Sunday, November 30, 2008

If I only had 24 hours to live essay

If I only had 24 hours to live essay

Another thought provoking question from Mr. Kest!

Wow, what a question to answer! Who would ever want to know that they were going to die in a matter of a day? This question makes me a little sad for those who don’t have a chance to say goodbye to those that they love or who have not made right what they did wrong against another person before they die. I would spend my last 24 hours kissing and hugging my kids, my family and my friends. I would tell them how much I love them and how they all made me such a better person. I would not eat or sleep, but would take an opportunity to appreciate every last little nuance and special attributes of those that I love. I feel that every day is a gift and every second a new opportunity to share the goodness in my life. I would live my last 24 hours like I live my life now, to the fullest! I am blessed to appreciate the present and I would be present to the last minute. I would not lament on my impending death and waste time regretting what I did not do. This is a good thing to think about and to ask yourself what would you do? If one’s answer is radically different from what they are doing on a daily basis, they might want to rethink their choices in life.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Busy days!

We went to Bronner's and Frankenmuth after my two classes yesterday. We had a lot of fun and are really feeling the Christmas Spirit. We went to see the Christmas Carol at Meadowbrook with out friends and their kids today. My friend Peggy got front row seats for the kids, we were right behind them. At one point there was an explosion with a really bright flash that nearly scared me to death. It was a really nice production, the kids loved it. Then we went out for dinner. I am so beat and really need to study so I'll say Adieu.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Great book with tons of recipes.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Vegetarian split pea soup

If it comes out well , I'll post the recipe.

Too much fun.

I am having a blast! School is going so well and I'm actually sad that it is ending shortly. My fellow yogis are amazing and wonderful people and I am so blessed to be able to share this experience with them. Look for the goodness within yourself, share it with others and have a good laugh every day!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Shaking the Full Moon Funk

Wow, that Full Moon last week really messed me up. I spoke to a few people about it and they told similar stories of how things just didn't work well last week. I'm just getting back to normal. Just take a step back and relax when life goes astray. Sometimes it isn't in your control.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Yoga meals

I've been sharing the concept of yoga meals with my family during the past 8 weeks. It is where you develop a deeper awareness of what you are eating, a deeper appreciation for the food that you have and heightened awareness of how foods taste and feel in your mouth. I had a pear for a yoga meal. It was a perfectly ripe, absolutely juicy succulent morsel. It was so absolutely delicious I was in heaven. Take time to really appreciate your food. Close your eyes, smell the aromas, feel the juiciness on your palet, and enjoy what mother nature has made for you.

Long weekend


I have taught 7 classes in the past 50 hours. I am a bit tired, although I have to say I get so much energy from the friends that gather to practice. I love how the snow looks as it clings to the branches. Enjoy the beauty of the season.
Nasty thought of the day: It freaks me out to think about how many people don't wash their hands after using the restroom then touch the door to leave. ( I watched a woman literally splash two drops of water on her hands then walk out). More germs are spread doing that than if she didn't wash at all!!! I trained my kids to wash their hands well, then use a piece of paper towel to open the door.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Nasty little pic of the day


My little grumpy baby. He used his ball as a pillow!

busy day, late posting

I had the luxury of time today. I actually dusted the banister and staircase spindles! Oh what joy to have a few hours to myself! I got a voice mail from a fellow instructor. I just got the message today so I called right away. It turns out it was from yesterday (At&T step it up people). We started taking yoga and nearly an hour later I felt that I knew him for many years. It's funny how people can connect at a really tangible level despite not ever speaking face to face. I told him his enthusiasm for yoga reminds me of what I must sound like when I speak to others. I told him he's my yoga twin.

My thought of the day is actually a question:

Do you change your perception of a person once you actually get to know them, even if you prejudged them?

In this case he admitted that he thought I was stuck up (we attended the same meeting once). I was surprised to hear that because I didn't talk much. It goes to show you that it is dangerous to assume that you know anything about a person without getting to know them. He said he would have never thought that we could have had such a great conversation. I said "Why." Give people a chance to share themselves with you, then find the goodness in them.


In love and light~ Tricia

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Nasty little thought of the day

In the spirit of dark humor, I will share my nasty thought or picture of the day.

Today's selection:

If your husband complains about how much money you spent on groceries, convienently run out of toilet tissue, and face tissues at the same time. Shrug your shoulders and say" but honey, I'm watching the grocery budget!";~

Check out this article, an interesting take on life

Simpler, Greener Lifestyle Creates Wealth, Happiness
By Faiza Elmasry Washington30 October 2008
Elmasry Report Read by Faith Lapidus - Dialup - Download (MP3) Elmasry Report Read by Faith Lapidus - Dialup - Listen (MP3) Elmasry Report Read by Faith Lapidus - Broadband - Download (MP3) Elmasry Report Read by Faith Lapidus - Broadband - Listen (MP3)
Sharon Astyk is a stay-at-home mother of four children. Seven years ago, her family was barely getting by on her husband's salary as a teacher. They decided they could live better by simplifying their lives. As VOA's Faiza Elmasry tells us, the Astyks represent a small but growing number of Americans who are paring down and cutting back and, in doing so, finding financial relief and a measure of happiness.
Astyk says when she and her husband realized they were never going to be rich, they tried to figure out how to live as well as possible Sharon Astyk still remembers how difficult life was when she and her husband got married more than 10 years ago."We were graduate students living in Boston in the United States and living on a very low income by the standards of the city," she says. "We were used to getting by in the city on very little money. One of the things we began thinking about was how hard it was to afford to eat well when you were a low-income family. "We started saying, 'OK, we're never going to be rich.' My husband was a teacher. I was staying at home with our son. We started asking, 'How can we live as well as possible?'"
Moving to the countryside and growing most of their food was the answer They found the answer in leaving Boston and moving to rural upstate New York. "One of the ways we could do that was if we could consolidate our housing with our extended families," she says. "In the United States, this is not the norm the way it is in other parts of the world. Generally speaking, everyone has his household. Everybody lives separately. But my husband's grandparents were getting to a point where they could no longer manage things on their own. We bought a house with them in the country, and we cared for them until the end of their lives."
Family Strives For Simplicity by Producing Own Food, Sharing, Conserving
In her book Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front, Astyk explains how her family created a simpler lifestyleAstyk explains how her family created a simpler lifestyle in a new book, Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front."What we started doing was something that was quite normal in the U.S until maybe 50 years ago and is still normal in many parts of the world," she says. "We started producing more of our food. We started sharing resources with our family and bartering with our neighbors. We tried really hard to stay out of debt. That meant when we didn't have enough money to do things, we just didn't do them."That lifestyle, she notes, is a more environmentally friendly one."We only have one car for our family, which is unusual," she says. "That means when my husband has the car, I don't have one and I'm home with the kids. We just walk places or we bicycle or we don't go anywhere."
Green lifestyle can save the planet and make us richer, Astyk saysThe family also worked to reduce carbon emissions from their use of energy and other resources."We divided it up into seven categories: electricity, transport fuel, heating and cooling energy, consumer goods, water and others," she says. "And we've gotten to 80 percent reduction in every category. We're getting much and much closer to the use of energy that people in India or China are using right now." Recycling is another way the Astyks save money and resources."When something broke, we could say to our neighbors. 'Oh, do you have one? Can we borrow it?' And we could offer something in return to them," she says. "It was very simple to find sources of things that were being either thrown away or underused, or people were willing to share."
Environmentally Friendly Lifestyle Becoming More Affordable
Money expert David Bach says the key to money is not what you make, it's what you keepSuch an environmentally friendly lifestyle really does help people financially."The key to money is not what you make. It's what you keep," says David Bach, author of Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth. "When you go buy things today, one of the questions you should ask yourself is, 'How long will this last?'" he suggests. "Because so much of what we buy can last longer than we actually use it. My grandma used to use things forever. The longer you use things, the less money you spend. This is really an important time for Americans to do two things: simplify your life and save more."
Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth Bach says that over the years, the environmental lifestyle has become more affordable."For 10, 20 years it's always been if I want to buy something 'green' or organic, it costs more," he says. "It [doesn't] anymore. Today, because consumers are demanding green products, mainstream companies are coming out with these products and actually lowering the price because we're buying them."
As Financial Crisis Deepens, More Americans Scale Back
Growing numbers of people already have started to adopt a greener, simpler lifestyle, Astyk says.
"That's really wonderful, and [it's] not only in the U.S., but all over the world," she says."There is the Compact, which started in the United States on the West Coast, which has people buying only used things and leading a much simpler life. There is the Voluntary Simplicity Movement started by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robins that have million of members all over the world.
More people are interested in growing their own food, according to Astyk "There are really a lot of people who are trying to figure out how to live a decent life in a world that is shifting. I think as the costs of energy and food and other basic things have risen, there is more and more interest and more and more sense that not only might this be a good choice for reasons of pleasure or environmental reasons, but we may have to live like this. "As the financial crisis deepens here, I think Americans are going to live more like their grandparents or their great-grandparents, and there is a lot of interest in finding out how to do that."Astyk says living a simpler life has another benefit for her family, beyond the financial aspect. It's helped her children see how they can consume less, save more and create a more meaningful life.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Cold, early morning

I woke up at 4:50 am. I felt pretty good, rolled out of bed and got ready for class. I had enough time to make two cups of chai for our road trip and I was off. My car was so covered in frost, that I could only see out of a two square inch section of the windshield. Your senses are really heightened when you need them to be! I got to Nikki's house to pick her up and we were off. We always laugh about how crazy it is to go to class so early, thank God I have her to go with or else I'd still be hitting the snooze!!! She made cheese pie and brought some for us. She is so awesome (it is fantastic by the way). We got to the Center by 6:10, we ran in to escape the cold. I slipped off my coat, my second jacket and my nightgown (I was so cozy I couldn't bear to take it off) and I shivered as I stepped out of my shoes onto the cold stone floor. I put my practice shirt on and jogged toward the studio door. Just as I expected, my warm cozy cocoon. I rolled my mat out in front of the teacher's and noticed that it wasn't Johnny. The first thought was that Milla had the baby...I was right! I'm not sure who led the class but she was good, as are all the teachers. I felt like slacking because of my back but I didn't. I feel so much better after a practice than before it. I am really loving this early morning ritual. It makes me so much more appreciative of the experiences I am allowed to partake in. I have found my way home. I feel so different than I did before. I feel so free, I don't worry like I used to. I just feel really happy.

Find some happiness today!

Love and Light~ Tricia

Monday, November 10, 2008

Hope you're having a geat day!

I've been too busy to breath lately and need to catch up on things around the house so I'm slacking with my homework this week. I'm having a blast teaching new stuff that I learn at my teacher training, I hope you like it too.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The sun came up and the birds sang.........

As with everything in life, no matter what happens the sun still rises and the birds still sing. At least that is what I hope John McCain can appreciate today. What a beautiful day, I'm so happy that so many people are thinking positive thoughts and are hopeful for a better future. I truly believe that we as a nation will heal divides and work together to make our homeland the bestit can be.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day 2008

Wow, people are out in droves, companies are giving out freebies and the smell of change is in the air. We need to realize that we must be the catalyst for change as the government only has so much power to influence our choices. Hopefully who ever wins we will be blessed with a safer and more just country. Get out and vote if you haven't!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Yoga Dedication of Merit

I originally posted this last October 27. It is worth re-posting.

Yoga Dedication of Merit
May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. May all beings be free from Suffering and the cause of suffering. May all beings never be parted from freedom's true joy. May all beings dwell in equanimitity, free from attachment and aversion.

Almost Christmas!

Wow, where did 2008 go? It's almost Christmas. Looking ahead to New Year Resolutions, try to make one now and see if you can stick with it until the New Year. I think we tend to set ourselves up for failure when we resolve to change something without a system of support in place first. My daily resolution is to act with kindness and patience. Every day life throws stuff my way that either isn't in my control or I don't have time to deal with it. It's my thoughts and my actions that are in my control. What can you resolve to improve today?