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It's the weekend after Thanksgiving which lends itself to an easy (if not obvious) thought of the week...that of gratitude. In the past, I have undertaken a gratitude practice via Facebook where I was asked to join a group that set the intention of writing and sharing five things of that we are grateful, every day for a month. I thought this to be a great practice, one that I can share with a larger community, but more importantly, a practice that reminds me of how incredibly abundant my life is. The stunning thing about that experience was that as I wrote each day about what I was thankful for, people started making comments. They were also stating what they were thankful for. It was amazing to see how my own public expression of gratitude had its own ripple. Who knew?
This phenomenon has been reflected in a research study that showed having a conscious practice of gratitude, such as the Facebook challenge mentioned above, increased happiness by 25%! Such a simple practice with fantastic outcomes! What makes it effective is practicing with a specific awareness of what we are thankful for. I have asked many 1-1 yoga therapy clients to undertake a practice of gratitude in order to recalibrate their focus, particularly when life is throwing all sorts of challenges in their direction.
This conscious choice to acknowledge what we already have in our lives brings us into the present moment and allows us an opportunity to release negativity. In the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, this is one of the Niyamas known as contentment or Santosha. When people dwell on a pattern of thought that isn't a reflection of their highest self, it can be likened to a downward spiral, dragging our energy, attitude, and spirit into darkness. Our body reflects this in slumped posture, illness or agitation and we become a short fuse in the world that may ignite rapidly given the slightest chance.
If we find ourselves trapped within the looping negative dialogue where nearly every thought and sentence begins with something like:
I'm frustrated with...
I don't have enough...
I'll never get...
I'm mad at...
I'm not worthy and...
This country is in a..."
Then maybe it's time to undertake a serious gratitude overhaul!
In these turbulent times in which we live, we often get pulled into the narrow vision of what's happening and forget the bigger picture of our earthly interdependence. Slowing down into an inner space of reflection and asking ourselves, "what am I grateful for in this moment?" is a way to broaden our often restricted view. When we sit each day and engage in an inner dialogue that conjures up all that we're thankful for, it's as though a switch is flipped. We shift our perspective away from what appears to be lacking to what is present in our lives. A practice of gratitude allows us to remember all that we are, all that we have and all that we can do. It's more than enough when you get right down to it.
So, for this Thanksgiving and the next few weeks, I will stay committed to my daily gratitude practice. Feel free to join me...you'll be thankful you did!
This past week we were fortunate to have a Super Moon, the closest the moon has been to earth since 1948! I hope that you had clear skies for spectacular viewing as we did here in the desert. The moon gifted me not only with its early evening rise, but I caught the final glimpses of it early the following morning as I headed out on my bicycle ride. It was just ducking behind our local mountains which were growing pink from the early morning sunrise. Ahhh...to step outside and bear witness to something so far away and beyond us yet still part of us was truly refreshing!
To say the least, it's been a fascinating week here in the United States following the Presidential election. The mood that followed was evident of the obvious political divide in this country with some people celebrating and others deep in despair. My thought of the week was inspired by these seemingly unconnected events-the full moon and the turning tide of the political climate. As a result of these two events, this week has been focusing on releasing energy that doesn't serve us and brings connection back into focus.
Astrologically, when we see the full moon from the earth it means that the sun and moon are facing each other directly, with the sun's light bringing the moon into full illumination. In yoga, many of us have heard the term hatha yoga but many are unaware that "Ha" translates to sun and "tha" translates as moon. It acknowledges that these two energies co-exist with the sun representing masculine, fiery, hot, yang energy and the moon representing the opposite feminine, cool, calming, yin energy. And although they are vastly different, they are all still part of the whole universal system and have co-existed since before human consciousness.
A few weeks back I wrote about the energy of the New Moon (in case you missed it, click here) during which time it is ripe for planting seeds of manifestation with the full moon being the time where what we've planted is reaped. As Divine Harmony wrote, "Full moons bring times of climax, crisis or culmination. Full moons pit the conscious self and ego (sun) opposite the unconscious (moon). What we began or the seeds we planted at the previous new moon can be found now to bear fruit-and we certainly will reap what we sowed!"
So if we are dissatisfied with what we are reaping, we have the fortunate opportunity to once again till and fertilize the soil for what we wish to bring about for ourselves, others and the planet. It's the perfect time to release being tangled up in unproductive thought, word or action and step in the illumined light of the moon toward what you truly wish to manifest. All of us have a light within and when we connect to it fully we begin to recognize that light in others. This is what the term "Namaste'" means: the light in me, sees and honors the light in you.
If we find ourselves getting triggered by what people say or do, it can be us recognizing what we don't like within ourselves. Part of healing the divide is to release anything or anyone that stops our light from shining or that stops us from connecting to our inherent goodness. We do our inner work so as to be able to hold up the metaphorical mirror so they recognize it not only in themselves, but within others as well.
What this time has reminded me to do is to live deeply within my own light and to remember my connection to the whole. This time is teaching me to listen deeply to the needs of others and as Katrina Kenison (full post) so poetically put it:
"When the going gets tough may I open my heart before I open my mouth. When the going gets tough may I choose love over fear. Every time."
Let these unsettling times of turmoil and change offer us new seeds to plant to reaffirm what is coming from our hearts. Let us be reminded that all of us are part of this human family and that we must live in harmony for the health of, not only our own selves, but for the future of this earth and the generations to follow. May we all reflect the radiant light that shines from each of us to each other, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun.
Do you ever feel as though you are walking along the tightrope of life?
I do sometimes. This image came up in a conversation I had with a friend about a week ago as we were lamenting about our physical ailments and challenges. I have this thought that as we age and move along our own life's journey we need to pay close attention to how we are stepping along the path so that we can keep ourselves in balance. As an example, someone who has osteoarthritis knows that they need to move, but not too much. Inactivity will make them worse and too much activity will make them worse-so they need to find that perfect sweet spot of balance, as though they are walking along a tightrope.
As we age, it can seem that paying attention to this becomes more critical. We need to truly listen to the voices inside us that guide our physical choices, knowing that if we push too hard, we could be paying the price the following days or weeks to come. Looking back to when we were younger, it seemed as though we had a bunch of wiggle room. We could do something with a slightly higher risk of feeling the after effects, like having a big night out partying, running in an annual fun run or going bungee jumping and still be okay the next day. Perhaps a bit sore or hung over, but nonetheless functional.
Last weekend I was celebrating my 35-year high school reunion (yikes!) and as I was sitting with a friend I've known since junior high school, a group of classmates at the opposite end of the table were toasting good times with a round of tequila shots. My friend and I looked at each other with a similar expression...one that telegraphed that if we were doing that, we'd have a whole lotta sorry the next day! I may have chosen that 20-30 years ago but as my life is now, keeping myself in balance is a high priority and having a tequila shot would have knocked me off my tightrope. I don't have the same wiggle room and wisdom (and experience) has taught me well...having a morning after hangover was something that would cause suffering.
My thought for the week wasn't just around avoiding hangovers or finding the right amount of movement, but more profoundly to embody the mindset of a tightrope walker. I asked a class this week, "How does a tightrope walker move across the rope?" to which someone replied, "Very carefully!". If you've ever seen someone do this, its a demonstration of absolute commitment, concentration and focus on being in the present moment.
The walker carefully places their heel upon the rope then slowly transfers their weight through the foot into the precise placement between their toes, finds stability on the forward leg before off-loading the back leg to shift their weight forward. They don't run across the rope, but instead move with such incredible mindfulness that the only concern is the present moment. If they got ahead of themselves, started to entertain the "what if" scenarios or took their awareness elsewhere...ka-bam...off they would go.
Our practice this week in class was to engage the mindfulness and attitude of the tightrope walker by bringing our full attention to our mats, to slow down and sense our inner experience, to notice how we moved from one pose to another. Staying present is a challenging practice, yet the more we come into this moment, the more we recognize how alive we are here and now.
No matter what turbulence we are experiencing, offer yourself an opportunity to slow down, take a deep breath and move mindfully through each and every step. One careful step at a time...
Change is in the air! Not only with the opening of our new studio in December, but the seasonal weather is shifting here in the desert. During my road cycling last week, one morning I was in long tights, long sleeved jersey and vest and the next time, short sleeves and short cycling pants! It's a bit unpredictable which is a sign that it's a great time of year to focus on getting grounded. Just at the autumn leaves are dropping from trees and the cooler, dry wind is picking them up and tossing them about, we too can get quite uprooted during this time of year.
In classes this past week, we have been focusing on connecting into the steady and grounding energy of the earth. When we feel a bit tossed about by life, setting our intentions and feet firmly into the vibe of Mother Earth can support us in finding stability and focus. Getting grounded can be quite practical. Just the other day one of my yoga teacher training graduates sent me a note saying, "I'm subbing at such and such a place. I'm terrified. Help!" It brought a wry smile to my face as I've stood in those footprints on many occasions. It takes a certain courage to face things we feel are intimidating and open up that crack of vulnerability within us. My reply to my student was to "Stand firmly on the earth, take a deep breath and open up your heart...teach from the heart and you'll do just fine."
I had another opportunity to get grounded just the other day. I needed to make a phone call that I didn't want to make. I was squirming at the possible confrontation and had delayed as long as was reasonable. So before I made the call, I said to myself, "Slow down. Take a deep breath and remember to come from your heart. Remember that your intention in relationships with others is connection and compassion". I then dialed the number and the call went smoothly. Although I didn't get all the answers that I wanted, I didn't feel as though I crumbled, but instead stood in my truth and spoke from my intention.
When we remember our connection to the earth's' energy, we are in a position of rising up to higher levels of awareness and consciousness. If I hadn't grounded myself prior to making that difficult phone call, I could easily have found myself in what I call my "unevolved self", that part of us that responds through habit rather than from the highest version of who we want to be in the world. Knowing that I want to be acting from a place of compassion and connection, slowing down and consciously practicing to do so is vital to establishing the "evolved self" which then becomes our automatic face to the world. I didn't want to be run over by the conversation but to stand firmly in my truth with an open heart.
This truly is a practice. It takes time to undo layers of habitual patterns and to re-establish a different, more awakened way of being in our lives.
My thought for the week is for us to connect barefoot to the earth. To feel held in the safe and secure solid form that is beneath us. My hope is that we celebrate our place on this planet and can stand firmly in our own footprints in a higher state of consciousness through that connection. Let's get grounded so we can elevate higher!
