Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.–Malcolm Muggeridge, journalist
Thought for Today
Thought for Today
“I think a spiritual journey is not so much a journey of discovery. It’s a journey of recovery. It’s a journey of uncovering your own inner nature. It’s already there.”
—Billy Corgan
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spiritual.html
Thought for Today
“To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.” – T.S. Eliot
The Benefits of Yoga: Improved Posture
Growing up I was always told to “stand up straight.” Like most teenagers I had a tendency to slouch. But as an adult of short stature I stood up straight to get every inch out of my height. Or so I thought.
That is until the first physically obvious benefit of yoga for me appeared. I could tell I was standing straighter and taller. Bob even commented on my posture.
In a world where we spend so much time driving, sitting at a computer, slumped over our cell phones and other devices we need a counterpose to life. Instead of sinking downward and forward we need something that will move us upward and back.
Backbends will help with this, but one often overlooked pose for posture is Tadasana (tah-DAHS-uh-nuh) or Mountain Pose. If you think Mountain Pose is just standing there and a waste of time, think again. It is an active pose that is the foundation of all standing poses. Take the time to learn proper alignment in Mountain Pose and alignment in all other standing poses will be easier. In addition to improving posture, this pose can decrease back pain and help focus and calm the mind.
A good yoga practice has many benefits, including better posture. Mom would be so proud.
Resources:
https://yoga.com/article/yoga-poses-to-fix-your-posture
Yoga to Improve Posture: Self-Assess Your Spine + Learn How to Protect It
https://www.yogabasics.com/asana/mountain/
https://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-do-mountain-pose-in-yoga
Thought for Today
“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.”
—E.B. White
Thought for Today
“To me every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.”
– Walt Whitman
Thought for Today
“Healthy plants and trees yield abundant flowers and fruits. Similarly, from a healthy person, smiles and happiness shine forth like the rays of the sun.” — B. K. S. Iyengar
Thought for Today
“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world. ” — B. K. S. Iyengar
Thought for Today
“Love works in miracles every day: such as weakening the stong, and stretching the weak; making fools of the wise, and wine men of fools; faouring the passions, destroying the reason, and in a word, turning everything topsy-turvy.” — Margaret of Valois
How do we Stop the Violence?
This is a question on most of our hearts right now, isn’t it? So how do we stop the violence?
To stop the violence we have to stop being violent. Please don’t leave yet, hang in here with me and let me explain.
When we look at the violence in the world, both close to home and far away we see a huge overwhelming problem with what appears to be no solution. As long as we look at gun violence in this way there will be no solution. Violence begins and ends in the heart of each and every individual and peace really does begin with each of us as well.
So where do we begin?
- We begin by putting down our guns. How many people carry guns for “protection”? I know the arguments for this, no one has to tell me. But who will protect our friends, family and neighbors if out of fear we fire a weapon and kill an innocent person? Or it falls into the hands of a curious child or angry teenager?
- We must learn to start acting out of love instead of reacting out of fear.
- We stop glorifying violence and war.
- For Christians it’s time to get out the Bible and look at what it really says about violence. Do you really want to see God through the eyes of fear as portrayed in the Old Testament or through the eyes of love as shown to us by the Master Teacher Jesus. Perhaps it’s time to stop being “soldiers of the cross” and start living the life of love he came to show us.
- Spiritual warfare isn’t really fought with guns, bombs, swords, etc. It is fought in the hearts and minds of each of us as we struggle with who will control us — love or fear.
- Start watching for the many ways violence creeps into our daily lives through media, contemporary culture and even our words.
- Before you can change the world you have to change yourself. Find that place of peace within yourself. Start acting from that sill, calm center. Watch as it changes the way you deal with the world. Watch the ripples of change that begin from the change within you.
- This is a time when we must be in prayer, but we must remember our thoughts and our lives are prayers every minute of every day. This is how we “pray without ceasing”. Instead of praying to God to stop the violence and being overwhelmed that is does not stop, perhaps it is time to look at ourselves and what we are bringing into the world..
Oh I am not being naive here. I know changing people is never easy, but we don’t have to change everyone. The only one i have to change is me. The only one you have to change is you. It has to start somewhere.
May our prayer in these turbulent times be let peace begin with me. Practice peace. Live peace. Be peace. — And so it is.
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