Happy Thanksgiving

This is a time of year that everyone begins to reflect on that which they are grateful. I think that I try as best I can to keep a grateful attitude all of the time, mainly because there are a few times in my life where it was hopeless and even when things get tough now, they are still a million times better than they were then. But we're not perfect and it's easy to get short sighted everyone once in a while. I can forget just how bad it really can be, and even in my wildest imagination of how bad it could be, I think it could, in reality, still get worse. But I digress - the purpose of my post today is to discuss something for which I am grateful.

Yesterday, I posted a photo about Tao Porchon-Lunch, a 93 year old yoga teacher who is just so cute!!! The caption read...

"True Inspiration: 
Tao Porchon-Lynch is 93 years old, a yoga teacher, and dances Tango and Samba whenever she gets the chance! She says "I don't believe in age. I believe in the power of energy." We couldn't agree more....
Photo: Vladimir Yakovlev"

thanks Yoga Trail


One of the yoga teachers here in Greenville posted a blog post she wrote of which this post reminded her -

Greenville Yoga blog

I thought it was an interesting post and was congruent with everything I'm hoping my blog is, a reminder that maybe our standards of what we should be, physically, mentally and spiritually, are a bit unrealistic, especially when compared to a snip-it of another's life. It reminded me of where I was a couple of years ago and helped me remember what exactly I'm thankful for today:

1) I am no longer bound to a scale or a diet 

I've spent years worrying about my weight and I kept telling myself, if I could only lose 5 lbs, then I'd be okay. Inevitably, I'd lose the 5 lbs and think, oh, I was wrong, I meant 10 lbs and so on. I've been as heavy as 175 lbs and as thin as 145 lbs in the last 12 years and in that wide range of weight, I've never been satisfied with where I was. All I was doing was forcing myself into a diet that left me miserable and gave me one other way to feel guilty. Although I am closer to the larger number than the smaller number, I have given up all efforts in trying to control my diet. I eat what I want, when I want. And I've never felt free-er

2) I no longer speak to myself in a negative way

When I started yoga teacher training, our assignment was to wear a snappy band. Anytime we said anything badly about ourselves, we had to snap that band. I found myself snapping the band all of the time! I was constantly telling myself I was fat, or that was stupid, or I am crazy, etc etc. If I spoke to anyone else the way I spoke to myself, they would've punched me! Why does it seem to be acceptable and even highly regarded by society to degrade ourselves? Now instead of saying negative things about myself, I say positive things in the morning to myself. It's similar to this - 

3) I'm not bound to society's idea of beauty

I realize that people I see on magazines and on tv are held to a different standard. They have time & money and it's part of their job to look good. I also realize that there is a lot of airbrushing in magazines. I cannot hold myself to that standard. And really, what's more important is if I'm nice and loving to others. 

I feel free. And I am very grateful that I am not a slave to that cycle. I've got others to work on, don't we all,  but that ship has sailed and it is amazing :)