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  ARCHIVE: Feb. 2007 writing experiment

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The Writing Experiment (my blog) archive

February 27, 2007

Natasha Rizopulos calls yoga the greatest gift in her life. I can relate. Like Natasha, I came to yoga after many years of ballet training. (Unlike Natasha, I don't have a decade of experience teaching yoga. Just a couple years.) It’s true that the flexibility, strength and coordination required of the body are similar. And the feelings of elation after class resonate with the dance high I used to feel driving home from the studio.

But here’s where they diverge—where yoga goes beyond the physical into our everyday lives - and becomes a special gem. Natasha describes our yoga mat as a mirror that allows us to see ourselves most clearly. “Whatever our tendencies – how we think about ourselves, how we treat ourselves and how we perceive ourselves in terms of those around us- they will all in some way be revealed upon our mat, and because of the potency of yoga, these tendencies will come up in very vivid ways."

This could be real scary, right?  Those tendencies aren’t always pretty. Not to fear-- yoga helps us to face them when we are ready, gently and bravely. As Natasha says, our time on the mat “opens us up to a process through which we can start to shift habits and patterns that do not serve us and develop the best parts of ourselves.”

Yoga is so special, in fact, because it is a unique, new journey for everyone every day. It’s a journey of observation, balance and growth. Depending on what we see reflected in our mats, we will start to understand who we really are… not a teacher, a worker, husband or a daughter… but who we are at the core of our being.

Another person who makes this process crystal clear is Erich Schiffman, a beautiful yoga teacher and author who radiates lovingkindness through every word. He describes yoga as "a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are." After hearing the humble, almost child-like way he describes finding this truth, you will be convinced! You were born out of love, you were always loved and always will be. And by practicing yoga, you will come to find that at your very core… LOVE is the stuff you are actually made of.

Natasha is teaching at The Yoga Loft in Bethlehem this weekend and I hope to meet her. Check it out if you can.

February 26, 2007

The ocean and beaches are amazing. But there's just something about snow and the intricate design of each tiny flake. We returned from a weekend in Vermont where the white stuff is more abundant. Everyone's out there in it, moms and dads, grandpas, and lots of kids, skiing, sledding, boarding or riding their snowmobiles. They can't help smiling. No joke, it looked as if someone colored the sky with Crayola brilliant blue. It must be the way it reflects off all of that white.

The bite of the chilly air only fueled the flame inside. The little ones were wearing silly hats and the big ones egging them on. By the time we finished a run, our cheeks blushing and hearts going ba-bum ba-bum, everything else just disappeared. It's a rush of adrenaline. Every brain cell, every muscle has to join in to get you down the mountain. It's a whole-body experience! From the lift, we watched one of the littlest ones braving the moguls. Instead of carving in between the bumps, he went bombing straight through. When his two little legs did a complete straddle split, we gasped, but he kept on going! How amazing it is to watch kids before they even consider having fears.

A couple other highlights from this weekend at the Kitzhof Inn... A two-year old pug named Murphy who made me smile with her antics and a sweet, unassuming 6-year-old named Bridget who beat me at chess. I'll be practicing, Bridget!

February 21, 2007

I'm finally beginning to understand the importance of family. That's where real love is allowed to grow. I think going through all of those years as a teen and young adult-- discovering new places, new ideas, new people--I was drawn away from the love and security of family to the excitement of travel, career, dating. It's been a thrilling time, but yesterday during meditation I had a feeling come over me. I was thinking of Michael and I having our own family and it filled me with comfort and love in a way I can't quite describe.

I have the sense that all of the things that have happened in my life up until now were preparing me for this family life full of love.

February 18, 2007

One other revelation from the movie The Secret. They claim anti-war rallies only foster and create more war. You see, it doesn't matter whether you LIKE or DISLIKE the concept or thing, it's simply the fact that you are giving your energy and thought to it. THIS is why I have such a draining experience with anti-war rallies and such an uplifting experience with peace vigils, and weddings, for that matter!

After protesting the Iraq war in 2002 before Bush's "Shock and Awe" began, I was totally exhausted. It seems my boyfriend knew that planning a wedding was just the thing I needed at the time. Michael and I married in Nov. 2003 and we planned the wedding in just 6 short months.

 

February 17, 2007

The power of attraction. This is the "Secret" everyone's been talking about. It's really not a secret at all--the greatest, most successful artists, scientists, philosophers and authors have been using it all along. Perhaps it's just a secret we know at birth, but forget somewhere along the way.

One of the most fascinating things about the Secret movie - which you can watch online  - is that your feelings have such a dominant effect over everything that happens in your life. I have heard about the power of thoughts, and how just thinking of a goal can bring it right to your doorstep. But it is also true that simply by conjuring up a positive feeling, like love for a child or a pet, you can keep the doldrums of boredom and depression at bay, and attract even more love, good feelings, laughter and positive energy.

This movie makes you want to go give the power of attraction a try. They're not afraid to talk about attracting wealth, either. We were born to live in abundance, not poverty! And even though we're taught to think there's a real lack, they say there is enough for all. You shouldn't feel guilty for living a life of abundance.

February 11, 2007

The life of a cat. Do you think they're bored, or are they just loving it? I often watch them lounging, stretching out, chasing each other round and round, watching the birds fly by... Seems like the life of leisure to me. But sometimes the way they chase after me for breakfast and dinner, they seem bored out of their minds.

 

February 6, 2007

The world seems smaller every day. I answered an ad on Craig's List and the person selling the TV armoire happens to be married to a doctor I interviewed for a story last year. I knew the name sounded familiar. I collide with the same people all the time. I'll never forget when I was in a hostel in Tasmania, Australia and ran into a guy I knew from Lehigh University. I think it's just proof that the universe is not totally random. What do you think?

Craig's List Lehigh Valley - go there. You might find a job, child care, furniture, or maybe even a date! Below is my find.

February 1, 2007

"The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of consciousness with which we created them."

                                                                                                                                        - Albert Einstein

In a conversation I had last night at a Sustainable Business Network gathering, I asked Peter Crownfield about a recent local sustainable food event. He said it was delicious, more than 180 people attended and many others had to be turned away. I must admit, when I saw it on the evening news, I was suprised they had such great coverage. Peter said one comment at the event received a standing ovation: "The only way we are going to come close to solving our energy crisis and dependence on oil is to completely change our lifestyle in America."

It seems Einstein hit the nail on the head once again-- it is going to take a huge paradigm shift to solve this crisis. The "pot is boiling," as Peter said, and consciousness is making a huge shift. My question is, what will our new lifestyle look like? What would Alduous Huxley say? Will we be walking to and from the grocery store in all kinds of weather, or growing all of our own food? Will those of us with high winds be selling energy back to the electric company? Or perhaps, as I saw on a recent documentary, population growth will push us to manmade island communities in the middle of the ocean?

January 30, 2007

I'm watching the deer cross the hill from the side window in my office. They're the best coworkers to have, along with the squirrels. They're generally pretty relaxed unless you startle them witha car engine, they like to snack (on our birdseed mostly), they stick together and, best of all, never enter my personal space.

Taking a moment to look away from the screen is crucial to my survival. Since I teach yoga as my "night" job, I've been thinking a lot about the difference between office work and more physical work. My firm belief is sitting in front of the screen all day could turn me into a vegetable, like one of those yahoos who know everything about everything though they never experienced it.

Here are my coworkers, below.

                 

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