by Brianna | Jun 7, 2011 | Healing, practice, Yoga
First and foremost, I know that “efforting” is not a word. Lately though, I have found myself using it when I teach. At first I used air quotes to acknowledge its made-up status but I even dropped that. Full disclosure, when I read books and there are typos or grammatical errors I find a pen and circle them. So why am I using a fake word? I think we can all agree that word choice is powerful. For example the word “try” has a very different meaning and implies a very different energy than the word “effort”. So in all honesty I am hopeful that my students will forgive my bad grammar when I ask them to make sure that they are efforting. I wish instead that they use that cue as a reminder to take a breath, reconnect to themselves, become active participants in their pose and put forth some focused...
by Brianna | May 24, 2011 | practice
Recently I taught the teacher trainees in Charm City Yoga’s low residency program. My segment had to do with Protecting Yourself Energetically as Teacher. Many of you reading this may find it strange that you would need to be protected as a Yoga Instructor. After all, all Yoga teachers are happy, healthy, perfectly in-balance, they don’t even need coffee (biggest lie going). However, from the energetic perspective when you are holding the space for others to heal and let go (i.e. controlling the place where others are practicing) protective energetic boundaries for the teacher becomes important. I want to talk for a minute about the idea of boundary – boundary does not mean armor. Boundaries can be breached, they are permeable. I think of a boundary, when I am teaching like a force field, in fact I imagine myself radiating white light numerous times during the classes I instruct. I feel that that radiation makes me a creature of the light to my students – one they can trust and respect – but also protects and keeps my energetic boundaries safe. Okay, so what is this energy stuff all about? Eastern Philosophy teaches us that we are all interconnected; that we are all in fact one. Science for a long time pushed the idea of individuation but recently (and this is mind-blowing stuff) scientists have discovered a subset of our neurons known as “mirror neurons” , also called “Gandhi neurons”. These neurons hardwire us for empathy. So basically, if you see someone getting punched there is a part of your brain that says “ouch” and another part that hears...
by Brianna | May 2, 2011 | Breathing, Change
Yoga, Reiki and Hypnosis are each at their basis self-healing in nature. They certainly healed me and I am ever so grateful for the changes that my practice and effort have brought. I also love that through each of these tools I continue to learn and grow, that after more than a decades worth of practice, I am still both challenged and comforted by them. In December I resigned my full time position as a librarian for a local museum with international stature. As I had studied art history in college having a museum job was hugely meaningful to me – I got to hold works by Picasso actually in my hands. I worked there for four years and chafed at my role every step; it was during that time that I accepted that my dreams really had nothing to do with library science or art history. Instead, mine have everything to do with teaching others that they are in fact empowered and have the ability to heal their very own self. These past few months have been tremendously challenging and utterly rewarding. Holding the space for others to heal and transform is a remarkable day at the office. Quite frankly it is an honor. So to each of you out there who are struggling or unwell, I wish that you continue to try as many different pathways as possible. After all, there are thousands of different doorways to healing you just need to find the tools that work best for you. Because, and this is the truth, healing yourself and coming to a place of peace, is worth...
by Brianna | Apr 6, 2011 | Healing
Allowing yourself to actually experience your emotions can be very intense. Because of that many times we begin to live on the surfaces of our being. We turn to one form of escapism or another; choose your “poison” for the list and style of escape in all actuality is endless. When we behave in this way, metaphorically we become a “neat” house with everything shoved in the closets. Without thinking we swallow our painful emotions. Tamping them down, not realizing that all we are doing is saving the emotion for later. We take an active hand in creating our personal field of Yuck. Emoting and how it can be appropriate has been a hot topic in my life lately. I have been known to do it exactly wrong. When you are releasing old stored emotions, patterns of pain, you don’t need to direct it at anyone. In fact, the “emotional vomiting” for lack of a better term should merely be for the purpose of release. Sometimes, I totally mess that up and direct my emotion at someone undeserving. After I apologize I try to recognize that it is okay to make mistakes in practice, just as it is okay to make mistakes in life. I have found personally that often those recognized and admitted mistakes unfurl into the most beautiful growth point. Anyway, lately I have been thinking about emoting so much because of my beautiful niece Alexandra finding her voice. Like all babies Alexandra makes no bones about showing you exactly how she feels. It’s pretty beautiful. When she is angry she is angry, when sad she is...
by Brianna | Mar 24, 2011 | Chanting, gratitude, Healing
Almost twenty years ago, when I was a teenager I became interested in psychic phenomenon. Because of that fascination my Mom arranged an appointment for me with an acclaimed medium. During my session, she said to me, “I don’t understand this but they say you will. They want you to know that: ‘We are all one. It is we who are the universe.’” At that time I really didn’t understand it either but I never forgot it. Although I had been raised Christian, and deeply respected my Reverend, I spent most of my late teens and very early twenties trying on other peoples beliefs like clothing. It is not all that rare after all, I was young and I was seeking. At different times I practiced being: Agnostic, Buddhist, Jewish, Sufi, and Wiccan – to name just a few. Where I landed is a very personal place as all belief is. From my experience if you put two people of any tradition together and ask them to define their belief, you best step back and simply watch those sparks fly. Debating faith, which is literally man’s ability to believe that which he knows not to be true, is fascinating. As years have passed, and my understandings have shifted through both trial and joy, I can summarize my belief like this: “We are all one. It is we who are the universe.” The Lamps are different, But the Light is the same One matter, one energy, one Light, one Light-Mind. ~Rumi This weekend at Charm City Yoga (www.charmcityyoga.com), I am teaching a Yoga Benefit for Japan with Kim Manfredi....
