Reclined Mountain

Today, as I laid my body down, and practiced yoga, I tried to feel the length of my spine, from top of head to bottom of my feet. I breathed and made slight adjustments, from the inside out. I was searching for my plumb line, feeling all the curves in my spine. I moved throughout my practice, with this theme in mind. As I balanced in half moon, I worked my outer hip away from my spine as I contracted gluteus medius maximally multiple minutes. Ha ha. I knew I was beginning to bore you. The point is, although my entries have been few this week, it is not for lack of practice. I have been taking more and more time for this beautiful practice. It helps me to see more clearly, to feel more deeply, and to stretch and communicate with my body and spirit. I shared a moment this morning with 2 birds. They flitted up to the porch, where I sat drinking my coffee, staring out into the morn. They simply were looking for food. One bird sat on the edge of the railing, the other skipping around, looking at her friend. I waited until they flew away, and then got up, and readied myself for work. A new day, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Monday Morning Clouds

As I arose this morning, I wobbled out of bed and creaked my joints to the coffee pot. Pushing "ON" I wobbled back to bed. I laid there for a minute and my spirit said "Cathy, get up and do yoga, you'll feel better." So, I creaked my ankles back to the smooth wood floor, eyes heavy and sleepy, poured a cup of joe, and wandered outside to my mat on the porch. I figured I would do sun salutes. So I did, 3 rounds, Boy was I tired. The first round I couldn't remember which leg I did first, then I just carried on with the movement, noticing how I was breathing. As my body began to wake up, I started to feel strong again, and felt more ready to face the day. Peering through the trees with the sun rising, I perched my self in tree pose, and worked all the bones of my standing leg foot, and spread wide my toes. My bent leg, snuggled tenderly into my thigh. Spine lifted as my tailbone reached for the earth. Expansion. As the sun rose, I slowly did too, spine, heart, and soul. Ending in a short savasana, Jonah came tumbling outside complaining of his knee hurting. I held him tenderly, aware of his just 7 years, and how big he is growing. I simply hugged him and told him I was sorry his knee hurt. We hugged, and then moved on with our day.

Hearts are everywhere!

This morning as I lay in savasana, I gazed up at the gigantic trees looming up into the sky. As my gaze deepened, I saw a heart shape in the center of the branches! Then, as I was getting ready to do some dishes, I swirled some dish soap on the cloth, and it was in the shape of a heart! The final heart came as my husband came in from working outside and his sweat had formed a "heart" on his t-shirt! All this before noon. So now, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for hidden hearts in the world we present ourselves in. How this may change my perspective today will be interesting. Looking for hearts, love, signs of goodness, can and will soften us to the world, ease our mind, and open our eyes to the beauty that is often right there in front of us. If only we choose to look for it! Do you see the heart in the tree?

Third week in

This completes my third week working full time at my new job. I am loving it! I am busy from the moment I walk in to work, until the moment I leave, and then when I get home, I am busy all over again. Matt leaves for school every night, and then it is off to the boys activities or teaching yoga class. I always seem to set intentions for practicing in the morning, but I fall short of getting out of bed. I practiced one time this week in the morning (Monday of all days) and it just set the tone so well. It is amazing how much better I feel after allowing my body to stretch and breathe before tackling another day. I am still adjusting to working full time and the way to feels to my body. I practiced yoga three times this week, but it never feels like enough. My body is crying this week, it needs my love, my yoga love. As I set my intention tonight, I pray that tomorrow will provide an opportunity to be with my spirit, to be quiet, to nurture, to listen. I also pray that my body will respond, will communicate, will open, and let go of any toxicity it carries around. Our bodies are amazing. Our bodies carry us and respond to what life brings us. We express ourselves in the way we hold ourselves and the way in which we use our body to live. What does your body say about you? Look at your hands, see the intricacy of the skin, the dexterity of the fingers, and the power within the giving power of our hands. Feel your spine, can you inhale and lift your heart to God and turn your practice into a meditation of listening to the Divine? Tomorrow morning, I will be on my porch, stretching, expanding, extending, opening, and resting in the grace of the world. Come join me!

Virginia Creeper Yoga

This weekend my family and I took a trip to Virginia to ride our bikes along the Virginia Creeper Trail. We loved the break. The kids were thrilled by our cramped hotel room, complete with a view of the golden arches on a 30 foot pole. It was sufficient though, and early on Saturday morn, we arose with fresh spirit and headed to the bike shop. With bikes in tow, we crammed into the van with 8 other passengers and headed up the mountain. It was a 17 mile ride down, with gorgeous views of a rushing fiver, magnificent rock faces, and beautiful fauna and wildflowers. We stopped along the way to skip stones, climb rocks, and dined on smushed PB&J sandwiches, in a gorgeous meadow with mountains surrounding us. We had to high tail it the last 5 miles (a slight incline) to make it on time for our shuttle. The kids did great, Sammy loved his trailer bumping along behind Daddy, sleeping from time to time. Believe it or not, I practiced yoga on my bike. As I was sailing down the path, I felt my back collapsing and elbows locking to keep me upright. I drew my shoulder blades down my back, drew my abdominals in, rolled my collar bones back, and lifted my head to catch a gaze at the blue sky above. I felt so alive and awake, and also so grateful to God for his beautiful creation. As I breathed in the surrounding splendor, I felt close to the divine, and held the moment in, and exhaled into the air, my gratitude and love for God.

Chaise Lounge Yoga

I am a firm believer that you can practice yoga anywhere, anytime. I sat in my chaise lounge, set the back to where I was semi-reclined, and placed my feet in baddha konasana, and breathed. As I focused my attention on my breath, I sank into my inner groins, released pain, tightness, through the keen observation of my breathing. After 10 minutes or so, I released the restorative pose, and watched the leaves rustle in the wind. I am always amazed by the wind.I love the sound, the feel, the power wind has. Really, it comes down to listening. How well do we listen, to ourselves, and to others? Are we in tune with the present moment, and all the beauty that is there awaiting us? Are we thinking ahead to the work week, our upcoming vacation, the things we want to accomplish? As I enter into a new reality of working 40 plus hours a week, I am faced with so many new and beautiful ways of living. There is before me an opportunity to serve the geriatric population with a smile and caring heart. My husband is taking on a new career path, and I get to be his biggest supporter. I also am grateful for the chance to learn a new way of living. If I allow myself to think of what I'd rather be doing, then I am missing out on what I am doing, right here, right now. So, that being said, I will commit to a daily meditation practice, and find a way to take a yoga class once a week, to help me remain present in my work. Looking into the deep green of the leaves, the deep blue of sky, the redness and complexity of the heart, I will do my best, to remain present, even in a chaise lounge.

Did it!

I did it! I got up after only 3 5minute snoozes, drank coffee, and stretched and practiced asana this morning...meditated too. It made a difference in the day. I felt calmer, and more at peace. Please pay no mind to the photo...I was giddy and tired...but thought I'd share that side of me with you.

It's been awhile...

Looking up at the clouds while lying down on my mat today I felt exhausted. In fact, when I awoke this morning I felt exhausted. I had some weird thing going on with my eyes, I have been at baseball for the better part of the weekend, and I even ran the concession stand for three and a half hours on Saturday! I told myself to give out a compliment to as many people as I could who placed their orders with me. It was fun, and challenging at times too. Sammy had a ball..like a kid in a candy shack, eyes like rainbow blow-pops he was mesmerized by all the choices of high fructose corn syrup, processed corn, and ice cold drinks to choose from. After baseball we put in a 12 plants in a bed we created a week ago. We then hosted a few baseball parents and kids for an informal cookout. Not to mention the previous night (at baseball) a dear friend showed up to watch the game (surprised us) and within 3 minutes her son had slashed his wrist on a rusty fence, and had to be rushed to urgent care! He is fine, had to get 9 stitches...all this in a weekend! So, my body tired, eyes tired, feet droopy, I laid down and felt what my body needed. Meditation, restorative, and stretches all came out while lying in the sticky heat under the puffy, fast moving clouds. So, I realize that my entries have diminished. I am working full time now, and life has taken a different path. I am challenging myself to waking at 5:30 each morning to practice mindful waking (sitting with coffee and slowly stretching) then either asana and definitely meditation. I also have to commit to a reasonable bedtime as well. No more 11:00 and after bedtime, I will intend to go to bed by 10 pm. 5:30 ain't bad if ya go to sleep at a reasonable hour. So...we shall see. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is often weak. I am a disciplined soul though, and have faith in myself that I too, can succumb to a challenge, even if it is posed by my self. Stay tuned....