Meet Lilly Draney
What has been the greatest gift yoga has given you?
The gifts yoga has given me continue to change and evolve
over the years: self-awareness, acceptance, discipline, patience,
balance, harmony. It brings me different appreciations at different
times in my life. I would say that the one greatest gift yoga
has given me is a way of practicing integration in all aspects
of my life, a practice that I can turn to at anytime, anywhere.
Tadasana in line at the grocery store, pranayama while waiting
at the dentist. Yoga has truly become an integral thread in the
tapestry of my life.
How has yoga helped you in raising two children?
The internal awareness and focus I practice in yoga - learning
to discern my intentions and motivations has helped me immensely
on the journey of parenthood. The discipline has helped me to
step back from the symbiotic relationships I am so prone to engage
in - the whole "soccer mom' mentality where I see my children's
experience as an extension of my own. Learning how to back off
and allow a process to unfold, and watching that process without
judgment brings peace and wonder into my yoga practice. I try
to bring that same quality into my role as a mother. Like yoga,
it is a process without a goal sometimes flowing freely, sometimes
meeting with obstacles, like the immovable will of a three-year-old.
What book have you read recently that you would recommend.
Why?
At the moment, I'm reading Living with Kundalini. The Autobiography
of Gobi Krishna. This account of his personal experience of the
Kundalini energy is very detailed and intriguing. For me, what
is most valuable in this account is his description of the long
and far-reaching effects on his mind and body stemming from an
accidental arousal of the Kundalini energy. He repeatedly mentions
the inner transformation taking place on such a subtle level
that it took years to notice any outward change. I am enjoying
reading this description of something I try so hard to remind
myself of - That I can plant "seeds", and nurture them,
but for the most part will be unaware of the transformation taking
place until it becomes manifest on an outward plane, and the
rate of that transformation is beyond my conscious control. The
author also describes beautifully the pitfalls of not listening
to his own body or accepting its limitations. I would definitely
recommend this book to anyone struggling with impatience or attachment
to results, as well as to those interested in learning about
Kundalini energy.
What pose(s) has been giving you a challenge lately?
For a long time now, due to various factors, twists pose
the great-est challenge to me- specifically maintaining strong
grounding while channeling energy upward into a twist to the
right. Consequently, I just adore working on Pasasana (noose
pose) which requires both of those as well as calm concentration.
I've been working on strengthening the left lumbar region, which
tends to be weaker- only moving into a pose as far as I can feel
strongest on that side - and working with slowly directing my
breath through different areas of the back body in particular.
When I approach Pasasana, I usually practice at the wall, moving
into the squat with a strong focus on grounding and channeling
energy upwards as I twist right. I then place my hands flat against
the wall, somewhere around shoulder height. At this point, rather
than trying to move deeper, I try to relax the breath, finding
space in the heart region and allowing the shoulders to move
away from the ears. If I manage to find that "internal space",
Ill gradually begin to slide the right hand towards the floor
and rotate a little deeper. I love this pose because lye long
ago released any desire to "finish" the pose, and can
just enjoy each subtle flow that I experience.
What hobbies/activities do you enjoy?
My favorite activity/hobby is traveling - especially to foreign
countries where I cant speak the language or even read their
alphabet. I traveled quite alot after high school through my
twenties and early thirties - mostly in Europe and Asia. My preferred
mode of travel is train or bus, with as little itinerary as possible.
I am fascinated with different cultures and love being immersed
in them as much as possible. Since the births of my children,
5 1/2 and 4 years ago, we've had to become a little more practical
when traveling, but I still love the feeling of pulling up roots
and just moving - even if its just a small road trip or off to
visit relatives. I'm hoping to get back to India and Nepal in
a couple years when the kids will be able to handle it. I also
enjoy swimming, horse-back riding, walking and hiking.
What is your favorite asana practice today?
Its difficult to say what my favorite asana practice is,
since different times encourage different types of practice.
I do however have a sort of "default practice" that
I enjoy. I pretty much always get up early and begin my practice
as the day breaks. After some cleansing and warm-ups, I stand
in Tadasana (mountain pose) for a few minutes, just listening,
focusing and becoming present. This is when I discover what my
bodymind needs and where to direct my practice - whether it should
be energizing, relaxing, centering, etc. Then I proceed with
that intention. First, usually sun salutes, standing poses, and
then maybe focusing on a specific area or pose, then some seated
poses, shoulderstand, headstand and finally savasana. I read
somewhere that all yoga practice should be done with intensity,
and I try to maintain presence and concentration throughout.
When I do find my mind wandering, I just gently direct it back
to my practice.