grace and yoga

Because grace is a beautiful thing. Thank you Misty Pittman, you are the picture of grace.

I found these words from yoga teacher, Jason Crandell, in my FaceBook newsfeed today, “The integrity of your movement is more important than your range of movement”, and I realized that this is exactly what I’ve been trying to speak to in recent classes.

Grace.   

How can we invite this into our yoga practice, and into our lives?  How can we show up in a way that is gentle?

And why is this even important?

When I think of grace, I think of ease, compassion, and humbleness.  I think of going with the flow.  When we are practicing these elements, we are living in a way that is harmonious and authentic. 

We begin to notice ourselves as kinder. 

With grace, there is less struggle and awkwardness.  We are not resisting or forcing.  We can loosen our grip on whatever it is we are fighting with and begin to accept.

The yoga mat is a perfect place to begin to explore this.  How often do we push ourselves into poses without paying attention to the transitions?  How many of us tell ourselves stories about how our limitations on the mat determine our worth?

What if we thought about our yoga practice as a dance and our breath the rhythm that carries us?  Moving slowly, stretching our bodies joyously, inhaling deeply as arms are swept overhead and exhaling fully as we float our upper body forward into a soft fold.

Take time to establish alignment, setting down hands and feet as if this was an honored ritual.  Breathe fully, creating expansion, without taking the breath to a place of rigidity.  Be gentle in your thoughts and words. 

These elements of grace soften us and make us whole.  We feel calmer.  Even if we lose our balance, we recover with a smile.

Start here, on the mat.  Feel alive and carry that into your daily life, bringing that quality of grace into your relationships and work.  Enjoy going with the flow, even you do have two left feet.

the heart of yoga: an online offering

In this wild, beautiful, crazy, precious life we need tools, ways of living and Being, which help us to stay connected to our center. 

Life is not inherently stressful, busy, and hard but it can feel that way to many of us. Yoga offers us a beautiful system that helps us to integrate body, mind, and spirit. It also offers us a powerful framework for not only living in accordance with our Self, but also how to live in harmony in our relationships.

The essence of Yoga is this integration of body, mind, and spirit through practices that enhance the mind-body-heart connection. These techniques awaken strength, poise, grace, and the development of centered awareness even in the midst of chaos and turmoil.

Who wouldn’t benefit from more of this?

Join me in this five week journey through the yamas. Don’t worry, that’s just a fancy Sanskrit word that basically means “restraint”. These so called restraints are not quite as limiting as they might first appear. They actually create the most awesome containers that encourage us to live and love in peace with ourselves and one another.

The focus of this online offering is about You + Your Relationships. After all, isn’t life one big relationship? Let us consider.  We have:

Our relationship to our Self.

Relationship to our family of origin, spouse or partner, friends, children, co-workers, community, the clerk, and yes, even your barista. And we must include our very own Mama Nature, the environment.

How about your relationship to passions, goals, dreams, intentions? Your relationship to your beliefs, habits, and the truths you have owned.

Friend, there is so much more.

Why is this exploration worthy of your time and attention?

Because if you are reading this, then you too feel the call to live life intentionally. To be awake and aware in this world. To love more fully and joyfully. You are devoted to a life of meaning and purpose. 

This doesn’t mean we are perfect, that we don’t slip and make mistakes. Oh no, this is not the place for judgments and righteousness. This is the place where we  each get to show up, turn towards our light, compassionately reflect, and consciously choose how we want to show up for ourselves and each other. 

Will you bring your strengths, your vulnerabilities, your joys, your hopes, your regrets, your sorrows and join me on this glorrrrrious adventure? 

I so hope you will. 

For five weeks you will receive an email from me three times per week… Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Each week we’ll journey through the five yamas, playing with one per week. You’ll have to digest, ponder, and play with the words, stories, and exercises presented. You can open and read each email at a time that feels convenient for you. We’ll also have a private Facebook forum for those of you wanting to connect in an online environment.

I’m also planning to teach my classes around the yamas during the five week course. Local yogis will have a chance to explore these practices on the yoga mat.

For those of you wanting to dive a step deeper I am offering a coaching session in addition to the class. This is for any of you wanting personal attention as it relates to the work we’ll be exploring and personal practices for you to engage in. 

The Details:

The Heart of Yoga: Five week online exploration through the yamas                                                       

When: May 20 - June 21                                                                                                                               Registration: $36 for online course, $100 for course + one coaching session

Click here for registration.

Please note there are two options, one for the course alone and one for course + coaching.

with love,

sharon

mega self love retreat

I'm feeling ready to start a radical self love revolution.

That's right. And I'm calling all women to join me. Yes, you, you, and especially you.

It doesn't matter your age, the size of your thighs, what you do for a living, if you're currently happy or miserable. It doesn't matter if you're feeling lost and confused, or totally on track. I don't care if you can stand on your head or sit in lotus for meditation. I don't care if you single, happily married, or fighting your way through fertility.

What I want to know is this....

Are you willing to start loving yourself right here, right now? 

Mary Oliver tells us this (and she's brilliant so I'm all ears, heart too),
"You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves."

I'm about to suggest something radically different. There is a way for you to summon self acceptance, compassion, kindness, and love for wherever you are in your life right now.

There is in fact a way for you to hold a higher vision for yourself and your future AND give yourself some mega love for where you are now. Yes, at the same time.

We postpone our joy (and love) for a later date and time. We think....

When I finish school,
When I have the baby,
When I get a new job,
When life settles down,
When I lose 10 more pounds,
When I master such and such yoga pose,
When I have more money,
When I have more time,
Etc, etc, etc.
THEN I will be worthy to love myself.

Frankly, it's time for it to stop.


Consider joining me and a small group of awesome lovely ladies for the day to explore all things major loooovvve.

We'll revel in our bodies awesome ways to move through yoga.
We'll let someone else love our body up and down with an hour massage at The Massage Center.
We'll eat an awesome organic lunch provided by Good Foods Co-Op.
We'll share stories from the heart.
We'll explore ways to embrace, celebrate, and demonstrate how you can start loving yourself today.

And because it's a day of mega loooovvvve, there will be moments of moving to your own rhythm. That may look like a walk to Starbucks for a latte, swinging outside near the flowers, busting out a spontaneous sphinx pose, or sipping hot tea and doing absolutely nothing.

Decide that this IS the day you stop waiting for love. It's yours to claim. Go for it.....The world is waiting.

Saturday May 18, 8:30 - 4:30
$160 if you pay before May 4
$185 afterwards
Price includes all yoga sessions, massage, tea, treats and other random awesomeness.

Register early as space is limited ladies!

Register Here!

**Sorry men, this one is only for the women out there.**

alternate nostril breathing

Sarah Bowker shares how you can use the breath to create more energy and how to settle down and relax. When you need a quick fix, there is nothing more readily available than your sweet awesome breath. Enjoy Friends.

My “go-to” breath: alternate nostril breathing

Our breath serves many functions.  One of the most important functions our breath has is to move our prana, or energy, throughout our body.

Close your eyes, and take a breath.  Can you feel the skin stretch and the lungs expand as you filled the body with your inhale?  Can you feel the body settle back into place on the exhale?

Now, take a breath, and imagine taking that breath in through your hands.  Feel the inhale travel up from the palms of your hands, along the arms, all the way to the top of your head.  Exhale, feel the breath move back down, from your head, along your arms, and out your hands.  Take a few breaths this way.  This type of breath visualization can help us to move our prana in our body. 

Cool, huh?

Just like yoga poses assist in toning, strengthening, stretching, and balancing the physical body, there are different breath techniques we can use to balance our energetic/vital/breath body. 

Let us take a quick look at the yin/yang concept of energy.

At all times, our body’s energy lies somewhere along a continuum between yin and yang.  However, our energy cannot be completely yin, or completely yang (see symbol below); without the presence of yin, we cannot know yang, and vice versa. Here are the commonly used adjectives to help describe the tendencies of yin and yang:

Yin	Yang
Cold Hidden Feminine Soft Moon Restful Dark	Hot Exposed Masculine Hard Sun Active Light

We can easily change the energetic balance of our bodies using our breath.  How?  Our body’s access to yin and yang energy is through our nose.  Our left nostril helps to increase the yin energy in our body, while the right nostril helps to increase the yang energy in our body.

The breath exercise used to balance the yin and yang energies of the body is called nadi shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing. It involves exhaling and inhaling through one nostril, and then switching sides to exhale and then inhale, and so on.  The fingers can be used to lightly seal the nostril not being used to breathe, or just visualization can be used.

Yoga journal has a great tutorial: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2487

Alternate nostril breathing is a quick and effective way to prepare the energetic body for meditation.  It also helps to slow the breath down.

Feeling sleepy?  A few breaths in and out your right nostril will give you an energetic boost!

Feeling jittery, and unable to relax?  A few breaths in and out your left nostril will mellow you out.

Give it a try, and let me know how it goes!

steadiness and ease

Misty Pittman has a bit of an obsession. Read on Friends.....

Sthira Sukham Asanam.  Asana is a steady, comfortable posture.
~ The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

If you have taken any of my classes in the past month, you are all too familiar with my fascination surrounding this topic.  In fact, it is starting to become a bit of an obsession.

Patanjali tells us that any posture that allows us to feel steady and relaxed is a yoga pose.  Say what?  Yes, absolutely.  It is as simple and difficult as that. 

Meditators practice the yoga poses with hopes that physical ease and suppleness will be achieved, so that they may sit for extended periods of time in meditation, without having the distractions of physical discomfort.

But what about the rest of us?  Those of us new to yoga that find awkwardness and resistance in every pose?  Those of us with injuries and cranky bodies?  Those of us who push past our limits, trying to achieve perfection, bypassing steadiness?  And why is it so important to be aware of this concept? 

Because if our aim is not steadiness and ease (both on and off the mat), then we are only struggling and resisting.

As yoga practitioners, where do we start?  We know that in the course of a 75 min yoga class, many opportunities will come up that will challenge us. 

Begin by honoring your body.  Don't ignore pain.  Keep your ego in check.  Keep it simple. 

Stand in tadasana and feel the four corners of your feet pressing into the floor.  Lift your kneecaps and firm up through your hamstrings.  Feel that energy lift your spine tall, open your heart, and close your eyes.  Even as your body sways, can you feel stable through your feet?  Can you feel the lightness of your upper body?  Can you feel the fullness of your breath?

Of course, not every pose is this simple.  Many poses will challenge our strength, our balance, and our flexibility.  I experienced this myself in a recent class.  I couldn’t even hold my hands together in prayer without them trembling.   I took my attention to my breath, and even though my body shook uncontrollably, I found that I could detach and find steadiness through my inhales and exhales.  Not easy, but amazing to feel that ease amidst the chaos of my tired body.

I encourage you to play with this.  Pick a pose that is mildly challenging for you and then ask yourself how you can invite both states of steadiness and ease into the posture.   Maybe you simply loosen the grip of your toes and soften the muscles around the face.  Maybe you imagine reaching your tailbone down into the mat, as your spine effortlessly grows tall. 

The possibilities are endless.

radical change

What a perfect baby bump? As most of you know, our beloved Julie is now taking a break from her Sunday class as she prepares for her biggest adventure yet.....mamahood. Julie is such an open hearted woman and I couldn't be happier for her. You'll want to read this....there are takeaways for all of us.

 

Well, the time has come for me to roll up my teaching mat and explore the wondrous world of motherhood for a while. For such a long time, I have been anticipating this moment- when I would teach my last class and step into my “maternity” leave of absence. 

 

As I walked into the treehouse Sunday, I felt a powerful emotion wash over me that I would feel several more times in the couple hours I was there. The next time was when fellow teacher, Sarah, walked through the big wooden door with a sweet, supportive smile on her face. The next time was the sight of my students faces as they snuggled into their mats for Savasana. 

 

The final time was when I was alone again in the treehouse- the energy of our practice still in the air, I sat on my mat, shed a few tears, and walked out the wooden door.

Change is really radical. Good or bad, it’s never very easy. I have some huge changes looming in my close future: I’m leaving my full time job of 7 years and I’m going to have a baby. I’m leaving what I know which is so comfortable and starting a journey that is very unknown. 

 

So how am I going to do it? 

 

Am I going to regret leaving my job? 

Am I going to be a good mom? 

Will I ever sleep again? 

How will teaching yoga feel after I’ve had the baby? 

How will DOING yoga feel after I have the baby? 

 

There’s so many questions swirling in my head on a daily basis.

But I’m waking up each morning and asking myself this: How can I quiet my mind and connect to the authenticity of my heart?

And a different piece of me softens each day. If it weren’t for the great wisdom of yoga, I wouldn’t have the tools to ask myself important questions like this. And if it weren’t for yoga, I wouldn’t be taking on this change with a sense of acceptance.

So while I take a little break from teaching, I’m going to take the time to DO yoga, be yoga, and delight in yoga in a whole new way. 

 

And when I come back to teach in a few months, I’ll put my whole, new mama heart into it!

how to be calmly active and actively calm

Words to soothe your body, mind, and heart this March by the awesome Laura Whitaker. We just love her.

 

"You must be calmly active and actively calm. Be intensely aware of everything you are doing." -Yogananda

 

I think this quote basically sums up what we're constantly evolving toward in yoga. Well, to be honest, I think that about almost every great inspiring quote I read :) But seriously, this is a good one, and it served as inspiration for my classes this week. 

 

Just think about it: 

 

When you're calmly active on the mat, you flow mindfully from pose to pose. Transitions come with {the intention of} grace. When a pose feels completely overwhelming, you try to reign in your ego, settle your mind's chattering, and simply be in the pose to the best of your ability in that moment.

 

So how can you bring this calm action off the mat?

 

When you are busy running from place to place and moving from task to task, slow down, notice, and appreciate each little (or big) "to-do" as it's happening. Move from place to place with grace and peace. Stay aware of your stress level and attempt to create positive energy not only for yourself, but for the people you cross paths with, too. 

 

Active does not have to be synonymous with hectic.

 

When you're actively calm on the mat, you simply watch your breath as it moves through your body. You check in with sensations you feel in your body while you're centering. You are aware of the length of your breath and the energy moving through your limbs immediately following savasana.

 

When you step off the mat and into your day, you can maintain this sense of active calmness. When you have that moment of peace, soak it up with awareness and gratitude. Notice the slowing of your breath and the relaxation of your muscles as you crawl into bed at night.

 

To me, active calmness means we don't let our monkey minds control our thoughts. We can stay calm by actively telling our mind we'd rather focus on our breath, our body, or the thoughts that are serving us in a positive way.

 

If you're calm, it doesn't have to mean you're being lazy, inattentive, or passive.

 

May your March be filled with a happy balance of calmness and action. And lots of yoga both on and off the mat!

there is no path. just follow your heart

This one is perfectly times dear Friends. Enjoy these heart centered words from Miss Meredith Swim.

 

February holds a dear place in my heart. The entire Swim clan (besides me and the noble dogs, who are Scorpios) celebrate late January and February birthdays, so February in my Aquarius household has always meant family get-togethers, heart themed parties and a sweet abundance of birthday cake.

 

I also must share that I absolutely love Valentine’s Day. I totally dig the color scheme (hot pinks and flirty purples, hurray!), adore dark chocolate (especially organic with ginger pieces) and I heart-fully support a day that honors love in all its marvelous forms.

So, as I finish the last of bite of birthday cake and awe over valentines given to me by friends and family, I find myself thinking about the heart and all the curious, beautiful, frustrating and sometimes overwhelming emotions that dwell there.

 

As someone who lives in her heart, I am influenced and motivated by my feelings and my thoughts revolve around my present relationships. At times, (flashbacks to high school) my emotions can overpower me. My sensitivity can prompt me to be reactive instead of responsive to certain situations: “She said what?!! Well, I’m totally de-friending that chick!”

 

Hurray, Yoga arrives as a knight in shining armor! Yoga and meditation invite me to take breathing space from my feelings, allowing me to acknowledge (not suppress) them and understand the thought patterns and memories contributing to the intensity of an emotion. If I am caught in an emotional rut, I take a few conscious breaths, focus on my heart center and from there ask myself what I am really feeling about a current problem.

 

An answer always emerges.

During the day, I sometimes go on emotional autopilot. I can’t afford to be completely submerged in my feelings all day long, my homework would never get done! So, with the guidance of the breath to create a safe and nurturing space (one where my inner critic has been silenced or at least muffled), my emotional check-ins let me know what is going on in this heart of mine.

 

All arising feelings are welcomed, and the painful ones deserve an extra long deep breath, but they must come to the surface so I can rise. 

The heart is also very wise. Once the mind is peaceful, and the sticky emotions have been cleared, I ask my heart for guidance and the answer again always appears. If I am debating about going out or staying in, I imagine the scenarios and notice how I feel about each possible one. I allow my heart to decide. Feelings are intuitive creatures.

This February I intend on devoting some extra attention to my heart. I encourage you, yogis and blog travelers, to soften the voice of the mind and listen to the stirring whispers of your heart.

 

Maybe there are answers waiting to be heard. Or maybe you’ll be advised to treat yourself to a Hershey’s chocolate kiss or some lovely yoga time. ;)

strike a pose

Need to settle your mind? Relieve an achy back? Boost your mood? Sarah has it covered in this post (with pictures!). Enjoy Friends. I'm off to do legs up the wall.

 

Okay no I am not referring to Madonna’s song Vogue (or am I???)…

I’m talking about yoga poses.

Do you know which pose is best for quieting a monkey mind? For lifting your mood? To encourage the body to relax? What about for soothing an achy low back?

Here are my tried and true go-to poses. Next time you need an asana pick-me-up, give one of these a try...no yoga mat required!

Settling the mind.....

 

You'll find me in a seated forward fold, with my forehead resting on the support of a yoga block (if props are nearby) or maybe on the seat of a chair or couch, or the edge of a desk if not. Supporting the forehead is key. Usually my legs are loosely crossed in front of me (but they don’t have to be!), and I don't have to fold too far forward to access peace of mind. I might sit in this pose up to five minutes, and encourage a longer exhale than inhale in my breath.

Boosting your mood.....

Sphinx pose is my go-to mood lifter for when I’m feeling cranky. Add in some steady ujjayi (victorious breath), and after a minute or two I will feel more clear headed and clear hearted. And I can always let my chin rest to my chest if the backbend feels “too” good. A little back bending always helps me find a smile.

Relaxing the body.....

Supported bridge is the ultimate relaxation pose for me.  It doesn’t get better than a supported inversion.  The grounding of a block under my sacrum, combined with feet planted on the ground, yet legs relaxed (and hip flexors at rest) and upper back pressing gently into the earth…ahhhhhh…a few minutes and an occasional big inhale-2 second pause-slow exhale breath later, I feel like a brand new yogini! If you don't have a block try using a thick book or a couple really firm pillows.

Relief for a sore low back....

Legs up the wall to the rescue! This pose encourages the low back to lengthen and rest, and the sacrum (tailbone) is firmly rooted to the floor.  I might rest here up to 15 minutes, and practice inhaling breath into my belly, and exhaling and gently pulling my belly button towards my spine. And if I take a quick nap, all the better. Legs straight up the wall (and inner thighs relaxing) is the ideal option for back relief versus legs wide or feet and legs in butterfly. If flexibility limits you, you can use a chair – just bend your knees and let your lower legs and heels rest on the seat of the chair.

So friends, I want to know – what’s your go-to yoga pose?

awaiting the moment of practice

More Treehouse yoga teachers getting real about yoga. Refresh yourself with Laura Whitaker's words then take a deep breath, and know that this too is "practice".

 

Practice by Julie Rappaport

Today I wake. Sort of. Roll out of bed. Make Tea. 

Awaiting the moment of practice. 

It never comes. 

I notice this moment of never-coming practice as true as any other. 

I notice.

If you read Misty's post, you already learned that yoga teachers are real people. Teachers are students. Teachers, too, fall out of tree pose.

And sometimes teachers even {gasp} fall behind in their asana practice. I can't say I'm exactly proud of the amount I practiced in January, which is unfortunately less than I'd have liked, but I'm okay with it now. And I appreciate that yoga is in fact the very thing that's made me better at accepting my lack of yoga this month. 

"Wait, what was that? Yoga helped you do less yoga?" Well, what I'm trying to say is that the most important things I've learned through yoga over the years - honoring my body, noticing my breath, acknowledging my thoughts and (attempting) to let them go - continue to remind me that there is no perfect and that our well-being has no space for judgment. January happened.

 

 

With the realized goals of running, teaching, and taking more graduate classes came adjusting to a new schedule and an unfortunate decrease in my own asana practice. I practiced of course, but not quite to the extent I initially envisioned I would. But I've been practicing yoga through acceptance, acknowledgement of what was happening, and simply taking things moment-by-moment. 

So, if you ever find yourself in that moment of never-coming practice (or never-coming fill-in-the-blank-with-whatever-isn't-coming), notice it just as you would your breath when you're centering in a yoga class. Maybe in that moment of true acknowledgment, the practice will actually come. 

Or maybe it won't. But that's okay. It will come back, I promise.

creating conditions for feeling good

In the Yoga Sutras there is this inspiring AND challenging practice known as brahmacharya. My favorite translation is:

Conservation and regulation of energy.

Energy being the general state of aliveness, or lack thereof, you experience at any given moment.

We all bring ourselves to our yoga mats with a very different "feeling." What's been happening in your life over previous days, weeks, and even months? Have you been sick? Are you in the midst of a major transition? Are you celebrating something big in your life? Are you knee deep in grief (hello, been there)? Have you been eating ice cream and fried foods most days?

All of these and more, they affect us. Certainly something to consider when we roll our mat out and take our seat.

This morning in class I invited students to get curious about ways they could be in their practice AND generate more energy. What would that look like?

Holding a pose longer that you're comfortable.
Taking more time to rest in child's pose.
Transitioning from pose to pose, place to place, with ease.
Expanding the breath.
More acceptance, less judgement.
Breathing in a different way.
More love. Less fear.
Actually smiling during class.
Taking the easier option of a pose.
Taking the harder option.

Learning how our yoga practice can generate energy OR deplete energy can help us to take the practice off the mat.

How do you create conditions throughout your day that help you to feel good?

Start the day slowly, intentionally.
Give yourself extra time to drive to work.
Savor a cuppa coffee or tea.
Move your body in a way that feels good.
Stay in the shower longer.
Eat delicious foods that you celebrate.
Gaze at the sky.
Have that difficult but needed conversation.
Engage more with people that elevate you.
Do something nice for someone.
Appreciate nature.
Do one thing you thought you couldn't.
Breathe deeply.
Make eye contact. Bonus points for smiling.
Take a nap.
Clean your house.
Prepare a meal while listening to music.
Snuggle your kids, your kittens, your dogs.

I'm curious, dear Friend, what are the conditions you create that help you to feel alive?

What depletes your energy?

What generates more energy?

the art of attention

After reading the deliciousness of Julie's post I found myself wishing I'd been in her class yesterday. Heavenly. Enjoy Friends.

I taught my All Levels Sunday class on Dharana recently and as soon as I “namasted” my students and lifted my head to their faces, I felt a really profound energy exuding from the room.  It’s these moments as a yoga instructor that remind us why we do what we do.  

I explained at the beginning of class that Dharana is complete concentration; a total focus of attention.  My favorite translation of the word simply says “the unbending concentration of the mind.”  Most of us are used to flowing through the yoga poses- sometimes leading to a loss of concentration because we get so caught up in the flow. (And don’t get me wrong, I love getting lost in the flow!!)  

Sometimes, we need to stop, hold the pose, and be aware of where our focus is directed.  So in this particular class, I had my students hold their poses a little longer than usual.  I noticed shoulders dropping during Crescent pose, arms dropping during Warrior II, and gazes turning to the earth during Extended Side Angle.  

I was so pleased to see these small movements because I knew my students were paying attention to what their bodies needed at that moment.  It was not about doing the perfect pose, it was about doing each pose with a deep sense of focus.  And when we are really present, we take care of ourselves by giving our arms a rest or gazing downwards to ease our necks.  As we all learn to concentrate and be in the moment, we learn to take care of ourselves better.

Like all aspects of yoga, this concept can be related to our daily lives.  The art of Dharana allows me to let go of all the things that tend to receive my focus but really do not deserve it.  I’m reminded as I think of this “unbending” concentration that when I’m living my best life and my spirit is experiencing joy, I’m focused.  I’m focused on the things that really matter- taking in deep breaths, eating sustainable food, caring for my relationships, caring for myself, caring for my students, and so on.

It is so easy for modern humans to get wrapped up in a million different things at once.  There’s just so much to see and do in our world.  We love to multitask, we love to write or type out a long list of to do’s and mark them off when they are done, and we love to keep life busy so we don’t get bored.  I’m guilty of all of these things!  

What I am learning through my personal study of Dharana is that I’m much lighter, much more at ease when my focus is singular.  I’m able to give 100%.  I’m less distracted, in turn making me more productive in all parts of my life.  

I encourage each of you to take the time today to just notice where your focus is being directed.  Is it on a thousand different things?  Are you moving fast between tasks, conversations, stop signs?  Stop a moment and give full and utter attention to your breath.  It is the best place to begin.