Take a Look Around

By lil omm , In , , , 8:44 AM

It's hot. It's been a long summer. It's times like these that our patience can be tested. Funny enough, there are a few things I came across this week in my online travels that were like small little messages for compassion. Maybe I was looking for them, or maybe they found me...but that's reason #165 of why I love yoga: it gives us the gift to find those small things, to have a moment of awe, and remind ourselves of life's pleasures...even in the simplest of actions (and even in 100 degree heat!).

First, on the Yoga Journal blog, Enlightened Motherhood - writer Jessica Burger Gross quoted her teacher with something I found to be so true, so real, so affirming (and so very lil omm!) "In yoga class, we practice how to practice, but at home--we practice."

WOW. And here I thought I was all amazing for being able to work up to headstand in my basement. Class as the traditional idea of "practice" (as in "how do you get to Carnegie Hall") and our real-life, up and down, hectic life being the real deal...not only empowering, but completely perspective-shifting in every way.

Then, I read lil omm teacher Kelly Newsome's blog, Higher Ground Yoga, which brought something else close to home into full-focus: "Kids have a way of reminding us what’s new and possible." As Kelly shares her experience with an adorable 4 year old, she reminds us all that children really are the eyes of the world for anyone who will allow them to show the way.

And finally, I'm reading The Happiness Project (shameless plug for this week's summer reading and seva series). In the chapter on Marriage, the author is seeking more patience and less nagging in her marriage. To get started, she sets her own marriage mantra, "There is only love." So far, it's helped me 12 times since Wednesday. The idea that the unfolded laundry, the dishes, the kids' tantrums, and the frayed nerves are all just semi-insignificant against the bigger reason it's all there? Well, the very basic and simple idea that a reminder of the love can put things in perspective isn't revolutionary, but it is so very necessary.

So as you go out into the world this weekend, remember there are inspirations and lessons all around you! Look to your family, friends, children, your dog. It's those simple pleasures that remind us what yoga - and life - is all about.

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Surrender and the Art of the Creator

By lil omm , 8:04 PM

I didn't have the easiest pregnancy. This comes as a surprise to so many people who see me only as a yoga teacher...forgetting that before I was a teacher, I was (and still am) a human being. I had issues with anxiety, heartburn, backaches, pelvic floor pain...I was even placed on modified bedrest at the end of my pregnancy after being admitted to the hospital to be tested for preeclampsia. Nope, at the time, I didn't feel like the beautiful and blissful pregnant woman. It's from this perspective, though, that I approach this newly-revealed branch of my path that of a doula/labor and birth assistant.

In retrospect, I feel like my experiences during pregnancy and childbirth gave me insight into the wide range of experiences during the transformative journey into motherhood. From the fear of the hospital interventions to the bliss of feeling my daughter emerge from within me, under water, in the sacred space of my own home...yes, it was all there. It seemed like a whirlwind at the time, but it was necessary for me to understand the profound significance of being Woman, Mother, and Creator.

The following reflection guided me during the last days of my pregnancy...
I am aware of what I see, watch, and witness in my daily life. Vision and acceptance are intertwined with my intentions. I celebrate my inner vision ad learn to use visualization to conquer and manage the waves of contractions. By seeing myself as a beautiful expression of the Divine, ready to see the beauty in others, I give life to an artist. I am fully Spirit, and it my right to see and be seen as I truly am: a perfect expression of the Divine. I am grateful for my vision. I am thankful for my sight. I release these words into the cosmos. It is done, and so it is. Amen.
- Giuditta Tornetta, from her book Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Birth

-- posted by Kristin Maresca, lil omm Co-Director and new Professional Doula

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A Guide to Home Practice

By lil omm , In , 10:39 AM

Did you miss the Building Your Home Practice Workshop but wish you could have been there? Or are you just starting to dive (or down dog) into a home practice? Look no further - Lil Omm yogini (and workshop leader) Sarah Walter has posted a Home Practice Guide for all on her own website, Feel Good Yogini.

Not only will her information inspire you to jumpstart your home practice, but it's also filled with other great inspirations, musings and reflections on how we can incorporate our practice into our daily lives.

Thanks, Sarah! Lil Omm loves FeelGood Yogini. ;-)

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