3/13/25 Live Session Recording (Module 6)

I appreciated the vulnerability that led the live, being able to express a lot of truths we share but, a the same time try to hide them. I love how Liz and Tesah recognized how our emotions guide a lot of these behaviors and how even the way we perceive acceptable behaviors different than those labeled as harmful.For example, last week our company had a meeting at all locations via zoom and the CEO in NY addressed those who are at that facility to not smell like marijuana during work hours. He made it seem like the smell was offensive to coworkers. Immediately I felt enraged because that was discrimination. I emailed HR about it and put it in a nice way that nicotine (third hand smoke) was offensive too. That there can’t be one prejudice against one type of smoke. HR responded with the truth, it was because one “impaired”  and the other didn’t. For me it wasn’t about the smoke itself. It was the fact that this, predominately “white” setting was unaware that they may be in fact racially discriminating against the races who are more known for using marijuana. Not only that how can a place of employment assume and impairment based on a substance use when we are all impaired and make mistakes under stress,sickness, or simply rushing. How does nicotine not effect people as well? It does effect moods and behaviors of people. I looked up the NY laws and felt relief knowing I was on the right track and the state did not support the company’s view point and didn’t bother emailing HR back. I printed my email and am silently waiting for them to have a lawsuit on their hands. Now knowing what I know brings my awareness even deeper to where I can be of true service. I am grateful for these opportunities to recognize what mindfulness truly is and use it to help myself and others. Thank you Jen for sharing this section “Pursuit of Balance” in such and eye opening and brave way. And like Julianna I am drawn to helping men in prison and am so excited to piece together sequences and explore chair movements. Watching the movement of the ball socket joints is incredible. Just sacs filled with fluid. It really brings a deeper meaning to how our bodies are designed and its purpose. I love studying the lay of vibration, energy, matter and how everything is made up of so many similar components but its our energy and vibration that sets us apart. I appreciate all you share with us in this space. I didn’t take notes as there was a lot of things coming up so I chose to use my time in a different way. To think of this poem and all the daffodils that are blooming in places that I love so much. “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought:For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.

I too, also loved the vulnerability during this live session. One vibration that resonated with me was "Human's are easy to control if you think you need everything outside yourself." I think this is beautiful because it made me think about how most of us are conditioned to seek help outside ourselves to fulfill our needs. At least for me, my first instinct is to seek something outside of myself, so this really resonated with me. 

Hello! I've been having trouble understanding the time changes on either the lecture and the Live Session this week... is it possible to say what time it will happen in US or that it has started, so I can adapt to my timezone pls? I'm really confused and I always love and wish to be present online.

So I wasn't online in the first 1hr of the live session and want to comment on this.

I really love how the group is so open about parts of their lives, how it's shared and how much knowledge and wisdom they bring as well as how rich this is, leading myself to really wonder about these topics and about each and everyone's journey. Made me really reflect upon how the system we are inserted in uses it's foundation about human beings not being enough as they are so that they can consume and drift, letting the system " take care " and " control " all of us, robbing us from experiencing things as they are for us in the moment. And this is reflected in all areas of the most basic needs, may it be healing, therapy, exercise, wellness, food, learning - skills, home, sleep, whatever, all the most basic needs are transformed into products and are in constant “ evolution “ which is really just consumerism and what capitalism is. I really believe that all of the humanness most natural ways of living and progress in life - as spiritual and physical beings that we are, is distorted into making us think that society is in progress, is constantly working on evolution. But not in a way that serves humanity but in a way that serves capitalism, constantly taking us away from finding our center or making it very challenging to find our balance, where the true evolution happens. But maybe that’s where true evolution is? All of us seeking balance in numerous ways, whatever they might be, might lead us to a stronger sense of self knowledge and powerful communities and collective progress?

I really love the shares, Darnell from observing the triggers x cookie pattern, Alejandro from loving all parts as they are, whether not indulging or indulging without judgement but rather observation and Liz from speaking so true about how emotions / memories that are learnt upon a certain habit, whether healthy or not x what our culture defines as being good and normal and the dangers of identification that can come with it. I mean, I come from a culture that indulges in alcohol, celebrates wine culture, indulges in food, a lot of mean, animal suffering in the name of “tradition” and strong emotions, considered “ latin “ regarding what love is and how it’s felt. But I find that we need to question more, how does this make me feel? Like how Drew quoted from a quote, feeling in our bodies? I really believe that our bodies speak the truth.

Being excessive is considered normal in our world, is part of society, of capitalism, to consume. Consuming is like breathing and has become part of us, humans, like an extra limb. All these mass creation, is it necessary? What about going back to the basics? I believe is where our true guiding inner voice is, clearing the noise, allowing us to move towards our purpose, which peels away layers, bringing us towards our authentic freedom - which btw I believe is always there for us, at anytime in our lives.

Having became a status, but what does it bring? Not having is considered less, below societies expectations and poor living. When life, nature, animals shows us the opposite, less is more, can you own nothing but live with it? Our system is already created in such an independent way, our bodies and minds, are complete as they are. But I believe, like everything, whether the “ worlds progress “, technology and this fast pace way of living that generates all sorts of dis eases, de pression - dis connection leads us to realise that we are living un naturally. And hopefully more and more humans realise and find ways that brings us into our most true natural center, our universal source, a place we all aim and hope to be and share consciously and physically.

@jc Just sharing a timezone resource that may be helpful- https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/

For this week, The Tuesday guest lecture will be 11am EST / 2pm GMT-1 and our Thursday session will be at 3pm EST / 6pm GMT-1. 

@jen-lindgren Thank you!

Brahmacharya was (predictability) the branch of yoga philosophy that caused the heaviest stir of emotions for me. The majority of my trauma stems from the many substance addictions in my family and the web of pain that it caused throughout my life. I've been aware of excess and how it can break apart relationships for as far back as I can remember. I would even argue that I was for many years caught up in a perception that excess was the inherent part of life (the unavoidable shadow) and that personal agency was only applicable in certain areas of life. This branch of brahmacharya, specifically in the greater conversations beyond just sex, feels empowering, loving, and a bridge between myself and meeting my world (and the people in it) exactly where it is at in its journey of letting excess go. 

The conversation about addiction as a disease or choice is SUPER interesting to me and I've studied this concept for many years academically. I was blown away by how far back this debate goes and especially how engrained this conversation is to early America, consumerism, and the progression of health care. I highly recommend picking up the book The Urge: Our History of Addiction by Carl Erik Fisher. It is a wonderful conversation about the history of addiction studies, addiction language, addiction portrayal in media, drug policy, and so much more. 

I had to leave before the hips and shoulders were discussed. (sorry)

I'm amazed at the complexity of the hips and shoulders. So many parts: bones, tendons, cartridges, joints, bursa, nerves, blood vessels, arteries, ligaments, and muscles. The fact that they all combine to allow us to walk and move is impressive. 

I appreciate the advice not to do many weight-bearing moves using the shoulders until we get to know our participants better, as the shoulders are not usually a weight-bearing area of the body. 

YTT Module 6

Stanley is cracking me up from the get go! Safe travels to Columbia! Thanks for everyone sharing their definition of excesses they noticed in their lives. Food is a strange addiction for so many of us. It is a desire to fill something we think we are missing. Great to notice this in all of us!
Love the comparison of Brahmacharya to the “Giving Tree”. It helps us find our contentment without giving all of our selves away or taking too much.
If something is hard to digest it might be too much.
Brahmacharya helps us with our strength in resilience. It helps us to find happiness in creating less harm for ourselves and others.
Cycle of Addiction can be anything that gives you joy. It will give your brain a sense of intoxication and we long for that enjoyment and we have to experience withdrawal when that “intoxicant” is removed.
We need to know our threat and reward centers. This helps us be the one in control and brings awareness to what we are actually doing and why.
Interesting Brahmacharya discussion about what excess means to each of us. As Jen says, we all have a very different definition of what excess is and how that might harm us.
I liked Katie’s idea of are we addicted to privilege or addicted to the power of privilege. Our individuality is being stolen by consumerism and keeping up with the Jones, all you can eat. Great learning about the Super fund sites. The 6th Extinction is so sad.
I agree with Alex that people are doing the best they can with what they have. Thank you. We all fail and not intentionally. If we look through the eyes of love for all it is easier to see our excesses and also forgive others for their excesses and imperfections as we want them to be.
I very much enjoy the great anatomy slides and well spoken video that helps us to better understand the complexity of the hip. Excited for our sequencing guides we will get prior to graduation!

This section really spoke to me as I quit my old job in retail because the unnecessary excess and lack of Brahmacharya gave me anxiety.... I turned my life around after that to embrace minimalism and try to only take what I need and became hyperaware of when I was consuming more especially with food and items. But I have not taken this a step further to non tactical things like overconsuming empathy or media, or guilt which I was not aware of. I am excited to go home and journal about what I overconsume in my life!! 

Great visuals on the anatomy stuff its so cool to see what we are capable of 🙂 

I thought excess was my best friend (get more, do more, be more, more more). Some of that was born from growing up in lack, some of it came from using things to fix what trauma had broken in me, and some it was from the desire to paint a pretty external picture of my life (hoping you wouldn't look beyond all the things). Reflecting on last week's lessons, I know now that excess is actually a thief.

The sequence for hips and shoulder mobility is super helpful. When I practiced frequently in large studio classes, my hips and shoulders were always sore and sometimes injured.  At this time in my own practice and how I hope to teach in the future, mobility and even (mercy) are my goals. I am excited to do this practice this weekend. I also appreciate Jen verbally walking through the practice and offering invitation into different variations of poses, especially with regard to cat cow. I love cat cow but it can be uncomfortable in certain settings, especially when I teach children's yoga. 

Hi all, sad to have missed this live session, it was a great topic, and I could relate to it in a lot of ways. I think excess for me has looked like filling up the calendar, multitasking at times which can take a toll mentally/physically/emotionally. I have found myself at times in the past taking on a lot of responsibilities which was in excess which then led me to a path of burning out. I think it's common for the field of social work because there is so much need that you can always take more on which can feel helpful in the moment but then lead to an excess of tasks/responsibilities/worries. Currently I am working on this, and it is still challenging for me because usually the things I am interested in give me energy, but I have found out for myself that it's not sustainable. In the last few months, I find myself slowing down, keeping weekends simple, and being ok with doing less. 

I really heard folks with their shares talk about eating/addiction as excess, I have recently been working on looking at my eating habits and realized that I was at times over-taking food due to cultural/family habits and a history of comfort eating/eating when stressed as others had mentioned as well. For me, just being able to identify what is happening, checking in with myself to see what I actually need and slowing down has helped me bring a little more balance for some of the excess that I can create in my life. 

Hips and shoulders! These are the places that are imbalanced and tight for me and as I have been doing more yoga/crossfit/other fitness it's been great to explore, notice, and start to see if I can bring more awareness to these places to bring about an increase in stability and relaxation. It's helpful for me to have these areas that are more challenging so that I can possibly relate to others that might also have some tension/holding in these areas as well. 

Happy Sunday PYP January 2025 Cohort -  Another WOW! on a powerful session of sharing...the courage and bravery that I experience from each of you is so inspiring.  I am also aware of how now that we are generally halfway through this course that the sharing is so much more alive and open.  I makes me think about how when I first start to facilitate healing-informed yoga that the first class may be more quiet and that openness and exploration will come in time, but, e even as I write that, I realize that I am already started to "attach" to what the first class will be like vs. just letting it go and Let it Be. Brahmacharya continues to be a constant theme throughout this last month and, given my increased awareness, I am noticing it more in my daily actions and Life.  I am especially aware of the excess of my multi-tasking and how that excess is "stealing" the opportunities for other mind, body and spirit connections from service to myself and others.  I just finished Module 9 this morning so I am feeling the concept of Santosha being integrated here and opening myself up to a personal path towards My Truth, my Contentment here and is is bring up feelings of healing for myself.  I am truly grateful for the way this course is providing a path for this embodied healing here as it is bring up past memories of childhood (both positive and challenging ones), my 10+ years in therapy and how all of those experiences are still informing my Present daily behaviors, thoughts and actions.  As I can take the edge of the excesses in my Life, it can open up more opportunities for my True Self to shine.  What I have taken away from many of the topics here, everyone's shares and discussions is the concept of "Moderation of the Senses" (at least that is the way I wrote it down) and that one of my excess is also negative self-talk.  The self-awareness around all of this is really a powerful experience for me and what I have noticed is that the sequencing of the healing-centered approach has allowed me to have these reactions but then take a pause and ask myself about my own Energy Awareness, then I do some range of emotions and I can feel my energy start to shift and then I take a pause again.  All this has allowed me to appreciate the "waves" that this approach is taking and the actual experience that participants might be feelings during a yoga session.  Namaste to you all!      

I've really appreciated the mindfulness exercises we’ve done throughout this course—they’ve had a meaningful impact on how I approach and think about certain concepts in my daily life. My areas of excess include screen time/social media, relationships, ruminating thoughts, shopping, and food. One quote from this session that really resonated with me was, "You are complete and whole, nothing is needed." It's a beautiful sentiment that challenges the constant pull of consumerism in our society. I also loved the quote, "It’s not eating the cookie; it’s making cookies for everyone."

I found the discussion on how addiction affects the brain—particularly the cycle of intoxication, withdrawal, and anticipation—very insightful. The idea that “if you are happy, consumerism is dead” really stuck with me as well.

The hip and shoulder sequence template was also helpful; it gave me great ideas for warming up these areas to promote better mobility. I made a note to use seated cat/cow instead of tabletop and to avoid tabletop poses when facilitating yoga in prisons.

Never to late to do my reflection :)) 

I missed this session live being with family in Romania, but so needed to hear and learn about Brahmacharya (Non-Excess)- having it broken down to so many way we can have excess in our lives, especially the one that society deems as acceptant. Things that stood up for me:

- Brahmacharya (Non-Excess)- overall is something/anything that takes us away from the present moment. 

- the different examples, things that resonated with me in that moment was exercise- having practiced gymnastics professionally and bodybuilding as an adult and seeing the excess of exercise, diet to the point of burnout, exhaustion, isolation from friends or family because of tunnel vision and being focused, no distractions 

-television- having binged watched Law and order episodes because I needed to finish the season, release of dopamine maybe, being emersed in someone elses story which takes me away from my present moment- needing to feel something. 

-food- using that a lot in the past to numb, comfort eat, eat my feelings because I didn't have the tools to self regulate, name my feelings and understand them, sit with them

- multitasking- getting some chemical release in my brain when I do it, being on high alert, busy in my mind and body- survival mode- cortisol high, again feels addictive and/or familiar

- support/involvement tying in with non-stealing- not giving others the chance to find their own way, finding the balance from helping, being of service and controlling, wanting other to be different, passing judgments- giving so much to others that I forget about myself in the process

shopping/more things- this was was a big one for a long time, not having much growing up has given me that sense of not having enough, lacking. Consumerism had a big play too and society, culture and upbringing- seeing that the value of people was placed on how many things they had. In the present moment after years of trying to have less and failing and buying more, things are shifting and I am slowly letting go of things that I don't need and buying a lot less. Very happy with the progress. 

romantic relationships/friendships- "I need this person in my life"- that stood out as my teenage self and young adult, I developed really unhealthy ideas and expectations from a relationship, very co-dependent- luckily I have found 12 step recovery and been in CODA for the last 8 years. My life and relationships have changed so much as a result. 

I really liked the thing to check in the future: Is it harmful to my mind or my anatomy?  a pause

Other things that I took from the recording and stood out for me:

Consumerism is dead if we are happy- so so felt that, capitalism and society today want us to be soo disconnected from ourselves and each other, to live in wanting more all the time, comparing ourselves and never feel like good enough. 

On the flip side- the balance and moderation. There is enough for everyone. I feel this sooo deeply. There is enough of everything, land, food, money, clothes, anything we need to live a comfortable life for everyone on this planet right now, yet some have so much excess and others have nothing 🙁 The excess is killing the environment, our planet and us. 

The superfund sites was an eye opener- didn't know about it, but it didn't come as a surprise what it was decided to be built on those lands. 

On a positive note- I loved how yoga can be linked to all of this and how the pieces are coming together in trying to unite us back to us and the planet- Honest opportunities for everyone, non excess and finding that balance. 

The hips and shoulders videos were so helpful to see that our human bodies are extraordinary, the make up of it and that there is so much going on in those areas. Having suffered from sciatica pain and feeling that so deep into my leg, buttock, and spine, affecting my daily activities, life and mental health- the pain was most likely a response to stress, burn out, body shutting down and signaling to me that something needs to be done. I had to listen to it. 

Thank you for an amazing recording and discussions on this subject.