“This particular teaching on the Four Limitless Ones, on maitri, compassion, joy and equanimity is really a teaching on how to take the situations of your life and train- actually train- in catching yourself closing down, catching yourself getting hard, and training in opening at that very point, or softening. In some sense reversing aContinue reading “Reading from Class: Pema Chödrön on Dealing with Discomfort”
Category Archives: Quotes
Reading from Class: Lizelle Reymond “Welcome…the most unexpected”
“You must learn to welcome consciously the most unexpected events of life, to be entirely transparent in front of them, without any motive, either right or wrong. At that moment avoid all judgment, for you do not know what law is in operation.” -Lizelle Reymond I just lost a beautiful cousin to cancer last week,Continue reading “Reading from Class: Lizelle Reymond “Welcome…the most unexpected””
Reading from Class: Finding Purpose Within…and Cultivating Unconditional Friendliness
“Sometimes folks will treasure your work, sometimes they won’t. Sometimes you’ll get the gig, sometimes you won’t. You’ll be on the marquee and you’ll be passé. You’ll be thanked and you’ll be taken for granted. You’ll give and you’ll get nothing in return. You’ll be “Liked” and you’ll be unfriended…Anchor your purpose within, sweet friend.Continue reading “Reading from Class: Finding Purpose Within…and Cultivating Unconditional Friendliness”
Reading from Class: Gelek Rimpoche
“Everyone experiences discomfort. Even when you are just sitting still, doing nothing, you may still feel aches and pains. And even if you don’t, if everything is fine right now, you may still recall past slights and get stuck in a bad memory, or find yourself experiencing fear of the future. When we relive theContinue reading “Reading from Class: Gelek Rimpoche”
Reading from Class: Breathe and Be Present
“We spend most of our time caught up in memories of the past or looking ahead to the future, full of worries and plans. The breath has none of that ‘other-timeness.’ When we truly observe the breath, we are automatically placed in the present. We are pulled out of the morass of mental images andContinue reading “Reading from Class: Breathe and Be Present”
August 2013 Newsletter – announcing vitoyoga.com
Happy August! The return of the mythical newsletter or I’m back in email newsletter form. I want to start by apologizing for the delay in updates; there has been a lot to share since last fall. I want to start by saying I am really grateful to have you as part of my community andContinue reading “August 2013 Newsletter – announcing vitoyoga.com”
Reading from Class: “Welcome the Present…”
“Welcome the present moment as if you had invited it. It is all we ever have so you might as well work with it rather than struggling against it. We might as well make it our friend and teacher rather than our enemy – Pema Chodron I believe I got this from my friend andContinue reading “Reading from Class: “Welcome the Present…””
Reading: Serenity Prayer
Continuing on the theme of True Happiness by way of acceptance and presence, I wanted to share the serenity prayer, which sums up a lot of what the practice has afforded me. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And wisdom toContinue reading “Reading: Serenity Prayer”
Readings from Class July 2013: Presence + Acceptance = Happiness
“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence on the future; not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach.”― Lucius Annaeus Seneca “We are addicted to pleasure, inContinue reading “Readings from Class July 2013: Presence + Acceptance = Happiness”
Reading from Class: Acceptance of the Ordinary
“We must be willing to be completely ordinary people, which means accepting ourselves as we are without trying to become greater, purer, more spiritual, more insightful. If we can accept our imperfections as they are, quite ordinarily, then we can use them as part of the path. But if we try to get rid ofContinue reading “Reading from Class: Acceptance of the Ordinary”