I am not predicting an asteroid or apocalypse event, although those would get much more attention! I am simply stating that as human beings and living souls on this planet, we will one day die. It is a fact of life and one that many people do not want to think about. But what if more people brought more awareness of their death to their lives? What if we all lived each day like it was our last?
I would like to be able to view death as a part of life and not as a scary, unmentionable, horrible thing to discuss. Yes, the idea of losing someone you love and care for is a heartbreaking and painful thing to go through, but I want to be able to think of my own death as a reminder that things change. I want to be comfortable with my own death so that I may live. Living each day knowing it may be your last certainly changes a few of your thoughts and perspectives. Viewing your life in such a big picture allows you to set the priorities of what you want to achieve and what is actually important. I want to be aware of my death, so I don't take life for granted. We are all going to die, so don't spend your time with superficial matters and materialism. There is no happiness or comfort in the attachment to material things. Contentment is key, it brings happiness. Find contentment in your spirituality, crave more of it. You will find much more happiness in deepening your life than time spent on Facebook, gossiping or buying a new item to be stored away with the rest. Again, view the big picture, don't get distracted by the minor things and waste an opportunity to live a meaningful life. If you feel money, power, friends and stuff will bring you happiness, ask yourself if stressing over these superficial things will really matter in the end. As you have probably heard before, a rich man will still die no matter how much money he has. I cannot sit here and say I don't want a new pair of yoga pants because I do! I also wouldn't mind some ski gear so we can start skiing regularly. Of course, this list can go on and on but I am making a conscience effort to take a step back and think if a new pair of yoga pants will deepen the quality of my life, help me to serve others and make a difference. I tend to find myself justifying in a way that new pants would make me a happier person so I can therefore bring happiness to others. HA! Nice try Michelle. Anyway, it is a long road ahead. There is an old Indian saying, "A tomorrow when you are gone is undoubtedly coming." So with that thought, my perspective on life has changed. I want to focus less on the superficial layers and really get into the deep, meaningful stuff! Happy Living! ♥
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Geez, Motherhood is no joke. Especially as they get older... and mine are still young! HAHA Well we try to do it all for our family, be everything for them, give them the best opportunities, never falter in showing your love, protect them, guide them, laugh with them, the list goes on forever. Well I have discovered that I cannot do it all. I cannot be there 100% each and everyday. There are some days when I am struggling with my own thoughts and give in to the stress, which leaves my babies without a fully present mother.
The struggle to be the best mother possible occurs daily and the guilt for not giving them the best is very present. My most recent struggle is homeschooling my daughter. It is not working out. Like everything, some things work well and other aspects do not. She is a beautifully creative, energetic, dramatic and full of life litte soul. She marches to the beat of her own drum and I love that about her. Homeschooling allows her to flourish in her creative side and doesn't force her to attempt to learn in a way that is difficult for her. But I am failing her as a homeschooling mom. There are many reasons and excuses I could name that are keeping me from giving her my all. I had such high hopes and so many ideas of what we were going to do and how fantastic it was going to be.... Life is funny and rarely works out the way you planned. I see other homeschool moms who juggle so much and are still able to give there child/children amazing educational opportunities. I have to remember that viewing others lives on social media is basically BS.. lol No one really gives the whole truth on there! But still, the mom guilt is there. I especially feel guilty about teaching yoga. Is it wrong of me to not give my family my all because I enjoy something else and have become very passionate about it? I am sure many working moms go through this and I am not the first or the last. But it really sucks and I would prefer if we could just do it all! hehe Next year Mini will be off to school, she wasn't excited at first but is now. I am learning to accept I was unable to be the HS mom I thought I should be and accept what is. I know my kids know mama loves them. I know I am only human and can only do so much. This learning to balance life while wearing the many hats we mothers wear is a daily challenge. So why not support each other, without judgement. Let each other know when you are struggling and ask for help. We are all doing the best we can, which is all that can be asked of us. Love you all, Michelle Find your Yoga wherever you can. We all live very busy, different lives but take the time to carve out what you can. Practicing with my minis might not be very peaceful, but we are learning so much together. Love yourself, Love your Yoga, Love Life. ♥ There has been a lot of talk about "Instagram Yogis" and whether or not posting pictures of your Yoga practice on social media is what a "true" Yogi should be doing. Well, I am an Instagram Yogini and enjoy sharing my practice, seeing my own journey, inspiring others, being inspired by others and connecting with amazing Yogis. No matter your opinion regarding IG Yogis, you have to admit you have been inspired by some of these Yogis. Maybe by an asana they posted, a meditation they shared, a spiritual quote or book that resonated with you, or maybe they shared some of the road blocks in their lives and how they are working through it.
Meet Krista, also known as @thesingingyogini. I found her IG account when I first moved to CO and was connecting with local Yogis. Her account caught my attention. She has a very strong Yoga practice, an awesome handstand practice (which totally inspired me) and an awesome attitude. Another thing that caught my attention was when she mentioned she lives with Ankylosing Spondylitis or AS but also mentioned to "just keep swimming." I thought this was a fantastic outlook. Although I wasn't sure what symptoms she faced or how they affected her daily life/Yoga practice, I knew from other posts she suffered severe joint and arthritis issues and it was a daily struggle. As the months went by and we shared our love of inversions and Yoga with a few more IG posts, Krista shared she had a breakthrough with a seven minuted headstand... SAY WHAT!! No seriously, holy moly! So stoked for her, amazed and inspired! Then soon after, she posted about her failing health. She suffered two strokes, one at home and another while in the hospital. She had a tear in her carotid artery which they believed caused the strokes. She was told no more activity, no more yoga and no more inversions. My heart broke for her. Yoga has been everything to me in so many ways and a huge part of my life. I could not imagine going through what she did, and then having someone tell me my practice was done. During this time, Krista tried to focus on the positive and look to the other parts of Yoga, which, as she said, is so much more than just the asana and inversions. This hit home to me and was a great reminder of what Yoga is all about. I was able to meet up with Krista and talk more about what she has gone through and how Yoga has helped her. When she was 12 she was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and was prescribed medication, which did not help. She chose to no longer take the medication and tried to put the whole diagnosis aside. She then grew up learning to live with the pain and how to still have an active life. At 20, she dislocated her knee during Martial Arts and needed surgery. It wasn't until the surgeon very harshly reminded her of her condition, stating the severe arthritis and damages her knee joints had suffered. This was an eye opener of the issue she could no longer hide from. In 2007, she suffered kidney failure, then in 2011 she underwent G.I. surgery and in 2013 she had surgery on her shoulder due to fusing. All of these brought on by stress and personal heartbreaks she experienced over the years including pursuing a Master's Degree, a divorce, and the death of a close family member. While Krista told me her story, my mind was racing... How can someone go through all of this? Would I be strong enough to endure everything? Wow, my problems are small!! I was also amazed at how matter of fact she was. She was not looking for sympathy or pity, she is so strong. At only 36 years old she has lived through so much I cannot even fathom what I would do in her situation. Even now, as she is on the road to recovery from her recent strokes, she is learning to live with Aphasia. When a person has a stroke, it leaves scarring on the brain. Aphasia affects a person's language skills where they often have trouble finding words or lose the ability to speak, read or write, but it does not affect intelligence. Krista is learning what triggers the Aphasia and how to live with it. I could tell a couple of times when she was trying to explain something, she was relieved when I understood exactly what she meant. The frustration in knowing what you are trying to say but unable to say it is terrible, but again she is moving forward. We started talking about her Yoga practice. About 15 years ago, she found a small, unglamorous space where she learned Ashtanga. She practiced on and off over the years but always came back to Yoga. Now, her practice had become a way she can find some control. She is faced with so many uncertain, uncontrollable circumstances on a daily basis, but she knows that once she rolls out her mat she is in control. Her practice is her own. She can make the choice to practice meditation, pranayama, or asana. Her Yoga also gives her a sense of self-esteem, not in the vein, "Look at what I can do!" but in the reminder to herself that she can finder to Yoga anytime, anywhere. She mentioned while in the hospital she practiced her breathing and meditation and the comfort it gave her, like a "teddy bear," a wonderful way to sooth the self. Krista is a beautiful and strong soul who offers so much inspiration as a person and a Yogi. Her community at CorePower Yoga in South Denver has mentioned her getting her Certification and sharing her practice with others. She is not against the idea of becoming a certified Yoga Instructor and would love to offer workshops and classes to those suffering injuries... and hopefully inversions! The road may not be a smooth one ahead for Krista, her doctors are concerned about her hip joints and are recommending surgery. But even with all this, Krista will certainly keep on swimming. ♥ You can connect with Krista and follow her journey on her website KristaHinman.com or on Instagram @thesingingyogini. Krista was also excited to share the Yoga legging brand K.Deer is donating a portion of their proceeds of the popular "Jodi Stripe" legging to The Adler Aphasia Center. This group advocates awareness of Aphasia through education initiatives and also supports research programs. The Yoga Community is such a beautiful family, I am so grateful to have connected with Krista and hope I am able to send lots of love and support. |
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