Notes on Judith Lasater training

Reading from Tuesday and Wednesday, May 7 and 8, 2013 yoga classes

I had the wonderful experience of taking a 5 day workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio with Judith Lasater.  This is the second workshop I have attended with Judith, the first being my restorative training in May 2012.  She is a wonderfully intuitive lady, outstanding yoga teacher and incredibly kind lady.  What I like most about Judith is that she is SO approachable and so real.  I tend to put people on pedestals, especially when I really admire them, adore them because of the work they do, or the things they believe in and put into practice by living their lives authentically.

Here are some of my notes from the workshop:

"The problem is you think you have time."--Buddha

Don't waste time...set your course.  We practice because of the things are are difficult. 

Feelings versus the reactions to those feelings.   Feelings are felt in the belly.  Reactions are felt in your head.  Feelings change all the time.  The work we have to do is our reactions to our feelings, BUT we have to FEEL our feelings.  If we shut down one thing, we shut down everything...we burden ourselves by pushing away the bad/sad/negative/hard feelings.  When we feel our feelings they spill out onto the people who are a part of our lives...at home, at work, in our professions.  When we cling to our feelings, we suffer.  We need to create SPACE between feelings and our reactions to them...if you cling to your reactions, you suffer. 

Be with the feeling, no matter how hard it is...it will transform you.  

Don't decide for other people what they feel.

You are not responsible for what other people feel.

Occupy your entire space while you are in a yoga pose.

When you place your fingertips on the mat or on a block, you are telling yourself that the pose is not finished.   (this is SO good... think about it!!!???)

When we sit quietly at the beginning of a yoga class, it is not necessarily to be calm, but to notice how you are in that present moment.

Being disciplined is being consistent. 

Judith told us to do three things... Tell the truth, Tell the truth, Tell the truth. 

"No" is a complete sentence. 

And my favorite:   "Stay in your own hoola hoop."

The theme of the workshop was One True Thing.  She had us list our ten highest values.  Here's my list:

1. Kindness
2. Trust
3. Determination
4. Perserverance
5. Truthfulness
6. Acceptance
7. Love
8. Authenticity
9. Humility
10. Passion

More to come next week.