cycle of life

While there are many days I question why I live in a state where the temperature can be almost 60 degrees when I wake up and then fall to less than 20 degrees with high winds and snow by late afternoon, there are many more days I remind myself of the importance of seasons as a constant reminder of the cyclical nature of life. Winter can often be a very long, hard, difficult time for people--the brutally cold weather, the gray days, and early darkness can definitely take their tole. However, it's so important to remind ourselves that spring always comes.

I was making some connections with these ideas tonight while reading Wayne Dyer's book Change Your Thoughts--Change Your Life. Here are a few quotes to ponder:

"The 16th verse of the Tao Te Ching describes the value of being supremely conscious of the constant cycle of all. Rather than viewing change as a disruptive, unwanted occurrence, you can choose to view the variances in your world as valuable influences...When you see change as the only constant there really is, you start to recognize it as an expression of ongoing life that's a welcome clue to your own purpose and meaning...Embrace this nature of cyclical change and you'll thrive...The reality is that beginnings are often disguised as painful endings. So when you know that there's a constant beyond the present moment's disappointment, you can sense that 'this too shall pass'--it always has and always will. When you change the way your look at things, the things you look at change!" (pages 73-74)

So, on a very literal level when thinking about the seasons and change, I am definitely more than ready for spring to arrive. On a more abstract and metaphorical level, when approaching and going through changes in my life, I often find myself very apprehensive and sometimes even resistant. As I approach my upcoming life changes, I am going to do my best to try to remind myself of Dyer's statement about recognizing "change as an expression of ongoing life that's a welcome clue to your own purpose and meaning."

And, "Embrace this nature of cyclical change and you'll thrive," is going to be my new mantra.

At this point in life, especially if you're in the depths of winter, my hope for you is that "you can sense that 'this too shall pass.'"--Spring will arrive.

Peace be with you always.

Namaste'
Yogagal

another perspective

The day after I wrote my last post, I was reading O Magazine and an interview Oprah had with the Buddhist Nun, Pema Chodron struck me. In the interview, Pema is describing how she went from being an "average mother of two" to a Buddhist Nun. She talks about an article she read after her second marriage broke up titled "Working with Negativity" by Chogyam Trungpa. Trungpa's article stated, "'We all experience negativity--the basic aggression of wanting things to be different than they are.'" Until that time everthing else she had read was essentially saying to look on the positive side. This article said, "'Stay with your experience.'"

Since my last post was essentially about staying positive and being grateful for the simple pleasures and blessings in life, I thought I would also explore the Buddhist perspective of staying with your experiences.

Pema: The problem is that we have so little tolerance for uncomfortable feelings. I'm not even talking about unpleasant outer circumstances, but that feeling in your stomach of I don't want this to be happening. You try to escape it in some way, but if somehow you could stay present and touch the rawness of the experience, you can really learn something.
Oprah: When you tell people to touch the rawness and feel it, what should they do? They're already feeling pain.
Pema: Go to your body and connect with the physical sensation. It always feels really bad; it's usually a tightening in the throat or the heart or the solar plexus. Stay with that and say to youself, "Millions of people all over the world have this kind of discomfort, fear--I don't even have to call it anything--this feeling of not wanting things to be this way. This is my link with humanity." Connect with the idea that this moment is a shared experience all over the world.
Oprah: What happens if you choose not to sit with the feeling?
Pema: It cuts you off from your compassion and empathy for others. That gives birth to a chain reaction that causes people to self-destruct or strike out and hurt other people. It's the source of a lot of the pain and destruction that we see in the world today.
Oprah: So what do you do to stay with it?
Pema: I think the most straightforward way is to breathe in very deeply and connect with the feeling, and breathe it out on the exhalation. I call it compassionate abiding. It means staying with yourself when, probably for your whole lifetime, you've always run away at that point...
Oprah: You also wrote in When Things Fall Apart that every day gives us an opportunity to either open up or shut down, and that the most precious opportunity presents itself when you think you can't handle whatever is happening. So if, in that moment, you can train youself to open up instead of shutting down...
Pema: That's exactly when you get a real transformation.

While I still believe it's important not to get sucked into the habit of negative thinking, but instead to try to make note of all of our blessings (both big and small) in life on a daily basis, I also realize there are times in life when it's hard to see the blessings through the obstacles and pain. I definitely appreciate this Buddhist perspective of acceptance during those times. Rumi's poem, "The Guest House" is an excellent depiction of Pema's description of staying with your experience and then getting a real transformation as a result.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

(The Essential Rumi, versions by Coleman Barks)

Namaste'

Yogagal

little things in life

In my mind, one of my greatest gifts from my parents is being raised to have a positive attitude and outlook on life. I'm not sure exactly what they did to instill this attitude in me, but I am forever grateful for it. I'm not saying I never have a negative thought or feeling, but typically, when I do, I recognize it, and I try to make sure that it ends with that thought and doesn't trigger the next and the next and the next. I definitely think some people get in the habit of thinking negatively, and because I believe we often attract life experiences from our thinking, those people then end up having more negative life experiences, and the cycle continues......

One of the ways I practice staying positive is by making the conscious choice, daily, to be thankful for the little things in life--noticing all the blessings in my life rather than taking anything for granted. So, today here are some of the things I am thankful for:

a good cup of coffee in the morning
a husband who makes a good cup of coffee in the morning
a good book to read
a fire on a cold day
being able to teach yoga
a hot bath
sunshine
victoria secret's body lotion
deep, full breaths
a warm, soft robe and slippers

Truly, focusing on being grateful for the little things can make a big difference.

Namaste'
Yogagal

The New Year

I gave up on New Year's Resolutions long ago. I try to consistently assess my life and the direction it is going in order to set goals and begin making positive changes--no matter what day or month of the year it might happen to be. Today I got out my 2006 (I'm turning 30) Life Thoughts and Goals to reveiw which ones I have met and remind myself of those I still have yet to achieve. While I don't think it's necessary to share all my personal stuff, I would like to share the template I used, so that you may use it to prompt your own thoghtful reflection and goal setting...if you'd like! (And remember as you are doing this, it's YOURS--modify and use it as you wish).

First, create a Life Mission Statement: This is just a statement (although mine is 2 statements) that describes what your mission in this life is. Don't worry if you don't know. This might be something you could focus your energy on figuring out this year!

Next, Thoughts about my life currently...
I am thankful for...(I think it's always a good thing to focus on how fulfilled our lives truly are, so I made a list of all that I am thankful for).

Third, create a short list of Short-term Goals (within the next 5 years) you'd like to focus on.

Fourth, create a short list of Long-term Goals (within the next 10-20 years).

Next, focus on the question: Who am I? by finishing the following:

I am...
I'd like to be more...
I need to work on...
I enjoy...

And, you're done! I carry my list in my purse, so I can read it regularly. At this point, I haven't had to modify it, yet. I've reached 1 of my short-term goals, and I'm still working on the other short-term and long term goals. I think it's important to set goals to create some focus and energy in the direction you want to go, but I also know the importance of balancing that with being content just as things are.

Namaste'
Yogagal

Simply allow

Here's the yoga thought for the day:

"Let the world unfold without always attempting to figure it all out....
Don't try so hard to make something work--simply allow....
Relax, let go, allow, and recognize that some of your desires are about how you think your world
should be, rather than how it is in that moment.
Become an astute observer...judge less and listen more.
Take time to open your mind to the fascintating mystery
and uncertainty that we all experience."

This is another quotation from Wayne Dyer's book Change Your Thoughts--Change Your Life. I LOVE this quote because it definitely shows us how the philosophy and mindset we practice in yoga is so relevant and connected to how we can approach life.
So, try today to just ride the wave, go with the flow....simply allow.

Namaste'
Yogagal

Stop the chase

Here's the yoga thought for the day:

"Stop the chase and be a witness."
--Wayne Dyer

I am reading Wayne Dyer's book, Change Your Thoughts--Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao. The yoga thought for the day comes from this book, and it definitely jumped out at me as I was reading. "Stop the chase and be a witness." This seems incredibly appropriate at this time of year since many of us are chasing to find the best bargains and the biggest and best gifts. The chapter this quotation comes from is titled, "Living Beyond Ego"--an idea that is particularly hard in this day and age. I can relate the quotation to the practice of yoga, in that when we are practicng yoga, we are practicing becoming an observer. We attempt to allow our analytical, judgmental, critical minds to rest, and we just observe--or witness. In every yoga pose we put forth effort but we attempt to balance that effort with surrender. We try not to be attached to the results of our efforts, we just observe--or witness--without judgment, just trusting. This idea perhaps sounds much easier than it is since ego is the driving force in much of our daily lives.

It's interesting how many different yoga/life philosophies are intertwined--flowing together. I'm thinking about how many people might not be able to turn off ego because they don't even know they're acting from ego rather than love. Really, one cannot know this without awareness---yes, another focus in the practice of yoga. We are practicing becoming aware: checking into the moment, into our bodies and how we feel, into our breath, and into our lives.

Dyer goes on to say, "Try letting life come to you and begin to notice the clues that what you crave is on its way....Stay appreciative of all that you receive, knowing that it flows from an all-providing Source....By letting go, you let God; and even more significantly, you become more like God and less like the ego, with its lifetime practice of edging God out."

Whether on the yoga mat or in daily life, we can all do our best to:
check in,
put forth effort,
surrender,
observe,
and trust.

Or simply, "Stop the chase and be a witness."

Namste'
Yogalgal

My 1st Blog

Yes, as my title indicates, this is my first ever blogging experience. I have decided to join the blogging world. However, I have started this blog with the intention of not writing about my day to day life; Instead, I will include my thoughts, questions, and commentary on life, as well as the thoughts, questions, and commentary from many others. I will also be sure to throw in a little yoga philosophy as I go. For those who haven't practiced yoga, I'd definitely encourage you to try--it's truly life changing--however, hopefully you'll enjoy my blog, yogi or not.

Here's the yoga thought for the day:
"peace.
it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."
(unknown)

Namaste'
Yogagal