So Hum: For Those Moments When Your Coworkers Are Jerks

Model: Abbie Dutterer;   Photography: Faern

"As I’ve become more devoted to my practice, I have tried to bring more of “my mat” into my workplace. I hope that what I am trying to cultivate in terms of calmness, curiosity, and peace in my life – both at work and at home – adds something to the people around me." – Abbie

I SO relate to Abbie!

It's easy to focus on the present moment when you're in the middle of your asana practice, but what really matters is if you pay attention to your breath in a moment when you're late for a deadline…. Or in the middle of an argument with a loved one … Or having one of those days when nothing seems to go the way you think it should.

I have a particularly difficult time remembering my yoga practice when I'm at the office. This is why I have to have reminders everywhere!

Surround yourself with inspiration. I have an inspiration board up on my cubicle wall with quotes, notes from friends, and pictures. When you're surrounded by things that inspire you, it uplifts everything you do.

Find ways to incorporate yoga clothing into your work wardrobe. I wear a mala to work nearly every day. I also wear yoga tops in the place of camisoles. That way even though I am conforming to my office culture and look "professional" I have little reminders of my practice even when I'm in meetings away from my desk. (And it makes changing for yoga after work a breeze!)

Take stretch breaks often. There are lots of poses you can do right in your desk chair. My favorite desk stretches are seated twists (using the arm rests for extra traction), Cow Face Pose, and--when no one is looking--seated Cat-Cows and Tolasana from my desk chair!

Listen to kirtan. I love listening to music while I work, but songs with lyrics are distracting when you work with words. Kirtan is soothing and reminds me of my yoga practice, and the fact that I don't understand the words is a bonus because I can just enjoy the vibrations.

Take a deep breath every time you get a phone call or email. This is my trick to manage stress and communicate mindfully.

Most of all … in those moments that you want to grab your boss by the neck and shake some sense into her, remember that yoga teaches us that we're all one and she deserves to be treated with compassion and understanding as much as anyone else… especially when she's a giant pain the ass. We're all just doing the best we know how to do for ourselves, our families, and our careers.

Read the rest of Abbie's interview here.

 

Faern is an artist, yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Besides making as much time for tea as possible, you can find Faern in a yoga class, at her current art show or wandering the city via public transportation. You can visit her in various places online: FaernWorks website, Twitter, Facebook, Faern in the Works Blog.

So Hum: Expressions of Unity

Models: Jeremy Simon and Seren Rubens;  Photography: Faern

"Yoga has taught me how to live in harmony with myself and those around me. Practicing challenging poses, especially in partnership, has helped me to find the path of resistance."

– Jeremy Simon

It's impossible for to look at this photo of AcroYogis Jeremy Simon and Seren Rubens without thinking about trust, partnership, and unity. It takes some real trust to let someone hold you upside down like that with your head that close near the pavement. One slip and… well, it would not be pretty.

This same sense of partnership and unity is one of the things I love most about being a part of the yoga community. It takes the effort of all involved to make the beautiful shapes we see Acro Yogis practice. If any one person doesn't fully commit, the whole could come crashing down like a delicate house of cards.

We support each other—literally and figuratively. Yoga philosophy teaches us to see the world in a holistic light. When you help a neighbor, you help yourself and the whole world as a result! We lean on each other when we need help with a pose, but we also lean on each other when we need advice or just a laugh. Each little action impacts the world in a positive or negative way. It's really beautiful if you think about it.

Does this mean that we never let someone down or get really REALLY annoyed by the person who Oms too loudly or makes every discussion about herself? Of course not. But just as no one gets Scorpion Pose on the first try, it takes years and years of practice to master the art of true community. I am the first to admit that I have a long, LONG way to go … but I'm learning about myself and the world along the way, breathing into the struggles, and enjoying it as much as I can as I go.

What do you love about yoga community? What do you struggle with? How has yoga changed the way you relate to people?

Read Jeremy's complete interview here and Seren's here!

Faern is an artist, yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Besides making as much time for tea as possible, you can find Faern in a yoga class, at her current art show or wandering the city via public transportation. You can visit her in various places online: FaernWorks website, Twitter, Facebook, Faern in the Works Blog.

So Hum: Express Yourself

Model: Hydi
Photography: Faern

"Through yoga I have learned that I am exactly who I want to be, and as long as I keep it real nothing else can be expressed!" – Hydi

"Keeping it real" is a lesson that many of us have to be beaten over the head with… figuratively, of course (most of the time). After all, it's hard to really be you when you don't really understand who "you" is in the first place. I've found that yoga is an amazing tool for peeling back the layers of stuff to reveal more of the true "you."

After years of practicing yoga, one thing I've learned is that there really is no constant "me." Like a yoga pose that feels great one day and yucky the next, who I am is always evolving. There are no constants to identify with except for who I am in the moment. The past is just a memory – and who knows what the future holds? All we can do is to "keep it real" and express ourselves in the present.

That's exactly what Hydi is doing in the image above (read her interview here)—and that's exactly what the So-Hum photo blog project is all about!

5 Ways to "Keep it Real" with Yoga

1. Don't worry about what other people think. Do your own thing, experience the pose fully, and OWN it!
2. Never do anything that doesn't feel right in the moment in yoga class. Never EVER do anything that hurts. Modify your poses to work for your body, mind, and spirit.
3. Wear clothes that fit your body and your personality and make YOU feel great.
4. Embrace your strengths. Embrace your weaknesses even more—these are opportunities for learning. Never be ashamed of your flaws.
5. Never feel guilty. Never apologize. Never ask for permission. Just follow your intuition, breathe deeply, be mindful, and let life unfold.

What ways do you "keep it real" with yoga?


Faern is an Artist, yoga practitioner and Photographer in San Francisco. Besides making as much time for tea as possible, you can find Faern in a yoga class, at her current art show or wandering the city via public transportation. You can visit her in various places online: FaernWorks website, Twitter, Facebook, Faern in the Works Blog.

So Hum: Self Expression Through Yoga

Model: Megan Windeler 

Photography: Faern

Writing: Erica Rodefer

"I am kinda a no-frills yogi. I love the practice. I love the holding the basic shapes for a long time, exploring the spaces until some deeper, more blingy variation grows."
– Megan*

Yoga is deceptively simple. You unroll a mat and you stretch a little. What could be simpler than that?! But once you get into the practice you can see there's so much more beneath the surface. The poses are just a very small part. The simplest of poses can be extremely complex at the same time when you pay attention to the little nuances and the energy that make it special.

Like Megan, many of us see ourselves as no-frills yogis—the human equivalent of the simplest poses: Triangle, Warrior 2, Downward Dog. Through the practice of yoga, we get to know ourselves better. We notice how just one little tweak—a stronger grounding of the back foot or a more completely engaged thigh—can change everything. We feel the subtle shifts of energy inside of us. Suddenly, we see how that basic pose is more complex and amazing than we ever dreamed it could be. That's how transformation happens. In life, the yoga is in seeing that we are simple and complex at the same time—that we are perfectly imperfect no matter how we present ourselves in this world.

*Read a complete interview with Megan here.


So-Hum is a series of blog posts and photographs that celebrates individuality, style, and deep self-refection that naturally evolves from the practice of yoga. Models are asked to pose in everyday attire that expresses who they are as a person and yoga practitioner.

Would you like to take part in this project as a model? Please be in touch by emailing this address sohum.selfexpression@gmail.com and we’ll send more information. If you are not in the Bay Area or planning a visit, do not worry, there are travel plans afoot, subscribe to the blogs http://www.faern-in-the-works.com  and http://spoiledyogi.blogspot.com  to keep in touch and get updates on travel plans”

Faern is a yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook.
 

So Hum: Self Expression through Yoga

 

Model: Jody Greene

Photography By Faern 

Interview By SpoiledYogi

The only instruction you were given prior to this photo shoot is not to wear traditional yoga clothes! Tell us why you chose your outfit. What does it say about you? 

I wear jeans and boots pretty much every day. I keep exploring the possibility that yoga doesn't have to be something that occurs in a special place--a yoga studio--in a special outfit--what you call here "traditional yoga clothes." So if I want yoga to permeate my life, I'd better be able to practice in jeans and boots. And the leather jacket? Well, that's just for fun. And it prevents road rash if you tumble out of an asphalt inversion. 

How does yoga help you to express who you are and who you want to be?

Yoga doesn't help me access who I am; it helps me take apart and look at who I think I am, bit by bit, piece by stubborn piece. Through yoga I find again and again that my fixed ideas about this person, this one, are just an assemblage of stories I've collected over time. And when I don't know who I am anymore, I can begin to experience wonder and curiosity and true open inquiry about who I might become. 

What important lessons have you learned about yourself through your yoga practice?

Not knowing is the most intimate. OK, that's a famous zen aphorism, but I get to study that lesson, that koan, every day when I climb onto my yoga mat or when I just wake up and take a new breath. I have no idea what will happen. That I should have ended up deeply immersed in these spiritual practices--in zen and yoga--well, if you'd met me a dozen years ago, you wouldn't have predicted that this was the turn my life would take. Not in a million years. And if you'd told me this is what my life would be, I would have laughed in your face. And not in a nice way. No ahimsa aspirations for this one. So--what have I learned, what am I learning? Everything is up for grabs, nothing is predictable. Take care of your life, yes; set intentions and take care of this precious life. But know that tomorrow, the life you have been taking care of could be transformed beyond recognition. And have faith that your practice and your teachers will sustain you through that transformation and all those that follow. 

What's your favorite pose? Why?

Padmasana, Siddhasana, Sukhasana: these are the original yoga postures-- the ones for which all the others are, more or less, designed to prepare you. I came to yoga through sitting, in order to ease and support my sitting practice, so these postures are very dear to my heart and central to my practice. When I practice, I set an intention to take care of my body so I can sit in peace. I practice from that place. Beyond these, I have an ongoing love affair with anahatasana--it's a deep, forehead to the floor bow and a heart opener at the same time. What's not to love? 

Tell us what inspires you so we can be inspired, too.

When I get on my mat at sunrise to sit for a few minutes and perform a handful of sun salutations, maybe chanting a few rounds of the gayatri mantra, I remember that for the last few thousand years, countless numbers of humans have done these same simple actions every day. Talk about inspiration. Sadhana has not stopped, not once. And it doesn't have to be complicated, and you can always feel supported and companioned when you do it. Listen to this: for thousands of years, there has never been a sunrise without Surya Namaskar, there has never been a dawn without voices chanting the gayatri, there has never been a new day without the sangha gathering, in groups or alone, to take a few moments to breathe in silence and prepare for whatever arises in the hours to follow, known or unknown. That simple fact still blows my mind, and I feel grateful and so blessed to have stumbled onto this path, this dharma lifeway, in lycra and leather, to join in. Get up, light a candle, take a breath, and become part of the great stream of practice awakening. It's 

irresistible. 

Faern is a yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook.

Would you like to take part in this project as a model? Please be in touch by emailing this address sohum.selfexpression@gmail.com and we’ll send more information. If you are not in the Bay Area or planning a visit, do not worry, there are travel plans afoot, subscribe to the blogs  http://www.faern-in-the-works.com  and http://spoiledyogi.blogspot.com/  to keep in touch and get updates on travel plans”

So Hum: Self Expression through Yoga

Cityscape

Photography by Faern, Faernworks.com

Writing by Erica Rodefer

Model: Regina Franco

“Yoga reminds me that we, as humanity, are ONE—that our fears, desires and dreams are all actually the same. So when I see the world, I see a reflection of myself and yoga reminds me to approach all of my human interactions and relationships whether it’s romantic, friendship, familial, professional or casual from a place of loving compassion. We need one another. We need to lift each other up as we truly are better together than we are apart.” – Regina Franco

It’s funny that in a place like San Francisco, you could walk through the streets naked, singing at the top of your lungs, and people will barely even look up at you as you walk past. The city mentality is that the actions of others are none of your business… but yoga teaches us that the truth is, our combined actions impact each other and the world as a whole in a profound way.

A thriving cityscape is the perfect illustration of how we’re all inter-connected. I love this shot of Regina in San Francisco’s Union Square because it’s a beautiful reminder of just how connected we are.

It takes all kinds of people, with various passions, to make a city work. The CEO in a fancy business suit depends on the MUNI bus driver to get to his appointments on time. The San Francisco storeowner depends on the tourists from Nebraska to make a living. The pigeons, walking all bobble-headed on the sidewalk, depend on the crumbs left for them by the people. We might think we’re someone’s complete opposite, but if you look closely, we’re all just looking for love and acceptance… doing the best we can with what we’ve got.

In a city, a smile from a stranger on the sidewalk can brighten your mood and put a smile on your face. If one happy, smiling person passes 100 people on the way to work, just imagine the impact it can have! It’s a comfort to know that when you’re kind to yourself, you’re kind to others and when you’re kind to others you’re kind to yourself. That’s what the practice of yoga is really all about.

Faern is a yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook.

Erica Rodefer is a writer and yoga enthusiast in Charleston, SC. Visit her blog, Spoiledyogi.com, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook.

Would you like to take part in this project as a model? Please be in touch by emailing this address sohum.selfexpression@gmail.com and we’ll send more information. If you are not in the Bay Area or planning a visit, do not worry, there are travel plans afoot, subscribe to the blogs  http://www.faern-in-the-works.com  and http://spoiledyogi.blogspot.com/  to keep in touch and get updates on travel plans”

So Hum: Self Expression through Yoga

Photographer: Faern

Model: Sean Haleen

Writer: Erica Rodefer

It's already been a brutal winter in some parts of the country. In the last few weeks, I've seen my share of cold, snow, ice, travel delays, and my personal nemesis, days and days of seemingly endless Grey skies. It all leaves me feeling a little blah.

Many yoga teachers have told me that winter is a perfect opportunity for self-reflection—a chance to go inward and probe around a bit so you can learn more about who you are and the meaning of life and all that… The usual suspects for self-reflection are long held forward bends and restorative poses. But for me, as relaxing and soothing as these kinds of poses can be, they still seem like a kind of consolation prize. I like to move and build heat—preferably in the sunshine.

This image of San Francisco yoga teacher Sean Haleen is a reminder that no matter how dark and dreary things might seem in the moment, the sun is shining somewhere. He really does look like a sundial doesn't he?

Luckily, there are a few poses that always make me feel warm and cozy—even when it's cold outside. Sundial is one of them—when I practice it I can nearly feel the sunshine! Of course, Sun Salutations are another, more traditional way, to build heat in the body. Core strengthening poses like arm balances and Boat Poses (Navasana) bring new meaning to the phrase "put a fire in your belly."

What are some of your favorite ways to warm up with yoga in the coldest, darkest, winter months?

Faern is a yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook. 


P.S.
Would you like to take part in this project as a model? Please be in touch by emailing this address sohum.selfexpression@gmail.com and we'll send more information. If you are not in the Bay Area or planning a visit, do not worry, there are travel plans afoot, subscribe to the blogs  http://www.faern-in-the-works.com  and http://spoiledyogi.blogspot.com/  to keep in touch and get updates on travel plans"

So Hum: Self Expression through Yoga

Yoga doesn't just happen on the yoga mat. If you're a yoga student, your practice goes with you during your commute, at the dinner table, and, yes, even when you're waiting for the train. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and Voila! Yoga! In fact, if you just broaden your definition of yoga a bit, there's a lot more yoga happening out on the streets than in yoga studios. I love seeing people practice in unconventional places.

As a yoga teacher, I can tell a lot about a person by watching their poses—their body's strengths and weaknesses. But I still think I can tell more about the essence of the person when I run into them on the sidewalk. People's personalities really shine through their choice of clothing, accessories, where they spend their time, and how they present themselves. Since yoga is really all about letting that essence, your authentic self, shine through into everything you do, I thought it would be fun to combine yoga, fashion, culture, and art.

Every month, we'll feature one stunning fabulous photograph of a yoga student practicing in a place and wearing clothes that she feels represents her true essence.

I can't think of a better way to kick off the project than with San Francisco yoga teacher Janet Stone. Urban chic meets feminine grace in her vinyasa classes in the legendary Castro District in San Francisco—a part of the city that's a mecca for self-expression!

Come back often to see more inspiring yogis practicing yoga their way.

Oh, and we're looking for fabulous, fashionable, yoga models who are interested in being a part of our project! All you need is an idea of how yoga helps you to express your essence and a willingness to be photographed doing your favorite pose. Email Faern at faernworks@gmail.com if you'd like to participate!

Faern is a yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook.