Susanna Harwood Rubin - Yoga 365: Daily Wisdom for Life, On and Off the Mat

Copyright 2016 by Susanna Harwood Rubin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-4500-6 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4521-5095-6 (epub, mobi)

Design by Allison Weiner
Illustrations by Susanna Harwood Rubin

The information, practices, and poses in this book are not offered as medical advice or suggested as treatment for any condition that might require medical attention. To avoid injury, practice yoga with a skilled instructor and consult a health professional to determine your bodys needs and limitations. The writer and publisher hereby disclaim any liability from injuries resulting from following any recommendation in this book.

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We build a yoga pose from the ground up in the same way that we would build a house: first, we build a sturdy foundation and then we construct the floors, walls, and roof on top. Without a stable foundation, the structure will not be strong and enduring. Similarly, you need to construct anything in life in this manner, whether it is a friendship, a business, or a creative endeavor. When you begin any endeavor by first establishing stability through communicating, organizing, and goal setting, you give yourself a solid basis on which to build for the future. The next time you embark on a new relationship, job, or project, create a stable base from which to grow. Begin in stability.

Today, resolve to make a change: let go of an old habit that is no longer serving you, or embrace a new habit that will benefit you. Choose a habit that is substantial but small so it is attainable. Practice this resolution daily this week, checking in with yourself at the beginning of each day to focus your intent and at the end of each day to see how you did. Ask yourself: How did I do today? What was hard? What was easy? Could I support myself better in any way to help me stick with my resolution? And if you have lapsed, renew your resolution and begin again.

GATE POSE

PARIGHASANA (pa-ree-GAH-sah-nah)

Imagine that in every instant throughout your day, you are at a doorway leading from one moment of your life into the next. With each thought, action, and decision, you step from one moment into another. Parighasana, the Sanskrit word for Gate Pose, inspires us to stay steady, grounded, and open as we move through our daily life. Parigha is the Sanskrit word for the bar or beam that secures a gate. To form Parighasana, kneel on one leg, extend your other leg to the side, reach sideways over the extended leg, and rest your bottom hand on your leg. In doing so, your body takes a shape resembling an open gate. Apply the qualities of Gate Pose to your daily life by being aware of where you are and being open to change.

Just like the weather, the seasons, the earth, and its creatures, we are elements of nature. As humans, we often see ourselves as being dominant over nature, using it for its resources in order to better our lives. The misconception that nature is there to serve us is at the root of environmental problems such as pollution and climate change. The reality is that we are simply elements in a completely interdependent natural world. What we do to nature, we do to ourselves. Today, keep this in mind as you interact with the many elements of nature around you, and notice how your concept of yourself in relation to nature shifts and expands.

Imagine you are reading a book in which the actions, habits, and words of the main character are being described by the narrator. Based on what you read, you develop a sense of who that person is and what that persons values are. Similarly, the actions you take and the words you speak tell the people around you the story of you. How you behave and conduct yourself in the world is what people know of you. With this in mind, how do you want to interact with the world? Throughout your day today, notice what your actions and words convey about who you are. How are you telling your story?

Namaste (nah-mah-stay)

What is it that makes you want to bow down in awe, gratitude, or reverence? Is it beauty? Kindness? Generosity? When we draw our palms together in prayer and say Namaste at the end of a yoga session, we are saying, The divine in me bows to the divine in you. We say Namaste in reverence for what we have just done. We bow to the peace and ease yoga has offered us. We bow to the divine light within us that connects to the greater divine light of yoga.

People who are different from you can often make good company. Time spent with others can expand your frame of reference so you grow as a person. You become wiser for having entertained ideas that are different from yours, and more tolerant for having been exposed to unfamiliar ways of thinking and being in the world. You have the opportunity to bounce your thinking off of other people and to receive feedback that you wouldnt receive if you only kept your own company. It is through the invigorating friction of difference that we grow as human beings.

Today, infuse your actions and your words with imagination and curiosity, whether you are washing dishes, walking to work, running errands, or making a phone call. Being creative requires approaching everything with a childlike sense of wonder, looking at the world with new eyes, listening with new ears, and responding through these fresh perceptions. When we move through the world in this way, everything we experience becomes richer and more interesting. Our curiosity makes our lives more satisfying because we can become engaged in new and different ways with even the most familiar things around us. Try treating everything you do today with this open attitude. How can you engage in your everyday activities as if you were doing them for the first time? How can you bring a sense of wonder to everything you do so that it becomes newly engaging? Look and act with new eyes so that everything you do today is an expression of your creative self.