Day 347 Intention ~ Watch My Thoughts

Day 347 Intention ~ Watch My Thoughts

 

 

 

Sometimes we may not say negative things out loud for the sake of another's feelings and for various reasons. We are taught that if we don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all as children. It doesn't always take things being said out loud for us to feel hurt. When we think negatively about others and ourselves, we are not following the yogic moral code of ahimsa or non-harming.

 

 

I beat myself up all the time in my head about silly little things. I get frustrated by people's behaviors and rather than tell them, I think negatively about that behavior and so on. This can be just as harmful as saying them out loud.

 

Think positively. Think with an open mind and an open heart. I'm not saying be blind to things, but don't put a negative twist on everything either. Negativity breeds negativity. And guess what, positive thinking breeds, well, positive thinking.

 

 

Sure, a little less harm could be done by not saying something mean or negative to someone, but thinking it, one can usually sense it anyhow. Don't feed it.

 

 

Til tomorrow...

 

Shanti,

 

Marcia

Day 235 Intention ~ Practice Ahimsa

Day 235 Intention ~ Practice Ahimsa

Ahimsa, one of the yamas or restraints, that yogis are supposed to practice to live in a yogic way. Non-violence or non-harming. Being vegan or vegetarian, trying to leave less of a carbon footprint on the world, being kind (or at least not mean!) in thoughts, words, and action. To other beings...even yourself. 

I reminded myself of this today as I started to beat myself up for not making it to Ashtanga this morning. As a woman, sorry guys, bear with me for a moment, there are certain times that a less vigorous practice or even skipping practice for a day or two is recommended. That is where I am at today. Although, I have just been enjoying my reinstated Ashtanga practice so much these days that I hate to miss an actual led class rather than home practice. But, alas, I am feeling a bit rundown and wanted to sleep in a bit. As the day goes on, I know I made the right choice and that a gentler, more restorative practice is in order today. So, in an attempt to be a little less harming to myself, the harmful chatter to myself has ceased. 

This is one way to bring yoga into your *very* personal daily life :) There are many many other ways. Yoga doesn't end once we step off of our mat...that is when it starts. It's a lifestyle. Live it. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 137 Intention ~ Ride My Bike to Work

Day 137 Intention ~ Ride My Bike to Work

Well, at least to my first workplace. Not gonna lie, riding from Cleveland Hts to Berea is not going to happen today, but at least I rode to my morning class. 

So many great reasons to ride your bike instead of driving!! 

For me, the fresh air and exercise are great, but also saving the gas and the miles on my 231,000 mile Subaru is helpful. 

And the environmental reasons are fabulous too! Getting one less car on the road is my small way to help today and practice ahimsa, or non-harming, towards Mother Nature. :)

I wish everyone a happy Friday! TGIF

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 130 Intention ~ Practice Yoga Off the Mat

Day 130 Intention ~ Practice Yoga Off the Mat

I've been thinking about my yoga practice a lot lately. Although, I do some practice off the mat, when I really think about the eight limbs of yoga in Patanjali's yoga sutras, I try to think about adapting them to my daily life. 

How much are we all really practicing? 

For review, the eight limbs taken straight from my Yoga Sutra book translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda:

• yama (abstinence)
• niyama (observance)
• asana (posture)
• pranayama (breath control)
• pratyahara (sense withdrawal)
• dharana (concentration)
• dhyana (meditation)
• samadhi (contemplation, absorption, or superconscious state)

To really bring consciousness to my practice off the mat (most of us already get the third limb asana), I will start with the yamas today. This first limb has five parts to it and these are all things that we should abstain from in our behavior. 

The five parts of the yamas: 

• ahimsa: non-harming
• satya: truthfulness
• asteya: non-stealing
• brahmacharya: continence
• aparigraha: non-greed

As far as ahimsa goes, I eat a vegan diet so as not to harm animals and be a little less harmful to the environment. I try to be environmentally responsible when possible. And I also try not to harm others with my words, thoughts and actions.

Satya, that is easy. I try to tell the truth at all times...to myself also! Don't get me wrong, if the truth is a mean statement, I most likely don't say anything at all. 

Asteya, or non-stealing. This one seems pretty straight forward and easy. Don't steal! Even if it's a pen from work or stealing time from others. 

Brahmacharya: continence. Well, in the Western world we translate this into moderation. Live in moderation. I try to do this, although, sometimes when there's a bag of Terra sweet potato chips in front of me, forget about it! :)

Lastly, aparigraha, non-greed: just take what you need. (see last paragraph, I try!) Whether it's shoes, food, time, love, whatever it is, don't hoard it. If you have enough, save some for the rest. The less "stuff" you have, the clearer your mind can be. Less clutter.

So, there's my list to start working on! Just becoming more conscious of these things (we'll go through some of the other eight limbs in future days), can help us actually live our yoga. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 119 Intention ~ Move On...

Day 119 Intention ~ Move On...

All things come to an end. Sometimes things make us happy, sometimes sad, sometimes relieved, sometimes frustrated or angry. When it is time for a change, no matter what emotion is going on in one's head, it is best to move on with grace. Why beat it to death. Especially if you won't have to deal with it anymore. 

Sometimes when I've been angry in the past at a co-worker or whatever/whoever it may be, I've thought that telling that person off would make me feel better. You know what, it really never does. It usually just makes me feel bad for not being able to control myself or for hurting that person. 

Does not expressing your feelings to this person make you not being true to yourself? Not really. You need to decide which battles are worth the fight. Sometimes it's just not worth it. Saving them from hurt feelings or anger could be looked at as a form of practicing ahimsa I suppose. 

So, move on with your life. If something is not serving you, let it go. Don't dwell on it...move on. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 113 Intention ~ Celebrate Earth Day Everyday!

Day 113 Intention ~ Celebrate Earth Day Everyday!

I know that the saying has been used over and over again and cliche, but I am a day behind and wanted to get my Earth day blog in, and besides, it is true! We need to try to do things a little bit differently every single day while we are on this planet to stop polluting so much, using up all of our resources and really in yogic terms, practice ahimsa, aka non-harming. 

Recycling, composting, buying local, walking or riding a bike, even using public transportation or carpooling are just some of the ways we can help leave less of a carbon footprint. Going vegetarian or vegan or perhaps just having a meatless Monday (or any day of the week for that matter) to make less of an impact and save some animals while you're at it are great ways to practice ahimsa. 

Other options can include, buying from local stores and farmers, starting a garden, using a rain barrel to collect water for your garden and plants, wearing clothes from thrift stores or swapping with your friends ~ why not make it a party!

There are many small ways to make an impact on this Earth while we are here. We are all in this together and each small step is important. So find something, if not many things, each day to help make this place a better place to live. 

Today, I finally rode my bike to class since I got it fixed instead of driving! It was super fun, took the same amount of time and it was great to get some fresh air and exercise! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 41 Intention ~ To Let Go

Day 41 Intention ~ To Let Go

For those of you that read yesterday's intention, yes, I was a little bit upset. It happens. I don't usually like to bring it out to everyone, but I feel very strongly about how others treat others in general, and especially within the yoga community. Practicing ahimsa is one of the first things we are taught to practice in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and practicing it towards one another just seems like a no-brainer. 

But, it is a new day, and it is time to let go of my negative emotions from yesterday. I feel very lucky to have gotten to practice with advanced Jivamukti teacher, Julie Kirkpatrick, today. There was a gentleness to her teaching, although a Jivamukti asana practice is a rigorous practice, and we all moved and breathed together as one. The energy in the room was lovely and supportive. It felt like home. I felt reaffirmed in my practice and of how yogis behave towards one another. I also realized it was time to let go of my emotions from the day before and move forward. Each exhale allowed more release, each inhale, I felt myself expand towards new life and new energy. As I laid in savasana, I felt release and relief. Carrying around those heavy, angry emotions is exhausting. As we breathed in, we mentally said, "let", as we exhaled, we mentally said, "go". As we practiced this over and over, I could feel a lightness take a hold of me and I felt like myself again. 

"Let Go." If you ever find yourself obsessing over something in a negative way or if you are just feeling a little bit stressed and you can't find release, I suggest you try this technique. It can lead you into a nice meditation. Inhale "let", exhale "go". 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti & Namaste, 

Marcia

Compassion & Self Love

"It is lack of love for ourselves that inhibits our compassion towards others. If we make friends with ourselves, then there is no obstacle to opening our hearths and minds to others"
-Unknown

Sometimes its easy to confuse self-love with conceit. We feel that by saying, "I love me for who I truly am" we are conveying to others we somehow feel superior to them.

First we must understand that when we rely solely on others opinions of our lives, we become slaves to that society. By refusing to trust ourselves or to love ourselves we lose who we really are and morph into a hodge podge of others personalities and beliefs

Through all of our personal strengths and weaknesses we become our own perfect and special being. There is no single perfect person in this world, it is the specific parts of us that allow us to be special.

Second, once we accept ourselves, and love ourselves for the person we are we can than turn our compassion to those around us. We can spread our compassion throughout the world one person at a time.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
- Dalai Lama

Meditation

If you don't all ready have a regular place to practice meditation, find a quiet spot in your house, and if your home is much like mine - let your family know that you will be meditating for the next half hour to hour.

(*Note: If this is your first time meditating, begin with a five minute session, and then each day add one minute to your practice until you reach the amount of time you would like to meditate.)

Begin by finding a comfortable seat, you will be in this position for a longer period of time, so be sure the position you choose is one that won't be cutting the circulation off to your legs in (and if your legs do fall asleep - don't worry - finish the meditation and you'll be just fine. Promise.)

Place your hands on your knees with your palms facing upwards - open to receive as well as give the compassion we all so desire. Then draw your attention to your breathing. Counting from one to ten. Each number for one full inhalation and exhalation. Letting each breath to carry away your thoughts and worries.  Allowing your mind to clear until it is quiet.

Once you feel you're ready begin, with each breath, stating thinking or chanting aloud - "I am compassion. I am self-love."

You are compassion, you are self-love and you are a special being just like all others around you.

Humble Warrior

Begin by making your way into Warrior One, lower your hands behind your back clasping the fingers together. Roll your shoulders onto your back as you straighten your arms and then - exhale - folding forward bowing humbly to the world around you and bringing yourself closer together.

To bow down and come inside yourself, or to bow down to those who are around is we can find a new path in life. A path filled with truth and honesty. A path that allows our true and special self to shine through into this world.

Compassion is not a flaw, just as being human is not a flaw - it is a gift. Life is a gift, and one we only have for a short time. So chose to spend that time in a way that will help those around your, and at the same time help yourself.

I bring my hands together at my heart and say to you namaste. The spirit and the light that is in you, which is also in me.

"At the end of the day, love and compassion will win. "
-Terry Waite