There is a vast difference between seeking solitude and loneliness, though, in our warp speed minds – solitude and loneliness are often used interchangeably on a daily basis.
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: Oooh :
Posted: January 21, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: beauty, Buddhism, cycling, Identity, life, love, meditation, Mindfulness, Omaha, passion, Rituals, writing, yoga, Zen 10 CommentsThe best way out is always through-
Early this morning, like most mornings, I eventually wake up (key word = eventually) and so begins a series of gentle actions that are my morning ritual.
As each cold foot plants shakily on the floor, I take a deep breath and smile. I raise my hips from the side of the warm bed and stretch my fingers and wiggle my achy toes while walking to ready the shower. Somewhere between the warm bed and the freezing shower, I set an intention for the morning, smile again and then its time to get moving.
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Starting a daily ritual, even when rubbing eye boogers from your tired eyes can help to shift our focus and energy. Rituals, however small and silly they may seem, are a powerful way to acknowledge and release negative feelings, failure and disappointment. If you spend a fair amount of time “hanging on” to “things” like I seem to do or you can’t quite seem to let go after a stressful day? Peaceful rituals help … Stopping mid-ride to bask in the beauty that nature graces us with. Taking a deep breath as you roll out your yoga mat before practice … Peaceful rituals.
Daily Meditation:
Rituals help to bring awareness and keep us engaged during everyday life. I suppose that’s why I always click in with my left foot first before a ride?!?
: Black Coffee :
Posted: January 5, 2015 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Body Image, compassion, family, gratitude, habits, icchā, Intention, meditation, New Year's, New Years Resolutions, passion, yoga 3 CommentsThings are always better in the morning-
Old habits … Die hard. Cultivating new and lasting passion … Feels elusive. Our habitual patterns in life create a repetitive stream of thoughts and behavior. Right now, today, in this vulnerable New Year … Is precisely where we get stuck. A fleeting resolution penned on a stained bar napkin simply is not enough; tacking upon a fresh breeze is required with the necessary energy to sustain it.
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Think for a moment of yourself floating in a vast ocean, on a sprout little sailboat. Maybe the faded name “Bering in Mind” is painted on the side … As you begin rigging your brightly colored sail, this effort on your part equals your intention to sail away into this inspiring day. Although, you are not setting a course, and technically “sailing,” without a little wind. This gentle wind you so desperately seek, is evocative of your icchā – your will. You will need both the sail and the wind in order to make it safely back to shore – You require both icchā and intention to achieve this goal …
Daily Meditation:
When we become invested in the change we desire? We commit to a turning point in our lives. Whether or not reading this blog – Your Blog – this morning can be considered a defining moment in your life, is up for a heated debate! However so, you made it here, and I am deeply grateful.
Start Where : You : Are
Posted: December 30, 2014 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Bliss, Buddhism, Equanimity, love, meditation, New Year's, Omaha, passion, peace, WordPress, yoga, Zen 13 CommentsNobody can hurt me without my permission-
The dictionary loosely defines equanimity as “mental calmness and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.” Equanimity refers to a mind that is at peace even in the face of stressful and unpleasant experiences.
Many, if not all of us have experienced this dissatisfaction. The absence of peace arises from our longing for our live(s) to be different, even when we have absolutely no control over the particular circumstance(s) in question.
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After sharing my numerous injuries and “circumstances” with you over the past four or so years, I have spent countless posts lamenting, nauseously, for my life to be the way it was before the surgeons incisions healed. The constant complaining found in the archives here, have made me miserable to be around. Gradually, with the help of some amazing and caring people (like you) – I came to witness that our lives have their share of both joy and suffering, and the only way I could find peace again was to stop trying to change circumstances over which I had no control of, and instead, choosing to start where I am at in this beautiful moment.
When I see that I am not just suffering, when I am not just frustration or sadness. When I notice during yoga class I’m not super flexible or the perfect manifestation of a particular pose … Equanimity helps me to calmly wait for “things” to change.
Daily Meditation:
With equanimity, I try to start each day with where I am, looking around to see what life has to offer.
: Joy :
Posted: December 22, 2014 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: christmas, kindness, love, meditation, Omaha, passion, winter, yoga 8 CommentsWhen you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy-
The season of “peace” … Hanukkah, Festivus, Kwanzaa, Christmas, winter solstice, and New Years arrive once a year. Some folks look forward to this time – Others, like myself … Dread them. Can we peel away some of the stress, and find time for peaceful days?
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I’m not a complete Scrooge – Really! I enjoy winter and the holiday season, all of the celebrations, traditions, and joyous gatherings they bring. And there are some tangible benefits we can reap from this time of year – like spending more face-to-face time with friends, rather than “liking” them on social media. Also hidden within the holidays are remedies for being a grinch and a curmudgeon. Such as joining family and old friends for a pick up hockey game, a walk after dinner or even a bike ride. For most of us though, the wear-and-tear of the most “Wonderful Time” of the year is simply too much to handle. As much as hibernation sounds like the perfect solution …
Daily Meditation:
Meditation or whatever you want to call it, can truly bring us peace. Slow down with me this morning, let’s take in the lovely sights, the alluring scents and sounds that are traditional for this time of year … And as Cousin Eddie once said: “That’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”
Vacation in the : Sun :
Posted: December 15, 2014 Filed under: Kindness, Meditation, Yoga | Tags: gratitude, karma koffee omaha, kindness, life, love, meditation, Mindfulness, Omaha, passion, Solitude, yoga, Zen 12 CommentsThere is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more
― George Gordon Byron
Solitude is the state of being alone, without being lonely. Solitude is a state of being, where we nourish our hearts with wonder and experiencing the bounty of nature. Solitude is a time for reflection, searching for, and developing our true spirit.
Solitude nurtures our inner peace – Solitude is simply enjoying stillness, Solitude is sustenance for our souls.
Daily Meditation:
We can choose solitude, loneliness on the other hand – Is imposed on us by others.
CultFit 