Back in the Grove Baby! Yoga Community

Finally I'm back doing my morning practice at the studio. Goddamn it feels good to be back. Over the past month I've done some practices at home but certainly not as often as I'd have liked. So much for doing it each day. Oh well, not worth stressing over. But I'm back into the full swing of it now doing 6 days a week of practice up to Kurmasana. Practice this week has been great. I'm just easing back into it all. I woke up with a few sore muscles, but nothing worth worrying about. I sat for about 15 mins on my mat this morning before I started and just looked out of the window at the stars, smelled the fresh chai cooking in the next room, observed as much as I could around me, the sounds, smells, feeling of my cotton mat on legs, etc and I remembered just how lucky and grateful I am to be alive. To be able to fully experience every breath, to be happy where I am with everything in my life regardless of the not so great things, to be able to do my practice and share and communicate with Spirit every second, to just be alive and experiencing all that is available to me. I had this same experience again in Shavasana, this time with a few tears rolling down my cheek as I lay there in that Shavasana-high.

I've been surfing the net reading about food and diets, especially sattvic and ayurvedic foods. For the first time in my life I'm taking a serious look at my diet. I do eat well, but could certainly benefit from several changes. I don't eat much meat (probably once every few months if that), lots of fruit and veggies, no dairy , no wheat, I have soy milk, etc etc. I've only started buying all my fruit and veggies from a certified organic grocer. The difference is amazing. My partner oftens buys organic but I've never really done that. So now I am. The smells and tastes are much more potent. Sure they cost more, but in my eyes it's worth it. How many other yogis buy organic produce? What kind of effort do you put into your eating plan?

The other new activity (I know I've said this before) is actually trying new recipes. I finally bought myself The Ayurvedic Cookbook and am going to try a couple of recipes each week. So I'll let you know how they go. I can cook but I don't know many recipes. I've always loved cooking but I have no idea why I never really got more interested in it. I guess now, I have a lot of reasons to do so.

I've been thinking about this blog a lot lately. Thinking about what to write about, why I write, what do I want on it, how often do I want to do it, etc. I guess some days I frown upon it because blogs appear kinda self-important. Why would someone want to prove their own self-importance. Sure people can say oh no, I write for myself (bingo!) or to entertain others (what purpose would you do that?), but for me I have no idea. i just like writing it. Perhaps it's a mixture of both. I think I really started it so that I could look back on my yogi journey and see how far I've come. But then I wonder why I would want to see that. So I think in the end it doesn't really matter. I just do what I like doing and that's that. I just sometimes like finding the reasons I do certain things to better understand myself. To see where to remove self-importance perhaps, I dunno. Enough said, I like blogging every now and then and that's that. I wish I had more time to put up some pics or create an image header, but that will have to be down the track. I'd like to blog everyday, but I'll just blog when I have time and when I feel like it. Mind you, I always find the time to read blogs and see what other ashtangi's are up to round the world. There's a lot to learn from eachother and that's really comforting :)

I was reading some comments on Ezeboard about yoga being lonely for some people and it caught my attention. I guess it can be for some. I know some places have a great yoga community and others don't. The studio I attend is a fantastic studio, but I've been thinking about the social side of it. Most people rock up, do their practice and go. I guess I've been pondering the idea of starting some sort of night or gathering where we can get together and have a social thing. But I'm lost for ideas. I'd love to create a little more community for those that are open to it. I'm usually against the idea of community for my own reasons, but not in the sense of getting to know and meet new people. I think it's a great idea. To anyone reading this - what are your experiences with yoga and perhaps the studio you attend? Are there social nights or some sort or satsangs I think they're called. I'm curious as to what other studios offer for their yogis to meet new people, etc. What have you found useful in getting to know other ashtangi's?

Well, no more dreadlocks. I had them for 3 weeks and got rid of them. I just couldn't be bothered with them. There are very high maintenance. I got my partner to shave my head and I have to say, it's bliss. Showering is easy, sleeping on my back is easy, yoga is sooooooo much easier. I'm lovin' it. No more long hair for me again :)