Clarity Statements

1. These are the ways my childhood affected me.

2. These are the problems that I cause myself.

3. This is how I work on myself.

4. This is who I am.

5. This is what I want to add to my life.

Each statement is an essential building block to the one following it.

A few weeks back, I decided to eventually experiment with a macrobiotic diet and write about my experience and exploration. Well, the time has come. Until recently, I knew next to nothing about macrobiotics, which means “large/ long life” in Greek.
My palate was first wetted (literally) back in April at Souen, a wonderful macrobiotic restaurant by Union Square. (There is also one in SoHo.) Since this dinner with my friend Joe Young, I keep hearing radiant things about macrobiotics.

Macrobiotics is more of a lifestyle than a diet. It helps the individual find more harmony with nature by balancing yin (stimulating forces) and yang (strengthening yet stagnant forces). This is achieved through the consumption of nourishing foods in a balanced and very conscious manner. Unlike many standard Western diets, Macrobiotics frames grains as the center of each meal. Whole grains and cereals should make up 50% to 60% of the meal, vegetables 25% to 30%, legumes and beans 5% to 10%, and miso soup 5%. The rest of the diet includes moderate amounts of fish, nuts, seasonings, sweeteners, and beverages. It is also advised to drink generous amounts of bancha tea, a Japanese green tea made from matured leaves.

There are a number of foods that should be avoided, including potatoes and other vegetables from the nightshade family such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Spinach, avocados (sigh…), and beets should be avoided or used sparingly. Meat and eggs, which are very yang, should be avoided, as should dairy, which is yin.

It is suggested that food be chewed at least 30 times before swallowing. While at the Deenabandhu Trust orphanage and the ashram in India, I took my meals in silence. This forced me to focus on and be more grateful for the food I was putting into my body and chew it thoroughly. I often find myself mindlessly eating in New York as I am rushing around or wrapped up in a conversation.

There is much, much more to write. I will introduce more about Macrobiotics in upcoming posts, including a brief historical background. I am currently reading 2 interesting and informative books – The Macrobiotic Way by Stephen Blauer and Micho Kushi (who is responsible for helping spread Macrobiotics in America and runs the Kushi Institute of Macrobiotics in Becket, MA) and the lighter The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter. I must get my nose back into the books to expand my knowledge about Macrobiotics and the specific culinary techniques. I am also looking forward to learning more about how and why Macrobiotics has long been used to prevent and help treat cancer and other health conditions.

Over the past two days, I’ve been eating delicious brown rice with curried kale and tofu and other scrumptious grains and veggies. I’m easing my way into Macrobiotics, still allowing a little piece of dark chocolate here and there. I still have full or partially decaffeinated coffee in the morning. This transition requires that I cook in more. Doing so is not only wonderful and more nutritious, but cost efficient. I’ve stocked up on barley, millet, seaweed, nuts, veggies, tempeh, and tofu. I have been more or less vegetarian (well, pescatarian because I eat fish) for the past 3+ years, so not eating meat is not an issue. (I did resume eating meat for a short time due to health reasons, but that’s for another post about moderation and extremes…)
Thus far (which isn’t very far…), I feel energized and happy with this transition.

p.s. photos coming soon…

Asana are important, but there is much more. Sundar performing flying crow beautifully.

Overall, the article seemed to gauge one’s level of yoga by how well one can manipulate the physical body. Sure, we can contort ourselves into crazy positions, but perhaps it’s a bigger challenge to focus on the subtleties of a single posture and exercise patience. Asana, after all, are just one small (but still important and therapeutic) component of “yoga” (ashtanga and hatha yoga). The postures are tools to help the individual become more grounded, compassionate, and centered for meditation. There are a few quotes from members of the yoga community, such as Annie Carpenter of Santa Monica’s Yoga Works and Cynthia Lee of OM Yoga in New York, that remind the reader of this. These statements, however, are hardly extended upon. The author touches upon pranayama and meditation, but quickly shifts back to the subject of how deeper “poses” define advanced yoga.

Categorizing asana classes by level is important and class distinctions should be respected to honor the yogic tradition and prevent injuries. These delineations, however, should not nurture competitiveness. My teachers in New York and India, who I respect so deeply for selflessly and devotedly pursuing the path of yoga over a course many years, would never label themselves as accomplished or “advanced”. It’s just not about that. I believe that the article would have been more powerful, engaging, and well-rounded had the author firmly addressed the fact that asana is far from everything, instead of stressing how advanced students are “suffering” from a lack of higher-level classes.

As a New Yorker, I also found that the article omits a number of wonderful yoga studios in New York that offer “advanced” and serious classes, such as the Iyengar Institute, Dharma Mittra, and a number of other well-known studios (focusing on Mysore Ashtanga, Anusara, and more). Nor does it shed light on any of the wonderful institutions that focus on exercising the mind, such as meditation centers like the Integral Yoga and Tibet House.

Mother Teresa.

David, in his home studio.

Before I continue, I want to mention that my words can only attempt to describe David, a multi-talented and innovative individual who is well recognized for sharing his knowledge of yoga in New York for nearly 15 years. I am grateful to have met David over 2 years ago. In addition to learning so much from him in the yoga studio, as a visual artist and musician, I have been inspired by how David’s painting and music have naturally become a part of his yogic sadhana. He has achieved a balance between these three practices that is eclectic yet concisely interrelated.

a detail of Ganesha, a work in progress.

David is a classically trained, western painter who incorporates more global concepts and themes into his current work. He attended the New York High School of Art & Design and has taken courses at the Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. David also lived in the Loire Valley in France and studied with Ted Jacobs at the Academy Albert du Fois. Today, Eastern mythology and philosophy is threaded throughout many of his works. The calming and lively combination of vivacious colors and more organic, earthy tones gives a therapeutic and comforting aura to the paintings and develops a conversation between the real and mystical.

David’s easel.

David is gifted in his ability to render the human body (his deep understanding of anatomy from yoga must help) and often integrates beautiful figures holding yogasanas into the paintings. In addition to working with the figure, David recently completed a beautiful series of complex, geometric yantras (symbolic images used in meditation). The photographs below only capture a tiny bit of his inspirational work. (Some is and more will soon be available for viewing at www.sunandmoonarts.com and www.davidmichaelhollander.com.)

I mentioned that David is a musician. He is a fantastic guitarist who creates eclectic and engaging pieces with Sanskrit chants and modern compositions. He has studied singing with Takhar Utkarsh, a fantastic teacher and performer from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. No class of Davids is complete without this soulful music. I’ll never forget an evening when we were coincidentally in Mysore last August. He led an improvised chant session at the Mysore Mandala, the studio of his teacher V. Sheshadri, who David expresses his deepest gratitude towards. I’ve heard a rumor that David may make a recording sometime soon. Let’s hope!

David performing a variation of Pincha Mayurasana in front of one of his more personal works (a portrait of his dog, Mr. Monte inside a yantra).

So, this is just a little something about my dear friend and teacher David Hollander! David, who is one of the founders of New York Yoga, recently started a Mysore Ashtanga program there Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 9:15am. He also holds a vinyasa class at New York Yoga on Wednesday and Friday nights. Plus, some of his paintings are on their walls! In addition, David teaches at Yoga Sutra, holds private classes, and has occasional workshops at the Ananda Ashram and Exhale Spa.
Finally, I would like to thank David for his time and energy and for never allowing me to forget how holistic and multi-faceted yoga and art can be.

Self-portrait of David

Drawing and painting sketches

the painter’s palette

In a society often fixated on “the final product”, I occasionally find myself drifting away from appreciating and working with the present moment. I catch myself becoming overly elated when things go “according to plan” and foolishly disheartened when they “fall apart”. I sometimes seek satisfaction in projected outcomes, which are often not established and unstable, instead of discovering the contentment at hand.

I certainly have many clear goals as an artist and yoga practitioner. Yoga and creative practices, however, have helped me better understand the beauty of trying to innovatively work with the resources at hand and how this process generally constructs the sturdiest foundations for any ambitions. These practices, or sadhanas, assist me in becoming less attached to the “end result”.

In yoga, there are two synonymous Sanskrit words for constant and determined study/ practice. These are sadhana and abhyasa. The following is an aphorism from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika that has been particularly inspirational and grounding to me.

“The young, the old, the extremely aged, even the sick and the infirm obtain perfection in Yoga by constant practice. Success will follow him who practices, not him who practices not. Success in Yoga is not obtained by mere theoretical reading of sacred text. Success is not obtained by wearing the dress of a yogi or a sanyasi (a recluse), nor by talking about it. Constant practice alone is the secret of success. Verily, there is no doubt of this.”

- Hatha Yoga Pradipika,
chapter I, verses 64-6

Speaking of enjoying the process and my attempt to garden (I have a bad track record), my brother and I recently planted a little pot of basil seeds in our kitchen. Caring for these little herbs has become an enjoyable practice for me. I am so pleased to witness the seedlings’ development that I have almost forgotten about my vision of homemade pesto.

Finally, please check back over the next 2 days for a special post about my friend/ teacher’s sadhana. It will feature inspirational paintings, more about yoga, and more.

Seeing these children in such command of their bodies made me think about how dependent I am on my outer gaze in my own asana practice. Thus, I decided to experiment and practice with my eyes closed. At first, my body felt foreign and my sense of center easily faded. Throughout the session, however, I began developing a deeper awareness of my inner drishti, or gaze and became much more conscious of the subtleties of my breath and my overall physical alignment. I admit that I should be more disciplined and practice like this routinely, as it will bring deep benefits, starting on a physical and mental level.

Me in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, North India. July 2007

I do, however, make a point to integrate brief tests of balance with closed eyes into my regular practice and classes. These short challenges have strengthened my core and, more importantly, my overall sense of balance and inner drishti. Here are two techniques I like:

1. Balancing on the toes with closed Eyes

This is a little technique I have learned my dear friend and mentor David Hollander. Stand in tadasana (heels and balls of the feet touching). Keeping the arms by the side or raising them in prayer in front of the chest, lift the toes.
Close the eyes. Begin to focus on how the weight is distributed between the feet. Are you putting more pressure in the front of the foot than the back? Are you rolling onto the outside edges of the feet?
Try to find balance here for a few deep breaths.
Place the toes back on the ground, starting from the big toes and working your way out. Open the eyes.

Lift the heels, trying to bring the heels towards each other.
Now, experiment with closed eyes. Try to maintain balance for at least 5 deep breaths.
With the eyes still shut, slowly release the heels to the ground.

Tip: Keep the abdominal muscles strongly engaged and the tailbone and lower ribs tucked in. (Avoid allowing the butt or lower chest to stick out.) Keep the chin parallel with the floor. Imagine a string pulling your body up from the crown of the head (like a martinet).

2. Vrksasana (Tree Pose) with closed eyes.

15 year-old Anand, from Deenabandhu Trust, practcing vrksasana with closed eyes.

Assume vrksasana (If needed, click here to for Yoga Journal’s instructions).
Find balance with the hands folded in namaskar in front of the chest or the arms above the head (only if your shoulders remain relaxing down the back).
Now, try to find balance with the eyes closed. Hold for as long as comfortable.

Tips: Keep the abdominal muscles strongly engaged and the tailbone and lower ribs tucked in. (Avoid sticking out the butt or lower chest.)
If you’re feeling particularly unsteady, stand with the back or side body near a wall.
Remember, some days are different than others.
Keep trying, keep smiling.

Girls at Ranga Rao in padmasana (lotus pose). Setting up for matsyasana (fish pose).

Gandhi-ji in Union Square. (part of an old photo of mine)

Ahimsa, Sankskrit for non-violence, is a strong component of the ethical foundation of yoga. Non-violence, of course, is part of the moral fabric of many ethical or theological systems. The observer of ahimsa, be it in a yogic tradition or not, tries to make his or her thoughts and thus words and actions as non-injurious as possible.

Ahimsa is one of the 5 yamas, or restraints and social disciplines, that Patanjali writes about in the Yoga Sutras. The others are satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). In many ways, ahimsa is the base of each yama. We act truthfully in an effort to not harm another, just as we choose not to steal or be possessive. The observation of bramacharya requires a nurturing shift of how the body and mind are treated on a physical, emotional, and energetic level, which changes externally channeled energy.
The following aphorism from the Yoga Sutras quite directly addresses the importance of ahimsa:

Ahimsapratisthayam tatsannidhau vairatyagah (Part II, sutra 35)

B.K.S. Iyengar provides the following translation of this sutra in his work Light on the Yoga Sutras:

“When non-violence in speech, thought and action is established, one’s aggressive nature is relinquished and others abandon hostility in one’s presence.”

An enormous Buddha in a temple near Leh, Ladakh (photographed by Sophie in 2005). Ahimsa is a significant element of Buddhism.

I have been thinking about ahimsa a lot since returning to this fantastic, high energy, and sometimes stress-filled city. As I’m trying to maintain a comfortable level of mental and physical balance and flexibility, I’m realizing how invaluable yogic and other teachings on ahimsa can be. One’s calm is constantly tested in New York… the competitive environment, the rising cost of living, and the rest-defying schedules we can easily stumble into. Rush hour commutes aren’t always a cup of tea, tensions can easily mount, someone bumps into without saying excuse me, you spill coffee all over your shirt while rushing from here to there… Where’s the tipping point of losing composure? Does there even have to be one?

I was walking home from my yoga class the other day and thinking about how crucial inner ahimsa is in order to generate external ahimsa. Now that I am back in this busy environment, I am trying to find practical discipline to strengthen and nurture my mind and body. I believe this will assist my effort to make my words and actions as peaceful as possible. While I would not consider myself a particularly violent person, I sometimes catch myself releasing unnecessary and unbeneficial thoughts. I am trying to explore how I can navigate myself away from producing negative responses. To do so, I am attempting to recognize, objectively accept, and overcome potentially injurious thoughts and impulses before they surface externally. I am sure I will be tackling this goal throughout this life and beyond…Recognition of change, however, is a beginning.

Over the past few years, I have been realizing how important self-forgiveness and acceptance are, and how both go hand in hand with taking responsibility for one’s actions. I have noticed that inability to forgive myself has affected my ability to forgive others. Excessive guardedness has also inhibited my faculty to objectively process my thoughts before they materialize into actions. I am finding that being able to laugh at myself has made me better able to genuinely laugh with and not at others.

I admit that I sometimes can have a big mouth and say things that might be better left unsaid. I can forget to take that extra second (or even fraction of a second) to ask myself “Is what I am going to say necessary?” or “Is it peaceful?” It seems that the more this wise decisiveness is attempted, the more natural it becomes. The more compassionate our words and actions, the more energizing and less exerting they are.

On that note, I am realizing how important it is to find a compromise between emotional/physical consumption and exertion. A disciplined and balanced, yet still flexible, lifestyle is essential. Respecting the body by getting adequate sleep, performing moderate exercise, and maintaining a healthy diet will make us more able to observe inner and outer ahimsa. It will help generate the space needed to become more aware of the greater repercussions of our actions and how they affect the environment.
These are just a few personal thoughts on ahimsa. I wish to write more on the subject (and balancing ideals and reality) soon!
Thank you for your eyes!

Finding balance in sari. Tamil Nadu, December 2007

While we were out for a drive the other day, my mother mentioned that her physical therapist friend has been treating a rising number of patients with yoga related injuries. This brought to mind something a very wise teacher of mine once said. It was something along the lines of, “Yoga has and can never hurt me. I have only hurt myself by misusing (misunderstanding) yoga.”

Our culture can nurture an air competitiveness that sometimes drifts into unnecessary places. It can float off the streets and into yoga studios. Yoga is, has, and should never be about group competition, but instead about understanding, caring for, and enhancing the mind-body connection on an individual level. In many ways, there is no such thing as an advanced or basic posture. As H. David Coulter states in his book The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, “Practicing with total attention within the body is advanced yoga, no matter how easy the posture; practicing with your attention scattered is the practice of a beginner, no matter how difficult the posture.” The more I progress in my study of yoga, the more wonderfully complex the poses I once considered “basic” become. I am always realizing subtleties I never knew existed.

I grew up in a quite competitive environment. When I began practicing yoga in high school, this mindset followed me onto the mat. Over time, however, I have found that yoga has helped me become less insecurely competitive with those around me and more honestly able to embrace and develop the skills within me.

Yoga is about constructing sturdy foundations by working with the available resources. Each individual has a different comfort zone and set of limitations that should always be respected. Yogasanas are about building and nurturing physical and, as a result, mental stability in a slow and controlled manner. By listening to your mind and body and staying within the framework of your limitations, your asana practice will certainly flourish. This will spill over into other aspects of life.

Blind girls practicing yoga at the Ranga Rao School for Visual Impaired Girls in Mysore, Karnataka, South India. Photographed by Sophie in August 2006.

In his work, the Yoga Sutras, the great Sanskrit sage Patanjali mentions asana in just 3 of the 196 aphorisms. (The performance of asana is just one small [yet very important] component of the path of ashtanga and hatha yoga. Asanas are intended to help purify the body and mind in order to prepare for seated meditation.) In this brief sutra, Patanjali sums up so much:

sthira sukham asanam

or

Steady and comfortable posture/seat

By working towards finding this composure in every asana, we can more easily carry this groundedness off the mat.

Embrace and love your practice as it is today and everyday. Find a practical balance between fearfulness and fearlessness while still respecting your limits. Remember each day is different.

One more note- Many yoga injuries occur during transitions from one pose into another. Remember to maintain control and comfort as you flow from one asana into the next. Allow the breath to guide you.

Honor your body, be aware of the climate. Sophie in Borovoy, Kazakhstan, March 2007.

Sundar assisting me with tittibhasana in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, North India in 2005. (a slightly blurry photo…)

Performing the same arm balance at Deenabandhu in March of 2008.

©Sophie Herbert, 2008, as to writing and images.

It is refreshing to report that each time I return to New York after a few months away, the city seems to be greener and more eco-aware. While progress is still confined in very specific places, such as the farmers market, organic restaurants, and health food stores, the fact there is a notable transformation is comforting. Of course, we still have a long way to go.

At first, I thought this post would be most appropriate on Earth Day, but realized that it is important and fitting for everyday. I just wanted to re-enforce some age-old wisdom: It’s the small things that add up.
There are so many simple ways of being more environmentally friendly in your everyday life. These small actions, when practiced by many, can and will have a tremendously beneficial effect on the environment. Over the past few years, I have been trying to be greener. I’m realizing how easy, stress-free, and rewarding it can be.
Here are a few small reminders about how to continue to make your life greener and a few links to wonderful eco-concerned sites.

1.Unplug and Conserve.
- When you aren’t charging your mobile phone or computer, unplug the charger. According to the European Commission, if 10 percent of the world’s cell phone owners unplugged their phones/ chargers, energy consumption would be reduced by an amount equivalent to that used by 60,000 European homes per year.

2. Carpool or Take Public Transportation as much as possible.
You’ll save a lot of money on gas, too.

3. Use Cloth Shopping Bags.
- Remember to bring a cloth bag to the store. Fortunately, some stores across the country (such as Whole Foods) are discontinuing the distribution of plastic bags. If everyone did this, we’d reduce plastic bag use by many billions

4. Be an Eco-Smart Consumer
- Purchase products packaged with biodegradable material (such as starch & recycled paper)
- If you are buying a product packaged in plastic, try to choose the most homogenous form of packaging. For example, choose a shampoo bottle made from one type of material versus a mix of plastics and paper labeling. The latter often can’t be recycled
- Try to purchase eco-friendly cleaning products. Remind yourself that hints of what you dump down the drain often ends up back in your drinking water.
- Don’t take plastic utensils unless you absolutely need them.
- Reuse food containers if possible

5. Sort Your Waste
- Recycle – Find out about your local recycling & deposit program. Reuse what you can. Donate what you don’t want.

6. Conserve Water
-Be more conscious of how long you spend in the shower and if you use extra water when washing dishes.

<<< Holy bathing ghat in Nasik, Maharasthra, India, July 2007

Here are a few links to wonderful, environmentally aware sites:
National Geographic’s Green Guide magazine’s website:
www.thegreenguide.com

A great online green guide with links to hundreds of other green sites:
www.treehugger.com

Body & Soul magazine’s website. They have a great new section on Green Living:
www.wholeliving.com

Not so natural sunset over New Jersey. Taken from Hudson River Park. May of 2007