Funny Yoga Stuff – The Imperfect Yogi™

Beautiful Yoga Dharma Lesson

Jay Shetty, marketing entrepreneur, created a beautiful re-telling of one of my FAVORITE poems “The Cookie Thief.” Although it might not SEEM like yoga, this is what YOGA-UNION is about – letting go of ego judging to create oneness. You probably know, yoga comes from an ancient root word meaning “yoke together” or in other words, unite. Our goal is to use our thoughts, words and actions to unite every part of ourselves, others and all of existence. And, in those times we find that union, there is JOY.

Here is the poem:

The Cookie Thief

by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . .grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”

With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother. This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Please let me know what you think about the poem and video story. Have you ever had something like this happen?

Still Grateful I Did Not Catch on Fire, but Unfortunately Not Quite as Passionately

Last entry I was telling about leaving food cooking in the stove unattended for 2 hours and 45 minutes while I went to a yoga class. I was panic stricken when I realized what I had done and thought for sure things were up in flames. Here is the rest of what happened:

Finally arriving home I race up the stairs looking for the familiar flames, fire engines, smoke and smoke smell, still praying with all of my faith. And SURE ENOUGH…

AAAAaahhhhhh!! My prayers were answered (and I really do believe that was what did it). Inside the oven the broccolis and carrots were black fossils. The pastas were cobalt pebbles. But NO FIRE.

What a LOVELY and most auspicious way to start the weekend, NOT catching an apartment on fire. It felt like not catching me and all of my life on fire. Maybe some of you too today have NOT caught your homes or selves on fire. HURRAY FOR ALL OF US!!! If we could be that grateful every day for all of the mini miracles we rarely notice, just think how fantastically happy we would be all of the time. I wish I could stay in that state of utter elation about not being on fire right now. It is a great thing, but easily taken for granted.

Today may we notice the little gifts in our lives (like NOT being on fire right now, etc.) and may our gratitude shine like bright, non-flammable flashlights.

Yoga Sutras 2:33 Vitarka Badhane Pratipaksha Bhavanam.
“When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite [positive] ones should be thought of.”

EXERCISE:

Today if a negative thought or mood comes up, replace it by coming up with the most unusual, craziest, opposite, POSITIVE gratitude thought. Maybe think how wonderful it is that you did not catch on fire today. If you had, you would be feeling a lot differently than you do now. Feel the joy of sending gratitude for something important, but often overlooked. If you have something, kooky but sincere, that you are grateful for list it below.

Grateful to Have NOT Caught on Fire Today

Life gratitude: Today I went the entire day without catching on fire.

I am experiencing utter elation! It’s a peculiar sensation to be so happy about not catching myself or something on fire. Not that I am a pyro or anything, just that I usually go every day WITHOUT being grateful for NOT catching things on fire…

I came home from some “office work” feeling rather disheveled mentally. I was trying to heat up food before leaving to take a Relax Deeply yoga class, when what do I do but run out of time for the food BUT forget to turn off the oven. I drive to the studio, do an hour and a half class, and drive home, when suddenly at the last few blocks I remember…

DANG!!! I LEFT THE OVEN ON!!! TWO HOURS AND FORTY-FIVE MINUTES!

Does anything cook that long without catching the house on fire?!?!? In between prayers and driving just up to the upper speed limit I start having flash backs…

As a youth I was an accomplished fire starter. There was catching my dad’s business on fire by trying to broil bologna. Catching my dad’s business on fire by trying to boil water. Knocking over the candles I had placed on my bed. Trying to light a candle and instead lighting my thumb. My cat following my fire example and pulling the light fixture off the wall and into a box of combustible items…. But wait!

What about turkey?

Turkey cooks for a good 5 hours or more, right? Why can’t other food, vegetables and pasta maybe, why can’t that cook 5 plus hours?!? If my calculations are correct I may have another two hours and fifteen minutes of cooking time left to go.

Finally arriving home I race up the stairs looking for the familiar flames, fire engines, smoke and smoke smell, still praying with all my faith. And SURE ENOUGH…

(To be continued…)

Everything is Yoga

Everything is everything.

Everything is yoga.

Today I took my imperfect yoga practice off the mat and into my street wardrobe. I went the entire day (unknowingly) wearing sunglasses with a price tag sticker still on the side band AND a little SUV rating sticker on one of the glasses. That’s pretty bad! Or good I guess, depending on how you look at it, lol. Well, what can you do but laugh, right?

Sometimes you will find this same type of imperfection happening in your yoga poses. Whether it is an inability to defy gravity as you float from Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) into Chataranga (the bent armed plank pose), or a tight calf muscle in your Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog). Whatever the “imperfection” notice it with loving kindness and keep going. Eventually, all of these things will pass. You will be left with what is most important – the love and kindness you have grown on the inside.

EXERCISE:

Sit in a comfortable position for meditation. Take a moment to think of something you did recently that was embarrassing or imperfect. Close your eyes and visualize, imagine, or pretend an image of yourself doing that less than perfect thing just in front of you as if there was a TV screen or hologram a few feet away from you. With each inhale imagine breathing in the pain or embarrassment or hurt from that other you. With each exhale imagine sending back love to that image of yourself. Keep with it. You might start adding a mantra like, “I love you. I love you.” Eventually, imagine any hurt being breathed away and just breathing love and acceptance to yourself. If there is still some hurt or embarrassment left that is OK too, but just keep sending the love.

When you are ready to end your meditation gently blink open your eyes keeping the loving feeling inside. As you go through the rest of your day periodically send that love and acceptance back to yourself with a breath or two.

Wisdom tells me I am nothing.
Love tells me I am everything.
Between the two my life flows.
Nisargadatta Maharaj