poetry

Two wild dogs inside us dwell
Eternally at war
A good dog and another one
Rotten to the core
We ponder which might win the fight
And occupy the host
The answer simply has to be
The one you feed the most

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Original poetry by Aaron Hoopes, inspired by an old Native American tale.

The Key

Recently I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the idea of living in a state of happiness and peace. The world is a hectic and stressful place and if we don’t allow ourselves time to cultivate our inner calm we set ourselves up for conflict and pain. When there is too much anger and unhappiness things fall out of balance. In order to restore the balance we need to start by looking inward.

How do we do this?

Imagine a door. This door is deep within us. Behind that door lies the potentiality of perfection. It is based in love and formed out of joy and happiness for all things. When the door is open we glimpse the vistas of unending possibilities based on living in the present moment. Sadly, for many people this door is often locked. The weight of obligations, stresses of life and a lack of care for personal wellbeing conspire to keep it sealed tight. We find ourselves banging on the door with no way to open it.

Now, imagine a key. This key is also within us. It is the key that fits the lock on the door. This key is the vital energy of the universe. We can use this key to unlock the door. Unfortunately, access to the key can be a problem. As with real life, keys can be lost or misplaced. Sometimes the key becomes so rusty that it won’t even fit into the lock. Maybe we have too many keys and spend all our time trying to figure out which one fits the lock. In frustration, as a last resort, we might use a paperclip to try and pick the lock.

What we really need to do is to take better care of our key. If we can put the key in a safe place and keep it free of rust and grime we can then use it whenever we need it to open the door and reach that place of happiness and joy.

How do we do this?

As with most things, it starts with breathing. (You really didn’t think I was talking about anything else, did you?) Every so often we need to slow down and take a deep breath. Not a big puff into the chest, but a deep abdominal breath that fills the body up from the belly. The breath is our connection to the energy. It brings us into the present moment and aligns our mind with our body. From there we can begin to explore the other things we need to do to connect with our selves.

Remember to Breathe!

The Flow

The flow of life can sometimes be an overwhelming experience. Like trying to sail upon a tumultuous ocean, we can get caught up in the torrent, unable to navigate effectively. We end up getting tossed about this way and that. At times we feel as if we are about to capsize while other times we may seem adrift in the world, lost in the vastness of existence. Too often we fight against the flow. We attempt to stop it or seek to change its direction, yet all we end up doing is flailing about looking for an alternative to drowning.

Fighting against the flow is not the answer. Instead of looking around for a way to stop or redirect the current, the key is to turn inwards and adjust our rudder. If we allow ourselves to be carried along with the flow we can eventually reach our destination. If we view everything that happens to us as an opportunity to learn and grow then we begin to generate positive energy. It is possible to go where we want to go but it requires harmony within the body and a calm presence of mind.

When we start to take care of ourselves we become aware of the flow and eventually realize that the flow was going in the right direction the whole time. When we aren’t taking care of the body or the mind is full of hectic thoughts we tend to try to force things to happen. We fight against the natural movement of the universe. We seek answers everywhere but within. This is a sure way to confusion and difficulty. Let us learn to move with the current, adjusting our rudder as necessary.

Life should be a dancing adventure.

Breathe the energy.
Move the body.
Calm the mind.

Adjust your rudder and go with the flow.

Zen Yoga Vermont Retreat

Breathe - Move - Relax

Meditate by a waterfall in the peaceful mountains of Vermont

May 30th - June 1st, 2008

PROGRAM:

Deep Journey - Shanti Yoga: Tuning into the rhythms of the body and stretching deeper and more fully. Opening the hips, shoulders and back.

Moving Meditation - Tai Chi: Introduction to the basics of Tai Chi movement. Flowing energy movement and mindful awareness.

Dynamic Energy - Zen Crane Qigong: Introduction to the basic Zen Crane breathing & moving forms. Raising energy levels in the body and circulation.

Touching Nature- Meditation: Exploration of various methods of meditation in a variety of special settings

Shamanic Drumming Circle & Traditional Releasing Ceremony: (with Michael Denmeade Shaman of Lakota & Yama Bushi Traditions)

Prepare to feel wonderful!

more information: www.artofzenyoga.com/retreat.htm

Annoying People

Great spiritual masters often recommend that their students embrace the presence of those who they find annoying. The theory being that the annoying person reflects their own short comings and gives them an opportunity to look deeper at their own lives.

Easy to say, however the ability to remain centered and aware when we feel uncomfortable with someone is much more difficult than doing so when we are in the presence of those who we feel at ease with. But the truth is that we have an opportunity to cultivate both patience and acceptance when we are around people we find annoying. These qualities are vital to our spiritual growth. Annoyance can be an important teacher and our way of dealing with it can be an indicator of the progress we are making on our journey.

There are always going to be people and situations that we cannot control. The way we respond to these experiences reflects our spiritual development and mastery over our own lives.

Try to be a little more accepting of those around you. It smoothes the edges of life. When someone is really getting on your nerves...breathe deep and long until you settle back into yourself and can deal with the situation with mindful awareness.

in peace,
Aaron

Zen Yoga OnFitness

Check out the new issue of OnFitness Magazine. (march/april)

Zen Yoga: Get Your Energy Flowing is on the cover!

I've got four pages with my article The Long Stretch and a whole series of great photos.

OnFitness is considered the #1 magazine for personal trainers. Available at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other bookstores.

http://www.onfitnessmag.com/current_issue.htm

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Hoitsugan Seminars III

Well, I've finally been able to process all of the photos from the Hoitsugan Seminars III. The gallery of photos I've put up is here.

www.artofzenyoga.com/gallery2.htm

The Seminars were a fantastic experience. They took place on the campus of De Anza College in Silicon Valley, California. We had over 115 attendees with 45 different classes to participate in, taught by some of the best karate instructors in the world. The Hoitsugan Seminars are truly blazing a new path in traditional karate training. www.hoitsugan.com

Bringing Zen Yoga to the Seminars has been very gratifying. The response to the breathing & movement practice as a supplement to hard-style training is fantastic. The philosophy is perfectly suited to people looking to deepen their martial arts study.

in peace,
Aaron