Finding Thankfulness

I didn't grow up celebrating Thanksgiving or eating turkey. I'm not a pilgrim descendant and could live the rest of my life without gobbling turkey again. Yet, I understand the significance behind this traditional American holiday. Being thankful and grateful for what we have doesn't require a special day, just an opening of the heart. Giving thanks and sharing what we have with loved ones (and even strangers) is how we should be every day of the year. Thanksgiving Day reminds us that no matter how challenging our year may seem, there is always something to be grateful for. As long as we have breath, we have life. Prana, in Sanskrit, means breath of life. Without one, you cannot have the other. As the door chime rings tomorrow, take a moment and close your eyes, inhale deeply, remember prana and then open the door to those crazy relatives of yours.
May you enjoy a bountiful day tomorrow, both within and without.
Happy Thanksgiving!

What Did You Learn?

As any substitute teacher knows, we are not always welcomed with open arms. Students of all ages get comfortable with the teaching style and personality of their instructor, and don't always enjoy change. It is summer in Phoenix, which means we are all looking to run away from the heat. Vacation time equals more substitute yoga teachers (after all, we deserve a break too). In the fitness world, yoga students are viewed by many to be the least flexible when it comes to change. Odd, since yoga itself is about flexibility of body and mind! Maybe it is the nature of yoga, a body-mind exercise, that endears yoga students to their teachers. Yoga is also a philosophy, not just physical exercise. I remember every one of my past yoga instructors, as they each opened my spiritual path in some way. I don't, on the other hand, recall many of my past cardio instructors.
As a yoga student myself, even I am disappointed when my favorite teacher is not in the studio. Immediately my defenses come up and inwardly feel the resistance to change bubbling to the surface. My negative self-talk tries to bully its way to my consciousness and convince me to turn around and go home. Aware of this, I push this negativity aside and purposely choose to find one new positive learning experience from that substitute teacher. I usually walk out with at least two great new tidbits, whether it's different ways of teaching a specific pose, learning a new pose, better verbiage or feeling a new breathing technique. It may not be the class I was expecting, but I still came away with something learned.
We always learn something from a new experience, it is what we choose to learn that makes up our character.

Take a Chill Pill...

and pass the bottle on. People just need to slow down, stop overreacting, being judgmental and selfish. Wow, I think I just solved the world's problems in one sentence. Now why is something so seemingly simple so difficult to do? Mind-body practices rewire our brain to do just that! Hatha (physical) yoga teaches us to slow down, both within and without. Qigong and tai chi quiet the mind by focusing on the present moment. All brands of meditation not only train the brain and body to chill, but habituate us into "unplugging" our mind and disassociate the memories that trigger overreaction, judgement, anger and all negative thought patterns.
When we become aware of our thoughts, we can change them. Self-awareness eventually stamps out self-involvement.
We only need to convince all the politicians and leaders of this blue planet that the answer to a better world is meditation. I think the Dalai Lama's been at this for a while and will be (unless we give these people partial lobotomies). Now there's an idea!

The Art of Effort and Surrender

I over effort. No surprise to those who know me or any of my yoga teachers. In yoga, we try to find that delicate balance between efforting in a pose and finding that point of relaxation. At times, it feels as if I'm balancing on the head of a pin, it's such a small window to discover. And yet, while furiously trying to balance in Pincha Mayurasana (my Achilles heel pose), if I take a deep breath and open my heart, I feel my body start to melt and release some muscular energy. Effortless effort, is what one of my teachers calls it. It enables us to enjoy and go deeper, allowing for that opening and release we yogis look for in each asana (pose).

What we learn on the mat, we take off the mat and into our everyday lives. This is a well-known mantra in yoga. Sometimes, we work too hard at something, afraid to soften the grip, fearing we will lose whatever it is we think we have a hold of. But the truth is, through surrender and stepping back is where we gain freedom and power. Difficult concept to process, but a good analogy would be skydiving. One has to trust the shoot will open to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. (Brian swears he's doing this on his 50th birthday. As long as his life insurance is paid up.)
Knowing when to surrender and not over effort is surely an art form that enfolds and unfolds infinitely throughout our lifetime. It's part of the yin yang, the constant flow of life.