JUSTIN RANDOLPH
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Let's Have a Conversation

8/14/2017

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I'm at a loss for words after the recent turmoil and display of hatred in Virginia. I find it hard to believe that this mentality still exists, and yet it does. I was reminded recently while in Ohio that people still think very differently than most of the folks in my part of the world. As I drove around the back roads of my small town I saw many confederate flags. Why? Why be proud of ignorance? I don't know...I really don't fucking know. We have to move forward knowing this ignorance and pride in it exists. A friend said to me recently "wow I'm so glad I meditate and do so much yoga and can detach from what's happening." Ah well what kind of dream land are you living in my friend? That's bullshit. You can't detach truly from what's happening. It's not possible..you can PUSH stuff away and pretend that your little world in your mind is all that exists, but that's not REALITY. 

In the holistic/wellness/hippie-dippie/yoga world there is a fallacy that because we are strong spiritual beings that we are able to be immune to bad things. That suddenly we are able to practice "NON-ATTACHMENT" and not really "feel" what's happening around us. I don't believe in this, I don't teach it, and I certainly do not live it. Why? Because it's not real. It doesn't work. We are on this planet to experience a variety of emotions, experiences...some good and a lot bad. The bad stuff shows us the good stuff and visa versa. To separate ourselves from it is to play ignorant, which is just as bad as the ignorant people spreading hate. 

We can sit in meditation for 24 hours, chant our mantras, eat vegetarian, and preach love all we want. But until we recognize what's happening in the world around us and take action to BE the change we want to see, our work is futile. (Not saying any of that is wrong btw) How can we taken action when we don't know what to do? PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU'RE SPEAKING TO YOURSELF! Chances are the way you are treating yourself is the way you are treating others. Notice it...observe it...be kinder to yourself...tell yourself loving things...and then go out there and treat others the same way. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you..." RIGHT? How do we know how to do unto others if we don't even know how we do unto ourselves? 

Most of us aren't aware of the inner dialogue with ourselves. Until we change that we cannot change the world around us. Therefore let's use our practices (whatever they may be) not to DE-TACH from the world but to connect deeper with ourselves. To see ourselves more completely and to watch how we are treating ourselves. So that we may improve upon the way we treat ourselves and in turn treat out world in the same way.  So yes meditate for hours, chant, practice, etc but let's do these things with the intention of having a real conversation with ourselves. It's time we all come home and treat ourselves with the RESPECT and dignity we expect others to treat ourselves. 

THIS is how we can begin to change our world. Don't throw your anchor down and run away...sit still and converse with yourself. Change the dialogue and see the dialogue change with the world around you! 

We'll be flying through some wacky transitions this week in class that will require balance, stillness, pause, and a kind conversation with yourself. Please join me! 

Namaste,
Justin


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What are you worrying about?

8/6/2017

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This is my favorite Mary Oliver Poem..
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Probably my favorite poem of all time...
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I don't know about you but I certainly could easily replace these worries with my own....

I worried will I be able to get through this long day?
I worried do I look fat? 
I worried am I aging poorly?
I worried did I answer all of my emails and texts?
I worried are my students getting bored?
I worried am I going to have a good voice for this performance?
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The list goes on and on and on and on.....

Sound familiar? Our worrying is a never ending human condition. We become almost addicted to it, I know if I feel good and suddenly realize I haven't worried about something I worry that that means something must be wrong! Ha! I love when Mary Oliver says "FINALLY I saw that worrying had come to nothing. And I gave it up..." 

I don't think she meant that it just disappeared, but I think she meant that she gave up giving power to the worry, and giving into the "celebration" that is so common with worrying. How often do we let the worry of "am I too inflexible" stop us from trying a new asana? How often do we let the worry of "not having enough upper body strength" prevent us from starting a crow practice? Or how often do we (especially myself) put off preparing and having fun for the big audition because we're worried that we aren't good enough? When I convince myself that my worrying is worthy then I put off action. 

I want to challenge myself and all of you to GIVE UP worry this week. It doesn't mean you ignore or push it away, but instead recognize it when it enters your being and make the choice to move through the worry. The minute I choose to say YES I am worrying about this audition but you know what damnit I'm going to do it anyway, we become empowered. We give over to the present moment and to the choices that are demanded of us in that moment. You see we're really avoiding making those choices, much like we would avoid writing a big paper in college. We give over to the doubts and worry and when we do that we feed the monster.  When I'm on my mat I cringe at certain challenging asana when they're offered in a class. Compass pose is one of them. I worry my hips aren't open enough, that I'll look silly, and mostly that I'll prove myself right that my hips are tight and I'm not making any progress. Ok I recognize these thoughts now as worry...if I decide to give up that worry and move ahead instead I'm always surprised. WOW my hips are opening in their own way, that felt better today than it did last week...or hmmm maybe those hips are really tight today and that's just where I am. But damnit I did it! I took the bull by the horns and I did it. 

Let's give up worry together this week and just like Mary Oliver...let's go out in the morning and SING! 

This week we'll focus on a soulful moving vinyasa that will get us moving and out of our heads. I hope you'll join me! I'm on a bit of a limited teaching schedule this week as I prepare and do a performance mid week. But come join when you can. If you're reading this blog and are dying to try yoga please reach out to me. I'm happy to have you attend one of my classes for FREE as my guest. 

Namaste beautiful ones,
Justin 
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