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Getting Even

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. ~John E. Southard

I'd like to get even with this man.

 

I could stop right there. The title, photo, and quote say enough.The man is my yoga teacher, Jehangir Palkhivala, from Mumbai, India. He makes the trip to the U.S. once a year, to teach his sequences of yoga postures. He enthralls his audience with mythic tales of gods and goddesses, remarkable healing experiences, and equanimity. I see and experience him just once a year, I appreciate and learn from him, every day.

 

How would I get even? How could I get even? I guess if I'm going to announce to the world that he is my teacher, it would be proper and respectful of me to be a good example of his teachings. That would take a lot of doing, and time.

 

Maybe I should stop right here.

 

 

Related post: Reverb 10 - Appreciate

Photo courtesy of Aadil Palkhivala

Originally published in Lessons in Balance,1/14/11.

 

The Gift of Support

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

-John F. Kennedy

When asked a few days ago, "What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?" my response was:

My most memorable gift this year was Support, I truly felt the helping hands of others this year. Whether they sent kind words, generous monetary gifts, smiles, airline tickets, mouthed "thank you" or  "I love you", treated me to breakfast, lunch and dinner, or sat expectantly in front of me for a yoga class. I felt so cared for and appreciated.

 

I've been so blessed in years past, but this year I felt as though everyone was bracing me, telling me that I was doing the right thing. In the coming year, I'd like to continue to notice and appreciate Support, as well as to spread it around to others.

 

Pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
~William Wordsworth

 

Art: Gifts by Julie Paschkis, 2003

Posted on Lessons In Balance, December 30, 2010.

Sparks of Divinity

It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity.

-B.K.S.Iyengar

This past weekend, I was once again fortunate to practice under the watchful eye of Iyengar yoga instructor, John Leebold. The bonus this year was offered through his focus on the anatomy of the human body and the genius of B.K.S. Iyengar.

I'm always ecstatic when modern science confirms the validity of age old yogic principles (e.g. nostril breathing and nitric oxide). In reality though, science is just discovering the tools to measure the effectiveness of nature and the brilliance of master yogis.

What I realized through John's teachings this weekend,  was that the mastery of yoga already exists within us. It lies in the miraculous construction of our physical bodies, the life force within our core, and the teachings that have already been set forth. All we are doing is discovering the tools: the poses and our practices, that will enable us to appreciate what we've been graciously given.

That Mythical Law of Nature

There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else.-Peyton Conway March

When I awoke one morning last week, my thoughts of gratitude were for all the acts of generosity I've been witnessing. From the millions of dollars being raised for Haiti to the boxes of bath and spa products lined up on my kitchen counter (above), I felt so blessed just to witness all the giving.

I know a very generous woman who works at the Life Care Center in Keauhou who warms my heart with acts that she considers mundane and trivial. Such as her weekly "meals-on-wheels" day when she shops and cooks for her shut-in aunt and a couple unable to cook full meals for themselves, and the shampoos that she buys for the residents at Life Care "so that they can smell nice and feel good".

When I mentioned this in passing to another friend, she decided to pick up a "few things" the next time she went to Kalona Salon and Spa. Through the generosity of my friend and her husband, as well as the owner of the salon, the products found their way to my counter and I bagged them up and delivered them this afternoon. I can't tell you how good it made me feel to do that and I really didn't do anything but witness it all.

It does seem true, that mythical law of nature that Peyton March refers to in his quote. What we crave for is attained by giving them to someone else because it has nothing to do with money or material goods. It makes us feel good to make others feel good. Journalist Nicholas Kristoff wrote recently:

Let's remember that while charity has a mixed record helping others, it has an almost perfect record of helping ourselves.

Of generosity, I know that it even feels good to hear about it, watch it happen, and to tell others about it. As a generous act does your heart good, it ripples out into the world and touches the hearts of others. Thank you, to all of you in my world, for your acts of kindness and giving. I feel your love!

"Thank You", from my Heart.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~Thornton Wilder

Thanksgiving is almost here and I'm anticipating the smell of poultry seasoning and the warmth radiating from my oven. The scent of Thanksgiving is an annual sense of pleasure for me, and a quick survey of friends affirms that this is THE holiday of the year for most of us. It warms our bellies and our hearts.

In the next few days, as you sit back and think about all that you have to be grateful for, you may want to consider writing Thank You notes. It could lower your cholesterol. Two separate studies examined the difference between those who wrote down affectionate thoughts about friends and family against those who just described their daily activities.   Results showed significant lowering of cholesterol levels for the first group after only 25 days.

So why am I suggesting that you write Thank You notes? Because those who wrote their words of affection directly to someone, showed greater reductions in cholesterol than those who just wrote about someone.

One of the strengths of this study was that it specifically examined the benefits of expressing affection. Other studies have found evidence for the benefits of expressing affection but have had difficulties separating the expressing from the receiving. This is because when you express affection towards someone else, they are likely to reciprocate. Expressing is, therefore, tightly bound up with receiving.(1)

I have your attention, I can tell. But you're probably having second thoughts about handwritten notes in this day of cell phones, e-mail and text messages. Let's see if I can guess what you're thinking and offer more suggestions:

1. Can I just buy some pre-printed Thank You cards and sign my name? Nyet. I think it should come from the heart if you want your heart to benefit, right? Read The Simple Dollar's "How To Write an Effective Thank You Note for Any Occasion".

2. No one can read my handwriting! The importance of legible handwriting is perhaps underrated but some have found ways around it, such as writing all in caps: "How to Write Legibly..."

3. Write a letter to my boss, are you serious? Remember, it's good for your health! How-to do just that and more, from Buzzle.com.

4. Pfft, I can turn my handwriting into my own font, I don't have time to write on paper note cards! Ah, well, some very busy people do and recommend it too.

Ready to give it a try? If you'd like some practice, go ahead and write me a note. I'll send you a note back since I need a little practice too. It's good for our health!

Barbara Uechi

77-6425 Kuakini Hwy., C2, PMB#121

Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Source: (1) Affectionate Writing Can Reduce Cholesterol, Psyblog

             (2) Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)

Photo: delongrj

Submitted to: Prevention Not Prescriptions for Tuesday, November 24, 2009.

Our Food Drive Contest

The Food Basket warehouse in Kona is located on Kuakini Highway, between Teshima's and Higashihara Park. Just drive up to the front, grab a shopping cart and unload your bounty. It's like shopping in reverse!

The friendly folks there will then weigh your contribution. That's our 90 pounds of food on the scale, taken yesterday. The gentleman who assisted me said that folks in Kona have been so generous with their time and donations.

 

The shelves looked well stocked this time, as opposed to the last time I visited in October.

Mahalo to all of you who support the Food Basket and especially those who brought goods and money to our Win a Massage Contest:

• Melissa Allen
• Robbin Turner
• Leilani Sigrah
• Jean Grissom
• Stephen Nies
• Marta Ciancio
• Janet Maeda
• Diane Quitiquit
• Sandra Yoshioka
• Lynn McCall
• Sharon Yeck
• Susan Wong
• Diedra DeCoito
• Kim Killino
• Those who donated but did not enter the drawing.

Congratulations to winners of the drawing:

Leilani Sigrah - massage by Moku-Wai Busch, LMT and
Marta Ciancio - massage by Barbara Uechi, LMT

Don't Say "Good-bye", Yet

Some give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before. -Herodotus



I've often mentioned that one of the first words I learned to say in yoga, was yet. Sanskrit names of poses came years later, but yet quickly became my chant when my first yoga teacher finished all my limiting sentences. My hands don't reach my feet. Yet. I can't do a handstand. Yet. I learned to speak potentially about myself and now both actions are as easy as opening my eyes.

Yet. Once we were introduced, we became friends and I've introduced it to countless others. Yet has been the promise of my future self and the acceptance of who I am in the present. Yet allows me to side-step and duck the resistance and fear I might have to try something new, to go where I've not been. It has allowed me to value the present while reaching for the future.

Lisa Kelly's use of the word in her post "I'm Not Saying Good-bye...Yet", brought me an even greater appreciation for the word. Lisa has ovarian cancer and is resting at home under hospice care, after stopping all medical treatment. She doesn't know how much longer she has to live but she's not saying "Goodbye", yet. She's determined to use up all of her minutes!

She wrote on January 15: I will probably live for a couple of more months. And as long as I can lay in this hospital bed that now occupies part of my living room, I will still keep blogging. As long as I have something to say, I will say it.

I will be listening, as long as she has something to say. I don't know her, yet. I just fell upon her blog on Saturday. Perhaps I ran a search for an old post of mine since we talked about the power of yet in class that morning, I'm not sure. I stopped searching when I found Lisa's.

When Lisa says "Goodbye" it will be final, we won't hear from her again. But until then, yet gives her time to enjoy the present and say all that she needs to say. It gives her time to consider, what she will leave behind and where she will go from here. Like the girl in the picture, riding away without her training wheels. We all share the same fate. So as long as we can say it, let's not say Goodbye, yet.

Photo: Jim Larkin

The Three Things You Truly Appreciate

There is nothing more productive for any of you, than to get on a rampage of appreciation relative to any subject of your desire. Because you cannot be in the state of appreciation and at the same time hold yourself vibrationally apart from something you desire. They are two opposite vibrations.  -Abraham-Hicks

 

 

 

At the end of class, when I ask everyone to sit with their hands in Namaste and think of the things that they most appreciate, I do the same. It's become a ritual part of my own practice and I recently noticed that my list varies with location and focus.

When I am teaching, these are my top three (notice how I try to cram as many as I can into one):

1. Yoga, and all of the blessings that it has brought into my life.
2. Family. My parents, Fred and Clara, especially on Wednesdays when they sit so sweetly in front of me. My son and my brothers, their wives and families, my dear friends...all of my loved ones.
3. All of the people in class who entrust me with their bodies and lives.

When I practice at home, right after my three oms, I give thanks for:

1. Source Energy. The light and spirit that no religion (so far) has been able to describe or embellish for me.
2. My body. No matter what I have dragged it through, it keeps on ticking and actually improving.
3. My selfish focus to be Happy. I wouldn't be here without me. :D

On Tuesday mornings, I join the class as we go through the entire Mother Sequence. At the end, my total sense of appreciation goes to:

1. Jehangir Palkhivala, for conceiving and bringing the sequence into my life.
2. Aadil Palkhivala, for the love of yoga he has instilled within me and for bringing his brother Jehangir into my life.
3. The peaceful spaces in which I live and work.

My lists are different when I say my thanks as I look up at Hualalai on my drive to the studio, while grocery shopping and especially when I open my eyes in the morning. Did all this goodness just appear in my life and give cause for my appreciation? Or did my appreciation attract or transform all that is in my life? The boundaries are blurred.

Try it, you don't have to wait to join a yoga class. Think of just three things that you truly appreciate just before eating a meal, while driving to work, while watching your partner sleep, as you pay your bills or take a shower. Your lists will vary and range from mundane to profound, but life will consistently grow into the ONE thing that you truly appreciate.

Original Photo: Jerrie Stafford
Switched to Night Vision via: Picnik.com

Birthday Yoga

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm... As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
-Audrey Hepburn

At the beginning and end of every class, we put our hands together in Namaste, close our eyes and think of things that we appreciate. When I open my eyes and release my hands, I do so with the thought of spreading good fortune out into the world.

At least once a week, my parents sit in front of me in a morning class and at the end of class when I unfold my hands it is my wish that everyone be blessed with the love and support that I receive from them. This week I can do more than wish. My mom's seventy-ninth birthday is on Saturday, October 25, and I'd like to celebrate it by holding a FREE YOGA CLASS at 10:00am. It will be open to all-levels of yoga and not for women only (as is our regular Saturday 10am class). Donations to the Food Bank will be accepted in lieu of a class fee.

Hawaii's food banks are struggling to keep their shelves stocked these days. Food donations to the banks have lessened while more food has been going out the door. Hawaii wholesalers and retailers account for over 75% of the foods donated to the Food Bank, but as the Maui Food Bank Executive Director put it, "Stores don't have as much back stock inventory", which means that stores have less to donate.(1) Community food drives bring in some 12% of the total but with thousands moving to the receiving end of the line, Food Bank warehouses are low on supply.

Listed as the Top 5 Most Wanted food items are:

1. Canned Meats & Tuna
2. Canned Meals (spaghetti, chili, hash, etc.)
3. Canned Soups
4. Canned Vegetables
5. Canned Fruits

A representative from our local food bank said they also take produce, peanut butter and packaged meals such as macaroni & cheese and cereals. Since they are not open on the weekend, please limit your contributions on Saturday to non-produce items. My mom spent her work-life in food service and though retired now, continues to volunteer her time in the community. What better way to celebrate her birthday than to help others put food on the table?

We'll be giving away prizes (yoga class passes, acupuncture, massage, Amazon.com gift certificate, etc.) instead of birthday sweets. Come see how I deftly manage to incorporate drawing for prizes in a yoga class! If you're not able to make it to Birthday Yoga this Saturday, please consider donating to your local Food Bank with a Happy Birthday, Clara wish. She'll feel it!

Sources:
(1) Maui Food Bank shelves going bare. Honolulu Advertiser.

Photo: Inner Still

Things Go Better With Coke (and Facebook).

 

This illustrates how far behind the Coca Cola bandwagon I am! When I tried to come up with a title for this post, the first thing that popped into my head was, "Things Go Better With Coke". Do you have any idea how old that slogan is? It goes back to 1963!!!

I can't remember the last time I had a Coke, but apparently every time I sip a Vitamin Water, Dasani or green tea with a kanji label, it's a product of Coca Cola. Despite the health warnings, soft drinks are in high demand and therefore distributed all over the world. What warms my heart is that it only took one man to solicit a solution to a problem on Facebook:

Incensed by the irony that remote African communities had limitless access to bottles of Coca-Cola, but no infrastructure to get medicines to sick children, innovator Simon Berry decided to speak up and ask Coca-Cola to dedicate a fraction of its distribution network to carry medicines for simple, widespread and life-threatening ailments like diarrhea. Read the entire article .

It appears to be working. Businesses that do good, look good.  People are connecting the dots faster than the speed of sound as the water cooler has been replaced by social networks. While we applaud Coca-Cola for their efforts to distribute medicinal supplies, others point out their toxic production methods and the company is compelled to respond.

The Coke phenomenon has many great lessons for other companies. The crux of the matter is that people are now much more aware of their rights if compared with let’s say a decade back. Indians have given Coca-Cola a very tough time forcing it to totally revamp its operating strategies and switching to a socially responsible company. Read the entire article.

As Coca-Cola keeps trying to make things better, we applaud individuals like Simon Berry for speaking up. He tried to make things better for sick children and in the process gave Facebook a lift (punny) and Coke a brighter shade of red. That's Good, cubed.