: Surrender :

It’s funny; in this era of e-mail and voice mail and all those things that even I did not grow up with, a plain old paper letter takes on amazing intimacy-

Its amazing what happens when we surrender to our true selves, being present and our breath. Healthy relationships gradually begin to enter our life, and the “things” we have been so diligently working on begin to bear new fruit.

I have been struggling with my breath for quite a while now. I show up to class, go through the motions during my home practice and never truly fall into rhythm during a nice bike ride or the rigors of daily life. Why? My breath has escaped me.

I believe the true cause is largely a matter of personal habit. Our lives, my life, is excessively filled with constant activity and incessant noise and distraction. I have grown accustomed to them, so mush so, that when they come to a halt, I feel uneasy. There’s a startling sense of emptiness, as if I’ve suddenly landed in a deserted corn field after being in the middle of a bustling city.

When I can resist the urge to plunge myself fully into an activity, I soon begin to surrender to solitude, silence and my breath. My agitated mind starts to calm. My thoughts start to slow down, and I feel a sense of re-attuning to myself, I  feel a sense of connection – to my own self, and to the world as a whole.

Daily Meditation:

When I listen to my breath, I begin to find a new balance and harmony in my life.

CultFit Culture

 


: Where Shale I Go :

Where shall I go when all the music and festivities are in my own house? My heart is content where I am, My mind has folded its wings. The Guru has revealed that Brahman is in my heart. If I wander outside, I will see the worship of stones and others vainly seeking the Lord in the holy books. The Guru has ended all my failures and delusions. Ramanand is now lost gazing at his Master, Brahman. It was the Word of the Guru that destroyed all my millions of attachments and distractions.

– Ramanand

CultFit Reveal


Muy Feliz

Sometimes one has suffered enough to have the right to never say: I am too happy-

The idea of “surrender” is not one we cling to when it comes to engaging in activitie(s) of our choosing. Rather, the words we use are more akin to fighting a valiant battle, winning at all costs. And you know what? There is nothing wrong with thinking this way Unless thinking this way makes you feel worse that you already do.

May this post serve as an invitation to gently set aside the fear and fight in our lives. In order to truly live.

My idea of surrender, is that surrender gives my mind a chance to let the world seep into my very consciousness. Learning “how to surrender” is not about becoming passive, a “chump” or indifferent. Surrender revolves around accepting our current state of mind, body and spirit. With this acceptance serving as my starting point? I am learning to take the best care I can of my body and my mind.

Daily Meditation:

Consider a moment in your life when “surrendering” led to positive consequences that you were not expecting … 

Be well today!

CultFit Dusk


It’s Time

Nothing 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 SWAT


Such Great Heights

Reason lost the battle, and all I could do was surrender and accept I was in love-

The very essences of our being lies in the ability to surrender. How often do we have to push ourselves to the limit, only to be left depleted, sore and broken? Our inane culture rewards those who go faster (amrap), hotter (vanity soaked yoga) and longer (trivial distance events). None of these are healthy to our inner selves. It’s a lie we pay forward, the way that we live.

We all have limits – Surrender to them.

Surrender to the “What If” in your life: Become fuller, more robust, richer, hardier and more open to possibility. When we surrender to the “What If, we open up spiritually and bring limitless possibilities into our lives.

Imagine your life without all the pushing, striving, soreness, sense of loss and pictures of your feet in a magenta saturated Insta-look-at-me photo. Consider a world in which you plant a seed, nurture it slowly and patiently watch it grow …

Surrender is a beautiful word (yup, a dude just said beautiful). It implies a total release to the tensions of our days. Surrender indicates acceptance, letting go no matter what is happening in this present moment.

There is no “What If” today, nothing to see and nowhere to go. Surrender.

** It’s not often I ask for frivolous favors from you. Today, I ask of you to reflect on the message above and in the very near future, re-write this post in your very own words. Not at the last-minute like myself but rather in a very personal and open way.

Notes:

There are quite literally only .001% of the readers, reading this morning who know the murky behind the scenes details of CultFit. Here’s your chance to get a peek behind the curtain. This Friday the 8th of March at 6pm a few members of CultFit will attend the Buddhist Boot Camp book signing and Q&A session at The Bookworm in ‘Muricas home town: Omaha, NE. Timber Hawkeye is a brilliant speaker, writer and a breath of fresh air in today’s world.

If you would like to meet beforehand for a coffee, tea, glass of wine (<-Hint) by all means drop me an email at: cultfit@gmail.com

Cultfit Focus