Appreciate the Smaller Things

Appreciate the Smaller Things

How to De-grossify your mat

How to De-Grossify your yoga mat ??     

Just recently... one of my students inquired how to give their yoga mat a good cleaning...so since this is a time of home spring clean up, de-toxing & cleansing your insides.... how about taking some time to de-grossify your yoga mat... your yogic sanctuary... a place where you come to ignite your practice. So here are a few tips you might want to look into for a clean slate into spring.

Namaste Yoga mat tip:

Combine warm water and a few drops of mild detergent (or use an organic product from any local health food store); use very little soap as any residue may cause the mat to become slippery during one of NAMASTES’ ROCKIN VINYASA FLOW classes. Thoroughly hand wash the mat with a soft cloth or sponge and rinse thoroughly with clean water. To squeeze out the excess water, lay a dry towel on your mat and roll the mat and towel together. Gently pressing or kneeling on the rolled up mat will squeeze more moisture out of the mat and into the towel. Turn mat over and repeat on the other side..Then unroll and hang your mat to air dry (indoors preferably). (Try to avoid your mat to prolonged exposure to sunlight)

Extra tip:
Squeeze lemon juice goodness into the soap/water mixture for an extra zing of freshness

Hope this Namaste tips guides you into your Spring practice with a clean slate of clean practicing.

Practice Saucha ....Cleanliness... inside & out :)

Enjoy & Namaste...Linda

APPRECIATE THE SMALLER THINGS

It's sooo easy to just say those words... appreciate the smaller things... sometime we just get caught up in the the ebb and flow of lifes' expectantcy's and we forget to take some time and just dwell in  the moment of gratitude for all the smaller things in life that make your life what it is today.

So this is my experience...while rushing and trying to get all my chores done before the ends of brightness came to an end, I suddenly noticed a soft whispering sound. It was a faint sound of a child (my daughter) playing quietly... enthralled in her moment.  I stopped.... and just listened.  That innocent sound of a child in her moment of enjoyment made me stop...and just take in the goodness of what was happening. I felt uplifted and I began to smile and quietly offered a moment of gratitude for experiencing such a beautiful thing.

So... I thought I would share this experience with you... so you too can experience a moment of gratitude for the things we take for granted on a daily basis.

Here are a couple of tips on how to appreciate and bring yourself to this present moment of just existing in this now.

1.  Take it outdoors... take a walk or run or nuzzle your body into the green grass and gaze upwards into the sky and soak in the goodness of mother nature.  Experience the wind blowing in your hair... the sun warming your soul and just listening to the beauty that is all around you.. and than with your inside voice... practice saying something positive about the moment you are experiencing right here ... right now !!

2.  We begin life with a breath and we end our life with a  breath. The breath is the key to experiencing yourself in this moment.  So try stepping away from your desk or housework and indulge in a few moments of the sweet sound of your breath.
Here's how.. find a quiet space where you may experience oneness for a few moments and just begin by closing your eyes.  Elongate your spine and start to focus on watching your in breath and out breath. Notice the tidal rhythm of yourself breathe and allow this opportunity of breath to calm your being... to bring you back to a moment of solitude.  Breathe her for a few moments and quietly offer blessings for the gift of breath.

So... today... try appreciating the smaller things ... offer a moment of just being and noticing the goodness and presence around you...  Experience and Live in the this moment and then notice how you feel afterwards.