The Body Electric

Yoga is a lot of things to a lot of people. Why we do it is a lot of what we bring to it. Coming to the practice from an atheist background makes me a bit of a skeptic. But what I do know what I feel. I know that yoga feels great, I feel alive when I am doing it. The prana of the earth is being sucked up and firing through the body. Currently in my 3rd fast ever. Fasted last about three months ago and have clogged up the body pretty good since then. Thought I have been pretty selctive with the diet but still probably just eat too much. Love to eat. So the main channel is clearing up. Feeling light, the subtle, the nadis, connection to the emotions, strength returning, face and flesh not looking puffy.
I just got back from new york. Went and saw The Chaple of the Sacred Mirrors http://alexgrey.com. Alex Grey give vision to the body and the fields that surround it. Have been big into all the energies in the world lately. Been trying to decifer the subtle energy of foods, organic vs conventional. Does an organic carrort exert a field that is different?
Did some yoga in NY. Went to yoga sutra and Dharmma yoga. Dharmma Mittra was spectacular. Good chanting and lots of poses I don't normally do. Crazy sequencing. Plus the students were inspirational. Saw for the first time someone go from pinca mayurasena to handstand. Just levitated. And for Dharmma, hope I look that good at 60+!

Back from the East Coast, into the beautiful East Bay weather. Oakland truely is a great place to live. I've decided to start running again. Haven't done it in years. When I first started yoga, a couple of teachers said to me you don't need to do any other form of exercising. Well I did quit riding my bike on 30 mile trips for fun and noticed a lot more flexibility in my back and hamstrings. More recently though my step dad started running ultra marathons. 50 miles in a day! My once overweight cigarette smoking dad? I went by one day and he was reading a book called "the lore of running", so I checked it out. Great chapters on muscles from the cell up, the cause of spasms, and how to cure muscle tears. So I've given it a try. Have done 3 runs around Lake Merrit, and really dig it. I hear peolpe talk about breath and getting the blood flow from yoga, but running is the next level. I really feel like i've moved some stagnant energy out of the gut. The mysore practice feels a little top down. Good work for the arms and chest, nice rease for the back and thighs. When I run, the enegy flow from the foot, through the pelvis, up the gut and out the mouth is anything but subtle. Everyone always talks sbout pain in the knees, so I'll have to see how they keep up. THe runners say shoe inserts help so we will see.
On Friday did my practice with Vance. It felt great to be back. Being away and practicing with a couple of other teachers made me appreciate even more the pracice that i've got. Not to much to say about the practice. After day off and travel just felt good to be in it.