au revoir montreal

we're all packed up and about to hit the town before crossing the border tonight. we thought getting a small start on the long journey home before monday morning may make monday feel a little lighter - especially since mondays always feel a little heavy anyway, agree?

during my "get your yoga on" workshop friday night i read one of my favorite sutras that i wanted to repeat on the blog:

1.33 in relationships, the mind becomes purified by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards those who are virtuous, and indifference or neutrality towards those we perceive as wicked or evil.
(maitri karuna mudita upekshanam sukha duhka punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam)

this sutra is such a beautiful reminder of the 4 attitudes to possess. also a reminder to be less reactionary - "indifference towards those we perceive as wicked." wicked is such a severe word but i remember this sutra being discussed at the jiva training and explained as staying neutral in a situation where you see someone behaving in a way you don't agree with. doesn't mean we ignore everything but that we avoid being judgmental and "holier than thou."

the ability to have space between a stimulus and a reaction is key. i've learned over the years, too, that we don't have to make decisions immediately or cultivate a response, sometimes it is best to sit on things, ponder, and then make a decision or respond. it will be less emotional and more solid. i know, again, easier said than done but i LOVE the concept and try to stay mindful of it when vacillating about an issue.

beau and i did a TON of sleeping here and didn't get the podcast produced so we'll either do it where ever we end up late tonight or when we get back to DC tomorrow night. i think you'll enjoy it as anne returns with some great ayurveda tips for fall! thanks for your patience with our travels.

in the meantime, try this sequence: tadasana, utkanasana, utkatasana twist to right, utkatasana twist to left, utkatasana, sit down into navasana, jump back chaturanga, up dog, down dog, take 5 breaths and keep flowing! namaste.