yoga

A New Ritual: Practicing Grace Each Day.

Posted by Barbara Techel

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I recently shared with you that I reorganized and threw out (or donated) much stuff in my writing cottage two weeks ago. I’m really enjoying what feels like a new space for me- but even better, a new energy. I feel so much lighter and free. It continues to amaze me how stuff can hold us back.

Part of my wanting to let go of stuff was to make room for new– whatever that is meant to be. I also wanted to practice my morning yoga in my writing cottage. John is often times home in the mornings on phone calls and with our house being small, I was finding it hard to concentrate.

Yoga seems like such a simple thing, but it adds so much value and depth to my days. Being in the quiet of the morning, the sun streaming through my long windows which surround me, I feel a connection to nature and the earth.

This week I decided to add a grace card to my yoga practice. What I do before I begin my practice is to sit and ask for what it is I need guidance with for the day. I either choose a number to count down the cards to, or what day it is (yesterday being 3, I counted to 3rd card in the deck), or I just slide my hands over the deck and stop when I feel it is right, or I go with what color card catches my eye.

Once I choose the card, I read it, and then hold it in my thoughts as I do my yoga practice.

Yesterday the grace card that presented itself to me was, LISTEN…When we feel overly attached to an outcome, it’s simply an indication that we need to reconnect with our Wise Self.

I wasn’t sure the message for me until later in the day. I realized this with someone I love dearly who is struggling with some challenges in her life. I really listened. And I also realized in the process, that as much as I wish I could make things better for her, these are life choices she has to make on her own.

For me, I had to let go of the outcome of what I think it should or shouldn’t be. It is also a reminder to myself that when my life feels out of balance this is an indication that I am not listening to my own Wise Self. This is a practice. One I feel that comes with being more aware, which I’ve been working on this year—more awareness.

Today I chose the card COMPASSION…Be gentle with yourself. You are a magnificent soul. A reminder to first practice compassion with ourselves, to love ourselves for who we are, so that we move out into the world being who we authentically are, giving back in the best way that speaks to who we are.

It will be interesting as I continue incorporating Grace card moments before my yoga and how that will play out in my life.

One of the best things about my yoga practice though?  After I roll up my mat and tuck under my desk,  I sit and just be with Gidget—my Buddha dog who sits in her own stillness and in turn shares her wise wisdom with me just by being her amazing little self.

Which by the way… she normally starts her ” dinner time dance”  around 4:00pm and is pretty insistent on me getting her dinner. But yesterday afternoon while I talked with my friend? She settled into her bed and held her Buddha self until almost 5:45pm, never once stirring.  She really is a Buddha dog, don’t you think?

How Yoga and a Dachshund Help Me See the Big Picture of Life

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_1721[2] 1200Just about every morning I have a yoga practice. Joie, is my yoga partner. Before I lay my mat out on the living room floor, I snuggle her into her blanket on the couch where she proceeds to go into a deep meditative state. Ok, perhaps she is just snoozing like all dogs do. But her sweet, sleepy face puts me into a peaceful state of mind.

Today was the first day I did my practice this week since Monday I had to be up early to be on the set of the movie “The Surface” for Joie’s small part in a family scene. Tuesday I slept in as all the excitement of the day had me pretty tired.

As I moved through my yoga practice today, I was reminded again of how precious life is. Yoga, and having Joie nearby, tend to do that to me.  The experience of being a part of something big in terms of knowing Joie will be in a movie depicting family life with a dog in a wheelchair, though brief it will be on screen, had me feeling so grateful.

When Frankie became paralyzed in 2006 and I learned about dog wheelchairs, little did I know how passionate I’d become in trying to help educate others of the ways in which we can help disabled dogs live a quality life.  It is still at the forefront of mind and likely will always be. The fact that Frankie then led me to knowing deep in my heart that I’d want another disabled Dachshund, and I adopted Joie after Frankie’s passing, really brought home my purpose and joy of my love in caring for these special dogs. Being a part of the movie even though she is only shown very briefly, I hope, will bring the message out in a bigger way that I’ve always been passionate about.

As I moved through more of my yoga practice I came down into the center of my heart and what makes a meaningful life to me. What is my big picture?  As I listened to the birds chirping outside and heard Joie breathing softly, and Kylie snoring by the front door in the kitchen,  I felt overcome with gratitude. Monday was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I feel blessed to have been a part of that.  But each and everyday with Joie, as well as Kylie, and the life I’ve created with John is so precious to me.

The hustle and bustle of being on a movie set was exciting to watch in action, though the energy that all takes had me knowing I could never do that on a daily basis.  So as I’ve been reflecting back the last few days I feel honored to have been a part of something many others don’t get the chance to. But I also feel honored to know and feel the center of my heart and what is most meaningful to me, which is my home, my family, and the simple moments of life. Doing yoga and having dogs always helps me keep the big picture of  what I want for myself  in check.

Yoga and Spiders Don’t Mix

Posted by Barbara Techel

As I did a new Yoga DVD today I was reaching for my yoga strap to do a leg stretch.  Just as I placed it around my foot I saw a big, black, creepy, crawly spider! I screamed and threw the strap to the side- chills ran down my spine. I don’t like spiders.

For those of you who practice yoga you know you have to concentrate not only on the poses but the breathing too. I tried to center myself back into the stretch- minus the strap. My mind kept wondering, “Where could that spider be?” I continued on with my practice, with my eyes scanning the floor every few moments.

Frankie was sitting next to me as I did Yoga and she was busy sniffing the strap.

Soon enough I was able to let the thought of the spider go. I figured he likely scampered under the table and was now long gone.

As I was finishing up the last pose which had me standing and stretching my arms forward and opening my hands out in prayer, centering myself for the final pose, I felt something crawl down my arm!!  OMG- it was the spider!  Was he on me the whole time?  I swung my other arm around and wildly swatted the spider from my arm (I can only imagine if someone was looking in wondering what this new yoga pose was all about).

The spider fell to the floor and Frankie took off like a shot towards it. I grabbed my pretty purple yoga block… and yes, I must say, he met his fate from the block coming down on top of him. My whole body shivered with goosebumps to think he had been along for the ride the duration of my practice.

Still creeped out by the event I walked back upstairs, feeling a bit guilty I killed him so quickly. But then I chuckled as I thought, I dare a spider to do the downward dog—good luck with six legs, fella.