Watch Out - Help is Coming !

On occasion I fiind myself 'taking care' of my mother......my mother who raised me along with 7 siblings.  We recently took a trip to Ikea to check things out and maybe get her a bookcase.  On the way we stopped for a coffee at Olgas in Providence.  Metered parking.  I parallel parked and walked around to feed the meter and saw that the meter was out, but I also saw she had had to step either onto an ice louge or into a small river of melting snow to get onto the curb. 

Thats not cool.  We got our road snack and upon approaching the car to leave I asked her to wait on the sidewalk so I could pull the car out and she wouldn't have to step through the water and ice.  In I go - start the car - click the seatbelt -  hit the gas and just as I do I hear this whirling sound and immediately see my mothers hand go up as she turns away from me.  Apparently my wheel had spun on the ice and actually sprayed icky water right at her.  It was like out of a comedy - more so for me than for her I'd say.

Don't worry, I'm here to help.  She asked me for a favor - not to do her any more favors.  So what happened next?  We proceeded to laugh until we cried - we wiped her off and went on our way.  We never did find just the right bookcase - but we had one hell of a laugh together.   

Its still OK to try to help someone - even if the outcome isn't what you would have hoped for - as long as everyone involved has a sense of humor.  Its all about the intent.  Its been a long winter.

Namaste

I wonder who helped this dude load up his truck with ears of corn?  Nicely done....

one picture tells the story....

just sharing with you my last attempt at home improvements .....  patience and a sense of humor go a long long way.  Oh and a fully charged battery, that goes a long way too !!!

Maybe the Magnificent Middle

Modern day "western" yoga has more to do with updogs, downdogs, stretch and sweat than was originally intended.  Nothing wrong with that loosely stated.  Ancient and modern day "eastern" yoga is rooted more in meditation; and all the poses - the asanas - are meant to prepare the body to sit for long periods of time in meditation.  Nothing wrong with that loosely stated.

I want to be in the middle - the middle way - where East meets West.  I enjoy the amenities, advancements and luxuries of Western society.  At the same time, I am intrigued and motivated by the mystique of the more spiritual side in Eastern society.  I'm a Libra - all about balance.  Maybe thats what interested me in accounting, balance.

So much about what I am learning in Yogic philosophy brings me right back to what I was taught from an early age as right and wrong.  Its all the same stuff....just that i get it now.  Maybe I get it a little differently, maybe I get it at a much deeper level.  Maybe I was a late bloomer, maybe i needed to "test" some of it through the rigors of life.  I am just where I am supposed to be right now.  As are you. 

And as my very good friend CVG once said that our past is part of the fabric of our lives.  It is woven in (like it or not)..... into what becomes our unique tapestry that sometimes seems to the person as a mess of threads unconnected.  But maybe when you flip it over, maybe when you change your perspective and look at the other side, you begin to see your beautiful picture emerge. 

The future is yours to write and live.  Each next moment is your future to write and live. 

That leaves us right now - in the middle - in the present. 

the impermanence of things

though we choose not to think along these lines we pretty much know that as soon someone or something is born - it will die.  This thought may be considered pretty morose even for those of strong faith in the hereafter.  But the fact remains that which lives also dies.  So what do we do with that ?  We live and we make it count !  We do the best we can with what we know and what we have to work with and we live with the ups and downs.

Sounds pretty straight forward right ?  We all know life isn't that simple to categorize.

Yesterday one of my best friends lost her beautiful pet.  His name was Austin and he was a retired and rescued greyhound.  He lived to almost 16 years old, thanks to the tireless care and love he got from his master CVG.  His body had gotten very very tired but his spirit was evident in his beaming brown eyes and alert expression.  Most people would have had him put down quite some time ago.  Not CVG.  Sure his body was tired but just look at his face, that face full of life !  Together they endured.

She got a call yesterday that it was time and she needed to come home.  He waited for her.  There were no more options because his body had nothing left.  he could not stand or get himself water.  He had waited for her.  So she stroked under his chin the way he liked and buried her head there the way she did.  And afterwards she worried that she may have forgotten to gently stroke his floppy ears.  I told her she did everything.  Maybe his ears were alert for what was to come - for what he could look forward to.

The loss of a beloved pet with its unwaivering loyalty can be one of the hardest emotional blows a person can take.   They bring so much simple happiness to those around them.  I think there a lesson there for all of us.  Enjoy all the simple things and small miracles around us every moment.  I'm not saying we should start chasing squirrells or cars but how about starting fresh every time we see someone we love.  Dogs don't hold grudges, they just love, and in return they are loved.

RIP Austin - you were the most beautiful greyhound I have ever know.  Rest easy now.

meditate

immerse yourself into this with a soft drishti

let you imagination work for a bit

maybe allow yourself a nice story

then maybe close your eyes and see it again

if you  haven't allowed yourself a moment to meditate yet today - go ahead -

not recommended while driving......

What is Yoga?

I quote (paraphrase) Nicolai Bachman, 'The Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali, the preeminent text on yoga as a philosophy, explains in detail how our heart-mind field works and provides excellent ways of refining our human being.....encouraging us to act with keen discernment for the benefit of all sentient beings.  Yoga is truly a way of life that emphasizes friendliness, compassion, understanding, health and true lasting inner happiness.'

All of that over just this lifetime is a lot to ask - that is why we call it a practice and that is why I believe in reincarnation and the laws of karma.

I have met self proclaimed yogis/yoginis who walk this path in name only.

I have met strict vegetarians who treat human beings poorly.

I have my own challenges and things to work on - which is why this is indeed a practice and it may take lifetimes. 

But no gain is ever reversed along the path. 

So I pray for continued guidance and tolerance for self first then for others along our journey. 

And I hope to live up to the advice given me by another one of my teachers;  for me to always have the ability and mindfulness to notice the small miracles that surround me every moment.  Thank you Ed Cardinal !

Namaskara

Monday Valentine

Find Love Everywhere - it makes life so much easier......even if it means finding it on a nacho chip. 
Happy Valentines Day ! 

Practice and all is coming

Open yourself to the possibilities.

Let go of what you are told to believe and hold on to what you know is true.

I believe in a consistent yoga practice, however at times it may seem inconvenient or cliche.

You heal yourself by holding the hand of a very reliable friend, your own yoga practice.

And how am I kept grounded? My mom.

I told her I was going to practice yoga tonight - thank you Aeriel - great class !

My moms response was, "practice?! Shouldn't you be good at it by now?!"

That's her humor. It was a trick question.....

Have a wonderful and free weekend !!!

Get over the hump on humpday - and get over your bad self

Om

being an avid note taker - (which is especially useful when you have fantastic teachers - thanks Cheryl and Dave) - its always a treat for me to go back over what i've written - it somehow puts me back there. 

so i wrote "vande - stop torturing the little self and plug into the big picture!"

how is that for perspective.  yesh !  Have a great hump day !

Yoga for Bikers - Motorized or otherwise

Take a Sanskrit class with me on Skype!!!

I am going to organize a group, a sangha, or people who want to set aside one hour a week and take a SKYPE video sanskrit class.  My teacher in Arizona is just fantastic !!!  We get to set the curriculum which might start with pose names (and at the risk of sounding like a sanskrit snob) I know many teachers myself included can use a fun tightening up of their pose names.  She will teach us the proper way to say them, and what they mean and maybe how they came about.  Nice story time for classes.

If you are at all interested then just do it !!!  You all have my email or can find me on facebook.  Tell me what day and time in the evening you can commit an hour to learning.  I participated with a group of yoga teachers from Dallas and they are totally beginners and loving it.  We can start out with 3 classes and go onto as many as you want from there.  There is value so you will have to pay, depending on how many people, but roughly $10 for a hour. 

So get back to me and just do it !!!

oh, and I'm wondering if anyone has been known to get asfixiated from unrolling and cutting yoga mats.  It's like George Costanzas fiancee and licking the wedding invitations.......ick

and picture for today......

See Something Wonderful in Everything !

I know what I saw in the picture I took in Tulum Mexico.  What do you see?

Every Now moment

Every single moment, every now that there is.....every now is an opportunity to practice your yoga. A gentle but unyielding reminder to us to maintain awareness.



My teacher told me these words and every time I read them I am reminded. It takes all the pressure off in a way. For me it calms things down and simplifies them almost immediately. And it leads directly into the second sutra.

But for this moment, right now, everything is complete. Everything is just as it is. Perfect in all the so called perfection and imperfection.

So smile and breathe easy. Give yourself that for a time.and when the world pulls you back don't be let down, be ready and be aware.

Lets Begin our Yoga Journey......You Are Ready.

atha yoganushasanam 

And now begins the study / teachings of yoga.  Yoga Sutra I.1 Patanjali

This maiden blog entry is just the beginning of a long journey.
Yours and mine.   
Yoga that you can "get".
An offering of tools and insight that may perhaps sharpen your life skills and tune in rather than tune out.
Yoga you can have fun with and yoga that makes you laugh and be happy.

Not to rush. 
Time is relative and so much is maya; illusion.
Just for a moment, meditate on this lovely visitor I had in my back yard this past year. 
I rushed to get a camera and was able to laugh out loud at my haste - it was a snail after all - where was he going fast?   

Stay tuned for a life changing event happening on 4.11.11