practicing what I preach~ May 4, 2009

Dali Mama Raw Silk Meditation Cushion

Oh, those moments….

I hear myself saying, “Take a deep breath in and create some inner space…. as you exhale, soften and settle into your body…. ”   “Give your body and mind some time to soften & empty out,” or I realize I too am clutching my breath….  with  my shoulders scrunched up towards my ears, and my “inner space” is the size of a matchbox.

And, at various times through out the day I might hear in response to my own “words of wisdom”…

Sure…. I’ll “let go” as soon as I get “this” done. ”  “Create some inner space?”  “Settle” into my body? How can I possibly settle into my body with the list of  “to-do’s” and all the running around that needs to happen in order for that check-mark to appear in the little box on the left.  The only “settling” into my body is the laying down at bedtime from exhaustion… All I want to do is turn my mind off or tune the “responsibilities” out.

It’s time to practice what I preach…

Then I pause,  remember those words:  “BREATHE.”   “Take a deep breath,  exhale and  let go, create some inner space.”     Aaaah, my body begins to soften  and my mind slowly winds down….

As a student and teacher of yoga, a new-by to anti-gravity yoga (oh, so fun ;-)), an artist, a business owner, a wife, a mom, a friend, daughter, sister, and…what did I forget? I have infinite moments during errands, business challenges, interactions with friends, family, and computer challenges where I get to “hear” my own “words of wisdom” previously spoken for someone else tapping me on the shoulder with a big smile reminding me to p-r-a-c-t-i-c-e what I preach….

Slowly the corners of my mouth begin to lift towards my ears (this could take anywhere from seconds to hours….),

Then all of a sudden… automatically and very naturally,

My body takes a deeper breath, my mind begins letting go, and my body softens and settles ….

I think…

I love yoga,  thank goodness for yoga,   I’m so grateful for yoga…..

It’s changed my life…

Realizing the practicing what I preach begins to happen all on its own~
Off to yoga 😉

The High Priestess “within” April 29, 2009

Your Dali Mama "within"

Besides being nicknamed DaliMama by my daughter and friends…. I’ve been asked many times, “What exactly is DaliMama?” What does the DaliMama do? (what doesn’t she do is more like it 😉 What does DaliMama mean? And those questions always seem to come after a smile spreads across the face of a person who hears “Dali Mama” for the first time.
These “smiles” always portray the essence of “knowing” something. Like a “secret”, inner picture or piece of information that is seen and connected to from within. Like the smile of a “Cheshire cat”.
It was like they “knew”, they could feel the same thing I felt when I said, “Dali Mama”.
These inquires inspired me to research the independent meanings of both words.
Before I began looking up the definitions in various different places, I began to inquire “within” during my practice of yoga and meditations.
Here’s what came forth:
the DaliMama meant a place and point where creativity or the essence of creation meets your nurturing “self” or your “inner-mama”.
First of all, I am a mom, and amongst all of the multitasking, appointments, cleanups, chauffering, lessons and projects, the pressure of daily stresses, those moments of overwhelm…I noticed that contrary to what I would be feeling emotionally, I began to “hear” an inner voice that gently nudged me to practice a more positive contrary action. For example, if I were overwhelmed with the feelings of a scream and the fantasy of the following:  upon almost arriving home, just continuing to drive past the house to another city or state, the desire to jump out of my skin, a vision of pulling someone else’s hair out…. My “inner-mama” would begin to kindly (key word:  kindly) whisper much more creative ideas, solutions and actions for me to take than the one’s “I” was defaulting to.  And, that got me thinking — if I could “hear” or “sense” this  nurturing, “higher” place within myself then this place exists in each and every one of us.

I found that my definition of the DaliMama was not far from the actual dictionary definition.

Dali:  her holiness, the precious protector, the innermost protector, an upper higher position, the rule, sovereign, the victorious one.

Mother/Mama:   container for responsible authority, female, nurturer, the source, that which gives birth to something.

The “victorious nurturer” was what I aspired to…

To confidently, creatively, kindly, and  generously (that would be instead of hair pulling or leaving the state) respond in all situations and experiences from that “higher” place to my daughter and in all my interactions.

When it feels like the seas have parted and wind is beneath your wings…..  Ease and effortlessness are your middle name….  “you are in the F-l-o-w”  is flashing in neon across your forehead…  a smile can’t help but BE on your face….    When creativity, nurturing, responsibility and victory all merge from within….

Your “Dali” and “Mama” are in the groove ;~}

Practice the Present April 2, 2009

my "present"~

All too often my clients are living in the past or the future — not even the distant past but the recent past twenty, thirty, fifty minutes ago.  Maybe something stressful happened in the morning and you are still carrying it with you into the afternoon.  Or maybe you just had a bad encounter trying to park to show up for your yoga class and have road rage coursing through you at the ungraciousness of your fellow human being.  You might have even have had a bad meeting with a co-worker that has left you seething, or, a disagreement with your child or spouse.  Any and all of these scenarios happened in the PAST.     What’s happened, has happened.   It is done, finished, over.   It is now history, like it or not.  You have absolutely no control over what happened.  You do, however, have choice in what is happening RIGHT NOW.  In the PRESENT.

When we learn to “be” in our PRESENT, I promise, once you master this, you will begin to let go of whatever “was” with the greatest of ease and not worry about the future, because you will see that all there is, is the present.  The more we become our own master’s of the “now”, the more peaceful our bodies and minds become.

And, this is one of the gifts of yoga.

PRESENCE….

This presence is the garden we begin to water through the consistent practice of breath (pranayama) and movement (asana/postures).   The body and  mind are cleansed of toxins that assault one’s physical, mental and emotional well being.

Now…. where’s your yoga mat?