Happy Valentine's Day!

It seems like, based on what people have posted on Facebook and Twitter that Valentine's Day causes a wide range of reactions.  Some people are totally into it, some people hate it, some people tolerate it, some bitch about it, and some ignore it.  But here's the reality.  Yes, it is a very commercialized day.  For those that buy into the whole idea that you have to have this extravagant gift, or a fancy night out, or the perfect night, maybe you're missing the point.  And for those that write it off as a bullshit holiday designed to make money for greeting card and chocolate companies, guess what, you're missing the boat too.  It's about love, pure and simple.  We have days that celebrate dads, moms, grandparents, teachers, secretaries etcetera, etcetera, why not have a day to celebrate love?  Does it mean you have to go out and blow the contents of your wallet on overpriced roses or jewelry or anything else?  Nope!  It just means that you take a moment out of your busy life, that you put your problems aside and take a day to appreciate the people you love, the people who love you.  And say it.  And be it.  We have 364 days to forget to make the people we love feel special and 1 day to focus on it.  So do it!  Right now!  Tell someone you love them!  Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Being a Yogi sometimes means admitting weakness

I haven't posted here in awhile.  To be honest, it's because I haven't felt like I've had anything to contribute to the world wide web.  And also because I haven't been teaching much as of late.  I've been thinking though that being a "Yogi" isn't necessarily being a Yoga Teacher.  It's embracing what you learn and realize about yourself on the mat and assimilating it into your life off the mat.  And sometimes being a Yogi means admitting a weakness in yourself.  Or a flaw.  Or an insecurity.  It means owning it and being okay with it.  Or trying to at least.  What has compelled me to post here tonight is a weakness that I may have always struggled with.  In fact I think it's a weakness that a lot of people deal with.  Not measuring up.  Not being good enough.  Within the parameters of a yoga class it's easy to do this, to feel this.  The woman on the mat in front of you can get her leg WAAAY up higher than you can.  That one over there looks perfect and you feel like a hot mess.  I could go on and on, and teachers can tell you until they're blue in the face that there is no perfect pose and to not compare yourself to others.  Sorry.  It's still gonna happen.  In life there are so many more opportunities to torture ourselves like this.  I do it.  I hold myself up in comparison against people I think are more successful, prettier, happier etc.  And when I fall short of my own measure, I beat myself up over it.  And THEN I get angry at myself for beating myself up.  Sick, right?  Well, it's my weakness and I'm owning it.  And surrounding myself with people who don't aid and abed this self hatred.  AND getting rid of people who assist me beating myself up. 
That's my weakness.  What's yours?