Inspiration – Omwork

Be A Forklift in Someone’s Life

by micheleschmidtyoga, posted in Uncategorized, Yoga Omwork, Living Your Yoga Off of Your Mat

Weekly Challenge (Omwork) – We all know that stealing is bad, taking something from others, an object or possession. But what about stealing someone’s time by being late or not present, stealing attention away from someone else, taking someone’s power or confidence, and not being able to celebrate another’s success.

Notice if you are “guilty” of this type of stealing in your daily encounters with others (family, friends, co-workers). Instead, practice being a “forklift”, so that everyone in your presence feels lighter and brighter. This is the jewel of Asteya , non-stealing, one of the 10 steps for living your Yoga off of your mat.

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Let Good Experiences Soak In

by micheleschmidtyoga, posted in Uncategorized, Yoga Omwork, Living Your Yoga Off of Your Mat

Weekly Challenge (Omwork) – I started reading a new book, “Hardwiring Happiness” by Dr. Rick Hanson. He explains that our “brain takes its shape from what the mind rests upon.” We tend to take in, hold on to, and replay bad or negative experiences easier than we do the good ones. He says that are brains hold onto the bad like Velcro, and repel the good like Teflon. We need to work to rewire the way the brain works, by slowing down, pausing and letting the good experiences soak in.

The next time you have a good experience (perfect cup of coffee, watching your children/grandchildren play peaceful together, you finish a project you have been putting off, you receive a smile or a thank you), stay with it for a few breaths, use your senses to build a better “mental picture” of how you feel, let the experience fill you before you rush off to something else. We are using so busy thinking and doing we don’t allow time for the experience to integrate into our minds and hearts.

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Let Your Inner Light Shine

by micheleschmidtyoga, posted in Uncategorized, Yoga Omwork, Living Your Yoga Off of Your Mat

Weekly Challenge (Omwork) – Press pause on the tape recorder in the mind throughout the day to notice the constant stream of thought. How often is it negative and strongly identifying with the self (I, my, mine). We are hardest on ourselves. This week practice, ahmisa (nonviolence/nonharming), try to minimize negative thoughts towards yourself and others. Set your thoughts on the positive! Let your inner light shine!

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Adjust Your Focus…Mono-task

by micheleschmidtyoga, posted in Yoga Omwork, Living Your Yoga Off of Your Mat

Even though I love books, I’ve been working to add more movement to my days, so I’ve been listening to podcasts while walking and moving more frequently. Last week, I was listening to a 10% Happier podcast where Dan Harris interviewed Anderson Cooper. Anderson was discussing how he, like most people, was constantly multi-tasking. This made him feel overwhelmed, scattered, and something was constantly falling through the cracks. Since he began meditating and becoming moreĀ aware and present, he now likes to mono-task, instead of multi-task. Whatever the activity (driving, eating, showering, taking a walk, having a conversation), you are only focusing on it.

What activity will you mono-task today? Think of it as taking a giant spotlight or camera lens, and adjusting it to focus on one thing at a time. Realize that mono-tasking is a learned skill and will take practice. Don’t beat yourself up about getting distracted, it is a natural part of the process.

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