Stories always help us discover more about ourselves. We hear of someone overcoming a life struggle or celebrating an amazing accomplishment and well, it inspires us. Inspiration is so important and in my opinion is a necessary element in life. Sometimes though when you are reading it or hearing it, at least I can be this way, you want to call bull shit, or even notice how ‘fluffed’ the story is. Right? Well, if it holds too much of a fairy tail essence it makes my belly queazy. I’m that yoga teacher all the time that drops in and links the movement to the heart in ways that I even sometimes make fun of myself. I’ve been told I’m too flowery or I have too much heart in my classes. It comes naturally to me and I am grateful for the ability to help people make the connection to the divine or grace, honestly, I can’t help it, I’ve refined my ways, but I always linking life to the bigger picture.

Yoga usually uses myth to help tell the story or fable. Like the boy who stood in the doorway protecting his mother and then when his father came home and found this stranger in the door, he slashed his head. Alright, forgive me, I am simplifying an important myth, but it’s pretty intense right? Here is the deal though, the father took responsibility, sent his army into the woods where they returned with an elephant’s head. The head was placed on his son and this elephant headed boy is one of my favorites and is usually the viewed and chanted to as the remover of obstacles. What happens when you shift perspective a bit and realize that this elephant headed boy isn’t the remover of obstacles but actually is the obstacle itself? That really what is standing in the way is there to protect you.

Well, here is what I have learned. Elephant headed myth or not, usually what is standing in my way is ME. Yes, just me, I am the one getting in my own way. My stuff, my fears, my uncertainty, my feeling as if something is missing. Maybe that is what it is all about, getting out of your own way and letting grace lead the way…Seriously, as soon as I got over myself and got real clear on what it is I have to offer I spew the flowery fluffy heart of life, but it’s just me sharing in the joy, the spirit of life.

Then, I have to ask, what is standing in your way? What is standing in the way of you connecting with what you love? Have you ever thought that maybe it’s you. That you are just trying to protect you from truly feeling the joys of life or are you even avoiding the sorrows? It’s like I mentioned in the What’s the big deal post…YOU ARE A BIG DEAL so what’s stopping you from being you…the highest form of you?