Practicing acceptance of the weather

"It is what it is."  If you think about it, this is a funny phrase.  Because of course, it is what it is.  What else could it be?  But, anyway, most of the time you hear this phrase, it's someone trying to accept the way things are.  To look at them without judgement.
I'm working on it.  Right now, I'm working on accepting this crazy weather.  Several things about the weather give me a tough time of accepting.
1-I do not like to be cold or wet, or cold & wet.
2-Driving in snow & ice scares me.
3-I really don't like having to shut down the studio, when there are people who want their yoga!
But it is what it is.  There's not a thing I can do about it.
And I am remembering to be grateful.  A couple of years ago, on one of our missions to Nicaragua, we helped to finish a home for a family.  I've spoken about this family, and this home before, in our newsletter.  But when it's muddy outside, my mind and heart always go to them.
This family was literally living in the mud.  They had no way to get out of it.  Their home had no floor, and really, no walls to speak of.  Just sticks, loosely tied together.  We were there during the rainy season, and it had been raining, like it is here, but for 3 weeks.  The father, in an effort to keep his family dry, dug a ditch in front of the little home, to help redirect the water.  But there was so much, that even inside the house looked like a puddle.  One mom, one dad, and four beautiful little girls shared a space smaller than my office.  They slept on pieces of cardboard, to try to get out of the mud.  As you can imagine, it didn't help much.
There's a happy ending to this story.  Our group was the last to work on their new home.  And while this home had no floor, and in America, someone would store their lawn mower there, at least it was dry inside.  And I will never forget the smiles.
So, tonight, when you go to your warm home, with a dry floor, a soft bed, running, hot water, and plenty of food to eat, please think of this family.  These beautiful children.  And be grateful for your blessings.

Back to Normal?

It’s been almost 3 weeks since I’ve written anything for the blog. The new studio space next door has been a huge challenge, but now it’s open and functioning! But I realized I have not had much of a brain for the last month. I’m amazed at how much work it takes to open a second studio space. It’s almost as much as starting a new business! There are lease negotiations, scheduling with the teachers, calling utilities, choosing & installing flooring, painting, decorating, buying everything from a new computer to toilet paper…and it all has to be done NOW! I’m not complaining. I think this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do. And I think it will be amazing for the Johnson City Yoga community. But my brain is tired.


I must say that if it weren’t for my yoga, I don’t know how I would have gotten it all done. My greatest tool of the last few weeks has been the breath. When I feel overwhelmed, if I can just remember to breathe really deeply, I feel so much better.

The other survival tool has been my incredible family. My husband, my parents, and my in-laws have all worked on the space. Several of our students have commented that they can feel the love there. But it just reminds me: yoga is more than just asana. It’s love, and community, and breath and meditation, and so many things.

Learning from animals-the "Guardians of Being"

Every year, about this time, I get a serious case of Spring Fever.  Who wants to be inside when it's warm & sunshine-y and things are blooming?  Even though I've spent today, knocking items off the to-do list, my heart just really wants to sit outside and breathe in the warm air.  I want to roll out my mat and practice yoga in the grass.
What's kind of fun is that our dog seems to have Spring Fever, too!  (Yep-that's her in the picture...with mud on her nose from burying a bone)  Saturday morning, when we were trying to sleep in, she was WIDE AWAKE.  She bounded into the bedroom, walked over to the bed and licked my nose!  That got me up, to let her out at 6:30 am.  But then she barked, so I let her back in.  But then she bothered me, so I put her back out.  Then she barked.  This went on for hours.  She was so excited, and it must've just been Spring in the air.
A few months ago, one of my sweet yoga students, Sharon, gave me a book by Eckhart Tolle and Patrick McDonald, entitled, Guardians of Being:  Spiritual teachings from our dogs and cats.  That book makes me smile each time I look at it, so I wanted to share an excerpt with you:
"It's wonderful to watch an animal, because an animal has no opinion of itself.  It is.  That's why the dog is so joyful and why the cat purrs.  When you pet a dog or listen to a cat purring, thinking may subside for a moment and a space of stillness arises within you, a doorway into Being.  The vital function that pets fulfill in this world hasn't been fully recognized.  They keep millions of people sane."
If you have an animal that's driving you crazy with Spring Fever, don't get angry.  Breathe.  And enjoy them.  You've been blessed with a true friend, who can show you how to live in the moment.

Yoga for patience

I need patience.  Daily.  The weather here has been SO nice, and despite the fact that it's just February, I have spring fever.  And many people around me do, too.  I just want to plant my garden and take my dog to the lake.  Is that too much to ask?  Apparently, it is, because the temps are dropping again.
So, how does one go about getting more patience?
First, breathe.  Take long, slow, deep breaths, really feeling the air all the way in your lungs.  Notice the expansion of your lungs.  See if you can feel all those little sacks of air.
Second, be grateful.  Look around you and find reasons to be grateful for what is.  What can you enjoy this moment that might be fleeting?  (So, I'm enjoying the few minutes of sunshine & the fact that my life is not rushing by too quickly)
Third, do yoga, of course!  Yin Yoga is a great reminder for patience.  In Yin, we hold the pose as much as 5 minutes.  This is a great teacher of patience.  We breathe, we bring the monkey mind back to the present, and we wait.  With practice, it becomes less "waiting", and more "being".  Count your breaths, if the mind really wanders, but keep trying to be right here, in the moment.
If you would like to practice patience at home, simply try a supported child's pose, or breathe through a long pigeon pose.  At the studio, we incorporate Yin poses into all of our Restorative classes (check out http://www.mountainyogatn.com/ for the schedule).  For more online info, look up Paul Grilley.  He's the Yin guru.
So, take a breath.  Be patient.  All you need is already here.
Namaste