Crying is good for you, it means that you’re alive. If you were dead, you couldn’t cry.
We are a week and a half into our Yoga teacher training at Shambhava Yoga Konalani and have somewhat found our rhythm in the Ashram lifestyle.
One of my favorite practices is selfless service, aka Seva. Seva is to be performed in silence or while chanting. Today, I began chanting “Om Namah Shivaya”, during Selfless service. I found this to be a blissful practice and I plan to implement it in my daily life when I return home.
Yesterday, a few of us hit the wall emotionally. One of my dear fellow students collapsed in my arms, sobbing. We had a nice chat and shared many hugs. I was reminded of the effectiveness of our pranayama training for our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
Our cook told me afterward that she, herself had a good crying session.
We all returned to study hall but by that time, my energy was tapped out. I decided to skip dinner and take a nap.
I find all this emotional energy to be quite normal and appropriate at this juncture in our training. Just think about any other form of higher learning and you will find many young women in tears over grades and deadlines.
But our tears are not over mid-terms and finals. At least not yet. There is so much more or maybe just different concerns in Yoga teacher training. We have the meditation, breathing and the Ashram lifestyle. We are partnering up for complex poses, giving each other honest feedback. We experience communal meals and the vulnerability of presenting asanas and sequences.
Whether we like it or not, we have a true connection, psychically, spiritually, and emotionally. I have complete confidence in our training staff and how they address uncomfortable conversations. I also know that we will come out of this part of our individual journeys as effectual, spiritual beings.
I woke up from my nap to a strong rainstorm. It’s as if the sky had great empathy for our group and nature wanted to partake in a good, cleansing cry alongside us.
We’ll, time to get back to memorizing sanskrit:
Vrksasana is a tree.
It starts with the letter V.
Her branches are raised up high,
For all the world to see.
Vrksasana – Tree Pose.
“What the hell is this?, I ask myself loudly in my mind. I’m in my first inversion and I have no idea what the teacher just called it. All I know is that every part of my body and skin is sagging toward the floor and it does not feel good at all. When did gravity stop being my friend?
But something about my first Yoga class inspires me to return. I am 3.5 years sober, 185lbs and I smoke and in a very sick marriage. I am so unhealthy, spiritually, and physically. I have learned that Yoga means “Union of mind, body, and spirit”. This is exactly what I am looking for.
For the next few years, I will research Hatha, Kundalini, Yin, and Hot Yoga. I will find the unifying qualities in each one.
When I suffered from Panic Attacks, Kundalini helped bring me, courage, peace and calm. When I had Gastroparesis and was too weak from lack of nutrients, Yin Yoga kept me going. When I was able to do more, Hatha. Now, I have found Hot Yoga and Yoga Sculpt with weights.
What is most delightful to me,is that there is a Yoga for just about any situation in our lives. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a cure-all. But Yoga helps us get through each circumstance as long as we are open-minded and spiritually willing to seek it.
Yoga has no bias towards age, race, body size. Yoga is true union, not just for those who are from the east, hippies or new age. Yoga also evolves with each cultural shift in each community. There is no need for a purist attitude. Traditional Yoga is just as powerful today as it was in ancient times. Alongside traditional Yoga, Power Yoga, and Bikram bring about other options for various needs. One size does not fit all, and there is a Yoga for every type of individual alive today!
There is much controversy over Yoga. Some consider it a religion. In the Christian world, I have heard many warn of the demonic spirits present during such practice. I have let this type of influence keep me from trying Yoga for several years. Fortunately, I have experienced a wonderful spiritual awakening.
I no longer have to live with such religious restriction, concerned about my salvation. I have confidence in my relationship with my Christ. It is a wonder how many women are made to feel shame and guilt for our careers, hobbies and interests, and even our own form of worship.
I believe that God is loving, kind and forgiving. Not the vicious disciplinarian who can’t wait to strike us down with lightning for each transgression we have made. The message of Christ is one of grace and salvation, not damnation and destruction. Furthermore, Christ is not as restricting as he is represented within the church.
When I think of the video explaining Savasana below, I think of this scripture:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” – John 12:24
We believers in Christ, allow ourselves to die to the flesh daily and be born again in His Spirit. I truly believe that God speaks to us as we best listen and receives us as we uniquely worship Him. My worship is no more better than my brother’s or sister’s, it is just mine.
Since I started my yogic journey, I have:
Lost a lot of weight
Gained some weight back
Left an abusive marriage
Quit smoking
Suffered and overcame Panic Attacks
Suffered and overcame Gastroparesis
Got remarried
Bought a House
Got a promotion
Became a grandmother
My practice has been with me through it all. I have often uttered these words:
“There is not much else that can fill me with the same exhilaration as my Yoga practice. When I arrive on the mat, I am blissfully home. This is a joy I would like to pass on to as many people possible.”
Yoga has brought me closer to my God and I see Yoga as one of my greatest gifts from my God. And after many years, gravity and I have become friends again!
Most people have or have had that one friend they call their Bestie, BFF, Roaddog, Ride-or-Die. I too have been blessed with such a gift. When we became grandmothers (far too young by the way), one week apart, we started calling each other Blessties!
At some point, in our friendship, we became psychically connected. We got hungry at the same time, tired at the same time, thirsty at the same time, and fortunately both our homes had two bathrooms because we literally had to shit at the same time. We both gave birth to two handsome boys and one beautiful daughter, in the same order. The boys we were pregnant with at the same time would make us grandmothers in the same month – August of 2010.
In so many ways, we had the same difficult childhoods. Both suffering traumatic events at very young ages before we even met and we met when we were 11 and 12! No surprise that we both started our real drinking, smoking and drugging careers together at 12 and 13.
We shared a love of Prince and the Revolution. Believing Prince was the most beautiful being that ever walked the earth. But we also fought over who saw Patrick Swayze first.
In high school, some actually thought we were twins. We shared our clothes, shoes, and accessories. Though she was put together much better than me. I was always some kind of a mess, whether it was hair or clothes, that being my nature.
We loved catching a cool buzz from beer and cruising Elysian Park when the sun was setting. I remember walking miles in the heat together to the one store that would sell us Boone’s Farms Wines. We would lie in my bed late at night, talking each other through the spins so we wouldn’t puke. When our one close male friend became a father, we got our hung-over asses to the hospital via bus to congratulate and celebrate with him.
But I was a runner. I ran away from home, friendships, relationships, schools, and yes, even my Bestie. I guess I can better define this as I ran to and from all these things. I hated confrontation, got bored easily and when things got ugly at home (which they did quite often), I hit the road. Sometimes moving to another county with my dad. I would of course, come back on weekends and holidays and hang out with her and we wrote often. When we were together, it was like we were never apart. She would, however, tell me years later that she had abandonment issues because of me and I can truly understand and validate her emotions.
I never understood how we went through a huge separation when we got together with our significant others. I think we both felt uneasy about each other’s men. Much later, it would become obvious that we had both picked abusive men. But we would never call each other out on that, maybe because then, each of us would have to look at our own shit. It doesn’t matter now, though, and we still took every opportunity we could to meet up by ourselves from time to time.
On May 25, 2003, I surrendered. I was done with my other abusive lover and best friend – cocaine. Through the program of Cocaine Anonymous, I became clean and sober. About a month later, my dear friend showed up at my house needing a place to crash. She was living in a laundromat, had lost her kids, home, car and her man. I let her stay one night but had to tell her that I could not put my sobriety on the line for her. I would be willing to take her to meetings, find a treatment center, whatever she needed when it comes to sobriety.
She was not interested but eventually calledthe number to a center I had given her. Two months later, she wrote me from that very center. We were both getting sober together! We both began a new and better way of living, though in different 12-step organizations. No matter, good recovery is good recovery. I celebrated with my best friend, when she got a job, car, home, and then her kids back! We were living the promises.
But once again, it was time for me to leave. This time to another state. There were many reasons: My kids were into too much trouble in California, we couldn’t afford to live there anymore, and my asthma was at its all-time worst. I also, needed to deal with other issues like the end of my marriage to an abuser, panic attacks and chronic illness.
Thankfully, my budget allowed me to come back often to visit.Unfortunately, I got to see my ride-or-die fall back into the world of alcohol. Along with this, was the return of misery, fear, and chaos. There was nothing I could do but pray. Yes, we spoke many times and she found a man we believed was a gift from God. He spoiled her, took her to Hawaii and married her.
“Nothing youconfess,could make me love you less.”
Things crashed down quicky for my Bestie and her marriage.She would later explain some very difficult truths, with guilt and shame. I never judged her. I was never shocked, just saddened. I wished I could be there with her. Though it was starting to seem that my interaction was more of a hindrance than help.
Shortly afterward, her number was no longer in service.She was off Facebook and her family really wouldn’t say what was going on when I asked. So for now, I just don’t know. Today, I get to experience the abandonment that I had put on her many times. Though I always said something. All I have received from my dearest friend is silence.
Two weeks ago, Prince died. The news was devastating to me. My youth, memories with my BFF, all that rushed through my raw emotional state. Furthermore, the two of us mourned separately, without any contact.
Is this friendship breakup permanent? I don’t know. Do I like it? Hell no. Can I live with it? Of course. I have a strong support system here and I hope to God that like everything else we experienced together, she does as well. Maybe that support system has recommended she not talk to me. If it will help her, I will truly accept that – for her life, sanity, sobriety, and spirituality.
Because it is not about me. Sometimes it is about what is best for those I love. If for some reason, my friendship has become stale or decayed to another, they will have to let go of me. Just as I have had to let go of toxic friends. This doesn’t always mean that we ourselves are toxic – only the friendship we had is not working anymore. I must remain unselfish when it comes to another’s spirit. That is the beauty of letting go. Giving up another so she can grow, blossom and be reborn. For this reason, I accept being – disconnected.
Pratyahara: “the conscious withdrawal of energy from the senses.”
“Pratyahara is twofold. It involves withdrawal from wrong food, wrong impressions and wrong associations, while simultaneously opening up to right food, right impressions and right associations. We cannot control our mental impressions without right diet and right relationship, but pratyahara’s primary importance lies in control of sensory impressions which frees the mind to move within.” [1]
Even as a tortoise draws in its limbs, the wise can draw in their senses at will. Aspirants abstain from sense pleasures, but they still crave for them. These cravings all disappear when they see the highest goal. Even of those who tread the path, the stormy senses can sweep off the mind. They live in wisdom who subdue their senses and keep their minds ever absorbed in me. – Bhagavad Gita, Chapter Two, Verses 58-60
“In Sanskrit, pratyahara literally means “to draw toward the opposite“. – B.K.S. Iyengar
It is incredible how my life seems to be running parallel to each weekly topic of the 8 Limbs in this series. Although I understand the concept of Pratyahara on the mat, (Savasana being my favorite pose), this is another concept that crosses over into our everyday lives.
As I shared in my last blog, I am in the thick of training to become a Victim Advocate for Alternatives To Violence. This is a wonderful local organization, which provides help to those who have survived Domestic Violence. I am truly honored that they have accepted me into their program.
That being said, we have discussed some very heavy topics. Because of such heaviness, part of our training was on self-care, which included setting boundaries.
Most, if not all of us in the group are very empathetic and must set some strong emotional boundaries if we wish to be successful as advocates. Some of the situations we will face are grave. Some will involve children. We discussed how our first instinct when it comes to children would be to hug or hold a child. We also discussed the potentially negative impact such an act can bring upon ourselves as well as the family involved in the incident. So, we must “draw toward the opposite” action.
This discussion resonated well with my research into the practice of Pratyahara.
Practicing Pratyahara
Pratyahara has been credited to helping others overcome anxiety and gain better concentration/focus. There are many traditional forms of Pratyahara as well as modern-day suggestions:
Pranayama -There are various breathing techniques. Try this one:
When you breath out, at the end of the exhale, breath out a bit more. This is one way to eliminate toxicity, both in mind and matter.
Mindful Eating – Eat your meal in silence and allow yourself to chew slowly, tasting your food.
Mindful Cleaning – Removing clutter.
Turn off all electronics for an hour and sit in silence. Avoid reaching for your mobile phone, tablet, laptop as difficult as it might be.
I once knew a man who loved guns. He purchased a particularly special gun and placed it in his cabinet. Once a week, for several weeks, he would go to the cabinet and stare appreciatively at this gun. Then he would choose another gun to use at the shooting range. As much as he wanted to use the special gun, he challenged himself and did the opposite, using another instead. This would be a form of Pratyahara.
So we can practice Pratyahara by not purchasing the beautiful dress online when we want to or turning on Netflix when we feel the need to escape. Instead, turn within, withdraw from the energy of senses.
My sobriety is a form of Pratyahara. You see, my nature is to drink and use drugs. One day at a time, I choose not to. It has gotten easier over the years, yet I still know that I am only one drink or drug away from relapse. So I continue to work my steps and participate in the program of recovery, passing it on to newcomers who do not yet know how “to draw toward the opposite”.
How do you see yourself practicing Pratyahara? Can you commit to starting with one item a day for 21 days? I wish you all the serenity of this practice. Stay Blissful My Friends – E
Asana
The third limb of Yoga comprises of the practice of Asana (or poses). Just as Christians, Yogic practitioners also view the body as a temple of the spirit. Therefore, the care of which is an important stage of our spiritual growth as well as our physical growth. Asanas help us to develop discipline habits and the ability to concentrate. The practice of both is necessary for meditation.
Funny story: I have been practicing Yoga for some 8-9 years and it wasn’t until my husband gave me a book on Yoga that I came to realize the Sanskrit meaning of Asana is pose and that each Sanskrit word in regards to pose ends with asana! Ha! That one really did go over my head for years.
Abdominal Asanas such as Boat Pose (Navasana) and Half Boat Pose (Ardha Navasana) help to build core strength and stability, Improving Balance, Strengthening lower back over time, and developing sharper patience—Navasana is definitely one in which most people just want the pose to end. Patience indeed!
In addition, they are said to aid in digestion by raising the digestive fire. The naval center is known as the “third chakra”:
“The third chakra is called Manipura, which means “lustrous gem.” Located around the navel in the area of the solar plexus and up to the breastbone, it is a source of personal power and governs self-esteem, warrior energy, and the power of transformation. The Manipura chakra also controls metabolism and digestion.
When you feel self-confident, have a strong sense of purpose, and are self-motivated, your third chakra is open and healthy. If your third chakra is out of balance, you can suffer from low self-esteem, have difficulty making decisions, and may have anger or control issues. The element is fire and the color is yellow, bright like the sun.” [1]
Standing Poses – Tree Pose (Vrksasana) is good for strengthening thighs, calves, ankles, and spine. It stretches the groins and inner thighs, chest and shoulders and relieves sciatica. Also known to give one an improved sense of balance.
Arm Balancing Asanas such as Crane or Crow Pose (Bakasana)
For building strength in both arm and core muscles, as well as helping sharpen your mental focus or Drishti.
Backbends – Camel Pose (Ustrasana) and Lord of the Dance Pose (Natarajasana)
Heart opening asanas increase flexibility and stimulate the nervous system. These poses are highly recommended in the Winter and when one is experiencing a broken heart. Many of us close our hearts as a defense mechanism after heartbreak. The antidote for this would a back bending asana.
Forward Bending Asanas like Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and Child’s Pose (Balasana) help you to create length and space in the spine as well as focusing your attention inward.
Inversions – Forearm Balance (Pincha Mayurasana) and Shoulderstand Pose (Salamba Sarvangasana) are two good examples. These poses are a great way to reinvigorate circulation. You will establish self-trust and experience a new perspective (Drishti) of the world around you.
Squatting – Garland Pose (Malasana) is another one of my favorite poses. This pose stretches the ankles, groins, and back torso as well as tones the belly.
Stretching Asanas -(Veerabhadrasana or Virabhadrasana) Used for stretching the chest and lungs, shoulders and neck, belly, groins (psoas). Strengthens the shoulders and arms, and the muscles of the back as well as the thighs, calves, and ankles. Improves balance in the body helps increase stamina.Highly beneficial for those with sedentary or deskbound jobs and those with frozen shoulders. Releases stress in the shoulders very effectively in a short span of time.Believed to bring on auspiciousness, courage, grace and peace.
Twisting Asanas – one of the most popular being Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana) energizes the spine and stimulates the digestive fire.
Sitting Asanas – such as Easy Pose (Sukhasana) will open your hips and lengthen your spine. Boosts your state of groundedness and inner calm. Intensifies serenity, tranquility, and eradicates anxiety. It also relieves physical and mental exhaustion and tiredness.
Resting – Corpse Pose (Savasana) is probably everyone’s favorite pose! Good for connecting to your breath, stress relief, peace, and self-acceptance. Usually done at the end of each sequence, many people actually struggle with lying down, essentially doing nothing. But this pose is most important for completing and solidifying one’s practice.
With all this goodness, your temple is in pretty good shape! Stay Blissful my friends!
Just a quick few words this week. Some extremely helpful learning points:
I gained back 1lb.
This is okay. Since my weight loss goal is not high it is expected that I lose at a slower pace. So why the weight gain? Well, upon ending the Turbo 10 and Nutricrush phase, I mistakenly added an additional Powerfuel and an additional Smartcarb.
Thankfully, Nutrisystem has good nutritionists available for consult throughout the day. I chatted with one yesterday and she advised me on the best Powerfuels and Smartcarbs and when to eat them.
REMEMBER:
I can have my dinners for lunch.
Because I am doing Hot Yoga and Yoga Sculpt, it is best for me to get more energy in during the day. So I can flip the meals Yay!
I feel good!
Though I got to eat the chocolate cupcake, which is yummy and decadent, I did get heartburn. This tells me that too much chocolate along with sugar is a no-no. Kind of sad because the cupcake was pretty small, yet good to know. Going forward, when I look upon a delicious chocolate snack I will ask myself “Am I willing to endure the physical discomfort for this?”, and answer accordingly in all honesty.
Keep going and don’t give up.
This is not only a weight loss program, it is a lifestyle program that I committed to. So there is no giving up and no stopping now. Onward!
I have lost 2 inches!
Here’s a nice video on how to stay on track with Nutrisystem while traveling. Perfect timing for me as the hubby and I are going on a little road trip to Moab, UT next week!
Good physical health is part of the overall goal of a good quality of life, bringing me closer to The Elysian Life!
Approaching my stay at Konalini Ashram in Hawaii for Yoga Certification training, I have found a wealth of information in a book my husband bought me. “Health & Wellbeing Yoga” by Charmaine Yabsley and David Smith.
One of the most fascinating would be the Six Main Paths of Yoga.
Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti is a spiritual path of yoga. Known as a Yoga of personal relationship with God, it is centered on love and devotion.Its purpose is to eliminate the ego and to surrender totally to God. Some of the other more physical aspects of yoga such as Hatha are not included in this practice. In Bhakti, all is a manifestation of the divine. All else including all material things and the ego is meaningless. Bhakti is considered the most direct method to merge with the great universal consciousness.
The practice of Kirtan (singing Sanskrit hymns) is a lovely element of Bhakti Yoga. With the current surge of spiritual seekers, Bhakti, and its included Kirtan is becoming quite popular in the Western world.
Hatha Yoga
This is the most practiced yoga in the western hemisphere. Hatha means “willful” or “forceful”. Ha-meaning “the sun”, Tha-meaning “the moon”.
Hatha is a path that involves creating balance and the unification of opposites. Balancing strength and flexibility in our bodies physically, effort and surrender in our spirit/heart.
This practice continually reminds us to focus on the breath, helping us to remain in the present moment.
Jnana Yoga
Known as the “path of knowledge or discernment”. Connecting the finite self with the infinite cosmic consciousness is the main focus of this path. This is achieved through wisdom and knowledge, by withdrawing the mind and emotions and plugging into the universal spirit developing the ability to differentiate real from unreal. Students must integrate the lessons of the other yogic paths before practicing Jnana Yoga.
Karma Yoga
The Yoga of action or selfless service (Seva). Students are encouraged to act selflessly, to give everything with nothing expected in return. Karma Yoga teaches students to release any ego. The detachment of oneself and the fruits of their actions, instead offering them to the divine.
Mantra Yoga
The Yoga of chanting. Mantras: words, phrases, or sounds often repeated over and over with growing attention and chanted thoughtfully. They are commonly used in meditations to develop focus, and also carry powerful spiritual messages or even be used in the pursuit of personal transformation. The use of the mantra allows the yoga student to transcend mental activity and emotions to achieve a higher state of consciousness.
Raja Yoga
Also known as the Great Yoga, Classical Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga.Raja Yoga involves the eight-fold path.It is used to calm the fluctuations of the mind and it also encompasses the goals of Hatha.
Raja includes elements of other pathways, such as Mantra and Hatha. This science of the mind is based on achieving awakening and ultimately enlightenment through meditation, stilling the mind and good health. This is a good reason to pursue Hatha Yoga for exploring other deeper more spiritual yoga avenues.
I have discovered many intrigueing elements of Yoga. The more I learn, the more I seek to learn. That is the beauty of Yoga. Stay Blissful my friends! – E
We met up with my cousins at Ventura beach on a gorgeous summer day in 1984. The waves were perfect and we spent the whole afternoon body surfing. I didn’t even come out of the water to eat. No other sense could compete with the sound of the ocean singing its love song to me. Or the touch of the water enveloping me in its arms like a lover wanting to hold onto me forever, then liberating me as I am carried out to the sand rim on a powerful wave boasting of its strength.
Later that evening, after a nice shower and a meal, I lie on the living room floor. I reach over and grab the Super-Kool from my brother in-law’s hand and smoke its sweet minty goodness. Smokey Robinson’s Quiet Storm is playing. Closing my eyes, I relive every moment in the waves. But now, they are electric and soothing as they move my body forward and back. This is the sweetest moment and I never want it to end.
A few weeks later, my girlfriends Tina and Letty stopped by and asked me if I wanted to slam some coke. I had never used drugs intravenously but had nothing better to do at the time. “Okay”.
I told my sister we were going to the park, which was the truth, that’s where we would meet our connection. Three guys, we knew joined us, I found out they were paying for it. It had started to get dark and I really didn’t know who else was there because all I could see were their dark silhouettes against the backdrop of the sun setting over the rolling foothills.
After the purchase was complete, It was time to get down! Then I noticed something, “Are we all using the same needle?”, I asked. “Yeah, we only have one.”, replied Letty. “Umm, nevermind. I will sit this one out.”, I said. They asked me if I was sure. Hell yes, I was. Didn’t any of them watch the news or read the paper? AIDS was the latest killer among IV users. Maybe I am too intelligent for the drug life. Well at least on that night I was.
The following week I am awakened by my sister shaking me. “Did you fucking slam coke with Letty and Tina?!”, she shouts. “No, I did not.”, I reply. “Tell me the damn truth!”, she says. “I am telling you the truth! I was going to but they were using the same needle and I just can’t do that.”
“Good.”, she says, “They all have Hepatitis”. A wonderful example of God doing for me what I could not do for myself.
Within 5 years, both Letty and Tina would be dead. Tina met up with some guys that had some heroin. She had just met them along the roadside. They gave her an overdose, raped her and dumped her body in a field. Tina was identified by her dental records and jewelry. Letty was getting high and wanted to go body surfing. She got pulled under by the tide and drowned. I think I would have rather gone out the way Letty did. Something about those Ventura waves…
Why not me? I know I did not get hepatitis because I made the choice to not use that day. But there were several other days and nights I coulda-shoulda-woulda been killed if only…
Yet I am here today, alive. My friends are dead. Who am I to question God’s will? Just as I had to accept the fact that I am an addict/alcoholic, I also had to accept that I was alive and they were not.
What I do know is that as long as I am above ground, I am willing to be in His service and make myself useful to all His creation. It is a gift, an honor, and a responsibility. This too I accept…blissfully.
What is your purpose in life? Have you accepted it wholeheartedly? I hope so. The spiritual life is both powerful and liberating…just like those electric waves.
My life has become one obstacle course after another. I hope to wake up early enough to do Yoga and meditation. Soon after, I am showering, styling, making coffee and breakfast. My intentions are always to get out the door at 8:50 AM. But I must first: Pack my lunch, slip on my wedding ring, put the dogs in their crates, give them treats, make sure all electronics are turned off, and grab my purse/laptop/cellphone/lunch bag.
The drive to work is about the easiest part of my day as long as there is no extreme weather. Upon reaching the office, I must grab my stuff and try not to lock my keys inside the car. Then it is all about standing in line at the espresso machine, placing my lunch in the fridge, starting up the laptop and checking email.
I schedule travel for many people and just as I am ready to lock in some good rates I will find that; pertinent info is missing, my P-card limit needs to be temporarily bumped up a bit or the server is down.
I will then send out the proper requests for one of the above and move on to another item until I receive a reply. I will choose to schedule some meetings. What happens next? There are no meeting rooms available, the distribution list needs to be modified, or the server is down.
More requests, and more waiting. Maybe I should do some scanning and electronic filing…you guessed it, either the scanner or the server is down. More requests, more waiting. Obstacles.
This is just work. Back at the homestead, we are updating our flooring. I arrive home with a great need to get on my elliptical machine but, it is hidden behind several pieces of furniture.
Obstacles are generally short-lived. At times, they appear in order for us to take a good look at how we are doing life. When this happens, we might ask ourselves a few questions:
Is my schedule in need of modification?
What is preventing me from doing my best?
Are my beliefs about success hindering progress? If so, maybe they need to be looked at realistically.
Do I need to delegate?
Am I delegating to the right person or persons?
Maybe I should hire someone to clean my house once a month.
When we can be honest with ourselves, action will soon follow. For every problem, there is a solution…if we really want one.
The Hindus chant the Ganesh Mantra 108 times to remove all obstacles. The chant is as follows: “Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha,” as a calling upon the powerful energy of Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity, who is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and the Lord of Beginnings.
Christianstt.com has written a beautiful prayer in regard to obstacles:
“Father, we sing praises unto Your Precious and Mighty name. We thank You for all You have done. Be with us daily Lord, guide us and protect us as we remove obstacles in our way. Lead us along the plain path of righteousness, Oh Heavenly Father, bless us with Your divine favor and mercy.
Give us strength to persevere and overcome the obstacles in our lives, whether it is of You, to make us stronger or of the evil one who tries to knock us down. Despite it all, satan’s evil works will not prevail, for the battle is already won and we shall overcome, just as You overcame the world.
Loving King, draw near in these treacherous times. We confess that we need You at this very moment and we cannot gain victory without You. Remove every obstacle that prevents us from getting closer to You, our merciful Savior, remove them! In Jesus name we pray! Amen!”
Whatever obstacles you are challenged with, I pray you clarity. Regardless of our obstacles, we know we can continue in the Elysian Life. Stay Blissful My Friends – E
Living Elysian 