Practice Yoga

Martha McCormick on December 25, 2010

I lost a dear friend a month ago, and what I thought was a lifelong relationship fell apart the next day. To say the least, I was reeling for about a week. The first morning after the breakup, I went to yoga. Paula met me with a box of tissues, saying she had seen my Facebook status change to “single.” She found me a spot in the back row and told me to just do whatever I needed. I practiced my yoga and cried off and on. Afterward, one of the other students listened with sympathy to my tale of woe.

I have practiced yoga most days since then. It’s making me strong, inside and out, and I am becoming part of the kula. I’ve enjoyed dinner, breakfast and coffee with other members, and am feeling a closer bond with everyone. I’ve long preferred to attain spiritual growth through physical practice, and yoga is again confirming that preference. During 2010, my “year of good health,” I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds, and developed a much healthier body image. I’ve become stronger, more balanced and bendier.

I tried a couple of places before I settled on Shakti Yoga Shop in Des Moines. The instructors focus on Anusara Yoga, and offer two to three classes a day most weekdays, and at least one class on weekend days. I love the continuing encouragement, the small corrections that help you get the most out of every pose. Next month I plan to attend my first workshop, and take my practice to new levels next year. If you are in need of a “year of good health,” try yoga in 2011.

Be Inspired

Martha McCormick on December 12, 2010

I’m on a news break right now. All the bad news from around the world and around the nation was getting me down. It’s overwhelming when you are just one person, and you don’t see how the little bit you can do will make any difference at all. But then I found Amiya. She is changing the world, one dance step at a time!

When she was ten, Amiya Alexander woke her mother at 1 in the morning–“I need a pink bus!” She already had a business plan and a design for her mobile dance studio. Her single mom found a way to give her that bus for Christmas, and she has been providing affordable dance lessons in it ever since. Her motivation–attacking the obesity epidemic.

This morning’s Des Moines Register ran a story about Joanne Schafer and her trips to Haiti. She has traveled there more than 100 times since 1991. Along with antibiotics and education, she is giving “A Little Piece of [Her] Heart” to the people of Haiti.

A few weeks ago I wrote about Katie Spotz, the young woman who rowed her boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Now she is riding her bike amazing distances. Having her bike stolen didn’t stop her either. She is raising money for clean water in developing countries. Rachel Naomi Remen says, “What if the small things that you can do are exactly what is needed to heal the world?”

If you are inspired to heal the world, here are some possible places to start–

Stipple Your Eggs

Martha McCormick on December 11, 2010

I was actually sad when I attended my last school conference nearly nine years ago. As my daughter grew up, each passing semester offered a new adventure. The year she changed her name, I introduced myself as “Kate’s mom.” The blank stare was followed by, “Oh! You mean Lucy!” By the way, she’s still Lucy!

Spring semester that same year, she was having a little trouble in Spanish class. I believe she may have gotten a referral to the office, or walked out of class one day. She’s always been a big doodler, and one day Mr. Takalo asked her what she was doing, drawing on the palm of her hand. “I’m stippling my eggs.” I can’t blame him for dropping that one like a hot potato.

Doodling is a good way to keep the creative, right side of our brains busy so our left brains can deal with the facts that we need to focus on. This study says doodling may help us remember things better because it requires just enough attention to keep our minds from daydreaming. And daydreaming, that’s the real enemy of attention! I came across this video–Learn How to Draw Snakes and Graphs; it’s really fun to watch and offers some legitimate math related information. I’m still not enough of a numberhead to understand it alll

Enjoy!