Hiking Yogini

Posts Tagged ‘love’

Statue of Patanjali, the codifier of Yoga

It’s been such a long time since I’ve devoted time and attention to my blog, and the causes are varied.  We forget that even events that we consider joyous can throw us out of balance and I’ve re-learned that over the the last two to three months; two to three months which have been overwhelming with events wonderful, challenging and even sad.  These events and circumstances simply kept reinforcing the theme with which I always struggle when it comes to applying it to myself — Ahimsa (non-harming/non-violence, the first in the Yamas & Niyamas.) And the last few months have had me revisiting and relearning Ahimsa on a daily basis. Read the rest of this entry »

I find myself — more often than not these days — fried, frazzled and overly fatigued. And although I seem to go through cycles of this state, it constantly takes me by surprise. How can I be frazzled? Aren’t I a “good” Yogi?  …. Hmmm … then that question stops me cold. Because, judgment filled as it is, it’s really not about being “good” or “bad” — there’s no such thing.  However, this situation feels bad and full of suffering.  Now, the Bhagavad Gita explains that “even a little Yoga can save one from much suffering”.  Hmm, well, this simple statement can sometimes feel really complicated to execute.  First of all, our western, American minds usually turn immediately to Asana when we think of Yoga.  And really, Asana is just one of the eight “limbs” outlined by Patanjali within the Yoga Sutras. In Yoga Sutras 2.35-2.45, Patanjali outlined some basic precepts for living our Yoga.  If I’m fried, frazzled and fatigued, then I can’t possibly be honoring the first “observance” of the first “limb” (the Yamas) — Ahimsa, (Non-harming/non-violence.)   

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The Autumnal Equinox is the last day of summer and marks the transition to fall. In my spiritual path, this is the time to honor the blessings, accomplishments and abundance the year has brought; to sit in gratitude for a moment in this time of balance before we release what is no longer necessary and move to the dark part of the year. And in this moment, in order to fully honor my blessings, I must bow down with deep gratitude to my past, present and future students, as well as my past, present and future yoga teachers and colleagues.

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It happens. We’ve all been there.  We’ve all had those moments when we intellectually (and probably emotionally, too) know that the best and most nurturing thing we can do for ourselves is to unroll the mat, move through some Asana and meditation to deal with whatever emotional crisis is sweeping through our worlds, yet we don’t.  Instead, we pick up the phone, order some Chinese takeout and proceed to eat said takeout accompanied by a cocktail/beer/wine and watch something inane — or wonderful — from Netflix or your favorite cable station. Read the rest of this entry »

You ever have one of those weeks where everything just seems hard, even if some of what’s occurring possesses some elements of good?  Well, that is what this past week has been like for me. Work felt a little too hard, dealing with my moldy car (the back door is leaking and letting in the rain) seemed like it just might break me (I’m allergic to mold), meeting and disappointing family expectations seemed like a tragic train wreck … etc, etc.  BUT, in the middle of this hand-to-forehead-oh-my-good-gods-everything-is-too-hard week, the love of my life showed me great love and took me to something he probably wouldn’t choose as a way to spend his evening — a night of kirtan with Krishna Das, Deva Premal and Miten.  Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of year at my company when all good corporate employees must evaluate their own performance as a precursor to the annual performance review given to us all by our various supervisors. I dread this time of year. Every year. I procrastinate. I allow myself to get distracted. I help everyone else with whatever else needs doing — anything to avoid sitting down and honestly evaluating the good, the bad and the everything in between. And this year was no exception. Knowing it was coming, knowing it was coming two months in advance, didn’t prevent it from still being an adrenaline-deadline-driven project again this year. Read the rest of this entry »