Filed under: Adventure, Animals, Following the Path, Letting go, Philosophy, nature — brianom @ 12:33 am Tags: Philosophy, tao, dachshund
If you ever need a lesson in how to BE HERE NOW and slow down and do just one thing at a time, spend a day with a dog.
I took my partner in crime, Dash, to our usual local park today. Rather than clock watching the entire time and allowing my mind to wander to a ridiculously long to do list, I made the conscious decision to let Dash be in charge of the agenda. There’d be no leash tug-o-war today. No dragging him frantically from interesting smell to next interesting smell as I try to cross “walk the dog” off the list during a free half hour. No trying to multi task and get a good power walk in while in the park with Dash today. We went at dachshund pace. At times ploddingly slow. At times maddingly fast. We watched a bumble bee hover for at least 2 minutes (but who’s counting?) We ran full speed across a soccer field. We sniffed a flower or two, investigated a hole that someone else started digging but mysteriously left half-dug, and eventually plopped down in a grassy spot to rest a bit. One of us rolled in something stinky. The other one of us just laughed and didn’t tug the leash. Sometimes you just need to give your friends the space to roll in something stinky. We almost invited ourselves to someone else’s barbecue near the playground where they had all kinds of fantastic smelling meat on sticks. Unfortunately for Dash, a vegetarian had his leash.
It was the most fun afternoon I’ve had in a long time. No deadlines. No scheduling. No place else to be. No shouldering the shoulds I should be doing.
Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out and are SURE that you’re the master and your dog is the one that needs training…remind yourself which one of you knows EXACTLY how to effortlessly live every moment to the fullest. 1:38 PM GMT | Read comments(7)February 08Encouraging Signs
Filed under: Gratitude, Love, Yoga — brianom @ 4:27 pm Edit This
It’s been a busy week here at “Just Be Now”.
I taught my first yoga class at the studio where I’ve been training since September to be a yoga teacher. It went remarkably well. You know how when you’re doing something for the first time and you get that sick-to-your-stomach, butterflies-in-the-belly feeling? I didn’t really experience that at all. It felt really natural to be teaching yoga. I decided before the class started to make peace with any mistakes and just have fun with it. I thought, “You’ll never get another chance to teach your first class, so you might as well enjoy it!” Surely I made some mistakes here and there, but overall I was proud of the job that I did.
This week also capped off the best month yet for my massage business! I’m so grateful for all of my regular clients and excited about the new connections I made this month. I started my on-call massage gig at a nearby “55 and better” community, continued working with my partner giving couples massages, and even may have a teaching gig showing others how to share the many benefits of massage. I’d say that counts as a good month in my book!
With so much growth in the massage & yoga practices this month, it sometimes feels as though I’ve been going non-stop without a break since Christmas. After class on Tuesday night I was surprised to come home to find an impromptu celebration with my 2 favorite guys: my partner Jeff and our dachshund Dash. We cracked open a bottle of non-alcoholic bubbly and toasted the completion of my first yoga class. It was incredibly sweet (both the gesture and the bubbly) and made me remember that at the end of the day, despite all our aspirations and machinations, what matters most is love and family.
I came home on Tuesday night to a wonderful surprise celebration after completing my first yoga class at the studio
TODAY’S KARMA SCOREBOARD
I feel like I’m overflowing with gratitude for all of the great people in my life and for all of the personal and professional growth I’ve experienced this month: (+5)
Decided to donate my Doc Martens that have been at the bottom of my closet for nearly a decade to Haiti relief. It’s time to let go. I’m not “hardcore” anymore. I prefer my eco-friendly recycled “Terrasoles”: (+2)
I’ve begun using trickery to get Dash out of bed in the morning so I can walk him before I leave for work. He doesn’t want to get out of bed since it’s so cold outside. He definitely doesn’t budge when I mention “outside” but he’ll perk up at the mention of a “cookie”. Now I know what it must have been like to get me out of bed to go to high school when I was a teenager. Contributing to my dachshund’s hardcore cookie habit: (-3)
Filed under: Following the Path, Holiday — brianom @ 10:45 pm
There are only about 55 more hours left in 2009 and I feel like I’ve been inundated with “top ten” lists everywhere I look. There are more end-of-year wrap up stories than usual, or at least since the dreaded Y2K countdown, since this New Year’s Eve marks the pseudo-end of a decade. I know, I know, there’s still officially one more year left of the “aughts” or “double zeroes” but most media outlets are trotting out their “top ten of the decade lists” now one year early. We’re all prematurely calling an end to the decade which most folks are probably happy to put behind them anyway – from 9/11 to the economic collapse.While I don’t actually have my own top ten list for the year or decade, I can’t help but get reflective as we turn another page and start a fresh new year. I have to admit that for the past few weeks I’ve been hearing people talking about how glad they are to see 2009 end and how excited they are to see 2010 begin – full of possibility for a fresh new start. My day job is in the battered newspaper industry so as we said our goodbyes before this holiday break, most folks seemed ecstatic about putting the economic turmoil of 2009 behind us. With the steady stream of economic news this year being of the negative variety (not just for the newspaper industry but for most Americans…scratch that…human beings) it’s no wonder that the collective consciousness is cheering on the new year (or decade, if you choose to go that route!)I, for one, would like to go on record as saying that I’ll be sad to see 2009 go. It’s been by far one of the best of the 32 years I’ve been given so far. I finally found a way to eat that works for me and have been able to reach my goal weight and stay there effortlessly for the first time in my life. I’ve fully recovered from a back injury that had me contemplating radical surgery just a year or two ago, without going under the knife. I’ve deepened my yoga practice and am about 2/3 of the way to completing my yoga teacher training program. I’ve overcome my fears of starting a business and have figured out a way to make money doing something I love – massage. I’ll remember 2009 as the year when things seemed to come together for me, when the path started to seem clearer than ever, when I made significant strides toward becoming the person I always wanted to be.
In case you’re reading this and wondering how the heck to make your own 2010 as fulfilling and rewarding, I wish I could hand you a road map. However, if I tried I’d probably just be leading you down the wrong path – or at least one that was meant for me and not you. I do know that in years past I’ve always started a new year with the same lame and vague resolutions to be better: lose weight, love myself more, make new friends, exercise, etc. Then after a week or two I felt the restlessness settle in and without proper direction I’d return to “normal” without achieving much of anything. This year I still made those similar resolutions, but each step of the way decided to listen to that small voice inside of me that guided me in the right direction: toward yoga practice, toward building a business, toward running a 5K for charity, toward mindful eating, etc. It seems that at every turn I was met by a guidepost that showed me the next right step this year. I don’t know what your guideposts might be telling you, but I know for sure that they’re telling you something for 2010. If you follow them, you can’t fail. You may not get what you thought you wanted, but you’ll certainly end up somewhere interesting.
So, where am I now? 363 days into this monumental year and I’m blogging on my new laptop that my dog got me for Christmas (long story) as I sit in my car outside the yoga studio I’ve called home for a better part of this year. I’m excited to work off the holiday feasts and spend some quiet time on the mat this evening. After all is said and done, I guess I’d like to amend my statement and say that I’m not altogether sad to see 2009 end. In the past when I’ve had significant progress in my life I’m usually sad to see that year end. 2000 was a significant year when I finished college, got my first job and apartment, and entered adulthood. It felt like I was growing in leaps and bounds. However I can remember feeling rather lost and directionless for the next year (or two) unable to sustain that growth with any consistency. I’m not sad to see 2009 go this time around because I have no fear of what 2010 brings. I know that there will be challenges. I know that there will be triumphs. I know that there will be growth. And laughter. And new experiences. And things I wish I didn’t have to face. The new person I’ve become isn’t afraid of what hasn’t happened yet. I want to embrace the possibility of it all. All I really need to do is love myself and follow the path.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say something about the past month and how distant I’ve been from the blog. I had a great holiday season filled with baking delicious meals, spending time with friends and family and getting snowed in one glorious weekend with some out of town guests. I’ve taken the time to enjoy the people in my life and be grateful for the blessings I’ve been given. I’m hoping that now that my dachshund has given me a laptop I’ll be more active on the blog.
What does 2010 hold for me? Well, I’m hoping to finish yoga training and find a regular teaching gig somewhere. I’d like to keep growing the massage business. I’ve applied to be a blogger for Yoga Journal which would be awesome! I also have a trip planned in May to see Snatam Kaur in Massachusetts which I’m looking forward to. Jeff and I will be staying at the Peace Abbey – a sanctuary devoted to peace and mindfulness. Should be an amazing weekend! I’m also hoping to make another trip to Sewall House in Maine (the place where this blog got started) back when the weather was warmer and the days were longer.
Speaking of which…my fingers are freezing so it’s time to sign off. Until next time…
Took Dash for the shortest walk ever (even furry 4-legged folks get cold in this weather) (+1)
Slept late and then got back into bed to read the new Augusten Burroughs after breakfast (+3) – treating yourself is SO important!
Filed under: Gratitude, Holiday, Philosophy, Yoga — brianom @ 1:42 pm
So I just got back to the yoga studio after a quick trip to Wal-Mart during our lunch break. With less than 2 weeks before Christmas the place was packed with folks with that frantic look in their eyes – trying to finish checking off their “nice lists” before the big day.
I went to the register and was behind a gentleman who was just finishing up his transaction. The cashier, an older woman from India, asked if he wanted cash back. He replied in his best wise guy voice, “Sure, how much do you have?” The cashier not quite getting the joke said, “Well, how much do you need? It’s your money. It’s up to you.” He smiled and laughed saying, “Ah…I thought you were giving away some of YOURS for free.”
As he walked away and she started scanning my items she said to me, “I don’t understand this country sometimes. Where I’m from people only want for as much as they need to eat and have a roof over their heads. In this country where people have so much, everyone always wants more. It’s like people don’t know that they’re so wealthy.”
I was so struck by her observation as I packed my holographic premium gift wrap, tiny battery-operated Christmas village lamp posts, and cheesy Christmas cards into my bag and ironically said, “It’s not as though having more will really make us happier.”
She finished my transaction and we wished each other a good day. I picked up my frivolous purchases and somewhat apologetically left. While leaving the store, I felt compelled to ease my shopper’s guilt by donating a few bucks to the sidewalk Santa collecting money for the needy outside.
Now I’m totally convinced that Wal-Mart really does have everything…
“Paging all available associates to front end for a reality check…”
Filed under: Holiday, Letting go — brianom @ 1:05 pm
The holiday season is in full swing here at the Critchley/LaSalle household. The tree is up awaiting its trimmings. The annual holiday mix CD is produced and waiting for packaging and delivery. The presents have (mostly) arrived from Amazon and await the first free evening on my calendar to be wrapped. I’ve got at least 3 different permutations of menus for Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, and LaSalle Christmas (aka Boxing Day for our Canadian readers).
In case you haven’t noticed, I love Christmas. I guess that makes me lucky in this season when there’s just no getting away from it. Christmas is everywhere you look! I guess most people love Christmas, but there are just as many people that I’m sure dread this season. I think about friends in my own life who’ve lost loved ones this year. Or who’ve had painful breakups. Or people who are looking for work in this tough economy. It will undoubtedly be tougher for them to give in and revel in the explosion of Christmas merriment that is forced upon us.
Since it’s my first Christmas as a full-fledged yogi I’m trying to apply some of the core sentiments of peace, unconditional love, and childlike joy to this season. As much as I love Christmas, it can certainly be anxiety-causing if you let it. What if the holiday menu doesn’t turn out perfect? What if I don’t find the “right” tree? What the heck am I going to give Aunt Sue this year who hates everything?
I’ve already had a few holiday snafus pop-up and have been able to just breathe and go with the flow. For example, we bought a ridiculously large tree this year. I was so concerned about finding a fresh tree that was full and symmetrical that I sort of forgot to worry about whether or not it would actually fit in the living room! So, this year our tree is in the dining room. Last year I might have lost it over such an incident. This year I’ve decided to go with the holiday flow and just be happy with whatever comes my way. I’m realizing that holidays aren’t about execution of a perfect fairy tale experience. I’m not running the holiday show at Rockefeller Center, you know?
It’s totally cliche, but holidays really are about family. And about creating memories with people you love. One of the favorite holiday memories of Critchley Christmases Past involve an epic fail in the Christmas tree department. When I was a kid we always put up an artificial tree in our cozy 4-room apartment. We lived on the 3rd floor in a post-war walkup far from tree farms and lots that dot the landscape here in central Jersey. This one year my parents had a heck of a time getting our poor old tree to stand up straight in the stand. From years of putting the tree up and taking it down the tree base and stand were both “well loved”. After an hour of cursing and arguing (as legend now has it) my dad decided to storm out and my 4′11″ mom picked up the 5-foot-plus tree and hurled it like a javelin at the slamming front door. I’m not sure if that happened exactly as we now remember it, but we retell that one every Christmas night at dessert over pie and ice cream. I think every year the tree in the story gets taller and my mom gets shorter!
We also share the story of my dad’s last Christmas with us. He’d had a stroke the summer before and his balance and mobility were terrible. In typical stubborn Critchley fashion he continued to get around on his own right until the end. That year he fell into the tree on Christmas Eve and knocked the whole thing on the floor breaking some of my grandmother’s antique ornaments. Looking back on that memory I don’t remember the details of the broken ornaments or even whether we were sad about them. I do remember how we laughed at how silly it was to see my father on top of our little artificial tree in the middle of the living room floor. We still laugh about that one every year over pie and ice cream, too.
Holidays are messy. Maybe you have to break a few ornaments to make a Christmas memory or two. This year I’m ok with that…