How does a male, giant, white, fuzzy bunny, who stands and walks around on his hind legs, in a dapper vest, straw hat, and sky blue pants, manage to lay thousands of pastel-colored rainbow eggs all over the world? And why does he hide them from all of the little children (and adults) only once a year? And what about those snap-shut plastic eggs with objects, money, and freshly made sweet delights inside? Our acceptance of such unordinary talents this animal shares with us is beautiful. We pass no judgement onto him year after year as he creeps around our locked homes with the latest hi-tech security system, which doesn't detect his stealthiness, late at night or in the wee hours of the morning. This popular spring icon woos us with his promise of materialistic happiness, yet, by his annual actions, he reminds us of the ritual which accompanies "the hunt" for these specialty eggs, found not just at your local grocer but even at the quick-stop-shop marts of urban settings. Family from far and near, who may only receive a text "Happy Rabbit-that-Lays-Eggs Holiday," get to enjoy the embrace of loved ones, a feast for starving hearts, and cherish the laughter (or tears when little JuneBug eats baby brother Thomas' last famous brand name PB and chocolate egg) of over-worked and over-stressed humans and animals who long for true connection. Thank you, Interesting Character, for trailing your endless amount of yellow, pink, green, and iridescent faux grass all over the carpet. I still find it decades later, now that my babies, who look like me and are not dyed, sour, jelly kids, are adults carrying out the tradition of their youth. Anyways, you know what this day really means to you. Whether you celebrate Easter or not, enjoy the many moments today serves.
Have you ever tried practicing yoga in the water? When gravity doesn't have quite an effect on you, asana and breath may come to you differently. What challenges you on land, may be effortless in the water. In the pool, one day, I noticed what ease it was to rise to the very tip of my toes like a pointe ballerina, and how quickly I became calm while sitting on the steps with my eyes closed as I tapped into that ocean sounding breath. I imagined each breath as a ripple of love into the water so that I could swim in a pool filled with it. Mmm...surrounded by an abundance of love... As I gently walked from one end of the pool to the other, I linked the breath with each step and just relaxed my arms. I was comfortable yet a bit challenged here at my edge. Can you think of a way you can bring yoga off the mat and into another aspect of your life?
Each of us is like a plant growing even when we're not paying direct attention to the change. Sometimes we dance lightly in the sun's ray as we stretch towards the source. Your source may not directly be all yoga-encompassing as it may be fore others. Share a testimony. How has practicing yoga, yoga nidra, and/or reiki helped you in your life? How has it helped you connect back to source?
Let the weight drop off your shoulders.
Lift up your chin. The sun shines warmly on your face. Receive love in your arms. Wrap yourself in his embrace. You come into the practice space, slip out of your shoes then socks, and place both bare feet on a nicely rolled out sticky mat. Your eyes close as a deep breath travels through your lungs. Ahhhh. "Let us come all the way to the floor onto the belly with the chin touching the mat," I say. You think, "What's that smell?" *sniff sniff* Feet? Phew! Yep, those little doggies do track some of the most wonderful blooming microscopic nature guests right onto that mat of yours or one you borrowed. You know...you do need to clean your rolled up space more than once a year, right? If you have toenail fungus, do you want it to touch your face? I, too, forget about the whole ground-dirt-to-face idea when I practice yoga. Let's make that change together.
Here's a recipe for a do-it-yourself cleanser I use on my yoga mat cleanings (as well as other surfaces): 32 oz spray bottle 1.5 shots Distilled White Vinegar 2-4 drops Tea Tree essential oils (check for personal allergies to this oil) 3/4 of the container Rosemary Tea** Rest of the container clean water (if you won't drink it, don't put it in here) Shake once before spraying a mist over your yoga mat. Use a cloth of your choice to rub the entire mat. Flip and repeat. You can either roll the mat around a towel and step on it to squeeze out the moisture, put it outside in a sunspot, or drape it over a chair in your house to dry. Make sure it's completely dry before rolling it up and tossing it back in it's storage space. You don't want to breathe in mold particles. Do you have a cleaning method for your mat to share? Rosemary Tea** Cut 1" of fresh rosemary and pull off the leaves. Boil 1 gal. of clean water. Remove from heat. Place in the rosemary needles. Steep it in a covered container overnight. Strain. "Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained." ~~Arthur S. Roche
Imagine "worry" to be a blue dye and your brain a grayish-pink sponge. Each time you worry... if the kids are all right, the lists of how to over-plan for a trip, the best way to fold towels, if the printer will not malfunction when you've 100 wedding invitations to print TONIGHT, if it doesn't rain tomorrow the plants will wilt...a chemical in the mind is released. Each worry is this thin liquid slowly coating that squishy mental mass and sets in the button to release the chemical until the release is automatic. "Worry" is a derivative of fear. Become aware of "worry" this week without changing anything. When you're ready, take baby steps in understanding from where this "worry" stems. In time, it may be a lot or a little time, this blue dye will stop saturating the brain as much or it will cease completely. Go forth and learn. 2015 is just around the corner. It's incredible how a handful of numbers can have an impact our lives. Allow change to happen but remain calm and keep a collective mind so complexities that arise do not overwhelm. Change happens all around us and often goes unnoticed...large ant beds spring up overnight, mood shifts of your partner without cause, hours fly by during a painting session... Change often catches one off guard leaving one with an "I'M NOT READY YET!!!!!" feel pressuring you to act now. You are ready. You have always been ready to face whatever you need to look in the eye, or move as you heart leads. Everything required to face change is in your possession. Breathe in deeply and exhale those feelings of worry, fear, and doubt. You've got this. Be flexible with change or dread its heaviness weighing down your pockets. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of carrying around excess baggage!
I tend to use weather conditions as excuses/reasons for not sticking with my personal practice. Unfortunately, the only one who misses out on the benefits of a home practice is myself. We are already habituated to following a schedule and doing things we may or may not always enjoy. For example, eating breakfast at the same time each morning, filling the car's gas tank full when prices are nearly $4/gallon, paying bills, sending birthday cards, minor surgeries, Downton Abbey every Sunday evening, etc.. What are your priorities? What is important to you and what are your plans to make it happen? You can fit 15 minutes or more of yoga practice into your daily routine without doing a full series of poses. Yoga is more than poses, in case you didn't know. On your own is your chance to take some tools from your yogic toolbox and put them to work off the mat whether it is taking several long breaths while you're driving to the the in-laws for brunch, using the grocery cart as a prop. while practicing "tree" in a long line, testing out a few supine poses before getting out of bed each morning, or consciously noticing when your body sends you signals of tension when your puppy found comfort in the confetti of your business report's final draft. Test run a few of these ideas or create your own this week.
As I enjoyed an evening walk watching cloud puffs change to various blues, I noticed a couple of white birds sloshing through a murky creek. Ah...dinnertime. They quickly moved across the stretch poking their coral beaks into the wet darkness so automatically as if they just knew, without conscious thought, what was edible and how it benefited their bodies. It seems, unfortunately, we have moved further into a disconnect of this knowing what food and drink products are good for our individual bodies. Never you fear! Our bodies still give us cues, subtle as they may be, as to what nutrition we need...sort of in the form of cravings. The challenge is to differentiate the cravings for nutrition from alternate meanings in disguised. You may already be aware of these costumed urges. See if you notice the difference throughout your week. Maybe even try asking the food or drink item, "Is this what my body wants?". Your body generally will respond with a physical sensation.
A creek has water that trickles freely from one end to the next. It is smooth and seamless. If there are stones and rocks in this path, the flow can still happen though interrupted. If more and more stones and rocks pile up in the creek, a dam forms thus pooling water on one side and effecting the other side dramatically. The energy channels in the body act similarly. When things in our outside world effect our natural internal creek, blockages form that may be harmful. By going inward, one can regularly check out the balance of the internal creek and make the adjustments for a seamless flow. Although it may seem impossible or only slightly familiar, you already know how to do this. You are already perfect, remember?
Rain storms may put a damper (ha) in plans. This halt in activity is a great chance to catch up on cat naps, reading, and quiet time with yourself. Those shape-shifting droplets fill leaves like cups, trickle down waxed windshields, and plop plop plop onto steaming pavement all the while providing a soothing pitter-patter rhythm to sing any tempting couch potato to sleep. Use the weather to rejuvenate from lifestyles that call you to go go go. Allow yourself to surrender to nature's call.
"Life is an adventure in forgiveness." --Norman Cousisns
Forgiveness from others begins with oneself. There's a tendency to set unforeseen intangible expectations. When those expectations are not met, either by self or by means of another, one emotes...sometimes unfavorably. The overused phrase of "I'm sorry" derives from personal feelings of shame and guilt. This week, catch yourself in outbursts of emotions causing the want to use the "I'm sorry" phrase then find out how you arrived at it. Instead of partaking in all that shopping and spending for a "good deal", join me, where ever you are on this planet, for a silent meditation. Friday morning (11/28/14) at 10 a.m. (your time), stop whatever you are doing and sit with me in silence for 5 minutes in the intent of love. This is the "best deal" out there...raising the light of this world we share. I'm laughing with you, oh ducks of the retention pond!
What jokes do you tell to visiting fliers that have you cackle so?! A riot or laugher midday and night slithers a snicker from tightly pressed lips curls up at the ends! Just what's so funny that your many qwords are few but your giggles and QWAA-qwaa-qwaa-qwaa is as contagious as a child's smile. I cannot seem to stop my belly from shaking or my cheeks from cheesing. Your quackers are delicious to my ears. Thank you for finding laughter in life. I am delighted by the sound of your laugh, oh ducks! One can move throughout each moment of life simplistically by doing so one branch at a time, or climbing many branches stemming from many branches simultaneously. Which notch is your foot being held up by? What can you simplify in your life? Break it down to the essence. Do you swing freely, or does the "Monkey Mind" swing you?
There is resistance when it comes time to part with something most cherished...children from their raggedy stuffed "friends", the loss of a loved one, transitioning to new life chapters, deciding to step outside of the norm...all with the basis of fear leading the emotion pathway. Address them then let go of your fears. Letting go can be both scary and liberating. Let go so you can move from the comfortable, habitual-built experiences to ones filled with unknown outcomes that are unfamiliar and seemingly with the intention of making you feel-look-act "foolish". This is only a judgement of your own creation. When it is right for you, give into this newness and surrender to the whatever may come. Fear shadows the wonderful surprises on her other side.
One day you have it and in 6 hours, it is totally gone! Balance is just plain difficult...when the focus is on your inabilities. By looking inward and understanding what areas throw you out of sync, one can, with time, begin to notice how to bring oneself back into alignment. This isn't just a physical re-adjustment. Let the asana (physical yoga) practice be a guide for balance off the mat. Take a step back to look at the whole scope of the imbalance picture and include the smallest brushstrokes within it. From here, it will become easier to discover the process toward equilibrium. Breathe. Concentrate. Relax. Take it slow. Be patient with the progression of growth. Don't be so hard on yourself when you do falter. Beating yourself up keeps "balance" just outside of your grasp.
Dr. Masaru Emoto shares some interesting drops of water: http://www.masaru-emoto.net/english/water-crystal.html
To learn more about his research, just look around his website. "Go out and live your life fearlessly"--Anita Moorjani
What would it be like to live without fear? One can easily think of those few friends we have who seem to dare anything to stop them from being spontaneous and full of adventure. Are they really fearless? Sit back and think of several things that cause you to have fear in your personal life. Sometimes fear is hidden in undertones such as in worry, shame, guilt, competitiveness, etc. Trade in "fear" for "complete love and acceptance of self". Do you dare to take this challenge? Generally, it is Springtime that brings noticeable growth and new things. There's no need to wait for the right weather, the perfect amount of sunlight or soil chemistry to begin your emergence out of that dark dirt you've been in for umpteen minutes. New starts or routine changes are great ways to dive into learning experiences, and, yes, they require more effort and discipline in the beginning. Old habits and patterns dare you to break them. Those first steps can be awkward and risky, but remember to go back to your intention...the motivational reminder that initiated your move, the idea, the notion that you've had enough of the old ways no longer working for you. Revisiting your intention is like revisiting how you breathe. Energy follows your attention.
While driving in the car the other day, a Michael Jackson song came on the radio and the chorus stood out to me: "I'm struggling with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. No mustache for the man in the mirror. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change." It resonated with me because, oftentimes, it seems one can get caught up in doing so much for other people that it seems easier to forget to take care of one's own necessities. With the loss of self, there won't be anything left to share with others. This is only one way to to pull messages out of lyrics. Remember to take care of yourself. You are important, valuable, and a strong person.
Plants grow. One day the seed transforms into a sprout, gains length, buds flowers, bears fruit, then returns to the earth. Life is cyclical with growth. Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes it goes unnoticed. Have you grown? How so? Discover this throughout the rest of your week. (Home Study #4) There's been plenty of time for you to catch up on your practice... A) Back in early January, your first study was to write one thing you liked about yourself each day of the week and review their collection at the week's end. B) You were then asked to use each week day to collect a short, positive phrase that speaks on what you struggle with in the different areas of your life. C) Home Study #3: Take one item from B and use one or more items from A to help you stop struggling. There's no need to tackle the full list at once. Try it out as the month's goal (due 3/17/14) to make some changes in one of those challenging areas. Share how it's going for you. Oftentimes it takes a bit of effort to breathe. I hold my breath from time-to-time and it's not until I'm feeling the tension in my upper body and the sudden flux in body temperature that I become aware of it. Remind yourself to breath deeply especially in times when you feel tested, troubled, or overwhelmed. The more clean air you take in, the less room there is for stale air. Comfortably fill your lungs with as much air as there is room for then let it out like you're trying to fog a mirror. Make as much sound as you possibly can! Breathe out the stuff that no longer serves you. Have your turtle wondering what's up with you today. Draw something in the fog you've created. Why not, eh? Repeat regularly. Those breaths may lead you to the insights of your behaviors.
What a change in the weather! Although Florida is sunshine and humid most of the year, we too experience an unexpected icy blast from time to time. The familiar sight of flips-flops, booty shorts, and sweat-stained flamingo centered tees can quickly be replaced with puffy down parkas, faux fur lined boots, and red runny noses. Just wait, in about a day or two, the familiar will return. It seems to make no sense. Where would one be without the senses? You know them...sound, taste, touch, smell, and sight. Without these receivers reaching out to let your mind know how to adapt to changes in the body, one might end up out of sorts--booty shorts, faux fur boots, and a red runny nose. Heard of the expression "She's lost her senses" or "That's nonsense!" These and other expressions, perhaps, point to the need to remain connected internally by means of those 5 senses.
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