The Great "Partnership"

It's not by chance that the word "Partner" is included in Restorative Partner Yoga; It's integral to the practice. From my earliest training, my mentor, Syl Carson, stressed the importance of mirroring the breath and finding the complementary yoga posture. What that looks like in action? Watching for the rising belly in your client, bringing in your own deep inhale simultaneously, then moving you and your partner into the posture when you see or feel the exhale. It's not enough to simply move someone around in a series of postures. That's Thai Massage. Restorative Partner Yoga happens when the person receiving the session is pulled into a heart-lifting cobra and the person giving the session releases the low back, lifts the heart, drops the shoulders and finds that sweet spot--a modified chair pose. All of this, mind you, at the same time. The roles, at some point, begin to merge. Who is giving? Who is receiving? That is the very heart and soul of this work--in order to give, meaningfully and effectively, you must be able to receive. Certainly this goes both ways. To receive the work, you must give it freely.

Never was this concept more powerfully illustrated for me than when I was wrapping up my certification hours. After twenty-eight hours of Giving, it was unavoidably time to Receive, for two hours of it were required before I could turn in my paperwork. One session. One beautiful, glorious, blissful session. That's when the understanding of reciprocity opened up within me. Had I forgotten what this work was all about? Had I realized how meaningful and deeply restorative this work truly was? I think I had. The secret to it all? Giving IS receiving.




Visit http://www.gobodhiyoga.com/utah-yoga-partner-training/ for more information

The Theory of Re-sensitivity

I've never had a huge tolerance for scary movies, and roller coasters have always seemed daunting and dangerous, but those realities were never enough to hold me back. I always managed to shush my common-sense, grit my teeth, bite off my nails and force myself to enjoy it. And then I would! That is, until recently. The strange phenomenon happened over seven years ago after the birth of my first child, a sweet, darling and somber daughter, which I mention as a side note. During the first few months of my postpartum I was emotional, volatile, and utterly useless. It was a rough adjustment, this thing called "motherhood". So when I sat down to watch a not-even-horror-level-but-mostly-just-morbid movie with my husband and I was haunted for weeks afterwards, I assumed it was just postpartum hormones. Then, several months later, when standing in the shadow of the park's tallest roller coaster, I knew there was no power strong enough on this Earth to make me ride that thing. What was wrong with people? Why was anyone riding it? Did they all have a death wish? No. No. And...no. Several children later, these experiences have been replaying themselves over and over again. I simply cannot do scary--not in the theatre, not in the amusement park. It completely overloads my system and I cannot separate reality from fiction, or thrills from near-death trauma. This is my conclusion: I have been re-sensitized. Children are this way, at first, anyway. It's only after years of exposure and repeated experiential training that children overcome their natural naivete, so to speak. We typically sum it by saying--they're desensitized. We're all desensitized! We can watch a show for the first time and have it shock and scandalize us, but by round two it's par for the course. But here I was, a grown woman, suddenly reverting back to my childlike ways. Something happened in me that undid all that hard work of growing callous and thick-skinned. I was raw and vulnerable. It's never been AS extreme as it was after my first baby, but it's still there. I've never reverted back to my pre-motherhood coaster-riding-scary-movie-watching-self.

So there it is, the theory of re-sensitivity...relatively speaking.

But it doesn't end there. I daresay, that was where it all began. What started as a growing sensitivity to "scary" has evolved into a growing sensitivity to "spirit". As a child, solely out of self-preservation, I consciously and willingly shut down. The method of abuse that my abuser chose to use on me, and my mom, and my sisters, and my girlfriends, and their moms, and the babysitter, and the secretary, etc. was the method of spiritual-ritualistic-manipulation. I don't actually know if such a thing technically exists, but it seems to do my childhood justice. I knew from a young age that God was not safe. If God spoke to men like my dad, then I didn't want Him to talking to me. So...I pulled in the antennae, I deferred to the memorized Mormon catechisms, and resolved to be a "good girl" with no help from anyone.

Then love came. And babies. Which brought more love, and awakening. And this wild dance of Earth and Sky took place in my heart, Shiva and Shakti shattered the glass. Mother Kundalini hissed her wrath and scorched her slithering trail of fury and redemption. Motherhood and Wifehood felt like an ill-fitted dress, or like the glass-slipper on the step-sisters foot...MY foot. But I danced the dance, I cried my buckets full, I let the forest fire burn off until the word sanctified flitted across my consciousness. And what was I left with? Sensitivity. It had been so long. But the work of motherhood and wifehood drew it up and out of me.

Still yet, the story deepens. From that sensitivity sprang up a call for God. I sought Him, finally. Yoga started me on the path of reconnecting to my physical body, because I had long since abandoned it. With that yoking stronger and surer ever day, it extends now to the mind and soul. It's no accident I felt led to RPY. With every session, I feel my antennae extending up and out, I feel the need to slow down and listen, I feel the urge to trust my instincts, I feel the subtle guidance and influence of "spirit". This is selfishly and whole-heartedly MY work, give it as I may.



Visit http://www.gobodhiyoga.com/utah-yoga-partner-training/ for more information

Organic, From-Scratch Recipe

It's hard to start a business from scratch, especially if you're not merely selling a product but having to promote yourself as an experienced professional in your field. The hands-on experience, the human contact, the healing touch--these are our greatest marketing tools. To have a solid and steady base of clients, businesses in the field of yoga and massage ought to grow organically and spread by word of mouth. That means we can look to nature for inspiration: plant a seed in good soil, nurture it with sunlight and water, meditate over it, then watch it grow and reproduce. Of course, it doesn't have to be approached this way. I know of many businesses that have thrived from the...shall we call it...fiscal method: find a sponsor with copious amounts of revenue, secure a pristine storefront, promote shamelessly on billboards and magazines, and bask in the bounty. I suppose my bias is being exposed here, I definitely lean toward the organic approach. Is that only because I don't have any rich sponsors wanting to thrust their money into my pockets? Undeniably. So to be fair, I don't think it's inherently wrong to start a business the top-down way, but this post I'm writing is for the masses, for the people, for the rest of us that dare to dream bigger than our means.

I'm where you are, just getting started. I can't say that I've arrived at any place of legitimate "success" or "prominence" yet. But my husband and I, in our few years of entrepreneurship in yoga and massage, have had some hard knocks, some "ah-ha" moments and a lot of  lessons in patience. Here's a brief exploration, based on the organic method:

• What is the seed?

I spoke earlier of the organic husbandry approach to business, where the first step is to plant the seed in good soil. Have you ever stopped to consider what that "seed" actually is? A few thoughts to consider: make sure it's non-GMO and definitely Heirloom. Translation: it has to be YOURS, as unique as your DNA, your fingerprint, your smile. You can't settle for someone else's imitation seed, one that will only yield crops for one or two seasons before it gives out. Heirloom seeds keep producing indefinitely. I can't tell you what your seed is. It's taken us years to discover ours. I'll share it with you. Most days it sounds like this: "Make me an instrument of your Peace."  Other days it's more along the lines of: "Thank You". 

• Now to the good soil. 

This speaks to your community. This speaks to your family-life. This speaks to your mind-flora. What is mind-flora? I made up the concept based off of gut-flora, which is definitely a real thing. Gut flora is the community of microorganisms that live in our intestinal tracts. There are recent, ground-breaking studies that show how critical the health and vitality of these microorganisms is to our overall health. When that community thrives, so do we. So mind-flora then? Perhaps the microorganisms that live there are purely and simply our thoughts. Are your thoughts thriving? When they're thriving, so will your seed. Identifying and planting your seed is the natural and critical first step, but it will avail you nothing if you plant that beautiful, perfect seed in terrible soil. I know this from personal experience. Take the time to clear away the weeds (you discover your own breed of noxious weeds through meditation and reflection...what are your limiting beliefs and lies?) and to till in soil from some outside sources if you must (for me, that means mantras and affirmations combined with RET, tapping and restorative yoga). There. Now the setting feels good.

• Sunlight & Water

This can be as physical or as ethereal as you need it to be. For us, it's been both. It's been paying bills, designing webpages, and shampooing carpets. It's been soul-searching, tear-shedding, hair-pulling patience. It's everything required of you physically, mentally and spiritually. Give it all. Pour out the energies of your soul into this seed. But then, realize, step four is next.

• Watch it Grow

Beautiful surrender. You can no sooner will your business to grow than you can will a flower to bloom. But flowers, in their season, do bloom, all of their own accord. Your business and mine will too. This step is all about letting go and letting God. You've done all you've been asked to do. You planted, and tilled, and nourished, but ultimately, whether that seed grows or doesn't grow is entirely out of your hands. It's stunningly and magnificently out of your control. And thank God. I mean it. You should thank Him for that.

• Harvest

Does this need any explanation? It's the juicy, dripping, perfect orange just plucked from the tree. It's the plump, delicate raspberry exploding with flavor in your mouth. It's the firm, fresh, crisp ear of corn. This is how fruit ought to be consumed, when it's truly ripe. It's always in season. It's always abundant. It's always larger than life.

Here's to organic success, for yours and mine!