Check please?

I remember taking class with my friend & mentor, Alyssa Sullivan, at her studio in Rhode Island (http://www.synergypoweryoga.com/).  One day she talked about a friend of hers from way back who waited tables.  And how, when he waited tables, he was totally in the flow.  He made it look effortless.

I found myself mentioning this to a few new teachers during a practice teaching session.  One of them elaborated on this.  He said there is a flow, a rhythm.  The drinks, the food, the check - the pace at which you bring each of these.  You can turn your tables quickly, without rushing people, if you are in the flow.  And if you lose the flow - you can mess up your whole night.

A fellow mother talked about getting out of the house with her little one.  They could be in the flow, things going smoothly, and as soon as she rushed it (in an effort to get out of the house on time) everything would fall apart - they lost the flow.  I can confirm this - we've been there.

Abraham-Hicks likens it to being in the current of the river.  You can fight the flow - paddle upstream.  Work so hard to get where you want to go & make something happen.  It's a struggle - and it doesn't work.  You can do this for part of your day, all of your day...you can do it your whole life.  But when you recognize it, you can pull in your paddles, allow the current to turn you around & you're flowing.  Maybe in a different direction, but it's effortless.

At one point in my life, I spent the better part of a year looking for a new job.  The job I had wasn't bad, I just wanted a new, better job.  I tried & tried to find a new job.  I went to a bunch of interviews - nothing was right.  Then I realized I needed to practice my yoga & go with the flow.  I stopped trying to find a new job.  I started enjoying the the job that I had.  And within a matter of months, a new job found me.


I've said it before, the type of style I teach is a flow - vinyasa means flows.  There is a rhythm to the movement & breath.  To the delivery of the cues (if your the teacher).  And when you're in the flow, as the teacher or the student, it looks & feels effortless.  It's a practice for life.  Life is a flow.  Each day has it's rhythm, it's flow.  If you feel like you're paddling upstream, you probably are.  Ask yourself why?  Are you afraid to pull the paddles in?  Worried about where the current will take you?  Take a few breaths, feel the rhythm of your breath.  And try, just for a few moments or maybe a whole day, not resisting, not paddling...just going with the flow. 

A special thanks for my friend & mentor Alyssa Sullivan for all that I learned from her & all that she has shared with me.