My first MINDBODYGREEN Post!!!

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-16452/6-simple-meditation-techniques-for-real-people.html

Taking Stock

I don't know if it's because this year has been so full of change or if it's because my life has just gotten a lot quieter because of the changes, but my mind is in a constant churn right now.

I will spend hours going over and over things of the past -- trying to ferret out where I made mistakes or when things shifted or trying to figure out what I missed, what served me, what did not.

Funny where this has led. I've drawn some conclusions, come up with some life lessons/philosophies... And, news flash: life is short.

• Also, I'm not perfect. Nobody is perfect.
• Mistakes have been made. 
• Love is all that it's cracked up to be -- and more. 
• Forgive yourself. In fact, forgive everyone.
• Kids grow up too fast.
• Worry is useless, none of that stuff ever happens. The stuff that does happen, you never see coming. And you'll deal with it because you have to.
• You can't change the past, but it can inform the present, and you can do better now.

I like this stuff, but really all this churning brain stuff fell apart this week in this one moment when my 10-year old friend/yoga student, who is so sweet and serious; he's mature and beautiful, spiritual and deep. I often forget he's 10. (Honestly, he may be 9, I think he's about 105 most of the time). We often discuss philosophy, meditation, spirituality, life, death and dogs.

That day, we were discussing the benefits/deficits of weight training at his (real) age, and I suggested he get online and do some research on the subject, and he said, "OK, I'm going to be writing a letter to Santa tonight, so I'll check it out then." 

He's not 105. He's 10. He's right here, right now. Nothing else. Matters.

In those few moments the churning stopped.  I was right there in the room with these marvelous young people who share their yoga with me, and I realized the past is the past. It's done. I did the best I could at the time just like I try to today and REALLY... my advice to myself and pretty much everyone:

Stop worrying, be authentic, do some yoga, take a walk, call your mother, hug your kid, walk your dog, spend time with your partner -- write a letter to Santa. Life is happening -- right here, right now.

YOGA TEACHER SEEKS ALMOST PERFECT PLACE

By Lisa Cosmillo

I almost left out the word ALMOST from the title just now. But nothing is perfect, so I put the word almost in there.

I have just returned from an incredible month in Bali, where I took a 300-hour Yoga teacher training course and I learned a whole lot more than I knew when I left, and I am back and ready to share my knowledge.

I have a specific idea in mind about what I would like to teach. I believe there is a lack of classes that target students in the above 40 or maybe even above 50 age range. And the ones that do exist, are all about the "restorative" (not that there is anything wrong with that, but I know many of us in our 40s-100s would like to continue a fitness routine that does not require us to be a pretzel or to balance on our hands.) So I envision this class to be an accessible strong class with poses that challenge, but don't kill us and are totally attainable. The classes would be total body work outs and focus on joints and flexibility, safety and strenghthening.

I would also like to be able to teach a restorative class on Saturday mornings and a kids class on Mondays. In the future, I am looking at teacher trainings as well.

So my goal is to find a place that is open and light, not too pricey and holds around 20 or more yoga mats. I would like this place to be visible and have parking. Am I dreaming, maybe... but I don't think so. So I'm putting this out there. Do any of you have or know such a place? I would want it to be available at 5:30 pm T and Th and 9 am Saturday. Possibly 9:15 am MWF and Saturday as well.

Or a studio that would allow me to teach the above class.

If you know any such place or are interested in Yoga classes as described above

Lessons Learned, Still Breathing

by Lisa Cosmillo

I am just beginning to register the myriad lessons I have learned in the past two years since the inception and subsequent growth and sudden death of my business, Breathe. At this point I know I will never regret a moment I spent building and working on such a worthwhile project. I also know that it was not time wasted. There is a need for more places like Breathe. There is a need for a sense of community in Olympia that transcends the mighty three separate entities in this county.

Breathe served state workers, business folks and students. There was no biases allowed and all were served with love. In any day sitting in the cafe or moving in a class, you could find someone from all walks of life. All equal under that roof.

We need that kind of environment here; we need that kind of environment everywhere.

So lesson one, no time was wasted.

Lesson two, when you start a business, start small. I made the mistake of renting too large a space. We never quite made enough to support the space. Start SMALL.

Lesson three, I am not enough people all by myself to run a business of that magnitude. Partners can be difficult, but partners can be good. I don't need to go it alone.

Lesson four, communicate better. Perhaps if I had reached out instead of trying to support it all on my own, maybe others would have stepped up. I will never know. See Lesson three.

So this is just the beginning of figuring all of this out, and I suspect it's going to be an extended grieving process filled with much reflection.

I am just so grateful that I had the opportunity to do something I loved soooo much. And I'm grateful for the amazing people I got to work with and serve. I am a very fortunate woman.

30-Day Balance Challenge

I keep seeing 30-day challenges all over the Internet, so I decided to take my latest mission in life (to help folks learn the importance of balance as their bodies age) and create my own 30-day balance challenge.
Why Balance?
According to the World Health Organization, falling is the 2nd leading cause of death. As people age, it becomes the LEADING cause of death. Not heart disease, not cancer, but falling down. When a person starts to fall they have under a tenth of a second to catch themselves. Once that's over, it's over.
Not only does falling lead as a cause of death, but it is also the major cause of injury in people of all ages.
So join me as I stand on one foot.
I designed this progressively more challenging exercise with options for poses to try, however, I want to stress that the most important thing with this and all exercise is to begin where you are and to be safe. So if that means you have a chair or the wall nearby to lean on if you need, please do it.
Also remember, as I tell my Yoga students, this is not a competition...