Positive Mental Attitude

It was a gray day in southern Florida. I think it was 65 degrees. My dad came outside wearing a down coat and a hat. He hates cold weather; my parents keep their house at a constant 78 degrees. Although he was freezing, and the sun was absent, my dad was smiling. "PMA!" he exclaimed.

The man loves acronyms. This one is for Positive Mental Attitude. He got the inspiration from his 92 year old artist friend, Lee. "No matter what is happening, he tells himself PMA. It's a natural mood booster!" my dad exclaimed giddily. Natural yogis, these guys - their yoga may not include asana, but they’ve certainly found their daily mantras.

Yes, mantras do not only come from India and ancient texts. Some of the best ones come from right inside you. My meditation teacher, Lorin Roche, reminds me often that the most effective mantras are as natural as the sounds you make when you're happy, words from your own native language, phrases that feed your soul. They are nutritious words and sounds that are all around you that you constantly use in your everyday language. You don't have to look very far to find them.

During my class yesterday, I was guiding students into ardha chandrasana when I felt myself getting off balance. As I was falling out of the pose, I remembered PMA (along with "Oof!" another great mantra). It was all it took to give me a sense of humor, allow for it, and then do it again. We all make mistakes. It's not about that, but how we recover, get back up, and go forth in all of our humanness without shame.

I think about PMA when I'm in a rush, in an argument, feeling overwhelmed. I remember my 84 year old dad and his 92 year old best friend. I connect with light and allow it to sneak its way into my dark places. I laugh. I align myself with who I am, a perfectly imperfect human, doing my best.

I come from a lineage of happy people. My grandmother had a similar life approach. She could see the beauty in a tomato, a worn Tiffany shopping bag, a cranky old friend, a mundane piece of paper that she'd fold into an origami crane. These memories are the energies that vibe through me. It's in my blood. I believe in the PMA.

Thanks, Daddy.

Photo by Michal Minster-Tal