My daughter Lucy is going through a phase. Which is teaching me a lot about life. Since she started walking, she has officially become a “toddler”. Yet at 13 months, she’s still a baby to me. Life for her is hard - falling, bumping her head, getting up, wanting this, not getting it, crying.....she is learning about the world and how she fits in.
A yoga teacher once said in class that “life is hard and yoga is easy.” Sometimes I wonder if perhaps I heard it wrong and it’s supposed to be the other way around, that “life is easy and yoga is hard.” In our world we get conflicting messages about living with ease yet working hard. My parents were always trying to tell me as I was growing up that life is hard. But I refused to believe them - ignorance was bliss. Now that I’m dealing with things like laundry, traffic and bills on a daily basis, I’ve begun to think, “gee, my parents were right!” Yet we have so much to distract us, like TV, movies, food, drugs, shopping....the list of addictions is endless. Life can be made a lot easier if you want it to.
And then there’s yoga. If one can be addicted to anything, yoga would be a good choice. Yes, one needs to be disciplined to practice yoga. Right now all I can do somedays is sit in the car and breathe while Lucy naps blissfully. Whatever form our practice takes, whether it’s meditating, gardening, serving others, or going to yoga class, practicing with one's full attention and a devoted heart will keep you going, just like a toddler learning to walk, run and jump on two feet, navigating the world. Never lose your enthusiasm. My teacher Sharon Gannon says that a yogi’s progress is measured by how happy they feel. And that spiritual people are always connected to the source.
Lucy is going through a phase, but once the turmoil has settled, I tell myself she is going to come out of it empowered and secure, believing in herself and that the world is a good place. Isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t that what yoga brings us?
“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” -Aldous Huxley
A yoga teacher once said in class that “life is hard and yoga is easy.” Sometimes I wonder if perhaps I heard it wrong and it’s supposed to be the other way around, that “life is easy and yoga is hard.” In our world we get conflicting messages about living with ease yet working hard. My parents were always trying to tell me as I was growing up that life is hard. But I refused to believe them - ignorance was bliss. Now that I’m dealing with things like laundry, traffic and bills on a daily basis, I’ve begun to think, “gee, my parents were right!” Yet we have so much to distract us, like TV, movies, food, drugs, shopping....the list of addictions is endless. Life can be made a lot easier if you want it to.
And then there’s yoga. If one can be addicted to anything, yoga would be a good choice. Yes, one needs to be disciplined to practice yoga. Right now all I can do somedays is sit in the car and breathe while Lucy naps blissfully. Whatever form our practice takes, whether it’s meditating, gardening, serving others, or going to yoga class, practicing with one's full attention and a devoted heart will keep you going, just like a toddler learning to walk, run and jump on two feet, navigating the world. Never lose your enthusiasm. My teacher Sharon Gannon says that a yogi’s progress is measured by how happy they feel. And that spiritual people are always connected to the source.
Lucy is going through a phase, but once the turmoil has settled, I tell myself she is going to come out of it empowered and secure, believing in herself and that the world is a good place. Isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t that what yoga brings us?
“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” -Aldous Huxley
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