widening the circle of compassion...

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”  ~Albert Einstein

may you enjoy the adventure of expanding your thoughts and beliefs...may you embrace more and still be energized...may you find that which is unlimited by time and space as you expand your "circles of compassion" to yourself and your world. blessings! ~jeni 

upside down part two....

As I mentioned in the previous post, I wanted to pass along another option for creating strength through inversions. If you're not ready to be upside down and doing handstand pushups, have you tried "down dog pushups"? If the pushups feel like "too much", you can always just maintain the down dog position for 5-10 slow breaths, rest and then try again!

A few pointers:

1. I recommend checking out your form from the side in a mirror if possible, just to make sure that everything is aligned in a safe way! 

2. Another point to check is to be sure that your hands fully feel the ground (all joints!). There is a tendency for some people to roll to the outside of the hand, thereby compromising the integrity of the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints.

3. If you would like a further modification (please choose form over "level of difficulty"!!!), you can place your hands on yoga blocks or even on a low bench or chair for support. This will allow you to get a nice stretch in the backs of your legs and along your sides while also strengthening your arms....without straining your back and/or shoulders!

‎"Let there be no limit to your desire for freedom and joy for your body, mind and spirit. But be aware that the two gates through which the fulfillment of all these desires must pass are your thoughts and beliefs. If these two gates are narrow and constricted, the fulfillment of your desires will be narrow and constricted. This is not said as a threat, but as a challenge, for you are able to expand your thinking and understanding." -G. Fowler-

feeling adventurous...

I was on a bike ride with a friend not too long ago and we stopped along the hudson to round out our ride with a little upper body workout. The pictures are for the more adventurous of you who would like to try supported handstand pushups as a means to get your full body working...

For those who are looking at the pictures saying to yourselves, "Are you freakin' kidding me?!", I'll be posting other variations in the next few days...until then, why not choose to try moving a little differently today? It can be as simple as hopping over a puddle or changing the pace of your walk...or marching around the living room with your kids/grandkids:)

Enjoy!

Awake My Soul...

Fall is my very favorite time of year! It's a reminder to me of the beauty of life/death/life cycles....leaves are falling, animals are readying for hibernation. As humans, we have a series of feasts and celebrations at this time of year-- in thanksgiving for what we have and in celebration of Light and Life, even in the midst of darkness.


In this and the coming season, what do you want to "die" so that it can be reborn? old habits of moving? of thinking? For myself, I am allowing new and more nurturing habits to be planted in my life. I'll be detailing that process via this blog so feel free to join me!


Lately I've been changing my good-morning and good-night rituals a bit so that I can ease more slowly into rising awake and falling asleep. Knowing that it takes some time for new habits to take root, I am just enjoying the process of cultivating my ideal waking/sleeping patterns. Yes, work schedules or other people's schedules can sometimes "interrupt the ideal" but nurturing those patterns as often as possible allows me to care more thoroughly for myself:)


For the past few mornings, I have included the following song as a part of my AM (brushing teeth, making bed, etc)....Enjoy!



Here is my current AM ritual thus far:
alarm (not needed about half the time--woo hoo!)
inspirational/reflective reading from the Center for Action & Contemplation
play the above song while i make my bed, brush my teeth, etc...
...and the day continues:)


I'd be happy to hear if you have any AM or PM ritual(s) that really allow you to feel at home in your day.

Thank you for sharing with me. ~Jeni