New Year's Day Practice etc...

So a friend sent me an invitation to join a group call WoYoPracMo. The purpose is to inspire people to practice everyday for the month of January. At first I freaked out - what about moon days I said! But you just have to come to your mat for a minimum of 10 minutes a day, and we can do a yin practice for moon days. The site seems really positive to me and I've invited a couple of other people. The woman who set up the site calls herself Yogamum and is very sweet.

I practiced this morning with my teacher and mentor. I had never just practiced with him before and I was excited to have this time with him. We both practiced primary series, but he started before I was done stretching. It was nice just to be practicing beside him - I felt a very calm and open energy and my practice felt calm and open - expansive. I completely focused on the sound of my breath. I wasn't shaky like I can be sometimes. We both ended up finishing at the same time and had a nice, long savasana. It was a great way to start the New Year and my goal to practice daily this month.

Then I came home and called a friend from whom I have been estranged, but who had recently sent me an e-mail saying that she felt it would be a positive thing if our paths crossed. I was supposed to see her and her family at a party last night, New Year's Eve, but I wasn't feeling well and ended up staying home and watching The Pianist (wow!). I had spoken with her and we decided that I might stop over at her house today. I called her after my practice. I was still in that serene and peaceful post yoga glow, but that quickly faded during the course of our conversation. She had sent me an e-mail saying that she didn't feel that it was a good idea for me to come over. We talked for a long time and I honestly did not understand where she was coming from. I accepted that she needed to cut me off for a bit, but I explained in detail how I have changed. In the end we both decided to communicate through e-mail for now and I gave her the link to this blog.

I was so hurt during and after the end of our conversation. I felt so rejected by someone that I love - someone with whom I thought I had a real connection. But I have to accept where she is and where I am and let it be what it is. Here is the stanza that I am studying in "Understanding Our Mind"

Store consciousness is neither the same nor different,
individual or collective.
Same and different inter-are.
Collective and individual give rise to each other.

So no matter what, we are all connected and it is best to send love and light to all with whom I come in contact.

My horoscope for today: Tuesday, January 1... Libra
You might be eager to shake up some old routines in your life in order to create a greater sense of freedom and independence for yourself. And many things could be taking on a feeling of newness for you right now, including the way that you relate to many of the key people in your life.

My husband said they were spying on me :) I don't make resolution, because I feel that they set you up for failure, but I really did feel a lot of truth in that horoscope and a sense of great hope for the New Year.

Blessings, Truth and Happiness for the New Year.