Out Beyond Ideas...

Many of you commented on the Rumi poem Robin shared in class this week.
The best way to fully say in words Rumi's impact, is that he has the ability to describe the indescribable, ineffable - God.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,

there is a field. I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase each other

doesn't make any sense.

Anyway - From Mother Theresa

One of our students shared a favorite poem with us this week.

Mother Theresa hung a copy of this poem on a wall of the orphanage she founded in Calcutta.
Its source is unknown.

People are often unreasonable,
illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and
some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis.
it is between you and God;
It is never between you and them anyway.

Yoga Day USA Raised $300 for The Africa Yoga Project

Robin taught an amazing Long, Slow, Deep class to 24 participants. The Appleton studio celebrated it's 4th anniversary and there were door prizes and cake.

$300 was raised by participant donations and an MPY studio match for The Africa Yoga Project. Thank you to all who participated!

Thank You Cards Coming Soon

Jan dropped off gifts of food and art supplies, including watercolors, brushes and blank postcards for my days of rest. Today, I tried my hand at watercolor, with the Lifetime Movie Network as my muse in the background. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I thought I'd share my creations. Thank you all again for your support. Cards will be in the mail soon!

Recovering Slow But Sure

See to the left for day #2, day #3 and day #5. I'm able to walk around about 30 minutes at a time, but I'm feeling better with each new day. Thank you everyone for the good vibes, texts, e-mails, flowers, balloons, movies, gifts and food. I'm recovering at my parents home and hope to be back teaching part-time in about a week.

Questions I heard too often:
Would you like a pain pill? You can press the morphine button as much as you like.
Do you want beef broth or chicken broth with your Jello?
Did you pass gas, yet?

Questions I asked too often:
When can I lose the O2 tube?
When can I lose the pee bag?
When can I lose the IV?
When am I going to lose this water weight?

Questions I had to ask?
Nurse: Your weight is ***. Debbie: How much does the bed weigh?!
Why is the lady down hall screaming?

Questions my husband wished the Doctor didn't ask?
I took pictures do you want to see?
How do the sutures look? (after ripping off the bandages like duct tape) Come and see.

Question the hospital Communications Tech asked his boss while using the phone next to my bed?
The lady in bed here has a Blackberry, why can't I have one?

The Yoga of Relationship

The Yoga of Relationship with Diana Alstad and Joel Kramer (Yoga Journal Conference, San Francisco)

Unraveling a Knot: Process for Connecting
1. Getting Clear: Choose a knot (conflict, pattern, stuck place) to work on.
-Switch roles by taking other person's position with same emotion, tone of voice, logic, etc.
-State your own position as cleanly as possible to give your partner a feel of your living reality.

2. Anatomy of the Knot: Clarify Your Knot's Dynamics
-Identify the trigger words, feelings and tensions. Identify how and where each position "hooks" the other making you both defensive, reactive, hurt or angry.
-Which of your beliefs and values justify your feelings and give you a "right" to them? You can argue endlessly about values and never get unstuck.
-Ask yourself what's the worst thing that could happen if you lost, or give up defending your position?
-Do you get a hidden pay off from this knot? Just keeping the status quo can be a pay off - when it's in your self interest.
-Replay knot by interacting-but without trying to win or find solutions. Shift your focus from content to process by paying attention to both of your feelings and their causes.

Treat all feelings as important feedback, as "facts" rather than as either "justified" or not.

The key is to be curious and more into exploring and communicating clearly than winning, convincing, changing or getting back at each other.

Divine Light Candle Meditation

Divine Light Candle Meditation with Mirra Palkhivala (Yoga Journal Conference, San Francisco)

Look at the flame of a candle, teaching the mind that it is the light in all creation that you seek to connect with. Bring the image of the flame into the mind through the third eye (center of the forehead) and down to the heart chakra.

Divine Light Invocations:
I am created by Divine Light
I am sustained by Divine Light
I am Protected by Divine Light
I am surrounded by Divine Light
I am ever growing into Divine Light
I am glowing with Divine Light
I am growing wiser with Divine Light
I am living in Truth with Divine Light
I am transformed by Divine Light
I am a living flame of Divine Light (pure love)
I am healing with Divine Light flowing into each cell of my body
I am offering each movement to Divine Light

"Concentrate in the heart. Enter into it; go within and deep and far, as far as you can. Gather all the strings of your consciousness that are spread abroad, roll them up and take a plunge and sink down. A fire is burning there, in the deep quietude of the heart. It is the Divinity in you - your true being. Hear it's voice, follow its dictates."

The Mother, Sri Aurobindo Ashram