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September, 2010
Whitehead Light Station
August, 2010
Begin and Begin, Again
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Whitehead Light Station, Penobscot Bay, Maine
 Each time we come to our mats we are encouraged to let go of expectations, the way we think the practice will be, asking ourselves to be present to the experience as it unfolds. When I showed up at Whitehead Light Station I had certain expectations of what I was there for, perhaps some much needed rest, appreciating the cool breezes of a coastal island, deepening of my meditation practice. If my time there had been only that what more could I ask for?
Apparently I was drawn to this workshop, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, led by Dr. Robert Cox, for reasons that I was not then aware of. Perhaps that sounds familiar – why are we drawn to a yoga class? Very quickly I saw that any expectations I may have had were to be put aside and I was to be present to each moment as it unfolded. In the unfolding I learned to “pause, relax, open”, a simple way of being that I call upon daily. I learned that attachments to old stories, old ways of being, old paradigms would reveal themselves and I would be nudged forward to a place where the world as I knew it would open in unexpected ways. I could lift myself off a self constructed bed of nails and step up to experiencing each moment with the awe and mystery that life presents when we are aware. I could stop taking myself so seriously, now that’s a concept!
And now that I’m not taking myself so seriously, let me tell you about some of the wonderful moments on the island of Whitehead Light Station! Qi Qong practice at sunrise, followed by a gentle yoga practice and sitting meditation…
…gentle breezes folded into bright sunshine sparkling on an ocean breathtakingly beautiful…breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared with local, fresh foods by Mary, our gifted chef from France (really!)…hunting chanterelles in the pine forest with Mary…gathering rose hips from the Rosa Ragusa bushes to make rose hip jam…a morning of fog, listening to the ringing of the nearby buoy…
 sitting in Adirondack chairs in silence…
hearing the gong of the bowl calling us to the fog house for meditation and class sessions…
learning and practicing formal tea ceremony, so ancient and full of wisdom…a quintessential New England lobster bake, cooked in a pit on the rocks overlooking Penobscot Bay…sharing meals in silence, and then in mindful conversation…hot, fresh scones…letting go of striving…experiencing gratitude, over and over again.
Many thanks to Tom Hibschman, talented artist, teacher and photographer for permission to use his wonderful photos.
August, 2010
BEGIN AND BEGIN, AGAIN
I write my first blog post with the same feelings that were present for me when I took my first yoga class – uncertainty, fear of doing it “wrong”, self-judgment, playing the “what ifs” song in my head, and even holding my breath! I welcome you to the blogs of Ocean Spirit Yoga; you may find them helpful, interesting, thought provoking, or none of that! As I stretch myself into this unfamiliar world of blogs I invite you to send me your feedback and/or suggestions of things about which you would like to hear. Remember, “Together the teacher and the student create the teaching” – Eckhart Tolle.
And now we begin… 
You may or may not remember what it felt like when you were first contemplating taking a yoga class. Perhaps you tried yoga years ago or a friend, a family member, a doctor or therapist gently suggested that it might be good for you. Undoubtedly there were feelings of uncertainty – how do I get there, what should I wear, what will it be like, can I do it, am I flexible enough, what if it’s too hard, what if I hate it? All those “what ifs”! Whatever brought you there you knew that you had to start somewhere, you had to begin.
It takes courage to walk into a new yoga class, to begin a practice that is unfamiliar to you. The mind plays tricks and there is worry about a future moment. You sit on a yoga mat in a position that may not be particularly comfortable, you are invited to begin to notice your breath (pranayama) (notice it how you may wonder) and gradually movement of the body (asanas) begins. The movement may feel comfortable or foreign to you. There is no need to change any of that – uncomfortable seated position, breath that may feel shallow, body that is not moving like anyone else’s – all that is required is to notice, to be present to all of the feelings and sensations exactly as they are in this moment.
Is it any different if you have been practicing yoga for a long time? No, not really. Each time you come to your mat you begin again. Noticing all of the same things you were asked to notice during your first class – the physical body, the breath, each pose in its uniqueness.
Welcome each new time on your mat as a new beginning, free of judgments and past experiences, free of musts and shoulds, free of any thought other than being exactly as you are in this moment.
I look forward to joining you with thoughts from the mind of the yogini!
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