Balance... it is everywhere in life. We have good days, we have bad days. We have joy, we have sorrow. We have health, we have illness. We have sun, we have clouds. And in The Ultimate Yogi we have cardio, strength, flexibility, and balance.
Why does it seem that some people have better life balance than others? I believe that part of it is life and the path we were given, some of it is the choices we make, but a lot of it has do with attitude and gratitude.
I love to start my mornings with the Prosperity Chant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RYc6k803oo) by Karen Druker. This song fills me with gratitude and reminds me of all the gifts that are mine. It fills me with joy and reminds me to have faith in the divine. It also reminds me that we are all energy and we are interconnected.
My yoga practice does the same. It fills me with joy and yet it humbles me. It forces me to set my ego aside. Yoga brings me to a quiet place where I can more clearly see how fortunate and blessed I am. There is so much to be grateful for.
At the most basic level I am grateful that I breath on my own, I walk without assistance, I can smell flowers, I can hear the birds chirp, and I can see the beauty outside. On a more spectacular level I give thanks (almost) everyday for the abundance, prosperity, wealth, and health (mental, physical, and spiritual) in my life. I am fortunate to be in a position where I live a comfortable life. My basic needs (food, shelter, health) are taken care of. In addition I have the ability to travel and enjoy many pursuits in my life. And most importantly I have people in my life who love me.
When I enter my quiet place on the yoga mat I also gain clarity on how we are all energy and how we attract energy through our actions and thoughts. We are all interconnected and what I do impacts others and what others do impacts me.
Today's yoga practice, for me, was balance. We all strive for balance in our lives, in so many ways... work/family, indulgence/restraint, love/hate, activity/rest. To stay in balance we must be firmly rooted to the ground yet sway and flow with the ripples that present themselves. For me, it is through gratitude and appreciation that I can remain in balance even when life tries to knock me off my feet. And should I fall... I try to do it with a smile on my face, find the humor in the situation and ground my feet back into mother earth, give thanks, and carry on. Today's practice was filled with lots of wobbles and a few falls, but in the end I am grateful I got on my mat and did the best that circumstances allowed me today.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
The Start... Day 0
In reality Monday will be day 44 for me on The Ultimate Yogi. I have been practicing yoga on and off for 8+ years and it was not until recently I really became addicted to a daily practice. Last winter I was in Nicaragua for 2 months and needed a daily exercise program so I started with my yoga DVDs. Before I knew it, daily yoga was the right fit for me. I quickly became tired of my DVDs and went on iTunes to download some more videos... that is where I stumbled upon Travis Eliot. His yoga practice quickly became my favorite and I had to have more. Searching on the web led me to The Ultimate Yogi series. I ordered the series and had it delivered to a friend's house since I would not be back home for another month.
Once I returned home I struggled with how to fit in yoga, aerobics, going to the gym and life. After testing out the UY videos I realized I no longer needed my gym membership. I quit the gym after having a membership for over 20 years; began the UY program and started using our treadmill for the aerobics portion of my workouts. Once the weather warms up I will be outside on my bicycle.
I joined the 108 Days to a Better You group to see what others had to say about the program and to share ideas. I have been elated with the great group of people from all over the world that have gathered together.
There is no doubt in my mind that I want to travel this journey to a better me with the help of these new friends. On May 6th I will continue on day 44 of the Ultimate Yogi. I am so inspired by my progress that I want to continue where from where I am at rather than reset to day 1. The consensus of the feedback I got from the group was to continue.
For those just beginning I have one thing to say... IT DOES GET EASIER. The first time I did some of the videos I thought... WOW... I have a lot of room for improvement. And over the course of the 44 days I have been witness to that improvement. It is exciting and empowering!
I have also had some exciting breakthroughs on letting old belief patterns go and how calm I can stay in a stressful situation. The transformation is starting to take place and I am excited to see where this journey is going to take me.
My goals for this next 108 days include:
1. Do the hardcore video when I am supposed to. This section of the program always seems to be pushed aside when I think I don't have enough time.
2. Concentrate on the common sense food plan. I already have a pretty healthy diet (have been vegetarian for about 10 years), but there is always room for improvement. Even vegetarians can eat too many processed foods and sugar.
3. Continue with my personal growth of being a better version of me. I read that "the authentic self is the soul made visible" and that is what this program is helping me to do - peel off the layers so my authentic self can shine through.
Good luck to everyone on this journey, may we all move in the direction of our better self... Namaste!
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