the battlefield, though some have I suppose by leaving society, but we cannot fight blindly either. We fight from a place of deep wisdom, from the depth of our heart where the seeker is the witness. Arjuna fights from the place where he is Krishna- we act from the place where we are Krishna. This is how the karma becomes kriya I think.

I believe that is what Ram Dass was getting at when he said the jivatman- the soul inside of us- needs to be where we act from. He said, ” When you identify with your soul you see other people as souls. Be one to see one.” He said we get very tied up in our roles: ie. mother, father, flight attendant, teacher, friend, etc. but they are not who we are. That dosen’t mean we can stop being them. I mean I can’t stop being a mother; that is my dharma. But there is something deeper there that I can act from, something that could make my “role” more dharmic. This is a thought that needs further contemplation but hopefully you get the drift.

It was so special to once again sit with Ram Dass and hear his teachings. The same beautiful Hanuman banner was up that I remembered from satsang and the only thing missing was my husband who so loved being there with Ram Dass. I hope that he gets the chance to do satsang again next time we are on the island. I silently thanked him and my children for making it possible for me to be present for these teachings and I felt the responsibility of being there.

 ”You are the next generation, you are the custodians of the lineage.” John said this to us with such sincerity and intensity. Maharaji and Mukatananda are gone and Gurumai is in retreat and Ram Dass’ health is precarious. I might be one the teachers that says “Yes- I was with Ram Dass and John Friend on Maui in 2009″ and that will be something significant. I am not sure. It doesn’t really matter. It is significant to me.

Hare Krishna~

The Road to Paradise…. September 23, 2009

Maui flora

Well I am back in Maui for the John Friend/Ram Dass workshop on the Bhagavad Gita with my yoga sister  Sjanie McInnis.  We arrived after a long day/night/day to our little cottage in Haiku and spent the afternoon exploring the wonders of Mana foods in Paia and having an evening swim at a local beach as we watched the sun go down. Not bad for day one. Day two started off with the most amazing oatmeal-coconut porridge from Sjanie- inspired by this months Yoga Journal (Oct/09) and taken to a new level of scrumptious by adding cardamom and fresh young ginger.

The deal is Sjanie cooks and I drive- which if you know us is the wisest split of duties you can get. Today I got off light though as Sjanie still cooked but Geordie Milne drove- another friend and yoga teacher from Vancouver. He has been here two weeks already and was desperate to show us all his discoverys on the South-east side of Maui aka the road to Hana.

We began our journey by driving up to Kula and then followed the road- sometimes lack of it- all the way to Hana. I knew some people drove that way but I thought the road had been damaged during the earthquake a few years ago but it was actually in pretty good shape. I recommend a sturdy vehicle and a driver with a sense of mountain driving though. It is not for the faint of heart. Flatlanders be warned!

Our guide and driver Geordie

Laulima Farm om the South-East side of Maui near Hana

Our first stop was the Laulima Farms. this place was incredible. For all of you that are interested in sustainable farming and organic  food this will be an inspiration. We were cheerily greeted by Beth and quickly ordered fresh coffee with coconut milk. The coffee beans are grown and roasted right there along with the coconut milk. It was delicious!! Sjanie bought a key lime popsicle ( $2) which was raw, creamy from coconut milk and to die for. Geordie’s banana bread was pretty darn good too. We wandered through the farm a little but if you meet at the fruit stand at 2pm on Saturdays you can take a guided tour of the kitchen and upper gardens. We stopped to talk to Jenn who worked in the kitchen and she told us about the community lunch she was preparing and it sounded heavenly. It is a kabutz of sorts and everyone there seemed pretty happy to be there. It was inspiring to say the least.

Beth serving us inside the Laulima Farm Fruit stand- awesome food

Sjanie and her raw key lime popsicle~yum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was hot on the hill and we needed a little moisture so our next stop was the O’heo Gulch waterfall pools- known more commonly as the 7 sacred pools. Sjanie and I were in the water so fast. So many people came to see them but we were some of the only ones in the water. Of course the scenery begged for some yoga poses on rocks etc so I have a few here and the ones of Sjanie you will have to look for on her blog.

O'heo Gulch aka 7 sacred pools

Wild thing at the 7 sacred pools

Geordie rockin' Mayurasana

Sjanie and I cooling off- 7 sacred pools

From there we drove a little further down the road and hiked into the Venus pool. Now that was really crazy~ it was salty and buoyant and had a little island in the center.  The rock was so hot I burnt my feet and I couldn’t get into the water fast enough. I could spend the whole day there floating around. Some guys were jumping off cliffs but frankly I am not that brave …or stupid. Great when you are 20 not so great at 40……

The Venus Pool~ amazing swimming area

We had our lunch at the Hana Hotel but missed actual lunch and had pupu’s- snacks and stuff. Expensive but tasty. Sjanie had a great wheat beer with lilikoi in it and I think we may have to go search it out. We drove the rest of the windy road back with a stop in a bamboo forest that reminded me of Crouching Tiger and then set foot right back to our little cottage on the beginning of the Hana Highway. We started at 8:30 that morning and got back at 5:30 so it was a full day but not rushed.

It was so great to see this part of Maui that we had never ventured to. Now that my kids are a little older they can maybe handle the drive and there are some spots that are really unique and worth the effort so I plan to get out there again~ especially for the Laulima Farm coffee and popsicles!

Mercury’s Messed Up Weekend September 15, 2009

It’s official. I have been accepted into the Anusara Certification process. I now have one year to complete a 30 hour written exam and submit a video that passes the certification requirements.  With 550 hours of training behind me in Anusara and almost 3 years as an Anusara Inspired teacher you think I should be ready for this, and I am in many ways, but in others it feels like the whole playing field kinda shifted. I am excited and scared all at the same time.

I had an interesting weekend where I combined my flying with my yoga. unfortunately it didn’t quite go as planned. I had a 24 hour Toronto layover and thought I could maybe get in a yoga class with some of the TO kula while there. My friend Josie Houpt mentioned that Martin Kirk was in town for a Master Class and Anatomy training so I decided that maybe I could catch a small part of that. I phoned to register and pay my money and looked forward to a fun layover. The fact that Mercury was in retrograde didn’t really phase me…then.

I woke at 5am to get ready for work and was heading out the door in full uniform when scheduling called to tell me there was an 1:40 delay. Great. That would make me possibly late for the workshop and I started to stress a little but thought “yeah- I will be fine.” I phone Toronto and made arrangements in case I was late and headed off to work. I was chatting to the agents at the airport when their radio went off. I could clearly hear the words, ” Flight cancelled”. The agents looked at me and I pulled out my phone to call scheduling. They weren’t sure what they were doing with me yet and asked me to call back. The rest of my crew walked by a few minutes later and informed me we were dead heading ( aka going as a passenger) to Toronto now.  That was strange but hey- I was just going with the flow. It ended up only 3 of us made the flight and I sat for 5 hours as a passenger but got to read more Ram Dass and watched Star Trek- which was actually really good! We got in to TO during rush hour and after a long drive to the hotel I quickly changed and had to pay a crazy amount of money to catch a taxi to the venue.

I arrived one hour late and walked into the Master class as they were doing bound parsvakonasana, to bound trikonasana to bird of paradise. Bound poses? You have got to be kidding me! 5 hours in a seat plus 1.5 hours in a cab= no hamstring mobility and stiff shoulders. So without even one down dog or sun salutation, I rolled my mat down and joined the class. I was feeling strange and out of place until the two yogis next to me smiled and said, ” Hi Leanne!” Jenn from London ON now in Toronto and her best friend Elyse. They looked so happy to see me that I just immediately felt better and all my crazy day softened away. We had a rockin’ practice and then a few of us went for dinner and had some great laughs.

We rejoined early the next morning and Martin led us through a really great anatomy workshop. I was only able to do 4 hours of training but what we did cover in that amount of time was in-depth. Martin’s passion for the mechanics of the body is clear, but what I found interesting was that his new roll of parent( Jonathon is 9 months) has made him even more fascinated with how the human form actually manifests and grows. He gave a great talk on embryonics which I loved and it all just seemed to so seamlessly fit into the metaphysics and philosophy of Anusara.

I had a quick bite with Josie and then headed back to my hotel, got changed and rode back to the airport. My colleague and I sat chatting at our gate waiting for our aircraft when they announced a gate change. Ok- no problem. Then I looked at the screen- delayed two hours and a downgrade of the aircraft. So once again the cell phones come out and once again crew scheduling is not sure if we are even leaving. Two thoughts arise ” Crap- I have a yoga workshop I am teaching tomorrow” and ” Well, if I had known I could have stayed for the second part of the workshop with Martin!“. Damn Mercury. At this point I realize I am starting to believe all this Mercury in retrograde nonsense and shoot my mind forward a week to my Japan flight: which is immediately followed by my 6 year olds hula birthday party which is immediately followed by a 3am drive to Seattle to catch a plane to Maui. Double crap.

Well the good news is we did leave finally and I got home too late to review my workshop and too tired to practice early in the morning. I did a few handstands, lunges, down dogs and then headed out the door to Newport Yoga where I arrived on time ( unbelievable after the rest of the weekend) to a lovely bunch of yogis who all learned to balance on their hands or balance better in some cases. After all the craziness it felt so wonderful to just be doing what I truly love- share yoga.

I hope that Mercury has finished messing with me…….

A Summer of Transformation August 31, 2009

I laughed when I read Sjanie McInnis’ blog because I know exactly how she feels. What a crazy, outrageous, glorious summer!  Like the wild fires that burned through the mountains of B.C. all summer, a fire blew through the Anusara Yoga community of B.C. as well.  The fire that raged through the kula was like Shiva’s hand of flame- everything became clear in that light and the fire transformed and tempered what was there before.  We now have 4 teachers in the certification process and over 100 students that have completed an Anusara Immersion. Elissa Gumushel kept the embers burning, Sjanie McInnis and Christine Price Clark  stoked the fire to a warm brilliance,  Todd Inouye  brought our teacher to see our light and I just made sure everyone helds hands and sang Kumbaya…or something like that.  Our Inspired teacher community  now includes Lauren Hanna , Shelley Tomczyk, Brent Kuecker, Trisha Wilson , Bree Greig, Carol Wray, Lara Luer, and  Josie Houpt who is joining us from Toronto. If I neglected to mention someone I apologize~ we are getting so numerous now and new Inspired teachers will be stepping into the light with rapid speed over the next few months.

Sjanie is prepared

 

The event that topped the whole summer off was John Friend’s visit to Vancouver during his Ultimate Freedom Tour. Vancouver hosted a two day weekend workshop and a 3 day therapy training.  To be quite honest I remember very little of the training because I was too busy running around helping. ( warning to those of you that host….) I am not saying that was a bad thing- it was actually the BEST thing. There is a time and place for everything and this training was not about the studying of the technical aspects of the method but of studying the dynamics of the greater community, the kula, and seva. I was especially happy to see so many of my students and friends having such amazing awakenings in the method. My favorite was running in at the last minute to see John drop back my husband into full wheel! Seeing those you love enjoy themselves is better than doing it yourself I swear! We had quite a few emails after the event saying how well it was run and how warm and supportive the Vancouver Kula was. It was good to hear.

Cp and Sjanie

We had a few surprises, twists and turns during the week- the biggest one being Todd’s ruptured appendix! Poor guy!  Christine stepped up to MC  and her sincerity and warmth could be felt by all.  We were all a little worried about the location of the event as John likes lots of natural light . The venue was the performance hall of the Roundhouse Community Center and basically it is a big black void ( I kept calling it the heart of Kali…). If that wasn’t worrisome enough, poor John came in to preview the venue and found a technician with a head wound lying on the floor and an ambulance on the way! Let’s just say… not a good start. 

The Vancouver Puja

Ganesha rockin it out

Thanks to Carol Wray, her husband Lori, and many other hands and feet , the room was transformed a few hours later into a radiant  Indian tent of gold, orange and red with dozens of murtis watching over our practice. It was quite funny to hear Christy Nones- certified teacher from Miami and one of the Anusara tour staff-  come in on Monday and say it was one of the loveliest venues she had seen. Amazing what a little shakti can do!

Carol's magic

 

The training was also my first opportunity to meet Chris Chavez and his wife Ozlem who have been in Vancouver teaching workshops and Immersions at YYoga. Originally from LA, they are now traveling and teaching all over the world. I was immediately struck by Chris’ openness and warmth- he has a soul of extreme generosity and Ozlem is no less beautiful inside and out.  We celebrated Chris’ 39th birthday during the workshop and John did a big spiel about the significance of 39 and I listened with great attention as it is my 39th year as well. Seems like a good year to start certification…..

And on that note Robin Golt will be my mentor teacher for my video during the certification process. Yes folks- I sent in my paperwork. I am hopeful that I will be accepted into the process but I will not assume. There may be areas that John wants me to work on before I go forward and I totally respect that.  Many people have emailed me and asked me, “How do you know when you are ready?” I can now see me asking that question to Christina Sell a few years ago. Her response was,  “Have you ever thought that the process will make you ready?”  I have the hours, I have all the requirements, I have read all the books, but I had that months ago~ what changed? Somehow a sense of natural progression brought me to apply- it was just the next step in the journey. I look at the process as a way to become an even more dedicated student and to learn even more- to go DEEPER. I think that is what Christina was trying to explain to me. It also helps that Sjanie and CP are swimming in the current and yelling “JUMP IN! THE WATER IS GREAT!”

…so here I go ….”SPLOOSH!”

How to Breathe on Maui June 3, 2009

Local fishing at Baby beach....

Yes- I am alive. I have been extremely busy lately and I have been putting my blog last on my to do list. I was supposed to be practicing this morning but I have a weird virus of some type that has left me weak and achy and so rather than sit on the couch I decided to sit at my computer. Lucky you.

Part of my crazy schedule was flying back to back crazy so I could manage a week off work and secretly take my two kids to Maui. They thought their father had left to vacation without them- which he did on my insistence- to Haiku , Maui.  Haiku is located on the north side of the island on the road to Hana and it is a slice of heaven to our family. My husband practices Ashtanga with Nancy Gilgoff when he is there and I usually hang at the Studio Maui if I am practicing Anusara. Yes- we only take yoga vacations….

Because of my flying, we couldn’t take a two week holiday all together so I sent my husband without us. He thought he was going to be alone for two weeks but I spilled the beans to him- and swore him to secrecy- that I was going to surprise the kids and take them to join him during week number two. He was extremely pleased as he misses the kids when they even go for a sleepover! I secretly packed bags for weeks and surreptitiously snatched various vacation items from my unsuspecting children’s rooms. On D-Day ( departure day) I told them we had to drive their Grandma to the airport- which was true- and then we were going out for lunch after I stopped at my airport office. As I parked in the employee lot and got out I asked them if they still wanted to go for lunch. To which they responded with resounding choruses of “YES!!!” I said ” Well we can go for lunch,” I then dramatically pulled a blanket off the suitcases in the back of the truck, “ Or we could go to Maui?”.

I think my son literally stopped breathing. My daughter lit up like a little sun and they both starred at the suitcases. “Mom!!! We are going on the plane? I think I am going to explode!” Words of joy out of a nine year old boy. My daughter couldn’t believe I had everything- she kept asking me if I had her bathing suits. She is five and is going through a stage where she changes every five minutes and gives us a fashion show- her latest one being her swimsuits. In order to keep the secret I had to go out and buy two new ones for the suitcase!

Over to the airport we went and I was so glad as I checked in that my husband carried a cell phone and that I did not keep the trip a surprise from him. Apparently you can’t take your kids on a plane out of the country if you are one parent…you need a letter from the other parent giving permission! Yipes! I made a call my husband who happened to be not far from a fax machine and voila- 30 minutes later we were at the boarding gate. After a lovely flight to Maui- my kids were so good on the plane- we arrived to a very happy husband and father.

I was dissapointed to find out that I would not be doing much yoga with a teacher as Skeeter Tichnor was out of town teaching an immersion, but I made the most of self practice which consisted of many handstands in the playground with my kids. I don’t know if I will ever be able to kick up without a wall or a spot but I have to say I feel much more comfortable on my hands than I used to . There is a familiarity to handstand now that has come over the last few years and I can hold away from the wall now for a while. It really is such a playful and joyous thing to do! Chris managed a daily practice with Nancy which was great. There is lots of yoga on Maui no matter what your style and no matter where you are on the island: the other islands have lots to offer as well.

Practicing on Maui always seems so effortless to me. There is something in the air there that is just conducive to practice. I feel like I can breathe more deeply there. I remember when I was in Maui for an Anusara Immersion with John Friend, he talked about how you could feel the island breathe: the island itself was alive with pulsation. One of the local teachers commented saying ,  “Polynesians call non-Hawaiians  “Haole” -which actually means one who can’t breathe.”   Yup- us white folk really don’t know how to breathe. We rarely breathe deep into our bellys and are breath is short and fast. When the breath slows, we slow, and therefore we get to enjoy the present moment that much more. That’s how I feel on the North side of Maui.

Haiku Heaven- Max and Tracey's

I wanted to tell you about some of our favorite places on the North side if you ever give Maui a visit. First of all is Max and Tracy’s place. Our little studio cottage that is home on Maui is one of two studios you can rent year round. The property is beautiful with 180 degree view of the water. There is an abundance of fruit trees on the property and they always have a basket of what’s in season waiting for you when you arrive. Lychee was just about in season when we left but my son managed to find a few ripe ones to try. The avacados, apple bananas, mangos and oranges are some of my families favorites. You might have to compete with Buttercup, the golden lab, for ripe bananas. My kids call her a banana retriver and she is our rent a dog on Maui. If you really want to get a feel for what it’s like to be a local check it out: ludwig@maui.net.

We do most of our shopping in Paia town which is down the road a few miles. Mana Foods is a local legend and all your organic, health, specialty foods can be found there. I recommend buying the cotton shopping bag which doubles as a great beach bag/purse. Most of the saleable fruit from the property we stay at goes to Manna so they really help support the local farmers. Support them during your stay.

We always pick up a few shorts and T’s and sandals when we are in Maui and our favorite place by far to buy these things is the Hana Highway Surf . They carry all your basic beach needs and they have really great t-shirts with their logos on them. My husband and son love their hoodies.  Jud and Kelly Lau, the husband and wife that own it are really welcoming and Uncle Squidy- the owners uncle and local surf legend- has wave reports for Maui at (808) 871-NALU ( 6258).His absolutely hilarious advertisment on local radio is what sent us searching for them many years ago.

We tend to make our own dinner but there is nothing better than breakfast after primary series in the morning so check out Colleen’s in the Haiku Cannery Market near the Studio Maui. The french toast and fresh squeezed OJ is to die for…

Colleen's in Haiku french toast

Swimming and beaches on the North side are limited. The far west side of Baldwin Beach is located close to the residential area of Spreklesville and contains a small lagoon- perfect for family swimming without the shore breaking waves. The locals call it baby beach.  Of course famous Ho’okipa Beach is located on the North side just past Paia near the equally famous- and expensive- Mama’s Fish House. Hanging out at Ho’okipa during a good wind is a real North shore experience- some of the best windsurfers, kite surfers, and just plain old surfers are there all day for free entertainment. It really is amazing to see the talent and althleticism out in the water.

My son investigating the reef at Baby Beach

 If the weather is wet on the North side- which it often is- we suggest driving down into Makena area and checking out the beach  in front of the Maui Prince Hotel. It is a public beach with washrooms and a shower and the waves are great for boogie boarding. We do not recommend swimming at Big Beach in Makena with children. The wave break is very high and very close to shore and in water no higher than your knees you could be picked up and dashed into the sand. People with broken bones are taken off the beach daily. The locals call Big Beach “ Killer Beach” for a reason.

Having a yoga vacation on Maui dosen’t have to cost you a lot and it really is a fabulous place to practice.

I am looking forward to going back to Maui in September to study with John Friend andRam Dass. Let’s hope I get accepted and if I do I promise to blog during the training!!

Haiku Heaven- Max and Tracey’s

Haiku Studio

The Haiku cottage two studios in a duplex cottage

Hana Hwy Surf- on Hana Hwy in Paia

Entrance to the shop

Kelly Lau of Hana Hwy Surf

Entrance to Baby Beach off the Hana Hwy just before Paia

My son investigating the reef at Baby Beach

Local fishing at Baby beach….

My water baby

Baby Beach- near Paia

Colleen’s in Haiku french toast

The Seattle Chickwagon February 25, 2009

For the third year in a row now, we packed up the 7 seater Ford Explorer and headed down to Seattle. This years group included Lauren Hannah Roegele from Live Yoga, Sarah Plantenius from Tofino Yoga, Carol Wray from Live Yoga, Sjanie McInnis from Yaletown YYoga, Trisha Wilson from YYoga and Yoga Pod and Laurie Inouye from Yoga Pod. All of us are Anusara Inspired teachers so there was a whole lot of yoga geeking and general shakti mayhem whirling around- it was heaven. The funniest part of the drive was crossing the border. When the border guard asked about why we were going down etc and I showed him the paper work for the conference. He said, “$150 bucks for yoga? Where is this guy from that’s teaching?” We respond together in the chickwagon, “Texas!” The border guard looked at us and said straight up,  ”Texas??? I think you all are getting ripped off- have a nice day.” Hilarious!

Our normal house we rent was not available so we had to rent a new one- great view on the lake but we are all now convinced it’s haunted so next year we will have to find new haunts! Hahahaha. Yes- that was bad. I think I will have to be faster with the house next year and get back our old place.

We made it down to Seattle in great time and grabbed dinner near Pike Place market at a cool Thai place Buddha Belltown. With dishes like Succulent Swimming Rama and Pulsating Noodles (which were excellent…) how could you go wrong? The funny thing was we were heading for another restaurant and this one just called to us on the path. Love when that happens! We made to the very cold and slightly creepy house and stayed up way too late and talked of course about yoga. We actually talked a great deal about certification because we are all heading that way some day. After calculating my hours,  I realized that I really should hop on the full path to certification. The idea of taking a vacation to write my 30 hour exam doesn’t thrill me but I figure they can mail it to me in Maui and I can rent the cottage there and delve in deep study for ten days. If I get stuck I can always traipse across the ravine to Ram Dass’ house and, under the guise of borrowing a cup of sugar, ask a few questions! Sjanie has bit the bullet, so to speak, so I figure I might as well too- I like having a study buddy and a hand to hold in the labyrinth of mystery we call certification. Not having a certified teacher in Vancouver does make the process a little bit more shrouded.

I started Saturday with John by plopping  my mat right beside him. That would have terrified me a few years ago but I know I am flawed and need work and who better to call you on it than the source. The theme of the weekend was Maha Shivaratri- the “Great Night of Shiva or I guess “Great Shiva’s Night”. It is one of the major Hindu holidays and it is the 13th moon of the year when the moon is a fine sliver of light and has an almost purple cast to it. That last sliver of a moon before no moon is known as a Shiva moon but the one that happens in February is the darkest one. Hindus who worship Shiva will chant “Om namah Shivaya” all though the day and night in Shiva temples throughout India while bathing the statues in the temple with water and milk.

Om Namah Shivaya is one of the grat mantras- a maha-mantra- and though it is translated literally as ” I bow to Shiva” it can also mean ” I bow to myself”. Shiva is the light of our own consciousness, that which illuminates the darkness which we often dwell in. When we chant ” Om Namah Shivaya” we are saying I bow to the light within me that brings me from the dark ( ignorance) into the light (revelation of our true Divine nature).  The significance of Maha Shivaratri is that the moon is at it’s waning- just that last flicker before we are plunged into darkness. Shiva plays his role as destroyer in that last flicker as what once was will never be again and something new is created as the dark suddenly pulses back to light. John had a good description of a black hole sucking everything in – even the dark itself-  and suddenly on the other side imploding into a new star.

As we practiced on this very auspicious day and chanted and mediated we put our greatest wishes into our prayers.  The  13th moon, with Shiva’s power to transform from dark to light,  takes that wishes and magnifies it a thousand fold. I had to think very carefully about where I wanted to put my thoughts that weekend so I could harness some of that power. We did a really great practice with a potpourri of poses and my backbends felt great though my once broken hamstring decided to get achy. It’s like an annoying relative that comes to visit at the most inopportune times. (“HI! I ‘m, Baaaa-ck!” Oh just go away- I don’t have time for you. ) The afternoon practice was much more of the same and it felt good to not feel freaked out about what poses might come up. We all commented at lunch that the poses were not as challenging as past years but one of our group said, ” John must be looking around the room and teaching to the group- might not be strong enough to go deeper.” He confirmed that observation the next day when John said he couldn’t take us to the next pose until 50% of us had our head off the floor in dwi pada dhanurasa. Adam Ballenger was the certified teacher assisting John this year and he had a really sweet vibe to him and a deep and yet humble practice. He has an amazing story.

 Lauren, with her lovely baby belly,  couldn’t do a lot of the deep poses she usually can so for a few poses she just watched all of us. She was more excited than me I think when she noted how much my backbends had opened. In her words my dwi pada “rocked!” She figures practicing next to Sjanie is good for me!

We had a quick dinner together at a funky place in Ballard called the Root table Restaurant- Thai fusion tapas- and then headed back for Kirtan with Shantala , Gina Sala and Steve Gorn. We were lucky to have them musically accompany us all day during practice but being able to chant kirtan was an even better way to celebrate the music. It was a great way to end the day….but then we got home and even though we were so very,very tired we still talked until late.

The next morning we were up and out early had a great backbending break through morning- ( ie. head resting in arch of foot with both hands on foot ekapada rajakopatasana….) and then had an adventureous time during the break when we headed to Fremont and caught the Fremont market. Sarah was in heaven! Filling our bags at the PCC ( think Whole Foods) we wondered the market finding wonderful treats such as raw local honey and home-made hummus and babaganoush that is the best I have ever tasted. The young Israeli couple doing the cooking were fab and I really wanted to give them a plug in my blog. Go seek them out- so worth it! I bought six bags of my favorite tortilla chips and poor Lauren had them all around her feet in the car on the drive home! We also found the Theo chocolate factory in Fremont and tasted some of the wickedest chocolate ever. I recommend the Coconut curry chocolate bar- not because it was so good but just because it was so totally weird! My husband couldn’t stand it but I was strangely entranced by the flavour combo. Laurie was crazy about the Chai Tea bar. They give tours with lots of samples for about $6 so check it out.

We finished the afternoon with one of the most powerful practices. I don’t know what got into us but it was like Kali- Goddess of destruction – Shiva’s consort in this waning period- seemed to come out. I was doing backbend dropbacks like it was nothing and Sjanie channeled the Goddess and pulled out the most amazing Durvasana’s I have ever seen. She was right in front of John and she just killed it! She was one of maybe four people in the room that could do it. I was so desperate to capture the moment I made her hold it for a whole extra minute. We were screaming our heads off like teenagers. You would have sworn we had all done it we were so ecstatic. It was a great moment.

We said our goodbyes to our friends from around the Anusara community and then packed back into the chickwagon minus Trisha who left to continue studying with Desiree that same week. We had groceries, yoga books, new yoga clothing and yoga music to bring home- I have no idea how we and all our stuff fit. Sjanie thinks it’s Shakti.

It was a great weekend, and though seeing John is always a blast and a blessing, hanging with my yoga girlfriends is really the sweetness of a delicious workshop.

Om Namah Shivaya~

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！