“If you want to progress on a spiritual path, you must challenge your actions – as to whether or not they are authentic expressions of the love and spirit within you. You must ask whether what you are doing bespeaks compassion or indifference to the suffering of others.” -John Robbins
For nearly two weeks now, I have been battling a wretched cold, laryngitis, other unmentionable offspring and finally, the flu. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced the flu. The first time I’ve ever taken more than two consecutive unplanned days off of work and the first time I’ve done virtually nothing in all of my life. This has been as emotionally challenging as it has been physically challenging. You see…I don’t get sick. I don’t catch the common cold. Nope. Not me. Until now.
Every night, I load up my vaporizer, lather on the Vicks and lay in bed praying that I will get a few hours of uninterrupted, productive and healing sleep despite my plugged up nose, dry coughs and achy muscles. Morning dawns and still I lay there, but in the daylight I contemplate my day: Which jammies will I wear today? Which type of tea will I brew first? Should I juice or drink my Vitamin C elixir? It’s deflating, boring and exhausting all at the same time. There are only so many magazines you can flip through, books to read and films to divert your attention. And don’t even get me started on daytime television…now I know why stay-at-home parents are just a bit cookey!
So all of this time on my hands without the energy or enthusiasm to even organize my files, clean out a drawer or dig into the pile of books I want to read got me thinking about people who are sick. Really sick people: People who are battling cancer or struggle daily with lupus; sick people recovering from yet another surgery or those who sit and wait for dialysis; pregnant ladies confined to bed-rest or elderly attached to a breathing machine, tank and hoses, cords and straps; sick people who spend days in treatment centers for alcoholism, anorexia or anxiety; and those who are terminal…just waiting, wondering and wishing.
Sitting on my couch, I felt lonely. I wanted people to visit. I longed for the laughter between good friends, family to call and check-in, and colleagues who needed my input. And I got all of those things; friends, family and co-workers called day and night. People asked if I needed them to stop at the grocery store, my brother brought me movies and magazines, a colleague asked if I wanted her to bring home my homework, and Howard brought me homemade vegetable soup. And this is just the flu. And this is just two weeks of my life. And I am reminded that I am so blessed with rich, genuine and meaningful relationships. But what about the sick people? The really sick people who don’t have a Howard, a Johnny, a Maria, a Wendy, a Laura, a Michelle, a mom or a dad? What about those who sit in Hospice and wait, wonder and wish?
At the beginning of the month, my friend Amy mailed me an article about a yoga teacher who teaches yoga to young Afghan orphans. The story is powerful, moving, light and lovely. But what moved me more was the note that Amy attached to the article. Her note read: “Hey doll! Where will you spread your love for yoga in 2009?” I’ve been carrying this note around with me for the past month trying to answer the question. Now, I have an answer.
Yoga is not just down dog, Sirsasana or Warriors I, II and III. Yoga is about creating union through compassion and action; taking action to live more truthfully and selflessly in order to make the burdens of life lighter and the darkest moments a bit brighter. It’s not that difficult or grandiose but it does take action. Ingrid Newkirk says: “In order to be kind, one must do. There is no point in thinking good thoughts and not acting on them. There is no currency in wishing things were better but not rolling up one’s sleeves and helping to change them.” So do something. Share your love. Even the most beautiful asana practice can’t enlighten unless you take that beauty off your mat, out of the studio and into the living, breathing world around you. Just like Amy asked me, I ask you: “Where will you spread your love for yoga in 2009?”
“If you seek enlightenment, or even if you seek happiness, go to the cause. Nothing exists without a cause. The root cause of happiness in compassion.” -the Dalai Lama
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
I've been waiting for you...
“Through the benefits that arise from practicing yoga, and not just from reading or hearing about it, we may discover that cultivating kindness improves our sense of well-being, our peace of mind, and our physical health.” -Sharon Gannon from Yoga and Vegetarianism
How are those New Year’s resolutions coming along? Compassionate thoughts? Compassionate motives? Compassionate actions? When we come from a place of pure compassion, the challenges of resolutions melt away…even on a crisp chilly day like today and every choice becomes a thoughtful, compassionate action. Sharon Gannon says: “Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary. All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we have been waiting for!”
I’ll be waiting for you on Saturday morning for a warm, cozy and energizing asana practice.
How are those New Year’s resolutions coming along? Compassionate thoughts? Compassionate motives? Compassionate actions? When we come from a place of pure compassion, the challenges of resolutions melt away…even on a crisp chilly day like today and every choice becomes a thoughtful, compassionate action. Sharon Gannon says: “Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary. All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we have been waiting for!”
I’ll be waiting for you on Saturday morning for a warm, cozy and energizing asana practice.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Resolve
“To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else's eyes.” –Pema Chodron
Have you made your New Year’s resolution, yet? Lose 10 pounds. Quit smoking. Pay off debt. I have a tendency to be an extremist. For me…it’s all or nothing. Starting tomorrow…this body will not eat a refined carbohydrate for the next three months. I will rise at 5 a.m. to run 5 miles 5 days a week. From here on out, I am only drinking wine on Wednesdays. And from now on, I will ban Starbucks and make my Americanos at home. The list goes on… it’s exhausting and typically, doesn’t last for very long.
I was raised in a good Catholic household. If we worked really hard, deprived ourselves and repented for our sins, we just might enjoy the fruits of life. Our home was not one that necessarily nurtured compassion, rather hard work and achievements. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t such a bad thing. I value hard work, I appreciate goals and challenges, and I look forward to celebrating the rewards. But what I never quite understood was compassion toward myself and ultimately, others. In my world, there is always more to accomplish… a higher level of success to attain…and new ambitions, targets and objectives to nail. But what about compassion?
Tibetan Buddist teacher Pema Chodron writes: “When we talk of compassion, we usually mean working with those less fortunate than ourselves. Because we have better opportunities, a good education, and good health, we should be compassionate toward those poor people who don't have any of that. However, in working with the teachings on how to awaken compassion and in trying to help others, we might come to realize that compassionate action involves working with ourselves as much as working with others. Compassionate action is a practice, one of the most advanced.” Fostering compassion can help us fine tune our choices. Compassion creates the pause to contemplate, reflect and deliberate the large and small decisions we make in our lives. Compassion towards ourselves means we care about how we take care of ourselves, the life we live and ultimately, the energy that we give out. When we have compassion, we find kindness in our every action. So when we are compassionate, we respect ourselves and ultimately, the choices that we make nurture and support our well-being.
Yesterday, a friend said to me: “Jen, I know this sounds selfish but my New Year’s resolution is to start taking care of myself.” I responded: “You’re brilliant!” When we awaken compassion within ourselves, we are not bothered with losing 10 pounds, quitting smoking and getting out of debt, instead each reflective compassionate action in our lives rears reverence and admiration for the life we are living. Compassion generates value. There are no extremes, just simple contemplative choices. Year by year, month to month, week in and week out, every day and every moment in between.
It’s not easy. Work is required. And practice, critical. But the reward is fruitful. So maybe this year, you rethink your New Year’s resolution and instead of swearing off carbs, you invite compassion, and in that compassion you just might find that the donut doesn’t taste as good, the cigarettes become stinky and the dress not worth the debt. Once and for all, resolve.
“Compassion starts with making friends with ourselves…particularly with our poisons.” -Pema Chodron
Have you made your New Year’s resolution, yet? Lose 10 pounds. Quit smoking. Pay off debt. I have a tendency to be an extremist. For me…it’s all or nothing. Starting tomorrow…this body will not eat a refined carbohydrate for the next three months. I will rise at 5 a.m. to run 5 miles 5 days a week. From here on out, I am only drinking wine on Wednesdays. And from now on, I will ban Starbucks and make my Americanos at home. The list goes on… it’s exhausting and typically, doesn’t last for very long.
I was raised in a good Catholic household. If we worked really hard, deprived ourselves and repented for our sins, we just might enjoy the fruits of life. Our home was not one that necessarily nurtured compassion, rather hard work and achievements. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t such a bad thing. I value hard work, I appreciate goals and challenges, and I look forward to celebrating the rewards. But what I never quite understood was compassion toward myself and ultimately, others. In my world, there is always more to accomplish… a higher level of success to attain…and new ambitions, targets and objectives to nail. But what about compassion?
Tibetan Buddist teacher Pema Chodron writes: “When we talk of compassion, we usually mean working with those less fortunate than ourselves. Because we have better opportunities, a good education, and good health, we should be compassionate toward those poor people who don't have any of that. However, in working with the teachings on how to awaken compassion and in trying to help others, we might come to realize that compassionate action involves working with ourselves as much as working with others. Compassionate action is a practice, one of the most advanced.” Fostering compassion can help us fine tune our choices. Compassion creates the pause to contemplate, reflect and deliberate the large and small decisions we make in our lives. Compassion towards ourselves means we care about how we take care of ourselves, the life we live and ultimately, the energy that we give out. When we have compassion, we find kindness in our every action. So when we are compassionate, we respect ourselves and ultimately, the choices that we make nurture and support our well-being.
Yesterday, a friend said to me: “Jen, I know this sounds selfish but my New Year’s resolution is to start taking care of myself.” I responded: “You’re brilliant!” When we awaken compassion within ourselves, we are not bothered with losing 10 pounds, quitting smoking and getting out of debt, instead each reflective compassionate action in our lives rears reverence and admiration for the life we are living. Compassion generates value. There are no extremes, just simple contemplative choices. Year by year, month to month, week in and week out, every day and every moment in between.
It’s not easy. Work is required. And practice, critical. But the reward is fruitful. So maybe this year, you rethink your New Year’s resolution and instead of swearing off carbs, you invite compassion, and in that compassion you just might find that the donut doesn’t taste as good, the cigarettes become stinky and the dress not worth the debt. Once and for all, resolve.
“Compassion starts with making friends with ourselves…particularly with our poisons.” -Pema Chodron
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Be a Lifesaver
“Blame keeps the sad game going. It keeps stealing all your wealth – giving it to an imbecile with no financial skills. Dear one, wise up. -Hafiz
After leaving my former long-term relationship, many people asked me: “Why?” How do you sum up the fall-out of a relationship? How do you explain the failure, the disappointment, the shock, the night when…, the day he…, the moment you…, the fear, the uncertainty, the anxiety, the sadness, the unbelievable, the this can’t be my life and ultimately, the realization that the dream was no longer and never really was and never really could be, reality? I couldn’t sum it up until I understood it and when I did understand, I knew the reason why I left: I had to save my life. It was the only thing I could do.
It sounds awfully dramatic and aren’t break-ups always that way? So dramatic. They are. And in this case, the apocalypse was revealed…naked, bare and raw: I had to save my life. Apocalypse can be defined as a disaster, destruction or the end of the world. It is also means to uncover, reveal or to stand exposed. In her new book Yoga and Vegetarianism, Sharon Gannon says: “When we let go of holding on to things, our hands will be open to receive everything.”
Many of us are often most content in a state of discontent. It’s the old: “I’ll be happy when…” Facing our personal day of reckoning is scary and oftentimes gets very ugly before the beauty is revealed. When I made the decision to leave, I got some very good advice from a dear friend. She said: “Jen, it’s gonna get worse before it gets worse.” And she was right. And it was okay. It is only when we confront the discontent, challenge the discomfort and examine our truth that the joy, splendor and celebration of life can begin. No one else can do this…only you. No one else is to blame…only you. No one else can save your life…only you. Buddha says: “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
Day to day, we forget how much power we hold in our hands and in our hearts. Instead, we hold onto the monotony and the displeasure. And rather than let the thing go that keeps us suspended, we hoard it and feed it and drag it around. Sharon says: “We each weave our own tangled web of karma and most certainly become entangled in it, as our reality is being created from our own actions.” What if you headed heart-first into the disaster, exposed and vulnerable, and let the revelation begin? What if you just let it go? Instead of saying, “I’ll be happy when…” what if you simply did the thing you needed to do to be happy now? What if you saved your life?
“We must embody what we feel is good and beautiful and not wait for others to lead us.” -Sharon Gannon
After leaving my former long-term relationship, many people asked me: “Why?” How do you sum up the fall-out of a relationship? How do you explain the failure, the disappointment, the shock, the night when…, the day he…, the moment you…, the fear, the uncertainty, the anxiety, the sadness, the unbelievable, the this can’t be my life and ultimately, the realization that the dream was no longer and never really was and never really could be, reality? I couldn’t sum it up until I understood it and when I did understand, I knew the reason why I left: I had to save my life. It was the only thing I could do.
It sounds awfully dramatic and aren’t break-ups always that way? So dramatic. They are. And in this case, the apocalypse was revealed…naked, bare and raw: I had to save my life. Apocalypse can be defined as a disaster, destruction or the end of the world. It is also means to uncover, reveal or to stand exposed. In her new book Yoga and Vegetarianism, Sharon Gannon says: “When we let go of holding on to things, our hands will be open to receive everything.”
Many of us are often most content in a state of discontent. It’s the old: “I’ll be happy when…” Facing our personal day of reckoning is scary and oftentimes gets very ugly before the beauty is revealed. When I made the decision to leave, I got some very good advice from a dear friend. She said: “Jen, it’s gonna get worse before it gets worse.” And she was right. And it was okay. It is only when we confront the discontent, challenge the discomfort and examine our truth that the joy, splendor and celebration of life can begin. No one else can do this…only you. No one else is to blame…only you. No one else can save your life…only you. Buddha says: “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
Day to day, we forget how much power we hold in our hands and in our hearts. Instead, we hold onto the monotony and the displeasure. And rather than let the thing go that keeps us suspended, we hoard it and feed it and drag it around. Sharon says: “We each weave our own tangled web of karma and most certainly become entangled in it, as our reality is being created from our own actions.” What if you headed heart-first into the disaster, exposed and vulnerable, and let the revelation begin? What if you just let it go? Instead of saying, “I’ll be happy when…” what if you simply did the thing you needed to do to be happy now? What if you saved your life?
“We must embody what we feel is good and beautiful and not wait for others to lead us.” -Sharon Gannon
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Give
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” -Mother TeresaGive Peace. Give Joy. Give Freedom. Give Yoga.
During the month of December, bring a friend, family member or co-worker to our class and they practice for free!
“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.” -The 14th Dalai Lama
I am looking forward to meeting your buddies this Saturday and every Saturday!
Peace and joy and freedom to you and yours…
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