Opening to Grace

One of the reasons I am such a HUGE proponent of Anusara-inspired yoga is because the basic principals of that particular genre of yoga have so many practical applications in life OFF the yoga mat.  I have plenty of workouts in my weekly routine--when I step on to the yoga mat, I'm looking for more than just flying through some poses.  I'm looking to relieve the stress I've put on my body . . . and also on my mind.

I mean really . . . work, kids, life, school, training . . . blah blah blah.  LIFE gets completely overwhelming sometimes.

Okay, let's be honest here.  Life gets completely overwhelming ALL OF THE TIME.

Open to grace is the first principle of Anusara-inspired yoga.

"Open to grace is the first principle of Anusara Yoga. How I understand it, this stems from the belief that we are more than just our physical body and mind. That everything is made out of the same energy, the whole of existence: you, me, nature and the streets. That everything is one thing. Opening to grace doing yoga is connecting and aligning ourself to this energy, that is bigger than us. That energy that intrinsically is us, the space in which everything appears and that what appears in it. All one thing." (Source)

Opening to grace is accepting that things will be hard, and embracing the challenge.  Opening to grace is seeing the benefit of the challenge.  I use the "open to grace" concept a lot. Not just during my yoga practice.  In running. In life.  Take a breath, accept the challenge, and stretch for a goal.

My bike was stolen out of my garage in mid-July. It followed on the heels of the theft of some other items out of my car the week before.  I was devastated, I loved my bike (it was a gift from my mom), and it gave me a feeling of freedom I don't get from anything else.

Cycling has always been a "thing" for me, even when I was an out of shape, unhealthy child.  My cousin Kirk would come and take me for these long bike rides--out to my Grandparents farm or just in the country.  I looked forward to those trips so much.

Anyway, it was a rough thing.  But . . . Open to grace.  Accept the challenge.  Inhale the positive, exhale the negative.  Think of a solution.  So I wrote a letter.  And two short weeks later, that letter has panned out not only into a sponsorship for me, but also for all the ladies on Team Tough Chik.

So its with great pleasure that I announce Diamondback Bicycles as my bike sponsor.

I am still more than a little in awe of the beautiful little bike sitting downstairs right now.   I'm not one for naming bikes, but this one is getting a name because of the very unusual circumstances by which she came to me.  I am not a pro athlete--I will never be the fastest, especially not on the run.  So going for a bike sponsor was something I would not have dreamed about even a few short weeks ago.  But here we are.  So meet Karma.  She's a Diamondback Airen 4. More bike than I would have dreamed of for myself for a long, long while.  I expected to be riding my aluminum Trek for years to come. 

I can't wait to get this baby out on the road.  And honestly, I'm considering doing something in November that I've only thought about in the most abstract of terms, previously.  

Inhale, exhale.

Open to grace.

Accept the challenge. 

Reach for more.

Namaste