Congratulations on making it through week 1! We should all feel good about our commitments, about being accountable and supporting each other. Way to go!

Week 1 was all about discovery. The whole week was dedicated to awareness. We practiced, and asked ourselves what is it like to be in our bodies. We ate and journaled what we ate. We reflected and looked for our strengths. The whole week was to create a better understanding of who we are from every angle. Now this week is all about the cultivation of choices.

Week 2's focus in on choice. Yoga is not simply about reflection or awareness. It is not just about the acquisition of wisdom. Yoga is about the application of wisdom. What is called vijnana in Sanskrit. As we developed real wisdom about ourselves throughout last week (and I might add, we will continue to do so this week), this week's challenge is in the choices you make. Look back on your food journal and ask yourself what is your diet like? What choices can you make that would improve your diet? Look for anything in excess and see how you could choose to moderate it. Look at your body, when you practice do you tend to work on the same poses, or parts of the body? In your thoughts, do you tend to constantly have the same reaction?

This week is about choice, after all, choice is the manifestation of your empowerment. Make a greater conscious effort this week to recognize what you are doing as you are doing it, or even better, right before. Can we, this week, improve upon the wisdom we gained through our awareness and now apply ourselves to become even greater? Because that's yoga's desire-to apply your awareness to make the best choices in order to grow your greatness!

We can all do this together, and thanks to everyone for understanding what a community can do for each other. That is the real definition of a kula.

If anything, these consecutive days of practice are in a way, pushing me to redefine what my yoga practice is -- I mean if I cannot recognize that my life is in the midst of major transition with Beck -- and among other things, as much as I wanted every day of the challenge to be a hardcore, kick my ass kind of asana practice,I realize that if I get a few sun salutes in for the day - that will have to count.. . And it's a funny way to put it -- do just a few minutes count for my practice? Certainly my intention to get on my mat and fulfill my commitment to engage in the process counts -- but why is it so hard to value that effort as much as I value and crave a 2 hour deep and sweaty practice???

The question I keep asking myself is what really counts every day? MOre on this later -- have to go.

I attended a wedding this past weekend in Siler City, North Carolina. It was at The Inn at Celebrity Dairy. Celebrity Dairy is unique place because it's a 300 acre working dairy and has a sustainable agriculture farm. They're known for their production of farmstead goat cheese. My good friends who were getting married arranged for those involved in the wedding to take a yoga class. We all set up our yoga mats outside on the dance floor rented for the festivities later that night. I loved practicing outside on the farm with friends! One of the women who joined us brought along her baby. He was crawling around and observing our various poses. We also had a farm cat come up and hang out. Yoga was the perfect way to bring the wedding party together. At the end of our class we formed a circle around the couple with the intention to share our positive energy. It was then that the couple began to form tears - a moment of release and joy. I will always remember that day of celebrating love and devotion with our friends on the farm.

After a couple mornings on the mat in my house (so early even the dog is still asleep), I managed to reflect on the Sunday workshop. After digesting the experience, I have settled on "economy". And it has nothing to do with today's financial mess--ironic, I know--but what Mitchel said about economy of movement, spirit, intent on Sunday. Economy of motion and word have always meant a great deal to me, and it reminded me of Thoreau and his intent in moving to Walden to live his life deliberately. Here's one of my favorite quotes:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854)

Have a great day.

-Perkins

ok so it is week 2 and I am seeing no improvement, no break thru, no nothing, so I said to my husband after the experience I am giving up yoga and then WOW it was as if the universe heard or I was just open to possibilities.

I had the most amazing day at work a Real breakthrough, after weeks and weeks of difficult situations things just fell into place in the most incredible and natural way. And then driving home from NYC the car in front of us, license read gr8karma and I knew it was a sign.

And so I learned that break thru aren't always on the mat..........but in life. Breathe and be open to all possibilities

I have not been able to get to a class for the past two days. Yesterday I reluctantly allowed my husband to go to class while I stayed home with the little ones. I know that the physical practice is something that my husband needs desperately and it was good for me to unroll my mat at home. I managed to squeeze in a 45 minute practice. I have been practicing at home for a while now and really enjoy the occasional home practice. But I wasn't able to get to a class today either due to my work schedule. It was a lot harder to stay on my mat today than it was yesterday. I did manage to get in another 45 minute practice but not without the occasional stroll away from the mat (to get water, change the music...). I really missed the energy of the studio today. I am looking forward to spending time there tomorrow!