The Practice of Meaningful Work
Cartoon by Steve Heath
As I’ve said before, I consider my yoga practice a template for how I live my life (credit for the “template” metaphor goes to Cyndi Lee, though Kimberly Wilson was the first to introduce me to the larger concept). Once you immerse yourself in yogic philosophy, it’s hard not find connections between yoga and, well, everything (I feel the same way about improv). And yet, despite the fact that finding meaningful work is one of the major themes of my adult life, I’d never connected the lessons of yoga practice to the process of finding my “right livelihood”…that is, until I came across this article by Tama J. Keives on the Kripalu website. (more…)
Are You Having Fun?
Sad birthday
“If it’s not fun, why do it?” – Ben and Jerry
“If you aren’t having fun, it’s your fault.” – My friend Zack
Is life about having fun?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially in the context of my yoga practice — which, as I’ve said before, is a template for how I live. (more…)
Epiphany in the Key of C
I’m back from Costa Rica. The yoga bug has bitten – after arriving home Saturday night, I was itching to practice Sunday morning, and again today. As I waited at the bus stop on my way to OM, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” came on the Pandora station I was listening to on my Blackberry:
(Sing it with me now…)
“You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need.”
This, I realized, is an exact summary of my yoga retreat. It wasn’t what I wanted, going in — it demanded more of me, made me work harder than I’d planned — but it was definitely what I needed.
Isn’t it fascinating, how we’re drawn to things sometimes without really knowing why, and they turn out to fill a deep inner need? As if our subconscious knows what we need before we recognize the need consciously…
I’m back. I’m stronger, surer and lighter. I wonder what the playlist will feature next…
And Now, a Word About Yoga
Image by kk+ on Flickr
On the heels of yesterday’s account of my yoga retreat, and realizing that many of you do not practice yoga, I wanted to clarify why I write about yoga here on this blog. It’s very simple: my yoga practice is integral to my practice of creative living.
Maybe the word “practice” is confusing here. To me, yoga is about showing up and making an effort; it is NOT about perfection (this isn’t my own idea – it’s what I was taught at my beloved DC yoga studio, Tranquil Space Yoga). People’s bodies are different, first of all, so my Downward Dog may look different than yours, and neither of us is necessarily wrong. But in a grander sense, yoga is about cultivating an equanimity that is at odds with the striving of achieving “perfection.” It is truly about process over product – when you stumble in a balancing pose, do you think, “I’m such a klutz,” and give up? Or do you breathe, and try again? The latter is the yoga way.
You may already see the connections the way I see yoga and the process of creative living. (more…)
On Howler Monkeys and Comfort Zones
So, as I mentioned the other day, I’m on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica this week. Sounds pretty heavenly, right? It’s beautiful here, no doubt, but the experience is harder than I’d expect heaven to be. Of course, there are luxuries, the greatest of which is my ability to be here, period. And the scenery is beautiful, the food delicious, the pool to die for. So far, so heavenly.
San Jose, California - not to be confused with San Jose, Costa Rica
But there have been a lot of challenges that have taken me far outside my comfort zone. First, on the trip here, I ended up flying to San Jose, California, instead of San Jose, Costa Rica. Yes, you read that right: I flew to the wrong city, in the wrong country. (Insert “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” reference here.) (more…)
