Valentine's Day give-away

My Valentine's Day gift to you!

You won!  All followers as of midnight February 14, 2013 are winners! - your choice of a new yoga mat, set of blocks or a yoga strap. 

Please e-mail me at margaret@ideasandbeyond.com with your preference and we will tag up to get you your new yoga toy!

Thank you so much for participating. Namaste!

Keeping Up with the Googles

A commentary article in the newpaper titled "Microsoft tries privacy ploy against Google" detailed the slug fest between Microsoft and Google.  Microsoft tries again and again to sling mud at Google's business practices instead of working on their own business, products and practices to make them the favored customer choice.  Microsoft was claiming themselves to be a privacy champion, when under closer inspection they are not.  Not that Google is without reproach on several issues.  The article concludes with the comment that Microsoft should focus on it's own efforts - not others.

In yoga we sometimes get distracted by the poses of others around us. Someone else is touching the floor with their hands and we can only get to our knees.  People are balancing on one foot with their eyes closed and we are falling over and can't stand on one foot without using the wall.  We are trying to get one leg to cross over our other leg and our neighbor is putting both feet behind their head.  We look at them and wish we could do those things or feel bad because we cannot.  Instead, look within and pay attention to how your body feels and what would help you move deeper into the pose.  What would help you progress more?  What does your body need?  What can you do to feel more successful in that position?  Forget about the people around you and what they are able or not able to do and focus on you.  Your practice will blossom. 

Here's to not trying to keep up with the Googles. 

It All Comes Together in the End

Sitting down to write a proposal for a client, the words seemed to flow effortlessly.  What the client envisioned for the event and the way in which I saw the event coming together to produce those results was so clear.  The project understanding, the scope of work, the plan, the take-aways and the details appeared on the screen as my fingers clicked away at the keyboard.  Part of me thought, "Wow, that was easy".  But I knew that it was more than a few hours at my desk that had produced the final program.  Several meetings with pointed questions revealed their needs and their expectations. Combining that with years of working in and with corporations at various levels, countless training classes and experimental exercises, research and my own learning efforts brought everything together.  It was a great feeling to envision what the planned events would produce for the client and their participants.  

In yoga, when we are able to finally perform a pose at a certain level above what we had been able to do before, we feel a great sense of accomplishment and others around us are often pleased with our success as well.  It can be as simple as touching our toes or as complicated as balancing on our forearms with our legs up in the air tied up into some sort of pretzel-like configuration.  But the truth is, a lot of stretching, trying, sweating, grunting, fear, and falling took place before that pose ever really made it to where it is today. 

It all comes together in the end.

Set Your Intention

The "famous" yoga instructor started our session seated comfortably on the stage with a beautiful inviting smile on her face.  There was a sigh of relief from many of the participants when she said that there would be an hour of lecture, then an hour of yoga.  Many of them had already completed several two hour sessions and possibly a whole day of yoga before that during the conference and the thought of one more downward facing dog, (a yoga pose in which your hands and feet are on the floor and your hips are lifted so you resemble an upside down V), was daunting.  To be able to sit and just listen for an hour to a number of delightful stories was a welcome rest.  The instructor shared how the "Aim True" theme had become her mantra as she started with her fascination with Greek gods and goddesses as a child to the explanation of the tattoo on her arm.  She reminded us of the practice of setting our intention before a yoga class.  What were we doing the class for and what did we want to get out of it?  Were we there to relax our bodies?  Were we there to heal some injury?  Were we there to practice for those that couldn't, or send love and positive energy to those that needed it?  It is important to set your focus before the class begins so you can direct your energy.

It is also important in life to set our intention so that we are able to get the most out of moments.  If we have a business meeting planned, what happens when we don't set our intention?  We probably have productive meetings but there could be so much more evolving from them.  What if we set our intention to really listen and hear what people were saying beneath their words or connect with a person in the meeting that we don't really know?  How would that change the outcome?

I have presented classes on subjects that attendees usually have some experience in.  I had one young woman attend my project management class and she had already obtained the Project Management Professional designation.  This fundamentals class was going to be everything she already knew.  But she approached the class with an open mind to see what else she might gain in project management knowledge.  She shared with me after that the class was very valuable and she learned some new things she could apply directly to her work.

Set your intention and see where it takes you.  It will create more meaningful experiences for you.     

Have to? Get to?

The priest that celebrated the mass today has always been one of my favorites.  His sermons are well planned and contemporary.  You leave with a practical application of the message to incorporate into your life.  He used to be the pastor but has moved on and teased he was a visiting priest today.  He mentioned a few of the places that he was scheduled to visit this year.   The list included Italy and Buenos Aires, Argentina.  As he mentioned each city he was to travel to he preceded it with the word HAD.  I smiled to myself because if places like that were on your HAD to go to list, life really couldn't be all that bad, could it?  Shouldn't it be GET to go to?  I tried to catch him after the service but he was surrounded by followers and deeply involved in animated conversation.

At the beginning of yoga class I mention some of the poses we are going to GET to do that day.  There are varied reactions to the knowledge: some fearful, some excited, some confused.  But I know they will enjoy it no matter what their initial reaction is.

Where do you GET to go or what do you GET to do this week, month or year?

Valentine give-away

Wouldn't you love a new yoga mat or other yoga toys? 

You've enjoyed reading my "I Yoga Party - Do You?" blogs.  Now become a follower. 

All new (and current) followers will be entered in a drawing for yoga mats, blocks, straps and zafus (yoga pillows).  The drawing takes place on Valentine's Day (2-14-13) at noon (CST).  Be sure to sign up as a follower before then.  Winners will be posted on this blog. 

Bonus contest - invite five friends to follow the blog - the first five people that get five friends to follow I Yoga Party automatically win a new yoga mat.  E-mail me your name and the names of your five friends to participate - margaret@ideasandbeyond.com

Starting now - go!!!

Dolphin Delight

I nestled into the corner of the boat to enjoy the ride, the warmth of the sun, the beautiful views on the shore and in the water and the interesting display of characters and their vessels parading along the canal.  Our captain devoted his attention to our safety and pleasure, maneuvering the boat through the canal while keeping a watchful eye out for dolphins.  Soon, several were spotted a short distance from us near the shore.  Our captain turned the boat around and positioned us near the circling dolphins.  They were looking for fish, we were looking for them.  Repeated attempts at leaving our wake in their path to tempt them to follow were fruitless.  You could imagine them laughing under the water at the silly humans.  Again and again he circled the boat back and forth to the first group of dolphins and then to others we observed at a distance from our current location.  Finally, a pair of dolphins were frolicking in the wake of our boat, jumping in and out of the water right next to the the back corner of the boat (off the port quarter in seaman's terms).  We squealed with delight each time the head or tail of a dolphin rose above the water. It was an amazing show.  All that work by our captain paid off.

In yoga, success in a pose can sometimes be difficult to obtain. We put forth a great deal of effort in our practice.  It is not unusual for the reward to take some time.  Patience and perseverance will get you to where you want to be.  And when we finally reach that place, it is delightful.