See your grace, it is amazing

I was blind and now I see, the veil is lifted, an Oprah Ah-ah moment.

Every walk past the same street on the way home and never notice a restaurant or store. Or if you are in "your" town with a tourist friend and see if through their eyes - "wow this view is actually beautiful and I never stopped to notice."

There is "stuff" around you all the time, sometimes you see it sometimes you don't. It is just whether or not you are looking. It just comes down to paying attention....consciousness, awareness, an awakening.

Same with spirituality which I see just as consciousness/connectivity with everything  - there is an energy and a divine nature around, once you are awakened, you can see it. 

"It was easy to love Good in all that was beautiful.  The lesson of deeper knowledge, though, instructed me to embrace God in all things.
St Francis of Assisi, 13th century, one of the most respected figures in history


It is ALL within you and whats within you, is within ALL. Finding Connection.

I was lost but now I am found. We seem to have lost our way with the understanding how interconnected we are and we are with our environment.  Our current state of the environment, and the hate in the world, scream there is something wrong. Good news, we are making process and these things take time!

Einstein: you expand your circle of companion, by dissolving the optical delusion of separateness.

And in the act of doing this you start to re-connect to cause and effect; to the ripple effect of our actions. We lost this, we lost caring. By seeing yourself in others and in your surroundings, you find connection. Connection gives a feeling of contentment, of purpose, a sense of finding your way.



Great example of disconnection: A man was writing a college paper on alienation and anxiety, he got an A, however, he was feeling as alienated and anxious as ever. We fill our head with knowledge and education but not necessary the tools of how to deal with these things as an inner education.


How sweet the sound, but how tasty the experience.

When you read or hear about things, their is a disconnect. There is something powerful in experience, a shift in understanding/interpretation.

We can learn and learn about what is it like to swim, but until we swim, we don't know the feeling of weightlessness (something I said in my blog time and time again).



You need a guide like a swim instructor - be it a person, a book (ie: Power of Now, or the Bible) or a combo.

Will lead me.

You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself. 
Galileo Galilei 1500's.

A teacher lifts the burden - whatever it is. Helps one get over self doubt, acceptance of life, self rejection, to expand and expose new things to learn.
Their job is not to give you answer but to remind you who are and the answers are within; a tour guide on the journey of life.

Buddha's last words: be an island to yourself, your own mind is the source of wisdom.


Poof in the pudding mentality:
In America we need scientific evidence, who doesn't like a little reassurance in the form of studies by smart people at Harvard.

More and more studies are coming on the power of meditation:
Cortex frontal lobes get thicker and do not demish with time as they typically do. Some functions are preserved with meditation. Blood pressure decrease and the phsycilogical characteristics change - its true.  We buy that.

If you try to be creative every day, that area of the brain gets bigger, smarter. Comes easier. Same with Meditation and finding peace.

Mindful meditation creates a bigger brain; who doesn't want a bigger anything, come on America, we do love our supersize.



Mindful meditation ideas are starting to come to the schools which is amazing!  The new abc's - awareness, balance and clarity and compassion (team work notion). It helps empower kids, gives them coping mechanisms. A study in Harvard on ADHD is showing great results on the possibility and power of meditation.



Medication - replace the "c" with a "t". Meditation.
Meditation means cultivating the mind. The mind can be defined as a process that regulates information and energy flow.  Attention governs these 2 things. So you would think it would have been put together before.







You are divine. You are grace, believe in yourself and its can be amazing with attention, connection, experience, a guide and practice (whatever it means to you).....


Inspired from the documentary: Spiritual Evolution.  (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1276118/)

Change, a curse word?!

Change. What a concept. We are creatures of habit and find discomfort in the face of variance.

But within the space of change, outside of the box, trying times, decisions - we learn, we grow, we shift, and we can find purpose.

Is it comfortable?
No, of course not. Its hard, its lonely, and just sucks. But its a necessary evil.

But why me you ask?
You are not targeted, it doesn't only happen to you, this is our narcissistic nature of the ego. We ALL face this change, it comes at different times and different forms. Endure yours and be sensitive to others situation - stop just shopping for attention and forget that others want to be heard too. Listen.

Purpose you say, how?
Well its easy and complicated at the same time. Hindsight is 20/20, when one door closes another opens, all of those common words of wisdom will come to fruition.  And over time you will see how change gave you color and character, and within this process you can find purpose. 

Purpose msurpose
I used purpose in an everyday sense. I believe it is false to think we all will/need to find a grand thing that makes us have value. We already have value right now, within us, with each day bring opportunity to know this. However, I do think the striving for this false goal of "purpose", lends people doing extraordinary things or at least attempting too. This is not a bad thing either.

What is bad it not being happy on the journey, to feel less without this "purpose", to not have contentment right now.

Stop the ego, and negative drive...even its for a minute, give yourself the gift of peace. Accept that you can be good RIGHT now AND also strive to do good things.


Moral of today - a long day from when I last posted but:
Embrace change.

Don't worry, be happy: find out how

Happy - what a documentary - its on Netflix. Watch it.

"HAPPY takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of India. The documentary invites the globe to get happy."


Find your flow, and do it often = more happiness:
Great ideas from a book called "FLOW, the psychology of optimal experience"

FLOW: explained (not simply) as synergistic aspects of consciousness.  It is like when you are fulfilled with this sense of accomplishment, you are doing something you enjoy to do, you do it well and nothing else seems to matter when you are doing it. Other aspects: you know what is next, you are in control, forget problems, you get into a rhythm, forget yourself (the ego disappears). Life feels more valuable and worth living.
.

Flow can happen anywhere - your personal time (dancing), at work, cooking, cleaning, rock climbing, yoga.

Experience flow on a regular basis, feel happy more often.

Baseline function and our brains:
We typically function on a "baseline" - not too happy, not too sad. We are getting by. L I V I N G.

Our brains work on a compare and contrast basis: there is no pleasure without pain.  So when we have both good and bad experiences happen, we know that those respective feelings only last for a short time.  ie: I get disappointed from not getting a job, I feel sucky for a few days and bounce back with another application (which I shall be putting in today :)).  I go on a great date and feel happy (happy might only lasts a while if he doesn't call back).

So its important to remember this when you are within a situation, specifically a crappy one. This too shall pass.

The research into emotions show that the bad experience really enable people to understand things from a deep perspective. There is something about when you fall and get back up; you are much stronger than before.  And within these experiences you can find an ah-ha moment and you can recover from adversity faster, back to baseline quicker. 

I had a really crappy thing happen my senior year in High School, my house burned down. I was weighed down by post-traumatic stress and anger. It took years for me to look back and really understand the importance of that event. But I now feel that I lessened my reliance on material things, started to really value people more (and my animals and both were saved) and after going through that event I was a little rough on the edges. I felt that I "endured", I gained this sense I had a story, survived a hard experience (not comparing to others and there are heaps of worse things obviously). But its just this sense of getting knocked around and feeling better from it. No pain, no gain right?! 



Madonna said it: "you know that we are living in a material world" - we are taught to acquire not how to manage our reactions:
What we are told in our society is the way to be happy - we are driven to focus on making more money, work your way up the career ladder, get fancy cars and clothes. Stuff. 
But we do not get tools to work on the inside - the emotions.

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.  And we have to learn this at random.

Interestingly, when you a see a graph of yearly income crossed with happiness, the general happiness graph line is pretty constant. When basic needs are met, more money doesn't seem to buy more happiness.

"Anyone that says money doesn't buy happiness, then talk to someone under a bridge. Someone who say money buys you happiness then talk to Bill Gates."

It's due to the "hedonic treadmill": as humans we have a great ability to adapt. And as we acquire things and start to live materially "richer" lives we adapt. It become normal and we always will want more. It is the enemy of happiness.



Understand your goals - internal and externally:
What are your goals? Are they goals for you or for what you want others to think of you? Is the MBA going to make your father proud finally? Is the need for the BMW to show your status?
Some of this is ok - it is just about being aware of what you would really get from achieving your goals. Cause I guarantee it will be anti climatic when you realise people do not really care that much about your stuff.
This exercise will prove that the effort you put in certain areas will shift and the effects will only yield positive results in your life.  

Love the research in the documentary about extrinsic goals vs intrinsically goals:
-external: wealth/money, image (look good), status/popularity 
-internal (needs we all have): personal growth (be who I really am), relationship (closeness), community feeling (help the world be a better place).

Different sides of the values system.  They find that external goals will bring less happiness and fulfillment.

The film discussed the impact of the intense work ethic in Japan.  In order to rebuild after WWI, the shift of focus went towards work and away from family.   Achieving status and things, this nation is literally working themselves to death. 
Pursuit of economic growth was at the detriment of culture, environment, social systems. GDP is not enough. In Bhutan, the government look at a Gross National Happiness (vs Product) - "whats going to make our people happy"? The answer is within the self, because fleeting pleasures does not help with contentment.

In Denmark, schooling is free and health care. Also there are co community living which seems great. LOVE the different ways of living in other countries. Importance of relationships, connection, support, help is a unique dynamic for both the parents and kids.



Quotes I really like:
"I don't understand and I don't need to understand"
"Social connection is intrinsically programed into us, it is fulfilling"
"Through intention we can change our brain (literally it gets thicker)."
"Happiness is a skill, like learning the violin."
"Happiness, the more you have, the more everyone has."



There truly is so many differently ways to live.  But the "net" is we want to be happy, shift your goals, and FLOW as much as possible. Don't worry, be happy.

do you

Covering up who we are: similarities and differences
We spend so much time trying to figure out we think we should be - it covers up who we are. Well then "who are we" you might ask?

You would expect a very individual response, and in part, there would be very personal aspects that define us on this earth here and now. But you can look at this more simply; the big picture. Focus on our similarities as human beings vs our differences. Foundationally, we all have the same emotional desires of happiness, peace, love. Individually, we will always have different talents, ways to express ourselves, degrees of passion, levels of emotions.

But by focusing on our similarities there will be more harmony; across people and within.  We might not understand and agree with specific religions - Muslim, Jewish, Atheist, Christian. But if we focus on the fact that these are different paths and just an institution that is made up people.  These people wake up everyday like us and want the same things that we do; happiness, peace, food.
The more you can learn about what you do not understand, the more you look for connection and similarity and the more we will find peace - across people and within.

However, the differences are beautiful; you should feel authentic, unique and we should embrace these vs feel shame.


Find yourself: accept and inspire within your pain
Find your wound and you will find yourself. Live within that space and inspire others -  vs see it has your fatal flaw. It has beautiful if you change your perspective.  If you are a drug addict go within that community and have empathy, related to people and find passion to inspire, if you have been sexual abused be there for others to lean on who have endure these types of experiences.

W are always looking for our purpose and this is one way where you will find your purpose. Your purpose doesn't have to change the world but know by inspiring one people you will be doing enough to impact the world.

World peace starts within each of us. By doing you, you will help others, it can be that simple.





Your soul is Altruistic while your ego is selfish

I feel I have found my purpose, through life studies and yoga
Still searching what this means, but it feels right and I am sharing. I am "doing me" by doing this.

My motto:
Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu: may all beings everywhere, everyone, be happy and free. May the thoughts, words and actions (my karma's) contribute in someway to that happiness and freedom. To all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILeToVl4QWs

nothing like an elevator ride to slap you into the now

You know that moment you get on an elevator, you mind racing to the action you are taking once you get off, ie: like I was doing today and thinking about the cold walk to the recycle bin. You push the floor you are going but in a second you realise there is no movement happening. Then your heart lurches. Um, maybe it ends now, here. Dramatic..yes. But you have to admit this has happened at least once. "Is this thing going to plunge to my early demise"? What feels like minutes goes by and it jerks and starts moving slowly down towards your floor.

 

This is getting called "getting slapped into the now" Any moment could be your last. Even though my current situation sucks, atleast I am not at the bottom of that shaft. It feels wrong to use that wood by the way.

 

Urgh, I hate elevators and elevator dreams but I loved this elevator picture...though I am still trying to decide what it evens means....

Its not all rainbows but Im trying to love the rain first

why so serious

I have had a few people ask me why Yoga has to be so serious, and that fact makes them less compelled to do yoga.  Interesting.

I have mixed feelings - it is a serious but also good to laugh at the absurdity of this "self" we falsely create and live through in life. It is not "serious" like life and death but seriously shutting off the mind, for a respite from life.

Its like saying "yo mind, I am not listening to you, you are not in control. Watch this, I am doing yoga and contradict any negativity you send my way, I am not worrying about yesterday or planning tomorrow. I am here, now."

I like when teacher cracks a jokes or light hearted comments, more so if it applies to the teaching, the class.  ie: don't squeeze your butt checks like your holding a quarter, muscles are contracted but not tense like that (funnier in the moment that reading flat forsure).

When we are mid class, the sweat is dripping, the mind is pissing us off, it is great when a joke breaks this stiffness; a smile, or the room has a chuckle, it lightens the mood and gives a bit of motivation. But I do think too many would be distracting.

I had a friend tell me once, she has a teacher who gets a flow going and allows the class to do it a few times within their own breath.  Then the teacher puts on hard core rap to pump up the energy. It is a hint of humor to tackle the flow.
Nothing like a little Tupac or Too Short to get To-flow :).

This article explores this topic and is a good read.
http://blogs.yogajournal.com/mensblog/2013/02/21/that-clown-in-the-back-row/#.USZk8O3ip7E.facebook

New Places, New Chances

Going to a new place is a new experience and within that experience God can be seen.  It is the opportunity for many things to happen; bring a new dynamic, thought, perspective, physical benefit, better emotions, etc.

If you are having a bad day - go somewhere, get some fresh air and a walk might just change your mood. You might meet someone, find a new store, enjoy nature. Possibility.

And being the one to take another out of where they are is a beautiful thing. Both on a small or big scale - to the store, on a trip, to a new place, to a place where they can look down to see where they are, escape, explore, find. Most people move through the day and don't not think or care to see the possible but know changes (conscious or not) happen in the act of movement to a new place.

This can be physically. Or in the mind - through art, film, discussion.
This post is inspired by documentary Waste Land. Artist Vik Muniz goes to the worlds largest landfill on a journey to be inspired for an art project. What he finds differs from what he expected - the a land-city of low-lifes is actually filled with 3k smiling, hard working, pickers.  Its a way to make money but many have pride as they recycle to make our world a better place.
Using garbage the artist wanted create art, to transport people into this place, and use the money raised to help get the "pickers" to "get out" of the place; bettering conditions, opportunities, etc.

I really like how Vik Muniz talked about art - standing close to it and seeing the material vs backing away to see the image. Both experiences. With this project, he is making beautiful portraits on a large scale with garbage. Its says so much - about the location, the items, the person. Deep. Multi dimension. I love art. The moment something becomes something else - magic.

In the film, they start to debate where of not to take individual out of Brazil to London for an art show to sell the paintings.
Will knowing what is out there drive them to think differently and take action to get whatever it is that they want? Or will the experience haunt them?  Does the experience stand on its own for what it is?
They know they will go back.  Realisations are powerful and the stories play out as such. "I'd rather want everything and have nothing than have everything and want nothing. Because at least when you want something your life has a meaning, it's worthwhile."



To go to a new place or to lead someone to a new place - both different, both fulfilling.
Your personal experience changes you, and to lead people can be even more fulfilling. It is like when one volunteers, you usually get just as much out if then the experience than the cause in which you are volunteering for.

And see for yoga - I think it is both physically a new place and a mental new place.

The moral of tonights post - go to new places, open your eyes beyond the physcial places you go, take others to new experiences. Challenge your mind and others - in this act God will be seen.

practice makes you brighter

Practice doesn't make perfect in the yoga sense, as perfection is not a destination but rather as attempt to make ourselves better. We can strive for it. Trying find a balance of self-expectations; enough to push us to do and not too much that we judge ourselves. But as BKS Ivengar says, practice makes you brighter.

 

As you practice, life will start to get better; in indirect and direct ways. Maybe you do not always see it, but believing that the sole action of practice will make you better and brighter. A glow. We all know the glow - be it from being pregos, good love, a job well job, a good workout, lots of sleep. Well the "yoga glow" is common - do an intense power class and you will see it within yourself. Who doesn't want to be shinny.

 

The fire/light within is no match for what life will send your way.

 

cure or learn to endure - yoga

life will knock you down, its how you get back up

You will remember the times you got back up and learn more from that experience than anyone who glides by in life. Even though you feel like a loser, you really are the winner.

As hard as it is - find the positive, control your thoughts, journal, talk to subjective people and wait it out.

 

POW! BAM! BIF!

Happy day of love

Its not only Valentines Day but my birthday - holler. Double rammy.

 

I came across this: "people were created to be loved, things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved, and people are being used."

So beautifully true.

Stop attaching and loving your things. Love the people around you - those you know and don't. The world could be fixed one bit of love at a time.

no more pass card, thank you skinny biatch

I have been giving my self a "pass card" when it comes to a few postures.  I didn't realise I was doing it until the other day.  And I justified my pass card because I felt my skinny-ish arms deserved it and it was not necessary for me to have that much muscle to do them, right? I never want Madonna freakishly strong body, its just not for me.

I am not the one in class that rushes to do a pose because it looks cool. I want my body to be ready for the pose and to do it right. And no its not an lazy excuse, no really, at least I didn't think so. 
Anyway, its never been about showing off or competing, that's one reason I love yoga.  I try to let go of caring about others opinions on the mat and its helping off the mat as well. Validation is an interesting human need, the more you let go of it the lighter/free-er you feel. More complete.

However, I do want to ensure I am progressing and practicing what I preach about finding the edge in each pose. So the other day was in "extended forward bend", as the blood was rushing to my head, upside down, I peered between my legs was amazed when I noticed this super skinny girl, shoot right up into headstand. I mean her bicep was as big as my wrist. I was intrigued, so I kept my eye on her and saw her do side crow without breaking a sweat. This is when I realised I need to start trying these postures.

I know I shy away from things I do not know exactly what I am doing and I also have fear; lots of it stored away inside to come out at undesired times.  In the inversions, I fear falling, hurting my self or more so my unsuspecting neighbor.

Hall pass is now in the garbage Tracy, its time to figure out a way to face some of these arm balancing and inversion postures. If I do not try and face the fear on the mat, I will not be able to do the things I need to do off the mat.

So when I say thank you skinny biatch for indirectly making me throw the "pass cards" away, I am sincere. I promise.

ever get into a posture like WTF

I took a class from a new teacher, which I love doing. I am a new teacher and this gives me reassurance that it does takes time to be an all star teacher that knows what to say straight for over an hour, with the perfect flow.

We were doing Frog posture and it didn't feel right. Maybe I am just not flexible that way, but it felt like maybe this wasn't a posture. Whatever it was I was NOT doing it correctly, as I still have bruises on my knees from the experience. This was my WTF moment this week.

Frog Pose (Bhekasana), can also be called Mandukasana. Plenty of sites out there already talk through specific steps to do it so I am/have been refraining from recreating the wheel in my blog (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2465).

Typically looks like:

 And from what I could find online also looks like this within Yin Yoga:

 

Yet another new yoga popping up, this seems to be a deeper slower yoga (Iyengar-ish). However some new postures, reaching different areas?!?
As I said I found this way of frog painful (in the bruised, this is wrong kind of way). Though I realised I am super tight on my inner thigh, maybe a good way to work it?



How beautiful is Frog in ballet, a little more visual appealing ;)

the important questions

<3 good to keep in the back of your mind when the reality of every drama is putting a damper on the day <3

 

The end is nothing, the road is all!

Who knew there were so many ways "roads" is intertwined into our live - literally, metaphorically, purposeful. I am thinking of this today and inspired by it, so I am sharing. This started from another documentary Sunday - The Way with Martin Sheen directed by Emilio Estevez.

I remember an "ah-ha" moment years ago, when I realised it was not about the destination but all about the journey. I was on a road trip, stressing about getting to where we going, excited for what we were going to do when we got there. When we got there, I found myself reflecting back on the journey and how fun that was. Never in the present. Ah-ha.

The road in our lives:
The high road, the open road, the road to hell, dignified road, road to the whitehouse, wrong road, road to nowhere, road not taken, road rage, fork in the road, its a long road, keep your eye on the road, hit the road, end of the road, all roads lead to rome, get the show on the road, road to recovery, where the rubber meets the road....

“If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.”
― George Harrison

“I probably did too much thinking in India. I blame it on the roads, for they were superb...”
― Robert Edison Fulton Jr.

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!
Bob Marley

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road.
Henry Ward Beecher

Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life.
Pythagoras





Robert Frost:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

THE END IS NOTHING - THE ROAD IS ALL

hot yoga popping up

Couldn't help it. :)

 

I feel like every studio I join is hot yoga.  I get it. I like it. But its stanky and intense. Getting hot is important, but you can do it from the inside out with breath and work.

 

A little yoga funny for the day - cause I feel dizzy and queasy almost each class. Look, the sweating is good and detoxifying - if you can mentally shut off and get through a class covered in your and others sweat, with your nostrils filling with smells of garlic, onion, last nights meal, then you can't face most things in life!

Animal cuteness for the day

Upavishta Konasana - Seated Angle Posture Bear Style

Tripod Headstand - from Prasarita Padottanasana Kitten Style

Cutest Cat Cow warm up ever 

Now this ones just showing off

 

Upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

 

Double Cutestness

bulldog in upward dog is heartwarming sweet

 

Monkey stretch