Get Your Global Mala On!

For more information about the Global Mala tradition around the world, each September, and to find a celebration near you, visit the Global Mala Project's website.  To sign up for the Boston event at Gillette Stadium, where I'll be teaching, please visit the Yoga Reaches Out website.

The clip below, featuring my friend and one of the event organizers Bonnie Argo, offers more details regarding the festivities in Boston, including a workshop with Ana Forrest.  Bonnie's accent is way cooler than mine, too.  Enjoy!



Peace,
Rebecca

Prima Laugha-rina

When I was young, I did ballet, and like many young girls (and some boys), I loved it.  I had high hopes of living in New York City one day and dancing professionally, no doubt mentored by Barishnykov or the elegant, eclectic troupe at Alvin Ailey.  I would wear tattered jeans over my tights and live in a studio apartment (which, at the time, conjured up visions of an urban dwelling that resembled a spacious dance studio with an open layout and hardwood floors . . . oh, the irony).

In truth, a studio apartment is a shoebox; I could never live in NYC (the Yankees play there), and I'm built more like a beach volleyball player than a ballerina (without an ounce of volleyball related skill), not to mention my second toe is abnormally long and, therefore, a nuisance in pointe shoes.  I digress . . .  I loved ballet, and soon after I stopped dancing regularly in high school, I started doing yoga.  At that stage, my flexibility came in handy, and I naturally gravitated toward yoga's gracefulness and precision.  And, I haven't danced since.

While I've toyed with the idea of an adult ballet class here in Boston (heck, I live a few pirouettes away from Boston Ballet), I never make it past the mental check list of "where does one buy ballet shoes?" and "how ridiculous will I look in a leotard?"  

Fortunately, I was able to bypass the check list and experience a glimmer of my ballet days last night at the gym.  Yup, the gym.  Perhaps you've noticed that ballet-inspired workouts are leaping into popularity right now.  Some are fused with weights such as Equinox's Barre Burn or yoga and pilates (a la Barre3- Madonna is a fan), and all aim to let you plie your way to long muscles and a tutu-worthy tush.

I had a blast.  I looked ridiculous.  I can't wait to do it again.  

Quote: Henry David Thoreau

"Only that day dawns to which we are awake."

-Henry David Thoreau, Walden 

Photo: Yogis arriving on Boston Common the morning of Global Mala Boston, September 2009. 

The Evolution of Yoga Events

When I was in college, I would often wake up at the ungodly hour of 8:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings (the college equivalent of roughly 5:00 a.m. for the rest of society) to attend an ashtanga yoga class in a church basement off campus.  It was an incredibly challenging 2-hour class, and I was younger than the other yogis by a decade or more.  I still recall how peaceful, reverent, and special these classes felt, and this Saturday morning ritual became my first idea of a yoga "event."  I would look forward to class all week, and, for me, it took on the air of a special occasion.  

My peers, of course, thought I was a weirdo, and I can scarcely blame them.  I would slip out my apartment's front door, past the beer pong table, while my three roommates slept.  One sunny Virginia morning, I trotted toward my car, yoga mat in tow, surprised to see that my neighbors were awake, along with their entire fraternity on the front lawn.  Just a few hours earlier we'd heard them "sledding" down their carpeted stairs on cookie sheets, so I suspect they probably hadn't gone to bed yet.  This might come as a shock, but they weren't going to yoga.  They were getting an early start on tailgating for the football game that day.  Now, that's an event, especially in the South.

I winced when one of them asked me where I was going.

"Yoga," I offered sheepishly (a hint of a question in my voice).

To which there wasn't so much of a response as a confused and drunken expression (without being drunken, the expression would doubtless remain confused: what the heck is yoga? said the expression), followed by the generous offer of a huge red plastic cup filled with jungle juice.  I politely declined, waved good bye, and drove away.    

This was ten years ago, and, oh my, how yoga and the criteria for its events have changed.  From stealing away for my makeshift Saturday morning yoga parties in 2000 to joining 10,000+ other yogis for a class in Central Park this June, to flying to Colorado for the newest yoga and music festival in July, big yoga and wellness events with broad appeal are now the norm.  

This month, there are several events on my radar: 

Yoga Reaches Out/Global Mala: The largest yoga event in New England to date, this daylong yoga benefit for Children's Hospital Boston and Yoga for Single Moms will be held at Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots.  This event coincides with Global Mala, an annual yoga event, wherein yogis around the world gather in their respective cities to practice yoga and support local and national charitable organizations (is your city participating?).  I'll be teaching at Boston's Global Mala at Gillette, along with featured om gal pals such as Chanel Luck, Bonnie Argo, and Amy Leydon.  The day's headliner will be Ana Forest, creator of Forest Yoga, who is sure to bring her A-game.

Reach the Beach: It's not a yoga event but a 200-mile adventure relay in New Hampshire.  I ran it a few years ago with an inspiring team of gals (that's us at the finish line, below), and this year I'm honored to help teams feel more zen before their 24-hours of running (at times with a head lamp to light the way), riding in a van (praying that the elected teammate-driver knows the way), and not sleeping (which makes the way a little delirious).  The sheer fact that this hardcore endurance race, in its 11th year, is offering a yoga session the night before race day shows you how far yoga events and experiences have come in the last decade.  I can't wait to help these "om athletes" gear up for the adventure!

Natural Living Expo: The focus of this annual event in Western MA is more holistic than strictly yoga, but you can bet your Birkenstocks there will be plenty of yoga types in attendance.  Myself included.

Beauty, Fashion, & Wellness Event in conjunction with Boston Fashion Week: I'm looking forward to seeing the photo exhibit associated with this event (I'm featured along with other talented yoga teachers and friends) by photographer Arturo Martinez.  The posh party benefits the Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies at Dana-Farber, which provides new approaches to cancer care such as meditation, acupuncture, and more.  

Which yoga events do you plan to attend this fall, and in your opinion, what makes a great yoga event?  The size?  The venue?  The teacher(s)?  The jungle juice?  The kombucha samples?  Share the inside scoop here by posting a comment.  

Quote: Vimala Thakar

"When the state of observation is sustained, it changes the quality of your biological structure.  The nerves are steady, the chemical system has an equilibrium, and there is relaxation, equipoise.  You live in the clarity of knowing who you are."

-Vimala Thakar, The Eloquence of Living

Photo by Jonathan Pozniak, for lululemon. 

Back to School, Yogis!

My pal and marathon training partner Cara (right) and I love to read.  Here we are with some of our favorite books.  Post your most inspirational reads below!

Few months of the year hold the same anticipation and excitement as September, largely because of its association with going back to school.  Right now, pencils are being sharpened, new clothes selected, notebooks organized, and class schedules reviewed.  College roommates are getting acquainted, study partners scouted, and attendance policies surveyed.

Even those of us who aren't hitting the books often wish we were.  As an admitted nerd and one-time English teacher, I can't help feeling a tad envious when Boston crawls with co-eds, again.  I get wistful at the sight of a bookstore window freshly arranged to display curriculum classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn."  And don't think for a moment that I'm not jumping on the knee sock fashion trend this fall.  Who says you have to enroll somewhere to dress schoolyard chic?

Likewise, who says you have to enroll somewhere to be a student?  We're all students in some capacity, right?  Some of us are students of yoga.  Others study favorite sports or hobbies or strangers in coffee shops.  Many of us, at any given time are learning a new chapter of life, such as a relationship, business venture, marriage, or parenting.  As we age, too, studies show that minds that continue to learn new skills later in life stay more agile, longer.  For yogis, svadhyaya (study) is a key principle of the practice, cited as one of the niyamas within the 8-limbed yoga path of the Yoga Sutras.

All of this school year nostalgia got me thinking about my favorite books for spiritual education-- literary companions that have bailed me out, lifted me up, or awakened me to some new insight or duh-how-could-I-forget-that! wisdom.  Here are a few of them organized to correspond with a school curriculum.  In other words, depending on which subjects you liked best in school, you might enjoy the corresponding book that pertains to yoga, wellness, or spirituality.  Happy reading!

The OmGal.com Syllabus: Fall 2010 Semester*

Anatomy: 

• Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff: If you enjoy sitting your gluteus maximus down and analyzing the architecture of the body in colorful illustrations of muscles and bones, you'll love this yoga-oriented anatomy book.  It's a helpful text for teachers.  

Art: 

• Creative Visualization, Shakti Gawain: Truthfully, this book is an excellent resource for anyone willing to tap into their imagination to "create what you want in your life;" however, creative types might find it particularly inspiring.  I did.     

Botany: 

• New and Selected Poems: Volume One, Mary Oliver: With the exception of "The Buddha's Last Instruction," this book isn't outwardly about spirituality, but it is, nonetheless, a marvel for the soul, especially one that loves nature.  

Classics: 
The following books are among the most referenced and revisited in my yoga library.

• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, various translations
• Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health, B.K.S. Iyengar
• Living Your Yoga, Judith Lasater

Home Ec.:

• Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore: This "guide for cultivating depth and sacredness in everyday life" encouraged me to think more carefully about how I arrange my home, work, and relationships to evoke happiness rather than happenstance.  

Phys. Ed.

• Mastering Your Metabolism, Jillian Michaels: Confession?  I just dig Jillian and her no-nonsense, tough-love, tackle-life-with-abandon approach, so she made the list.  The book is good, too, and will seriously cause you to reconsider the chemicals and habits that hinder your overall wellness, not just your weight.  

Physics:

• Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav: Zukav is said to have a "scientist's eye and philosopher's heart."  If you can relate to either, you'll enjoy this book.  It's one of my most heavily underlined and highlighted (a true sign I want to remember its contents).    

Political Science: 

• Bhagavad Gita, various translations: This ancient text about a warrior prince headed into battle provides a literary scavenger hunt.  Each time one reads it, there are new insights to uncover.  It inspired the likes of some of my favorite American writers of the transcendentalist era, including Henry David Thoreau.  New Age quips and contemporary sound bytes seem to pale in comparison to this essential resource from the first century.  How's this for a timeless tidbit: "Your own duty done imperfectly is better than another man's done well."  Gets me every time . . .

Pre-Law: 

• Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra: These laws set people free rather than imprison them.  Reading this book might enhance your life for a maximum sentence.   

Pre-Med: 

• The Eloquence of Living, Vimala Thakar: If you're pre-med, you don't have time to read.  Ergo, I prescribe a little 109-page dose of peace.  You can pick up and put down this tiny treasure at your own pace, and each vignette stands alone, as a poem.  No elaborate plots or heady dissertations--just a sweet, small book filled with "freshness, fearlessness, and compassion."  

Psychology:

• The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck: I'm pretty sure this book shepherded me through a sh*t break-up years ago, and judging from its status as a bestseller for more than two decades, I guess I'm not alone.  You'll love it.  Promise.      

Sociology:

• Return to Love, Marianne Williamson: Speaking of love, this book is a bit like having tea with a sage aunt who knows all the answers to life's big questions.  It's a very healing and heartfelt read, which contains an incredible passage often misattributed to Nelson Mandela.    

Theology:

• When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chodron: I cannot say enough about this book by Buddhist nun Pema Chodron for its ability to provide people with peace during difficult times.  You will treasure it.  

*All books available on Amazon.com.  

Om Gal Seeks New Intern

It's September 1st, which means my sweet city of Boston has been invaded by U-Hauls and SUVs brimming with futons and mini fridges.  New and old residents alike, particularly of the collegiate variety, know it as Moving Day.  It's a festive and frustrating harbinger of fall that welcomes scores of incoming students to Boston's many college campuses (including Boston College, Boston University, Emerson, Harvard, M.I.T., Northeastern, and more) and causes lots of traffic jams.  It's also a massive moving date for the recently graduated set (someone needs to vacate the plum apartments for all those late-night "study groups," right?).  Among those flying the college coop is Erin the Intern (sniff, sniff) [insert hysterical sob], bound for the "real world" or, in this case, NYC.

Perhaps you've followed the adventures of Erin this summer.  She contributed ideas and insight to many posts on OmGal.com, including popular pieces on fashionable fitness apparel and cheap, health food options, attended and assisted some of my workshops, and even provided me with an earnest explanation of the buzz surrounding Twilight so that I wouldn't be a pop culture outcast.  Now, she's gone, and I'm forlorn . . . and likely back to being a pop culture outcast.

If you're interested in being the next Om Gal Intern, send me an email at rebecca@omgal.com.  It's a fun, creative gig that doesn't involve any coffee runs (I don't drink coffee).  Yoga OR media experience required.  Video and podcasting skills might elevate you from intern to superhero.  Details regarding time commitment and upcoming projects available via email.

Happy trails, Erin!  OmGal.com will miss you.

A Poem for a Summer Sunday

The Sun

Have you ever seen

anything

in your life

more wonderful

than the way the sun,

every evening,

relaxed and easy,

floats towards the horizon

[A photo I snapped of my friend, Caroline, taking in a Boston sunset]. 

and into the clouds or the hills,

or the rumpled sea,

and is gone--

and how it slides again

out of the blackness,

every morning,

on the other side of the world,

like a red flower

streaming upward on its heavenly oils,

say, on a morning in early summer,

at its perfect imperial distance--

and have you ever felt for anything

such wild love--

do you think there is anywhere, in any language,

a word billowing enough

for the pleasure

that fills you,

as the sun

reaches out,

as it warms you

as you stand there,

empty-handed--

or have you too

turned from this world--

or have you too

gone crazy

for power,

for things?  

-Mary Oliver, New & Selected Poems: Volume One 

Hey, Baby, What's Your Mantra?

A mantra is a thought or intention expressed as a sound.  These sounds include syllables, words, or phrases, which may or may not have their own translatable meanings.  "OM" is the most popular mantra.

A mantra can be said aloud, repeated silently to oneself (as in meditation), sung with devotion (as in kirtan and bhakti yoga), or visualized in written form.  Many Sanskrit mantras, such as Om Mani Padme Hum, a central mantra in Tibetan Buddhism, are often captured in art, beautifully written or carved on stones and sculptures, or incorporated into clothing, jewelry, and talismans.

A yoga student and Buddhist friend of mine generously brought this stone back from Nepal last year; it features Om Mani Padme Hum (a mantra without direct, translatable meaning but believed to encourage enlightened awareness) on one side and the eyes of the Buddha on the other.  It resides on the bookshelf above my desk, where I write.

Mantras anchor the mind during meditation, soothe or energize the body in times of physical challenge, and connect the soul more deeply to God or spirit.

And yogis aren't the only ones to incorporate mantras into their lives.  Athletes, for instance, often use mantras or affirmations to improve performance, which is nicer than steroids, don't you think? World-class distance runner Kara Goucher chooses a new word while training for each race.  Words like "confidence" and "fighter" helped Goucher maintain focus in grueling races at the 10,000 meters and marathon distances last year, according to an article in the March 2010 issue of Runner's World.  

I'm not running any marathons this week, but I've chanted Om Namah Shivaya and repeated Catholic prayers under my breath, over and over, on multiple occasions.  It isn't intentional, which is the interesting part, and I realize, now, how much the brain craves the structure and repetition provided by mantras, especially in difficult times, such as the loss of a loved one.  For me, it's been one small, silent outlet for staying calm and remaining present.

Do you use mantras, as a meditation tool, coping skill, or sports performance enhancer?  What are your favorites?    

Om Gal's Take on Eat, Pray, Love: What's Yours?

Eat.  Pray.  Love . . . Three individually simple and unanimously positive words that, when combined, as in the title of the book by Elizabeth Gilbert and newly released film starring Julia Roberts, conjure up mixed feelings within the yoga community.  It’s hard to pinpoint the precise root of these feelings, especially when the book was, by most accounts, well-written and well-received.  I suspect our reservations stem from the ongoing dialogue about how yoga’s mushrooming popularity and commercialization makes us feel—a discussion we have on this site often.  

“I’m curious because it’s Julia Roberts,” says a friend several weeks before the movie debuts.  “If it were, say, Jennifer Aniston, I would NOT see Eat, Pray, Love.  And I like Jennifer Aniston, but I would already know what kind of movie I was getting, and—no, thank you.”  

With this statement, my friend (who happens to be from India, where a portion of the book and film take place) summarizes the precarious task of taking a heartfelt and hilarious spiritual memoir and turning it into Sex and the City for the yoga set.  The girls-night premier parties, product tie-ins (Fresh cosmetics released a line of fragrances in conjunction with the movie; they include—wait for it—Eat, Pray, and Love), and oodles of coverage in the media all suggested that the film adaptation might be nothing more than a spiritually bereft and trite “chick flick.” 

Thankfully, it wasn’t Jennifer Aniston, a lovely and infinitely likable comedic actress but one lacking the depth of Julia Roberts, and it wasn’t Sex and the City for the yoga set.  It just wasn’t that great of a movie.

It was entertaining, and I enjoyed it, but it didn’t rock my om gal world.  I liked it most after the first 1/3 of the film, which was slow and clumsy.  I recall Elizabeth Gilbert’s heartbreak in the beginning of the book as being more potent, with the subsequent pilgrimage to Italy, India, and Bali legitimized by the level of that heartbreak and her determination to heal.  Moreover, Gilbert’s craft (writing) was more prevalent in the book, and it was evident she intended to write about her travels from the start.  Without this underlying objective, the movie bordered on self-indulgent at times.  How many newly divorced people can afford to heal their broken hearts by vacating all responsibilities for a year and taking a soul-searching sabbatical around the globe?  When a laptop finally made an appearance more than an hour into the film, I breathed a sigh of relief.  Then again, I’m a writer, so it’s possible this didn’t bother anyone else . . .

The absence of yoga, in asana form, bothered some.  Alas, not me.  I rejoiced in seeing nary a poorly aligned yoga pose or Hollywood orchestrated yoga class in the film.  Even if executed well, a yoga practice in Eat, Pray, Love might be too obvious or, worse, kitschy.  And it doesn’t hurt to show a Western audience that there’s more to spirituality in India (and yoga as a whole) than the tricky yoga poses featured in chick flicks such as: The Next Best Thing (Madonna), What Women Want, Spanglish (Tea Leoni), Failure to Launch . . . Do I need to keep going?

For some, the film not only didn’t rock their worlds; it pissed them off thoroughly.  Ask our pal David Romanelli about the response he got from heterosexual male friends when he suggested they see the film together and get some “fro-yo” afterward.  Peruse some of the critiques, comments, and blogs online, and you’ll find that people describe Eat, Pray, Love as everything from "fickle," to "insufferable," to "racist."     

I disagree with the harshness of these reviews; I liked the movie and found it charming, albeit a tad bland and unfulfilling (not the food, though; the food in Italy looked exquisite).  I walked away feeling entertained, which is I think the point of going to the movies, no?  It’s a visually alluring story of heartbreak, friendship, forgiveness, and love, peppered with some male eye candy (hello, James Franco) and infused with a few spiritual nuggets (though not as compelling or complex as the book).  

Wait a second . . . maybe it is a chick flick?  Maybe I’m OK with that.