I almost titled this post “8 Eye Creams”, but it is not a click bait ranking or other evaluation of eight eye creams. It is an admission that there is at least one part of me that thinks my world will be better if I simply apply the right eye cream twice daily, and that […]
I read a lot. I love to read. I often blow through a book just taking it in happily and moving on. Is this way my reading is like a meal. Many meals are good, but as it’s something I do three times a day, eating is often enjoyable but often not worth noting, not […]
I want to write more. I don’t think I’m the world’s greatest writer – but I love to share in this way. There is a magic to writing (versus conversing) that allows the refinement of an idea. Space to think, then write. Research, then write and revise. Reread, then edit. I love that process. Both […]
I read a lot, but I also seem to buy a fair number of books and not read them – the moment of ‘need’ outpaced by yet another book that has jumped to the top of the #tbr list. I mostly get books from the library (I’ve got 11 books on hold there as of […]
Last night I hosted the monthly zoom meetup for my online community on the topic of the small but important things we do to set ourselves up to feel good in our day, and little things we might add to our morning or evening routines to protect our peace as we move full speed into the holidays.
I speak to this one idea often: how the world can make us look for big dramatic leaps, but success is often in small shifts that change our course over time.
I have a very strong tendency to save things for later. To not wear something because it’s for a more special occasion, to not eat something because it’s for a more special meal, and even to not say things until it’s a more noteworthy date (big acts of love on Valentine’s Day but not a random Tuesday for example). The basic idea at play is delayed gratification. There are some times when delayed gratification is good. But I’ve been thinking about how if you’ve gotten a bit too good at it, the delays just might back fire and the satisfaction is voided.
The other day I was a student in a Vinyasa class. I was in the back corner of the room when the teacher led us into a long hold of a particular twist. I was really surprised at my view as I turned and took in a row of other students. Even knowing all I know about the differences in anatomy and how that impacts our asana practice, I don’t think I have ever seen a more perfect view of how much it matters.
“Yoga is the practice of getting comfortable being uncomfortable.” It’s one of my favorite quotes—even if I can’t quite trace its origin. I’ve seen it attributed to yoga teachers, Navy SEALs, and even Luvvie Ajayi Jones in her TED Talk. Its popularity across such different worlds tells me one thing: learning to sit with discomfort reaches far beyond the edges of the yoga mat.
I’ve been in a space of constant input and output. No wasted minutes. A podcast while driving. Saying yes to everyone else as often as I could. Spiraling in the shower as I considered all the things that could go wrong if I missed something. Reading more and more books but retaining less and less of their content. Zero quiet minutes.
A business I work nearby has recently ceased to do business, and the marquee now says: “closed for good”. The phrasing got me thinking. I know in this sense it is meant to convey the finality of the closure, but it gave me pause – what if it meant the closing was good?