A matter of perspective...

That's was it really all comes down to, how are you choosing to look at life? 

We can see an event and react many different ways depending on how our mind perceives what just took place.  Ever been cut off in traffic (okay, silly question...) remember the last time you were cut off in traffic?  What where you thinking?  How did you feel?  How did you react?  Did you take it as a personal offence?  I used to think that it was some jerk who didn't know how to drive, but I realized that I too have cut people off in traffic, and I'm not a jerk and I DO know how to drive!  I realized that there are many reasons that this event happens... maybe they just found out some bad news & were trying to get to a friend in need, maybe they were distracted by the beautiful day and didn't see me, maybe they were in a hurry because they were late to pick up their small child from school, or a play date. 

There are so many reasons why it happens, the important thing is how we choose to perceive the event.  Instead of assuming they are jerks and out to ruin our day, we can show compassion to the person cutting us off.  When I started this practise of being compassionate a funny thing started to happen... it stopped bothering me when I got cut off... I still notice it, but I don't react in a negative way.  Instead I forgive them instantly and wish them a safe journey.  I have also noticed that when I cut someone off or wrong another while driving, I don't get yelled at or honked at anymore... offer compassion, receive compassion!

So the more we can practise changing our perception of those events and interactions that drive us nuts, or ruin our day, the more we can experience peace and joy!  So the next time you are in traffic (or any other situation you find negative) see if you can practise changing your perspective and see what kind of amazing things happen!

Change your thoughts and you change your world.

~ Norman Vincent Peale

I love Albert!

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein

Your life is now.

The title reminds me of John Mellencamp song with the same name...

"Your life is now, your life is now, your life is now
In this undiscovered moment
Lift your head up above the crowd
We could shake this world
If you would only show us how
Your life is now

Would you teach your children to tell the truth
Would you take the high road if you could choose
Do you believe you're a victim of a great compromise
'cause I believe you could change your mind and change our lives"

 The cool part about this song is that it's true! Changing our minds about our circumsatances can make a world of difference.  So often we spend our time worrying about what will happen next, projecting into the future.  We forget that this moment, this inhale, this glance, this smile, is the only experience that we have.  Everything else is either in the past, a time that we can't change.  Or in the future, a time that doesn't exist yet.  So this is the only moment that truely exists, right here, right now, not somewhere else. Now, take a deep breath and enjoy this moment.

Your life is now... can you accept this life exactly as it presents itself to you?  If not, can you start today, to make positive changes to your thoughts to make it a life that you not only accept but also embrace and love to the fullest?

Ahimsa

I started class today, reminding my students to practise ahimsa, the Sanskrit word for non-harm and non-judgement.  I explained that yoga is not meant to be a painful experience.  If at any time during your practise, you feel pain, stop and come out of the pose.  Either take a more comfortable version of the pose or ask for help.  I know first hand that it can be hard to listen to your body, as we are encouraged most of our lives to try hard, effort and we will succeed.  This is an ego driven thought.  The ego presides in the mind, so when you can move out of your mind and into your heart, you are easily able to listen to your body and not hurt it.  This is one way of experiencing the "yoga bliss" that students rave about.

  

When talking about the non-judgement side of ahimsa, I brought up the feeling that we experience when we poke fun of, or judge others around us.  It gives us a feeling of superiority which feeds our ego. The hard thing about the ego is that every time we judge another, we in turn have to judge ourselves.  First we find something negative that we believe about others and judge them using an imaginary scale, making sure we aren't as "bad" as they are.  Then using this same scale system, we find areas in our own lives that we don't like and believe we are "bad" at.  Strangely enough these tend to be the thoughts we dwell on.  So today I asked my students to think of a positive thought, mantra or affirmation that they repeated to themselves multiple times during their practise and then I suggested using this mantra for the rest of the day and challenged them to repeat it during the week. 

I ask you now... write down a positive affirmation about yourself and then tape it to your bathroom mirror (or car dash, or computer, or cell phone) for the week, repeating it as often as you remember or when ever you read it and find a little of that yoga bliss we all love!

A little insiration for the day...

"The fullness of reality is directly experienced through the absence of meaning. Let go of all meaning, labels, and ideas about yourself and notice what remains."

~ Matt Kahn

Yoga 101

During my yoga journey of 6 years one thing that resonates with me is that yoga is not what we look about on the outside but how we feel on the inside.

The important thing to remember when practicing yoga is that YOU are the only one that will benefit or suffer. When we listen to our bodies (connecting to our breath, being present in the moment, and letting go of ego thoughts) we are able to move comfortably in our postures and receive the full benefit of what yoga really is - which is a feeling, not a posture. When we choose to push ourselves and effort in our practice, this is when we disconnect with our true selves, focusing on ego thoughts, and can cause physical and mental harm to ourselves - we begin to compare ourselves, judge ourselves and take our bodies beyond our physical comfort level.

During your next yoga practice see if you can be aware of your breath in each posture no matter what your breath is doing - just listen to it and feel it.