I just finished a book by a neurosurgeon and he talked about growing up in poverty, with an alcoholic father and a chronically depressed, often suicidal mother. Sounds horrible, right? Oddly, the more people you meet and have actual, meaningful conversations with, the less this doctor's story is isolated. It is many of 'us'. He talks about being taught "magic" by a kind, older woman. In actuality, he was being taught to calm down, center himself, breathe and approach his life (still then a young boy) in this mindful, centered, calm way. His story is both interesting and amazing. The book, if you're interested, is called Into the Magic Shop.

I'm now reading a book by Glennon Doyle called "Untamed". She also learned (in a completely different way and for a completely different reason) to meditate for 10 minutes a day. She kept to this commitment and found herself able to sink deeper and deeper into......herself! And find the answers that she was looking for instead of looking outside herself, polling friends, googling and the like.

Here is a quote from her book that struck me: "This is why people say "Calm Down". Because beneath the noise of the pounding, swirling surf, is a place where all is quiet and clear".

This is why I end every yoga class I teach with a few minutes of mindfulness. To allow you to experience a tiny taste of that quiet. To offer you an opportunity to drop beneath the noise of the pounding, swirling surf that is our lives. To open the door to the place where all is quiet and clear.

Karen