How it all began, by Jaime Miller

The first yoga class I ever attended was a large workshop, with a well-known international teacher (Beryl Bender Birch), and dozens of very flexible, experienced practitioners.  Beryl started the weekend by asking if this was anyone’s first yoga class.  As my lone hand raised and many started laughing (not at me, but with me…I think) I realized that not only was the question intended to be a joke, but that I was in for it.  Beryl and Kathy McNames, owner of Yoga Vermont, wasted no time leading the group of advanced practitioners through the Primary Series.  They were moving on, with or without me.

That first 90 minute practice, I spent as much time looking around the room for guidance as I did trying desperately to have my pose somewhat incorporate the actual alignment.  Although the postures were extraordinary, most impressive was how focused, calm, and steady those around me looked.  The room was alive, full of energy and regulated by the constant ebb and flow of the breath.  It sounded like the ocean and I felt like a tiny dingy being tossed in the waves. 

            On Day 2 of the conference I was sore, but excited.  The focus of the weekend was the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga.  An ancient set sequence of postures, designed to cleanse the body from the inside out, increase strength and flexibility, and calm the mind.  Since I knew what to expect (from the previous day’s adventure) I was able to relax more.  I listened to the cues of the instructor who was constantly reminding us to “follow our breath”.  I still felt like I was flailing around compared to the strong, conscious movements of those around me, but something inside me knew that, with dedication and practice, I too could be more focused and calm…and maybe even be able to do a split one day.  I was hooked. 

After my crash course introduction to yoga, I found a studio in my community and began taking weekly classes (this was before the glorious creation of Living Yoga).  I also began reading books and talking to practitioners to try to gain a more holistic understanding of this ancient practice that had recently experienced somewhat of a pop-culture revival.  Sri Pattabi Jois, father of Ashtanga yoga says, “Practice and all is coming”.  I began to learn how true this is.  In yoga, you are your best and most insightful teacher.  When I wanted to know something: how my breath would take me deeper into postures, where my arm should be in Triangle, or how to remain calm in a challenging arm balance, I found the answer within.  Also, the answer came in its own time, and only when I was ready to integrate the new knowledge into my repertoire.  All my exciting progressions in my physical postures occurred when I was able to steady my mind and breathe. 

            Getting down to basics, yoga asks it’s students to be present.  Even if touching your toes seems like an outlandish concept, most of the greatest benefits of yoga are accessible to all people no matter your age, body type, or flexibility.  At the beginning of a class a lot of teachers will offer you the chance to set an intention for your time on the mat.  This could be to cultivate calming energy, to have your knee feel a little bit better, or to relax.  My teacher always asks that we bring our attention to the room and to the present moment, forgetting about what happened earlier in the day or what we are doing after class.  All these cues and mental exercises are encouraging the student to be present, to take some time out of their busy day to just focus on their yoga practice and themselves.  I find when I am able to do this I, without even trying, am able to relax and focus.

            As I continue along my journey as a student of yoga, I often recall my first experience: the exhilaration, wonder, confusion, and innate knowing that this practice could provide me with much, much more than a stronger, more flexible body.  That it could provide me with many ways to consciously and calmly approach my life on and off the mat.

Namaste,

Jaime 

 

The beauty is that people often come here for the stretch, and leave with a lot more.  ~Liza Ciano, co-owner & co-director of Yoga Vermont

 

 

I Am Here to Teach You Patience by Jaime Miller

“I am here to teach you patience”.  As I bought my infant daughter Sage a tiny tee shirt with these words and a meditating Buddha Baby silk screened on it, I thought it was perfection on a onesie.  Having “adopted” my boyfriend’s daughter Jenna as my own child years ago, I was aware of children’s role as teachers in their care takers lives.  The birth of Sage augmented my role as Mother and I am reminded every day of the lessons children teach you.  Patience, selflessness, compassion…did I mention patience?

Now, as a mother of two living in the mountains of North Carolina away from my support system, asana practice has slowly dwindled from a regular routine to seldom sweet relief.  But, I assure you, I still do yoga every day.  Yoga is not solely a physical practice.  It is a complex system that, if adopted wholly, impacts your entire lifestyle.  Asthanga Yoga, Living Yoga’s foundational yoga style, is an eight limbed system that includes physical posture practice (asana), breath control (pranayama), and restraints or abstinence (yamas).  The yamas include non-harming (ahimsa).  Non-harming does not just mean non-violence, but kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things.  Considering the needs of others is a key component of mothering and something that children require of you all day.

Additionally, when I begin any asana practice, my intention is to cultivate peace.  Feeling peaceful amidst stressful situations can be difficult, but regular asana practice helps yoga practitioners to do so.  Typically, there are multiple postures during a practice that are truly difficult.  In pigeon, when your hips are screaming and your foot is numb, can you calm your mind?  Can you breathe through the stress and rising anxiety and release or do you hold onto the tension and feel anger towards the teacher who is holding you in the posture for so long? 

The same applies to kids and other individuals who challenge you (an ungrateful boss or rude cashier perhaps).  I try to remind myself of potential opportunities to refine key virtues as my baby screams at 2 a.m.: to be calm in the eye of the storm, to breathe, to be peaceful.  Amazingly, the more I practice, the more it’s possible.  Don’t get me wrong, I am challenged everyday by my role as a stay-at-home mother.  But on days when Jenna never stops talking and Sage won’t eat, sleep, or entertain herself when I want, I have to remember that they are teaching me patience, I am practicing yogic principles, and that very soon I will live within one hour of the best babysitters I could ever ask for: my parents.

 

Living Yoga on & off the mat - first entry by Jaime Miller, 3/3/09

The Bright Side of a Down Economy by Jaime Miller

Consumer spending is low, fear of the current economic situation is high, and individuals and families are putting more thought into what they do with their money.  One sector feeling the negative effects of people’s penny pinching is the travel industry.  Vacation travel, no doubt falling into the “luxury” category, is being replaced with what NPR reporter Tovia Smith is calling “comfort consumption”.  Instead of traveling, individuals are instead choosing to nurture themselves close to home at establishments such as spas and yoga studios.

Although travel can be a wonderful experience, it can also be stressful.  Haven’t you said to yourself, “I need a vacation after that vacation?”.  I certainly have.  Travel is also inherently energy intensive.  Flying does nothing good for your carbon footprint and many hotels and resorts are wasteful and mass consumers of resources.  Not only can staying close to home benefit your wallet and the environment, but it can benefit the local economy as well.  You can help revitalize yourself as well as local businesses by choosing to spend vacation and leisure time in your community getting a massage or practicing yoga at your local studio.  Living Yoga is offering many opportunities catering to those seeking relaxation and/or rejuvenation in their very own yoga community.  Check the calendar for events such as the Community Wellness Fair on March 21st and Yoga Spa Day on April 4th.

Overall, I encourage people to look at the bright side of this troubled financial time.  The down economy has forced consumers to slow down their spending and become more aware of what they do with their money (and time).  I consider this forced awareness a blessing.  I would welcome a shift from blind consumerism to conscious spending.  More people are asking whether or not they truly need this good or that vacation.   Additionally, with winter still heavy upon us (hey, we got 4 inches of snow down in North Carolina!!) it is naturally a time to slow down and conserve.  Combined with the current economic state of affairs, it is a good time to look within ourselves, through our yoga practice, and our communities for ways to relax and rejuvenate as we patiently wait for spring and a revitalized economy.