Yoga and Religion

I was recently asked if I was a "Catholic Buddhist." It was funny to me, as I never even thought of such an idea. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools for a long time. I was even married in the Catholic Church. At some point, around my early 30's, I started to question my religion. Nothing new for most of us, right? So, I stopped attending Church and didn't focus much on religion being a part of my life. I did still pray every day, more out of habit, I think.

Then, I found yoga! At the beginning, I thought it was just a physical practice. It felt good to my body, it helped me to relax, and it helped me emotionally. I loved every bit of it. So, I decided to get certified to teach yoga, and never realized until I was in the training, how spiritual it was. Wow, it was a lot deeper than doing sun salutations and headstands.

To make a long story short, yoga became a ritual for me to practice being a better person physically, mentally, and emotionally. It actually brought me closer to god and made me more dedicated to god every day, not just once per week at Church. So, what do I do now, you may ask or wonder. I combine both my Catholic religion and my yoga practices for a completeness that I never thought imaginable.

My day begins with walking down the hall to my meditation room. I sit and give myself the sign of the cross. I then do a short Catholic prayer and sit to practice some pranayama-breath exercises. Then, I do mantra meditation in Sanskrit. I sit still anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on the day. Then, I practice some Yin Yoga or Vinyasa, or a little bit of both. Once I am done with my asana practice, I sit again, and chant OM, and give myself the sign of the cross, and say Amen. It is perfect for what fulfills me. I look forward to it every day, and I am thankful to god, every day, not just once per week at Church. I thank god for the food on our table, for my husband, my puppies, the family and friends that surround us, and everything that is a blessing. To me, that is the important part of religion or spirituality. It is being thankful and grateful. It is practicing contentment-Samtosad.

Paper or Plastic?

As a yoga instructor and a woman, I feel it is my duty to share this link with you. It is regarding the dangers of plastic.

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

Please start making the following changes and inspire others to do the same:
· Stop purchasing plastic bottled water
· Stop purchasing plastic bottled drinks
· Ask for paper bags instead of plastic at the grocery store
· Change your plastic Tupperware to glass pyrex or another brand

A few years ago, I met a man on an airplane that did all kinds of research around the world. He told me how BAD plastic was. It is so bad that it even works as a hormone/endocrine disruptor. He told me how there were children in other countries getting their periods at very early ages. It made me wonder why so many women these days are having trouble getting pregnant and miscarrying so often. At least a few times per month, I meet someone who has some type of issue with their reproductive organs or having trouble conceiving. Now, I know there might be some other things involved with these issues, but plastic doesn’t help the situation.

If you have a special woman or women in your life, do the right thing. Don’t add to this problem. We can all help somehow. Spread this message and make some changes for the betterment of our health.

Home Practice

Developing an asana practice at home was not an easy task. Somehow, I found sitting still and meditating a lot easier. I craved the stillness and silence. As a teacher, I still enjoyed attending yoga classes around town. Last year, I finally started to practice yin yoga at home and it has become my regular practice. Now, as the summer begins, I am craving more Vinyasa Yoga, so I have added that to my home practice as well.