Tag: #insighttimeryoga

My Latte Runneth Over

On By theyogagoat2 Comments 
"Decorate yourself from the inside out."                 ~Waleed Basyouni

I like this quote at this time of year. We often get caught up in decorating our exteriors and not dealing with our interiors, especially during the holidays where positive and negative feelings bubble-up. In this case, it’s important to do some personal, internal decor. One way to “decorate” yourself is to find things in your life to feel grateful for. This is called cultivating a gratitude practice. There are gratitude journals, calendars, bracelets, etc. These are aids that can help you with your gratitude practice, but at some point you may need to go it on your own.

This is not to say that we aren’t allowed to feel the feelings that arise in bad situations. That is important work and must be done and felt. I am saying that it’s equally important to look beyond that source of pain and find what is still good. Even the smallest thing to feel grateful for can create a shift. And that shift is where the healing can begin.

This “decorating” from the inside comes from an open heart. A heart that feels the pain of humanity but at the same time can stay connected to the power of love. Life is a roller coaster ride. There are going to be extreme highs and lows. It is my belief that when you can keep gratitude in your heart, the highs will feel more joyous and the lows can be weathered with more ease.

My latte pictured above is in my Christmas pottery mug. We have a full set of Christmas dishes thanks to my dish-loving mother. Each year we swap out our regular plates and use these dishes in December. These dishes are at least thirty years old at this point. They have seen so many Christmases. There have been the Christmases after the loss of a loved one. Christmases spent with lots of family together and those with just a few of us. Christmases that have been a challenge to find the budget to get those “it” gifts and those where it was easier to fill all wishes. Present in each of those Christmases past is joy and love.

So when I hold my cup of joe in my hands, I connect back to all those memories and am filled with gratitude. It is my hope that despite all the sadness and grief of this past year, that you too can find some gratitude for your heart. Happy Holidays to you and yours.

"I don't know what to do! cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath, and making a perfect Laocoon of himself with his stockings. I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!"
          ~ Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens' " A Christmas Carol"

Fall Haiku

On By theyogagoat2 Comments
Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com
A change in the air
Leaves turn and cascade to earth
Signs of fall's entrance

Sweaters, boots and scarves
Darkness comes earlier now
Wet leaves under shoes

Apples, pumpkins, squash
Chilly days and cozy nights
Football and tailgates

Cycle of seasons
Transition to turning in
Earth's prep for Winter









			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Time to Save Our Home

						

				On  By theyogagoat1 Comment			

					


		

			

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com





“I have learned you are never too small to make a difference.” Greta Thunberg





We have been experiencing extreme weather conditions for some time now. This hurricane season has been brutal. Polar ice caps continue to diminish. We are losing species of animals. And climate and conservation experts around the world agree that this cannot continue without a devastating result. We are slowly destroying our beloved and beautiful earth. 





All of this can feel overwhelming. I agree with the experts…if we all pitch in and be more thoughtful , it can make a difference. We are reaching the point of no return, where our planet will not recover from our choices. So why not try to add a few more “green actions” into our daily lives. I think we all want to save this place we call home for future generations to enjoy. I have listed a few things below that are simple to employ and might have the trickle down effect for the planet.





Use cloth napkins. Rather than one time use of paper napkins, why not use cloth napkins at your kitchen table? They can be used for several meals and then throw them in the laundry with a load you are already doing. Why save them for special occasions when you can reduce the use of paper by employing them daily.





Swedish Dish Towels. Same idea as cloth napkins. Swedish dish towels are reusable paper towels that can also be thrown in the washing machine. Utilizing them can replace dozens of paper towel rolls per year.





Cloth “make-up remover” pads. These are soft flannel pads perfectly sized to help remove make-up. They too can be washed and re-used.





Dryer Balls for your clothes dryer. Rather than dryer sheets, why not employ dryer balls instead? They actually improve drying times by separating large clumps of clothes, which allows air to circulate more evenly and shorten the time needed to dry the clothes.





Use non-bleach coffee filters or re-usable coffee filters. 





Keep the bags you get at the grocery store and take them back and re-use them.





Walk or bike to errands that are close by. Cluster errands into one trip out.  Carpool when possible. 





Make use of the library for your books. When I see a title I want to read I add it to my request list. I have enough requests on my list that I almost always have a book to read. Or just explore the shelves and find a hidden treasure.





Use re-fillable water bottles or canteens. Limit the use of one time plastic water bottles by refilling re-usable water containers. You can even add lemons, limes, or hydration tablets to give your water more flavor. This  might have the side health benefit of drinking more water.





Avoid using styrofoam packaging whenever possible. If it is what your favorite restaurant uses for take-out say something to the manager. Styrofoam is one of the the most harmful types of waste that exists today. It breaks down into small pieces that can choke animals.





Re-use receipts and other paper as scrap paper for grocery and to-do lists.





Shop Goodwill or other resale stores for casserole dishes and left-over sized dishes rather than using plastic. When sharing food with someone, say at a funeral, use these repurposed casserole dishes. That way they don’t have to return your dish and can keep it for themselves or re-use for a time when they might be bringing food to someone in need.





Adjust the thermostat by one or two degrees. You might be surprised that your body will adjust to this slight change pretty quickly. Sleep with the windows open when possible. 





If we all chip in just a little, it can make a difference. 





“You must take action. You must do the impossible. Because giving up is never an option.” 
Greta Thunberg





Some green companies to explore:





 Marley’s Monsters (https://www.marleysmonsters.com/ )Re-usable eco-friendly non-paper products for home and beauty





ARA water bottles (https://www.giveara.com) For every re-usable water bottle you purchase from this non-profit company, one is donated to a homeless person. The water bottle donated is insulated and 64 ounces. This is the amount of water that is considered the healthy amount that should be consumed everyday. This charity was begun in the Phoenix area where there can be as many as 300 deaths a year due to the heat. 






















			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
Teachers

						

				On  By theyogagoat2 Comments			

					


		

			

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com





“When one teaches, two learn.”  Robert Heinlein





Fall is coming, it’s back to school time for kids, and I have been thinking about my favorite childhood teachers. These people taught me things that no ordinary teachers possibly could. I learned not only from their instructions, but from their actions and examples. It’s often said that children learn not from what you say, but what you do. 





Parents are our first teachers. I was blessed to be surrounded by love, and shown great examples of the benefits of hard work by my parents. We were a family of the era, my dad working and my mom staying home with us. My mom had been brought up very traditionally, and knew how to cook and clean and entertain. 





At some point during my late elementary years, my mom took a job with an interior design company. She had always had an eye for style. When I look back now, it’s pretty impressive that she was even hired. She didn’t finish her college degree and had zero previous design experience. But she loved that job. And while I may have pouted about not having her around as much, I was secretly so proud. She taught me to find a venue for my creativity. She taught me it’s ok to have something for yourself and still love your family.





My aunt Phyllis was a wonderful example for me as well. She graduated college with a teaching degree and had taught several years before having her kids. Then, when her babies were a bit older, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor and applied to medical school. She was not accepted to a few schools because, back in the 1970’s, a married woman with children just did not go to medical school. She was finally accepted by a school to study Osteopathy. She worked her tail off and was a successful family practice doctor until her retirement a few years ago. She even ended up working for one of the medical schools that had turned her down. She taught me to go for your dreams, no matter what anyone says, and that it’s never too late to learn new things.





Ms. Powell, my fifth grade teacher, was my most influential teacher in a school setting. First of all she was a “Ms.,” which was a fairly new thing in the early ’70’s. She had short black hair, a la Liza Minelli, and wore the most stylish of clothes. I am sure she was a Gloria Steinem devotee, or as we used to say, a women’s libber. She was a young teacher with new ideas, and she taught in a way that challenged you. Your words mattered in her class. As a fifth grader, I didn’t have a true understanding of what it meant to find your voice until Ms. Powell helped me find mine. We held debates and mock trials. She lit a fire in me to look at things from all angles and see another person’s point of view. She also taught me what a strong independent woman looks like. None of these things were a part of the curriculum. 





 Teachers are undervalued in our society. I have seen first hand what it takes to teach in the public schools through our daughter, who taught for 5 years after graduating. She gave her whole heart to her fourth and fifth grade classes. Today, you not only have to teach the curriculum, but also manage student’s behavior plans, be a social worker, lead shooting drills, assemblies, crafts, and state testing programs also get thrown into the mix. And all of this with 30 or more students in a single classroom. 





Teaching is hard. I was fortunate to have some great ones, and I am sure many of you did. So I would ask that if you know a teacher in your public school system ask them what they need to make their lives easier. Chances are they will welcome your help!