Extremes

As I look up toward the snow-covered San Jacinto mountains here in the desert of California, wearing my fleece and long pants, I forget how hot it felt here just three months ago when my standard outfit was a pair of shorts and a tank top.

I sometimes wonder where those transitional months of basking in the high 80's and low 90's snuck by me so seemingly fast. It feels as though one moment I'm dripping sweat and the next, I'm shrouding myself in a wool wrap.

My thought for the week is recognizing when we are experiencing moments of harmony and balance. Our awareness of no longer being in balance is often heightened when we notice our extremes. When we have swung the pendulum so far to one side that we look back and say, "wow...I was really feeling good, or enjoying that. And now...I'm noticing how _______ I am."

You can fill the blank in with tired, busy, hungry, agitated or any thing that speaks to the notion of having to change something. And herein lies the practice...hearing what it is that is no longer in balance and knowing what to do about it.

Then the tough part. The doing something about it.

I know that last week I said we were "human beings, not human doings". But, sometimes doing something with a clear intention leads us to become better at being.

Here's an example. When I was in college, I got sick EVERY semester break. Every time without fail. The pressure would ease, my load would decrease and I'd spend 7-10 days managing some type of illness. My body was screaming at me to stop pushing so hard, but I would ignore it. Then during the break - WHAM- down you go, as though my body was saying, "I told you to take a break, but you wouldn't listen. Now...I'm going to make you slow down and take the break I have been talking about these past few months".

One of the great benefits of my yoga practice is that I've formed a better relationship with that inner voice. I listen more closely and use the tools that I have learned, to support my well-being all year round.

That brings me back to the extreme idea. One of my favorite sayings is that, "consistency is the key". This is an idea also present in the yoga texts. So instead of going to a class or doing a workout every once in a while, or going to the most challenging practice six days a week, why not think about what the place in between might feel like?

Consistently looking after ourselves means listening to our inner wisdom. It means finding someone or something that is able to teach us the tools of self-care. And most importantly, it means DOING it...not just having the knowledge, but stepping it into action.

Perhaps underlying this whole idea is that of treating ourselves from a place of compassion. Holding our own being in an embrace of self-love and acceptance. To connect to this, try placing both of your hands over your heart. Close your eyes. Feel the beat deep within your chest and notice the movement of your breath.

Equanimity...find it within.