Shiva Nata: the Dance of Shiva
Selma the duck in the New York Times!
Selma the duck could not happier …
… about having her picture in the front page of the Thursday Style section of the New York Times today.*
*I think they make you sign in to read it (sorry). And in the online version, it’s the second page, yes.
I think you’ll all join me in saying: !!!!
And the Shiva Nata connection …?
Well, the picture was taken at a Shiva Nata yoga class here in Portland.
Actually I was hoping that fellow Shivanauts Shannon and Carolyn would be in the picture too but you know, Selma kind of took over.
Because she’s a superstar and has been on German television and everything …
God, that duck is such a diva. It’s out of control.
And one more Shiva Nata connection …
This is very exciting, yes.
And here’s the interesting part.
Dance of Shiva is, like all forms of yoga, about the ongoing practice of learning how you work and then loving yourself anyway.
And — more specifically — it’s about using your brain to deconstruct your patterns so you can build better ones, right? And the big pattern I’ve been working on all year is getting more comfortable with being seen and acknowledged.
So big huge thanks to whatever universal forces are at work there. Thanks, wacky and wonderful Shiva Nata. And thanks to Abby Ellin who wrote the lovely piece in the Times.
And thanks, sweet Selma. I couldn’t do this without you.
p.s. All Selma references and goofiness aside, it’s a terrifically thoughtful and well-written article about what it means to bring more levity, light-heartedness and love into yoga, while respecting tradition and the spirit of the self-work process.
Oh my gosh, that duck is such a whore! Vamping for the camera like that, what kind of lady is she?
Tut, tut, tut.
Congrats both :D
Congratulations! Great to see both you and Selma making inroads on NYT (and getting quoted using the phrase “hippie-dippie gullible fools.” Love it.)
On that photo, though: you were teaching a Shiva Nata class, and your hands are both crossing your centerline. Is that the Photo Op Asana, or does that part come in after a student stumbles their way past level 2?
Here’s to Selma the Shiva Diva! :P
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Twitter: havi
@Nathan – Way to purse your lips disapprovingly! Well done. I love it.
@Dylan – Awesome. And yes, that was totally Photo-opasana. Well, not really, it was just a random shot during some energy exercises we were doing.
No crossing the centerline … nothing to see here, folks.
There are all sorts of other awful things to look forward to once you stumble past level 2, but that’s not one of them!
@Eveline – *blows kiss*
Thanks!
This is very, very fabulous. I’m so excited for you. The article was awesome, made me really wish for cool, funky yoga near me. And Selma was lookin’ just too sexy. :)
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