Spring Cleaning and Bikram Yoga

You may be scratching your head and wondering how those two things can go together, but in the World of Erin there are many such strange pairs of things. In this case there is a natural parallel to these two things. 

 

It is nearly the end of January and though there is snow on the ground where I am, it is mostly melted in other spots and very soon we will be blessed with snowdrops (the flowers, not the flakes) crocuses, and daffodils outside. The arrival of the warmer temperatures and the longer and longer days (hooray!) puts thoughts to the projects outside and the cleaning and, well, airing out, that needs to be done inside after a long winter of closed doors and windows and recirculated heat and air.

 

My home is not overly dirty, but it is dusty with ash (a natural by-product from my wood stove) and since I have a forced-air furnace, there is also circulation of that ash and dust to all of the other rooms. In short, the house needs a damn good airing out and cleaning – but that won’t be tackled until the snow is gone and I have a warm (ok, I’ll settle for warm-ish – even 10*C would do!) day with sunshine outside to inspire open windows.

 

That will also, most likely, be the day that all of the window screens get a wash and get re-installed and that the front door screen gets put back on. 

 

Note to self, I seriously needs to wash all of my windows – so I will need to get my hands on a proper window squeegee (that would be an awesome scrabble word!!) and a decent (read: safe) ladder…

 

Spring cleaning is meant to let all of winter’s miasma and stale air out of the home, and to bring in the fresh clean joy of spring – along with clean new air.

 

To me, Bikram Yoga is like spring cleaning for the body, mind and soul.

 

A quick little bit of background: Bikram (or hot) yoga is a series of 26 Hatha Yoga positions and two breathing exercises that are practiced over the course of an hour and a half in a room that has been heated to a (stinking hot) temperature of 40*C with an approximate humidity measurement of 40%. In short, it is yoga done in a hot sweaty hell. The thought of practicing something I love (yoga) in temperatures that I hate (hot sweaty hell) wasn’t appealing to me at all – but I have a number of friends who have tried it and they swear by the benefits of it.

 

I did MUCH personal research before attending my very first Bikram Yoga class at Bikram Yoga Comox Valley. Bikram Yoga allows you to get the most out of your usual yoga practice. Since you are not starting from a “cold” position, your muscles loosen up much more quickly and you are less likely to injure yourself. There are some offsetting risks that need to be considered – Bikram Yoga practice can be dangerous for those with heart and/or blood pressure problems and there is, of course, a serious risk of dehydration – so being well hydrated before attending a class is a must. I have taken two bottles of water in with me – one to sip while in practice and one to guzzle when done. The need for water and electrolyte replacement is understandable when you realize just how much sweat can come out of your body during practice.

 

My first class was an awesome experience – I hadn’t taken a yoga class for roughly 3 years – I was on the Island of Jersey for my last class! I went with one of my girlfriends who had been to classes previously and I was way at the back of the room where, with my glasses off, I could look to the postures of the people around me so that I could adjust accordingly. The instructor (David Milanovich, also one of the owners) kept his eye out for me and made certain I was OK throughout the class – and in a room filled with 40+ regular participants, his attention to the detail of each student’s practice impressed me.

 

All in all, I had an amazing first experience with Bikram and promised myself that, when I could afford it (it is rather expensive) I would be back.

 

November of this year rolled around and - Woo Hoo – Island Daily Deals had a week special for Bikram Yoga Comox Valley – one week unlimited!! I bought my pass, planning to use it during my week of vacation in early December.

 

Well, I have been sick every month for the last three months – so that pass has been waiting and waiting for me to use it before it expires… I FINALLY made it in yesterday for the first of the three classes I will be able to attend this week. It was GREAT. I sweated out a ton of toxins, I am certain, and had loads of excess energy for the rest of my day. I am a little stiff this morning, but will be attending another class tonight and that should, hopefully, drain out some of that stiffness. I will be attending another class on Wednesday night and then my week pass will be kaput because none of the other classes offered through the week are ones I can attend because of my work schedule.

 

One of my dear friends, who also practices Bikram Yoga here in the Comox Valley attended a charity auction before Christmas with some friends – and one of her friends won a 10-pass gift certificate to the studio. That friend, knowing my friend practices, gave her the certificate – and since she and her husband already have their classes bought, she gave the gift certificate to me! So once I finish out this week, I can pare down to two classes a week for the next 10 weeks!

 

Next week I am seeing a Naturopath for the first time... I am seeing her to find ways to boost my immune system and general overall health so that I am NOT sick every month for another three months - so this spring I am looking forward to spring cleaning my home, my yard, AND my self.

With love across the waters,

Choice, Chance and Change

You must make the Choice,

To take the Chance,

If you want anything in life to Change.

So true.  A friend of mine (currently living on Jersey, in the Channel Islands) posted this to her Facebook page a few days ago and the thought has been with me ever since.

Make the Choice.

Take the Chance.

Experience the Change.

So simple. I wonder why it is that we never get off the ground on most of the changes we think we want? 

Personally, I think my biggest challenge is in making the choice - fear of making the choice? Perhaps. I can see something isn't working for me, I can feel it and I can taste it in my daily happenings, but sometimes I'm afraid of what happens next.  What happens AFTER I make the choice? If it doesn't work, sometimes I can go back to the old way, as long as I didn't burn bridges... but most of the time, once the choice is made and actions have been taken, there *is* no going back. 

This one sort of falls into the "evil you know" category for me. What eventually forces my hand, in almost all "negative impact" situations is that the current negative experience FAR outweighs the perceived "evil I don't know" - making it impossible for me to stay where I am, or doing what I am doing.  Thankfully, I have only had a couple of these experiences in life and have been able, once recognition kicks in, to make the choices and take the chances needed to force the change.

I know a lot of people who don't cope well with change.  They freely admit to it & avoid it at all costs. I have always liked it - change, when needed, is a great thing.  At work, at home, personally, professionally - change (when needed) is a great thing.  Change simply for the sake of change isn't necessarily the best thing in the world, but I haven't really lived my life by the adage that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"  because really, if you never look outside the windows to see what else is there, how do you know it actually ISN'T broken?

Taking chances all depends on your personal risk tolerance levels. Some people take loads of physical chances - bike riding without a helmet, driving without a seat belt, hell - running with scissors! Some people are more chance-oriented when it comes to their money (nope, not this girl, I need to ensure my "sleep at night" factor is covered) and some others are more chance-oriented with their lifestyle, relationships, locational choices... well, you get the picture.

As you can see, I have been chewing on this for a little while now.  I wonder, what are your thoughts on Choice, Chance and Change...?

With love across the waters,

Living with an Attitude of Gratitude

I’ve read a number of articles over the years, and indeed, met people who are actively trying to live with one. I’ve seen books about it. I’ve read blogs where people list the things they are grateful for (thanks Carin!) and most recently, the place I work (a very large Canadian financial institution) has begun to promote an employee health-related initiative where we are being asked to try to live with one.

So what is it, exactly, this “attitude of gratitude” thing that is all over the place, and why on earth would you care to try to live with one?

Well, as best I can see, it’s a way of thinking – one where no matter what is going on, you look for something, in every situation, to be grateful for. Some days that is WAAAY easier said that done, I admit it. Why live with one? Or at least try to? You feel better. Honestly – that’s it.

Gratitude is a way to help manage the challenges of the day. I try never to use the word “problem” when faced with a situation that isn’t as positive as I’d like. I like to use the word challenge because, in my mind, it re-frames the situation and turns it into an opportunity to improve a situation either for myself or for someone else.

If you are only ever grateful for the things that go right, well, then you also only get half of the experience that you are being presented with for your life. In finding something to be grateful for in the things that don’t go smoothly, happily, positively or successfully, we can actually turn how we feel about these situations into better experiences.

Yes, OK, sometimes it takes time (in my case, sometimes years) to be able to honestly look at a situation experienced, and find something to be grateful for in that situation. Other times, before the challenge has been resolved something shines forth as a reason for gratitude.

When you look at the most horrific break-up you experienced, you can still find something there to be grateful for. In my case, the worst one ever took me years to work through – some aspects of which I still struggle with. Today, though, I am truly and honestly grateful for it AND for how it happened. I learned a lot from the situation, both about relationships and about me and just how very strong I am.

Today I offer my gratitude for my worst client of the day and my best. My worst client was at the beginning of my work day. From that experience I took away the fact that I really do not take rudeness personally any more – at least not from a client. I’m also grateful for his being at the start of the day, because each and every person I served for the rest of the day was pleasant and happy and smiling. My best client laughed with me. She could have had a bad morning, but actively chose not to let it get to her, and not to bring the negativity from her previous errand with her when she came into the bank. Instead of being frustrated and anxious, she took her situation in stride and allowed me to help make it better. She also came back later on in the day with the second half of her situation and allowed me to help her resolve it in full. She left feeling better AND with a smile on her face.

I also offer gratitude for my trip to the grocery store after work. When I was coming through the check-out line, in the next line over I saw the woman who manages the pet store where I buy Jasmine’s food. Comments and laughter flying back and forth, I am reminded that I love living here in the Comox Valley and also WHY I love living here. Same reason I loved living in the Channel Islands – it’s small enough that, when you are out shopping, you nearly always see someone you know.

Finally, I offer gratitude for the greeting I get when I come home from work. My sweet girl Jasmine is ALWAYS thrilled to see me. Her bright eyes and alert face tell me (as do her licks and wiggles) that she is glad I am home. She then proceeds to follow me from room to room because I am her pack and her person. She’s asleep on the floor beside me as I write this – neatly blocking my way to the door so that she can be certain to come with me when I finish on the computer.

So tell me, what are you most grateful for tonight? What positive or challenging things from your day can you offer thanks for? Don’t worry about writing it down, or even about saying it out loud – though both help. Whisper it in your mind and hold it in your heart. The awesome thing is that tomorrow will give you even more to be grateful for – all you have to do is open yourself up to it.

With love across the waters,