I recently read over The 4 Agreements. What I enjoyed most, were the parts that talked about shifting perception of the way the world works & the way the agreements can help with that.
The first agreement, be impeccable with your words, resonated most with me.
This is something that I have been practicing for some time. And it is, well, a practice for me.
I'm working on pausing before I speak. Not that I need to think about what I want to say. Just that I need to pause. I want to be active in what I communicate, not reactive. I want my words to be clean & honest & have meaning for me & the person I am talking to. I want to be connected when I speak.
As a yoga teacher, impeccable speech is critical. Students don't need to hear alot of words from a teacher. In fact, they often don't hear alot of what is said because they are so immersed in the practice. Students don't need words to just to fill space & time. A teacher's words should move students - physically, energetically & emotionally. They should land gracefully & lightly, so as to empower & even inspire students.
When I teach at my studio (http://www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com/index.htm), it is a full-on, in-body on experience for me. I am completely present for every moment. I'm not thinking - I'm in alignment & I'm delivering what I receive from Source & the Universe. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the best way to describe it, is that it's the exact opposite of an out-of-body experience.
And this is what I am striving for in my interactions with others on a day to day basis. To clear out all that extra "stuff" that's floating around & be completely engaged & present as much as possible. To make every word count. To make every moment count.
It's the act, or really the practice, of taking my yoga off the mat & out of the studio & using it where it matters most...In my every day life.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
End of the world???
A while back, there was alot of talk about how the world was going to end. Maybe you saw the story...some man, somewhere, predicted it. But his math was off & he was wrong...again. Apparently he had made the same prediction back in 2004.
I actually didn't know anything about it until I heard it from someone else. I don't read the paper or watch the news - I haven't for years. Too much gloom & doom. It's not that I'm not aware of what's going on the world, or don't want to know what's going on. Its just that it's portrayed with so much drama. So much negativity. The facts are one thing, but the constant replaying & dramtization is more than I need. Somehow its shifted from being news to watching the Maury Povich show or Judge Judy (no offense to either of these).
That's exactly what happened with the end of the world prediction. It was all over the news for days. Do we really need to give so much energy to the negative that's out there? Its the law of attraction - like attracts like. We talk about, dramatize & give free publicity to negative news...and no surprise, we see more & more of it.
I was reluctant to even talk about it here. My intention is to draw attention toward better things.
How about some publicity for the good that's going on out there? For people everywhere who are stepping up & helping out to try & improve our world? That's what I want to hear about. And that's what I want to talk about. And maybe that will inspire more people to do more positive things - to make a positive shift.
At my yoga studio (http://www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com/index.htm) & others around the world, this shift is happening. Sometimes it seems very small & very quiet. But more & more people are stepping up. You can do it too. Step into the studio, find your center & then leave & spread your light. Talk about the good things going on around you. Do something nice for someone. Create shift within & around you & be a part of creating a better world.
I actually didn't know anything about it until I heard it from someone else. I don't read the paper or watch the news - I haven't for years. Too much gloom & doom. It's not that I'm not aware of what's going on the world, or don't want to know what's going on. Its just that it's portrayed with so much drama. So much negativity. The facts are one thing, but the constant replaying & dramtization is more than I need. Somehow its shifted from being news to watching the Maury Povich show or Judge Judy (no offense to either of these).
That's exactly what happened with the end of the world prediction. It was all over the news for days. Do we really need to give so much energy to the negative that's out there? Its the law of attraction - like attracts like. We talk about, dramatize & give free publicity to negative news...and no surprise, we see more & more of it.
I was reluctant to even talk about it here. My intention is to draw attention toward better things.
How about some publicity for the good that's going on out there? For people everywhere who are stepping up & helping out to try & improve our world? That's what I want to hear about. And that's what I want to talk about. And maybe that will inspire more people to do more positive things - to make a positive shift.
At my yoga studio (http://www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com/index.htm) & others around the world, this shift is happening. Sometimes it seems very small & very quiet. But more & more people are stepping up. You can do it too. Step into the studio, find your center & then leave & spread your light. Talk about the good things going on around you. Do something nice for someone. Create shift within & around you & be a part of creating a better world.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
What do I need to do....
People ask me all the time "what do I need to do to take a class at your yoga studio?" (http://www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com/).
And my response is simple "Just show up".
Sure, it helps if you wear comfortable clothes & bring a yoga mat, towel & water - but that's the easy stuff.
It's the showing up part that's challenging.
You can "show up" for anything...for work, a concert, dinner, a wedding, a recital, a date. We say it alot "sure, I'll be there - I'll show up for that".
Physically showing up is the first step - that's what most of us are referring to when we say it. And that piece alone can be pretty challenging, depending on what else you have going on in your life.
When I talk about showing up, I mean really showing up. That's a huge piece of what this yoga practice is about. Showing up. Being present.
You know what it's like...you're talking with someone, there standing right in front of you, looking at you. But they're not there. Their mind, energy, attention is with someone or something else. Physically, they showed up. But that's as far as they got. And it doesn't feel so great to be on the receiving end of that.
It happens to all of us. We live busy lives. There's alot going on & plenty to think about, plan for, worry about.
Like I said - just physically showing up can be really challenging. Especially for your first yoga class. Especially for your 1001st class. Especially for dinner. Especially for work. Especially for....
But when you physically show up & then practice being present, when you really SHOW UP - it's powerful. It's a shift. It's a transformation that happens within us & around us. It is noticeable.
On your mat, in the studio, is a great place to practice showing up because it's a supportive space that cultivates the art of being present.
But like any piece of this practice, you can practice showing up & being present any time, anywhere.
Like right now.
And my response is simple "Just show up".
Sure, it helps if you wear comfortable clothes & bring a yoga mat, towel & water - but that's the easy stuff.
It's the showing up part that's challenging.
You can "show up" for anything...for work, a concert, dinner, a wedding, a recital, a date. We say it alot "sure, I'll be there - I'll show up for that".
Physically showing up is the first step - that's what most of us are referring to when we say it. And that piece alone can be pretty challenging, depending on what else you have going on in your life.
When I talk about showing up, I mean really showing up. That's a huge piece of what this yoga practice is about. Showing up. Being present.
You know what it's like...you're talking with someone, there standing right in front of you, looking at you. But they're not there. Their mind, energy, attention is with someone or something else. Physically, they showed up. But that's as far as they got. And it doesn't feel so great to be on the receiving end of that.
It happens to all of us. We live busy lives. There's alot going on & plenty to think about, plan for, worry about.
Like I said - just physically showing up can be really challenging. Especially for your first yoga class. Especially for your 1001st class. Especially for dinner. Especially for work. Especially for....
But when you physically show up & then practice being present, when you really SHOW UP - it's powerful. It's a shift. It's a transformation that happens within us & around us. It is noticeable.
On your mat, in the studio, is a great place to practice showing up because it's a supportive space that cultivates the art of being present.
But like any piece of this practice, you can practice showing up & being present any time, anywhere.
Like right now.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Tailor's Chalk
When opening my yoga studio (http://www.sanctuarypoweryoga.com/), I decided to paint the walls of the studio "Tailor's Chalk". It sounds a little corny, but I had a vision of how the studio would look with this color on the walls.
What I love most about this color is that my very good friend, mentor & teacher is named Taylor. Spelled differently, but sounds the same. Even my husband made the connection when I told him the name of the color.
When I selected the color, it just felt like the right choice - like I said, I had a vision. But when I painted a small area of the wall, I was unsure. It looked too white - I thought it might be too stark for the studio. That the walls might need a warmer color.
Then one day while I was working in the studio before the opening, I literally had an epiphany...that's all I can call it. "I'll put it on with a rag!" My husband was skeptical. I am not a super painter, to say the least, & didn't really have any experience with this technique.
But I tried it on a section of the wall & it worked. It looked great. It still looks great! Not too stark - just right. It was the right color after all.
And this especially made me think of my friend, Taylor. She would have said from the beginning - trust your instinct, your intuition, and it will all fall into place.
That's how this studio came into being. By trusting my intuition, my instincts. And even more importantly, the Universe. And the reason it makes me think of Taylor, is because I have learned so much about this from her & her family & the way they live their life.
You can read more about how Sanctuary Power Yoga came into being on Taylor's blog: http://www.super-mom.com/meant-to-be. And you can come in & check out the paint color any time!
What I love most about this color is that my very good friend, mentor & teacher is named Taylor. Spelled differently, but sounds the same. Even my husband made the connection when I told him the name of the color.
When I selected the color, it just felt like the right choice - like I said, I had a vision. But when I painted a small area of the wall, I was unsure. It looked too white - I thought it might be too stark for the studio. That the walls might need a warmer color.
Then one day while I was working in the studio before the opening, I literally had an epiphany...that's all I can call it. "I'll put it on with a rag!" My husband was skeptical. I am not a super painter, to say the least, & didn't really have any experience with this technique.
But I tried it on a section of the wall & it worked. It looked great. It still looks great! Not too stark - just right. It was the right color after all.
And this especially made me think of my friend, Taylor. She would have said from the beginning - trust your instinct, your intuition, and it will all fall into place.
That's how this studio came into being. By trusting my intuition, my instincts. And even more importantly, the Universe. And the reason it makes me think of Taylor, is because I have learned so much about this from her & her family & the way they live their life.
You can read more about how Sanctuary Power Yoga came into being on Taylor's blog: http://www.super-mom.com/meant-to-be. And you can come in & check out the paint color any time!
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