A very short conversation with my LYFT driver this morning resulted in both of us being excited about getting our yoga practice back on track. Yes, even a former yoga teacher can "get out of the habit." At one point my driver said "I just don't know how to get where I want to be."  I told her that I was trying a new way & it was starting to help. Of course she wanted to know what it was.  Well, it is super simple and here it is.

First of all, I let myself off the hook about doing yoga every day. Then I let myself off the hook that required me to do 30-60 minutes every time. For example, I did a major grocery store run this morning and my low back feels tender. It is an area that bothers me quite often. As I type this, I am wearing my soft back brace and letting it rest. When I finish this, I will do a few gentle sitting spinal rotations, mountain pose concentrating on alignment as well as slow breathing, and end with a supported gentle back bend with my yoga...

Have you ever heard the phrase "monkey mind"? If you haven't, I suspect you may have experienced this nonetheless. Our minds are created to explore the Universe! The challenge is to do just that...Explore the Universe!...without getting stuck in the past or being fearful of the future. The past can trap us in regret about unfortunate choices or grief over loss. The future can paralyze us because we truly cannot control what will happen next.

The Truth is that the only place we can create and experience peace is in this present moment. For me, the ability to remain in and live more fully from the present moment has come as I have developed a more simple and consistent meditation/spiritual practice. It has also come from living long enough to mature into my personal truth and respect the personal truth of others.

Easier said than done, right?  I chose a picture of eagles for this blog for specific reasons. First of all, I took this picture in Alaska at the wildlife...

It most definitely can be simple. Here are a few simple examples.

The drawing I am sharing with you was done by my granddaughter, Hannah, when she was 4 years old. I can look at this, breathe it in, and feel Divine Love and Joy, and my face smiles. In that moment, nothing else occupies my attention and that, my friends, is meditation.

I took a long walk this morning and, upon my return, I smiled with contentment because it was a beautiful time of meditation...and I had not planned to do a walking meditation. It was a natural response as I walked. I focused on the beauty of nature, the sound of voices as I passed homes & yards, or the feeling of the road under my feet. There were few random thoughts, just an awareness of what I was experiencing through my physical senses. Walking meditation.

I keep Daniel Levin's card set ZEN Cards on my desk and often read one before going online for any reason but especially before blogging. Can you guess what today's card was...