contentment is a verb

Within the span of 1 week I had several people around me make remarks about their reality, that may have normally wizzed right by me, but maybe not.

One person said “I have this idea about what my body is, and then I have what my body REALLY is, and they are 2 very different things.” The other person said “Oh no, my body just isn’t made for that.”

I’m generally a very supportive person, its the big sister in me, but these comments from these people really hit me because I feel they both know better!

When we have a relationship with ourselves that continually recreates a reality in which we are less than or not good enough or wrong (my body isnt’ meant for that) then we can never win.

The Sanskrit word is Santosha- contentment. I prefer to think of this as an action, rather than a state of being. Its like lunges and pushups, you have to do them in order to receive the benefits.

For example, if you want a tight butt, you better do your squats everyday! If you are not content with your body or yourself, you better start practicing contentment. This is important because you can only change your reality if you understand what you are not content about right now. If you sit in the moment and realize you are not content, nor can you become content where you are, you better get moving! Why are you wasting anytime with a sub-optimal reality?

Don’t misunderstand me, not everyone has to have a six -pack abdominal wall and a Beyonce booty to be content. Most of us are content in the fact that we get up everyday, set an intention, get in a 30 minute workout, check some stuff off our list, enjoy a glass of wine, and go to bed next to someone we love. But if you aren’t doing the work to be where you want to be, then you are just complaining. This is something big sisters don’t have much patience for- nor does anyone else for that matter.

So for my friend(s) who think their body isn’t what they want it to be- what IS your body that you appreciate. What could you do to create a healthier, more living relationship with your body? Generate your intention from that. The magical thing about your body is that you can train it to be whatever you want! pushups, situps, whatever- its not stuck. Your reality WILL be unless you get to work. Where are the areas of your life that you are content with? Do you tend to them everyday? What about them fills you up?

And every time you do your crunches, or run an extra half mile, do it out of love instead of punishment. Be exactly where you are, allow your body to be exactly what it is, and go from there. Your contentment experience and work will start to reshape your reality.

…Lunges will too! Reshape your butt that is!

Down in the Dumps

These past 2 weeks have been quite the roller coaster!

My little boy turned 1, weaning coincided. The emotions that followed were completely unexpected and overwhelming.

I started a cleanse, which I felt totally ready for, but nonetheless am struggling with horrible caffeine withdrawal and wanting to gag on vegetables.

Work is stressing me out.

Over the weekend I was completely convinced that the only thing that would make anything feel better was to just stay in bed and be sad.

To top things off I have decided to open Pandoras Box and begin taking my own personal yoga training- which always proves to be rocky and mucky before its serene and peaceful. (enter the lotus flower)

I’m a firm believer in the Buddhist concept that we have to have experienced darkness (suffering) in order to appreciate light (non-suffering). So when I get these moods, which happens less and less often, I know to just go with the flow. This could be quite the undertaking for someone who didn’t have an understanding of the necessity of dark in order to see light.

Sometimes the harder we try to ignore the bad mood the worse it gets. Like a craving for a chocolate chip cookie. We end up eating everything BUT it, just so we don’t feel we’ve lost the battle, when if we would’ve just had a small chocolate chip cookie, we would have avoided fighting ourselves and been able to move on much more quickly. (Note to self- stop using food analogies while on a cleanse!)

I have to let myself feel down because I believe I will feel even better when its over. Some of my best tools besides just laying low are yoga, running, music. I like to be by myself, keep things pretty quiet, and unplug as much as possible. Instead of letting it be total depression I try to make it an introspective opportunity.  I’ve been through this enough in my life that I know as long as I keep breathing I can get through ANYTHING- even the most difficult moments with myself.

It might even be a good thing that I’m cleansing through all of this- because if I wasn’t I would have eaten MORE than my share of chocolate chip cookies- mmm!