Inspiration – Omwork

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

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

Weekly Challenge (Omwork) – The World Health Organization has said that by 2020, anxiety and depression will be the #1 disability worldwide. Twenty five percent of US women are taking an anti depressant or anti anxiety medicine, and sleep dysfunction is at an all time high. All you need to do is turn on the news or check a facebook or twitter feed to see why.

Whenever I start to feel anxious, I think back to a flow chart that I came across years ago (if you would like to find it yourself, type “do you have a problem no then why worry” into google search or any browser). The premise is simple –

Do you have a problem in your life or work? No. Then why worry?
Do you have a problem in your life or work? Yes. Can you do anything about it? Yes. Then why worry?
Do you have a problem in your life or work? Yes. Can you do anything about it? No. Then why worry?

Words to live by each and every day! It reminds me of a bible verse from
Matthew 6:27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

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Slow and Steady

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

One of my favorite stories from yoga literature is about a student who comes to the shore of the river and is eager to get to the other side because he believes this is where he can find the answer to life. He sees a rowboat going across and asks for a ride. They kindly let him in and they begin to row across the river. Then a shiny, beautiful sailboat comes along, and the student sees how effortlessly it moves across the water. Since he is tired of rowing, he jumps from the rowboat to the sailboat. But the winds quickly die down and instead of moving across the river, the sailboat is moving downstream with the current. Impatient, the student jumps from the sailboat to a motorized boat which is passing by. This clearly must be the most efficient way to cross the river. The fumes and noise from the motor, however, quickly irritated the student. Then the motor dies as they run out of fuel. The student looks up just in time to see the rowboat with its hardworking rowers crossing to the other shore. Ahhhh, if only he had stayed in the rowboat!

We are always so eager in life, like the student above, to reach our “final” destination. When we are children, we can’t wait until we are “grown up”. When we are older and have children of our own, we are anxious for them to reach each milestone (1st words, 1st steps). Whether it is in our yoga practice or off of our mat, we are anxious to obtain our goals. Maybe we are missing the point, the answer to life is not in the destination but in the journey itself. There will be obstacles along the way…twists, and turns, and the waters will not always run smoothly, but we will be strengthened with each experience. Enjoy each and every day, practice gratitude, spread joy, kindness, and compassion to those you encounter along your way!

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Connect

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

Weekly Challenge – Take time this week to connect on a personal level…find an opportunity to stop and talk to someone you usually wouldn’t speak with. Have a short conversation with them. Or pause to listen to someone you usually wouldn’t normally take the time to listen to. This doesn’t mean you need to go out and find your next BFF. It can be as simple as stopping to ask someone at Trader Joe’s if they’ve ever tried Joe’s XYZ (fill in the blank) before and how they liked it! It doesn’t need to be a deep philosophical exchange…just a brief chat. Notice how it feels to connect on a human level face to face!Forest with a woman