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.

Don't Lock Me Out!

I was setting up for my yoga class one evening and was over by the stereo on the far wall from the entrance to the room. I looked up and noticed someone at the entrance. I went back to my setup, expecting them to join us for class. Shortly after, I looked up again and noticed the person was still at the door trying to get into the room. I thought the door must have locked somehow and walked over to let them in. In the meantime, they gave up and stomped off down the hall. I tried to call after them but they disappeared around the corner. A few days later I received a call that a member had complained because I locked them out of the room.

I would never lock someone out of the room. At first, I didn't realize they couldn't get in. But - from their view through the other side of the door - it was a very different perspective.

We jump to conclusions very quickly and assume how we see things is the right version of the story. Then, we start acting as if that is really a fact. And it goes on from there. I am just as guilty of those assumptions as the next person. I've heard them referred to as Employee Olympics at the office - "jumping to conclusions"!

Check yourself the next time you start telling yourself a story about a situation. What other explanations could there be for what is or has happened? Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Check your version of the story with them before you react. I think you will find that things are not always as they seem.

When have you jumped to conclusions? What are your stories? What have you learned from those events?

Bumblebees and Fish

The Pike Syndrome is similar to the Bumblebee Theory in regard to imaginary obstacles we set up for ourselves. In my business classes I utilize the story of the northern pike that was placed in one half of an aquarium with minnows swimming freely and visibly in the other half of the tank - divided by a glass partition. The pike makes numerous unsuccessful attempts to get to the minnows, only succeeded in battering its nose against the glass divider. Slowly the pike “learns” that reaching the minnows is impossible, and seems to resign itself to its fate. When the glass partition is removed, the pike does not attack the minnows, even though they swim right under it's nose! This illustrates the pike syndrome, which is characterized by ignoring differences in situations, assuming complete knowledge, rigid commitment to the past and refusal to consider alternatives among others.

Think about something that you would really like to do but have avoided because of the many obstacles you believe are in your way. How many times have you told yourself that you don't have enough of something to get it done? Write down the obstacles that you think are in your way and determine if they are real or imaginary. You may realize the obstacles are only in your head - like the pike.

The Bumblebee Theory

“Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” - Mary Kay Ash

The story refuses to die. Insect flight aerodynamics are full of complexities and I (engineer though I am) have never attempted the calculations with angles of attack, vortex shedding and other terms that make some heads spin. I prefer to believe the story!

I occasionally retell the bumblebee story to my yoga students. I try not to tell them that "only advanced people can do this pose", or "you are a beginner so don't try this", etc... I tell them to pay attention to their bodies and the messages they are given. If something doesn't feel right they should back off. They should go slowly into the pose and pay attention to how it feels. But don't start with the mindset that you can't do something - be like the bumblebee.

I tell them - "someday - not - no way!"

What have you been avoiding because you told yourself you couldn't do it before you even tried?

Yoga on the Tee Box

The golf course was beautiful (Magnolia Creek) but my golfing was not! Except - when I took a nice slow long yoga breath in and out before hitting the ball. It seemed to help my drives quite a bit.

Pranayama is loosely defined as life giving breath. We practice different breathing patterns (pranayama) at the start of our yoga sessions and focus on the breath as we work through poses.

Try this pattern - take a deep slow breath in for a count of eight, pause for a few seconds and then exhale out for a count of eight, always breathing in and out through the nose.

Now, think about a situation where you are sometimes a little stressed. Try the breath pattern above before that situation - a presentation or a golf swing or a difficult conversation or responding to an unfocused driver on the road or ...

Let me know how it works for you.