yogathought

This photo pretty much shows how I've been feeling lately. According to the Dr., I have walking pneumonia and need to rest, so that's what I've been doing. I've been very glad to have the animals around to keep me company. I am really looking forward to feeling back to my normal, healthy self!

Although I haven't felt well enough to do much yoga recently, here's a yogathought for the day:

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." --Frederick Keonig

Peace, Love, Lipstick,
& Namaste'
Leslie

light & yogathought

The blizzard has ended and the sun is now shining brightly. It always amazes me how much more energized, productive, and happy I feel when the sun is out--even if there is 17+ inches of snow on the ground! The sunshine is a reminder to let our own light shine always!

"As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others." --Marianne Williamson

Peace, Love, Lipstick
& Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

"Tension is who you think you should be.

Relaxation is who you are."

--Chinese Proverb

Namaste'

Leslie

yogathought for the day

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." --Denis Waitley

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

"Write this down, place it in a conspicuous place, and repeat it to yourself.

I live in a Divinely inspired Universe.

I have nothing to fear.

I trust in myself, and when I do so,

I trust in the very Wisdom that created me."

-Wayne Dyer

Namaste'

Leslie

yogathought

"Keys to Happiness:
Show Up,
Pay Attention,
Tell Your Truth,
Be Open to Outcome"
--Angeles Arrien

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

"The willingness to listen and act on your inspiration, independent of the opinions of others, is imperative if you're going to live the life you desire." --Wayne Dyer

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

"I learned from Swami Kripalu that 'yoga reveals then heals.' First it brings our weaknesses to light. Then it helps us move beyond them." --Kripalu Yoga A Guide to Practice On and Off the Mat

Namaste'
Leslie

compassion and boundaries

Here is your yogathought for the day from Judith Orloff's book Positive Energy:

"To be a soulful giver and attract the same, be canny about what compassion means...We're trained as loving people to equate compassion with giving to others, easing pain. But many of us, especially intuitive empaths who're energy sponges, don't stop there. Inadvertently we imbibe their angst. Suddenly we're the desolate ones. This severe loss of center doesn't serve us. Compassion demands we set boundaries about what energy we take in or tolerate. Buddhist nun Pema Chodron warns agains what she brilliantly calls 'idiot compassion,' using kindness to avoid conflict when a resounding 'no' is required. I agree wholeheartedly with her conviciton that to stop people from draining our energy, we must know where to draw a line."

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

"When others attempt to seduce you into feeling guilty, fearful, or anything that isn't of Spirit, practice stepping outside of yourself, and repeat sentiments such as 'This isn't mine,' 'I refuse to own it.'" --Wayne Dyer

a bit on rest

Here is your yogathought for the day from Jennifer Louden's book, The Life Organizer:

"The more we truly live from our hearts, the more rest and self-nurturing and relaxation become a way of life--a satisfying texture of action and calm, expansion and contraction, giving and replenishing. Genuine rest becomes a part of our lives not because we have to make time for it but because we are willing to be needy and ask for what we need from Spirit, becaue we are offering our gifts to the world with verve and integrity. Life, in other words, is no longer clutched in our tight fists. And that is truly restful."

Namaste'
Leslie

trust the wisdom of flow

I will admit: I've been having difficulty going with the flow lately. I've been resisting what is and trying to control situations that are somewhat out of my control. This resistance creates negativity and takes up way too much energy. So, my mantra for this week, will be: "I surrender and trust the wisdom of flow in my life."

Here is a great quote from the book, Positive Energy, by Judith Orlff, M.D. about trusting the wisdom of flow:

"Flow is perfect attunement with a larger-than-self energy that carries us through our lives. I veiw this energy as Spirit, compassionate and wise. Trusting the wisdom of flow means going with what's presented to us as gracefully as possible, rather than flailing around in opposition. Our life's flow propels us in certain directions. Of course, we do everything possible to create optimal outcomes, but we also must know when to ease off. The art is learning to go where the current takes you rather than maniacally micromanaging every detail of your existence. If you've ever swum against a powerful ocean current, you know how your energy can be futilely depleted. The same thing happens when you fight the flow of life.

Going with the flow safeguards your life force. Thus, to keep flowing, you have to know when something is in your power to control or not. The Serenity Prayer helps clarify this, as do the deep-listening practices of meditation, silence, and prayer....please appreciate: Letting go doesn't mean giving up. It's having the sense to know when it's optimal to explore new possibilities. This frees energy, whereas forcing breeds negativity. If you can't directly influence external events, you can always influence your attitude."

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

"The phrase I expect miracles is more than a New Age slogan, it's how you feel when you live each day in-Spirit. You leave the world of anxiety, fear, doubt, and impossibility and enter a new, wonderful world where all things are possible." --Wayne Dyer

Namaste'
Leslie

inner peace

"There are moments when everything just feels right. Your mind is still, your body relaxed, your spirit fed, and you find, if only for a moment, peace. These moments are hard to plan; they usually just well up in you. It could be an evening spent gazing at the twinkling city lights from a hilltop, hearing your favorite song played live, or taking a walk on a crisp fall day. You may not be able to bottle the feeling, but you can cultivate it. Internal turmoil isn't always avoidable, but here are ways to widen your reserves on inner strength, still the tremors of anxiety, and let go of regret and fear. Whether you listen to your heartbeat or listen to the sound of waves crashing on a beach, quiet your mind, find balance, and engender a sense of wholeness that will radiate outward.

*Create a Zen garden
*Practice yoga
*Find a balance between the things I want to do and the things I need to do
*Worry less
*Breathe deeply
*Look for the positive in every situation
*See the beauty in every person
*Take a hot bath by candlelight
*Listen to my inner voice"

--From Dream It. List It. Do It.

Trying to start the week by cultivating inner peace...wish me luck!

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

"Make an attempt to spend time each day in a state of meditation, wherein you let go of all ideas about time, space, and linear directionality. Just allow yourself to be..." --Wayne Dyer

Namaste'
Leslie

creativity list

Today's yogathought comes from the fab little book Dream It. List It. Do It.

"Being creative isn't about makinga masterpiece. In fact, it's not really about outcomes at all. Being creative is about process--it's about letting your imagination take you on an exhilarating ride with every ounce of your attention so caught up in the moment that the hours slip away like minutes. Don't wait around for divine inspiration or a visit from the greek muses. Get out your watercolors and try to capture the light in your garden. Sketch a design and silk-screen it on a T-shirt. Or simply cut up old magazines and glue the words and photos into a collage to hang in your bedroom. Create something from nothing--the finished product could be terrifying or terrific, but the experience is guaranteed to be thrilling.

*Sketch one thing every day
*Play, record, mix, and produce my own music
*Design my own tattoo
*Fill every notebook I own with new ideas
*Write a children's book
*Refashion a really funky T-shirt
*Publish a coffee table book of my photography
*Make homemade candles
*Crochet an afghan
*Design and make my own jewelry
*Landscape my yard
*Design and print my own stationery"

How do you get your creative juices flowing?

Namaste'
Leslie

mini vacations

For a variety of reasons, we don't go on vacations very often. We married in Jamaica, and we took a trip to Mexica two summers ago to celebrate finishing my graduate degree. Those are really the only two big trips we have taken together (besides going to Colorado, but we drove and didn't fly, so I'm not counting it as a "big" trip). I would definitely like to travel more in the future. This summer we've decided to do a little in-state, budget friendly traveling.

This weekend we are off for a little retreat in the woods with my mom, step-dad, and one of our favorite couple friends. We will be staying in cabins that were specifically built in order to create jobs during the depression. Our cabin is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath cabin overlooking the river. It has a screened in porch and air-conditioning (thankgoodness!), but no computer access, so I will be taking a small blogging break. We will spend our time relaxing and floating down the river in rafts before heading back home. I always enjoy a short retreat into nature (especially when we stay in cabins rather than a tent!) to connect with the simple, yet grand, beauty of the earth.

Another mini vacation we have planned for the month of July is going to Kansas City. We will be hanging out all day at the Plaza, staying in The Q Hotel & Spa (it's a green hotel located on the Plaza, you can see it here: http://www.theqhotel.com/index.php) and then going to the Market the following day.

In Aug., we will be doing another mini-vacation to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. We haven't decided where we want to go or what we want to do just yet! Any suggestions? (Think mini-weekend getaway on a budget!)

Here is your yogathought for the day from one of my all time favorite transcendentalists, Henry David Thoreau:

"Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves,dispel the clouds which hang over our brows,and take up a little life into our pores. Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor,but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world."

"...let us first be as simple and well as Nature...take up a little life into our pores... and endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world" Love that!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Namaste'
Leslie

yogathought

Here is your yogathought for the day from the book Ladies Who Launch by Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt:

"More choices mean more responsibility, but making a choice can happen when you're twenty-five, thirty-five, or sixty. Choosing one path over another is truly not a question of age but an answer to the question of how do you want your life to look, feel, taste, and be?"

Namaste'
Leslie

present moment living

Here is a yogathought for the day:

If you ignore the present moment, you are missing out on most of the joy in life. You are also doomed to miss most of the hunches, or messages from life, the guidance that will show you what to do next, that will show you what to do to move to the next level.

Namaste'
Yogadiva

yogathought for monday

"Yoga acts as a mirror. Each breath, each movement, reflects to us who we are and how we are moment to moment. We look into the mirror of yoga and see the places that need support and the places that need to open. The postures teach us about ourselves, markers on the map of the soul. They bless us with immediate feedback...we become intrepid explorers mining the terrain of the body, mind, and soul." --Julie Rappaport

I found this quote yesterday while looking through yoga books, and immediately had to write it down!

Today is day 8 of the Summer Sun Salutation & Meditation Challenge. Hopefully it is going well for all of you on the journey with me!

Namaste'
Yogadiva