The tongue may be (relatively speaking) the strongest muscle in the body, but what carries all our weight? Our feet support us all day long. Think about it: it’s a hefty job for a couple dozen square inches to carry around a comparatively large structure. Our feet take us far and fast and up and down. They have their own unique rhythm as they walk…as if to the beat of their own drum, sometimes.
“Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.”
- Rumi
Yogic thought purports the importance of being mindfully in the present moment, whether in action or in thought. This is a constant struggle in life, practicing presence. Often we hear phrases like “live in the moment,” “be in the present,” and “do it now.” While in a yoga practice, we “breathe into the present moment,” or hear some semblance of: “leave your day at the door, and bring your heart to the mat.”
A few weeks ago I listened to a radio show by Radleigh Valentine and he said on average, people laugh 15 times a day. Fifteen times! And then he asked, “Do you remember if you laughed at all yesterday?” He pointed out it’s easy to remember the unpleasant things – the times we’re sad or scared or anxious – but the joyful times, the laughing times, are easier to forget. He encouraged his listeners to take note of when they laugh, to see if it adds up to 15 times. And then he said something really interesting: Plan for joy.
I eat almost everything with my hands. The few exceptions include soup and chocolate mousse, but generally, all foods are finger food to me.
It may just be because I'm Indian and it's culturally normal to eat with my hands. Also, I've never been taught by my parents to use a knife and fork, and any foray into cutlery-use was either experimental or necessitated by circumstances. Like that time I attended an etiquette course and was flabbergasted that while the instructors thought to teach me about cutlery, they failed to mention that not all cultures fit within this "norm."
I remember this line from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape once in a while. The young character of Arnie, played by a 19-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio, is mentally disabled, but in a moment of innocent clarity, he cheerfully proclaims that “I can go any time you know.”
So true.
Any one of us, right this moment, could die.
Poof.
Have you found yourself rushing to a yoga class? Or perhaps you have found yourself full-on resisting going to yoga, or putting off practicing at home? Oh yes, I have come up with all the excuses. I don’t have time; I have to do X instead; I’m sore; I practiced yesterday; I just ate; I’m too full; It’s selfish right now; My house is messy; My bike has a flat tire; I can’t find my mat; I have to get gas; I’ll be late; I’m already late…sound familiar?
Have you ever wondered how to embody a better way of living? Instead of simply reacting to whatever the universe dishes out—reincarnate your modus operandi with four timeless traits and experience the immeasurable benefits.
When the holidays kick into full gear, we can expect parties, office treats, and sugar cookies galore. What's a mindful eater to do with so much extra stimulus? Here's how to fully enjoy the holiday season while still fitting into your sweaters.
Have a signature dish.
When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.
-Rumi
Growing up in a small-town in Vermont, I was always well acquainted with our local postman. My parents gave him lottery tickets every year around the holidays, and he was responsible for delivering all sorts of news to our big family. Sometimes, I’d run out to the mailbox after school to find just catalogues and bills, and other days (very occasionally) I’d find a hand-written letter from Grammy, or a birthday invitation from a friend. Do you remember having that feeling of excitement when you opened the mailbox to receive something personalized, just for you?