Grumble, Grumble

This past week I invented a new word..."Grumbletude". It came about as I was sorting through the mental bombardment which seemed to trigger a realization that I was pulling up a list of grumblings. This list included: things that needed to be accomplished within a narrow time frame; people who said they were going to do something, then didn't do it; fear of not reaching my goals; lack of sufficient sleep...dare I go on?

As I sat musing, the solution began to arise within me to battle "grumbletude". Change it to gratitude. I allowed myself to take a moment to realize that the feelings that were arising were simply part of my processing, my way of recognizing what was in the present moment and honoring it without attaching to it.

The practice of yoga has taught me that in such situations that I have a choice. I can either continue along the path of thinking that my life is full of challenges or I can switch to thinking that my life is full of opportunity. It was incredible to experience this shift. As soon as I recognized the grumbletude dialogue, it was as though my deeper inner voice rapidly shifted to all that was in my life and in that moment to one of gratitude. I explored this process further by seeing gratitude as a vehicle for effecting change. Although I had some hurdles to leap over, so what? These obstacles are simply a way of looking at all that goes into the evolution of a solution.

We become educated to the whole rather than to a singular goal and in this offering is a chance to learn more than maybe we thought possible. If you find yourself in an attitude of grumbletude, notice it as part of being human. And realize that this is the work of our own transformation, of changing how our inner dialogue begins echoing within ourselves and eventually reaches beyond our own physical boundaries into the greater collective. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. It's a choice we all can make.

Everyday Is Earth Day

Today, Sunday April 22 is the 42nd year of celebrating Earth Day. From a yogic perspective, every day is Earth Day with the practices of yoga evolving from a connection to as well as a reflection of the natural environment. We salute the sun and bow down to the earth, stand like a tree or mountain and recline in a restorative posture named "flowing mountain brook".

With the availability of electricity and artificial lighting, we began to fall out of sync with the ebb and flow of natural light that in the past indicated when to go to sleep and when to awaken. As the earth has become more populated with the development of concrete and skyscrapers, we have lost our connection through bare feet into the earth. And as we live in noisy and busy environments, we often miss the sounds of the natural world. Earth Day is a vivid reminder to honor Mother Earth (Gaia). That we, as humans, walk upon this larger planet with its own living energy. That Mother Earth is here to support us in every way.

Earth Day is another opportunity to reflect upon how we individually impact the planet. What type of footprint are we leaving? Are we able to elevate our own level of consciousness to lessen that impact?

Here are a few reminders as to how we can continue to show compassion to Gaia and in doing so, we show compassion towards others as well as ourselves.

Tips:
1. Carry your own water bottle to avoid using plastic, one-use bottles.
2. Have your own multi-use lunch set for heading off to work, to avoid using one-time, throw away containers.
3. Remember to bring your own shopping bags to the store.
4. Check the tire pressure in your vehicle to enhance miles per gallon.
5. Use multi-use dryer balls in your dryer rather than a fabric softener in the wash or throw away dryer sheets. I use earth-friendly dryer sheets that go, with the lint into my compost. Or line dry your laundry.
6. Create your own compost for your garden. (and add your earth friendly dryer sheets into it!)
7. Buy phosphate-free laundry detergent.
8. Turn off your tap when brushing your teeth.
9. Turn off your computer at the end of each day.
10....Send in to me any tips that you do in order to be part of the buzz around reduce, reuse, recycle and sustain!

Since I originally posted this list two years ago, we have installed solar energy and bought a Toyota Prius. It all adds up as I want my footprint on the planet to be as little as possible. Thank you Gaia!

The Comfort Zone

One day I was sitting in class waiting for all the students to arrive. As is often the case, I have many interesting conversations during this settling-in period and had one on this day. I was remarking to one student how working on my fundraising effort was challenging for me as it had me undertaking things that pushed me right out of my comfort zone. She replied, "I have that experience as I'm working on my breathing as I'm swimming...that's really challenging to me". To this, I replied, "Wow...now I would find THAT comfortable" and she replied, "Wow...I would find undertaking fundraising comfortable!". We then both replied, "maybe we could switch!"

I guess that's why it's called the comfort zone. It made me realize more fully how some people would find marketing, sales and delegation a breeze. For them, it's easy and fundamental whereas for me it's a monumental hurdle. On the other hand, my life has been littered with physical experiences of movement and exploring the outer edges and limitations of my body. Working on breathing during swimming is easy and fundamental in my life.

This challenge continues to open my eyes to a broader understanding of other people's experiences and expertise. It reminds me that we can all possess the mind of a beginner no matter what our chronological age might be and that our learning never ceases.

What impresses me are those people who continue to open their minds and hearts by endlessly seeking to learn and expand their own experiences. I feel fortunate that I have three nanogenerian (in their 90's) clients. They all have a few things in common. The most noticeable is that they are all still fully engaged in life, both mentally and physically. Two of them still play tennis, one of them is still working and all of them possess this sense of curiosity about how their life continues to unfold.

It's a great lesson that's written in the yoga sutras, that of self-study or svadhyaya. It can be interpreted in many ways, but it reveals itself to me in the form of always being open to learning. To consciously take action in seeing what lies within and what is next in our lives. It's the commitment to learning that opens the doorway to fully understanding ourselves and perhaps challenges our belief system of who we believe ourselves to be. When we begin to ask these deeper questions, we begin to open up the possibility of knowing our true self.

This leads me to my thought of the week. Challenging myself is an opportunity for growth and, although it might have prickly moments, in the end it will lead me to a deeper understanding. So off I go, to spread the word about the cause I'm supporting, to ask for assistance and be open to what unfolds.

What a great adventure!