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: bite your tongue

one thing i've learned...and continue to learn...is that "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."  i'm embarrassed to say that i fall into the trap too often.  i say something, and the second it leaves my lips, i wish i hadn't put it out there.  it's not even necessarily the words i'm using but the tone.  cold.  or frustrated.  or annoyed.  and i know the other person hears it, feels it and internalizes it.

yet, despite this realization, and even despite the fact that i don't like this trait very much, i find it very, very, very difficult sometimes to suppress the urge to let it out.  even though i know it's followed almost instantaneously by regret.

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what is it about us that makes us think we'll feel better by being unkind or unfriendly or not part of the solution?  i guess a lot has to do with our egos and the need to feel superior on some level - the whole "i'm right.  you're wrong," thing. 

but i know in those moments that i catch myself and don't let the unkind words slip, i feel stronger, better and more compassionate.  and that's truly the direction i would like to be moving in more. 

so i encourage you all - along with me - to set the intent to bite your tongue, even just once, in an instance when you would normally say something you may regret.  keep your lips sealed and see how you feel. 

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breathe & smile. smile & breathe.

lately, i've been a roller coaster of emotions.  with the wedding drawing near, yoga teacher training beginning and some time-consuming (but exciting) work projects on my plate, i've been up-down-high-low-happy-sad-pissy-sweet a lot lately.  poor craig.

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that said, i have been making a concerted effort to focus on the positive...cause after all, perception is reality, right?  but sometimes it can really just feel like the world is coming at me, no matter how hard i try to convince myself otherwise.  in those moments, instead of moping or crying or getting mad, i'm breathing.  and smiling...if i can.  and then breathing some more.

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i'm finding that this oh-so-simple tactic is really helping me get my feet back on the ground when my head is running wild and my emotions are out of whack.  instead of beating yourself up for not being able to "change" your mood, stop trying.  breathe.  and smile (if you can).  and then breathe some more.

when you control the breath, you control the mind - no matter what it's saying to you...

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smile.  breathe.

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om monday: perception is reality

in many ways, my yogadharma classes are reinforcing truths that i already believe, but my classes are also encouraging me to view them on a larger, more worldly scope.  we can get so wrapped up in our perception of things that we forget that it's just that...our perception.

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there's a great saying that i've long believed to be true: perception is reality.  this basic notion has been re-churned countless times, but its simple eloquence is sometimes hard to grasp.  it's sometimes hard to admit that if things are "good" or things are "bad", it's because we're perceiving them to be that way.   

sure, there are times when you could argue that almost anyone would agree with you that what you are going through is either more negative or more positive, but i'm sure we've also all experienced beautiful, sunny days when we're miserable and pissed off, as well as difficult, sad times when we've been able to share a smile or a laugh.  it's all about our perception of the situation. 

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you can choose to see the outside world as annoying, out-to-get-you and an overall unfriendly place, or you can decide (i know, it's hard) to begin to perceive things differently.  instead of reacting with your usual knee-jerk response and going to that cold, hard place, soften and try to think about a new way of looking at the things, people and experiences you encounter on a daily basis.

...and, you'll enjoy more "sunny" days for sure....