YOEDDIE

2013-05-14

Bless Your Karma

Whatever comes up in life is no accident. Good, bad and otherwise, we experience the results of our karma. It’s so easy to forget, however, that we are the creators of our reality. When we are going through a challenge in life, it’s especially easy to fall into victim mode: “Why me? Why now? I don’t deserve this challenge.” Rather than focusing on the frustration/sadness/anger, try blessing the challenge. Bless your karma each time you recognize it.

I think we all know in the depths of our heart that we experience struggles so that we can grow into stronger, happier people. If you believe this to be true, then remind yourself that your negative karma is coming up so that you can change it. How do you change it? By responding differently to the challenge than you would have in the past. Guaranteed, if you can start by blessing your karma, you’ll initiate the wheels of positive change.

2013-05-13

“Discipline” is Not a Bad Word

I acknowledge that discipline is essential to success in any endeavor. That awareness, however, has not stopped me from struggling with self-discipline. Just now, I looked up the word in Wikipedia:

“In its original sense, discipline is systematic instruction intended to train a person, sometimes literally called a disciple, in a craft, trade or other activity, or to follow a particular code of conduct or “order”. Often, the phrase ‘to discipline’ carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order–that is, ensuring instructions are carried out–is often regulated through punishment.”

Reading that was illuminating, because punishment is not motivating for me. If something is punishing, I tend to move away from it. What I’m learning these days is that the alternative to punishment-based discipline is heart-centered discipline. When action comes from the heart, discipline flows naturally. If you are struggling to be disciplined in a particular endeavor, instead of punishing yourself, check in with your heart’s true desire.

I just finished reading a fabulous book called, Fourth Uncle in the Mountain: A Memoir of a Barefoot Doctor in Vietnam, the story of a young man trained by his father to be a traditional doctor and spiritual healer. As a child, he didn’t have much interest in his studies, and he was routinely beaten by his teachers. After getting in particularly bad trouble as a teenager, his father took him to be trained by a spiritual master living in a cave. The “fourth uncle,” or the master in the cave didn’t try to coerce him. He was free to practice his meditation or not. At first he rebelled, because he had to live in a cave. Ultimately, he tried to meditate as he was instructed. As the doors of perception opened, he discovered that he was happy, and he went deeper into his training. The three years he spent in the cave were the most fulling and disciplined years of his life. Inside a damp cave, his heart heart blossomed.

There is a big difference between having to do something and wanting to do something. When you are forced to do something–when you are punished into submission–it is natural to resist. Self-flagellation and guilt can be powerful motivators in life, but they don’t make for happiness. Action born of an innate desire flowering is far more powerful and fulfilling.

2013-05-11

A Blessing or A Curse?

When someone cuts you off on the road, which will you offer?

When you think about your body, which will you offer?

When you struggle with a bad habit, which will you offer?

When you watch the news on TV and see only horrible thing, which will you offer to our world? A blessing or a curse?

The choice is always ours, and we can make a difference here on Earth just by changing our thoughts.

Today is a blessing. Each breath is blessing. Feel blessed and pass it on.

Source: yoeddieyoga.com

2013-05-10

My good friend, Donnie Madden, posted this picture on his timeline today. It reminded me of the quote from the Tao Te Ching I posted a few days back. “In the practice of the Way, everyday something is dropped.”

Release, Release, Release. Surrender, Surrender, Surrender. Peace, Peace, Peace.

Source: yoeddieyoga.com

2013-05-09

2013 Solar Eclipse

I’m a big fan of astrology. For almost 15 years I’ve worked with a fabulous teacher/healer/astrologer named Stephanie Azaria. Her website, www.thecosmicpath.com, is a great resource with weekly horoscopes, daily astrological weather reports and much more. Please check it out.

Her advice for today is to take some time to get into a meditative state and open the heart. She encourages us to focus on a positive vision for our own life and the world at large. While this is great advice for every day, on an eclipse day, we have the winds of the change filling our sails. Let’s go for the ride. Now is the time to BE the person you dream of!

Source: yoeddieyoga.com

2013-05-08

A Lesson from the Tao

“In the pursuit of knowledge

every day something is added.

In the practice of the way,

everyday something is dropped.”

-Lao Tzu from the Tao Te Ching

I read this passage from the Tao Te Ching the other day, and it reminded me of a yogic truth. There is nothing that we can add to ourselves that can make us whole or truly fulfilled. For, at our essence, we are already complete, blissful and totally at peace. The aim of practice–whether it is Yoga or Taoism or Buddhism–is to strip away the layers of mind that shroud the True Self.

Today, ask yourself, “What can I let go of?” Is it a thought pattern? Is it a negative habit? Is it a destructive relationship? Lay your baggage down, and you’ll be amazed at how light you feel. For you are the light, and the light is within you–always waiting to shine.

Source: yoeddieyoga.com

2013-05-07

Gratitude is the antidote for every poison

Source: yoeddieyoga.com

2013-05-06

I just heard about a cool documentary film called, “Free The Mind.” It shows how veterans with PTSD who have just returned from war can rewire their brains through meditation. Check it out.

http://danishdocumentary.com/site/freethemind/

Source: yoeddieyoga.com

2013-04-25

A few days ago I saw this video, “What is Love?” online. It’s the story of a couple that has been married for 50 years. The wife now has Alzheimer’s disease, and the husband is caretaker. Having cared for someone with a debilitating illness myself, I know how hard it can be. This man is an inspiration. He says:

“God has loved us so unconditionally, and I understand that God has put his love in my heart. And because I realize how much God has loved me, that’s how I too can love my lovely wife.

Imagine a world in which we all become instruments of divine love on earth—caring for one another.

Source: yoeddieyoga.com

2013-04-22

Balance: The Art of Adjustment

Balance is integral to yoga. In each class, we aim to balance our mind, body, breath and subtle energy. True balance is not a static state of being. Rather, it is a dynamic process of perpetual adjustment. Next time you stand on one foot, look down. The muscles of that foot rapidly shift and pulse to keep you from falling.

It’s helpful to remember this process of adjustment when you strive to bring other aspects of your life into balance. For instance, if you want to eat a healthier, more balanced diet, you need to reflect upon which foods and habits in your life need to be adjusted. What do you have to cut down on: fat, sugar, caffeine? What foods or supplements do you need to include? The same holds true for balancing the mind–although this subtle entity is more difficult to adjust. If you are trapped in a highly emotional or negative headspace, certain thoughts must be surrendered and released and new affirmations need to be introduced.

Balance takes time to achieve. After all, it is a system of trial and error. With dedicated practice and self-awareness, however, you will ultimately find a balance you can maintain.

Source: yoeddieyoga.com