Tag Archives: kindness

In Case You Missed It Edition! Volume 47

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I’ve found some links to posts that made me laugh, cry, think or at least raise an eyebrow. Please click the links and check out the posts. You may find something that rocks your world too.

Leave me some feedback in the form of comments below on what you liked, what you hated and what you’d like to see more of. I’m here to help you find the best of what is online.

best of the blogs i read volume 47

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My Best Of…

I Spy Kindness.

I love me some kindness so much I wrote a Kindness Manifesto. The stories of kindness in the big city warms my heart.

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Too Small to Fail.

Have you heard about this initiative yet? Oh my goodness, it makes my mama/teacher heart go all pitter patter. Finally, someone is addressing what school teachers have known for years.

Turns out the achievement gap starts before kids even enter school with what researchers are now calling the word gap. Basically middle class kids hear a gazillion more words than their less affluent counter parts and that word gap has significant meaning over the course of a life time.

We can help close the gap. All of us.

Thanks to GoMighty and specifically Blog con Queso’s post The Next Generation of My Goals for the heads up about this work!

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Offended or annoyed by people?

Zen Habits offers 3 Tricks to Deal with People Who Offend You

Yes and Yes offers What To Do When Someone Says Something Offensive – just in time for the holidays!

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 Alexis did a 30-Day Self-Care Adventure. Here she shares her “Best Of”. You may recognize a contributor or two!

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Pumpkin-Pistachio Kale Fried Rice Bowl with Maple Tofu Cubes. That is a whole lot of hippie goodness, friends. I sauteed the kale and added it at the end (the kale was left out of the directions in the recipe) and I used lots more maple syrup than the recipe called for because well, yum. FYI: even more delicious as leftovers.

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That is the In Case You Missed It Edition, folks.

Remember to click the links and leave some comments. This is a conversation, you know.

In Case You Missed Edition Archives -click it to see them all.

Image Source: morgue file.com

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My Yoga Manifesto – PART II- Kindness

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Like most people who come to yoga, I was first drawn to what I needed least from a yoga practice.

  • heat
  • intensity
  • power
  • competition

Too much heat and intensity for my already intense personality burnt me out quickly.  So I stopped going.

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Manifesto – a public declaration of intentions, opinions, objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign, or organization (or in this case yoga teacher).

II. KINDNESS

Eventually I found what I really need from a yoga practice – kindness.

You may be scratching your head wondering what the hell kindness has to do with stretching and contorting your body into funny shapes.

As it turns out, a lot.

Let me explain.

When I first started taking classes with Michelle at It’s All Yoga (Sacramento), I was struck by her warmth and friendliness. She’d always greet me with a hug – and by hug I mean a full body embrace (she gives the best hugs)– and welcome me to class like we were long-lost best friends.

kindness

Then before we’d begin class, Michelle would remind us to work somewhere between effort and ease. She’d invite us to explore how we felt in our bodies in the different poses and listen to what we needed to feel good in that moment.

Admittedly, at first I thought this was crazy talk.

Why would I come to yoga class and not do my best poses?

Why wouldn’t I push myself harder than I had the day before?

How would I ever get better at yoga?

In these early days with Michelle, she’d walk by my mat and lovingly put her hand on my shoulder and say “For you my friend, 70 percent.”

I tried to do what she said, but it felt so foreign.

Who was this person that didn’t want to see the best that I had to offer?

Didn’t she see that I could do more?

What did she know that I didn’t?

Over time, what I learned from Michelle is that yoga isn’t a performance.

It’s isn’t a competition – even with yourself.

That what you could do yesterday doesn’t really matter. Every time you do a pose it’s different because this moment is different from the last.

The only thing that really matters is the now.

Michelle’s kind reminders of “70 percent” were exactly what I needed to hear. I needed someone to teach me to be kinder to myself.

As it turns out, being kinder to myself is my yoga.

Michelle’s kindness is one of the reasons I’ve decided I want to teach yoga. I hope to touch the hearts of other people the way she has touched mine.

Good friends to have.

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Yesterday we got some disappointing news. Our adoption wait is going to take longer than we first thought. Current circumstances are pushing our wait to the longer 24+ month wait, rather than the optimistic 18-24 month wait. Not the end of the world, but disappointing nonetheless.

It didn’t really sink in until this morning how sad I am about it.

I have been operating on the optimist time frame. I had it in my head that by next school year we’ve have our kiddo at home and instead of trying to teach everyone else’s kids how to read, I’d be home learning how to be a parent.

Not so.

I’m not sure exactly at what moment my disappointment set in, but when the tears started, I wasn’t sure they were going to stop. By the time I reached the school parking lot, I had it pulled together. I figured I’d just muscle through and then come home and continue to be sad.

I slipped through the office unnoticed and made it halfway to my classroom when I encountered some of my colleagues talking to one of my former parents in the hallway. They all greeted me with a warm good morning and my eyes immediately welled up again.

Next thing I knew, I was enveloped in a great big mama teacher hug crying like a baby. Big hugs and kind words followed. I explained what had happened and one reminded me what I already knew… that “our” kid isn’t ready for us yet and when he or she is ready for us, we’ll be there.

Their kindness helped me put our situation in perspective. So it’s going to take a bit longer than we thought, but when it happens it’ll be right.

So thank you dear friends for your support and love.

It sneaks up on you even if you aren’t looking- school week 2

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This year is one of big changes. At work we’ve got a new: VP, math curriculum, lesson plan format, accountability standards and direct instruction model. Let’s also not forget all the new kids that were previously in private school and therefore haven’t been working with the procedures and routines in our curriculum since kindergarten. Can you say freaking out?!?

My personal life is also full of huge changes.  The most obvious biggies are my yoga teacher training and our impending adoption.  Nothing like taking huge projects on all at the same time… (no time like the present, right?)

The first week of school when I didn’t know who was going to be in my class or even how many would be in my class I found myself with very sore teeth from constantly clenching my jaw. It’s as if I forgot all my summer vacation/ yoga teacher training goodness (where was my patience? and lightheartedness?) . I seemingly picked up my prickly, itchy wool school-year-grumpy-teacher-sweater and put it on despite the stifling heat. Once I entered the building, it looked like I picked up right where I left off.

Or so I thought. 

The second week of school (coincidentally the very day I found out the number of students in my class and the names of all of them) I felt some my summer vacay goodness return. After I moved my students to my favorite desk configuration, I audibly sighed (I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath for a week!) and felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. I found myself standing straighter, my jaw unclench, my breathing deepen and my soul feel lighter. What a difference!

As a result of this physical release, I found myself more relaxed and present in the moment. I found myself smiling  during instruction and showing so much more patience than usual. Time flew by and kids were busily working as if they’d been in my class for months. We looked and acted like a highly functioning team. I even sang some instructions to lighten it up a bit and a boy in my class looked up at me smiling and said, “Teacher you sing a lot!”

So even though I feel like I’ve been not giving my full attention or even what’s left of my attention to my YTT the last couple weeks, the message is still being received. Stay present, do the work and the practice will take care of itself.

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How honest is too honest?

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I’ve done it now. I’ve invited the world inside my very personal thoughts and journey. So far, the reactions and comments have been nothing short of fully supportive. Although that could be because I stacked the deck by showing this to the other people going on the journey with me, but still, nothing but kudos and “I get where you are coming froms.”

I took a big risk this morning. I’ve invited my family into my inner world. I sent this link to my mom and dad and brother. I have a long history of keeping people I’m not sure agree with me at arm’s length. Now I’ve exposed that soft, fleshy part of my throat that is so vulnerable it brings tears to my eyes writing this.

People, please be kind. This is a very personal journey and I don’t want to feel like it was a mistake for inviting you in.

Yoga is like falling in love. It’s hard to explain to people that haven’t experienced it themselves.

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In the interest of self-care, today I’m reposting my first ever post. 

Many of you haven’t seen this yet. It’s where the story began.

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Today was the first day of my 200 hour yoga teacher training.  My first thoughts are that I’m so glad I’m doing this now and with these people. I have been working the front desk and practicing regularly at the studio for more than a year now. Looking around the room I saw mostly familiar people I’ve practiced with many times.  I’m looking forward to practicing and learning from everyone – not just Michelle and the IAY gals. 

Why here?

It’s All Yoga is the closest slice of yoga heaven I’ve ever experienced. The teachers, without exception, exhibit kindness, generosity of spirit, humor and wisdom beyond their years.  The space itself is an inspiration in green living and the studio’s commitment to the environment is evident. I spend all my spare time trying to drag everyone I know into the studio to share in the goodness.

Why now?

I’ve been flirting with a regular yoga practice for years. I took my first class more than 10 years ago and thought I’d never experience anything so amazing. Fast forward to summer 2006 when I did my first “summer school” (3 unlimited months of yoga) at IAY and I discovered that amazing feeling only compounded with regularity. School years take an obscene amount of energy the first few years of a teacher’s career and so my regular practice suffered when “real life” returned after the summer break.

Last summer I started “Desk Diva-ing” and the rest is history. Instead of exclusively focusing on my teaching job this last school year, I devoted several days a week to my yoga practice. Working the desk committed me to two days a week and sometimes that is all I could do. Other weeks I found myself on my mat many more – sometimes even at home! 

Over this past year, my mat became my friend and sometimes my enemy. I spent a lot of time crying on my mat – frustration at my body’s limitations, envious of other people’s strength and flexibility, sadness because of some fertility issues, grief because of past trauma, family illnesses and deaths.

It wasn’t all tears (although sometimes it felt that way). Connection, joy, self acceptance, love, dare I say – divinity have also been present on my mat. Had those been there all along? Had I missed them always living in the past and the future? Would I keep experiencing them if I continue to practice?

This new regular practice helped me take my yoga (non-competitiveness, loving-kindness, openheartedness) into my classroom as well. I am looking forward to seeing what this deeper self exploration means for me and my students over the next few months as I delve deeper into a practice I’m falling in love with.