Challenge and Change

The past two weeks Rebecca talked about the importance of change and challenge. When we are in pose and we start to wobble and then fall this is a gift. It allows us to practice and try again. In life we face challenges and failures, and these things allow us to learn. The other day in class Rebecca introduced us to a brand new flow. She complimented us on our ability to follow along versus being in autopilot, which sometimes tends to happen during class. She explained that a new flow, or any type of change for that matter, is good for our brains. Next time you are caught off guard by change in your life don’t get anxious or stressed. Try and think about it in a positive way, and accept the fact that it is actually good for you.

-Ali

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. 

~Pablo Picasso

Today we accept the presence of…

(photo:Jessica Jenkins)

“Today we accept the presence of miracles”

I was so excited when I saw that Jene was teaching not once, but twice last night at Prana Power Yoga in Newton. She is one of my favorite teachers, but recently I have not been able to fit her classes into my schedule. I was going to attempt to take both her 5:45 and 7:15 class, but as a result of traffic I was only able to get to the later one.  As usual her class was the perfect mix of business and pleasure. We worked up a sweat in while transitioning quickly through standing poses, which in turn made the moment we reached the floor both necessary and deserved (not that you ever need to earn a child’s pose). Throughout class Jene kept repeating the mantra “today we accept the presence of miracles”. It is funny how in our fast paced world we need to tell ourselves to accept miracles. You would think it would be intuitive to notice, appreciate, and accept a miracle if one were to present itself to us, but often times that is not the case. We focus on the negative things around us, and we often fail to notice the positive. Trust me, I am a culprit of this as well. Jene’s constant reiteration of this phrase allowed me realize that acceptance is essential, and amongst all the negativity we experience we must also accept the good things that come our way.

Today we accept the presence of: miracles, friends, family, health, compassion, yoga, sun, happiness, sickness, anger, frustration, death, jealousy, etc.

Moral of today’s class: We have to accept certain feelings and experiences, good or bad, every day. Don’t let the bad things obscure your view of the good.

-Ali

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

-Albert Einstein

Strength and Softness

The other day in class many of the poses we were doing required both strength and softness. While we were required to slowly soften into a pose in order to get optimal benefit, we also had to maintain our strength in order to hold the poses. This idea of combining strength and softness, two things that seem to be direct opposites, is a learning experience. It was not easy to practice these two ideals together, but once I accepted that I could embrace both at the same time, they worked harmoniously together. Sometimes in life we are required to utilize multiple practices, emotions, feelings, ideas, morals, etc. at one time. This is not always easy, but with practice it can be rewarding, almost peaceful. Once I was able to wrap my head around the idea that I had to slowly soften into an uncomfortable position, using my strength to keep me there, I immediately felt all the tension in my body melt away, and over time the poses actually started to feel good!

Moral of today’s class: Next time you are in an uncomfortable circumstance, physically, emotionally or spiritually, try to combine strength and softness to get through it

-A

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength”

                                               -Saint Francis de Sales