The Power of Choice On and Off the Mat

I taught my yoga classes this week around the idea of choice. It was such a powerful concept to me and one that is so close to home that I had to share!

Our day, what we make of it, our attitudes, our lives, and the way we live them is all up to us. We have a choice. And each time we choose - negative or positive. Kind or cutting. Workout or night out - we are saying something. We are giving into the way we feel about ourselves, the universe around us, and our role in it. The great new is that we have this power. We have this power to wake up every day and make choices. A lot of them. From the first foot we plant on the ground - where are we coming from? A place with an endless to-do list or a place of service to others for the day. When challenge stares us square in the face - do we choose to listen, understand, and learn something new? Or do we choose to resist and try to just get past it. Choose - make the CHOICE to choose wisely. Each and every day. Each and every act, thought, word, and feeling. The choices we make decide the path for our lives. And we are the ones living on that path, aren't we? So choose wisely.
xoxo
- AM

The Most Inspiring People I've Ever Met

A few weeks ago I was blessed enough to have this most amazing man and his girlfriend in one of my yoga classes I met them at the front desk and they were very kind and polite. I noticed the man was in a wheel chair and thought nothing of logistics - my favorite thing about the magic of yoga is that it is truly accessible to all. When we got into class I started teaching and it wasn't for a few minutes that I looked over and realized this man was a quadriplegic. And I was fully in awe of how beautiful his practice was. He used blocks to support his elbows and knees. In all honestly, his crow pose put mine to shame! But it wasn't the physical postures that got me with this student. It was the heart - this man, and frankly his girlfriend were so passionately involved in their practice, it was like watching a harmonious dance. Again, it wasn't something you could see in the physical. They were committed to their practices, moving through the asanas. They had mentally arrived and were committed to being present. They were committed to just be. And that my friends was so utterly inspiring. I was able to give them love at the end and the amount of strong, positive energy that surrounded these 2 was truly overwhelming. I chatted with them briefly after class and the funny thing is, they were sympathetic towards me for having a hubby deployed. Yowza that's some perspective - or really attitude shift. It's unbelievable what the body can do if the mind will allow it to. Most times we think we can't do something because we don't have it "in us." For this pair - they just said screw it and blew us all away. I do hope they come back one day - I truly enjoyed their presence and would love to roll out my mat and practice alongside them one day very soon. I also feel like I wasn't able to adequately express my gratitude for them being so awesome. So if you're reading this - thank you for being the most inspiring and tough individuals I've ever met. Go inside folks, you've all got an amazing light to shine from in there!
xoxo,
- AM