In the pure light of awareness, our little fears and illusions and limitations dissolve, and we realize that life is not confined to the body, that consciousness is infinite. We are infinite. We can taste the timeless peace and bliss that isn’t dependent on the condition of our body or the world.  From the Transcendence website  (no longer online, it seems()1)

“Everything is Aware Process” Fritz Pearls, founder of Gestalt Psychotherapy(2) 

Over the years our work has come from the premise that the operating definition of stress from the Yogic point of view is that stress in not in in any event or circumstance but is in “the resistance to what is”. Whatever the situation is in the moment, pleasurable or pleasurable, desired or not, our struggle with the facts and circumstances in any moment is what creates disturbances in ourselves that we often know as stress. This conflict within our body/mind can lead to a deeper sense of separation which Yoga sees as the root cause of our suffering.

In most if not all the authentic wellness practices, amazing transformations can occur because ultimately these practices involve activating the process of the three “A”’s of conscious change; Awareness, Acknowledgement and Adjustment.  Healing and other positive changes unfold as our work on ourselves helps us response to, rather than react from insights gained on work with ourselves.

Joseph Lepage, in his self-published Yoga Therapy Manual recounts some of the mechanisms by which an awareness driven
Yoga practice{and allied disciplines}can inform our self-care and stimulate healing below:

1. Relieving stress created muscular tension by awareness and acknowledgement of the role of stress in creating discomfort and pain within. This is accentuated in Yoga posture and aware somatic movement as deeper stress patterns and buried physically stored tensions and emotions are brought to the light of awareness and toward the release of their hold on the body/mind.
2. By including the full range of pleasure and pain to our awareness we skillfully acknowledge and resolve the patterns of resistance and fears that magnify pain and transform it to suffering.
3. By allowing the release of the patterns of muscular or other types of pain that has remained in neuro-muscular memory after the original cause has gone
   
4. Bringing an understanding of the physical, energetic and emotional patterns at the root of energetic blocks in the body/mind that can often be the precursors of physical and mental dis-ease.
5. Open an array of resources that weren’t available before. Awareness can open us to and allow us to skillfully utilize the ultimate innate healing energy, Prana. According to eastern thought working with energy is as important as working with its physical counterpart in the body to resolve disease, create and sustain true wellness
6. According to Yoga, awareness is intelligence and therefore infinite and not subject to the physical laws of entropy and aging. Therefore, healing and transformation that may seem miraculous is possible and attainable through application of the principles and practices of higher consciousness.
7.   Restore the peace that comes from living simply in the “now” as the fantasies, ruminations and memory of past and future events take a back seat to the direct experience of the moment. (2)
   

Skillful self-care and growth practices are awareness focused for all the reasons listed above. At their most effective they help us access our own inner intelligence and wisdom. This in turn fosters life supporting awareness-based insights and actions that support relief in the moment and ongoing wholeness(healing).  All of this to help more fully experience and enjoy life.

1.) The Healing Power of Awareness,  the Transcendence website, no longer online, it seems.

2.) “Everything Is Aware Process” by Perls, Frederick S; Aquarian Productions;

3.)  adapted from Integrative Yoga Therapy Manual by Joseph Lepage, self-published, 1994

]]> https://www.creativeedgeyoga.com/blog/get-started-and-keep-going-in-your-yoga-meditation-and-self-care-practices-2/ Mon, 16 Jan 2023 20:02:25 +0000 https://www.creativeedgeyoga.com/?p=5600 “… This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.
W. H. Murray in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, 1951(the whole quote was formerly ascribed to Goethe)

Over the thirty years I have been teaching yoga, I have come to believe that the most consistent obstacle to students receiving the benefits they seek is beginning the journey. Once the search has begun the next obstacle is finding the practice that will address their needs and intention. In that regard, all yoga and meditation classes aren’t created equal and the search can be part of the fun. So I invite you to remember amidst this process of change that Yogis remind us that “yoga practice {maybe}begins as a chore, becomes and habit and transforms into a joy”.

As great as yoga generally makes us feel, maintaining consistent practice can often be a struggle. Energy level, moods, doubts, going out for ice cream, guilt about taking time for oneself, conflicting activities and home life all seem to conspire to undermine our intentions to add yoga and meditation to our lives. As a consequence, it is often hard to get ourselves to practice until we make a fundamental commitment to ourselves. Motivation and commitment to any practice are the basic challenges to be encountered and overcome in order to achieve any success, yet Yogis have long acknowledged that the degree of involvement is at least partially dependent upon your life stages and goals.

Authentic commitment can occur when the question you ask yourself is not whether you will do yoga, but just how will the yoga you do fit into the fabric of your life in a sustained way. As the quote from Murray infers above, at this point creative avenues open to help develop your yoga and meditation practice despite, or even utilizing, the apparent obstacles the had blocked you before. Therefore the skillful approach to any discipline, yoga included, involves developing ways to compassionately sustain involvement as better habits slowly replace lesser ones until joys increasingly replace the moments of doubt, struggle, and drudgery.

Some suggestions to sustain a Yoga or meditation practice in your life include:

• Decide to do it—commit by affirming the direct benefits yoga/ meditation has for yourself enumerating the indirect ways those benefits also impact those in your life—better health and mood, less stress, more overall energy, etc. You don’t yet need to know how this will happen to set the intention.
• Find a class; go to workshops, retreats, etc alone or with friends. The phrase “community over willpower” asserts that group energy can be reinforcing and fun in any endeavor. It can get you started and keep you going. Honor and communicate difficulties and resistances with a teacher or fellow student worthy of trust, every question or issue that comes up can be resolved. Often resistance undermines us at
  significant points of our unfolding and provides opportunities for healing to happen as they are resolved.
• Set short term and longer term practice goals that address what you want to get from yoga. Many motivation experts suggest “SMART” goals that are Specific, Measurable(and meaningful to you), Attainable, Realistic and Timed. Even if you aren’t a one to normally set specific goals you can take some time to crystallize one or more intentions that will help steer your course. Frame them positively; for example: seeking tone and flexibility as opposed to getting rid of this fat or stiffness. I believe this is most effective as it opens thing up to allow for more enjoyment and gains both in the process and in the long run. Let yourself be surprised and pleased if you get more good stuff than what you planned!
• Yogis have stated “The best and most powerful yoga practice is the one that you will actually do.” so balance determination with compassionate acceptance of your present situation. Don’t overpromise (length of time, frequency, etc) and set yourself up for failure, don’t underestimate your capacities and limit the benefits you can attain.
• Create a spot for yourself in your living space to practice and set consistent times to practice yoga therapy as best you can. Acquire appropriate “tools of the trade”—mats, blocks, music, etc. that make the space comfortable and pleasant to be in.
• Keep inspired—read books, use videos and tapes to support the practice, bring new ideas and reinvigorate your practice.
• Stay with it—when your enthusiasm wanes go back to step one and recalibrate your efforts and commitment to your present circumstance.  The basic skills of success are the same in most of our endeavors and a good deal of the excitement of yoga practice early on is seeing these successes mount as you develop your own favorite strategies. it also helps to look at any difficulties as opportunities to learn important lessons learned along the way. Good luck and I hope to see you down the road!

The new year has come and gone and you still aren’t doing what you want with regards to those healthful habits that took holiday along with the rest of you. Perhaps some sluuggishness has set in for you even as the New Year’s resolutions to get fit or lose weight or de-stress are being made.

Maybe you are coming back to a Yoga class or to the therapeutic work you were doing directly after the short hitaus of the holiday season. Or you’ve been away from Yoga and miss its benefits for awhile.

In these cases and in any ways you have let you habits of Self care fade you may be wondering how you should start again. You don’t want to do it for only a few days and then give up again or, you don’t want to strain yourself by doing too much at one time.

Return to your yoga routine again in a safe and healthy manner with these four simple tips. With consistency and determination, you will reach your fitness level and start feeling great as you shed away those holiday pounds.

Yoga Tip #1: Plan It Out

One of the hardest things when trying to get restarted at any fitness exercise is finding the time to do it in your busy schedule. Hopefully, your life has a bit more free time now that the holidays are over. Get out your new calendar and pencil in the days when you can get some yoga in. To make sure you stick with the schedule, get your yoga mat and clothes ready the day before. This mentally prepares you to push yourself into doing the exercise the next day.

Yoga Tip #2: Start Out Slow

You are eager to get back into those favorite yoga poses. But it may have been awhile since you performed these exercises. Never push yourself too hard when restarting your yoga regimen. You can hurt yourself when not paying attention to your physical limits. Start out slow with a few stretches and breathing exercises. Slowly move into your favorite easy positions, then later work yourself into more advanced poses. If, at any time, you feel like you are straining your body into a position you aren’t comfortable with, stop immediately.

Yoga Tip #3: Get Into A Class

Sometimes, the reason why you can’t get back into the mental mindset of doing yoga is because you are doing it alone. Find encouragement by taking a yoga class. This not only helps to re-energize you into taking yoga as you will receive encouragement from the other yoga students, but the instructor can make sure you don’t overdo it too quickly. Take a class that is below your level, and work back up to where you previously were as your body gets used to the routine.

Yoga Tip #4: Track Your Progress

Sticking with your yoga regimen can be as simple as tracking how many times each month you practice. It’s a great way to keep yourself mentally focused to continue with the fitness exercises. You can create milestones to reach, then reward yourself with a small gift for the job well done. Increase the number of milestones every month or two.

You Will Be Back On The Yoga Mat In No Time

As you restart your yoga regimen, you may become discouraged because you aren’t at the level you want to be or because something in your life may make you occasionally miss a class. Keep positive. Every day you are working out on that mat is a victory on your part.

You can overcome these simple obstacles by staying consistent and being determined in your yoga exercises. Don’t be afraid to change your plans around until the schedule works out for you. Also, you will one day reach your fitness level again as you continue on to your ultimate reward of a healthy body and relaxed mind. Happy New Year!

The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good health lies in successful adjustment to changing stresses on the body.” ~ Harry Johnson 

The quote above offers insight that may seem more and more apparent as we get older, It leads to the question of just how we may discover those successful adjustments to make to help us move better in our world.
Fortunately, the ancient Yogis and Sages and most present day practitioners of the healing arts agree that we have the answers within us. Our dis-ease and dis-stress comes when we have lost connection to our innate “wholeness”.

As hopeful as that is to considerwhen we are in acute pain or feeling overwhelmed the feelings and mindsets that come in those time may overwhelm any hints to that way back to ease and health. In these moments we just want relief and a way out of our problems.

Often western medicine can help us with the relief and way out part of things. Medicines can relieve pain, relieve some affects stress, mood issues and anxiety,  and improve so many measures of health in the body and mind. Making sure that what is going is assessed and addressed properly to keep us safe is paramount so we can skillfully move forward with addressing the deeper roots of our challenges.

Still, it is often that symptomatic solution may not not address the non-medical, lifestyles and personal roots of our difficulties. More and more medicine is receptive to incorporating ways of addressing health concerns that invite changes lifestyle and habits to go beyond disease the disease model of healthcare and into wellness.

The role our work in Yoga mediation and the healing arts begins here. From this perspective our difficulties become opportunities when we become aware, in an accepting and compassionate way, of we may participate in creating our concerns and make changes top begin to take charge of our own health.

The 3 phases of creating this healthy change through awareness are;
1.) Awareness itself. This awareness is not just knowing there is pain or distress. In skillful healing work we beomce acquainted with a way of knowing ourelves that rises above our habitual way we know ourselves. From this perch, often called witness consciousness(an easier concepts than it might seem last first) notice some new insights and relationships between ihow we are thinking or being in our bodies and the problematic symptoms we are experiencing.. From a new perspective we may notice that our emotional reactions to a situation are disproportionate to it. From we may connect this to how that agitates our body and mind, creates inner stress and/or impacts our relationships in negative ways.

In our movement work here awareness through mindful movement comes with a  focus on the sensations and feeling they create in our body and reactions in our mind. This is is designed to uncover and reveal heretofore hidden, direct connection these moment habits have to the stress, pain or tension inherent in pain or other bodily symptoms. Going slower working with more  attention the movement habits that we have is the first step to change.

2.) Acknowledging/allowing; The “normal” reaction to an uncomfortable or painful experience is to try to get rid of it, to make it better. Here we come to the understanding that the problem of lingering pain or stress is not in the experience. It lies our resistance to it. The danger of resistance is summed up by the common aphorism guiding wellness work: what we resist, persists.

When what we are doing is linked to our distress and truly acknowledged it is a bell that can’t be un-rung. To avoid avoid and more resistance.this phase of awareness driven change aka us to suspend judgment and or reactions to what is come into awareness and “stay with it”, even if just for a moment. Self-compassion and self-acceptance is key to this stage.

Symptoms are signs, the way the body and mind signal into consciousness that some problem exists. In the way of wellness, pain and pleasure and all the shades in between help us to know our inner world as a way to alert us to problems and support our growth into health and wellness. Resistance is often generated by fears and frustration,  showing up as the continued attempts to suppress or mask pain, anesthetize emotions or in so many way to override feeling before healthful insights are made. Without making the connection between  what we are doing, how we are thinking  or feeling with the experience of pain or distress we may continue to repeat or struggle with our habits without exploring healthy alternatives. So we stay with it to respond in a new, perhaps more effective ways. This is when the next phase

3.)  Adjustment The adjustment or changes that spring from awareness come from the belief that when we know how what we are doing impacts, us we can adjusts what we are doing to best support us in our growth toward health and authentic well-being Certainly habits are habits and this is a process of change that has ups and tons for many of us along the way. Helpers in the form of helpful friendships and relationships, ongoing books, classes and other experiences and ongoing therapy with professional practitioners can help you along the way.

The insight and compassion toward ourselves is the practice and product of the faculty of awareness. When we can look at ourselves in a healthily detached way we can notice how our mind and body work and the connection to our present challenges.

Mindfulness focused Meditation, conscious breathing and movement practices(Yoga, meditation, related Somatic Movement disciplines), and insight therapies and practices are great tools to cultivate this way of knowing ourselves in this way.

Students and clients often refer to new,  gratifying  “aha” moments in the process of change.  These moments when deep healing insights occur the changes that result can seem to magically transform issues with which they may have been struggling for long periods of time. Patient and persistent practice allow these healthy insights and changes to integrate.

Over time  the innate healing process of our bodies and minds can progressively take hold. These transformation process is taking root and the changes can “become us”

1.) Harry Johnson, From A-Z quotes. om, https://www.azquotes.com/author/22184-Harry_Johnson

At this time of year one obstacle to keeping up with Yoga, meditation and self-care are the demands of the Holiday season seem overwhelming. So the above statement can be a guide to help your persist in difficult times with the very thing that may help you survive and thrive in these times.

Getting things of value to our lives does take a measure of effort and commitment. This doesn’t come fully formed. Thankfully we can start with a willingness to begin and an attitude of fun and exploration. This can go a long way to help you overcome the obstacles to starting self-care journey and help you keep going in busier and more challenging times..

It may seem that carving out time for Yoga and self-care seems impossible. This concern is not new. We can look to the fact ancients Yogis realized us folks who live in the community and are busy with the business of family and community life, will have a different intention and opportunity to do this work on ourselves than those who do not.

As important is it may be to get started and keep going to achieve the benefits we seek, it is just as important not to overpromise oneself to extraordinary and time consuming Yoga and meditation practices.  Just getting started and beginning the most basic and consistent Yoga practice can meet your initial needs and goals without adding to the sense of overwhelm.

Because of its impact on minds and body our suggestion  here of course is that including a weekly or twice weekly yoga  class five to ten minutes spent in meditation, doing the therapeutic movement practice in accordance with your needs and goals regularly all can be a part of the self-care that will be the foundation to enjoying your  journey toward meeting the bigger goals in life.
You can click here (2) for some more thoughts on this fromSoundMind Therapy Works. (3). For more thoughts on this you can click here (4) as well. Special note: Under the umbrella of Yoga and meditation care for Mind/body/spirit is included:).

As the positive habits build many are surprised and delighted as this simple time spent with ourselves opens windows into even greater joy and wellbeing than we could have imagined.  A mindful, balanced and responsible approach to our own self-care, therefore, is not selfish or indulgent as we sometimes may feel, but instead the means by which we serve the self that serves.

So again taking that time to return to balance and health can go a long way, allowing us to return to life invigorated and able to expand upon our contributions to family, work and community with greater joy and enthusiasm.

** I would add that if medical/health needs are acute then the challenge is to prioritize self-care so do what will help your meet those needs according to those medical professionals with whom your are working.

1. Splendid Spoon.com, 5 Tips for Starting a Self-Care Practice
2. Tips for Starting a Self-care Routine, sondermind.com/…/tips-on-starting-your-own-self-care-routine
3. Sound Mind Therapy Works, https://www.sondermind.com.
4. Splendid Spoon.com 5 Tips for Starting a Self-Care Practice

“The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness.” – Sakyong Mipham. (1)

This is the time many of us re-establish our work and school schedules after summer vacations and the like. As such it can be an opportunity to get back to a more consistent Yoga, movement self care regimen that can serve us in all aspects of our lives.

Despite our good intentions getting started and getting back on track can be surprisingly challenging. Even those of us with experience in this work can forget how good our good work on ourselves is and how much better it can make us feel.

Toward that end sometimes we need inspiration and a reason to take this time for ourselves.

It is of no surprise to anyone that stress is linked to a host of diseases and disorders that we encounter in our lives. Many psychologists have stated that the dysfunctional attempts to handle stress and avoid anxiety are at the root of much physical disease, mental confusion, and emotional disturbance.

In an article from the Yoga Basics  website entitled “How Yoga Heals”, the negative aspects of the stress response is powerfully detailed as follows:

       “Chronic stress can lead to continuously high levels of the {adrenal gland hormone], cortisol. This hormone at normal levels helps to maintain an active, healthy body (including regulation of metabolism and blood pressure). But excessive amounts of cortisol can suppress the immune system and cause sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite. High levels of cortisol can also increase your heart rate, blood pressure and your cholesterol and triglyceride levels (risk factors for both heart attacks and strokes).  The byproducts of cortisol act as sedatives, which can lead to changes in mood, especially to feelings of depression.”(2)

It is no wonder that we have developed a number of approaches, creative and otherwise, to eliminate or reduce stress and anxiety in our lives.

In that search for effective tools for our health and wellbeing Yoga, mindful movement, and meditation has become a more and more accepted and valued choice to address the needs of body and mind. It is unique in its ability to help to create, rebuild and enhance the core experience of bodily ease and mental equilibrium that can be the foundation of a happier life.

We don’t need to set herculean goals to gain significant benefits from conscious Yoga meditation practices;

    Researchers studied a small group of sedentary individuals who had not practiced yoga before. After eight weeks of practicing yoga at least twice a week for a total of 180 minutes, participants had greater muscle strength and endurance, flexibility and cardio-respiratory fitness.(3)

And This From the Mayo Clinic website:

The potential benefits of Yoga include:

• Stress reduction. A number of studies have shown that yoga may help reduce stress and anxiety. It can also enhance your mood and overall sense of well-being.
• Improved fitness. Practicing yoga may lead to improved balance, flexibility, improved range of motion and strength.
• Management of chronic conditions. Yoga can help reduce risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Yoga might also help alleviate chronic conditions, such as depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia.(4)

These are bold statements of the possibilities of Yoga for sure. Yet with the governing sensibility that Balance and Ease are our natural state, Yoga practice is designed to address and resolve the blocks to experiencing these states of being more and more often. With that a growing sense of wholeness(healing) can happen.  When we practice Yoga, posture(asana), breathwork(pranayama) and meditation(dhyana) as happens in most Yoga classes, we take a clear step toward handling the negative effects of stress. The combination of these aspects powerfully operates directly on our physiology to return us to health and balance in body and mind.  Many have reported that even a very basic habit of Yoga and self-care practices has helped them approach the stressful situation differently. and changed their lives immensly.

No previous experience is necessary to enjoy the full power of Yoga, Conscious Movement and Meditation. From the first beginners class one can often feel benefits in the soothed and relaxed muscles, eased nerves, normalized breath, and a calmer mind.

(1) From Develop Good Habits.com, https://www.developgoodhabits.com/yoga-quotes/

(2)Yoga Basics, www.Yoga basics.com

(3)Harvard Health Publishing Mayo,Yoga benefits beyond the mat

(4)Mayo Clinic, Yoga, Fight stress and find serenity, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/yoga/art-20044733/

…balance in life does not mean a stagnant and changeless state. Instead, real balance is a living, breathing thing. To attain it, we remain perceptive of the situation, the environment, and other people around us. We maintain flexibility and agility, so that we can adjust quickly and calmly from one moment to the next. It may look easy and effortless, but that is the result of practice and mastery.” (1) Derek Lin, author in the Taoism Genre** from Taoism.net

These last few years have been for many truly tumultuous times. The cliche that ‘the only constant is change” has never been more real. The impact of changes on individual lives, family and communities, social structures and political realities has forced many to draw on inner reserves of strength and energy to simply cope and manage what is . With this change we can be thrown off-balance in a fundamental. Old solutions may no longer be relevant or helpful, new possibilities not immediately apparent. With all this come a question about what our work on ourselves can do to help us as individuals cope and thrive in these times.

In reflecting Dynamic Balance as outlined above, I believe it is describes the state of mind and being that I have long believed to be the most practical and empowering benefit of Yoga, Meditation and skillful self-care practices.(2)

Warrior-ship, Presence and Grace are related to this inner sense of dynamic balance. We may, through our work on ourselves, develop and deep our access to the resources within to be resilient, overcome obstacles, and continue to evolve through these challenging times.

To begin this journey toward balance finding the self-care path that meets you close to where you are at ability, sensibility, and the goals you have for your life is essential. For more experienced practitioners the journey may require adjustments and changes along the way all the while sustaining the commitment and consistency in your work to make gains you seek.

Developing and sharpening an explorer’s mindset can help sort out what is useful and sustainable and what is not no matter what comes.
This mindset can be at the root of creating the powerful sense of dynamic balance described by Derek Lin above. This faculty quality is, according to Mr. Lin, attained by being “perceptive of the situation, the environment, and other people around us” helping one to “adjust quickly and calmly from one moment to the next”. (3)

Most who come to me beginning their journey or experiencing physical or mental challenges no matter their experience level, often aren’t feeling this dynamic balance as they relate their struggles or concerns. It is important at this time to be accept that dynamic balance, like all the other goals that they may have, doesn’t come fully formed. At times it may seem out of reach. Instead it can be developed as a “result of practice and mastery”.(4)

Although the above quotes above are from a Taoist writer referring to that practice, I believe it describes the fruits of most skillful, conscious Yoga, movement and self-care practices that are truly body/mind oriented.

Conscious(mindful) Yoga, movement and meditation practices that focus on developing our ability to relate to our inner and outer experiences as they are invites less reactivity and greater perspective on our challenges. This may increasingly allow opportunities to be more creative and responsive to our inner and outer circumstance and less buffeted by the changes of life. We can embody Dynamic Balance in a more masterful way.

1,2,4, Dynamic Balance as Posted to Taoism.net by Derek Lin on May 1, 2013 by Derek Lin

 (3) 7 Ways to Navigate Change Like a Yoga, Sally Kempton for the  Yoga Journal

]]> https://www.creativeedgeyoga.com/blog/resolve-to-re-connect-with-yourself-the-3-as-of-becoming-the-change-you-seek/ Tue, 11 Jan 2022 20:19:42 +0000 https://www.creativeedgeyoga.com/?p=5325 “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”
Rumi” from Goodreads.com

“Can you coax the mind from its wandering
And keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child’s?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?…”

“…Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from your own mind
and thus understand all things?…”
The Tao Te Ching, Aphorism 10, by Lao-Tzu translation by S. Mitchell from the Taoteching.com

As we begin another year many of us take time for an annual re-assessment of our lives and selves and decide something needs to change.
There can be practical use in this as sometimes our choices and habits creep up on us and lead us into health problems or other concerns. in other cases marshaling attention and resources through this method can help us re-commit to attain our goals in a focused way.

Skillful self awareness may help us make course corrections and adjustments in our journey toward whatever does present itself through this self-inquiry.

Whether you do formal resolutions or not, the wisdom of those teachers who developed and presented systems of growth and change as Yoga, meditation and related self care practice invite us to begin and remain with self acceptance and forgiveness.

Along the the way our foibles are revealed, resistances encountered, and mistakes, successes and failure appear as part of the journey. A foundation of increasing self acceptance and healthy self love can keep us on the path we have chosen more faithfully.

Here is where the simple formulation of this is the three A’s of healthy change come into the process. These are

Awareness of  what is in the moment with out identifying with our usual attitudes and judgements.  It allows us see ourselves and our situation from a new overview that may reveal new insight and perspective. As Lao Tze asks above: “…Can you step back from your own mind, and thus understand all things?…”

Acceptance is an allowing awareness of all that is revealed. Judgements—liking and not liking—can immediate narrow our focus and may reinforce or draw us back into old patterns of self denigration, separation and the resulting struggles and distress.

Adjustment  in our course. The shift in what  think feel and do that springs from the newer and wiser perspective.

This approach may seem scary,  confusing, or  couterintuitive at first. Yet it reveals the paradox of healthy change, that when we become ourselves most fully, let go of struggle and striving is just the time when we may be able to access something new that can take that next step forward toward what we are seeking.

Implicit in all this is an understanding that when we are on a path toward something that support our lives and wellbeing we have within us the means to attain that which we seek.

With the responsibility for your journey to healthful change now squarely on yourself you can now, in the words of Rumi allow you  to “be drawn by the strange pull of what you love.”.

Let the Tao be present in your life
and you will become genuine.
Let it be present in your family
and your family will flourish.
Let it be present in your country
and your country will be an example
to all countries in the world.
Let it be present in the universe
and the universe will sing.

Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching – Verse 54. trans by Stephen Mitchell(2)

In challenging times such as these it seems that all too often fear, conflict and polarization often override values of community, connection and shared values in determining how we make the important decisions in our lives.

As the sage Lao the suggests above, it may be the lives we are seeking can be found in the harmony that comes when struggle within and against others is released and we join together in understanding. Much easier said than done but no less important to know and consider as a possibility forI living happy and purposeful lives.

In the skillful and compassionate practice of Yoga, meditation and the healing arts it is taught from the beginning that struggling against our inner distress and who we are magnifies that distress and is ultimately the main impediment to its release and our own evolution.

A hidden value of this understanding may be that applying this insight to all manner of conflict and discord both within ourselves and to the world outside may allow us to,. even for a moment, understand and shift to a more healing and creative world view. This can lead our relating to ourselves and others with understanding  and acceptance., rather than fear and conflict.

Our ability to rise above unhealthy and conflicted states of being is lost and found again with each visit to the Yoga mat, meditation cushion or healing interaction with a trusted healer, friend or loved one.
In this new year I hope that you find your way to greater peace and happiness within and that this will help you help others find their way as well.

!.)  From Azquotes.com

2.) -Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching – Verse 54. trans by Stephen Mitchell, from harinam.com

“Be content with what you have;

rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking,

the whole world belongs to you.”

Lao Tze from the Tao te Ching, aphorism 44 translated by Stephen Mitchell from the tao te ching institute

I have heard it said that Thanksgiving is the most important holiday in this country because it can be shared by all. There is no religious, patriotic or ideological barrier that intrinsically separates any one of us from being able to understand and share the magic and majesty of holding a grateful heart.

The research is in to back that up what so many know about the benefits  of gratitude,! Gratitude is good for body mind and spirit. Click here for an inspiring and informative article (1)—share the good news:).Thank you to Sarah Warren for the article and her good work.