Not Alone

I'm on the cusp of great success and growth. Or dramatic failure and sadness. I chose to believe the first statement wholeheartedly. Although the other voice creeps in at times. I allow for it to exist as doubt is a part of being human and the voice of fear which we all have. That's doesn't mean it is true.
What we believe we empower. One of my Guru's instructions for Yoga Nidra is to notice how energy follows attention. That which we focus our attention on attracts our energy. Try it now. Focus on the tip of your nose. Let all other thoughts dissolve and only think about the very tip of your nose. Try it now.
I bet before I asked you to you were happily unaware of your nose. Then it became clear that all you could think about was that finite point of your nose as all your energy rushed there.
This principle works the same with thoughts. As the thought of successes comes to mind it is usually shadowed by fear. If we acknowledge the fear and release it, returning all our attention on the feeling of successes our energy will flow in that direction.
Acknowledge,  breathe,  release,  choose to focus on success. No room for anything else. There's one concession to This principle. We can not do it alone. It takes a village. If we isolate there is no power. As a solo act we can only generate a limited amount off power to engineer that belief and bring it into reality. As a solo performer the doubt and fear builds and begins to steal our attention. But by enlisting the help of others,  namely friends and family,  We begin to generate traction for our successes. Insulation to encourage action taken to manifest those successes. Others encourage us and celebrate our victories.
So allow for doubt but believe in your successes and others will too. They only ask that you support theirs in return. I'm so grateful for the love and support of others believing in my successes that I can only see them as successful in return. Watch your attention. Direct it to what you want. See you're energy flow there
Namaste Troy

Guys Suck@Yoga

Oh if I had a dime for everytime I met a dude for the first time who told me all the reasons guys suck at Yoga I'd be a rich son of a $#&*!.
In line at Starbucks this morning I was introduced to a guy visiting from out of town about my age. I had to force myself not to roll my eyes as the convo about yoga and guys started. It usually goes as follows:
"I tried Yoga once and it was so hard and I am just not flexible that I never went back. It kicked my ass dude. I was kinda embarrassed cause I couldn't do anything. I can't even touch my toes man. I hurt so much the next day I couldn't believe it. All the girls were doing like these crazy postures. I thought it was going to be easy but I couldn't do Jack.  So I gave my mat away.  It's just not for me. I'm so not flexible."
To which I politely mutter something along the lines of "Yeah man I couldn't touch my toes when I started either. All I did was lift weights. But now I feel great. You just have to pick the right class. Stay with gentle yoga and work from there. Guys are typically tighter and better at strength poses."
The whole time I'm praying that the pissing contest does not continue and that my facial expression doesn't betray what I'm really thinking. Most guys practically turn red from embarrassment that I dare suggest out loud that they need gentle anything let alone Yoga which is a girls thing anyway.
Really Dude?  These guys crack me up. You're friggin' kidding me?  I always thought I was a teste short or had some record low testosterone production when I hear what most guys do for fun. I've never understood going out and electing to hurt my body like most guys do. Mountain biking,  snow boarding,  surfing,  motor cross, hell even skate boarding. That doesn't even touch on martial arts and hanging off the side of a rock. That shit all scared me as a safety freak and older brother who was often put in charge of my siblings safety.
So really 'bro? Touching your fucking toes and doing a few tricep pushups in a room of girls is so tough that you tried it once and never did it again?  Maybe your little girl shorts rode a little to high that day and you bruised your big guy ego. Please don't now tell me how maybe one day you'll try it again or that you really should do some stretching.
Yep. .. he's going to say it. .."Yea man,  um I'm not sure about Gentle cause I'd probably be bored but one day I'll give it a try again."
Yea,  and that's when I'll go out and get on a piece of fiberglass and throw myself down a rocky cliff covered in powder or slam my head against the reef while a great white chases my wetsuit wearing freezing cold ass. No thanks. I'll take the sweaty Yoga room full of girls touching their toes any day.  After all this body builder went from not touching his toes and shoulders so tight I couldn't hold my arms over my head for:60 seconds without excruciating pain to twelve years later doing the splits and putting my foot behind my head.
Believe me it wasn't easy. I got in there, often the only guy,  and worked my ass off. I took every kind of Yoga out there. I suffered injuries from pushing to far. I had to take time off to heal and go back. Yes I even had to stop lifting so heavy at the gym.  Sometimes I felt like some kind of tall weirdo in the room that couldn't do anything But I did it. And the results are I'm less wired,  my joints move and don't ache,  I can breathe deeply,  people comment on how calm I seem and I feel great. My last check up with a medical professional was eight or so years ago and the Doctor said if it wasn't for what I was doing I would be on blood pressure and cholesterol medication because of my DNA so keep doing what I was doing. I never get sick and have more energy than ever.
Sometimes I get the excuse that it's just to expensive. Really?  How much is a mountain bike,  snow board,  paddle board,  the rack to put it on your giant truck and all the gear and clothing?  I've got a plastic mat and some board shorts and a $12 class and I'm not going to get melanoma.
So ok man,  someday maybe you can make it into my Simply Stretch for the non Yogi. I just hope you don't wait until you're injured like most Yahoos. Good luck 'bro. When your man enough to Cowboy Up,  I'll see you in class. Maybe if you realize how many burly athletes are doing Yoga now our how many money making CEOs are meditating you'll get your mat out of hock. See ya.
Troy Cox
Owner Sun Salute Yoga Center
Dana Point

Head Stand Delight

Head stands have returned into my life. Not that as a busy Yoga studio owner I'm usually left feeling as if standing on my head from the spinning business. But this week I tried actual head stands again for the first time in a year and to my surprise and pleasure,  no pain.
After a neck injury four years ago I was left unable to invert with pressure in my neck. I attribute my recent return to this anti aging and mind clearing posture as a result of monthly massages. And learning the proper use of pelvic muscles.
Every month I weave a theme into my teachings and this month is head stands and arm balances. It's a good lesson about reaction,  fear and what we believe about our abilities, those crazy looking postures. I love encouraging others to reach outside their comfort zone. It is only through falling on our head do we learn to get up and try again or quit. I like to observe how others handle this. Some laugh at their foibles others curse and some cry.
Me,  I jump right in. I need to know the rules of the game or in this case the proper instructions. Then I'm on my way trying it out and learning as much as I can. It's like buzzing down the coast by Big Sur. I can't stand it. Shear cliffs to ocean on side A, rock and boulders and speeding cars toward us on side B. My travel companion doesn't even seem to notice. However just because I'm praying for my life doesn't mean I don't go. I decided a plan that works for me. I look at the yellow line and let everything else wiz by without a never mind.  Then when we get to the destination I enjoy. But I don't let that rough trip or my fear stop me. 
So the next time your Yoga Teacher suggest you try turning upside down on the mat observe your reaction. Find a way to manage. Before you know it you'll be flying down that road to success both on and off the mat.
Yogi Troy
*these are my observations as a Yoga teacher. Any reference to real students are intended as learning tools and not a personal affront.

Tripping

Taking a retreat is a popular thing to do. Sometimes we think we need to go somewhere exotic and foreign with a director planning our every minute. I just returned from my version of a retreat. I knew I just needed a serious break and wanted to feel supported and loved. I have several friends in Florida and my Yoga Guru's school is there.  Being on a super tight budget and having not left my Yoga studio alone in three years I knew I had to pick a place that was affordable and where I could be somewhat reachable on a daily basis. So running off to a far corner of the world was not going to work.
My Guru was offering a few short classes I thought would be supportive and relaxing and a friend had invited me to stay with her right on the  water Five,   four years ago?  I am bathed in sunlight. The day was my first graduation. Yoga Nidra training. t the beach,  so Florida it was. I first planned a big elaborate whirlwind of a tour of Florida that involved a friend flying in and going to the Keys. However fate stepped in and pared my plans down considerably. Thank God.
I stayed at the beach with my sweet friend for the first week. I didn't remember what it was like waking up to the sound of birds instead of an alarm. They are such healthy raw foodist and were such peaceful housemates. My body went into a detox shock by the fourth day. I was one of those unhealthy vegetarians who eats a bunch of rice and beans and other heavy foods. But the raw diet took care of that. My friend taught me to relax and how important it is to go to the beach everyday. I also got to see how peaceful and loving a relationship can be by witnessing her and her partner communicating with each other.
First Lesson Learned: Eat healthy and go to the beach often. Allow your partner to have their own space.
I left the beach for the forest. Having to rent a car at the last minute could have been very stressful. But my friend supported me and made sure I was off safely.  Arriving in the last town before the Ashram I explored and found a lovely unexpected French Restaurant that stayed open after lunch just for me and I treated myself to the most delicious cooked food. I love my food warm.  I had not been to the Yoga school in almost three years. It was like putting on a forgotten favorite coat from childhood. I let it envelop me. I could have stayed for half price since I arrived a day early by doing Seva service. But a dear friend told me before I left that I need to allow myself to receive and let go of always feeling like I need to do something. So I just let myself sink in. When I got my room assignment I was to stay in the Guru's house. I was lit up. I saw a CD pile laying at check in and asked about it, feeling like I should but didn't want to ask for any favors. I was told they had been giving them out and there was just a few left. I put it in my bag with gratitude and settled in my room. Yoga Nidra was at five.
There are some places we remember forever. The smell, the feeling,  the air quality is all imprinted in our memory.  The Darshan room at the Institute is permanently a part of the recesses of my being. So much transformation,  revelations,  awakening,  emotional catharsis has happened there and I'm just talking about me personally. Entering there for the first time in years is like reentering the womb. And I allow my self to just receive.
That night I debated about listening to the CD. Finally I slipped on the headphones. It's my Guru's daughter, Kamini. The words entrance me. It's like someone is pulling on a thread tied to something vaguely familiar. As she speaks about stepping into your presence a lightening storm explodes in my mind. I was there. I know those words she is speaking. My mind lights up in a 3d scene. I am again sitting in the room where this was recorded. Her words pierce my heart. Then a tsunami of feelings engulf my every fiber of being. I hear my voice speaking. It's trembling,  filed with emotions.  That day was the birth of my new life as a Yogi,  as my Guru's life student. That day was a precipice in my life and I hear it in my voice on the recording.

Then I remember my first graduation from Yoga Nidra training.  Seeing the world through foreign eyes. I would never be the same from that day forward. I feel a vacuum as if I traveled at the speed of light and am sucked back into the present moment.  I can't believe where I've come from to where I am now.
Lesson Two: You never know how far you've come until you go back. We think we're deciding to be at a certain place at a certain time never knowing that were being placed there for a reason.
The rest of the weekend is a blur of hearing my Guru's familiar teachings and friendly participants. I was really in shock. Back in Orlando I got to see my first meditation teacher Diane Ross. To me she is the definition of the word Ethereal. I am bonded to her in ways only my soul knows. She is the wise guide I needed to manifest so long ago who I can't imagine not having met. I had a very powerful and transformative meditation with her that was to intensely personal and revelatory for me to share here. Fueled by my experience at the Ashram having been the witness to the full circle of my life,  my session with Diane permanently placed my soul in residence in my heart center. I'll never be the same. I love her. I love myself.
Lesson Three: trust the sages in our lives. Reside in the heart, there is no where else.

The next week with my best friend was in fast forward.
Lesson Four: Holding hands and having a best friend is better than theme parks.

I returned to the forest for scripture weekend. I was reunited with sweet souls I had not seen in years. It was reaffirmed that I have a home there. An extended family. I was confirmed in my being that I am a Yogi. The knowledge my Guru shared is to vast to divulge here.
Lesson Five: When agendas are no longer useful people can love more. Find a living master and just love them.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING AND SHARING AND SHARING.
Jai Bagwan

Self Management through Psychospiritual Techniques: Links - Yoga and Inter-disciplinary Research

Self Management through Psychospiritual Techniques: Links - Yoga and Inter-disciplinary Research: International Journal of Yoga and Allied Sciences   An Interdisciplinary Journal dedicated to Scientific and Literary Research in Yogic Sci...

Vision into Reality

The story:  Sun Salute Yoga was envisioned when Troy was listening to his Guru, Yogi Amrit Desai speak at the Amrit Yoga Institute during training.  Yogi Desai said that we are all like the rays of the sun, we express ourselves uniquely, but ultimately we come from the same place.  Troy instantly heard the words Sun Salute Yoga Studio in his mind.  On a break he checked online to see if the URL was available and it was.  Troy had no prior business owner experience nor knew the means to arrive at his vision.  Troy just had faith and trust and belief in this direction life pointed him in and go with his inner drive to make it a reality.  Within 12 months the means presented it in a much unexpected way.  The right people appeared and volunteered their time to rally around Troy’s vision of a taste of authentic Yoga in the center of South Orange County California.  Through much elbow grease and volunteer work the doors opened in March of 2010 to a ribbon cutting with the Mayor of Dana Point.  In the first two years of its conception Sun Salute Yoga was voted Best Yoga Studio of Dana Point by the community.  It continues to grow, find its niche as a boutique studio that offers one on one attention to its students and authentic Yoga.  The studio is the only location in Southern California that offers the Amrit Method of Yoga as well as a wide variety of styles in one location and takes pride in giving to each student the gift of union.  Vision into reality, Sun Salute Yoga brings a ray of light from the source that unifies us all.

The mission of Sun Salute Yoga Studio and Wisdom Center is to safely illuminate the path of the student’s life with the light of Yoga, allowing the student to shine their brightest while building a sense of union with a community of locals. We aim to make a positive difference in the lives of our students so they can reach their highest potential through encouragement, challenging experiences, and support.

We are an intimate studio with a limit of 20 students per class which provides personal attention and growth.  To provide a safe, warm loving studio environment and committed teachers that create relationships and safe yet deep experiences for the enrichment of their students’ lives.  We have a created a family of teachers who are knowledgeable and studied in Yogic arts and health, certified and continuing their education, caring and open to achieving excellence for themselves and safely guiding their students through life transforming experiences in each class.

At Sun Salute Yoga, we are dedicated to being the 'safest' Yoga Studio in Southern California.  ­­­We offer a non-harmful surface to practice on, saving undue wear and stress on joints caused by hard surfaces.  No hard wood, no sore joints and aching backs.  Our soft surface offers a core challenge in a safe environment.   We heat the Body, not the room.  Move, breathe, work, feel the natural heat of your body! No artificial heat here.

The Sun is a powerful metaphor for Yoga and the challenges we find on the mat.  The sun expresses its self in many rays of sun, yet, under it all, the sun is one. Just as we appear in many different forms and personalities on this planet and every day on our mat, yet underneath we are all one.

The Flying Yogi

Flying yesterday was quiet a yoga challenge. I don't normally get up at 430 for any reason but I had to in order to catch my 830 flight.  I've been looking forward to this trip for quite a while now. Almost to the airport I receive the message my flight has been delayed. Arriving I find a long queue waiting to resolve their tickets. So I find the Starbucks nearby and grab some oatmeal and coffee knowing all have a long wait.
I joined the que, open up my oatmeal seed to practice some deep breathing while I eat and wait. The first thing I notice are what I call the recruiters. They are the people that feel they need to tell others about how much trouble they're being put through. They are recruiting others to commiserate with them and form a group. I know that this is the beginning of mob mentality. The only thing that a mob can lead to is trouble. I now need to practice 'allowing'. I allow other things, people, places and events to exist simultaneously while I remain relaxed. 
As I approach the line I notice how hard the airline employees are working and how each new person needs to explain what an inconvenience a three hour delay is for them. I decide to practice 'granting beingness'. This technique acknowledges that I am interacting with a human being not a worker bee. So I think the airline worker for all the hard work they are doing and how quickly the line has progressed. She pauses for a moment and looks at me and thanks me. This isn't in order to get the results I want but to have a human connection. After she reroute me through to Florida I make a joke about how it's better to get there later because it will be cooler we both laugh and share a moment.
I decided to treat myself to a chair massage since I know it's going to wind up being a very long day. After hunting through the entire airport for something not fast food to eat I make it to the terminal to board the plane. I can feel the tension of everyone on the plane as I find my seat. The guy sitting next to me sit down and I  imediately realize he is going to take over the arm rest next to me. He proceeds to speak through the seat to the gentleman in front of him about business during the entire boarding process. After an hour of contorting my body to accommodate him I try to find a way to claim my space so I can sit up straight. But he is doing the guy thing where he refuses to budge so I'm left with feeling as if I'm in some sort of battle over the inability to keep my body straight. I try tension and relaxation exercise and Ananda muscle stimulation exercise in my seat. But I can feel the lack of food and tiredness pervade my body and mind. I know I will have to work hard at letting go on this trip.
We finally land and I have 30 minutes to find something decent to eat which is nearly impossible in Dallas Airport. I settle on what I know will be a horrible salad and a quick glass of white wine. The guy who had been sitting next to me on the first flight comes in and gives me a judging look because I had said I had a quick connection and needed off the plane. I try practicing 3 part breathing.
By the time I board my second plane to Orlando I am glad I had the glass of wine. Sitting next to me is a small energetic girl and behind me and even smaller and more energetic boy and his older sister. The boy imediately begins kicking my seat while screaming at his sister and mother. I find my headphones and put on relaxing music to try and stay calm. By now the tiredness is really getting to my mind. The girl next to me gets out her laptop and I am not sure if I am more surprised that she has a laptop at 9 years old or that she knows to ask when the wifi is available. Once she decides I am not the ogre that I feel like I am she then proceeds to try and get my attention by squirming around to get in my peripheral vision and stare at me. I pray that they serve wine on this flight. I smile back at her with a crooked smile and look out of the corner of my eye at her to acknowledge I know she is there I am friendly but do not feel like playing.  In my mind I see a vision of  my guru and picture him making best friend with this little girl and getting her to laugh and play since her mother is ignoring her. But I dismiss the image knowing I don't have the energy. Somehow I manage to fall asleep. I wake up just in time for wine service and the boys behind me deciding that if he's really loud he will get whatever it is he wants. There is only Chardonnay my least favorite wine so I pass on to red wine and the steward tells me they only have merlot which I like even less then Chardonnay. So I roll my eyes at him put my headphones back on and try to read my book on meditation. A little while later I see a small bottle of Pinot Noir being handed to me with a glass and a knowing look from the kindly steward. I think God for the small gift.
Finally we arrive late to Orlando where my friend been waiting on me for a while. I allow a few trams stuffed full of people to go ahead of me. After the crowd thins I make my way to my friend. Her loving arms and sweet smile seem to take away the hours and miles. I know that although I feel beat up I saved myself a lot of mental anguish by being a flying yogi. I am so looking forward to this sabbatical of meditation and yoga. Hopefully it will help me on the flight home. I am thankful that I have learned to practice yoga off the mat.