More Than Ever, The World Needs Yoga

At this time in our history when it seems that the world is in turmoil, I believe it is imperative that we focus on the positive and peace inside ourselves. My yoga practice has taught me to always see the best in things.

Yoga is not just a class you go to now and then, or a form of exercise. To me, yoga is a deeply personal and spiritual practice that teaches us peace, meditation, and gratitude. I used to feel a lot of pressure from the weight of the world, and other people’s problems I could not solve and it would cause me a lot of personal unhappiness and stress in my daily life. I had done yoga off and on at my University’s group classes and at studios in Orlando, but it never really clicked for me as more than a workout class. However, a change in mindset and finding the most incredible studio in my neighborhood, Yoga Agora, honestly changed me as a person.

That may seem like a huge exaggeration to say that yoga has changed my life, but it completely has. Yoga is an ancient practice that began in Indian and has roots in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It originated around the time of the Buddha and from his teachings, and was first a mental practice before it had transformed into a well known and popular form of exercise all over the world. It is a deeply personal practice equally about giving your best physically to the practice, but also mentally. Yoga is a practice meant to prepare your body and mind for meditation, or shavasana (an Asana pose where you lie on the floor and openly breathe in meditation.)  

Yoga has brought me immense peace with myself and in dealing with the external factors of life; work stress, my relationships, being comfortable with who I am, and even the political climate of the world. I learned from the confines of the four corners of my mat, that I am only in control of my own thoughts and my own life, and to simply deal with what is dealt at me to the best of my ability. To be easier on myself; like at the end of a Vinyasa flow you lay down and meditate on what you have done and have peace that is was all you can do. So rather than nit pick at what I could/should have done and replay situations over and over in my mind until I make myself sick, I choose to live presently and realize what is done is done, and to only focus on what I presently have control over. 

The world desperately needs yoga. The world needs peace, the prominent theme of yoga, and to stop lashing out in negativity and violence as a first reaction. My favorite mantra chanted in practice is this, 

"Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ," translated meaning 

May there be well-being for all,

May there be peace for all.

May there be wholeness for all,

May there be happiness for all.

This is the dream, isn't it? What peace is about? How can we really create "World Peace" when our first reaction to political news is to spread our own negative feelings? A pillar of Buddhism tells us that we are in control of removing suffering from the world. I believe by removing negativity that this is the first step. Let's keep our negative thoughts to ourselves and instead provide positive alternate options to what we don't agree with. This will also give our loved ones, friends, even world leaders the reinforcement to make the right choices out of compassion.

This following chant is very important to our world at this time:

"Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu"

May the rulers of the earth protect the well-being of the people,

With justice, by means of the right path.

May there always be good fortune for all living beings.

May all the inhabitants of the world be full of happiness.

If only the world could feel the peace and ease of mind one receives at the end of a blissful yoga session. Peace in the body, peace in the mind, and peace in the heart.

Hate takes energy. Love just is.

I Admit, I Have Fallen in Love...

With trail running. There, I said it, everyone knows. Trail running is like running roads on steroids.

The soft, luscious Earth squishing beneath your feet and making way for many types of landscapes; sand, grass, leaves, ponds. Deer bounding across your path and tortoises smiling beneath their shells. Chirps of birds and crickets ringing like music to your ears along with the swoosh of the trees giving way to a gentle breeze. Time does not happen here. Earth rotates a little more slowly.

Thanks to a friends suggestion, I recently took my day off to explore Lake Louisa State Park towards Clermont in Central Florida. It costs $4 to enter, and boasts 7 miles of paved roads, 20+ miles of trails, primitive and tent/camper camping, lakes to swim in, wildlife, it's fantastic. Coming 2 days post half marathon I set out for a quick easy run but by the time I was done I was shocked that I had run 8 miles. I have never gotten lost in the absolute joy of running. Road running is hard to "get lost" in. You have mile markers in your mind of where you are, traffic to watch out for, other pedestrians and pollution. Yet on a trail all that encompasses your mind is the sounds of nature, sights, and your own thoughts. It is much more primal running on a trail like our ancestors did, whom did not stop to cross streets or run according to per mile pacing. They ran out of need, and out of desire.

To me, trail running is like a slice of birthday cake at a party. The feelings of the change of ground from grass to sand, the soft roll of the Earth, the trees whispering sweet nothings, deer perking up to say hello, and a game of hop scotch hopping over tree roots is nothing short of fantastic.

Since that first date with the forest here, I have returned twice for a 12 & 15 mile run I did mostly on the paved trails to more closely mimic the roads for my marathon. But I did sneak off into the trails for a few glorious miles.

Trails however require a different shoe for your best run. I ordered a pair of Brooks Cascadias which are more minimal that my overly cushioned Saucony Triumphs to allow my feet to better grip the trails, and I can't wait to strap those babies on for a test run!

A part of me I never before knew with running is out and so happy. Trails please my soul; being alone, in nature, doing my primal thing just soothes me to an extent I cannot describe. I know my soul is happy in a cooler more wilderness climate and I hope my future soon takes me to that happy little place.

Keep running friends, hit the trails!

The Perception of Masculinity

Today, our world is over run with social media, advertisements, news ads, and most of them are depicting either a masculine or feminine role. From birth announcements being pink or blue as "female" and "male", children's color clothing, everything we see in everyday life has a male or female stigma attached to it.

I whole heartily believe that we have brainwashed our gender norms in society the entirely wrong way; men to be strong and women to be frail. Both genders should feel comfortable to be themselves, and to express their feelings openly. Men should not be taught to hide their emotions; our society teaches men to hide their sorrow and act out in rage. Men's boxing and AMA fighting has become uber popular, in my eyes I see this as a very caveman type sport where men fight each other for nothing other than sport even injuring each other and riling up rage out of the crowds. Video games are targeted at men and are full of murder, violence, theft; while women's are typically kinder like Barbie and baby dolls. A case can also be made for whom TV shows and movies are directed at; Superheros using their strength as power, while Princess movies for girls display kindness as power. In school boys are taught to be kind to women (mostly) and that they are frail, yet as themselves they must always be perfectly composed and unemotional. 

Men: be emotional! Be vulnerable. As humans we are highly emotional beings and as both men and women we feel many different emotions everyday. Women tend to succumb and express their feelings much more openly, as I believe men should too. Biologically we are wired in our DNA to feel many things, some more than others based on the amount of stress we felt as unborn babies from our mothers and then based on the stresses of our environment through adolescence and through adulthood.

It has even come across in the dietary and food world; an example being the "Hungry Man" meals that are directed to men, full of heavy meats and implying that men need to eat copious amounts of meats. Many advertisements for meat and beer products are directed to men, while women are seen eating small salads and the stars of diet food advertisements. This has caused society to think that men need to be "strong" and consume huge amounts of meat products, while women are portrayed as "weak" and eating very little. On the contrary, men are seen as weak for abstaining from animal products which is more than far from the truth.

Compassion is an important and attractive quality that men should express. Being vegan and caring about animals and our planet is not something to be ashamed about but something to be embraced. I personally find vegan men extremely attractive, I see them as people that can embrace and express their feelings very openly and to be more nurturing than those who consume animal products. Masculinity is about being strong, protective, and can be expressed even better as being protectors of all living things and the Earth we call home. It should not be expressed through mounted deer heads, killing black bears, literally "bringing home the bacon" but being caring and nurturing to these animals instead. Men believe they need to eat more protein than women in general and that this nutrient needs to be consumed in the form of animal products, which is incorrect and I will explain further in a later post on protein.

So hey men, it's okay to show your soft side, in fact flaunt it! If slaughter of animals upsets you embrace this. Go vegan, advocate for animal and environmental rights. Let us respect our fellow animals that Mother Earth has given us, and love us love them and live as one. So go forth and live a life of peace, emotion and compassion.