Keep on Keeping on........

No one wants to think about getting old, how life will be for us as elderly people.  I regularly have conversations with my oldest class member Mary (aged 95) about how important it is to keep on with the practice. "You just have to keep moving" says Mary - in fact this is almost a mantra for her!  She has been doing yoga for so many years - constantly and consistently getting back on her mat.

I wish I could take her round to all my other classes, introduce her to all the other class members, some of them in their late teens and early twenties and I want to say "Look at Mary - follow her example, don't wait until it's too late, make yoga a habit for life!"  In fact any kind of exercise regime is obviously good for us but yoga is something sustainable, it can be modified for all the different periods through your life.  During illness, pregnancy, old age, an activity to do with your children, even to help you though hard times and bereavements.  Oh and remember yoga is not just asana (postures), sometimes practice may be meditation, yoga nidra or the yoga of selfless service if that is what you need.

I love welcoming young and some not so young new members into my classes and enjoy hearing how much they enjoyed the session, but often after a few weeks they stop coming.  In my heart I hope I ignited a spark of interest in yoga in them and hope they have kept on with their practice at another class or even at home.  What I fear is that they have abandoned the practice, thinking they may come back to it at some point.  It makes me want to shout - "keep at it - sometimes it will feel like an effort to get to class, sometimes you might find a session boring, sometimes you might decide you don't gel as well with your teacher as you first thought - but just find another teacher!  Please don't give up!!"

When I teach my senior classes, I can see how much yoga has enhanced their lives, how much easier everyday life is due to the fact their joints and muscles are more comfortable.  I admire their stoicism during difficult times and know that yoga has given them this precious gift of being able to cope with whatever life throws at them.  This gift is available to everyone - it is our choice whether we accept it and keep practicing, or if we leave it for another day..........

www.yogiclaire.com

The One Flaw of Woman....

For those of a Hindu faith - this time of year sees a celebration termed as Sharad Navarathri, this is a time when feminine power is celebrated.  Coincidentally we have also seen the young teenager Malala Yousafzai speaking out about her continued fight for education for girls in her homeland, even after the horrendous injuries suffered at the hands of the Taliban.  It has prompted me to dig out another reading from my Mum's vast collection.

She has read this in her yoga classes for many years and it is one which I do on occasions when I am not feeling too emotional, as I know that when I read it, it makes me want to cry!!  I am unsure who originally wrote this piece but will happily credit the author if anyone knows who it is!

The One Flaw of Woman

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his sixth day of working overtime.  An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"  And the Lord said, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?  She has to be able to run on cups of tea and left overs, have a lap that can hold four children at one time; have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart and she will do everything with only two hands"

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "only two hands - no way!  That's too much work for one day.  Wait until tomorrow to finish"  But I won't the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart" 

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord"  "She is soft" the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough.  You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

The angel moved closer then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.  "You have a leak in this model"  "That is not a leak," the Lord corrected, "That's a tear!"  "What's the tear for?" the angel asked.  The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."

The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord.  You thought of everything!  Woman is truly amazing!"  And she is, women have strengths that amaze men....

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.  They smile when they want to scream.  They sing when they want to cry.  They fight for what they believe in.  They stand up to injustice.  They don't take no for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.  They go without so their family can have.  They love unconditionally.  They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.  They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.  Their hearts break when a friend dies.  They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.  They have compassion and ideals.  Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

Please share this with your wives, mothers, sisters and any other special women in your life to remind them how amazing they are - because if there is one flaw of woman it is they tend to forget their worth......whether it is something on a grand, global scale, or something within the family or local community - this is for all the women out there working tirelessly for others :)

www.yogiclaire.com