yogaisms

A Few Days Off

2011-08-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a few days off from teaching this week. Even when you love your job, you still need that break once in a while. What's the main thing I want to do? TAKE a few yoga classes! When I go to the class of one of my teachers, roll out my mat, close my eyes, drink in their guidance, it always brings tears to my eyes. It's the remembrance of being the student. It's like coming home.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

2011-08-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

It seems like these days, everyone is going through some sort of crisis. Lost jobs, lost homes, constant car problems, loved ones who are sick or who have passed on into the non-physical. Those of us who are lucky enough to have jobs, a home, a working car and our health, still find it hard to make ends meet. Yes, we all have our struggles, and when we are in the middle of our crisis, it's hard to see beyond what is happening. But out of the worst situation can come the opportunity for amazing growth. Look for the lesson. Ask your self how you can grow from this. The job search can mean your dream job is around the corner. Lost possessions can teach us that we don't need that much stuff anyway. A loved one's illness shows us to make the most of every precious moment with that person. By taking time to focus on the good, on what we have as opposed to what we don't have, we are allowing more of the good to come to us. Since this is hard to do when you are too focused on what is going wrong, here are some suggestions for turning things around:

1. Breathe!....Take a moment, close the eyes, and take some deep breaths. Just a few will do the trick. Also, breathe from the belly, not the chest, it's more relaxing.

2. Practice yoga....or if yoga is not your thing any physical activity will do. Move the body, notice how good it feels. Get your circulation pumping, move those muscles, work up a sweat, raise those endorphin levels (you know, those feel good hormones).

3. Laugh, a lot....Watch your favorite comedy, spend time with those who make you laugh, be silly sometimes, or laugh for no reason at all. If you have never tried Laughter Yoga, I highly, highly recommend it.

4. Clear you clutter...By now some of you may be saying, oh no, here is that Feng Shui, metaphysical, everything has energy crap. But you know me, would I B.S. you? It works. Get rid of stuff you don't need. Finish those unfinished projects. Cluttered space means a cluttered mind. Sell a few things for the extra cash and give the rest away to someone who really needs it. Which leads us to...

5. Do something nice for others....Even better if you can do this anonymously. We all know helping someone else makes us feel better.

6. Do something you enjoy, everyday....Think about what you really enjoy doing, and do it. Even if it's only for a few moments in the day. So many people get caught up in their daily routine and what has to be done, that they never take time to do the things that feed their soul.

7. Be in the moment...We all spend too much time in our heads, rehashing the past or worrying about the future. Well the past is gone and the future hasn't happened yet, all we truly have is each moment, as it comes. Here is a mediation that I use when things get tough to keep me focused in the moment.

Sit quietly with the eyes closed. Take a moment to focus on the breath. Breathe from the belly, but otherwise, don't control the breath in anyway. Feel the connection to the breath and how it is our connection with all of life. Every living thing breathes. Try to connect with the living things around you at that moment, other people, pets or other animals, the birds singing, the wind blowing through the trees. Then repeat the mantra, "everything in this moment is perfect". Start to think about all the good in your life, even if it is something that seems very small. You will find that as you meditate on the good things, the easier it will be to think of more and more of them. If the mind starts to wander and the thinking starts to become negative again, go back to the mantra. When you are done, open the eyes and notice how much better you feel, and how different your situation may seem.

You can try all my suggestions, some of them, or none of them, it's your choice. I don't pretend to have all the answers. Find what works for you. Just think, if we all shifted our focus from the negative, the blaming, the criticizing of ourselves and each other; and concentrated on our happiness and helping others, what a difference it would make.

Stay tuned...

2011-01-31T15:31:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all of you who have followed my little blog. I know I haven't done anything with it for some time, but that is about to change. Stay tuned for the new and improved yogaisms blog. I'm totally re-vamping it starting this week. Tell your friends about me too!

Minute by Minute

2010-06-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

What is a minute anyway besides one of the ways we measure time? In this beginning of the 21st century, we are so busy and stressed and our lives are so full of things to do, we become overwhelmed and complain, "There are never enough minutes in the day". We use the phrase "New York minute" to describe something fast, (as if time actually goes faster in New York). People describing an earth shattering event, whether good or bad, usually say "It happened in an instant". But most of the time, our minutes go by, for the most part, without a thought unless maybe we feel time is dragging or we are running late.
But what if we thought of our moments as more than that. What if we realize the power that is in each and every minute. The decisions we make in an instant can change our entire lives. Case in point; the day I spontaneously decided to go to my first yoga class. Did I know then, that 10 years from now it would lead to my becoming a teacher and working on opening my own studio? Of course not. Did I know it would impact everything for the better? My health, my well being, my compassion, even my relationships? Not a clue. I had been thinking about trying yoga for a while before I even stepped on the mat for the first time. It's in that moment, when those thoughts that have been there for a while are ready to move beyond thinking into doing, that's when real magic can begin. Some call it inspired action.
When that still quiet voice inside of you needs to scream. When you seem to randomly encounter what you have been thinking about wherever you go. (Guess what, it's not random). When it wakes you in the middle of the night. When you can't stop thinking about it because thinking about it brings you happiness. When you feel you may regret it if you don't try it. That is the Universe, God, Buddha or whatever you believe in telling you to take action. Act on it! Never let fear keep you from doing what you are meant to do. Whether it's rolling out that yoga mat for the first time, changing careers, taking that next step in your relationship, relocating, or cleaning off oil covered pelicans in the Gulf; what better time than THIS MINUTE to start changing your life for the better.

You mean I get paid for this too?

2010-03-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

There are a few things I wasn't quite prepared for when I started teaching yoga full time. How much time is actually spent doing such things as e-mails, phone calls, meetings, facebook posts and invites. Not to mention driving from place to place, trying to figure out how to squeeze in meals in between classes and time preparing for those classes. The most surprising thing is so much of my focus has shifted from trying to do good to just making money.
I am a believer in the idea of "do what you love and the money will follow". I never wanted to be one of those stuck in a job I hate just because the money or benefits are good. To me that's not a life well lived. I don't want to be stuck in a life of poverty either because I choose a more spiritual approach to life. There is a happy medium.
When I first stared teaching a couple of classes a week as a side job, yes it was a great way to make extra money, but the money wasn't a big concern. It was more like this is fun and I get paid for this too, great! Now I have to admit that when I have an opportunity to start a new class or attendance increases in another; sometimes I'm not thinking about all the people I am reaching, I'm thinking dollar signs. So again, where is the happy medium? Where does a 5000 year old Eastern spiritual discipline fit in with a 200 year old Western culture founded on Capitalism? How do I stay focused on helping people become healthy in mind, body and spirit when I am worried about getting the bills paid? And guess what, the people who you pay these bills to couldn't care less about why you are doing what you are doing, they just want their money.
I will never give up on my dream though. I just see this as a rough patch, many great people had to go through struggles to achieve what they felt in their soul was their purpose. I really believe the way to make it a success is to keep the focus on helping people and that I completely love what I do. And bugging all of you every day with facebook posts. :-P
I will end this with some quotes from my man; who even though he knows next to nothing about yoga and never has practiced it, has been one of my greatest champions. He is also one of the wisest persons I know. I know I couldn't done it without his support. It all stared with: "You light up when you talk about yoga, it obviously makes you happy, you should do it." And others like "I knew you could do it" and "I'm proud of you" and "Take advantage of every opportunity". And this gem after one evening when no one showed up to class, which in a way made me happy cause it meant I could spend more time with him. "Baby, you can't have no one show up to class, that's not good."
The cost of a class: $10
The cost of true love and happiness: priceless

What the flowers teach us

2010-03-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

It is such a beautiful day in Cincinnati that I decided to spend some time outdoors at one of my favorite places. I took a walk in Spring Grove Cemetery. The quiet of it, the beautiful statues and the amazing landscapes always brings me peace and grounds me. It's hard to believe that only a month ago, there was more than a foot of snow on the ground! Now there are only patches left here and there. In it's place, flowers are starting to break through the ground, some, like the crocus are actually blooming. I am in awe of how fast things can change.
This change, this growth, this moving forward; while it seems effortless to the flowers, for us humans, we are so resistant to change. We hold on to our past and our present with such a vice like grip, such stubborness. But how are we to grow then? How are we to become our true selves? The flowers don't say, "Wow, I would love to break through this cold ground and come into the sunlight and show the world my beauty. I would love to become what I am meant to be, a flower. But the ground is so cold and there is still snow. What if I come up and then it gets cold again and I get frostbit? What if I come up and no one notices, or the worst, what if someone tramples on me." They don't think that at all, they are what they are, flowers. In other words, they have fulfilled their true purpose, to become what they are meant to be.
I stuggle with change too, on a daily basis. I am learning now to let go, to not be afraid of change. I wish the same for all of you, that you become who you were meant to be and fufill your purpose.
Namaste

Texting in Savasana

2010-03-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

One of my classes is a volunteer job through this great organization called Project Yoga. A couple times a month, I teach an after school yoga class for high school students and teachers. Parents are also invited, but they never come. The kids are great, but you know how teens are, some may think yoga is lame, some really get into it. I'm never quite sure if I'm getting through to them.
Towards the end of a class one day, I had everyone go into Savasana. For those who are not familiar with this: Savasana consists on lying on the back and getting into a state of deep relaxation. One usually spends several minutes doing this. Everyone is lying down and I'm sitting in front of the class with my eyes closed, taking a little break myself. Then I hear the unmistakable sound of thumbs on tiny keyboards. I open my eyes to see two students lying on their backs texting! I know we as a society are all attached to our tech toys. But it never occurred to me that I would have to tell people not to text while practicing yoga.
I decided then, I would have to remind these teens to put the cell phones away for an hour. The next time I told them before we began they can't have their phones next to them. I wanted to get the point across that this time is for them, any calls or texts can wait an hour. One girl held out, whimpering and pretending to cry, clutching her phone to her. "I can't be without my phone". The way she reacted, you would think I was taking her puppy away. The great thing was, the other teens were on my side and convinced her to put the phone next to me and flip it over so she couldn't see the screen light up! As soon as class was over she jumped up and raced for her phone. I said, "See you can do without it for an hour". As soon as I said that, a ringtone went off. "That's good timing I said". She said "That's my alarm letting me know when yoga is done". Hmmm.

Welcome to yogaisms

2010-03-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to create this blog for some time now, ever since I decided to quit working for "the man" and strike out on my own as a yoga teacher. It has not been without its ups and downs. It literally changes from day to day, some times minute to minute. But, I feel my first post should start out with why I decided to teach in the first place. In a way, it's very simple, I truly in my heart believe it's what I'm meant to do. For years now, it's been this small voice inside of me. One day it came to me in my morning meditation, I have to do this now or I may never do it. Yoga has the power to change people, it changed me. The change goes beyond the physical. I learned to love myself through the practice of yoga and in turn became more loving to others and closer to the Divine that is in all of us. I spent so much of my life carrying this sadness inside that has now been replaced with happiness. Am I completely enlightened now and perfect? No, of course not. But everyday I see myself growing into the real me, the person I am meant to be.
Now why would I want to keep something like that to myself? I want others to be happy, to feel good and good about themselves. In my own little way, I want to make the world a more peaceful, loving place. Namaste-the Divine in me celebrates the Divine in you.