Life is Better
Posted: March 22, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, books, Buddha, Buddhism, culture, exercise, fitness, freshly pressed, Freshly Pressed is Overrated, Goal setting, goals, happiness, health, hipster, hope, inspiration, Knowledge, life, love, lululemon, marathon, Media, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 16 CommentsBut he who has not first turned away from his wickedness, who is not tranquil and subdued, or who’s mind is not at rest, he can never obtain the Self by knowledge-
You belong here, Right now.
We all want to change in major ways. We want to be as thin as a sibling, a co-worker. As beautiful as the latest celebrities and as creative as the producers who make their inspiring films. We want to blaze trails as Kathrine Switzer once did and be still as Buddha.
Ambition in life is beautiful although it does have a Dark Side … All of us harbor the feelings of wanting to be like “somebody“. No outside goal, however noble, can ever make us feel complete in life. I want you to know that today, you are Somebody.
A small “thing” can and will go a long way in your adventurers this weekend. It doesn’t take an ambitious, grandiose goal to create a ripple effect in the stream of Life. Take your socks off and feel free to simply dip your big toe in. Everything is interconnected in life, be brave enough today to take the first small step. This may be ten minutes of yoga this morning or even going for a walk this evening. Immerse yourself in the wonderful effect of simple actions. Ten minutes too long? Maybe we can start by being in stillness, connected to our breath for one minute each and every morning?
Notes:
Today, you are creating a ripple effect in your life, initiating change not only in yourself, but in the stream of life we all swim in. Be well this weekend.
There are seconds
Posted: March 21, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, Demons, exercise, free range, freshly pressed, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kettlebell, life, love, lululemon, meditation, natural, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, whole foods, WOD, yoga 1 Comment… They come only five or six at a time, and you suddenly feel the presence of eternal harmony, fully achieved. It is nothing earthly; not that it’s heavenly, but man cannot endure it in his earthly state. One must change physically or die. The feeling is clear and indisputable. As if you suddenly sense the whole of nature and suddenly say: yes, this is true. God, when he was creating the world, said at the end of each day of creation: ‘Yes, this is true, this is good.’ This . . . this is not tenderheartedness, but simply joy. You don’t forgive anything, because there is no longer anything to forgive. You don’t really love — oh, what is here is higher than love! What’s most frightening is that it’s so terribly clear, and there’s such joy. If it were longer than five seconds — the soul couldn’t endure it and would vanish. In those five seconds I live my life through, and for them I would give my whole life, because it’s worth it. To endure ten seconds one would have to change physically . . . .
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Demons
Notes:
To 2000+ “followers” of CultFit … A sincere Thank You, to each and everyone one of you. Be well today.
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.
Sunshine: That’s my Jive
Posted: March 19, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, Catch-22, compassion, Eight Limbs of Yoga, exercise, fitness, free range, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, natural, Niyama, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, Yama, yoga 2 CommentsMy fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them-
Niyama: A Simple Dudes Tale
Life unfolds in the present. Gotcha! However, every so often we let the present moment slip away from us, allowing time to float by unobserved. Squandering the precious seconds of our lives away as we worry about the future and ruminate about what’s happened in the not so distant past. We’re always doing “something“, yet we allow little time to practice stillness and calm.
Most of us don’t undertake our thoughts in awareness. Rather, our thoughts control every fabric of our being. Living in the moment (aka mindfulness) is a state of open attention on the present. When you become mindful, you realize that you are not your thoughts; you become an observer of your thoughts from moment to moment without judging them. Mindfulness involves being with your thoughts as they are, neither grasping at them nor pushing them away. Instead of letting your life go by without living it, you awaken to new experiences as they unfold around you.
Notes:
There are many paths to mindfulness and at the center of each, lies a Catch-22: You have to trust that the rewards of mindfulness will come and letting go of what you want is the only way to achieve this.
It’s Time
Posted: March 13, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: acceptance, blogging, exercise, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, gluten free, happiness, health, hippie, hipster, hope, life, love, lululemon, meditation, Mindfulness, minimalism, minimalist, motivation, natural, paleo, passion, peace, pilates, running, Surrender, whole foods, WOD, yoga 16 CommentsNothing like being scolded by a hippie-
The idea of acceptance, mindfulness, minimalism are so trendy of late. You can see this trend growing with the popularity of meditation/zen/whatever blog-o-posts, green this and green that folks, yoga-moms/dads from far and wide. You can read about it here, on this blog-o-thing if you pay attention for just a few weeks. People are being asked to come into better contact with the present; to be less attached, entangled by social media and humble; focusing more on purpose and meaning. All of these changes raise an interesting question (so I think).
Why now?
None of these topics and approaches to living authentically are new. Neither are single speed bikes, fedora’s, Pabst Blue Ribbon and black rimmed glasses for the sake of argument. Just like you, these ideals have been puttering along, kicking cans down the road for eons …
Why the sudden resurgence of popularity?
Hippies?!? New research studies and science!?! The inter-webz?!?
I suspect acceptance, mindfulness and minimalism are trending of late because normal folks are yearning for something remarkably simple right now: That acceptance, mindfulness and minimalism may help nourish and guide them in their busy lives.
How many of you read a yoga magazine while watching “reality” tv? Watch a streaming TV show while working on your computer? Heck, watch a TV while running on a treadmill even?!?
And what substance is in the gush of media and connectivity we have unleashed on ourselves? Everything imaginable in the world is available, for us to consume, all at one time. Although if you slow life down and actually seek? Through seeking you will discover the images of courage, bravery, unconditional love and connection that surround us are simply being overwhelmed by the pain and judgment we stream into our minds endlessly.
Acceptance, mindfulness and minimalism are immensely important right now for a simple reason. In order for us to prosper inside this modern bubble, that each one of us have created. We need to learn how to relate to our own minds in a different way. There is no retreating, unplugging or escaping … I implore you to move forward in life, just in a slightly different way.
Notes:
I’m not leaving until you surrender, peacefully.
CultFit 