The following is from YOGA JOURNAL by Judith Lasater. I was pleased with what I read...

Isvara Pranidhana (Surrendering to God)

Patanjali defines "isvara" as "Lord," and the word "pranidhana" conveys the sense of "throwing down" or "giving up." Thus, isvara pranidhana can be translated as "giving up or surrendering the fruits of all our actions to God."

Many people are confused by this niyama, in part because yoga is seldom presented as a theistic philosophy even though Patanjali states in the 23rd verse of the Yoga Sutra that devotion to the Lord is one of the main avenues to enlightenment).

In fact, some yoga traditions have interpreted isvara pranidhana as requiring devotion to a particular deity or representation of God, while others have taken "isvara" to refer to a more abstract concept of the devine (much as Twelve Step programs allow participants to define "Higher Power" in their own way).

In either case, the essence of isvara pranidhana is acting as best we can, and then relinquishing all attachment to the outcome of our actions. Only by releasing our fears and hopes for the future can we really be in union with the present moment.

Paradoxically, this surrender requires tremendous strength. To surrender the fruits of our actions to God requires that we give up our egotistical illusion that we know best, and instead accept that the way life unfolds may be a part of a pattern too complex to understand. This surrender, however is anything but passive inactivity. Isvara pranidhana requires not just that we surrender, but also that we act.

Lost 9 lbs.

After 58 years, I've found the secret to weight loss and keeping the weight off. With the help of my therapist, yes I said therapist, I learned to love myself and accept me for who I am. People have told me that so many times, but I didn't listen or catch onto it, had to hear it from a total stranger to grasp it. I am a very special, beautiful, fun loving, funny, joyful person and I deserve to be anything I want to be. I was beautiful as a baby, very beautiful as a child, a teenager, a young adult, middle aged, and now 58... I am beautiful, gorgeous in fact. I truly believe this, and I love myself without reservation, and know that I can be thinner and feel better, and am on my way to doing just that! It's not all about weight, it's about living your life to it's fullest and getting the most you can out of it, because we're just not here that long.

I love the words journey and adventure, don't you? The thing is, I'm not waiting for the journey or waiting for the adventure... I'm living the journey, the adventure. That's what I have to do, is to be present in my life and do the best I can for myself and those around me. Of course, I can't make the journey on my own, and I don't want to have an adventure by myself, so I have God with me at all times. I don't need another human being to complete me, I just need God. I talk to Him often and thank Him for my triumphs, plead with Him for help, and praise Him for his miracles. He helps in so many ways. Here's an example: I've got 4 hours of work left and I didn't bring any extra snacks, so I go out to the snack machine and find the lowest calorie thing I can - animal crackers. I go and get my 50 cents and when I return I put my $ in the machine, but find out I put $ in the soft drink machine instead of the snack machine. The money won't come out, so I see it as I need to get me a diet DP instead of the crackers. Get back to my desk with a drinking glass full of ice and some DP in it and realize I have grapes in the refrigerator!!! Wow, what a save by The Big Guy. If you ask for His help, He'll be there. With His help, I've lost 9 lbs.

During my journey, my adventure, I've got my eyes and ears opened to His direction. Not trying to be over religious, but He is my God and He helps me. Here are other things that I do, you've probably heard 'em all:

1. Eat with chopsticks when I can. It takes longer to eat and you end up taking food in slower and realize how full you are before you overload.
2. Think before you eat. Find out if you're really hungry before you eat.
3. Keep only "good" food around the house, fruits, veggies, popcorn. I just bought a hot air popper!
4. Drink lots of water. Water is my favorite drink!
5. Bring to work with you a drinking glass that you love to drink out of, fill it with ice and pour in Crystal Lite Peach Tea or a Diet DP or Diet Coke. It's a treat.
6. I'm going to take an exercise class, probably water aerobics. I have bad knees and a bad back and feel like exercising in the water will be best for me... besides, isn't that how old people exercise anyway. Ha!
7. As much as you possibly can, do NOT watch commercials. They lure me in and make me crave everything!
8. Do your own cooking. Leave fast food for reward days.
9. Set aside a day of the week to eat what you really are craving. I can't do without pizza or hamburgers or Mexican food forever, so I save special days to have these kinds of foods. In the meantime, I cook them myself, but with fewer calories - it's really the best way, and after awhile you grow to like the less calorie foods.

Those are just 9 ways that I live my days, will post more later. You'll be hearing of my success and of the miracles that occur.