awareness | St. Louis Corporate Yoga

Playing the edge in each pose challenges us to find our own source of peace. Playing the edge in each yoga posture brings about great self-imposed limitations which then help us to feel safe, cared for, and to be at home everywhere. When we feel cared for and see this world as compassionate, alive and providing a soft landing.

The yogi knows that the true battlefield is not won or lost on the outside but exists within the realm of one’s own psyche. Stepping out of the comfort zone may be frightening but it keeps you in the flowing energy of the universe.

When we poke, prod, and stimulate opening places, it does not matter how far we go. We practice to listen to our own unique body today! Many people practice yoga as a means to get someplace else. This is not playing the edge, and the outcome reinforces our not good enough model. Slamming up against the sensations and forcing the body to open is a subtle form of violence that seeks to control, conquer, and reinforce negative messages between the mind and body. It is far better to back off especially in yoga class, and allow your body appropriate time to soften, expand, let go, and become more centered and peaceful.

Being truly empowered is not about being invincible to life. We live so often at the surface of life with all of its appearances-untapped to what is really possible. Is it truly possible to achieve enlightenment, to wake up each morning and send healing and harmonizing messages to your body, thanking the great spirit for a brand new day.

There is a Chinese Proverb that says “a bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song“. Real strength is allowing our ego to be strong enough to make those adjustments, to modify when needed and take child pose if necessary.

Yoga and playing the edge provide us continually with an awareness of this test and help us stay neutral and present to the learning process. The time when we walk backward into our uneasy qualities about ourself like being controlling, anxious, blaming, or judging are tremendous eye opening experiences. If someone asks you to point to who you are, one finger draws close to the heart. Our greatest weakness is our greatest strength because it is there in our own mind that we must fight the greatest of all battles. Many saints in India tell us to do our duty wholeheartedly and then let it go. Let go of all of the stuff, things like unrealized expectations, perfectionism, and clinging or neediness. See it, put your awareness there and then drop it, like a heavy stack of books.

Yoga and relaxation does not cure us of life’s mystery, it only serves to clarify how much bigger we are then these personal struggles and gives us ample time to transform blocks into learning.

To get a corporate yoga onsite class started, please contact info@claytonyoga.com or 314-630-1677 today! Namaste.

Yogi’s have known for a long time that our energy levels can facilitiate enlightenment. We have the ability to boost our own levels of energy. The key to increasing our energy is to focus on the inside in a loving and positive manner. Each of us according to the Tibetans is a piece of the divine energy.

Ways to increase our energy are:

Daily exercise
Eating alkaline-non-processed, non-dairy foods
Breathing deeply increasing oxygen rich blood back to our cells
Sleeping well consistently
Focusing on Gratitude and counting those blessings throughout the day
Develop wisdom that our weakness can often become our greatest ally
Letting go of judgment and remembering to value our intuition
Writing in a Journal
Making time for a Friend
Pray every morning you wake up

In everyday life, with all modern day complexities and lack of time, it is difficult to remain true to one’s own inner heart. Yoga trains the mind through stretching to dig deeper, to look on the inside, and find hidden treasures. Moments that we feel deep inner stillness can offer profound awakenings. We discover that although there are weaknesses or cravings, we can notice and not take the bait. Just like an underwater sea diver looking for beautiful coral at the bottom of the ocean, our soul is also searching to develop and heal.

The Buddha taught us that all life is change, temporal and fleeting. When we attach to outcome and cling, we suffer. When we let go, and let good, we allow life back in and we become luminous like a star in the night time sky. And in the words of Saint Francis d’ Assisi I wish to seek not so much to be understood, as to understand.

The Shinto Buddists do not meditate as much as they emphasize gratitude. Through one’s awareness, we come to understand we are never alone, that everything is interdependent. At my new corporate workplace, because of the constant efforts of my employer, the students who sign up, the room coordinator and the cleaning lady, we are able to enjoy a great yoga class.

Being a professional tennis player taught me that having things in itself is an empty experience. More important than things, is being able to feel confident in one’s inner nature, to have a gift, to share, to inspire, and motivate pioneering new ways of living peacefully and collectively on this planet. Now that is one great yoga pose. Being willingness to listen and grow from another, have an open mind and a courageous heart all these qualities keeps us energized and young.

Having too many struggles with people, lawsuits, adversity, and bad energy is extremely taxing to our energy body. Prolonged tension can lead to energy depletion, a cranky mood, and irritability with our friends or much worse, dis-ease in the body.

In order to make the jump into a new paradigm, the desire must come from within. If we are filling our holes or insecurity with a ‘quick fix’, that won’t do. Before we embark upon the change for self-improvement, we must get clear as to why we wish to change.

Are we motivated by joy or by guilt? Our deeper reasons for action provide us with how we shape our tomorrow. Use your breath every day, witness your energy levels when they lower, and do not panic. You newfound muscle of awareness will provide you with objectivity, neutrality and great inner strength. Once you can bow to your inner critic, your tapestry of love will expand into the light and finding deeper meaning and purpose in life again…

Tag: awareness

Playing the Edge

Yoga = Natural High Energy = Positive Successful Life Results