by John Guthrie Sitting quietly, the dawn chorus yet to begin, I think of that one word, compassion. The image of a hermit in a cave somewhere comes to mind, and I reflect on this as the embodiment of compassion. Away from the world, yet radiating out the peace that arises from compassion, which has been birthed in the depth of their silence. A place that could just as well have its roots in suffering. There are those whose compassion has arisen from personal suffering. In the last … [Read more...]
Confessions of an ex-relationship manipulator and control freak
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat Ok, the headline is harsh. I admit it. But also true. See, over the last while, I've been working with a relationship pattern (a samskara) of giving away my power by not speaking my truth because I was afraid of the consequences. It's an insidious pattern because it has all kinds of detrimental effects on one's self-esteem, and the relationships one is in. Plus it creates suffering as the desire to hold on to something while betraying oneself can … [Read more...]
If you can’t publicly own it, don’t do it (easy to say right?)
Forget the Ten Commandments. Forget even the Five Yamas or Niyamas. Here instead is the Golden Litmus Test. Apply it to all your behaviour. Everything you do. Everything you say. And everything you think. (If you really want to up your game...) Can you publicly own this action, word or thought? Can you publish it in the newspaper? Talk about it on Tv? Answer to it on radio? Yes? Sweet... do it, say it, think it. No? Don't do it, say it, think it... At … [Read more...]
Confession time people. I’ve been dodging a heart truth
I have a huge confession to make. I don't want the responsibility for The Yoga Lunchbox anymore, and I don't know what to do about this. Because even though I don't want responsibility for the website anymore... the website isn't just about me. It's a community website, and it's taken input from the community to create such an amazing resource for the yoga community. There's been all kinds of people who've contributed to The Yoga Lunchbox - regular writers like Alys and Jessica, … [Read more...]
How I Finally Kicked my Co-dependent Relationship to the Kerb
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat Who'd've thought? Strong, independent, courageous Moi was stuck in a co-dependent relationship. Yep, me neither. Despite getting wind of this fact about halfway through our 3 year or so relationship, it took me another 18 months to break the pattern. Which in the end meant breaking off the relationship. This relationship had been increasingly volatile ever since I got back from Prana Flow yoga teacher training in LA. I'd made a commitment to … [Read more...]
Applying The Second Yama, Satya (Truth), to Daily Life
By Kara-Leah Grant It didn't surprise me to discover this week that a yoga asana (posture) for Satya could be Virabhadrasana 1 or Warrior 1 Posture, as this is a posture of standing forward and being forward in your truth. Before I started yoga, my entire life had been built on a lie - a lie that I'd told myself and totally believed. This lie was so embedded in my consciousness that when I first ever did Virabhadrasana 1 in a yoga class I was so challenged mentally and emotionally that I … [Read more...]
Getting out of my mind – drugs, yoga, meditation and me
by Kara-Leah Grant Our society is awash with drugs of all kinds - legal, illegal, prescribed and self-medicated. We (mostly) all do them (caffeine anyone?), but those who are caught doing illegal drugs are judged harshly in the media. If you take drugs you're bad, or weak, and you certainly don't want other people finding out. People like future employers, future parents-in-law, or future kids. The media in particular LOVE jumping all over any public figure who's caught doing drugs. … [Read more...]
How yoga helped me… find steadiness and beauty within my body
Submitted by Zoe of the North Island (not her real name) The sexual abuse of the body started before I turned 4. I say it that way because although it happened to all of me, separating from the body it happened to became a way to survive. I could vanish into the wallpaper or the light shade in an effort to tolerate the intolerable. By the time I was in my mid-twenties my life was coming unraveled. A fiercely honed intellect wasn't sufficient for living a fully engaged life. A … [Read more...]