Seriously. If she were to get any cuter I may just gobble her up!
This is How I Roll
26.3.11
If I were to add up the amount of time spent on the train, subway, metro, or in Swedish, tåg, it would add up to weeks, maybe months? Hahaha. Not sure. At any rate, let's just say I spend tons of time on the train. I enjoy it. It's my time to center, sit back and listen to music/podcasts, read, tinker with my iPhone, and/or simply soak in my surroundings in route to my destination. Cars are so last century!
There is something to living in a city built for walking. Though, Swedes tend to be quite shy I find it endearing to be out and about mixing with people instead of being surrounded by steel and glass, in other words a car. No, I'm not saying cars are bad, it is just interesting. I rather like it, and it is the one thing I don't think I would want to give up if I were to move.
It would be nice if America could adopt some of the innovations and city planning that many European countries have adopted. I'm just saying . . .
India 2011
“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how
bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she
handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled
Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship
with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.
I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a
life. I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve
learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both
hands; you need to be able to throw some things back. I’ve learned that
whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the
right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have
to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch
someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people
will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people
will never forget how you made them feel.”
| — | Maya Angelou |
A Shy Artist
13.3.11
Hahahaha. I had to share this. You gotta love a shy artist! Did I mention my niece is a lefty too! Woooo hooo, let's hear it for the left handers!
LoVE
11.3.11
"I was dead
I came alive
I was tears
I became laughter
all because of love." - Rumi
It is days like this where we are reminded on the importance of life and those around us. It's all precious. We are fragile, yet resilient. The paradox that interplays in everyday existence.
I find myself at the end of the week feeling many things. My head fills with thoughts. I didn't really get everything accomplished that I set out to get accomplished. It's one of those things, you know, where you just can't push it. It needs to come. I'm at a stalling period where the juices have run a bit dry. I'm tired, yet I can't sleep. I'm excited, yet I feel compelled to keep my nose to the ground. I don't want to get too carried away. Yeah, I know, I need to loosen up a bit.
It's just that I have so many things running around in my head at a time it's sometimes hard for me to pin it all down. Vata overload I tell ya! I guess the creative juices are flowing, but how can you drink out of a fire hose? The problem is channeling it all and staying focused. I have a tendency to let my mind wander to and fro when I have tasks to finish. I sike myself out. Gotta stop that, it's a bad habit.
I'm so sleepy. I'll figure it out in the morning. ♥
Yoga Stops Traffick - March 12th!!
10.3.11
Odanadi. An amazing organization! Please to all those who practice yoga, observe the plight of women and children caught in the web of human trafficking. Sadly, it is something that still goes on in this day and age. Raising awareness as we come on to our mats, saluting the sun, together we can begin to help one of the most inspiring and successful organizations that rehabilitate the rescued, while saving more! Visit, donate, and/or participate at a venue near you! www.yogastopstraffick.org
Bring on the Light
9.3.11
David in Sirsasana
"It’s good to do uncomfortable things. It’s weight training for life." - Anne Lamott
I love the above picture taken during our recent trip to India. Being over a month since we were there, it feels much longer. A world away. The days have been moving at breakneck speed. Even though it is quite chilly in Stockholm, with the temperatures hovering around freezing, some days above, some days below, I am enjoying the light. The days are becoming longer rapidly. That is how it is here. We live in extremes when it comes to darkness and daylight. Now, we are entering into normalcy, but not for long. Soon, the days will become long, to dramatically long. Which I have to say, I like. The brightness of the Sun here is stunning. Unlike anywhere I have been. Even versus tropical places visited, there is a divine quality to the sunlight in Sweden that seems to sparkle. Must be all the water. Dunno. At any rate, it's a site to see, and believe me, Swedes don't take it for granted. Basking, faces lifted, catching rays whenever, and wherever they can. After a looooong winter, it's just what the doctor ordered. Believe me.
So, I'm in training. Gearing up for an even earlier wake up call. Through the years I've morphed myself into an early morning person, but not quite as early as 3:00 am. Yeah. Done it while practicing in Mysore, but it's much different without the stressors of daily life and all it comes with. I'm not complaining (much, haha). I'm happy to do it. I've heard debates whether it's simply better to practice after teaching (quality of life thing), and I've tried both - teaching before and after - and practicing before teaching just feels better. Maybe this will change, but it's what feels good for now. When I taught in Taiwan I got used to getting up at around 3:30 am. More out of necessity because of the godforsaken heat! You gotta do what you gotta do. However, above all, if feels good to practice first, to center, to give to myself so I can better give to the students. You know?
So with that being said, the development of the days since leaving India have been miraculous. Leaps of faith have always taught me something. One, that no matter what, the pieces will fall in the way they are meant to fall. I mean, do I really have control, anyway? Better to acknowledge the beautiful design behind everything than to fight it. Two, trust. So much comes down to trust. Trusting myself. Having faith in the process, in life, in the journey, strengthened and cultivated through daily practice. Three, well, to have fun. To laugh at it all and not take it too seriously. I mean really, laughter heals!
"Are you searching for the river of your soul?
Then come out of your prison.
Leave the stream
and join the river
that flows into the ocean."
- Rumi
Mysore Program
7.3.11
The schedule is as follows:
Monday - Friday Mysore 6:30 - 10:00
Sunday Led Primary Series 8:30 - 10:00
Sunday Conference 11:00
Conferences, an added element to the program, will be held on an ongoing basis. All about the 1% theory!
Also there will be one more informational meeting held at Yogayama on Sunday, March 13th at 11:00.
See you there!