Happy New Year! As you can see by the title of this blog, I've decided to change things up a little in 2012. Each month, I'll invite you to join me in ways to be a little more present, more aware, more forgiving and more joyful.
This month, take some time to notice your mind. The mind can be sharp, reflective and clever, or it can be dull, clinging and repetitive. See if you can step back from your thoughts every now and then and really look at what's arising in your mind. Each thought sends ripples through your being as your mind assigns a condition to it (that's a "good" thought, for example), and we'll explore those ripples next month. For now, just look at the thoughts and see if you can notice the conditions that arise just following each thought. Think of this as training the mind - like swimming laps or doing sit ups. You must repeat this exercise over and over to really receive the benefit: less identification with your thoughts. Meditation is a good place to practice this, but you can do this at any time, any place. Practice being the witness of your thoughts, a simple but challenging skill.
Namaste
- NEW series: Beginning Jan 12, Lorien will be teaching a daytime 6-week series based on Hanna Somatics work. These are gentle sliding, rocking movements done on the floor to help regain awareness and flexibility while relieving pain. Class meets Thursdays, noon-1:00pm at Willow Glen Yoga. 6 weeks for $80. Pre-register at www.willowglenyoga.com.
- NEW ongoing class: Yoga Basics is an exploration into the fundamentals of the yoga practice: breath, posture, energy. Each week is a different theme to help beginners to advanced students alike fine tune their practice. Class meets Wednesdays, 7:30-8:45pm at Breathe Los Gatos. Check fees and new students specials at www.breathelosgatos.com.
- April 27-29, 2012 Weekend Retreat with Lorien and Marti Foster at Mayacamas Ranch in Calistoga. See Special Events for more info.
