A NEW YEAR HAS BEGUN...

I am always inspired in January.   Once the holiday decor is put away I can feel new energy and the "possibilities" awaiting.   However  I can only receive new energy and fresh perceptions by making space.

In the physical realm, most of us are saving things we don't need to save.    We have too much "stuff".   Just go through your closet or cupboards or garage and you will see it.    

Sometimes these things represent memories...  we are holding the memory.   

Memories are great, we all need them, yet we don't necessarily need the physical representation of them.     Think of the release of these objects as a way of moving forward and opening to a new chapter in your life.   I went to Goodwill yesterday, with my donations.   If felt great.   I could  do this on a more regular basis or at least more often.   It is like taking 3 deep breaths, and savoring a new moment, feeling like a new, or renewed person.  Happy New Year.

New Years is almost here...

"New Years" is right around the corner... this may be a perfect opportunity to set intention for the year ahead.
You can start by setting intention for the month of January.
So many possibilites.     What old habit do you want to let go of or diminish?   What skill do you want to refine or polish?  What attitude do you want more or less of?   What energy do you want to support? Can you address that every day for 31 days?
I have some great ideas for myself.     I think I might even start today.
You may want to find a way to be accountable.     I like to keep a journal, however you can also just mark it on a calendar.  This helps you to follow your progress and keeps your intention alive.
Happy New Year.

Setting Intention

We have been "setting intention" these past few weeks together.   I am always surprised at how effective it can be to connect with an intention.  It is like putting on a different pair of glasses.  Suddenly your perspective shifts and you get a new shape to your day, activity or practice.   Of course this takes practice and the more you do it the more it becomes like a natural response.
What I find often is that setting intention bumps up against old habits, old ways of seeing and reacting.
One of my sisters used to say..."just give your head a shake".  Setting intention helps to shake things up and lead us to more purposeful thoughts and actions.
GIVE IT A TRY.

Holiday De-stressor Classes

Our 3 week session of yoga for the holidays has begun.   We are focusing on" how to set intention".
Setting intention is a skill that can keep us centered, focused and create meaning in our everyday
activities and interactions...  It can keep unwanted thoughts and reactions at bay and make our days  more purposeful.
You can set intention for the day or even just for the moment.   You can set intention as you write cards,  hostess a party, buy gifts, grocery shop etc.   It is a practice of awareness.
Each week we are setting intention as we begin our yoga practice together.   Everyone sets their own intention.... a little gift to yourself.

Teaching Children Mindfulness and Meditation

The past 2 weeks I was reading from an article that described teaching breath meditation to children in school.  The author spoke of his experience at one particular elementary school in New York.  I was touched by how he described the response of these children.   Many of them developed skills that helped them when tense or anxious moments arose in their day.   They would basically anchor their awareness in the breath, even for only a few moments.    They learned that they could find a safe place inside themselves and they could go there whenever they felt the need of it, just by focusing on their breath.   This is a life skill that they will take with them for many years to come.    Maybe one day this will be taught in many schools and children will learn to access their own inner happiness and peace.

"31 Flavors of Craving"

Phillip Moffet wrote an article about craving...   explaining the 3 catagories of desire.
He identified 3 distinct kinds of craving.   The first type is the craving for the 6 kinds of sense desires, the second is the desire  for becoming what you are not and the third kind is feeling so overwhelmed or disillusioned that you want life to cease.
The first type is what we are most familiar with... and there are so many sense desires we can experience in any given moment.
Craving in these instances is a distraction from the present moment, with what is.  Craving creates a sense of insufficiency and moves us away from contentment and gratitude.
Notice each day if you have a moment of craving.   Notice how it feels.   Notice how this leads towards some degree of suffering and away from happiness.  Notice how it feels when you releases it.

ART WALK

Just a reminder... the ART WALK for November is happening downtown tonight.

I will be at 3 OMS Yoga Studio (across from the Blue Horse Gallery on Bay St.) where my art is hanging-  the new yoga calendar paintings.

If you are available please come and see me there...   from 7:30- 9:30pm.   I would love to see some of my wonderful students there.

Blessings and thank you for your inspiration.