Dear Yogis,
Friday already. I did have a GARDEN MEDITATION day yesterday, (My regular THURSDAY RETREAT TIME) with a small deviation when I just had to spend an hour to fetch groceries. I would have been OK, but I have a full day today and wouldn’t have a 
chance to get ready for a breakfast meeting on Saturday. I have to plan this “eating thing” better.
WEEKEND ZOOM FOR YOUR DIARY.
Friday:6.45. This class has been cancelled for today only. It will resume next Friday.
Saturday:2pm TAROT ART CLASS Sunday: 10am Bhagavadgita Study
STUDIO CLASSES: Check out the web site for times – www.yogabeautiful.com.au. Still only three in a class which is almost a private class. Take advantage of this while it still applies.
THE YOGABEAUTIFUL SHOP: Great goodies in the shop with Christmas coming. Plus, the new Turkey Tail powder is expected and will be ready to post on Monday. If you want some (and I unreservedly recommend it) get your order in $35 for 25grams. It is strong and fantastic…. I have ordered extra because I don’t know when the next shipment will arrive. This goes for all the oils too. Order yours today.
FEELING THE HEAT:
Things are hotting up in more ways than one. Yes, the weather is heating up, but the speed of life is heating up too.
We have a whole lot less physical work to do than our parents, more appliances, time out for gym – but there still seems not enough time. Post Covid we seem to be more tired, short tempered and our lives have taken on a tone that we seem unable to change. Is this you?
Here’s a verse from a famous Indian Buddhist book.. (My mum used to repeat a similar idea as I was growing up)
“If a situation can be fixed why get upset about it? If a situation cannot be fixed, what’s the use of getting upset about it?” Mum used to say “If you are wrong it is not useful to get angry. If you are right there is no need”.
What they are talking about here are those flashes of anger and negativity… and the immediate benefit of refusing to give in to them. When you refuse to give in you are protecting yourself against the same thing happening again down the track. I understand that you may have to arm wrestle your mind into a calm state, a positive attitude, and most times this is not easy at least in the beginning when you are developing mental muscles.
Instead of a “He said, she said”, or finding someone to blame, turn your mind to finding a solution right here, right now – concentrate on the immediate – don’t get political (Easy to do in this troubled world) because this is a blame game, and you can’t fix it.. When you focus on the solution for YOU, (something you can change) and look at the problem as a situation to be solved, your mind clears, your face “unscrews and softens” your heart returns to a normal beat and your breath is deep and relaxed.
Practise with small things, so that when a big issue surfaces (and it will) you will automatically go into repair not “blame” mode, and the problem will pass. I found that meditation was hugely helpful in allowing me to turn such issues around, no matter how big and mind threatening they were. I was able to drop into my calm space, and no matter what happened I was safe.
This is what I have called mental gardening. If we think of it like this, we will be more able to achieve the positive mind state which will be most helpful in any negative situation. Just let the anger float off into the universe, avoid the bullet. Remember, you are gardening for your future, in this life and the next. Try this technique and there will be fewer negative, unsettling situations in your world.