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Buddha's Parking Ticket

10/10/2012

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Look familiar? This little gift courtesy of the City of Olympia's Parking Services - lovely Rita, meter maid - was on my windshield when I finished a client meeting downtown this week. I'd like to say my reaction was one of loving kindness. But I'd be lying. And that's where Buddha comes in.

As I was walking later in the week with a Buddhist friend, we talked about anger - hers, mine, everyone's. She told me of her Buddhist teacher's encouragement  to welcome anger - and all other emotions - as windows into who we are and how we operate. Let it teach you about yourself was her (paraphrased) recommendation. Let it point the way to other ways of being - maybe loving kindness. As we walked, I realized that I had followed that advice without having heard it.
     I've recently welcomed anger as my guide. This decision came to me in the midst of a new relationship. Old relationship patterns that I thought I had left far behind had been surfacing. What was going on? Who was this angry person? I could see that I was hurting this man that I love. But maybe more importantly, I was hurting myself. What would it mean to be kind to myself? I resolved not to hang on to, not to stew in, not to inflict harm to myself or others with my anger. Tall order for an impatient, critical, perfectionist. But it's time. 
     I reviewed what had happened when I got the ticket. My temper flared. Look, I'm Irish and a redhead - what can I say? I could actually see "Rita" around the corner, just doing her job. My anger was immediately directed at her. And as quickly as it flared, I realized how unfair it was to be mad at her. She was, after all, only doing her job. A job, I bet she's mighty grateful to have. What followed was a train of thought that carried me from desert of anger to the wildlands of fear very quickly. What was I angry about? What was beneath the anger? I was afraid. The anger covered fear about money - an old, but familiar rut in this woman's road. With a recent dip in income, my old "not enough" fears have resurfaced. As I sat with the fear, I remembered what I know. I really know there is enough. I really know I'll be OK. I can remember these truths when I take a deep breath and follow my emotions (e•motion = energy in motion). When I don't deny them, block them, or worse, project them out there on someone else (an unfortunate but common human habit), that is. As the anger and fear disolved, I was left feeling clear, relaxed and slightly amused at myself. This moment anger and fear showed up. The next moment, something new. May I (and you) welcome all emotions, follow them to those dark, hidden places and mine the treasure.





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Integration

10/3/2012

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Integration is a concept that is fundamentally appealing. It means to form, coordinate or blend into a functioning or unified whole. Who doesn't like that? It has been a guiding principle in my life and in my work, now more than ever. I have diverse interests and talents. Following the advice of many marketing experts, I have tried in the 15 years of my business to focus on one main thing. The truth is my one main thing is everything. Having come to the realization that that's who I am and it's OK, I am joyfully welcoming - integrating - diverse interests back into my work and life. This diversity includes art, yoga, CREATE!, permaculture, changing the world through social movements, relationship, consciousness, gardening, food, animals, the natural world - well, you get the idea. 

Integrating yoga - which synchronistically means "to join, to yoke, to unite" in Sanskrit - into my life and work has my attention right now.  Having completed a yoga teacher training this summer, I find I've effortlessly incorporated yoga practice into my daily routine. How did this happen? Granted I've done yoga on and off for decades but I've never managed to maintain a consistent practice at home. They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. In this case, turns out I'm both the student and the teacher. And I believe this is true for all of us - in yoga and in life. Yes, we may have external teachers - and I had a great one, Joanna Cashman http://www.radianthealthyoga.com/ - but it's our own internal teacher who is our steadfast ultimate guide. Integrating my internal teacher and my internal student was the magic combination I needed to fully embrace yoga.

What has yoga taught me? Predictably, that I can be more flexible, strong and balanced. That my body thrives on challenge and responds both quickly and enthusiastically. That I can take an hour for myself in the morning and the world won't end. My life won't even suffer - on the contrary, it just keeps getting better. It's also taught me to embody, in a more complete way, what I profess. I profess that you (or I) can do anything. Doing the first headstand of my life this summer at yoga teacher training drilled that belief deeper into my cellular being. If I can do a headstand, what else can I do that I may have questioned? Or had dismissed out of hand and just hadn't even tried. Then coming home and tackling other "I'll never do that" asanas taught me that sometimes a simple detail in the instructions makes the difference between failure and success. And it taught me that success isn't always an event, it can be a process.Yoga has become a metaphor for my life. 
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    Joanne is a business and personal coach integrating body, mind and spirit.

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Joanne Lee  •  The Natural Coach  •  120 State Ave NE #1444  •  Olympia, WA  98501  •  360. 352. 6224
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