El Portal and Yosemite Community Yoga

February Teaching Schedule

Wednesday, February 2nd 6:00-7:15 Schuyler Greenleaf

Monday, February 7th 5:45-7:00 Liesa Scholze
Wednesday, February 9th 6:00-7:15 Arin Trook

Monday, February 14th 5:45-7:00 Jennie Wheeler
Wednesday, February 16th 6:00-7:15 Arin Trook

Monday, February 21st 5:45-7:00 Heather Sullivan
Wednesday, February 23rd, 6:00-7:15 Karma Yoga with Schuyler

Monday, February 28th 5:45-7:00 Jennie Wheeler

John Muir Was a Yogi

John Muir was a yogi. No doubt about it—wandering solo through the wild sierras, mystical contemplation of the light and life of Yosemite Valley, sinking deeply into the prana of place. Just like the wandering sadhus of India, the dreadlocked forest mystics of India that have given up family and social ties to focus on a deeper yoga practice, John Muir was a spiritual seeker of the forest as well. “The clearest way into the Universe,” says Muir, “is through a forest wilderness.”

OK, so I can’t say as I have ever seen photos of John Muir sitting it the lotus seat of padmasana. I do, however, believe Mr. Muir’s quest for mindful living practices, for deep connection with the wild world, his dedication to social and environmental work for the benefit of all living beings—these are all manifestations of enlightened spiritual practice.

Looking again to Muir’s writing, we find his yogi philosophy strong in the oft quoted reflection, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything in the universe.” The original root word yoga is most easily translated from Sanskrit as “union”. And is this core concept of union, of yoga, not at the core of what Muir is saying ? He was on a life-long path to unite with this magical place, Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Muir described Yosemite Valley many times as a “temple” and the backcountry of the Sierras his “church”. Again I am reminded of the very essence of contemplative practice in Muir’s famous words, "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."

It is with this in mind that we continue our work here at Balanced Rock. Whether leading a backcountry climb of Mount Hoffman or tapping away at the keys of this computer, we strive towards the cultivation of mindfulness in all of our daily practices. We work to reawaken the deep union (or yoga) of all living beings, to use creative expression, like Muir’s words here, to share insights and inspire connection. Although they are big shoes to fill, we do see ourselves walking the same path as Muir, working in the next generation of Muir’s lineage.

We joke at times about our mission here at Balanced Rock being “world peace”. Although this may seem an overly grand vision for a group of backcountry yogis and yoginis, there is some truth in this joke. We live in a world that is in need of support and healing. The first step in our process of restoration and reconciliation begins inside us—learning to reconnect with our own selves, lost often in the buzz and busy-ness of modern life. Only from a calm and complete space can we venture forth to sculpt the world we wish to with, in peace and health and harmony.

At the core of what we are doing here at Balanced Rock is our mission to reawaken and foster deep connection with the wild world. We believe that the combination of immersion in the wild world with the exploration of contemplative practices is a key developing this connection. If we are to address some of the deep-seeded social and environmental issues of our age, we must go at this with our whole selves. It is not enough to be educated in the facts and scientific foundations of global climate change (although this is important). The cultural and social evolution (or revolution) that is needed, must engage us not just in the mind, but in the body, emotion, and spirit of each individual. At Balanced Rock we are working to open our hearts to the great growing world.

Yoga and Ecology by Dennis Eagan

This excellent article comes by way of Balanced Rock instructor and WildYoga founder Dennis Eagan. For more information on Dennis, visit his website at www.wildyoga.com or see Dennis' Balanced Rock trip, "Energies of Nature."

Yoga and ecology both stem from the same seed: the awareness that all things are entwined in a single sacred web. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word, yug, meaning to join together. It refers to the integration of the body-mind and its union with the divine, but yoga also speaks to our connection to the energy field that sustains us. Every being inhabiting this planet represents a sutra or thread in the vast, complex tapestry we call the biosphere.

Both yoga and ecology are by their very nature sustainable practices. Sustainability is the conscious management of an ecosystem to insure that system’s productivity and resilience to disturbance are both maintained. In other words, how much can be harvested (think energy here) from that environment without upsetting its ability to bounce back from the physical challenges imposed upon it.

Many schools of yoga expound on the merits of blood, sweat, and tears as a means to ascend the mountain of enlightenment, but the emphasis on one’s dedication to practice or tapasya should not be confused with burning calories or profuse sweating. Too much effort leads to an unbalanced practice. An excess of heat and perspiration can leave us dehydrated and low on electrolytes, compromising our energy reserves or productivity, and leaving us more susceptible to colds and flu, less resilient.

Balance has always been the keystone of yoga. In a balanced practice, surrender equals effort, or as we say in yoga, Isvara pranidana merges with tapas. Then the physical body feels restored and rejuvenated after a yoga practice, and the mind is cool and calm; both productivity and resilience are maintained.

Life throws many stressors at us that can weaken the body-mind connection and disrupt the flow of the life force. A well-balanced yoga practice helps us face the challenges of aging, fighting off a virus, maintaining a family and career, and living in a world often dominated by fear.

The most productive and resilient ecosystems are also the ones with the most diversity. Though much of the focus on yoga in America is on asana practice, yoga provides a diverse curriculum with seven other limbs to ground and stabilize our practice. Living the precepts of the yamas and niyamas, pranayama, and the meditative aspects of yoga are all necessary for a well-integrated practice.

Ecology is the study of the energy flow between organisms and their environment. Yoga is an energy practice that promotes conservation of energy (the true yoga master is aware of each and every breath) and pratyahara or self- study. Look deep enough inside and we see that all things are indeed connected. In the words of Laura Cornell, founder of the Green Yoga Association, “Yoga is Ecology.”

Dennis Eagan
Wild Yoga
PO Box 304
Coloma, CA 95613
(530) 626-6353
www.wildyoga.com

Yosemite Wilderness Wellness Expeditions for Low-income Californians

Help support Balanced Rock's wilderness wellness program initiative! Balanced Rock is in the running to receive a $50,000 grant from Pepsi to support a series of 10 trips this summer focused on supporting wellness for low-income Californians. These programs include our established Women of Color Backpack, our local Mariposa County Yosemite Youth Expedition, as well as open up the opportunity to provide programs for survivors of domestic violence, Central Valley youth outreach programs, and other new program initiatives.

What you can do to help:

1. Vote! Go to this website: http://www.refresheverything.com/yosemite and vote. You can vote up to 10 times each day--the projects with the top 10 vote counts win. We are in the $50,000 category under "Heath".

2. Send an email to family and friends and encourage them to vote as well.

3. If you are on Facebook or Twitter, post this information and encourage friends to vote.

This could be a wonderful opportunity for the Balanced Rock community to support a wide range of people who would otherwise not have an opportunity to experience the beauty, magic, and healing powers of Yosemite.