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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Sustainance

New to the site? Here's an explanation of what I'm doing.

I've been keeping up with my 40 days of yoga program and really enjoy my practice. However, it's been hectic at work, and it's been quite chilly here in Denton, so some days, I've been fairly tired when I get to class and sometimes I feel like I'm struggling in places where I normally do not. For example, I have a knee injury that often inhibits how deep I can bend my left knee in poses such as Warrior II. My knee has been bothering me a bit more than usual, so I've had to back off a bit, which is a challenge for my ego! This is, of course, one of the biggest lessons of yoga: listening to your body and doing what you can do today, not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. Fortunately, I always leave the mat feeling better than when I start. That's a real benefit of doing yoga: gaining not only physical strength, but also getting energized, even on days when you scale yourself back a bit. Also, I love the teachers and community of people at the studio where I practice, Authentic Yoga Life. They keep me going, because we are all in it together.

My intention of raising money for the IRC throughout this forty day period also keeps me going. I've been following harrowing tales of life in the refugee camps this week and wanted to share a little snippet with you today. Here's a photo from a recent pita bread distribution in Za'atari camp in Jordan, from Instagram users Livingonone. They are living with Syrian refugees in the camp while they make a film about their plight. This photo really hit me; look at how many people are crushing up against the window to get their bread. Pita bread is a staple food for people in the Levant, and when I think about how much of it all of the organizations working the camps need to make in a day, just to keep people at subsistence levels, it boggles my mind. However, it seems to me that providing food and shelter is just the small part; taking care of people's humanity is a much greater task. To get a sense of that, check out this recent Reddit Q&A with the guys behind Living On One. It is very humbling.

Thank you for following my yoga journey, and please spread the word of my fundraiser. More soon! Namaste.

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