Do Not Despise These Small Beginnings

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you to everyone who purchased one of our Groupons to Tranquility Yoga Studio. Our campaign to get the word out about yoga in Owasso/Collinsville ended with 114 groupons sold! Please call 918-855-6459 or 918-371-3841 to reserve your spot today in one of our twelve weekly classes. (If you are unable to reserve, please come early as the mat space will be on a first come, first served basis.)

One of the beautiful limbs in the eight limbed tree of yoga include the yamas or right living. Within that group we find ahimsa or non-violence. I personally think that this is what drew me to yoga originally. The philosophy of yoga teaches us that while we are getting better and better every day, an important truth is learning to let go of our ego-attachments and accept who we are right now. Non-violent thinking builds the important trait of love and compassion for one's self.

I believe that all of us in our stress-filled, overly committed world tend to be wounded, imperfect, and our thoughts are arrogant or self-deprecating. Sidney Solis says, "As adults, the practice of yoga allows us to cleanse ourselves. In so doing, we are able to interrupt that reflex-projection of ourselves (as bad or inadequate) and bestow on ourselves first and then on our children a clean slate free of unfinished emotional business." Yoga can work to heal issues of self-hatred, loathing, and criticism.

Non-violent thinking allows us to accept what is without judgment or fault-finding. Since we tend to think 80% today of what went on yesterday in our minds, the rehashing, critiquing, and judgment of the past can be released. After all, they are just thoughts. We can begin to change our thinking to accept without criticism and try a softer, more gentle approach to becoming a better person in our bodies, souls, and spirits. It all starts in our thought life and before long begins to come out of our mouths in conversation with others or self-talk to ourselves.

The Bible says in Zechariah 4:10, " Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..." Just like our small yoga studio or your steps to a better you, try to let go of the huge timeline that follows your expectations for improvement and simply strive to be a better person one thought at a time. Ahimsa or non-violence, in my opinion, reflects this thinking. First, do no harm should always begin in our thoughts to ourselves and others, then reach outward physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Perhaps, then we can truly love ourselves and others the way Jesus said for us to do.