2012 Through the Lens of Gratitude

The clock shows 4am as I step onto my yoga mat. I mean to do 108 rounds of Surya Namaskar, mostly to celebrate the divine source of spiritual energy from the last full moon of 2012 (but also the need to work off all that excessive Christmas eating). 

Instead I first sit cross legged, my face bathed in the brightness of the lunar luminescence that streamed through the windows of my practice space. It's just days away from my long awaited beach holiday, and I think of the gravity of the moon as it pulls the oceans back and forth, creating tides that constantly kiss and caress the shoreline. Just as the tides of our lives flow and ebb, I take a moment to reflect on the year that was about to end and how I'd embrace the new year that was about to begin.

Looking back, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for life's roller coaster ride of 2012. To me, gratitude isn't just a 'feeling'... it is a state of being... a way of looking at life through the lens of goodness to see the hidden wonders of what the world has to offer us. Being grateful is also to embrace our imperfections, and to recognise that there is so much love coming from every direction in our lives, and that whenever we are aligned with faith, we will be OK no matter how things turn out. When we are able to focus on the stuff that matters, and let go of the stuff that don't, gratitude beckons.

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being.
We should be thankful for those people who rekindle our inner spirit"
(Albert Schweitzer)
(photo taken in Old Town Tbilisi, Georgia, Oct 2012)

A sweaty but deeply gratifying 108 Surya Namaskars later, I write the last post for the year, and pause to set a Sankalpa for 2013. A "Sankalpa" means "vow or determination"... it's kinda like setting life's resolution but with a yogic flavour. A Sankalpa is about the "I Am" and not about the "I Want". It aims to bring out the best in us and focuses on the efforts and nobility behind that intention. In order to usher in the positive, we must first recognise and eliminate the negative. And by training the mind to develop trust and faith in ourselves, a Sankalpa can be the creator of our destiny. 

In this new year, may you be free from the shackles of self-imposed boundaries, for you can be truly exceptional if you believe it in your heart of hearts.
May you be happy and surrounded by love and laughter, for there can never be enough of that in the world.
May you find gratitude in the angels who cross your path and reignite your inner fire.
May your Sankalpa enhance your life with contentment and inner peace.

Om Namah Shivaya.
Have a Happy and Blessed New Year.

Not Quite a Cat(astrophic) Practice

The Cat Pose (Bidalasana), is one of my favourite warm-up asanas, as the arch-tilt action initiates movement from the core centre, and coordinates movement with breath, while gently warming up the entire spine, freeing the neck and shoulders. It is also an excellent stimulant to the abdominal organs and the spinal fluids. Practitioners with knee pain can place a blanket under their knees when doing this pose. And just like most asanas whose names take after animals, cats have had a great role to play in this asana.

My lil' stick drawings

My cats accompany me in my daily yoga practice. As creatures of habit, they take great joy in running up the stairs ahead of me, as if to race me to my mat. Being the good boys they are, they don't deface my mat by using it to sharpen their claws. They seem to know that my yoga mat is my sacred practice space (although sometimes, sharing a corner is oh-so irresistible). They don't get in the way of my practice but instead, choose to widen their eyes in horror when I fall heavily to the ground in the many failed attempts of a handstand in the middle of the room.

Each morning they would snuggle into their favourite corners, and choose to keep a watchful (sometimes even disdainful) eye on my alignment (as if to say, "Jeez, woman, you call that a backbend???").

"Oi! Hug those legs into the midline!" 

"There must be something underneath here that's making her stay balanced".

Meditation and Pranayama can be a challenge when you know someone's watching (or purring loudly in accompaniment).

Me : "Ommmm"
Ringo : "Purrrrrrrrr"

I can never be as flexible as them in any Parivrtta (revolved) pose.

"Supta Something Something?
Piece of cake".

In spite of all that, Savasana is always sweet after a great morning practice.

"Group Savasana, our fave pose"

May you find life's little highlights in your daily practice too.

OM, Peace and Purrs from me, Ringo and Toby.

xx