One of my favorite things to do is to take back-to-back yoga classes. The first a flowing, moderately challenging vinyasa class; the second a tranquil and restorative yin class. Together, they recharge me. And since I'm not able to get to a studio class as often as I'd like, I'm all about optimization.
Today's classes, however, were led by a substitute teacher--and everything about the classes was wrong. Not wrong as in incorrect; just different. My expectations were not met--but I wasn't entirely disappointed either. Here's why:
When the chemistry is perfect--student & teacher, husband & wife, best friends, business partners--joy is effortless. You want to spend all of your time in their company. When the pairing is so-so--or a bit rocky--it's up to ourselves to create the joy we're looking for. It's a daunting task, but also a powerful reminder that happiness is entirely within our own control.
I wouldn't say that I succeeded entirely in this pursuit, but I certainly took a step in the right direction. And for that, I'm grateful.
"Gratitude allows us to reshape the meaning of any situation, so we can choose the perspective from which we view a joy, a sorrow, a disappointment--even success." --Dr. Robin Smith
_________________________________________________________________________ © 2009 Good Karma Housekeeping. Making the space--mentally and physically--to live happily ever after. (Image courtesy of madame.furie via Creative Commons.)
