Staying in the moment.
May 02, 2018
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Because of this ongoing strain on my time, I need all the reminders I can get that this moment is the one to be living. Right here and now is where my attention should be, not worrying about what happened earlier in the day or trying figure out how to resolve future issues. A while back, I literally got to the breaking point where all of this became crystal clear. I hadn't picked up my camera in months, depriving myself of an activity I really enjoy because I kept putting other obligations first. Well, forget that. I've decided to put strict limits on how much I'm willing to give of myself
Yoga leads the way in revitalization of Troost Avenue.
April 29, 2018
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This week I was invited down to Nella Yoga at 5504 Troost in the University District of Kansas City, Missouri to do an in-
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Walking into the studio for the first time, I was immediately impressed by how comfortable it felt. Rich, earth tone colors adorn all the walls. The large storefront window faces east, letting in a great deal of rich, natural light. The space exudes positive energy and along with Shanell’s friendly personality, makes for a very welcoming environment to practice yoga. As I worked my way through the class trying to be as unobtrusive as possible with my camera, I also got to experience what it would be like to take a class here. It was immediately evident that Shanell’s a very talented and gifted teacher. She gives clear, concise cues that are easy to follow in a
See the full gallery of photos from this session here.
*Kansas City is extremely fortunate to have in its midst so many passionate and gifted teachers. One goal I have as a photographer/writer is to get the word out on some of the great resources that are available to our yoga community. If you’d like me to spotlight what you're doing, I'm always looking for new story ideas, contact me here. The Art of Meditating
January 18, 2018
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Being on hand to take photos at a recent yoga class held inside the beautiful Kansas City Union Station building allowed me to witness a magical view of many hundreds of people sitting in the quiet silence of meditation. It got me to thinking of my long journey of discovery towards learning how to meditate. Along the way, I’ve built upon things I learned in workshops, yoga classes, church, DVDs, the internet and books. After years of accumulating knowledge, my head got so cluttered on the details of what I was supposed to be doing, it became even more difficult to still my mind. I’d try this or that method for a while without any noticeable results and stop. It wasn’t until I read Erich Schiffman’s book entitled, ‘Yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness’, that all the earlier instruction became galvanized into a simple method of practice. Here are just a
That’s it. My comfort level at staying still has grown over the years, allowing for longer sessions. The real benefit doesn’t arise during the practice, but instead through the results that appear throughout the day. I understand now that the chattering voice in my head is not who I am, that there’s something much deeper and separate is aware. Knowing this allows me to detach from many of the worries I used to have before. I’m more in tune with my surroundings and open to possibilities that are presented in the moment. That awareness is very beneficial when my camera is in hand. It allows me to better adapt to situations that arise and take advantage of constantly changing variables to see and shoot better pictures. Uh-oh, the doctor says they need to take a picture!
October 05, 2017
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A year ago, my resolutions for 2015 included continuing to practice yoga, possibly even participate in a teacher training program. I swam laps on my lunch break, ran on the treadmill every other day and ate healthily. My pursuit of photography as a serious hobby was picking up steam. I'd upgraded to new camera equipment and took several advanced, online classes to learn the intricacies of Photoshop and Lightroom. I launched this website so I could share pictures I took at events with others in the yoga community. Plans to pursue future goals came to a screeching halt when I started to notice a nagging pain in the front of my
I never had to visit a doctor for a 'not-operating-correctly' body part before. My biggest worry wasn't the thought of having to go through an operation; no, my main concern was in having to navigate the health system for the first time. Like anyone, I've had things scheduled for repair - cars, electronics and parts of my house. Half the time, the thing's pronounced fixed when it hasn't really been fixed at all, which is extremely frustrating. Could that happen with my shoulder? What if it never gets set right and I have to forego my active lifestyle? These negative prospects were scary. Going to the first orthopedic specialist recommended by my primary care physician didn't alleviate my fears. Right out of the gate, several things with his manner bothered me and I knew I'd have to do some research to find a different doctor if the prognosis came to needing an operation. After going through initial physical therapy that didn't do anything to help, my insurance company finally agreed to pay for an MRI.
By this time, the pain in my shoulder was no longer constrained to just the one spot. Severe discomfort had begun to move down my right arm when doing routine tasks like tucking in my shirt or reaching to put on a seatbelt. The area began aching even when at rest. With these developments, an operation was deemed necessary - the one so commonly referred to as 'rotator cuff surgery'. Wanting a second opinion, I next had to figure out how to gather references and reviews on medical specialists. I quickly learned that finding a good doctor isn't the easiest thing to accomplish! I turned to friends, co-workers and the web for help and finally discovered someone I felt comfortable performing the procedure. That took place in September. My new doctor was very straightforward, which I appreciated. He explained that an MRI doesn't capture a perfect interior picture. They wouldn't be able to tell for sure exactly what was wrong until they opened me up. He also explained that a vast majority of people my age who've been physically active show tears on an MRI, making diagnosis difficult. Even healthy people with no shoulder soreness can show signs of degeneration. True to my suspicions, it turned out my condition was pretty severe. Some major work was done to repair a muscle tear, inflammation and a tendon rupture. After a couple weeks, physical therapy was scheduled to start. Recognizing how important this was going to be on the path to healing, I donned my researchers hat again to find an expert in this area. The physical therapy group my first doctor referred me to was lackluster in performance to say the least. At each appointment I went to at that location, I saw a different therapist and I received very little individual attention. That didn't seem right. During this entire process, one thing I've learned is to follow my intuition and how to be a strong advocate for my own good care. With three months of weekly physical therapy appointments in the books, I'm more aware now than ever how important yoga is to my vitality. Many of the exercises and movements my therapist has me performing remind me of yoga postures. In addition, the stretching and reworking of my arm to regain its full motion was greatly helped by knowing how to breath into muscle tightness to coax relaxation. I'm starting to revisit some of the old, familiar postures and the shoulder's feeling pretty good. I've missed the great group of yoga instructors I've been so privileged to learn from here in Kansas City. I can't wait to roll out my mat at one of the several studios I love to visit
Have a rotator cuff story to share? Add a comment, I'd love to hear about your experience! Relaxing into wellness
July 05, 2017
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Through the practice of yoga I’ve learned many things. Among the most important is the art of listening to myself. It’s a tricky thing though, this inward attentiveness. For me there are actually several speakers in my head vying for attention at any given time. There’s the voice of fear that’s constantly trying to hold me back, the one of procrastination that wants me to stay exactly where I’m at and the one of envy that incessantly makes comparisons between me and other people. It’s funny how loud these can be considering none of them are speaking the truth. Whispering quietly beneath the extraneous chatter is the true light of who I am. The pure presence is what’s left when all else fades away. It’s counterintuitive to think that by putting less effort in to something more will be gained, but that strategy has brought better results to my meditation practice. It’s allowed me to go deeper into many yoga postures, approaching with an attitude of relaxation as opposed to active effort to reach some point of accomplishment. I’ve learned to take stock of what my body is willing to do before stepping on my mat. This serves as a good barometer of where I should start and how far I can take it during any given session. When I don’t do that and just forge ahead with a set goal in mind, injury is much more likely to occur. Unfortunately, I speak from experience.
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