Pranayama

In yoga we've been learning about Pranayama, which is energy control. It encompasses alot of different things, but the main idea is to be in tune with what your needs are, and have the control to give yourself what you need. It sounds easy, but it takes quite a bit of control, and that's something most people are lacking. Myself included. It can be as simple as stopping eating when you're full, or taking a little nap when you feel tired, or as complex as recognizing emotions, and allowing a healthy expression of them. It's sending out what you no longer need inside (pee, sweat, tears, vomit, sexual discharge, angry feelings), and taking in what you do need (food, water, oxygen, sunlight).

I've been recognizing for a while that some forms of technology make me really upset, and I keep using them, and making excuses for why I need them. TV, because it causes my whole family to be lazy, and it allows things into our home that we don't want to see or hear. The only time we've had cable since we've been married was this week for conference, but we do have netflix and all that other stuff that comes on the TV. Social networks on the internet are something I definitely need to eliminate. I don't ever have anything nice to say on there, and most of what other people have to say just ticks me off. I don't think it's healthy to be so involved in the lives of people who you don't know all that well, and I don't like seeing all the awesome things people are doing when I've been home all day with a sick baby, and an awful dog, and our house is a mess. It makes me feel like I should be doing something besides staying home with Grace, and I don't need to be feeling like that. I have an awesome life, and it probably doesn't look very exciting from the outside, but I have a happy family that works on things together, and loves each other. I get to exercise and learn new things at yoga every week, and go to church and feel the spirit every Sunday. I'm happy that I can watch a full session of conference without getting on facebook to talk about it. It's great to be so excited about it, but if you love conference so much, what are doing on facebook?

So I'm going to start practicing pranayama and stop taking things into my body and spirit that are not beneficial to me. Starting with food and media. I'm also going to try to be more in tune with my own needs.

Namaste! Whatever that means.