The Beach - It Isn't Hawaii but ...

I love to escape to the beach by myself and set up my lounge chair on the sand near the seawall. I usually take some reading materials, my Spanish book and a notepad and pen with great intentions of "getting a lot done" while I am there. In reality, those books rarely make it out of my bag. When they do, they end up open with my face planted on them as I doze off lulled by the sound of the crashing waves. I actually do a lot of thinking, and come up with some workable ideas so it is not that important that the pen does not actually touch the paper. Then, I flip over occasionally, and feebly try to stay awake again. I alternate my little cat naps with walks on the beach or wave surfing. The ride home with the sun setting tops off a fabulous day. I come home so relaxed and appreciative of the opportunity to visit my office in Galveston!

Some people nix Galveston because it isn't anywhere near as pretty as Hawaii. Oh, I agree with that. But there are some days when that water is such a pretty deep blue, there isn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature is just perfect, that the fact it isn't Hawaii doesn't enter my mind. I feel sorry for those people who won't even try it. They are missing a beautiful day at the beach.

Some of my yoga poses aren't anywhere near as pretty as those on the front cover of the Yoga Journal either. But I still like to go into my poses and see where they take me that day.

So, stop being so hard on yourself and the world - enjoy.

A Million Stars

I found a comfortable place on the top of the picnic table and relaxed on my back staring up into the night sky. What a view! So many stars were visible that it was impossible to count. What a contrast to the view I usually experience from my house in the suburbs. But tonight I was out in the country - way out in the country - and I was going to be present in the moment and enjoy every minute of it. I was teaching a business class for a power plant and was staying at a "rustic" lodge near the plant. I love the city but there is something about walking in the woods, hanging out just staring at the sky, not rushing to go anywhere or to do anything - that is SO GOOD for the soul. And I wanted to take in every minute of it before I sent myself off to bed to rest for work for the next day.

In yoga class I remind my students to be present in the class, to leave their troubles at the door and enjoy the hour they have given themselves to take care of just them. So many times we miss out on what is before us because we are thinking about what we should have done or what we should be doing or what we have to do when we finish what we are doing now...

Try to be more present in your moments. Enjoy where you are - even if it isn't exactly where you thought you would be or it didn't turn out exactly like you thought it would or how you wanted it to be. It is what it is and I encourage you to enjoy it anyway.

Then - tell me about it.

You Should Try It!

A friend mentioned to me that a local yoga studio was offering free classes all week as they transitioned to a new format. I managed to work a class into my schedule on the only day I was going to be in town during the offer. It was a wonderful opportunity to sit back and enjoy a yoga class from the perspective of a student. I left the studio relaxed and rejuvenated.

I passed the word on to my students that evening, inviting them to try something new with the added benefit of it being free. There were a variety of formats for them to choose from - even classes for the athlete or advanced person willing to give it a go for two hours straight! I look forward to the reports on their experiences next week.

• How many of them will actually take advantage of the opportunity for something new?
• When is the last time you tried something new?

Look for opportunities to try something new every day. It doesn't have to be something huge! It can be a simple as a new food. When someone invites you to try something new, consider it seriously. You just might discover a new passion.