Spoken : Softly :
Posted: January 20, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Body Image, compassion, Embarrassed, Embarrassment, gratitude, joy, Kidness, love, Omaha, social media, yoga 5 CommentsYou know on TV when there’s one of those awkward, shocking moments and all you hear are the crickets in the background? Well chirp f*cking chirp…this is one of those moments-
Being embarrassed in social situation(s) feels rather unpleasant. When someone remarks suddenly before class: “Your underwear is showing,” or while standing in line for a coffee … “Your barn door is open,” even better yet “Is that balsamic vinegar salad dressing in your hair?!?” Here let me smell. Few of us are likely to feel particularly joyful, to say the very least.
I’m recalling this morning with you, times during my life when I have felt the most embarrassed and to my surprise – Being embarrassed truly can be joyful!
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There are a few moments of feeling embarrassed that instantly come to mind. One, was the night my son was born about nine years ago I suppose. You see, I exude a fairly calm, cool and collected demeanor, most times that is. I was pretty chill during the birth and what stands out to me was when it was only my beautiful new-born son, myself and a caring nurse handing him to me for the first time – “Here is your son sir” placing him gently into me shaking hands, tears streaming down my face, having no clue in the world what to do. I was embarrassed in this truly joyful moment.
At the same time though, there are horrible feelings that also produce embarrassment, feelings of being humiliated …
I still remember like it was yesterday, the dreadful scene when some of my classmates in 6th grade took great pleasure in teasing me to tears, because I was “fat” and started to go through the throes of puberty – acne and all. Calling me “fatty” by the boys and girls, the incessant teasing, only served to make the humiliation more degrading. I was deeply embarrassed during these joyless childhood moments.
Daily Meditation:
What life, compassion, kindness and gratitude provide us is, if we reflect and allow the blushed cheeked, crying and shameful negative feelings of humiliation fade away. Is that, maybe, just maybe embarrassment really is an expression of – Joy.
Urban Buddhism
Posted: March 24, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Bliss, blogging, Buddhism, Commuting, compassion, cycling, exercise, fitness, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, joy, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, nature, nebraska, Omaha, passion, perspective, simplicity, writing, yoga, Zen 13 CommentsKeep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you-
” … Get your bike off of my road asshole!!!”
Last summer I built up an old Jamis road bike in order to make it more efficient and useful for commuting back and forth from work. For me – This is the perfect way to get a bit more exercise, heal and rehab some old injuries, save a couple precious dollars on gas, and in all honesty – I enjoy the ride, alone, the peace and quiet of spinning along in the early light. (I’ll save my rant about saving the environment for later this summer)
On my afternoon ride two Thursdays ago … I was waiting at an intersection near home for the light to change, when an Audi Q7 (affectionately adorned with five look at how many kids I have created stickers in the rear window) squeezed past me to get to the front of the line. The “kids” driving turned sharply in front of my front wheel and the driver kindly shared her advice mentioned at the beginning of the post.
My first reaction was one of slight amusement, as an avid cyclist, events like these happen all too often. I was simply waiting to cross the last intersection after a long day of work, when out of nowhere I was called some rather amateurish names. Instead of reacting, I simply crossed the street when the light changed, and then gently rode home.
When I arrived home and started to remove my helmet, I thought for a moment what was shared with me 15 minutes earlier … The recalcitrant behavior of our society is nauseating.
Daily Meditation:
Why do so many people feel the need to make these kinds of remarks in the first place? I’ll share with you my theory as to why: There are critical thinking flaws present in the way we live our lives, especially pertaining to unwarranted inferences from others.
¿verdad?
Posted: April 24, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Awareness, balance, blogging, Comfort, crossfit, exercise, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, gluten free, harmony, joy, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, musings, natural, paleo, passion, pilates, running, Stillness, thoughts, walking, whole foods, yoga 6 CommentsHabit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do)-
It seems that in today’s world we have the freedom to pick and choose form a potpourri basket of interests …
“Check it out! I’m like totally doing this 30 day paleo, meditation, yoga, power walking, green smoothie, smiling at strangers, whole body cleanse thing! Just read about this push up challenge and hill sprint interval thing as well!”
Why do we choose to pursue a wide variety of “things” simultaneously and figure out how to do these “things” in a way and on a level that is average at best?
“My friend and I had a great workout at the box yesterday! 5 rounds of: 15 push ups – 15 jumping jacks – 15 sit ups – 15 walls balls and a 400m run. I still need to work on my push ups though, three years now and they are still pretty sloppy.”
Whatever happened to developing a deep knowledge base, knowing information (not stored on a gadget) and total devotion to the pursuit of mastery in a single field?
“I forget what my split times are in the pool but I’m thinking if I can work on my transition more it should make up for my poor swimming performance … Maybe?!?”
Are we afraid as a society to endure the intense work, discipline and willingness it takes to master a selected discipline? Are we afraid to embrace the risk needed to walk away from merely being “average” in the name of becoming extraordinary at one?
“It’s the same during every century ride: Chum it up with the guys for the first few miles, then I ride alone for the remainder of the time, lost in my thoughts, worried about “something”? I suppose it’s the 8am yoga class tomorrow and the 5k at noon?!?”
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Yearn for the sense of intensity, focus and intrinsic reward that comes from the single-minded quest to master a particular body of knowledge: Yoga, mediation, martial arts, relationship(s), life etc. Radiate the pure energy and passionate spirit that comes not only from having attained mastery, but from simply being in the process of mastery. The secret Dear Reader lies here in the process of seeking mastery, this is where we find awareness, comfort, stillness, joy, harmony and balance.
Notes:
Do you, deep down inside, feel satisfied knowing that you are merely pretty decent at a bunch of “things”, but not exceptional at any?
Pensamientos?
Fly on Albatross
Posted: March 20, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout, Yoga | Tags: blogging, exercise, fitness, free range, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, joy, life, love, lululemon, meditation, motivation, natural, nature, Nurture, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, smile, Smiling, walking, whole foods, WOD, yoga, Yoga Pants 10 CommentsAs if you were on fire from within. The moon lives in the lining of your skin-
Yoga, life after all, is built around building relationships. Like an asana, building a healthy relationship requires commitment, alignment (both internal and external) and loving ourselves unconditionally.
The danger, of course, is pushing beyond one’s physical limits especially if the alignment is off. Many of us are simply unable to accept our own limitations, our own bodies. Many well-intentioned people push themselves to assume postures that are simply too advanced, or continue to hold contorted positions that are causing them pain, either because they haven’t learned the correct alignment, or because their own ego equates personal limitations with failure.
Pain is our bodies unique signal that something is amiss. However, discomfort, if experienced in proper alignment, can eventually give way to a deeper inner strength and even pleasure (smile when the going gets tough). That’s why making yourself uncomfortable (daily) is a good “thing“.
Notes:
What lies at the very meaning of the posts so far this week? Those who choose to constantly adhere to the commandments of yama, niyama and asana will achieve transformation of some sorts. I have no idea what this transformation may have in store for you!?! However, in order to rise above your current state of suffering and unhappiness? Living in a ludic, harmoniously way is a good place to start.
Humble Me
Posted: January 25, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, exercise, family, fitness, fun, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, joy, kettlebell, life, Lifestyle, Local, love, lululemon, marathon, motivation, natural, paleo, passion, philosophy, pilates, pride, running, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, yoga 8 CommentsNot what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance-
What in the world does the terrible little word, epiphenomenon have to do with fitness, yoga pants, health and our spiritual well-being? Depends on who you ask, and seeing that you found epiphenomenon here, let us explain a little bit more.
Our conscious mind is but an epiphenomenon of the physical brain (last time we checked), and with timely, appropriate and stimulating mental exercises (reading this blog is not one of them) the brain can be enhanced, empowered and enlightened …
Imagine if you will, that we are sitting peacefully in a lovely garden (maybe The Garden of Epicurus?) enjoying some vino, a baguette and a fine section of Brie from the local stinky cheese monger. Friends, enjoying each others company and happiness. We could change the setting, sipping VitaCoCo after a group run. Discussing class as we wipe the sweat from our mats. In each of these events, we are filled with utter happiness. Allow the struggles of your day to melt away … Let happiness be your primary reason to do anything you like. The smile on your face? How did it get there in the first place?!?
The Workout-
5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14–15–14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5
Perfect Hard Style KB Swings
Notes:
Not too long ago we were contacted by our Dear Friend, Tina (who just so happens to be a wonderful blogger) about an award. Recognition is great although it truly is the simple thought of others that moves us. Below are a just a few of the amazing people you will meet during your stay here:
This is just a small sample of some of the truly inspiring readers we have here at CultFit, just like yourself. We are truly humbled by all of you, be well this weekend and please take care.
CultFit 