Ch-ch-changes Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes - Turn and face the strange Ch-ch-changes - Just gonna have to be a different man – David Bowie

Change is in the air. A New Year, a new President, perhaps New Year resolutions for a fabulous new you but what of the change and why be aware of it now? Some people embrace change while others never want things to change. Fear vs. Fascination. We have Science Fiction as well as The Andy Griffith Show to tell us what it may be like and to show us a familiar time that never really was. The point I’m getting at is with all these changes what about now? Right here, right now, fully present in the now. Change is constant. We live breath to breath, moment to moment. Our awareness, however, generally is planning the future or contemplating the past. When events happen such as a New Year, a change in power, etc. happen, we take a moment to realize that time isn’t simply standing still. We are faced with the strange. That strange is where we let the fear in. From a yogic perspective, think back to the first time you walked into a studio, perhaps you went with friends or maybe it was by yourself. Were you quiet? Maybe embarrassed to take off your shoes? The teacher was certainly speaking a different language (literally) and maybe you didn’t have enough strength or flexibility to do the things being asked of you. Where are you now? Are you in the same place? If you are reading this I’m guessing not. So what happened? You’ve been through changes, your body and mind have responded, you are simply no longer who you were the first time you walked in the door. Life is like that as well. We build up these walls around us thinking we can somehow stop time and life subtly passes by. You’ve no doubt heard the saying you can’t go home again and I will say it’s true. I grew up a military brat but I’ve also had the good fortune to go revisit the places I once lived, I even met someone I knew when we were younger (And maybe we had a school age crush on each other) So what happened. Nothing fit the way I remembered. The houses seemed smaller as did the neighborhoods. The fact is they were the same, it was my boundaries and relationship with the world that had grown. I had changed. As for the girl, after knowing each other in the 4th grade, we were friendly but barely spoke our senior year in High School. We had nothing left in common except being young together briefly. If you’ve been in my class more than once, you’ve probably heard me cue you to your breath and to “Be Here Now”. In the present, it’s always now. It creates space for change. When I get ahead or behind myself in my thinking, I’m coming from a place of ego. I think I can direct the future or change the past. I, as in me, as in the power belongs to me. It’s all an illusion of course and one of the root causes of a great deal of suffering but when I am present, in the moment, I actually have the power to act, I have choice and it’s no longer an illusion. The key to change is not getting stuck in the transition. I’m not suggesting you don’t make those New Year-New Me resolutions. Write them down. Make them real. Just don’t get hung up on them until you are ready to make the changes. There isn’t anything wrong with making plans, in fact John Lennon once said, life happens while you are busy making them. Just don’t live in the plans. Embrace change for what it is, an opportunity to grow. Leave tomorrow to tomorrow and the past in the past. Life is happening now it’s beautiful and it would be a shame to miss it.

I really do teach the 8 Limbs of Yoga For many years I thought I was practicing yoga, when in reality I was practicing Asana, only the physical portion of yoga. I knew nothing about the eight limbs of yoga. Considering there are 8 limbs of yoga, Asana is only 15% of yoga! I have to admit that even after completing my teaching certification and teaching for a while I thought that I was still basically just practicing and teaching Asana, maybe with a little Pranayama thrown in. It wasn't until several years into teaching that I went a little deeper and started a journey of exploration into the 8 limbs of yoga. These eight limbs serve as a guidance system on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life; and give us an outline for moral and ethical conduct, self discipline, and health, as well as helping us connect to, and, acknowledge our spirituality. Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga as described in the Yoga Sutras are: 1. The Yamas Universal Morality. Do onto other as you would have other do onto you. This encompasses your ethical standards and sense of integrity. a) Ahimsa — nonviolence, to do no harm, to practice loving kindness and compassion. b) Satya — being truthful (expressing our uniqueness and authenticity.) c) Asteya — non-stealing d) Brahmacharya — living a life of moderation. Abstaining from over indulgence. e) Aparigraha — non possessiveness, non covetousness, non attachment. 2. The Niyamas Our personal Observances a) Saucha — cleanliness. Defined by some as purification, including your thoughts, actions, relationships, and even your breath. b) Santosha — contentment and gratitude in the things you have, shifting away your focus on what you don’t have. I call this appreciation for life. c) Tapas — Disciplined use of our energy (building strength and character.) Zeal for life. d) Swadhyaya — Self study or learning from our own lives, the continual pursuit of knowledge including yogic philosophy. Also non judgment and acceptance. e) Ishvara Pranidhana — Celebration of Spiritual, believing, asking for guidance, relaxing into your life, and surrendering (maybe to a higher power whatever you believe that to be.) 3. Asanas Our yogic postures what we in the west envision when we think of yoga. Asanas make us feel strong, healthy, balanced, and flexible. Asana actually means comfortable seat and some belief that the ancient yogis developed the postures so they would be flexible enough and their bodies strong enough to sit in meditation for long periods of time. 4. Pranayama —Breath Control. The yoga breathing exercises that help control our mind and our prana (energy). Establishing a connection between the breath, the mind, the body, and emotions. 5. Pratyahara — Control of the senses including detachment from senses and directing our attention inward. 6. Dharana — Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness. Concentration precedes meditation by helping us still the mind and focus on one thing (such as a mantra or intention.) 7. Dhyana — Devotion and meditation. 8. Samadhi — Traditionally described as transcendence or union with the divine, ecstasy or ultimate bliss and joy. Although our spirituality is a big part of this I believe joy is a key word here, yes it can come from our spiritual believes and our connection to the divine, but in a more secular sense our joy can also come from inner peace, freedom, and fulfillment, whatever it's source. When I teach I usually start by asking students to center inward (Pratyahara), to concentrate on their breath (Pranayama) and I suggest an intention or theme for the class (Dharana.) Some times we just sit or lie quietly just centering inward and focusing on our breath (perhaps the beginning of meditation for some.) We usually practice Pranayama in one form or another (such as Udiyana Bandha) and we use Ujayi breath. While practicing Asana, I ask students to honor their bodies and their own limitations (“your body your practice”) so Ahimsa, Satya , Aparigraha, Swadhyaya and perhaps some other Yamas and Niyamas thrown in based on the theme/intention for the day. We end in Savasana (Pratyahara, Dharana if it includes a guided meditation or systematic relaxation, Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender) and hopefully a bit of Samadhi (bliss.) The more I researched, contemplated, learned, and studied, the more I realized that I really was instinctively incorporating the 8 limbs of yoga into my classes and gently guiding my students through all 8 limbs. I hope to continue to share this beautiful guidance system as I progress and deepen my own understanding and practice of yoga. In Gratitude for all my teachers, my students and the practice of yoga, I wish you peace, love, and joy. Namaste Michele

The beauty of imperfection - by Jim Apone

How many times have you started a sentence with “if only”,” I wish” or something similar? The problem doesn’t lie in the fact that we have hopes, dreams or desires, rather it lies in the fact that we think we are incomplete without these material things we long for. How much energy have we wasted thinking the perfect life is out there and it’s not ours? How many times do we relive the past wishing we would have done something different or we think of the perfect thing to say, an hour later of course. How often do we live our lives two weeks into the future or two weeks in the past? How often do we compare what we feel on the inside to what we see on the outside of others? All of this leads us to believe that we are somehow not living that fabulous life, that we fall short of perfection. That somehow everyone else has their act together and we just can’t seem to catch up let alone live that “perfect” life. It causes us misery, feelings of inadequacy, depression, and self-hatred and in some cases, large amounts of debt. How could you possibly measure up to a fantasy? The simple answer is you can’t. The good news is you don’t have to and you can stop right this second. I don’t know if I’ve described anything that you can relate to but that was exactly my story. I used to say I was looking for perfection in an imperfect world. It took me many years to realize that I had it backwards. Everything is already perfect; it was me that was imperfect and in that imperfection is exactly where I found joy. You might wonder what exactly changed. Well I can tell you I still have the same weight to lose, the same amount of money in the bank, the same friends who seemingly have the perfect life. I still have the same imperfect life but I came to realize that none of it mattered anymore. I realized that all the energy I was using living two weeks in the future or past were just making me miss the life I had right here, right now. I could start to enjoy birds singing outside at 6 in the morning instead of getting upset that they woke me up. After all they didn’t know they woke me up and they gave me their song for free. I could see the beauty in nature instead of rushing past worrying about something that might not even happen. I could laugh with a small child; I could sit with an elderly neighbor, I could take the time to be a human being instead of a human doing. I could laugh, love and cry. It was in that being present that I truly discovered all the beauty and joy that I had been rushing by barely noticing. I don’t want to give the impression that everything is all roses. Being present you feel the pain, the anxiety, the discomfort at a seemingly amplified level. The beauty is you feel it in the moment and then the moment passes. You feel it! So often we don’t want to experience pain or discomfort, we don’t want to feel at all so we stuff our emotions until they manifest in anger and we direct it towards some unsuspecting people, places or things (ourselves included). We simply hide from life when we feel it’s less than perfect. It never occurred to me what I was missing, hiding from the less enjoyable aspects of life, what lessons I was refusing to learn. What the pursuit of perfection had robbed from me. How I missed all the beauty that was imperfection. How the pain yields to joy, how the rain yields to sunny skies and how life goes on if you are willing to live it. I hope you have an imperfect life, I hope you find the beauty of imperfection and lastly I want to share a poem by Bob Perks that sums it up perfectly...

I wish you enough I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye." My friends, I wish you enough!

Taking time for "me time".

I'm stating for the record, my name is Barbie and I'm a stressed out mother! I love my kids more than anything but sometimes I want to find a nice padded cell for them to bounce around in while mommy takes a nap. Don't get me wrong, I would make it really nice with toys and food, I'm not a monster! They wouldn't need to stay long either, I just want a nice long nap, maybe a bath, possibly a snack, four/five hours, tops. Mommy would be right as rain. I could pretend like I'm joking but as I write this my almost three year old just poured sweet tea all over the rug, so yeah... What I'm getting at is a mom needs a break once in a while, but how can you find the time? My job as a fitness instructor is great because it's a job with stress relievers built in and I don't feel bad about getting a babysitter, because hey a girl's gotta work. Exercise is one of the least utilized, but most effective stress relievers out there, I'm pretty sure some really smart scientist quoted that, but I do know it works for me. I've also made a lot of great friends while teaching and attending classes, being a busy mom that's something that gets difficult as your kids lives take over your own. We need girlfriends they just make life better and loads more fun. So to you busy, stressed out mom, I urge you to find that "me" time. It can be a fitness class, book club, a walk on the beach, or just coffee with a friend. Just take a break, you deserve it and don't feel guilty it will actually make you a better mother and a happier person. No padded cell needed, for you or the kids.

Fit and Fresh

Yoga means to connect, to join, to yoke, and bring together. Connections are everywhere… when we move with our breath, become still and join mind with body, and when we connect with one another. Bobby and I have known Kevin over the past several years through our yoga vacation in Jamaica. Kevin has been on staff at The Negril Escape Resort and Spa as a yardman, working with maintenance, helping with the laundry and other jobs, and most recently as head of the laundry. Kevin always, always wears a big smile, works without stopping and seeks to do the next job, and always has time to make sure you are comfortable. He never complains or speaks a negative word. And yet, as most people we know in Jamaica, his life is not easy. He is not afforded the simple, routine basics that we are so accustomed to having. It’s with this background that I recognize Kevin as one of my teachers. One early morning during our last visit, we greeted Kevin with your typical, “Good morning. How are you?” My mind was on what I had to do before teaching class. When Kevin immediately answered in his enthusiastic voice and vibrant smile, “I’m fit and fresh. Fit and fresh, Miss Claire!” I took pause. I still do when I remember this sweet moment. Kevin chooses to live his life in abundance. He’s fully engaged with each activity and views his world as being filled with the extraordinary gifts that are always available to each of us. He’s fit and fresh as he greets the new day. His words continue to impress me. His words remind me that in each moment we can choose. We can choose if and when to connect. We can choose to be what and how we want to be. I choose fit and fresh today. Thank you, Kevin. By: Claire Liddle

New Year, New Mind

The pressure is on. It’s the New Year, and that means a new resolution to guide your path forward for the coming year. But if you’re like the majority of us who set resolutions, 92 percent of us to be exact, that resolution loses steam by the end of January, if not before, and falls into the graveyard of forgotten resolutions. Statistically, only 8% of those who make a New Year’s resolution actually keep it. For many, resolutions for the New Year start with a fitness goal, breaking a bad habit, getting organized, or managing finances better. But what if we thought about resolutions as intentions, like those we set in yoga? Perhaps we let those intentions become our goals for the year, not just in yoga practice, but in life practice?

An intention is a higher-consciousness of a thought, a thing, a goal, and using it for a higher purpose. Intentions provide you with an agenda to help you set your priorities and expectations. By consciously setting an intention, you are saying to yourself, and the universe, that you are committed to this thought, this thing, this goal. Making your intention clear also helps you become more mindful when it goes off track, so you can quickly self-correct.      

Mind over Matter

47% of resolution makers set count self-improvement as their goal. Reducing stress in their lives is a big part of that category. The day-to-day stress can cause illness and even interfere with cognitive capabilities. Just like the calm you get from an hour-long yoga class, strive to maintain that “mind over matter” experience  outside of your practice to combat the everyday stressors at work, school, or at home. Take a quiet time out whenever you get a chance, whenever you’re feeling tense or frazzled.

What You Think You Become

Buddha taught, “The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” If you think you are successful, you will be successful. If you think you are a quitter, you will be a quitter. According to some researchers, the average human has between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts in a single day. Imagine if the majority of those thoughts were negative. What if we all wasted our thoughts on worrying about things we can’t control, or worrying about the future or the unknown? What if our thoughts are complaints or criticisms? What you focus on has a dramatic impact on your reality, so think positively and train your mind to ignore the negative thoughts and focus on the unlimited potential you can unlock.  

Manifesting Energy

Remember, your thoughts and energy create your reality. Through positive thoughts and energy you can manifest your desires, success, and wellness. Move this positive energy you create inside of your body to the outside where you can experience it, share it, and become more aware of it. When that energy – the negative thoughts - stay inside, you aren’t as likely to hold yourself accountable for it. You can manifest this energy through writing your thoughts down, drawing them, or painting them. Then, send them back to the universe to manifest your goals!

Setting an intention will not only bring your yoga practice to a deeper level, but can bring your daily life to a deeper level. Try making these intentions everyday habits without the pressure of a once-a-year resolution to help ensure your success in maintaining them.

Did you know…that yoga is a practice that you carry with you throughout the day, long after your time on the mat has ended, so it’s the best place to set a daily intention? Check out Movement Works Winter Yoga schedule to find a class that meets your needs.