Moving Forward, Choose the Good - September 11, 2001

We all have memories of September 11, 2001.  Mine  starts with a phone call from my husband while walking my daughter into pre-school.  He was in New York on business  and called to say there was a bomb (what he thought at the time) in the World Trade Center, and that he was fine.  He had spent the night at the World Trade Center Marriott, had checked out and was attending a meeting in a nearby building.   In short, my husband was unable to leave the immediate area until late in the day and witnessed up close all the terror we have seen so many times on television.  Five days later, he arrived home safely.

In addition to the horrific tragedies of the day, he also witnessed bravery, compassion, and in the face of uncertainty, strangers caring for strangers.  Likely you witnessed it in your community as well.  And felt it.  As we moved about in the weeks following, did you notice the feelings of being connected to those in your community?  In the grocery store, at work, even while driving?  Do you remember hearing heart warming stories and sharing them with others?  In addition to the image of the towers falling, we were also shown images of great compassion as communities came together and cared for one another. 

The media continue to show us images of the destruction of the day.  Are we imprinting ourselves and our children with images of fear and hatred, when we have available to us images of courage, compassion and love?   Rather than replaying the image of the destruction, what if we replayed the compassion, the kindness, the unity that arose that day and the days that followed?  We don't need to rely on the media to do that for us, the images, the stories of our unique experiences are available to us if we choose to recall them.

Recall the feeling of connectedness, the compassion and selfless actions you observed and felt. What a beautiful way to live. Today, be mindful, not in sadness, but joyfulness that today you have an opportunity to choose to live unified, with compassion and with concern for the interest of others.  Allow actions to follow.

Namaste,

Terri

Want to do more?

Visit: The Corporation for National and Community Service

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is the culmination of efforts originally launched in 2002 by the 9/11 nonprofit MyGoodDeed with wide support by the 9/11 community and leading national service organizations. This effort first established the inspiring tradition of engaging in charitable service on 9/11 as an annual and forward-looking tribute to the 9/11 victims, survivors, and those who rose up in service in response to the attacks.

Are You Growing?

How do you know if your practice is advancing?

This week in classes I have focused on the subject of growth.  How do you know that you are growing in your yoga practice? I asked students to think back to the first time they came to the mat and compare the current experience to that first experience.  We considered the increased strength and flexibility as well as other, more difficult to measure, changes.  Following our 7pm Wednesday evening class, one of our students, Angela,  looked at me and stated “January 13, 2007”.  This is the date of her “yoga birthday” which she celebrates each year.  If you talk with her, your will discover that she has clearly identified ways in which her practice has enhanced her life experience.   

In our physical practice, we practice awareness of the sensations of the body and respond appropriately to those sensations.   When we feel a sensation in the hamstring that feels beneficial, a “good stretch”  we lean into it, breath into it, enjoy it.  When the sensation is too much, we back away from it.  When we begin to apply the same concept to other areas of our lives we see changes beyond the physical body.

1.      We begin to eat mindfully.    We notice how we are feeling when we eat certain foods.  Some make us feel good and healthier.  Other foods drain us, make us uncomfortable and feel less well.  When eating mindfully, we tend to consume foods that make us feel well and resist those that do not.   Not only do we become aware of how foods make us feel but we begin to notice more about our food, we become less detached from the processes and consider how our food is grown and treated and develop preferences from that knowledge as well.

2.     We begin to choose recreational activities that are beneficial to us spiritually.  Prior to a mindful yoga practice, we may not have noticed the relationship between our actions and how we feel.  For example, watching a certain type of movie or television show may us feel irritable or anxious.  Time with a particular person may lead us to feel less satisfied with ourselves.   When living mindfully we begin to notice connections between our actions and how we feel.   Progress on the mat allows us to be more at ease with the true self because we are leaning into right actions, with regard to postures,  food, relationships, activities, even whether watching the daily news is helpful or harmful to you   

3.     We begin to notice a spiritual connection with the true self, or perhaps simply open up to the concept that we each have a “true self”, one that may be different than previously viewed.  We develop more confidence in the inner voice (your truth) and are less swayed by others and by prior conditioning.

4.     In time, we experience fewer conflicts in our relationships as we grow in acceptance of ourselves and in turn others. We develop an awareness of our connection to each other, recognizing that we are all truly connected.  With this knowledge we find a greater sense of community and less conflict.

Enjoy the physical challenges the mat offers and apply the lessons off the mat.  Much love and light to each of you as you grow in this beautiful practice.

If you haven’t yet experienced the practice of yoga, we welcome you to join us at Mindful Motion Yoga  in Jacksonville, FL or contact us for a recommendation of a great yoga studio in your area.  

Namaste,

Terri

Loving Service

From time to time, I wake up  with a thought- something that I feel  I “must” say.  Sometimes with an understanding of where it is coming from.  Other times it is simply something that in my mind needs to find the printed form.

This is what came to me this morning>

There is no greater pain than witnessing the suffering of someone you love deeply.

There is no greater gift than having someone to love with such completeness that their pain is yours. 

In the midst of dealing with the pain of a loved one, due to illness or other reason, we may find ourselves teetering between regret of the past (and the often accompanying guilt) and the fear of what lies ahead. 

If you find yourself in the midst of this balancing act between past and future, I encourage you to bring yourself to the “right now”.

Smile, enjoy and roll around in this glorious, beautiful, present moment.  Right now.  And now.   And now. 

Pause here.  Take a breath and consider how you are just fine in this one second, this one moment.  And in this moment.  And in this moment. Without the thoughts of the past, or the worries of the future, just this one beautiful moment. 

If you are caring for a loved one.   Hold the gift of the moment to love and nurture.  If you are being cared for, hold the gift of the moment to not just be loved, but to allow the gift of service to another.  Knowing that loving service is the most precious gift to be given and received.   The energy, the love is traveling both ways, from recipient to recipient.

It is my belief that the way to living a meaningful life is to live each moment with attention, as if it is the only one that matters.  In truth, it is.  When living this way, mindfully, our choices fall in line with our personal truth, our Satya. When we live  our precious moments with clarity and intention, loving, giving and receiving  with attention and appreciation, we will end up with a collection of beautiful  moments, without regret or fear.

Love generously.  Give generously.  Receive generously.

Namaste,

Terri

Winning

A beautiful rainy day! Like much of the country, Jacksonville has experienced dry conditions and is in need of rain. In addition to the all that the rain provides to our vegetation and lakes (scenic retention ponds) the slightly cooler temperature and intermittent rain seems to consistently improve my mood. Interesting for a girl who lives in Florida and grew up in West Texas. There might be an answer as to why I feel lighter and happier in the cool rainy climate. I could go back and examine the details of my life, looking for attachments, or just enjoy the feeling.

Today, I will choose to just enjoy the feeling

Cheri Huber, is a Buddhist Monk whose writings have been meaningful to me (thank you Janice).

A very long time ago, I purchased a cassette recording (did I mention it was a long time ago?). The recording was titled "The Swiss Cheese Approach to Life). While I no longer remember the significance of the "Swiss Cheese", what stuck with me is her thoughts on competition and achievement.

I am going from memory here so my apologies to Cheri if I re-state incorrectly. This is where my mind took it. Achievement means different things to different people - winning, earning, acquiring, being loved....bring to mind what achievement means to you.

When we achieve we feel good. Right? For most of us, tangible, quantifiable signs of achievement ( a trophy, bigger paycheck, newer, more expensive possessions), let us know that we are achieving and we feel good. It is particularly powerful when we stack up our achievements against our peers and come out in a perceived favorable way (more stuff).

If we step away from that way of thinking, we realize that we make the decision to feel good based upon the achievements. What if....drum roll....we allowed ourselves to feel the same "good feeling" whether or not we had that trophy, paycheck, etc.

Think about that.

In Cheri's recording there was a man who challenged the idea stating something to the effect of "But I didn't earn it"...."I don't deserve to have that feeling if I didn't win".

Part of me is right there with him. I mean what does winning mean if we don't get to feel better, more special? Right?

What would happen if everyone walked around feeling happy for no justifiable reason?

That mindset tells us that we have to earn our happiness. That some of us who aren't achieving in a quantifiable way, don't deserve the same level of happiness.

In reality, we choose how we feel.

Does that mean we don't work to better ourselves, even win? No. It means that you can feel just as good without the win as with the win. Either way, you are still you. Your spirit is still your spirit. Hopefully, doing the good work your spirit was intended to do.

Play, work, achieve and give yourself permission to feel good, happy, accomplished and important - regardless of the outcome.

Let me know what you think!

Namaste,

Terri

Ed Dust

I heard a beautiful story this morning.

Our 2011 MMY yoga teacher training concludes this coming weekend. We have a tradition of giving graduates imprinted t-shirts upon closing our training. Joe of joestees.com has created our t-shirts for all of our special events. While no doubt, my account was a very small one, I have always been treated with the warmth and respect of an important customer.

Sadly, I learned this morning, that Joe's father passed away unexpectedly earlier this summer. Joe's father, Ed, was a real people person. He seemed to be the company greeter, asking about yoga and seeming to want to know more. In reality, he was just connecting with me, another human, through my interests. He was funny and joyful and made me feel the same.

This morning Joe shared a story told by the minister at his father's service. While Joe's retelling of the story was beautiful, it is simply stated as this:

Think about how, when you open a bag of flour, the flour dust floats up and gets all over everything including you- Ed was like that bag of flour - You couldn't be around him without getting a little "Ed dust" on you.

I have been thinking about this much of today. Throughout the day, we all leave "dust" behind in the form of energy. In our homes with our families as we start the day, at our offices, grocery stores and countless other places we visit in our busy days.

When we are angry, we leave anger, when we are joyful, we leave joy.

What kind of dust are you leaving today?

Namaste,

Terri

Thank you, Joe, for allowing me to re-tell this story.

Healing Grief

Recently I had a conversation with my mother regarding grief and how individuals seem to process grief differently. After much thought on this topic, and my mother's wise words, I have this to offer. We all grieve at some point in our lives, the obvious loss of loved ones and pets, but also dreams, performance in our careers, stressful human relationships - dissappointment can come in many ways.

When disappointment and sadness appear, consider this:

Consider the idea that each of us has a spirit that is good and capable of handling all that life is throwing at us. A spirit that is loving and compassionate. Our NATURE is loving, good and capable.

We also have a mind, that is conditioned by our life experiences. Often telling us things that are not helpful or kind.

When dissappointment and grief arise, it is not the spirit that is in pain or suffering, but the mind, telling the story of what should have been, speaking to us of our shortcomings and speaking to us of the meaning of our loss.

Our feelings, followed by actions, may stem from the spirit - a place of love and compassion, or from the mind - a place that is often directed toward suffering.

When feelings of sadness and disappointment arise, try practicing your awareness meditation. See if you can get past the stories that the mind is bringing you and tune in to the more basic, simple spirit of love, kindness, strength and simplicity.

Anxiety, Stress Relief and Yoga

It seems more and more often I am listening to stories about the stress many of you are experiencing in your work and in your daily lives.

Many of you are experiencing stress over how to honor your work and family commitments, you are caring for aging parents, worrying about your children, concerned about your own health and about the health of those you love. You are concerned about your financial well-being and job security the list seems endless.

All of this stress creates an unhealthy body and mind and prevents you from fully enjoying your life and the opportunities available to you.....I know, one more thing to worry about, right?

I am looking forward to sharing Mindful Motion Yoga's current online offering from our at home study program. "Easing Stress and Anxiety" is a 30 day e-mail program that will introduce easy yoga poses (seriously, EASY and rest inducing), meditation techniques (getting rid of that nagging chatter), and subtle breathing techniques (your c0-workers won't even notice).

There is even a Parent's Corner of the daily e-mails to provide you with tips on how to deliver the same processes to your children to help reduce the stress from academics and competitive sports (teachers will love this as well).

Daily e-mails begin August 15, 2011 run for 30 consecutive days.

Simply stated, daily tips to lighten your emotional load.
www.Mindfulmotion-yoga.com
Sign up under workshops.

Namaste,
Terri