Day 297 Intention ~ Bow Down to Mother Nature

Day 297 Intention ~ Bow Down to Mother Nature

Today was our first snow in Cleveland. It's only October 24th and although this happens some years, it's still a surprise. That first snow fall. So pristine. So new. So foreign, even though we come to expect it each year. 

Mother Nature is amazing. The change of seasons is beautiful and breathtaking. I know some get down at the first snow sighting, dreading the months to come, but I think it's beautiful. It is a sight to behold. All four seasons. It is amazing the cycle of life that we go through in each year. 

Now that we are headed to our cold snowy winter season, it's a time to come back into ourselves. Find some grounding and inner discovery. Review the past year...good times and bad. 

Instead of looking at winter in a negative way, take it as a time to regroup and rediscover yourself and what you need now or observe how you have grown over the past year. 

Embrace that & bow down to Mother Nature. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 256 Intention ~ Stay In

Day 256 Intention ~ Stay In

One nice thing about the weather getting a little cooler and at least today, rainy, is that it conjures up a nesting feeling in me. During the spring & summer months, all I want to do is be outside running around, socializing, and living a very energized lifestyle. Fall & winter bring us inside. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. It's a time to regroup and recoup some of the energy spent over the past few months. Don't get me wrong, I would still like to see some summer like days out there, but for today, I am okay with it. 

Many Friday nights this summer, if we were in town, my husband and I have be-bopped around our neighborhood having fun. Not always the easiest for me to deal with come Saturday when I have to teach, but okay. We had fun. We met people, we supported local businesses (although we usually do) and most importantly we bonded. 

But, this Friday night, tonight, we are staying in and I am thrilled. I am excited to just recoup, especially after last weekend's craziness and rest. And, I actually have a rare Saturday off tomorrow, which is a bonus! 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 96 Intention ~ Get Some Fresh Air

Day 96 Intention ~ Get Some Fresh Air

Spring has finally sprung here in Cleveland...somewhat. The snow has melted (hopefully that is it for this year) and the temperatures are now in the 50's during the day, which after winter here, it feels warmer than that. It's time for folks to leave their stuffy cramped up cabins and breathe in the fresh air of the season. 

Ride your bike, take the dog for a walk, venture around town or just plain sit on the front porch. Getting some fresh air can clear our heads, a new season can give us new hope and we can get a fresh perspective on things after they may have gotten stale over the long cold winter. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 80 Intention ~ Find Santosha

Day 80 Intention ~ Find Santosha

Close your eyes, click your heels 3 times and repeat: "Find santosha, find santosha, find santosha." That is how I feel today. I know it's silly, but this winter has worn me out. Now, the 2nd day of spring and a winter weather advisory is out and it's snowy and just plain cold. Yes, it's Cleveland. Do I expect this? Yes, yes I do. But, for some reason, I'm struggling to find santosha today. 

Santosha is contentment or satisfaction with what you have. It is yoga 101. It is one of the niyamas, also known as a restraint or observance, in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and I am usually pretty good about it. Usually. But, old man winter weather has got me down today. 

Things to do to bring santosha back you ask? 

Well, the obvious and most costly is to book a quick trip to somewhere warm...Caribbean preferred, but anywhere would do. The smarter, wiser choice is to practice yoga asana and meditate. This is what I will do and what I can afford. 

If you are also struggling to find santosha in your day...no matter what is creating the block, yoga asana and meditation will help. Even if it is a short practice. Remember, meditation is a practice too. Start with a few minutes and build. Eventually the mind chatter will start to dissolve or at least give you a break for a few minutes. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia