Eight months ago I embarked on a journey of pursuing a therapy-oriented Yoga teacher training. When you decide to enter a Yoga training you become part of a Sangha (community) with the other people you train with. There were seven beings and a cat in my Sangha, and we meditated, shared deep things, laughed, cried together. So I've been spending a lot of my time on the beautiful space I'm showing pictures of, learning and practicing all kinds of interesting things, from Yogic philosophy to Pranayama (breathing) techniques. The MBCY certification program I completed is a rigorous training that involves a personalized approach to yoga as a curative system that everyone can benefit from. It encompassed studies in Asana (Ashtanga/Classical Hatha Technique); teaching methodology; conscious anatomy; kinesthesology; scientific study of the Chakras; restorative yoga therapeutic techniques; hands-on assisting with grace, mindful language and touch; Yoga Nidra; MBC Yoga Therapeutics - 'Centering' the BodyMind as curative medicine; applied psychology: humanism/archetypes/positive psychology/mindfulness; meditation; ethics and lifestyle of applied mindfulness; Sutra study; Yogic philosophy, including Patanjali's 8 Limbs; applied Mindfulness; Pranayama (breathing techniques); Mantra; Mudra; Ayurveda fundamentals etc. It's been life changing in the sense that I now hold a daily personal practice of self refinement with Yoga as my blueprint. From now on everything else in my life is centered around creating the conditions for my practice. Everyone could benefit from a Yoga training, but if you can't commit to one, Yoga retreats are another great way to immerse in the philosophy and practice of Yoga — since Asanas (or postures), which is what we've come to label Yoga in our culture, is just a minuscule part of the practice of Yoga. Here are some photos of the space that held our gatherings, and where I've been spending a lot of my time for the past seven months...
Michael C. McMillen is a mixed-media artist based in Santa Monica, California, whose installations and sculptures made out of recyclable materials, or as he calls them "the cast-offs of our material society," play around the themes of time, change, and illusion as a means to create what he refers to as "visual spiritual poetry." It's very interesting work with a magic of its own. The two friends I've brought with me to view his work have referred to his pieces as post-apocalyptic. I see it more as a beautiful display of decay. They had a similar eerie effect on me as when I visited a ghost town of the Gold Rush era, here in California, for the first time. Like a glimpse at the ancient ruins of the future. To fully appreciate his installations you really must experience them. You can view his work in person at an upcoming exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California from April 16, 2011 to August 14, 2011, entitled Train of Thought .