Reading the local paper again!

In today's StarTribune, there was an article about health care consumers looking at alternative therapies and complimentary medicine to help them find relief from issues such as back pain and arthritis. The article reports a 74% increase in adult participation in yoga and tai chi since 2002.

I have personal experience when it comes to the healing properties of yoga....ever since my motorcycle accident 10 years ago. Look for more on my blog about my accident and how it lead me on the path to becoming a yoga teacher...coming soon! For now, I'll just close with a quote from today's newspaper article from Matthew Sanford ( a local yoga instructor who is also a paraplegic): "yoga....It's just a good way to live a better life."

In the Front Row

I was reading an article about "type A" exercisers in the newspaper this morning and the article described these folks as needing to be in the front row of their exercise or spin class so that they could work out the hardest (without someone slower in front of them slowing their mojo) and in an effort to get the instructors attention and praise. We live in a culture that thrives on competition and for many, having that challenge in their workout routine is part of the fun.

Not exactly what I find in my yoga classes.....and what a relief! I will often be the one to encourage students to come toward the front, particularly if they are new students so that they can see me and hear the cues as they are given. Most students seem reluctant to be in the front due to their own insecurity and fears that others will see them if they struggle. I hope that in my classes (and ideally in any yoga class) students feel free to explore their 'edge' and enjoy the full experience of yoga without being self conscious or fearful. I also hope that yoga allows a softness and lovingkindness to develop and emerge: a space where we feel a bit less critical of ourselves, and a bit more accepting of others.

Let go of seeking perfection and being competent every minute. The true learning in yoga comes in those times when we fall out of a pose or shake and quiver as we challenge our muscles. These moments have so much to teach us about how to persevere in times of struggle and to treat ourselves with a bit of gentle acceptance and grace. Whatever row or space you choose to roll out your mat, whether you prefer the front row or a practice space at the back of the room, know that you are engaged in a powerful practice that will change your life one breath and moment at a time.

ready to try?

If you are not a current student, but have some interest in trying out a yoga classes....please know that you are welcome....and you can pay for a single class/drop in at any time for $10. This applies if you are brand new to yoga, if you've been a former student and are considering a 'comeback' or if you have friends or relatives in town that just want to try some yoga.

Remember the old Life Cereal commercial with Mikey (Ok....dating myself here....try to keep up!) where one brother says to another "Try it.....You'll like it!" No sibling tricks here.....Getting out the door to try something new is often the hardest part....but I think I can safely say that you will be SO glad that you did! Yoga is an amazing practice....come and see what all the fuss is about!

Peace and Justice

As our nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr day, celebrate your freedom and seek to bring it to those who still yearn for it. Love each other and choose kindness today.

Buy Bewilderment

Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment~ Rumi

Doesn't it feel so uncomfortable to be out of control? To be unable to predict an outcome? To feel that you don't have an answer to another person's question? I'm not sure, but I think in this quote, Rumi is offering some relief with his words. Rumi is capturing the idea that we don't have to posture and act like we know everything all the time. We could admit we don't know rather than pretending and bluffing our way through with an answer that we think may be right. When we cling to being right and having all the answers, we don't give ourselves permission to consider another point of view, or to allow new information to change our opinions or perspectives.

The next time you find yourself fiercely defending a viewpoint or an idea, maybe it's time to let go of needing to be right. Stop and listen. Question and be befuddled. Be willing to be bewildered instead of so clever and correct. Who knows....maybe you'll discover something new.

Change

How do you go about making changes in your life? Do you do your best when others encourage and support you? How well do you do with change if you feel coerced, obligated, or criticized? If you are like many folks that are trying to make some positive changes in the New Year, why not try to add some support and encouragement...some kindness to the effort? We would never berate a child in order to try to get them to behave, so why do we criticize and put ourselves down when we want to create a new habit or learn to do something new?

Maybe we will all do better with our goals and our New Year Resolutions if we first resolve to be nice! Treat yourself with deep patience and kindness. Think about the ways that you can nurture good and healthy habits and let go of ideas that involve deprivation and doing without. Start from a place that is loving and accepting.

"Things are beautiful if you love them." Jean Anoulih

Happy New Year!

It is with both optimism and dread that I look ahead to the new year. The dread part comes from the fact that winter is long in these parts... it's a hard season for me....full of cold, quiet, and darkness. As an impatient person, the beauty and warmth of spring and summer seem so very far away. The optimism piece as I consider a new year is that part of me that tends to be hopeful and positive by nature....I love considering the fact that the next year will bring joy (and maybe some sadness, surprises, and heartbreak) that I cannot imagine at this time. It's a time of wonder and enormous potential.

Rather than get overwhelmed by the length of winter, or the big unknowns of a brand new year ahead, my yoga practice brings me back to the here and now. I remind myself that it is in THIS moment that I have an opportunity to be aware and can attempt to live life to the fullest. It can be too easy to reflect on and dwell on the past, and all too easy to get caught up in trying to control the future. So, for today, I will try to live in contentment and peace...easing off the throttle of goals, to do lists, and all the things that take me away from being here....right now.

Peace, prosperity, laughter, and joy to you and yours in this fabulous new start to 2015.