Are you giving in?

Hi all!

Hope you are all in some way safe.

As I was walking through the streets of a shut down, lightless Manhattan, I realized how this storm came about at a time when we are all so busy with our lives, we don't have space for such a break!

The storm was obviously not very considerate of 'ahimsa' non-violence ;), but in its violence it gave us a chance to stop. As I strolled down the streets of Greenwich Village I couldn't help but noticing the craze of people walking around aimlessly, looking for reach for their iphone devices. We are so used to being connected through technology, we have become alien to full-on person to person contact. This storm has given us the opportunity to appreciate the presence of another human being, the importance of silence, the importance and going within and taking time to be with our inner most selves, with nothing around to quieten the noise within.

I don't know about you, but to me the storm has also happened within. It started earlier last week with the moon coming to its full on Monday and the wind starting to get closer, I started to feel a little unsettled. My body ready for cold season, the weather so uncertain of what season to be in,  I found myself 'all around grabbing' for things/behaviors/emotions that don't really serve me…uncertain of what I really needed to to feel at ease. I felt uprooted and unsettled in my thoughts towards me and towards others. There was and is a lot of mental clutter, a lot of noise storming up in my head.

Yoga uses asana to train our bodies to be flexible, once the body is flexible and the breath is full then the mind begins to be flexible. 

In the midst of the storm I felt completely imbalanced. My body felt tired, my mind kept looking for excuses to not be disciplined.

Storms are not only climate adversities, they also exist within. Frankenstorm ;) is the perfect excuse to take the time to observe what's going on within…so I thought "what a great opportunity to see the fruits of my practice!"…can I take this opportunity to adjust and be flexible, deconstruct my routine and adapt it to what's going on within and without?  

There is always a reason why our bodies ask us for things, and we should listen to that and take care of that. Perhaps we needed a storm in order to take the time to cultivate respect and kindness towards ourselves and towards others.

Yoga makes it vary obvious to see, you might have a hard time with certain things in your practice: hip openers, tight hamstrings, or perhaps its your back that is tight and its stopping you to back bend…whatever it is, on your mat its clear where you are inflexible, and you know that its a day to day discipline to open those areas up. Over time you are able to see the changes start to happen! I never thought I could get both legs crossed behind my head and balance on my sit bones while I press my head back into my feet to lift my chest! But hey guess what, just like we might encounter some density, some inflexibility in the joints, sometimes its challenging be flexible in life too! Yoga teaches us that its a life long journey, we cultivate flexibility over time with kindness and respect towards our present condition.

The point:

Take time to check in…

Are you feeling stormy within?

What's your storm shaped out to be? Is it creating catastrophe within?

Can you be aware of that and adjust, can you be flexible?

Is there space for respect and kindness?

Guess what I did?

Instead of getting up at 6am and doing my practice first thing in the morning, 

I got up when my body was ready to, and waited until I felt like unrolling my mat!

Instead of eating soup by 8pm to be ready for practice the next day, my husband and I made pizza and ate without thinking of time!!!!!

To me this is being naughty, but guess what it showed me that my yoga is working, I can be flexible to life, and it feels so liberating when I give myself permission!

Instead of fighting the storm, I gave in!

Are you giving in?

Lots of love to all,

Bibi