yoga

I can remember as a child going to the YWCA and taking acrobatics class, or we referred to it as “acro.” It was a basic tumbling class, and I am sure we were all completely out of sync for most of our routines. I have no idea if I had any talent, poise, or timing. Knowing what a klutz I am now, I probably was one of the girls that was out of line with the others. Maybe my sister remembers. In any case, from what I remember I had fun, and I loved the outfits we got to wear, should that tell you something?

Acro/tumbling classes help kids follow directions and be flexible. I wish my physical body was as flexible now as it was in those little tutu’s as a kid. The sky was the limit then, now I continue to do yoga to stretch and stay limber, but it is not the same. Instead of being physically flexible, I find that mental and emotional flexibility is much easier for me. Even when I may have a strong opinion on what I think an outcome should be in my life.

Recently I read this Daily Om called: “Exercising Flexibility” that made me ponder how flexible I am in life:

“When we are rigid or stuck in our ways, instead of adjusting to the world around us we hunker down, clinging to a concept of reality rather than reality itself. When we do this, we cut ourselves off from life, and we miss out on valuable opportunities, as well as a lot of joy.”

There are so many times when we do not have a choice, and maintaining flexibility is really the only answer. The ever-changing online landscape of the past few years has forced us to hone our flexibility. Why? Because things change faster than we can ever imagine. You might be 90% complete with a project at work, only to find out the scope has changed, your deadline stays the same, and you have to creatively figure out how to finish it on time. How do you do it? How do you not lose it? You have to let go of past habits, past history, and clear your thoughts in order to buckle down and change course.

Also from the Daily Om:

“When we are flexible, we allow for situations we could not have planned, and so the world continues to surprise and delight us.”

Sounds good to me!

I recently found this great blog: The heART of Living by Emily. I cannot even remember how I came across it. She inspired me last week, and I want to share a quote from her blog post, in hopes that passing on her inspiration will help you as it did me:

“Our realities are shaped around where we place our attention. If we focus on negativity, then our life situations will reflect negativity. If we focus on qualities and behaviors that we would like to invite into our lives, then our life situations will eventually shift to reflect that reality. The difficulty is that often times we are unaware of what we’re focused on. Usually we’re unconsciously repeating habitual tendencies and patterns of thought that have been formed by the way we were raised and our life experiences. By practicing awareness on the yoga mat, in our interactions with others, or by simply observing our own thoughts and emotions, we start to realize where and how we place our attention.”

Recently I have felt bogged down by a few things that have not shifted or changed in my life. I find that in that struggle I can go the route of being negative, and dreading the outcome if things do not shift. I forget that focusing on the negative, or as some might call, the glass half empty, then that is the energy I am inviting into my life and experience. At times I am very aware of my negativity and at other times, I am completely oblivious.

What I need to do is focus on the good going on around me, and not focus on what has not happened. I actually really enjoy focusing on gratitude and appreciating the experience I am in, but there are times when I fear that the choices I have made are having a negative effect on other events in my life. If I move away from fear, and stay in the present, then I cannot get sucked into the negativity. The hope is that by staying in the present, my attention will go to what is happening right now. Where I spend my time, the event, activity, and individuals I am spending my time with will then find me with a glass half full. What we focus on is what we bring into our experience. Even on those rough days, we can take a break, take a breath, and remember to bring a half full, (or hey how about full) glass to the table. When it is full, there is more goodness to share!

What do you think?