Neponset Valley Yoga Newsletter - March 2012

Explore Vulnerability Discovering that you are worthy of compassion What we eat, how much we exercise - by now we all know that both have a profound affect on our health. What some of us haven't considered, however, is just how important a role our thoughts and feelings have in creating and maintaining health.  Our own feelings of self worth have a much more important role in how positively we experience life. And a positive attitude generates more love and compassion... it's a delicious circle!  Watch Brene Brown's talk Relief for Tired Hands  With a few Simple Stretches Every Day As a Massage Therapist, I am keenly aware how overwork can cause pain and discomfort in the hands and arms. Along with receiving bodywork weekly (sometimes I skip a week and feel it!) I am always stretching, warming, and massaging my own joints to keep from getting stiff.  One thing I love to do at night is massage my favorite cream into my arms and hands before heading into bed. It's a ritual where I can thank my hands for doing such a good job all day, and it also helps to relax me so I am ready for sleeping.  If your lifestyle leaves your hands stiff or achy at times, here are a few simple stretches you can do to keep them flexible and feeling good.  Try these easy stretches from the Mayo Clinic In Praise of the Earth by John O'Donahue   Let us bless The imagination of the Earth, That knew early the patience To harness the mind of time, Waited for the seas to warm, Ready to welcome the emergence Of things dreaming of voyaging Among the stillness of land.    And how light knew to nurse The growth until the face of the Earth Brightened beneath a vision of color.    When the ages of ice came And sealed the Earth inside An endless coma of cold, The heart of the Earth held hope, Storing fragments of memory, Ready for the return of the sun.    Let us thank the Earth That offers ground for home And holds our feet firm To walk in space open To infinite galaxies.    Let us salute the silence And certainty of mountains: Their sublime stillness, Their dream-filled hearts.    The wonder of a garden Trusting the first warmth of spring Until its black infinity of cells Becomes charged with dream; Then the silent, slow nurture Of the seed's self, coaxing it To trust the act of death.    The humility of the Earth That transfigures all That has fallen Of outlived growth.    The kindness of the Earth, Opening to receive Our worn forms Into the final stillness.    Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth For all our sins against her: For our violence and poisonings Of her beauty.    Let us remember within us The ancient clay, Holding the memory of seasons, The passion of the wind, The fluency of water, The warmth of fire, The quiver-touch of the sun And shadowed sureness of the moon.    That we may awaken, To live to the full The dream of the Earth Who chose us to emerge And incarnate its hidden night In mind, spirit, and light.