Random thoughts during meditation

Watch the brief video below where Ellen Degeneres talks about her mind prior to bedtime. This is kind of what meditation feels like at times... like your mind has a mind of its own! This is your EGO (edging God out) trying to distract you.

When meditating, sit or lie in a relaxed position and use your breath to anchor you to the present moment. When thoughts interrupt, just label them thought and don't beat yourself up. That's exactly what your ego wants you to do!

So breathe and focus on your inhalation and exhalation and know that your mind may act like a wild horse. It's normal, but continue to breathe and steer your mind to a calmer place.

Cause you gotta have faith

In the words of George Michael, "you gotta have faith." This morning while reading my daily excerpt of Meditations on the Mat, which I highly recommend, I was reminded of this line. The book begins each day or chapter with some kind of quote. Today's was this:

"The ego asks a thousand questions for which there are no answers."
~ A Course in Miracles

It goes on to say that "we fear everything: success, failure, love, loss, child rearing, (etc.) ... The list is endless." Basically it is natural to fear the unknown. The author goes onto say that we have a choice. We can allow ourselves to be "drained and distracted by a plague of doubts and questions or we can simply choose to apply ourselves to the task at hand."

You must have faith to believe everything will work out. Right now I catch myself worrying I won't be a good enough mother or that my husband won't keep his spirits up during his job search. However when I have these doubts, I try to turn them around quickly and focus on my faith and gratitude in all that we have right now.

"Today, see what happens when you keep it simple: let go of the questions, set aside the fears and remember that things will work out. Now breathe, smile, and put one foot in front of the other."

Lego my Ego please

Taught my Wednesday night, YMCA power yoga class and had a full room, which is always exciting (I can't help the ego sometimes.) I've been trying to guide the class more with my voice than by demonstrating physically up in the front, to prepare for when my bump grows so big I won't be able to touch my toes. I'm feeling more comfortable with this teaching style and feel like I am helping as well. If I do "correct" students, I usually try to do it verbally or demonstrate next to them how to alter what they are doing for the best alignment. I'm still not super comfortable with touching people, but every once in a while I will lightly touch to show the area that I'm talking about if verbal cues don't seem to be getting anywhere (i.e., between the shoulder bladed in down dog so they'll release more deeply.)

Any suggestions out there on what's right or wrong, good or bad? Keep in mind, I teach at a YMCA, not a yoga studio, however these people are kind of hard core yogis and know their stuff more than you might think so I don't think they'd mind physical adjustments. But I just remember how I felt when I received my first adjustment and wasn't expecting it - plus it kind of hurt my ego - there's that pesky ego again.

Oh my goodness, I didn't realize it was so late - better hit the hay.