Hard to : Resit :
Posted: April 30, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, change, compassion, crossfit, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, health, hipster, kettlebell, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, National Bike Challenge, natural, nature, Omaha, Omaha Commuter Challenge, passion, pilates, Power Yoga, running, trail running, yoga 6 CommentsEveryone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself-
A quick show of hands: Have you ever held onto the belief that you could change someone else’s behavior, if you were persistent and dedicated enough?
I witness this quite often with friends going to yoga class, working out together and the awesome folks I help out. Sadly, I have arrived at the conclusion that people only change when it’s rewarding for them to do so, and when they’re capable of it.
Rewarding and Capable – Interesting.
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Daily Meditation:
I have lived many years shrouded in the fallacy that “peer” pressure, being a “caring” friend pressure, will make those close to me change. I’m writing this morning to share with you these following thoughts – People only change when they’re ready to. If I want my friend to change, I have to figure out how they would be motivated to change, how change would benefit them.
On the subject of motivation and change – I offer up to you these two links. Have a beautiful day, and please take care!
Up(rising)
Posted: April 29, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, Compitition, crossfit, cycling, exercise, Fairness, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, trail running, walking, WOD, writing, yoga 5 CommentsThe world isn’t fair, Calvin.”
“I know Dad, but why isn’t it ever unfair in my favor?–
I want to go back and touch on “should” thoughts for a moment before we move onto today’s post. Contemplative thought is truly a brilliant tool to exploring your true potential, just not when its time to perform. I like to call these – trigger happy thoughts or reactive thoughts. Let’s dive a little deeper and to maintain some clarity, I’m relating the post today to competitive outings and more specifically: Running.
What are your initial thoughts and feelings when I tell you that “Fairness” – Is a fallacy? Fairness is rubbish and compete utter nonsense?
Many of us (maybe this hits close to home for you) … Cloak ourselves with the falsehood that there exists only a single standard of fairness and – SPOILER ALERT! – It’s our very own! What we consciously choose to ignore, and this is when we start our “should” thinking, is that fairness is a completely subjective concept, based on our individual needs, expectations, and values. The big boy truth, is that your definition of what’s fair? Is completely self-serving (mine included).
If your buttons have been pushed in the past, or even right now because you thought you were being treated unjustly? Let me share a classic example most runners have lamented about: “I should not be in the 30-39 year old age bracket! It’s too competitive! If only the race organizers would change the ages – my time in a different bracket would get me on the podium!”
Daily Meditation:
The next time you find yourself questioning fairness, your mind clouded with “should” thoughts? Try this on for size at the starting line – What I see as fair? Is a direct reflection of my own deeply held personal preferences. Then proceed to run the race of your life!
Passing “by”
Posted: April 28, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, Should, Trail, trail running, walking, whole foods, writing, yoga 8 CommentsWe are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking-
We have been discussing “intention(s)” of late, and I personally want to thank each one of you who have commented during this time. Your kind words and thoughts help me, immensely! Keeping with the theme of intention, I would like to introduce – performance – “Umm what dude?”
Yup! We are going to talk about intention/performance as they relate to yoga, cycling, trail running and whatever really. Heck even making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Anything … There is another word hidden craftily in-between intention and performance though. A tedious, dirty little word that will completely mess up your best intentions and suck the very essence from your performance. What is this evil little word?!?
Should
Our minds logical fallacy is that our “should(s)” are universal, no matter what we choose to do. That what is intelligent, reasonable, or “good” for myself ought to be for others as well, from one activity to another.
Should I push a little harder during class? Should I listen to the cramps gripping my legs? Should I use extra peanut butter? Should I put bananas on my sandwich as well? Should I step up to the starting line, knowing I belong with the best runners here?
Daily Meditation:
Hopefully, by better understanding the “should(s)” in our lives, we can bring about meaningful performance <– Whatever that means …
Pretty Halcyon Days
Posted: April 24, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Bliss, blogging, Coachella, harmony, Literature, love, nature, Nurture, Ogden Nash, Omaha, passion, Poetry, Pretty Halcyon Days, simplicity, Society, writing, yoga, Zen 5 Comments…
How pleasant to sit on the beach,
On the beach, on the sand, in the sun,
With ocean galore within reach,
And nothing at all to be done!
No letters to answer,
No bills to be burned,
No work to be shirked,
No cash to be earned.
It is pleasant to sit on the beach
With nothing at all to be done.
How pleasant to look at the ocean,
Democratic and damp; indiscriminate;
It fills me with noble emotion
To think I am able to swim in it.
To lave in the wave,
Majestic and chilly,
Tomorrow I crave;
But today it is silly.
It is pleasant to look at the ocean;
Tomorrow, perhaps, I shall swim in it.
How pleasant to gaze at the sailors,
As their sailboats they manfully sail
With the vigor of vikings and whalers
In the days of the viking and whale.
They sport on the brink
Of the shad and the shark;
If it’s windy they sink;
If it isn’t, they park.
It is pleasant to gaze at the sailors,
To gaze without having to sail.
How pleasant the salt anaesthetic
Of the air and the sand and the sun;
Leave the earth to the strong and athletic,
And the sea to adventure upon.
But the sun and the sand
No contractor can copy;
We lie in the land
Of the lotus and poppy;
We vegetate, calm and aesthetic,
On the beach, on the sand, in the sun.
Nurture your Intention
Posted: April 23, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, Earth Day, Freshly, life, love, nature, Nurture, Omaha, passion, Pressed, yoga 10 CommentsBy cultivating the beautiful we scatter the seeds of heavenly flowers, as by doing good we cultivate those that belong to humanity–
Earth Day was yesterday. Today there are no disappearing species, the air we breathe has been rid of its poisons, our water and soil is safe once again, and our inventive ways of despoiling our sacred Earth can wait until next year.
I’m exaggerating just a bit, and the greater point I would like to discuss is, that like setting an intention before yoga class; We need to nurture these intentions away from the mat. Nurture our Earth, our home, the rest of the year.
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Much of modern life saps away at the ethics of care, rather than building upon it. Each day we have less contact with nature and our true selves. Pop quiz! How many corporate logos can you identify? Now lets compare your answer to the native plants and animals you know off the top of your head, without looking them up online (I failed my own quiz).
Daily Meditation:
Caring for nature, and others, is at the very essence of who we are. If we need a gentle slap upside the head to remind us once a year – so be it! I suppose we could say the same about setting an intention before class?!?
CultFit 