Thank you Rolf Gates!!!

So most of you who are reading this probably already know this about me, but I am PASSIONATE about yoga and recovery! I had the opportunity a few weeks back to attend a 3 day workshop with Rolf Gates. If you are NOT aware of the yoga and recovery movement, this won't mean much to you, but he is one of my INSPIRATIONS to keep moving in the direction I'm going....offering the benefits of yoga, meditation and energy transformation to those who suffer from addictions of any kind...AND those who suffer along with them!

Anyway....one of the most profound nuggets that I received from this time with Rolf was such a simple thing that he said. I mean, a really simple....basic yogi stuff....like...

"Hello???? Where ya been all this time Dana?" kinda thing.

I'm not going to beat around the bush here and build this up to some amazing climax, but this thing that he said has CHANGED my meditation game. Not only that, it has allowed me to find peace throughout the day....almost as if it is just on call, waiting for me to beckon it in to my body, mind and spirit...now that's a beautiful thing!

Are you ready? Here it is:

"Let the stillness in your body, bring stillness to your mind."

Now. If you've spent any time meditating, or trying to meditate, and this is the first time you've heard something like this, rejoice! Seriously. I have been meditating on and off for 20 years, and I KNOW I must have heard this idea before...you can't be around for this long and not have heard it, but it really hit home this time around...

So for me, what happens MOST of the time when I sit to purposefully meditate, is that my mind tells me to find my seat. My mind then tells me to get comfortable in my seat. Then my mind goes around and around on whether or not I'm comfortable enough to stay in my seat. When I've decided I'm comfortable enough to stay in my seat, my mind then tells me to become aware of my breath. My mind says not to change the breath, but it seems like I do EVERY SINGLE TIME. My breath has a life of its own and wants to succeed. So I feel a little something in the back of my head like I'm already failing, because my mind told me to just allow the breath to happen, and I know in my mind that my breath has changed because it is a little better, (now I'm judging and attaching to success)...deeper, and longer.

I know I'm receiving more oxygen! So when I've come to accept my failure at mindful breathing and I'm okay in my seat and okay with my breath however it's working, my mind tells me to quiet the mind......hahahahaha, seriously? Yes. Seriously.

Well you can see that my mind is still thinking it's in control of every little thing...and it is.

BUT....when I sit and simply tell myself to become aware of the stillness in my body something really beautiful and magical happens. I really notice the stillness in my body. Then when my mind says, "Let the stillness in your body, bring stillness to your mind."

It works.

Can I just say that I LOVE Rolf Gates for this???

Just try it.