Greetings from beautiful and sunny MAUI!! I know. It is AMAZING to be here with my dear friends, Gary, Wendy and their daughter Jessica. We sat most of the morning watching the humpback whales from our little deck while we enjoyed each others company. Last night we watched surfers from the same spot. It is easy to QUICKLY forget about the snow and cold in Minnesota. 🙂 
Today I have been filled with gratitude…….. heart overflowing gratitude. Gratitude for the deep love and support from friends, gratitude and awe for the beauty of nature, gratitude for surprising opportunities that suddenly show up in my life…….gratitude for the soft air on my skin and the sound of ocean waves just outside our little deck…………..
This year my practice is focused on gratitude. I spend time each morning giving thanks to my body for the myriad of functions it performs each day with no thought or direction from me. I spend time writing about all the things I am grateful for-large to small…..I spend time thinking about the blessings that I have experienced that day.
It is very easy to be in a full on state of gratitude in a tropical paradise. But can we find that gratitude in the every dayness of life. That is what a practice is about. We find a sense of calm and balance on the yoga mat. Can we take that sense of calm and balance out into our lives…….into the places that CHALLENGE our calm and balance?
When we begin any practice it is difficult to take it into the greater world. We may feel peace and gratitude while in the midst of the practice. We feel excited to access these feelings and this experience in our practice. But then we begin our day and we notice that we still quickly move into irritation, urgency, overwhelm. Unless we have a full awakening, it takes time to integrate and to move out of our old patterns. It takes time to integrate these new levels of higher vibration.
Perhaps the greater lesson in all of this searching for “more”, is to be compassionate with ourselves. Compassionate with ourselves as we still notice ourselves anxious, out of balance, urgent. Compassionate with ourselves as we “try to get it RIGHT”.
It is all a part of this amazing experience we are having at this time. Practice, notice the discrepancies between where you are and where you want to be. But above all, be compassionate with yourself. You deserve it.
Today spend some time in your practice of gratitude, your practice of peace, your practice of joy. Then just notice what you experience as you move through the day. Notice if you JUDGE yourself when you cannot hold the energy of the experience that you desire. See if you can soften towards yourself.
Remember, we do not have to be perfect to be loved.
That is all, deep love from the magic of Maui, Melanie
Indeed! Thank you for your gentle reminder of the gift gratitude brings–how it changes us from the inside out–so that whether we are basking in a tropical paradise or trudging through a winter’s day’s duties, we can feel joy in our souls–knowing all is gift, and thanking the Great Giver that we are part of it. Enjoy!
I’m so happy for you I could burst!! I love the flower in your hair – very tropical:o) I hope you continue to feel “the magic of Maui” and thoroughly enjoy every moment! The message was an inspiration, thank you. I will be mindful of being more compassionate to myself. It’s going to be a great day!
Dear melanie
if I had not read your blog yesterday I might have been extremely frustrated when you took me through the entire ashtanga sequence today on my first yoga practice session. But because of your blog I went easy on myself and was grateful for all that my body COULD do. 🙂
love Jessica