How happy are you??

In the book, "100 Simple Secrets of Happy People" some research by Lyubomirsky in 1994 is referenced. It states: Happy and unhappy people tend to have very similar life experiences. The difference is that the average unhappy person spends more than twice as much time thinking about unpleasant events in their lives, while happy people tend to seek and rely upon information that brightens their personal outlook. I know that my yoga practice makes me a happier person and I hope that the same is true for my students. When we can quiet the mind on our mats, take time to be fully present, and work to accept things just as they are, we can let go of ruminating about the past and feel happier in the here and now. So do some yoga....get happy! :)

New classes in 2014!

Dates are being finalized now for my 2014 yoga classes. I will continue to hold class on Monday's at 4:30 at Advent United Methodist Church in Eagan and on Thursday evenings from 7-8pm at All Saints Lutheran Church in Eagan. Plans are underway to continue my Monday noon-1pm class at Dynamic Journey Massage and Wellness in Burnsville and a brand new class is being planned in Savage: Tuesday's 4:30-5:30pm at Glendale United Methodist Church. Enjoy December....find time to pause, reflect, and simply breathe so that you can make the most of this holiday season! See you on the mat!

Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving....I hope that all of you will have a moment to consider your blessings and feel grateful this week. I want to let you know that I am SO VERY thankful for each of you! I have said it before, but it bears repeating, it is such a gift and delight to be with you in yoga practice each week. Life is a journey for each of us as we explore how to live one moment and breath at a time. The journey is made easier and sweeter with the company of open hearted people like you! Happy Thanksgiving!

A yoga survey!

If you are a current or former participant in my yoga classes, I invite you to take part in a short 10 question survey. To complete the survey go to survey monkey: Click here to take survey

Accepting what is

I have been reading a book titled "Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change" by Pema Chodron. She writes about the notion of suffering, and in particular, about the fact that the way we choose to think about things impacts how we feel and how we behave. An example of this concept played out for me just yesterday. As I was driving along through town, I was pulled over by the local police for speeding (unintentionally this time, really!!) As I was pulling over, I made a deliberate decision that I was not going to get mad about this event, but rather, I would simply resign myself to the fact that I had been distracted, I had indeed been going too fast, and now I was due for my very first speeding ticket! In the past,an event like this would have really made my blood boil. I would have been irritated and would have spent considerable time thinking that I was having a terrible day and that nothing was going to go right, etc. I like to think that my yoga practice (and Pema Chodron's book) helped me and enabled me to step back from "awfulizing" the situation, by simply accepting the event just as it was. Maybe my calm demeanor is the reason why (or maybe the officer was just feeling generous)I drove away with a warning and no ticket. Who knows! I do know that my day went smoothly and my mood was calmer and more relaxed as a result of simply accepting things as they were as opposed to wishing for circumstances to be different.

Blessed are the flexible

I love this quote: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." Michael McGriffy MD Many of us consider our yoga practice as a way to maintain good health and flexibility. We sometimes need to be reminded that as we practice, we are working on mental and emotional flexibility as well. Each time we are on the mat, we have an opportunity to release rigid and judgmental thinking so that we can become more responsive and open as each day unfolds.

a quote for fall

"Autumn is a second spring, where every leaf is a flower" Albert Camus