Today at work I was chatting with my yogi-extraordinnaire co-worker, and (fresh from a weekend yoga conference) she was describing the concept of kosha. I don’t feel comfortable describing the idea with my limited knowledge on this blog, but I will link to a reputable source and provide a visual for the general gist of it.

source

So, the way I see it, the way for us to allow the best possible vibes into that inner circle is to try to have some influence over the outer circles (our physical self, our atmosphere, our sensory perceptions). So if we are to be intentional about our environment in the hopes of “letting in the sunshine” and keeping out the negative nancys, what do we need to do?

I figured I’d give some examples of how I try to control my environment to have little bits of bliss in every day life. I’m going to be less than creative and go with our western “five senses” here to give it some order.

Meri’s Merry Meditations:

Taste: I can really bliss out over the morning’s first cup of warm, spicy Good Earth Original Tea. I believe there are few things in life more delicious than  slightly melted M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces (in oatmeal or warm cookies). I don’t like a day to go by where I can’t enjoy some crunchy sweet peppers or cucumbers. I adore kicking back with a cold, crisp lager. Call me a five year old, but I could eat orange, lemon, or lime Jell-o for days. And I know its not very zen or healthy of me, but damn if I don’t indulge my Diet Coke habit almost daily.

Smell: Ahhh, the smell of lilacs in the springtime.. divine…Fresh bread in the oven at a bakery or in my very own home (that would be credit to man-go-round, I can’t bake), The smell of fresh basil plucked off the branch. (M&M) cookies baking in the oven, Aveda hair products, and chlorine (awful, I know, but I just love it and it reminds me of summer at the pool).

Sound: My momma’s voice, salsa music, when everything outside is quiet and then all of a sudden you hear a single bird calling, Colin Firth’s (or other posh British type) voice, a favorite song when it comes on the radio all of a sudden.

Sight: Watching dance choreography, pretty much every single sunrise or sunset, photos of favorite summers, vacations, nights out with friends, or people I love. 

 Touch: Ask any single person I know well, and they will tell you I can never get enough hugs. I also adore the feeling of being freshly showered and in clean PJs so very very much that I sing a little song every night after I emerge from the bathroom clean and clear and (sort of) under control. I adore knit/ jersey sheets, having my head or back lightly scratched, feet and calf rubs, and although I can barely remember it these days, unfortunately, the momentum of a vigorous kickboxing or aerobic dance session. I feel compelled to add here that although I’m also not practicing any yoga these days (I know I can do it post-surgery last fall but I’m a pansy and haven’t been able to do it without panicking yet), I do hold a special spot in my heart for a perfect and rhythmic sun salutation or simple vinyasa to get me focused and get my blood flowing.

What do you do to control your environment or bring your favorite things into each day? Do you think these things make a difference for our overall peace and happiness? Are any of my favorite things your favorite things too?

Sincerely, Yogi-Mer