I have a new site!!

Hello readers!

I am happy to report that I now have a combined blog and website!

http://kfabian.com/

From this point forward, all my new blog entries will be on that site. Please continue to read, comment and enjoy my blog from there!

And.. you'll also be able to get information about yoga services and general health and wellness information on my website as well.

Enjoy!

Why I love American Idol

I never used to watch American Idol. I only started watching it two seasons ago. But once I started watching it, I was hooked. Sure, I had to trudge through the crappy commercials, the blatant product placement, the silly bickering among the judges and the mindless banter, but aside from all that, the essence of American Idol is people stepping out and taking a chance to really show themselves. And when they do, it's magic.

I love to sing myself and believe me, I know how hard it is to sing in front of people. Most of us can belt it out when we're alone but to have the nerve to really sing our hearts out in front of people takes a lot of guts. I tried karaoke once and even though I was pretty confident in my voice, I was very self- conscious. That's why when I watch American Idol and I see someone with confidence and poise, standing up strong, making no excuses and belting out a song with all their might, it is just so inspiring. Sure, it's commercial. Sure, it's a TV show... but somewhere in all of us, we wish we had the nerve to do what these kids do. Stand up tall and throw it all down, no excuses. And when you see the exuberance and joy in their faces when they make it to the next stage of the competition, it gives me such a great feeling inside that I can also reach out for my dreams and taste success and joy.

Yoga practice is a wonderful way to build the confidence inside of all of us. Without words, we move strongly yet silently through the postures. We struggle with some, move with ease through others but in the end the sum total of all the postures is the equation of our belief in ourselves merged with our commitment to our health.

The modality in American Idol is singing. It could be anything though; what they "do" is not the point. It's just the window dressing. The essence of American Idol, if you look past the commercial icing on the cake, is it asks the question, " Do you have what it takes to stand up strong, be yourself, no excuses and do your best?" That's a question for all of us, in all aspects of our lives.

So, do you?

The audacity of hope

"Audacity. Meaning: fearless, daring."

I don't consider myself a very political person. Certainly I have opinions and ideas but I don't profess to have a deep understanding of the intricacies of the political landscape in this country. But today, you didn't need to be a political person to be caught up in the energy of what was happening. You just could feel it. The idea that change is an energy that moves people; one that gives them hope and renews their faith even in the face of extraordinary challenges. To be fearless and daring even when all the odds are stacked against you. To believe even when no one else does; even on some level, maybe even yourself. I thought about that today as I thought of Barack Obama's book title, The Audacity of Hope.

This is a message that has no political party. It knows nothing of religion, sex, socioeconomic status. It only asks that you believe. Believe in yourself, believe in the power of intention, believe in the power of positive thinking. Believe in hope.

So on this day, think not only about the state of our country, but also on the state of your own personal "state." Have hope. Set intentions around positive changes you want to make in your life. Maybe they have to do with yoga. Or running. Or healthy eating. Or your finances. Or your personal relationships. Or your job. While these things may seem to pale in comparison to what we're facing as a country, you have a lot more control over these things than changing the direction of some of the major issues we're facing collectively. And what better place to start in cleaning up the country then your own "state of the union." If we all took the time to be the best we could be as individuals, think what an impact that would have on our communities, our families, our states and eventually, our country.

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

President Barack Obama's inaugural address, January 20, 2009.

Let your past inspire you

I went running today. Finally! It's been a few weeks with the really cold weather we've been having. But 22 degrees today felt like 40. And I've lost my tolerance for cold weather so you can believe me it felt warm. I went for a run on a course I've run before but the last time was when I was training for the marathon. I've lost quite a bit of my marathon running fitness since October, but as I ran today on the all-too-familiar path ( it was part of my long runs) I thought back to just a few months ago when I was in great running form. I tried to connect to how it felt and even more importantly ( to me ) how great it felt to be running in warm weather. I let the feeling I love of being committed to a goal, committed to training and on a path to achieving something I wanted in my life wash over me like a wave. And after a few miles, I felt great.

All too often we beat ourselves up for things we did in our past. They say those that forget the past are condemed to repeat it but what about those that forget the good of their past? It's so easy to focus on the "bad" or those things we wished we did differently. But instead of trying to change what you can't ( it's over and done) why not let the things you did in the past where you were inspired, committed, dedicated, healthy, loving, open, intelligent and at peace be what drives you?

The dark days of winter are tough times for people like me that love the summer. I can easily fall into a bad mood in the winter and it only has to do with the weather. So these days more than ever, I find myself thinking of warmer days and the great feelings of being on the beach, running in the sun, walking the dog outside and lingering on a bench in front of our favorite coffeehouse. I let those thoughts keep me warm as I'm shoveling or huddling in the wind.

Use your good memories and feelings to banish the bad. You have such a wealth of them and if you don't, well, there's always time to create some.

Be well.

Is it ever too late to give up on your dreams?

I was watching Anthony Kim play golf last weekend and instead of being inspired, I got really depressed. Here's a guy, all of 23, playing on the PGA tour. He's living his dream. He's living his dharma, as we say in yoga. Your "purpose in life." I thought a lot about my purpose in life that night and it was a pretty sobering experience.

The practical side of the world we live in demands that we balance our passion and the pragmatic. The challenges of creating a life where you can live your dreams while trying to pay your bills requires creative thinking that can strain even the most out-of-the-box thinkers. I sometimes wish I had tapped into my passion when I was very young; I would have had the opportunity to not only explore it deeper, but would have perhaps lived a more basic lifestyle... one in which I never acquired a mortgage, a car, some credit card debt... all the things that somehow keep us ( at times) tethered to the practical when all we want to do is live our dreams.

But then I think that without the path of my life as it has been, I would not have the wisdom I have today. The challenges of balancing it all creates a struggle of sorts that makes even the smallest victories all the more sweet. It also gives me a deep well of experiences and feelings from which to draw upon when teaching or writing.

I share these thoughts with you today because I look for inspiration in my own words. I know as a yoga student, I am often amazed by how the words of the teacher can strike a chord in me. The universality of our struggle as humans never ceases to amaze me. We can think we're so alone but then if the courage to open up to another strikes us, we realize we are not alone at all and so many others share the same thoughts and are trying to climb the same mountain. I somehow made the leap the other night that I was too old to live my dreams. Imagine that! Somehow in my feeling-sorry-for-myself state, that is the best excuse I could conjure up.

You are never too old or too late to live your dreams. If you're living without inspiration to be more, do more, live your passion, your life may lack the luster of one who has found or is trying to find, his or her purpose in life. I remember when I left my corporate career to teach yoga full-time. There were many people I worked with who admitted to me, on my last day at work, what their real passions were. There were writers and artists and a dancer. These were people that I'd worked with for two years and never had an idea that under their exterior was all this passion brewing for something that most of them hardly spent any time exploring.

When we live disconnected from our passion, the fire inside us dies. Our inspiration, our drive, our energy, our love for life all comes from doing what we love. The title of this blog, "For the love of Yoga and Running" describes what I love. My greatest joys come from teaching yoga, practicing, running and racing. The marathon I finally ran last year was one of the biggest achievements of my life and one for which I am very proud (I'm thinking of doing it again this year!) To live without these things in my life would be as if I were operating without a limb.

I've spent the past few days digesting my thoughts from last weekend and have started to write down ways that I can stay connected and explore my passions further. This blog is one way that I can keep my passion for both yoga and running alive. So look for more regular posts again. I seemed to have lost track once I finished the marathon in October but I've decided to get back into a regular routine of writing. I hope you enjoy it and find that it inspires you to explore your dreams and passions in a deeper way.

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music -- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."

-- Henry Miller, American Author

Metallica and Yoga Practice?

"So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way...Life is ours, we live it our way...
All these words I dont just say....And nothing else matters...."

These are the lyrics from the song, "Nothing else Matters" by Metallica. Now, what's a yoga lover doing listening to one of the most famous heavy metal bands in history? Well, over the past several months, I've been exposed to the band for the first time ever ( other than hearing about them .. I don't live in a cave, you know?). As you can imagine, my sweetie loves them and grew up learning how to play guitar, sing, play drums and just all around love music by listening to this band. I have to say, some of their songs are too much for me, but this one really gets to me. They do a version with the San Francisco Philharmonic that you can grab off of iTunes that will just make your heart melt. And that's what it did to me.

I've been listening to the song for the past several months and the other day I was inspired to try to practice to it. I set up my mat at home, downloaded a bunch of their music off of iTunes ( thanks, Bill!) and started away. About halfway through, I did a really intense standing backbend during my sun salutations and I literally heard a crack! It was just my pectorals expanding and stretching but it felt like some kind of hard outer shell around my heart just popped and split open. It was so intense and between the physical feeling and the music, I just started to feel my eyes well up with tears ( for all you cynics out there, don't freak out). It was a pretty amazing feeling.

Music can bring us to places that we can't go without it. It can inspire us, make us feel happy or sad and help us bring amazing joy into our lives. One of my favorite workouts is to sing my heart out to some of my favorite videos on YouTube ( thank you Chad, Steve and Jawed). If you've never done it, give it a shot. It'll make you feel like you ran around the block a few times and you'll just feel alive. That's why I love chanting three Ohms before a yoga practice. It's a great way to say, "I'm here, I'm alive and I feel great!" ( ok, so some days I don't feel like that, but I chant anyway!).

Find some music that inspires you. Match it up with something you love, like running or yoga. Add it to your workout. And let go. Let the music move you. Oh, and if you have a second, take a listen to "Nothing else matters." See what you think!

Be well.

What me? Worry?

I recently received a very interesting gift. It's a small hand carved yogi. It's called a "weeping yogi." Hand carved by the people of Bali, it's meant to be a symbol for meditation. The Balinese believe that you should share your sorrows and worries with this little yogi as he willingly accepts his role in life to shoulder the sorrows and worries of others. Wouldn't you know, I got it just in time as things arrived in my life to worry about! How fortunate!

The little yogi got me thinking about the power of superstitions. As this new year approaches, it reminds me of another one. On the first day of every month, the first thing you are to say upon waking up, before you utter a word is, "Rabbit, Rabbit" and you will have good luck for the whole month. A friend told me about this superstition many years ago and I always try to remember to say it. Do I know if it works? Not really. But on some level it makes me feel good to give it a shot. You can read more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_rabbit

As this New Year's day approaches, with all the pressure inspired by our culture and the media especially to "make a resolution to ______ ( fill in the blank) it seems almost silly to lean on these superstitions to try to create positive change in your life. But ultimately, it should be whatever you want that inspires you to make change. Tie a string around your finger, don't step on cracks in the sidewalk, post sticky notes in your home with positive sayings, create a vision board... these are all just some ideas focused on generating the energy for change.

As far as worry, it's just human nature to worry. It really does not serve us. Worry is just a way of our expressing fear at the idea of losing something or someone. Loss of health, loss of love, loss of money.. these all are the core of worry. If we can take one lesson from our friend Buddha, it's the idea of non-attachment. Easy to say, hard to do. Live life attached to nothing and you will have no worries. Maybe. Maybe not. But live your life with the abandon of a child and you will know joy. And everyone can use a little joy in their life.

Have a wonderful New Year.

Namaste.