We wish all our families with little ones best wishes, with the start of a new school year. While it is a return to normalcy and routine, it can be a stressful time, as the cadence of life picks up. Whether you're a teacher, a parent or just stuck in the traffic jams, be sure to take time this week to recharge your energies.
A cleansing yoga class and some meditation can do wonders to revitalize the soul. In taking time to get our energies aligned we can be more grounded, allowing us to better tend to the needs of our loved ones.
OUR BELIEFS CAN BECOME OUR LIMITATIONS
As a young boy I had so many dreams and aspirations. Camping, I remember lying on my back at night, by a crackling fire and staring at the dark sky with incredible stars. I had such an imagination, sensing the enormity of our universe and all the potential of infinity. I remember watching a shooting star in wonder, as it shimmered across the night sky.
My mother would reinforce this aspiration in us, telling us over and over, that we could be anyone we wanted to be. There are no limits, no boundaries; your potential is as far as you want to take it. I am so thankful for her words; they resonate in me still today.
As we get older, thanks to life's experiences, our demeanor can change. As we hit "speed bumps" in life, they make impressions on our mind, emotional tendencies (samskaras) and become beliefs. If we are not careful our beliefs can become self-imposed limitations. Like an imaginary prison we are living in, we believe there is no way out.
When we start telling ourselves the "I am..." messages, we know we have arrived at the border of our mind's self-imposed boundaries. Our self-talk chatter say's "I am too old, too overweight, too far gone, too..." the list goes on and on.
This past week, a wonderful student sent me a video of Tao Porchon-Lynch, a 96 year-young yoga teacher that has tested her boundaries. In the video she explained that like a tree in winter, we may look dead, but give us water, love, warmth and nurturing and we will come back. Our human bodies we are continuously recycling and it is never too late.
She explained, "Whatever you put out in your mind materializes. So think positive and enjoy life. Life is so wonderful. There is so much to do and so little time to enjoy it."
There is only one thing standing between you and your goals. It is the story you keep telling yourself as to why it is impossible.