Just Breathe

I just heard of a few people who passed away recently.  After hearing of some RIP posts on facebook...showed me that we all make a difference in someones life. In addition to that awful killings by that mad man in Colorado where many people died tragically.  Life is too short!  Our body will decay but our soul will live on forever.  That is why its so important to treat the body as if it were a temple or church and respect and love it.  Most of us yogi's do that by eating well and practicing yoga (all aspects of it from asana to pranyana...most importantly meditation)! There is a song that is special to me that reminds me to enjoy every breathe we take.  The day my dad had his first heart attack Dec 2009 I heard this song by Pearl Jam "Just Breathe" in my car driving home after being at Boston Medical Center for many hours waiting to see if he made the open heart surgery as it was a 50/50 chance.  Here I am ~ the sun is setting an orange/red winter sky, I am tired, worried about my mom because she thought she was going to lose her partner of 40 years not to mention she was very sick with cancer herself (within three months she ended her battle of breast cancer)....needless to say stress and anxiety was overwhelming me....I started to burst out into tears....flowing like a water main break.  I started up the car and the radio was on, just then the Pearl Jam song came on Just Breathe.  I listened carefully to the lyrics and found the poetic meaning....was it a song speaking to me from beyond the grave? My sister and brother assuring me they were watching over my parents and giving me the strength to be able to care for my parents?  I remember saying to myself in the waiting room, looking down at my pointer finger where i wore his wedding band - holding onto it for dear life.  I kept saying "Daddy I still need you in my life, I cant do this alone, don't go" Over and over like a mantra.  To this day I am fortunate to still have my dad, although we had quite a bit of bouts along the way (two heart attacks to be exact, again almost losing him).  He has nine lives like a cat, well i am convinced of that, my daughter told me that since she is a cat lover.  The creator of life came clean for me with the blessing of having my hero still surround me with his loving aura. This song spoke to me.  After yoga asana class, savasana is what we do at the end of class for 10 min of meditation laying on our backs.  Solitude.  Corpse pose.  Interestingly enough i believe we are reborn after every class, I just breathe and thank myself for allowing ME to set time aside every single day to practice yoga and meditate while doing it, my heart says to myself "I appreciate just being me, my existence and hope that what ever i do in life, my experiences, my stories, my blogs, my writing, my presence.....will make a difference in another persons life".  I remind myself to go forth to love and be kind to others.  Think positive and enjoy every breath i take for its what keeps me going. Breath or prana is our engine our 'inner spark'.   I am reborn once i leave my yoga mat until next class.  I look forward, not back on my mistakes - I do not look to the future as i should take one step at a time - most importantly i live in the NOW, because life is a gift and that is why it is called the Present.  Reflecting on how blessed i am to be Healthy, have my BFF's and you know who you are Dad, Joe, Laurie, Gail, Terri, Sagarika Ji, Beth, Sue, Susan, Michelle ~like the song says 'I can count on my fingers the ones i love'; and other wonderful friends, my three lovely children, family, teachers and doctors that touched my life in a profound way.  I wake up most days with a positive outlook and before jumping out of bed i see the sun peaking in to say good morning, i woke up on the right side of the bed ;-) I start my day with yoga and thank God for the unique ME, I love ME, inside and out! This song makes me FEEL ALIVE and yet appreciate all the loved ones who departed from this earth too early Kathy (sister who was 21), Howie (brother who was 26) and my Mommy who was 68...friends, aunts, uncles and a very special cousin Terry who's smile warmed my heart with joy and love.  This blog is about prana our breath: the vital life force of any living being which exists in a subtle, non-physical form. It flows through our system of energy channels (nadis) which make up the subtle body.  Its what we do to stay alive 'Just Breathe'!