I recently heard of a book called "Living Your Yoga" by Judith Hanson Lasater. It caught my attention as I'd recently come to the awareness that my life is my yoga - my spiritual practice. It is occurring every single moment, not just on Sunday mornings. In every moment of every day, I get a chance to practice kindness and respect and compassion and non-judgement and non-violence and gratitude. I get to remember Who I Really Am and show how I can express that and become even more. I get to align myself with my Faith in a greater power and Trust in that guidance. In doing so, I get to feel strong and empowered with a deep peace underlying my actions. For the most part...I am still learning to incorporate this and so I do slip into old conditionings some times. I thought about buying the book. But decided against it. I'm sure there are some great tips in it, but it would be written from the authors point of view and right now, I'm Living MY Yoga. Are you livin...
I met a new friend recently. During the conversation, she was saying how she recognised that she often passed judgement on other people, before she had met them, based on the opinions of others. She was not sure if she should do that, but seemed to be stuck in that pattern. I wanted to explore that with her, but just could not find the words. Thinking about it now, I know why, and I also know what I would have said. Which is: "It's very nice that you want to show loyalty to your friends by siding with them, but do you always know if your friends are right? The person that appears to be mean that you are judging - do you know what made them like that? Perhaps they had something really horrible happen to them in the past and their behaviour now is a defense mechanism. Or a cry for help -'I'm in pain'. Who are we to judge another anyway? Has our own behaviour been exemplary? Imagine if we were slower to judge others and quicker to show kindness and compass...
On this day of your life, dear friend, I believe God wants you to know..... that it is time for you to give your mind a respite, a retreat from all the illusions of your Every Day. How long has it been since you paid attention -- real attention -- to your soul? There are many ways to nourish the soul, but you often must stop, just simply stop, life as you are living it...if only for an hour or a day or a week...and take some time to gift your soul. Or, more accurately, to allow your soul to gift you. Is there a book you have been dying to read? A personal growth workshop you wish you could take? A lecture you hope you can fit into your busy life? Do it. Do it now. You think you can't afford the time or the money? I tell you, you can't afford not to. Love, Your Friend.... Neale
Comments