Don't Push the River

Don't push the river. It flows by itself. Enter the current and ride the wave. Dance with life without resistance. Grace Is prevalent everywhere.

The universe is a sea of infinite possibilities and the only thing that hinders our progress is our mindset. At any given time there are two voices playing in our heads. Which voice we listen to makes all the difference. We often heed the compelling voice of reason that tells us that great force and strength must be exerted to create real change- whether it be physically at the gym, or verbally through our language, the harsh or loud tone of our voice, even the imposing suit or uniform we wear to work each day that creates a perception of power. Yet equally mighty and far less energy-zapping is the ability to yield and surrender. In an economy when all around us are urging us of the necessity of taking action and oftentimes drastic steps to change what we don't like about our situation, I invite you to balance all the frenzy that doing creates and be in a state of receiving and simply being. Take a yoga class, get a massage, speak to those that have hurt you with kindness and an awareness that they too are on the path going through their own challenges and struggles. Sit with your own sadness, your pain, your anxiety without pushing it away or dwelling in it. Surrender is not apathy or not caring. It is simply acknowledging the Is-ness of the situation as it currently stands and recognizing is impermanence.

Karuna Yoga practice for Compassionate Living: Stay Present

Be deeply rooted in this very moment. Cultivate presence now by taking a moment to take 3 conscious deep breaths. Become aware of any tightness in your belly or a contraction in the region of your heart. Then breathe into this space and feel the area soften. With your attention on the simple act of breathing, you are no longer dwelling on the past nor are you projecting into the future, the unknown. You are cultivating the skill of letting go. By simply breathing, softening and surrendering to the moment you release the need to know everything, decide everything, understand everything. When you can be in the mystery and dance with life without resistance, you are opening up the life force within your being and immersing yourself in the flow of Life. In this state, things begin to shift and transform with much less effort on your part, people enter your world, circumstances are created that pave the way for you to receive exactly what you need to move forward in your life. Let this be a time for riding the wave you are on with grace, ease and a deep sense of presence and inner stillness no matter what turbulence surrounds you.

For those of you that would like support and guidance in navigating through the muddy waters, I am here to support you either through private sessions, phone consultations (for those of you that do not live in Las Vegas) and my weekly group Karuna Yoga and meditation classes.

Creating peace one breath at a time, let's unite in raising the vibration; transforming fear into hope, darkness into light and limitations into opportunities and springboards for Living Yoga Celebrating Life.

Leena Patel is currently based in Las Vegas where she lives, breathes and teaches yoga and meditation. She has written numerous articles on health, yoga and spirituality and has taught luminaries that include Celine Dion, Jaime King and Wayne Brady. More information can be found at http://www.LeenaPatel.net