Coexist

Its funny, I have been teaching 5 yoga classes a week for the past several months and it seems as though my time to practice has been quite limited. I have made a point to practice in the yoga studio (alone) after my Wednesday morning class. It always seemed like a good idea...there were no classes for at least an hour and a half after mine and the yoga room at Soho is beautiful....its funny how challenges in coexistence can occur even in the most unexpected places.

My first time practicing in the room, I was uninterrupted...so I thought...this is brilliant! Great space, no distractions, music and the great sounds system! What more could I ask for than this?...much better than my tiny living room in which my mat can almost reach from wall to wall.

Second week comes around...I noticed a new maintenance guy vacuuming the tile while I was teaching my class (annoying because the sound is distracting to the students). OK so I say something after class at the front desk and that problem seems to get resolved fairly quickly.

Third week, this is great, until said maintenance guys storms into the yoga studio immediately after class with his shoes on and iPod blaring.

MG: "Excuse me miss, but you are going to have to leave so I can clean the room!"

TM: "But I always practice after class and no one has made me leave before. the next class starts at 10:30!" (surely my tone wasn't as yogic as I would have hoped...he still was not biting)

MG: "I'm sorry but you are gonna have to move when I start mopping and you need to get out of the way so I can straighten out the mats."

OK a little disgruntled, I move my mat so he can do his job...which is all he was really doing anyway, right? I try to stay present and focused while he is humming and whistling away. Try not to get distracted as he rips open the curtains that hide the mirror and turn yoga sanctuary into something closer to a gym room. Shoot...now I am checking myself out in the mirror and fall out of my headstand.

Fourth and Fifth week roll around and I find that I am losing my level of irritation with this man who was just doing his job. I start talking to him nicely and respecting his space. He is not so irritated that he can't mop where my mat lies.

Sixth and Seventh week roll around, "hey miss, I am always amazed at those poses you do" (meaning the advanced asana, etc.), "I can't believe you can actually do that!" My response always, "years of practice."

Eight and ninth week roll around and he is waiting for me (not in a creepy way) but "hey, you weren't here last week". I start to look forward to the test of calming my mind and avoiding the distraction of his blaring hip hop and hard core rap on his iPod.

Now, many weeks into the scenario, I have learned a huge lesson in coexistence. You see, this man was just doing what he was supposed to be doing, his job. Even though it didn't fit into my plan of what worked for me, together we learned that by respecting each other and finding some way to communicate, whether it be through a smile, a hello or a gesture, that we can both do what we need to do and coexist pleasantly.

I "heart" boobs

October is Breast Cancer awareness month! In an effort to support causes that we believe in, TMD is having a fundraiser for Susan G. Komen for the cure. The funds will be raised in honor of Tracy's Grandmother, Margaret, a breast cancer survivor for 20 years (until her death at the age of 91 in 2006).

Purchase this beautiful pink vermeil "heart" necklace and earrings set (retail value of $ 123) for $ 112 and we will donate 10% of the purchase price ($ 11.20) per item to Susan G. Komen.

In addition, we will be donating 10% of our total website sales from October 15-31st.

Thank you so much for your support....cheers to beautiful, healthy breasts!

Removing Obstacles

Om Gan Ganapataye Namo Nama

A sacred chant offered up the the elephant headed deity, Ganesh or Ganapatai. Chanting this phrase over and over is considered a pathway to removing obstacles and reaching the fullest potential, in spirit, in prosperity and in success.

Most of us have prayed in one form or another to take away the things that are holding us back. Usually these things are within our own heads-self doubt, self destructive behavior, constant worry, critical judgements about ourselves and others, not feeling worthy of what we ultimately desire and want in our lives- and the list goes on. Ganesha, the elephant headed deity, represents success, prosperity and peace in all of our endeavors. He is know to be the remover of obstacles in our lives. By invoking Ganesh, it is said to remove the physical and mental blocks that prevent us from reaching our full potential for love, success and abundance. In addition, Ganesh is also the life of the party wherever he goes!

I recently purchased this Hip Hip album that is mixed with sacred chants by leading Kirtan singer call Elephant Power, by MC yogi...I love it...and it cracks me up listening to these hip hop beats with samples from artists such as Bhagavan Das, Jai Uttal and Krishna Das...cracks me up and makes me want to sing out loud...

Jai Ganesha! Rub your belly, breathe away the obstacles and receive what you desire!

Gratitude

In remembrance of September 11, 2001, let's take a moment to remember everything we are blessed with and be grateful for every moment. Life is way too short!

Happiness smappiness....

Here is an excerpt from 'Notes from the universe" from yesterday...

"For those who ponder and wonder and wrestle with the idea of what it is that they really want, I have an answer that each would wholeheartedly agree with:"Happiness."

http://www.tut.com/

In the personal search for happiness, sometimes so much can be lost...and what I mean by that is we spend so much time trying to figure things out most of the time, that we forget to be present and to remember that we have a choice to be happy. I know some of you will disagree with me but we all really do...

The other day, I was grappling with something that was weighing on my mind.....essentially a whole batch of confusing emotions that were swirling...we all know the feeling. I was tired and feeling a little self loathing when I realized that I had nothing to not be happy about. By setting the "stuff" aside for a moment and shifting my perspective to the amazing things that are going really well in my life, I immediately WAS Happy!

Happy, in my opinion is really a state of mind. None of us can change the past, but we can be present and create our own happy future just as we had always hoped for. We need not more than what is right in front of us....and nothing is more powerful and beautiful than that! Let go of expectations and embrace what the universe has to give you.....its as easy as that!

New Beginnings

The change of seasons always offers an incredible opportunity for New Beginnings. Summertime is coming to an end and although we technically have a few more weeks of Summer, Labor day signals the end of the Summer Season for most of us. Here on the East Coast, the change of seasons will happen before any of us truly know it. Soon we will be putting away our summer dresses and pulling out our knee high boots and sweaters.

New Beginnings can symbolize so many things for each of us individually...maybe moving on past a relationship that didn't work, accepting and receiving and new outlook on life or even shedding away the layers and the baggage of whatever you are holding onto. It also offers a new perspective to receive with Love. Marianne Williamson references in her book "Return to Love" that acceptance and forgiveness all come from finding a place of love within each person that we encounter. It may be a love relationship, a family relationship or even a friendship that has you in a twist. Once we are able to approach anyone from a place of love, we can find healing regardless of the distress, discomfort or pain that we have felt in relation to another. With this comes the ultimate freedom that anyone can have....letting go and starting over!

By Starting over, we naturally let go of the past. With letting go comes emotional freedom. And with that emotional freedom, anything can happen....Happy Birthday!

Namaste

Namaste literally translates as "the light within me acknowledges the light within you." A simple gesture and statement, sometimes finding our own light can seem daunting when our mind tells us otherwise.

Marianne Williamson says it well in her book "A Return to Love"

-'We get in life that which we focus on. Continual focus on darkness leads us as individuals and as a society, further into darkness. Focus on the light brings us into the light.

"I accept the Christ* (light) within" means, " I accept the beauty within me as who I really am. I am not my weakness. I am not my anger. I am not my small mindedness. I am much, much more. And I am willing to be reminded of who I really am."-

By focusing on our lightness and the truth of who we really are, true happiness and peace are abundant and available to all of us. We are all pure and perfect at the core of our being and by recognizing this essence we all have a unique opportunity to realize something truly beautiful, devoid of what are mind is telling us and what the world tries to dictate.

Yoga for accepting and embracing the lightness within you-

Sit in a comfortable seat and place the right hand on the energetic center of your heart (anahata chakra) place the left hand over the right. Close your eyes and breath into your heart center. Finding love and compassion for yourself is the key to happiness.

*Christ in this context refers to the light within us and does not denote a religious connotation.