blogging in waves

it seems as if i've had a lot to say recently. :)

sometimes my blogging comes in waves - a whole lot at once and then it goes down to a trickle (aka only monday moment of zen posts).

just like the moon has an impact on the ocean, it also has an impact on us as well.

last friday, march 4th was the new moon. with the new moon our energy can also be slower and we can be more reflective and pensive. the new moon is the perfect time to create new goals or dreams for yourself. it's also a time to give up anything that no longer serves you.


in my yoga classes last week i asked my students while they were lying on their sides, before coming back up to an easy seat to end class, to think of one thing that they want to get rid of. it could be anything from a negative relationship, to a job or project that they no longer want, to that last 5 pounds. i asked them to imagine that as they sat up that was left behind on the floor. to actually picture whatever was no longer serving them being left behind so that something newer and better could come in it's place.

i also showed them the shivalingam mudra.

the shivalingam mudra is an energizing and powerful mudra when your energy is down, when you feel as though you need more power over a specific situation or just in general, to help break negative thought patterns, and to help boost self-confidence and self-esteem. perfect for the new moon!!

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to always look on the bright side?

first off, i want to thank you guys SO much for reading and for all of your comments on the blog recently. you guys make my heart swell with joy & gratitude!!

secondly, happy fat tuesday everyone!!

and now onto the situation at hand...

blogging is a peculiar thing sometimes, isn't it?

it's as if sometimes we feel the need to only share or blog about the bright side of things. we don't want to let people know about the messy little situations that come up in our life for several reasons; you might be embarrassed about your situation, people will think you are complaining, people won't care cause they have their own shit to worry about, etc, etc, etc...

but indeed, we are human, we ALL have good days and we all have bad days and we all survive both!

just as there is no need to dwell on the negative, there is no need to only focus on the positive. that makes us seem less real. good or bad, i'm about as REAL as it gets.

:)

i try to find that middle ground.

i try to see both sides of the coin.

do you?

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foot in mouth, almost, but not quite

my "un-yogic" blog post caused quite a stir. i got a lot of comments on both the post itself and on my facebook page.

while i was writing this from a point of view of me being un-yogic some others feelings got hurt in the process.

this was not my intention - ever!!

when i started this blog (3 years ago the 16th of this month!!) i laid some very basic ground rules:

would i want people to read this if is published on the front of the new york times??

** yes - proceed ** no - definitely do not publish ** maybe? - still, do not publish**

and i still stand by this today.

when i re-read what i wrote for the umpteenth time i thought that maybe something that i had written might be taken wrong. but as always in the publishing world, it was too late...

so, i say this out of complete sincerity - i never meant to hurt anyone's feelings and since that i know i did, please know that i am very, very sorry!!


it's not about one specific person, incident, situation, etc. it's about the shifting of energy as a whole. i am reminded of the quote i put up a couple of monday's ago for the moment of zen.

"in the entire world, there is not one human being who is free from pain. even in favorable conditions, a person encounters struggle. the external form of struggle appears to be cruel. some describe it as a horrible demon, but its nature is not malicious. in fact, it is proper to welcome struggle, for its arrival is always auspicious. struggle keeps us from growing sluggish. it changes an animal into an ideal person. it transforms an ordinary human into a spiritually-awake person respected by the world... it is alright if we cannot receive struggle with love, but struggle should never be discarded. to discard struggle is to discard god's grace."
~ swami kripalu

although it may be hard to welcome struggle when you are in the midst of it, try to remind yourself that it is there for a reason. you will take away a lesson from it. for each time there is struggle there is also a shift of energy that helps us grow. and yes, i have to remind myself of this exact thing when i'm in the midst of struggle. :)

one of my favorite mantra's is lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu

which translates to "may all beings everywhere be happy and free. may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all."

with an emphasis on the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life being key.

so what about you guys, any mantra or quote that you go to when in the midst of struggle?

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un-yogic

do i.....

cuss (sometimes like a sailor)???

occasionally eat meat???

speed thru yellow lights (or even occasionally run red lights)???

vent to my boyfriend about how frustrated i am over how un-yogic some things are at my yoga studio???

get angry or defensive over stupid shit???

have to have things my way???

be sarcastic so much so that sometimes it seems rude???

sometimes have a short temper???

get selfish and put myself first???

you betcha!!!

so tell me... what sort of un-yogic behaviors do you sometimes indulge in?

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thoughts

in a recent yoga class that i was lucky enough to attend focused the class on half asana and half meditation. the teacher (and a dear friend of mine) had us to set in a circle for the meditation portion of the class. as she was leading us to our find our stillness she said something to the effect of not letting other people put us in boxes that label what we are, that we are much more than that. while at the time it didn't really sink in until after the mediation was over and we shared any experiences we had and spent a little time talking. it was at that point another student said she really enjoyed what she had said about that. and i thought to myself, "yeah, exactly, why do we let other people dictate what we do or who we are?!"

sure we all have labels of what it is we do: mother, daughter, friend, lover, accountant, lawyer, landscaper, cat person, lover of frogs, francophile, and on & on. but those labels are just that... labels. they can describe us but they aren't who we really are. and why do we feel the need to fit into these labels or boxes that others put upon us? sure, we want people to like us but you can't make everyone happy all of the time. and if you try you will certainly go mad!

so why not be who you are and own it?! it will make things a lot easier in the end, don't you think??

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life lessons from being sick

hello loves! you might have been wondering why i haven't been blogging recently or have noticed my absence on my beloved twitter. well, i've been down and out with some sort of silly bug. it's been going around and just when i thought i had skirted around it... it got me.


in fact, i'm blogging from my comfy bed with homemade chai, pets, pillows, books, magazines and my trusted vic mac-key nearby. (yes, i was a big fan of shawn ryan's the shield. therein lies the name of my macbook pro.)

i've had to cancel massage clients, bowenwork clients, yoga classes and the end all - be all my yoga & creativity workshop i have scheduled for tomorrow. (sigh!) it's given me a chance to catch up on some things though (between bouts of sleep that is): some fabulous articles online, and the 2nd & 3rd of this trilogy (love!).

but in ways, i guess i had this little life lesson coming. i've been going non-stop for i can't remember how long. with a long line of "yes, i can fit you in" "sure, tomorrow is fine" "it's ok, don't worry about it." and the list goes on & on. but one thing you have to remember is if you don't take care of yourself first, then you can't take care of others. at least not properly anyways.

so life's little lesson has made me slow down even though i didn't want to. but i can say that i've taken a lot away from this lesson. just to name a few:

#1 take care of yourself first
#2 learn to say no when it's best for me
#3 learn to better prioritize tasks (and people for that matter)

i'm hoping that you stay healthy & well.

hugs & namaste

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