Risk and Commitment

"Life is a journey, not a destination." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm sure you've heard this quote before. It is often considered a misconception that encourages us to lack direction and wander about aimlessly, though perhaps we might consider it another way. 

Destinations motivate us, but it's the journey that expands our possibilities and potential. So...what if we see the experience we have along the way to be equally important as the goal - the destination we head towards?

We'd all like a guarantee before heading in a certain direction, making a decision or taking a risk, but the irony is that in taking a risk we are already committing to the outcome. Real commitment comes before knowing where anything is going. 

Most people come to yoga with some sort of goal; to reduce stress, gain strength and stamina, improve balance and stability, or to relieve chronic pain. We commit to the practice and soon realize there is much more to it. The practice is not about getting anywhere. It's about observing yourself and accepting the experience of the moment. 

In yoga we take a risk when we reach out in a pose not knowing where it will lead us, and then we commit to being where we are as we take a moment to pause. Accepting where we are, and that where we are is where we need to be leads us to realize that there is no destination, it's all about the journey! 

This month we practiced a walking meditation, perhaps you'd like to give it a try. Walk slowly around the room with eyes gazing downward and with each step feel the risk in the lifting and the commitment in the landing. Repeat silently, "There is no destination, it's all about the journey." 

Trust the journey, 
Kathe

A Universe of Stories

Summertime, summertime, sum, sum summertime! 

The Summer Reading Program theme this year was "A Universe of Stories," and we know there are a universe of stories out there just waiting to be told. Mel and I spent a delightful morning with the kids of Iberia Parish Library. These little library patrons sat enchanted as we took them on a yoga storytelling adventure. 

It's encouraging to see today's kids, who are often restless unless their eyes are glued to an electronic device, settle down and listen to a story. No visuals, just imagination at play! A renewed appreciation for the importance of honing kids' imaginative capacities has surfaced, and storytelling is an important part of this process. Creative and analytical abilities prepare kids for the future. 

Storytelling goes beyond merely reading a story though. Performance storytelling enhances language, listening, and critical thinking skills. Listeners imagine the characters and their adventures. Mel and I take it a step further by introducing kids to yoga postures. By acting out the story with yoga postures, children learn to transfer images into words, stimulating the logical and creative sides of the brain. We believe storytelling offers a new dimension to nurturing lifelong creativity and imagination. Are you're young ones ready for a yoga storytelling adventure?

Mahalo, we serve.

Kathe