Practice stillness, simplicity and contentment

Stillness: quiet the monkey mind; be in the present moment; learn to relax, breathe, and meditate.

Simplicity: stop grasping, pursuing, buying, creating turmoil and stress.

Contentment: happiness in our own skin, happy to be in the moment, grateful for our gifts.

Fantastic thoughts, virtues for the new year! Happy 2010!

The Future

I talk regularly about being in the present moment, the here, the now...that's all there really is. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow does not yet exist. But what about hopes, dreams and faith for the future? What kind of future do I hope to have?

My own inner dialogue creates my future! What I tell myself about my worth and value creates my future. Do I hope for a future that's peaceful, abundant, stable, joyful? Then I better tell myself every day, right here, in the now, that that's what my life ALREADY looks like. Sometimes that's easier said than done. But I won't beat myself up about old thought patterns creeping in. I will acknowledge those thoughts and send them on their way, only to be replaced by what I know is possible, what I know is the truth.

Namaste...

Impermanence

"Nothing remains the same for two consecutive moments. With impermanence, every door is open for change" ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

The only constant is change. Everything changes; nothing is permanent. And our need for attachment to things, people, and situations will only cause suffering and "stuckness." Suffering takes away from our greatness, from our purpose, and it is optional!

Behind our attachment to the known, to permanance is fear; fear of the unknown, fear that we can't do it ourselves, fear that we're not good enough...fill in the blanks.

"If you look deeply into impermanence, you will do your best to make her happy right now. Aware of impermanence, you become positive, loving and wise." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Stop focusing on the problem!

"The realization that something is not as you want it to be is an important first step, but once you have identified that, the faster you are able to turn your attention in the direction of a solution, the better, because a continuing exploration of the problem will prevent you from finding the solution"~Abraham

Um, hello! Can you say how long is it going to take me to get this through my head? Sometimes it's just too easy to focus on the problem, why is this happening? Why now? Why me? But I find that I make assumptions and just feel worse. But what if I focused on solutions and moving forward? I find myself slowly learning how to change my focus from the problem and trying to make sense of it (where there just isn't any) to focusing on a solution, an acceptance. What a relief, if only temporarily, but it shows me that there is hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel, I do feel better, and things, good things, start appearing in my life.

What's the connection between the challenges I face in life and the spiritual lessons I need to learn?~Surya Lama Das

Broken Heart

People may say no one ever died of a broken heart, but when you're suffering from one, it sure doesn't feel that way--at least initially. I keep telling myself to breathe, just breathe. I keep telling myself to think of the things I've learned...about myself and God, The Universe, and others. I keep telling myself the pain will go away...eventually. I keep reminding myself that I can't hold on to anything in this life with such force. I'm blessed to have loved and learn to let go, peacefully, gracefully.

I wonder, truly, what my heart looks like in there...

Yoga...off the mat

I've consciously been trying to live my life like I live my yoga; centered, present, focused, nonjudgmental, forgiving, free, peaceful, compassionate, non-resistant. This is challenging to say the least. But I am reminded of the benefits every single time I step into the yoga studio and onto my mat. I'm reminded of the complete and utter acceptance of self, others, and life! Why do I have to make it so hard once I'm back in my car, in traffic, on the ice, faced with a challenging person, situation, etc.? If I just remind myself to slow down, breathe, have a sense of humor, lighten up, and just enjoy the present moment, it's pure magic that unfolds.

Bountiful am I...Blissful am I...Beautiful am I.

Will I choose faith or hopelessness?

Okay, I keep thinking I will wake up from this crazy dream, and all that has happened in my life in the last 8 months never really happened! So let's review:

My husband of 11 years decided he wanted a divorce; I moved to a beautiful mountain home owned by a bullying ex-lieutenant colonel; and just this Friday I smashed my car into a tree with my 6-year-old in the backseat. What the fuck? Has this been challenging or what?

So I can choose to have faith in the universal laws or I can throw up my hands and say, I give up! I'm hopeless, my life is hopeless, life sucks! I truly believe there are lessons here to be learned. We can't run from our challenges. Facing them head on, there's always a lesson, there's always growth, there's always wisdom, there's always an opportunity to share with others what we've learned. I have had to buck up and tackle these challenges on my own, thus becoming stronger, more compassionate, more present, wiser! I've set an amazing example for my daughter of all these traits. She's proud of her mommy, and that's reward enough for me.

"Out of the mud the lovely lotus blossoms; out of the trials something higher vies" ~Raymond Ng

The Holidays!

Here we are, in the thick of it! If you think you've been on an emotional rollercoaster so far, sit down, buckle up, and hang on! The ride is just starting! The holidays bring out all the emotions: happiness, sadness, melancholy, loneliness, fondness, joy, sorrow. Embrace each and every emotion at the moment it arises. Don't supress, don't ignore it, don't beat yourself up for feeling it! Feel it, embrace it, don't judge it, and move through it! There is peace and harmony on the other side. I promise.

Our Unity assistant minister, Syntysche, whom I chat with now and again, gave me good advice when I need to let off some steam! Gather up all your glass recycleables, head out to the recycle center in your town, and just start chucking the bottles into the recycle bin. (wear protective glasses)

AND DON'T FORGET TO YELL! Ahhh, now that's being real!