Daily Archives: July 30, 2010

In God We Trust…

You will never look at money the same again.
It is important to mention...ad nauseum that my mission is to bring yoga into the everyday. By that, I am starting to do a little more research as a yogi and a superhero, and not with Rumi or Paramahansa Yogananda, but in our history as a people, culture and country.
My classes are starting to form an historical theme these days as I look at my days ahead and look back at history created. It's important to be in the present moment, yes, but it's important to bring up that yoga is in every fibre of our being from past to present and consequently, our future. In reality, it has no attachment to any teacher, guru, tradition or so forth, but is in everything you do, if you chose to observe it.
So, if you happen to take my class over the last month or so, you will see a change. A change that brings the moments together in the present. A change that reminds us where we came from, where we are going and the appreciation of where we are RIGHT NOW.
History is, um, historic. Um, metaphoric. Uh, momentous. We match our lives with what happens in history. We mark our lives with holidays and birthdays. We live our life in history and occasion.
So, it is today, that we mark as a country, the motto, In God We Trust.
Eisenhower adopted this motto for the US in '56. even though it had been printed on coins and such since the Civil War. In 1782 we adopted E Plurbis Unum - Latin meaning One from Many, one from many parts or from many - one which is by definition, Yoga.
God, by definition on google or in the good old dictionary, has many names: Krishna, Allah, Yaheweh/El, Lakshmi, Creator, Moon, Sun, Supreme. Whether its from the Bible, the RigVeda, the Kabbalah, the Talmud/Torah/Tanakh, we all long and speak and tell stories of the higher being guiding all of us to be the best people we can be and live in his/her light.
In God/Allah et al we trust.
Trust, by definition on google or in the good old dictionary reveals synonyms like belief, confidence, faith, hope, care, duty and protection.
It does not matter what religious affiliation you have, we all believe...in something...even if you are atheist. You believe in something.
When we come to the mat or go to the gym, we are armed with our day. We know, at this point, that every day is different. We are fueled by different energies, from people, food, circumstance. Whether we've had eight hours of sleep or are listening to a new set list on our iPods, our work-outs and practices change daily.
If we enlist TRUST in the higher purpose for why we do our practice or work outs, our benefits will be evident and fuel the fire within us to do what we do, from mat to life.
Sometimes, it's difficult to wrap our minds around the idea that we have to enlist trust in anything other than ourselves to get things done, but as we can see as a people, culture, denomination, individual, we must trust to get ourselves to the next level.
We must trust in the hand that lifts our ankle and holds us in mid air in a handstand. We must trust our gut to make the decision that moves our passion and momentum forward and we must trust in those we love even if we get hurt, to continue to love and try again.
We must fall and be hurt to trust again.
We must feel pain to feel pleasure.
We must feel loss to feel gain.
We must look at our dollars and cents with the statement 'in god we trust' as we do ALL of our exchanges of energy, money, passion, service, gratitude, effort, strength and emotion and feel the power that we have when we use it.
We must use that power always as an offering to "God, the divine, YOURSELF, your highest purpose, your loved ones, Yahweh, Allah, Lakshmi, and the like"
We are all GOD and we must trust ourselves as we do that divine. As we do our money. As we do our banks, our IRAs and 401Ks as abundant or lack of abundance we feel.
Trust it and you will feel the power.
You will never look at money the same again.
Try a new posture in your yoga class or take it up a notch in your cardio interval training. Push yourself to challenge and say, in God (or insert belief here) we trust!
And when you buy your latte or pay your bill or buy a homeless woman a sandwich, you will know, you have trusted and succeeded in that...even if it's on credit.
Fall out of a posture in your yoga class or stop the treadmill before you get weary. Call your credit card company for an extended payment and know that you can trust in God and the divine to take care of yourself in practice and in life.
Look at everything around you from the money to the laugh you exchange with a friend and know that yoga, energy is around you and surrounding you...on and off the mat.
The check is in the mail.
Trust me.
Falling out of handstand,
Lady