Celebrating Janmashtami

I thought it would be appropriate..a must actually..to take a detour from "The Survivor's Club" discussion to mention the Celebration of Janmashtami - the holiest day of the Hindu year for all Hindu-Vaishnavas, including me.

It celebrates, of course, the birth of the Lord Krishna -- the teacher of Karma Yoga (the Yoga of Action), Bhakthi Yoga (the Yoga of Worship), and Jnana Yoga (the Yoga of Knowledge). The day is celebrated by fasting, then feasting, vigils, and prayer.

For me, few things evoke the kind of peace, calm, love, and harmony as does a celebration of the life and virtues of Lord Krishna. So - a happy, happy birthday. May the message of the Gita be passed on to millions in the coming generations and may Krishna's spirit continue to enlighten and enrich our minds, hearts, spirits, and souls!

"Jai Shree Krishna"

Are you a Survivor? Trait No. 1: ADAPTABILITY

I just finished Ben Sherwood's "The Survivor's Club" - Amazing read and very much recommended to you all.

When I first picked up the book, I was a bit wary that it might be brimming with stories about a multitude of superhuman men who managed to overcome physical impossibilities with their sheer strength and might. But that wasn't it at all. Sherwood details the stories of both men and women who survived everything from a mountain lion attack on a biking trail to an acid attack on a public highway. Not all of these men and women were in perfect shape, and to be sure their toughest battles did not always center around physical recovery.

So the ultimate questions is - what sustains us in the most trying times? How do some of us pull through, while others of us get hopelessly lost in a maze of our own making? Sherwood, after exhaustive research and interviews with scores of survivors, concludes that above all else twelve different traits help define the survivor personality.

Admittedly, and thankfully, I have never been through anything even comparable to the survivors in Sherwood's book. Nevertheless, I think these twelve characteristics merit discussion -- whether to acknowledge that it may be because of one of them that we've achieved what we've been lucky enough to accomplish thus far, or whether to recognize our most dominant characteristic so that we can call upon it in a time of need or on a daily basis.

Even more importantly, I want to get your input on what you think the value of each of these attributes has been in your life and the lives of your loved ones? Do we spend enough time honing each one? Do we give each one the importance and significance it deserves in the host of decisions that eventually shape our lives?

So, in no specific order, I'm going to try and discuss one in each post -- Here goes:

ADAPTABILITY

• How flexible, how malleable are you?
  
• Can you change your skills to succeed in an environment that you are unaccustomed to? Are you open to new possibilities?
  
• Can you conceive of the possibility of thriving in conditions that offer less than the bare minimum? Or will you go into denial and wait for everything to get back to normal?
  
• Can you maintain an even temperament through the highs and lows of life? Do you control your thoughts, emotions, and reactions, or do they get the best of you?
  
• Do you recognize that our species has dominated in large part because of our ability to analyze and innovate? Can you find even the most minute example of your own pioneering spirit that has given you positive results in your home, work, or spiritual life?

The ultimate foe to a balanced life -- Your television?!

For so many of us it's simply a habit. Wake up, make coffee, turn on the TV. We don't give it a second thought, and without ever realizing it, we're addicted. If you spend about two hours of your time a day in front of the box, it adds up to 14 hours a week, or about two full working days for most people. Shocking? What would you do with your time if your employer gave you those two full days to go out and do whatever you wanted? I bet most of us wouldn't say stay home and vegetate in front of the tube.

Yet, we have the ability to give ourselves all that free time and that's exactly what we choose to do with it. Why? A lot of us see television as a way to wake ourselves up, as a way to unwind in the evening, as an easy way out of not doing other more nourishing things that require our absence from the couch.

But in the process we give up an incredible amount of time with our families and make a passive choice not to work out, not to read a book, not to get enough sleep, not to listen to music, not to go for a walk...the list goes on..

So here's an idea...shut off your TV, save some electricity, give your eyes a break, give your mind a break from the drain of incessant repackaged, ultra-commercialized, sham distractions. If getting the news is your excuse -- read a newspaper. Most are available online without a fee and are far more "cerebral".

With all that extra time, try a yoga class, pop in your favorite CD, get outdoors, get to the gym, give some more time to the people who deserve it, or just sit, enjoy the quiet, breathe, and reflect. Any one of these will help create valuable space in your life and your heart. Put the "oomph" back in every spare moment.

If anyone has been on this path for a significant period of time, I invite you to leave a comment to this blog, or a link to your own blog post on this topic. G'luck!!

An organic discovery

Ladies..especially those of you that love to buy organic. I recently had the opportunity to try out some products from Beautorium.com. They are verry, verry good. I highly recommend Dr. Hauschka's Rose Body Moisturizer and Lavender Bath. Enjoy...and share some of your discoveries with me!

A little time away...a little indulgence..

As you all must have guessed, I had taken a small hiatus from my blogging. Well to be completely honest, my husband and I took a little time out from our crazy schedules and spent some R &R time in the Caribbean. If you haven't been, it's a must! We started our journey in San Juan, Puerto Rico and went on a drive to Fajardo. The view from some of the resorts in Fajardo is, literally, and I do mean literally, breathtaking. Mountains, with blankets of clouds sitting on the peaks, until your eyes can see. We then did some horseback riding in Aruba. Sarita (my horse) took me right along the coastline....the little "villages" of Aruba, the distinctive style of each unique home, the flora...all lovely. We did a thrilling, and incredibly exhausting, hike in Dominica. The falls at the end of the hike, however, were well worth it. And last, but my absolute favorite, Curacao's Mambo Beach -- let me just say words can't describe it -- if you haven't been to this beach, you don't really know how beautiful a beach can be. The water was so incredibly blue, white sands, the prettiest little fish playing right around where you'd step into the water...if I could, I'd still be in that water right now....*sigh*

Not only was this our first vacation together, it was both my husband's and my own first vacation in a number of years given our respective work schedules. I've learned a lesson -- It's as important to take time out for ourselves, as it is to keep ourselves going to achieve all that we want. We felt incredibly rejuvenated, and I believe we've been able to give twice as much to other areas of our life since we got back.

Here's the tricky part though -- how to live by this lesson in daily life? Our normal schedule is: breakfast, gym, work, dinner, sleep. Since we returned though, I've written in an obligatory block of time to slow down... to stop the continuous mental running around. It's a much harder goal then one would think, but we're determined as ever. As ironic as it sounds -- it takes much effort to sometimes do nothing at all..it takes even more effort to appreciate the importance of an unrushed, unhurried life.

As always, your thoughts, comments, and advice are welcome. I will post our vacation pictures soon!

Spin, Spin, Spin!

So what am I doing when I am not doing yoga? I'm spinning :-) I have to admit that while yoga has done wonders for me emotionally and spiritually, it isn't always my first choice for keeping fit and toned. So, on occasion, I get the urge to get some cardio in - and, for me, spinning it is! Here's why:

• It's high energy. It sets the tone for my mind and body for the coming day.
  
• You're constantly motivated by a live trainer.
  
• Depending on your instructor, you're working out to some great music.
• Again, depending on your instructor, and your endurance, you can make spinning a little more challenging each time you get on that bike.
• I don't know any other way to burn more calories in 45 minutes. A typical spin class lets you burn about *750* calories.
  
• You get an ab and cardio workout at the same time!
• Regular spinning gets your metabolism up.
• It's an amazing way for women to maintain shapely, gorgeous legs!
  
• And for all of us yogis: You learn how to regulate your breath, and develop good posture and self-discipline. The better you get, the more endurance you build up in spin class (and maybe even yoga class).
  

So for this one activity, I will occasionally leave the yoga mat behind! Have any of you tried spinning? Do you like it? Anybody have any other recommendations for cardio?

Yoga T-shirts!!

The cutest stuff ever...Check it out: http://shop.cafepress.com/yoga.