What brings you flow? How do you create flow states?

A student recently shared, "the breath reminds me that there is always flow even when I don't feel flow". That is the magic, mystery and medicine of the breath: to restore flow in body and BEING.

The breath is the magic bullet, the secret sauce, the easy antidote. Why? because your body is listening to your breathing. Responding to your rhythm (or lack thereof). Slow, deep breathing, especially with an elongated exhale, stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is your 10th cranial nerve. It runs down the sides of your throat, enervates the organs of your gut (this is the gut-brain axis) and your face. It comprises most of your parasympathetic nervous system (the cool, calm, content vs. the get-up-and-go of the sympathetic system).

This email is one of those items for me. It's been 3 years in the making. Yup, 3 years. Since Kanda's creation, we've lacked a coherent and consistent way to communicate with you all.

As of today, we finally have you in one place.

During the holidays there is a meltdown of routine and normalcy. Rather than rush back to old ways, I encourage you to savor and stretch out what the Yoga Tradition calls a sandhi. A transition point.

Depending on the context, sandhi translates to critical juncture, opportune moment, interval, pause, or rest. The word is used in Ayurveda (the science of longevity), Jyotish (the science of light, commonly called vedic astrology) and Vastu (the science of dwelling, similar to feng shui).

As we enter the New Year, there is a surge of messaging about detoxing and cleansing, resolutions and commitments, goals and achievements. We’ve all lived long enough to look at New Year’s resolutions with cynicism at best, hopelessness at worst. For the record, I think the idea is excellent.

But, the implementation is awful. Why? Because it starts with a misaligned motive: to “fix” something that is wrong or bad. It’s a stick. And a stick that is often used to bludgeon based on external standards - to look or behave a certain way. To accomplish or achieve a certain thing.

What is the aim of your practice? And how do you get “better”? My teacher would tell me, “get on your mat, open your channels, and get out of there.”

She steered me away from the “more is better” narrative as well as the exercise/calisthenics/gynmastics empahsis so I could sense something different: the subtle body. She wanted to refine my palate for more than the hot sauce of stretch and sensation, she wanted me to savor satisfaction and embrace the sweetness of enough.

At their core, all mind-body, health-wellness, spiritual practices have a similar aim: reduce suffering, increase connection. Not give you a perfect body, zen master mind, or make all the difficulty and discomfort disappear, but to give you tools, techniques and strategies to make the most of whatever is happening.

How strong is your practice during the holidays? Not just on the mat or meditation cushion, but in real life... Can you show up as your best self? Stay calm, clear and centered? Maintain poise?

The holidays aspire to be a time of connection, joy, and celebration. But most experience the season as stressful, difficult, even painful. What goes wrong? And what can we do about it?

Your practice is an opportunity to cultivate strong roots and a solid center for the budding branches of your heart. We've been doing just that in the Vayu classes. Apana Vayu is your grounding current running through pelvis, legs, and feet. Samana Vayu develops your power center at the respiratory diaphragm.

You've got practices for both in your Virtual Library. Use them! Because the holidays are on the horizon. This is a time when routines are uprooted and we tend to loose our center.

I feel like Kanda is at a bridge. With no guardrails. No clear-cut path. The only way forward is one foot in front of the other.

What is the bridge? The world post-COVID. How to move forward with a virtual school. How to innovate and create more educational opportunities. How to expand and enhance your relationship to yoga.

While Apana teaches you to settle into solid ground, create internal support, and relish release, Samana will ask you to evaluate your digestion. And not just of food, but everything you consume - from memes on social media, to the endless stream of marketing, to conversations with your mother. Everything.

At the time, there was something inside of me, buried under years of conditioning, an inner knowing that said... keep going.

20 years later, following that inner knowing has changed everything. When I take time to digest and reflect, I see how much has been done and overcome.

Practices that expand inner awareness are like being on a speedboat. You're cruising through uncharted waters. The winds of change whip your hair and pull tears from your eyes. You keep your head down. And only over time, with distance, can you appreciate how far you've come.

Apana Vayu asks you to relish release. To embrace the power of letting go. To trust the ground beneath your feet and your ground of being

All the Vayus emerge from Prana Vayu. (As always, the one becomes the many.) Each wind has its own actions, corresponding organs, and qualities. In classes, we will calibrate each Vayu for optimal functioning.

Our physical practice begins with Apana Vayu. Apana has the power of releasing and the quality of grounding.

let’s learn a little more about the Vayus. 

The Vayus are in the realm of mythic consciousness.

The Vayus are part of the subtle body.

The Vayus are a refined way to explore your inner landscape.

During certain moments and transitions, I have felt lost, confused, and conflicted. If I did not remain flexible with my practice and perspective, I probably would have quit or “lost” my practice. Which is an interesting question. Why do people “lose” their practice? It has less to do with discipline and devotion than you might think. Here are common occurances…

For your practice to be there when you need it, the foundation needs to be set and solid. You can't build your basement when a tornado's on the way. You build it waaaaaaaaay before the storm. Then you have shelter and a base from which to rebuild even if the worst happens. Similar with yoga. You build your skills, seek shelter when needed, and draw strength when wanted.

Nowadays, it feels like storms keep rolling in. From COVID, to climate change, to a looming recession. It's impossible to predict what's next. AND it's 100% in your power to prepare. Not the hunker-down-in-a-bunker prepare. But build-a-reservoir-of-resilience.

Yoga postures and alignment don’t make sense without an anatomical model of connection (like fascia, anatomy trains, etc). You need language and concepts that explore the body as a web, rather than a machine. There needs to be recognition that if you pull on something, you influence everything. A remembrance that you are born WHOLE and COMPLETE, not missing a single thing! And you grow from innate intelligence residing in every cell of your body.

As modern yogis, what can we learn from Hanuman? Well, Yoga says Hanuman is a lot like me and you. Inherently forgetful. Our power, potential and abilities are best accessed with FAITH, SERVICE, DEVOTION. Which can sound mystical and magical until you think of stories of mothers who performs superhuman feats for their children. Or humans defying all odds when in service to something bigger than themselves? like Wim Hof (see below). And throughout history, when singular human beings tap into their faith, they change the course of history, countries and politics. Easy examples are Gandhi and MLK.

we practice yoga as more than pose performance and exercise. But what makes it more? What takes us deeper and farther into yoga?

I see a few distinct Rites of Passage that evolve posture practice into yoga. These Rites of Passage are like doorways. When you cross through, the potential of your practice expands. It’s like graduating to another level or earning another belt.