The Adventures of Yoga Girl and Swami Cat

A New Year, A New Outlook

2012-01-25T05:49:00.000-05:00

Let's all have a little fun this week. And enjoy the bodies and minds we live in. Be well my friends.--Yoga Girl

Three Things I'm Thinking About

2012-01-09T19:33:00.000-05:00

Going along with the getting things done that I've been doing are lists. I'm into lists lately. Feels good to cross things off the list. So here's my latest. A few blogs ago I promised kale recipes... this is my favorite and a crowd pleaser. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/ If you have a teen at home, or know a teen, or are a teen... this is a great blog to follow. http://

2012-01-05T12:49:00.000-05:00

Each year when that day arrives that we call New Year’s Eve I always get a little melancholy. I try to not make it a big deal, not fretting about resolutions or obsessing about things that I have not yet

NOT AN APPLE A DAY BUT A LEAFY GREEN A DAY

2011-12-30T12:53:00.001-05:00

In a Yogic Healing class I took this past year I learned a lot about what we can do for ourselves to keep ourselves healthy. Many of our pains can be prevented or aided by certain simple ways of living. Most amazingly, if we can only do this one thing we might never be in pain again. Our body heals itself if we are in an alkaline state. Unfortunately most of what we love eating, white bread,

This Is Hard To Admit

2011-11-27T08:29:00.000-05:00

It's so clear out today. Sunshine makes the chill not so bad. Yoga Dog and I went exploring this morning and found some new nooks to imagine what lived inside. I'm so grateful for our morning walks together. Because I am not a morning person, even though for the past decade I've had to be, I do not hesitate when he wakes me up with the tapping of his toenails on the wood floor. His need to go

The Busy Months

2011-11-20T10:34:00.000-05:00

And how are you coping with the busy days of winter? My week is filled with running, running, running. Drama club auditions this week, breaking hearts for some and boosting confidence in others, while also producing the upcoming show A Dickens Christmas. Working on sound today for Cricket on the Hearth part of A Dickens Christmas. And the work week felt long. It wasn't, but it felt it. And

Look Both Ways!

2011-11-07T06:40:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or are people walking across the street without looking for cars these days? I'm driving in parking lots (where there are a lot of cars coming both ways) and people are looking straight ahead, or in the opposite direction of my car. I understand that if I, the driver, lose concentration then I will be forever horrified by what I've done, have to live with that forever and might

The Good Things

2011-10-20T06:54:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's good to remind yourself how good things are going. The gratitude list. I do this every morning. Now I'm going to have to teach my nephew. It breaks my heart-- the little five year old is now speaking which thank God is happening, and yet he says, "I hate myself." For many nights now I've been uneasy thinking about this and can not get to sleep. I want to tell him that maybe

Just a quick thought--

2011-10-16T22:46:00.000-04:00

Sorry that I haven't been posting of late. My nephew is in the hospital and I'm feeling the need to help family lately. But as I do, I notice how much Yoga has taught me and kept me strong through it all. Seeing a once active four year old in the hospital slowed down by brain surgery is enough to put someone on the floor in fetal position for a very long time. My heart is full and sometimes

Namaste News Holistic Health Fair and Yogic Expo

2011-09-30T09:13:00.000-04:00

Hello Yoga Friends, What a wonderful event on Sept. 17th. So many new friends I met and wonderful Yogic items that I was introduced to. http://www.khataland.com/ Yoga Mat that folds to easily travel and magically the dirty side never touches the clean one. I'm going to have to ask them to make a Yoga mat that folds smaller into my cat carrier. There was also a really fancy reusable pouch

2011-09-29T13:27:00.000-04:00

Couldn't help but stare long and hard at this picture of the cat with two faces. http://news.yahoo.com/mass-cat-2-faces-lives-12-years-sets-131909351.html Made me think of Vishvarupa, the universal form of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna reveals that he is at once both the ultimate essence of Being in the universe and also its physical body, referred to as the Vishvarupa (`Universal

A beautiful talk about Yoga without mentioning the word Yoga

2011-09-01T13:07:00.000-04:00

You know you're a Yogi when...

2011-08-26T07:15:00.000-04:00

1. Your Facebook wall posts consist of a quote from a Swami, The Dalai Lama or another Saint or wise ol' peacekeeper 2. You wake before everyone else in your house/neighborhood and instead of going back to sleep, you fall asleep in meditation 3. Instead of cursing the loud mouth drunk neighbor whose car needs a muffler, you picture him surrounded by light and love. Then you put in some ear

Sutra 1.3: The Seer Abides In Its Own Nature

2011-08-22T21:03:00.001-04:00

Ah, so much going on at the same time. As I write this, a friend is struggling to give birth to a new human baby. Jai to the little one and its mother. Another friend is struggling with negative thoughts that plague her mind, poor thing. Yoga Dog as usual is in sit, stay, drop it training as I watch and just giggle inside. Luckily I am a cat and no one expects me to train in such mundane "

Day 2: The Sutras

2011-08-19T23:20:00.000-04:00

Day 2 of the Sutra Discussions. Feel free to write in your own thoughts and comments regarding the Sutras. It is more fun with a dialogue, no? Here we go... Pada 1.2 This is the crux of Yoga. This is why we do Yoga. This section of the Sutras is the most important and if you could only study one of the sections, this would be the one. Yoga chitta vritti nirodha. "Chitta Vritti"-- it

Now Yoga

2011-08-18T09:41:00.000-04:00

Sitting with Yoga Girl and Gopal up on the mountains, looking at nature's beauty, I was reminded of how I feel after I meditate. I admit, it has been awhile since I woke up early and did my full meditation and asana series. This summer I took a part time job teaching kittens how to act (other than cute.) My whole day was about wrangling kittens. Have you ever tried to focus a clutter of

Tail of the Day

2011-08-10T08:47:00.000-04:00

Tail of the DaybySwami Cat Every morning do a little stretch, breathe and Purring. When I miss my stretch, breathe and purr the day is a little off. Sometimes the off day steamrolls into a bad day when I hiss at my students, stub another paw toe and miss many opportunities to serve others. But when I take the few precious moments for myself the day is easier and I have more patience with

Time Off

2011-08-09T07:07:00.000-04:00

Things to do before school starts again: Try new Yoga classes Make organic meals Shop in local stores (anyone know a local farm that sells eggs?) Take my bicycle off the bike rack and use it at the park Kayak, kayak, kayak See more of the world -- New Hampshire White Mountains next! Write in this blog every day (every day I'm not "seeing the world") Playtime with Yoga Dog. Plan Swami Cat's live

"It's Hard to be a Saint in the City"

2011-07-24T22:24:00.000-04:00

Dear Swami Cat, Bruce Springsteen wrote, "It's so hard to be a saint in the city." And it's true for the suburbs as well. I find myself busy, busy, busy and then depleted of creativity, joy and patience. But you'd be proud of me. I took myself out into nature this weekend and watched as a neon green inch worm sauntered in down dog over and over in front of me. I watched egrets take flight

What's New

2011-07-12T21:46:00.001-04:00

Hari Om Yoga Friends, What's New: My first episode of Inside The Yoga Sutras is up on Youtube! Rev. Jaganath Carrera's interview is very informative. Please curl up on the sunny part of the rug when you have a few minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER-FwGOT5gI What's Not New: What is not new to us but new to many of Dr. Oz watchers: Meditation can help with many things, stress, focus

Too Much Yoga Causes...

2011-06-29T23:22:00.001-04:00

Dear Swami Cat, I'm thinking about Yoga too much. It's on my mind constantly and even when I'm driving in my car I am thinking about Yoga. I drove too far today and had to make a U-turn and then I was late to work. Is there such a thing as too much Yoga? Have you heard of this before? What should I do? Signed, Yoga-On-The-Brain Hari Om YOTB, Ah yes, this is a problem. Keeping the

Driving on Empty

2011-06-25T23:56:00.000-04:00

Dear Swami Cat, I just wanted you to know that I am so thankful for my mantra. It keeps me calm during liftoffs on airplanes and has helped me through a tough upwards climb on a hike. And tonight I added another thing to be grateful for regarding my mantra. I ran out of gas. I was driving on fumes. I found one gas station after another only to find it closed. I was beginning to panic and

I appreciate you Summer!

2011-06-25T07:42:00.001-04:00

YOGA GIRL'S ODE TO SUMMER Outdoor Yoga Walks in the dewy grass (good for absorption of chlorophyll) Nighttime deep breaths in the cool relaxing air Finding the night secret Avatar-like new universe of fireflies behind a wall of bushes Honeysuckles! Dairy free ice cream Digging in the earth Green leaves of basil, a healthy promising batch of tomatoes Bird songs Natural vitamin D Nostalgic tunes

The Perfect Yogi

2011-05-31T22:43:00.000-04:00

Dear Swami Cat: I've been thinking lately about how when I take Gopal, my dog out for a ride in the car he jumps into my car not knowing where we're going or for how long. He willingly jumps in and sits comfortably, feeling the breeze, content and happy without any knowledge of what's happening next. I'm jealous of his complete surrender. How do I cultivate this for myself? Signed,Chauffeur

What we need now is a Laugh

2011-05-23T17:57:00.001-04:00

Dearest Yogis, Well we survived! Another day. Another chance to laugh, isn't it so? I thought it about time we started a Yoga blast of laughter. Send in your Yogic-style jokes. I look forward to reading them. Here is mine which I heard from the sweetest most open hearted nurse/Yogi that I ever had the privilege of learning from-- Radha/Ginny at Freehold Yoga Center The Joke: This guy

On Death and Birth

2011-05-04T21:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers of the Yoga Girl Blog, Thank you so much for the kind words regarding this hard time that my family is going through with the passing of my grandmother a few weeks ago and now my grandfather on Sunday. Many in the Yoga community have been so sweet and it feels as if I have a second family's support. Having loved ones pass out of their body is such a reflective time. I am

Cesar's Way

2011-04-15T23:08:00.000-04:00

Obsession. My dog's obsession is his bone that he will chew on until he kills it. My new obsession is my dog. I rush home from work so we can go on a walk together and have time to practice what I've been learning from Cesar Milan's DVD. Harrison and I are both benefiting from Cesar's teachings on dog psychology and behavior. As Cesar's DVD teaches me tricks to snap a dog out of his

A letter from Swami Cat

2011-04-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Dear Yogis and Yoginis, Thank you for your letters. I understand that some of you want to know a little bit about my daily routine. Do I wake and do Asanas and Pranayama? But of course. Meditation-- every day. Twice daily if I can fit it into my night time schedule, if not just a little on my bed before I take my nightly catnap. The day is busy full of responding to emails, writing my book

Ettiquette

2011-03-27T16:55:00.000-04:00

What happened to being quiet when you are in the audience and letting the artist entertain you? In this current climate of Youtube I think some people think they are allowed to be the center of attention all the times because they constantly tweet or update their status on Facebook. I am embarrassed that last few times I've been out to see a performance that someone in the audience thought they

2011-03-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

BEFORE I was inspired to clean out my closet of old clothes. It was really easy once I started. Out went the shirt I've only worn a few times, and the pants that are way too big but they were on sale and were comfortable. So I tried to get the whole collection down to 33 but I couldn't. That's okay, I am donating a whole 2 large bags of clothes to Goodwill and now I have space in my

Lovely day to spend with friends

2011-02-26T15:24:00.000-05:00

Ah the sun, it wakes up a joy in me that needed to come back to life. With the sun comes more awareness of dust and clutter. Time for Spring cleaning-- I feel the need for it. Not this weekend though. But I'm going to get ready for it. A lovely new friend just introduced me to: http://www.theproject333.com/ Check it out. My goal is to get rid of the clothes that don't make me happy to be

The Green Eyed Monster Strikes Again

2011-02-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

Some days I wake up with this extra weight on my shoulders, unhappy with my career, unhappy with the choices I've made in life and I desperately want to stay home and work on my art. This week I read about a successful writer who grew up in the same town as me. I can't help but think that she has my ideal life. But then there are other days like today when I wake up and I feel like I am in

Kirtan

2011-02-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

Kirtan, for me, is the easiest way to get out of my head. I feel like I'm floating. At home in front of pictures of Guruji, Swami Satchidanandaji and Swami Catji -- if my meditation isn't going so smoothly I begin to chant. My go to chant is usually Jai Ganesha in order to remove the obstacles that are making meditation so hard that morning but then I usually branch out into other tunes that

The Golden Compass

2011-02-06T00:42:00.000-05:00

I'm always a little late with trends. In high school everyone was wearing Doc Martens and I didn't get my first pair until I was in college. Last month I started reading The Golden Compass trilogy because a friend recommended them. I know, I know, you probably read them years ago or at least saw the movie with Nicole Kidman but I didn't know I'd enjoy the story so much. I'm loving the

Thoughts on teaching Yoga class

2011-02-02T21:41:00.001-05:00

I have to say that each and every time I lead a Yoga class I come out feeling lighter, more energized and positive about the world. It's amazing. For an hour and a half I focus my energy on others and really try to tap into what they need, reminding them to breathe, relax, stretch but only to their limit and cultivate compassion. Maybe it is all that reminding I do, or maybe it is an energy

Swami Cat's Theme Song?

2011-01-27T22:35:00.001-05:00

Guilty Non-Pleasures

2011-01-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

There's water pouring out of my bathroom ceiling. The plumber said he'd be here between 9 and 11. It is now 11:34. I have six things on my To Do list today and yet I should add to it a visit to my grandparents who are both in the hospital again. I don't know what to do first. So instead of doing anything I'm going to make myself Tea and put on some good music and write in my blog. It's been

Most Brilliantly put-- in the age of the internet-- Arts-- Spirituality--Community...

2011-01-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

This is a must watch video from Ted Talks online. A brilliant speaker, Ben Cameron, is also a very nice guy. I met him in Alaska while my play was being performed there, before I was a Yogi and was pursuing the arts as my livelihood. What he mentions here is why I've started the blog in the first place to merge Yoga, service and my love of the arts. Be Well. Enjoy life. Create and go to art

Will you be a winner?

2010-12-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

There's only one week left in the Where in the World is Swami Cat contest. There is already one winner. You too can be a winner if you can guess correctly the location of Swami Cat in this photo. Reply as a comment to the post with your guess. Good Luck!

Winner!

2010-12-06T16:33:00.000-05:00

Last month's contest to pick Yoga Girl's logo color scheme winner is Jayadevi Petty! Congratulations! Looking forward to creating the Yoga Girl t-shirt in purple with gold lettering! Thank you all who participated! This month's contest has to do with the blog's picture-- Do you know where in the world Swami Cat is? Leave us a comment here to enter. If you are right, you win a copy of the

Standing Barefoot Before God

2010-12-06T16:25:00.000-05:00

I'm inspired. All it took was a magazine article to wind me up and set me spinning, or should I say, writing again. "Standing Barefoot Before God, The agony and the ecstasy of writing as a spiritual practice" written by Rabbi Rami was published in October's Ode Magazine. It is written by a Rabbi which first caught my attention since I'm reading it two months later and it is Chanukah. I'm in

Carbohydrates

2010-11-12T12:58:00.000-05:00

Ah, Carbs. My doctor says that I most likely have hypoglycemia and it is kept in check by eating a low carb diet. I have heard of low-carb, of course I have, but I don't think I ever really thought about it. I am one of the most health food conscious people I know. At work they ask me what I'm eating all the time and when I tell them kale, they wonder why I'm eating a garnish. Being

HAPPY DIWALI!

2010-11-06T13:53:00.000-04:00

And don't forget to vote on the Yoga Girl logo in the post below. All the voters will be put into a hat and the winner is interviewed by Swami Cat on the soon to be released Swami Cat TV show! Om Shanti!

Voting

2010-11-02T18:53:00.000-04:00

I did research last night on who to vote for in today's election. It is sad that it took me so long to do any research. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't even know who was running. My television stations run New York and Pennsylvania commercials and that doesn't help me in the middle of New Jersey. The websites for the candidates aren't that helpful for they are just another expensive

Happy Hall-ohm-ween!

2010-10-30T16:33:00.000-04:00

Haven't had a blog post in such a long time. Sorry my friends, life has been about teaching junior high, settling into married life and family. Two days a week I dedicate some service to my parents and grandparents, cooking and spending time with them. One night I teach Yoga. Another I go to a playwriting group or work on my writing. So doesn't leave much time to write on the blog but today

A few suggestions from Swami Cat

2010-10-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

Dear Loyal Readers, Here are a few of my new favorite things… 1. CATKU: What Is The Sound of One Cat Napping?I must give a warm thank you to Reverend Janaki and Reverend Jaganath for finding such a funny book of haikus which are an almost too truthful look at the world through the eyes of a cat. I don’t think I could write it better, although these cats did not find the peace and joy that Yoga

A Letter To Swami Cat

2010-09-28T06:57:00.001-04:00

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Swami Cat's response to Marianne

2010-08-26T22:41:00.000-04:00

Dearest Marianne, I empathize with your problem of constant lateness and was moved to respond to your comment on Yoga Girl's blog. Ah yes, the lateness habit. I too once had this particular problem. As a kitten I was so excited by life, I wanted to do everything at once and unfortunately that meant that nothing was done well. I was often late to dinner and missed out on the best, juiciest

The Gift of Waiting

2010-08-24T21:36:00.002-04:00

Today I waited. I know you’ve done this too — U.P.S. called and said they would deliver my package today anytime from 9am until 6pm. I really thought it was going to be around 9am. I don't know why I thought that, I just hoped, I guess. I had errands to run and I didn’t want to be stuck in the house all day. Turns out I was. It wasn’t until 5:50 tonight that my doorbell rang. And it

What is Yoga Philosophy?

2010-08-18T16:12:00.001-04:00

--> “What is Yoga philosophy?” Last night over dinner a friend asked me what Yoga philosophy is. Trying to explain the Yoga Sutras to a friend who doesn’t do Yoga regularly is hard, made even harder by the fact that I had to check the rice pasta and make sure it wasn’t overcooking into an inedible mush. I thought for a moment about what Guruji would say. I told her that the basic teaching

Swami Cat Teaches Meditation

2010-08-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Here's my first Yoga Comedy Film. If you like it please share with friends. Let's smile and laugh together. Why not? Laughter is great Yogic healing!

Getting older

2010-08-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

I had gotten out of the habit of plucking the gray hairs, telling myself it was a natural part of getting older and I accepted this. Mostly because there is nothing you can do about it and everyone goes through it. So why hide getting older? Never thought I would care. If the grays grew in a stripe like Lily Munster then that would have been cool. But looking old"er" for my wedding. I

Swami Cat Speaks:

2010-07-26T12:02:00.000-04:00

Hari Om to my Yoga family, Today I found proof that relaxing music works not only on your human species but of the feline kind as well. Music Calms Cats http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/music-calms-cats-under-stress Therefore music shall be playing today as I edit the voice overs in my first Yoga Video on how to meditate. Hopefully Yoga Girl will place it up on this internet site very soon. I

Ananda Ashram

2010-07-25T14:28:00.000-04:00

Going into the woods is the most connecting thing I can think of. Nature growing all around you and it doesn’t care if you get the laundry done. Nature doesn’t care if you organize your closet today. It is a universe all to itself, with or without you. And sitting among the trees, tall weeds, grasshoppers and ants, I was reminded of how I am a part of a larger story and I am not the main

SWAMI CAT'S MEDITATION VIDEO

2010-06-25T22:22:00.003-04:00

Transcript of Swami Cat's first Youtube teachings: SWAMI CATSo many people today, wonder why they cannot find a quiet of the mind. My, oh my, so much needless suffering. People stop me and say, “Swami Cat please tell me how to meditate.” I’ve decided to do a video to help those who need it. My lovely assistant Yoga Girl will demonstrate, mostly because I do not have opposable thumbs. You

The Break Through

2010-06-14T23:09:00.002-04:00