Time cannot be created. It can only be used or wasted. Is doing “nothing” a waste of time? Is doing the “wrong” activity a waste of time? Is working in a job, that doesn’t fulfill us a waste of time?

There is no formula describing “waste of time” as a specific thing we do or don’t do. It is what we perceive as a “waste of time”. Everyone has their own standard. I feel content when I am studying, playing or talking with my children and would classify waiting for someone who is late for an appointment as a waste of time.

What we perceive as a waste of time is probably strongly influenced by the culture we grew up in. Before I finally got my PR-status in Malaysia I had to go to my yearly visits to the immigration. My time spent there became progressively shorter over the years, as the immigration became more efficient. In the early years I and my fellow applicants had to wait hours to have our visas processed. I spent my time feeling “useful” by bringing my study materials or books to read, while the majority of other applicants were happy to stare at the counter. Mind you I do not want to be judgmental and I’d say I was the only one thinking “what a waste of time”.

So what happens, if I am “caught unprepared”? After the initial fidgeting and attacks of (not very positive) thoughts I cease the opportunity and start watching my breath and thoughts. In other words I meditate or “clean up the mind” how Swami Rama from the Himalayan Yoga Meditation mentioned in one of his books. And perhaps that is what all these people in the immigration did as well….?

Yoga is all about raising your energy. Kundalini Yoga’s aim is to spark the inherent life force in the lowest chakra and guide it up into the higher ones. Feeling down is another aphorism of having “low energy”.

A great way to turn around the downward spiral is to ask a “what does it take” question (incidentally this type of posing a question I have learnt from my counselor Monika Wyss). What does it take to feel healthy, happy and full of vitality?

It really works! The moment I tune into the question, which opens me to a child-like expectation, I feel better already. It feels a little like standing in front of a gift I was given and wondering what is inside, being joyful just for the fact that I was given a gift…

By the way, a few times when I was somewhere in my life, where I needed advice, counseling or an objective view to make some important decisions in my life, Monika Wyss was an invaluable source that has propelled me to improve on so many areas that I can only warmly recommend her to anyone in need.

Every day is different; everything is constantly changing. I might feel great today, look radiant and be full of energy. The next day I am fighting off a nasty virus and all my inner resources are mobilized to maintain equilibrium in my body, all of which is accompanied with tiredness, eye bags and a general feeling of being “off” somewhat.

However the one constant that pulls me through the day, no matter what, is my capacity to dream. Cinderella who never gave up despite enduring unbearable circumstances continued to believe there were better times ahead. Moreover she absolutely appreciated the little reprieves she got, such as feeding her animal friends.

Now what they don’t tell in the fairy tale is that the prince to rescue us is already within us. The realization that we are beautiful and all is well is symbolized through Cinderella’s magic transformation into a beautiful maiden, although it only lasts until 12 o’clock midnight. She is able to maintain her equanimity thereafter, because she already experienced happiness.

Having read Cinderella for the “umphtiest” time to my daughter, I trust that this is the message she is getting too.  Know that the power to change is already within you, never give up hope, keep on dreaming and appreciate the little things in life…

We are living a fast pace of life. A common sentence that is used on an almost daily basis is: “I don’t have time” or “I am running out of time”.

When I was a small child, my mother used to wash clothes by hand, dishwashers were a thing of the future. There were four of us. She took care of the whole family, preparing meals, washing dishes and clothes and clean up after us. Of course, as we grew older, we had to help, albeit grumbling…

Today we have machines for everything and yet there seems to be less and less time available. I am busy myself, although compared to my mother I live in luxurious times. I work, spend time with my children, teach, study and practice Yoga daily.

A long time ago my good friend gave me an advice that I have never forgotten. “No matter how little time you think you have, there is always time to be on the Yoga mat for at least 10 minutes a day”. Trust me; it makes a huge difference to my day.

I did something that I am not very proud about. I went back on my word on someone and this resulted in repercussions for that person. Despite being initially defensive, the feeling of guilt slowly eroded any argument that I had for making that decision.

My pride and that persons pride kept us apart for quite some time. When I finally decided to ask for forgiveness, that person wasn’t able to give it to me for some time. Every time I saw her, I felt bitterness in her heart. I so regretted my action.

Much has been written about forgiveness. True forgiveness helps everyone to move on. Studies that have been done on “forgiveness” show a strong correlation of improved health and well-being and forgiveness. http://stress.about.com/od/relationships/a/forgiveness.htm

Personally I can only tell of my experience, that when finally that person turned to me with a smile and said, it is ok and that she is sorry too for holding on so long, it brought a load of healing and relieve to me as well as to her.

Here a yawn, there a snore, some of the fifty over participants used all their willpower to stay awake after an all-nighter. They didn’t party nor did they finish some undone projects from work. Their whole devotion throughout the night was to change something within themselves, so they can have a more fulfilling and joyful life.

Sounds corny? You bet, but this is what they did and there they were dragging their feet and yoga mats to attend the early morning Yoga class, accompanied by the sounds of crickets and chirping birds. The sun was just rising. Some still managed to muster enough energy to do a few extra push-ups (Chaturanga).

It takes determination, focus and willpower to change one’s life. Although the focus is on worldly achievements, it is a phase of becoming freer in other ways. Freer to be who we came here to be, freer to be giving and generous and freer to let it all go, when the time comes. A life fully lived – isn’t that what we all crave for?

The four traditional phases in a Yogis’ life.

This morning I got myself all riled up, rushing for this, rushing for that and increasingly observed myself getting angrier. I did my best to change my thoughts of despise to loving ones. I knew from past experience that the more I get myself into this state, the less I will enjoy the rest of my day.

Did Sage Patanjali (he wrote the Patanjali Yoga Sutras) fathom, that a couple of thousand years later, the eight limbs of Yoga are more relevant than ever? Especially the 5^th limb “Pratyahara” (non-fascination of senses) is an invaluable tool to survive hectic times in the 21^st Century. Although Yoga A.D. was predominantly practiced by fully renounced Yogis and “Ashtanga Yoga” or the eight limbs of Yoga meant to guide them to absolute truth, Yoga has also been practiced by householders throughout times.

I imagine that Pratyahara is easier to achieve, if you live in a remote cave in the Himalayas than if you are a busy working mum or dad. However the practice can still give me an important tool to not be sucked in by surrounding madness and stay calm amidst chaos. My immediate goal might not be to achieve absolute truth just yet but to live my life more harmoniously and be a beacon of light to the people in my life. Patanjali the eight limbs of Yoga.

William Shakespeare’s famous sentence in the play „Hamlet“ is timeless. However I have to ask myself, whether I can fit any “to be” time into my busy schedule as mostly I am in a mode of “doing”. Modern society doesn’t treasure “being” anymore. Being is made synonymous with laziness and has a negative connotation to it.

The most treasured memories I behold show me how important it is to “be”: watching my babies sleeping, lying in the green warm summer grass in Switzerland, watching clouds pass by; being present at an early morning sunrise in the desert of Rajasthan, drinking in the view of the majestic range of Himalayan mountains trekking in Darjeeling. These are a few of my most precious memories.

We all have wonderful memories and I bet when they happened “time practically stood still”. Whether we “are” by watching a beautiful sunset over the ocean or meditate to find that inner tranquility, at the end of the day it is important to “take time out” of the busy world. It is those moments where we truly are at one with ourselves and the world and time ceases to exist just for a moment.

We all have heard these words before and probably thought ya, ya, could be true, but weren’t too convinced. So all the swearing and cursing on the road (I shamefully admit, this is what I do too…) has no effect except letting off some steam. However when it comes to encouragement and praise, we all are willing to admit that it certainly has an effect.

Just how much power words have, has been made visible through water-research by Japanese scientists please watch one of the many videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1-0ulKgmio.

Being mindful about what we say has been stressed on in ancient teachings and is certainly not a new discovery. However in the scientific world we live today, proof of these teachings help us to once again consolidate that practice. I will start today by making the best effort not to use hurtful words, whether it be silent or outspoken and I will make sure to express positive thoughts, so the water crystals in my and the other person’s body can take beautiful shapes and vibrate with joy.

Being able to relax is a precious tool. Practicing Yoga in a balanced manner, i.e. a mixture between asanas, breathing and relaxation teaches the important skill to relax not only while lying in Savasana (corpse pose) but also in the midst of activity while we move towards and stay in an Asana (posture). As we become more skilled in our practice, we are able to maintain a pose while mentally relaxing, even though it might be quite a challenging posture.

The practice to relax in the midst of a Yoga posture will help us to transfer this skill into daily life. During each day we are confronted with challenging situations and that is where we test our ability to relax the most. Learning to relax can be a life-saving choice.

Studies done on the effect of Yoga on hypertension (high blood pressure) have shown that practicing Yoga can be an effective tool to lower high blood pressure. Logically a tensed body has also tensed blood vessels. As we consider the body and mind as one unit, it makes sense, that a relaxed mind creates a relaxed body. http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/12/17/jnci.djq536.full