This year I decided to challenge myself to reflect on various Yoga and Buddhist aspects throughout the year. The challenges come from a variety of places including readings in Deborah Adele's Yamas and Niyamas and Thich Nhat Hanh's Heart of the Buddha's Teaching and Happiness.
This week's challenge was to look at the things I've surrounded myself with. Do they make me feel free and light or are they weighing me down? I like this one. I've thought about it a lot over the years. There are two sides to this coin.
The first side is that the less I have, the more free I feel. I know that material goods do not bring me happiness. I know that when there is less clutter, I feel lighter. I also know that often the goods that are produced are taking away from limited resources.
The second side is that I already have a lot of stuff, I'm sort of used to my stuff and I don't live alone. I'm happy to give away what I don't use, but I'm less likely to give away things I still use (even if I didn't really need them in the first place). And I certainly can't give away something that someone else in the house uses.
How do I find balance?
When I can I try to do without. I try to make use of what I have, rather than buy something new. I remember it's just stuff. I remember that the things I truly need are more along the lines of food and shelter and not along the lines of new shoes and video games. And I don't beat myself up when I get it wrong. I try to put more of my focus on what I'm doing with my life rather than what I'm filling my house with.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
My Mantras
I love mantras. I love singing mantras. There are 3 that currently hold a prominent place in my life:
Om Namah Sivaya is my teaching mantra. With new meditation students, it is the mantra I teach. It is easy to remember and many people are drawn towards it. It has surprised many students who thought they might not like mantra meditation. It was one of the original mantras I was drawn to. Musical accompaniment: Swami Radha's version.
Om Mani Padme Hum is my personal mantra. This is the mantra I use when I do my mantra meditation. I feel connected to my Buddhist nature when I chant it. I feel connected to the compassion within and to all the others out there chanting the mantra. Musical accompaniment: Deva Premal's version.
The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is the mantra I use to connect to my Yogini sisters. We chanted this mantra a lot during our Yoga Teacher Training and, when I chant it, I feel as if I'm back in that place, surrounding by my fellow Yoginis. I use it before some classes to connect to the teachings and ground myself. It never fails to put a smile on my face. No musical accompaniment (just me!).
Om Namah Sivaya is my teaching mantra. With new meditation students, it is the mantra I teach. It is easy to remember and many people are drawn towards it. It has surprised many students who thought they might not like mantra meditation. It was one of the original mantras I was drawn to. Musical accompaniment: Swami Radha's version.
Om Mani Padme Hum is my personal mantra. This is the mantra I use when I do my mantra meditation. I feel connected to my Buddhist nature when I chant it. I feel connected to the compassion within and to all the others out there chanting the mantra. Musical accompaniment: Deva Premal's version.
The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is the mantra I use to connect to my Yogini sisters. We chanted this mantra a lot during our Yoga Teacher Training and, when I chant it, I feel as if I'm back in that place, surrounding by my fellow Yoginis. I use it before some classes to connect to the teachings and ground myself. It never fails to put a smile on my face. No musical accompaniment (just me!).
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
How Your Brain Ages
Having a blog, I get a lot of email traffic with various things I may want to link to / include on my blog. I like the infographics below from http://www.termlifeinsurance.org/. Yoga asanas and meditation can help reduce your stress level to help delay the effects of brain aging.
Presented by: Term Life Insurance Resource
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Week 16 Challenge - Letting Go
This year I decided to challenge myself to reflect on various Yoga and
Buddhist aspects throughout the year. The challenges come from a variety of
places including readings in Deborah Adele's Yamas
and Niyamas and Thich Nhat Hanh's Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
and Happiness.
This week's challenge was to use the breath as a guide for letting go. Breathe in and, as I exhale, let go.
Ah, letting go. One of my favorite things to practice...because it certainly takes practice. I've blogged about this at least twice before last year and just last month.
When I teach meditation I rotate through the 6 practices I teach, one each week. This week was Mindfulness of Breathing, which was a good way to practice letting go. With each exhale I felt myself release.
What did I work on letting go of this week:
This week's challenge was to use the breath as a guide for letting go. Breathe in and, as I exhale, let go.
Ah, letting go. One of my favorite things to practice...because it certainly takes practice. I've blogged about this at least twice before last year and just last month.
When I teach meditation I rotate through the 6 practices I teach, one each week. This week was Mindfulness of Breathing, which was a good way to practice letting go. With each exhale I felt myself release.
What did I work on letting go of this week:
- expectations
- judgements
- frustrations
- all-or-nothing thinking
- the past
- the future
- anything that isn't serving me
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Focused Intention
Without even realizing it, I slowly let my focus slip away. Over the past few months, I've been more busy with contract work than with teaching. When I was teaching I was focused and present. But when I wasn't teaching, my mind and attention was often on my contract job. I was getting behind on some of the business projects I have going (like getting more audio files recorded for download).
And my business has suffered because of this. I am a big believer in intention. And I had lost my focused intention. Now I am making efforts to restore it.
One way is by committing to a certain number of adminstrative hours each week for the business (regardless of how busy everything else is).
The other thing I've done to remind myself of my intention is to sometimes wear my mala (Buddhist prayer beads). I'm not one to wear my mala all the time. However, if I'm wearing it I do find it a constant reminder that my priority is my teaching and therefore the business. I find this extremely helpful when I'm working at my contract job.
It's all about balance. I need the contract job to help pay the bills. But my purpose is to share Yoga (asana, meditation, and more) with others. And to truly be successful at that requires focus while I teach but also plenty of focus outside of those hours.
And my business has suffered because of this. I am a big believer in intention. And I had lost my focused intention. Now I am making efforts to restore it.
One way is by committing to a certain number of adminstrative hours each week for the business (regardless of how busy everything else is).
The other thing I've done to remind myself of my intention is to sometimes wear my mala (Buddhist prayer beads). I'm not one to wear my mala all the time. However, if I'm wearing it I do find it a constant reminder that my priority is my teaching and therefore the business. I find this extremely helpful when I'm working at my contract job.
It's all about balance. I need the contract job to help pay the bills. But my purpose is to share Yoga (asana, meditation, and more) with others. And to truly be successful at that requires focus while I teach but also plenty of focus outside of those hours.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Earth Day Celebrations and CHLY fundraiser
I wanted to let those in the community know about a couple of upcoming events:
This Sunday (April 22) is Earth Day and NALT and the City of Nanaimo are hosting celebrations at Bowen Park. I will be leading a meditation at the Duck Pond at 11:30 (meet shortly before in front of the Bowen building). For additional information on the festivities: click here
Support our community radio station by attending the Spring Clean Your Closet workshop on April 24: click here
This Sunday (April 22) is Earth Day and NALT and the City of Nanaimo are hosting celebrations at Bowen Park. I will be leading a meditation at the Duck Pond at 11:30 (meet shortly before in front of the Bowen building). For additional information on the festivities: click here
Support our community radio station by attending the Spring Clean Your Closet workshop on April 24: click here
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Week 15 Challenge - Contemplating My Divinity
This year I decided to challenge myself to reflect on various Yoga and
Buddhist aspects throughout the year. The challenges come from a variety of
places including readings in Deborah Adele's Yamas
and Niyamas and Thich Nhat Hanh's Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
and Happiness.
This week's challenge was to contemplate my own divinity and to write about three practices that connect me to my passion and my sacredness.
I love all the meditations I practice, but mantra meditation always holds a special place in my heart. Even though I'm often alone while chanting, I don't feel alone. In singing the mantra, I feel the vibration of all of those who join me in the chant: past, present and future. And I find certain chants speaking to me at certain times. Chants that I connect to the most: Om Namah Sivaya, Green Tara Mantra (Om Tara Tutare Ture Soha), Guru Ram Das Mantra (Guru Guru Wahe Guru Guru Ram Das Guru) and Om Mani Padme Hum.
I feel like teaching is my gift. My purpose in life is to share Yoga (asana, meditation and the other aspects) with others. I teach what I'm meant to teach. When I get a feeling that something should change in the teaching (a different pose, a new mantra), I change it. Because when I'm teaching, I feel keyed in to my divinity. I feel like I'm truly expressing who I am and appreciating what I've been given.
I've recently started practicing tea meditation daily. This has become a fantastic touchstone in my day. I start with making my favorite tea (steeped cinnamon sticks), pour it into one of my tea meditation cups and go up to my room. At the end of my bed I have a print by Autumn Skye Morrison. I feel very spiritually connected to this print. I sit down in front of it with my cup of tea and do my meditation. I feel like those are the moments I am completely in the presence of my own Divine spirit.
This week's challenge was to contemplate my own divinity and to write about three practices that connect me to my passion and my sacredness.
I love all the meditations I practice, but mantra meditation always holds a special place in my heart. Even though I'm often alone while chanting, I don't feel alone. In singing the mantra, I feel the vibration of all of those who join me in the chant: past, present and future. And I find certain chants speaking to me at certain times. Chants that I connect to the most: Om Namah Sivaya, Green Tara Mantra (Om Tara Tutare Ture Soha), Guru Ram Das Mantra (Guru Guru Wahe Guru Guru Ram Das Guru) and Om Mani Padme Hum.
I feel like teaching is my gift. My purpose in life is to share Yoga (asana, meditation and the other aspects) with others. I teach what I'm meant to teach. When I get a feeling that something should change in the teaching (a different pose, a new mantra), I change it. Because when I'm teaching, I feel keyed in to my divinity. I feel like I'm truly expressing who I am and appreciating what I've been given.
I've recently started practicing tea meditation daily. This has become a fantastic touchstone in my day. I start with making my favorite tea (steeped cinnamon sticks), pour it into one of my tea meditation cups and go up to my room. At the end of my bed I have a print by Autumn Skye Morrison. I feel very spiritually connected to this print. I sit down in front of it with my cup of tea and do my meditation. I feel like those are the moments I am completely in the presence of my own Divine spirit.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
April Love List
20 Things I'm Loving Right Now:
- Not always needing a jacket anymore (hello spring!).
- The MyPlate (livestrong) app for my Blackberry.
- The signs for my business (one for the lawn and one for the door).
- Lots of saved up TV on the PVR for when I need a break.
- Plenty of admin work to keep me busy at the office.
- My daily tea meditation.
- Arnica and valerian for when I'm injured.
- Homemade iced tea.
- Kickboxing.
- Re-reading Myths of the Asanas.
- Geocaching with my mom (or our non-GPS version).
- Fresh squeezed orange/grapefruit juice for breakfast.
- New recipes to try.
- Dancing.
- Teaching, of course!
- Maple almonds.
- My cat, in all her moods (fickle, feisty and friendly).
- New PJs.
- My hair growing ever longer (although definitely in need of a trim).
- Curling up with a good book.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Gathering Webcast Series
See information below on The Gathering Webcast Series. The Gathering (a Spiritual Woodstock) sounds amazing, but would be a pretty far trip for me (Toronto area). That's why I was so glad to find out about this Webcast Series starting this coming Sunday.
Each 1½-hour video webcast will share a taste of enlightened consciousness with you, and offer you conscious guidance to help you along your path toward awakening.
You will be able to comment, ask questions and share your feelings via live web chat. And if you are available to appear on webcam, you may also be invited to appear on video for a live discussion.
The first webcast will be hosted by the founder of The Gathering, Arvana Robinson, and the first guest teacher will be Canela Michelle Meyers, whose spiritual lineage is Ramana Maharshi, Papaji, and Isaac Shapiro, with support also from Paul Lowe. She currently resides in Vancouver, Canada.
Each of the awakened masters in this series will be sharing Truth in their own unique way, flavoured by each of their unique backgrounds, lineage and experience, and yet all pointing to the same universal understanding.
Each webcast will also give you a little taste of what will be happening at The Gathering. It will help you live in increased freedom, joy and love...
...and hopefully give you an experience of the deep inner calm and bliss of enlightened consciousness.
There is a nominal $5 fee, which is intended to ensure that the participants have genuine intent. Click here for more information and to register online.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Week 14 Challenge - Seeing the Divine
This year I decided to challenge myself to reflect on various Yoga and
Buddhist aspects throughout the year. The challenges come from a variety of
places including readings in Deborah Adele's Yamas
and Niyamas and Thich Nhat Hanh's Heart of the Buddha's Teaching
and Happiness.
This week's challenge was to see the Divine in everything. What an interesting challenge.
There are places I find it easy to see the Divine. Nature. Animals. I find it harder to see the Divine in man-made objects, so I practiced seeing the Divine in my neighbour's house (the view out my front window) this week.
Interestingly, when it comes to people, I find it easiest to see the Divine in strangers. It must be something about not having any real notions about them that allows me to see the Divine in them. Plus I've had a practice where I picture a little ball of light at people's hearts for a couple of years now, which is my way of seeing the Divine in those I don't know. I find it much harder with those I do know, both friends and foes. This week I practiced putting aside my notions and feelings and seeing the Divine.
I also always try to see the Divine in circumstances. This was a good week for that. Early in the week I found out that all of my Regional District classes are cancelled as they've shut down their entire recreation program. I believe things work out as they should, so I accepted it gracefully. And a few days later another opportunity presented itself.
I think it's a good practice for me to look for the Divine in everything. I think of it as looking for the Buddha, whether it's the Buddha within someone or the interconnected nature of all things.
This week's challenge was to see the Divine in everything. What an interesting challenge.
There are places I find it easy to see the Divine. Nature. Animals. I find it harder to see the Divine in man-made objects, so I practiced seeing the Divine in my neighbour's house (the view out my front window) this week.
Interestingly, when it comes to people, I find it easiest to see the Divine in strangers. It must be something about not having any real notions about them that allows me to see the Divine in them. Plus I've had a practice where I picture a little ball of light at people's hearts for a couple of years now, which is my way of seeing the Divine in those I don't know. I find it much harder with those I do know, both friends and foes. This week I practiced putting aside my notions and feelings and seeing the Divine.
I also always try to see the Divine in circumstances. This was a good week for that. Early in the week I found out that all of my Regional District classes are cancelled as they've shut down their entire recreation program. I believe things work out as they should, so I accepted it gracefully. And a few days later another opportunity presented itself.
I think it's a good practice for me to look for the Divine in everything. I think of it as looking for the Buddha, whether it's the Buddha within someone or the interconnected nature of all things.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Appreciating Silence
I love silence. I don't know when that happened. I don't think it's always been that way. I admit I do have trouble sitting still and doing nothing. But I love the quiet.
Given the choice, I only have music on in the house when I specifically want to listen to it. That means usually just when I'm doing dance practice or doing specific chores.
My mother, who lives with me, likes to have the TV on. Sometimes she's watching it, sometimes she's not. I find I just can't think as well with the TV on. For example, if I'm writing a blog post, I can't do a final read through for publishing with the TV drowning out my thoughts.
When it's silent, I can feel my connection to something bigger than me.
I enjoy those moments in the day when we have the TV and radio off and have a little peace and quiet. I just feel my brain quiet down and my breathing relax. In just a moment the silence takes me back to the retreats I've been on and the serenity I found.
Given the choice, I only have music on in the house when I specifically want to listen to it. That means usually just when I'm doing dance practice or doing specific chores.
My mother, who lives with me, likes to have the TV on. Sometimes she's watching it, sometimes she's not. I find I just can't think as well with the TV on. For example, if I'm writing a blog post, I can't do a final read through for publishing with the TV drowning out my thoughts.
When it's silent, I can feel my connection to something bigger than me.
I enjoy those moments in the day when we have the TV and radio off and have a little peace and quiet. I just feel my brain quiet down and my breathing relax. In just a moment the silence takes me back to the retreats I've been on and the serenity I found.
Monday, April 2, 2012
April Newsletter - More Class Times, Intermediate Hatha Class and Earth Day!
My April newsletter is posted on my website: click here.
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