A Gift from the Universe

Today, my friend Melissa received a gift from the universe. It made my third eye smile.

As the Maid of Honor in her best friend's wedding, Melissa coordinated a bachelorette party weekend. Truthfully, it was more like the ultimate workout getaway, but it was exactly what the bride wanted. The bride-to-be Jen and her sister Emily made the trek from New York to Denver for a fun-filled, girly weekend of hiking, shopping, yoga, and massage. I was happy to tag along for some of the festivities.

We hiked the Manitou Incline, which is the outdoor equivalent of a Stairmaster. Great workout made even better by the recent trail repairs. Despite being in decent road biking shape, the two East Coasters beat me to the summit by 15 minutes! Beginners luck? Maybe....

Along with a couple of my work colleagues, we all attended Yoga Rocks the Park at Sunken Gardens, a Denver neighborhood park with a spacious open glade surrounded by trees. In the spirit of the moment, we all bought matching tank tops to commemorate the experience--a gathering of friends that just wanted to have fun in that outdoorsy way we do in Colorado.

I highly recommend outdoor yoga if you haven't given it a chance. It's an magical way to connect with nature through a physical practice that can really enhance the five senses. Our morning vinyasa flow was guided by a tag team of yoga instructors from studios around town, including the co-owners of Mudra Yoga Studio. As we lay on our yoga mats, a sacred space of 68 inches, and came out of savasana, we opened our eyes to see dragonflies crisscrossing the sky above rows upon rows of yogis. I could feel the contrails of good energy connecting us all.

After some announcements came the giveaways. My colleague Elizabeth won a month's supply of Skoop, a whole-food powdered shake mix. A few others won fun, healthful gifts. I listened for my name; no luck for me today.

And then came the grand prize, a year of free, unlimited yoga at Mudra Yoga Studio. And then came the winner's name, my friend Melissa! And I couldn't think of a better recipient for this prize. She lives close enough to walk to the studio, after all. And after her long, daily commute to Colorado Springs for work, she could definitely benefit from knowing that peace of mind and spirit await her at home in Denver. Yoga could be her secret fountain of renewal!

Today, the universe recognized the individual that brought a group of friends together for a yoga moment in time. What a gift!

Yoga Alignment: Experience and Mission

I'm being considered for an affiliate faculty position with the School of Management teaching business and marketing courses at Regis University and with that there's an online preparation course. I have a couple writing assignments for the course, so I decided to have a little fun with them...and take the opportunity to throw in a little yoga.

The purpose of this essay is to assess fit between Regis and me. With the background info I provided in the essay, I hope you're able to appreciate these connections:

1. how two seemly unrelated disciplines--yoga and the Jesuit mission--share parallel concepts
2. how I would align my experience (i.e., work, school and yoga!) with the Regis mission as an affiliate faculty member

BEGIN {

After Ignatius of Loyola (a.k.a. Iggy) recovered from a cannon ball injury in the Battle of Pamplona, he spent the next several years in deep meditation and wrote about his reflections on God and relationships. As a raised/practicing Catholic that is a yoga practitioner and certified yoga instructor, I have to ask—was Iggy a yogi, too?

In today’s modern society, the masses generally view yoga as a form of exercise or a workout. In Patanjali’s historical “Yoga Sutras,” the collection of aphorisms that define yoga, yoga postures are meant to be preparation for meditation. I believe Iggy practiced his own brand of yoga. He went through the “postures” or the steps that it took for him to be able to meditate deeply and ultimately act on founding the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit religious order of the Roman Catholic Church).

In the faculty preparation course content, Dr. Marie Friedemann talks about alignment. As a prospective faculty member, my discipline and philosophy of teaching adults should align with the goals and educational mission of Regis University. As it turns out, the concept of alignment runs deep in yoga. If my physical alignment is off while practicing yoga, I could potentially injure myself. If my mental alignment is off during practice, I could possibly miss the cognitive benefits of meditation. Likewise, if my philosophical alignment of teaching and mission is off while facilitating a Regis course, my class and I could miss out on realizing the characteristics that make learning/teaching at Regis unique.

I believe I can contribute to and accomplish the Jesuit Catholic mission of Regis University by integrating my professional experience and education into my teaching of adult learners in the College for Professional Studies. From my understanding, the overall purpose of Jesuit education is to form men and women for others. From my life experience, I could guide my students by example and share how this purpose has become more central in the way I perceive, think and function.

By my academic experience, I am Ivy-league educated and have obtained two Master’s degrees while working full-time. My Ivy undergraduate experience was humbling, as I lived and learned amongst “the cream of the crop” and sometimes wondered if I was at the “bottom of the barrel” when it came to understanding physical science and solving mathematical proofs--even if it was a really good barrel. My graduate experience as a two-time adult student inspires my respect for anyone willing to accept the challenge of identifying more than one priority in life and commit to learning, growing, eradicating assumptions/limitations and redefining values. Through my own academic trials, I believe I have developed the compassion to promote an atmosphere of personal concern for another adult student.

In my 12+ years of professional experience, between several great jobs I have experienced four layoffs through no fault of my own, as two companies were closed and two positions were eliminated. Each layoff made me take a step back to consider what is important in the bigger picture of my life and rethink the overall direction of my career. Because of the disruptions/layoffs, I have been given the opportunity to take an industry-agnostic approach to my marketing career and gain both b2b and b2c experience. I have also had the good fortune to work in a variety of environments—from in-house marketing teams at private companies and entrepreneurial start-ups to public corporations and marketing agencies with Fortune 500 clients. With each new job came a different team culture, varied tools/resources and a variety of logistical or technical challenges, and this helped me develop my ability to think critically and never lose sight of the bigger picture. With each role as a supervisor and team leader, I identified strengths/talents and weaknesses/opportunities for growth of my team members and guided their professional development in this context. I have been in the field long enough to realize the practical application of the theory learned from my education. I believe this professional experience would help me create for my students an awareness of career alternatives and personal adaptability to new situations throughout life.

In summary, I think Iggy was a yogi in his own right. Like him, I have had to go through the “postures” and motions of my life as a Christian, a marketer and yoga practitioner/instructor to realize a deeper purpose in my life for others. That said, I realize that it is my responsibility as a teacher—whether in yoga or in academia—to support alignment. And as a Regis affiliate faculty member in particular, the onus is on me to support and grow the alignment between the teaching/learning happening in each of my classes and the mission of Regis University.

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Denver Yoga Studio Tour

To all that recently moved to Denver, I highly recommend you recruit a local yoga buddy to give you a yoga studio tour.

To all that have only seen the inside of just one yoga studio or even just one yoga style, I highly encourage you to branch out and give yourself the gift of a yoga studio tour.

My new friend Melissa D. just moved from Tampa to Denver. I took the opportunity to be her guide to yoga in Denver. Our tour of studios, instructors and styles reawakened my appreciation of the variety of yoga in my community.

Melissa isn't a complete newbie to yoga. When I met her, she had already experienced hot yoga at CorePower in Florida. I really wanted her to experience all that the Denver yoga scene has to offer.

Last week, my plan was three-fold. Melissa would check out my no-frills gym (24 Hour Fitness on Alameda Ave), take another yoga class with me and meet one of my yoga teacher training friends, Tracy M. As Tracy encouraged Melissa to explore the yoga in Denver, I smiled and Melissa explained that we were already on a yoga tour of Denver.

Locations we've hit on the tour so far:

• Samadhi Center for Yoga & Meditation (Uptown)
• Kindness Yoga (Cherry Creek, South Broadway and Capitol Hill studios)
• Karma Yoga Center (Wash Park)

Local studios that Tracy recommended we add to the tour:

• CorePower Yoga (all studios in the Denver metro area, and there are several!)
• Sacred i Yoga (Park Hill)
• Harmony Yoga (Cherry Creek)

Other studios that I'm curious about:

• Bikram Yoga Mile High

I could use to get back to Bikram, the yoga style I started with in 2005. This is a great time of year to do hot yoga, too. It's so refreshing to walk out of the heated studio and into the crisp autumn air. Hope Melissa's game for more touring!

Yoga Transcends Disciplines

I appreciate how writers are able to create parallels between seemingly unrelated concepts. I love and live yoga and business/marketing, so this piece easily caught my attention on my morning commute to work.

Here, a Fast Company writer was able to bridge yoga and business in her article, "Namaste! 5 Hot Leadership Lessons From The Moksha Yoga Studio." The five lessons are:

1. Don't ask "If?"--ask "When?" and "How?"
2. Recognize obstacles and strategically overcome them
3. Create a solid foundation, then add finesse
4. Don't lose sight of how far you've come
5. Ignore those around you, they won't make your practice better

I encourage you to read the article for the major takeaway.

The writer's tag is "150 classes, 102 degrees, 1 business writer." These are numbers I can relate to after a 200-hour yoga teacher training certification, more heat and humidity than I want to measure...and the number one.

The concept of oneness resonates through the practice of yoga. After all, the Sanskrit word yoga means to join or to unite. In a yoga class, you can think of it as the joining together of spirits in the studio to form one community. In individual practice, you might think of it as the one [you] on your mat in this one present moment.

In business, I think of many parts working toward one goal. And as related to my work at Regis University on the brand marketing team, it made me think of our "One Regis Branding Together" blog about the brand study that the university embarked on in April 2012.

So that's how I've come to the conclusion that yoga and oneness can transcend disciplines.

Teaching Yoga @ Useful Networks

In August, I met Genie at a mutual friend's birthday party in downtown Denver. She was friendly and energetic. We met while I was deep in yoga teacher training mode. Genie is all about creating opportunity. She encouraged me to teach lunchtime yoga at her workplace, Useful Networks, once a week. The programmers could use a yoga break and I could use the teaching practice. Of course, I accepted the generous offer!

Thirty-minute classes were challenging. I needed to take these programmers away from their world of code and move them into a relaxing place for them to really experience yoga. Most of the participants were completely new to yoga. Some had practiced yoga regularly for some time. Each week, there would be some familiar faces and some new faces. Overall, I could see a general improvement and increased enjoyment over time--in my students and in myself. Over time, I felt more comfortable to play with the sequence, the music and the theme.

One of my favorite classes was my 'memories of Costa Rica' theme. To celebrate my thirtieth birthday, I traveled to Costa Rica with my family. My theme covered rainforest animals. I had my class flying like birds (in prayer twists) and swinging like a monkeys (in gorilla pose). My goals were to bring awareness to spinal movement and lengthening, and to present modifications, such as flying during revolving crescent lunge, in a playful way. The theme for this class came from a genuine place, and it felt great!

Teaching a Donation Yoga Class @ CorePower Grant Studio

I was set to teach Sun Salutation A in a round-robin donation class. The Extension Teacher Trainers were leading a special class for a non-profit cause, Yoga for the People. The yoga studio was packed with high-visibility CorePower staff members, fellow Extension students, friends and other eager yogis. My breathing was labored. My body was tense.

Marley could innately sense how nervous I was. Right before my turn in the round robin, she placed her hands on my shoulders, and suddenly, like magic, I just felt better. I found my seat as a teacher and my Sun A went as smoothly as I could have visualized it. I could see the room was mat-to-mat in the front mirror, but my intention to set the tone for the rest of the class held true. I was grateful for my Extensions experience, and that gratitude was able to shine through in my cues. After class, Marley acknowledged how quickly I made the transformation right before it was my turn to teach and I acknowledged how powerful her encouragement as a teacher was. Namaste!

Yoga Teacher Training Extensions - Group Meeting

Marisa was absent on Sunday, so Monday night was the first time we met with her. I was feeling out of sorts. I realized it was the time of day that was throwing me. I had to quiet my mind from the day of work and commuting and I was having a lot of trouble. I couldn't focus on teaching. I forgot the names of body parts, the names of poses. I left like I had undergone a partial lobotomy, and somehow survived. I promised the group I'd be my better self next time.

Serendipitous First Yoga Class @ 24 Hour Fitness

Since mid-August I've been wondering, what comes next? Got my answer! Last night, went to a yoga class at 24 Hour Fitness with my friend Kiara. The instructor was a no-show. I looked over at Kiara and she said, "You should teach this class." My mind was racing.... I thought about the "Enlighten Up!" movie that Harper and I watched the night before and its theme question, what does yoga mean to you? I thought about all the amazing things I learned in yoga training from my mentors. It dawned on me--I am a certified to do this! And then I realized my responsibility to share yoga, to teach. And so I did! 25-ish people got the yoga they showed up for, they were so thankful to me, and I got an INCREDIBLE gift.

Yoga Teacher Training OmWork: Book Summary

Book: “Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic”
Author: Darren Main

It’s interesting to me how the Universe comes together when something is meant to be. For me, it was reconnecting with my friend, Kiara, and participating in Corepower’s Yoga Teacher Training because of that friendship.

I read Darren Main’s book, attended all three days of his workshop and listened to his podcasts this summer, and they were all very validating. This man has a gift that he is able to share and communicate with others, and that is what separates scholars and teachers. In “Path of an Urban Mystic,” Darren makes the lifestyle of a yogi more palatable for the mainstream.

I climbed my first fourteener this summer, Mount Yale in Buena Vista, Colorado. When I returned to camp after summiting, the weather was ominous, so I hid in my car and curled up with Darren’s book. The passage about pratyahara was perfectly timed as my mind and my heart were open to hear its message. It’s uncanny how the Universe finds the right moment to send us messages when we are most receptive.

“Seeking outside for a solution to suffering is a guarantee that peace and contentment will remain elusive because the problem does not lie within the external circumstances…. Only the truly numb can deny we are all searching for something. As long as we deny our true nature, we will feel within us an emptiness that is intolerable. This desire to search is the most natural thing, and the unavoidable result of believing that we are not whole.”

Darren’s fly-fishing analogy of the ego casting the mind out and the Spirit reeling us back in is as beautiful an acknowledgement of the flow of life as vinyasa is.

At any given point, I can be caught reading five books at one time. Another book that I am in the middle of is “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert. Coincidentally, within the same week, I read a section of that book that completely coincided with Darren’s book.

“We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy’s fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, begging for pennies from every passerby, unaware that his fortune was right under him the whole time. Your treasure—your perfection—is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the busy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart.”

Over the course of this summer of yoga teacher training, certain life experiences started to make more sense to me. About five years ago, I lived in Portland, Oregon, for one year. I had moved to be closer to my long-term, long-distance boyfriend at the time. I worked at a recruiting agency and had a ‘devil’ of a manager. With ten years in such a cut-throat, bottom-line business, she was a hardened woman. Despite her confident professionalism and attractive appearance, there was nothing sweet about her presence. When my relationship had ended and I was leaving my job with the recruiting agency to move back to Colorado, Melissa said only one thing to me. “Find your bliss, Michelle.”

It is not easy to really comprehend such things when your mind and heart are not open or not ready to hear such things. I took Melissa’s deep message to mean that I should focus on what makes me happy. For years after leaving Portland, I was a woman with no identity to speak of. I had either forgotten who I was, or maybe had never realized who I could be. I could be whoever I wanted. Upon moving back to Colorado, I made a promise to myself to become the woman I always dreamed of being. And I am happy to say that I feel a lot closer to that woman than ever, especially after yoga teacher training and reading such digestively insightful books as Darren Main’s. Melissa’s message has much deeper meaning to me now than it did back then. Coming from a boss that I feared, her message is able to transcend a mere well-wish to find temporal happiness.

A summer of yoga teacher training allowed me to tap into pratyahara, withdrawing from the senses and pulling my attention inward, and for this I am forever grateful. I thank all of my teachers, my gurus, for all the love and compassion they put into the training experience. That mentor-like compassion and desire to share made yoga and teacher training more palatable for a student like me.

Yoga Teacher Training Class #3

I slacked. Maintaining a blog turned out to be a lot more work that I originally thought. Also, yoga teacher training turned out to be a lot more life-consuming than I originally thought. So this is one of the last blogs that I drafted during the first training. Another day, another blog, another training.... :)

Stream of Consciousness :: What makes a great teacher?
good listener. strong desire to share information in a way that makes sense to the individual student. will try different methods to convey the message until the light bulb goes off. tries to find parallels between subject matter and everyday life. patience. observant. gracious. realizes that each person's potential varies. realizes the students' merits.

love/compassion. confidence. acceptance. inspiring. enthusiastic. humor. flexibility. positive. modifications. clear language. creativity. modesty. always a student. remember where you come from. "remember the days of humble beginnings."

Yoga Teacher Training Class #2

Cherry Creek is the epicenter of traffic! One Farmer's Market could mean you get to your destination 15 minutes later by car, and that destination could possibly be two blocks away. Kiara and her prefect timing called me at 1:10pm when I was in a line of traffic trying to make a left on Alameda to backtrack to Cherry Creek South Drive, road otherwise known as the one I live on. She was just leaving Apple in Cherry Creek Mall because she got off her shift early enough to make it to the second day of training. I told her I was stuck in traffic and my car was almost out of gas. Me made a quick plan to mean on the other side of Cherry Creek. Like Superman, using my condo as the phone booth, I switched into yoga clothing, flew across the Creek and Kiara swept me up in her Subie.

It's funny. Being from New York originally, I always forget that Colorado's time clock runs on a different scale. No matter how many years I live in this state, I still have that perma-state of rush as my life metronome. Although Kiara and I were late, the class hadn't really organized yet.

CorePower Power Teacher Training

The universe spoke and I responded.

One weekend while I was snowboarding, I missed her. It had been over a year since we spoke, and as I waited for the slower people in my group to reconvene at the ski lift, I missed her. We used to snowboard together. We used to mountain bike together. We were even beer fairies together! Where did Kiara go?

At the end of the day, I checked my phone and I had a message. Believe it or not, the message was from HER. Kiara had called to catch up and ask if I wanted to go snowboarding before the season was over. Things started to fall into place. We reconnected. She mentioned that she had applied for yoga teacher training at Corepower and encouraged me to consider it. (This wouldn't be the first time that she inspired me to try something different!)

The thought of yoga teacher training had crossed my mind before. At one time, I had plans to move to California and start an interdisciplinary studio/practice that included yoga with my best friend from college. Friends and family had suggested it. But I didn't really consider the possibility until Kiara brought it up.

There are about 40 students in this CPY training class. It was like the first day of school.

Stream of consciousness about "what is yoga?":
harnessing energy. maintaining focus. being present. listening to yourself. listening to the others. listening to the instructor. listening to your body. listening to your heart! being purposeful. being thankful. showing gratitude in a physical format. flowing with breath.

Everyone in class had a different stream of consciousness. Some streams sounded like dictionary or encyclopedia definitions, some were reminiscent of a math proofs, and one woman wrote a poem (that was publish-worthy!) in a five-minute span of time.

We went over the origins of the word yoga. Wikipedia's page for yoga is similar to what we discussed. The term yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means "to yoke", "to control" and "to unite". The word yoga has different meanings for everyone.

Finally, as students we were advised to "always speak highly" and to practice saucha (cleanliness).

All in all, Day 1 was exciting. It felt good to embark on something new, something that felt like school but wasn't a formal academic school, which I have seen enough of for this decade of my life, at least. It was good to meet the instructors in person, rather than just on the phone, via email or on their websites. Lisa lead the class. Marley (named after Bob Marley) lead the C1 flow that opened the training. The other instructors were present: Heather, Marisa, Laura and Patty. I had no idea the first night went from 6:30 to 10pm. I honestly lost track of time while I was in there. By the time Kiara and I left CPY, we were starving for dinner, but realized that most food establishments were probably closed, so we decided to plan better next time we met up.