Oh How Wonderful!

I get irritated a lot. 

Much less than I used to, in total honesty. Yet, still I do. 

And the husky puppies I adopted aren’t making things any easier.

When I first saw them there was an explosion in my chest. Literally. My heart got larger, like something had broken it. They looked adorable, you know, the way puppies usually do. Brown marks and spots, together with black and white patches. Blue eyes. Faces you wanted to kiss. Thirty days old. I took them with me because I couldn’t leave them to a destiny of breeding machines, which is most likely where they would have ended up. This is how things are at times, and that’s that. People got to eat: this is one way of providing food for the family. Nothing wrong with it, you do what you got to do. I just didn’t want these two love balls to live a life like that.

I knew huskies were difficult to train but oh boy oh boy! Let’s start by saying I lost so much sleep the first three months I took them home. Cleaning the floor became second nature, a rug in hand most times than not. Just like I became a pro at changing diapers for my kids having birthed four of them. They still pull my arms on the leash so much I think they actually got longer, (my arms, not the puppies) especially the right one, because that’s how I hold them. They eat everything they get their mouths on, I spare you the visuals. And they have a mind of their own. For real. When I call them or I tell them to do something they respond only IF they are in the mood, otherwise they are masters at ignoring me. They talk back. Did you know that huskies actually speak? They have their own language that sounds a bit (a lot) like a kid nagging and I couldn’t stand my own children when they were doing that, imagine how I feel about it now. Although, to be honest, it was only a few times before they realized it wasn’t getting them anywhere and so they stopped. My children I mean, because the puppies just keep on going with their sounds until they get what they want which is food most of the time. 

I practice a lot of Ishwara Pranidhana these days, especially when I let them off the leash. I bring them to safe areas so they can be free. I hope and surrender to the Divine that they come back. Someone told me the other day, “Omg you leave them off their leash. Aren’t you worried and scared they might run away?” Well, yeah I am, but don’t they have the right to stop them from running on and enjoying life? Hence, I rely on my faith and ask God to look over them. To bring them back when I call them, safe and sound. So far it has worked.

Elena, where are you going with this?

To be honest I don’t know how I started writing about the pups. Maybe because they are a constant reminder of the inner work I still need to do. The purpose of this blog, though, was/is to talk about my latest meditation with Nithya Shanti. Have you practiced with him? What a treat! I am new to the beautiful black lotus app and I can’t even remember how I ran into it, Divine Grace for sure. Anyway, one of the goals is ‘A Life of Awareness’ which is what I am doing now. In one of his reflections he talks about the difference it makes when you go about your day saying ‘HOW WONDERFUL’ to everything. e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Even the things that don’t go your way or the ones you have no control over.

His words brought me back to one of my yoga teachers who would have us do this pose of opening the arm as cactus (bent at the elbows) and shine the chest into a slight backbend. He called this the ‘oh how wonderful’ pose. And it sure was. The heart expanding, the head tilted back feeling like freedom. And so do the words suggested by the wise Nithya Shanti. I started doing this from the moment I wake up to when I go to sleep. Saying how wonderful especially to the things that irritate me the most, like

• loud noises, (oh my! all those years as a flight attendant have messed up my hearing)
• people listening to music and/or videos on their phones without headphones, (someone make them stop, please),
• when I scream to the pups to come back and they ignore me, (ugh!)
• when there is no electricity, hence no wi-fi and I have an online class, (Elena, calm down)
• when someone tells me I’ll be there in five  minutes and takes them thirty to reach (can you please be more accurate?),
• when someone chews loudly in public, (jeezlouise, why?),
• when I’m desperately wanting to read and I get interrupted by someone’s idle talk (please, I’m immersed in another land).

And I know it’s me, not them. Like I said, I still got a lot of work to do on myself. One day at a time, right? 

Going back to the topic, since incorporating this ‘oh how wonderful’ in my daily everything, it has been oh so much easier to deal with many m.a.n.y irritable moments, particularly the ones listed above. 

Bottom line, if you too get annoyed, or irritated or sad, or mad say it ‘oh how wonderful’ and see what a world of difference it makes. 

My gratitude goes to Nithya Shanti for the suggestion. And I’d love to hear how it works for you.

Thanks for reading❤️