"When we align our thoughts, emotions, and actions with the highest part of ourselves, we are filled with enthusiasm, purpose, and meaning....We are joyously and intimately engaged with our world. This is the experience of authentic power." Gary Zukav
Joy must be the word of the day for me. I turned on the television as I was enjoying my breakfast this morning to see "Where in the World Matt Lauer" was for the day. He was in Bhutan and they were speaking of the most amazing thing. In most countries we measure success and quality of life by the GNP (gross national product) but in Bhutan they measure well being by GHP (gross happiness product). I thought that this was the most brilliant idea ever! "The country believes that for a holistic development of the individual and society, it is essential that development achieve a sustainable balance between the economic, social, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs of the people. This has lead to the declared continuous process towards achieving a balance between the material and the intangible needs of the individuals or society. The concept reminds the country that the means must always be considered in terms of the end and, therefore, therefore, every step in material development and change must be measured and evaluated to ensure that it will lead to happiness, not just more development." Click here to read more.
After breakfast I opened my email and had a newsletter from Om Yoga. This is what Cyndi Lee had to say (I loved it so much I had to share): She also continued on the theme of joy.
"True confessions -- sometimes I find yoga practice to be a drag. Everything hurts or feels stiff or I'm distracted and the relationship of my pubic bone to my tail bone is just not all that compelling. But nary the less I really make a major effort to practice asana pretty much every day, week in and week out. Of course, there have been times when it was super fun and I am deeply engaged in the experience and naturally, there are many days when it's a nicely balanced middle path experience.
But on those days when I do find myself thinking of yoga as a chore, as just something to get through, the words of my teacher come to mind. Gelek Rimpoche tells his students to practice with joy! He said it's important to bring joy and delight to your practice and it makes your teachers happy!
When I remember this not only do I sit up a little bit taller and feel a little bit lighter, but I relax and feel full of gratitude and good fortune. Wow -- how lucky to be able to practice yoga, to learn about meditation, to be introduced to the teachings of the dharma.
If we can practice with a sense of openness to whatever comes up -- grumpiness or ease -- we are taking interest in our own process and this ability to pay attention is step one toward being able to lighten up and even laugh at the appearance of that old mental kvetching. It is said that the fruit of committed practice with an open mind/heart is a sense of playfulness."
Ah, such good stuff. So the next time your're practing yoga, gardening, crafting, or doing the dishes, try to do so with a sense of joy and gratitude. Washing the dishes can somehow be fun, right?
I wish you all a happy, joyful day.
Joy must be the word of the day for me. I turned on the television as I was enjoying my breakfast this morning to see "Where in the World Matt Lauer" was for the day. He was in Bhutan and they were speaking of the most amazing thing. In most countries we measure success and quality of life by the GNP (gross national product) but in Bhutan they measure well being by GHP (gross happiness product). I thought that this was the most brilliant idea ever! "The country believes that for a holistic development of the individual and society, it is essential that development achieve a sustainable balance between the economic, social, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs of the people. This has lead to the declared continuous process towards achieving a balance between the material and the intangible needs of the individuals or society. The concept reminds the country that the means must always be considered in terms of the end and, therefore, therefore, every step in material development and change must be measured and evaluated to ensure that it will lead to happiness, not just more development." Click here to read more.
After breakfast I opened my email and had a newsletter from Om Yoga. This is what Cyndi Lee had to say (I loved it so much I had to share): She also continued on the theme of joy.
"True confessions -- sometimes I find yoga practice to be a drag. Everything hurts or feels stiff or I'm distracted and the relationship of my pubic bone to my tail bone is just not all that compelling. But nary the less I really make a major effort to practice asana pretty much every day, week in and week out. Of course, there have been times when it was super fun and I am deeply engaged in the experience and naturally, there are many days when it's a nicely balanced middle path experience.
But on those days when I do find myself thinking of yoga as a chore, as just something to get through, the words of my teacher come to mind. Gelek Rimpoche tells his students to practice with joy! He said it's important to bring joy and delight to your practice and it makes your teachers happy!
When I remember this not only do I sit up a little bit taller and feel a little bit lighter, but I relax and feel full of gratitude and good fortune. Wow -- how lucky to be able to practice yoga, to learn about meditation, to be introduced to the teachings of the dharma.
If we can practice with a sense of openness to whatever comes up -- grumpiness or ease -- we are taking interest in our own process and this ability to pay attention is step one toward being able to lighten up and even laugh at the appearance of that old mental kvetching. It is said that the fruit of committed practice with an open mind/heart is a sense of playfulness."
Ah, such good stuff. So the next time your're practing yoga, gardening, crafting, or doing the dishes, try to do so with a sense of joy and gratitude. Washing the dishes can somehow be fun, right?
I wish you all a happy, joyful day.
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