YogaRoots On Location UPitt SOM Mindfulness 10/2023

YogaRoots On Location Raja Yoga 8-Limbed Path University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Med Students, 10/24/2023 Felicia Savage Friedman, MEd, 500-hrs Experienced-Registered Yoga Teacher Founder and CEO, YogaRoots On Location, LLC

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare” * borrowed from “A Burst of Light” by audre lorde ** audre lorde is a phenomenal Black, lesbian, mother, warrior and poet

The Cussin’ Yogini

https://www.thecussiny ogini.com/about

Discussion: How do you practice being fully present in your life? What are the barriers to your practices?

No Mud, No Lotus

• borrowed from How To Fight by Thich Nhat Hanh • * write your reflections in your journal

Transforming our anger and suffering makes happiness possible.

Without suffering, there can be no happiness. We need mud to grow lotus flowers; otherwise, they cannot take root. Our anger and suffering are the mud we can use to cultivate happiness, compassion, and understanding. If we know how to handle and transform our suffering, we will suffer much less. The mud will become lotus flowers. To generate compassion, you have to understand and embrace your suffering. Don’t try to throw your suffering away. Hold it tenderly like a mother holding her crying baby and look deeply into it.

Then insight blooms. Each person has a lot of anger and suffering. When we don’t know how to handle our suffering, we continue to suffer, making other people around us suffer. But when we understand that others are already suffering, we don’t want to punish them anymore. Listening to the suffering inside of you and inside of the other person allows understanding and compassion to be born. When compassion is born in your heart, it begins to heal and transform the anger and suffering in your heart and every cell of your body.

• Gentle Movements and Restorative yoga poses to contemplate • Universal Meditation • Check out with YROL Museum of Feelings and the name of a song that inspires you to be joyful?