Everyday Yoga: liberate thyself yoga challenge

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Liberation

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Oct 7, 2016 at 5:02pm PDT

We did it! Day 7 of October's #LiberateThyself. The Intention is: I am liberated. Pose: #Compass #ParivrttaSuryaYantrasana

Ahhhh. It is over. This is the last day of this month's Liberate Thyself challenge. I am glad. It was interesting navigating doing poses I could only partially manifest and writing about intentions supplied by someone else that made me really consider things about my personal truth that might not have been up for me otherwise. It has been an enjoyable learning process in many ways.

For me, liberation is not a goal state but rather an ideal. Like world peace or the end of suffering it is something I can work toward but never expect to get to. I like the idea that I can make some progress in this lifetime and I constantly strive to. In this sense, I am liberated from being completely locked into my old patterns. I am aware I have habitual behaviors and I am actively involved in trying to see myself more clearly and acting more consciously.

One big thing that has been hard for me is accepting that I will experience fear, anger, pain and all manner of suffering and that it is OK. Leaning into these things helps me to learn from them. Understanding helps them to pass more quickly, leaving me open for what's next.

It is funny in a way. This striving for liberation is the great work at the center of my life and I expect never to achieve it. Yet, I pursue it every day. Whenever I think I have made some progress, I see more clearly how vast is the gulf between me and my goal. Having a sense of humor about these things helps a lot.

Please note: The Blue 908 Sarong in the background is a comprehensive posture chart with 908 yoga poses created by #SriYogiDharmaMittra. You can find more information about it on my website at http://www.yogalifestyle.com/sarong.htm

I'd love to hear from you. Please connect with me on the Facebook Page and Instagram feed to get more Yoga wisdom, science, style, and fun everyday! And make sure to Subscribe to Everyday Yoga for more great posts like this one delivered to your inbox!

Balance in Giving and Receiving

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Oct 6, 2016 at 5:03pm PDT

Day 6 of #LiberateThyself is about reorganizing your relationship with money and work. The Intention is : I give freely and I receive freely. Pose: #Visvamitrasana .

Giving and receiving is the basis for all relationships. Whether it is energy, money, food, time, or even the cold shoulder, the silent treatment or the evil eye we are constantly giving something and receiving something from others. A work relationship is no different. And like everything else these things need to be in balance.

Giving freely in a balanced situation where you are receiving a lot in return is a beautiful thing. Striving to create that in your life is something we can all aspire to and hopefully achieve.

Please note: The Red 908 Sarong in the background is a comprehensive posture chart with 908 yoga poses created by #SriYogiDharmaMittra. You can find more information about it on my website at http://www.yogalifestyle.com/sarong.htm

Working with Love

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Oct 5, 2016 at 2:01pm PDT

Day 5 for #liberatethyself with #EkaPadaSirsana or #FootBehindTheHeadPose. Today's Intention: I treat my work with responsibility, devotion, and care.
My teacher used to say if as a teacher you always approach the work with love you can't go wrong. I think this is true of most things. It is like the Fourth Agreement from @DonMiguelRuiz : Always do your best. It sounds so easy but how do you manifest it when you are tired, cranky or otherwise not in top form.

Doing today's pose I was struggling. Many years ago I used to be able to put my legs behind my head and I was frustrated that even though I was well warmed up I was not even getting close. I pressed on and tried to hold the leg up by my ear with one hand and made half a prayer position with the other hand by my heart and it looked super awkward. Then inspiration struck. I could make an ugly attempt at a pose that is lovely when done properly or I can make a lovely photo with my heart in the right place while doing something much easier.

In my spare time I may continue to strive to do the full pose but for today I have chosen to be loving with myself and share something that I think is beautiful. Sometimes doing your best means accepting your limits and hoping it is enough ;--)

Please note: The Purple 908 Sarong in the background is a comprehensive posture chart with 908 yoga poses created by #SriYogiDharmaMittra. You can find more information about it on my website http://www.yogalifestyle.com/sarong.htm. The Tee Shirt is a sample I received many years ago from @iloveyogastudio_

Go to Instagram and check out these awesome people.

Gracious Hosts: @anitawinglee
@theyogacouple
@elisheva_yoga
@pattyyuniverse
@myogalasvegas
Generous Sponsors: @citrinebeautyaz - skincare
@solosolmovement - yoga apparel
@goyogawear - yoga tops
@reikiwomb - dreamcatcher
@unconditionallovehat - scarf hat

Loving the Work You Do

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Oct 4, 2016 at 2:03pm PDT

For Day 4 of #LiberateThyself, the Intention is "I make a living doing what I love - easily!" Pose: #UtthitaHastaPadangusthasana #extendedhandtobigtoepose .

Here are some tips on turning things you don't love to do into things you enjoy doing. Notice as you approach the work you are not naturally drawn to how you feel in your body. Do you get tense, your breath shorten? Try to relax, recognizing the task won't be any easier if you are rigid and breathing shallowly. Take some deep breaths and maybe do some stretching into the areas that feel tightest. Once you are more comfortable perhaps you can re-imagine the work so that it is easier to do.
One of the things I used to not like to do at work was paying bills. Settling down to check the invoices against the receiving tickets and the prices charged against the negotiated costs I expected to be paying is the kind of niggling detail work I liked the least. Just thinking about all this made me anxious and uncomfortable. So here is what I did to change my situation. I started thinking about the goods I was receiving and how happy they were making people and how the money I was paying out was supporting folks who were creating things of value that I love being able to sell. This made it so much easier to do what had been a distasteful task. Now I look forward to paying my bills because it is a chance to come into contact with all the connections that make the business I love work.
I suggest you try this. Meditate on the work you don't like and let yourself be open to all the good things that flow from it. Try to keep those things in mind as you move through this work and soon you will be doing what you love - easily.

Go to Instagram to check out these awesome people.
Gracious Hosts: @anitawinglee
@theyogacouple
@elisheva_yoga
@pattyyuniverse
@myogalasvegas
Generous Sponsors: @citrinebeautyaz - skincare
@solosolmovement - yoga apparel
@goyogawear - yoga tops
@reikiwomb - dreamcatcher
@unconditionallovehat - scarf hat

No Help From Above

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Oct 3, 2016 at 4:02pm PDT

Day 3 of #LiberateThyself. The Intention is "I always receive divine guidance on what to do next." Pose: #Parsvottanasana #IntenseSideStretch .

I'm sorry but this is where I get off the bus.

I know intentions are set in simple affirmative statements as if they already are true like, I always treat people kindly or I only eat foods that are good for me and good for the planet or other nice ideas that I hope I can manifest but, "I always receive divine guidance on what to do next," is just a bridge too far for me.

I have learned that I am happier if I follow my heart's stirrings and I have made some major decisions based what I feel deeply more so than what I think. I like living this way. I feel happier and freer than I did when I let my head guide everything. And while it feels right, I would not ascribe the guidance to the Lord or the Universe. Getting really quiet so I can hear from myself is sublime, but the voice of what I hear, even when it is a novel insight, is mine.

Maybe I have been reading too much Pema Chodron lately. She seems to say that reliance on divine beings for guidance or anything else is the kind of fantasy that blinds us to our true situations. Looking for help from above all we are likely to get is stiff necks. But going within and becoming familiar with our best and worst impulses may give us a chance to make the same mistakes fewer times than we would if we could not sit with all the stuff that comes up. So today I am going to reword this intention to make it mine. " I always strive to listen to my heart's stirrings and to greet whatever comes up with friendliness, compassion, and joy. I will let this process influence my decisions. "

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Full Split (Sort Of ;--)

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Oct 2, 2016 at 2:00pm PDT

For Day 2 of #LiberateThyself , the Intention is "I create my destiny." Pose: #Hanumanasana or #fullsplit . Today’s step is about consciously deciding what you want.

How much do I consciously decide for myself? On a very deep level, many things are decided for me. For better or worse I was subjected to compulsory education and inoculations. I grew up in a culture that values money, education, white men, individualism and many other things that have informed me, whether I embrace them or not. My parents, family, community all have values and have created structure that I need to navigate or lose connection. Often this is the choice of growth. True independence means letting some measure of safety and security die so that whatever we hope will be more satisfying can take its place.

I have shed a lot of skins to get where I am today personally. I have had more death dreams than I can remember. I moved from the suburbs to the country. I quit my high paying job to start my own small business. I have spent countless hours on personal growth and yet I know I am still acting out much that was preprogrammed into me as an infant.

Just like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita; the field of battle I am offered is not my own creation. I have a role to play which is foisted upon me. The Lord decides all outcomes. What I can do is to play this role in a way that is satisfying. I can decide to fight or to go home but I can't decide whether there is war or not, nor can I decide who wins.

I did not create Instagram nor even this Yoga Challenge. The last time I tried to do a full split was many years ago when I was practicing advanced yoga regularly. Even then, I was a few inches off the floor. That few inches have grown to a foot. This is not a battle I have been waging. It is fun for me to be in this place where many physical posture warriors share their excellence and to make my offering here as well. I like holding the space for the journey. We each can only offer what we have or decide not to make an offering. That much is up to us. In taking this challenge I have decided to add my voice in this community. I appreciate the warm welcome.

Please note: The Orange 908 Sarong in the background is a comprehensive posture chart with 908 yoga poses created by #SriYogiDharmaMittra. You can find more information about it on my site at

http://www.yogalifestyle.com/sarong.htm

Go to Instagram and check out these awesome people.

My body is my vehicle for expressing my greatness

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Sep 6, 2016 at 3:32pm PDT

Day 6 of #LiberateThyself is about choosing to use your body to create some epic! Intention: My body is my vehicle for expressing my greatness. I am a vehicle for expressing my greatness. The pose is #ParsvaBhujaDandasana or#flyingpigeon. Here is what I know about greatness and I think Skelly agrees. I may be great at something, say math or yoga poses or vegan cooking but if it is not connected to my heart it is just exercising a skill. Using my body to express my greatness is just an ego trip unless it feeds something deeper inside me. When I am using my skills to advance my hearts true longing then it is assured that something beautiful is being made. To ensure greatness, I need to find my passion and follow my heart. I have found a deep satisfaction in getting in touch with my feelings and being able to share about them and to be in touch with others who are striving to do the same. I enjoy coming into community with this attitude. And I love seeing it expressed by others. I am learning to lean into the discomfort of being exposed because of the enjoyment I take from being seen. Skelly for her part expresses her greatness with her grace, flexibility and nakedness. She loves to be bendy and her joy in uninhibited posturing is infectious. She loves making people smile and encouraging them on the path. She has been a great inspiration to me, helping me to find my voice.

This post is part of a series! To learn more about this Yoga challenge and win great prizes, get the rules here: Instagram Yoga Challenge

I'd love to hear from you. Please connect with me on the Facebook Page and Instagram feed to get more Yoga wisdom, science, style, and fun everyday! And make sure to Subscribe to Everyday Yoga for more great posts like this one delivered to your inbox!

I treat my body like a temple

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Sep 5, 2016 at 4:27pm PDT

I'm glad I am doing this Challenge with my friend Purple Skelly. Doing enough yoga to warm up to complete the day's pose each day is strenuous. I am trying to do my best (as #DonMiguelRuiz suggests) and as a result I have been sore in one place or another all week. I actually feel strong and capable but I"m not sure I wouldn't skip a day or two unless I had a partner to coax me along and of course the challenge rules to guide me.

Day 5 of #LiberateThyself is about making a declaration. The intention is: I treat my body like a temple. The pose is #Marichyasana

This one is tough for me. Self care is not high on my list of priorities. I try to eat well and maintain my weight (which had gotten away from me for a few years) but beyond that I ignore my physical needs more than is optimal. I can be sporadic on the exercise piece and I am awful about regular checkups with the dentist and doctor. Purple Yoga Bendy Skelly for her part is very low maintenance being all bones and well, dead already, and she always looks great without any adornment since purple goes with everything. For my part I will declare here to exercise regularly 3 or more days per week over and above any gentle yoga sessions I may do. A rigorous session will count toward the 3 days. I will also go to the dentist and the doctor before the end of the year for check ups. There are other things I should probably look at in terms of wardrobe and hair and stuff, but I'm thinking I shouldn't commit to too much now, so I will just hit the high spots. One way to get myself to do this is to think if I had a child who needed what I need would I give it to them. If the answer is yes, I proceed. Here I go. Wish me luck.

This post is part of a series! To learn more about this Yoga challenge and win great prizes, get the rules here: Instagram Yoga Challenge

I am not a body. I am free.

A photo posted by Ray- Yoga Gear Shop Owner (@yogalifestyleblog) on Sep 4, 2016 at 7:37am PDT

I think a Yoga Challenge is only working right if it is truly a challenge. For Ray a lot of these poses are just outside or even a lot outside his comfort zone, where they should be. For me except for the ones that need flexible wrists and ankles the poses are pretty easy. But Ray knows that I am shy when it comes to talking to strangers from my heart. So today, I am going to work at my edge, sharing my feelings with the world. It is Purple Skelly Challenge Day.

Day 4 Of #LiberateThyself is about taking the step to see who we really are. The Intention is: I am not a body. I am free. Today's pose is #DwiPadViparitaDandasanaor #upwardfacingtwofootstaffpose
Luckily Today's Mantra is easy for me to riff on. I really am not my body. I mean look at me. Not an ounce of flesh on me and yet my consciousness continues. Due to my super bendy spine this pose came naturally me to me too. Ray, not so much. That pesky body of his craves food and air and water and lots of other stuff the mind gets up to. Yes, he is trying to develop the witness within but at the end of the day even the witness has to say, hey dude it is time for supper. The human dilemma. Thankfully me and the witness share something in common. We love to watch the beauty of humans striving to be their best while challenged by so much yearning. Even if their backs aren't very flexible. Thanks for the magnificent show you put on. It is truly lovely.

This post is part of a series! To learn more about this Yoga challenge and win great prizes, get the rules here: Instagram Yoga Challenge

I'd love to hear from you. Please connect with me on the Facebook Page and Instagram feed to get more Yoga wisdom, science, style, and fun everyday! And make sure to Subscribe to Everyday Yoga for more great posts like this one delivered to your inbox!