BarefootAndUpsideDown

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 31, 2008

YOGA     yoke of body and mind, connection to earth and sky, sun and moon, a stretch, a meeting of edges, growth, this moment and this, inverting the usual–body, thought, reality, a twisting into life, into truth, a transformation, an opening, a deepening, a long draught of air, a bending in many planes of [...]

Category: Poetry | 1 Comment »
Tags: awareness, equanimity, poem, timeless, union, yoga

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 25, 2008

For most of my life, I’ve worn a frown. There have been times when people have suggested I smile more often. Even strangers stab at my *frown.*  One glorious fall afternoon when the chill breeze felt as crisp as the falling leaves, I was walking home from my daycare job in Ann Arbor, MI. Some [...]

Category: Life | 3 Comments »
Tags: dancing, happiness, happy people dancing, practice, smiling

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 20, 2008

INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS Here is a brief introduction to mindfulness by the Nobel Laureate and Peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh: Thich Nhat Hanh: Intro. to Mindfulness And if you’d like a further introduction to mindfulness, here is an excellent video with Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is about an hour long, including explanatory remarks, some guided meditation, [...]

Category: Meditation | No Comments »
Tags: awareness, Jon Kabat Zinn, Meditation, mindfulness, sleep, Thich Nhat Hanh

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 19, 2008

It’s Victorian Dazzle Days in Fredonia and I stumbled upon these two girls raising money for Rural Ministry. What a wonderful take on the lemonade stand! It was a hot day and the juice was absolutely refreshing as M. and I walked home from the Farmer’s Market and the events (Croxton’s historical puppet show, Civil [...]

Category: Life | No Comments »
Tags: community, compassion, rural ministry

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 15, 2008

Welcome to Elder Yoga, where relaxation is held in high esteem. It’s a time for folks to laugh about whatever ails them, while gently stretching and strengthening their bodies. Seniors come to learn techniques to bolster the healing process. Every student learns to work with and respect the unique body-mind-spirit that is their abode and [...]

Category: Elder Yoga, breathwork, yoga | No Comments »
Tags: balance, breathwork, class, elders, relaxation, strength, stretching, yoga

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 12, 2008

CENTERING When I sit in meditation and focus on my breath….that is “normal” breath at that point…I find the simple act of being there, the act of sitting coupled with watching the breath in its daily tides….that action brings me almost immediately into a meditative space….it’s a different consciousness…an internal realm of existence that I [...]

Category: Meditation | No Comments »
Tags: bliss, centering, conscious breathing, Meditation, pema chodron

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 9, 2008

There is an entire field out there called Positive Psychology–hey, somebody is finally catching on to what yogis and meditators have been saying for, oh, a couple thousand years. There are actions you can take, things you can say, and ways you can think that WILL train you to live with more happiness. By now [...]

Category: Life, Meditation, yoga | 1 Comment »
Tags: doczone, happiness, Meditation, Positive Psychology, unhappy, yoga

carolyn aka LaughingYogini | July 3, 2008

Thinking about little yogini’s comment regarding tips for young practitioners, I realized that probably the biggest challenge for younger ones is their ability to stay in a pose, mostly because of shorter attention spans. And as every parent and teacher knows, building attention spans is easier said than done. Fortunately, yoga is an excellent way [...]

Category: yoga | No Comments »
Tags: asana, endurance, Iyengar, Schiffmann, teaching, yoga, youngsters