Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com
yoga@cherylthomas.com
415-308-3377
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Do you find yourself jabbering on and on about
nothing? Do you exaggerate in order to entertain
others? Do you try to impress others
with your "smarts" by talking about things you have limited knowledge, but wish
you did?
Right Speech clocks in a No. 3 on the Buddha's Eightfold
Path. There are 4 virtues of Right Speech
(1) and the final one is refraining from frivolous
talk or gossip. Take a look at the time
between when a thought comes up and when it's out the mouth. Pretty short, huh. A short distance between brain and mouth is
OK if you're explaining quantum physics to a class of students-no problem. But,
when you're with your buddies and you're catching up on the latest gossip in
Mayberry, then increasing the time between the unkind/unnecessary thought
and the boca is a good thing in order to avoiding frivolous or unnecessary talk.
It all comes down to intention (as does
everything). Sharon Salzberg, Insight
Meditation teacher, suggests that we imagine a time when we've felt the need to
gossip. At first neither act on the
desire nor push it away, but rather sit with the feeling, wait. Think "will saying what I have the urge to
say right now really serve my goals in relationship with this
person and in my life?" If the answer is "yes," go ahead, but if
the answer is "no," you haven't said anything to that point so
there's a gain to staying quiet. The
key here, I think, is to take that moment (the gap) to evaluate your intention
for what may be frivolous talk or gossip.
I've tried to notice when I'm just jabbering. If I truly become aware of my speech and
avoid useless chatter/gossip, I don't talk very much. And, for me that feels odd. For extroverts, talking (with our hands) is what we do. I
found myself uncomfortable being silent. But why? Reminds me of the Pulp
Fiction scene where Uma and John are in the diner sitting across from one
another:
Uma says: Don't
you hate that?
John: What?
Uma: Uncomfortable silences. Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about
bullshit in order to be comfortable?
John: I don't know. That's a good question.
Uma: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can
just shut the f*%@ up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence.
So, try (and it's not easy) to notice what's arising in the
mind before you speak, the intention of the thought and the ensuing value in speaking. It may make you feel awkward at first and others
may wonder what's wrong with you, but check it out. It's a good practice to do to begin to be
more mindful of your speech. Let me know
how it goes.
(1) Abstain from (i) falsehood (speak the truth) (ii) slander or tale-bearing (iii) harsh words
Want to read some of my past emails? Just click here and you'll be taken to my newsletter archive page. Enjoy and as always, please let me know your thoughts!
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Week of May 9, 2010
Tuesday
9:00 - 10:30 ***Donation***
Yoga on Center, Healdsburg
All Levels
6:30 -8:00 p.m. (Private)
UCSF Restorative Yoga for Metabolic Syndrome
San Francisco
Wednesday
5:30 - 6:55 p.m.
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Vinyasa Flow + Restorative - All Levels
Thursday
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Graton Community Center
Gentle Yoga - All Levels
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. (Private)
UCSF Restorative Yoga for Metabolic Syndrome
San Francisco
Week of May 16, 2010
Tuesday
9:00 - 10:30 ***Donation***
Yoga on Center, Healdsburg
All Levels
6:30 -8:00 p.m. (Private)
UCSF Restorative Yoga for Metabolic Syndrome
San Francisco
Wednesday
5:30 - 6:55 p.m.
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Vinyasa Flow + Restorative - All Levels
Thursday
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Graton Community Center
Gentle Yoga - All Levels
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. (Private)
UCSF Restorative Yoga for Metabolic Syndrome
San Francisco
STUDIO WEBSITES
Yoga on Center: www.yogaoncenter.com
Yoga Studio Ganesha: www.yogastudioganesha.com
Westside Yoga Studio: http://www.westsideyogastudio.net
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Hope to see you soon!
Namaste,
Cheryl
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Bulletin Board
Many Happy Mom's Day Wishes to all of you caring and awesome moms who juggle being a loving wife/dutiful sister/engaged aunt/compassionate
friend/gourmet cook/spic'n'span cleaner/master gardener/sexy lover/safe taxi driver and all before noon! You rock!
Thanks for your Interest! Many of you have asked to read some of the articles from past newsletters and I **finally** figured out how to link them to this newsletter and (soon) to my webpage. You can also find the link here. Enjoy!
Pay What you Can
Tuesday's donation class at Yoga on Center continues through May at 9:00 a.m. Join us at a price that works for YOU. This will be an all level, easy to moderate flow class. And, there's the yummiest sticky buns at the Downtown Bakery!
Many, many thanks to the yogis that came to Thursday's class in Graton where Jeff filmed our class. I was so proud. You all looked great! I appreciate your participation.
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