Inhale Love...

I was feeling overwhelmed and a friend of mine sent me this beautiful pic. I wanted to share it with all of you because this authentic gesture changed my day. I wanted to feel differently, but the change wasn't happening fast enough. Do some yoga. Breathe. You know move a muscle, change a thought.

This was one of those acts of kindness that takes little time or expense yet packs a powerful punch. Sometimes we become callous about sweet sayings because they are all over social media. Used in a timely way though, I find they offer a special connection.


Take a deep breath in...Inhale Love
Breathe out...Exhale Gratitude

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Share an act of kindness done to you or one that you received. It's the little things in life that can make the biggest difference.
#randomactsofkindness

Does Being Grateful Save You Money?

Two years ago around Thanksgiving, I decided to be thankful for something each day. What I thought would be a challenge, turned out to be a new way of life. I posted to FB each day what I was grateful for. I did this for 30 days. The posting stopped yet I continued with the practice for a year.

I'm not sure why I stopped consciously being grateful especially when the practice was so fruitful. I became aware of the gifts associated with my practice--driving more slowly than I'd like because of a slow driver only to pass a police officer up ahead, getting angry at my teenagers for being teenagers and then realizing how blessed I was for the lessons they've taught me (patience, unconditional love, generosity, etc.) And the list goes on.

Recently, I joined Erin Geesaman-Rabke's, "Embodied Gratitude Project," a practice of cultivating gratitude over a 5-week period. Read more. I am having an opportunity to feel and be my gratefulness on various levels--body, mind and spirit. I have again begun to write down what I am grateful for although now I am not posting it. I am also focused on finding something to be grateful for when I am not feeling very grateful. Thank you Erin.

According to Dr. Jeremy Dean and his article, The Emotion That Boosts Self-Control and Saves You Money, a recent study suggests that when we cultivate a state of gratitude, we are better able to control our spending urges and therefore save money. Read more. We also become more conscious of what we are buying. 

Being grateful can also boost your health. Many studies report how being grateful increases our level of happiness and therefore our wellness. Read more.

So the point, let's be grateful for what we have. If we're not, let's change what we have. There are so many way to express our gratitude. I'd love to hear about practices that you do to be grateful.

The Angry Yogi

Anger: an emotional response to being or feeling threatened. The body kicks into a flight or fight response when we feel threatened. 

If you know me, you know that I am pretty level-headed most of the time, but I do get angry. I might even yell at my kids from time to time and get frustrated when driving. I have had people say things about angry yogis as if we are not supposed to have what are perceived by our society as negative emotions-fear, anger, envy, jealousy, frustration. 

One thing is certain and that is that I have less anger when I am doing my practice regularly and when it's the right practice for me. Most importantly I meditate and keep gratitude in the fore front of my mind. I also need to take care of my human needs-food, sleep, exercise. 

Is it okay to express anger when your a yogi? Of course! As with most things, there are appropriate ways to let off steam, and anger is energy, heat energy. With time, anger, like heat, will naturally dissipate. Guilt for feeling anger does not help the situation. One thing we can do is to observe and be mindful of those situations, people and places that affect us and decide if and how we will do them in the future. 

Causes: Some of the main causes of anger are that we don't get what we want; we're afraid we'll lose something we have; patterns (samskaras); driving; relationships; it's hot outside; we didn't sleep well last night; our diet sucks; we make other poor health choices, etc.

What can you do? 

Breathe 
Meditate regularly
Count to 10
Talk to someone
Take a walk in nature
Listen to calming music
Chant
Breathe
Exercise
Take Action 
Do appropriate asana for our body type, climate and age 
Follow our routines that support a healthy lifestyle

Prevention is key--being proactive can help avoid many situations that could lead us into blowing our top. Taking care of our health is the first step. Also, doing what we need to do so stress and frustration don't overtake our lives, avoiding dangerous relationships, procrastination, and other things that trigger our anger. Following guidelines and routines for our dosha, season, and ability are also helpful.

If you have other ideas, please share them.

Can yoga help us overcome fear?

I'm not sure when I realized this; yoga has helped me to overcome many fears--fear of being seen, speaking in front of groups, trying new things. Insidious as it sounds, the benefits of a daily yoga practice have a way of sneaking up on you. Fear stopped me from moving ahead. I have and can use my practice to move through just about anything.

Of course, for humans, fear has kept us alive historically and presently such as: fear of moving objects, not having enough food and wild animals. Fear triggers the fight or flight response whether there is or isn't a life-threatening situation. It is one of the causes of some of our stress-related habits and illnesses.

 Patanjali explains in YS 1.12 Abhyasavairagyabhyam tannirodhah - that if we do the practice [any practice], we will be able to let go of the grip of things [i.e. fear] that stand in the way, and then we will move towards one-pointed focus [our goal=no fear].  

So what practice can you do?

• Asana, yoga postures - move a muscle, change a thought
• Gratitude- each more think of 3 things you are grateful for
• Smile - even if you don't feel it at first
• Chant a soothing sound-like ah or om
• Talk to someone who cares
• Take a walk
• Write in a journal
• Pranayama, try a cooling breath practice
• Meditation
• Breathe - take 3 deep breaths, count to ten
• Spend time with positive people
• Laugh - at yourself, movies, what ever you think is funny
• Play - with animals, children, in the dirt
• Create new things 
• Participate in a sport
• Avoid people, substances and behaviors that don't support you 

Each of these things can be made into a daily practice that can move you to a better place. Some of them are better achieved with the guidance of a trained professional, yet movement towards change is mandatory. Are all of these yoga? No. Can we achieve a yogic state of mind, de-stress and start to let go of fear through them? Yes.

Tomorrow I have to meet a new group of 50 people for my new business, and I'm scared. This is probably why I chose this topic. My life has lead me here and I am ready. I will do my practice, breathe, be prepared and take the plunge. 

 I'd love to hear stories of how you've overcome fear.