Day 4: Surrender

Saw a great quote by Pema Chodron on Facebook today. She is an amazing spiritual teacher. Essentially the quote states that whatever we resist will persist. This isn't the first time I have heard this quote and I have found it to be very true. Generally the things that I don't want to face, the things I ignore become bigger problems over time. Sometimes those things are too difficult to face given the space I am at that particular time in my life.

And sometimes I don't even know that there is anything I am resisting.

In yoga,  I have been working on surrendering into the pose and allowing whatever emotions arise. And then coming back to my breath. Without forcing the pose or the emotions.

It's one of the reasons I have made this commitment to myself. To practice every day for a full year. To surrender to the things I am resisting.

Day 3: Quiet

One of the most challenging aspects of my practice is quieting my mind. I will suddenly realize that I am running through a grocery list in my head in the midst of holding warrior pose. Or thinking of all the chores that need accomplishing around the house in downward facing dog.

It's interesting to think that we can turn off the TV or the radio, but we can't turn off our minds. They are constantly streaming~random thoughts, lists, ideas, assessments, fantasies. How useful it would be to be able to turn off all that chatter. And just be.

Useful and confronting.

I have read that during meditation it is helpful to think of our thoughts as clouds drifting across the consciousness. When we notice these thoughts we are to touch them lightly, as a feather touching a bubble and let them pass by without judgment or attachment. And then bring our focus back to the breath. The ocean-like movement of our breath becomes a focal point, rather than the thoughts.

I "touch" my thoughts lightly and return to my breath about a bazillion times during a single practice. Hoping someday to lower that to a million. ;-)

Day 2: Peace

My practice is based in a series of stretches and sun salutations. I like the simplicity of it. I don't have to think~I know what comes next. I can listen to my muscles and creaking bones.

Always there but mostly ignored~the quiet thumping of my heart mingled with the movement of my breath. I am alive.

I am at peace.

Day One: Thankfulness and Gratitude

I read an interesting blog post this morning about the difference between thankfulness and gratitude. Cultivating gratitude will be my primary focus over the course of the next 365 days. I will be practicing yoga to bring that awareness daily toward gratitude and thankfulness, for all that I have--for my family, my children, my friends, my health, my life and this journey.

I have spent too much energy, thought and time on worry and loss. It has not changed the circumstances of my life. Lamenting what should have been. Mourning what has passed. I'm not going to resist those feelings~they are a normal part of the grieving process~but I am going to keep them in check.

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It's time for a new tactic--getting out of my head and getting on my mat.