Each month, “My Better Day” newsletter contains tips for your yoga practice, yoga quotes to bring yoga off the mat and into your life, affirmations to brighten your day and motivate, and more! It is my wish for your well-being that I send this newsletter to help make your day a Better Day!
In this issue: Yoga quote, Practice yoga pose, Meditation on the go, Chakrascope, Hand Mudra, Featured Card Deck and Quote, Healthy News, Featured Recipe, Favorite Yoga Music / DVD, Happenings at Better Day Yoga LLC, Final Relaxation Quote.
*By the way–this newsletter is one of the 8 part/posts newsletters. They took quite a bit of time so I began doing single post newsletters after the February/March 2014 newsletter. That being said, if you want all of the posts of one newsletter for the 8 part/posts, please hit the back button to go back to all the posts listed with the newsletter your’re reading. Hope that makes sense!
Namasté,
Sandy Krzyzanowski
Founder, Better Day Yoga LLC
“Dorothy: Did you say something?
Tin Woodsman: [indiscernible sounds from the Tin Man, who is rusted]
Dorothy: He said oil can!
Scarecrow: Oil can what?
Dorothy: Oil can.
Dorothy: Where do you want to be oiled first?”
If you haven’t watched The Wizard of Oz, the above quote is new to you. But let me just add that if you haven’t watched The Wizard of Oz, you need to! I quit counting how many times I’ve watched it. I grew up in a world of no videos or DVDs so when The Wizard of Oz came on annually, I was committed to being there—as was every last child in my neighborhood! I think when something is only going to be available for a short time; we take the time to be present with it. We appreciate things more when we don’t have access to them all the time. They take on their own magic, don’t they?
Take flowering bushes and trees, for example. As I write this, I can see lilac bushes from my window, and when those bushes are done, there’s another group of bushes closer to our house that will bloom a bit later—sort of like “take two”. My husband grew up with lilacs on his family’s farmland, so they’re sentimental to him. I have grown to love them both for their beauty as well as the emotion they evoke in my husband. In our front yard, there are both white and pink flowering trees, and another in the cul-de-sac. They are all a yearly reminder that it’s time to bloom, so be present, or the opportunity to enjoy it will be gone. “The earth laughs in flowers.”~E.E. Cummings.
We each have the ability to stop our thoughts, stop all the doing, and be present with what’s in front of us—A constant theme in my yoga classes. “There’s no place else you need to be, nothing else you need to do, but be present.”
If you’ve been reading my newsletters, you already know I love The Wizard of Oz. In my March 2011 newsletter (https://betterdayyoga.com/tag/march-2011), I wrote about magical events and “the little people”, and I highlighted The Wizard of Oz:
The Wizard of Oz had me believing in a place far away over the rainbow where wizards and good witches helped you find your way home along with your good friends—the talking scarecrow, tin man, and lion. Will you ever doubt you have the power within you after hearing it from Glinda, the good witch? watch?v=11BQQvVy8LI
I’ve often said that I believe everything is a sign; and in particular, when things come to me in threes, I pay attention. So when there were four references to Wizard of Oz during the graduation day from my second 200-hour yoga teacher training, I knew I had my next newsletter topic.
We started the last day of our final three-day module (eight months of three-day modules, once a month, comprised this training), doing what’s called a “Popcorn Yoga” class. This means that all eight teacher trainers and our master teacher, TeriLeigh, taught the class to each other with guests also present as students. We each popped up when the spirit moved us, or when we were “tagged” by a teacher.
One of the teachers was cueing “Cat/Cow” pose and I popped up to share that I like to refer to this pose as “my Tin Man pose” since it’s like the oil can in The Wizard of Oz. It warms and lubricates the spine, giving it flexibility. This is a great pose to do every day. (See the Practice Yoga Pose below for more.)
Perhaps I invoked the sleeping magic contained within the characters of this movie by using the Tin Man analogy. Perhaps it was the graduation ritual TeriLeigh had prepared for us that day that brought forth the magic. (Not your usual graduation “ceremony”–this one was filled with the magic of nature, the five elements, remembering and calling in our ancestors, and speaking to the power and light within each other. We then sealed it with song, a special commemorative necklace and journal, and a toast from each of us to each of us. What an awesome ending to an awesome eight months!)
It was after the graduation ritual that we added our own fire ritual. Now don’t laugh. Over eight months we all worked hard to remove our schmaltzy yoga teacher voice. You know the one. It sounds like we’re almost wanting to hypnotize our students and we’re saying the same flowery phrases. There were many times over the past eight months that we were each called on the carpet for using that voice! We vowed many times to be rid of her. So, we nicknamed that voice, gave the name to a doll at our graduation ceremony, and burned her!
As the doll burned and then melted, more than one of us jokingly mimicked the words of the Wicked Witch of the West as she melted: “I’m melting! I’m melting!” It was then that we noticed the doll’s red shoes, still intact and peeking out from under the wood—recalling the Wicked Witch of the East’s death when Dorothy’s house landed on her. This was the second and third of four Wizard of Oz connections that day…Good bye yoga teacher voice!
The Fire Ritual wasn’t part of the original plan for our graduation. It wasn’t until each student expressed the heated desire to be rid of their yoga teacher voice persona that someone suggested a more symbolic way to be rid of her. What would YOU like to be rid of once and for all? Try making your own personal fire ritual by making a list of what is holding you back, or what you’re afraid of, and then ritually burning it (in a safe place of course!).
“Fire is the Gateway to the world of the Ancestral Realm. As that which is burned turns to ash and smoke, fire serves as the element transgresses the physical to the spiritual. Through drumming, chanting, dancing, and interaction with fire inside the sacred space of community, fire ritual is how we connect and communicate with Ancestors in Spirit World to help us burn through that which no longer serves us, to let go of that which we no longer need, and to ignite our motivation, inspire our passion, and motivate our action in the direction of our purpose.”
Rituals are done for their symbolic value. Repetitive use of ritual builds your inner commitment, your inner energy. Rituals connect you to Spirit. “even though you can’t control the outside world, with the power of your Spirit, you can create a sense of purpose within that brings about profound contentment and personal peace—no matter what is going on around you. Unless we maintain a daily practice of connecting with our Spirit, we won’t feel its presence and support in our lives. My grace in life was learning early on how to connect with the Holy Spirit within on a daily basis. In fact, I was shown how to make it the foundation of my existence through many practices that have been so reinforced by repetition that they are now woven into the very fabric of who I am.”~The Power of Your Spirit by Sonia Choquette.
I compose my newsletters in my home office in the basement which sometimes gets into disarray with all my reference books, calendars, bookkeeping, etc. I have struggled with making this corner of the basement a place I want to be in—an inspiring place. For awhile I moved my computer upstairs in the kitchen whenever I worked on the newsletter because it was brighter up there, and I felt less isolated…until I started this self-created ritual:
My husband knows I love sound healing and “singing bowls.” “Singing bowls (also known as Tibetan Singing Bowls, rin gongs, medicine bowls, Tibetan bowls or suzu gongs in Japan) are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell. Rather than hanging inverted or attached to a handle, standing bells sit with the bottom surface resting. The sides and rim of singing bowls vibrate to produce sound. Singing bowls were traditionally used throughout Asia and the tradition of making sound with bronze bowls could go back 3,000 years to the bronze age. Today they are employed worldwide both within and without spiritual traditions, for meditation, music, relaxation, personal well-being and religious practice. Singing bowls are used in health care by oncologists, psychotherapists, massage therapists, recovery, stress and meditation specialists. They are popular in classrooms to help facilitate group activities and focus students’ attention.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing_bowl
One of our weekend jaunts took us to Grand Avenue in St. Paul. There’s a wonderful shop called Ten Thousand Villages. You must visit this wonderful store if you haven’t yet! “Ten Thousand Villages in St. Paul, MN, is a fair trade retailer of artisan-crafted home decor, personal accessories and gift items from across the globe. Featuring products from more than 130 artisan groups in some 38 countries, we are part of a network of over 390 retail outlets throughout the United States selling Ten Thousand Villages products.” (As of 2023 they are no longer located in Saint Paul as far as my research shows.)
We found a shelf with three or four different singing bowls made of metal and proceeded to play on each of them. My husband has a knack for this. He often makes wine glasses sing while I futilely try to do the same. I’ve often said he could make a paper cup sing. Well there was one small metal bowl that I could make sing without fail. It was close to my birthday…you’ve probably figured out the rest. My husband bought it for me.
Each morning when I go down to my office, after turning on the computer, I ring a small bell hanging from my dragonfly lamp announcing the opening of my day, and then I light my salt lamp. (Many studies have shown that salt crystal lamps can increase the negative ion count. Negative ions benefit asthma patients, people with chronic lung illnesses, and allergy sufferers. As well, they help improve learning, memory, and emotional well being. By creating a balance of ions in the air, they stimulate natural drive and healthy energy. A low-cost method, a salt lamp is an excellent source of negative ion. Healthy ions cleanse the air. Ever experienced the change in the air after a good rain? That’s from negative ions. http://www.natural-salt-lamps.com/polishsaltlamps.html )
Then I play my singing bowl either clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on my intent. I’d read (can’t find the source!) that clockwise aligns the chakras and counterclockwise clears them of negativity or blocks. “It is said that Tibetan singing bowls are forged with a prayer in every hammer blow, infusing them with a million prayers of pure intention for the highest good.” http://www.crystalsingingbowls.com/about_crystal_singing_bowls.htm. I imagine the highest good coming out of my time in my office that day.
Next I light a candle and some incense. After the lighting I say two blessings. The first is from one of my favorite kit of three candles called “Office Blessing” from Coventry Creations: A Votive Triad of Prosperity, Sacred Space and Inspiration. The intent on the label of the “votive triad” is: “Work Space is an expression of our creativity as well as our attitude about work. Let the place where you spend so much of your adult life show you joy, abundance and the pure satisfaction of achievement. Keep this in focus while blessing your career.”
Now here’s the first blessing: “This place that I create in is sacred and holds gifts most precious to me. It holds my heart which bears my truth. It holds my mind which bears my life. It holds my spirit which bears my inspiration. With all three, I create joy.” http://www.coventrycreations.com
The second blessing is also from a Coventry Creations candle entitled “Guardian Protector Affirmation candle” and reads:
“Guardian Protector, I am in need of you. Clear away the interference of others, be they in body or spirit, and strengthen my personal fortress of protection. I am safe and comforted in your presence.” http://www.coventrycreations.com
I love affirmations—which is a constant theme in my newsletters. Perhaps that’s why I love these candles and lighting candles with blessings. On the side of the Guardian Protector candle, it reads: “Affirmations, when fully embraced, can fill your body, mind and spirit with their life changing powers. The strength of an affirmation comes from the inner commitment you make to its success. Combining your affirmation with a candle specially designed for the same purpose further enhances your personal magic, deepening its effect.” I simply love these candles for the ritual and empowerment they’ve brought to my life, and they smell awesome! I burn other candles, but these two blessings are a constant. They’ve created a sense of the sacred for me as I enter my office, and infuse a deeper sense of purpose.
A great way to invite ritual into your life would be to create a sacred space in your home. “When you compare the floor plans of modern homes with those of ancient times, you will see that our needs have essentially gone unchanged. There is one major difference, however. In the space where the ancients once kept their altars, most modern homes now sport a television.
The effects of having a sacred space in the home are profound. In times of loss, extra stress, or when the world seems unfair, this place can be a refuge. No matter where you live or how much room you have, a corner or small shelf space can become a tool for creating closure, initiating new changes, setting goals and opening yourself to inner guidance. So make room for a few items (a candle, crystals, fresh flowers or pictures) that represent peace, calm and inspiration. Spend a little time every day in front of your altar and watch your capacity for reverence grow and overflow.”~ From the book Your Altar: Creating a Sacred Space for Prayer and Meditation by Sandra Kynes.
Other ways to initiate new changes, or let go of what we no longer need, includes writing a list of things we’re afraid of or that we feel are holding us back. Then drown the fears and limitations by immersing the list in water, burning the list, or burying it into the earth. You can also tear the list up into little pieces, throw it away, and then write a list of clearing affirmations that affirm what you want.
Now onto the fourth magical reference to The Wizard of Oz on graduation day. We held our graduation rituals at the home of a fellow student—and what an awesome home it was—Thanks, Dana and Mark! My husband and I joked about moving in on the deck. The view out their lovely, green back yard was amazing—lush, green trees, a serene lake, deer roaming, ahh! You could even call it an “Emerald City” now that I think about it—wink, wink.
Dana and Mark own a terrier just like the one on The Wizard of Oz. It wasn’t until after the other Wizard of Oz references that I heard the story of their dog “Jojo” and how they adopted the dog from a previous owner. Perhaps to honor “Jojo’s” new beginnings and the freedom to roam her beautiful, new surroundings, they renamed their adorable terrier “Jojo”. “Jojo’s” original name was—yes you guessed it—“Toto”!
Wizard of Oz analogy: I couldn’t help but wonder what message The Wizard of Oz characters were trying to tell us. The last eight months had been an amazing journey—perhaps it could be called our very own “Hero’s Journey”.
“According to folklorists and other narrative scholars, the hero’s journey forms the basic template for all great stories. Described at length in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the hero’s journey serves as the tale every culture tells. The journey’s path is described variously, but in general it includes the call to adventure, a supernatural aide or mentor, initiation by trials and adventures, victory, and return. Many fiction- and screen-writing courses focus on the hero’s journey, and its universality can easily be seen in fairy tales and other traditional tales (like Moses and the Prodigal son in the bible), as well as in such popular culture offerings as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and George Lucas’ Star Wars.”
Over the past eight months of training, each of us were called to grow beyond our comfort zones and at times I was petrified just like Dorothy and just like the Wizard of Oz himself: Dorothy: Weren’t you frightened? Wizard of Oz: Frightened? Child, you’re talking to a man who’s laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe… I was petrified.
There were times I wanted to quit for fear of losing what I thought was myself, but was really a fear of change. This training confirmed for me that we do our best learning when we’re scared. When you’re scared, you tend to learn very quickly and efficiently, or you run. I wasn’t going to run because while I was afraid, I also knew that change requires feeling different—it demands it. I knew I’d always regret it if I didn’t see it through to the end, and I knew I would use all that I learned to become better. There’s always a lesson.
“Change of any sort requires courage”~Maryanne Radmacher.
So I became like the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz in search of courage. I started out faking it hoping I wouldn’t be found out, and ended up finding out I had it within all along—like Dorothy. I felt inadequate and lacking in knowledge, like the Scarecrow, but I ended up being the one everyone acknowledged and admired for having the most “nuggets of knowledge” to share during my classes.
Side note on the Scarecrow—I remember it was my Dad who always pointed out that Scarecrow was always the brains of Dorothy’s rescue—before the Wizard bestowed him with the diploma and “honorary degree of Th.D, …that’s Doctor of Thinkology”. The knowledge was there all along. Had my Dad been alive he would have been the first to tell me I was as smart as the next person—if not smarter (he was my Dad after all). During my part of the graduation ritual, my fellow students affirmed their belief that I had much knowledge to share, among many other beautiful comments; and a magical bird sang loudly as they spoke. TeriLeigh pointed the bird out so we’d all make a note of it. Later the only birds Dana and Mark acknowledged as being prominent in the area were cardinals. I don’t know if the bird was a cardinal or not. Just the mention of a cardinal reminds me of my Dad. My Dad loved cardinals which is why the cardinal is the bird I always use as a sign that Dad is close by. Thanks for always being there, Dad.
How about you? Do you feel inadequate to the task at times? Find your inner scarecrow. We all have inner knowledge that is waiting inside to be revealed. We just need to acknowledge it, and there it is. What haven’t YOU acknowledged in yourself that’s YOUR special gift? It’s there.
“Assume that you are the expert on your own experience, and that you have information which other people need to hear.”~Ricky Sherover Marcuse
The Wizard as he presented Tin Man with his ‘heart’: “Therefore, in consideration of your kindness, I take pleasure at this time in presenting you with a small token of our esteem and affection. And remember, my sentimental friend, that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.”
There were many moments during graduation and the past eight months where my fellow students showed kindness and friendship towards me—and vice versa. I will always treasure each and every one of them. During our graduation ritual, each of us had a chance to speak, all at the same time, to the one being acknowledged at the time (who remained silent). Two were assigned to write the comments they heard into your personal journal that TeriLeigh gave each of us as a gift for our graduation. Each and every comment written in my journal brings tears of joy and I am filled with immense gratitude. Tin Man to Dorothy: “Now I know I’ve got a heart, because it’s breaking.”
“We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over. So in a series of kindness there is, at last, one which makes the heart run over.”~James Boswell.
We all meet new people in our daily round. Sometimes they start out seemingly plain and perhaps even ordinary. Sometimes it isn’t until the end of the journey that you realize and appreciate the gifts each person has brought you—the magic inside is revealed. And like the famous Joni Mitchell song, Big Yellow Taxi, “Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you got ‘till it’s gone.”—suddenly the moment has passed and the journey has ended. I know I’ll have these friends forever, but the monthly training modules, and the final graduation ritual—those moments are precious moments to be honored and acknowledged for “We may never pass this way again”~Seals and Crofts.
“Sometimes, the hero’s journey involves learning to believe in ourselves and our ability to play our part. We may even need to grow into and accept our ability to lead others, overcoming guilt or confusion–you remember Simba in The Lion King? Joseph Campbell taught that the hero’s journey is primarily a journey to the center of yourself, an inner journey to wholeness and understanding.
So it’s possible to see your entire life as a hero’s journey. And at the end of your life, you have the opportunity to look back with wonder, awe, and compassionate understanding at all that you have learned and experienced.”
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a special thanks to our master teacher, TeriLeigh Schmidt. Thank you for helping me become a better me—for helping me find the courage within.
Cowardly Lion: “I never would’ve found it if it hadn’t been for you…”
