filed under inspiration

stopped at the library today & found nothing that i wanted except for that which i didnt know i wanted - an amazing book called The Inner Life of Asanas, excerpted articles from a yoga mag i'd never heard of. allow me to introduce you to ascent magazine and swami lalitananda:

she practices a style called the Hidden Language approach to Hatha Yoga. sitting around with a journal evaluating the non-physical aspects of various asanas doesnt sound entirely appealing to me but the points she brings up about the asanas are so insightful. so amazing. such ah-ha! nothing like a speeding train to the next level. sweet!

some of what i caught in just a few short pages of her book...

we write to chart our journey of learning. welcome to my blog! (and the best - most humbling - part for this author, is believing i have an epiphany, only to scroll back & find i had the same one a few years prior... oh.)

but here is where the author really became my hero. she's already achieved something i've dreamed of... she opened a non-profit yoga center (radha yoga) in the scary, seedy "downtown eastside" area of vancouver. (who knew canada had ghettos... ;) that now also includes a vegan restaurant. always been my personal belief/motivation that rough urban neighborhoods & their residents need studios much more than exurban communities (all the same really?)

visual inspiration:







































verbal inspiration:

"You learn to trust your body and establish a firm foundation in your own intelligence. You become straight, able to stand alone, and willing to take a stand for what you know. Learning to support yourself without depending on an outside authority brings a sense of balance and power... It can be quite a relief to know that there is a way back to centre & that you can find your way.
The process is like climbing a mountain. It takes time and effort and means facing the challenges. But as you climb you are rewarded with a wider perspective, greater vision and understanding. You can also see where you've come from and begin to acknowledge with gratitude the outstanding people who have helped you on your way, those who stand above the ordinary like mountains on the plains.
What is observed changes what is.
The Light is available to everyone.
We can become aware that our bodies are vehicles for the Light, a Light that reveals obstacles & also dissolves them.
A promise manifests."

see why i love this lady already?

with love & gratitude to all my teachers who saw the Light in me long before i experienced it in myself,
c.