What you're seeking is seeking you.

Handcuffs. Translation: Handcuffs. Meaning: Law Justice Boundaries Avoidance of extremes

Ooh, take a look at me now. Lyrics I'ma break you off, let me be your motivation To stay and give it tonight And, baby, turn around, let me give you innovation, hey 'Cause I do it so right You got that good good, baby, don't you? Got that good good, baby, don't you? But you leavin' solo Ain't regular, that ain't regular I ain't gon' keep, keep fightin' for it Ain't gon' keep, keep fightin' for it 'Cause you know this thing here Ain't regular, that ain't regular Fallin' into the bed Why would we ever do somethin' instead of Fallin' into the bed right now? Yeah I'ma break you off, let me be your motivation To stay and give it tonight And, baby, turn around, let me give you innovation Hey, 'cause I do it so right Think about it, ooh, I think about it Think about it, ooh, take a look at me now Hey, a little motivation, alright You got a bad one, baby, don't you? Got a bad one, baby, don't you And we both know there's no One better, boy, no one better, boy Too late, won't make it, I'ma tell 'em (yeah) Get you naked, but I won't tell 'em 'Cause you know that there's no One better, boy, no one better, boy Fallin' into the bed Why would we ever do somethin' instead of Fallin' into the bed right now? Eh, right now, now I'ma break you off, let me be your motivation To stay and give it tonight (And give it tonight) And, baby, turn around, let me give you innovation Hey, 'cause I do it so right Think about it, ooh, I think about it Think about it, ooh, take a look at me now Hey, a little motivation, alright Hey, oh A little motivation Oh I'ma break you off, let me be your motivation To stay and give it tonight And, baby, turn around, let me give you innovation Hey, 'cause I do it so right Think about it, ooh, I think about it Think about it, ooh, take a look at me now (ooh) Hey, a little motivation, alright Oh Oh

Dance, boogie wonderland Dance, boogie wonderland Midnight creeps so slowly into hearts Of men who need more than they get Daylight deals a bad hand To a woman who has laid too many bets The mirror stares you in the face and says "Baby, uh uh, it don't work" You say your prayers, though you don't care You dance and shake the hurt Dance, boogie wonderland Dance, boogie wonderland Sound fly through the night I chase my vinyl dreams to boogie wonderland (I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland) (All the love in the world can't be gone) (All the need to be loved can't be wrong) (All the records are playing) (And my heart keeps saying) (Boogie wonderland, wonderland) Dance, boogie wonderland Dance, boogie wonderland (I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland) (I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland) Dance, boogie wonderland Dance, boogie wonderland (Hm-hm-hm-hm, hm-hm-hm-hm, hm-hm-hm-hm, wonderland) (Hm-hm-hm-hm, hm-hm-hm-hm, hm-hm-hm-hm, wonderland) Hm-hm-hm-hm, hm-hm-hm-hm, hm-hm-hm-hm) (All the love in the world can't be gone All the need to be loved can't be wrong All the records are playing And my heart keeps saying Boogie wonderland, wonderland) Dance, boogie wonderland Dance, boogie wonderland (I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland I find romance when I start to dance in boogie wonderland) Dance, boogie wonderland Dance, boogie wonderland

Do you remember, 21st night of September? Love was changing the mind of pretenders While chasing the clouds away Our hearts were ringing In the key that our souls were singing As we danced in the night Remember How the stars stole the night away, oh yeah Hey, hey, hey Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day Ba-du, ba-du, ba-du, ba-du Ba-du, ba-du, ba-du, ba-du Ba-du, ba-du, ba-du-da, yeah My thoughts are with you Holding hands with your heart to see you Only blue talk and love Remember How we knew love was here to stay Now December Found the love we shared in September Only blue talk and love Remember True love we share today Hey, hey, hey Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September Ba-dee-ya, golden dreams were shiny days The bell was ringing, oh, oh Our souls was singing Do you remember, never a cloudy day, yow Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September Ba-dee-ya, golden dreams were shiny days Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya

Lyrics I got money now, ooh Ayy, ooh, damn, okay Ayy-ooh, ayy-ooh Ooh Remember they told me that I wouldn't get it Then I went and got it Shit, uh I ain't have shit but lint in my pockets, nigga I was havin' withdrawals now I'm at the bank, makin' deposits, nigga Shout out to Fifty, boy get rich or die tryin', ain't no other option, I gotta go get it Remember my mom bein' broke as a joke, pay the rent with the light bill, shawty They cut of the lights it was dark at the house but I knew I was bright still, shawty Then they cut off the heat and my heart got cold, I'm talkin' about ice chills, shawty I knew I was great, even though niggas hated, I made it like Mike-WiLL, shawty Went from eatin' on ramen to gettin' it poppin' Can't take shit for granted, you know how we rockin' I made it look easy, like Straight Outta Compton And now I'm on go ain't no motherfuckin' stoppin' You seen what I saw comin' up from the bottom Made me a menace like Dennis no Rodman Gettin' the shit ain't no motherfuckin' problem Said get 'em, I got 'em, quit fuckin' around nigga Nigga fire the blunt, ayy For all of the time we were late on the rent at the first of the month, ayy It was PB&J in bed and now we eatin' on conch for lunch, ayy Now I walk in the store with my momma and tell her to buy what she want, I ain't hearin' that shit that you talking 'bout Shut the fuck up, I got money now Ayy, ooh, shit, oh-oh I got money now, ayy, I got Bitch Once upon a time tho' Ayy-ooh I ain't had no money, my niggas was hungry My pockets was empty like Chick-Fil-A, Sunday My future was pretty, my past was ugly But now I'm back in my bag lil' buddy We got the shit out the motherfuckin' mud And now we wasn't fresh but we wasn't bummy That shit ain't no joke when your money be funny So I had to jump in the game like Jumanji I ain't had no money to help out my momma, that shit had me frustrated, shawty Lookin' back at the second, the end of the month, like my nigga we just made it, shawty Now the baddest bitches be tryna fuck, I can get them all butt naked, shawty I ain't even tryna fuck on my ex no more, tell that bitch I done upgraded, shawty Find out what I was worth then I put on a tax Built my foundation, on Fenty, no MAC Stay out the way go get the money and stack But my momma still workin', I cannot relax These niggas goofy, I'm turnt to the max I got your babe by my side word to Zack And I'm with Von, Quez, Dre and Mac, nigga we off the broke and we ain't goin' back Nigga fire the blunt, ayy For all of the time we were late on the rent at the first of the month, ayy It was PB&J in every day and now we eatin' on conch for lunch, ayy Now I walk in the store with my momma and tell her to buy what she want, I ain't hearin' that shit that you talking 'bout Shut the fuck up, I got money now!

Diced pineapple, tonight you shall reach a height that the sky won't catch you The highest form of my admiration And I ain't no connoisseur but I'm kinda sure you will admire my taste But before the sun graze ya I'm tryin to see how deep you are And believe me shorty I ain't talking about no intimate conversation I wanna see if I can make you reach things unobtainable When I peek into your nature And I promise you my goals well exceed any physical pleasure I wanna, give you whats better than better The better my effort, the wetter her treasure The more these mere moments seem like heavens or temporary forevers Shorty get it together Diced pineapple May your love come down so my mind might have you You designed my imagination Let me redefine foreplay so you need five and Tell me shorty you got it baby If its not it baby, hope its progress baby Let it all drip baby If you stop that shaking, no more talking baby, no more talking baby Shorty so fine, pussy so fresh Diced pineapples that my baby tastes the best I nearly lost my mind, guess it was a test Swept her off her feet and went and bought her ass a Lex Paid it off cash so I never wrote a check Leave my cars at her crib I'm just stuntin' on her ex Pussy's excellent and I know it sound a mess I love to make her toes curl as I'm lickin' on her flesh uhh Sex all night couple shots of Ciroc Crib on the water got LeBron up the block Money ain't the thing baby welcome to the Mark Diced pineapples talking diamonds by the jar Bitch so bad got me wishing I could sign her Uniform Isabel Marant when you on the team Double MG them other niggas fell off, baby girl I just wanna see you well off Call me crazy shit at least you’re calling Feels better when you let it out don't it girl Know its easy to get caught up in the moment When you say its cuz you mad then you take it all back Then we fuck all night til things get right Then we fuck all night til things get right [Shorty so fine, pussy so fresh Diced pineapples I just bought my girl a set I know my lifestyle wild I just do it for the set She know how to make me smile and she do it with the sex Pop bottles, make love, thug passion, red bottoms, Moncler, high fashion Belt buckles, door handles, gold plated. Bal main rich denim, out Vegas French Riviera baby girl lets take a trip Im'a trip go to Cannes France to catch a flick Baby listen, this position is a blessing and With your permission hopefully you'll learn a lesson I'm so fly that I shouldn't even walk. She so fine she ain't even gotta talk Diced pineapples talking diamonds by the jar She never wrote a song but I know that she's a star Call me crazy shit at least you’re calling Feels better when you let it out don't it girl Know its easy to get caught up in the moment When you say its cuz you mad then you take it all back Then we fuck all night til things get right Then we fuck all night til things get right Something about her probably can't live without her Roll up some sour, let me kiss on a fountain Mission accomplished, you increasing your heart rate And I won’t ever rescue me the peak of your mountain Eager to show you, thinking that I should know you And you eager to work perfect, I can employ you Designer shit spoil you, rub you down with the oil To get on a higher tree, gonna have to climb a sequoia Hol' up, showing off some Asian provocateur Rushing you out your draws Though patiently get you off Hate when they get too anxious though Hate when they be too dull Like to get too deep But I hate to get too deeply involved How sweet is you Let me see some proof Fuck making pussy talk I like to make it sing a tune All we need is weed We don’t need no room Right now I’m trying eat We don’t need a spoon Call me crazy shit at least you’re calling Feels better when you let it out don't it girl Know its easy to get caught up in the moment When you say its cuz you mad then you take it all back Then we fuck all night til things get right Then we fuck all night til things get right

Every day we create through the choices we make!

Barbie Yeah They thought that you was a shy girl Until I made you my girl Girl you pushed me like a big button 'Til I cuffed you like you did somethin' You ain't gotta wait for it You ain't gotta wait for me to give you my love You ain't gotta wait for it Things are gettin' sticky, girl I think that I'm stuck I'll admit I'm wrong when I know that you gon' come for me When you gon' come for me, yeah Never gonna not not hit that, your lovin' is drugs to me When you gon' come to me, yeah And every time you hit my phone, when you say you need company, oh I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you Girl you used to bein' quiet 'Til I brought that loud You say your dollars is a mountain And your mama your accountant You watch your figure 'cause you a big deal Got your fresh prince and a big whip Polo mink coat, that's a big kill Put you on a phone like a windshield I'll admit I'm wrong when I know that you gon' come for me When you gon' come for me, yeah Never gonna not not hit that, your lovin' is drugs to me When you gon' come to me, yeah And every time you hit my phone, when you say you need company, oh I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you Major keys, I'm the boss Don't Griselda go off? Left from the loft and went to Bergdorf Most of these dudes is really quite soft 45 special, this is my cloth 'Bout to drop a album, this is my fourth I don't put sugar in my spaghetti sauce Drop a freestyle and get these hoes parched Fire burn the obea man church Pretty girls, when my girls get right 'Cause it's another day, let ya light shine bright Ain't none of them in your lane True mi have di game pon lock, dem wah code Just link wit some hot gyal out ah road True mi have di waist small, pretty, bus whine Rolex nah deh pon uno dutty gyal time? Yo, I told 'em pull up on me faster than Danica That's on the low I'm tryna blow him like harmonicas He call me queen, he know "Nicki" is the moniker He want a mix between Hillary and Monica I switch it up, I switch it up Rip the beat, then I, I stitch it up Travel, then I bounce, I ball-Sinead, Sir Barbie a link up Major Lazer I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you I'ma run up on you

What I've got you've got to give it to your mama What I've got you've got to give it to your pappa What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter You do a little dance and then you drink a little water What I've got you've got to get it put it in you What I've got you've got to get it put it in you What I've got you've got to get it put it in you Reeling with the feeling don't stop continue Realize I don't want to be a miser Confide with sly you'll be the wiser Young blood is the lovin' upriser How come everybody want to keep it like the kaiser Give it away give it away give it away now Give it away give it away give it away now Give it away give it away give it away now I can't tell if I'm a kingpin or a pauper Greedy little people in a sea of distress Keep your more to receive your less Unimpressed by material excess Love is free love me say hell yes I'm a low brow but I rock a little know how No time for the piggies or the hoosegow Get smart get down with the pow wow Never been a better time than right now Bob Marley poet and a prophet Bob Marley taught me how to off it Bob Marley walkin' like he talk it Goodness me can't you see I'm gonna cough it Give it away give it away give it away now Give it away give it away give it away now Give it away give it away give it away now Lucky me swimmin' in my ability Dancin' down on life with agility Come and drink it up from my fertility Blessed with a bucket of lucky mobility My mom I love her 'cause she love me Long gone are the times when she scrub me Feelin' good my brother gonna hug me Drink my juice young love chug-a-lug me There's a river born to be a giver Keep you warm won't let you shiver His heart is never gonna wither Come on everybody time to deliver Give it away give it away give it away now Give it away give it away give it away now Give it away give it away give it away now What I've got you've got to give it to your mama What I've got you've got to give it to your pappa What I've got you've got to give it to your daughter You do a little dance and then you drink a little water

Once you know you can never go back How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat it's all I ever I heard your voice through a photograph I thought it up and brought up the past Once you know you can never go back I gotta take it on the other side Centuries are what it meant to me A cemetery where I marry the sea Stranger things could never change my mind I gotta take it on the other side Take it on the other side Take it on, take it on How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat it's all I ever Pour my life into a paper cup The ashtray's full and I'm spillin' my guts She wants to know, am I still a slut? I've got to take it on the other side A scarlet starlet and she's in my bed A candidate for a soul mate bled Push the trigger and pull the thread I gotta take it on the other side Take it on the other side Take it on Take it on How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat it's all I ever Turn me on, take me for a hard ride Burn me out, leave me on the other side I yell and tell it that it's not my friend I tear it down, I tear it down And then it's born again How long, how long will I slide? Separate my side, I don't I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat it's all I ever How long, I don't, I don't believe it's bad Slit my throat it's all I ever

Author: Ram Dass

Samadhi is the last of the 8-Limbs of Yoga. The Previous Limb -> Dhyana Etymology Sanskrit Word: Samadhi English Translation: Bliss, Union with the Divine, Absorption Reference to Samadhi: Samadhisiddhir isvarapranidhanat. Yoga Sutra 2.45 "By total surrender to God, one attains bliss." Information The 8th limb of yoga is Samadhi, which could be translated as bliss, peace, enlightenment or total union with divine. The understanding from yogi's over thousands of years is that you know if you follow this path over time you will achieve increasing levels of bliss, peace, understanding of things, and union with God. Those are beautiful feelings and experiences to have over fear, doubt, clinging to life, chaos - all those things that most of us deal with on a daily basis. It's freedom, it's liberation from a lot of the suffering of this life and potentially future lives. If you ever come across Buddhism the 8 Noble Truths are very similar to the eightfold path of yoga. Ashtanga is the word for eight limb path and ashtau just means 8. If you hear the word Ashtanga yoga, which I do practice, it simply comes out of a practice of all eight limbs of yoga versus only practicing asana so it may look like a lot of asana but it's so much more than that.

Dhyana is the 7th of the 8-Limbed Path. The Previous Limb -> Dharana Etymology Sanskrit Word: Dhyana English Translation: Meditation Information Concentration is coming out of the ability to remove distractions. While you're still like bing bing bing bing bing bing you're never able to concentrate. Once we're able to focus the mind, now we can use that focus on a task. You can use this concentration for a lot of different things, whether it's meditative practices which is the next limb of yoga or whether it's simply being able to focus on your job better focus on starting a business focus on your kids or your family. Finding this place of, "I can eliminate distractions at any time and totally focus my mind," can be super helpful for pretty much anything that you do. Information Meditation is to one of the most awesome but also one of the hardest parts of yoga. So again, yoga is so much more than asana practice. Yoga is also meditation. So one could practice yoga and never do any of the postures that we do in traditional yoga classes - never do a triangle pose, never do a downward facing dog, but they could simply sit in meditation and say, "I'm a yogi too. i do yoga." and I think it's really important to remember that. Yoga is so much more than postures. In seated meditation, the goal is that you've gotten a lot of this excess energy out, so all the bing bing bing bing of your mind has kind of disappeared or maybe not disappeared, but it's been described as like a lake with muddy water. You can kind of stir it up, or even like a glass of water with something in it you stir it up, and it's all mixed up. That's kind of how our mind is most of the time in its default state - it's muddy, it's like bing bing bing, it's all over the place. Once you've given it time, the mud will start to settle down, and then at the base of the lake it'll just be mud and that's fine for that to be there. Then, the whole rest of the water will be totally clear and that's what we're slowly trying to do through our yoga practice. We're slowly trying to clear out impurities, toxins, bad habits, waste that we've absorbed from the world for our whole lives, or maybe even from previous lives, slowly getting that out. Slowly eliminating the samskaras, which are the grooves in the minds, or the habits that we go to usually in times of stress or trouble where you know, "Oh I'm stressed out I'm gonna go run and do this, or I'm gonna act this way." those are the samskaras. We're trying to find a place of calmness and equanimity, which simply means evenness of mind, calmness of mind, where we're no longer focusing our on our preferences, likes and dislikes, how we feel about other people, all that stuff. We're really able to live a life of ahimsa which is not harming to others, not harming to self and then offering loving kindness and all that we do which can help to create a really peaceful and calm mind state. Once we found this mind state, then it becomes a lot easier to sit in meditation. A lot of times, we'll find when you're beginning meditating, things may kind of come up in your mind that you're not happy about. This is called the vrittis or the fluctuations of the mind, the turnings of the mind - constantly just thinking about stuff, thinking about this, thinking about that. Or it can go into a negative place and think about bad things that happened. Slowly over time, by practicing all eight limbs of yoga, you can really find improvement in things like that. You can find improvement in sleep, your relationship with others, your relationship with yourself, with your business, with your job, with your ability to find calmness and peace of mind anytime anywhere regardless of what is happening and what it is that you have to do. It's taking you into this calm centered place where you're focusing inward, not focusing outward. The Next Limb -> Samadhi

The Previous Limb -> Pratyahara Etymology Sanskrit Word: Dharana English Translation: Concentration Information Concentration is coming out of the ability to remove distractions. While your mind is all over the place, you're never able to concentrate. Once we're able to focus the mind, now we can use that focus on a task. You can use this concentration for a lot of different things, whether it's meditative practices which is the next limb of yoga or whether it's simply being able to focus on your job better focus on starting a business focus on your kids or your family. Finding this place of, "I can eliminate distractions at any time and totally focus my mind," can be super helpful for pretty much anything that you do. The Next Limb -> Dhyana

Withdrawal of the senses. The Previous Limb -> Pranayama Etymology Sanskrit Word: Pratyahara English Translation: Sense Withdrawal Information The 5th limb of yoga is Pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses. Withdrawal of the senses is simply learning to eliminate all distractions. In Ashtanga yoga we practice the tristhana method which helps us to focus the mind during Ashtanga asana practice, and that includes asana, breath and drishti. Breath would be pranayama. Drishti is really that pratyahara also a little bit of concentration. Pratyahara or sense withdrawal comes before concentration because before you can concentrate on one thing you have to eliminate distractions of all the other things. Your drishti or your looking point - focusing the eyes helps to focus the mind. You'll find sense withdrawal in a lot of different things. You could be reading and kind of forget your surroundings. You could be running. You could be drawing. You can do a lot of things where you're like, "Wow I totally forgot how long I've been sitting here." Having a fun conversation with a friend, you know, there's a lot of things that can take you into that state of pratyahara. Sense withdrawal helps prepare you for the next limb which is concentration. The Next Limb -> Dharana

Pranayama is the 4th of the 8-Limbed Path. The Previous Limb -> Asana Etymology Sanskrit Word: Pranayama English Translation: Breath Regulation Reference to Pranayama: Tasmin sati svasaprasvasayorgativicchedah pranayamah. Yoga Sutra 2.49 "Having acquired this {a comfortable posture in asana}, one can control the movements of inhalation and exhalation. This is Pranayama." Information The 4th limb is pranayama or breath control. Prana is the life force energy one could say prana is God itself. Prana is the air we breathe in, it's the stratus we walk through - you can feel it as you move your arms , you can feel the wind in the air. We're trying to enliven ourselves with more fresh prana, fresh energy, and so it's super important to have a steady breath, to be able to create a long inhalation, a long exhalation, to find calmness evenness of breath, and to be able to take control of the breath because that helps us to control the mind. Ideally, we want to have a slow, calm, steady, breath all throughout the day, not just during yoga practice, but pranayama exercises can help us to achieve that - it's like exercising the lungs. A lot of times we'll find that it's difficult to sit in pranayama until you've kind of practiced some asanas of some kind. One could say that the earlier limbs of yoga prepare the practitioner for the later limbs of yoga because they kind of get more subtle and more difficult from here. If you think about asana, it's like recess for adults. A lot of people have difficulty just sitting - t's really hard for a lot of people. I teach so many classes, people want to fidget and when we start class, they'll be standing there like kind of moving around, just kind of moving around, just kind of moving around, and it can be deceptively difficult to simply sit. Pranayama begins our seated exercises of not moving the whole body. Having gotten some of that energy out through asana, having set the intention in the right place through the yamas and the niyamas now we can sit and work on just the breath which is a much more subtle practice. So many people will find total disinterest in pranayama until they've been practicing for a couple of years and it's like, "Huh oh what's that? Oh I want to try that now." The first couple years, a lot of people don't really care, and that's totally cool because you kind of have to get to the place where you want to do it and then you'll want to do it. The Next Limb -> Pratyahara

Dropback/standup is an asana in Ashtanga yoga practice where you drop into a backbend from standing, and rise back up with control. Backbends are arguably the most important asana within the Ashtanga yoga method because they are so healing for the spine, engage the entire body, and open the front of the body, which is closed throughout most of our day and lives. As we all know, the spine houses our spinal cord, which gives nerve signals throughout the body. Backbending is healing because it moves the spine back and forth, allowing to clear stagnation, blockages, and unused pathways to all the nerves in the body. Dropback/standup increases the depth of the backbend, the deepest part of which is during the standup part of the movement. You'll hear a lot of popping in the spine and maybe even in the front of the chest. Dropback/standup is an act of overcoming your fears and on some levels is an act of faith. Backbending is also front opening - opening the shoulders, chest, belly, and groin. Most mammals have the tendency to conceal their soft belly, which is where all the soft, unprotected organs are located. On an animal level, backbending and dropback/standup violate this desire to protect ourselves and may invoke a lot of feelings, including fear and nausea, but part of the point of yoga is that we can override these instincts. This video shows people at two stages of learning dropback/standup. Cindy, on the left, had been practicing this movement for awhile, while Bridget was just learning the movement. I love teaching beginners, which is most of my yoga teaching at this point, but it's always fun being with with more experienced students because we get to do things like this. They were rocking it! When to Try Dropback/Standup If you practice at a shala with an Ashtanga teacher, your teacher may begin teaching you dropback/standup after you become comfortable with Urdhva Dhanurasana, If you are practicing Ashtanga yoga at home, you may want to begin dropback/standup when you can comfortably lift up into Urdhva Dhanurasana 5 times for 5 breaths each, going down to the top of the head in between, and when you can transfer the weight forward and back between your hands and feet. How to Do It The first key to dropback/standup (and all of Ashtanga yoga) is to coordinate breath to movement. Exhale down. Inhale up. Second, is to ground through the feet and legs. The hips have to move forward, while the chest moves upward. The arms extend up and back. You'll know that you can drop back to the floor when you can hang back in your standing backbend with straight or slightly bent legs and spot the floor, where your hands would go. At this point, bend the knees (it may help to lift the heels if the feet are splaying way out) to get the hands to the floor. When you're learning to stand back up, when in Urdhva Dhanurasana, begin to shift the weight forward and backward between the hands and feet. Eventually, you will shift the weight forward enough that you can stand up. As you get comfortable with the movement, use your breath to help you and let the breath both initiate the movement and carry the movement to the end. Exhale down. Inhale up. Exhale down. Inhale up. Dropping back is much easier than coming back up, but you must remain in control the whole time. The point is not to fall down and flail back up but to use muscular awareness and control to slow the movement and move intentionally. As you are learning at an Ashtanga shala, you can use blocks or bolsters to drop back onto that you can lower as you get more comfortable with the movement. A teacher may also support your hips as you drop backward, helping at first to get you comfortable with the movement, and later helping to bring your hands in for your deepest backbends, maybe even catching the legs. Wherever you're practicing, the journey is the fun part! Overcome your fears and learn to ground through the feet and legs in this dynamic and fun movement.

It sounds funny, but for some reason, relaxing your face and maybe even curling up the sides of your mouth into a smile actually makes the pose a little easier. Ashtanga ABCs Day 21 {Relax Your Face} Challenge Pose: Navasana If you’ve never done Navasana Ashtanga style, you’re really in for a treat. I remember when I first learned this pose from one of the assistants at the shala. I finished the pose and started to jump back. She’s like no. Again. So I did it again. Phew! Now I was really ready to jump back! She’s like no. Again. She made me do this 5 times! I literally thought she was messing with me. But it turns out that’s just the sequence. 5 Navasana, 5 breaths each with a lift in between. By the 5th Navasana I was looking like a constipated otter 🦦(as I still probably look when I’m not posing for photos). Cue my favorite line ever. “Relax your face.” You’re not using your face muscles to do the pose so why frowning? It sounds funny, but for some reason, relaxing your face and maybe even curling up the sides of your mouth into a smile actually makes the pose a little easier.

Rep.club is a concept bookshop & creative space curated by blackness in Los Angeles, CA. Location: 3054 S Victoria Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016 Website: https://rep.club/ Information: From Reparations Club Rep.club is a concept bookshop & creative space curated by blackness in Los Angeles, CA. Liveology, LLC is a yoga media company sharing "More life. More yoga." Enjoy our asana library, glossary, and a wealth of free articles and videos. Read issues of Liveology Yoga Magazine in print or with a digital subscription. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube. Please tell a friend about Liveology today. Thank you for your continued and growing support. Peace & Pineapples!

Show every courtesy to everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. The Books of the Bible Maintain Good Deeds Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is sure. I desire that you insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone. 9 But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions, 11 since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned. Final Messages and Benediction 12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Make every effort to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way, and see that they lack nothing. 14 And let people learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive. 15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you. New Revised Standard Version Liveology® Yoga Studios & Magazine creates uplifting content for evolving humans as we draw from wisdom across the world. Shop yogi swag and go down the rabbit hole for exclusive content. Please join our email list and tell a friend about us today. Thank you for your continued and growing support all over the world. Peace & Pineapples!