“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr

It’s a crazy time to be alive right now! And when I say crazy, I mean the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Do you ever stop to think about the advances that humans have made over our history of existence? What we have figured out how to do with technology blows my mind on the daily. I’m not very tech savvy, so maybe I’m easily impressed, but I think even the savviest of techs have reason to pause in awe these days.

Some privileges have become so commonplace, I think it can be easy to take certain things for granted, like electricity, the internet, clean water, or free speech. But somewhere along the way, humans not only figured these systems out, but then found a way to create efficiency and mass production. Humans have rallied together to fight for the rights of the oppressed, we are artists, we are thinkers, we are lovers, we are innovators - humans are really incredible beings.

Of course, sometimes things aren’t so great. “The prison population [in the US] grew by 700 percent from 1970 to 2005, a rate that is outpacing crime and population rates”, and black and hispanic people are still being imprisoned at a grossly disproportionate rate to white people. Women are still earning less than 80 cents for every dollar a man earns, and 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence. Not to mention that so much of the world’s population continues to be swept away by horrific natural disasters or acts of terror.

Sometimes, it really feels like the the bad is outweighing the good. And by sometimes, I mean a lot of the time.

But I refuse to believe it. I have to.

Despite the bombardment of the bad and the ugly (because the news rarely reports on the the good), those little wins for humanity are happening all the time. I know it because I look for it, and I see it.

Yes, when I keep my eyes up and open, I do see bad things happen - I’m not ignoring them by any means. But I also choose to see the good. And in my heart, I know the good outweighs the bad. I see people listening to each other and getting curious about differences rather than angry or righteous. I see strangers helping strangers - holding the door, offering a smile, letting someone in during rush hour. I see these random acts of kindness, and I hear people’s hearts - we are longing to be connected again.

I believe in and choose to follow the quiet revolution - the revolution of love. Love is not showy, it’s not in a rush, and it can show up when least expected. But I promise, if you start looking for love - you will find it, and it will show you hope.

Hope is a choice. We choose where we put our focus and our energy. And if we focus on the bad, we see and attract more bad. Hope is not naivety - it’s courageous. Bring your courage. Shine your light. And see the hope.

In an effort to kickstart a hopeful heart , here are some positive news stories:

Story 1: If the health care system gets you down - read this.

Story 2: A teenager conquering a disability (video included)

Story 3: Minnesota being progressive by being inclusive

Story 4: A win to preserve the Arctic

Story 5: A video of interspecies animals being friends (because I couldn’t resist)

I have also included a few simple yoga tools that you can easily use when you’re feeling especially down and need a good dose of hope from the inside out.

Either lay down or sit tall in a comfortable seated position. Take a deep breath through your nose so that your belly expands down and out with your inhale. Draw the belly button back toward your spine to exhale as you press the air out. On your next breath, inhale and expand the belly as before and then feel the lungs fill up from the bottom to the top. Reverse the order as you exhale, emptying the lungs from the top down and the belly last. On your third breath, fill up your belly first, then the lungs (from bottom to top), and then feel the collarbones slightly expand. Exhale from the top down, releasing the collarbones, lungs, and then the belly. Sometimes it can feel nice to let your arms and hands mirror your breath. If you choose, allow your hands to expand away from each other a little bit on the first breath, a little more on the second breath, and even more on the third. Repeat this process 5-10 times.

The lotus flower must first grow down into the mud before it becomes a beautiful flower. Let the lotus inspire your heart. Hold your hands at your heart with palms and fingers together. Then create a little space between your palms. Take 3 breaths here. Keeping your thumbs and pinky fingers together, open your middle three fingers apart and make a cup shape with your palms. Hold this cup, this lotus flower at your heart and remember we must embrace the mud and the yuck in order to grow beautiful and strong. Hold this mudra in a seated position while you meditate, or incorporate it into your favorite yoga poses, like Mountain Pose (Tadasana) or High Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasana).

upward salute.jpg — Upward Salute

*Urdvha Hastasana*

Stand in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with your feet parallel to each other and squarely underneath your hips. Without locking your knees, stand tall with shoulders over hips, hips over knees, and knees over ankles. Chest is wide and heart is lifted slightly. Being mindful not to overarch your lower back, raise your arms above your head with your palms facing each other and your fingers extended and electrified. You can keep the arms wide or bring the palms together overhead. Gently lift your gaze up toward the sky. Close your eyes if you wish. Take 3-5 slow, deep breaths here, allowing the grace and light from above to shine down as you funnel it into your heart.

When the world feels as though it’s spinning out of control, balancing can be a challenge. But the focus and calmness this pose can bring is well worth the effort. Tree pose can be done in the middle of the room, or next to a wall if you want a little support. Bring your eyes to the ground about 5 feet in front of you. Press your standing foot into the floor as you rotate your opposite leg open. Bring that foot to either the ankle, the calf, or the inner thigh of the standing leg (never on the knee joint directly). Press the foot into the leg, the leg into the foot to accentuate your center line. Work toward keeping both hips forward and even. Arms can extend down and out, hands can come to your heart in Prayer or Lotus Mudra, or arms can extend up (like Upward Salute). You can even flow your arms like branches, finding the balance of strength and grace needed to navigate this pose and this life. Hold for 5-10 breaths, and repeat on the other leg.

I Choose Hope, Will You?