FROM THE YOGA STUDIO
Here are my four holiday wishes for you ...
Choose Joy - It is through my practice of yoga and study of the yoga sutras that I have come to understand that joy is a choice . I can hold myself apart and suffer needlessly . I can try to control the conditions of my life and feel anxiety and pain . I can push against change or hold on tightly to what I once loved and feel abandoned when life moves on without me . Or I can be like a great oak tree in the fall and let my leaves fall gracefully welcoming the chill in the air , the longer night and the time for renewal . In the stillness there is joy , in the anticipation of spring there is joy .
" When you think everything is someone else ' s fault , you will suffer a lot . When you realize that everything springs only from yourself , you will learn both peace and joy ." - Dalai Lama
Welcome Peace - Peace comes to us when we let go of our resistances . Peace is not a prize to be won , but a sattvic quality that dawns within the heart . Life is not " me against the world " but an experience in which we can awaken to an understanding that we are supported and nurtured even through our most challenging times . In this knowing , we are never alone , every day is Christmas and everyone you meet is your neighbor .
" Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace .” -Dalai Lama
Radiate Love - Can we become a simpler version of ourselves ? Can we let love shine through ? Rather than trying to change the world through aggression , can we come a little closer to our own inner being , which is radiant , and feel safe and confident enough to share that light with others ? This is so much easier when we see the light in ourselves for then and only then can we begin to see the light in each other .
" Love and compassion are necessities , not luxuries . Without them humanity cannot survive ." - Dalai Lama
Make Merry - The spirit of Christmas and Hanukkah is pure and can draw us together as a community . We take time from the business of our lives and break bread , tell stories new and old , and celebrate . Be inspired to give the gift of your time and presence with those you love this year . Make memories .
Eaglebrooke Newsletter 24