Strala Yoga: Music Mondays!

Strala Yoga: Music Mondays!

Stimulus

stimulus |ˈstimyələs|noun ( pl. -li |-ˌlī|)a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue• a thing that rouses activity or energy in someone or something; a spur or incentive
That is exactly what my training at Strala has been for me. A stimulus to incite change and creativity. I'm inspired by Tao and Jane, and will do everything I can to make sure that I am that amazing and strong by the time I'm that age. I am constantly inspired by Tara's thoughtful and graceful sequences and Mike's words of wisdom. I'm inspired by all of my fellow teachers in training, appreciating everyone's different background and experience with yoga. I'm even inspired by the fact that I have a lot more knowledge, strength and experience within me that I never fully believed in until now. But it's just as awesome to know there is always potential to do and be more, not only in my yoga practice and teaching, but in life. The material is there, you just need something to work as a catalyst, to start the process and really get it to react and burn. We all have the capability to be the best, sometimes our reactions are hindered or our energy is blocked. Sometimes we aren't open enough to see it, or simply not active enough to get it started. But as soon as that stimulus is introduced into our environment, we have room to react, and this reaction can be as short as a second or it can last a lifetime. Finding motivation and allowing it to guide our innate originality, gives us material to create our lives as we want them to be.

Lucky

One of the biggest lessons I learned when I moved here is that it's important to be grateful for what you have, not bitter about the things you don't. I mean, ultimately that's a lesson you see and learn throughout life, but sometimes it just doesn't stick. This time it did for me. I can say with full honesty this is something that I have been extremely good about in the last year. How can you ever expect to be fulfilled when your want is endless? When you are asking for way more than you are willing to give. There was a moment in my life where I just said to myself "Stop whining about your situation, it's yours to change and honestly, things can always be a lot worse". This thought was reiterated last weekend in training by Mike Taylor, he said "Good to trust the universe, but you also have to work your butt off to make something great out of all those opportunities."

To me, life is an opportunity. Just existing is an opportunity. And as far as I can see, our existence is pretty damn good compared to other humans on this planet or even other species. Of course it's all relative, and not to undermine feelings of sadness or suffering, but to understand that we have the capability to react differently,to adapt and change and move on, which is the keystone of the human species.

In reflecting on where I was last year at this time, I realize just how powerful gratitude is. Last year I was wrapped in bitterness and negativity, and not surprisingly my life was not where I wanted it. This year I have an amazing career and opportunities keep turning up for me everywhere. I feel so grateful for things that are sometimes overlooked. I am grateful for my health, and that my body allows me to practice yoga, and to share my passion for it with people. I am grateful for my job, and all it provides for me. I feel so lucky for the amazing people in my life, and I keep meeting more. So yeah, the universe is there for you, but you are also a part of the universe. You gotta give a little to get a little.

"It's gonna be a glorious day, I feel my luck could change"

Someone Great

Sometimes we can explicitly see the duality of nature. Both sides of the same coin, life and death. News of death can come so suddenly, which makes you take a moment to feel shocked, to remember, and grieve, yet within another moment to find compassion for others dealing with the same grief, expanding outside of yourself, and in another moment to understand the larger scope of existence. That you cannot have black, (that absorbs every frequency of light and the visible spectrum) without white, (that reflects the frequency of light). Life, therefore, cannot exist without death/renewal. The cyclical law of nature and the constant force of energy, nothing really being created nor destroyed, just changing states. So not to necessarily think of death as finite and the end, but as change. Change affecting anyone connected to that bright soul and to that event in time. Trying to reside in understanding non-permanence is not an easy task, but it makes dealing with change a little easier. Allowing ourselves within the midst of dealing with death, to feel a little more alive. To make those choices today and now, to truly reside in the moment, because ultimately we don't know when our last moments will be. Find your happiness for the present, not dwelling in past nor checking out of the present to get to the future. Live your life everyday for now and the people around you, whether they are the people you love, or even those you don't really know. So when that last change comes, you will be exactly where you need to be. No doors unopened, and no ends untied.

Line of Best Fit

Linear points, simple trends, a collection of moments which occur close together and the scatter is smallest. Through these points, you can draw a line, and see your path. For the moment anyway. That defines life, a collection of moments. An infinite number of points in our lives can be visualized as being on the same graph, and the trend is not always apparent, but when we lock on to one part or narrow our view a little and we see a clear path, be grateful. Be aware and go with it, this is now and it will never be the same again! For some this never comes, and for others if it does, it is very fleeting. So grab on and let that path take you where it will, for you never know when such clarity will occur again. The hard part is being open enough to receive it, yet discerning enough to know it's there. If you are aware and open to possibility, it can take you anywhere. I truly think I'm seeing my life's line of best fit.

I'm so tired...

But in the best way possible! Week 1 of Strala's teacher training is complete. I will admit it has been tough for my body to add in a few classes for my own practice, but by Sunday, I could feel that it was adjusting and I didn't feel as weary as I did on Saturday. It is so nice to be surrounded by everyone's wonderful energy there, and I couldn't have hoped for anything better than it already is. It's a wonderful space and I know there will be so much growth in my own practice as well as my teaching. This training is something that completely fits and it's nice to have those experiences and moments in life that are effortless. It's easy, it works, it makes sense, it's universal harmony. Like finding that exact moment in crow or warrior 3 where you just float. Effortless existence. Appreciating that you are where you are, and there is all that you will ever be.

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