Emily Garrett Yoga » Yoga for Living

Dark energy

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:52:54 +0000

According to physics 70% of the universe is made up of energy that we cannot observe. Physicists call it dark energy and determined it’s existence when they realized that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. According to Nasa scientists, “The rest – everything on Earth, everything ever observed with all of our instruments, all normal matter – adds up to less than 5% of the Universe.” Read more here.

Could this be prana? How does this relate to the yogis experience of vitalilty, energy, true self, or emptiness?

On the darkest day of the year, perhaps we could take some time and ponder our connection to what we cannot see.

Gratitude: A Practice

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:27:27 +0000

There is nothing like the first snowfall to remind me of the magic in the air. Although I have been known to complain about how cold Vermont is, the first snowfall always causes me to pause and relish in it’s beauty. It’s quiet nature gives me time to reflect. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the new moon, a wonderful time to reflect. I was taught that gratitude lives in the heart and that through the practice of gratitude, at it’s deepest level, we can experience complete transformation. To live this seems a worthwhile practice. We are alive! Each breath reminds us this. Whatever our state of health or emotional situation, we are living and breathing human lives. And this, in itself, is something to be grateful for. You have eyes to read this, or ears to hear it from someone else. You have this breath. And the next and the next. There is magic always brewing in the air and perhaps, if we stop long enough to see it, we can appreciate our short and beautiful time on this earth.

seeds of joy

admin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:05:07 +0000

Nurture the seeds of joy within you.

You will make many mistakes.

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:12:30 +0000

I make a lot of mistakes. At the moment in which I recognize that I have made a mistake, I can respond in two ways. The first is to condemn and criticize myself with thoughts like, “You should have known better. I can’t believe you did that . What were you thinking?” This way is deeply attached to the desire to fix the mistake immediately. The second way is to pause, connect with the feeling in my body, and open to an opportunity for growth. In this way, rather than immediately trying to fix the mistake I sit with it’s feeling. Sometimes the two ways weave together. First the criticism, then the realization of the criticism and then the opening.

There is value in looking at mistakes and asking, “Was my action aligned with my intention?” and then to recognize what a more appropriate action would have been. And I am all for amending my mistakes. However, this approach must be balanced with self empathy, with the understanding that mistakes are part of the growing process and although I am imperfect, I am lovable just the same.

I have some amazing people in my life. My closest relationships are with people who have felt pain as a result of my actions and have chosen to work through it and love me anyway. They forgave me, let go, and allowed us to begin again. I did the same for them. These relationships strengthen my courage and my capacity to love.

My students, yes you, do this for me every time you show up for class. There are weeks where I have been off in my teaching, distracted or just not feeling completely together. You have come to class and then you have returned the next week, loving me anyway. Some of my happiest moments are in the yoga studio, teaching. You provide me with a space to explore who I am and what’s important to me, not just as a teacher but also as a human.

This path is difficult. It requires hard work and discipline. Let us support each other in being ourselves, in making mistakes and opening our hearts to those mistakes, all in the process of growth. After all, as I was told by one of my teachers, once you reach enlightenment there are no more mistakes to be made.

fear not

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:07 +0000

Do not be afraid of who you are.

Crow Pose

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:38:05 +0000

It’s never too early, or too late, to try balancing on your hands.

Love over fear

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:35:28 +0000

Yoga is the path of love over fear.

Dear Sugar

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:42:04 +0000

I just discovered the most amazing advice column on the online magazine The Rumpus. This is powerful stuff worth a read and helpful for inspiring a good cry. Read it here: http://therumpus.net/2011/07/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-78-the-obliterated-place/ .

Happy Independence Day!

admin — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:12:49 +0000

Remember this album from back in the day, all about being ourselves and loving who we are? It reminds us to sing, enjoy each other and to not take ourselves so seriously. This fourth of July, I wish you the only freedom that lasts, the freedom that comes from within. Laughing River Yoga will have an abbreviated schedule on July 4th. Emily will teach Kripalu from 9-10:30 am. Hope to see you there. We might even do some singing together…

We believe in the power of yoga to heal.

admin — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:54:40 +0000

visit http://www.laughingriveryoga.com/heal