RIsing Up to the Challenge

In the 1980s, my teacher, John Friend designed a "hard core" yoga practice called the Eye of the Tiger.  It was the time of Rocky 2--when the hero goes finally goes beyond "going the distance" and beats his nemesis Apollo Creed because he has an iron will and and a desire that comes from the heart of hearts.  Rocky II's theme song, by Survivor, perfectly spoke to the will and desire that the yogin possesses in their pursuit of the highest expressions of the heart through the practice of asana.

Regarding the Eye of the Tiger Practice, John wrote:

"The Eye of the Tiger practice was my original advanced asana practice that I began in the mid-80’s. The premise was to embody a fierce, single-focus aspiration to become the highest vessel for Spirit so to best serve the Goodness and to be able to fully enjoy life. The image of the Tiger’s eye is when the Tiger is hungry and on the prowl for food. A single focused gaze reflecting a burning desire for fulfillment that won’t be denied. The fire of that longing sparkles in the tiger’s eyes reflecting the tremendous power and energy of a spiritual warrior’s will. "

Over the 20+ years since John first penned this practice sequence (a sequence that pre-dates Anusara Yoga as an entity), this style of practice has been woven deeply into the fabric of the practice lives of Anusara practitioners.  And, as Consciousness expands, this practice has come to take on many forms.  Across the country (and world), you will find a wide variety of variations: The Practice, The Tigress Practice, Teacher's Practice-- what it really means is practicing in community; supporting each other to new heights; being inspired by each other's accomplishments and supporting each other when we are being challenged to our limits.  There is conversation and silence; laughter and groans; it is a practice that requires strength and stamina married to softness and fluidity.  It is the ultimate expression of the divine marriage of Shiva and Shakti.

Several months ago, it occurred to me that, at this point, many (most) Anusara practitioners--even the seasoned ones--may not have ever practiced the Eye of the Tiger in it's entirety as originally written, and thus a series was born.  On Super Bowl Sunday (we called it Super Sadhana Sunday), some 40 yogins from the San Francisco Bay Area joined me in re-creating the original version of the practice--some 130 poses in a span of 4 .5 hours.  This practice is not for the faint of heart--the original document lays out the beginning of the practice as "10 to 108 sun salutes."  During the course of our own Super Bowl Sunday, we practiced the full spectrum, including a total of 21 Urdhva Dhanurasanas.  The intensity of the practice is not just in it's myriad of hand balances and deep backbends, but in it's completeness.  The EoT incorporates at least 10 minutes of meditation and 10 minutes of savasana to make it full and complete, for the richest practice goes beyond raw power and refines itself into the artfulness of expression. 

We named ourselves The Kundalini Kula, because the tiger represents Durga’s tiger, the Kundalini within each of us. As John explains, "This is the ultimate creative power that we ride with great skill since it is dangerous energy which can be used for evolution or destruction."
Take a peek into our time together (accompanied by the practice's theme song):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n__gpHnpfVY

May we continue to rise to the occasion of the practice from the deepest desire to know the truth of our own hearts.  Special thanks to Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher Danielle Hougard for the beautiful pictures here in this post.

Power and Promise

2011 is no longer officially "new" and yet with 11 full months left, it still holds infinite promise. It's funny how quickly we can let go of that feeling of potential and opportunity once the champagne bottles have been recycled. What on January 1st seems full of POWER & PROMISE, by February 1st is old news, old patterns, and the idea that we'll get our next shot at potential and promise in the Spring, or in 2012.

Each year, I create an overall theme for my classes. This highest intention or remembrance holds the entirety not only of my teaching, but of my own practice. To have a single-point of focus as a community for the duration of a year has been very powerful bond between me and my students since I began the yearly theme in 2006. Some years the theme is articulated in nearly every class, and in other year's I hold the space for it and it's presence is felt more than spoken. The yearly theme is like a great river, from which many tributaries flow, but it is the source--the wellspring or, tirtha--of every sequence, every public class, every event.

This year's theme, "POWER & PROMISE: it's all about the practice" solidified for me in late October when I was in Santa Fe studying with John Friend. Together with friends and my dear teacher in this msytical city, I felt a deep truth arise from me and wash over and through me. This practice of yoga works. It works at cracking my heart wide open. It works at making me better at being who I am--authentically. It works by bringing me into deeper connection with others and with the world all around. Really, all I have to do is SHOW UP with my heart and mind open to this promise, and I will awaken to my own divine nature more fully. It can't not happen, which isn't to say it will happen in the way I want or think I want. To me, yoga's promise is that it helps me remember that I am empowered, and that I too, am full of promise and potential.

POWER & PROMISE is manifesting itself in a teaching year that is about what it means to have a regular practice and to become refined in the practice as well as to allow ourselves to be moved by the practice. The residing Devi for this year , Saraswati, reminds us to take our raw power and potential (our Kali side) and to organize it into the highest offering of expression. I’m teaching and offering with clear purpose. In the one short month since 2011 began, I have already seen an incredible shift in my weekly students—not only in their asana practice, but in their commitment and the meaning they are bringing to the mat.

I invite you to join into the remembrance of Power & Promise in your practice this year. Get on your mat and watch yourself shift in 2011!