Winter Balance
Posted: February 7, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, Gravel Grinder, happiness, health, hipster, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, Mindfulness, motivation, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, recovery, running, snow, trail running, weather, whole foods, winter, WOD, yoga, Zen 13 CommentsWhat good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness–
Its early on a Sunday morning in Eastern Nebraska. The temperature is below zero and bone-chilling. The moon, still glowing, casts a pale and cold shadow upon the newly fallen snow. The last light of distant stars sparkle brilliantly, dancing as the world is still, and glistening.
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I bring my cold hands to heart – centre, my palms pressing actively together to bring warmth and presence, the tips of my numb thumbs pressing into my layered sternum. On a deep inhale, I raise my arms in a gentle sweeping motion, turning my palms outward toward the sparkling sky … Balancing myself before starting off on an aimless ride to nowhere in particular.
Daily Meditation:
Cycling (any outdoor activity) during the long Winter months is purely about finding balance, flow and our true selves. Cycling early on a cold winter morning, encourages me to look mindfully into the furtive places of my mind, from which I can view information from my past, this cold moment – slowly and gracefully.
Be well this weekend and please take care!
Sharing (oneself)
Posted: January 28, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Aging, blogging, Body Image, compassion, crossfit, cycling, Education, exercise, family, fitness, free range, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, Hermann Hesse, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, Power Yoga, running, Siddhartha, trail running, Unicorns, WOD, yoga Leave a commentWisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else … Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it-
One of the most powerful ways we can cultivate self-love to is to give ourselves the subtle gift of time. The message we send when we are fully present, mind, body, and spirit, is that we care, enough, to make ourselves the number-one priority in our lives.
Let’s think about this for a moment – I’m not talking about being selfish, nor am I talking about updating our FaceTube status moments before attending a ninety minute power yoga class.
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Unfortunately, our lives can get pretty hectic and crazy, crazy enough to the point that there seems to be little down time where we, can really connect with ourselves. We live in a world that makes us believe that time tuning out – FaceTube, Social – Whatever, is indeed time well spent. You can probably guess I don’t believe it is.
Instead of writing bloviated Yelp! reviews, how about we set aside “self-time” in which we devote time to ourselves?!? Sounds insane huh?!? Personal example: Beginning last year, I decided to commit every day after work to time with the family. No TV programming, that’s all TV does anyways, program our minds into becoming vast wastelands. We disconnect from technology, and connect to simply being. The specific activity is rather trivial, it’s the time we spend together … It’s the time I spend “unconnected“ that matters.
Daily Meditation:
I’ve found that more times than not, removing an activity that is sending unhealthy messages about our true selves, is indeed the purest expression of love.
Owning (myself)
Posted: January 24, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, crossfit, cycling, exercise, family, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, perspective, pilates, running, Self Image, trail running, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 26 CommentsI feel an indescribable ecstasy and delirium in melting, as it were, into the system of being, in identifying myself with the whole of nature-
I found myself recently at a local bookstore standing and staring at the magazine headlines, once again, I became nauseated by all the headlines touting how easy it is to lose weight and get in shape – whatever this means?!?.
One cover of a cycling magazine I quite enjoy set me off: How To Lose weight for the upcoming cycling season. Top tips and how to guide inside!
Seriously, here’s my top tip(s) – ride your bike and smile, not necessarily in that order. It pains me to see how much pressure people are under to get in shape, skinny, whatever.
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I believe that you will never, never achieve your “perfect self” until you learn to love yourself – belly fat, flabby arms, scars, prior injuries etc. Should I keep on going?
I believe we, I myself, must start with loving acceptance of ourselves, right now.
Here’s my proposed first headline on the cover of CultFit the Magazine:
Each one of us are perfect, cool beings who are weightless.
Daily Meditation:
Believe in your Perfect self – Love yourself – Be Gentle – Be You. Wanna know why?!? Because you already are …
ashes to ashes
Posted: January 22, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, Forgiveness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, trail running, whole foods, WOD, yoga 4 CommentsA broken friendship that is mended through forgiveness can be even stronger than it once was-
Let’s change one little word in the above quote by Stephen Richards – A broken body that is mended through forgiveness can be even stronger than it once was …
Why do many well intended people flippantly object to the truth that we create our own reality?
When life goes “sideways” and our goals don’t materialize magically before our eyes, many people dig deep into their past to toss blame hither and yon: Damn yoga mat, piece of shit running shoes, mom and dad, that chic over there staring at me working on my “snatch” technique – whatever that is?!?
Why do we devote more of our energy, settling for what is, instead of recognizing what we can become?
Are we such socially awkward cowards, that we lack the courage to tell someone, ourselves even, they are responsible for creating the injured mess they now lament in? “Dude, you have had three knee surgeries in the last 18 months … Chill the f**k out for once and forgive yourself.”
Each one of us has the power to recognize and to create our own reality, including injuries and failures.
Forgiveness …
Daily Meditation:
Forgiveness … Is the root of Self Love.
Blowing the Dust (Off)
Posted: January 21, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Ahimsa, blogging, compassion, courage, crossfit, cycling, exercise, family, Feelings, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, Honor, hope, Intention, kindness, life, love, marathon, meditation, NFL, Omaha, pilates, running, Self-love, trail running, whole foods, WOD, yoga 14 CommentsIt is better to be alone than in bad company-
*The following post stems from a conversation I had this weekend with a close friend and mentor. Our discussion, wide-ranging as usual, started before yoga class this past Saturday morning. We both overheard a young couple talking about the tragic events at a X-Fit competition earlier in the week, five minutes before our class started … *
Why do we work out and consciously choose to abuse our bodies? Seriously, why do WE work out and choose to surround ourselves in an atmosphere that rewards, thrives on pain and punishment ? Why do we choose to persistently neglect and abuse our body, mind and spirit?
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As I started to peel back the musty curtains hanging around my true self, my mind and heart finally (after 30+ years of abuse) awakened to the source of all the change and success I choose to ignore before. I stumbled upon a little known fact, that I simply choose to ignore for far too long:
We have to create Self Love.
It’s that simple folks, no yoga teacher in the world can do this for you, nor will competing in vain competitions. Your spouse may try to, and your friends may try even harder. No one can awaken you to loving yourself!
When did we stop honoring who we really? When did we stop honoring our feelings, and responding openly to these feelings? When did we forget that feelings are important signals to tune into? Even feelings of anger, pain and fear serve an important purpose of alerting us to the obstacles that may lie ahead on our path, if we keep neglecting the honest truth.
Believe me I know, it’s a tough choice each one of us has to make: Talking about our most vulnerable personal feelings or how sore and bad ass we feel after a killer yoga class – dude.
Daily Meditation:
After much thought, and a few sips of coffee, I have finally reached an understanding as to why I have limitations in my life …
I honor my body, mind and spirit.
*ahiṃsā*
CultFit 