Day 260 Intention ~ Say No With No Guilt

Day 260 Intention ~ Say No With No Guilt

I am a "yes" person, that is for sure. So much so that I tend to overtax myself physically, mentally, emotionally to say yes to people when they need me. 

This creates a couple of problems: 

1. this taxes me physically, mentally & emotionally

2. People take for granted that I will say yes all of the time

I sub for teachers all of the time. I hate canceling a class because there's no sub available. I think it builds inconsistency for the class and eventually people start to go elsewhere. Besides, it introduces me to some students who may not have taken my class before. 

I have subbed 2 classes this week already and with 3 new classes in addition to my regular classes, that is enough. So today, when asked to sub later in the week, I said no. I felt a little guilty for a moment & then realized that people say no to me all of the time. This person has never once subbed for me when I have asked and I have always done it for her, except maybe 1 other time in all these years. 

Anyhow, that's all besides the point. The point is, I thought about it, I decided it was not something that I wanted to do because I have a busy day that day & am already feeling stressed about it and I said no. I said no and I feel good about it. Woo hoo!!

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 73 Intention ~ Keep Trying Handstand

Day 73 Intention ~ Keep Trying Handstand

Handstand is that elusive pose for me in yoga. I go through phases of attempting it, but then drop it for awhile and come back to it. For some of us, a pigeon pose is that elusive pose or chatturanga dandasana, the low plank (that one was elusive to me for a long time too!) But, I keep coming back. I keep trying. One of these days it will stick. I will lift up. There was a time when the mere mention of handstand in yoga class would send me into a panic (and a child's pose). Nowadays, I do actually try and each time I try, I get a little bit closer. 

I know it's a mental wall and that I have the physical strength to do this pose. I try to hear myself talking to my students about losing your ideas of what a pose is or if you can or can't do it and just try. Release your mind to let the body do it's thing, but it's a struggle. Struggle is okay, so long as we keep trying. One of these days when we are ready, we will get it. 

Just like in life, some days are easier than others, but those hard days are when we learn about ourselves. We get more out of those tough lessons than when everything is just simple and easy all of the time. In my African proverbs calendar today it says, "Too many bends on a footpath do not prevent one from reaching one's destination." It's a proverb from Cameroon. So, keep trying. One day we will get where we need to be. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia