Yoga

Good afternoon my friends hope you are having a beautiful day.  I am trying to get back into all things spiritual as it ebbs and flows in my life like everything else including this blog.  It has been a little over a year since my last post, and there are many reasons for that.  Due to my work schedule, attending school and the joys of fatherhood time has been scarce, but I am starting to get used to these new demands.  I was reminded again this week by my friend and brother in law Ted (http://www.quixoticjedi.com) of the joys of Yoga.  While the spiritual practice of yoga is never far from my heart the physical part of yoga or Hatha Yoga is something I need include back into my life.

Ted and I used to regularly frequent The Integral Yoga Institute in Fair Lawn NJ (http://www.iyinj.org) and attend classes.  They were even gracious enough to allow me to do some volunteer work or Karma Yoga which was a great experience.  The people who frequent IYINJ are some of the greatest I have met and sincere spiritual seekers.  I highly recommend checking them out.  While like most Saturdays I am with my young son I was determined to get in some Hatha Yoga, so I started the regular poses I learned at Integral.  While I had to make three rounds of french-fries for my toddler while doing it, great practice in acceptance, I felt much better by the completing.  It is like my friend Yogi Pat used to say “A little bit of yoga is better than no yoga.”

This small amount of practice changed the rest of my day.  I was able to do some pranayama,   Premajyothi at IYINJ is masterful at teaching this practice, with my son sitting on my lap.  Afterward, my son and I took a nice stroll and then I was able to do some homework while he slept.  Most days I would have been grumpy doing homework on a Saturday when it is so nice out, but I breezed through it with a smile on my face.

Thinking about doing more yoga around my son, when he was real small he used to climb on me while I went through the poses which was nice.  Maybe I will start looking more at yoga with kids; it is such a great practice that I see no issue starting him young.  Do you do yoga with your children?  How young did you start with them?  Any tips would be helpful.

Get Her Ice Water

“Get Her Ice Water”, which was the advice I got from one of the finest dad’s I know. We were visiting our friends in Vermont shortly before we had our son who is now 11 months old and when I asked for advice from my friend with two boys that’s what he told me. He said it’s gonna come to a point where all you can do is support the mother they can do things you just cant, I was shocked as this was one of the best dad’s I knew. He said some nights all he could do was get his wife ice water and support what she was doing, apparently she needed ice water during breast feeding. He went on to tell me it’s not an ego thing it’s just the way it is and will be. I’m not sure I believed him then as I was set on being an active dad well, I am an active dad, but let’s get real I just don’t have mom powers. When I am going to get water for the mother of my child in the middle of the night which is the least I can do because she is on sleepless day # who knows, I often think of this advice from a fellow dad who knows the real deal. I thank him for the advice but most of all I thank my partner, friend and mother or my child who does so much for me and my son in a regular basis but especially when everyone is sick.

Long Ass Day

Today was a long ass day started bright and early before the sun came up, made my way into work and dealt with all the joy a Monday can offer.  Left work 11 hours later to work on a house I recently purchased, painted until my hand stopped working which is something thats been happening due to all the house work.  Made a 10 o’clock trip to shope rite for kitty litter and coffee.  Made it home in time to do dishes and change the litter in a particularly grumpy mood.  Beat down all to hell I went into my bedroom to see my adorable son snuggled up sleeping with my beautiful girlfriend, day didnt seem so lang after that.  Good night my friends hope you are having a good day even if its a long ass one.

Peace Love Das

Energy

Everything takes up energy all the task from the good to the bad to the ugly.  I am certain there is enough energy to get everything done but you might not always have it at the moment  you need it.  Sometimes it takes a friend, a family member or even a complete stranger to fill the energy need.  That’s when we ask for help or are beaten up enough to accept it.  This transfer of energy between us helps to keep us as social creatures and build relationships.  I do think the more energy you use for good, to help others and what not the more it becomes available to you, if you do enough good the energy will eventually come from the source of all energy.  I try to remember to put my energy into good positive things and never use it to add to the negative.  Just thinking out loud tonight.  What will you use your energy for today?

Peace Love Das