yoga

The fun of plodding perseverance

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Exercise and learning are cumulative. The benefits accumulate like climbing a stairway, one step at a time.

Watch a baby learning to walk. First it’s about tummy time which strengthens the neck and stomach muscles. Then it’s about learning to roll over, strengthening muscles and gaining a sense of gravity.  Sitting up and crawling comes next to toughen up knees and strengthen the wrists and neck. The arms slowly get strong enough to grab a stool and hoist up the body. Pulling up and sitting down gets the legs working and toughens up the glutes. The first step finally comes after many tears, false starts, knocks to the head and LOTS of laughs.

What I love about the process is that baby never gives up. Failure is not an option or in the vocab and no amount of falling deters the kid. Every little milestone is celebrated with a toothless laugh and ear to ear smiles.

As adults we need to remember how we learned as infants. Small changes every day and results are cumulative. Don’t give up so easily! Practice, practice, practice. Laugh and celebrate the act of practice.

Do a little and do it properly

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A lot of people skip daily exercise because of unpredictable schedules, family responsibilities or long work hours. The thinking goes if you can’t get in a proper workout then it’s not worth it. I disagree. Try this instead:

If you’re feeling swamped and can see that exercising isn’t going to happen that day then shorten the exercise window and do one piece of exercise really well. Break your routine into parts like Lego blocks and pick one. Maybe it’s one good stretch or a one set of pushups or five sit ups. Just do that one thing, do it slowly and be present and focused.

Being all in on one thing is way more effective than rushing through a half-assed routine. Most of the time that one thing leads to two things which leads to three things that are all done well and not rushed.

Room to roam around your mind

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You mind can’t roam free when it’s cluttered. A cluttered mind is exhausting and will trip you up and slow you down.

Maybe it’s an old to do list, a bill you need to pay, an unread book sitting on your bedside table, a tough conversation, a phone call that needs to be returned.

All this stuff clutters up your mind and sucks energy. Don’t let it fester and take up space. Get it done or let it go.

The bad news and the good news

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The bad news: See all the trauma out there? Conflicts around the world, suffering, spineless politicians, nasty comments on the web, fake news, propaganda, greed in business or selfishness close to home. The bad news is that all that stuff is a reflection of you. All the trauma ‘out there’ is a reflection of what’s ‘inside you’. Everything. 😕

The good news? Change yourself and you change the world. Every time something out there pisses you off, makes you angry, guilty or sad – that’s the cue to look inward and start the work. It takes discipline to look inward. It’s easier to blame others, retreat or get angry. Practice every day. 😌

Be careful of slow maybes

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Set your own agenda. It creates consistency for others and is habit forming. If you aren’t on your own agenda then you are on someone else’s. Stick to your plan.

You’ll find yourself saying no more than yes…that means it’s working.

Be careful of maybes. A quick no is better than a slow maybe and clears the way for a yes.

Digital doors and the importance of being physically present

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Physical pilgrimages are important. I used to think that viewing something digitally was enough and that being there physically didn’t matter, but I’ve learned through traveling that being there physically can accelerate a connection to people and places.

Smells, sounds, people and places all trigger feelings that should be acknowledged and processed. There are places where the energy is palpable like airport arrival halls, Yosemite National Park or returning to the town I was born. In other places the energy needs to be stewarded, nurtured or repaired..maybe it’s been drained or sucked on by too many people or it’s been a place of suffering or pain. It’s hard to feel it without physically being there.

It can’t be experienced remotely via digital doors like Facebook, FaceTime and Skype. Digital connections build relationships and we are more compassionate and connected because of them, but physically being in the place is a different level. It’s about resonating with the frequency of the place and in turn having it resonate with you.

Carve out the time and travel. It stimulates growth in you, and in the people and places you visit.

None of us get out of here alive…

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Acceptance of our mortality sharpens our focus on being present and enjoying every day. We secretly think we will live forever and bow out when it suits us. That’s the ego telling us we are in control.

We have a limited time in our body. We are all going die. Let that sink in.

Taste the coffee, smell the air, breath deeply and savor every day as it were your last. The acceptance of death increases our day to day joy. What a paradox!