LIVING YOGICALLY: Hit the road Jack
Ruts happen to the best of us. You know that feeling you get when you feel stuck, trapped or when you have been on the same road forever and are waiting for it to change. I am ready to start driving down a new road. How exactly was I going to go about making this change? I did not know for sure. Did I need to pick up a hitch hiker or put a new passenger in shot gun? I don’t know but something needed to happen right away. So I sent out a silent prayer and asked the universe for some help.
Be the change you want to see in the world. –Ghandi
You know that cliché saying- if you ask you shall receive. Well clichés are cliché for a reason. They have stood the test of time and they work. I asked and I received. I got the change that I prayed for and it hit me quick and hard. It slapped me across the face like a spicy Latina who discovered her man was cheating on her with her best friend. Oh ya and that Latina rocked me hard to the core. That Latina was Power Yoga Canada (PYC).
I have been practicing yoga at PYC all month. It is a beautiful space in Oakville that teaches Baptiste inspired hot power vinyasa yoga. This style of yoga puts the cha cha in chatarunga (low pushup) and the Rrrraaa in nataraja (dancer’s pose). It is empowering and took me to my edge. It was the spice I needed not only in my yoga practice but in my life. Don’t get me wrong my original yoga studio still has my heart but I had a passionate love affair with PYC, a love affair I am going to continue to pursue.
How could I not want to continue this passionate relationship? The entire studio welcomed me with open arms. All the teachers there are amazing. They all gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling- as if we have known each other forever. Every class was like a party for the body, mind and soul. I highly recommend you head to PYC.
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. –Harold Whitman
Change in routine is great. It is the spark we all need to get out of our heads and open ourselves up to new experiences. It is like going on vacation and letting go of your inhibitions. You make out with the pool boy or water aerobics instructor- that you probably would have NEVER approached at home. You taste new food for the first time and you take shots of tequila again- even though you swore you would NEVER touch the stuff after that one time in college. You tan topless and you may even go skinny dipping.
Change is also good because it allows us to tap into our beginner’s mind fully and completely. Beginner’s mind refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would. It is a yogi concept but even if you are not a yogi you know what a beginner’s mind is. It is that excitement kids bring to everything they do. Have you ever watched a baby discover their belly button for the first time? That is beginners mind. Or the excitement when a youngster says their first word, takes their first step or even farts. We should all tap into our beginner’s mind more often and celebrate our lives- every word, step and fart.
Even the grumpiest of grandfathers can’t help but get excited when they are around their grandchildren. They applaud everything they do and have the video camera ready so they don’t miss a beat. My entire experience at PYC was video camera worthy. The inspiration I received there is spilling over.
It has even started to spill over into my life. This change I discovered on my mat has transferred off my mat- yes folks I am living yogically! If we are open to change, change will be contagious to all parts of ourselves. I have noticed a change in many aspects of my life. It is a wonderful feeling. I hope this feeling lasts for a long time but if it doesn’t I know that I can just jump into my car and head down the road to PYC.
Fire is not seen until one firestick rubs against another, though the fire remains hidden in the firestick. Let you body be the lower firestick; let the heart be the upper. Rub them against each other in yoga and meditation. –ancient writing
Peace, peace, peace
NAT
NEXT WEEK! I continue along this new road and vow to say yes to everything. So if you want your dog walked, your paper route covered or your kids babysat I am your girl…this could get a little crazy.