gems from yoga class

Deralyn was back and, well, I just really like her as a teacher. And I think it's sweet that for some unknown reason she has remembered my name. Anyway, she often starts the class with some thought-provoking reading and today was no different. It was all about shifting our perspective: "Sometimes a slight difference in where we stand can dramatically change how we see things... We often need to change our position so we can see things differently. We don't have to make a dramatic change; we just need to move around a little. Perhaps an unresolved issue is blocking our vision, blocking us from seeing the beauty that's there. Maybe a bit of anger or self-contempt is interfering with our vision. Maybe the changes we need to make are minor, much less than we thought. Maybe we simply need to look at whatever we are viewing without fear, change our mood and see it with the eyes of love. Take a break. Move around. Learn to change your perspective. Maybe you don't need to change what you're looking at. You just need to change where you stand." (Melody Beattie)
I haven't quite figured out how this all fits into my life but I'm sure it does...somewhere... somehow. Maybe yoga will help me figure it out. Maybe friends will. Maybe training will. Maybe family will. Maybe it will be my students or my colleagues. Maybe it will be an unexpected encounter with someone I don't even know. Maybe it will happen while I'm walking to get my mail one day. Who knows? My take-away is a re-commitment to being open to changing where I stand on things to gain a new perspective. Not trying to change my surroundings or what I'm looking at but rather to see them from a different angle.
At the end of class, Deralyn played some music and a couple of the songs really struck a chord in me but the one that resonated with me all day was "Strength, Courage, and Wisdom". Such a great, simple message...and something I hope to embrace and have in my life. Strength. Courage. And Wisdom. Throw love and hope and faith in there and you've pretty much got the complete package.