yoga + cycling

Lately biking to Yoga class has not been something I love and adore.

As a cycling commuter, riding the busy streets is one of my daily practices. My cycling destination is almost always a yoga studio, another daily practice. Cycling can be a mind numbing experience but lately I have been on edge. Angry motorists are not interested in sharing the road with a pretty yellow bike. Not to say that looks are everything but I really thought that a nice looking bicycle would soften a motorist's perspective in regards to sharing the road.

Weekly, I am exposed to people with very dirty mouths. Driver's angry tone and rude assumptions sink deep into my sensitive skin. My long commutes are when I get multiple opinions shouted at me. In effort to understand the anger and verbal abuse, I think of the reasons one would yell at a cyclists. Safety is a big concern. A cyclist should always obey the stop lights, stay on the right side of the road, perform hand signals, have proper night lights, and share the road with other motorists.

Dirty and loud mouths are only creating more road rage and distracting cyclists from focusing on form. Throwing a cyclist off balance, by yelling or honking the horn, could result in a catastrophe.

Emotional control under the deepest amount of frustration can be next to impossible. Heading to yoga class on your bicycle should not be a negative experience. Calming the mind in order to surpass the rotten motorists has become a huge challenge. The heart races and the cyclists feel guilty for slowing down traffic.

Cyclists should recognize the good they are producing for the earth. Bicycles have a small eco-footprint. They do not release dirty air pollution and they help keep the human body in strong physical shape. One less car on the road reduces the number of cars lined up at each light. The cyclist is actually making more space on the road for those who need faster transportation. The cyclist is helping to show people how to practice there nursery school skills such as sharing and caring. The cyclist is not in the power to talk back but the cyclist sets an example for the misinformed, less educated or confused individual with a big scary truck. The cyclist is not at fault when they obey the rules of the road.

Finally, bicycles are not among the strong breeds of transportation. The idea of slow and steady wins the race may be true from an environmental standpoint or even when the cyclist can pass all the vehicles stuck in a huge traffic jam. I ride my bicycle all over town in effort to stay in shape, reduce fuel consumption, reduce expenses and set an example. I ride my bicycle to yoga because I was to focus and relax before I enter the studio. I do not ride my bicycle to be harassed or to lose control of my emotions. I love my daily practices and will continue them for as long as I live. Karma is real. Namaste.

calm down... chita vritti :)

Yoga practices are unique in so many ways.

The biggest challenge while instructing a class is producing individual peace and enjoyment. As an instructor, I work hard to feel the physical and emotional energy in the class. If midway through a powerful practice I sense students weakening or loosing energy, I change the downward spiral by turning the music or changing the asana structure. I even let the students know when I sensing their lack of energy. Keeping an open communication forum helps students to calm their mind fluctuations. At times I remind them to just keep up with their own physical abilities but it is not always an easy task when we come from such competitive environments. University students are used to competing for grades and it is hard to remove the energy while on campus.

Quite frequently my mind cannot fully comprehend how the class is enjoying the practice due to students' signs of discomfort or distracting actions. When I notice a couple of students not enjoying their practice or perhaps, assume that students are not enjoying the practice, I begin to panic. Remembering what leg we are using or the next asana in the flow is often lost forever. The pressure of presenting to a class for 60-90 minutes can seem like forever when you get caught up in an uncomfortable moment. I guess yoga teachers judge sometimes!? Fortunately, not all my yoga class that I instruct are consumed by my mental fluctuations but in some cases I find myself portraying the uncomfortable student in a practice that I am attending.

As a student I should try hard to accept what is presented. Finding a balance in each class does not always happen but slowly I am working to train myself to accept that good that comes from each practice. Often I find myself attending class and hoping for a specific instructor. Sometimes that instructor is ill or had to switch to help balance the schedule. The bottom line is that most teachers do not try hard to miss classes and they get sick sometimes too. Yoga instructors are not in a constant meditative state and that is okay.

This post is dedicated to all those practitioners who are having a hard time relaxing during instruction and practice. Relax because I believe that yoga has a greater good than we may think sometimes. ~ namaste ~