A Sense of Wonder

Everything comes to those who do not crave for anything.  -Ravi Ravindra

Fall Quarter

These past few weeks with all the ups and downs of health issues I have had to struggle with the decision of teaching my three WCC classes.    There have been times I felt I was just not going to be able to commit to a schedule and feel reliable and other times I was sure I could.
Recently my symptoms have become more manageable.   It may be because of a new medicine I am taking or it may be something else.   However,  I believe that I can commit to doing two WCC classes per week and that is Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.   I have cancelled the Friday class for now.   I am hoping that some of the Friday people might be able to switch to Tuesday.
I am still doing privates, so if that suits anyone it may be another option.  I feel comfortable with keeping the privates as I can cancel and reschedule them if I need to.
As most all of you know, teaching yoga is what I love.     Having a yoga community to practice with, continuing to grow and learn, has become a way of life over the years.     All of you contribute to that.     I am so very grateful for that opportunity.   I will make every effort to maintain that for as long as I can.
Looking forward to seeing you very soon.

Friends and the kindness of others...

Challenging times are made so much more manageable by friends who help along the way.
The help I am talking about is not about "fixing"  it is more like "serving".    We serve each other in all kinds of ways in many varied circumstances.   Often we are not aware of the impact a small gesture of kindness makes.   "Service" is a form of support and caring.   It is a tonic when we feel alone or afraid.   It lifts us up and makes us stronger.   It makes the journey easier.
When we are experincing hard times we need to be open to the kindness of others, letting go of
whatever hold us back from accepting what is offered.
 When we allow others to help us , as my friend said, we are giving a gift to them, also.
 It is reciprocal.
 There is an old saying that I hold dear.  It goes something like this:   "At the deepest level, there is no giver, no gift, no receiver... only the universe rearranging itself"... author unknown.

Difficult Times

Illness has so much to teach us about life and about ourselves,  especially if it is a prolonged illness.
As  I go through dealing with symptoms from my health issues that are at times debilitating, it changes my perspective.   I want so much to cope well to the best of my ability using the tools that I have practiced over the years in better times.   Some days I have a positive outlook and can live well with what is happening.   Other days the circumstances of my life seem so  overwhelming I fear I am losing my ability to just hang in there.    In those times I can loose confidence in my ability to stay with what is...  
I am wondering if sometimes we expect too much of ourselves... We think if we have learned and have achieved a certain level of wisdom that we will be able to respond at a higher level in each moment.   I suspect that is not what being human is.   Being human is being able to experience all of it and humbly accept that we can only be where we are, walking the walk with the ups and downs and experiencing an array of emotions without trying to only accept the so called positive ones.   Learning to be patient with ourselves as we climb a "mountain", as we get discouraged at times, or afraid, is all part of the journey.   We don't get to leap over the emotions we don't like.   If we do we will probably  have to visit them later when they burst forward, unexpectedly.      I believe that is where I am doing some intensive learning now... being more comfortable and accepting the difficult emotions as they come and go.

Nature Heals

Because of current health issues I was not able to plant my outdoor pots as I usually do in late spring.
For weeks I kept looking out at the sad looking planters containing  a few perennials  that survived the winter but looking very negelected indeed.   Maybe they reflected myself and what was happening in my life.   I had simplifed my life and was not able to put energy into things that were not essential.   A friend had offered to do my pots for me, but that meant I had to go and pick out the plants I wanted  and I didn't even have the energy for that.   So my pots went uncared for .

This past weekend my energy and my wellness shifted and I was able to get to the Garden Spot to pick out flowers and plants.   Yesterday most got planted and now I look out at the happy planters and I feel a wave of happiness just to see the gift of nature.    I feel a surge of healing happening inside my heart... my body may be still trying to heal but my heart has taken a huge step forward.

Summer begins...

We have moved gently from spring into summer yoga and it feels quite perfect and so needed.   The days are long and temperatures are warming.
The  two readings  in our first two classes have come from a book entitled,   Being Generous.  The Art of Right Living.
The first week was a story about a woman who said she was sorry,  apologizing after carrying a burden of shame for many years.   The second was an act of pure kindness and compassion  from one stranger to another.
Both these stories are examples of the practice of generosity.   Generosity invites "a spark of hope by which people themselves are transformed, enabled and revivified."
How does generosity become not just "an exceptional attribute but more an ordinary, everyday constant?"
"Generosity is a creative act... an attitude and an ethos."

If we choose to we can practice the art of generosity in our daily lives by making it a priority to be generous in some way, large or small, everyday.   Overtime it becomes a part of who you are, for  "being generous... you become generous."

Sorry for very few posts lately...

Just to say I am sorry I have not posted much lately.   I have been dealing with a health issue that
has taken up a great deal of my energy.   Hopefully  I am moving towards wellness and
will be back to writing again soon.