Embrace Lost

I'm lost.  Lost in business.  A little lost in life.  I don't really know what to do next.

In one week, I had to postpone my retreat and cancel a yoga class due to low registration.  My other yoga classes are not full yet.  And I have received only ONE call in two months regarding a workplace workshop - and that has not been confirmed.

My typical approach is to work at it. Find solutions.  Determine what is not working and fix it.  And if it still does not work, find something else to do.  Offer another program.  Design a different workshop or retreat.  In fact, I did design another retreat and decided not to go ahead with it.  And I did design another workshop and decided to not offer it.

Because I feel lost.

Now, don't get me wrong, I filled my meditation and yoga courses in September and then filled another meditation course in October.  The retreats have been filled in the past, with incredible feedback.  I have had students in some of my classes cry tears of joy because it is the first time they've been able to release since a serious injury.  Someone told me last week I do important work and to keep going.  I received an email from a stranger the other day to tell me what I do adds value. I am grateful I can contribute.  I am filled with joy when I see that what I do has a positive effect.  I do receive gifts from students and they do tell me how wonderful their classes or courses are.  My workplace programs have gone well in the past, and I have had repeat clients. People have told me the work they've done with me has changed how they work and impacted culture.  Yes, things are working out.

I really do find and see the good and focus on it as much as I can.

Yet, I'm at a crossroads.

I really don't know what is next.

I fill my time with busy-ness to make me feel like I have a lot to do.  I don't know what else to do. Ok, Ok... there are things I could be doing.  But there is this unknown space enveloping me.

I'm lost.

Here's the thing.  When I'm lost, I tend to grasp at solutions and strategies and new ideas.  My mind is filled with ideas.  The result is a busy-ness that has no direction.  I get caught up in frivolous, meaningless tasks.  Yes, some days are filled with classes and meetings and I feel productive and good about what I'm doing.  But I have these days that are full... of nothingness... but busy-ness.

This time.... I have decided to embrace feeling lost rather than trying to fill the time.

Because maybe it's not lost.  Maybe it's just an opportunity to use the space to create.  Maybe if I allow free time, I will see the opportunities line up in front of me.

That's what I teach in classes sometimes.

Last week, I read something about being faced with difficulties and saying we are lost, when really we are just in the chaos or unknown that is normal, and it will pass and we will make it through.. so take it on.  Dive in.  Dive in to the unknown.  Allow the unknown.

So, I'm diving into that feeling of lost.  I'm embracing it.  I'm not longer avoiding it.  I took the time to commit to a Manifest Your Awesomeness Challenge by Jennifer Trask.  It is helping me embrace this feeling.  I took time to meditate.  I got organized.  I journaled.  I ate my breakfast and my lunch... on time.  And I listened to a few yoga podcasts.

Funny how we can feel so free when we just allow whatever is there to be there.

Feeling lost is like feeling out of control.  Embracing it means making conscious choices that make you feel good versus grasping at things to do.  Then you feel in control.  Free.  And eventually, you will feel back on track.

I'm lost and I'm embracing it.  I don't really know what is next.  The unknown, though, is part of the fun.

And how lucky am I that I have this opportunity... I have abundance of time (for now, anyway)... how many people can say that?

The Dance of Freedom

Last weekend, I attended a 5Rhythms dance workshop.  I have danced since I was four years old.  I love to dance. However, as an adult with adult responsibilities, dance slowly distanced itself from me.

Then, with injuries and other health issues, came a pretty sedentary life over the past few years.  I stopped running, snowboarding, hula hopping... I hiked a bit but not like I used to.  I dabbled in things, but was not able to keep up activity.

I was lethargic.  I was sore.

Think of stagnant water.  It becomes an incubator for bacteria and disease.  It does not flow.  It is motionless.  It becomes full of waste, foul smells, and unhealthy to drink.

Well, we are made of 60-90% water (depends on the research you're reading).  When we are sedentary, we become stagnant.  Like a motionless pool of water.

As did I.

Last year, I began moving again.  It's been a slow process full of ups and downs, but last weekend, I attended 2 1/2 days of dancing.  This was not ordinary, shuffle your feet back and forth and snap your fingers kind of dancing.  This was flat out, move, shake, rattle, and roll dancing.  And I did it for hours.  And hours.  In fact, days.

After Friday night, I felt free.  I was so happy I could burst.  Saturday, although amazing, was a little different.  When we dance, when we truly connect to our soul and dance, we move something else inside us beyond our physical body.  We move emotions.  We move energy.  We move whatever is stuck.  And all that began to move in me.  I felt the stuckness.  I felt the stagnant energy.

Release comes in many forms... for me, on Saturday, I shed tears, I felt temperature changes, I got the chills, I tingled, and I released with sounds... yes, breath... heavy, purposeful, forceful, and, well, growling and howling works, too.  (Try it... it is liberating.)

Saturday night I got a call from my Mom... my Dad was sick and we were bringing him to emergency.  He was really, really sick for hours, and we had a late night.  He is OK now.  My Dad and Mom have both been sick over the past two years, and I feel like a regular in the emergency room and hospitals.  But they are both fine.  Health is improving for both of them, and we're all pretty grateful for that.

Ok... so back to dance... Sunday morning, I was exhausted and could barely move.  My body was so stiff.  My neck and back were paining.  My heart felt heavy.  I sent a message to the organizer - I was not coming.  There was no way I could dance in this state.

Well, that was simply not going to do.  The organizer and facilitator of 5Rhythms encouraged me to come, participate or not, stay or don't stay, but come.

So I did.  I had intentions of sitting in a chair and meditating all day.

But that also was not going to do.

I was stiff when I started.  I participated and moved slowly and cautiously.  I connected with people. And because I could not move so much... I got still in my body.  My body WANTED to move.  But, it just couldn't.  Not in the way I wanted it to.  A whole lot of acceptance was happening.

That afternoon, we had a shamanic dance.  Visudha (the facilitator) told me to be soft in my body.... to keep softening it as the music played.  So unlike everyone else who was dancing and moving and giving it their all... I lay down and softened.  I had a lot of trouble relaxing.  It probably took me 30 minutes, and it usually takes me about 2 minutes:)

Something truly amazing happened once I found softness.  Stillness.  Connection.  I was fully aware of all the beautiful souls dancing around me, but I was lying there.  Still.  And I began twitching.  I began shaking.  I began pulsating.  I could feel energy being moved through me.  Tears squeezed out of my eyes.  My body would tense and then relax.  I knew I had full control, but I allowed whatever release to happen.  And release it did.

I had had that kind of experience before.  I knew it was a release.  It doesn't even matter what it was a release of... it was releasing all that is stored in our bodies so that I could find freedom.  And it worked.

The next exercise was more dancing, but one person at a time... flat out... release everything in you with movement and sound kind of dancing.  I figured I'd saunter up the room slowly and cautiously in what you call 'flow' movement.  You know... because my neck was so stiff and my body could barely move.  And I was feeling pretty calm.

Well... when release happens, your body softens.  When it was my turn, I began to move a little... do a little flow... and then it happened.  My entire body shook.  My head softened and swirled.  My body was more like an elastic band than a piece of wood.  I had NO idea how this was even possible given my current physical state.

At the end of the dance, I was out of breath.  It was a minute... maybe two... but I was panting like I just ran as fast as I could for as long as I could.  It was cathartic.  It was stimulating.  It was kind of astonishing.

Of course, like all retreats, I felt connected and grounded and joyful at the end.  I had new friends.  I had new skills.  I am in love.  In love with life.  I feel alive.  I have two feet in.

I knew I'd be in pain the next day, and I didn't care.  It was worth it.  It was more than worth it.

But I wasn't.  I wasn't in pain!  The next day, I had some stiff muscles in my calves... normal for dancing all weekend. But my neck and back had their normal level of pain.  Nothing more.  The stiffness and pain that had been there on Sunday morning had disappeared.  Yet, I was thrashing around and shaking my booty... and my head!

How was this possible?

The dance is an energetic release.  The dance, when truly connected to the soul, allows all that is stagnant to move.  The disease drains away.  The body moves more freely.  The body flows.  Just like the body of stagnant water once you allow it to flow.

We are not meant to be stagnant.  We are meant to find stillness in our minds... but our bodies are meant to move.

Do not be afraid to move.  Do not be afraid to allow energy to be released.  We are here once.  Do not give anything that keeps you stuck permission to hang around.

Of course, there are times we need to rest... to take care of illness.  Even in those times, we have choice in how we respond.

It takes courage to dance.  To move your body.  To be engaged in life.  To jump in with two feet.  It is your choice though.  You can choose to be stagnant and allow disease to fester.  Or you can choose to move... to dance... to jump in with feet... and be free.

Practice Makes Imperfect OK

Our move from 3500 square feet to 2500 square feet - 1/2 of which is being renovated, so we're living in 1250 square feet - has gone fairly smoothly.  We have slept in our new home for a whole week.  My five year old has settled in quite well.  My 22 year old has been patiently awaiting the renovations to be complete (they have not started yet) so she can move into her own apartment.  My husband has managed to balance work, moving, and spending quality time with our five year old.


But, I'm beginning to feel frustrated and unbalanced.  I feel like I'm wobbling off of a high wire.

We chose this move.  We were not forced.  We wanted a simpler life.  We wanted less space to clean. We did not want to purchase more stuff to fill the larger space we lived in.  We wanted more disposable income to have more experiences.  We chose this move.  Yet, I have found myself struggling at times with the small space, the less than modern house, the smell in the old basement, the boxes that cannot be unpacked because every inch of space is already full.

I'm practicing surrender... having faith that it will all work out... having a knowing that this is just stuff that doesn't matter.  I look out my windows and stare at the huge, mature trees surrounding my property and find peace.  Nature is like that.

I know we have a lot to do to make this space a comfortable home.  And I know it will all be OK. But I still find myself getting frustrated.  I have found myself stuck the last few days... not knowing what to do... my body aches and my life feels unsettled.  So I meditate and I feel more settled.  It will all be OK.

This is a process like anything else in life.  I find gratitude in the fact that my business does not pick up until the Fall so I've had a lot of day time hours to pack, unpack, sort, maneuver, purge, organize... and get stuck in my twirling stories and thoughts.  But I recognize those vortexes of thought and then I meditate or sit on the deck to be surrounded by the trees.  And I realize all is OK.

I also have drank a beer or two almost every night since we've arrived.  I have been eating fast food or processed food for almost every meal.  I have been staying up late, sleeping a little later.  I have been sore and cranky and I refuse to take a pill.  My husband somehow puts up with my crankiness.  I remind myself how love makes it OK.

Just today, I posted about humor in my meditation challenge group.  Yet, lately, mine has not been present as much as usual.  I'm tired and I don't know where to put anything.  I realize how convenient our space was before.  There was space for everything.  I had most things at a height that I did not need to bend to retrieve.  There was no clutter.  There was natural light everywhere.  Everything was new and clean. My physical space helped me have space in my mind.

But I still had to meditate.  I still had cranky days.  I still had all the imperfections I have now.

My meditation and yoga practice is helping me perceive this experience as just an experience - not good, not bad.  My practice is also helping me see more clearly that I'm imperfect.  Life is imperfect. No matter what your house looks like, no matter how much stuff you have, no matter what career you have, no matter who your friends are... you are still an imperfectly perfect human being... with human emotions.  We know these things on an intellectual level - but observing the experience of them is how we truly see into our higher selves.

We have an edge in our yoga practice... that place where we can find ease in our effort.  And if we go beyond it, we are no longer receiving benefit.  We may harm ourselves.  We need to accept that edge and love where we are... be kind to ourselves.  The edge may change, but at that moment, to receive the most benefit, we need to be OK with that edge.

My practice has helped me see my edge.  As the weeks of packing and unpacking have piled up, my edge has moved closer and closer.  My practice helped me manage it.  My practice does not get rid of it.

My practice makes imperfect OK.... and has shown me that I need to adopt a little more humor and love <3

Little Attachments Must Stay. Big Attachments Must Leave.

"Will I leave the hook on my bathroom door?" asked my 22-year old.  We are moving house.  We're downsizing.  And many of the little attachments to walls, doors, etc. must stay.  One attachment that I am hoping will leave, though, is my big attachment... to this house we made a home.

We bought this big, beautiful house almost five years ago after returning from living in Singapore.  My youngest was four months old when we moved in and my oldest was almost 18.  We put effort into making this house our home.  We painted it warm colors and laid floors that were delightful to walk on.  We bought furniture that suited the space.  My husband poured hours and hours into planning and renovating the basement so that our oldest could have her own space and I could have an office.  And that space is wonderful.  We used our spare room for many visitors, including my mother-in-law, who was sick for many of the years we lived here.  My husband created raised beds in our garden for vegetables and we planted flowers and greenery in our gardens that are always pleasing to watch blossom.  I usually take a moment each time I drive into our driveway to take in the beauty of the garden.

We have wonderful neighbors.  My five year old is making friends in the neighborhood.  I just received a note from a neighbor down the road saying she was sorry we did not meet earlier.

I have worked in my dining room (Yeah, I know, I have a beautiful office, but I love the light in the dining room.) day after day with the patio door open, the light breeze flowing in, and the sounds of birds chirping filling the room.  I have worked on the patio, smelling the odours of grass and trees.  I have looked out the kitchen window as I cooked supper and watched my daughter playing in her sandbox.  I have practiced yoga on my sunshiny deck, in my spacious office, in my dining room, in my airy bedroom, and in my brightly lit living room.

I have wedding photos in this house.  We had birthday dinners, complete with decorations, in our dining room.  We cut down our own 14 foot Christmas tree to display in our living room with the big window and vaulted ceiling.  I had tea morning after morning with my mother-in-law in that same living room.  My parents, husband, oldest, and I sat in the playroom as my youngest entertained us. I had many cups of coffee or tea and glasses of wine with interesting, funny, and philosophical conversations while sitting at the island in the kitchen with friends and family.

Like most people, we've made beautiful memories here.  Five years worth of beautiful memories.

I have also had a strange five years.  I struggled with starting my own business.  I've had depression. I raised my youngest from infant to school age.  I've raised my oldest from high school to independence (well, sort of:).  I had a career change.  I got married.  My parents have been sick.  My mother-in-law passed away.  My brother became estranged from my family.

Although the last five years have been beautiful and meaningful and, in many ways, some of the happiest times of my life... I'm ready to move to the next chapter.

I knew this house was not a forever home.  It has served its purpose.  It has served it well.  Now, we move to a smaller house with a bigger yard.  There is work to be done to make it our own.  Purging is taking place.  But it is aligned with where we are in life right now.

We are looking forward to making new memories there.  My oldest will have her own full, first apartment to decorate and make her own.  My youngest will have a big back yard in which to play. The sun shines in our yard all day long.  The property is covered with big, old trees.  I imagine I will practice yoga on the patio, listening to the birds chirping and feeling the breeze from the trees.  I imagine I will watch my daughter play from the kitchen window as I cook supper.  I imagine we will have birthday celebrations, smaller Christmas trees, and visitors squished into a space somewhere. I imagine we will build raised vegetable beds and plant flowers.  I imagine we will meet wonderful neighbors.  I imagine I will work in my dining room (because I will not have an office:) with the patio door open.

I imagine we will make many beautiful memories in our new home.

That, I think, is what helps remove the big attachments.  However, I'm also taking time this week as I pack to feel the attachments and say good-bye to this chapter.  It's OK to feel sad.  It's also OK to feel happy at the same time.

I'm 46 today and I'm on my 2nd glass of wine

Today it's my birthday.  I love birthdays.  I love celebrating others' birthdays.  I love celebrating my own birthday.  I like making it a special day.  I used to take a vacation day on my birthday all the time when I worked for someone else.  Now, I also take a vacation day.

Birthdays always make me reflect on my life.  And my death. I know that sounds so morbid.  But we live and then we die. And ignoring death does not make life easier or better.  But, I'm not here to talk about death.  I'm here to talk about life. My life.  I think.  Maybe it will resonate with some of you.

I have been at a crossroads in my business for some time.  I don't know which way to turn.  I know others feel that way too... I'm a Coach... I hear things like this all the time.  And I've been through this before.  But I know it is time to step up or step away.  And I'm truly unsure which way to turn.

So I decided to pour a glass of wine.

I'm drinking the wine as I cook for eight people for my birthday dinner, after which, I'm going to the beach for a fire, and I have the music blasting... of course.  This was my choice... to cook my own birthday dinner.  My husband had to work and wanted to order out.  But I got it in my head that cooking would be so much more fun (wtf?!).  My kitchen sink is clogged.  And I'm running behind. And I may have messed up the vegan soup.  I actually thought I'd get everything prepared and have time for a hike before supper???!!!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I started my day with a beautiful yoga class... taught by a beautiful friend and yogi, The Office Yogi at Nova Yoga.  Then I had a family visit.  And I enjoy cooking when it is not rushed.  And I was hanging out with my oldest daughter.  And I received and read a lot of beautiful birthday messages.  Life is quite good.  I have no room to complain.

But I think I will anyway.

In addition to the clogged sink, sweat running down my back from cooking (it is warm here!!!), no shower yet today, and adding a new ingredient to the soup that just might not work... I got an email earlier today that I did not get an interview for a job I applied for.  Yeah... a job.  I know... I'm an entrepreneur, so why am I applying for jobs?!

Well, I thought I was supposed to.  Remember I said I'm at a crossroad in business?  I thought it was time to get a job for a variety of reasons.  I have no intention of shutting down my yoga and meditation business, mind you.  But I figured a job in the right area would help me and my business... and an organization and the people in it.  So I wanted to help.  That's all I ever want to do.  And I applied for this perfect-for-me looking job.  And I got my declined for an interview email today.... on my birthday.

So I poured a glass of wine.

Actually, I shed a few tears.  Not because I did not get an interview (I actually know someone on the selection committee and I KNOW they will choose the best person the job).  But because I am frustrated. And it's my birthday.  And I'm cooking by myself and my sink got clogged up and, although I have a large number of acquaintances, I don't really have a lot of close friends to call upon on my birthday to have a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week.

Woe is me.

I do not turn to alcohol for avoiding issues.  But today... I decided to get over it and have a glass of wine.  In the afternoon.  I don't do that either.

I'm on my second glass of wine (they are small glasses).  I feel better.  Not because of the wine.  But because I allowed myself to feel frustrated and sad.  I'm still lost.  I still have no idea what I'm doing this Fall... with my business... or do I get a job... or do I go to school... or do I go to the mountains and meditate and practice yoga and secretly drink wine in my cave?

Whatever it is... I'm 46 today.  I'm on some sort of journey... called my life.  I do always try to make the best of it.  But right now, I have no idea what the best is.  So, I poured a third glass of wine.  And i think I'll enjoy the rest of the day and evening with complete unknowing what tomorrow will bring.  Or the next moment.

Maybe all 8 people will spit the soup out.  But we have wine.

Happy birthday to me!

The Importance of Leaders Not Leading

Last weekend, I spent time with a group of amazing women. They are friends.  They are colleagues. They are part of my tribe.  I do not have another group that lifts me up they way these people do. For a few years, we all worked together - all passionate about improving workplaces through Human Relations and wellness and leadership.  These women inspired me, challenged me, and brought me joy.

My role was to lead the team.  And by that, I mean I coached a group of people to be the best they can be.

I had supervised and managed people before this team, but this was probably the first REAL leadership position I had... or at least the one in which I truly learned what leadership was.

I reminded myself daily of my role - to lead, to inspire, to positively influence, to listen, to care, to provide the space to allow my team members to grow, to provide tools and boundaries and clarifications, to lift the team up, to honor individuality, to influence creativity.. the list goes on, and at the bottom of the list was to manage the $4 million budget, evaluate results, and write reports. Those tasks were important, but those tasks were management tasks.  Without being a leader, leading the team, cultivating a culture... the project would not have been as successful.

My role as leader was to create leaders.  I hired them for their minds... for their attitudes... for their openness.  Of course, they needed to have certain skills, but I trained them in the skills they did not have.  And following this idea, the team performed in amazing ways.  The project was super successful, and it continues to be talked about as an example of excellence in HR, leadership, and team management.

I thought I did a pretty good job.  But, leadership is not a one person job.

My journey as a leader was one of self growth.  I learned a lot about myself.  I was far from perfect.  I made mistakes.  It was the people in the team that made it happen.  I was part of that.  I was not that.

Six years have passed since this project ended.  I reflect on it at times, and I believe the most important success factor was mind fitness.

Mind fitness is emotional intelligence, openness, mindfulness, and an acknowledgement that you are human and you are the same as everyone else, that you are learning and growing just like everyone else.  Mind fitness is the ability to be stable in the highs and lows, but to acknowledge that there are highs and lows.

I liken a Mind Fit Leader to a Warrior.  The Warrior is courageous.  Courage means understanding your fears and learning how to manage them, and move through life and work with them.  A Warrior is soft hearted, though.  She is tough in spirit, but gentle in heart.  The strength comes from within. The exterior is far from tough or rigid.

Leadership means creating boundaries, providing clarity, and stepping into situations to help resolve an issue.  In my Mind Fitness Coaching Programs, I help leaders do this.  But just as important as these concrete leadership skills, is the ability to allow your team to lead you.

My team taught me some of the most important lessons about leadership:

1. I don't have all the answers.  I don't need to have all the answers.  I don't need to have all the skills.  That does not make me a poor leader.  Often employees look to their managers or leaders for the answers - even if they believe they know what to do.  This behaviour can be a result of low confidence or working in fear.  Either way, it is not the best way for an organization to be solution oriented, creative, or to operate at peak performance.  Over time I learned to rely more on my team for the answers.  When they did not have the answers, we worked together to find the solution. 
2. I am wrong most of the time.  Even if I had the answers, they weren't necessarily the right answer for that specific situation.  My role as leader became one of guidance and accountability rather than telling people what to do.  I hired brilliant, creative, kind people, and I learned how to allow them to bring their best forward.  That resulted in them having the best solutions.
3. Silence is good.  When the team first formed, I found myself talking a lot.  That was necessary at times because it was all new, there was a lot of training and learning happening. However, my team had a lot to say.  It did not take long before my talking was probably boring to them. They had ideas and solutions and so much to bring to the group and project as individuals.  So I learned how to sit back and listen.  Allow them to do the talking.  Allow them to create what comes next.  My role became ensuring we were staying on track and committed to the vision of the project.  So I got more and more quiet.  And I learned a lot.  I advanced my own technical skills because the team members had skills I did not.  And I also learned a lot about each person as a person.  It allowed me to connect to them and help them grow.  I had a lot of ideas myself... but as a leader, I had to learn how to be silent.  I'm still learning:)
4. Mistakes can be celebrated.  There were times I had the answers and I knew I was right. But I also knew that if I always gave the answers, everyone would always ask me the questions. Just like a parent needs to allow her/his children to make mistakes, a leader has to allow her/his team to make mistakes.  Mistakes create the learning... and allow creativity to occur.  (Did you know Post-it notes were made by mistake!)  This is a lesson in patience, but the result is a knowledgeable, skilled, confident person.  When mistakes happen, they are to be acknowledged, and sometimes celebrated!  A mistake means someone tried something. Trying is better than avoiding or procrastinating.  Mistakes were not punished in my team.  In fact, punishment never happened.  Learning happened.  If someone was not doing their job well, discussions took place to help them do it better.  Consequences are always the result of good or poor performance, but as a Leader, I learned that if you had clear expectations and boundaries, compassion always could prevail.
5. Be accountable for my mishaps.  I made mistakes too.  Many.  I learned that apologies are fine. Apologizing does not discredit you as a leader.  In fact, when they are genuine, they connect you to your team and cultivate mutual respect.  Apologizing for something that is not your doing, though, is not genuine to yourself.  So that doesn't work.  That might discredit you as a leader.  A leader does need to have confidence in their abilities.  Their intuition does need to be strong.  And a confident, intuitive leader knows when an apology is needed - and it comes from the heart.
6. Arrogance is the ruination of a team.  Funnily, my role in this team was Leader, but the people I worked with every day taught me how to lead.  They taught me to come down off my high horse and be human.  The taught me that to be a great leader, I needed to know when to not lead.  I had my moments of arrogance.  Don't we all?!  We work hard to get somewhere and we are proud of it.  We want to prove we are worthy of this position.  But the thing is... we ARE worthy.  Arrogance does not make us more worthy.  Arrogance tears a team apart by tearing others down.  The only way to have a truly successful team is to lift each other up.

I am forever grateful to this amazing team who taught me to become a better leader.  They are my colleagues, my comrades, my friends, my tribe.  And they are Warrior Leaders.

Connect with Tina for a free Mind Fitness Coaching consultation at tina@pomroy.ca.  

Why Yoga?

Today is International Day of Yoga.

The United Nations General Assembly declared June 21st as International Day of Yoga in 2014. In one of the videos I saw of people around the world celebrating this day, the Prime Minister of India states that, "Yoga is health insurance with zero budget."

Isn't that important?  Our health.  Our wellness.  Our well being.  And reduction of costs.

Health insurance, absenteeism in the workplace, health care - it's all expensive.  Our systems focus on taking care of the symptoms.  Workplaces spend resources measuring absenteeism and developing and enforcing policies to try to reduce absenteeism. Health care, although wonderful, puts bandaids on wounds.  Of course, once an illness is present, the symptoms need to be addressed.  BUT... what if we had an opportunity to reduce sickness... reduce illness?

Yoga is a practice that is accessible to everyone at no or limited cost and could save money in workplaces and in healthcare.

Yoga is the union of body and mind.  Sure, yes, it's a physical practice.  But it's a physical practice that anyone can access.  There is advanced yoga, of course, and we see lots of pictures of yogis in pretzel like poses.  But there is also chair yoga, gentle yoga, and other forms of yoga that do not require the kind of flexibility you see in many of the images in the media.

No matter what type of yoga you practice, the physical practice allows your body to be more mobile and stronger.  The physical practice enhances digestion, circulation, and respiration.  The physical practice improves balance and flexibility.  If you are not flexible, yoga is a solution for you to become more flexible!  And, yes, yoga can help with weight loss.  It also improves athletic performance, and many famous athletes practice.

But there is something else to yoga.

Yoga brings mental acuity.  Calmness.  Compassion to self and others.  Clarity.  Insight.  Creativity. Focus.  Yoga brings harmony to the chaos in life.

Yoga is your attitude and your lifestyle.  A smile.  An act of kindness.  Cooperation.  Forgiveness.  Gratitude.  Silence. Integrity.  Contentment.  Vitality.  Devotion.

Yoga brings wellness and is an inexpensive way to help treat and prevent illness.

On this International Day of Yoga, I challenge you to find something in yoga that can bring wellness to your life, to your workplace, to your community.  Here are 12 suggestions:

• Find a yoga class in your community or on You Tube and do it!
• Sit for a few minutes in nature and enjoy the sounds.
• Do a random act of kindness.
• Contemplate on what is important to you.
• Call someone who needs an ear or a shoulder.
• Spend face to face time with your partner.
• Run barefoot in the grass.
• Forgive someone.
• Focus on your breath for five minutes.
• Complete a few sun salutations.
• Join my Living Your Yoga Facebook Page
• Sign up for my summer yoga classes at tina@pomroy.ca
• Tuesdays, July 5-Aug. 30, 7-8 a.m. - Gentle Morning Yoga, Yoga Kula Coop
• Tuesdays, July 5-Aug. 30, 12-12:50 p.m. - Lunchtime Flow, Quidi Vidi Lake, near bandstand
• Tuesdays, July 5-Aug. 30, 7-8:15 p.m. - Mixed Level Hatha Yoga, Yoga Kula Coop

The list is endless.  I would love to hear what you find and what you experience.  Yoga is also about inspiring.  I am always inspired by my students' and yogi friends' stories.  I encourage you to share yours on my Going Om Facebook page!

Namaste <3