Entries from June 2007
When I was in highschool, there was a quote carved above the doorways to the girls dormitory, and thought I rememebr those words clearly all these years later.
Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength.
(St. Francis De Sales)
These words came back to me on Wednesday evening as I taught the 6:00PM gentle yoga class. Often when we practice yoga, we work hard to get into the physical postures and we muscle our way into those poses. Yet by simply holding a pose and breathing, surrendering to the limits of our own body, and the power of our own breath, we can often get deeper into a pose than if we had pushed and sweated our way into it.
Categories: Classes · Yogi Musings
As I sat in Harvard Yard on a sunny June afternoon I listened to the graduation speach delivered by Microsoft founder, William H. Gates, III. I was very pleased that his speech had much to do with philanthropy, a topic near and dear to my heart. He mentioned something that his mother wrote in a letter to his wife Melinda, prior to their marriage. The sentence was simply:
“From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
These were simple yet powerful words for the Harvard graduates and alumni to hear. Mr. Gates spoke of suffering in the world, and how millions die every day from diseases that we already have cures for. He spoke of how the graduates should go out in the world and use their education and skills to make the world a better place, not just for the wealthy and privledged, but for everyone. He spoke about how every life should be valued equally no matter what. He spoke of how the graduates must give back to their community. He spoke of how the community is both the town you live in as well as the world you live in. His words were well thought out, well planned and well spoken. I know that I cannot do justice to the simple elegance of his graduation day message.
As he spoke to some of the most well educated people in the country, I could only hope that his words will be take to heart and put into action.
Categories: Good Karma · Yogi Musings
