Tuesday, June 29, 2010

This Has No Title

Again, it has been a while since my last post. I apologize for always taking so long to write. It can be so difficult for me to summon the energy to do this. But I do enjoy writing my blog. Lately it seems like the days have been going by so slowly. I find myself just sitting in my room watching the clock. I know that there are things that I could be doing, but just sitting around makes me feel so tired. Today I am going to sit outside and just enjoy the fresh air and watch the clouds float by. I always feel like I should be doing something, but maybe I should just sit and stop thinking about doing something. It just gets me frustrated with myself. I have been getting frustrated about a lot of things lately, and to be honest I just feel out of balance. When we feel like we are out of balance, that means that something isn't right. So maybe I should stop thinking about the past and the future. Today I will just sit and pay attention to the present, because really that's all there is. Worrying about things is giving me a headache, and making me dizzy. Today I am just going to sit back and relax. I need a mental break. Do you?
Namaste

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Step Outside

Last night, around 11 o'clock, I decided to sit outside for a while. Why? Well, just because. I don't really get to do it that often. I work at night, so it's dark when I go to my car and I always wish that I could just sit and look at the sky for longer than two seconds. Last night was my night off so I decided to go ahead and take the time to relax and enjoy the cool night air. It was wonderful. It brought back memories of sitting on the steps with my dad when I was younger. My dad is what I like to call a "step-sitter". A step-sitter is someone who sits on steps. Well, I can see the potential of becoming a step-sitter in myself. I felt so relaxed. I didn't have to think about what I was supposed to do, what my obligations are. I just sat and felt the breeze through my hair. The wind makes the most beautiful sound when it brushes through the leaves of a tree. I think it could be the most relaxing sound on earth. When I get my own place I am going to make sure I live somewhere with a lot of trees. Clouds were swimming through the air at their own pace. It was like they didn't have a care in the world, and I guess they don't. I wonder what it would be like to live like that, going at one's own pace. It must be nice. I am sure we could live like that if we wanted. When I was sitting outside, I realized how nice it can be to just sit and watch the clouds pass by overhead. I wasn't wearing my contacts last night, but it didn't matter. I wasn't missing anything. This is what beauty looks like.
Namaste

Friday, June 18, 2010

Food for Thought

I have always had a problem with eating my food too fast. In yoga, we learn to eat food slowly, to enjoy it more. I have a problem with this. I just gobble my food like there is no tomorrow. I need to start taking time to savor the flavor of the food in my mouth, otherwise, what enjoyment is there in eating? Sometimes I eat so fast that I don't even remember tasting the food. A few days ago I was really craving a hamburger. When I finally had one, I ate it so fast I could hardly remember that I had actually eaten a hamburger. And here I am again, I am eating oatmeal, but its not even hitting my tongue. Eating slowly is something that needs to be practiced. I know that I am not the only one who goes through this. Many people, especially in the USA are too busy to actually enjoy even one meal in their day. Many people are eating on the go, shoving food down their throats on the way from the drive-thru. They have a burger in one hand a the steering wheel in the other. Now is that REALLY the way to go? Some people may argue that they just don't have time to eat a proper meal. They are much to busy for that. Well, I say, MAKE TIME. Eating on the go like that, shoving food in our mouths isn't good for our agni (digestive fire). It's like you are just dumping food into your stomach. When you dump wood on a flame, you just put it out. Well, the same goes for your digestive fire. Learning to eat slowly, and enjoy our food is something that many of us need to teach ourselves. Eating is meant to be enjoyable, so next time you eat a meal, chew your food, let it roll around on your tongue. Enjoy your meal!
Namaste!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Love Yourself Unconditionally

For over a week now I have been having pain in both my knees. Its not the type of pain that is excruciating. I can still walk with no problem. But it is uncomfotable and I am afraid that it is going to get worse if I strain myself too much. So, I have been taking it easy. Maybe too easy... I missed both my yoga classes this week (tsk tsk). But I feel like I should take a rest for a while. Anyone who does any sort of excercising, whether it is running, biking, swimming, yoga, etc. should respect their body's limits. Our physical bodies can only do so much for us. I really hope I haven't learned the lesson too late. I think I may have been a little too ambitious in yoga and that is why my knees are hurting. This discomfort is my body telling me, "Nancy, take it easy. I'm not super-human." One lesson they teach us in yoga is not to hyperextend the knee. I think the same goes for bending the knees as well. Don't overbend them. The knee is a very week joint in the body because it is supporting all the weight in your upper body. Although I have been having this pain, I can still walk, I can still do yoga. I am thankful for that. I love my body. I know that I have pain in my back, my shoulders, one of my hips at times, and now my knees, but I still love my body. It is the transportation device of the soul. What would we do without our bodies? Where would we be? I want anyone who reads this blog to remember to be respectful towards your physical self. You're first priority in life is to take care of the body you are given. Feed it well, excercise it, keep it from harms way. So maybe when I'm doing tree pose I won't keep my leg as straight as a stick, and maybe I will take it easier in the full lotus. Thank you as always for reading.
Namaste.

Message in a Bag

The other day I was out with a friend. I wanted to go to Home Goods to get a toilet brush. While we were out I ended up not only buying a toilet brush, but a gift card (which I needed to buy), and three yoga DvDs. I felt pretty guilty when I got home. But I decided that I could use those yoga DvDs. There are days when I am at home with nothing to do and I try practicing yoga but can't find the imagination to make up my own sequence. So today I will try one of those DvDs. Anyway, when I got home I was digging through my purse, I think I was doing it just for the sake of having something to do. I found a little folded piece of paper, one that you get from a fortune cookie. On the paper was written, "You shouldn't overspend at the moment. Frugality is important." I had to laugh out loud. This message was deffinitly for me. It's funny how those things happen. They aren't coincidences. We get these little messages for a reason. Sometimes the messages that we recieve are so subtle that we don't even notice them. I stuck that little piece of paper where I would be able to see it every day. I'm looking at it right now. So, for the moment, like I had written in a previous post, I need to be frugal. I have to watch how much I spend. And as for these small "coincidences," I believe that all of us should believe in small miracles.
Namaste

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Love the Rain

I was talking to a friend of mine today. She said that she hates the rain. I love it. I love the smell in the air after a good shower, I love the dark clouds in the sky, I love the feeling that there is actually something in the empty space around us. Rain is something that lulls many of us to sleep. And for all you other rain and thunder storm lovers maybe you understand. When I was younger I would sit on the front steps with my dad when there was a thunderstorm. We would watch the rain and wait for the lightning. We would point, "Did you see that one?" and wait for more bursts of lightning. I never found lightning or thunder scary. It is something that I actually like being woken up to. Lighting can remind us just how powerful nature can be. I love being in the rain. I walked home from my yoga class the other week and it was pouring rain. I didn't mind. I think of doing that kind of stuff as something that can build character. You have to do it. Otherwise what are you experiencing in life. Walk through the rain, dance in it. Water is essential for our bodies, enjoy its feeling on your skin. It may be uncomfortable at first, but it is something that nature is giving to us as a gift. Every bit of nature is beautiful, even those dark, gray clouds. Thank you for reading.
Namaste

Saturday, June 12, 2010

It's Been a While

I know I haven't written in a while. I guess it's because I really have nothing to write about lately. All I have been doing really is working. On Thursday I went to the city with a friend of mine. We walked from the train station to the farmers market. The food there was delicious! I bought a small basket of fresh strawberries and I have to say, they were the best strawberries I have ever tasted! There is nothing like fresh food. It has a taste that cannot be found in store bought food. :) We then did a little shopping and I decided to splurge and get myself a cute top. After that we went to a park and walked around. The park has a beautiful garden. It was a nice and sunny day, so it was nice to walk around and look at the flowers. Sometimes it is nice to slow down and just look at the world around us. I feel like I don't do that enough. Nature can be so breathtaking and we don't always have to travel to places like the grand canyon to see it. Every flower and branch is perfect in its own unique way. No two blades of grass are exactly the same. There is beauty just outside our windows, even in the midst of a busy city. Why don't we take out shoes off and feel the fresh cool earth beneath our skin? Isn't it refreshing?
Namaste

Monday, June 7, 2010

A Different Take

Today was a pretty busy day for me. I had my friend over, and I taught her Yoga and Meditation. She is at a stressful point in her life and I know that it will do her well. It's funny to see how Yoga and Meditation can affect people. When we were finished with both, my friend looked so much more calm then when she had first stepped into the house. Today when I was teaching her to meditate I decided to try a different meditation than I normally do. Usually I do a So-Hum meditation which consists of silently repeating So Hum in one's mind. So on the inhale and Hum on the exhale. Well, today my friend and I decided we would use Om as the mantra. When using the syllable Om as a mantra, it is best to repeat it out loud. We inhaled to the count of four and on the exhale elongated the mantra OM. It was actually really nice, it almost felt like a trance. I enjoyed it. Saying a mantra out loud makes it a bit easier to concentrate. The goal of meditation is to still the mind. Mantras and concentration on the breath help with stilling the mind. Right now I am reading Patanjali's Yoga Sutras which talks a lot about meditation and stilling the mind. After my friend left I took a nap. And then went to a yoga class. This was my first time going to this particular yoga class. I get a bit nervous when I try new things but once I set my mat down on the floor and sat down I was fine. This class was a bit different from the other Yoga classes I have taken. It was my first time in a class where the instructor put music on. It was very relaxing instrumental music, it was nice. The instructor is a very enthusiastic woman with wild brown hair. She was very nice. The room was a little small, but the class managed to fit in. One thing I like about her class was that when we did the sun salutations she let us all go at our own pace instead of having to follow her pace. It was nice. The class was an hour and a half, which is long but I felt good afterwards. I am glad I decided to take this class. It is always good to see how different instructors teach the class. Ok, I am going to stop here. Thanks for reading!
Namaste!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Practice Patience

It has been a while since I have blogged, mostly because I really have nothing to blog about. Yesterday I practiced Sirsasana (headstand). My younger sister is my assistant until I can get my feet to stay up without falling onto my back. But they say that you have to fall before you can stay up. So, I am being patient with this pose. My ultimate goal is to be able to do the scorpion pose. It looks like a pretty much impossible pose, and yes, sometimes Yoga does look like it does defy gravity. I was looking at pictures of people doing the scorpion and I felt a pang of jealousy. I thought, "why can't I do that?" But then I remembered that I haven't even been practicing Yoga for a year, what's the rush? And even though it would feel great to be able to do the Scorpion, Yoga is not ALL about how flexible we can be, or how strong. It's about stilling the mind, learning to be patient. I won't be able to do the scorpion, or the headstand for that matter without a lot of practice and patience. I need to accept that. Yoga instructors always say to respect your limitations, they have a point. If you rush into a pose, you can hurt yourself. So I must learn to be patient. I am not going to be able to stand on my head tomorrow, but with practice I can accomplish it one day. :)
Namaste

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Slow Down. Literally.

Yesterday I was pulled over for the first time. My lead foot finally got the best of me. I was driving 22 mph over the limit!!! I couldn't believe it! I normally don't drive that fast! Thankfully the officer didn't give me a ticket, in fact, he didn't even give me a warning ticket. He was very nice. I really appreciate how kind he was, and I even though I don't know this man, I wish him the best. As for me, I am going to be more careful about the way I drive. I drive fast all the time, even though I am not even near being late. Not only is it dangerous for me, but for other drivers as well. Driving slowly will teach me to be more patient, especially with others. I get aggravated very easily when I am on the road. And why? There is no reason for me to be upset, just because people are driving the speed limit and I want to go faster. So from now on no more rushing around the roads. I learned something yesterday. I need to be more patient. I stress myself out when I speed. Why not just take it easy and just enjoy the ride?
Namaste