Did you try restarting?

In our completely technology-driven society, most people have learned the beauty of restarting. An iPhone, a computer, a wireless router-- it seems that 99% of problems with most devices can be solved just by resetting. The reasons behind this, I do not know. The results, I am quite familiar with. 


The brain seems to work in a similar fashion. And why shouldn't it? We are the ones inventing technology, so it only makes sense that the functions would mimic those of our brains. Sometimes just hitting the reset button can also solve most of our issues and work out the bugs in the mental system. 


So how do you restart? For me it means shutting my brain off for a while through meditation. To get into a state off meditation is somewhat of a process still in refinement for me-- I have to move before I can be still-- so I move my body and focus on my breath, which shifts the focus from mind to body. Once the mind is quieted and some excess energy is burned off, I can sit in silence. That silence is my reboot. The mind is quiet, the screen goes dark, everything stops spinning for at least a few moments. 


When I open my eyes, it's like the system has started fresh. So when the mind seems to be plagued by glitches and is suffering from an unknown malfunction, remember: depress the button, breathe, release. 

Prasadanam · Undisturbed Calmness

"By cultivating attitudes of 

friendliness toward the happy, 

compassion for the unhappy, 

delight in the virtuous, 

and disregard toward the wicked, 

the mind retains its undisturbed calmness."

                                        - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Don't Quit

Maybe its something in the air, on the news, or some trend making the rounds on facebook, or perhaps its just people jumping on the Lent bandwagon, whether they are Catholic or not, but my radar is blowing up with people giving something up. Whether it's coffee, sugar, meat, alcohol, or some other random thing they consider to be a vice, people LOVE quitting something, and even more than that, they LOOOOOVE talking about it all the time and making sure EVERYONE knows about it. 

Look, I don't knock anyone for trying to live a healthier lifestyle. I think we could all head in a more health conscious direction, but in my personal experience, depriving myself of something only makes me want it 10 times more. And judging by how often people talk about what they've given up, most people would probably agree that when you forbid yourself of something, your mind becomes consumed by that. I've even witnessed people become so utterly consumed by whatever they have decided to give up, that the end result is an inevitable binge, thus completely negating their efforts. 

Even birds like a little coffee
now and again. 

And when we binge, we regret. So the cycle goes something like this-- love something, love it too much, overindulge, give it up, think about that thing day and night, binge, wallow in regret and self-loathing, rinse, repeat. 

My point is, if you're engaging in this cycle, you aren't really accomplishing anything except proving that you have no will-power. And it shouldn't really be a question of will-power, because like every flawed human being, we do not have iron wills. We all give in to temptation and worldly desires, albeit some more than others, but no one is perfect. 

My suggestion, as with most things -- work, religion, politics, eating, drinking, etc. -- is to practice moderation. No one likes an extremist. And setting unrealistic goals is really just setting yourself up for failure. A cup of coffee is not lethal when you have one cup in the morning. When you are drinking a couple pots a day, it's probably time to take a step back and reassess why are you are overindulging. But please, I don't want to deal with any more mood snaps because you haven't had a diet coke in 48 hours. Keep it moderate people. For your sanity and mine. 

Not Jaded

It's sad and alarming to me how often I have lately heard people claim, "I'm just so jaded." The fact that people are jaded, especially in New York City, does not surprise me in the least. What does surprise me is- 1. the fact that the people saying this are young, way too young to be making this claim, and 2. that when people do make this statement, they do so with a sense of pride, almost as if being jaded is a badge of honor. 

It frightens me that people consider being jaded something they feel the need to brag about. Just to break it down, let's review-- jaded means: dulled or satiated by overindulgence; worn out or wearied, as by overwork or overuse; dissipated. I can't seem to grasp why people would feel accomplished at having become dull as a result of overindulging and wearied by too much work. 

If you feel complacent and dulled, and things that should elicit certain responses are no longer resonating with you, it is probably time to step back and analyze why this is. If you are no longer experiencing life, you should probably either change your perception of things or make a bigger change that will help alter your outlook. There are a myriad of ways to help a jaded person once again find the newness in daily life, and with a little effort, I truly believe that everyone can find something to awaken what may seem to have disappeared from living, but is really just lying dormant. 

Whatever one may choose to make life stimulating again, it is important to remember that it won't happen alone. Even more important, remember that being jaded is not something to be proud of. It does not mean you are more mature, more experienced, or more important than others who seem affected. There is a vast difference between being in control of your reactions and feelings, and being dulled, worn out, and weary. First, figure out which one you are. Second,  decide which one you want to be. 

What it Means to Me to be a Yogini

• Becoming connected with my inner self through increased consciousness and awareness, in both the body and the mind.

• Following a path of continual growth, learning and fulfillment to become the greatest version of myself that I can be.

Salamba Sirsasana

• Breaking free of ingrained habits, desires, thoughts and actions that impede me from this growth.

• Learning and sharing ancient wisdom among a community of yogis and going out into the world to share these teachings through non-invasive and conscious living.

• Practicing a daily discipline that pervades every sense of my life and being.

• Accepting the past as it is and using that to learn and grow in a direction of truth and improvement.

Shit moms say

mom: how do i get pandora to play my song

me:  press play?

mom:  where?

           i just have a favorite list of artist that shuffle

              maroon five is one of them

Santosha

santosha anuttamah sukha labhah YS 2.42

From an attitude of contentment (santosha), supreme joy is obtained.

"There is no end of craving. Hence contentment alone is the best way to happiness. Therefore, acquire contentment." -Swami Sivananda

Today I am reminded to practice patience and be content and thankful for the present. I will always strive for more, and that desire will never end. With each achievement or failure, we go on searching and wanting only more. Instead of tapping my foot and bouncing back and forth with impatience, I am instead striving to reach a place where I can appreciate each moment for what it can teach me. 

At the present moment I am grateful for the following ten things: 

May I learn to enjoy vacuuming as much as this

1. The opportunities which have led me to this stage in my life. 
2. My amazing nephew, whose smile alone can turn a bad mood into a lovely day.
3. The lessons I've learned from failure. 
4. The humility I learned from living in the South. 
5. The joie de vivre I learned from living in France. 
6. The ambition and creativity I am learning living in New York. 
7. Those who showed me things I want to be, and those who showed me what I do not want to be. 
8. The way music can turn an ordinary day in to a extraordinary one. 
9. Choosing to spend my first winter in the north during one of the warmest, sunniest winters New York City has ever known. 
10. The happiness I take in making lists.