Opening Day!

Today was opening day at Agility Flow! I am happy to report that it was a great success!

I want to thank you all for your support along this journey. If you know anyone in the Bath area, send them my way! 

Just Be

We spend most of our time doing instead of being.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Our culture honors accomplishment and action over being. Make sure you spend some time just being today. Find some time to hang out on the back porch, either literally or figuratively, and enjoy life.

Today was a busy day for me. My new floor for the studio came in! Which meant I had some serious work to do so it would be put together for tomorrow's opening. While I did spend a lot of time "doing" today I was struck (somewhere around the third row) that this is really happening. I am really opening a yoga studio. Tomorrow! In that moment I was being! I took a break from installation and enjoyed the feeling. I am so excited for everything to start up and this exercise was a great reminder to focus on the now.

Putting in the last square of my new floor!!!

Taking Refuge

The yoga mat is my refuge.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: What can I do today to make my yoga mat a place of deep refuge? Do I need to change its location or change the attitude that I bring to it?

Since I first started taking yoga classes, I've heard teachers describe your mat as a sacred place - an escape from the outside world. What I like about today's exercise is that it addresses what you bring to your mat, not just the mat itself.  Everything around you absorbs your energy. If you approach your practice each day with the intention of listening to your body and caring for yourself, your environment (including your mat) will absorb that energy and soon will help you reach that state by transferring that energy back to you. On the other hand, if you approach your practice each day in a negative mindset about yourself or your asanas, it will affect your future practices as that energy is reflected. You must consciously allow your mat and your space to bring you peace, and from that you will pass peace onto your environment.

Scaredy Cat

Fear is never about the present moment.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: When one is in a truly life-threatening situation, there is often a sense of calmness more than anything. Today when you feel afraid, notice if you are truly present, and if not, then take a breath and drop down into your belly and in to this moment.

I have to admit, this one didn't do much for me today. I was going around to local businesses introducing myself and letting people know my studio is opening Friday and I was terrified. Yep, that's right. Terrified in bold. I was so far out of my comfort zone there were solar systems separating me from my happy place. I can't pin down exactly what I was nervous about, but it was very real and didn't go away when I brought my focus to my belly and to the moment.

However! I am still a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and I think there is a reason why today's exercise came when it did and why I had trouble with it. Perhaps I was simply too distracted by the task at hand to truly focus on the moment and separate from my emotions? I don't know. But, I have more places to visit tomorrow and I'm going to try it again! Hopefully I have better luck then!

Memory Lane

Just for today, am I going to relive my past or create my present?

LIVING YOUR YOGA: How much time do you spend thinking about what might have been? Right now make a commitment to focus on this day, this asana, this moments. 

Our pasts are made up of infinite memories. Whether we live in these memories, comparing everything we do to them, or live in the present and make new, fresh memories is entirely up to us. The next time you find yourself wallowing in the past, be it in regret or nostalgia, say this to yourself and move forward:

"I am grateful for every person, for every event, for every interaction in my life up to today, for without it I would not be the amazing person I am. I owe it to myself to continue living, continue meeting people, continue having interactions now so I may always continue to grow."

Agility Flow

I am happy to announce that all paperwork has been processed through the State of Maine and I am now officially a Limited Liability Company!

Please visit Agility Flow's website! www.agilityflow.com


You can also "like" us on Facebook!

Fully Absorbed

The state of absorption is halfway to enlightenment.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Do you remember the absolute absorption you felt as a child when you were playing your favorite game? That level of focus is the first step of being fully realized. Today find something you love and focus on it completely for ten minutes - no judgments, no goals.

...and then read my post Samyama - Meditation Your Way. =)  I hope everyone enjoyed the last day of summer!  Stay tuned for an exciting announcement tomorrow!

Listen to the Moment

What does this moment say?

LIVING YOUR YOGA: When you get on your yoga mat, notice how your practice consists of telling your body what to do. Today when you practice, actively listen to what your body is telling you, and practice from that. 

Enough said. =)


Just a reminder, the postings this month have been from A Year of Living Your Yoga, Daily Practices to Shape Your Life by P.T. Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., with comments by myself. The book is available in print and electronically from Amazon.

And World Peace

Work for peace, but do it from a place of contentment.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: We all want peace, both inner peace and peace in the world. Today chose one act of kindness to self or another, offered from a place of contentment, and you will create peace in that moment. 

Contentment is an evasive state, mostly due to our ever changing desires. This makes today's exercise particularly challenging. How do you know if you are content? A good place to start, when working for peace as mentioned above, is checking your motives. Why do you want to bring peace to a situation? Is it a desire for notoriety? Is it spite for the person you've been quarreling with? Or is it genuine, from a pure desire to spread your peacefulness to those around you?  If you find your motives less than admirable, turn the focus on yourself and learn to detach from that desire.

Monsters Under the Bed

Which do you want: the pain of staying where you are, or the pain of growth?

LIVING YOUR YOGA: We all want to avoid pain. But to be alive is to have pain of some kind. Some of this pain is self-created. Sit quietly today and consider an important choice you need to make. Ask yourself which pain you want - the pain of moving through your challenge, or the pain of avoiding it. 

If you've been following my blog for several months you've read about some emotional pain I've recently faced (see The Voices In My Head for an example). These were emotions that I had been suppressing because I feared the pain of experiencing them. Although at the time I thought I was "transcending" them, in an attempt to adhere to the Yoga Sutra's concept of detachment, in reality I was perhaps more affected by them than I would I have been had I just let them flow through me. To me, today's Living Your Yoga is about getting out from under the covers and actually looking at the monster under your bed. It's probably just the cat.

"How much pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened." - Thomas Jefferson

Indulgence

The body is as holy as the spirit. 

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Seeing the body and spirit as separate is a way of denigrating the temple that houses a treasure. Today choose to do something that nurtures your body in a way that you enjoy.

I found myself in a funk today. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and wallow in my crankiness. Fortunately, I have some incredible people in my life watching out for me who advised I go outside and lay in the sun. I went to the park next to my apartment and did just that. After about 10 minutes, I literally felt like a different person. I wonder why we consider it so indulgent to nurture ourselves like this. I don't hesitate to brush my teeth, or shower, or do my asanas, so why should I stop myself from taking care of my body in more "luxurious" ways? I am loving today's Living Your Yoga.

Let Go

Letting go means realizing you weren't in charge anyway.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: We often worry about so many things, most of them beyond our control. Just today, let go whenever you can by embracing the understanding that you are not in charge of the world.

In comment I will simply supply one of my favorite quotes of all time. "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." - Woody Allen.

My Exotic Living Room

Because I am so rarely there, the most exotic place on Earth is where I am right now.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Where are you? Are you here right now? Close your eyes and listen. Then open them and look around. Whenever you can today, remember to be where you are. 

Usually during Savasana at the end of practice I allow my mind to travel as far away as it likes as a reward for the focus it held during asanas. Today, however, I reigned it in and tried to stay in the moment. I was pleasantly surprised to find this technique even more relaxing. The thing is, when I let my mind wander it likes to visit places of concern; like the pile of bills on my counter, instead of, say, a white sandy beach in the middle of nowhere. Feeling the floor behind my back, the little bit of sun hitting my legs through the window, hearing the occasional creak of the house adjusting in the wind, simply being part of the scene, occupied my mind just enough to allow it to rest. I truly enjoyed the stillness I experienced in that moment. It takes a lot of work to tame my daydreaming mind, but little steps like this Living Your Yoga assure me that it is well worth the effort.

Enjoy Yourself

The secret to living well is never to do as much as you can.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Many of us measure our self-worth by how much we get accomplished each day. Consider this: our worth is not based on accomplishment but on our existence as a whole human being. Today resolve to do 10 percent less and enjoy yourself more. 

Confession - I didn't specifically do this today. Confession - I've been doing this for the past 10 months and it's been amazing!  In fact, doing less is how this blog began (Do Nothing). I've been very busy getting things ready for my studio, but even with a busy schedule it's important to take time out for what really matters. I remember hearing someone comment once about what they wanted their tombstone to say. Maybe, "She loved and was loved", or "She lived fully", but certainly not "She completed her checklist", or "She worked 20 hours a day", or "wait... who?" This exercise isn't about being lazy; it's about cutting out what isn't essential so you can really live your life to the fullest. Enjoy who you are, not what you accomplish!

"Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think."

Peaceful Agitation

Trying to be calm creates agitation; instead start with being present with your agitation. 

LIVING YOUR YOGA: The residue of effort is agitation, not calmness. Today on your yoga mat, find the calmness behind the agitation your thoughts create during asana. Attach yourself to this calmness.

How many times have you lain in bed, wide awake, telling yourself to relax and go to sleep? The more you try to relax the more you end up tossing and turning. We are all very aware of the agitation that results from this scenario. Now, there are many things people recommend doing when you can't fall asleep, but try doing this Living Your Yoga next time it happens to you. As soon as you start feeling that agitation of not being able to fall asleep, STOP. Stop everything. Close your eyes, close your ears, stop breathing. Concentrate only on that feeling of agitation. Observe it as it peaks and watch as it slowly begins to ebb. Keep your concentration on the agitation as it gets smaller and smaller and smaller, like a car driving off into the distance. What you will be left with is serenity. Don't focus on this new feeling of peace. Instead, keep your eyes on the horizon, watching the agitation completely disappear.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

Wisdom is understanding the connection of all things; enlightenment is being that connection.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Look at a shirt in your closet. Have you even thought about how many people contributed to it hanging there? The shirt has in it the soil that grew the cotton, the sun and rain that nourished it, the people who picked it, those who spun it, those who wove it, and so much more. Before you put it on, offer silent gratitude for how we are all connected. 

In one of his speeches at TED, Sir Ken Robinson reminds us that it's difficult to identify the things we take for granted because, well, we take them for granted. This practice of acknowledging everything and every person that goes into something as simple as a shirt is a great way of evaluating what we overlook daily. Once you start appreciating where these simple items are coming from, you will start to see the impact you make on the world. What objects, what thoughts, what ideas, are you connected to? How can you improve your interactions with others to create a more positive connection, both for yourself and for them?

"Great minds talk about ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."

Bananas

God has given us a delicious banana, and we are eating the peel.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Sit quietly and notice how many of your thoughts are about things that are truly unimportant in the scope of a whole life. Inhale, and as you exhale, focus on the gifts of life and the presence of someone to love. Then continue your day with a lighter heart.

I like to take this one step further and sit quietly in a busy place listening to the meaningless things people complain about. It's a great reality check.

Simplicity

Simplicity carried to extreme is elegance.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Choose an ordinary task, such as cutting an orange. Collect your tools and begin. Focus simply on one hand holding the orange, the movement of the knife through the fruit's skin, the sound as the knife strikes the chopping board. Notice the sunny brilliance of the orange flesh. Gather the pieces and put them in a bowl. Eat and taste.

This Living Your Yoga reaches into the core of what yoga is all about - existing in the present. I've been working on this since I started teacher training, so today's exercise wasn't exactly earth-shattering for me. However, with the pace I've been running at to get things ready for the studio it was nice to take a step back and stop thinking about anything aside from the task at hand. My "ordinary task" was ironing my shirt. And, I have to admit, that was the most pleasant ironing experience I can recall having. Ironing usually takes me back to my days at MMA as a Midshipman Under Guidance - ick.

All in all, I would highly recommend everyone try this one, preferably daily!

Tense Shoulders, Tense Mind

Tension is your body's response to the past.

LIVING YOUR YOGA: Close your eyes and notice where you are holding tension in your body. This holding is related to your thoughts from the past. Find time today to lie in Savasana (Basic Relaxation Pose); supporting your head and under your knees, covering your eyes. Consciously observe your tension for fifteen minutes. Watch it melt away.

Today's Living Your Yoga was a good one for me. In the midst of getting my studio open I have noticed a dramatic increase of tension in my body. I've attributed it all to healthy stress as I embark on this foreign endeavor. But today's lesson reminded me that there could be a deeper cause of my tight shoulders. In addition to the seemingly infinite checklist of things I need to do before I open my doors, I am also faced with the fear of failure (despite all my efforts to ignore it!). I think this is a perfectly normal fear and I'm not concerned about it because I'm not letting it stop me from reaching for my dreams. However, it was good to address it today and take the time to acknowledge it and live within that emotion for 15 minutes. I am honestly feeling more optimistic after this exercise!

I hope everyone has had a great Labor Day Weekend!

Seeking Inspiration

Hello Everyone,

First off, thank you for sticking with me - I've been moving ahead with my business plans which has taken a toll on available creative energy to write my blog! So, for the time being, I've decided to do a little project to *hopefully* inspire some writing. Last winter I purchased a great book, A Year of Living Your Yoga, Daily Practices to Shape Your Life by P.T. Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D.

Judith Hanson Lasater has been teaching an annual yoga retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch, in Helena, Montana, for 28 years. When she learned that one of her students was collecting Lasater’s thoughts — which she called “Judith’s aphorisms” — Lasater decided to collect them in this book. Featuring one thought for each day of the year, along with a suggested practice, these brief, powerful insights reflect the author’s knowledge of classic yoga philosophy and years of experience. Humorous, inspiring, and surprisingly down-to-earth, they guide seekers both on and off the yoga mat. These aphorisms address love, asana, fear, trust, expectations, pranayama, suffering, laughter, presence, the Yoga Sutra, and much more. They emphasize the experience of being present to one's self and to life’s ups and downs — day by day, breath by breath, moment by moment. A Year of Living Your Yoga is a gentle invitation to readers to know themselves on a deeper level.

Until I get my studio open, I am going to follow this book and use my blog to discuss my experience. I'm hoping this will help me in two ways: 1) it will give me something to write about! 2) it will help me stay grounded while my world succumbs to the whirlwind of starting a new business!

It would be wonderful if anyone else out there wants to join in! The book is available in print as well as electronically from Amazon!