red dot little duck

While at Purple Valley Yoga Center in Goa David and I would practice before the start of class. One of those mornings I noticed a little frog sitting atop an image of Shri K. Pattabhi Jois hanging on the wall just above a simple alter housing a statue of Ganesha.

At first I didn’t know it was a frog. In fact I was a little leery of getting close enough to find out what it was, but as it turns out…

From down dog I spotted him, hopping through the curtains of mosquito netting at the entrance to the shala. His soft landing would have gone unnoticed had I not been in that position, at that moment. It seemed he was hoping to quietly slip by as he paused and waited for his next move. Timed and calculated. He made his way to the front of the room as we continued through our practices and I would catch glimpses of his slow progression between us. Sometimes he’d be waiting in stillness. Sometimes in mid flight – a dynamic launch through the cool morning shala air.

“Crouch and spring!“ ~ D.G.

He paused in front of the altar, perhaps waiting to catch his breath, perhaps waiting for the right moment, then hopped up into it just to the left and in front of Ganesha. There he sat for some time. Through my several attempts at a seemingly impossible asana, he remained perched under the hanging marigolds as if paying his respects or reciting his morning prayers to the remover and placer of obstacles. The birds continued to sing while the slowly growing glow of the morning sun started to play it’s light into the room. All of us taking our own practice, in our own way.

In one quick leap he made his move into the darkness at the back of the Altar. Moments later I witnessed his emergence with splayed legs, scaling the wall towards the picture frame holding Guruji’s image. Pausing, still midway through his climb, waiting, observing. Eventually making his way to rest on top of the image where he could easily survey his surroundings.

I thought to myself, “Is this a form of Guruji? Is he watching us?!”

As I came to the closing postures, accompanied by the sound of David’s rhythmic pranayama, our little friend slipped behind the picture to take rest for the remainder of the day. Nestled into his home, between the cool concrete wall and an image of the man who shared Ashtanga with the world.

My time in Goa and at Purple Valley came to a close quite rapidly. I am not only blessed to have met all of those who were there to participate and to have gotten to know the kindness of the staff but honored to have been there with my teacher David Garrigues.

Here are a few final photos from my time in Goa – enjoy!
Love and light.

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… finished my last minute online banking, suspended service with Verizon communication, downed half a bag of trail mix and am left to count my blessings. And there are many. It was great to see everyone the last couple of weeks. Sending many thank you’s to those who made the time to visit and laugh and share with me and for giving your continued enthusiasm, love and support. 

Happy New Year to YOU!

xoxo – Jo

It’s been slightly more than a year since I stepped off a 747 in Bangalore, India. Full of anticipation, excitement… faith. Believing things have a way of working themselves out; that blessings would come and healing could happen. It did. And, it was only the beginning.

Upon my return to the states and a three-day drive across the country I joined up with my teacher David Garrigues here in cozy Philadelphia, PA and became a real yoga bum. (Well kind of. Pretty sure I put in a fair amount of effort…) There have been many difficulties and hurtles to tackle or jump over or through or kick down or whatever. My faith jar has been depleted and refilled, depleted and refilled (nine months on the east coast can do that to a girl… this girl). Discovering myself as an individual, a seeker, a student, a teacher. Continually I am blown away by the reality of what I am doing here. What I have done here. That I decided this was necessary in my life and that I chose to do something about making it happen. Continually blown away by the incredible amount of support and faith that has been shown to me and towards that effort. It’s unbelievable!! SO MUCH LOVE and GRATITUDE to all of my peeps, pals, fellow yogi’s, chai lovers and guardians. You make me want to sing super loud!

Now, the time has come again for sorting and packing and moving. Uprooting some of the roots I have put down over the last several months and preparing to stick them in a basement to await my return. Surrounded by boxes, dirty laundry and dried up tea bags, I sit in disbelief. I’m going back to India. And, it’s still only the beginning.

“My guru gave me only one advice —
from outside transfer the attention within.
That became Lalla’s initiation —
that is why I began to wander naked.”
Lalla – verse 50

Forgetful one, get up!
It’s dawn, time to start searching.

Open your wings and lift.
Give like the blacksmith
even breath to the bellows.

Tend the fire that changes
the shape of metal.

Alchemical work begins at dawn,
as you walk out to meet the Friend.

~ Passage from, “Mystical Verses of Lalla” ~

Romanticized ideas flow past these vision windows.
Onwards, upwards towards a stagnant imagination.

One touch does nothing to stave off cravings for the fuller view.
To see past immediate departures into this life’s full flight.

Sit past my doorway oh, obstacle of ignorance – intolerance.
Of nothingness knowing. Of heartless ponder unto veiled words.

Sit past my doorway and leave this stoop for pondering the innate nature of things. The true potential and strength of this natural being.
This gift of existence.

The more I have gotten to know my practice, to study it and develop it, the more I have found its subtle aspects to be… not so subtle. Some of which ride the line of what David calls “artful dodging”.

One aspect highlights the pieces sitting just below the surface. Things I believe I have the ability to accomplish but currently exist as a portion of what they could be. A shimmer of what’s possible. Things like jumping back/through/into positions. Not getting the umph, the strike, the animalistic (insert sound effects here) action required to fully realize the power of certain transitions and their rhythm in this beautiful thing called Ashtanga Yoga.

It’s woven throughout my entire practice, like a bad thread in a carefully crafted fabric. It tends to bring me down some, leaves me questioning my ability. My ability to progress in the asanas, to progress in life, to change and fully develop into the being I believe I am meant to be. Want to be. Is it the ever so talked about aspect of fear? Or is it laziness? Doubt? Resistance? I’m capable… pretty sure it’s in there somewhere. But how to tap into it? And not get all focused on and bummed out about it?

This idea of the “bad thread” reminds me of a story I was told some time back. I don’t remember the entire thing but it goes a little like this… a Buddhist monk was building a house out of mud bricks. So much care and love went into the building of this house. His heart was completely in it, first making the bricks and then carefully placing each one. One by one. After finishing he saw a flaw. One brick was slightly off. Slightly discolored and out of sorts. He was so upset he grew deep distaste for the house. All he could see was that one brick. A fellow monk soon came to see the house, completely impressed. “What a beautiful house!” he says. His friend says in response, “It could be much better. You see?” and he points to the off kilter brick while voicing his distaste for the house. The visiting monk says, “You built this beautiful house and all you can see is that one brick? How sad you can’t see the beauty of your own creation.”

The brick wasn’t the whole picture it was just one piece. Much like the bad thread is only one strand inside the entirety of a carefully crafted fabric.

So I look to the other aspect, the one of power, dynamism and grace, which I have also come to see. The amount of care and love I have put into my practice, into cultivating the space to hold it and share it and become… ME, is so beautiful! So filled with life and light. The level of understanding and faith in what I am capable of is deepening so much it’s become both frightening and beautiful. Frightening in the sense that it is so hard to change and take the steps necessary to fulfill that change. Seeing what is possible and doing it is not always easy or comfortable but it’s real, and it’s really happening.

Today I had the opportunity to take a long practice. Purposefully. Sleep in, start a little late – take my time – even allowed for the ultra long closeout and a sneak attack Savasana nap. Four hours later…

For the most part it was super enjoyable. Time to settle into a rhythm, explore my breath and posture, but of course, not entirely seamless.

There are times I really have to talk myself through my practice. Could have stepped on my mat with loads of energy and good intentions and somewhere along the way it goes down hill. Fast. Physical discomfort? Planning for the weekend? Random thoughts? All these thought patterns create obstacles to practice, make me forget which side of the posture I’m on or worst-case scenario sets me up for a negligent fall into injury.

Redirect my focus and look for inspiration.

Luckily, I’ve been blessed with a teacher who continually inspires me. Inspires me to keep moving, to breathe, find my foundational orientation and bring my body into alignment. To look deeper; continue the search into both the shadows and the brilliance of my inner Self and to see that both the terrible and beautiful pieces are simply information I can use to propel forward.

So what to do when my teacher isn’t there? Or no one is there? On those super difficult days when the snooze button gets a workout. How to keep the inspiration going and stay motivated enough to take practice.

Find the words of my teacher and bring them into my own voice.

Recap the nuggets of knowledge that are constantly being threaded into my time in the Mysore room, time in my studies. Getting to know my breath is one way. Finding the count within the series is another way. Following the knowledge and sensation of rhythm within the depths of movement will bring that focus and create the inspiration required to come to my mat. Everyday, with or without my teacher being physically present, I have his words and teachings to look to. I have his teachings inside me and every time I step on my mat is an opportunity to develop those teachings into tools of exploration.

That’s my motivation… exploration into the vast expanse of self-knowledge and ability to nourish my inner-self through practice. A personal exploration into the depths of my own personal practice.

“… where else have you heard a sound like this? …”
~Kabir

Fall spills through the open window with a smooth edged coolness. Its sweet kiss brushes across memories of spicy tea by the wood burning fireplace. The promise for orange colored leaves and apple cinnamon scents. Darkened mornings and early nights. Cuddles in hoodies, colorful scarves and sassy, brown, felt hats. Those boots in the corner have a smile to share as they whisper, I know, to the cozy fingerless gloves sitting in the pockets of my down winter jacket.