Good Bye...

Who am I kidding??? Am I sure about this??? Is this it???

These are a few of the multiple questions that keep popping into my head as I write this final blog. Yes, you read it correctly. This is the last post I'm ever going to write in this blog.

I realized that I am too introverted to have a blog. It's very hard for me to share my life, my thoughts, my feelings, my experiences so openly and without any hesitations. I'm always worried that I've said too much, that I've been sharing too much, that I'm putting myself too out there The idea of a blog is to make you happy while writing it, to share willingly and without thinking about it too much. Well, that doesn't apply to me.

I guess it's just not for me. I doubt anybody out there is gonna be disappointed though, since I don't have many followers or readers. That makes it easier in a way.

Also, I've been going through a lot this year, and it's only April!!!!! My mind, my heart, my soul, my true self are not connecting with my inner blogger, if there was a blogger in me at one point.

We might see each other again some time, but for now, I'm going back into my shell.

Have a wonderful life everyone. Don't forget to try yoga, to give it a chance. Surprise yourself of what you can accomplish through the magic of this ancient and wonderful practice.

Light to you all...

Do you need a dictionary?

In the past month, thanks to a great Groupon I bought, I was able to practice for a very affordable price at a highly priced yoga studio. One month unlimited, yay!! But that's gonna be discussed more in detail in another post ;)

Besides the variety of teachers and styles that I was able to try and enjoy, one thing that caught my attention was the language used in all classes. It was English, of course, but all teachers also used Sanskrit. And not all of them did it properly. That's why it bothered me so much!!!

I'm no expert in the subject, but as a Yoga Instructor, I've done my homework and studied the basic terminology and pronunciation. That's why I know when something isn't right. I'm all for using the sacred language during classes, but do it properly and showing the respect that it deserves.

If you don't know how to pronounce it, then don't say it, until you know for sure how to. In Chile we have a saying: "El tuerto es el rey en el mundo de los ciegos" (the one eyed man is the king in the world of blinds), which would apply for a teacher that is leading a beginner's class, or that is certain that he/she knows more about the name of the asanas than anybody else in the room. But how do you know for sure when these options apply? Are you gonna ask your students one by one? You need to be on top of your game. When you have students that are knowledgeable, advanced practitioners and experienced yogis/yoginis, then you need to step up and be the Guide they need you to be. With your practice, with your cues and with your words.

And if you don't know any Sanskrit and you want to start learning, here are some basic words, with their English translation and pronunciation:

Asana (ah-sah-nnah) = Pose

Savasana (sah-vah-sah-nnah) = Corpse pose   

Tadasana (tah-dah-sah-nnah) = Mountain pose

Utkatasana (oott-kah-tah-sah-nnah) = Depending of the yoga style the translation (chair, fierce, thunderbolt, awkward)

Uttanasana (oott-tah-nah-sah-nnah) = Forward fold (stretched out) pose

Balasana (bah-lah-sah-nnah) = Child pose

If you wanna learn more, I recommend "The Language of Yoga". You can find it used or new in internet.

A weekend of Yoga

Have you ever taken a weekend trip only to do yoga? Well, my husband, my three dogs and I did it. And it was fun!!!!

We went to Crested Butte for the first ever Yoga Rocks the Butte Festival. Three days of classes, skiing, concerts, meditations, checking out the town and having a great time. I realized then, how small the community is. There were so many people who we've shared classes at Yoga Rocks the Park, or at studios, or at the Yoga Journal Conference at Estes Park with; it was nice seeing them, talking to them, sharing more experiences with them and growing with them.

What I like about this yoga trips, is the variety of classes and teachers. There is something for everybody, no matter if you're a beginner or an advanced student, if you're more physical or more spiritual. They even had night activities, concerts, kirtan, trance dance, drummers, etc.

I got to practice with Shiva Rea, three classes with her, some better than others, all part of my growth as a practitioner and as a teacher. I also practiced with Twee, not my favorite, but not bad. I took a beginner's class with Shannon Paige, what a great teacher she is, so vibrant, fun and challenging!! I got to practice and enjoy Acro Yoga, one of my favorite classes, neck to neck with Dimitri's Danda Class. I like active classes, where I learn new things, where I can free my mind and just be myself through the movement.

Acro Yoga is great to do with a partner. Good thing my husband was in the class as well, so we can keep having fun at home, at the park or anywhere we want to. The danda was, in my opinion, a mix of martial arts with yoga asanas and stretches. I loved it!!! And I can also keep doing it at home, which I love.

I was exhausted on the way back home, but I was and am so thankful for the opportunity of being part of the first Yoga Rocks the Butte ever. The journey moves me in all directions and now, I'm looking forward to the next adventure.

Changes

I know it's been a while since I last wrote and I don't expect many people to read my blog, but it's time to reconnect. I do have an excuse, in case you need one. After such an amazing yoga journey in July of last year, things sort of fell slowly down and crumbled in front of me. The yoga world I knew had disappointed me.

I was teaching several classes at only one studio (I prefer not to say the name, just in case). I loved the community there, the students, the other teachers, the life and energy, the friends I made, the growth I experienced on the mat and as an instructor. That space was so important to me. And then things started going bad.

Rumors started that the studio was going to close, that the owner could not afford keeping it open, that the former manager was going to take control, that another studio was going to come and buy it, that the landlord was going to open his own yoga studio, that we were not going to have a place to practice... and so on. It was hard.

I don't like to listen to rumors, they create assumptions that tend to be far from reality. And that was all what people talked about. It got very exhausting at one point. I don't like drama, I'm very practical, so being in the middle of this weird atmosphere, made me realize that it was not gonna be pretty.

And then people started changing, getting competitive, fighting for that one teaching spot; the manager of the studio went crazier than normal, she went back into her addictions and personal issues, which of course were reflected on her relationships with students and teachers. Things got out of control. Meanwhile, I tried to stay out of it, but there was not much space to move out.

Then we got an email saying that the studio was closing that week, instead of months later as we had been told. There was rage among students, people were talking about legal actions against the owner (they had bought passes and classes recently), we were all in disbelieve. Two days after the studio had closed, we got another email saying that another known local studio was taking over the space.

It was like a new energy had been brought upon us. It felt so good, so clean, so nice, so fresh. We believed in them, in the power of yoga, in what we saw was changing... But it just stayed there. No more changes were made, things continued to fall even when I thought we couldn't go any lower. So we suffered through another crush, another disappointment, another sad experience.

I started looking for new places to practice and teach and I'm so glad I did. The owner of the building opened the studio again, with a third new name, with almost no students left that would trust in them. I was one of them. It just felt wrong. So disorganized, so cold, so confusing, so lost, so depressing.

So I walked away, with tears in my eyes. That space provided me with so many great memories and I'm truly thankful for what I learned, for who I met, for everything I was able to experience. But it was not the same space anymore, the soul of the place was gone. It was not a Yoga Studio, it was solely a business, a money maker, a number.

So here I am, still looking for that great studio to practice in that calls my heart, that catches my eye and that captures my soul. I now teach at several studios. So if you're in Denver, or come to Denver some day, please stop by at any of my classes:

Monday 5:15 - 6:15pm, Power Vinyasa Flow, Studio Shakta

Tuesday 5:15 - 6:15pm, Power Vinyasa Flow, Studio Shakta

Friday 6:00 - 6:50pm, Beginners Flow, PowerHouse Gym Denver

Saturday 9:00 - 10:00am, Power Vinyasa Flow, Breathe Yoga & Cycle Studio

Reconectando con todo

La última vez que escribí fue hace ya demasiado tiempo y, analizando lo que he vivido en estos pasados 10 días, necesito expresar lo que siento.

Como muchos de ustedes saben, soy Instructora de Yoga, del estilo Vinyasa, más conocido como Power Yoga en Estados Unidos. Estudié en el estudio donde practico (http://www.yogaon6th.com/), por lo que es vinyasa estilo Baron Baptiste, lo cual me encanta.

Mi personalidad es activa, siempre buscando, haciendo, pensando, actuando. Por lo que este tipo de yoga es perfecto para mí, porque es una fluidez constante de asanas (posturas), usando el cuerpo, la mente y la respiración al unísono. Pero como todo estudiante, llegué a un punto en el que Power ya no me estaba inspirando, necesitaba algo más.

Me compré un par de DVDs en internet de Shiva Rea, de la cual no sabía nada, pero había escuchado cosas como "buena profesora", "mucho movimiento", etc. Y me encantó!! Empecé a incorporar partes de sus secuencias en mis clases y llegué a un estilo bien movido, que es lo que me gusta. El mantener una pose por 10 respiraciones no me atrae,  tiene sus desafíos físicos y más que nada mentales, pero por sobre todo lo encuentro fome.

Para una persona como yo, que no puede estar sentada más de 2 minutos sin moverse, a la que le cuesta meditar y vaciar la mente, el mantener poses no resulta. Por eso fue que empecé a investigar más a cerca de Shiva Rea, de sus entrenamientos, de su estilo, de sus clases, de sus viajes, de su background... Y terminé en un Teacher Training en Venice, CA.

¡¡¡Qué Fantástico!!! Fue una experiencia increíble, aprendí MUCHO de muchas cosas, viví con gente de distintas culturas y países, reí con los profesores, crecí como persona y como instructora. Y ahora, recién llegada de un viaje intenso (días de 10-12 hrs, con varias prácticas en un día, con 1 hora al día para comer), estoy lista para comenzar esta nueva etapa. Para disfrutar el cambio, la revolución, la magia.

Going Green(er)

Since I was a little kid, I always felt very close to Mother Nature. I could say it was the way my parents raised me, but my sister was not like me, so that would be a lie. I guess it was in me, that's just who I am.

I've always been concerned about earth, water, air, pollution, animals, vegetation, human population in the world, natural disasters... you name it. I would even cry while watching western movies, because all the horses would die and fall and get injured, can you believe it??

So when I moved to Denver, one of the greenest cities in the country, I felt at home. Now I can recycle freely, I can reuse without people looking at me like I'm crazy (I can go too extreme sometimes, but I don't care). And, thanks to my good friend Keri, I can even compost now.

Have you ever tried it? It's fun!! Nothing goes to waste, you can compost fruits, veggies, leaves, flowers, grass, dog hair, egg shelves, paper towel, coffee grains, tea bags, etc. I love it!!! And since I buy almost only recyclable items, my trash has been reduced to almost nothing.

This year I was able to use my own compost on my garden. I'm growing several herbs (flat & curly parsley, chives, thyme, basil, rosemary, mint, oregano), different styles of peppers, zucchinis, eggplants, cucumbers, yellow squash, scallions, garlics, tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, celery. And they are all doing magnificent!!

And now, on top of all my day-to-day contributions, I bought a scooter. It uses almost nothing of gas, it takes me where I need to go and it's fun! OK, it's not as fast as my car, I can't listen to radio and I can't take the highway, but you know what? I can enjoy the time with myself, I can observe and practice patience.

Are you green? Have you thought about it? Do you have any tips to share with us?

Shambhala Mountain Center

Today, with my lovely husband Jim, we decided to go on a day trip to a new and non-familiar place. We chose this Buddhist temple located west of Fort Collins (city about 1 hour north of Denver). It took us about 2.5 hours to get there, since we took a dirt road when we could have taken a highway to make it faster.

Such a peaceful place!!! I felt the energy the second we started hiking up the Stupa. It was calm, quiet, inviting. So nature inspired, so respectful and welcoming. There were people around working in their daily activities, and they were so friendly, smiling at us, letting us know we were accepted and not judged.

We lucked out having a nice day. Sort of cloudy, but not rainy as forecasted. It was perfect.

We hiked all the way up and lost my breath when I saw this big structure, so white and clean, so magnificent around the rustic and humble environment. It was just amazing.

We sat at the bottom of the main path and just took it all in, enjoyed the serene scenery, the birds chirping, the wind reminding us that we were not alone, but that we were all one. I felt such an immense happiness.

Then we went inside. We were alone in there, enjoying the design, the details on the walls, the different shrines and their meanings, the big Buddha sculpture watching over us, the pillows on the floor to sit and meditate, the silence filling the room and our hearts. So many things to take in consideration, to accept, to admire, to live...

We were there for quite some time, meditating, learning how to be with ourselves, opening our hearts to the unexpected and to the unknown. So magical, so special.

The smile on our faces on the way back to "downtown", as they call it, was not conscious, it was our souls talking back to us. Then in the shop, I felt a connection with a Dalai Lama book, "Living Wisdom with His Holiness, The Dalai Lama", it talks about his teachings, guiding you through his learning process in life. So I had to buy it.

I leave you with one of the many phrases that I felt close to in my heart:

"If we really want to be happy, we should understand that when we get angry, we are creating the causes for more of our own suffering. But, if we cultivate patience, we are creating the causes for more long-lasting and uninterrupted happiness. That is what we are really striving for."