Learning to Pay Attention

I have been rubbing my left leg lately, finding an area of tenderness on the outside of the shin. It had kind of a bruised feeling, so I pressed it trying to figure out why it hurt. It is kind of the same process as finding something old in the fridge - giving it a sniff, finding it obnoxious and holding it out to someone else saying: "Here, smell this, it is really disgusting!". I press on my sore calf, testing the sensations and saying to myself "This is really unpleasant!". So press it from time to time during the day, to be sure it still hurts. Day after day, I test and press, and ouch and wonder and go on. This morning I am making my bed, as I do every day, moving from one side to the other trying to get it just so. And for some reason I was in my room, making my bed, smoothing out the covers, BEING THERE, not out in the day planning and preparing. I was making my bed, in real life, in the moment!

As I rounded the corner to give my side an extra tug I whacked my leg on the corner of the bed! Right on my bruise. And I came to! I realized I had been banging my leg on the end of the bed for weeks, but because I have been "elsewhere" in my mind, and because the pain hadn't risen to the level of extreme - it had never penetrated my unconsciousness. That,and maybe because my leg had taken all it could from my inattention. It finally hurt too much to ignore. I sat on the bed and thought about how many times I have run into pain in my life and just been unaware of it; physical, mental and spiritual pain. Not a big whack - but a small bruise that over and over created a sore spot. The injury could have been avoided if I had paid attention, had woken up, had became aware of the moment, learned from it and moved on. I am not saying that I need to be so sensitive that every bump or life lesson jolt needs to stop me in my tracks, I am saying learn from the little stuff and maybe some of the big stuff can be avoided. I have found that if I don't learn from the [little] lessons I am given I WILL be given bigger and bigger ones until I learn. So, I have to learn to round the corner of the bed with a little more room, to pay attention to what I am doing while I am doing it, and to allow the small bumps to help me avoid the big ones. Rather than pushing on the bruise trying to remember how I got it, I can know when I did as I did it, and adjust my way accordingly.

Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200, RTY500 is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" .

She leads two Y12SR classes a week for the public at Willow Glen Yoga in San Jose..

Kyczy is the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse). This certification training now available in an ONLINE study course. http://www.yogarecovery.com/SOAR__tm__Cert_all.html 

Scroll to the end of the page and sign up now.

Check out her ONLINE RECOVERY INFUSED YOGA CLASSES: 

http://yogarecovery.studiolivetv.com/MemberRegistrationYR.aspx

Avoiding Relapse of Every Stripe

Yes – I can relapse – not my substance addiction but my emotional sobriety. How does this happen? How “unlovely” can I BE! What can I do to prevent it?

Some event occurs. I come into it feeling vulnerable: insecure, unsure, fearful or uncared for. A conversation commences and does not go well. And I snap. I am not able to “take” it. What ever “it” is –loud talk, hasty words, uncaring speech or even a disappointing outcome. This can be a conversation with a vendor, a service person or someone who is in calling to advise me about a plan. What ever the conversation is about there is something disappointing. I find myself out of balance and that leaks out all over the interchange. First I become strident, then I shut down. We conclude the discussion and I hang up.

But that isn’t the end of it. I go on to ruminate and disturb my current moments with the memories of that unpleasant conversation. These memories are enhanced by stories from the past, fertilized and nurtured by hurt and resentment. Now they have grown from fledgling discomfort to a full-grown jungle of negative emotions. Then "generosity" appears and I feel compelled to share this experience with others, over and over, letting their concern and sympathy fan the flames of my bitterness. I then move into self-righteous anger – a deadly intoxicant for this person in recovery – and the “slip” is complete. I have fallen off the maturity and spiritual wellness wagon. I am now on my back in the mud, wiggling around, searching for the foothold of composure and wellness. I yearn to walk upright in peace; body, mind and spirit integrated in one unified whole of compassion for self and others. And, yes, the suffering comes because I am TOO WELL to be THAT SICK anymore.

 I can be pretty unlovely, mewling in my pain and frustrated in my inability to overcome it. And the answer comes, as they often do, in the sharing of another. Don’t resist, experience. Allow the feelings to be, without the story, without justification, defense or even denial. Sit with it and let it pass. And stop “sharing the wealth” of disdain and distress. Yes, I have been taking my own poison.

And today I choose to stop. I avoid relapse of my primary addictions by sticking with my program of recovery. I avoid relapse of an uncaring attitude toward my body,mind and spirit unity by practicing all the forms of yoga. I practice keeping my spirit in good health with meditation. And, yet, I am still human and can relapse in my emotional "sobriety".  How can I avoid this? I go back to the principles of yoga and recovery.  Will that prevent them for good and all? I don't know – but I do know the periods or relapse are shorter, the anguish less severe and less perseverant, and yes, I do eventually remember to sit. Sit it through don’t sit it out.

Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200, RTY500 is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" ans "Life in Bite Sized Morsels", a leader of Y12SR classes, and the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training. 

Follow her ONLINE recovery infused yoga classes 
http://yogarecovery.studiolivetv.com/MemberRegistrationYR.aspx

Let Your Spirit Go Commando!

I had sent an email to some friends yesterday. It was a quote about dressing in one’s spiritual best by washing yourself in the morning with blissful energy rather than water. To imagine that your garments were divine robes rather than day clothes.



I added a comment to the quote that rather than “preparing for a crash” (with clean underwear) we prepare for the day living in the divine energy of our true selves and the light of our Higher Power. What could go wrong with such a reframing of our morning ablutions: to prepare for living in the light, rather than preparing for an accident? Well, alert reader DF (you know who you are) fired back an email that made me laugh out loud: “So.. should I go commando?” After ruminating on this comment all day I thought “heck yea!” we should all be in spiritual commando!

Let go of roles, let go of the masks, let go of the shields that separate us from one another and that keep us hidden from our true self. So, yes, take a spiritual bath in the morning, washing away any leftovers from the day or night before (saucha). Adorn yourself in your best garments of all the yamas and the niyamas, and go out into the day- naked, but for your true self. Yes, you spiritual warriors, Go Commando!

Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200, RTY500 is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" ans "Life in Bite Sized Morsels", a leader of Y12SR classes, and the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training. 

Follow her ONLINE recovery infused yoga classes 
http://yogarecovery.studiolivetv.com/MemberRegistrationYR.aspx

Guest Blog - "First 164"

Here is a wonderful blog on Alice in Wonderland, ego and the Big Book of AA. Thank you "First 164"! or this link

Seven Free "AttS" (Attitudes) That Will Make Life Better.

I recently read an article from inc.com  titled 7 Free Apps That Will Make Life Better.

Wow – if only it were that easy to have a better life! Intrigued – I opened the email and read on. I found out that if you had a quick way to add music to your videos, receive and track reader's questions and comments, (pant, pant) had an e-notepad for lists, thoughts, and copies of online material, (take a breath and continue) a tool for timing and releasing posts to social media, a virtual meeting provider and finally a way to send messages and photos to others either in a free online method or in postcard format for under a dollar your life would be BETTER! So that is all I need! Online methods, to post, track and meet.

And here I have been looking for enlightenment by developing a spiritual life and attending to my morals and ethics. Silly me. But really, for my life to be better I have found the following seven “must have” ATTs (attitudes) to be important; Patience
, Compassion, 
Tolerance
, Acceptance, 
Courage, 
Open Mindedness, 
Willingness .

Each day, in every way, having these attitudes makes my life better, no matter what is going on – employing at least one of these ameliorates the situation. Willingness and open mindedness at the beginning of the day, patience as the day progresses, tolerance as I encounter the difficult, courage in the face of challenge, acceptance and compassion as I come in for a landing at night with things yet to do and tiredness descending. That is what gets me though.

What are your “must have atts”? Add them and share them here!
Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200, RTY500 is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" and "Life in Bite Sized Morsels". She is a leader of Y12SR classes, and the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training. 

Follow her ONLINE recovery infused yoga classes 
http://yogarecovery.studiolivetv.com/MemberRegistrationYR.aspx

Yogasync TV - a new online offering

I have just subscribed to an online resource called YogaSync. I have been following Al and Greg's yoga classes online for several years. They are from New Zealand and with their delicious accents have been offering offering online videos for detailed yoga sequencing through Yoga Online at Yoga.org.nz. You can go to that website and download an hour long class. For Free! (until the end of May) Or you can view it on You Tube. They have now launched a new and fabulous product called YogaSynch TV. This online tool allows the user to select already created sequences at any level, for a huge number of specific target areas or challenge poses. From the image above you can see that they give a comprehensive view of the pose. You should check out the website for all the wonderful features. One can also go into their library of poses and create one's own sequence. It is very easy to do picking from the pose library, the level of effort,flexibility, and challenge that is best for you. You can then name and save it for re-use. It is fun to plan and time classes with this tool as well. As one of the founding members I was also able to contact Sarsha, one of the wonderful teachers featured in the videos, to get my own personal sequence developed and I have been loving it. They have numerous pose, meditation, and relaxation videos on you tube. Do a search for one and give them a try. Al also has some great nutritional advice and recipes to feed the inner yogi. Give it a try and tell them "Kyczy sent me"!

It's not the falling down that makes us fail...

it's the staying there. Check out this blog, comments and videos to see tremendous dedication in spite of tremendous odds. The teacher has offered props and the student has accepted them and yoga has invited improvement. (See the You Tube video from this link here: http://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448)


Kyczy Hawk E-RYT200, RTY500 is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" and "Life in Bite Sized Morsels", a leader of Y12SR classes, and the creator of SOAR(tm) (Success Over Addiction and Relapse) a teacher certification training. 

Follow her ONLINE recovery infused yoga classes 
http://yogarecovery.studiolivetv.com/MemberRegistrationYR.aspx