OompaLoompa

Zip the Lip…Potato Chip!

Often people tend to pull us into their drama. Our awareness can get overwhelmed. What if we allow them time for self-correction? What if we don’t always comment about what we are critical of? What if we focus in a positive way and offer love with enthusiasm?

I invite you to practice the zip mantra (influenced by the brilliant Paul Muller-Ortega ) on your mat space as well as in your life space. Do tell us how it goes!

                                        Zip the lip..Potato Chip!

OompaLoompaI must gossip!

     I’ve got to rant!

 So much to say

       Lip Zip, I can’t!

Could you zip instead of Harm?

           Tittle Tattle,

       that’s my charm.

   I could not zip instead

      Of harm.

       I must gossip!

I’ve got to rant!

   So much to say

         Lip Zip, I can’t!

Could you zip when rumors swirl?

I can not zip

When rumors swirl

Scandals make my

                                                       Comments hurl.

                       Would you zip them

      When contracted?

Would you zip them

When distracted!

               Not when contracted.OompaLoompa

Not when distracted.

Not when rumors swirl

Not when comments hurl.

Would you? Could you?

When disturbed?

Zip them! Zip them!

Un-perturbed?

I would not,

could not,

when disturbed.

You could zip when

Full of doubt,

You could zip, don’t

Chicken out!

I would not, could not when full of doubt.

Not when disturbed. I’d chicken out.

I would not zip them

When contracted.

I would not zip them

When distracted

Be Kind! Be Kind?

Be Kind! Be Kind!

Could you, would you

To be kind?

Not to be kind! I’m full of doubt!

Not when disturbed! I’d chicken out!

Say!

Thrown off center?

Are you a venter?

Would you, could you,

Find your center?

I would not, could not,

I am a venter.

Would you, could you,OompaLoompa

When misaligned?

Get more refined?

Would you, could you,

For Peace of Mind?

I would not ,could not, get refined.

I am a venter, I am not kind.

I am disturbed. I’m full of doubt.

I can not zip, I’d chicken out.

Make scandals swirl. That’s my charm.

My comments hurl. Don’t mind the harm.

You must gossip? You must rant?

So much to say

Lip Zip, I can’t!

Could you, would you,

Zip a moan?

I would not,

could not.

Zip a moan!

Would you, could you,

Zip a groan?

I could not, would not, zip a moan.

I will not, will not, zip a groan.

I will not zip them to be kind

I will not zip them to refine.

You can not zip them.

SO you say.

Try them! Try them!

And you may.

Try them and you may I say.

How!

If you will tell me how,

I will try them.

Here and now.

                       Zip legs together.OompaLoompa

Inhale to prepare

Breathe out, sit down

Into an imaginary chair

Zip belly as well

And shins like concrete

Send energy from hips

Right down to your feet

Breathe into your vessel

Fill up with power

Breathe out completely

    Release what is sour.

Stay in your squat,

Zip up your lips

Open and let

Kindness whip!

Zip up again, hushed,

                                       Unzip and let loose

                                                A laugh, a sweet sound,

                                                           Or love gone profuse.

                                                   Say!

                                   I like to zip the lip!

                               I do!

                                  I want to be seen

                                        In the highest way

                                  I will zip my lips

                                        I say!

                                            I will see others

                                    In their best self

                 So they canzip_chip_1

                         Pull it off themselves!

                   I’ll stay out of the drama

                        And move towards the lightlrg_potatochipsbw

                                        My highest self

                                                I will invite.

                                                 Zip the Lip, Potato Chip!

                                                          Zip the Lip, Potato Chip!

More to Explore

  • Certified to Teach Kids Yoga in Middle School

    Last night felt surreal.  I was standing in my kitchen with Lee, Amy & Cheryl when they handed me a single piece of cardstock with the words ‘Certified Grounded Teacher.’ I felt my throat clench and my heart skip a beat.  Though I have been teaching Grounded Yoga for over a year, it was this small piece of recognition that let me know that I am now officially recognized as part of one of the greatest movements of my lifetime.

    Once I received my 200hr teacher training in 2012, I had begun leading my daughter’s classes at school once a week and eventually took over the Tween class at my studio.  I pulled resources from all around- other teachers, online sites, books, games…everything I could find to help create a well-rounded class.  It was a year of growth and some things worked and some failed miserably.  What I did know was that I loved teaching children- their honesty in their bodies and mouths and they way it was starting to create a shift in their perspective. My dear friend and teacher, Lee introduced me to Grounded in early 2013 when she came home lit UP from Level 1 training.  I watched her do Go To Your Room and that’s literally ALL it took!  I knew that something special was going on with Grounded…something that hadn’t been done before…something that was about to change how the world looks at kid’s yoga.  We put a plan together to “sell” our yoga program to our school as a full-time yoga curriculum.  And it WORKED!  I decided to take the Level 1 training just after school started so we could teach the same material and use each other to bounce ideas and begin to try to understand the huge undertaking we’d just landed.

  • The Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness in K-12 Schools: An Overview of Research Studies

    The incorporation of yoga and mindfulness practices in K-12 education has gained momentum in recent years. Educators and researchers are increasingly recognizing the potential benefits of these practices in enhancing students’ physical health, emotional well-being, and academic performance. This article outlines key research studies that highlight the positive impact of yoga and mindfulness on students…

  • Salutations

    TerrificCharlotte’s Web is a celebration of the quiet virtues. It reminds us to keep a soft tender heart, accept our true nature, and value the unique gifts of our friends. The two main characters of Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte and Wibur, highlight the awareness of our own unique inner story.

    Charlotte, the spider, represents our highest self who provides wisdom and help from above. She reminds us that we are never alone. She provides a higher, bigger perspective from her vantage point high up in the rafters. She brings a calm wisdom into an anxious situation, bolstering Wilbur’s self image by spelling out his best aspects. She represents our INHALE.

    Become sensitive and aware of your breath.

    Wibur, the pig, represents our vulnerable self that is at the center of our awareness. Wilbur is consistently caring and engaging. He forms a bond with Charlotte because he sees her beauty. He is accepting and compassionate and joyfully celebrates life. He represents our EXHALE.

  • Grounded In Fluffiness

    Three years ago…a five year old Grounded Kid said her favorite pose was “Flat Like a Pancake” it was actually not an official pose, but rather a transition from Gratitude and Snake.  To honor the wisdom and innocence of this child, we decided to make “Flat Like a Pancake” a pose that’s part of the Grounded Elevator Series.  Read on to see how to griddle some pancakes the Grounded way.