ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Intension

I was teaching a "beginner" yoga classes this week and what I love about new students, is how hard they try.

Yoga can be sweaty, smelly, hard, uncomfortable, and infuriating. That is why I love to teach it. Beginners set their intension and work through each pose with willingness and angry determination. It's inspiring.

When poses become easier, we sometimes we lose that determination to improve ourselves and it gets replaced with our own vanity and need for competition. Even worse, sometimes we just move through the poses without any intension at all.

So... when I want to be humbled and need a new yoga perspective, I attend or teach a beginner class. It inspires me to be a better yogi. I look around and see the sweat pouring down faces, bodies in child's pose, or the intensity of the eyes paying attention and I know that I need to look at my own practice with that same ferocity.

To all the beginners out there... thanks for making me a better yogi.

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: My Daily Internal Struggle

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Svarga Dvijasana: Bird of Paradise

The first time someone said "... and then move into Bird of Paradise," in yoga class, I thought it sounded really strange.  "Bird of Paradise."

Eventually, someone told me, "it is a type of flower."

After performing a Google Image search, I finally understood it's name. Svarga dvijasana (Bird of Paradise) looks like a proud flower rising from the ground, shining it colorful face to the sun. Some days I'm a proud flower with strength in it's stem rising to the sun with little regard for gravity. Other days, I'm unstable, rocking and swaying like a plant in the wind trying to stay up. Either way, it's always a good day to be yogi because "making the effort" is how we get better.

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Yoga Practice

When I started doing yoga, I always looked at the other people in class and thought they had such amazing concentration. They always looked ready to start class and their concentration was laser focused for the duration of what we were doing. 

Myself, I always felt like my mind was wandering, thinking about food, sleep, if other people were watching me or having some random thought. As my practice progressed my mind has become more still and I have better focus on what I'm doing, but that doesn't mean "I'm perfect" every practice. There will still be days where I am sleepy, angry or hungry. Yoga isn't the practice of self judgement or perfect focus; it's the practice of self understanding, and learning to change your practice to a devotional and meditative act of breath and movement. 

So celebrate the days when you're completely present and even those days when you are not. Every day on the mat is different. 

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Vriksasana:Tree Pose

Some days I think I am the most unbalanced person in the world. Take tree pose (vriksasana) for instance. Most days I can stand up straight with all the concentration in the world and other days, I'm happy if I don't  fall over more than once during the duration of the pose. This can be really embarrassing if I am teaching a class. 

But I try to remember that it's o.k. to fall. We learn the most when we make mistakes and believe me, I've made a lot in my life. What's important is that we pick ourselves back up and try again. 

Every tree sways in the wind. It's what makes our roots even stronger in the end. 

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Bhujangasana: Cobra Pose

One of my favorite ways to practice bhujangasana is to lay on the floor in front of the couch. Then I tuck my feet under the couch and use it to help keep the tops of my feet on the floor as I press up. It helps strengthen my back and shows me new potential for the pose.

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Cecil the Lion

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Sun Salutation A

Here's a little cartoon for the kids: How to do a sun salutation A. (Good for adults too.. I love teddy bears) 

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Ahimsa

Random Act of Kindness 66: Yoga Birthday Party

I love my Goddaughter, Violet, like she is my own daughter. When she was born and I saw her face, I cried. 

That is why I always try to be a part of her life and do my best to make her feel loved. I asked her mom, Susie, if I could help her out with her 4th birthday and she was more than happy to accept. Susie is a super mom; she works, has two kids and raises her beautiful children to be good people, and allows me to be a part of their family. 

Susie and I decided to make the theme of the party about yoga. So I handmade thank you cards, created gift bags and yoga flash cards for the kids. Overall I think they came out great. Violet seemed to have had a lovely time with her friends doing Children's Yoga. 

Here is one of the drawings I made. It's teddy bear doing "Cobra Pose."

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Subbing Classes

Summer is that beautiful time of the year where everyone goes on vacation. It's also about this time that I get asked to sub a lot of classes. 

When you are a yoga teacher, one thing that you learn is that people generally don't like subs. People have a huge attachment to their teacher and will either not attend class because the teacher is away or freak out when they see you sitting in the teachers spot. Some students even leave before class starts. 

To tell you the truth I use to be the same way. I would not go to a class if my favorite teacher wasn't teaching or get very unhappy if I found out that there was a sub. 

This all changed when I heard someone say "Love the practice, not the teacher." 

Now, whenever I see that my favorite teachers are not teaching but I want to practice, I just go. I always learn something great from each teacher I encounter. Learning to "love the practice and not the teacher," made my practice stronger. It also enhanced my concentration (Dhahran), one of the 8 limbs of yoga, because when you encounter a new teacher you really need to pay extra attention to their verbal cues. It's a wonderful exercise in concentration.   

I also find that every subbed class has a great asana tip that I have never thought of. It's amazing wheat I learn when I open my heart and mind. 

So next time you have a sub in your class... give them a chance. You never know what you will learn. 

If you happen to have me as a sub... thanks for coming and trusting me to share my practice with you. 

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Dhanurasana

I've been practicing the Dharma Mittra Maha Sadhana, at home, for a while now.  There is a section of the practice where you do Dhanurasana (Bow Pose). I dread this pose.

When I am in this pose I feel like the earth is reaching up with thorny vine fingers and wrapping it's hands around my legs, waist, chest and arms dragging me down. The earth whispers "just lay down."

I'm waiting for the day where I can do this pose with ease. Till then... I reach back for my ankles, breath in and lift my body off the ground and smile. Only two more sets and a mini-shavasana (Corpse Pose). Whew.

ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Great Yogi

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ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: My T-Rex Arms

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ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Happy 2014

2013 wasn't the worst year of my life but it certainly had more downs than it had ups. 

I have a lot of great hopes for 2014. I am not going to call them my "New Years Resolutions" but instead it is what I plan on doing:

1. Draw my cartoons and posting them on time. 

2. Do 365 acts of kindness this year. I am going to document them on my blog. I want to make giving a priority this year.

3. Be a lot healthier. Work on my will power and say no to fried foods. (OH SO DELICIOUS)

4. Learn to have "me" time and do what is best for myself more often.

I really hope that everyone has a wonderful 2014! Personally I am really excited about what this year could bring. Wishing everyone love and happiness. 

Thank you to everyone who started checking out my blog in 2013, my family for buying me a cool new drawing tablet so I can draw my cartoons, and everyone who leaves comments and gives me "likes." You don't know how much I appreciate the support. Thank you!

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ReJoyceYoga Cartoon: Merry Christmas

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ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Irony

 

 

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ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Falling

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ReJoyce Yoga Cartoon: Karma

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ReJoyceYoga Cartoon: Happy Thanksgiving!

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