om monday: what we avoid

in yoga, we're often told that the poses that we dislike or avoid are the poses that we need the most.  interesting concept.  so what is it that head-to-knee pose or warrior 1 can offer me?  what secrets can i unlock through them that will ultimately better me and my practice?

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in head-to-knee, my balance is really challenged.  so perhaps, i don't like feeling unsteady and shy away from things that make me feel vulnerable.  in warrior 1, seemingly opposing forces are at work - keeping the back heel down, while squaring the hips parallel to the front edge of your mat.  so maybe in that case, i can learn that opposing movements/events can ultimately work together to achieve something greater.

these are just some musings that i've had with this notion of examining "what we avoid" in mind.  there are many more poses that challenge me and countless moments that occur on a daily basis that i'm sure could benefit from further contemplation about this idea.

so, mavens, i encourage you to think about what you avoid that you think could ultimately serve you.  do you talk yourself of going to the gym regularly?  have you been avoiding confronting a colleague, friend or family member about an issue that needs resolving?  whatever it is, think about it, and perhaps you'll draw the conclusion that some of the things that you're avoiding could make your world better if you embraced them.

namaste : )

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om monday: why do i want that?

morning, mavens.  i hope you're enjoying this fabulously looooong weekend.  i wanted to share with you something from my yoga class yesterday.

often yoga teachings can seem at odds with wants and desires.  i know, for me at least, i sort of felt like i wasn't fully embracing the yoga mindset until a resigned myself to a life of little possessions and quiet meditation.  but, my teacher, amy, in yesterday's class enlightened us to the true yogic take on wants and desires.

she said that it's ok to want things - like a fulfilling job, money to support your family or even (in her case) red cowboy boots.  but, she explained that it's also important to ask "why do i want the things i want?".

this take on it completely resounds with me.  with this philosophy in mind, any earthly desire can be seen as a conduit for discovering something deeper and more meaningful about yourself.  very cool.

credit {here}

so, let's take this idea out for a spin...why do i desire cosmos?  what are they offering me?  and what am i truly looking for when i order my fabulous $6 drink at happy hour?  well, they offer me (and craig) a night out to connect, enjoy one another's company and talk.  they offer me a "treat" after a long week or long day and provide a subtle means of letting go.  of enjoying something for enjoyment's sake.  so, when i order my cosmo, i'm actually ordering a little mini vaca from our day-to-day lives.  a moment to take a breath and connect with the guy i'm crazy about.

now, that i know what i'm truly looking for, perhaps i can find it in other places as well.  (like in a pomegranate martini....just kidding....)

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if i had my life to live over

this morning in yoga, my teacher started with a bitter sweet poem - if i had my life to live over.  the poem speaks to our tendency to put things off, dream of the future and forget the present moment - the only thing we ever really have.

if i had my life to live over

i'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
i'd relax, i would limber up.

i would be sillier than i have been this trip.
i would take fewer things seriously.

i would take more chances.
 
i would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

i would eat more ice cream and less beans.
i would perhaps have more actual troubles,
but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.
 

you see, i'm one of those people who live
sensibly and sanely hour after hour, 

day after day.
  
oh, i've had my moments,
and if i had it to do over again,
i'd have more of them.
in fact, i'd try to have nothing else.
just moments, one after another,
instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

i've been one of those people who never goes anywhere
without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat
and a parachute.
if i had to do it again, i would travel lighter than i have.

if i had my life to live over,
i would start barefoot earlier in the spring

and stay that way later in the fall.
i would go to more dances.
i would ride more merry-go-rounds.
i would pick more daisies.

by nadine stair, 85 years old

we don't get any do-overs.  this one life is it.  pursue your passions, follow your heart and when you look back at 85, don't wish for a chance to do it better.

what can you do today to make sure you'll have no regrets tomorrow?.

growing into myself

hello, mavens!  i hope you're all enjoying this lovely tuesday so far.  i wanted to share an ego-boosting experience of late : )

yesterday, at the end of advanced vinyasa yoga, the teacher was discussing her upcoming teacher training that will be starting this september.  now, any of you who frequent lifestyle maven know that i am a yoga-phanatic.  and, yes, i have flirted with the idea of pursuing my teaching certification.  but, i was completely flattered (and surprised) when the teacher singled me out at the end of class and said "cailen, you should think about this" as she handed me a brochure about her teacher training.  umm, wow.  me?  i try not to allow my ego to get the best of me, but i adore yoga so much that this compliment lifted me up to cloud 9.

credit {here}

so...i am really considering starting the training this fall.  it's a commitment - 15 weekends (friday 5-9, saturday 12-6, sunday 12-6) from september 2011 through may of 2012.  but, i definitely think it would be worth it...

isn't it funny how our lives twist and turn and eventually lead us deeper into who we are truly meant to be?  i encourage all of you not to deny your true passions...and listen to what your world is telling you (even if it's not in words).

cheers!

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