The undistinguished garden hose has been one of my favorite teaching props of late. I like to imagine that well-being flows freely through our bodies, like water through an unimpeded hose.
Too often, our focus is on the task ahead of us and we assume that what comes out of the hose will be consistent and continuous.When our flow of well-being diminishes, we call in a specialist to find the physical cause (kink) of restriction. Emotionally, we might also look around us to see if someone or something is draining our supply.
Our beliefs dictate how we view and move through life. Notice the difference when you alter simple statements about work, as in this article from Monster, the largest internet job search engine. Some researchers are also saying that a change in emotional states, will alter brain perception. Laughter, can even change the way your brain works.
So which statements feel better?
(a) Health and well-being come with the luck of the draw and the older you get, the less you have. There's nothing you can do about it.
Or,
(b) Health and well-being are flowing continuously through me and when I don't feel good, I immediately look for the resistance, alter my course, and allow well-being to flow.
I'm not advocating self-diagnosis or denial of symptoms if you are currently being challenged. Just the suggestion that you look at your beliefs about health. Because all of the vitamins,special diets and medications in the world, are no match for the beliefs: "health has to be earned", "there's only so much of it to go around", and "if I fail to do this I'll get some dreaded disease".
Going back to the garden hose analogy, the fatalistic gardener waters her garden in hopes that she will be granted a bed of roses. If and when the water supply diminishes, she might tug and fuss or beat the hose into submission. She may even give up her dream of roses and opt for a rock garden. Not that there's anything wrong with a rock garden, it's just not what she wanted.
The self-responsible gardener knows that the water is turned on and flowing, in full force. He's aware of any change in pressure and makes adjustments to the hose before the flow diminishes or before he gets too far from the kink. He chooses to allow for a smooth flow.
The master gardener however, believes that there need not be any obstruction to the flow from source to rose bed. She has an abundance mind-set and has laid down a permanent hose to the rose bed. Through her belief experience, the gardener, the hose, the water, and the flower bed are all part of the same action and result.
I think I might have just described the essence of yoga!
Too often, our focus is on the task ahead of us and we assume that what comes out of the hose will be consistent and continuous.When our flow of well-being diminishes, we call in a specialist to find the physical cause (kink) of restriction. Emotionally, we might also look around us to see if someone or something is draining our supply.
Our beliefs dictate how we view and move through life. Notice the difference when you alter simple statements about work, as in this article from Monster, the largest internet job search engine. Some researchers are also saying that a change in emotional states, will alter brain perception. Laughter, can even change the way your brain works.
So which statements feel better?
(a) Health and well-being come with the luck of the draw and the older you get, the less you have. There's nothing you can do about it.
Or,
(b) Health and well-being are flowing continuously through me and when I don't feel good, I immediately look for the resistance, alter my course, and allow well-being to flow.
I'm not advocating self-diagnosis or denial of symptoms if you are currently being challenged. Just the suggestion that you look at your beliefs about health. Because all of the vitamins,special diets and medications in the world, are no match for the beliefs: "health has to be earned", "there's only so much of it to go around", and "if I fail to do this I'll get some dreaded disease".
Going back to the garden hose analogy, the fatalistic gardener waters her garden in hopes that she will be granted a bed of roses. If and when the water supply diminishes, she might tug and fuss or beat the hose into submission. She may even give up her dream of roses and opt for a rock garden. Not that there's anything wrong with a rock garden, it's just not what she wanted.
The self-responsible gardener knows that the water is turned on and flowing, in full force. He's aware of any change in pressure and makes adjustments to the hose before the flow diminishes or before he gets too far from the kink. He chooses to allow for a smooth flow.
The master gardener however, believes that there need not be any obstruction to the flow from source to rose bed. She has an abundance mind-set and has laid down a permanent hose to the rose bed. Through her belief experience, the gardener, the hose, the water, and the flower bed are all part of the same action and result.
I think I might have just described the essence of yoga!
