There are times in our lives that are more reflective than others. This usually occurs during life altering events. Weddings, funerals, graduations, retirements are among events that are life changing. One door opens and another closes. It does not have to be a positive or a negative experience. It just is. It is all part of the divine marvel of life. The sooner we come to this realization, the better. It almost always comes down to gratitude, love, and the courage to let go. There are no ordinary moments. Each moment is extraordinary. The present is always the sweetest gift. Life can be lived richly and fully with each passing breath. Happiness is always a choice. It is always our decision on how we approach life. We can look at a weed in our garden and curse it for being there as we pull it out…or appreciate having a garden, being outdoors, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the flowers around us.
Life really is what we make it. So why not make lemonade out of the lemons?
I appreciate each moment and I try my very best to express love and let people know how I feel, because we are never promised tomorrow. Why not live each day like it was our last? Take out the good silverware and open that special bottle of wine that you are saving for a special occasion. The secret is that the special occasion is NOW.
Luckily, I learned that secret early. I was in first grade. The teacher gave us a box of crayons (the big thick type). I thought these crayons were special because I didn’t have this type at home. I decided that I would save my crayons so they would look brand new when the school year was over. I did just this. I brought my ordinary crayons from home to school to use and saved the special ones. At the end of first grade, every other students’ crayons were worn and broken…and my crayons were brand new. I opened my box of crayons to enjoy the newness of them…until second grade began. On the first day of school we were given again, another new box of crayons! I went home to look at my unused box from the previous year and realized that I should have been using them all along because now I have another new box. I kept that new box from the first grade for years, and when I got older I’d look at them and realize there was no special occasion, and I never used them. I should have enjoyed them years ago. I learned an important lesson from the first grade. I went the entire year without enjoying USING my “special” crayons. What is the point of having something special and not being able to enjoy doing what they were meant to do? Crayons are meant for using (not just admiring).
In the second grade, I enjoyed using the thick new crayons that were just given to me, and it didn’t bother me to see them get used and worn because I was enjoying the experience of using them. I know this is a simple story. I was six years old, but this changed the way I started to look at life.
As an adult, I hear of other stories about people saving something for a special occasion, to then realize the person passes away and the special occasion never came. Remember the next time you want to save something special, that the time is NOW. I use my good silverware everyday. I never understood why people would buy good silverware and only bring it out during the holidays. It was also foreign to me to see people cover up their good furniture with uncomfortable plastic-like covering. It always puzzled me to see people rarely using their “good” stuff. My crayon lesson really stuck with me. I’m glad that I learned this early on.
Tell the people in your life how you feel. Let them know that you love them. If you are happy to hear their voice, then let them know. Why hold back living to the fullest in every sense.
My friend’s father was dying. He was terminally ill with cancer and only given a couple of weeks to live according to his physician. This is obviously very hard. When I asked her how she was dealing with it, I admired her response. She said that he is not gone yet. If she needs to talk to him, she picks up the phone. If she’d like to see him, she goes to spend time with him. The underlying message is that the beauty in life is NOW. Enjoy people while they are here. Say the things you need to say everyday. We all will not be here forever. When are time is up here, it is. But, we have NOW. So, take advantage of it!
Never hold back love. Follow your heart and you’ll never go wrong. Life goes by pretty quickly, savor each moment exactly where you are. Life is about the journey, not the destination. Along the way remember to smell the flowers, look around, and dance.
Never judge or regret. Life is way too short for all that silliness. Surround yourself with like-minded and like-hearted people. The saying “birds of a feather flock together” has relevance. Transformation is a beautiful thing and it’s an essential part of life. Have the courage and strength to let go in order to start something new and amazing. The book of life continues to turn its pages whether or not we want it to. So, be courageous, take chances that are lead by your heart, and remember to love all along the way.
We need the courage to let go of the things that no longer serve us in order to allow growth and transformation. How does yoga tie into this? Yoga is a lifestyle. There are eight limbs of yoga. Only one limb is asana (the postures or exercise portion). We live yoga daily in all that we do. We do yoga to become better versions of ourselves. The better that we are for ourselves, the better we can be of service to others. The better we are for ourselves and others….the better we are for this planet which ultimately will make this world a better place. In order to change the world, we must do it one person at a time…starting with you.
There’s a quote that I’ve heard that sums this all up pretty nicely: “Life is too short to be anything but happy. So kiss slowly, love deeply and forgive quickly. Take chances, give everything, have no regrets and forget the bad in the past. Just remember what all it taught you.”
When do you do your best thinking or have a clear mind? Whether it’s listening to music while driving in the car, gardening, painting, being artistic, practicing yoga, running, or being still, it’s important to find that time for yourself.
This past week I was immersing myself in yoga from 9-3:30 Monday thru Friday by taking an Anusara Immersion. (For those of you who may not know, Anusara is a style of yoga and an Immersion is a requirement of the teacher training process.) I was not following my normal routine by running a couple days out of the week and doing my regular yoga practice because I didn’t know what to expect during the day and didn’t want to overwhelm myself by practicing too much yoga. (There is such a thing as too much yoga. You know that right?) You should give yourself off at least two days a week. (I cheat sometimes.)
I learned an incredible amount this week and I need to take time and absorb it all. I have a lot of material to read and a lot of studying to do. I’m glad that I love yoga the way I do in order to get myself thru The Anatomy Coloring Book by Kapit & Elson. All of the other reading that I have to do is all about yoga. So, I’m enjoying it. (Oh wait, I forgot, I still have to learn all of the Sanskrit …oh boy!) Isn’t there a yoga app that will help me with that? I hope so! I will write more about my experience with the immersion in future blogs. Today, I want to write about the way I felt this weekend after my immersion.
On Saturday, I went for a run. It felt so good. While I was running, I was thinking of how refreshing my run felt. I then realized that although I was learning about yoga all week, I didn’t get my “meditation in motion” in at all. What is meditation in motion, you ask? It’s getting in your “zone” or being in the present moment. It’s what happens when you’re driving your car and you get lost in a song, or a yoga flow class when you are moving with your breath. For me, my run gave me the opportunity to take deep breaths of fresh air and get in my zone. The weather was beautiful and my ipod was cranked up. I wasn’t listening to yogi or classical music. It was more like Eminem, Ludacris & Kanye. Yeah. I felt like I could have run forever that day because my mind was clear, my heart was pumping, and the air was refreshing.
On Sunday morning, I woke up to get to my Ashtanga class. I do this two hour class every Sunday morning religiously. It is always the perfect way for me to start my week. I love the flow of Ashtanga. (Ashtanga yoga is a vigorous practice that follows the same series of poses. Therefore, it never really changes.) I know the series and I am able to again, get into my zone. I was flowing with my breath (which was my music) and moving through the asanas (which was my dance/movement). I was practicing my meditation in motion. It felt so good, once again.
So, what was missing this week? For me, while learning a lot about yoga all week, I noticed that I wasn’t focused as much on my breath and getting in my zone because I was trying to learn and absorb all of the information given to me. I couldn’t just get lost in the movements & with my breath. I had to focus. Although we did some meditation each day, it wasn’t my “meditation in motion”. Do you see what I’m saying?
I feel that it is important to break a sweat and center everyday. But to me, there is nothing like your own yoga practice or a good run. Most of my best ideas come to me when I run. You may hear me say that I need to “run” on something. This is because the answers just come to me during this time.
Why did I write this blog? I wrote it because I’m hoping it will help you discover your zone and get to it more often. I didn’t realize how much I needed it, until I didn’t get it. No matter what you are passionate about, it feels so good to get lost in it. For me it is yoga & running. It’s what makes me feel good. What is it for you?
Do you find it difficult to live your yoga off the mat? I know that for me, some days are easier than others. I’m only human. I’m busy, like everyone else. I have 3 young children (ages 7, 5 & 2). My 2 older children are your typical boys who fight and argue over the small stuff. My daughter is right on track with the “terrible twos”. She has a strong personality and can hold her own along side her 2 older brothers. I’ll walk into my living room and accidentally step on legos, or get smacked in the foot with a BeyBlade (their latest favorite kids’ game). My son will have a hard time with his homework and while I’m trying to calm him down and help him, my daughter will start climbing on my head and start pulling my hair to get my attention. My husband will then walk in and say, “What’s for dinner? I’m starving!” Everyone wants my attention and as my mom would say, “I only have two hands”. I’m one person. The energy level in the house is now at its peak. I notice that my breath is short and shallow and I’m starting to get anxious. At this point, I realize that life is what you make it. I could either lose control or take control. The decision is mine. My yoga then starts to kick in. I remind myself to breathe. I start taking deep breaths to calm and center myself. I immediately start feeling more relaxed. In stressful situations, take notice of your breath. Have you ever done public speaking or watch people that do? You can tell if someone is nervous by their short and shallow breathing. During childbirth, what do the nurses (or Lamaze classes) remind you to do? Breathe. It’s amazing how something as basic as breathing can help tremendously when you know how to control it. I find that when I take control of my breath and feel calm, I handle life better. I am able to think clearly. I can also handle these situations without having to raise my voice. I catch myself wanting to shout over the madness going on around me but as long as I bring it back to my breath, the feeling subsides and I handle the situation with calm and poise. It takes effort to stay in control and demonstrate calm leadership to my children. Believe me, this did not always come easily and I still find it challenging from time to time (depending on the day).
I am currently reading the Anusara Yoga Teacher Training Manual by John Friend and I find his discussion on breath interesting. “The breath is used in an asana as the medium of a yogi’s spirit and Attitude. It serves as the bridge between Attitude and the dynamic symmetry of Alignment…Breathing should be considered a sacred and divine honor.”
Since childhood, I always found it interesting that we breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide while the plants/trees do the opposite. We are breathing each other in. We are all connected. It is all so basic but so important to remember to take care of our planet. We need one another. In John Friend’s book, he says, “We are actually being breathed by a greater power.”
When I first started practicing yoga, I remember the instructor talking about using ujjayi breathing during the class. I was a new student and didn’t understand the importance or the need for it. Why couldn’t I just breathe without thinking about it? Why was breath so important?
Think about it, oxygen is the most vital nutrient in our bodies. We could live without food for a few weeks, and without water for a few days but, without oxygen, we are dead meat! Breathing properly will bring more oxygen to the blood and has proven to help prevent major diseases and cure minor ones.
I find that the breath helps me go deeper in a pose. It helps me stay balanced and maintain my stamina. During partner poses, it connects me to my partner as we synchronize our breaths to help one another go further and deeper into our stretch. The breath keeps me in my “zone” and connects me to my body. When I find it difficult to wake up in the morning, I start taking deep breaths to help myself wake up. Every day I look around and take mental notes of everything that I am grateful for. Every morning, the first thing that I think about upon waking is my gratitude. I think of how lucky I am to have my breath, my sight, my legs, a comfortable pillow, a bed, warm blankets, a toothbrush, etc. These things are so simple. It is basic. If we don’t have anything else to be grateful for, the one thing that we have (as long as you’re reading this) is your breath. I am grateful for my breath (and yes, even my morning breath). How about you?
Remember to breathe. Enjoy the song “Breathe (2AM)” by Anna Nalick.
I finally convinced my husband, Joe, to take a yoga class with me. Joe goes to the gym a couple of times a week because he likes lifting weights and stretching out his back. He suffers daily from back pain. Joe used to practice yoga about 15 years ago while in Australia playing volleyball, but hasn’t practiced since then. I told him that there was a Rock n Roll vinyasa style class that I’d like to try on Friday night. I convinced him that it was a cheap date night because it is Yoga Month and we can try out a new participating studio for free. I went to yogamonth.org and printed out our free week passes and was happy that it was a “go”.
That evening, we loaded the kids into the car and headed to my parents’ house. We ended up getting stuck in traffic and thought we weren’t going to be able to make it in time because my parents live about an hour away and traffic was pretty bad. Luckily, I have awesome parents, and they agreed to meet us at the yoga studio to exchange cars and take our three children back to their house for dinner and babysitting while my husband and I enjoyed our yoga date night.
We got to the studio about ten minutes before the class started so we were able to talk to the instructor and prepare for class. The studio had a spa-like atmosphere. It was small and quaint with hardwood floors. The back door of the studio was open and there was a creek with lush greenery in view. Before we began, I felt a cool energizing September breeze flow through my hair. It was yoga time! I was present, in the moment, with my husband next to me on his mat. The instructor turned on the music and it surprised me at first because I wasn’t used to rock music during my yoga practice. She started with a mellow Pearl Jam song and started a warm-up sequence. I enjoyed looking over at my husband and exchanging smiles during the practice. The room was small so we were close enough to one another to brush hands once in a while during sun salutations. The class was fun with familiar popular rock music playing during the asanas. The music was loud and I found that it took more concentration to focus on my breath. The class was mixed level, and I was happy that she spent some time on inversions such as handstand and headstand. The majority of the class consisted of mostly standing poses. During the final pose (savasana), a slow Hootie and the Blowfish song played overhead. As I lay there relaxed, eyes closed, with my palms facing upward, I felt my husband’s hand over mine give me a gentle squeeze, then relax. I felt the breeze brush over me from the open door. I was completely relaxed and receiving all of the blessings and benefits from my yoga practice. Not only did I exercise my body and my mind, but I had fun and built a stronger connection with my husband.
Isn’t that what date night is all about?
This was the song playing during Savasana. Relax & Enjoy.
My name is Kim and I started Yogalocity to share my passion with you!
I’m a proud mom of three and live in Bucks County, PA. I started really getting into yoga after my second child was born. As a mom, I think it is just natural to put your children and husband before yourself, which I did for so many years. I started yoga as a way to get “me” time. My first yoga class was an Ashtanga class! I was sore for an entire week after that! I thought to myself, “Wow, this must be good for me!” I quickly became addicted to feeling energized and healthy! I realized that in order to be a great mom, wife, and person…I had to lead by example, and always be the best that I could be. The only way I could be the best for my family, was being the best for myself.
I now strive to live in the moment, and not take one second for granted. I am grateful for all that I have and all that I am.
I am currently a yoga and reiki practicioner with a love of life! I love to read and learn something new everyday! I am a firm believer of positive thoughts, the law of attraction, and being kind to everyone.
I also enjoy running. I like to be outside breathing fresh air! The treadmill is just not the same for me. To me, whether it’s yoga, running, or any other type of exercise, it’s never been about the numbers on the scale. It’s always been about the way it makes me feel. I like feeling healthy and strong. I always listen to my body. Those natural endorphins really are addictive! Yoga helps me feel good, both mentally and physically. Once you start feeling better, you’ll start eating better, and taking care of yourself. The definition of yoga is union. Once you start practicing yoga on a regular basis, it all comes together. The mind/body/spirit connection just happens. It’s amazing!
I am hoping Yogalocity will be helpful and informative! I look forward to sharing my journey with you! Please give me feedback and comments and let me know what I can do to make this experience better for you! I’m very excited to start our yoga adventure together.
“Live healthy, happy, with gratitude, passion, and love. BE AUTHENTIC.”
-Kim Kelley DeZutel
There are times in our lives that are more reflective than others. This usually occurs during life altering events. Weddings, funerals, graduations, retirements are among events that are life changing. One door opens and another closes. It does not have to be a positive or a negative experience. It just is. It is all part of the divine marvel of life. The sooner we come to this realization, the better. It almost always comes down to gratitude, love, and the courage to let go. There are no ordinary moments. Each moment is extraordinary. The present is always the sweetest gift. Life can be lived richly and fully with each passing breath. Happiness is always a choice. It is always our decision on how we approach life. We can look at a weed in our
garden and curse it for being there as we pull it out…or appreciate having a garden, being outdoors, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the flowers around us.
crayons from home to school to use and saved the special ones. At the end of first grade, every other students’ crayons were worn and broken…and my crayons were brand new. I opened my box of crayons to enjoy the newness of them…until second grade began. On the first day of school we were given again, another new box of crayons! I went home to look at my unused box from the previous year and realized that I should have been using them all along because now I have another new box. I kept that new box from the first grade for years, and when I got older I’d look at them and realize there was no special occasion, and I never used them. I should have enjoyed them years ago. I learned an important lesson from the first grade. I went the entire year without enjoying USING my “special” crayons. What is the point of having something special and not being able to enjoy doing what they were meant to do? Crayons are meant for using (not just admiring).
