My classes were overflowing today, as I looked around the room during the last fifteen minutes of each class
every face was peaceful, each body relaxed, every breath slow and easy.......that is shavasana, that is rest, that is relaxation. It was quite a sight to see, and to know that as each came into the room earlier, there was stress, worry, anger, pain and fear. When I see that transition, that transformation I always wonder why more people don't do yoga........and I also wonder how many continue their practice when I am no longer their teacher.
People who experience the incredible benefits of yoga can't say enough good things about it.......BUT, life has its way of changing our path, no matter how good something is. We get busy, there's the job, the family....and something so good for us, drops to the bottom of the pile......it's a big rock, but it gets covered by sand and gravel. In case you don't know about the "big rock"......several years ago I took a seminar, "What Matters Most", it was about time management. During the presentation, there was a video......the big rocks represented what mattered most to us.......there was a cylinder in front of the spokesman, the big rocks were to his side, as he talked about our days and all the little things that took our time, (gravel and sand) he filled up the cylinder, with the little stuff and before you knew it........no space for the big rocks, the important things.....
the secret, put the big rocks in first! Do the stuff that is important first!!!!
I know, I am guilty too, of allowing the little stuff to rob me of my time, and what matters most.....but I can tell you this......I have learned that when I practice yoga, when I do my breath work, when I experience shavasana( deep rest) my life goes much smoother.....my health is better, my ability to focus is better, I feel better, everything seems better. Stress robs us of joy, of energy, of our health, stress kills us.......we deserve to feel peaceful, to feel relaxed, to release stress. Even if you can't make it to a yoga class, sit for a few minutes every morning, no tv, just sit quietly and breathe slowly.....if your thoughts run through the brain like a train,
just observe them, and breathe......your body, your mind, your spirit will all benefit.....and you'll be putting some big rocks in the cylinder.....not just sand and gravel.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday's Pleasures
Rick snapped this photo of me this morning, me in my jammies, drinking coffee, reading the comics.
Honestly, if I don't get my comic fix.....it's just not Sunday! Sometimes I laugh so hard I cry, Rick just shakes his head. The Sundays that we are busy, and I don't get to read them, well I am just out of sorts.....and no, I cannot read them on Monday! It's just not the same.
So which ones do I read???...... I read Pickles, and Garfield, The Buckets, Zits, Drabble, Wizard of Id, Hagar the Horrible, Dilbert, Peanuts, Mother Goose &Grimm, LuAnn, Sally Forth.......I told you, it is a guilty pleasure! And yes, I LOVED comic books as a kid! My brother Ricky and I had older cousins who gave us
boxes of comics every time we saw them, it was wonderful!
This morning it was chilly enough for the fireplace, first time this fall! So, it was all nice and cozy in front of the fireplace, coffee and comics. We are almost at peak foliage, I plan to take photos in the morning.....will share with you tomorrow night.
I hope this weekend has been a good one for all of you, and I hope the coming week is filled with beauty,
love and laughter for you all. Enjoy your guilty pleasures, I have more, I assure you! Ha,Ha!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Beginners
"Always be a beginner." - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
I am re-reading this book, I read it many years ago and then Rick listened to the audio version a couple of weeks ago.....and well, I couldn't stand Rick being more Zen than me......ha,ha!
I love that phrase, "always be a beginner." Think about it, remember what it is like to be a beginner, to just be starting something........if you are a beginner, and you are learning something for the first time, think about the excitement, the energy, the exhilaration of trying something new......the nervousness.
You could be beginning a new career, a new hobby, a new friendship, a new love affair.......but remember how it all feels at the beginning........as a beginner, everything is fresh, nothing is taken for granted, everything is new.
As a beginner, we learn and everything seems boundless. As a beginner, our mind is open, there are possibilities, we try harder, we want to grasp it all! As a beginner, we want to share......
As a beginner, the world around us seems different, we see things in a different light, a different way.
As a beginner, we question, we are curious, we want to know.......as a beginner, we do not judge, we are learning......there is nothing to judge.
As a beginner, you leave nothing to chance, all bases are covered, every t is crossed and every i is dotted.
There is no boredom, no bias, no ego.......all is new. "Always be a beginner"
Good night, Sweet dreams
I am re-reading this book, I read it many years ago and then Rick listened to the audio version a couple of weeks ago.....and well, I couldn't stand Rick being more Zen than me......ha,ha!
I love that phrase, "always be a beginner." Think about it, remember what it is like to be a beginner, to just be starting something........if you are a beginner, and you are learning something for the first time, think about the excitement, the energy, the exhilaration of trying something new......the nervousness.
You could be beginning a new career, a new hobby, a new friendship, a new love affair.......but remember how it all feels at the beginning........as a beginner, everything is fresh, nothing is taken for granted, everything is new.
As a beginner, we learn and everything seems boundless. As a beginner, our mind is open, there are possibilities, we try harder, we want to grasp it all! As a beginner, we want to share......
As a beginner, the world around us seems different, we see things in a different light, a different way.
As a beginner, we question, we are curious, we want to know.......as a beginner, we do not judge, we are learning......there is nothing to judge.
As a beginner, you leave nothing to chance, all bases are covered, every t is crossed and every i is dotted.
There is no boredom, no bias, no ego.......all is new. "Always be a beginner"
Good night, Sweet dreams
Friday, October 28, 2011
Warm and Soft
Happiness is a warm blanket.......that's what my yoga classes thought today. Our temps never got out of the forties today, rain had fallen most of the morning, and the leaves here in Alabama are truly ablaze. I made sure that the yoga blankets were washed and dried today and ready for class. As each class got ready for savasana,
I asked if anyone wanted a cozy blanket.....almost everyone raised their hand.....and as I wrapped each one in their blanket, there were plenty of smiles. It was a great start to their weekend.
Happiness for me tonight......purple flannel sheets, that are thick and soft and warm. If you have never slept on flannel sheets when it is cold, treat yourself, to the thickest softest ones you can afford. When you run them through the rinse cycle, add a little lavender oil......the sandman will find you with no problem.
I love the tactile experience, when I was a little girl my mom dressed me in organza ruffled dresses that were so stiff and scratchy, for me as an adult, clothing had to feel good.....I became a fabric snob......touch was everything. Even now, when I shop, I touch first, then look at the style. My first major was merchandise and design......one of my favorite classes, textiles and fabric.
If you are feeling the first taste of fall, if there is a crispness in the air......I bet there is a favorite sweater or jacket that you reach for.......it makes you feel warm, and cozy and safe and loved......like a hug from a long lost friend. Enjoy your weekend, be sure to wear something warm and soft, and think of me!
Good night, Sweet dreams
I asked if anyone wanted a cozy blanket.....almost everyone raised their hand.....and as I wrapped each one in their blanket, there were plenty of smiles. It was a great start to their weekend.
Happiness for me tonight......purple flannel sheets, that are thick and soft and warm. If you have never slept on flannel sheets when it is cold, treat yourself, to the thickest softest ones you can afford. When you run them through the rinse cycle, add a little lavender oil......the sandman will find you with no problem.
I love the tactile experience, when I was a little girl my mom dressed me in organza ruffled dresses that were so stiff and scratchy, for me as an adult, clothing had to feel good.....I became a fabric snob......touch was everything. Even now, when I shop, I touch first, then look at the style. My first major was merchandise and design......one of my favorite classes, textiles and fabric.
If you are feeling the first taste of fall, if there is a crispness in the air......I bet there is a favorite sweater or jacket that you reach for.......it makes you feel warm, and cozy and safe and loved......like a hug from a long lost friend. Enjoy your weekend, be sure to wear something warm and soft, and think of me!
Good night, Sweet dreams
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Gigs
A gig tonight, a gig tomorrow, and also Saturday........it is either feast or famine. But that is ok, I had rather have back to back gigs, than no gigs at all! We used our new sound system tonight, and it worked great! Now, I can add roadie/sound crew to my resume! Ingrid was so loaded with guitars and equipment, we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies!
The dogs are all snoring, Ingrid is unloaded, and rain is moving in.....thank goodness for the Friday gig, we don't have to carry the sound equipment.....just guitars. I am making good that statement "I am curiously strong". I can lift those speakers like a pro!
Very tired, lots to do and so ready for bed!
Good night, Sweet dreams.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Duck and Run For Cover
It has been one of those days, you know the kind........I have started all sorts of projects, only to have to shift attention to something else. I broke my mom's crystal tea pitcher, during rehearsal tonight I could not remember words or chords,( we have a great gig tomorrow night, and now I'm sweating bullets about it) I could not find my way out of a cardboard box tonight!
All I can do at this point is laugh, at myself and the absurdities of the day.......I lost my ear buds, ( my sound monitors when we play) and trust me, I keep up with those, they are my best friends on stage. Thankfully, Rick found those and after truly murdering several songs tonight, he tactfully suggested I might need a bath and some rest. Ha, ha.......if I don't laugh, someone will have to bail me out of jail.
But, there is something about tapping this keyboard........the touch, the appearance of the letters and words, and the connection to all of you that is stabilizing, reassuring, and strangely comforting. There are major weather changes coming, and I know that I am very sensitive to atmospheric pressure changes......maybe that
has triggered this topsy turvy day...or maybe it has just been one hell of a screwy day. A duck and run for cover kind of day! Ha, ha! Sorry, I have to laugh........or, well you know.....no one wants to bail anyone out of jail.
So, before I break anything else, or lose anything else, this is it..........
Good night, Sweet dreams
All I can do at this point is laugh, at myself and the absurdities of the day.......I lost my ear buds, ( my sound monitors when we play) and trust me, I keep up with those, they are my best friends on stage. Thankfully, Rick found those and after truly murdering several songs tonight, he tactfully suggested I might need a bath and some rest. Ha, ha.......if I don't laugh, someone will have to bail me out of jail.
But, there is something about tapping this keyboard........the touch, the appearance of the letters and words, and the connection to all of you that is stabilizing, reassuring, and strangely comforting. There are major weather changes coming, and I know that I am very sensitive to atmospheric pressure changes......maybe that
has triggered this topsy turvy day...or maybe it has just been one hell of a screwy day. A duck and run for cover kind of day! Ha, ha! Sorry, I have to laugh........or, well you know.....no one wants to bail anyone out of jail.
So, before I break anything else, or lose anything else, this is it..........
Good night, Sweet dreams
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Memories and Lessons
Tomorrow would have been my dad's birthday......he died twenty years ago, but it seems like yesterday.
I still remember the smell of his skin, I have his blue eyes and ruddy complexion. I think the most important lesson he ever taught me was service. He was always helping someone, he looked for people to help.
He had very little formal education but he was one of the smartest people I ever knew. He tried to see the good in everyone he met and he truly believed in the Golden Rule.
He gave me the best advice about religion, "work out your own salvation". He taught me to always keep a jacket in the back of my car, to keep my oil checked and changed, how to change a tire, check the fluids and he taught me to drive....and being a plumber, he also taught me how to fix a leaky toilet or sink. He taught me to fry chicken( mine will never be as good as his) and he taught me to play pool (his nick name was Sharky, need I say more). He fed me oysters on the half shell when I was three or four years old, (yes, I love them) and I think my ice cream addiction is his fault.
He loved to take us on Sunday drives, and vacations to the beach. He played guitar and sang in a sad bluesy wail, and he whistled all the time. And he loved to laugh! The last Christmas gift he ever gave me was a small
plastic commode, when you opened it, it squirted water in your face. I still have it.
Sometimes I dream about him, he'll be giving me advice or giving his approval about someone or something
in my life. I have a photo of the two of us at the beach, we both have big smiles on our faces ( he had probably just beaten me at pool) or shared some oysters. The last time I ever spoke to him, I had made oyster stew and had called him to see if he wanted some.......he told me it was too cold and dark for me to get out, to bring it the next day......he was dead by morning. I don't think I have ever made oyster stew again.
I miss him......he was there for me, no matter what......I always knew I was loved. My heart hurts tonight,
and there are some tears falling down my cheek......Happy Birthday Poppa! I miss you.
I still remember the smell of his skin, I have his blue eyes and ruddy complexion. I think the most important lesson he ever taught me was service. He was always helping someone, he looked for people to help.
He had very little formal education but he was one of the smartest people I ever knew. He tried to see the good in everyone he met and he truly believed in the Golden Rule.
He gave me the best advice about religion, "work out your own salvation". He taught me to always keep a jacket in the back of my car, to keep my oil checked and changed, how to change a tire, check the fluids and he taught me to drive....and being a plumber, he also taught me how to fix a leaky toilet or sink. He taught me to fry chicken( mine will never be as good as his) and he taught me to play pool (his nick name was Sharky, need I say more). He fed me oysters on the half shell when I was three or four years old, (yes, I love them) and I think my ice cream addiction is his fault.
He loved to take us on Sunday drives, and vacations to the beach. He played guitar and sang in a sad bluesy wail, and he whistled all the time. And he loved to laugh! The last Christmas gift he ever gave me was a small
plastic commode, when you opened it, it squirted water in your face. I still have it.
Sometimes I dream about him, he'll be giving me advice or giving his approval about someone or something
in my life. I have a photo of the two of us at the beach, we both have big smiles on our faces ( he had probably just beaten me at pool) or shared some oysters. The last time I ever spoke to him, I had made oyster stew and had called him to see if he wanted some.......he told me it was too cold and dark for me to get out, to bring it the next day......he was dead by morning. I don't think I have ever made oyster stew again.
I miss him......he was there for me, no matter what......I always knew I was loved. My heart hurts tonight,
and there are some tears falling down my cheek......Happy Birthday Poppa! I miss you.
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