Are You Afraid?

What is the opposite of Love? Many would say that Hate is the opposite of Love, but love and hate are actually quite closely related. Sometimes, they are a hair's breadth apart. Sometimes, both can exist at the same time, toward the same person or situation. When someone says, "I have a real love/hate relationship with my ex--my exercise routine--my job", they are harboring both emotions at one time. But opposites cannot exist together.

Darkness vanishes in the presence of light. Abundance cannot exist where there is scarcity. There are no limits to a boundless universe. These opposites can only abide separately, not together. One wins, the other is vanquished. Hate sometimes lives with Love. So what is the opposite of Love?

Fear. When there is fear there cannot be love, and Love is the most precious and useful emotion there is. Love can only be explained by poets and teenagers. Love is too often taken for granted; love is not taken for granted often enough. When we feel the highest emotion toward someone, we say, I Love You. Or, sadly, we say, I am afraid of you. Equally powerful, one has the ability to bring joy, the other to cause withdrawal.

Where there is fear, there is uncertainty. In our world today, there is much to be feared. Countries divided, peoples against governments, lone gunmen, terrorist cells. But if we choose to live in this fear, to abide in the feelings of hopelessness and aloneness, we choose to live without Love.

Choose Love.

The Power of Plenty

One of the fun things (and there are many) about being a yoga teacher is seeing a group of people follow your spoken direction with their body movements. I say, "Swoop your arms overhead," and the room fills with flying birds' wings. "Float into forward bend" creates an exhalation of movement toward the ground. It is a truly beautiful thing to see. But once in a while I like to throw a curve ball and see what happens. Instead of starting with the right leg as usual, I ask them to step back with their left leg first. Some comply without a thought. Others make a little scribbling motion with their hand to determine which side is the left. And a few protest. "Don't you mean our right leg?"

So what's the difference? Are the folks who follow the direction seamlessly the ones with the most resilience, or are they avid rule-followers? Are the protesters rigid and afraid of change, or are they just comfortable with routine? And those who don't quite know their right from their left (me!) probably never even noticed that they usually stepped their right leg back first. Are they flibberty-gibbets? Or just relaxed?

The answers are: Who knows. Probably some of each. It doesn't much matter. What does matter is practicing in a group of people with varying abilities and viewpoints and expectations, and learning a little something about yourself in the process. That something is missing when one practices yoga alone. (Yes, a personal practice is important and useful; so try a bit of each!) The group dynamic is powerful and empowering, as long as competition is kept out of the equation. Moving together, breathing together, finding stillness together. The same, yet different.

Inhale your arms overhead and reach into the sky! Grab a star and exhale as you hand it to the person on the mat next to you. Right hand, left hand, it doesn't matter.

"Hmmm, I think she's breaking some sort of rule. Teacher said to cross our legs!"

They say it can be dangerous . . .

I’ve been thinking.

Voices in harmony are so beautiful.

Wouldn’t it be nice to visit the Garden of Eden so we could stop worrying about teenaged boys’ pants falling down or teenaged girls’ bellies showing or young singers shedding clothing or plumbers cracks or heck, saggy boobs! Just us and our bodies with complete acceptance.

Mystical fountain in Bryant Park, 1/14
(Photo courtesy of Nicole Howard)

It is very very sad that sugar is so bad for us.

There is a need to begin trusting ourselves again. The time for blindly following is over. Go with your gut.

Watching a paper cut heal is like witnessing a miracle. The skin just knits itself back together without a trace.

You can experience awe at the Grand Canyon; you can experience awe looking out your window after a snowfall. Awe will surface when you gaze upon the face of any newborn and when you look into the face of your own child at any age.

Meditation = ahhhhhh.

The world is becoming gentler. It might be hard to see, but if you look and listen, you’ll notice.

If you love, you are loved. If you Love, you are Love.

Hello there, 2014!

Everyone (well, some people) expected the world to change dramatically on 12/21/12, and were disappointed when there was no angel chorus and no apocalypse and not even a good thunderstorm . . . And 2013 was no walk in the park, was it? Lightening strikes aside, I believe the world can and will be a better place, and that we are in the midst of making it that way. 

Life is like a labyrinth. There is one way in to the center, and that way twists and winds and sometimes brings you to an unexpected place. Then you arrive at the center where it is calm and serene, but that is a small space and you are there for a short time before stepping back out onto the path. Which still twists and winds and even if it is more familiar than it was on the way in, you may become disoriented and not know just how close you are to the end. Then, suddenly, you are stepping out of the labyrinth, wondering at how much quicker it was to get out than to get in. 

Those are the three levels to a labyrinth walk: Release, Receive, and Return. Or, Purgation, Illumination, and Union.

On 12/21/12 we stepped into the labyrinth and began to walk, letting go of all the old paradigms and systems and beliefs that no longer served our highest interests. During 2013 we twisted and turned and didn't always know what we were doing or where we were going; but as it is impossible to get lost in a labyrinth, we were safe and always heading in the right direction. Release.

The December solstice brought us into the center of the labyrinth. We celebrated and lit candles and gathered with loved ones. Some of us brought Nature into our homes in the form of a tree. We took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Receive.

As we move into the new year of 2014, we are back on the winding path. But this time there is familiarity, a sense of having been here before. You feel more free, released of constraints.That which you've been hoping, dreaming and yearning for all these years is finally within your grasp. You may not be able to put a name or label on what it is you want, but you feel it and it is being magnified. Now is the time to open your eyes and your heart, and make each step one that brings you closer to Love. Return.

"There's nothing you can sing that can't be sung."(Beatles) So whatever it is, sing it out. Do it with a spirit of lovingkindness. Know that what you do is for the good of all, even if that isn't obvious. Allow that even if you don't understand the Big Picture, there is one, and you are part of it. Walk with a light heart and a helping hand (and I don't just mean those who are obvious "helpers" like nurses and firefighters, but those who keep the world running from behind the scenes, like  dish washers and office managers). 

That sounds vague, but the details are in you. Each person's path is slightly different, like in the labyrinth: This one walks close to the edges of the path; that one treads on a fragrant plant, releasing a lovely aroma, and another picks their way, carefully avoiding the muddy parts. Some stride through purposefully, others meander. Look at what you are doing now and keep doing it, but with a new light shining on your busyness. 

I believe in World Peace and Unlimited Abundance and that may sound like a pipe dream or the answer to a beauty contest question, but I hold that in my heart and it lets me smile and have patience and cultivate compassion. These beautiful states are mirrored back to me by most people I come in contact with every day; these reflections strengthen my faith that harmony is within the grasp of all on Earth.

Peace.

Water, Water, Everywhere!

Weight Watchers ruined water for us. Didn’t lose any weight last week? Well, how much water did you drink? Tummy growling? Drink a full glass of water before you have a snack; maybe you’re just thirsty!  True; but there’s more, much more, to plentiful water consumption than just weight loss. Besides, if water was the magic weight loss cure, I’d be thin as a reed . . . Yes, drink plenty of water, but for a hundred different reasons, not just weight loss.

I can hear you already: But when I drink the recommended amount of water I spend half my day in the bathroom. Come on, it doesn’t take that long to pee unless you’re still wearing pencil skirts and panty hose. (That was a workout!) Wearing jeans, I bet you take less than a minute in there, and that includes washing your hands. You can cut that time down by simply staying in yoga pants all day (my personal tip). It’s recommended to get up and move every hour anyway, so with frequent potty breaks, you’re killing two birds with one stone!

Consuming the recommended amount of water (50-80% of your body weight in ounces) can seem daunting, but when you want your body to be clean and smelling fresh, is your first choice to take a little bowlful of water and swish yourself with that? No, you take a nice long shower or soak in a tub full of water (ever mindful of water conservation, of course!) It’s the same with drinking water. You need copious amounts to clean and refresh all the nooks and crannies of your inner workings. Water washes away the lactic acid loosened by your morning workout. It keeps your saliva flowing and keeps your digestion moving. Water carries oxygen to your muscles and to your brain, keeping you strong and smart! Water lubricates your joints so you remain flexible and pain-free. Water is used by every bodily system, so drink up.

And there’s more! Harken back to high school science class, or to that episode of Desperate Housewives when Edie is killed off, and you’ll remember: Water conducts electricity. Our bodies’ energy systems need water to function properly. A glass of water and a few deep breaths can quickly raise your energy, as the water carries the oxygen (and the million other beneficial things we breathe in that we don’t even have names for yet) through the body to enliven us from tip to toe. Water conducts your body-electricity to enhance your own EFT or Reiki or meditation practice. If you can’t get out of a slump, or your brain is woozy, breathe and drink (uh, water, of course) and sit up straight and notice the difference.

Water is the magic elixir. ‘Nuff said.

Just being near water makes us feel great!

P.S.  Well, maybe one more thing: Go ahead and put lemon or mint in your water, drink herbal tea and a moderate amount of coffee, just don’t add sugar or, shudder, artificial sweeteners. And remember, this is the Om Minute and not the Om Doctor (which you probably realized from my Desperate reference) so feel free to do your own research, both online and through personal trial-and-error. Salut!

Positive vs. Negative

Some of us are adamant about only speaking about, admitting to, and reflecting on the positive. Affirmations are trendy! The Power of Positive Thinking, the Law of Attraction. We shun any negative feelings and words, afraid to jinx ourselves. But what about this: There is no positive vs. negative. It’s not about good vs. evil, black hat or white. It just is what it is!

A battery has a positive end and a negative end. Is the negative end to be shunned, ignored; should we pretend it doesn’t even exist? No, that would be silly, because the battery would offer no power without its negative charge. The negative end of the battery is not a bad guy!

So instead of shying away from certain words or thoughts that reflect a scenario you’d like to avoid, turn the bright light of day on them, expose them, and I bet you’ll find that 1) They are not as awful as you suspected, and 2) acknowledging these things allows you to release them. You cannot let something go if you’ve stuffed it into a lead box and dropped it to the bottom of your personal ocean. You need to look every thing, every aspect, then take what feels right and let the other stuff float away.

Claim your power by accepting both ends of your battery. Find your charge, your energy, your life force by choosing aspects, thoughts and words that you intuit will bring you closer to your dharma, your life’s purpose. You won’t get far with only half a battery!

Abundance or Agita?

My thoughts keep turning to Abundance these days. Walk into any store, whether grocery or mall, and you cannot help but believe in an abundant Universe. Walk into your closet or open your pantry door, and you cannot help but say, Yikes, I have too much stuff! But ask most people if they have abundance in their lives and they will say, “No, because I don’t have enough money”.

What’s the deal? Is there “enough”, “too much”, or as we often tell ourselves, “too little”?

Here’s my thought. There is perfectly, exactly enough. It’s just not spread out evenly. Since we can’t balance the whole world, we need to balance things out in our own lives. Buy what you need from the store and leave the rest of the junk there on the shelf. Don’t drag it home to sit on your shelf uneaten, or in your closet, unworn. It will just give you agita. And we all know there’s an abundance of that!

When you are feeling like your bank account is too low, ask yourself, “Today, am I safe, fed, and housed?” If yes, then you do have enough. And if you have gratitude for what you already have, you greatly increase the possibility of allowing even more of the same into your life.

Give it a shot. Give thanks. And clean out your closets!