Outside the (Box)
Posted: January 31, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Abuse, blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, intensity, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, Maturity, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, Power Yoga, Reality, recovery, relationships, running, self, simplicity, trail running, whole foods, yoga 6 CommentsA man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist-
What is the impact of our aggressive – abusive mindset on ourselves and on our lives?
We often hear and read about our “carbon” footprints–the impact of our consumption on good ol’ mother earth. Interestingly, to trace our aggressive – abusive footprint, we might examine the consequences of our aggressive – abusive choices, whether seemingly casual or conscious.
Initial aggressive – abusive encounters set a pattern, a pattern many people consciously choose to ignore. Understanding and healing damaging formative experiences that were once stepping-stones in our development is imperative, because sometimes those stepping-stones petrify into the expected path, and I have walked this path for far too long.
An aggressive – abusive mindset is difficult to perceive, standing in front of a bathroom mirror, taking a picture of ourselves – how “ripped” and “toned” we are. We, we are so immersed in our own experience that it simply appears as reality. Imagine what the world would be like if Facebook – Social media were indeed, Reality?!?
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A mature relationship with yourself involves an intensely intimate audience … With only one other person – You.
Why do we choose to ignore the depth of our loving self, tuning out the myriad of feelings as they occur? For far too long I choose to engage in a dishonest, shameful and aggressive – abusive relationship with myself.
The footprints on my destined path … I feel, are changing.
Daily Meditation:
I’m not too keen on making promises, to promise is to heavily load a burden upon your shoulders … All I ask of you, is to take care yourself, for yourself, and weave these thoughts into your daily life. What are you waiting for …
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?
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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.
The Meeting
Posted: December 19, 2013 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: American, art, blogging, christmas, compassion, family, free range, freshly pressed, friends, happiness, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, holidays, kindness, life, Literature, love, meditation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, Poetry, simplicity, World Literature, writing, yoga 5 Comments…
After so long an absence
At last we meet again:
Does the meeting give us pleasure,
Or does it give us pain?
The tree of life has been shaken,
And but few of us linger now,
Like the Prophet’s two or three berries
In the top of the uttermost bough.
We cordially greet each other
In the old, familiar tone;
And we think, though we do not say it,
How old and gray he is grown!
We speak of a Merry Christmas
And many a Happy New Year
But each in his heart is thinking
Of those that are not here.
We speak of friends and their fortunes,
And of what they did and said,
Till the dead alone seem living,
And the living alone seem dead.
And at last we hardly distinguish
Between the ghosts and the guests;
And a mist and shadow of sadness
Steals over our merriest jests.
Love After Love
Posted: December 12, 2013 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Arts, blogging, compassion, Derek Walcott, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, happiness, health, hope, kindness, life, Literature, love, Love After Love (poem), meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, Poetry, Prose, relationships, Romance, simplicity, writing, yoga 15 Comments…
The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
CultFit 