Sounds simple, peace, love joy. So why in December is it so difficult to maintatin these attributes? We have such high expectations of ourselves at this time of year. Societies expectations especially of women to magically create the perfect holiday can get expensive in time energy and money. So what can we do?
-Start your day with yoga. Perform 3 sun or moon salutes each morning followed by atleast 5 minutes of meditation on the on the beauty and fullness within.
-Lower your expectations of yourself and others
-Create more outdoor experiences
-Do less, but be more
-Rest with your legs up 15 minutes each day in the afternoon
-Make time for friends
-Do something wonderful for someone and don't get caught
Have a wonderful winter break, practice yoga often and I'll see you next Dec 29th for an upbeat
pre-New Year's Eve class!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The power in hand
Have you ever been watching a recorded show with the remote still in your hand when an irritating commercial comes on? It is loud, it interrupts your frame of thought, its distracting. You could have fast forwarded it, but instead you are on auto pilot and forgot you had the power in hand.
Isn't that so much like our own lives? We often forget we have great power within us. We all have the power to change. The power to act instead of react. We have the power to change ourselves, our circumstance, our situation. We have the power to discriminate so that we don't waste our time trying to change others. Must importantly we have the power to wake up to the delight of our own lives.
It is human nature to forget, and to gravitate to others who have forgotten their power just to have a chance to commiserate. Its comfortable there in a state of relenquished control, but it isn't true to our inner nature, and it does not lead to joy. We must recognize this behavior and seek to avoid it. One excellent strategy is to surround yourselves with others on the same path of self discovery. You'll find your yoga friends awakening to their own power, and this helps you remember your own.
Isn't that so much like our own lives? We often forget we have great power within us. We all have the power to change. The power to act instead of react. We have the power to change ourselves, our circumstance, our situation. We have the power to discriminate so that we don't waste our time trying to change others. Must importantly we have the power to wake up to the delight of our own lives.
It is human nature to forget, and to gravitate to others who have forgotten their power just to have a chance to commiserate. Its comfortable there in a state of relenquished control, but it isn't true to our inner nature, and it does not lead to joy. We must recognize this behavior and seek to avoid it. One excellent strategy is to surround yourselves with others on the same path of self discovery. You'll find your yoga friends awakening to their own power, and this helps you remember your own.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Gratitude
Spiritual scholars have also said if there is one redeaming habit to cultivate above all others, it is gratitude. Did it surprise you that I wrote habit? Gratitude is one of the few emotions that is learned. It is not inherant. Babies aren't born with it, they learn it. And many times as adults we have to relearn it.
Religious thinkers have proclaimed at the root of all sins is ungratitude. Maybe you have had moments in your day where you feel unhappy or even irritated. This discomfort should get your attention because you- at your deepest core are a happy, nice, patient and beautiful person. When we are not it is because we are too stressed.
Here are a few ways to employ the attitude of gratitude.
Thanksgiving is coming up and with inner guests comes a pile of dishes. Perhaps a grateful response is "I am happy to do these dishes because I have people to share a meal with."
Waistline expanding? Try this one" I am grateful that I have had enough to eat"
Family members leaving messes around the house? This is a mine field full of treasures such as "thank goodness I have able bodied children" or "I am so grateful to be in a loving relationship" I am grateful to have a home"
Conflict at work,"I am grateful to have gainful employment" You get the picture, and likely have a few you could share with me. Turn every negative thought around so you can see the blessing in it. Experience gratitude as the best habit.Grattude is the attitude of the season. Apply it to everything. This change in your attitude can be so powerful, the people around you will notice.
Religious thinkers have proclaimed at the root of all sins is ungratitude. Maybe you have had moments in your day where you feel unhappy or even irritated. This discomfort should get your attention because you- at your deepest core are a happy, nice, patient and beautiful person. When we are not it is because we are too stressed.
Here are a few ways to employ the attitude of gratitude.
Thanksgiving is coming up and with inner guests comes a pile of dishes. Perhaps a grateful response is "I am happy to do these dishes because I have people to share a meal with."
Waistline expanding? Try this one" I am grateful that I have had enough to eat"
Family members leaving messes around the house? This is a mine field full of treasures such as "thank goodness I have able bodied children" or "I am so grateful to be in a loving relationship" I am grateful to have a home"
Conflict at work,"I am grateful to have gainful employment" You get the picture, and likely have a few you could share with me. Turn every negative thought around so you can see the blessing in it. Experience gratitude as the best habit.Grattude is the attitude of the season. Apply it to everything. This change in your attitude can be so powerful, the people around you will notice.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wonder and Integrity
Wonder and Integration, beautiful terms, thoughts and endeavors.
In a pose we need to follow the specific alignment and action instructions to retain the integrity of the pose. It is in those seconds or minutes of being in the pose when our minds stop chatttering about how long we have been there that is the beauty of yoga. That is our yoga. The struggle to keep the form of the pose and let our vibrant spirit shine out while living in a quirky human body is a mat lesson as well as a life lesson. Stick to it, persevere, and try to breathe and smile through it all.Once we loose our integrity, we loose it all, and the pose melts. What we do on the mat for just a minute sustains us for hours of life off the mat and what we do for an hour is what keeps us going for the 23 other hours. That is why our daily practice is meaningful.
When we approach our poses with a sense of playful wonder, we allow ourselves the freedom to explore, to be free, and to remember who we really are. For practiced yogis, coming to your yoga mat is like coming home. All we have to do is roll out the mat and we have a sese of anticipation of the god that is about to happen. It's euphoric and the reason we keep coming back. I look forward to you coming back to class Wednesday at soon to be? 5:30 pm.
Namaste
In a pose we need to follow the specific alignment and action instructions to retain the integrity of the pose. It is in those seconds or minutes of being in the pose when our minds stop chatttering about how long we have been there that is the beauty of yoga. That is our yoga. The struggle to keep the form of the pose and let our vibrant spirit shine out while living in a quirky human body is a mat lesson as well as a life lesson. Stick to it, persevere, and try to breathe and smile through it all.Once we loose our integrity, we loose it all, and the pose melts. What we do on the mat for just a minute sustains us for hours of life off the mat and what we do for an hour is what keeps us going for the 23 other hours. That is why our daily practice is meaningful.
When we approach our poses with a sense of playful wonder, we allow ourselves the freedom to explore, to be free, and to remember who we really are. For practiced yogis, coming to your yoga mat is like coming home. All we have to do is roll out the mat and we have a sese of anticipation of the god that is about to happen. It's euphoric and the reason we keep coming back. I look forward to you coming back to class Wednesday at soon to be? 5:30 pm.
Namaste
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