so it's thursday

naming some of these blogs is kinda difficult, kinda like emails - i struggle sometimes on what to name personal emails, so sometimes i just put something like 'adfpoijasdpofijasdpoinasdiafj0uuas09e8ua' in the subject line.  my mom gets lots of emails like that :)

at any rate...

i am so damn tired of people complaining all the time - stop bitching about things that may not be 'right' in your eyes.  stop whining about work - you have a job, be grateful for that and remember to take deep breaths.  there are so many out there that don't have a job, struggling to find one, or have one that leaves them broke and living down the penny every month.  to have a good job with awesome hours that pays well and offers great benefits is an amazing thing to have - treat it as such, and if you don't think it's good enough for you then leave and allow someone who wants the opportunity to take it.

be grateful for what you do have.  be thankful your mother is still alive and that you didn't have to watch her suffer through cancer and die prematurely like my godmother just did.  be grateful you didn't die young in a car wreck from a drunk driver at 20 like kelsey did. she had a lot of life left to live and so did judy.  be thankful you are living your life!  look up at the sun and smile and appreciate the day.  walk around barefoot and feel the grass between your feet.  hug your kids.  cuddle with your dog.  embrace life.  go swimming.  run.  make love to your spouse.  laugh so hard your stomach hurts.  tell the people you care about that you love them.  stop complaing about petty shit. 

now, i'm not saying that i'm perfect.  i am guilty of complaing from time to time.  but when i find myself frustrated and complaining, whether it be in my head or in the form of word vomit to the pair of ears next to me, i try and put myself in the other side's shoes.  i take a deep breath, and try to move on.  so, this could be hypocritical of me.  but you know what i'm talking about... there are people that just seem negative all  the time and bitch and moan incessantly.  they have road rage.  they bitch about politics.  they have something negative to say about every damn thing. they complain about having to wake up early.  dude, be thankful you woke up another day!  thank god for another day you get of your life!  smile, do a long morning stretch, and enjoy your day ahead.  everyone gets frustrated - it's just human.  but focus on the good and what you do have rather than what you don't.  emotions are so contagious - when you're around negative people, you will be brought down.  that's why i have to rid myself of this, or limit my interaction with such people.  and happiness is just as contagious.

and i need to get political for a moment here, which i don't normally do.  stop complaing about the president.  he's president for another four years whether you like it or not.  and i'm not saying this because i voted for obama - i'm not.  the people that would rant and rave about romney bothered me just as much.  instead of bitching about obama, do small things to make a difference in your community - donate food to the hungry, read a book to your kid, smile at strangers, say 'thank you' and 'please', donate blood, volunteer, donate clothes to a shelter, give a stray animal a home.  work on the things you can change instead of the things you can't. focus on the good  things obama has done and is going to do other than the negative.  there is no perfect president or politician - every one of them has flaws and positives.  so please focus on the positive instead of posting incessantly on facebook that you hate obama and blah blah blah.  you can represent the candidate you want without bashing another.

and show tolerance for others for crying out loud.  i respect your spiritual and religious beliefs, and if you expect respect, you have to give it.  don't mess with other people's marriages and relationships and love - gay marriage doesn't hurt anyone.  youu heterosexual marriage doesn't affect a gay couple whatsoever, so how would my gay friends getting married affect you?  would you life suffer?  yes, you are entitled to your opinion but you cannot legislate morality - you  legislate based on equality of all individuals.  that's what our country was founded on for crying out loud!  years ago black people couldn't marry white people and now they can - did that ever hurt anyone?  do interracial marriages 'offend' you?  same exact thing.  what if someone told you that you couldn't marry the person you love?  what would you do?  how would you feel?  and i swear to god, if one more church of latter day saints person comes to my door trying to 'save' me from burning in eternal hell fire for not believing what they do i'm going to give them a piece of my mind.  everyone has a right to have faith in what they believe in whether that is christ or buddah or allah or a goat.  tolerate each other.  love each other.  don't hate.

'hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.'

- maya angelou 

i don't know what prompted this rant.  i suppose i've heard a lot of complaining lately and it makes me feel sad.  i went on a long run and i feel better, and then i looked over and say my toby and brought the biggest smile on my face.  how could it not??



more lunchtime ramblings...

so, my dad texted me last night and suggested i mention my mom's flossing habits in my next post - so, i will start with that.  my mom is a daily flosser.  she keeps floss in one of the end tables in the living room, and flosses every night while watching tv before she brushes her teeth.  my sister and dad think the amount of floss she uses is ridiculous - my dad says she uses 42 feet, of course that isn't accurate.  but, she does use a a lot.  she starts with the end of the floss wrapped around her left fingers, flosses a tooth crevice, adds that used part to the wrap around her left fingers, and so on. 

i am like my mother, and this is no exception.  i keep my floss in the living room and floss every night before i brush my teeth - to me flossing after you brush your teeth is dumb because you're getting all that crap out of your teeth and then that land on clean minty teeth?  i don't get people that do that.  like, why wouldn't you?  why would you use used floss?  at that point, flossing is a moot point.  you can't accurately clean teeth with dirty floss - it's like trying to get 100% clean in bath water.  doesn't work.  anyway, i digress.  so, not only do i keep my floss in the living room, but i also use a ridiculous amount of floss.  i like a clean floss segment between every tooth crevice.  there are 26 tooth crevices in the average mouth, 30 if you're one of the ones that have all four wisdom teeth.  when you take in the finger wrapping, cleaning, etc. i would say you need at least 6 inches per crevise.  that is 180 inches (minimum) of floss you would need,which equates 15 feet.  i believe this calculation is correct. 

which could lead me to another random thought - i hate baths.  i am well aware that there are many women (i would go so far as to say a large majority) that love baths.  i watch hgtv religiously and oftentimes whether a house has a bath or not is an actual deal breaker - many women will forego an awesome house just because it doesn't have a bath.  i don't get it.  baths are boring.  you can't get all the way clean because you are sitting in watered down filth.  and i always get so hot and sweaty when i'm in a bath.  and i feel all slippery and slimey.  i hate baths.  and i will never be in a couple that takes baths together - that would be so annoying.  i like to bathe alone, case and point.  no exceptions, at least so far.

i recently was talking about nose-picking with someone, i can't remember who.  at any rate, this individual swore she/he didn't pick their nose.  to which i asked, 'then how do you get your boogers out?'  this person tried to convince me that they get their boogers out simply by blowing their nose.  uh, no.  i don't know what kind of boogers this person had, and how forceful this air was firing from their nostrils, but i find it impossible to get my boogers out without picking them out.  so, yea - i pick my nose.  and i think that anyone who says otherwise is full of it.  i mean, i pick my nose in private, oftentimes in the shower, and make sure i wash my hands afterward and a good nose blow most of the time follows - but dude, everyone picks their nose.

which leads me to my next point - peeing in the lake.  everyone pees in the lake, ocean, river, what-have-you.  a group of friends and me were having a discussion about this last summer - one of them tried to tell me that she does not pee in the lake.  that is a bold faced lie.  if you're out on the lake all day long drinking beer, you're going to have to pee every half hour at least.  it's actually just kind of understood here in austin because we're out on the lake quite often in the summer - that's just what we do here.  and you're sitting on your little noodle in the lake, move away from the group, some even say 'don't come over here', and you pee.  it's seriously not a big deal.  and as long as you're away from people and stuff it's okay.  it's not gross when you think about it - fish and ducks and bird shit and piss in the lake daily, fish die in the lake, and there are far more bacteria and germs than a little human pee.  if you think it's gross to pee in the lake, then you shouldn't go to the lake - there are far worse things floating around in there.  the discussion did get a bit more detailed (shall i say), but i will spare you at this time.

tata for now :)

Steering into the skid

This is an article Daddy posted on his Facebook (yes, my parents are hip and happenin’ and on FB) and sent to me.  Below is the link to the article by Omer Khan – great read.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/6-tips-to-being-happy-in-the-present-moment/

I have posted about preconceived notions before (I think in my post entitled ‘I Haven’t Missed the Boat’).  There are many people out there (and I have learned recently not just women, but men too) that put too much importance and emphasis on being married and a parent or whatever.  They think they’ll be happy when they are in a relationship, when they have money, when they have that job with the corner office, when they are in love, when they get that big diamond ring, when they get to plan a wedding, or when they have a kid.  But I’m here to tell ya, if you aren’t happy by yourself in your life now as you sit, you will not be happy when you get all these things you think will make you happy.  I have learned this in life.  I have had struggles in my life – eating disorder, trauma, eight years to get my college degree, endless money struggles, and I could go on.  I wasn’t happy – I was confused, depressed, angry, frustrated, and totally ungrateful for what I did have before me. 

I remember I was bitching to my aunt one day on the phone.  And she totally called me out on it and told me to basically get over it.  There were people out there that were happy with less than what I had.  Shit could always be worse.  She told me to focus on what I did have instead of what I didn’t.  She told me to write down the below phrase and tell it to myself every day until I genuinely believed it – and so I did.  At first I would say it and be thinking, ‘yea, right – this is such crap.’  I believe that sometimes you have to fake it ‘til you make it.  So, I just kept saying this every day, sometimes several times a day, until I genuinely believed it and felt it with my whole being.

 I am thankful for all the Universe has provided me in the past, that which I have now, and all I will receive in the future.  I have a grateful heart.

I became genuinely grateful for all I had and was blessed with, things that I had overlooked – I was concentrating on things I didn’t have instead of the wonderful things I did have.  Once I had this realization and became enlightened, that is when I became truly happy – like, all of a sudden.  Once day I woke up and my whole outlook was different.  And once I stopped giving a fuck about all these things I didn’t have and couldn’t change - once I made the decision to just not be stressed, things changed and just seemed to fall into place for me.  It was like magic.

I am finally at an amazing part in my life.  I am happy as a clam, really – I literally walk around smiling and sometimes just stop, look up, soak in the sun, and thank God for just being here.  I have never felt so connected to all aspects of the Universe around me – it feels just so wonderful.  I hope to never lose this feeling.  Whenever I am having a bad day, and get snippy or frustrated, I focus on all the beauty that is around me and remind myself, ‘I have a grateful heart.’

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and I’m sure I’ll say it countless times in the future – yoga, meditation, and prayer have transformed my life.  It drastically contributes to my serenity.  It allows me to feel so connected to the Universe, all beings, all forms of life.  I feel more connected to those that have passed on, and are no longer here with us in the physical world.  I feel grateful and happy and in tune with all aspects of my being.  People in my life have noticed this change in me over the last couple of years, and when they ask me how I tell them – yoga, meditation, prayer, and gratefulness. 

There are many things that happen in life that you cannot control.  Someone else makes the team, while you’re sitting on the bench.  Everyone else seems married with kids other than you.  A woman may not be able to have children.  People come and go.  Most of us have or will experience heartache.  Others have severe family dysfunction.  Some will be affected by illness or tragedy.  You just have to let go of these things.  I’m not saying this is easy to do – it is not.  It takes practice – another fake-it-til-you-make-it scenario.  But once you let go of these things, and rather concentrate on the present moment and what is here in front of you right now, life just seems so much easier.  I can’t remember where I heard this, but I once heard, ‘Steer into the skid.’  I love this phrase.  Stop fighting what you cannot change – when you do this, negative energy will slip away.  Steer into the skid.  When I struggle with this, I remember the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Emotions are contagious, whether they are negative or positive.  Surround yourself with positive happy people, and you will be happy.  Surround yourself with grumpy people that complain all of the time, and I promise you will be angry and bitchy.  If you want to be happy, you need to rid yourself of negativity.  I have lost relationships over the years of life because of this.  This decision may not always be easy, as these people can be close friends or even family members.  Sometimes there are people that can trigger negativity within me, or can encourage unhealthy behaviors I have worked hard over the years to lose.  I have to make a choice, and I choose me – I choose my happiness, peace, and serenity.  Although I hope my positive energy affects others in a good way, I have had to accept that it is not my job to change those around me – it’s a blessing and a curse at the same time – double edge sword so they say?  All I can do is to try guiding these individuals into a more positive direction and ‘steer into the skid’.

My mom always taught us to live by the golden rule – treat others and you would so like to be treated.  And so I do.  I enjoy acts of kindness – it just feels good to help others.  And it’s never anything really big.  I smile to others.  I say thank you and please.  I take my neighbors’ trash out if it’s just sitting by their door.  I donate platelets to help those that need them.  But a simple ‘hello’ can go a long way.  Smiles are contagious.  You never know what someone may be facing in life, and a genuine ‘thank you’ can make their day. 

Read the article J

good teachers are hard to come by

not sure if this is bad or good - i can see both sides of the coin.  but going through yoga teacher training has made me very much aware of yoga teachers now and their teachings in class.  i have also gained some strong opinions about classes and styles.  i have strong opinions on the treatment of eating disorders since my own treatment, and now i have the same about yoga.

i did something to my neck and upper back are last night during yoga.  i had gone into my first down dog, then went down for a cat/cow and felt the tightness right away.  even though it was 'just' a down dog, the teacher did not adequately warm the class up at all.  one of the first postures she put the class in was camel, one of the deepest backbends you can do.  i didn't do it, and cringed as i watched the others.  the class was very disjointed - none of the postures were prep poses for the one following, and the counter poses weren't true counter poses of the previous posture.  during the inversion practice, she was throwing everyone against the wall in handstand - this is one of the most 'advanced' inversions.  thank goodness no one crumbled to the floor on their necks.  i could tell she was new - she was very nervous and lost her place in the practice a couple times.  i would be nervous as well. 

i didn't enter yoga training last year with the intention of teaching - i just wanted more education.  one of the things that drew me to shanon and  her training was that it was 8 months long - i had ample time to read all the material, understand it, and apply it to my own practice in the time between our meetings.  there are too many yoga trainings out there that aren't adequate - some of them are only a weekend long, and some can be done online!  after all the information covered in my own training, i cannot image trying to soak that in during the course of one weekend.  shanon taught us how to connect each posture to the other - preparing the body adequately for the following posture, and counterbalancing in the following posture.  this is what is best for the body - when you are throwing yourself into these deep poses without adequately preparing, you are asking for an injury or pulled muscle or pinched nerve.

i try and keep myself from me judgemental of some teachers, but find it difficult at times.  well, maybe i'm not being judgemental per se, but i  find myself questioning the practice - yea, that's a better word - 'questioning'.  i modify my own practice in these classes how i was taught and how i deem fit, but oftentimes i cringle when i see other student follow the teacher's instruction.  it's hard.

all i know is that i'm very grateful for the training i received.  good, educated yoga teachers are hard to  come by and you need to hold on to the ones you do indeed find.  i've tried places around town, and have found one teach i feel i connect with and gain something strong from her classes.  i'm going to have to start following her around town - it's worth it.

yoga cliches

i recently discovered (thanks to daddy) elephant journal - there are some awesome blogs and articles in there about yoga (most of them hilarious).  i came across one today that i wish to elaborate on.  this is an article (written by maya georg) that is about yoga cliches - and dude, i gotta agree with these (for the most part).  yes, i am a generally happy, grateful, warm, and giddy person and i do attribute a lot of this to yoga, meditation, and what i have found within as a result of both.  however, i still have faults like everyone else.  i'm not some enlightened yogi where everything is roses all the time.  it takes a lot to piss me off, but i can get plenty pissed off.  although i try hard to not, sometimes i judge people - i hate that i do, but i think everyone does to a certain extent.  i smoke cigarettes sometimes when i drink, which just makes me the biggest hypocrite i feel because i think smoking is nasty - but when i go downtown (once in a blue moon) and i'm drinking, i want a cigarette more than anything.  i get pissed off and angry and frustrated.  i've said non-favorable things about people.  i've held onto hostility towards those who have wronged me.  and (gasp) i have skipped yoga to stay on the couch and watch tv and eat frozen yogurt or drink a large majority of a bottle of red wine.  yoga and meditation have led me to a certain 'enlightenment', but again - i'm not perfect.  my outlook and overall attitude have changed greatly, but will i ever be perfect?  no.  no one will.  below is the article (in itallics) and my elaboration to maya's points :-)

Listen to Your Body (i (zoe) would say more 'listen to your mind' - see below for reasoning)

If I listened to my body I would smoke four packs of cigarettes a day, drink a fifth of vodka, and eat nothing but chocolate ice cream as I lay on my couch.
Our bodies are creatures of comfort and routine. While it is true that our body is one of the very few things in this world we have some control over, the reality is we have all been betrayed by our body (think sneezes and gas).
Our body can only be mastered through discipline. No one ever spontaneously thinks: “Gee! I think I’ll sit absolutely still for an hour and contemplate the universe!” That’s why yoga, regardless of whether it is asana, jappa, or meditation, is called a practice.

now, i do believe in 'honoring' your body - you will hear yoga teachers say this a lot.  i've also heard this from running coaches.  for instance, when i hurt my knee during the austin marathon two years ago and had to have surgery (that sucked balls, by the way) i 'honored' my body by resting as hard as that was.  when i'm feeling tired or sluggish during a yoga class or a run, i 'honor' my body by taking it easy instead of trying to be all competitive and fold deeper than the girl to my right or hold my chaturanga longer than the dude to my left.  i skip a sun salutation or two because i simply don't need them.  i'll take a day or two off from running when i'm not feeling well.  i 'honor' my body.

but as the author says, listening to your body is different - i would extend this into listening to your head as well.  for instance, training for and running distance is hard work and takes a ton of time.  it's easy to talk yourself into skipping a run, or cutting a long one short by a couple miles.  i may talk myself into going out drinking (and maybe having a few cigarettes) with friends the night before an early morning run, and then either a) drag major ass during my run, or b) skip that mo fo altogether.  i can even talk myself into skipping yoga (gasp).  i love yoga, but sometimes i just wanna be lazy.  but when i don't go to yoga, or i don't practice at home, i feel the effects inside - and i don't like it.  it makes me feel uneasy and on edge almost.  so, i know that i will feel awesome after a practice or meditation, as much as i may not want to do it at the time.

Listen to the Guru Within

In many lineages, the mind is compared to a monkey, a species that is known for throwing feces. If you happen to have a guru living within you, what makes you think it is possible to converse with it through the shit-storm of thoughts you are constantly having?
I know many have a knee-jerk reaction to the concept of a guru—and for good reason. Many a douchebag has hung a shingle to fleece the masses and sleep with a lot of women.

here's my take on this.  i have met and come across quite a bit of hypocrisy throughout my yogic journey.  i have met some vegans that are huge advocates for this lifestyle (which is great) but judge and look down on meat eaters such as myself.  some of them think that a yogi can't possible be enlightened and a sympathetic, caring, human being if they are eating animals who have been killed for our nutrition.  if you are a vegan and choose to live that lifestyle, that is awesome - anyone who dedicates themselves to something, has genuine intention for that, and believes and lives a certain way - well, i have respect for you.  but i expect you to have respect for me and others just as i do you. 

and there was recently a huge scandal of a very well-respected, well-known (some may say famous) yoga 'guru' - he was fucking many female students and some other stuff.  really?!?  makes you question his intentions altogether.  he got greedy, power hungry, cocky, and just started to become this kinda rockstar person who was fucking all these female students.

there are 'yoga snobs' out there, as i like to call them.  they think yoga is the only way to live, look down on others who don't practice, look down on other yogis who don't follow the same lineage or practice differently than they do.  everyone follows a different path, whether it be another spiritual outlet or whatever.  don't judge others and think you're all high and mighty because others are different than you.

Just Breathe

Have you ever told someone in a rage to “just breathe”? Have you seen their response? If facing someone in a rage, you can just as easily say: “It’s not my fault that your life sucks.” It will get the same reaction.
Breathing is autonomic—we don’t have to remember to breathe because we are always breathing. It is appropriate to remind someone to breathe in an asana class if they look like they are about to blow a gasket, but only under those circumstances.
I understand the point of this cliché under other circumstances as well. It is meant to bring our awareness to our breath, to allow us to slow it down, and with the breath, to slow the mind. But when facing a challenge, a real connection can help bring someone back to a point of equilibrium. I know that when I’m frustrated and upset I need sincerity, not another cliché.

our breath is the only thing that is both voluntary and involuntary.  you can't live without breathing - you can only hold your breath for so long before you gasp for air and your breath cycle starts again.  however, you can control your breath through pranayama.  yoga is physically challenging, but there is a difference between telling one to connect to their breath and to 'just breathe'.  it's like, 'bitch, i am breathing!  and my breath is find!  i'm connected to my breath!  but you just threw us through multiple sun sals and it's fucking 105 degrees in here' (i could go on a rant about heated fast-flow yoga here, but i won't at this time).  you can still be connected to your breath and not straining for your breath, but this is not the queue to tell someone to 'just breathe' - just stay connected.  the word 'just' is so condescending to me.  not sure if this made any sense. 

Surrender

See “Just Breathe” above.

surrender to what??  like, let it take over as if i'm being saved and speaking in tongue?!?  i'm here, aren't i?  i'm myself, i'm zoe, and i'm here connecting to my mind and breath.  i don't get it when people say 'just surrender' - makes yoga sound like some cult or something.

Align/Awaken/Energize Your Chakras!

Don’t say this. Ever. These words make you sound like a dirty hippie.

haha - i just think this is kinda funny.  but, just like my daddy used to say - it's not what you say, it's how you say it.  reminds me of this youtube skit below for 'shit yogis say':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMC1_RH_b3k

It’s Just Fear.

This cliché can be translated into “I don’t care what you think or how you feel.” This is the ultimate dismissal in a yoga class. Often, it is accompanied by cliché #3.

(Next time you hear this, kick the person in the shin and say: “It’s just pain.”)

Fear is the most common emotion, and the final attachment. Even roaches scurry under the fridge when you approach, because they fear death. Fear stems from the memory of pain. And when someone is remembering pain, they are actively reliving it.
Offer comfort. Be aware of the suffering, and help that person cross the abyss. Abandoning them to face it alone is cruel.

fear is a part of life and is a true human emotion, and sometimes reaction.  there is nothing wrong with feeling it either.  saying it's 'just' fear is implying that it's not significant, not a big deal - 'it's just fear, get over it'.  surrender.  and it's like those that say this think they're all holier than thou - it's kinda condescendingi'm scared of doing a headstand without a wall behind me - and when i'm ready and confident, i'll lose the wall.  i have seen people go through a self-transformation because of yoga - deep meditation can bring you to tears, and make you confront emotions you have been suppressing.  some asana poses release stress and strain in parts of your body that actually house emotions, and releasing that tension can result in a strong reaction.  it can be scary - but it's not just fear.  it's a valid feeling - and one should be able to face this feeling when they are damn good and ready and not made to feel like this fear is somehow insignifant.

You Should…

You should be vegetarian. You should do more yoga. You should practice non-attachment. You should breathe. You should do what I tell you because I’m yogier than thou.
It’s hubristic to tell people how to live their lives. How about suggesting, mentioning, or simply stating your opinion as that: an opinion!

you shouldn't do anything that is not true to you.  everyone has their different path - no path is right, none is wrong, and no path is is better than another.  same goes for religous folk trying to tell others what to do, and currently trying to legislate it.  there 'shouldn't' be gay marriage - it's immoral (don't get me started on those fucks).  you should follow this belief.  you should do this, you should do that.  everyone believes and lives their own way.  let them be.  you can believe whatever you want to, but i expect you to respect my beliefs just as i respect yours.

Set Your Intention.

There’s another cliché about intentions: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
There’s another cliché about the other side of this coin: “Actions speak louder than words.”
It’s always good to have a clear plan of what you would like to have manifest in your life. But all the vision boards, journal exercises, visualizations, and affirmations in the world will not get you what you want if you do nothing about it. If all took to manifest the life I want was day dreaming, I’d now be a rock star. And a super model.
Intention without action is common. And it is self-delusion. I have often heard from people about their intentions after they did something horrible and hurtful. The intention excused them of personal responsibility or guilt.
Setting an intention is where our dreams begin. Thereafter, it is hard work. Let’s stay focused on the bigger picture. Not just the easy part. Because telling people what they want to hear is easy, but it isn’t helpful.
How about we ask people to set their intention, and then follow through?
These phrases only come up often, but mostly when someone is uncertain, looking for answers, or suffering. To be in need and receive any such statement is an automatic blow off. I’ve seen people open up to others, hear a quick cliché, and then immediately shut down. It is cold and alienating. Alienation seems to be the burden of this age. If we are to work on our spiritual development we must foster connections and community, and ameliorate the burden of alienation.
Yoga is more than just asana, or a personal practice; it is also about community. We need to listen to one another, to hear what is really being communicated. We don’t need to have all the answers, but the absolute minimum we can offer is the time to listen with compassion.
When people come to us with questions, facing uncertainty, and operating from a place of pain, they really need comfort. Giving comfort means giving more of ourselves, more of our time and our attention.

i'll just kinda add something here.  i do set an 'intention', but let me clarify what i mean by that.  i think of something or someone i want to send energy to.  i sent a lot of energy, love, and light to judy's family when she was really sick and died - i still do this.  i would send messages to judy asking her to come see me and watch over those that love her.  i have prayed for those who have wronged me - it is hard to do this, but it does make me feel good.  i pray for confidence.  i visualize myself crossing the finish line strong and proud at my next race.  i pray for the universe to surround my sister and nephew with strenght and protection.  i thank the universe for all it has provided me in the past, that which i am receiving now, and all i have yet to receive.  these are my intentions - i choose something or someone to send energy to.

here's the link to the article by maya georg:
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/03/yoga-cliches-that-must-die-maya-georg/