Finding the Core in the Holidays

The core, a buzzword we've all heard, but what is the core really?

Use your core, strengthen your core, work your core.... We are told we need to use our core to help us with pain, stability & to be stronger. I do focus in my classes on using the core in this way, but also think of the core as more.

Core (with a capital C) is to see a place that is not physical but Spiritual. The place where our Core values come from, that are not affected by external influence or our ego. A place connected to our True Nature that is loving, compassionate & safe. It is our compass that guides us on how we are & respond in the world.

Our values can be influence & changed, but our Core Values are part of us, built over time by understanding what is important. Below is a short writing by one of my favorite writers/teachers Phillip Moffitt.

In 2018 I hope to use these ideas of core values & essential intentions as spoke about by Phillip Moffitt as a starting point to make 2018 our best year yet!

http://dharmawisdom.org/teachings/articles/core-values-and-essential-intentions-0

"Differentiating Goals, Intentions, and Values

Many people lack clarity about their goals, values, and intentions. We often lump them together and delineate them in varying ways. As we live out the chaos of our lives, it is inevitable that our goals, values, and intentions become enmeshed. However, they are essential reference points for organizing ourselves and bringing clarity to confusing situations in daily life. I differentiate them in the following way:

Goals are aspirations for the future that you seek to achieve; if they were not in the future, they would be achievements already. You may be accomplishing a certain goal already, e.g. being a good parent, but the effort is not over, so it remains a goal.

Intentions form the basis for determining how you meet each moment as you move toward your goals. Intentions always relate to the present moment. In the Buddha’s Eightfold Path, right intention is the second path factor and it arises from right understanding. In this sense, intentions reflect what you believe matters most in life.

The Buddha taught that that the intention of our words and actions are the primary determinant of our karma. In daily life your intentions reflect the essence of who you are. They shape your words and actions. As you develop inner maturity, you realize that being true to who you are is more important than achieving goals and that many of your goals can only be achieved through staying true to your intentions.

The Buddha offered three essential intentions for living skillfully — meeting life with an attitude of loving-kindness, not causing harm, and renouncing speaking or acting in a manner that would cause harm in situations where our greed or aversion is strong. The Buddha also offered many precepts and values for us to live by such as right speech, non-stealing, generosity, patience, and forgiveness, all of which support these basic intentions.

Values reflect your understanding of what really matters to you. They are shaped by familial and cultural conditioning, personal experience, and the wisdom of your understanding. Values can be situational, temporal, hierarchal, and subjective; thus, many of your values are somewhat fluid in daily life. However, as you develop inner maturity, you adopt certain values that do not fluctuate — these are your core values. From these core values you create intentions. You may have many core values from which you create a few essential intentions that you are mindful of moment-to-moment in the midst of chaos in daily life.

An important distinction between values and intentions is that you can have values that lack commitment whereas intentions are active in the moment and focused on being a certain way right now. Intentions are where the “rubber meets the road,” where your values are reconciled with your goals, and where you give witness to what is essential to you as you dance with life."

This is my last blog post for 2017, which has been an interesting year, to say the least. It has had many ups & downs for myself & those around me including my students. But I found through all the struggles, we are waking up! We are being made to connect with our Core values & stand up for what is important in our lives.

Take some time over the holidays, to find the gift of Presence. To be present to those around you, to yourself & the moment. To not get caught up in the doing of the holidays, but to really find a way to BE! To connect to your Core by first connecting with your body, by moving it mindfully, giving it time to rest, feeling it. Then going deeper & connecting to your True Self. Spending time with this Self & allowing it to be really listened to. This way when you come back to doing, your are connected on all levels, Body, Mind & Spirit.

May this holiday season allow you time be as you need. To share time with loved ones & to give to yourself as well. To be grateful for all you have & not to want for what you don't.

It is in gratitude that you understand how Blessed you truly are.

I am grateful for each person I have taught, learned from, inspired & practiced with. For each one of you, I am truly thankful. Each time I step into a space & do yoga, I feel the community that is created there & how we support each other. I hope to share space with each one of you again sometime in 2018. You are MY inspiration & I thank you for sharing your Core with me.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

PS. If you would like to see where I am teaching in 2018, here's a quick look or go to https://www.acyoga.net/classes for more information.

YOGA & MEDITATION CENTRE OF CALGARY Marda Loop 2028b 33 Ave SW Calgary

Gentle Yoga for Strength (drop-in) WEDNESDAY 9:30-11:00 am Customized Yoga Therapy (registered) WEDNESDAY 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Winter Session: Jan 10 - Mar 28

Healthy Backs (drop-in) THURSDAY 6:00 pm - 7:20 pm Customized Therapeutic (registered) THURSDAY 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Winter Session: Jan 11 - Mar 29