February 28, 2011- Namaste Monday...

     Lately, I have been getting back into a regular yoga routine at home to increase strength in my core muscles, tone up a bit, and for general stress relief and flexibility. There was a time when yoga was a huge part of my life.  Practicing regularly kept me grounded, helped me relax, provided me with a focus other than all the crazy stuff going on in my life at the time, and improved my overall health.  Unfortunately, I have fallen out of the habit of consistent yoga practice in the last year, so it is time to come back to it.
     If you have any experience with taking yoga classes, one of the greetings or salutations you will hear yoga teachers use frequently is “namaste,” which originates from India and is often translated as, “the light within me salutes the light within you.”  I like this.  I relish the thought of each of us having that light inside to share with others.  My boys and the children I work with every day show and share their lights freely with each other, laughing generously and with ease, sharing hugs and gestures of love with anyone who is open to accepting this love, and speaking the truth without any ulterior motives.  As we grow older, we get hurt, and we begin to hide and protect our light, keeping it to ourselves out of fear of someone trying to put it out, and we lose an element of genuiness because of this.  I miss this in people my age, particularly.  I miss a genuine smile or a kind word spoken simply because. I miss being able to say whatever comes to mind to whoever is around without fear of someone twisting my words or making it mean something that was never intended, so I’m declaring today, “Namaste Monday.” What does that mean? Well, for me, it means the light within me salutes the light within you as I move forward today striving to be as genuine, loving, kind, and honest as the God I serve. I choose to shine my light to the world, bringing peace and joy to those around me instead of contributing negatively to an already scary and suspicious world.  I challenge you to start your week with a “Namaste Monday” as well.  I bet you’ll find you’re much more content at the end of the day or week if you practice this simple concept of allowing yourself to be you, fully and genuinely, revealing your light to others through love, kindness, and positive thoughts...who knows, if you are willing to show your light to others, you may discover a few lights being shown back to you, which may light up your day, week, or world!   Who wants to miss out on that?!