Namaste, (or how to really open your heart!)

        I have been taking lots of yoga classes recently.  It's an area of my life where I can really see a lot of growth, so I have been watering and fertilizing regularly.  What has been fascinating is that, though the poses grow ever more challenging, the hardest part is the emotional and spiritual growth.  I'll give you an example in the word "Namaste."
      As I explain to each new student, namaste means "the divine in me salutes the divine in you."  In practice, it means as the student learns from the teacher, so the teacher learns from the student.  Over my years of teaching I have found the second half of the statement to be particularly true.  Teacher training is important, but the practical experience is what refines and defines you as a teacher.
     So here I am, going to all these new teachers (with the cold and flu season we've been having, there have been loads of substitutions), and challenging the first half of the statement, the idea that everyone has something to teach me in every situation where we come into contact.  As a rule, I prefer a quiet, challenging class, with a teacher who knows a lot about the functions of the muscles and bones, and avoid a class that is more like a "workout," that leans towards Pilates.
     A few weeks ago I ended up with a teacher who leaned towards the workout end of the spectrum.  When I heard the other classes she taught, my mind and heart slammed shut.  Through the whole class I kept telling myself, 'there is something to learn from everyone' and 'keep a open mind.'  It was an uphill struggle.  I'm getting old enough and gaining enough experience to understand how hard it can be to keep an open mind while we age.  The idea of "been there, done that"  raises it's ugly head ever more frequently.
     After doing sit ups and leg raises (ugh!), we moved on to the prone portion of our class.  Here my struggle was vindicated.  We got into a prone twist in a way I have never seen before in 14 years of practice!  And it fit so perfectly with the direction my teaching and personal practice has been leading.  I was so grateful to be wrong.  The best part was the prone twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) was turned into a heart opener. Truly the divine in my teacher was revealed to me, though it had been there all along.
      Namaste.

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For those of you playing along at home, here's a great addition to your practice.

Begin lying on your side, stacking knees, hips, feet, shoulders, arms, hands.  Arms are straight out in front of you, just below eye level.  Think classic side sleeper's posture with straight arms.

Move your top hand up a little so the fingers touch the floor on the top hand and the back of the hand touches the floor on the bottom hand. 

Keeping the legs stacked, begin to trace a rainbow on the floor over your head, trailing fingertips along or near the floor.  Your hand begins at about shoulder height then moves up and over your head and out to the side. As the arm passes over your head allow the body to begin to twist open.

Finish moving your hand when the arms are stretched open wide.  Enjoy the feeling of an open supta matsyendrasana.

To exit the pose, sweep your hand and arm back over your head.  Roll to the other side, stacking hips, knees, feet, shoulders, arms, hands. Repeat the sweeping opening of the arms. Enjoy.

The Code to Joy

      Gratitude.  It's so "in" right now, hearing the word "gratitude" can be annoying.  It almost feels counter-intuitive.
       Over the years of working with clients and teaching both yoga and reiki, I have dabbled in affirmations and gratitude.  For many of my clients and students it feels false.  The affirmation "I am a succdessful and confident reiki practitioner"  feels like a lie when you really are anything but.  Trying to find gratitude when it feels like your world is crumbling apart feels like you are ignoring reality.
       Code to Joy: The Four-Step Solution to Unlocking Your Natural State of Happiness by George Pratt, Ph. D and Peter Lambrou, Ph. D reframes the idea of a gratitude journal in a way that really makes sense to me.  You begin by making an easy list of a dozen items.  Mine always begins with hot water (even after being back in the States for nearly 20 years, I am always grateful for hot water, and as much of it as I want!)

My gratitude journal.  I am working my way forward
from the back of my regular journal.

        Here's where it gets interesting.  The authors explain why and how this is beneficial... "What you are doing through this exercise is retrainin a portion of your brain called the reticular activationg system (RAS)... The RAS has been described as a "Google of the brain," a search engine that we literally program to pick relevant and useful bits of data... As you build your gratitude list, your RAS makes a subtle shift in it's hierarchy of priorities.  Rather than looking for what is wrong, you are programming your neural search engine to look for what is right."
         I love the idea of strengthening the "gratitude muscle."  When I go to a yoga class, I don't expect to learn a difficult move the first time I try.  I go home and practice, forming muscle memory of the correct way to move.  Gratitude journaling does the same thing to your brain.  Who knew?
       As we move ahead into this year of possibilities, why not add this practice into our lives?    maybe it is time to discard an old option, something that is not working for you, and devote 3 minutes each day to retraining your brain.  At worst, there are 3 minutes every day that you feel great.  At best, your whole outlook on life changes for the better.  I'll take option two.

A Lesson From My Neighbor's Dog

(Sorry I'm a bit behind, my 2013 is going well, but in my extended family and friends there have been several crises.  What is so interesting is this post become more on point with each death and dilemma that faces us...So from January 3rd, here it is...)

          Last night I was out walking, admiring all the Christmas decorations.  The night was cold and clear, but I was all bundled up, so the contrast was marvelous.  It is the best time to be alone in the midst of civilization.
          In the middle of a particularly dark stretch, I noticed a small, white shape on the side walk.  When I bent down, I realized it was a small dong.  The poor thing was shivering with cold, not even making a sound.  I picked the little guy up and set off for the nearest house with lights on (at this point I realized how few people keep on lights at all). Luckily for all of us (especiallly the dog) this was his house.  The owners were so excited, they came out barefoot to scoop hum out of my arms.
         As I walked away, I reflected on what makes a life worthwhile.  From the inside it is difficult to see the value in our own lives.  Surely others can see how wrong we are, how many mistakes we make on a daily basis...  If you look on it from the outside, it looks very different.  For that dog, on that day, I was a savior.  Not a bad way to justify my existence.
        When we assess our lives, we tend to look for the home runs, the big stuff, and if we can't find it, our lives are not good enough.  Life, however, is a team sport.  It's not my job to make sure the dog never gets away again, rather, it is to be helpful in a time of need, then step away.  To judge a life from the perspective of love, to look for what has gone well, for the kindnesses done, then you can see that you are a gift indeed.

The Glory of Searching

How is this for a great way to start a week off...

"If you understand,
                       then it isn't God."
                                 - Thomas Aquinas

Blessings, and may we all enjoy our ignorance.

A New Perspective

        Have you ever wondered about the lives you've touched without knowing?  We all live in the hopes of being necessary and important, but so often we feel ineffective and as if we pass through the world without changing anything.  Yesterday a young man, whom I will probably never see again moved through my world and changed me.  It was wonderful.

The illuminated eagle from my journal

      This year has begun with loads of big ups and downs.  Within my small nuclear family, we are doing very well, but it is balanced with troubles in my extended family and among my friends.  Just in the last week I have been to two funerals.  One would think that was a bad thing, but actually it has been transformative.
         There is this song that is sung at almost every funeral, "On Eagle's Wings."  Let's just say, we've begun to make fun of it, even calling it the "You hoo" song (the first line is "You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord.")
      And here it was again, the final song of the funeral.  When the grandson began to sing, I almost sat down in shock.  It was so powerful.  Yes, he had a great voice, but that wasn't it.  He took the song we all dread and wrapped it up in love to make a beautiful gift to his grandma, who loved the song and chose it before she died.  He did a small thing with great love, reminding the entire choir why we sing.  I had forgotten how much I loved the song before I joined the funeral choir.

     A last thought.  This picture is yesterday's sunset.  It reminds me that death can be something beautiful, a chance to remember everything our friend was to each of the people who's lives she passed through.  Moving on towards the future rather than an end.   You will be missed.

The Gift of Each Dawn

     Yesterday I went to the movie "Les Miserables."   What a powerful movie!  I really enjoyed it, but what I noticed most was not the powerful performances or the beautiful visuals, but rather the memories that arose. It was such a different experience watching the movie as a 46 year old than reading and discussing it as a young adult.
      As a student I took years of French and loved literature classes (even audited Shakespeare the semester I took 26 credit hours...).  Lets just say I have studied Les Miserables in both English and French several times.  The thing that stood out the most, what I remembered from all of these studies was a disrespect of certain aspects of the story. In each classroom setting, the life story of Jean Valjean and his life long quest for redemption is subtly belittled.  At the time, I didn't even notice.  Now it is embarrassing how little I questioned authority.  Of course, the Naval Academy is not known for creating independent thinkers, rather, fine Naval officers.
      Yesterday, the kindness of the priest and Jean Valjean's continual efforts to become the man God created him to be feel just right.  Each morning as I lay in bed after waking up, I resolve to do better than yesterday.  Each dawn is a fresh start.
      Don't get me wrong.  These resolves can be dashed to bits in a few moments by life's harsher realities, but each morning I relish the opportunity to redeem yesterday's mistakes.

       Talk about a great beginning for the new year.  To realize, consciously, the gift of each dawn.  Here is a picture of today's.  I plan to do great things with it.

Make 2013 Amazing

    Welcome to the New Year! I am so excited about 2013!  This is the year my husband starts the job he has been working towards for the past 7 years.  This is the year my youngest goes off to college (something I've been working on for 17 (sorry, Daniel, I just couldn't resist)).  There is so much to look forward to.
     Most of us make resolutions of some sort, even if it's only "This year is going to be better than the last."  I've spent the last few months coming up with a few recommendations to help make your 2013 amazing.

   The resolutions always seem to begin with the physical (lose weight, exercise more, eat right etc.) so I begin here as well.  I was fortunate enough to be in on the beta testing for the Basis Band and I have to say, I love it.  I have joined several gyms over the years, even worked in one for a long time, and, this watch is so much better than any gym.
    I am a big believer in making daily life more vigorous rather than relying on a few hours at the gym each week and there is a growing body of evidence to support the idea.  This link just scratches the surface of all the information out on the web.  What is so great about the Basis Band is that you choose habits to add to your life and the band tracks your progress.  Right now I have morning, afternoon and evening laps (2,000 steps in each time frame) and Don't be a sitter (get up and move every hour).  This little device has made real functional changes in my life over the past two months.
      If emotional conflict is your worry, let me recommend Jin Shin Jyutsu.  This energy healing technique can be done anywhere at anytime and I (and my clients) have found it to be very effective.

     If parts of you (body, mind or spirit) need healing, let me recommend reiki.  If you have reiki already, make a daily date with yourself to heal and nurture.  I use reiki to clear the house daily and also to work on myself (for example, I failed to get a screen capture of the picture at right for two hours.  I went on a walk (the morning lap from Basis), gave some reiki to the situation and when I got back, my husband showed me a work around that took 2 minutes).  If you have never taken a reiki class, find a practitioner in your area. The International Center for Reiki Training maintains a list of practitioners and teachers by state (I'm listed in KY).  I'm running a special for the month of January. Click on the picture to contact me.
      My blessings on you and your 2013 endeavors.  Let's make this year amazing!