I am a 42 year old yoga loving fellow, originally from Florida and happily moved to London 10 years ago from New York City.  I once thought my yoga age was 17 -22 however, now I want my yoga age to be 92-98.  I recently saw an amazing video which I posted on my facebook page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gip5sjGy8pM&feature=share about a 92 year old yogi which has reversed my desire.  Tears came to my eyes as the beauty radiated out of her now somewhat fragile and very nimble form.  To be flexible and radiant with healing energy at 92 is a goal we should all seek.

I discovered yoga, like many other men, by going to a “hot yoga” bikram class with a friend of mine.  Thinking the entire first session that I was crazy to have paid to feel such torture – only to become completely addicted to the high felt thereafter!  Working thru the layers, peeling them back, reshaping my body, all validating the desire to keep going –  moving thru a progression of bikram, to vinyassa, to power vinyassa, to deep compression yin practice, asthanga, iyengar and most recently flying acroyoga (which I LOVE)  – people ask me what kind of yoga do you do, I usually ask, what kind of yoga would you like to do …which opens up the conversation to understand how the personality and the ego of the person can be best suited for a style – I needed Bikram, as focusing and trying to still my ever-busy mind was the key to unlocking the door to this journey. 8+ years later, at the Shiva Rae Summer Solstice Workshop sponsored by Body in Balance TV my path took a dramatic turn.

Looking at that moment, my all-time at the time “ah-ha” moment it all makes sense that it wasn’t a turn but yet another step on the path.  It was about letting go, things I knew, had been discovering was all true… LET IT GO!!!  Hearing the words “letting go” and thinking it was an all or nothing concept was where I was mistaken – it’s a gradual process where you listen to your body and heart and connect with the spirit of joy, the God within us all that we can truly be free.  Shiva spoke about how the sun and moon were cycles and that things change, we become curious about what creates positive feelings and therefore during that cycle we should and can allow ourselves to move from discipline to discipline and yet free ourselves and tune into that universal healing energy of the healing mantras – of chanting, of flowing, of the sweetness found in the postures both on and off our mats.

When I see someone doing an advanced posture I am challenged to do that shape, however, it comes to my attention now that the shape comes from the feeling and the feeling from the shape!  Living in the present, which is why they call it the present.. because it is the gift.  Be good to yourself, be gentle be beautiful – because you are.

I have decided to become  my yoga practice, so after 20+ years in the fashion industry and many wonderful experiences around the world, I find myself coming back to me.   I will move forward into yoga practice in some form or another and will be doing an intensive teacher’s training program in the US during the month of August so that I can immerse myself in that discipline in order to enhance my practice and perhaps other people’s lives.

I am grateful for that moment where I could recognize the abundant blessings found here and now – and to body in balance tv for unknowingly assisting me to this juncture in my practice. 

The present is a gift – recognize this and radiate loving and healing energy!

Namaste

Here is a quote which I found some time ago and unfortunately have no idea who said these great words which express my feelings so well… love and light and honor to the goodness found below:

“Many of us spend most of our time thinking of the past, brooding on the bad experiences, dwelling on past laurels, or planning, looking forward to and worrying about the future. That was bad, I wish it didn’t happen. I shouldn’t have done that. That was good, wish I could have it again. Wow it was wonderful, let me live through it in my mind again and again. Something good is coming, can’t wait. Once it comes, life would be better. Oh dear something bad is approaching, what should I do, how should I handle it. Things are fine now, will something go wrong soon? The list goes on.
In doing all that, we are making the big mistake of losing what is the most important of them all – the present.

What’s past is over. We can’t change it. Enjoy the sweet memories. Let the bad experiences be a valuable lesson to us. Learn from them.

Plan for the future. But don’t dwell too much on it. Life is unpredictable, and we have no idea what is going to happen next. When it comes, it comes – the future will take care of itself.

What really matters is the present, because we are living it RIGHT NOW. Make the fullest use of it. As some people say, the past is history, the future is a mystery. And now? Well, it’s a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.”