Taking Flight
All ten fingers pressed into the ground
Twists and turns
Uncomfortable constriction mixed with determination to grow
Lengthen
Lighten
Breathe
A firm foundation
The only way to fly
Category: Yoga
Invisible Progress
A student walked up to me at the end of class last week and asked, “How am I doing?”
I was surprised he didn’t see the “obvious” changes over the past few months, but I shouldn’t have been. If you’re a runner and you succeed in dropping your time on a certain distance, you have a measurable way to claim success. If you melt a quarter of an inch more into your forward fold, chances are you won’t even notice.
When I was first learning how to do crow pose, I fell out of it a lot. I wobbled and tumbled and rubbed the backs of my arms and thought, “This is impossible.”
Then one day I thought really hard about pulling my navel up and in, and pressing into my whole hand, and I balanced with my feet in the air, just for a second. Maybe not even. But I balanced.
Not long after that, I was in class and the instructor, who knew I had just succeeded, asked me to be her “body” for the crow demonstration. I walked somewhat nervously to the front of the class, and followed her cues as she talked us all into crow. I balanced for a moment and then came out of it.
My confidence in crow pose skyrocketed. Since it’s often considered the gateway to other arm balances, I became curious about those, and with my new-found belief that I could do it, I practiced and eventually landed a couple more.
When students ask me how long it will take to get to a certain posture, I can only tell them it takes time, but maybe I should start saying it also takes faith. You can get there, and that belief will drive you forward and actually influence your progress. Celebrate the small victories, the nearly invisible progression. You’ll be flying before you know it. Practice and all is coming.
Surfboard Run: Day Five
This is a recap of day five of our surfboard run from Houston, Texas to Sayulita, Mexico. If you missed day four, you can catch up here.
Day five began with leftover pizza for breakfast. We made quick work of that and made tracks for the beach. Edgar surfed the Sayulita break while I practiced yoga. I played around with handstands against a mural wall, and toyed with foot placement and shoulder activation. Our morning exercise complete, we walked a few streets into town and got coffee at a new place. New businesses are popping up all over town… restaurants, coffee shops, yoga studios and B & Bs. While we were walking around and taking note of the new spots, we found a barbershop, and Edgar decided to get a hair cut.
Not long after the scissors came out, another man came into the shop and had a heated discussion with the barber. He then went to a work station and began to pick up products and tools and put them in a bag. The barber working on Edgar’s hair didn’t seem to like that, and some more angry words and gestures were exchanged. Then the barber opened up the angry guy’s bag, and took some of the product back out, clearly claiming it belonged to the shop. Things were beginning to get uncomfortable so Edgar spoke up and asked if they could possibly settle the matter later, perhaps when scissors and razors were not so close at hand. They agreed and the angry guy left, and Edgar got a nice haircut. A boy of about eight came into the shop while we were there. He had a little money — it appeared he’d made it selling trinkets in the square. Edgar and the barber agreed to split the cost of his cut so he could keep his earnings.
Another one of the new shops is a little less formal, but a lot more tasty. This guy set up a candy store just off one of the main streets. We struck up a conversation to see what he had, and he offered some free samples of the candied nuts. We purchased several varieties to take with us as snacks for the ride to the airport. Edgar’s youngest daughter Marie was making the drive back with us, and we needed to fetch her from Puerto Vallarta.
We had to again switch hotels, since they were out of rooms, and we moved into a place just a five minute walk away. We didn’t have a bunch of time, so I walked across the street to get fish tacos, while Edgar got our stuff to the rooms.
You can’t drive past a surf break without at least having a look, so we took the scenic route toward the airport and stopped by Punta Mita. There wasn’t much to it so we kept on.
We also had another mission in mind. Casa Aves has had a table and chairs outside on the bodega since we’ve owned it, but the seats just aren’t comfortable. Several furniture stores line the way to the airport and we stopped at a handful, but didn’t see exactly what we wanted… at least, not for a good price.
The PV airport stays pretty busy, so we camped out in the stream of arrivals and kept a keen eye out for Marie. At only 18 years old, she’s already well-traveled and quite accustomed to this particular route. While we were keeping our eyes peeled for her, a familiar face appeared. Our friend and sometimes driver, Espie, was at the airport and we chatted for a moment about family, business and how things were going for him in general. Seeing people you know at an airport in Mexico, reminds us of how small the world is, and how much this section of it feels more and more like home.
After we grabbed Marie, we headed back to Sayulita and went for another stroll on the beach. There are always vendors walking up and down the beach and offering something. This time we ran into a guy selling Mexican blankets. We had seen them before, but this guy quoted a price we couldn’t pass up, and we wound up with a really nice blanket.
On our way back through the square we saw a group of little boys skateboarding, and showing off their tricks. We watched for a while and then Edgar asked if he could have a turn. They thought that was kinda funny but gave him a board. He skated for a bit and then said, “Wow! Why are your wheels and trucks so loose?”
“Because we’re surfers,” came the reply.
We had agreed to meet up with our house host for dinner. A local artist, who came to Sayulita by way of Italy, stays at Casa Aves year-round, keeps the house nice and is a great resource for guests. We met at Don Juan’s just up the street from Aves and shared a meal and good conversation. After dinner we went for another walk, and then turned in for the night. One of us planned to surf in the morning, while the other two had their eyes on a yoga class.
Surfboard Run: Day Four
This is a recap of day four of our surfboard run from Houston, Texas to Sayulita, Mexico. If you missed day three, you can catch up here.
On day four we decided to soak in the view a little longer, and have breakfast by the water. We ordered lattes and shared this plate of pancakes with fruit. It was as delicious as it looks.
We could have spent the day there just enjoying the view, but we also wanted to get to Sayulita and maybe find a wave. Sayulita has grown as well, in the 3-4 years we’ve been visiting. The official population is about 5,000, but there were tons of people in the streets and walking around the town square. We stopped off at Casa Aves to drop off the boards, but we were unable to stay as a nice family from Canada was renting the place for the week. Instead, we booked another place in town and then hit “Wild Mex” a coffee/surf shop across from a local break. They’ve expanded too, going from just a coffee stand, to a restaurant with lots of tables and open air seating.
The break, called “Burrows”, was pretty busy but we found our spots… Edgar hit the lineup and I headed down the beach where it was smaller and less crowded. I was comfortable in my shorty (wetsuit that comes to the knee) – the water temperature was on the way up but not bath water yet. We caught some rays and nice waves and enjoyed the beach.
We always seem to be starving after a surf session so we hit the showers then hit one of our favorite beach-side restaurants for Mexican pizza. People were still surfing the beach break, wringing every bit of swell out of the day.
Sayulita has a square where people are usually lounging or snacking, or just watching others go by. This visit we noticed a new selfie opportunity. New letters have been added to the square for pictures and there are no shortage of models.
There are a couple of places in Sayulita that serve ice cream and we’re quite familiar. We got our treat and then enjoyed an evening stroll. We spotted the guy who offers folks a seat on his burros for a small fee. He only had one long-eared friend when we first saw him; now he has three. Business is booming, and more and more visitors are enjoying Sayulita’s charm.
Effort and Ease
I’m teaching at a new gym, and sometimes potential students ask me if the yoga classes I teach are hard. That’s a difficult question to answer.
Depending on your flexibility, and the way your body is structured, some poses that are hard for me, will be easy for you, and vice versa. There’s no set level of difficulty in any given posture.
To add to the complication, some poses that look cool in photos, aren’t typically all that “hard”. Take 8-angle for example. You’ll see a lot of yogis using this one in profile pictures and such, because it looks really cool. But if you have the flexibility it takes for the first step of the pose, the rest of the journey there is pretty easy.
Baby grasshopper is another one. The tricky part is grabbing your extended leg. If you’ve got that part down, you just have to shift your weight on to your planted foot and… voila!
Meanwhile, poses like happy baby, that don’t really…. uh… photograph all that well, can be really really hard. I inserted this pose into a sequence for a long hold recently, and had second thoughts when I was rehearsing it myself. I decided to leave it in, but made sure to give students the option of coming out of it mid-way through the set time. It’s no joke.
Other poses are “hard” for other reasons… especially if you’re someone with a long to-do list, that’s not getting “ta-done” while you’re on your mat. It can be hard to sink into child’s pose, or surrender to savasana if your mind won’t slow down. I struggle with this, and tend to give myself permission to think these thoughts when they come at me for three breaths. The idea stays for three long breaths in and out, and on the third one I exhale it away.
Ease and effort …. effort and ease. There’s room in everyone’s practice for both, but only you can decide where you find it.
Your Next Adventure
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite photos over the past few months. What’s in store for your next adventure? Whether you’re going across town or across the country, share it with us in the comments.
Cracking Up in Toe Stand
When people think about yoga, they usually think about flexibility, strength or peace… maybe a calmness and an attention to the breath. And they would be right — yoga is all of that and more. But what people don’t often talk about is the laughter.
Yes, you can laugh during yoga. Some of my favorite teachers make me laugh on a regular basis, and it’s part of the reason I keep coming back. Trying a new pose can be challenging, and laughter is one way to shake off the nerves. If you’ve ever tried an acro yoga class, then you know there are roars of laughter shaking the room, as partners pair up and put feet into backs and flyers wiggle and wobble, and things don’t turn out exactly as you envision at all. 
Heart-opening poses might make you tear up, but they also might make you smile, wondering if you’re leaning into it a little too much… and feeling your fingers sliding off their grip.
Directions to look your friend in the eyes, or even meeting a gaze of a fellow yogi in the mirror, might spark snickers…even if you can’t pinpoint the reason for it, and think it would be more zen of you to hold it in.
Keep in mind that a good belly laugh is great for the soul, and the abs. We’re all human and we’re all imperfect and on a unique journey that asks us to be vulnerable and authentic. We’re asking our bodies to move into strange positions, and to breathe into impossible places, and there’s no law that says we always have to take it so, so seriously.
So the next time something awkward or silly happens in class, don’t feel guilty if a chuckle rises up in your throat. Don’t swallow the laughter. Be real. And if you want to feel supported, feel free to look over at me. I’ll be the one giggling in savasanah and losing it in toe stand. (Thankfully, my friend Sarah is of the same mind, and we laughed our faces off during this shoot.)
The Beauty of You
For July fourth, TSY recognizes that freedom comes in many forms, and one of them is movement.
Our friend Irene is sharing this flow, and one of her favorite quotes. For more videos showcasing Irene’s strength training and yoga tutorials, check her out on Instagram @Irene.Namuli.
“The beauty of you is not where you are perfect; it’s where you are fearless.”
-Cleo Wade
Press In
When my friend Sarah came to visit a while back, we decided to have some fun with a yoga photo shoot. We researched some poses that might look visually interesting in tandem, and one of them was two yogis in wheel, each with one leg extended. We both liked the look of the pose, but when it came time to try it out, we both said the same thing, “I’m not sure I can do that.”
We got into place, first in wheel with our feet toward each other. We each took a deep breath and lifted one leg. It was difficult, and we both struggled, until our feet touched. Heel to heel and toe to toe, the pose became less of a struggle. We felt supported, and strengthened by the contact. We stayed in the pose much easier in tandem than we could have solo.
Finding community as adults can be a challenge. We often feel a little wobbly, reaching out, only to flounder for something solid. It may seem like forever, but before we fall, God steps in to put people in our lives who, at that moment, also have a limb extended. We lean in, meet in the middle, make contact and support one another. Heel to heel. Toe to toe. We press in, breathe deeply, and each journey becomes a little easier.
Taking the baja down the Baja: Day Nine
Note: This is a recap of Day Nine of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico. You can catch up on day eight here.
The most surprising aspect of the ferry ride was the timing. We had given ourselves plenty of wiggle room, because we didn’t know if it would leave or arrive on time. It did both. We cruised into Mazatlan right before 9am, and everyone lined up in an orderly fashion to disembark. I joined the exit line, rushed back to return the borrowed movies and remote control, then joined the line again while Edgar went down below to fire up the bug.
I walked off the ramp and met Edgar in the parking lot, where he was holding our exhaust pipe. He’d lightly tapped a truck during the unloading process, and it was enough to cause the pipe to break off. Once again our jar of bungees came in handy, and we headed off toward Sayulita with the pipe carefully fixed to the roof rack, while keeping a careful eye out for a welding shop.
At lunch time we found a nice little place right on the water just south of San Blas, selling shrimp and cheese empanadas and the now standard coca lites. While we wrapped up the meal, we asked around about a nearby break called Stoners. No one at the restaurant knew what we were talking about, so we went off-roading again. We found some pretty beaches, but no swell.
We’d spent enough time in Nayarit to know where the swell is located there, so we got back on the pavement and headed in that direction. In La Cruz we spotted what looked like a welding shop, and quickly turned in. We used our spanish and a lot of demonstrative movements to explain the problem, and one of the workers said the magic words, “no problem”. He brought out the torch, and waved off Edgar’s suggestion of a helmet. A few moments and pesos later, the pipe was once again married to the bug.
We were close to home, but had enough light to check out one of the local breaks, so we took a quick peek. Burrows wasn’t too exciting, but the pizza joint nearby had a live band. They sounded good and so did a slice of pizza, so we settled in to enjoy both.
After dinner, it was time to go home. Casa Aves has the perfect spot for the bug right out front. We spent time unloading boards and supplies, and giving the green meanie a little dust-off as a welcome home.
The next day, we grabbed a ride to the airport, and a much faster trip home.
Miles traveled on day 9: 245
The story doesn’t end here; it’s just the closing of this chapter. Thanks to everyone for following along and enjoying the recaps with us. It was a great adventure and we enjoyed sharing it with you. We’d love to hear your feedback and/or questions. What surprised you about the journey? Is there anything we didn’t cover that you really want to know? Have you, or would you want to, make a similar trek? Would you have joined Fibber McGee for dinner, or adopted a Mexican street puppy? Share in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.
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