"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
-Melody Beattie-
Every Monday for the past several years, I have spent the afternoon with my elderly mother. The visits have evolved from being in her home, to her moving to assisted living seven months ago, and most recently moving to a memory care facility a month ago. What strikes me every time I visit, is her profound sense of gratitude. She thanks me over and over again for coming to see her. She thanks me for doing her nails and brushing her hair and any small thing that I do. She also compliments and thanks the aides who take care of her, telling them how wonderful they are and how beautiful the facility is. Her gratitude warms my heart and makes me want to do more for her. I see the same with the aides who care for her. This appreciation prompts her caregivers to do more for her and to truly love her. She has the gift of taking any small act of kindness and turning it into a treasure. I am learning by my mother's example that a grateful heart really does have the power to transform.
How can I translate that sense of gratitude to my yoga practice? I start with a sense of gratitude for the body I've been blessed with, aches and all. Next, I look to all the gifts my practice has given me: strength, stamina, flexibility, focus, inner calm. I am grateful I can listen to my body and tailor my practice accordingly. I appreciate that it is not a competition. I am thankful for any changes I experience for the better, however small they may be. I am grateful for my journey through yoga; I have learned so much about myself. When I look at my practice through the eyes of gratitude,I truly do feel the fullness of life. Gratitude has turned my practice into inspiration, and that keeps me coming back for more.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
INTENTION
"In truth, it matters less what we do in practice than how we do it and why we do it. The same posture, the same sequence, the same meditation with a different intention takes on an entirely new meaning and will have entirely different outcomes." -Donna Farhi-
I am often asked why we set an intention at the beginning of every yoga practice. A simple answer is that is gives one a focus to move toward. Paul Dennison, PhD,a brain researcher and the co-founder of the movement based learning system, Educational Kinesiology, coined the phrase "attention follows intention." By taking a moment at the beginning of practice to set an intention, I am bringing my awareness to a particular feeling, movement, pose. It is a way of noticing. Setting an intention is bringing attention to a desired outcome. I may set an intention around feeling peaceful by the end of practice. More than likely, I set that intention because I wasn't feeling peaceful at the start of practice. Perhaps my hip has been bothering me, so I set an intention to gently work out the tightness in my hip. I am setting a goal for something I would like to achieve. Dennison explains that "Like a magnet, intention has the power to draw out of us the qualities we need to reach our goal." (BRAIN GYM(R) AN ME,2006,p.83)
I look at goal setting as a way to maximize my time in practice. As a teacher, my intention is to be clear, well prepared, playful and attentive. I am more apt to accomplish this if I make it my intention to do so.
I am often asked why we set an intention at the beginning of every yoga practice. A simple answer is that is gives one a focus to move toward. Paul Dennison, PhD,a brain researcher and the co-founder of the movement based learning system, Educational Kinesiology, coined the phrase "attention follows intention." By taking a moment at the beginning of practice to set an intention, I am bringing my awareness to a particular feeling, movement, pose. It is a way of noticing. Setting an intention is bringing attention to a desired outcome. I may set an intention around feeling peaceful by the end of practice. More than likely, I set that intention because I wasn't feeling peaceful at the start of practice. Perhaps my hip has been bothering me, so I set an intention to gently work out the tightness in my hip. I am setting a goal for something I would like to achieve. Dennison explains that "Like a magnet, intention has the power to draw out of us the qualities we need to reach our goal." (BRAIN GYM(R) AN ME,2006,p.83)
I look at goal setting as a way to maximize my time in practice. As a teacher, my intention is to be clear, well prepared, playful and attentive. I am more apt to accomplish this if I make it my intention to do so.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
COMMITMENT
I was skiing a few weeks ago and found myself having great difficulty navigating some heavy, chunky, powdery snow. After a few frustrating runs, I ran into an instructor and asked him to give me a tip. "Commit and lean into your boots", was his emphatic reply. I had been skiing very tentatively and wasn't really having much fun. What a difference it made to commit! Up to that point, I wasn't fully in it. I had an immediate attitude shift and, though my legs were exhausted by the end of the day from all that committing, I had fun and more success navigating my way down the hill.
I can take that same advice when it comes to my practice. I can begin by committing to practicing for a couple of minutes every day - maybe I'll do some sun salutations to get me going in the morning or to release tension in the evening. Research shows that it takes about 30 days for something to become a habit. I can set my sites on one month, forgiving myself if I miss a day or two here and there. If I miss a few days, instead of beating myself up, I can recommit the very next day. I want to be committed, but not punishing. To add a twist to the old adage, if at first you don't succeed, commit, commit again! You'll be glad you did.
I can take that same advice when it comes to my practice. I can begin by committing to practicing for a couple of minutes every day - maybe I'll do some sun salutations to get me going in the morning or to release tension in the evening. Research shows that it takes about 30 days for something to become a habit. I can set my sites on one month, forgiving myself if I miss a day or two here and there. If I miss a few days, instead of beating myself up, I can recommit the very next day. I want to be committed, but not punishing. To add a twist to the old adage, if at first you don't succeed, commit, commit again! You'll be glad you did.
Friday, January 15, 2010
ACCEPTANCE
"Acceptance is the magic that makes change possible. It is not forever; it is for the present moment." -Melody Beattie-
If only it were that simple! Each and every day brings new (not always welcome!) opportunities for me to practice acceptance. Generally, my first response is to resist,and fight against the person,situation or thing with which I am struggling. Acceptance does not mean that I have to like what is going on in my life. A wise friend once explained it to me this way: If I went on a picnic and it began to rain, I could sit there and get wet or I could open an umbrella and move to a sheltered area. First, I need to recognize that it is raining before I can come up with a solution. There is no winning if I choose non-acceptance. What I do find however,is frustration, anger and hopelessness.
Acceptance in my yoga practice can serve as a demonstration of acceptance in my life. At the moment that I can accept myself,my limitations and challenges, I begin to relax into my practice. My competitive nature pushes me to "be the best" in my life's endeavors. What I have strived for most of my life is to accept that there will always be people who are more flexible, stronger, faster, etc.,than I. At those moments when I accept my competitive nature, I no longer see myself as wrong, or flawed,or less than. I have then allowed myself the freedom for change to enter into my life. Acceptance opens that door.
If only it were that simple! Each and every day brings new (not always welcome!) opportunities for me to practice acceptance. Generally, my first response is to resist,and fight against the person,situation or thing with which I am struggling. Acceptance does not mean that I have to like what is going on in my life. A wise friend once explained it to me this way: If I went on a picnic and it began to rain, I could sit there and get wet or I could open an umbrella and move to a sheltered area. First, I need to recognize that it is raining before I can come up with a solution. There is no winning if I choose non-acceptance. What I do find however,is frustration, anger and hopelessness.
Acceptance in my yoga practice can serve as a demonstration of acceptance in my life. At the moment that I can accept myself,my limitations and challenges, I begin to relax into my practice. My competitive nature pushes me to "be the best" in my life's endeavors. What I have strived for most of my life is to accept that there will always be people who are more flexible, stronger, faster, etc.,than I. At those moments when I accept my competitive nature, I no longer see myself as wrong, or flawed,or less than. I have then allowed myself the freedom for change to enter into my life. Acceptance opens that door.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Letting Go
"Freedom does not come from acquistion. It comes from letting go." -Sogyal Rinpoche-
All too often, the holiday season becomes a time of acquisition. The aphorism, "less is more" tends to be forgotten, as we run from store to store making sure that each person on our list gets that "perfect" gift. How freeing it would be to "let go" of that idea of the perfect holiday, with the perfect gift.
I might ask myself the same question with regard to my yoga practice. What would it look like if I were to "let go" of the image of the perfect triangle pose, for example? What if I were to listen to my body and do the pose in the imperfectly perfect way that is mine? That is not to say that it is not ok to always strive to do better. However, if I am always putting the image of perfection in front of me, I am surely setting myself up for failure, or at the least, disappointment. I find it much more gratifying to look upon the progress I have made in my practice. Perhaps, just for today, I will let go of the need for perfection in my practice. As I stand in my imperfect triangle pose, I will bring my attention to the breath, letting go of all tension in my physical body, freeing my thoughts and focusing on the joy my practice brings, warts and all.
All too often, the holiday season becomes a time of acquisition. The aphorism, "less is more" tends to be forgotten, as we run from store to store making sure that each person on our list gets that "perfect" gift. How freeing it would be to "let go" of that idea of the perfect holiday, with the perfect gift.
I might ask myself the same question with regard to my yoga practice. What would it look like if I were to "let go" of the image of the perfect triangle pose, for example? What if I were to listen to my body and do the pose in the imperfectly perfect way that is mine? That is not to say that it is not ok to always strive to do better. However, if I am always putting the image of perfection in front of me, I am surely setting myself up for failure, or at the least, disappointment. I find it much more gratifying to look upon the progress I have made in my practice. Perhaps, just for today, I will let go of the need for perfection in my practice. As I stand in my imperfect triangle pose, I will bring my attention to the breath, letting go of all tension in my physical body, freeing my thoughts and focusing on the joy my practice brings, warts and all.
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