July 2016 archive

A Tsunami of Love

Are you, like me, wondering what you can do to change the tide of fear and violence that seems to currently dominate our global community?

Well, here’s my plan: Cultivate and grow so much love in our own homes that it infects our Me and Solis FBneighborhoods, even overflowing to encompass our entire state.  From there, it can flood into our country, sending a tsunami of love around the world. Once our world is saturated, and can hold no more love, this wave will infuse our universe and beyond.

Are you with me?  If not, and you think this plan is overly simplistic or  too idealistic to effect change, consider these words from the Dalai Lama, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

Hamstrung?

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine and the practice of yoga, our mental state greatly affects our physical state.  And vise versa. Mind, body and spirit are strongly linked and constantly influence each other.

You have probably heard the phrase “to be hamstrung” before. The word is defined by the Hamstrung FBMerriam Webster dictionary as “unable to act or achieve one’s purpose”. Here are some synonyms for the word: cripple, hinder, impair, weaken and immobilize. This brings me to the theme for my yoga classes this week- opening the hamstrings!

Check in with the state of your hammies. Are they feeling tight? Inflexible and shortened?  Is it possible that leaving this powerful muscle unattended is in some way hindering your ability to achieve your purpose, your ability to play an active role in your life?  Hmmmmm, food for thought.  Or maybe your tight hamstrings are *just* causing your low back to ache?  Either way, come explore your hamstrings at my community yoga class this Friday at 2pm at the Towson Yoga Works studio.

By the way, here are some words that have the opposite meaning of “hamstrung”: encourage, strengthen, cure, heal.  Unwind your hamstrings and watch what happens to your life!

 

What I learned about Yoga (and life!) from a baby bird

Last week I had the luck to watch a tiny baby bird fly for the first time.  As I watched, this little creature with great courage and perseverance, leapt from the ground furiously flapping her wings only to levitate about a centimeter from the ground.  But did this small creature with Baby Bakasana FB1 enormous heart give up? Not a chance. Within minutes she was perched on the shutter hanging over a window box, flying higher and higher, Then, suddenly from great heights, she tumbled down into the flower padded window bow below. After a moment’s rest, she was back at it.  Flapping her wings, fearlessly leaping into the air over and over again until, at last, I watched her take flight into the dusk. Inspired by my baby bird friend, this week’s yoga class will offer baby crow as a peak pose. Bring your heart, courage, perseverance, and sense of humor and join me in flight this Friday from 2-3pm at the Towson Yoga Works studio.