FEAR

Certain things scare me. I am unnerved by what I cannot predict and control. Violence and cruelty make me want to run or look away. Yet, I do not consider myself a fearful person and I believe that when we react to fear with anger and aggression, we create more fear. I've been thinking about the idea of fear and its opposites: strength and love. It can be hard to reach out in love if you are feeling frightened or vulnerable, so what to do? 

You already know what I'm going to say, right? Do yoga of course! Maybe that sounds like a simplistic answer to difficult and seemingly insurmountable troubles, but really and truly I think yoga is the cure for what ails us. Yoga teaches us that we can bend and move and breath in ways that we would never have considered. Yoga provides flexibility in body AND mind, so it is perfect for helping us step back, enabling us to listen and discern and learn.

So when you start to feel that the bad news of the day is just too much, I encourage you to get on the mat. Use your yoga practice as a starting place to be still and allow the wisdom within you to show you what your next steps might be. Do some powerful Ujahi breathing, stand in your strength in a few warrior poses, and see what comes. At the very least, it will get you out of your head and into your wise body. Any warrior pose can help you feel stronger, more grounded, more confident. You'll be in touch with your own breath, finding quiet, feeling spacious, and developing strength and capacity. Nothing says "Hey, I'm here, I am standing strong and have a right to be here" like a Warrior Pose. And what is a warrior anyway? Is a warrior someone that jumps into every battle, or is a true warrior a strong, quiet, patient individual who waits and acts with conviction and integrity and thought-out precision?

See if your yoga practice helps you feel stronger and steadier. See if it helps you discover what is truly valuable and important to you. Then take the next step and go out and be a Warrior for what you believe in. Move from a place of love and wisdom, not fearful impulse or judgment. Be strong and confident and open to learning and listening. Be a warrior for peace and love and a model to others who are fearful and looking for someone to show them how to stand in their own strength.