Gratitude

A week filled with much to be grateful for…

• the friend who called and said “I love you. I really love you.”
• the Godiva dark chocolate raspberry bar that my beloved and I shared
• my daughter’s hugs
• my new eyeglasses that make the world so much clearer to me
• the newest book that I’m busily devouring, Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story Of My Experiments With Truth
• the creation of NaYoPracMo
• humming through the house, while listening to the soundtrack from the movie Water
• sitting in the coffee shop and filling pages of my journal
• the start of classes tomorrow
• silent mornings with a warm cup of Fair Trade Ethiopian Coffee in my hand
• the way the rain dances on the pavement
• this poem

Do You Feel What I Feel?

Do you feel what I feel? It’s been five days of keeping my commitment to yoga practice, and I feel more movement, more steadiness, and more calm in my body. How about you?

“What are some of your most common excuses not to practice?”

“What are some of your most common excuses not to practice?” This is the question asked by Yogamum over at NaYoPracMo.

My #1 excuse is that the house isn’t clean enough. I constantly have the feeling that in order to practice yoga my living space must be in perfect order. After that I’d use studying, being too tired, and finally, if I’ve left yoga practice until later in the evening my excuse would be having to get up early.

Yoga and The Sniffles

Yup, I’m coming down with a cold, but I’m staying true to my yoga practice. Oh, how I’d love to be able to breathe freely through my nose. Perhaps, a little ginger tea, a little neti potting and an early night’s sleep will remedy the situation.

Gratitude

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to keep a gratitude journal, so I’ve decided to list the things I’m grateful for every Sunday on this blog. But, because I couldn’t wait here is my first list early.
I’m grateful for:
• the soft feeling of a balmy breeze as it kisses my cheek
• Baxters Country Vegetable Soup on chilly nights
• Paul Tillich’s book The Courage To Be
• watercolour pencils that free me when I have a creative whim
• my psychology of religion class that expands my idea of God
• my son’s laughter
• this video
• the scent of Downy fresh sheets straight out of the dryer
• the silence during sitting meditation

Yoga Practice

It’s New Year’s Day, and the first day of NaYoPracMo. I’m looking forward to a whole month of daily yoga practice, since I let my regular yoga practice become sidetracked during the holidays. Today’s practice began with the lighting of incense, the placing of a CD in the CD player, and the unfurling of my yoga mat. I was excited, arms raised to start Sun Salutations and then as I bent down into forward bend I felt the familiar muscle tightness in the backs of my legs. I was somewhat dismayed recalling how much progress I’d made prior to the holidays, while engaged in regular practice. I persuaded myself to keep going lengthening and stretching the muscles that were feeling resistant, with each new pose the stiffness melted a little more, until finally, I could feel new movement and space. Finishing my practice, I laid back in Corpse Pose and smiled, as I thought how yoga practice, like New Year’s Day was offering up a moment to begin again.

Happy New Year!

May all your dreams take flight this year.