Acceptance is when you adore the combination of peanut butter and chocolate yet accidently knock your Chocolate Peanut Butter cups on the dirty movie theater floor and don’t flinch at the sudden loss.  (Is this anyone you know?)

Acceptance is believing in your heart that you are always where you are for a reason.  What alternative is there?  To resist this wisdom is to always deny yourself the beautiful pleasure of what is right in front of you.  When you can see, feel, taste, touch and smell, you are living like God intended, a full and prosperous being.

Acceptance means letting life be a bit messy.  We try so hard to keep it neat and tidy yet that doesn’t measure up to the dynamic power of each day.  To be here means to share in the randomness of it all.  Why don’t you want to be on the ride?  So many secret surprises await you at every turn.

Acceptance means knowing deep down inside we are all the same.  Science can qualify this, yet our mind can’t comprehend it.  We reach for the differences first. Like the dessert before the appetizer, it’s not a good habit.  Slow down. Why are you eager to distance yourself from anyone?  The value to connect is as powerful as a balanced diet.  Your heart will thank you.

Acceptance is the act of releasing yourself of expectations.   The future is hazy.  With all the technology, even the weatherman can’t know for sure, so why place so much weight in any forecast?  Prognosticating is for the weak.  The strong will invest their will in the present moment and accept it as their best friend.

Acceptance is knowing that there is something out there bigger then yourself who is the master of the complexity of life and on a daily bases you relinquish your strong grip and fall into its arms.

Acceptance is a confidence booster. When you are in the arms of acceptance, you feel its force giving you a big hug. How beautiful to live in this vibrant space. Is it easy? No. Is it worth the effort? No question. Who doesn’t like a hug?

Acceptance is a path to unending abundance.  Imagine the freedom that this creates in your life.   Connecting to the external world plays in the shallow waters.  Trust the darkness.  Dive fearlessly and persistently.  The gold is buried deep in the ocean.

What are you doing today to build a bridge to acceptance? Procrastinating will fester negativity and doubt. Are you content to live this way? Take stock in the value of your life and start to carve a path in your mind towards the beautiful horizon of open space and and endless possibilities.

This could have been me!

I couldn’t believe I was sitting at a potter’s wheel with 2lbs of clay spinning in my wet hands.  Rusty, my instructor, would often lean in over my shoulders and help me mold and shape the clay, guiding my hand up and down the sloppy clay so I understood the exacting hand movements.  Really!?  Was this a moment carved out of the movie Ghost?  It was strikingly similar except that my mind wasn’t moving towards the hot and steamy.  I was SO focused on getting my hunk of earth centered onto my wheel.  It was like me versus the clay.  I really wanted to make peace and become one with the clay but that was more challenging then I ever thought.

I slapped the clay on the center of the wheel and listened carefully as Rusty demonstrated all the basics.  Centering, she tells me, is critical. If the clay is off center at least a tinny bit, I would be destined for a lopsided bowl or cup.  No way!  My ego wasn’t going let that happen.  I set my sights high.  I wanted to be the master of centering.

The art of centering is a two-step process. The first step was molding the clay up into a shape of a cone.  The second part was to flatten the cone down like a hamburger patty.  There is nothing casual about doing this.  It required that I lean my entire body weight into the clay and hold my hands in specific positions to optimize the results.  As I practiced, I was struck by how my body desired to be a connected to this process.  For starters, I was sitting on a small rickety wooden stool.  (The more experienced wisely brought a cushion, so I was slightly envious.)  But even the pros had to negotiate the safety of their lower back. This wasn’t something Rusty talked about as she was leaning over my shoulders.  As I pushed my weight into the clay, I also felt my pelvis tipping and my lumbar spine lengthening.  My transverse abdominals (the deeper muscles below the pretty six pack abs) were drawing in and I was breathing deeply as I practiced centering the clay. I could feel the forward fold action in my spine and pelvis.  I know, this sounds way to “yogic” but I swear this awareness was instinctual.  I wanted to not only center the clay but to center my body!

It’s no accident that “centering” is the first step taught in throwing clay.  This whole centering processing is indicative of any good yoga practice.  You can’t

Building awareness is an art

just plop down on your mat and begin without centering or grounding yourself. It is the feeling of being rooted in the “here and now” and a knowing why you are doing what you are doing.  You are connected to the person, place, or thing that is presently apart of your life. The opposite of being centered is unfocused and you would never choose this. Yet it happens, more often then we’d like to admit.  You don’t have to look far to know how much of our current culture challenges our focus.

Centering clearly has its place off the yoga mat.  That is why centering is vital to the rhythm of your day.  When you come to your yoga mat, it begins a new chapter.  If you intend to be apart of a new experience and to truthfully engage, you must somehow activate your mind and body.  This mirrors life and you should look to find places to make more space to bring yourself to this state of awareness.

So the take away from my pottery class experience is to be more aware of how your body and mind are feeling on a day-to-day basis.  Check in when major shifts happen in your day.  From the gym to the office or the office to restaurant, can you ground or center yourself in each new space?  Take a few conscious breaths, close your eyes if you can, and be aware of what you are feeling or hearing.  Say a word or phase that is personal to your life and will allow you to refocus.   Finally, find the part of your day where you are easily centered and connected so you can use this as a barometer throughout your day. This nudge of consciousness is a step towards knowing the feeling of letting go of a stress-filled chattering mind and living in a refreshed sense of “being” human.

Focus

Poses To Know: Mountain Pose, Forward Fold, Chair Pose, Low Lunge, Triangle Pose, Downward Facing Dog, Side Plank, Extended Side Angle, Bridge Pose, Gate Pose, Seated Forward Fold, Corpse Pose (these are just the highlights to the practice)

Breath Awareness: Equal Breathing or 1:1 (Inhale 4 counts, exhale 4 counts)

Running Time: 1hr and 11mins ( full practice with final relaxation and meditation)

Make sure you have enough time to enjoy this entire yoga practice.  The sequence in this practice was meant to be done as a whole, with careful attention payed to leaving you with a sense of balance and calm at it’s conclusion.  Remember, you willingly choose to do this yoga practice on your own, at your own risk.  Please practice safely and wisely.

Have you ever uttered the phrases, “My day was a blur!” or “Where did the time go?”  You may feel like every day is in fast forward.  Wouldn’t you like to relish in each passing moment?  A transition is a unique opportunity to capture the inner wisdom and rhythm of your day.  It is a way to acknowledge what has changed and be ready to embrace it.  A single day is filled with many passages that alter your internal body/mind rhythm.   When you feel the blur of your day, it is a sign that your physical and/or mental speed is what needs to be put in first gear.  Honestly ask yourself, “Is this way of living serving my health and happiness?”  Life may be short, but there are ways you can make it feel longer and more connective.

To honor the ebb and flow of each day, I offer this simple phrase: Stop, Drop and Roll.  No, this isn’t fire safety class. It’s spiritual safety class. What is at stake is a body filled with tension as a result of your thoughts and actions.  So few are equipped to fill their calendars while still being able to move with through the day with ease.  Stop, Drop and Roll is an easy to remember phrase that will help you become more sensitive.  It will empower you to make choices for long-term health and happiness.

Your transitions or chapters of the day are unique to your lifestyle, but your environment best dictates them.  If you are on the go, this usually means every time you open a door to the office, gym, or grocery store — you are transitioning.  But if you are someone who spends the majority of your day in one space, then you have a different set of transitions.  In the office, they are dictated by your appointments or agenda. In the home, they are dictated by your routines.  Many transitions are expected but some aren’t.  The key is to invest in the awareness of the ones that are predictable, so that unexpected ones don’t’ throw you off.  After all, this is really what you are working towards, letting go and allowing, since most of life becomes what you never thought it would be anyway.

So here are the spiritual safety guidelines:

• STOP:  Observe the new chapter with all of your senses.  Notice what has changed.  Become sensitive to the lighting, smell, number of people, and noise level.  This is an instinctual process.  Less mental energy is used here as the right brain takes over.  This is an exercise in paying attention and will be the hardest step to implement.   (As an example, go to your public library and then go the mall and you can practice feeling the difference.)
• DROP:  No, please don’t literally fall to the floor…people might stare.  Rather this means “drop your expectations” and thoughts and just be in the new chapter.  Be aware of a few breaths moving in and out of your body.  This will ground you down and bring you into the present moment.
• ROLL:  Or rather “flow” with the moment that is in front of you.  Roll with the truth of the moment.  This step happens as a result of the first two.

Learning to stop, drop and roll will be a gradual awakening.  At first you will forget, but eventually you will start to feel the origins of these shifts in your day and value these transitions with a fresh perspective.  It will stop a bad day from becoming worse.  It will allow your mind to relax and your body to readjust to the ever-shifting movements of a day.  The more you recognize your transitions, the more full a day will feel.  Your blurry day will become more focused, which will give you the chance to live your life to the fullest.

So, what are you waiting for?

Sonic Yoga, April 17th, 2010, 2:30pm to 4:30pm

www.sonicyoga.com to register

Meditation is an amazing tool that gives you an intimate understanding of how your mind works.  It enables the unknown parts of you to be known.  Its purpose is to allow you to live to your highest potential, to find a true sense of happiness from within and keep that fire bright to share.  Beginning this journey can be daunting.  So many choices and so little guidance.  This workshop will take the mystery out of meditating.  In two hours you will understand the foundations of meditation and be empowered to begin your own daily meditation practice.  You will leave this workshop knowing more about how your mind works, the importance of stillness, breath and the ever present witness.  Most of all, you will be ready for a life changing journey filled of endless possibilities.  Now, don’t you feel this is a good way to welcome in spring?

Workshop price: $35, includes handouts

Poses To Know: Mountain Pose, Forward Fold, Lunge, Plank, Downward Facing Dog, Revolved Triangle, Warrior 2, Chair Pose with Twist, Upward Facing Dog, Lunge Twist, Revolved Side Angle, Child’s Pose, Seated Forward Fold, Corpse Pose

Breath Awareness: 1:2 Breathing (longer exhales…for example, count inhale for 2, exhale for 4)

Running Time: 1hr and 8mins ( a little classroom banter starts this )

Make sure you have enough time to enjoy this entire yoga practice.  The sequence in this practice was meant to be done as a whole, with careful attention payed to leaving you with a sense of balance and calm at it’s conclusion.  Remember, you willingly choose to do this yoga practice on your own, at your own risk.  Please practice safely and wisely.

Below is the ritual that I go through each morning before I practice.  Follow it to the letter or pick the parts you like the best and then make it your own.  The point is to allow for there to be a transition of time that  increases sensativity to your body and signals the mind that the meditation practice is about to begin.

1. Take a short, but warm shower

I never used to like to shower first, but I find that it jump starts my body.

2. Neti Pot

It was hard for me to learn this, but now it is like brushing my teeth and I can’t go a day without it.

3. Drink a warm glass of water

All nutritionist applaud the idea of drinking warm water as soon as you get up.  Adding a lemon is a bonus.

4. Brush skin

Dry brush technique has been around for a long time and will leave your skin feeling enlivened and very smooth.  If you follow the Ayurveda approach, you need not use soap on the major portions of your body – only arm pits, genital area and bottom of feet.

5. Apply Oils

Use Nasya Oil in your nostrils and ears (just one drop) and sesame oil (good general choice or pick one for your Ayurvedic Dosha) on the entire body.  Apply in broad strokes on the main body parts and circles around the joints.

My day officially begins when the bed is made.  Here is the process that repeats itself each time:

The bottom sheet and light brown blanket get pulled over the bed…no lumps in sight.  Then two body pillows get stacked, followed by four sleeping pillows, which are fluffed and leaned in pairs next to one another.  Next come six colorful throw pillows.  They are arranged by size and placed in different shapes according to my creative mood.  Finally, the down-filled comforter gets folded in half and then half again and placed, hotel-like, at the bottom of the bed.  Oops, I forgot the cashmere throw, which gets dangled at the edge of the bed.

This is the routine that happens each morning.  And because it is a task that must be repeated, I realized that it ought to turn into a “moment of zen”.  Ahh, you can just hear the distant birds chirping and the smell of orchards from the relaxation grotto!

But seriously, it is about practicality.  Becoming aware of your thoughts is not easy in the busy life that you lead.  Molding a daily practice into your routines is the best way to multitask your way to health and happiness.

Concurrently, it is about trimming the fat from your mind.  You have as many as 60,000 thoughts each day. There must be a way to whittle that number down.  So I developed a technique or practice that helps you become more aware of your wandering thoughts and replaces them with “present moment thinking”.  For example, when making the bed, the thoughts in my mind might go like this:  “I’m pulling the sheets tight. I’m fluffing the colorful throw pillows.  I’m folding the down filled comforter.  I’m arranging the cashmere throw.”

I know this doesn’t sound mind bogglingly difficult.  It isn’t meant to be.  But there is a process that needs to unfold.  Here are some guidelines:

• Before beginning the practice, notice your mind wandering.  Hear your thoughts stray to the past or future.  This awareness should “activate” the technique.

• Next, pull your attention back to the activity.  In this stage you fill the entire task with short, voluntary statements of present action.**  The more specific the better.  Observe if you are placing any emotion into your statements of present action.  Try to hear the thoughts in your mind as neutral and with no intonations.  Just keep repeating the same statement until the present task changes.  Yes, it sounds mind numbing, but that is the trick to allowing your mind to quiet down.  (Who wants to keep thinking the same thoughts over and over, but the reality is, you do, all day long, and don’t even know it.)

• Next stage is to decrease your reliance on these statements.  Allow longer pauses between each one and fill that space with breath awareness.  (Yes, it always comes back to the breath.)  When you hear a wandering thought poking at you, come back to the statements of present action.

• The final stage is to do the activity without any thoughts.  Imagine doing one activity, everyday, free of a working mind…paradise is found!

The point is not to stop your mind from thinking.  The thinking mind is natural.  It is your deep connection to thought that you are seeking to distance yourself from.  You need to practice being awake while living.  Thinking about the meeting that went all wrong while driving is not being “awake at the wheel”*** This practice, if done with your full commitment, will awaken you to new sensations and sensitivity of living.

Now go make your bed.

**Note: Last weeks blog mentioned that thought is “involuntary, automatic and repetitive”(Tolle).  In this exercise you are, to a larger degree, creating voluntary repetitive statements in the activity.  Each time you do the activity, the statements will be the same because the steps don’t alter (like brushing your teeth or washing the dishes).  Eventually, if you practice this long enough, you will feel the statements of present action moving involuntarily in your mind, into your awareness.  This means that the activity is becoming deeply rooted in the present and you are connecting to the “involuntary, automatic and repetitive” qualities of the thinking mind.

***Jonathan Fields

Student: So, I had another relapse last night.

Guru:  What happened?

Student:  I completely lost it.  It was midnight and I devoured a half a dozen oatmeal cookies.

Guru:  How did that make you feel?

Student:  At first I felt satisfied and victorious.  Then disappointed and defeated.  I am going back to old habits.  Will I ever get over the late night urges?

Guru: When you are ready to completely experience what it feels like to be fully aware and able to observe the sensation of your craving without acting on it.

Student: I don’t understand.  I’ve tried all the tricks people tell me to do.  Nothing helps.

Guru:  For example, you first smell an oatmeal cookie, and in a few moments you immediately want the oatmeal cookie and then finally you devour the oatmeal cookie.  When it comes to cravings, you must learn to slow down this experience to halt the cycle. Believe it or not, there is a sequence to every stimulus that comes into your body or mind.  Yet it happens fast, and often it goes undetected.  The cycle starts with a stimulus (ie. smell of a muffin or even a thought like “I want an oatmeal cookie”) and then evaluating whether it is good or bad or neutral.

Student:  So when I feel the uncontrollable urge to snack at night, there is a sensory reaction that I must appraise.  I know I often feel sad, bored, or powerless.  It is like I feel taken over by my craving and immediately have to satisfy it!

Guru: Exactly.  And your need to immediately satisfy your craving is the next step in the cycle.  This is called the impulse.

Student: I’m doing this all the time?

Guru:  Yes, every choice you make in your day goes through this pattern.  Yet each choice ends in an action. So after evaluating and then feeling attracted towards an oatmeal cookie, you decide to go for it and eat the cookie.  Taken over by your need to feed and satisfy, you end up eating three more.  Before you know it, the pleasure of this satisfaction (or rather the chemical, called serotonin) is in full swing.  The faster you eat, the less you are conscious of this cycle.

Student:  Appraisal. Impulse. Action.**  I get it!  But how do I slow this cycle down so I am in control?

Guru:  Meditation.

Student: Ah, I was afraid you were going to say that!

Guru: It is the best tool to become highly aware of this cycle.  It brightens your sensitivity to the stimulations that you experience all day like sound, smell, touch, taste and even thoughts.  It is the practice of meditation that slows down the cycle.  The goal is to become more aware earlier in the process so you can break the link between impulse and action.  In other words, to get beyond the craving, you have to experience what it is like to NOT react; fully aware and able to completely surrender in the moment.  Not easy, I know.

Student:  It sounds impossible.

Guru:  But it is all in your mind.  Listen, you don’t have to react to every pleasant or unpleasant experience in your life.  Self-control is good.  Soon you will learn all your cravings and aversions are just chemical reactions in the body that will pass.  Freedom is then right around the corner.

Student:  Thank you.

Guru:  You are most welcome.

**The Wisdom of Yoga, A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living by Stephen Cope

Focus

Breath Awareness: 1:2 Breathing (longer exhales…for example, count inhale for 2, exhale for 4)

Running Time: 1hr and 5mins 

Make sure you have enough time to enjoy this entire yoga practice.  The sequence in this practice was meant to be done as a whole, with careful attention payed to leaving you with a sense of balance and calm at it’s conclusion.  Remember, you willingly choose to do this yoga practice on your own, at your own risk.  Please practice safely and wisely.