The days are finally getting longer, warmer and sunnier. Our long, patient wait is over. Spring time is finally here! And as one with a preference for warmer weather, I couldn't be happier about it. When spring hits, my mind begins to buzz with possibilities. It seems to be the beginning of the time to go, to do, to get it done, to restart or to begin. Life is beginning to surface again and it makes me feel like living to the fullest. I've got a long, exciting list of things to do and enjoy this season. What about you? How will you make your life more vibrant this spring?
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Gratitude Diet: Day 22 — I’ve recently been blessed to teach a weekly yoga class at a local studio. After this Monday’s class, a fellow yogi and I talked about the practice of yoga for an hour. And we could have gone on for hours more. I love yoga! It’s been a part of my life for so long now I can’t imagine life without it. Many think of yoga as only a set of stretching postures (asanas) where practitioners bend themselves into crazy animal shapes. (Down dog, anyone?) But yoga is so much more than that. It’s movement, breath, energy, philosophy, a lifestyle, a perspective, self awareness, meditation and more. Yoga means unity. When we practice yoga (syncing our breath and movement) we calm and focus our minds and rejuvenate and energize our bodies, leaving us more relaxed, happy and peaceful. Yoga opens up a whole world of benefits for the body, mind and spirt. And ultimately, if we practice it long enough and faithfully enough, it raises our consciousness so that we may experience the essence of Spirit and our connection to It. The stress of our 21st century living cries out for yoga and its refuge of peace and wisdom. And I’m so happy and thankful I have it in my back pocket to carry me through life. If you’re interested in starting a yoga practice, hit me up. I’d love to share what I know and point you in the right direction. Namaste! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 24 —Today is Christmas Eve and I am elated to be spending it with my family! The delicious food, the games, the fun gift exchange, the karaoke, the smiles, laughs, songs, friendships and the love. Today, I am thankful for our Christmas traditions and the holiday joy! I pray you all will be blessed by the peace and joy of the season now and throughout the new year. Merry Christmas, y’all! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 25 — Well, today is an easy one. I’m grateful for Christmas! I hope you are enjoying yours! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 26 — My phone rang and my friend’s named popped up on it. I answered quickly as I was happy to hear from her. Always pleasant, I could hear her smiling as we talked. We chatted for a short while and then I noticed her voice change. A more serious tone replaced the cheery one and her smile vanished. She started, “I don’t know if you got my email…” I interrupted, explaining I had just popped open my email and noticed she sent something but I hadn’t had the chance to view it before her call. She continued, pacing herself, breaking the news gently. A dear friend of ours had suffered a heart attack. She didn’t have all the details, but she’s knows he’s in the hospital in intensive care. We were both shocked. Here’s a friend who seemed to be so active and in such great health. It sadness us to think that our dear sweet, loving friend (and his lovely wife) are going through such an ordeal. Before our call ended, my friend asked me to add our sick friend to my prayers; and I most certainly will. I am praying for his healing and his complete recovery to a full, happy and healthy life. And I am believing in that healing for him. Today, I am grateful for God’s healing which resides within us and around us. It’s one of the most miraculous things. We can cut ourselves and the tissues will regrow leaving little to no trace. Bones can be broken and reset. Children can regrow a fingertip after amputation. Some diseases can be completely cured. And most of us heal completely after a bout of the common cold with all its nasty varieties. Our immune systems are constantly fighting a slew of viruses, bacteria, toxins, pollutants and other substances that can make us sick. But most days our immune systems are the victors and we count ourselves healthy and well. When you think about all those things, being alive is actually a miracle in itself. And God’s healing, whether it comes through the hands of a surgeon, a shaman, a pill or a bottle of NyQuil, is pretty amazing and miraculous too. And today, I am thankful for it and counting on it. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 27 — Today, I am so super grateful for something that I cannot reveal on Facebook. Lol! So instead I’ll be thankful for spa days and massages because (after carrying around heavy bags today) my shoulders and neck could really use a great massage. I’m all about self care; and adding spa days to my calendar is essential. For me, dedicating a whole day to relieving stress, relaxing and detoxing is a necessary indulgence. It's one of my favorite treats. What's your favorite self care treat? #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 28 — I ran into a familiar face at the grocery store today. It was one of my neighbors. We probably hadn’t seen each other since spring. She introduced me to another lady who was formerly a neighbor and the three of us chatted a bit there in the frozen food aisle. We talked about hanging out at the pool together over the summer as well as practicing yoga together. And those are certainly things to look forward to. What I’m grateful for today is community, those familiar places and faces that bring us enjoyment, connection and make us feel like we belong. Whether you find your community on the golf course, the basketball court, the coffee shop or the PTA, I wish you many happy and fulfilling connections that bring you camaraderie and joy. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 29 — Today, I visited the African American Museum of Dallas to view their exhibition — Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty. It featured items from Monticello owned by Thomas Jefferson’s family and the slaves he owned. More importantly, the exhibition presented the slave families of Monticello and humanized them by giving their names, revealing their family trees and telling the stories of their lives (albeit with the sparse details available.) Exhibits like this are so important. We must never forget how difficult their lives were and how much pain and humiliation they endured daily! Exhibitions, books and films on slavery always bring up a lot of heavy emotions in me - sadness and anger are always resident. But something else stirs within me too - pride. It's pride that says, "Look at what your ancestors built. Look at this great country made from their hard labor, sweat, blood and broken bodies. Look at how they survived hate, abuse and systematic oppression. You see that?! Your people are survivors, founders, warriors." As pride rises, anger begins to fade into the background and I find myself standing taller, far far beyond the height of my physical stature. See that's what standing on the shoulders of your ancestors will do. Today, I am thankful for the strength and resilience of my ancestors and all those of African-American descent who endured the inhumanity of slavery. To treated as a human is reasonable, to be treated as an equal is righteous and to be treated as less than human is deplorable. The legacy of slavery is still very real. Despite our many successes, African-Americans as a whole have yet to overcome the effects of slavery. We are still in the struggle. I pray one day we'll all exhibit the great strength and resilience of our ancestors. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 30 — Today, I’m thankful for my Sunday Night Movie Night with two of my favorite ladies in the world. It’s been a fantastic weekend and a great end to the year. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 15 — Today is the last day to sign up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Though I started looking up plans early, I waited until today to choose a plan as I deliberated long and hard over which one was the best for me. Save money with the lower premium on A? Or have more peace of mind choosing B? I wish there were better choices and that health care was more affordable. The Affordable Care Act needs a lot of fixing. Unfortunately, most of the Republicans in Congress refuse to work with Democrats to fix it. They would rather try their hardest to tear it down and see it fail than find a win-win solution that benefits us all. And it’s really a shame because affordable health care should be a basic human right. After all, there is no “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” when you’re dead, too sick to work or too poor to pay for health care. Today, I’m thankful for my good health and health insurance. I’m also thankful for the right to vote, to rally, to protest, to resist, and to write and call my representatives to voice my opinion on policy and to hold them accountable. I hope you’re thankful for those rights too. Let’s use them to create the changes this country so desperately needs. Don’t sleep! Power is dangerous in the hands of the greedy, the ignorant or the few. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 16 — Sunday is usually family-filled for me and it is such a blessing. So, today I am grateful for all my family - all the love, hugs, support, long conversations, family dinners, road trips, walks, laughs, birthday cakes, sweet memories and more. I have the best family ever and I love you all! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 17 — It’s time for bed so I retire upstairs for the evening. As I begin to settle in, I hear a noise downstairs. I’m puzzled. It doesn't sound like any of the normal house noises or the washing machine which is running mid-cycle. I think “What was that?” I hear the noise again. I pause to decipher it. It sounds like paper rattling. Then I quickly realize it can be nothing other than the mischievous family dog. Deciding to watch his latest caper to see what he is truly up to, I slowly walk down the stairs, making sure not to hit a squeaky one. I peer over the banister to find him gnawing and pawing at a big bag of dog food! I caught him red handed! 🤔 Or, shall I say wet-nosed? There he was trying to put together a little midnight snack without anyone knowing. He was taking advantage of the fact that the dog food bag was bigger than usual and hadn't fit completely into its plastic container. Our dog is always up to something. After 13 years, he still can’t be trusted and his mischievous acts never cease to amaze. He’ll dig through your purse to find a snack - be it emory boards, business cards or anything else made of paper. He’ll eat artwork, money, your socks and your homework, just to name a few. So, today, I am thankful for our mischievous cockapoo. He’s provided us with lots of laughs, entertainment and, Lord knows, he’s increased my patience probably threefold at the very least. 😂 #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 18 — We are one week away from the big day. All the prepping, decorating and shopping is almost done and we can finally settle into the enjoyment of Christmas Day. The holiday season is often busy and stressful, but how joyous and peaceful it is when we focus on the real reason for the season - Jesus and his incredible message of love for one another, compassion, understanding and forgiveness. No matter what religion we are, I think that’s a universal message we can all celebrate. Today, I am thankful for Jesus, that beautiful Christ Spirit. Wishing you all a happy holiday and the peace and joy of the season. Much love! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 19 - This is one of my favorite poems since childhood. It reminds me to be thankful for that ever-growing pile of dishes in the kitchen sink. And I am truly thankful for for them. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 20 — Today, I came home to find my cousin had returned home from college for the holidays. Having no idea she was already home, I was quite surprised. And what a beautiful surprise it was! It was a joy to see her smiling face and to hear the excitement and happiness in her voice. Today, I am thankful for pleasant surprises, especially those filled with so much love! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 21— About 6:30pm today I was drained and sleepy. I was so tired I was pretty sure I could have gone to bed for the night at that very moment. But seeing how 6:30pm is far from my normal bed time, I decided to stay up despite wanting to crawl under the covers. Needing a boost of energy, I opened up Spotify to find some tunes to power me through the rest of the day. After 30 minutes or so I was singing, dancing, snapping my fingers, energized and wide awake. I love music! I love how it can take me down memory lane and make me fifteen again, lift my spirits, send me daydreaming or make me dance so hard I think I’m one of the Jacksons - uh, Janet or Michael, of course. 😄 Lol! So, today, I am thankful for music and all the tunes that have become the soundtrack of my life. What power music has to move, to motivate and to connect to our emotions. And when music is sacred, it can also bring us into deep self awareness and devotion, raise our consciousness and open our hearts. Every day, I’ve got an “earworm” and a chant in my heart, making me move or bringing my joy. And I am thankful. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 8 — Today, I am thankful for peace. And we need a lot more of it in this world. But if we can find peace in ourselves and create more of it in both our inner and outer environments then we are really lucky. But this luck isn't for a few; it's for all of us. We all have the ability to access great peace. Whether we find peace in prayer, meditation, nature, playing an instrument, etc. it's there waiting for us to dive even deeper into it. And we can also create more of it by seeking to be peaceful and loving in our thoughts, words and actions. So let's all up our peace vibration this holiday season and change the world from the inside out. Om. Shanti, shanti, shanti. "Let us therefore, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." - Romans 14:19 NIV #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 9 — Over the past couple of months, I have been so blessed to see and experience things that have truly inspired me. I don’t know about you all, but I absolutely love inspiration! I am inspired by people, wisdom, Spirit, acts of kindness, service, nature, art -- the list goes on and on and on. Inspiration excites me and gives me something completely intangible that I can hold on to and feel at my very core. So, today, I am thankful for inspiration and the rich joy it brings to life. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 10 — Today, I’m feeling it. It’s been a busy weekend and a full Monday so I could use some really good rest. Thinking about turning in for the night and how amazing that is going to feel, I am grateful for good, restful sleep which is one of my favorite things. And it’s something one should never take for granted. Sleep is necessary for the proper functioning of our body and brain. And it gives us the juice to power forward the next day. But I’m not grateful for sleep alone. I’m also thankful for my soft, cozy bed, my nice warm covers and those plump pillows to rest my head on. Sometimes when I lie down to sleep, I think of the people in our world without a home, without a soft, warm place to sleep at night. They make their bed on the streets, under a bridge, in a cardboard box. No protection from the elements. Vulnerable and exposed. I am reminded that my comfort should not be taken for granted. Having a warm bed and a home I count myself among the blessed. And for that, I am thankful. Good night, friends. Sleep well! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 11 — Man, oh, man! I have met some really cool people over the last two days — actually over the last couple of months. And I know that many of these new acquaintances are destined for friendship. My heart is so full and my spirit is joyful when I think about the amazing friendships I have made in this lifetime. True friendship is one of the sweetest things in life, a great gift from the Divine. And there are few things more special than having someone choose you as their lifelong friend - through the good, the bad, the sad, the fun times and those embarrassing times we’d rather forget. ☺️There is nothing like a friend to help you remember who you really are and that although you are deeply flawed, you are perfectly lovable just the way you are! Dear Friends, whether we’ve been friends for a short while or longer than we both want to admit (because we can’t be that old!), I am so grateful for you today. Thanks for making my life sweeter! I love you all. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 12 — When’s the last time you laughed so hard your stomach hurt? Or spent an afternoon on a swing? Or hung upside down from the monkey bars? Been that long, huh? Today, I am grateful for play. Several years back, a wise man told me I needed to play more. And I’ve been trying to follow his advice ever since. And when I do play I feel so much more relaxed, renewed and it makes everything better. Now is a wonderful time of year to think less about work and more about having a good time with friends and family. I hope you get to play over the holidays and that you plan plenty of play in 2019. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks #KidatHeart Gratitude Diet: Day 13 —Today, I spent a large part of my day working on a project my writing partner and I started quite a while back. You know the saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step?” Well, isn’t it surprising when your journey of a thousand miles begins to feel more like a journey of a million miles? Or maybe even a billion? Some days it feels like it would be easier to just hibernate. So today, I am thankful for willpower and perseverance because quitting just won’t do. And well, because I am not a bear. 😃#GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks #NeverGiveUpNeverSurrender #ActivatetheOmega13 Gratitude Diet: Day 14 — What I’m grateful for today is depthless, simple and true — pure LOVE. Yep, that Divine Mama Love. Not that “I love you if” or “I love you when” love, but that unconditional, always and forever LOVE that will exist after this universe is long gone. Indeed, it’s the very LOVE that holds the universe together. I wish you all more LOVE. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks
Gratitude Diet: Day 1 — So, this is it. It’s the first of December, a brand new month and the last one of the year. It’s the perfect time to start on a brand new diet. And no, I’m not going to be starving myself or giving up all the sweet treats of the holidays. Nope, this is a Gratitude Diet. I’m dedicating the next 31 days to thanks and praises and tossing all complaints aside. It’s such a great time of year to reflect on all my blessings and that is exactly what I plan to do. Join me on this diet if you like. 31 days of thanks and not one single complaint. Do you think we can do it? Let’s give it a try. Today, I am thankful for things that make me laugh (like this dog hightailing it across the floor in his cage 😂). What about you? Gratitude Diet: Day 2 — Okay, it's Day 2 of my Gratitude Diet. And today I am thankful for learning. It seems I am always studying something because I love to learn. Today, I spent most of my day studying yoga - not just the physical postures or asanas as they are called, but also the principles and philosophy of yoga. Yogic wisdom is vast and applying it to one's life is transformative. So thankful to have the opportunity to learn as much as I can about this wonderful practice. What are you grateful for today? Gratitude Diet: Day 3 — Alrightee, it's Day 3 of my Gratitude Diet and I've already fallen off the wagon already. Yikes! 😳 Where did I go wrong? Well, the rule of the diet is to be grateful and to eliminate all complaints. And well, early this morning, I complained about the weather. Yep, I did. I'm a spring/summer lover and my body isn't feeling this cooler weather. So forgetting my diet, I let a complaint fly. But truly, I should be thankful for fall because it offers a time to rest and reflect. As much as I love spring and summer, there were several recent years in which I was so busy that I didn't have time to enjoy spring and summer at all. Buried in work and activity, I felt like I had missed those fun months altogether. Those years, I was so happy to welcome fall because I needed the change of pace, and the rest and calm that come with it. There's just something in those changing leaves and crisp air that beckons us to slow down, to rest and reflect and to enjoy the many fruits of our labor. I don’t know about you, but to me the changing colors of the leaves seem to say, “Remember, everything changes. And if you don’t slow down and notice, you may miss something that will soon be gone forever.” So, today, I am thankful for fall and its many lessons on rejuvenation, gratitude and introspection; and I surrender to it. #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 4 — It’s day 4 of my Gratitude Diet. And today, I am thankful for clarity, that often elusive quality that many of us could probably use a lot more of. Clarity is clear vision, the ability to see beyond our own experiences, prejudices and environmental influences to understand the true essence of something. And it's not always easy to come by. Unfortunately, even the vision we have of ourselves is often clouded. Though I am grateful for clarity, I’m not claiming I have a lot it! But I am thankful for the small bit I do have and faithful that the rest I need is surely to come — in this lifetime or the next! #GratitudeDiet #NoComplaints #JustPraisesandThanks Gratitude Diet: Day 5 — It's been said that our nightly sleep is like death and every morning we rise is like the beginning of a new life. So every morning, we get a chance to start anew, to pick up where we left off or to fix something that's not quite right. Aren't we lucky? Today, I am thankful for second chances. I've used my second chances to fix relationships, to change directions and to pursue a better me. I'm thankful for all my second chances; and I hope to wake up to many, many more. #GratitudeDiet #JustPraisesandThanks #NoComplaints Gratitude Diet: Day 6 -- Two weeks ago, I celebrated Thanksgiving with a wonderful group of new friends half way around the world in India. At that time, we were attending a spiritual assembly at the Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) Ranchi ashram in northeast India. That day, while addressing an audience of over a thousand, one of the YSS swamis noted that it was the American holiday of Thanksgiving; and that it's a terrific tradition that more countries are beginning to recognize and celebrate. We Americans export a lot - both good and bad - goods, culture, etc. But Thanksgiving (once we come to terms with its controversial history) is probably one of our best exports to date. So today, I am thankful for the spirit of love and thanksgiving that inspires and reaches all the way around the world. Because though far from home that day, I was surrounded by love and the spirit of gratitude and devotion. And it was beautiful!! Oh, and this is a picture of my Thanksgiving meal. It may not look all that appealing compared to our traditional, holiday fare, but it was quite tasty, especially for ashram food! BTW, I haven't had the opportunity to interview any turkeys in India, but I am sure they are happy so many Indians are vegetarian. 😄 #TBT #GratitudeDiet #JustPraisesandThanks #NoComplaints Gratitude Diet: Day 7 — It’s the weekend! And I am so thankful for them — sleeping in, staying up late, partying into the night, hanging with my family and my crew, rolling into church on Sunday, a lazy afternoon with a cup of hot tea and a good book. Yep! That’s what weekends are for - bring them on! #GratitudeDiet #JustPraisesandThanks #NoComplaints That's week one. And I'm grateful for it! WIth Gratitude and Love, Anietie As a yoga practitioner and instructor, I’ve spent lots of time telling others about the joy of yoga, its health benefits and its transformational properties. I’ve coerced my friends and family to practice with me and I’ve had so much fun in the process. But despite all this, I quit yoga. I stopped practicing this summer and I didn’t feel bad about it at all. Of course, I didn’t forget how good yoga is for us, but it didn’t matter. I quit. I didn’t want to do it, so I didn’t. Well, that’s not completely accurate. I stopped practicing asanas (the physical postures), but I did continue my pranayama (energetic breathing techniques) and meditation practices. But getting on the floor or standing to stretch just wasn’t going to happen.
You see, for much of July I was in pain. An old knee injury had been terribly aggravated by no fault of my own, something weird in my ankle flared up and deep muscle pain in my neck and shoulder refused to go away. All in all, I felt like a little, old lady with spectacles, gray hair and nothing to talk about but my pain. In the previous months, I had been going deeper in my yoga practice and gaining more strength and flexibility. And it felt good to be at a “new” level of practice. Physically, I was feeling stronger and more powerful and I wanted my yoga practice to reflect that. But here I was at the beginning of July in so much pain that I felt sidelined from the practice. I was elevating and icing my knee, doing compression and resting it; but for two days I limped so hard I probably could have used a pair of crutches. Because of these ailments, I knew a strong, more athletic yoga practice was beyond my reach. But that was what I yearned for, a strong practice to keep driving to new heights. Not being able to practice the way I wanted to, I didn’t want to practice yoga at all. Besides, I hurt too much. So I let my body rest and before I knew it, the days I didn’t do yoga just added up. Then one day, I received a text message from a fellow yoga teacher. She needed someone to teach her yoga classes so she could handle some family business out of town. I looked at the text and sighed. "I haven’t done yoga in weeks," I thought. "I’m certainly not ready or the ideal person to take over her classes. Yogis need yoga teachers with strong bodies and strong practices. And me, well, I’m feeling like a little, old lady with aches and pains and besides, by my lack of practice, it’s apparent that I’ve quit yoga." I studied her words on my phone, tapping my fingers on its case. She needed help and I was available. So, I sighed and replied: “I can teach your classes.” The text zipped through into the ether. And that was it. The little, old lady was out of retirement. Before teaching that first class, I practiced yoga. It had been 21 days since my last practice. I was tight, but things slowly started to loosen and I was in much less pain. The good thing about my friend’s classes was that I could teach whatever I wanted. So for the first class, I decided to teach restorative yoga. The practice involves using props (bolsters, blankets, blocks) to support the body, allowing it to completely relax in poses that are held for several minutes. Restorative yoga was just my speed that day and I was delighted to find out everyone in that Tuesday afternoon class was also in need of a restorative class to melt away the tension and stress. I ended up teaching four classes that week - two restorative, one gentle and one partner yoga class. And I enjoyed every bit of it. And better yet, the yogis in those classes really enjoyed themselves. They told me how refreshed and relaxed they were after the classes and how much they liked them. I was honored to lead them in yoga that week and it felt good to help them feel better when they left than when they arrived. I often tell yogis in my classes to just do the best they can, that it isn’t necessary to do a pose so that they look like the person next to them or like that “perfect” model they saw on the cover of "Yoga Journal" magazine. I tell them that yoga looks different on every body. That we can’t compare ourselves to others or even judge our yoga practice today based on what we did last year, last month or even yesterday. Our bodies are constantly changing from year to year, day to day and moment to moment. And we must appreciate and accept where we are today. Despite knowing and encouraging this, I realized that I had failed to do it myself in the three weeks prior. Instead of accepting where I was physically and adjusting my practice to suit my body, I let my asana practice go. I didn’t want to modify and slow down, I wanted to keep my same pace. But, of course, we know life doesn’t work that way. And things will happen to urge us to slow down, take notice and take time to heal. Coming back to yoga and teaching those classes gave me a renewed appreciation for restorative yoga. It reminded me that the yoga journey isn’t about getting a stronger, more powerful body. It’s about healing, balance, deeper insights into who we are and powerful spiritual transformations. Since that week, I’ve practiced a lot more restorative yoga, taken it slow and begun to work on healing my body through various modalities. The journey of healing and self-realization is a long one. But it’s one we are destined to finish no matter how many times we feel like we’ve quit. So, no, I haven't quit yoga. Ever a student, I am beginning once again. Today, a New York Times article detailing how to take good photos of tonight’s 4th of July fireworks popped up on my newsfeed. Interested in tips on how to take my photos from “blah” to “wow,” I opened the article. The first thing I noticed was the byline. The article was written by Amadou Diallo. I thought to myself “Amadou Diallo? Now, that’s ironic.” For those of you who don’t know, Amadou Diallo was a 22 year-old immigrant from Guinea who was shot and killed by four NYPD officers at his apartment building in the Bronx in February 1999. It was a horrific crime and the story made headlines across the nation. Diallo, who was unarmed, was shot 41 times. This was a man who did not have a criminal record. He did not provoke the officers. He did absolutely nothing to deserve being killed by a firing squad. Yet, the officers, somehow confused, shot him dead. Unfortunately, incidents like this involving innocent black men being killed by police officers has been repeated far too many times in our country. And, of course, like most of the recent cases, the police officers were all acquitted of the terrible murder of Amadou Diallou. When I saw today’s New York Times article written by a different Amadou Diallo, I thought of our first Amadou Diallo and what his hopes and dreams for a new life in America must have been. Surely, he never thought he'd die by the hands of officers who are supposed to protect us in this great land of liberty. But he was an immigrant of color, the type of immigrant that is often unwanted today despite the fact that our country is a melting pot of the descendants of immigrants, built by the blood, tears and sweat of black slaves and laid on top the bodies and blood of Native Americans who first blessed this land. Let’s face it. America has a ugly history. But together we can create a more beautiful future for our country, one that isn’t so divisive and that serves ourselves, the world and our environment. But it won’t happen unless we wake up, resist, demand change and work to make it happen! So after the barbecues, brews and fireworks, what will you do to make America beautiful? What will you do to make America more fair, just and equitable? Who or what will you fight for? Will you demand your rights or let them be taken away? If nothing else, make sure you’re registered to vote in the upcoming elections and encourage your friends and family to register to vote too. But it doesn’t stop there; you actually have to go to the polls and vote! And make sure you take some friends along with you too. Get educated on the issues, give a damn, sign a petition for something you believe in, call your representatives, knock on doors for the candidates you support or run for office yourself. Either way, get involved and make your voice heard. The work of a democracy takes all of us. So, enjoy the barbecue today. Tomorrow, let's rise up and get back to work creating the America of our dreams! Want to read the New York Times article that inspired this blog post? Click the link below.
There is so much going on in the world today - so many atrocities, tragedies. Sometimes the things I see on the news or read in an article make me angry or upset or bring tears to my eyes. But it also makes me grateful for what I do have and for the blessings I have in my life. Not that I need to see the sufferings of others to make me grateful because I am grateful already. But it just magnifies the blessings that I have. Recently, I walked through a new, big and beautiful Whole Foods grocery store. I saw all the people walking around buying their expensive this, expensive that, fancy food items, fresh waters, teas, fancy beers and whatnot. But what stuck in my head at that moment were the pictures I had recently seen of Rohingya Muslim refugees living in squalor in make-shift camps in Bangladesh. Comparing and contrasting the clean beauty and bountifulness of the Whole Foods and the misery and destitution of the Rohingya Muslim refugees reminded me of how truly blessed I am as so many of us are. The simple pleasures of clean water, hot meals, warm beds are so often overlooked in our materialistic society where we want more pleasure, money, comfort and convenience faster than ever. In the Yoga Sutras (a classic Indian text), the author, Patanjali, lists out the “don’ts and do’s” of yoga philosophy. These are known as the yamas and niyamas. One of the niyamas, or things we should practice, is santosha which is a sanskrit word meaning complete contentment or satisfaction. The application of santosha is multi-layered, affecting both our inner and outer worlds and how we interact with others. Santosha asks us to be content with what we have, to not take more than what we need and to accept others, ourselves and our circumstances as they are, meeting life with equanimity despite its ups and downs, successes and failures and numerous struggles. The magic is that when we are able to meet all of life’s circumstances with equanimity, we are then able to ground ourselves in unshakeable peace. Sure, it’s a tall order, but the sages and saints proved it can be done; so we can dive right in and try too. One of the ways we can get to that unshakeable peace is to practice gratitude, which I see as an important part of santosha. I believe it’s harder for us to be unhappy and dissatisfied with our lives (including what we have or don’t have) when we are focused on how blessed we are and feeling gratitude in our hearts. For example, its harder to be angry about a morning rush hour traffic jam when we are actively contemplating the fact that we are lucky to have a job to go to that provides for us and our families and that we have four reliable wheels to get us there. This doesn’t mean we don’t look for a new job that might bring in more money or make better use of our skills and talents because we are grateful for the current one job. Rather it makes us focus on the sunny side of things. Yep, gratitude makes us more optimistic and happy, helping us delight more in the blooms of life instead of cursing the thorns. And that goes a long way to making life better for ourselves and spreading joy around us. I’ve blogged about gratitude several times this year because it seems it’s something that has been steady on my heart since earlier this year. I guess it’s apropos to end the year once again talking about gratitude, especially since this is the season of gratitude, a season for us to hold our families closer and to be thankful for what we have - family, friends, health, jobs, goals we met and making it through another year. It’s also time to make our New Year’s resolutions, to set our trails for 2018. There are several goals I have for the new year, but one thing I really want more of in the new year? Well, gratitude — because gratitude opens our hearts, fills us with love and humility and makes us present to the joy and blessings of the moment. And really, who wouldn’t want more of that? So, this year as you make your list of things you want to have, do or accomplish in 2018, consider all the goodness you already have in your life and the great things you have already achieved. You may feel a lift in your spirit where happiness resides. With Love and Gratitude, Anietie |
Anietie
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