Mother's Day Book

This link will take you to the book I created for you my Mother In Law. It's full of happy moments!
Mother's Day Book

Perspective

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning.  

~Ivy Baker Priest

This is a short story about the importance of taking the time to appreciate the sweeter moments of your life rather than rushing through them or discounting little joys.

Yesterday was a very happy “mommy day” for me. My son wanted to dress up as a fireman. His red plastic fireman hat was the starting point. As he is “all about” the sharp, pointy, spear-like gear to any costume, he was on a hunt for a premo fire ax. After numerous failed attempts to turn his toys into a satisfactory one, I came up with the idea to make one out of cardboard. It was so simple and yet made us both so happy. For him it was just what he was looking for. Me? I was happy because I supposed he couldn’t do too much damage with that cardboard ax. After suiting up with his boots and coat and feeling like a real fireman, we were off to the park to find him fire pole. (He was upset the night before that his dad and I couldn’t set one up in the living room.) Yes it was chilly but his enthusiasm was all the warmth the two of us needed for an adventure.

We arrived at the park and he ran for that “fire pole” with all his heart. Of course I was ready with the camera. After snapping the perfect shot, I put down my bag and joined in on the play. As my feet hit the ground after my first slide down the pole, I looked up and noticed the sweetest older woman watching the two of us play together. She was smiling and clapping for both of us. Of course I felt a little silly but I couldn’t help from smiling back. We ended up chatting a bit and then went back to playing firefighters. As we walked past her car to leave the park, she called out to us… “this is the best time of your life.”  From the way she spoke and watched us, I of course assumed she was wistful for her youth. As I walked away though, I wondered whose time of life did she mean. Hoyt’s life which is full of play and ease or mine who is filled with love and nurturing but also sacrifice, challenge and a longer for at least a little more grown-up "play"?

The conclusion I came up with is “now.” Now is the only time of your life you really have. There may be parts of your life that challenge you, and drain you, and even make you feel sick sometimes. But this is it. This moment in time is all you really have. I’m so grateful for all the teachers that I’ve had who have encouraged me to make the most of each passing moment because they all do pass. It’s really up to each of us to continue to re-invent our lives and our approach to life so that we can enjoy or at least feel fulfilled by the way we choose to live our lives 

To Focus on Gratitude...

To focus on gratitude, has the power to shift our inner and outer experiences.

As I sat down this morning to lament in my journal about not getting good sleep last night and to try to find some inspiration for the day, I took a moment to look out the window hoping to gather my thoughts. What I saw was truly a magnificent morning sky. Because I took the time to really see it, I forgot about not feeling my best. Here lies the power of gratitude. I decided to focus on the beauty in life that I'm grateful for rather than the challenges. Like it always does, the challenge lost at least a little bit of its power and I am ready to face the day with the qualities that come with gratitude... greater contentment, hope and joy.

Life is chock-full of inspiring bits and pieces that each of us can collect and string together like a crystal necklace. The important thing for me is to keep looking for those bits as a practice rather than waiting for happy accidents to make me feel better. What we focus on is predominantly what we will experience. Because gratitude does carry contentment, hope and joy, this is what we experience when we walk through life with an attitude of gratitude. You'll also have more of these qualities to share with others. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

Today is my oldest child's 7th birthday. The length of the past seven years is so relative. For her it's a lifetime. For me it feels like it has passed by so quickly. Then again so much about me has also changed dramatically. The change really happened in just an instant though. The moment I first looked in Bela's half-closed eyes my whole world changed. I remember it being the first time I looked directly into a baby's eyes and saw the spirit within rather than just an adorable cuddly little form.

On one of my first days back to work after maternity leave, after I had already been up for hours nursing my baby, dressing her, diapering her, changing her again, pumping, cuddling her, packing her bag for the day, and then taking her to the babysitter, who had also been up for hours as well, caring for her children and preparing for the ones left in her charge, I looked around at all the people and thought about how much energy went in to making sure they grew up. Granted, not everyone gets the kind of love and attention each soul deserves but I knew for sure at that moment that a tremendous amount of work went into their survival. While we each may carry some scars and burdens from our past, we also carry the effort of a mother or mother-figures who made sure we somehow made it. It is impossible to repay the effort one selflessly offers to another but we can offer gratitude by living well and paying it forward. I'm thinking now of the quote by J.R.R. Toldien, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." 

Yoga for Your Family

I'm about to kick-off a set of classes for little kids, in-be 'tweens and families! I view Yoga as a most valuable tool to develop self-awareness, self-esteem and respect for others. Yoga encourages us  to exercise and balance our bodies, minds, hearts and souls. It is fun, energizing and relaxing! Individuals in every stage of life can benefit from the practice of Yoga. I hope you'll check out some of my new offerings or pass the info on to others who might enjoy or benefit it. Don't forget to check out my website for on-going adult and pre-natal yoga classes around town. www.flourishunlimited.com

COMING ATTRACTIONS!
Family Yoga Event
This Sunday, November 7th 11:15 - noon @ Shine Yoga Center in Hyde Park
Regular class prices apply. Visit www.shineyoga.com for more info.

FREE!!!!! Yoga for 'tweens and Kids 

@ Balance Yoga in Western Hills www.cincinnatiyogastudio.com

'tweens Yoga Open House (ages 10 - 14) this Monday, Nov. 8th  + Monday, Dec. 13th from 5:45 - 6:30 

Kids Yoga Open House (ages 5-9) Monday, Dec. 6th + Jan. 3rd from 5:45 - 6:30 

*** Kids and 'Tweens Yoga Sessions will be scheduled in January 2011 at Balance Yoga

Embracing the Darker Side of Life

Seriously, there is so much inspiration in Halloween I can hardly stand that I only get one week to focus on it! Although I've certainly had "darkish" periods in my life, I'm generally a cheerful person who hopes to shine a little light out into the world for myself and others. But, I can't overlook the value in embracing the "negative emotions" we all will inevitably feel throughout our lifetimes. There really is an extreme amount of creative force that dwells in the darkness.

As I type I'm thinking back to a paper Starbuck's teacup I once held with a quote from the angst-filled pop singer Alanis Morisette talking about how anger was the most creative force she ever felt. Having grown up in a home where anger was no stranger, I knew that I didn't want to continue to be angry but I also really didn't know the appropriate way to act when I felt anger and other strong emotions. When I read that quote something in me clicked. I began to see that I could take this dark stuff and make something out of it. Anger is an emotion to let you know that something, somewhere is off. Sometimes it's in you, sometimes it's in something around you, but it is definitely a signal for change!

For me one of the best gifts of yoga (I know I say this way to often but I can't help it!), was to practice "acting" rather than reacting - to learn to use what I had in a productive manner rather than in an aggressive or destructive manner. So here is the practice....  you come up against an uncomfortable sensation, i.e. an intense stretch, a challenging arm balance that you can't quite do that might make you feel a little frustration, memories of uncomfortable situations in your life, boredom, and more and you learn to turn in. You become quiet, you pay attention to yourself, you honor your feelings and you just breathe through it. You do what we call play your edge. You stay steady and respect your personal limitations and at the same time working to expand your capacity. The amazing thing that happens when you face those darker forces and just hold steady is that they very quickly begin to dissolve. They don't feel as powerful. You start to see through them and you begin to feel more powerful, more balanced, and more capable.

John Friend who created the Anusara Yoga Method often talks about "Divine Hide and Seek." The idea is that Grace or Divine Consciousness hides herself in all things so that we may each take pleasure in finding her over and over again.  As a student and teacher, we are each encouraged to look for the good in all things. Looking at life this way really does begin to feel like a game. After practicing for awhile it gets very easy and fulfilling to find the good in the daily life. It is a little more of a challenge and perhaps even more of a gift to find the good in the darker side of life.

The following is a short list of the potential and power of the more "negative" emotions of life that has developed for me from my yoga practice.

• Fear creates boundaries that limit our choices so that we can more greatly focus on certain areas. It also has the potential to keep us safe from uncomfortable situations.
• Anger is a signal that something needs to change. It has the potential to give you energy and courage to break out of your comfort zone and make something happen.
• Sadness softens us and calls us to connect with others. It helps us to both turn inward to make a deeper connection inside and creates for us a vulnerability that others notice and so it draws people closer to you.
• Pain combines the elements of fear, anger and pain. It limits you, signals that something needs to change, and encourages you to enlist the help of others to move past it.

Like all things, too much of one thing is rarely good. It is easy to get trapped in these powerful emotions. There are likely going to be points in our lives where we feel stuck but if we keep our hearts and our eyes open to the goodness and beauty that dwells within us and remember that there is the potential for growth in all things we can usually find our way out. And, if we can't do it on our own it's important to remember that there really is so much help if we simply ask.

"The Seed Cannot Grow Until It Is Ready to Let Go"

As the vibrantly colored leaves flutter all around us here in Ohio, the idea of "letting go" is a common theme for reflection. Nature is preparing for her big turn inward away from the harsh elements that come with winter. Many of us will also be making preparations for the change of seasons by rotating the clothes in our closets, putting away  patio furniture, and planning indoor activities and gatherings. It's time for us to move our focus from the external to the internal.

Just as the plants and trees shed all but their most essential elements, Autumn is the perfect time for us to assess all the "stuff" in our lives. Personally, I believe that everything that has ever come into our lives has the potential to serve a purpose. The question for us to ask ourselves about the elements of our lives is whether the stuff we hold on to is still serving the purpose of supporting our most essential selves, has the potential to serve that purpose, or is just waiting for us to release it on for "recylcing."

I was looking for a nice inspirational quote about answering that question, "how do you know what to hold on to and what to let go of?" After a quick search, the best I could find was a quote that stated the obvious. In one of his songs, country singer Keith Urban sings "life is a balance of holding on and letting go." It's certainly true but finding that balance can be challenging. I felt like I wanted a little more insight. As I looked up into the beautiful gumball tree in my backyard, I heard the voice of my own heart whisper, "The seed cannot grow until it lets go." The answers to so many questions can only be found inside you... inside your own heart. What is essential? What continues to nourish you? What is depleting you? What is just waiting for you to release it so that it can grow into something new? When the answers become clear, that is the time to act. If they aren't clear yet, hang on a little while longer until the season is just right for your own growth.

This reflection is the inspiration for my yoga class tonight. We'll be doing yoga twists to help cleanse and detoxify the body as well as cultivate clarity and balance in our minds. If you are a student of mine, I look forward to sharing the practice with you and if you would like more information on my classes, please visit www.flourishunlimited.com