Take a stand for Yoga today

A great article I would like to share with everybody.  I couldn't have said it better myself - bring on the happy body, happy mind and happy nervous system for a happier world to live in.  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/get-hardy/201305/take-stand-yoga-today

On that note, came across this marvellous quote in Pema Chodron's book, "Living beautifully with uncertainty and change", in which she writes:

"There's a story that Ed Brown, the Zen chef, tells about his early days with his teacher, Suzuki Roshi. Ed was the head cook at Tassajara Zen Mountain Centre in California in the 1960s and was well know for his volatile temper.  Once, in a fury, he went to his teacher and complained about the state of the kitchen: people didn't clean up properly; people talked too much; people were distracted and unmindful.  It was chaos on a daily basis.  Suzuki Roshi's reply was simple: "Ed, if you want a calm kitchen, calm you mind".

"If your mind is expansive and unfettered, you will find yourself in a more accommodating world, a place that's endlessly interesting and alive.  That quality isn't inherent in the place, but in your state of mind. The warrior longs to communicate that all of us have access to our basic goodness and that genuine freedom comes from going beyond labels and projections, beyond bias and prejudice, and taking care of each other."

I guess it comes back to the fact that it is all mirrors out there, staring us back, the challenge comes in catching ourselves, in that moment, and being conscious of the decisions we are making rather than reacting and it all coming back. Needless to say a regular Yoga and indeed meditation practice can help us enormously to become more accustomed to the present moment experience of life, and the asana and pranayama really help us embody this experience too.

On that note, happy bank holiday, time to go practice on this beautiful Sunday morning!

xxx