Attitude is gratitude!

About a week ago, my back 'decided' it was going to take a vacation. It all happened after an amazing workout of running, rowing, and some functional exercises- a swift flick of the sir while drying my hair and out my back went. It happens once in a while and usually requires a week or two of rest and easy activity ( or no activity). No problem.

I teach a yoga physical education course once a week and another course every Monday evening. I have taught through back issues many times and find it a humbling experience in practicing what I preach about listening note body. There was to be no teaching this week.

As I went down to cancel my evening class, I received the "yoga teachers don't have back injuries" and a look of confusion. I always respond with a smile and a "c'est la vie" because although injuries are annoying and frustrating, they are truly an opportunity for personal growth. I truly believe that injuries give us a kick in the pants to remember to appreciate all the amazing things our bodies can do; the amazing sensations we feel; and do some relaxing activities that we often don't have time for such as reading, reconnecting with phone calls, and remembering that blog we haven't written in ages :)

So back injury, I've listened and rested where possible. Thank you for providing me with a few extra moments of stillness and gratitude for a healthy, active body.

Keepers :)

A few weeks ago, I received a 'forward' email from my mom that I shared with my yoga class. I didn't quite delve into the article beyond reading it because I think it really speaks for itself. We need to take care of ourselves, we need to continue to strive to make ourselves the best version of ourself that we can be, and we need to remind ourselves that we are worth it. We are worth it for ourselves and for others. We are keepers!

I grew up in the 50's/60's with practical parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminium foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a name for it.... A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones..

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused.. Their best friends lived barely a wave away..

I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence.. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away....never to return.. So... While we have it..... it's best we love it.... And care for it... And fix it when it's broken........ And heal it when it's sick.

This is true. For marriage....... And old cars.... And children with bad report cards...... And dogs with bad hips...... And aging parents........ And grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special........ And so, we keep them close!

I received this from someone who thinks I am a 'keeper', so I've sent it to the people I think of in the same way.... Now it's your turn to send this to those people that are "keepers" in your life. Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Keep them close!

TEN THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY.

1...... God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation..

2.. God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3... God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4... God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5... God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6.. God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7... God won't ask in what neighbourhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbours.

8.... God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.

Namaste :)

But I'm Not Flexible :)

If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you are forced to expand your consciousness. -Les Brown

Today I had the opportunity to lead a yoga practice to a good friend of mine who had never tried yoga before. Although he had not planned to attend the yoga practice, curiosity (and maybe a lack of equipment in the gym) got the better of him. Like all first time yogis, the first thing out of his mouth was 'But, I'm not flexible'. It's funny how we attach such statements to ourselves and how these thoughts tend to keep us in our comfort zone.

As new yoga practicers, we tend to focus a lot of mental energy on the things we cannot do instead of the things we can do. We are all flexible, just flexible in a varying amount of degrees. I, personally, will never be able to perform dancer pose like some of the students in my classes. I will probably always use a strap in staff pose. On some days, I may be able to move my back into bow pose. And on other days, my body just won't last through the entire 'Eagle takes flight' sequence that Bram/Jen teach at Centre Luna yoga. And I'm okay with that.

Instead of focusing on what we are not able to do, we need to try and rethink things by saying 'I am able to do ....' or 'I am working towards doing....'. These positive affirmations give us the confidence and courage to push the limits of our comfort zone, whether it be to attend our first yoga class or to finally get our legs up for headstand. When we push ourselves just past our comfort zone, we enter an area that a former physical education professor at McGill used to describe as 'deliciously uncertain'. This area is easy enough that we can succeed but hard enough that it challenges us- it is finding a balance, but moving forward at the same time. It is creating change.

Every time I hear someone say that they are not flexible, I think back to the my Yogafit training and the emphasis placed on creating an inviting atmosphere. Their Essence of Yoga (which is found in all types of yoga), encourages breathing, feeling, listening to the body, letting go of competition, letting go of judgment, letting go of expectations, and staying in the present moment.

So to all my inflexible friends out there:

1. Remember to breathe during any stretching or flexibility exercises. Through the breath, we are able to go just out of comfort level and improve our flexibility (even if by a mm).

2. Feel, feel, feel. If it hurts, it probably isn't worth it. One of my yoga mentors at Yogafit used to say that it should feel somewhere between 'ouch' and 'that's easy'. We each know our own bodies and their limitations and injuries. We each know what feels good. We are each trying to find a balance along this spectrum.

3. List to the body each day. We feel different from day to day depending on our energy levels and the activities we do. Everyday, whether it is yoga or in another area of our life, we do what we are able to do.

4. Letting go of competition, judgment, and expectations occurs by focusing on ourselves. Yoga is one of a handful of activities that focuses entirely on ourselves. It's just us and the mat. It doesn't matter if we don't look like the person beside us or the model in the yoga magazine because it's not about them. It's about us. It's about finding our best version of the posture- making the posture fit our bodies and not our bodies fit the posture. It's about doing what we can on a specific day, not yesterday or tomorrow.

5. Finally, staying in the present moment. In today's day in age, we are on facebook, twitter, planning next week's schedule, working on a presentation, paying bills, talking on our cellphones, and trying to drive at the same time. We are in 15 places at once and we rarely take the time to enjoy the present. If we stay in the present moment, we are open to experiencing the feelings and sensations that are going on in our bodies. We are ready to change, we are aware, and we are open to experience.

So, to all my 'I'm just not flexible' friends, perhaps it's time we try stepping out of comfort zone and into something 'deliciously uncertain'.

Namaste

Krista

Stream of Consciousness

"To be nobody but yourself--in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else--means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting" - e.e. cummings

As many of my friends and family know, reading inspiring and challenging quotes has always been a past time of mine. This e.e. cummings quote is one of my favorites an I think it represents the constant struggle many of us go through each day while trying to meet the demands of our lives.

A few years back, I was introduced to yoga. Like many others yoga has had a profound effect on my life, in many ways that I am aware of and in many ways that I am still discovering. Throughout my yoga journey, I have become awakened to the people around me and to the person within me. I think yoga has begun to develop my toolbox of skills to build the best version of me possible. It has made me comfortable with who I am each day and in each moment- even through the many distractions of work, friends, money, and obligations. It has placed a few stones in the foundation of Krista.

I invite you along my journey of inspirational quotes, yoga, and living life as the best possible version of ourselves!

Namaste,

Krista