The Teacher Will Come

It's an old saying, but I'll repeat it here...

"When the student is ready, the teacher will come."

When I wrote you last, I was in Yelapa, Mexico.

It was beautiful. I can't wait to go back.

But now...I'm back on the ground in Missouri. Back in the loving arms of my family. And back to the daily activities that (shall I admit it?) I miss when I'm gone.

I'm fortunate. I am fortunate to have generous readers like you, who keep me informed about your lives and your progress in yoga.

Here's an excerpt from an email I got a day or two ago:

"Hi Kevin, I recently wrote you about doing yoga on my own and needing a roadmap to achieve certain poses, and you recommended I try to find a teacher. Perhaps you sent a vibe through the universe, 'cause lo and behold within a few days of your email back to me, I discovered that there is a yoga class that meets Wednesdays at 1 at the church where I go to do rug hooking every Wednesday from 9 to 1. Was that karma or what?

Nice to hear that you are enjoying Mexico.

Thanks, Peggy"

Wow! Peggy, this is a great email.

You want results? Set an intention. Peggy showed it, right there.

I didn't send a vibe through the universe, she did. When you set an intention, the universe responds. In one way or another, it responds.

This sort of fervent resolve is called sankalpa in Sanskrit.

The student was ready. She said in an email to me what she wanted, and she got the first part very quickly, the teacher. She also told me in an email she wanted to accomplish a very specific pose. I have no doubt now that she will do it.

Set a fervent intention today before your yoga practice. You can do it at the beginning and end of each day, too. Then, like Peggy, look for the results. They'll show up!

Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!

Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org

p.s., You can read the Daily Yoga Tip I wrote when I first heard from Peggy here.

p.p.s., The Sanskrit word of the day from my last Daily Yoga Tip was bhujanga. Bhujanga means cobra or serpent, as in bhujangasana, cobra pose. Pythons (remember pie-thon?) are different from cobras. Cobras subdue their prey with venom. Pythons constrict. But both of them must open their jaws wide to swallow whole their meals. That's what I thougt of when I saw someone eating Augustina's lemon pie in Yelapa.


p.p.p.s., Today's Sanskrit word of the day is vrischika. I'll tell you what it means next time. I'll give you a clue. I was born on November 3rd. My teaching partner, Sallie Keeney, was born on November 16. We were both born under the same astrological sign named for the animal for which vrischikasana was named. One of our yoga vacationers in Mexico found one of these critters in her bathroom last week!

p.p.p.s, We'll be in Annapolis, Maryland Friday night. Saturday afternoon, Sallie and I are teaching the Experience Sanskrit workshop at Golden Heart Yoga. We are thrilled to be hosted by Jenny Otto and Lynn Mathews. But it's sold out. There aren't any more open slots. But we are staying an extra day to conduct a 2-hour asana workshop on Sunday. To participate, click over to www.ExperienceYoga.org and register today.

We'll be at Yoga Among Friends in Downers Grove, IL starting at 1 pm on Saturday April 8, 2006. Register at www.ExperienceYoga.org. See you there!

Copyright 2006.
All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
Kevin Perry
Mo Yoga LLC
905 Eastland Plaza Suite B, #106
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 680-6737

A Small World & Mechanics Too

Yesterday I was (I am sad to report) NOT on the beach in Mexico, but very sneakily checking my email in the office at the Hotel Lagunita in Yelapa. Out at the desk I heard a nice lady come up to Senor Clemente and ask about "the yoga group."

You never know what people have on their minds...

So I called out and invited her to come back and talk to me.

It was Karen, a student of mine from years ago when I taught yoga full time in Northern Virginia.

She was on a flight a few days earlier and sat next to someone who was coming to Yelapa for our Experience Paradise yoga retreat. When Karen asked who was teaching the week-long yoga retreat, she was surprised to learn that it was me, someone she knew! So she dropped by to see me a few days later with a friend.

What an unusual connection to make in a completely different part of the world.

I want to let you in a just a brief part of our conversation. Karen said to me, "because of you, I can step forward from downward dog pose into lunge."

If you practice sun salutations, you know this is a pretty common move, but it can be very challenging for beginning students.

She told me she was about to give up on it when I said to her, "It's not about strength. It's more about the mechanics."

She kept that in mind as she practiced, and soon she realized she was strong enough to do it. She simply needed the time to develop the skill to bring the leg forward.

Had she convinced herself she was too weak, she probably wouldn't have tried it again.

I know I've written about this before, very recently, in fact. But you can't beat a real live example. It illustrates the point better than anything else.

So I'm reminding you today, strength matters. And you'll get stronger as you practice yoga. But it's not the only thing. You are probably strong enough today to do many poses you think are beyond you.

What's missing is the skill, the training of your nervous system to do an effective action, that you've simply never done before.

That's why a yoga teacher is so important. Books can show you alignment. And books can inspire. But books, tapes, and podcasts can't give you feedback and teach you subtle action that give you access to many of the poses from which you will benefit.

Stick with your practice. And get guidance and feedback from an experienced teacher. Skillful action will come.

You can read my recent Daily Yoga Tip called "Not Strong Enough" at
http://experienceyoga.blogspot.com/2006/02/not-strong-enough.html.

Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!

Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org

p.s., The Sanskrit word of the day from my last Daily Yoga Tip was chandra. Chandra means moon, as in ardha chandrasana, half moon pose. Lucas our host here at Hotel Lagunita in Yelapa told me earlier this week that this February has been an unusual one here. He says it's been hotter, and early in the morning when the sun comes up, you can still see the full big moon in the sky. I hope you'll plan now to join us next year for our adventure in Yelapa. Please email me today at info@experienceyoga.org if you'd like me to send you information when we get our dates set for 2007.

p.p.s., Today's Sanskrit word of the day is bhujanga. I'll tell you what it means next time. I'll give you a clue. I thought about this word today as a looked across the table to see one member of our yoga group open her mouth wide to take a big bite of the world-famous lemon merangue pie made by Augustina, the Yelapa pie lady. I said, "look at her, she can drop her jaw like a python to get that food in!" Get it? Pie-thon!

p.p.p.s, When we get back to the U.S. we'll be flying off to Annapolis, Maryland for the Experience Sanskrit workshop at Golden Heart Yoga on Saturday March 4th. The bad news is...it's sold out. There aren't any more open slots. The good news is...we're staying an extra day to conduct a 2-hour asana workshop on Sunday. Join us. To participate, click over to ExperienceYoga.org and register today. (If you want to get on the wait list for a place in the Experience Sanskrit workshop, call Golden Heart Yoga. Lynn and Jenny will be glad to add you to the list, just in case someone can't make it at the last minute.)

Come be with us on April 8 in Downers Grove, IL. We'll be at Yoga Among Friends starting at 1 pm. Register at ExperienceYoga.org. See you there!

Copyright 2006.
All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
Kevin Perry
Mo Yoga LLC
905 Eastland Plaza Suite B, #106
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 680-6737

The Healing Power of Kindness

Greetings again from Yelapa, Mexico.

This afternoon I had a massage. How wonderful. It felt good.

Sore spots are not sore any longer. I am relaxed. I feel energized and rejuvenated.

But what I am struck by the most is the absolute gentle kindness expressed to me in the touch of the therapist, Claudia.

More than anything else this is what caused the most dramatic shift in the way I feel and experience my whole life here today.

Yoga does so many things for us. It stretches the muscles. It tugs at the connective tissue. It stimulates the intenal organs. It wrings "tired," congested blood out of stiff stagnant places in the body, and welcomes in new healing circulation. It opens the body to new patterns of breath. It stimulates the nerves and refreshes the skin.

Yoga postures can also unblock stuck energy in the body.

But it's not the only thing that does this.

The experience of lovingkindness lifts the spirit and opens us up to the beauty of our lives.

Today before you start your yoga practice, take a moment to recall the memory of someone who selflessly gave to you a gift, a simple act of kindness, that you did nothing to deserve. Consider the beauty and generosity of this selfless act.

Then pay attention to the openings that happen in your body and your experience of the world around you, before you start your asana or pranayama.

This takes your practice beyond physical exercise...and physical benefits. And it can bring you back to the mat on days when you really don't feel like another downward facing dog pose.

Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!

Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org

p.s., The Sanskrit word of the day from my last Daily Yoga Tip was surya. Surya means sun, as in surya namaskar, sun salutation. There are many sun worshipers here. But few of them have joined us for our daily rounds of surya namaskar. I hope you'll plan now to join us next year for our adventure in Yelapa.

p.p.s., Today's Sanskrit word of the day is chandra. I'll tell you what it means next time.

p.p.p.s, When we get back to the U.S. we'll be flying off to Annapolis, Maryland for the Experience Sanskrit workshop at Golden Heart Yoga on Saturday March 4th. The bad news is...it's sold out. There aren't any more open slots. The good news is...we're staying an extra day to conduct a 2-hour asana workshop on Sunday. Join us. To participate, click over to ExperienceYoga.org and register today. (If you want to get on the wait list for a place in the Experience Sanskrit workshop, call Golden Heart Yoga. Lynn and Jenny will be glad to add you to the list, just in case someone can't make it at the last minute.)

Come be with us on April 8 in Downers Grove, IL. We'll be at Yoga Among Friends starting at 1 pm. Register at ExperienceYoga.org. See you there!

p.p.p.p.s., I want to say a special word of thanks today to Judith Roth, a fellow Anusara yogi here in Yelapa. (See http://www.palapainyelapa.com/pages/judith.html.) Talk about kindness! Judith invited our whole group to visit her yoga center last night as she taught a beautiful yoga class for the children of Yelapa. Then she hosted a lovely dinner of barbecued fish, prepared by her neighbors, her adopted family, using a secret family recipe. It was fantastic. I am moved once again by Judith's kindness and generosity to us.

Copyright 2006.
All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
Kevin Perry
Mo Yoga LLC
905 Eastland Plaza Suite B, #106
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 680-6737

Wave and Pause

I'm writing today from Yelapa, Jalisco, Mexico.

Sallie and I are here with a beautiful group of yogis, from all over...Alaska, New York, Missouri, and Oregon.

We're having a wonderful time.

We just arrived yesterday, after a day of travel that began for me at 3 am. It was an incredibly frigid 7 degree temperature we stood in as we waited for the shuttle bus to pick us up from long-term parking.

Believe me, the tranformation in one day is incredible.

A few hours later we were in Mexico, where everything, including the weather is different.

I'm brought to a complete standstill as I just stand here gazing out at the ocean. Incredible. It's captivating. It stops me dead in my tracks and interrupts me from the busy-ness of my daily life.

Even when I'm not looking at the ocean I can hear it everywhere I go, here.

The waves come in and out. After the sound of one wave, there's a pause. Then, there's the sound of the next.

I was listening to this as I sat this morning in our 7:00 am meditation class. I was a bit surprised to notice that automatically my breath started to sync up with the pattern of the sounds of the waves.

The more I relaxed, the more my breath just naturally paused at the end of each inhale and exhale.

That's my tip for today, from sunny Yelapa. Sit down and pay attention to your breath today. As you let go of tension and busy-ness, notice that at the end of each inhale and exhale, there's a natural inclination toward a beautiful, relaxing pause.

Let it happen.

Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!

Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org

p.s., The Sanskrit word of the day from my last Daily Yoga Tip was vrksa. Vrksa means tree, as in palm trees. There are plenty here. My apologies to all you botanists who may know better if they in fact are not palm trees.

p.p.s., Today's Sanskrit word of the day is surya. I'll tell you what it means next time.

p.p.p.s, When we get back to the U.S. We'll be turning around and heading right out to Annapolis, Maryland for the Experience Sanskrit workshop on March 4th. There are only one or two places left open for this workshop. So if you want to participate, click over to ExperienceYoga.org and register today.

The Experience Sanskrit workshop on March 18 in St. Charles, MO is sold out! No more registrations will be accepted, but you can come and be with us on April 8 in Downers Grove, IL. We'll be at Yoga Among Friends starting at 1 pm. Register at ExperienceYoga.org. By the way, this is a date change! April 8 is the accurate date (not April 1). See you there!

Copyright 2006.
All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
Kevin Perry
Mo Yoga LLC
905 Eastland Plaza Suite B, #106
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 680-6737

Not Strong Enough?

I received several emails this week from students we met for the first time Sunday at the yoga workshop we taught at Surya Center for Yoga in Coppell, TX.

Many were excited because at the workshop they were able to do a full arm balance (adho mukha vrksasana) or drop back from mountain pose (tadasana) to upward bow (urdhva dhanurasana) for the first time.

I remember clearly the first time I did these poses. I was thrilled. I'm not surprised that they were ecstatic, too.

Most commented they didn't think they were strong enough to do these poses.

So what changed for these students during the 2 hours we were together?

I guarantee you none of them got stronger during our workshop! So what happened?

We worked on three things. The three A's of Anusara yoga. Attitude. Alignment. Action.

We talked about being open to the possibility of real change, that what was once thought not possible, now is. That's attitude.

We explored how lining up the major segments of the body properly makes you more stable and structurally stronger. That's alignment.

We worked on skillful actions, actions that integrate the limbs into the torso and pelvis. And actions that unlock stuck spots and make new alignments possible. That's action.

So, without getting "stronger," what was once impossible, was now possible.

If you hear yourself saying "I'm not strong enough to do that pose," I hope you'll reconsider. You might be wrong. You might be plenty strong.

You may simply have not yet aquired the skills and insights you need to accomplish a particular pose.

Don't just read about it. Get up. Experience it. Experience yoga!

Kevin Perry
www.ExperienceYoga.org

p.s., The Sanskrit word of the day from my last Daily Yoga Tip was danu. Dhanu means bow, as in bow and arrow. Have some fun today and look up akarna dhanurasana. It's a great pose with the word "bow" in the middle.

p.p.s., Today's Sanskrit word of the day is vrksa. I'll tell you what it means next time.

p.p.p.s, Sallie and I are honored to be in Downingtown, Pennsylvatia tonight with Michele Paiva, the owner of Twisted Guru yoga and pilates studio. Tomorrow we'll be teaching the Experience Sanskrit workshop. Thanks, Michele! We're looking forward to seeing some students of mine from "way back when" and meeting many of you Daily Yoga Tip readers for the first time!

Copyright 2006.
All rights reserved, Mo Yoga LLC.
Kevin Perry
Mo Yoga LLC
905 Eastland Plaza Suite B, #106
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 680-6737