8 Ways to Practice Peace in 2014

In 2013, I have been an observer of how ‘negative’ energy is transmitted among beings. The theory that ‘energy is neither created nor destroyed’ implies that ‘negative’ energy we expel out into the universe continues on. As the world continues to expel ‘negative’ energy, it continues on endlessly and we become carriers unless we make a conscious decision to counter the ‘negative’ energy with ‘positive’.

Take the example of a person having a ‘bad’ day. If they are not living in peace, they will generate ‘negative’ energy towards every living being they come in contact with. By proxy of the ‘negative’ energy being expelled by a person having a ‘bad’ day, the recipient of that ‘negative’ energy can easily succumb to absorbing the ‘negative’ energy as their own. That ‘negative’ energy then translates into ‘negative’ actions that can be put out onto others. Then the cycle continues on indefinitely.  

To become carriers of ‘positive’ energy, we need to practice peace in our everyday lives so that we can counter daily ‘negative’ energy. In theory, if more people practice peace, there will be less ‘negative’ energy in the universe that we will need to counter.

Below are 8 ways we can practice peace in 2014 to counter the ‘negative’ energy in our everyday lives:

1. Eat Less Meat – By consuming less meat, we reduce the amount of violence absorbed by proxy of slaughtered animals.

2. Watch Less Television – By reducing the amount of television, we can reduce the amount of violence we absorb through our sensory experiences.

3. Think Before We React – By thinking before we react, we counter the potential ‘negative’ energy we could expel before it’s too late.

4. Listen to people – By listening to people, and I mean really listen, we not only create space for thinking before we react (see #3) but we have an opportunity to be compassionate to other perspectives (see #5).

5. Be Compassionate to Others Perspectives – By being compassionate to others perspectives, we can find common ground in alternative experiences and see possibilities within ourselves.

6. Communicate With Passion – By communicating with passion, we can come from a place of joy and therefore communicate from our own truth, love for what we are doing and mindfulness of how we are doing it.

7. Develop a Meditation Practice – By establishing a meditation practice, we provide space for our minds and bodies to decompress from the continuum of our daily lives, to make sense of what is purposeful and understand what we can let go of.

8. Take Time to Live – Once we have identified what is purposeful, we can move forward in our lives, taking time to explore that which brings us joy, keeps us on our personnel path, and expels peace back out into the universe.

Cheers to practicing peace in 2014… Happy New Year!

Life is short, so get messy! 

Sources: 

Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community and the World by Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy by Yogi Ramacharaka

You Are Not Alone

Teaching yoga to a class thats full is a great opportunity to show practitioners how we can support one another. Whether it is the simple touch of another hand on your leg during a supine twist or the gentle touch on your shoulder as a row of yogis stand in tree lifting their hearts to the sky, it lets you know you are not alone.

In my own life, I am keening aware that I have not gotten to where I am without the help of others. Being in this grounded place in my life, I continually let those who have mentored me know exactly how much that have impacted my life. 

In recent weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet an extraordinary man, Antonio, who spends his free time helping woman and girls to take notice of their inner beauty. Antonio, an amazing hair stylist who works in the sometimes superficial world of beauty and fashion, has made a connection to this community of women, bringing them a deeper understanding of the true source of beauty. I was drawn to Antonio as we are similar paths of giving back to the world and letting others know they are not alone.

Over the past few months, I accompanied Antonio to meet with teenage girls at various homeless shelters in New York City, under the direction of Women In Need (WIN). Antonio brings his thoughts regarding various aspects of life: bullying, beauty on the inside, and role models. I bring the infinite tools of yoga including the power of breath, looking inward and listening. Both Antonio and I are giving back because somewhere in our own hearts it's what we intuitively know we must do.

“Education is education. We should learn everything and then choose which path to follow. Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human.” 
― Malala Yousafzai

Collectively, we stimulate thoughts within these girls, getting them to discuss their issues and challenges, particularly the circumstances they are currently in. We ultimately provide them tools to use and show up bigger in their life. 

It's not perfect, but the seeds are planted and the girls are empowered with the possibility of showing up more informed in any given situation. Take for instance, one girl who stated she used her breath to keep calm in a stressful situation that could have turned physical.

Another girl became present to some of the pain she was feeling inside her body and correlate it to her current situation of being homeless during our breathing exercise.

These girls are experiencing life and noticing their bodies in a new way. All of this because someone is stepping up to show them that they are not alone. 

"I raise my voice not so that i can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard” 
― Malala Yousafzai

In our last visit, Antonio brought the book, "I am Malala" to the girls and read excerpts from it. He explained that Malala was no different from anyone of the girls in that room. The only difference was the violence done to Malala that pushed her into the spotlight. 


Malala's story is about educating girls so they can strive for their dreams. It's a story about  hope and possibility by way of access to education.


All of the girls were intrigued and engaged! 




At the end of the discussion, one girl whispered to her friend, "I wonder what happened to her." I prompted her to speak up to Antonio and the group. As a result, all of the girls wanted a copy of the story to read it themselves. They were excited to think they could read her story and be empowered! And that we could get them a book. 

So this Christmas, Antonio and I are on a mission to take up a collection of copies of the book "I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai, so each girl can be inspired by her story, to come into their own greatness. 

If you or your friends/family are interested in contributing by purchasing one of these books for one of the girls, please email me at: messywhiteelephant@gmail.com

I will respond to your email by providing you details of where you can send your purchase. We are looking to collect a total of 50 books by January 15, 2014. All proceeds from the purchase of the book go to The Malala Fund. 

Life is short, so get messy!

Twas a Month Before Christmas: My Yoga Elf On The Shelf

T'was a month before Christmas, when all through the house

I pulled out decorations from storage, with the help of my spouse.

When all of the decorations were put out with care,

My husband pointed across the room and said, “Hey- what’s ova there?”

My Elf On The Shelf, Rondolpho, had been tucked under my bed,

While visions of mischief danced in his head;

With hubby in his Dickies and Rondolpho in his cap,

He had just woken his brains from a year long nap,

 Out of his box, Rondolph’s body was stiff,

So he wanted to do something that we give him a lift.

Away from the box, he flew like a flash,

He tore open his yoga mat and stripped off his sash.

From the tip of his head to the bottom of his toes,

Gave lustre of his asana to us watching the show.

When what to his wondering third eye did appear?

But his true north alignment and postures with cheer.

With a power vinyasa so lively and quick,

I knew that his practice wouldn’t miss a trick

More rapid than eagle arms, his postures they came,

And he chanted and chanted and then called them by name:

"Now, Balasana! now, Adho Mukha Svanasana! now Uttihita Chaturanga Dandasana and Anjaneyasana!

On, Salamba Sirsasana! on, Dhanurasana! on, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana and Svasana!

To the top of my head! With my legs up the wall!

Now Chaturanga! Chaturanga! Chaturanga it all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

Rondolpho met with an obstacle, while his feet reached for the sky;

So up to his hip points, the vinyasa he flew

With his mind filled with Desikachar and Iyengar too—

And then, in a twinkling, he heard in his throat

His ujjayi breath, which he recalled by rote.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Rondolpho came down from a bridge, into supta he bound.

Reconnecting with his body from his head to his foot,

His clothes were all sweaty and he was almost caput;

A bundle of thoughts started to enter his head

And he took a deep inhale connecting with breath instead.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the whites of his eyes were as white as the snow;

Before he folded over, he removed the flesh from his seat

Then folded over his thighs, dropping his head like defeat

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That moved on his inhale, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was tired and fatigued, a true yogi elf on a shelf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A drishti in his eye and a twist of his thigh

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to decry

He spoke not a word, but went straight to deep rest,

And sunk into his mat; feeling completely blessed,

He folded a towel and laid it over his eyes

And sinking into the floor, he splayed open his thighs.

After Svasana, he sprang up to his seat,

And away he chanted without missing a beat

But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he OM-ed out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Life is short, so get messy!