The big stuff

Life is so constructed, that the event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation. - Charlotte Bronte

It has been a busy month for the MacMillan family.  From guests in town to celebrating Chloe's birthday, we have had our fill of big events.  For a moment I breathe a sigh of relief and say, "We made it through the big stuff."  The big stuff referring to our first Florida Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and of course birthdays. 

I have struggled with the idea of having the "perfect" moments for my kids.  I think a mixture of guilt from moving them 1500 miles away from their original home and my striving for perfection have put me in an anxious mode these past few months.  Luckily I have a husband, family and friends that keep me grounded.  They remind me that I am doing the best that I can for my kids and at the end of the day, I know they are given all the love and support that they need from me.   So, as I have gotten a few of these big events here in Florida under my belt I have realized that it always works out and just being together makes it a great event.

It was so fun to watch Chloe and all her little kindergarten friends swim and play at her birthday party.  It was not a huge spectical and yet at the end of the day Chloe was so happy.  That was all that mattered and it brought a smile to my heart.

We have had so many fun times here in Florida and a lot of those revolve around the beach.  My oldest sister was in town a few weeks ago and we of course made the great drive to Clearwater Beach.  It was the week of the Sandcastle Sculptures and that was really neat to see.  We are used to seeing snow castles but this year we traded that in for sand instead. 

Girls in front of a sand sculpture at Clearwater Beach

 

I have spent a lot of my time and energy on worrying about how the big events would turn out that I let that shadow these fun adventures.  It is always a work in progress, the test of patience, letting go of expectation and just enjoying the ride.

I used to say this to many of my yoga students, "Practice makes better (not perfect)." I think that this can be applied to all areas of life.  There are always going to be good days and maybe not so good days.  This goes for on and off the yoga mat. 

After you practice yoga for a while you start to realize that there are days where just rolling out the mat is about all our practice will involve.  I had a good realization last week during my own yoga practice, "What happens on the mat, stays on the mat."  Our yoga practice is just that, our own.  So are the big and not so big events in our lives - they are always ours.

So, I will continue to practice the art of patience, striving to simply be better (not perfect) and enjoying this sun-filled ride.

May the light in me honor the light in you,

Namaste

Springing forward for a sharper mind

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace.  With each step, the wind blows.  With each step, a flower blooms. - Thich Nhat Hanh

The progression of the seasons is evident in so many ways. We see it in our natural surroundings, the birds singing, the trees blooming, the days are lighter and longer. I feel like spring is the new "New Year's."  Time to consider changes for us, out with the old and in with the new - yoga practices.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I instruct a Yoga Intro class which is then followed with fifteen minutes of guided meditation. I simply love these classes. I am amazed at the openness and willingness of the participants. Many of the participants are well over 60; many quite limited in their movements and yet so dedicated to coming week after week.

The class is simply inspiring and makes me proud of where anyone can go, no matter what age, shape or form. I think what makes the class so awesome is how so many people stay for the fifteen minutes of meditation. This is where the real work begins and today I was reminded of how important it is to "try something new."

I have evolved over my 13 years of teaching. I used to think that yoga was just about the poses, hard work and pushing to that final expression of the pose. Well, in today’s practice we mostly focused on standing postures using a chair for assistance. We move at a slower pace, really focusing on getting into the postures and changing them for each person's needs. We spend quite a bit of time on learning how to really breathe - finding a complete inhale and exhale. Finally settling into our savasana. Most of us can get down to the floor but those that cannot stay in their chairs and simply find their own state of calm.

Today's guided meditation was given to me by a fellow instructor. I really liked it so I thought I would try it out on the class. The meditation is a memory meditation and involves some vocalizing. Being the old "asana only" yogi for so many years you must know that chanting and oming is still a bit "out there for me." Although I like to think that it is the people in the class that won't like it, I think I have used that as a cover up for my own insecurities with this process.

So, I thought what the heck let's try out this meditation and see how people react.

The idea is that you say the sounds "Sa, Ta, Na, Ma" while touching your thumbs to a corresponding finger. "Sa" goes with thumb and index finger, "Ta" with thumb and middle finger, "Na" with thumb and ring finger, "Ma" with thumb and pinky finger. The first two minutes you say the syllables out loud while lightly touching the corresponding finger, the next two minutes you whisper the syllables, the next four minutes you say them silently in your head, the next two minutes return to whispering, and the final two minutes back to saying them out loud. It should take about twelve minutes give or take. You also really want to draw out the "ah" sound with each syllable.

The meditation itself is quite simple and very soothing. So how did the class respond? Quite well indeed. Everyone was saying the words, some louder than others but no one walked out (which is always an instructor's biggest fear, well that and someone getting hurt). Everyone left at the end with a great yogi smile and a calming nature.

This meditation was conducted on a group of people through an Alzheimer’s study. They did this memory meditation everyday for 8 weeks and found amazing results showing increased blood flow to the area of the brain that holds memory.

I just finished reading Sanjay Gupta's "Chasing Life." It is a great read on how to live the fullest life we can with what we have before us. I felt great about my role so far in the exercise and diet areas (although there is always room for improvement!), but when he started talking about lowering our stress levels and exercising our brains I felt like a slouch. This memory meditation is something that I can do for the next few weeks. Conducting it with my class as well as doing it on my own. I know this area I need to grow and change comes from within. I cannot control very much in life but I can take a lead on trying to make my life the most abundant it can be with the tools I have at hand.

So we come back to this new season of spring and my goal is to take better care of my mind and spirit. I need this calming breath and focus as I jump into tax season!

Allow this spring season to open our hearts, minds and spirits to something new. I leave you with a simple song of "Sa, Ta, Na, Ma."

May the springtime light in me honor the springtime light in you.

Namaste.

Oh the places we have been...

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. - Albert Einstein

The other day as I was cleaning, like the good Virgo that I am, I got to thinking about greater things in my life that I have tried that are beyond simply having a presentable home.  What have I done so far in this life of mine?  We tend to dwell so much on the things we have not done that we fail to see all that has been accomplished.  So here are a few things that came to mind for me:

1. I totally forgot that right out of college I tried out for the Minnesota Opera.  Seriously, I had a music minor degree and I knew I would not make it into even a chorus role but I was young and it was a great opportunity. I got professional pictures taken and everything.  I did not get a call back but at least I could say I tried.  I am sure that the young diva in me said something like, "Their loss, wait until I am famous..."

2.  I kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland on Saint Patrick's Day.  Yes, I made the hike up the famous castle, let some old Irish guy hang onto me as I bent backwards  (my pre-yoga days)  and thankfully did not contract any diseases in the process.  It is true; I have the gift of gab and luckily a strong immune system!

3. I hung out with actual Welch Rubgy players in Wales.  To be real honest, they might not have been rugby players but they were Welch and a ton of fun!  I recommend that anyone in college take advantage of traveling abroad - it will change your life.

4. I have roughed it in the wilderness in the BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) in northern Minnesota.  No phones, beds, or running water.  I carried 50 pound packs on my back, canoes, pumped water to drink, and made food over a campfire.  It was some of the toughest work I have ever done and also the most satisfying.  On one of those trips I also went cliff jumping .  Thanks to our fearless leader Nancy for she jumped first to make sure it was safe.  It was a total rush and I want to do it again. As much as I love sitting by the beach relaxing, there is something awesome about roughing it.

5. I married a man who respects me and my dreams.  He is a generous and compassionate person who has the same desire to do well in this world.  He loves his daughters and would lay down his life for any of us.  This is a true gift.

6.  I completed my first ever triathlon when I was six months pregnant.  I remember kissing my husband before the race and he looked at me and said, "Be safe."  I knew he was going to be a good dad right at that moment.  I crossed the finish line with my friend Jen in under two hours.  I recall taking a two hour nap and then we headed down to Murray's Steak house for the famous butter knife steak.  Nothing better then earning a fine meal.

7.  I bruised my ribs in a boogie board accident in Hawaii.  One of the most painful injuries in my recent history but well worth the embarrassing memories (and six-plus week recovery!).

8. I had two natural childbirths.  To some this might not seem like much but to those that have given birth - it is a big deal!  Thank goodness for yoga and breathing.  I am thankful for a strong body and two healthy children.

9. I found a career where when I come home I feel like I have made a difference in my community.  I am a role model, a motivator and I hope that people view me as a good person. 

10.  I moved to Florida before I was 65!

I could go on with more things but the point is to do a quick reflection.  This can easily tie into the practice of yoga.  Many times we offer a pose to try for participants and a lot of people simply say, " I cannot do that."  What we need to realize is that the final look of any pose is always a journey.  One person's trikonasana is not another's.  There is not one defined way to reach a pose, we each get there at our own pace and with our own abilities.  I think that is why I have been so drawn to yoga over the years, there are not absolutes, just suggestions.  Like life, yoga is not about what we have not done but where we have been and are continuing to go with our practice. 

So, to all of us who are still trying to figure out what we are going to do when we grow up, stop worrying, reflect upon what we have done so far and enjoy the journey.  Work and play hard and before we know it, work and play become the same thing.  Try that funky yoga pose, go sky-diving (or something outside our comfort zone), hug the ones you love AND hug those that challenge us for they need it, too.

May the light in my heart honor the light in your heart.

Namaste

Halfway empty? No way, halfway full!

“It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible.  From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come." - Dalai Lama

The Christmas holiday has passed, we are into the New Year and it also marks our 6 month anniversary as Floridians.  It was a wild and crazy 2012 to say the least.  I am still in awe that it has already been 6 months since we packed up our car and waved goodbye to Minnesota that hot July day.  I hear it is about 2 degrees back in Minne"snow"ta while we all shiver here at about 75 degrees. 

The year 2012 will go down in history for the MacMillan family as one giant year.  As I reflect upon all that we were handed over the last 12 months I am amazed at all that we experienced as a family, as individuals and as a community in this world. 

 As I was biking to the Y last week I was thinking about a very important part of life: attitude.

I just read an article in one of my fitness magazines that stated that simply smiling can lower your heart rate when you are stressed out.  Did you know that grumpy people's heart rates stayed elevated longer during a stressful time then those that put on a true grin?  Just another reason to live by the lyrics, "So put on a happy face!"

I think looking forward with a positive attitude really makes the difference in our lives.  I have been lucky to be surrounded by a lot of people that have great attitudes.  This is not to say that these people are always happy.  It is not easy to always be happy and I do not necessarily believe we always need to be happy.  There are times when we feel down, lonely, anxious or my favorite term, "Blah."  Yet, I think we can turn these feelings around by simply examining that good old notion," Is the glass half empty or half full?"

Yoga is a great way to shift a negative mood into a positive one.  In the book written by Swami Shankarananda, Carrot in My Ear,  he says, "The attitude of yoga is of total responsibility. We are responsible for our lives, our society, our actions. Every moment in time is a new opportunity. You are at a crossroads with two paths. Every moment the same choice is available. Every moment wipes out the past and gives you a new possibility. If you chose wrongly in the last moment, choose correctly now. The choice is always the same-downward to ignorance and depression, or upward to joy and insight. In every moment, there is hope and a fresh choice."

We all have experiences in our lives where attitude really influences the outcome.  How often have we been driving in the car, excited about where we were going and then traffic totally takes the joy out of the journey? Hopefully we are able to let go of these negative thoughts and move on but many would agree that it is not always that easy.

Yoga leads us to pathways of inner strength that is refined and firm, yet also gentle and accepting. There are many ways to practice yoga and they can vary broadly in the areas of physical postures and philosophy. Certain types of yoga include rigorous or gentle rounds of postures, self-inquiry, repetition of mantra, techniques of meditation and compassion for yourself or others. Although different types of yoga can vary in these realms, all the traditions offer suggestions to embrace an attitude that is purposeful and flexible.

I have noticed over the years that sometimes just getting to a yoga class is all we need to change our attitudes.  I have seen many people enter a yoga class completely flustered and by the end of practice you can just feel the overall blood pressure of the room slow down.  It is important that we each spend quiet time so we can calm our minds and renew our bodies. 

Hindu philosopher, Kashmir Shaivism, recommends embracing the fluctuations of mood and working with them. We can acknowledge the complete range of human experience through meditation and self-inquiry to achieve higher states of consciousness. One way of doing this is to look inside ourselves to identify what we are thinking and shift our series of thoughts to a more positive state when we are in a negative mood. I have found that simply repeating a positive mantra helps to dissolve the chatter of the mind to create a more uplifting thought process.  I recently heard a great mantra in class the other day, "Breathe in light, breathe out love." 

I believe that any type of yoga practice calls for an attitude of an open heart and mind.  Most of us who have been practicing yoga start to realize over time that yoga is more than just doing poses or even meditating.  We begin to see that our yoga practice is more about an attitude or an approach to life.

So as I look at how we have handled the last 6 months of great change, I think attitude has been everything.  I could have sat around crying about being away from everyone and everything that I have ever known but instead I went out searching for what I needed to make me more whole.  That is not to say that I have not struggled (or am still struggling) with feelings of lose, loneliness, and sadness but being able to practice yoga and look inside keeps me grounded.  I am grateful for the experiences that I have been given over these past 6 months - both good and bad.  I look at these experiences as personal growth in my yoga practice or more so, my approach to life.

So as we enter this New Year of 2013, may we all truly smile and take time to smell the roses (or in my case, the salty air!).

May we each inhale light and exhale love.

Namaste

        

Walking in my Christmas flip flops...

Change always comes bearing gifts. -Price Pritchett

It was a picture perfect Sunday.  We had just finished up with church,  it was about 80 degrees, the sun was shining, our flip flops were on and here we are, buying a Christmas tree.  I must say that this was a drastic change from the many years in Minnesota where the girls and I would yell to Mike from the car, "Just pick one, we are cold!"



"Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters"

I recall when we were de-cluttering our lives last summer before the big move we looked at our tree stand and said, "Sell it, we won't be using that in Florida.  We will have to get a fake tree."  Little did we know that no matter where you go, you can always get the real deal.  We were ecstatic when we found out that people got real trees in Florida (well some, not all).  Sure, we have heard the various pooh-poohs about how dry they get down here but really, it is not any different in Minnesota.  So, with a skip in our step and the glow of the season in our hearts, we found the perfect tree.  It was so nice to not be shivering, to take the time to really look at each tree and decide on "the one." 

The traditions that we had in Minnesota have not changed that much since being down here.  The only thing that really seems different is the weather and we are not complaining at all.  We actually went down to a park the other night in St. Pete and they had real snow.  Of course it did not last very long but it was still fun see and feel.

I think the most noticeable change will be that we are not around our families this year.  I know that the girls are a bit sad about this but it makes them feel good to know that the week before Christmas they get to see their aunt and that Mike's family will be down here in January. 

We are fortunate to have a wonderful church community to celebrate with throughout this advent season.  It is fun to hear about others experiences with their first "Florida Christmas."

When I think about the holidays I think about a lot of joy but I also know that for many there is sadness.  Possibly loved ones have passed away or like us, are simply somewhere else.  I tend to think that we put too much pressure on this time of year to be "perfect."

Mike and I have put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make these days extra special for the girls as well.  It is hard not to feel some guilt at the fact that we have moved so far away from everything that the girls have ever known.  Overall they have done great but we knew that Christmas would be the biggest holiday that we might actually feel some of that shared sadness that many do at this time of year.

So we have ventured to a few local Christmas festivals but none of it has really captured the spirit for us.  Then we got to thinking, we never really went to any big festivals in Minnesota, we created our own memories.  Our new memories are ones of walking on the beach on a warm December afternoon, laughing quietly as we know folks back home are shoveling snow!

It reminds me of a hot yoga class I was in a few years back.  The experience that I had at this hot yoga class has helped me shape my own person practice and my teaching style as well as how I look at change.  I recall coming into the ungodly hot studio and seeing all these fit people, men and women, barely dressed.  One man actually had on what looked like a Speedo - JUST a Speedo.  It was hard not to feel intimidated by these buff bodies even when I knew for fact that I was quite strong and fit myself.  I felt like I was in high school and it was more about appearance than the practice.  Not only did I find the same 26 poses predictable and boring but I could not take my mind off the fact that this just did not feel like yoga to me.  It did not feel quite right.  I felt like I was forcing myself to do something I just did not like.  So, I survived the physical but more so the mental hot yoga practice and slammed the door on that one.  I myself do not care for hot yoga but for others it fulfills their practice. What this class did do for me was make me realize what type of yoga practice I do like.  Sometimes we have to experience things we do not like to realize what we really do value. 

So this experience brings to light our current experiences with trying to fulfill expectations that really are not possible.  The Christmas of Florida will of course be different from the Christmas of Minnesota.  But, we can take what we do like and make it into something new that we like even more.  We still have our real tree, the lovely smell of pine in the air.  We can still make all the lovely cookies and food fixings that warm our bellies and give us that temporary sugar euphoria.  We can still open gifts on Christmas morning and see the delight in our girl's eyes.  Instead of being inside by the fire we can put on our flip flops and head down to the beach and warm our bodies with the golden glow of the amazing sun.  We can spend time together and no matter where we are, we are one family.

As we celebrate the anticipation of the season, may we delight in the possibility of new possibilities.  May love, joy, even sadness at times, shape our hearts to being more open to the greater possibilities that are ahead.

Namaste.

A thankful heart

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. -Meister Eckhart

As we walked along the beach this afternoon, celebrating our first Thanksgiving Day in Florida, I decided it was the appropriate time to reflect on all the blessings in our lives.  It has been a wild year so far and yet our eyes have been completely open to all of it.  There have been many challenges for each member of this family and yet that is the one thing that keeps us going - each other.

Fiona and Chloe at the beach on Thanksgiving Day

I am amazed at how well our daughters have adjusted to their new lives in a new state. I am grateful that they are willing to try new things and trust that their parents will always do the best they can for their well-being.

Did I ever mention that I have the most brilliant husband?  Well, he truly is.  If I am worried about something, no matter what, he knows how to calm my mind.  He is my rock and I am so thankful that we both decided to work at the Edina Liquor Store about 13 years ago! 

We are lucky to be a part of two really fun families back in Minnesota.  It was hard to not be up there this Thanksgiving but we also know that memories are simply good times remembered and never forgotten. 

The technological age is a gift that allows us to stay more connected to friends and family than ever.  It is fun to think that no matter what time of day, I can see what people are doing thousand of miles away from us.  So, keep posting those fun things my dear friends on Facebook - I love it! 

As I was thinking about the idea of gratitude it brought me once again back to yoga practice.  Many times we attend a yoga class seeking to get something out of it.  What if we attended class with the intention that our practice were for someone or something else?  Taking the time during our practice to focus on someone or something else is a wonderful way to connect with what we are thankful for.  I love the idea of leaving judgment and expectation outside the door and focusing on the blessings in our lives.  Instead of making this a yearly process, possibly we can make it a daily process. 

On this Thanksgiving Day I am thankful for the gifts of health, love, family, friends, nature, and of course the fact that I got to share in another beautiful day in this life.

Words cannot express how much I am thankful for my loving husband and two beautiful and intelligent daughters. Whenever I get a bit down all I need to do is look at them, hug them and know I am not alone. As Mike and I were walking behind the girls this afternoon on the beach he said to me, "We are blessed." Yes my love, we are.

May the grateful light in my heart honor the grateful light in yours,

Namaste

Our First Florida Halloween

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.  - Japanese Proverb

Our witch and rock star
 

As Mike and I sat down once the girls finally went to sleep after trick or treating the other night we both looked at each other and said,  "That was a great Halloween." I think we were anxious about how this first Halloween would turn out here in Florida.  As parents we were hopeful that our kids would be happy. 

The past few years we had it made in our little Richfield neighborhood back in Minnesota.  The girls had plenty of friends and we knew many of our neighbors.  We were comfortable and had our annual plans for every holiday. 

Halloween is kind of the kick off for all the fun holidays to come over the next few weeks. Our kids had been anticipating their first Halloween in Florida.  We knew the weather was going to be top notch so we did not have to worry about a costume being "winter proof."  We knew we had a lot of parties to attend and that people DO trick or treat down here.  Even though we all knew that many things would be quite similar, it was all going to be quite different as well.

It is hard to teach kids to let go of expectations, especially when they are missing things about their "old home."  It is also very difficult to establish this idea when you have one child that is very set in her ways.  Our oldest, Fiona, is the type of personality that once she has something set in her mind it will turn into World War III if you dare stray the course.  Chloe is much more laid back and tends to go with the flow.  She does get disappointed but seems to be soothed easier than Fiona.  Teaching anyone to let go of expectations is hard.  I think that with kids you need to offer alternative ideas. 

There are things we definitely miss about Minnesota such as our annual trips to the pumpkin patch/apple orchard.  That was always an October tradition.  Obviously pumpkins and apples cannot grow in Florida - it is just too hot so they are shipped down here.  They put together make shift pumpkin patches and if I were from here I would think they were just fine but knowing what the real thing is like, it is hard not to be slightly disappointed.    But like the saying goes, when God gives you lemons, make lemonade or in this case, just do something with a twist.

So, we attended a few Fall Festivals last weekend.  The first event was a fall fund raiser for the girl's school.  It was a must go to for the girls are still in the delicate, meeting new friends stage.  Chloe is much more relaxed when it comes to friends but then again, in Kindergarten, everyone is your friend.  Fiona was very set on attending this party and having the perfect costume.  The school party was a hit.  It was so nice to watch our kids running around with their new friends, smiling, laughing, and simply enjoying the moment like kids do so well.

We also decided to check out a local city Halloween party the following night.  It was a great set up and we even ran into some school friends again. It was wonderful to see a community come together and supply such a safe and fun party for so many people.

Finally, we ended the Halloween festivities with good old fashioned trick or treating.  We ventured into the neighborhood close by and were able to score the usual massive quantities of sugary treats.  The girls met up with a sweet little boy and ran from house to house with the usual bounce and excitement in their steps.

Again, the anxiety that we place upon ourselves is simply what we place on ourselves.  As much as I wanted to think the girls were really worried about Halloween, it was me that was worried about it.  Things are going to be both similar and different, no matter where we might be living.  Life is constantly changing and I need to show my daughter's that I can easily deal with this so in return they can handle it as well.  It truly is "monkey see, monkey do."

So as we move into even bigger days of anticipation, Fiona's birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas, we hope for the best and realize that we can just take it one holiday at a time.

May the light in me honor the light in you.

Namaste.