Opening or Closing

In any given moment we are either opening or closing to life. If you are closing you may feel anxious, stressed and typically uncomfortable. If we are opening to life we feel calm, relaxed and at ease. In any given moment you can pause and notice how you are feeling. Getting into the habit of noticing this can help you make decisions about the direction your life is taking.

When we are closing we are resisting reality. We wish the moment was different. We want life to be different then it is. No matter what we do wrestling with reality is one fight we will always lose. If you do not like what life is presenting to you resisting it will only make it worse--what we resist will persist. In fact it will not only persist yet in many cases build pressure and inflict more stress.

If we are open to life then life is more workable. We can accept what life is presenting and begin working with what is. In many ways this can turn the most difficult circumstances into powerful learning experiences. Happy moments can become even more joyous!

Presence

Before I started to practice yoga I never really gave much conscious awareness to the present moment. I would be awakened from daydreaming by a nun slapping down a ruler or a coach yelling loudly. Of course I spent time in the present moment yet I never knew the difference between being in thought and being present without thought.

In high school and college I continued living without this awareness. In reflecting back I was always living in my head, reliving the past or strategizing about the future—never fully appreciating where I was. Do not get me wrong—my childhood was incredible. I just never knew that there was a difference between thinking and experiencing the present moment without analyzing with thought what was happening.

When I first started practicing yoga I would wonder what the teacher thought of me and while in class anticipate what posture was coming next. I would look around the room for entertainment. If a class did not entertain me, I would seek out another teacher or class. I would be thinking constantly during practice. This all changed one day when I started to practice Ashtanga Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga is a series of postures. There are three reference points to creating a mind and body connection. I learned to bring my attention to the stillness in my eyes, the breath, and the awareness of my body as it remained still and as it moved. I began understanding what it meant to be present—athletes call this the zone. It is the place where everything slows down, thought drops and the appreciation for life grows.

These three reference points have grown into daily tools that I use on and off the mat to return back to the present moment awareness. Life seems to get brighter and brighter and my appreciation grows from this practice—a worthy component to being empowered.

Costa Rica

I am writing this entry from Pura Vida Spas in Costa Rica. This is my 7th year facilitating retreats and every year it seems to get better. The attendees this year are steadfast, enthusiastic and came to work deligently with a smile. There is not much resistance and this makes the practice much more enjoyable and fun.

Each day starts off with a basis meditation. This year Chris Rogers has joined me to lead the group on Big Mind training. Big Mind is learning to think bigger then yourself. Our theme is Beginners Mind. This is a term which orginates in the Zen tradition. The general idea is that a beginners mind is a Big Mind and capable of numerous possiblities. A more advanced mind is a small mind and limited in possibilities.

After each morning session we enjoy amazing fruit and other healthy food. We ask people to stay light on the eating due to a 10am Hatha yoga practice. After practice we shower and enjoy a heathy and tastey lunch. Much of the afternoon is spent resting by the pool or sleeping.

We practice again in the later afternoon. This is a longer practice where more theraputic movements are practiced. Afterwards everyone showers and we have dinner together. The conversation is rich.

I really enjoy being down here yet it is challenging being away from Sara and our children. I hope to handle the Blog on Presence while I am down here.

I have not had time to edit this blog so excuse me for any grammer mistakes.

Commitment

Maintaining a commitment can be very difficult for people—why is this? I believe the most important part of maintaining a commitment is being clear from the very start why you are feeling the way you do. Around this time of the year people are setting resolutions. Their commitments are rooted in dissatisfaction—an aspect of your life that you are not happy with and you would like to let go of and change.

It is really important to spend time with this feeling of dissatisfaction and not just ignore it. The more intimate you get with the dissatisfaction the more meaningful the commitment will become. Spending time writing down what will happen if you maintain the commitment and what will happen if you don’t maintain the commitment can be very fruitful. Brainstorm and refine your thoughts and feelings to one page. Read this page daily and remind yourself why you made the commitment.

If you are unwilling to spend some time to become clear on what it is that you want your life to be about then chances are you will lose your commitment. I don’t think people lack willpower or discipline they just lack presence. I will address presence in my next blog.

If you are new to the blog I aim to post weekly entries. I write about my challenges and triumphs in life. My intention is to help you live a more empowered life.