The San Francisco Giants Won! Working Together = Success
Okay, I admit it – I’m a major Giants fan! I love baseball, and isn’t it great for me and all other Giants fans that we had an amazing October! And, lo and behold, the Giants won the World Series – the third time in five years. That’s a testament to their individual talents and effort, their attitudes and perseverance, their love and passion for the game, their love for their teammates, and their desire to have lots of fun. Take them all together, and the Giants are a team that was actually called a dynasty last night by the announcers. But you can’t have a dynasty without everyone working together as a well-oiled machine. This particular machine had a big plus on its side – they KNOW how to work together and they listen and cooperate. They also have flexibility to change in mid-stream as the information comes in. They accept change and allow it.
You can see that on the field. I watched every Giants game this year. They’re usually recorded and sometimes I have to watch them late at night. By the way, I even watch the whole game when I know the end result. That’s how much I love baseball and the Giants! I only fast forward through the commercials because each and every play is an important one. Each and every play gives messages as to what each of the players is up to and how they’re all fitting together to make the game work.
Team Work
That’s actually how our bodies work – all the parts talking to each other and letting each other know how the whole is working out. When all the parts (physical areas, organs, etc.) are working together, the systems that they are within can function easier and perform to their ultimate purpose. For example, the respiratory system can perform easily and effortlessly if the lungs and the diaphragm are stepping up to the plate doing what they need to do (pun intended). And when the mid-back and the abdomen are flexible and allow the movement of the breath, the respiratory system can fully do its job. There are energy balance points that are specific to those organs and those areas of the body. When those points are open and balanced and the energy rivers can flow easily with no blockages, the entire respiratory system and all that is within it can do all that the body needs and wants.
Take a Breath
I bring up the respiratory system because when I’m watching the game, I’m watching the players and their breath. When the breath is open and the diaphragm has full space to inhale and exhale, the pitcher can more easily be in the moment and get that ball where he wants it to go. When the breath is open, the batter is able to have full flexibility and able to be fully present, seeing the ball and seeing the bat connect with that ball. When the breath is open, everyone on the field is able to be fully aware and focused with all attention in the moment, not the past and not the future – just the now.
The Giants are a good example of a team that has all the parts working together. Our bodies can be that same good example. All you need to do is remind the body to be in breath. So here you go – some easy to do energy movements that will give your body the message to “just breathe” so you can be fully present and able to do all you want to do:
- Hold upper arms by folding arms across chest
- Hold fingers of one hand on elbow and hold other hand at base of ribcage
- Hold thumbs (gently cup and hold)
- Cup sternum directly below clavicle and with other hand, hold fingertips in a vertical pattern below the naval
Have fun being in your breath – both the inhale and the exhale. And enjoy walking around in a body that is like a Giants team playing all the needed positions on the field! Then, feel the gratitude – gratitude for a body that knows how to take care of you!
To learn more about breath and to discover how to navigate through the holidays with ease, consider attending my upcoming introductory workshop on Monday, November 17th.
Don’t Be a Deer in the Headlights
Have you ever felt like you were a deer caught in the headlights?
Yesterday I walked outside and surprised a deer that was near my garden fence. She freaked out, jumped the deck railing and I thought for sure she had jumped into the garden. But as I walked around the garden, there was no sign of her. That poor girl must have run across the deck and jumped off the high side.
Granted, it was daylight and there really weren’t headlights, but the deer must have felt like her life was in jeopardy. Her reaction was “get out of here fast no matter what I have to do to make it happen.” She also could have gotten “stuck in the moment and not been able to move.”
I know I have had times like that: “needing to make an immediate decision and follow through right now.” It’s real easy at the moment to go into flight or fight mode, or paralysis and not be able to do anything.
Jumper Cables Tame Big Emotions
One of the best ways to tame big emotions is to Jumper Cable each of your fingers, even if it’s just holding the thumbs or index fingers. Spending time holding the thumb is all about letting go of worry and anxiety, the emotion/attitude that our bodies will go to if things aren’t going the way you want or expect. To get the results you want and to “get to success,” hold those thumbs!
Holding the index fingers will allow you to move away from fear and move towards taking action with confidence. When there is no fear present, there is a sense of safety and security and ability to “deal with it” and know that all is well.
So, when you have a surprise that could easily take your breath away and cause you to get caught in the headlights, Jumper Cable! It will work much easier and faster if you’ve already balanced your body by doing the Daily Clean Your House Flow.
A Dragon Eats the Moon
I’ve been watching the moon get eaten by the dragon! It’s truly a ‘blood moon’ as it has turned from a bright glowing sphere to a burned red color. The ancient Chinese believed that solar eclipses occur when a legendary celestial dragon devours the Sun. They also believed that this dragon attacks the moon during lunar eclipses.
Well, I can see why they had a tradition to bang drums and pots and make loud noise during eclipses to frighten that dragon away. They must have been totally freaked when such a big orb in the sky became “nothing.” Just minutes ago, I experienced a change that was magical. The sky had been glorious with the stars shining bright and the moon changing colors and shape. And then the sky turned pitch black and the night sounds became silent. Even the stars went into hiding – they don’t have the same sparkle.
In October 2014 we know what is happening. We even have websites and Wikipedia to give us all sorts of information in the moment. But 2000 years ago, and even 200 years ago, the eclipse would bring fear and a sense of foreboding because they thought something bad was transpiring. Today, I’m not tempted to beat the pots and pans. Rather, I am in awe that such magic can be happening and that I’m awake to experience it. I am in awe of the quiet. There is no sound. Even the owls have gone to silence. There is no movement. I can’t see my hand in front of my face.
No more than twenty minutes have passed, and it’s not quite as dark now as the moon starts showing a sliver of light. That light allows me to see that the moon is still red, but it won’t be for long. And the sky is just a bit lighter as the stars shine a bit brighter. The dragon is almost gone, and I didn’t have to bang any pots or fire any cannons to chase it away.
I am blessed to experience magic.
