Lesley Hobbs Yoga

Yoga Days 386-393 - Practicing ahimsa

Ahimsa is the yogic term for "do no harm" and over the years I have learned about ahimsa from many different perspectives and from many teachers. It is always fascinating to me to realize that no matter how much I have studied or worked with a concept, idea, skill, there is always more to learn and experience.

This week has taught me yet another aspect of ahimsa and for that I am grateful. I have been dealing with an injury for about 4-5 months now and it flares up randomly. I am not inclined to go to doctors and tend to investigate and treat myself regardless of the ailment!! I am admitting defeat; this has beaten me. I have tried all the old stand-bys - practicing lots of yoga, practicing less yoga, walking more, walking less, doing specific exercises, taking my miracle nutra-ceuticals, and I am still dealing with the on-again-off-again pain.

In order to practice ahimsa I have realized I need to seek medical help - I plan for it to be informational only as I am unlikely to use standard allopathic treatments or recommendations but I do need help.

Ahimsa looks different on different days - sometimes it means not pushing oneself to do a task because the body most needs rest; other times it means pushing oneself to the limits, really exploring the edge because the body craves growth and hard work. For several years ahimsa meant that I was a vegetarian until I accepted that my lifestyle was causing bodily harm and ahimsa demanded I add some meat back into my diet. Ahimsa has guided me to find natural products that keep me healthier than I have ever been and now ahimsa is guiding to see advice in a place I tend to avoid.

Life is like ahimsa - the ups and downs, the hills and valleys, the good with the bad. I am grateful yoga has pried open my mind over the years, allowing me to move as I am guided, often making dramatic choices I could not have foreseen (eating meat again, going to an MD)

Ahimsa means "do no harm"; what does this mean to you today and is there an area of life where you are causing you harm?

Love to hear your thoughts :)

Namaste.

Yoga Days 381-385 - Busy, busy, busy and calm as can be!!

I mentioned to my beloved this morning that I feel busier than ever even though I took several things off my plate in the last few weeks. I am busier, yes, but I am also much more productive and focused. I feel a drive I have not felt in quite some time and with that has come a certain level of confidence and peace.

I have been trying to figure out for a while how to be more productive ... who knew it was as simple as removing huge chunks of "responsibilities" and giving all my attention to 3 areas!!

I am finding it easier to make decisions, to choose how I spend my day and to keep my calendar clear for the truly important things in my life (like walking the dogs in the sun).

I heard myself telling students today that I only ever teach 3-4 pranayama techniques and the reason is because I believe the more deeply we explore a particular aspect, the more meaningful and beneficial it will be to us. Then one of my students asked for "just the basics" and I agreed; most of the time, my own practice is exactly that, simple, predictable, heavenly.

Funny how often my life off the mat parallels my yoga practice. Don't get me wrong - occasionally I throw in a curve ball and you will find me in some crazy new pose, but in general I gain most benefit from the repetition of the basics. Doh!!! Sometimes I am amazed at what I learn through this blog... I never even put 2 and 2 together before that last sentence...I must be missing a connection.

On the mat, I stick to basics; in pranayama  I have 3 basic practices; in my meditation I use 1 technique almost exclusively - and the work has made such an impact on my life and happiness. How did I not see the application off the mat?

In the 3 weeks since I narrowed my life to 3 focuses I have felt calmer, happier, better able to cope and  take on any and all challenges. I have to say, it feels pretty marvelous and I plan to keep it simple for the foreseeable future.

Self, family, business ... works for me :)

Namaste.

Yoga Days 376-380 - AHA moments

Just had a delicious asana practice, followed by pranayama and meditation. I feel completely blissed out and ready for a wonderful weekend. It is hard to believe I do not make time to get to the mat every single day if this is the end result (which it invariably is). Why is it we humans do things that cause us harm (smoke, eat poorly, choose the wrong friends etc...) and do not always do those things which add to our health and abundance (yoga, moving outside, eating whole foods)?

I have had several AHA moments this week thanks to the support of some wonderful people in my life. A member of my discussion group shared her definition of creativity and how it manifests in my life and I was speechless (for those who don't know me - this does not happen often!!) I have never considered myself particularly creative and I admit to having a narrow view of creativity. This is an old lesson I now choose to set aside. Thanks to Christine and the others I feel powerful, connected and above all, I accept the possibility for creativity to exist in all its glory in my life.

A second AHA happened when I was coaching someone to make better health choices; I realized I was ignoring certain signals in my own life and hypocrisy is intolerable. As you know, dear reader, I am a harsh critic of myself and in that moment decided I would be more intentional in hearing my body and its needs. Already, my body is responding well.

My final AHA moment came over tea with my dear friend. She did not have to do anything except listen (which she does exceptionally well) to a story I was telling. I realized I could not continue to act in a way that was not in alignment with my highest self regardless of the business reasons for it. How liberating that was.

I feel grateful to have had these AHAs and deep gratitude to the people involved in each one; without you, I could not have made what feel like quantum leaps. May you know peace and the causes of peace, happiness and the causes of happiness.

Namaste.

Yoga Days 371-375: Balance

A friend asked me the other day to make suggestions of poses that might help with balance. It sparked some thoughts that may be useful to you, dear reader.

Balance is an interesting concept. Physically, we may think of balance as being able to stand on one foot or walk across a plank of wood without falling. We may also think of a balanced diet. Both are areas where we all can use additional support. For me, the key to physical balance type 1 is a strong core. Often in class I will notice a student scrunching their toes trying to force themselves to stand on one leg; I have observed in my own body that the more I rely on my core for most movements, the easier it is to balance. Type 2 physical balance - the diet - I have discovered that the healthier I become the more my body craves healthy options!! I start each day with a powerful blend of anti-oxidants, greens, aloe and other powerful herbs that keeps me focused and at peace throughout my day. I was quite surprised to find myself choosing almonds, prunes and apples over chips, chocolate and buttered toast and my body is healthier than ever it has been.

Mentally, balance may spark thoughts of work/life balance, less activity, fewer demands on your time and energy. I notice a dramatic (negative) shift in my mental balance when I allow circumstances to dictate my schedule; it is important to my mental well being to have a daily yoga practice, to keep plenty of space in my calendar and to take the time I need to walk the dogs, read my spiritual texts and breathe.

Emotional balance may be found through the habits mentioned above. Meditation is probably the single greatest tool in my emotional health belt. I also get emotional support by choosing to surround myself with people who love me enough to speak the truth. Three other habits that support emotional balance: holding myself accountable and having others do the same; embracing my life and asking others to support me; having a guiding light by which I make all decisions.

Spiritual balance is hard to quantify and share (at least for me). I often equate our spiritual life's journey to climbing a mountain - we each have an end goal in mind and there are many paths we can travel in order to reach the peak we seek. There is no right or wrong. The only being(s) to whom I must ultimately be accountable is myself and if I believe in a higher being, (I do) then that being also. 

More on poses for balance in a future post.

Namaste.

Yoga Days 367-370 - clearing the clutter

It has been a full few days and I am pleased to say I have squeezed yoga into the smallest of spaces!! (Amazing what you can do when you narrow your focus.)

I am often surprised when people tell me they have no time to xyz... We are each given 24 hours every day and some work wonders - run countries, raise children, grow our food while others seem to play catch up the whole time.

I have been guilty of multi-tasking over the years and I credit yoga with (mostly) breaking me of that habit. I was always under the illusion that I was getting so much done but my own experience and studies show that this is not the case. We are more productive when we focus on a single task. I love it!!

I am reading an interesting book on productivity and have learned several things already. The first big AHA was when the author told me to write down all my to-dos, that's right, all of them. I got started and worked at it over several hours, jotting things down as they crossed my mind. (I am still adding to it days later.) I have to say, this one activity created space for me like none I have ever experienced off my mat before. As I sat on the couch that evening, I found my mind completely free of worries or concerns; they were all written down and I had nothing to catch my attention. It was one of the kindest things I have ever done for myself!!

The reason I want to share this is to shine a light on those areas in my own life where it is so difficult to live yoga off the mat. When I am moving through poses, breathing deeply, I do feel spacious and liberated; my mind is completely at peace and all feels well. Off the mat??? not so often!!

One of the things I like to remind myself and others of is the fact that I live "down the mountain". I have chosen to have a family, to live in society, to be in business, and this lends itself to challenges and distractions and a seemingly never ending to-do list. Yoga is often spoken and written of as if we all lived in an ashram, far from the madness of family, society and work. It is important to cut ourselves some slack when viewing our lives.

I am glad to have felt space on my mat and I know I want more of it in my life; I also know I am not willing to walk away from the life I have chosen to attain this dream. I will continue to fumble my way through each 24 hours, clearing the clutter and chaos as I can. By narrowing my "meaningful objectives" (a term I learned in the book) I am able to live more intentionally and find greater abundance.

Namaste.

Yoga Day 366 - new beginnings

I am so excited to share the changes I will get right to it...

My yoga practice has given me the courage I need to let go; every time I exhale it is an opportunity to release and surrender. I have learned to let go of the expectations I have of my body (darn that left leg and hip!!) and be in a pose completely, regardless of how it looks. By practicing on the mat, I am able to let go of things I hold dear off the mat. And so I share I am letting go of my aromatherapy business. I will be closing the doors on December 31st this year and will spend the next several months clearing inventory, having a big sale etc...

Every day I go to my mat, I have to choose between poses, I cannot do every pose every time and this does not bother me in the least. I know I may get to that delicious back bend tomorrow, or my favorite balance next week; I take this setting aside for granted on the mat but off the mat I want to do it all. Yoga teaches me it is okay to only do some things today. And so I share I am setting aside my dream to write and publish a book. I know I just told you about this project and it has been a tough decision to postpone this but the time will come when it is perfect for me to focus my energies on the book.

One of my dreams for several years has been to have my husband join me in yoga more often and now I can share that he now sets his own schedule, he no longer works for "the man" and will be able to join me often on the mat. My heart is full with this new beginning.

I remember when I started yoga how difficult it was for me to move, I waved at my toes, never dreaming I could touch them one day!! In 13 years yoga has taught me that the impossible does not exist; everything is possible. When you set your heart to a vision and take a step or 2 each day, when you commit to a path, in time you will find yourself doing what you could not imagine. Yoga has taught me it is okay to play with the big poses and reach higher and higher. And so, I share that Tom and I will be working together to build a community where people can share dreams, purpose and happiness. Our focus for the foreseeable future is building our Univera business.

Every year I choose 2 poses that will help me grow; I work to incorporate one or both into every practice I have. It is remarkable what having specific objectives has done for my yoga practice. And so I share my 3 meaningful objectives for the coming months:

1. Myself - includes yoga (and this blog), walking the dogs, my spiritual reading.
2. My family - includes feeding us well, being fully present for my family, maintaining our home.
3. Univera - includes supporting others to health and abundance.

I look forward to sharing our journey, on the mat and off the mat.

Namaste.