The Bliss of Alignment

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” Maya Angelou

I’ve been thinking about alignment this week, in yoga and in life. Have you ever had this experience?  You’re in yoga class, practicing a posture you find challenging and the instructor offers a hands-on or verbal adjustment and suddenly, ahhh…. ease. If we practice out of alignment (whatever that is for your body) it becomes painful, and over time, creates  imbalance and injury. When we practice in alignment, we practice with comfort and grace. We have freedom in movement. Bliss.

I had the luck of receiving this kind of  adjustment in my life off the mat, the other day. My actions weren’t lining up with my values. I saw it clearly. I was out of integrity and my soul felt crooked. Have you ever noticed when you are out of integrity?

We sometimes act out of old habits, family conditioning, or fear when raising our children.  Suddenly, we step back and say, “wait, wait, that isn’t how I want to act.”

This is a great opportunity! A time to ask, what do I value, what do I hold dear? What will I want my kids to say about me as a parent when I am near the end of my life and reflecting back?  Pick a few key values that are really important to you, and write them down. Put them up all over the place. You will be more likely to act in alignment or  integrity if you get clear about what you value, and then can see them in writing all around you. I decorate them so that they are beautiful. And you can get Brene Brown’s Parenting Manifesto for download here. http://www.brenebrown.com/parenting-manifesto-light/

Get your parenting partner to join you. See where you agree and where you don’t. It’s great grist for the mill.

Let me know what words you wrote down. Where did you put them? Is it easier to line up your actions with your values now? What are you doing differently? Does it feel great?

“May you be strong, may you be soft-hearted, may you find the bliss of  alignment”

Alison Rogers Ed.D is a therapist in Boulder, CO. She also teaches The Yoga of Parenting  workshops and provides individual Yoga Of Parenting sessions for parents at all stages of of this wobbly path. Get in touch if you need a little extra compassionate care on your journey.