Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com yoga@cherylthomas.com 415-308-3377 |
Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah
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. Notice 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. Initially, 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, I don't talk very much. And, for me that feels odd. For extroverts, talking (with our hands) is what we do. It's a bit uncomfortable to be quiet. It 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 **Article recycled (again, again)
Want to read some of my past articles?. They're archived right here. Enjoy.
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Hey, Petalumans. . . Save the Carnitas Pork High Tech Burrito Bowl until after 1:00 on Tuesdays. Join me at the NoonTime All Levels Yoga class at Yoga One in Petaluma. One hour. Bring yourself, bring your friends. (Your burrito will be waiting.)
The ever popular, one-name, Alexei, is teaching two morning 9 a.m. classes (Tues and Thursday) at Thrive Yoga. Alexei's classes are Vinyasa based and are heavily inspired by the teachings of Ana Forrest. They are light hearted and fun loving yet challenging. Get upright, inverted and twisted with Anne O'Brien at YogaOne Petaluma on April 18th from 12:30pm - 2:30pm!
Devorah Blum of Yoga Studio Ganesha is hosting the highly respected and senior Iyengar instructor, Jaki Nett, on April 11, 2:30-5:30PM. Jaki will present Yoga Asana Related to the Pelvic Floor Through The Felt Sense Method®. The cost is $40. I'm signed up!
Retreat with Mirka Kraftsow right here in Sonoma County. She'll explore the ancient Chakra system and will include walking meditation, and the Labyrinth and trails of Bishops Ranch, pranayama and meditation. It happens 5/17-20. More info and register here. There are free download from YogaU: yogauonline.com.
My weekly schedule is below (scroll down or click here!). Or, you can always go to my website and click on the always up-to-date calendar to find where I might be.
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How to Make Stress your Friend
Aren't TED Talks amazing? Everyone is so entertaining, informative and polished, even the nerdy-techie type. I wonder how much coaching they get. Here's one from Kelly McGonigal on stress:
"Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others." The link is here.
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 Those Pesky Hamstrings
If you've done yoga or tried to tie your shoes with straight legs, you've said "hello" to your hamstrings. They're the muscles in the back of your upper leg that bring your heel to your rear and control your descent when you fold forward. They can be tight. Do you care? You might if you want to keep your range of motion as you age or if you want to put your foot behind your head. Anyway, in yoga, and other movement modalities, tight hamstrings can be limiting. Here's an article by Roger Cole on stretching the hamstrings. Here's a bit. "The secret to lengthening hamstrings is to learn safe, effective ways to work with (or around) this reflex so it doesn't stop your forward bends prematurely. Like a mule, your hamstrings know darn well when they're being tugged. They sense how far, how fast, and how hard you're pulling them-and if you overdo it, they resist stubbornly. But like a mule, your hamstrings can be convinced that it's safe, even pleasurable, to let go and come along on the journey."
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Kids Play Free
This would freak out most parents. Kids playing parent-free in a dump-like playground. The Land (2015) is a short documentary film about the nature of play, risk and hazard. It's set in a Welsh "adventure" playground. According to the website: "At The Land children climb trees, light fires and use hammers and nails in a play-space rooted in the belief that kids are empowered when they learn to manage risks on their own." I could not find the documentary, but the trailer is above. Here's the website. The Guardian article here. |
 Yoga Helps Fatigue, Inflammation
In a recent study, researcher Janice Kiecolt-Glaser found that practicing yoga for at least 3 hours a week for 3 months reduced the fatigue and inflammation in breast cancer survivors. According to Kiecolt-Glaser, the results could easily generalize to other groups of people who have issues with fatigue and inflammation. From the LA Times article:
"At six months - three months after the formal yoga had ended - fatigue was 57% lower in the women who had done yoga, compared with those who had not. Inflammation, measured by blood tests, was reduced by up to 20%, the researchers said."
You can read it all here. Thanks to POST Wellness by Design for bringing this study to my attention. |
 Tassajara Hot Springs I got a bit carried away in writing about my time at Tassajara Hot Springs Retreat Center last summer, writing 4 articles, which you can see here, here, here and here, (whew!). Many of you expressed interest in going to Tassajara. Well, here's your opportunity. I will be there again this summer for the Healing Power of Stillness assisting Britt Fohrmanfrom July 21 to 26. This would be a great time for you to come and you want to hang out with us!
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Schedule of Upcoming Classes
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Week of April 5, 2015
Tuesday
Noon - 1:00
YogaOne, Petaluma
All Levels Yoga
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Healdsburg, Private
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Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club, Graton
Gentle Flow - All Levels 4:00 - 5:00 Healdsburg, Private Friday 8:30 - 9:30 Private, Sebastopol 4:00 - 5:00 Private, Glen Ellen Saturday
9:00 - 10:30
YogaOne, Petaluma
All Levels Flow
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Week of April 12, 2015
Monday
8:30 - 9:30
Sebastopol, Private
Tuesday
Noon - 1:00
YogaOne, Petaluma
All Levels Yoga
1:15 - 2:15
Private, Petaluma
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Healdsburg, Private
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Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club, Graton
Gentle Flow - All Levels 4:00 - 5:00 Healdsburg, Private Saturday
9:00 - 10:30
YogaOne, Petaluma
All Levels Flow
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Graton Yogis Info:
Did you know your class pass (get these from your instructor) are accepted by all yoga teachers at Yoga in Graton?
We Gratonite Yogis have a place to call our own. It's www.
yogaingraton.com. There is information about current and new yoga classes offered in Graton.
Don't live in Graton? No problem. We want you to come anyway.
You cannot be lost if you don't care where you are.
Judith Lasater
When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.
Ansel Adams
"Not to have what we want is stressful; to have what we do not want is stressful." Buddha
Dalai Lama: "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
"Everything will be alright in the end. And if it is not alright, it's not yet the end!" The Magnolia Hotel movie
If your Food can go bad, it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you. Originally pinned by Michael Leaming, Ed.D. onto Fitness, Nutrition & Wellness
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