Category: Yoga
My Anger Practiced Yoga Today

My Anger Practiced Yoga Today

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During my yoga practice this morning I felt anger arise. My thoughts kept returning to racial prejudices, white terrorists, environmental laws and regulations being abolished, violence, meanness, insanity of political leadership. At first I redirected my mind to stay with the practice and steered it away from the anger but my body, opening more as I stretched and breathed into it, led me to be present with my emotions. As I stretched and breathed I invited my anger to be with me on the mat.

Too often we judge ourselves negatively when unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings arise–yet isn’t a foundation of yoga to be present with ourselves no matter what?

So today, my anger and I practiced yoga together. It doesn’t have to hide from me any longer. Perhaps the most spiritual practice we can do is to simply practice self-acceptance, self-love. For that is the basis of love that can then flow to others freely and without judgment.

All of who I am is welcome to be here…now and always.
Cow Yoga

Cow Yoga

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It was still dark as I stepped on to the front screened porch. Buddy and two of my cat pals joined me as I lit candles, unrolled the mat and started a soothing playlist of music. The intention of the practice today…cultivating inner peace.

It was over half an hour into my practice when I began to notice dark shapes on the ground in the nearby pasture. I wondered if it was the cows but couldn’t tell. Gradually a possible cow head appeared…or was it the bush at the fence-line? Was that a baby?

I continued with excitement as the pre-dawn light went from dark gray to light gray and finally to pale yellow. As the light intensified there was no doubt. Cows and their calves had participated in my yoga practice this morning. I had no idea until the light exposed the treasure.

Through each asana I held the intention of peace in my own mind and heart and felt that magnified with my yoga pals…my dog, cats and a herd of beautiful cows.

After completing my practice or perhaps as a final extension of Shavasana, I visited the cows and thanked them for helping cultivate peace and for showing me magnificent treasures that await in the Unknown, in the darkness…where sometimes we are too afraid to look.

It was a very moooooving experience.
Find Your Mountain

Find Your Mountain

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_TSL2776Yoga in the courtyard was especially nice this morning. Mild temperatures made it inviting but mostly the past two days were somewhat crazy so creating time for meditative movement in nature was a priority this morning.

I plugged the iPod into the stereo system and made sure the outdoor speakers were on before walking outside. Soothing music, wind rustling through live oak leaves, the grandmother oak tree spreading her branches over the courtyard, over me, brought a feeling of calm.

_TSL2742I went through a nice, intensive flow and then heard, Find your mountain. I stood at the front of my mat and went into Mountain Pose and felt direction to remain in the pose through the song that was playing. I like to move, I like to flow! Stand still and listen, I heard. Still? Stand still?

If I’m not working on something I tend to feel at a loss. I don’t do busy work but find myself seeking a worthwhile project every day. Shooting images and processing them, writing something that I hope will inspire someone, meditating, doing yoga, my barre workout, cycling….being still is not easy for me, at least not outside of sitting meditation.

_TSL2756Mountain Pose in yoga is all about stillness and grounding….and being open but especially standing in stillness. While doing it today I was reminded of the message I’ve been getting for months now: Pause…wait….until the time is right. That’s not so easy for me. Aries are known to impulsive, impatient and ready to lead forward… Wait? Pause? Seriously? It has been an ‘interesting’ few months.

There’s a verse in the Tao Te Ching that is translated something like… “The Tao does nothing yet leaves nothing undone.” I thought of that verse as I was standing in stillness. Another translation… “The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done.” It seems to be telling me to allow Life to rise up and move through me and do what needs to be done, without trying to control it or orchestrate it. My path will naturally rise up through me if I can be still and listen and then be ready to act when the time is right.

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When I ‘hear’ messages as strongly as I have the message to wait and pause, it usually means something big is coming. When there is much to do it’s awesome to be able to have the skill of stillness and non-doing as a resource to tap into when things get rushed or pushy. I can carry this grounded energy forward into whatever task awaits.

As I was standing in Mountain Pose I understood the value of having the ability to stop and pause and stand strong and grounded in stillness. This is where clarity can be found and where inner guidance awaits.

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