Open to Grace Yoga – Gen Larocque

Riding the Waves

16 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment

by genyoga in 1

A few years ago I was in the surfing capital of Central/South America, in the unique country of Costa Rica. The ocean there is spectacular and so so beautiful; you can sit and watch the ocean forever. The changing of the waves from small to large as the wind rises, the rising and the falling of the tides. I had become stuck on the idea of surfing so finally my boyfriend at the time and I decided to take a group surfing lesson… and I could not wait! (come on we’re in Costa Rica, how can we not?) Our surf instructor guides us through the basics of how to get from the start position of lying to standing in one jumping movement. So off we go in to this beautiful clear water. To get up to standing is not as easy as it looks. Not just that, if you do get up (probably after quite a few tries I might add) how the hell do you stay on the board? (I think this is a part of the lesson the teacher might have failed to cover) At this point I really start to understand where the expression “sink or swim” comes from… After about an hour in the water we had gotten the hang of it. As time went on I learned is that we need to learn to gauge the waves. As you see the waves coming you think to yourself “is this one I can ride or is this too big for me to handle and instead I can ride the wave in a more peaceful way by diving underneath it”? Upon reflection (of this most incredible experience) I think about how this reflects the nature and pulsation of our lives. From the moment of our birth we are taught how to “get up to standing” but when it comes to actually gauging those waves of life who is there to teach us or tell us what is what? Does anyone tell you “Ok, so there are going to be some really good times, and some really bad times and they will not be easy but here is how you get through it…”.  To me this is why we practice yoga. We practice to get to know how we can push our limits, to push to the edge of our boundaries and we also learn when it is time to back off and dive under the wave to a softer place. Through the practice of yoga we try and make the waves of our life not so dramatic. Instead of riding these huge waves and trying not to drown we learn that there is a way to make the wave seem smaller and less harsh. We lean that within the pulsation of our practice there is a pulsation within the poses. To much muscle energy and the muscles of the body become hard and tight and too much organic energy the muscle and joints and loose thus leaving room for injury. As we learn to gauge the waves within our Asanas we learn that a balance of just the right amount of hugging in and of extension so that the pose has more balanced action. The practice of yoga is off the mat. We try and learn from our reflections on the mat so that we can ride the waves of life more gracefully. We ride the waves so that ultimately we remember that our inner most nature is one of Joy and the utmost bliss.

Grace Anatomy

09 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment

by genyoga in 1

You know when there are those times when you have a decision to make and we sometimes feel like we do not know the right answer. Often our first reaction is to say “I don’t know?” however we always do know. If we go deep within and that is where all answers lie. In the style of yoga that I practice the first principle is what we call “Open to Grace”. In Opening to Grace we open ourselves to the possibility that we can be more and expand into the divine fullness into which we are born. We open to trust the flow of our lives with the understanding that we are constantly supported by an unseen universal force called “Grace”. Recently I was on the phone with a girlfriend of mine who is an Anusara teacher in New York and we were having a little girl talk about a few things that were happening in our lives. She was telling me that she had a decision to make and that she wanted to let go of a business partnership and that she was not sure what to do. Out of know where I say to her “ but of course you know what to do, listen to your emotions and they will tell you all you need to know. Listening to your emotions is like opening to Grace. When you think of one possible solution and it gives you a bad feeling, and you think of the alternative and it makes you feel good then which one do you think is the right one? When we open to the wisdom within, the truth of our emotions we open to the abundance of divine wisdom that is incubating within all of us all the time.If we open to grace, grace will manifest itself in the form of the truth that lies in our emotions.

Season of Darkness and Introspection

02 Feb 2010 1 Comment

by genyoga in 1

Now in this season of darkness, reminds us that we really are a part of nature. We feel like staying in, sleeping more and eating a little extra. Our bodies’ natural tendency is to gain an extra layer of fat (insulation of course ) to keep us warm in these cozy winter months. Ahhhh, a great season for a little hibernation time…

For years, I have fought this feeling of slowing down (especially with my natural tendency towards non-stop action, ha ha), however for the first time this year I realize that the fighting of this natural flow of nature and thus of our own inner rhythms is how we involuntarily release our precious energy.

During these cold winter months it is the time to ‘turn inwards’ and take reflection of ourselves and of our lives. These times of darkness allow for a time of discovery of the treasures that lie within us, just waiting to be discovered. It is a season abundant with introspection and insight. What do we want? What do we need?  Does what we want serve our highest good and the highest good of others? Do these things bring us happiness, bliss and Joy?