Find the Lesson

So I had this blog writing in mind.   I write it (see below) then I stumble upon this article http://www.yogajournal.com/wisdom/1844  just before posting my entry.  The article says it all.  Read one, or read both.  Of course, I’m flattered if you read mine J

Life is a gift and it is full of opportunities and change.  Everything –the good and the bad –is an opportunity to learn and grow.  It is how we opt to view the opportunity that makes a difference in how we move in this world.

No matter how difficult or life-altering the event –losing a loved one, getting a speeding ticket, or arguing with a friend – there is a lesson to be learned.  Some lessons are obvious and some aren’t so clear.  Some are blocked by emotions, sense of denial or even worse self-pity (“why me”).  Often times we hinder our own growth by resisting – we refuse to see the good in the bad. 

Step back from the emotions.  Look at the facts.  See the occurrence for what it is.  What can you learn from it?  The best lessons in life often come from the hardships, the negative experiences.

Can you view every opportunity/event in your life as a gift?  Some are surprises and some you’ve hand-picked.  Regardless of what is presented, take it all and make the best of it. 

Live with Purpose

As a yoga instructor, I teach a lot of students and observe a lot of faces.  Some students appear as if they’re just going through the motions while others travel through class with energy of presence, of purpose.  In my personal experience, committing to an intention during my yoga practice enables me to me fully present in my practice and it continues to follow me into my life.

An intention is focused on how you are “being” in the moment at hand; in the present.  An intention helps conserve energy by not wasting time being stuck in the past or thinking about the future (something that might not happen).  Life is too short not to move, breathe and live without meaning, without purpose, in the existing moment.  Everything you do both in and outside of a yoga class should be an expression of you in that moment – how you feel, where you are in your body, what you need.

What is your intention for yoga practice?  What’s your intention for your life today?

Set an intention and commit.  Keep it simple.  One word such as kindness, patience, courage or tolerance can serve as a wonderful intention to live from.  Some intentions may stick with you for weeks or even months.  Others may be short-lived.  Know that your intention will change as you change and grow.  As is life, setting intentions is a living practice so ask yourself everyday “what is my intention?”. 

Stop going through the motions.  Let your intention be the foundation from which all your actions flow, both on and off your yoga mat.  The more you bring focus to your intention, the more purpose and energy you’ll find in your life.

Shine Like the Mountains

I just returned from a good week of skiing in CO.  In between the slopes, I found time to unroll my yoga mat as well as sip a few cups of tea at the local coffee house.  Fortunately, a beautiful day of sun granted me the luxury to sit outside the café, sip tea and stare at the mountains surrounding the town of Telluride.

It occurred to me as I looked out at the snow covered terrain that there are many similarities between mountains and humans.  Each mountain has its own beauty and strength as does each human.  Mountains possess various characteristics and energy as do humans —height, width, color, etc.  Some were bright while others appeared to be dark depending on the amount of tree and snow coverage.  No mountain looked the same, just as no person on the street looked the same.  Our bodies change with the seasons and so do the mountains.  Mountains age, though maybe not as noticeably as we do.  Lucky mountains!

My point of rambling is that we, humans, are part of nature.  As much as we forget, particularly when living in a city environment, we each possess beauty, grace and strength.  These traits give us personality, individuality.  It’s the uniqueness that we each possess that makes us who we are in this world.  This is nature.  We are nature. 

Let your natural characteristics shine just like the mountains.  Stand tall, be proud.  Live from your Tadasana pose.

Mini-Blog Vacation

I’m heading to Telluride, CO for a vacation week of skiing (and of course, some yoga) and plan to be offline the entire week.  Hmmm…is it really possible?

It’s such a rare opportunity, and hard to imagine, to have a week without online access.  In a way, it’s a week of freedom; a true opportunity to clear my head from electronic distraction.  Of course, I plan to journal (yes, writing the old-fashioned way) and hope to share an experience or two with you upon my return.

Until then, I leave you with this…

“Let’s give ourselves the courage to keep going when no one else believes in us.  The vision to be able to see past the fear to where beauty lives.  Passion for everything we do.  Truth in always listening to our inner selves.  And possibilities because anything is possible if we really believe.  Let’s give ourselves the gift of responsibility so we may have a say in our lives!”

No, I didn’t write this.  My Mom gave me this doll ornament at Christmas.  It’s a Betsy Johnson-ish looking woman –maybe 6 inches tall in an all white gown, silver box hat and Pippy Long Stockings stockings.  Yes, it’s very funky.  To some, it might border tacky.  But once I read the card attached to it (which displays the writing above), I appreciated the creativity of the ornament, and that’s the point.

We’re all unique.  We all have our own thoughts, passions, desires, mannerisms, etc. Yet, it is so easy to fall into the trap of “I got to be like everyone else” because that’s the “norm”.  It’s so easy to be discouraged by fear, what others say and what we tell ourselves.  No matter how rough and dark the road may be at times, there’s always light ahead.  Take control, live from your heart and let your light shine bright.  Be the funky doll!                 

Yoga Can Change Your Life

Not sure what yoga can do for you?  Read this article for inspiration.  Or maybe you tried yoga once and thought “yoga is not for me”.  Do yourself a favor, try it again.

There is a yoga style for everyone –power/Ashtanga, restorative, meditation-based, breathing-focused, Integral (heavy emphasis on breath and meditation), hot (Bikram), Jivamukti (combines asana, chanting, breathing and meditation), Anusara (heart-opening & spiritually inspiring) and Iyengar (alignment-focused).  These are just a few.  Be open to trying several types.  It takes patience to find what works best with your personality and constitution.  If 2008 is your year to make changes in your life, find a yoga style that works for you and stick with it.  You’ll be amazed at what’s possible through a yoga practice.

Once you find your yoga style, which can only be done by you physically experiencing the style vs. reading about it, you’ll need to find a teacher(s) that speaks to you.   There is a teacher(s) for everyone.  Yoga is a journey and on this journey it’s important to find a teacher that challenges and opens you up in ways you didn’t think were possible.  Know that you may resist at first.  The odds are, from my personal experience, that over time the lessons will be revealed and you’ll return to your mat.

Ahhhh, and patience is a virtue.  Don’t expect immediate results from just a couple yoga classes.  Commit to at least 1-2 classes a week for 3 months.  I promise you won’t be disappointed and you’ll probably find yourself carving more time into your schedule for yoga. 

Yoga can be the biggest gift you give yourself.  I’m confident with patience, and the willingness and desire to make life-altering changes, you’ll find a yoga practice that will change your life.

Yoga Injuries

An article on “yoga injuries on the rise” was published in Time magazine back in the Fall.  I guess the media is still catching onto it because a DC news channel recently ran a story on it.  To the average consumer hearing the story, yoga sounds dangerous.  And I agree yoga can be dangerous if you don’t pay attention to what your body needs and force yourself into a pose.  It can also be hazardous if you take a class from a not so qualified instructor.

With any activity, common sense is required.  Would you go out and run a marathon without training?  And if you did, you’d miserable the entire 26.2 miles and possibly injure yourself.  What happens when you hit the fitness machine at the gym for the first time after being a couch potato for a year?  More than likely, you push too hard the first few minutes and then you start to back off because you realize you’re out of shape.

Now consider yoga.  Do you think you should be able to do every pose the instructor calls out because it’s yoga and yoga is just stretching, right?   Or maybe one time in your life you were a football superstar or slim ballerina and physically you felt you could do anything.  If you take a competitive, type-A approach, you’ll force yourself into something your body is not quite ready to do.  Yoga is about feeling and easing your body into challenging poses, not forcing.  Often, people new to yoga force and this leads to injury.

Now let’s look at how yoga instructors might be to blame.  There are more yoga teachers out there then ever and there are multiple certification programs.  Some yoga instructors take one-day training programs and then the next day they’re teaching yoga.  Unfortunately, this is what happens in most gym environments.  Some people take an advanced training program approved by the Yoga Alliance but then they rarely practice themselves.  To be a yoga teacher you have to have your own practice.  Yoga is about feeling.  A good yoga teacher can’t safely teach and preach yoga asana and philosophy without being aware of how the poses fall within their own bodies.

If you’re interested in yoga don’t let the recent news on “yoga injuries on the rise” or “yoga can be dangerous” scare you away.  Approach your yoga practice with common sense.  Visit your local yoga studio to take classes instead of the gym.  Take classes form multiple teachers.  Ask what type of training/certification the teachers have and how often they practice yoga. 

Most importantly, pay attention to yourself when you’re on your yoga mat.  Listen to the different cues the instructor provides when you’re in a pose.  Try them all but only stick with the ones that feel good in your body.  Listen to your body so you can become aware of good pain that can challenge and exhilarate you vs. bad pain that can injure you.   And, don’t fret if the person next to you can twist into a pretzel.  That’s their practice, not yours.  Your yoga practice is about you.