One Love Newsletter 2011
As I reflect back on the past year there are more than a few things I've learned:
1. I can do a lot.
2. I get burned out doing a lot.
3. I don't have to do everything.
4. Sometimes opportunities arise and I don't necessarily have to take them.
5. I would rather have peace that be "productive."
6. I don't know when my last good-bye to someone is.
7. I make up the rules most of the time and then I have to live by them.
8. If I want more time with my friends or family, I have to give up something else, and this shouldn't be a hard choice. Either way, I win.
9. Maybe if I make my list smaller, I'd allow myself the opportunity to fully and completely dedicate myself to a task and feel more confident about my choices.
10. Maybe if I look at my choices, I'd feel more confident about my life.
11. Maybe if I feel confident about my life, I don't have to question my choices.
12. If I believe in a universe that has a certain order to it and is constantly adjusting to that order, I wouldn't question those weird instances but look at them as "adjustments" to bring about a change.
13. Maybe I could stop questioning the process and trust more.
14. If I trust more, peace is in the process.
15. This list could go on forever but it won't.
Happy New Year.
When you have come to the edge of all the light you have
And step into the darkness of the unknown
Believe that one of the two will happen to you
Either you'll find something solid to stand on
Or you'll be taught how to fly!
—Richard Bach
One breath at a time: musings, poetry, reflections on and off the mat
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas thoughts
A complicated time of year. I went into a store yesterday and became very, very, present. I made my way slowly, patiently and carefully through a crowded parking lot and a crowded store. I watched as people often mindlessly rushed through, if you weren't watching where they were going, they were going to run into you. And then there were those that were not mindless but intentionally "I will mow you down to get through this store."
I saw a quote today on Judith Hanson Lasater's Facebook Page "No one has to change for you to be happy.
What I saw was a lot of people. A lot of different people. There for different reasons. Some a little more miserable than others. But a lot of people similar to me, politely making their way through a very busy store. When there's more of us around, we can see bad behavior. But we can also see our inner light. The ones saying "excuse me" or smiling or allowing people to cut ahead in line when they have fewer items. It's been my experience that whenever I feel like that I'm not going to get what I want or what I think I deserve, or be cheated out of something that I act exactly like that and it pervades my consciousness and therefore the interactions in my life.
Yesterday, my heart opened a little wider. Maybe someday, we'll all get what we think we need. Or realize we have exactly what we need right now.
Peace & Blessings to you all.
I saw a quote today on Judith Hanson Lasater's Facebook Page "No one has to change for you to be happy.
Yesterday, my heart opened a little wider. Maybe someday, we'll all get what we think we need. Or realize we have exactly what we need right now.
Peace & Blessings to you all.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Moon Days - A Yoga Holiday
In the Ashtanga tradition, there is no practice on Full or New Moon days. The theory behind Full moon is that the gravitational pull is stronger and we are affected by this pull, in ways of being less grounded, more headstrong. On New Moons, our energy is lower. As I don't always pay attention to my inner signals, this year I may pay attention to these days and perhaps not practice if that opportunity avails itself to me. But as tomorrow brings two classes to teach in the morning, I may pay attention to my students and see if any of this corresponds.
As we approach the Winter Solstice, which also coincides with a lunar eclipse, I wonder what things may come. The next 48 hours should be enlightening....
Monday, December 13, 2010
The big unknown
I had a friend pass recently, unexpectedly to everyone except for him. In the days preceding his death, he passed along a box to a neighbor saying if he didn't make it back give it to his family. When friends went out to his car to get it in the parking lot, all of his vehicle titles were on the front seat. His home was in complete order, except for his storage buildings which are apparently a complete mess. He was a pack-rat, had multiple items that he had picked up for free or nearly free and had a lot that he had given away but a lot that he kept. He was known for getting amazing deals on everything. He had given me (2) toasters at one time, I think he had six of them. So in cleaning out the outbuildings, his family and friends are finding an abundance of stuff, all crammed in with other things that are possibly important. Which is, post-humorously, humorous. As though he left everything important and the rest to give his family and close friends a good laugh. Including leaving the toilet clogged, knowing his best friend would have to unclog it.
We all have different beliefs and faiths about life after death. We have different thoughts and these get tested when someone close to us passes. We question ourselves, our beliefs and in our mourning and loss, ponder our own existence. Where will we really go when we're gone and is there anything beyond this carbon-based existence.
My friend was an athiest. He had had prior poor experiences with various religions that made him not belief in anything. Which, in my opinion, is a beautiful place to be. When given the choices of junk, choose none of it. We had conversations. One of the ideas that he liked that I shared is that the universe has an order to it. There is an order that alludes to the possibility of an intelligence behind that order. My astronomy teacher had said that when we looked at the stars and the heavens and how math and physics play such a huge part in our ability to see that far. As we evolve in our knowledge and consciousness and see outside of this planet, exploring beyond our own boundaries and borders, both physically and spiritually, we continue this evolution.
The more we try to define and categorize, the more our definitions and categories will define us and then eventually become obsolete. Can I continue to look at the world with awe and wonder, reaching beyond what I know and giving in to the possibilities? The unknown.
Death is the big unknown. It is the very thing that we will all have to contend with. The experience that at this point, we can't share with others on the physical plane. Or so most of us think. As the days and weeks go one, I will be listening for those things that can't be verified but may very well be my friend communicating with us from the great beyond. Or maybe there will be none.
So my message although not entirely original is this "So long Wade and thanks for all the toasters..."
We all have different beliefs and faiths about life after death. We have different thoughts and these get tested when someone close to us passes. We question ourselves, our beliefs and in our mourning and loss, ponder our own existence. Where will we really go when we're gone and is there anything beyond this carbon-based existence.
My friend was an athiest. He had had prior poor experiences with various religions that made him not belief in anything. Which, in my opinion, is a beautiful place to be. When given the choices of junk, choose none of it. We had conversations. One of the ideas that he liked that I shared is that the universe has an order to it. There is an order that alludes to the possibility of an intelligence behind that order. My astronomy teacher had said that when we looked at the stars and the heavens and how math and physics play such a huge part in our ability to see that far. As we evolve in our knowledge and consciousness and see outside of this planet, exploring beyond our own boundaries and borders, both physically and spiritually, we continue this evolution.
The more we try to define and categorize, the more our definitions and categories will define us and then eventually become obsolete. Can I continue to look at the world with awe and wonder, reaching beyond what I know and giving in to the possibilities? The unknown.
Death is the big unknown. It is the very thing that we will all have to contend with. The experience that at this point, we can't share with others on the physical plane. Or so most of us think. As the days and weeks go one, I will be listening for those things that can't be verified but may very well be my friend communicating with us from the great beyond. Or maybe there will be none.
So my message although not entirely original is this "So long Wade and thanks for all the toasters..."
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The alchemy of yoga
I read this article written by Tim Miller, a well-respected and devoted Ashtanga teacher in Encinitas.
In the article, he talks about the transformative power of the Ashtanga yoga in terms of asana practice and describes pretty clearly the eight-limbed path or philosophy of the Ashtanga system and how they are intertwined.
Thoughts?
In the article, he talks about the transformative power of the Ashtanga yoga in terms of asana practice and describes pretty clearly the eight-limbed path or philosophy of the Ashtanga system and how they are intertwined.
Thoughts?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Winter Song
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| Estes Park, CO |
I've lived in Southern California for about 13 years now and winter here is definitely not the winter I experienced in Washington State. At the moment my mother reports a 'balmy' 22 degrees in my hometown (that's farenheit not celcius) and there is snow on the ground and the "north-easter's a blowin" and supposed to at 60 miles an hour until 4 am. That, my friends, is what I call OLD MAN WINTER. But, regardless, the seasons do change here and our winter here has an effect on us. One of the things I notice is the increase in frequency of colds that coincides with the weather shift. We move into a cooler season, whether or not we have snow, the weather shifts and with it, our bodies. In Aruyvedic medicine this is known as the Vata season. As winter and cooling comes, so does drying of the skin, stiffening of the joints and other issues that I didn't attribute to a change in the seasons.
My experience with this coincided with my participation in Yoga Journal Conference at Estes Park in September 2009. I fly into Denver on Saturday and took the bus to Estes Park, CO on Sunday which is 8000 feet in the Rockies. Monday it snowed. It was beautiful, peaceful and everything that I needed. Except for my body. Things were not going right, let's just put it that way. I felt awful, thought it was from the high altitude but it wasn't getting better and kept feeling worse, digestive and all parts in between. Luckily, my feeling bad led to not wanting a vigorous yoga practice and I migrated my way to Scott Blossom's workshop on Aruyveda. Taking a more in-depth look myself, I discovered a lot of things, what my true constitution was in Aruyveda medicine (Tri-doshic, mostly Vata/Pitta), more specifically what I was eating that was really irritating me. Aren't raw vegetables better than cooked ones? Why isn't salad good? All of those things were answered very quickly and 2 meals later eating different choices, my body felt better.
Which leads me to the season of Winter. The reasons for eating within the seasons are to help the body adjust to the changes. I eat more warm things, soups, cooked greens, root vegetables, brown rice, tea, etc. One of the One Love Yoga Teachers, Lina, suggested a Aruyvedic remedy such as abhyanga . This remedy is traditionally done by two massage therapists doing long strokes of the body with oil. You can do this yourself, starting with the joints, paying attention and massaging with some almond oil or sesame oil and then working your way around, end with a little meditation and then bathe to get the oil off. This year, I noticed I was feeling off and not so hot and had been eating a lot of salads. Remembered to get back to my "roots" and warmth and my almost cold went away on it's own.
Yoga Journal sends out a newsletter every couple of weeks and they talked specifically about all of this in their last newsletter. Made my life a lot easier after reading a few articles. I've linked a few to the bottom of this post for further reading.
Regardless, take some time out for yourself, be kind, stay warm and if you can't afford a massage, give one to yourself.
Sending you warm thoughts and warm wishes,
Jennie
My experience with this coincided with my participation in Yoga Journal Conference at Estes Park in September 2009. I fly into Denver on Saturday and took the bus to Estes Park, CO on Sunday which is 8000 feet in the Rockies. Monday it snowed. It was beautiful, peaceful and everything that I needed. Except for my body. Things were not going right, let's just put it that way. I felt awful, thought it was from the high altitude but it wasn't getting better and kept feeling worse, digestive and all parts in between. Luckily, my feeling bad led to not wanting a vigorous yoga practice and I migrated my way to Scott Blossom's workshop on Aruyveda. Taking a more in-depth look myself, I discovered a lot of things, what my true constitution was in Aruyveda medicine (Tri-doshic, mostly Vata/Pitta), more specifically what I was eating that was really irritating me. Aren't raw vegetables better than cooked ones? Why isn't salad good? All of those things were answered very quickly and 2 meals later eating different choices, my body felt better.
Which leads me to the season of Winter. The reasons for eating within the seasons are to help the body adjust to the changes. I eat more warm things, soups, cooked greens, root vegetables, brown rice, tea, etc. One of the One Love Yoga Teachers, Lina, suggested a Aruyvedic remedy such as abhyanga . This remedy is traditionally done by two massage therapists doing long strokes of the body with oil. You can do this yourself, starting with the joints, paying attention and massaging with some almond oil or sesame oil and then working your way around, end with a little meditation and then bathe to get the oil off. This year, I noticed I was feeling off and not so hot and had been eating a lot of salads. Remembered to get back to my "roots" and warmth and my almost cold went away on it's own.
Yoga Journal sends out a newsletter every couple of weeks and they talked specifically about all of this in their last newsletter. Made my life a lot easier after reading a few articles. I've linked a few to the bottom of this post for further reading.
Regardless, take some time out for yourself, be kind, stay warm and if you can't afford a massage, give one to yourself.
Sending you warm thoughts and warm wishes,
Jennie
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Someone else's shoes
"I used to have a sign pinned up on my wall that read: 'Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us."
— Pema Chödrön (When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times)
I can get really caught up in my own stuff sometimes. Little occurrences, missteps, changes in plans can sometimes become the focal point of my day. Today someone was supposed to do the dishes and didn't which led to a chain of events that really didn't destroy the planet or end an endangered species. But it interfered with my day and the events that were supposed to happen. But then I run into someone who has something real happening. Those "little earthquakes" that take you to your core. Life stopped and then took a radically different direction. Wasn't a part of the plan that someone got sick or died, but they did and what is left is the rumbled remains of life as it once was but never will be again.
I am reminded of the idea that you never know what kind of pain someone is walking around with. That woman who was pushy in the grocery line, the guy who cut you off and yelled at you for it, the kid who trampled your rose bush, whatever it is. The person who gives you a smile sometimes and their insides are dying but you'd never know it.
I am reminded to treat others better. Not about turn the other cheek or "let it go" but just treat others better. No matter how it is or what I do, just better. I am reminded to quit judging. Someone may have an ocean full mind of a burden that I can't comprehend or begin to think of how to deal with it. Is it important that I label it, dismiss their behavior or condone it? Can I be less interested in the wrongs I'm dealt and more interested in the things I can do right?
Last night in class I set the intention to cultivate and share more love. That's an intention. The action, is when I put it into action. Maybe I can dedicate my practice to someone who might need that extra energy? Someone who needs some extra strength. Maybe I can smile at someone and make their day? Maybe I can just smile more.
Someone lost their best friend. Someone didn't wake up this morning. Someone took the box to their car, the last one that was in that house that is no longer theirs. Someone can't call their mother anymore. Someone had to explain to a child that mom or dad isn't coming back. Someone had to make that phone call. If I can treat everyone like someone, maybe their burden may get a little lighter.
— Pema Chödrön (When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times)
I can get really caught up in my own stuff sometimes. Little occurrences, missteps, changes in plans can sometimes become the focal point of my day. Today someone was supposed to do the dishes and didn't which led to a chain of events that really didn't destroy the planet or end an endangered species. But it interfered with my day and the events that were supposed to happen. But then I run into someone who has something real happening. Those "little earthquakes" that take you to your core. Life stopped and then took a radically different direction. Wasn't a part of the plan that someone got sick or died, but they did and what is left is the rumbled remains of life as it once was but never will be again.
I am reminded of the idea that you never know what kind of pain someone is walking around with. That woman who was pushy in the grocery line, the guy who cut you off and yelled at you for it, the kid who trampled your rose bush, whatever it is. The person who gives you a smile sometimes and their insides are dying but you'd never know it.
I am reminded to treat others better. Not about turn the other cheek or "let it go" but just treat others better. No matter how it is or what I do, just better. I am reminded to quit judging. Someone may have an ocean full mind of a burden that I can't comprehend or begin to think of how to deal with it. Is it important that I label it, dismiss their behavior or condone it? Can I be less interested in the wrongs I'm dealt and more interested in the things I can do right?
Last night in class I set the intention to cultivate and share more love. That's an intention. The action, is when I put it into action. Maybe I can dedicate my practice to someone who might need that extra energy? Someone who needs some extra strength. Maybe I can smile at someone and make their day? Maybe I can just smile more.
Someone lost their best friend. Someone didn't wake up this morning. Someone took the box to their car, the last one that was in that house that is no longer theirs. Someone can't call their mother anymore. Someone had to explain to a child that mom or dad isn't coming back. Someone had to make that phone call. If I can treat everyone like someone, maybe their burden may get a little lighter.
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