Monthly Archives: March 2013

Early Stages of the Teacher Training

Posted on by
Reply

I’m approaching the half-way point of the training with this is a bright and enthusiastic group. Many send their homework assignments in on Sunday night just hours after we’ve met, and the others follow shortly early in the week. We’ve covered: the fundamental standing poses, many Yogaworks teaching methods,  the history of yoga,  Pantanjalis’ Sutras 1.1-1.41,  and just this past Sunday, an introduction to inversions. Nevertheles, some express frustration with the new topics they are exposed to; anatomy, philosophy, Sanskrit.  I continually encourage them to be patient with what they are learning–abhyasa and vairagaya (“patience and perseverance,” Sutra 1.12 )

I have my own challenges as a teacher; its difficult to keep the energy throughout the day while teaching, demonstrating and maintaining a constant dialogue between the translator, students, and myself. In fact, there is constant chatter all day long. To end the day long session, I often have us sit in silence and I say, “let all of this new information settle,” reinforcing the concept of, sutra 1.2 “yogas citta vritti nirohda” (yoga is the calming of the fluctuations of the mind). Many are now saying how much that sutra resonates with them in personal situations throughout their week.

No matter how exhausted I may be at the end of a training weekend, I feel blessed and can’t believe I’m here in Tokyo teaching yoga.

Getting to Know Kichijoji

Posted on by
Reply

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Traveling around Tokyo to teach is pushing my boundaries in new ways this time,  forcing me to take trains further distances and explore different neighborhoods.  On my  first day of teaching in Kichijoji, Yuri met at the Gotanda station to show me the train route.  After class, I told Yuri that I wanted to stroll around the neighborhood and could get home by myself. She asked “are you sure?”  I said absolutely, “I remember how to get back.” I ended up getting terribly lost on the subway and it took me over an hour to reach my final destination! I slightly panicked because no one spoke English and I didn’t quite know how to get back to where I needed to go.  The subway map wasn’t quite making sense. I finally got some assistiance and found out later that I somehow got on the Chou “Blue Line” instead of the Chou “Yellow” Line. Furthermore, I should have changed trains at Shinjuku for the Yamanote Line (green)!  You really have to stay focused!

I teach two classes a week in Kichijoji and I absolutely love this location, its has a great balance of the old and new, affordable goods, and is bustling with creative energy. It’s also more manageable than, lets say,  Shibuya–even with the multitude of shops, cafes, restaurants, and stores–you get a sense of being in a close-knit neighborhood. Plus there is the beautiful Inokashira Park, which features a lake surrounded by hundreds of cherry blossom trees. I was able to get a first glimpse of the budding cherry blossoms earlier this week which will be in full bloom in the days to come.

Each Tuesday after class, I spend the afternoon wandering around, trying the local cuisine and taking pictures.  I’ve explored Nakimichi Street, Sun Road, and the surrounding areas.  Each turn down an alley or road reveals a new discovery. I literally walk until I’m completly exhausted before heading back to Gotanda. There may be more on Kichijoji before I leave Tokyo!

The Tokyo Diary 2013: A New Chapter

Posted on by
4

IMG_1590_1I’m back in Tokyo for another teacher training.  Just one year ago, which seems like yesterday, I was here to lead my first teacher training for Yogaworks at  one of their affiliate studios, YogaPlus.  It’s my only my second time leading a training and I have thirty-two students enrolled!!  I’m very fortunate to have Yuri Nakamura and Kosai Kato as my translators for the program.  They translated for my classes last year and have grown and evolved in their teaching over these past months.

Yuri at Gotanda

Yuri Nakamura

portrait of Kosai

Kosai Kato

In addition, I will be teaching five yoga classes a week at various YogaPlus studios throughout the Tokyo metropolitan area—Kichijoji, Sangenjaya, Yokohoma, Gotanda and Shinjuku.   I arrived here on February 28 and have already begun working;  completing a full week of classes and two weekends of the teacher training.  I’m staying in Gotanda again in a new place near the train station, so at least I’m in familiar surroundings.

I made so many new friends last year and feel welcomed back as if I were family. I’ve been  enjoying emotional reunions with former students and teachers I met last year.  Although I’ve only been here for one hectic week, I feel grateful to have been invited back and am once again appreciating  all of the incredible sights, food and culture that Japan has to offer. No doubt, there will be many challenges and adventures in the weeks ahead and this experience will undoubtedly inspire new stories to tell.860115_456633811075180_1930156531_o

529729_174474536034061_1164041992_n541532_340382586082412_1709380338_n

A Visit with Vishnu, Bhudda and Shiva @ LACMA

Posted on by
Reply

Class with Vishnu

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has a modest but impressive permanent collection of Southeast Asian Art featuring an assortment of statues, paintings and objects.  I organized a trip to visit the galleries with my students on February 8, a week after our hike in Solstice Canyon.

An Indian Prince

Two YoginiA young dancerA princess

Andrea Wagner, a docent at the Museum, who is also a yoga teacher, agreed to lead the tour.  She gave us a special lecture on the objects and the stories associated with the many incarnations of Vishnu, Bhudda, Shiva and other gods in the Hindu pantheon. In addition, we gained valuable insight on the dancing bhodisattvas, lacquered chests, paintings, and golden reliquary figures on display in mysteriously darkened earth toned rooms.

Andrea Wagner Lecturing

I arranged the outing because I felt it was important for my students to have a contextual experience with the many objects associated with yoga. We are typically exposed to the physical aspects of yoga and perhaps some Indian music in class or through kirtans.  Yet, we rarely have the opportunity to delve deeper into the meaning of the images and objects unique to yoga that we often take for granted.  We have seen many statues of a graceful dancing Shiva (Nataraj) or a plump Ganesh in a yoga studio, but do we really know what these objects signify?

photo-85

For example, Nataraja, “Lord of Dance” is an incarnation of Shiva–the circular frame of fire surrounding the Lord, represents him as the source of all movement within the universe.  Some other iconographic pictorial elements would include the following: the snake around his waist is Kundalini, the Shakti or divine force thought to reside within everything.  In his right hand is a small drum (damaru) exemplifying the sound, which is the origin of creation or the beat of the drum that is the passage of time. The upper left hand contains Agni (fire), which personifies destruction. These opposing concepts in Nataraja’s upper hands show the balance of creation and destruction of the fire of life. There are many other emblematic details associated with this figure alone. After taking a closer look at the other statues in the galleries, we can be reminded of that a stance, the position of an arm, a hand gesture (mudra) or even the rendering of the shells on Buddha’s head—are all so rich with allegorical relevance.

photo-86

One of my ongoing projects has been to reinforce a deeper understanding of the cultural history of yoga. My students said they really appreciated the trip and said we all agreed that we would like to do this again.

photo-87

After the tour, a few of us enjoyed a tasty meal of vegetarian food at a nearby Ethiopian restaurant, Meals by Genet, a nice finale for our artistically stimulating evening.

photo-88