Following the breath

How does your body deal with change? How do you deal with change? Today I experienced my first Yin Yoga class. The fundamental characteristics of yin yoga is that it is primarily floor poses that are held for longer period of time- from a few minutes to 20 minutes. When I first entered each pose, it felt slightly uncomfortable- for example, in seated forward bend, I felt slight pain in my middle and upper back from bending forward. I directed all of my breath to that part of the body and released the pain. Then my back felt great, but the pain moved to my legs; I breathed into the legs, and the discomfort vanished. After just a few minutes, any discomfort that I felt when I first entered the pose had disappeared, and I felt entirely comfortable in the pose. I felt that I could remain that way forever- in only a few minutes, my body had already accustomed to the pose. The breath has the ability to heal pain. This is true in yoga and in our daily lives- the challenge is remembering to return to the breath when unpleasant feelings arise. Change can be hard, but by following the breath and breathing into discomfort, we can deal with change, turning discomfort into pleasantness, pain into pleasure.

Reclaiming Positivity

I am returning to my blog, again, writing from a different country, a new city, a new mindset. Sometimes writing in my blog just seems like a waste of time- who reads this anyways?? Probably very few people (meaning I can write whatever the hell I want!),  but I'm not going to justify my desire to write. 

Current city? Nashville, Tennessee: home of country and bluegrass music, where cowboy boots never went out of style, yoga is hot, the sun shines in January, and racial segregation is a social reality. Welcome to the heart of America. People like to converse about technology- "check out my new Apple product"- and drive cars that are way larger than necessary. They enjoy sitting in coffee shops on their computers- "I'll have skinny latte with soy, I know it gives me cancer, but I just simply love the taste of aspartame"- what are they doing on their computers anyways? Most likely, looking for jobs, which is what I should be doing, instead of writing here... The wealthy spend hundreds of dollars on "Whole Pay Check" groceries, while the less fortunate take the family to McDonald's for lunch, or whatever it is that people consume there. There are bike lanes all over the city- but why is it that most people that cycle to work/school are in their 20's, are good-looking, and healthy? Imagine a city where biking were the norm and respected on the road. That city is not Nashville. Happily enough, people like to stay fit and spend time in metro parks, and there is a health-food craze- too bad being healthy in America also means spending double on groceries. 

But enough about the heart of America. 

I would like to talk about searching for jobs. To all ye fellow job searchers, I've got something to say. Walk it off. When you don't get that call back from that one job that actually sounded really cool, walk it off. When a company rejects you and doesn't tell you why, walk it off. When you sit in a coffee shop all day and realize that all of the jobs you want have at least 500 applicants and only one opening, walk it off. When you realize that half of the population of people with your same degree and experience are working in coffee shops and restaurants because they had no success in the job market, walk it off. After you've walked it off, remind yourself that you are amazing, that you meet every qualification for any job that you have ever wanted, and that any employer would be one lucky bastard to have you. Remember that you have a unique toolbox- you have tools that no one else has, find a way to put them to use and improve society. Remind yourself that THIS. IS. NOW! You are so lucky BECAUSE you are unemployed - you finally have time to do all those things you always wanted to do: to make a blog, to work out multiple times a day, to sit on a stoop and drink sweet tea all day long without missing any prior obligations, to read every American classic novel, to meditate day and night, to make a home garden, to brew your own kombucha, to experiment in the kitchen. Each day offers new possibilities. Be present. Be positive. Be you. And then find a job if, and only if, it calls to you.