Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Relationships-we all have them. Relationships with the family, maybe a partner, a pet, a job. We also may have a close personal relationship with the couch, the remote control, or the cannoli. Yum-delightful relationship there!Maybe it's the small tech device glued to your hand(talk about co-dependant relationships!) We have a relationship to our body-there are days where we feel ten miles high, and other days that we may feel like we are living in a  friggin' sewer! Talk about your proverbial love/hate relationship there! Practicing yoga brings a relationship with your asana that is very telling. Think about it-we all have poses we love or dread(much like a visit from that relative that shall not be named!) Certain poses bring  strong reactions up in us...."I could hang out here all day"....."oh no, not that- I hate this one" (as the heart and breath speed up, the mind races!). Look into the glass and examine why you relate the way you do.These reactions can tell you about yourself-maybe bringing you insight Through the teachings of yoga we are said to all be one, so how we relate to ourselves is a mirror of how we relate to others. Look at the relationships in your life-and see how that reflects to you. Maybe there is one that really can tell you about yourself. Loving, tedious, or codependant, all relationships take work, looking into the mirror of self reflection is the first step to a deeper knowledge of ourselves which enhances our relationships with others.Mirror, mirror, on the wall-do we know ourselves at all....

Step out of Line

Why is it that as human beings we repeatedly beat ourselves up by continuing things that cause discomfort? (Visual-Monty Python animation of monks with boards hitting themselves in the head while chanting...works for me, how 'bout you? If you aren't of a certain age group or had the pleasure to watch old BBC comedy, do yourself a favor, you'll get the anology) According to the Yoga Sutras the Klesas(the source of suffering) is related to Samskaras(patterning) that we repeat like like hamsters on a wheel , or those monks of Monty Python, sometimes this lifetime, and if we don't break the pattern, sometimes into the next. Why can't we just take a few whacks, learn the lesson, and put down the board?  Suffering isn't the answer to get us to the next level. Why would anyone want to whack themselves continually? Sometimes it's comfort zones and fear of change. Fear of the unknown, fear of judgement from peers, family, society. Fear of one hurt being greater than the other. Fear of loss. Sometimes it's ingrained from childhood -seeing what is the pattern around us and accepting it (Bet the monks of Python would say because it's what we do and have done and will continue..... side note-cue the chanting and boards cracking) I have recently discovered myself unaware of repeating patterns that continually cause discomfort in my life, standing myself in line with the monks and being my own willing victim. Ouch. Pretty hard head I must have-stubborn Celt, through and through. Take a good look at the things that cause you discomfort, and then see why you continually subject yourself to it ;I don't care who you are.... WE ALL have something!. Once we see the pattern,recognize it for what it is maybe we can pry the board from our own hands.. We don't have to repeat Samskaras-we can stop being our own worst enemy and step out of line. Who wants to travel life with knots all over their head, anyway?

Your Karmic Deductible Contribution

Wow, another year over, the champagne popped, the Mummers mummed, the confetti swept up. Happens over and over, year after year. Just like the ads we hear on a loop..."still time for your tax deductible contribution." "Give to us and write it off..." yadda, yadda, yadda. Feel good fiscal charity, lighten your pockets and your tax load. Listening to this mantra over and over got me thinking-what if those ads instead asked you to reduce your karmic debt?  Would we reach into our hearts and contribute good works instead of cold, hard cash? Karma defined as "the effects of all action/effects caused by past action." We've all heard it...Karma's a bitch, Karma will bite you in the butt; beware Karma, it's gonna come back and get you! Some pretty heavy connotations-Karma carries the same bad rap as the tax man. But really to reduce our Karmic debt isn't that difficult, we really just need to show up, authentically living our lives and sharing that gift with others. Start with an audit of yourself-when was the last time you selflessly acted without thought to the bottom line? We're human, most of us usually have one. We need to make selfless service our bottom line.Show up, smile, and be of service to yourself by serving others.  To quote Winston Churchill..."We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." So what's your Karmic Deductible Contribution going to be this year?