Thursday, March 29, 2012

possibility

"Dwell in possibility." ~Emily Dickinson

Changing gears, ever so slightly here.
I just finished coaching an amazing group of women through Nutrition for Yoga Students at cambio.yoga studios, and being so inspired by all of their support for each other and openness to learning (and teaching me a few things!), I've decided to dedicate this post to them.

We get so caught up, day in and day out, telling ourselves stories. Stories of who we are, what we are made of, what we can and cannot do... I could go on for an eternity. And again, I am not immune. What we actually do, when we tell ourselves these stories, is make it so. We prevent ourselves from moving forward, from progressing. So each time you tell yourself that you cannot run a mile, you cannot confront others with your feelings, cannot get a better job or change your life.. whatever it is, it will not be.

I encourage you, every day, to step back and "Dwell in possibility." Don't cut yourself short. The universe is waiting for you, ready for you to explore and find your true self. Your passion. Your bliss. It is all there, already inside of you, just look at the possibility. When we change our stories, we change how we live our lives. We start to make things happen.

From a more yogic standpoint, Yoga Sutra 1.4.. Vritti sarupyam itaratra.
At other times, when one is not in Self-realization, the Seer appears to take on the form of the modifications of the mind field, taking on the identity of those thought patterns.
Simply, when you are not focused on Self-realization, you are taking on the forms of your thoughts and well.. your stories.

So notice the stories you are telling yourself, and start to...

"Dwell in possibility." ~Emily Dickinson

And Ill finish with a recipe, as promised to the beautiful ladies of Nutrition for Yoga Students! Enjoy!

Cranberry Quinoa Muffins (Original recipe inspiration: Martha Stewart's Quinoa Muffins)
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons light olive oil or coconut oil
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dried (unsweetened) cranberries OR chopped whole non dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup almond milk or almond coconut milk (unsweetened) 
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Method:
  • Cook quinoa according to package instructions
  • When quinoa is cooked, preheat oven to 350 F
  • Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners
  • In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cranberries, and 2 cups cooked quinoa; reserve any leftover quinoa for another use (think breakfast!).
  • In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, agave, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups. (Don’t over-stir or they will be tough)
  • Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes for regular muffins; 40-45 minutes for jumbo muffins
  • Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

santosha.

Contentment. 

We hear it time and time again-everything happens for a reason. Well, sure but how does that help me now? Sure, its easy to be content when things are going well. All the pieces fit. But what about those hiccups? When things dont go quite as planned. The challenge is practicing santosha when things are a bit out of whack. Your day isnt going as planned..

Today I found myself pondering that very phrase. Everything for a reason.

You see.. Chris and I had planned to wake up early and head up to the South Platte area of the state for some early season rock climbing. We were planning to head to a place called Parachute Rock. Its in an area relatively higher in elevation than town, but the spot we wanted to head to is south facing, so with the sun blazing on us it would have been quite nice of a day.

It wasn't to be. The dreaded time change and our ridiculously late night made for a slow morning. And when we woke, the weather looked less than optimal. So we vegged. We lazed about. Took the dog to the park for a quick jaunt.

Chris gets a phone call from an unknown number and finds out that a group of his climbing buddies did, in fact, go to Parachute today. They are stuck. They took a vehicle up there that is not 4wd and has low clearance. There is still a LOT of snow up there. On a dirt road in the mountains that is NOT maintained in the winter. So off we go in Chris's Jeep to see if we can get them out of there, or at the very least, give them a ride back to town. We are going to Parachute after all.

The crew is home safe. The vehicle is still in its resting spot, way up in the mountains.

And so the train of thought ensues.. If we had made it there before they did (we would have), we would be stuck as well, their vehicle blocking the roadway to the climbing area. If we didn't make it there before them, we wouldn't have climbed anyway and spent the time trying in vain to rescue the poor car straining to push its way out of the snow. Serendipitous, no?

So what does this have to do with yoga?

Reminding me to be present. Live in the now. Stop dwelling on what could have been, or what I missed out on. Learning that the universe will give me all I need, and things somehow have a way of working themselves out to our benefit, even when we don't see the purpose. The missed alarm. The red light holding us up from our destination. The child that inexplicably gets sick right as we are about to walk out the door to some event. I was lamenting the fact that we didn't manage to get out of bed early enough. Lamenting the weather being gloomy. Instead of just understanding that I was not meant to be in the mountains today, I was wishing for a redo.

Santosha is the choice to be happy, not the choice to be happy unless something horrible or undesirable happens, but the choice to be happy no matter what happens. Because, after all,  it can be no other way than the way it is.

Friday, March 9, 2012

growing.

"Be daring, be fearless and don't be afraid that somebody is going to criticize you or laugh at you. If your ego is not involved, no one can hurt you." ~ Mahala Punateer


Ah, the ego. Most of us go through our day overly concerned about our appearance, whether physical or otherwise. Concerned over who likes us, who doesn't. Am I good enough? Strong enough? Smart enough? The list goes on. And on.

Trust me. I am not immune. Although I try as hard as I may to drop the ego at the door and focus on my practice when my feet touch the mat, I still find myself glancing around the room from time to time. Fixating on a flaw of mine. I can't get into the splits, but LOOK at me! Do you see how long I can hold crow pose? Seriously, do you see my hair?? Why is it never as perfect as hers? And then I stop. Reconnect with my breath, and remember. I am here for me. I am discovering me. All this worry, all this concern over what they are thinking, is not serving me. As a matter of fact, it is chipping away at all the work I have done to build my confidence in myself. My strength.

I am not a competitive person. I will gladly let you squeeze in front of me in traffic. Ill readily give up the last brownie if you want it. Ill easily let you win a race, because the winning is not important to me. So why then, does that little (ok, maybe not so little) voice of the ego jump in and try to derail me at a time when I feel my most confident, most comfortable in my skin? Perhaps it is because I am no longer hiding in my shell, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, wearing the wrong thing, being self conscious about the way I look...I am daring. I am fearless. I am learning. I am growing. I am remembering.

Whether on or off the mat-the next time you are looking at yourself, picking apart every little flaw and comparing it to someone you perceive as being "perfect"-take a deep breath, and tell that little devil on your shoulder to hush. YOU are whole. YOU are daring, fearless and brave. Those that would look at you and laugh or criticize you do so out of fear, or perhaps jealousy. Let go of your ego and laugh with them. Stand up tall. Let your feet ground you to the Earth. Let your spine be long and strong. Pull your shoulders back and reach the crown of your head to the heavens. Let your confidence shine. You are. I am.

So, wear that polka dot dress with the striped scarf! Topple out of your bound Runner's Lunge and laugh about it! Sing at the top of your lungs, wherever, whenever. Follow your dream, visualize it and make it happen. Throw caution to the wind. Let them laugh. Let them roll their eyes. You know something they don't. For now. Live.  

And...
"Be daring, be fearless and dont be afraid that somebody is going to criticize you or laugh at you. If your ego is not involved, no one can hurt you." ~ Mahala Punateer