Their Lonely Betters
Posted: January 23, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, Body Image, childhood, compassion, cycling, family, fitness, food, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, kindness, life, Life is Messy, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, Memories, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, opinion, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, Place, Poetry, recovery, rest, Romance, running, simplicity, trail running, Travel, W. H. Auden, yoga Leave a comment…
As I listened from a beach-chair in the shade
To all the noises that my garden made,
It seemed to me only proper that words
Should be withheld from vegetables and birds
A robin with no Christian name ran through
The Robin-Anthem which was all it knew,
And rustling flowers for some third party waited
To say which pairs, if any, should get mated.
Not one of them was capable of lying,
There was not one which knew that it was dying
Or could have with a rhythm or a rhyme
Assumed responsibility for time.
Let them leave language to their lonely betters
Who count some days and long for certain letters;
We, too, make noises when we laugh or weep:
Words are for those with promises to keep.
(My) Secret
Posted: January 14, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: balance, Bliss, blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, holistic, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, Patience, perspective, pilates, recovery, running, simplicity, trail running, walking, whole foods, writing, yoga, Zen 21 CommentsThe two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter-
*I’m writing with a broad perspective this morning. I do so because I may have unearthed a major obstacle along my path in life and maybe along your path as well … *
Quick question: What does it truly mean to be patient as defined by you, not defined by a self-help book, nor by a friend or coach – You?
…
In the still, frigid morning light, I tried to untangle the meaning of patience and its assorted complexities. What does it mean to find peace in the very moments that intrinsically seem to bring frustration to me? To show compassion to other drivers on the road who are in more of a hurry than I am? How does it feel when we stop rushing towards an unknown future,instead, turning our appreciation to life unfolding in front of our very eyes?
Impatience, is not a part of myself I’m particularly proud of. I am far more patient with the many inspiring people in my life, than I am with my own self. It takes far too much effort and energy to have patience with my broken down body, to forgive myself for all the ways I am not perfect and believe me, there are many painful war stories to tell – figuratively and literally. Little do those stories matter, my insatiable thirst for instant gratification dictates otherwise.
Patience is a far more difficult than searching for polysyllabic words to describe how I am feeling this morning. Simply, patience is my kryptonite against the irrational demands I place upon myself, each and every day.
Daily Meditation:
I haven’t been patient enough with my blogging thing recently as I have been in the past. I need to step back, step back to listen to the warmth in my heart, that so very often gets rushed and misplaced due to my need to post as often as I do.
I am working on many exciting and cool “things” I believe you will find useful, not only on the mat or out on the trail, but rather more importantly … This “thing” called life.
अलग दृष्टिकोण
Posted: January 10, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Behavior, blogging, Calmness, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kettlebell, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, Patience, perspective, pilates, Power Yoga, recovery, running, trail running, whole foods, yoga 25 CommentsIt’s calm under the waves in the blue of my oblivion-
Pop Quiz Hot Shot(s): Name your favorite restaurant? Cool … Now name your greatest strength? Why was the second questions harder to answer … Self reflection, open and honest dialogue and talking about the dirty stuff in our lives. Can we agree that breaking through and acknowledging self-love, our true selves is pretty tricky?
Many of us are blind to our best qualities. When asked to name our strengths, we often come up empty-handed, stumble for words and say something that isn’t very meaningful. We tend to overlook the very essence of our true selves, our core qualities, our strengths. The craziness of daily life, past injuries, lamenting a medical diagnosis – hypnotizes, controls, and impedes our progress moving forward.
Sometimes it is easier to “see” our true selves when viewing from a different angle.
Daily Meditation:
What are your passions in life? Seriously, please do not blow off what I am about to write …
What activities fill your heart with love and warmth? What activities are effortless and give you a sense of passion and freedom? Biking, yoga, playing a drop in hockey game, talking with your best friend over lunch, trying a new restaurant on a first date? Dig deep in your soul for a definitive answer! Like you, its effortless for me to construct such a list of passion(s).
What follows is what I hope you dwell on this weekend: What character strengths you are using during each activity? Confidence riding a new trail, honoring yourself during a strenuous power yoga class, moderation playing hockey, listening attentively over lunch, openness to exploring new “things” … These are your greatest strengths!!!
K(now)ing
Posted: January 6, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, frozen, gluten free, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, Lost Love, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, mental health, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, recovery, relationships, running, snow, trail running, walking, weather, whole foods, writing, yoga 6 CommentsI am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing-
Because each one of us reading on this chilly Monday morning are rational, intelligent people (and maybe myself). We believe that if we know the reasons for the “things“, in our daily life … This understanding of events will set us free. Imagine knowing what other people are thinking standing in line for a latte or how they are feeling, or why they act differently than we do?
Real life however? Does not work like this …
Knowing why other people “do” what they do, won’t make us feel any better this morning, and it certainly won’t make us any warmer on the inside – in our hearts. It seems as though our journey in today’s world, constantly seeking answers … “Let me look the answer up on my phone“, begins and ends with: “Yeah … But“.
Why don’t our thoughts and feelings fall into place when “life” so graciously presents us with a rational answer?
Daily Meditation:
Over the first part of the year, I am going to steer this CultFit vessel off course just a touch. I want to explore finding the “eureka” moment(s) in our lives, and how we react when the right answer arrives at our pretty little toes … Now, the real work begins.
Be well this morning and please take care!
Alive, I
Posted: December 23, 2013 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, christmas, compassion, Contentment, cycling, Everyday life, exercise, family, Festivus, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, holidays, hope, kettlebell, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, recovery, running, Silence, trail running, whole foods, writing, yoga 16 CommentsIn Silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves-
How different would everyday life become, if we embraced silence?
…
Over the course of writing this blog-o-thing I have adapted a leisurely pace in life … Attending more yoga classes, spending more time unconnected from the web and partaking in long, flowing bike rides without a care in the world.
As Festivus and winter set in, the bikes resting at ease in the front bedroom. I turned my attention homeward, focusing more on the events of my daily life. It truly is possible to attend a silent retreat, where my only interactions with my surroundings are with a smile and an attentive ear. I stopped listening to the radio while driving, the TV stays off when I get home from work and magically … My son and I are reading more in front of the fireplace.
It is such a relief to be free of “noise” … The stillness in my heart is based solely on silence rather than a frantic beat or change in tempo.
I have begun to notice in this “silence,” the crunch of salt on the walkways leading into work, the rustle of a few stubborn leaves in the breeze, a red tail hawk gliding past …
Silence has kindly given me clarity and inspiration.
Daily Meditation:
Be kind your body and heart today …
CultFit 