Alot of people love this time of year - the Holiday Season. I love this time of year. I love the way stores & houses look decorated in lights as you pass by at night. I love the smell of evergreen & putting a tree up in our home. I enjoy the spirit of the season - goodwill & peace & giving. I enjoy spending time together with friends & extended family members that, in some cases, we only see once or twice a year. I love the anticipation of the first snowfall (or in the case of this year - the second snowfall).
But for other people, this time of year is very challenging. Feeling the loss dear friends or close family members make it difficult to embrace the joy of the season. Having family members or friends serving in the military & overseas also make it hard not to worry.
As a yoga teacher, I've always tried to be mindful that different significant days & times of year mean different things to different people. On any day, you can never know what someone is thinking or feeling (unless they share it with you) and I've found that Holidays heighten that.
The holiday season serves a good reminder to never assume anything about others. You can't know why someone dislikes a holiday...even when they give you a reason, there may be a bigger back-story that they aren't sharing. When someone cuts you off in traffic, or "takes" your parking space - it probably has nothing to do with you. Maybe they're on their way to the hospital to see a loved one for the last time. Maybe they have to get home in time for their babysitter.
In the spirit of the holidays, try reserving judgement of others & how they act. Actions taken by others are not necessarily actions against you. And often the people that we are quickest to judge are actually the people that most need our love.
This season, when you find yourself forming a criticism of someone or their actions - whether it's someone you know or a total stranger - pause for a moment. Instead of thinking, or speaking, or acting harshly - offer loving thoughts, kind words or a generous gesture. Remember that you don't know what's going on in another person's head or their life. And what they might need most, is kindness & love from you.
Sound crazy? So crazy that it might work. You might not see it work. You might never know if it works. But you will feel it. You will feel better. You will be part of spreading the spirit of the season.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
This is challenging
The style of yoga I teach - heated power yoga - can be pretty challenging. The room is heated to around 90 degrees, we move alot - it's a physically challenging practice, and you move your body in ways that are unusual & atypical in everyday life. I usually don't play music, so there's no distraction. It's just you, on your mat, in your body, with your breath.
At times, it can be uncomfortable. New poses, new sequences of poses (class is never exactly the same twice), the heat, holding poses longer than you might like. I remind seasoned students & new students alike to try walking their feet father apart, to sit their hips lower, to raise their arms higher. In essence, I encourage them to move out of their comfort zone & try something different - dig a little deeper. I also repeatedly remind students to rest when they feel it's needed. For many, this is moving out of their comfort zone.
Even though this style of yoga is challenging, it's not about pushing & doing more. It is about finding your strength. Your calm. Your center. You learn (I've learned) that if you can find these things within in you as you hold a challenging pose, if you can take rest when everyone else is moving, then you just might be able to find these qualities I your life when things get uncomfortable.
It is about taking your practice off the mat.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
At times, it can be uncomfortable. New poses, new sequences of poses (class is never exactly the same twice), the heat, holding poses longer than you might like. I remind seasoned students & new students alike to try walking their feet father apart, to sit their hips lower, to raise their arms higher. In essence, I encourage them to move out of their comfort zone & try something different - dig a little deeper. I also repeatedly remind students to rest when they feel it's needed. For many, this is moving out of their comfort zone.
Even though this style of yoga is challenging, it's not about pushing & doing more. It is about finding your strength. Your calm. Your center. You learn (I've learned) that if you can find these things within in you as you hold a challenging pose, if you can take rest when everyone else is moving, then you just might be able to find these qualities I your life when things get uncomfortable.
It is about taking your practice off the mat.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is tomorrow & with it, the start of the holiday season for many.
Thanksgiving Day - a day for Giving Thanks. A day of Peace & Grace. Pretty simple.
And yet, in my visits to the grocery store & those "big box stores" this week, what I have seen has been anything but peaceful & graceful...people arguing over parking spaces & yelling at the cashiers.
And tomorrow night, many stores will open around midnight to give people a jump start on Black Friday shopping deals. Pretty complicated, if you ask me.
It can be simple. It can be a day spent with others - sharing time, perhaps a meal. Giving thanks for what we have & sharing that with others.
It can be a day full of Peace & Grace. A time to pause & enjoy life.
And the thing about Thanksgiving, is that it doesn't have to be limited to a single day in the year.
Thanksgiving Day can be every day. Every day can be a day to Give Thanks for who & what we have in our lives. Every day can be a day of Peace & Grace. And every day we can share this with others - people we know & love or complete strangers.
Every day can be simply a day of Thanksgiving.
May you enjoy your Thanksgiving Day - may it be full of Peace & Grace. And may every day be Thanksgiving Day.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Thanksgiving Day - a day for Giving Thanks. A day of Peace & Grace. Pretty simple.
And yet, in my visits to the grocery store & those "big box stores" this week, what I have seen has been anything but peaceful & graceful...people arguing over parking spaces & yelling at the cashiers.
And tomorrow night, many stores will open around midnight to give people a jump start on Black Friday shopping deals. Pretty complicated, if you ask me.
It can be simple. It can be a day spent with others - sharing time, perhaps a meal. Giving thanks for what we have & sharing that with others.
It can be a day full of Peace & Grace. A time to pause & enjoy life.
And the thing about Thanksgiving, is that it doesn't have to be limited to a single day in the year.
Thanksgiving Day can be every day. Every day can be a day to Give Thanks for who & what we have in our lives. Every day can be a day of Peace & Grace. And every day we can share this with others - people we know & love or complete strangers.
Every day can be simply a day of Thanksgiving.
May you enjoy your Thanksgiving Day - may it be full of Peace & Grace. And may every day be Thanksgiving Day.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Snowstorm
I missed posting for a couple weeks because, a couple weeks ago, our part of CT was hit by a massive snowstorm - a nor'easter, a blizzard. Two feet of snow. Record numbers without power. No heat, hot water, electricity, cable, internet, phone service. A real white out, if you will.
We are fortunate - we have a generator, so being without power was only a minor inconvenience. We were still able to shower, cook & even watch TV (videos). And our electricity was restored pretty quickly - after only 4 days.
Other folks weren't so lucky. Many were without electricity for almost 2 weeks. Many people woke up in cold, dark houses, went to work (if they were lucky - it was warm there) & came home to cold, dark houses.
For us, the good thing about the storm was spending more time with extended family & friends. We invited people to eat with us & stay with us. There was more time to connect & talk & enjoy one another because we weren't rushing off to check our email or watch TV.
And when power was restored, it was a huge relief. Life is, obviously, so much easier with electricity - with heat, lights, hot water & phone service.
Going without modern conveniences made me realize, once again, how fortunate we are for all that we have. Being able to enjoy friends & family made me realize, once again, how fortunate I am to have these people in my life.
Gratitude is something I have written about before. It's worth writing about again. We get stuck in our heads & the challenges of our lives & forget about how much we really have & how lucky we really are. It shouldn't take a snowstorm for us to remember this.
Gratitude is the highest vibration there is. When you find it & feel it, everything shifts. Within you & around you. Try it. Look at who & what you have in your life right now. Find & feel gratitude.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
We are fortunate - we have a generator, so being without power was only a minor inconvenience. We were still able to shower, cook & even watch TV (videos). And our electricity was restored pretty quickly - after only 4 days.
Other folks weren't so lucky. Many were without electricity for almost 2 weeks. Many people woke up in cold, dark houses, went to work (if they were lucky - it was warm there) & came home to cold, dark houses.
For us, the good thing about the storm was spending more time with extended family & friends. We invited people to eat with us & stay with us. There was more time to connect & talk & enjoy one another because we weren't rushing off to check our email or watch TV.
And when power was restored, it was a huge relief. Life is, obviously, so much easier with electricity - with heat, lights, hot water & phone service.
Going without modern conveniences made me realize, once again, how fortunate we are for all that we have. Being able to enjoy friends & family made me realize, once again, how fortunate I am to have these people in my life.
Gratitude is something I have written about before. It's worth writing about again. We get stuck in our heads & the challenges of our lives & forget about how much we really have & how lucky we really are. It shouldn't take a snowstorm for us to remember this.
Gratitude is the highest vibration there is. When you find it & feel it, everything shifts. Within you & around you. Try it. Look at who & what you have in your life right now. Find & feel gratitude.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Get 'er done!
There was a period of time, recently in fact, when I would go to bed at night thinking about all the things I would accomplish the next day.
Literally, I would lie in bed thinking "ok, tomorrow, I'll get up, shower & eat & get out of the house & get STUFF done!".
And then the next morning would roll around.
And I'd get up & my son would want to sit on the potty & have stories read to him.
And then we'd get a banana & I'd check my email.
And then I'd throw some clothes in the washing machine & empty the dishwasher.
And then my son would want me to play with his trains with him.
And then we would talk our dogs for a walk.
And then I'd take a shower & we'd have breakfast.
And then....
Well, you see how it goes. Next thing I know, it's almost lunchtime & we'd "wasted" half the day.
At some point, I took a look at my thinking. My need to "get out of the house & get stuff done".
I'm not sure where it came from. Maybe years of getting up & out of the house to go to a 9 to 5 job? Maybe years of societal conditioning? Maybe just me...
But once I started looking at it, I started to let it go.
I started practicing (again) living in the moment. (I've been trying to practice this for as long as I've been teaching, but sometimes I forget).
Having an idea of things that need to get done in a day, but also having the flexibility & ability to go with the flow. Remembering that I am fortunate to have the time to spend with my son. Waking up & enjoying being awake & at home. Knowing that we'll get where we need to go, but more importantly, enjoying whatever the route is that takes us there.
We put alot of pressure on ourselves to "get stuff done". And most of the time, we will accomplish what we need to do. But we can often accomplish it without the added stress that we usually create ourselves.
It's easy to get sidetracked. The practice is to enjoy being sidetracked (or at the very least, to stay calm & centered when it happens). The practice is to enjoy the unpredictability of life - each moment of it. Once that moment is gone - it's gone. So enjoy it.
"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone" - Lin Yutang
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Literally, I would lie in bed thinking "ok, tomorrow, I'll get up, shower & eat & get out of the house & get STUFF done!".
And then the next morning would roll around.
And I'd get up & my son would want to sit on the potty & have stories read to him.
And then we'd get a banana & I'd check my email.
And then I'd throw some clothes in the washing machine & empty the dishwasher.
And then my son would want me to play with his trains with him.
And then we would talk our dogs for a walk.
And then I'd take a shower & we'd have breakfast.
And then....
Well, you see how it goes. Next thing I know, it's almost lunchtime & we'd "wasted" half the day.
At some point, I took a look at my thinking. My need to "get out of the house & get stuff done".
I'm not sure where it came from. Maybe years of getting up & out of the house to go to a 9 to 5 job? Maybe years of societal conditioning? Maybe just me...
But once I started looking at it, I started to let it go.
I started practicing (again) living in the moment. (I've been trying to practice this for as long as I've been teaching, but sometimes I forget).
Having an idea of things that need to get done in a day, but also having the flexibility & ability to go with the flow. Remembering that I am fortunate to have the time to spend with my son. Waking up & enjoying being awake & at home. Knowing that we'll get where we need to go, but more importantly, enjoying whatever the route is that takes us there.
We put alot of pressure on ourselves to "get stuff done". And most of the time, we will accomplish what we need to do. But we can often accomplish it without the added stress that we usually create ourselves.
It's easy to get sidetracked. The practice is to enjoy being sidetracked (or at the very least, to stay calm & centered when it happens). The practice is to enjoy the unpredictability of life - each moment of it. Once that moment is gone - it's gone. So enjoy it.
"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone" - Lin Yutang
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Connection
When I opened my studio (http://www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com/), I heard alot of "you've got to get on facebook. You've got to start a blog". I had never been a fan of FB & rarely read blogs. But I'm all about getting the word out about heated power yoga in Northwest CT, so I jumped in.
The first time I hit the "publish" button for this blog - it was scary. Suddenly, what I thought, felt, believed was out there for EVERYONE to read.
Blogging & Facebook are still amazing to me. I do check FB almost everyday to see what's going on & how I might be able to promote the wonderful things going on at my studio. And I see how you could get "sucked in" & waste your day away. I'm amazed at the details that people share about the themselves & the things that get written, posted & shared.
It seems that as we become more separate from one another, more & more we seek out this artificial connection. Our friends on FB are strangers. We read & judge intimate details of strangers' lives. And more amazing than what is written on FB & in blogs are the comments posted about them.
People judge, criticize & ridicule. Others applaud & encourage. They become involved & entangled in strangers' lives online (kind of like reality television!). And while they sometimes know the blogger or the FB friend personally, other times the blogger or friend is, again, a complete stranger.
Yoga is about connection. With your breath, your body, your heart & spirit. Yoga is about community. Connecting, in real time, face to face, in person, with others. Yoga is about acceptance - of yourself, just the way you are. And of others.
Blogging & FB are great marketing tools. They're great ways to spread information & ideas quickly. But they are no substitute for real life connections, with real life people that you know, or could get to know. Instead of investing your time & energy in someone else's life online - invest in yourself. Turn off your computer & get into a yoga studio. Make a connection & maybe a real friend.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
The first time I hit the "publish" button for this blog - it was scary. Suddenly, what I thought, felt, believed was out there for EVERYONE to read.
Blogging & Facebook are still amazing to me. I do check FB almost everyday to see what's going on & how I might be able to promote the wonderful things going on at my studio. And I see how you could get "sucked in" & waste your day away. I'm amazed at the details that people share about the themselves & the things that get written, posted & shared.
It seems that as we become more separate from one another, more & more we seek out this artificial connection. Our friends on FB are strangers. We read & judge intimate details of strangers' lives. And more amazing than what is written on FB & in blogs are the comments posted about them.
People judge, criticize & ridicule. Others applaud & encourage. They become involved & entangled in strangers' lives online (kind of like reality television!). And while they sometimes know the blogger or the FB friend personally, other times the blogger or friend is, again, a complete stranger.
Yoga is about connection. With your breath, your body, your heart & spirit. Yoga is about community. Connecting, in real time, face to face, in person, with others. Yoga is about acceptance - of yourself, just the way you are. And of others.
Blogging & FB are great marketing tools. They're great ways to spread information & ideas quickly. But they are no substitute for real life connections, with real life people that you know, or could get to know. Instead of investing your time & energy in someone else's life online - invest in yourself. Turn off your computer & get into a yoga studio. Make a connection & maybe a real friend.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dreamers
We ask children all the time "what do you want to be when you grow up?"
And the responses vary greatly - doctor, actress, astronaut, scientist, clown, hairdresser, surfer, yoga teacher...
Kids dream big & their plans for the future reflect that.
Most responses are met by adults with enthusiasm, if not occasional wonderment ("where did they get that idea"??!!).
A funny thing happens as we grow - those big dreams, those interesting responses, get met with more wonderment & less enthusiasm. And in some cases, the plans flat out get dismissed.
Big dreams become silly or unrealistic. And being a dreamer becomes impractical.
But what about the Wright Brothers. Who would have thought at the time that people flying was possible?!? What about all the children over time who HAVE grown up to be doctors, actressess, astronauts, scientists, clowns, hairdressers, surfers, yoga teachers...
And the responses vary greatly - doctor, actress, astronaut, scientist, clown, hairdresser, surfer, yoga teacher...
Kids dream big & their plans for the future reflect that.
Most responses are met by adults with enthusiasm, if not occasional wonderment ("where did they get that idea"??!!).
A funny thing happens as we grow - those big dreams, those interesting responses, get met with more wonderment & less enthusiasm. And in some cases, the plans flat out get dismissed.
Big dreams become silly or unrealistic. And being a dreamer becomes impractical.
But what about the Wright Brothers. Who would have thought at the time that people flying was possible?!? What about all the children over time who HAVE grown up to be doctors, actressess, astronauts, scientists, clowns, hairdressers, surfers, yoga teachers...
All these adults had dreams as children. Dreams that they realized. They were dreamers - they are dreamers. An thank the Universe for them & their dreams. Where would be today without them?
If we can dream it, we can create it. We just need to believe - in ourselves & the power of the universe.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
If we can dream it, we can create it. We just need to believe - in ourselves & the power of the universe.
You can now find my blog at the Register Citizen: http:http://www.registercitizen.com/blogs/life/
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