Expand!
Today's Intention: Expand
I write this blog post from California. I drove all day yesterday down to Santa Monica to practice with Erich Schiffmann last night, then today I head down to Huntington Beach to enjoy quality time by the beach with a dear friend.
Last night I arrived at the yoga studio early. I was the first one there. There was a class ending, so I browsed in their boutique. As people started to arrive for Erich's class, I noticed I started to feel nervous. People made eye contact and smiled, and even though I mustered up a smile in return, inside I felt a very tangible sense of contraction.
I started to remember something I learned in Anusara Immersion, about how our energy extends 15 feet beyond our hearts. The energy I was exuding was most definitely closed and fearful, and sadly... this was not a shocking revelation.
Soon Erich arrived and, as expected, he delivered one of his famous embraces that envelop the recipient in love! We were standing near a group of his students. He greeted them and made some comment about me driving all day, a gesture to include me in the group. I contributed a few words, and then... before I knew it... I was walking away from this lovely collection of yogis, and away from my teacher! I just strolled away, to mindlessly and nervously look around the boutique at merchandise I could not afford and was not interested in! Inwardly, I was shrinking.
When we encounter new people, new situations, our insecurities have the potential to take over. Awareness and acceptance will lead to understanding of my tendency to pull away, to place distance between myself and others. Choosing to expand beyond my mind's conditioning, beyond the things I can control, will help me to put myself out there and take chances.
I write this blog post from California. I drove all day yesterday down to Santa Monica to practice with Erich Schiffmann last night, then today I head down to Huntington Beach to enjoy quality time by the beach with a dear friend.
Last night I arrived at the yoga studio early. I was the first one there. There was a class ending, so I browsed in their boutique. As people started to arrive for Erich's class, I noticed I started to feel nervous. People made eye contact and smiled, and even though I mustered up a smile in return, inside I felt a very tangible sense of contraction.
I started to remember something I learned in Anusara Immersion, about how our energy extends 15 feet beyond our hearts. The energy I was exuding was most definitely closed and fearful, and sadly... this was not a shocking revelation.
Soon Erich arrived and, as expected, he delivered one of his famous embraces that envelop the recipient in love! We were standing near a group of his students. He greeted them and made some comment about me driving all day, a gesture to include me in the group. I contributed a few words, and then... before I knew it... I was walking away from this lovely collection of yogis, and away from my teacher! I just strolled away, to mindlessly and nervously look around the boutique at merchandise I could not afford and was not interested in! Inwardly, I was shrinking.
When we encounter new people, new situations, our insecurities have the potential to take over. Awareness and acceptance will lead to understanding of my tendency to pull away, to place distance between myself and others. Choosing to expand beyond my mind's conditioning, beyond the things I can control, will help me to put myself out there and take chances.