Oh, there's so much going on in my personal life right now that I would love to just write a post about chicken stock, or salads, or some new vegetable I'm digging, (Lord knows I've got tons of step by step pictures and recipes, etc., and that stuff is coming soon!) but knowing that life unfolds in ways that my attention and awareness is what's responsible for growth, I've been busy taking advantage of just letting things happen as they may, relaxing, remembering to let things flow, while not forgetting what's really important, my family, my home, my word, my integrity, my responsibility to be my best. To recognize when I can do better, and then do better. I haven't been willing to force some sort of creative energy to blog.
While I was in a yoga class one morning the teacher was guiding us into a pose, and during the last few seconds, when it gets really tough and you need the most strength to endure, she said, "Come on guys, struggle with it, don't give up, struggle." My immediate thought was that life's not supposed to be a struggle, and what would happen if, instead of struggling, I relaxed into the pose? Just relaxed...let it "happen".....let go, let it flow. Not that we don't experience struggles, we do, but once we recognize it as a struggle, can't we change our minds? See it for what it is, take what we need from it and then move on?
Like the yoga pose....once it starts to feel "hard", experience the pain, or the struggle, and then chose to let go. That may mean you fall out of the pose, or that may mean you fall "into" the pose. Either way it's a relief! It's just a pose. A position in time and space. And that changes everyday, every moment.
But what about "no pain, no gain"?
I love it when I'm reminded in yoga that some of the poses are supposed to open up you heart chakra. In these poses you pull yours arms back away from your heart, opening up that vulnerablity. I always take advantage of these times, in these poses, by reaching with trust and passion with outstretched arms and say to God (to the Universe), "I'm am here, take me and do what You will because I know it will be good, and it will be lovely. That I know". And as open as I am to goodness and to loveliness, I am also open to pain, and to discomfort, and I trust that whichever one comes to me, it is the experience that will guide my life forward. I'm not in a hurry to get to any one destination, I don't need a shortcut, there's too much goodness to be had along the way, and I want more, not less.
From pain we have the opportunity for joy. These past 3 years have been the happiest, most joyful, and the most appreciative, but looking back at my, almost, 45 years I see how much I acted from pain, instead of joy.....but that's over and I'm fine with that, because I have the next 45 years to act more from joy than pain. I think I'll chose that....act from joy, not pain. Everyday I can chose joy, what a relief.
I bought a t-shirt yesterday that says, "Let the sun shine in"......OK, I will!
Life is good, life is joy.....relax.
While I was in a yoga class one morning the teacher was guiding us into a pose, and during the last few seconds, when it gets really tough and you need the most strength to endure, she said, "Come on guys, struggle with it, don't give up, struggle." My immediate thought was that life's not supposed to be a struggle, and what would happen if, instead of struggling, I relaxed into the pose? Just relaxed...let it "happen".....let go, let it flow. Not that we don't experience struggles, we do, but once we recognize it as a struggle, can't we change our minds? See it for what it is, take what we need from it and then move on?
Like the yoga pose....once it starts to feel "hard", experience the pain, or the struggle, and then chose to let go. That may mean you fall out of the pose, or that may mean you fall "into" the pose. Either way it's a relief! It's just a pose. A position in time and space. And that changes everyday, every moment.
But what about "no pain, no gain"?
I love it when I'm reminded in yoga that some of the poses are supposed to open up you heart chakra. In these poses you pull yours arms back away from your heart, opening up that vulnerablity. I always take advantage of these times, in these poses, by reaching with trust and passion with outstretched arms and say to God (to the Universe), "I'm am here, take me and do what You will because I know it will be good, and it will be lovely. That I know". And as open as I am to goodness and to loveliness, I am also open to pain, and to discomfort, and I trust that whichever one comes to me, it is the experience that will guide my life forward. I'm not in a hurry to get to any one destination, I don't need a shortcut, there's too much goodness to be had along the way, and I want more, not less.
From pain we have the opportunity for joy. These past 3 years have been the happiest, most joyful, and the most appreciative, but looking back at my, almost, 45 years I see how much I acted from pain, instead of joy.....but that's over and I'm fine with that, because I have the next 45 years to act more from joy than pain. I think I'll chose that....act from joy, not pain. Everyday I can chose joy, what a relief.
I bought a t-shirt yesterday that says, "Let the sun shine in"......OK, I will!
Life is good, life is joy.....relax.
5 comments:
I love your take on life and this post reminds me that sometimes I just need to slow down and breath. Excellent post Tracy - thank you for taking the time to do this.
I might just have to drag you to one of my yoga classes when you are in town...
jenny,
I have more thoughts than time these days! Writing about my thoughts can wait, 5:30am yoga doesn't wait for me!
Fawn,
I can't wait to go to one of your yoga classes! I told you 'Bikram' isn't real yoga anyway...I know I'll get in trouble for saying that, but you've been now, what do you think?
I'm from Minnesota, I have fair hair and skin... I am not built for heat. So, that makes Bikram's method extra hard for me. One of the first asana is a back bend, that is too soon for me, I need to warm up for that, especially now that I am pretending to be a powerlifter.
I think Bikram is asana based exercise, like almost all yoga practiced in the USA, including what I do. There is so much more to actual Yoga than the asana. No one is enlightened practicing asana. LOL!
If Bikram makes you happy and you enjoy it... that is the most important part. Life is too short to spend one moment suffering!
I think you would really like my teacher Lisa... she is all about the joy of asana, just like you said in your message. You are right on about not struggling and letting it happen. Very insightful Tracy.
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