Poem for the week

In Memoriam A. H. H.: 121. Sad Hesper o’er the buried sun by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Sad Hesper o’er the buried sun
And ready, thou, to die with him,
Thou watchest all things ever dim
And dimmer, and a glory done:
The team is loosen’d from the wain,
The boat is drawn upon the shore;
Thou listenest to the closing door,
And life is darken’d in the brain.
Bright Phosphor, fresher for the night,
By thee the world’s great work is heard
Beginning, and the wakeful bird;
Behind thee comes the greater light:

The market boat is on the stream,
And voices hail it from the brink;
Thou hear’st the village hammer clink,
And see’st the moving of the team.

Sweet Hesper-Phosphor, double name
For what is one, the first, the last,
Thou, like my present and my past,
Thy place is changed; thou art the same.
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Pose for the week

Bridge Pose

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
(SET-too BAHN-dah)
setu = dam, dike, or bridge
bandha = lock

Step by Step

Lie supine on the floor, and if necessary, place a thickly folded blanket under your shoulders to protect your neck. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible.

Exhale and, pressing your inner feet and arms actively into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Clasp the hands below your pelvis and extend through the arms to help you stay on the tops of your shoulders.

Lift your buttocks until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels, but push them forward, away from the hips, and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees. Lift the pubis toward the navel.

Lift your chin slightly away from the sternum and, firming the shoulder blades against your back, press the top of the sternum toward the chin. Firm the outer arms, broaden the shoulder blades, and try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck (where it’s resting on the blanket) up into the torso.

Stay in the pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Release with an exhalation, rolling the spine slowly down onto the floor.

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Pose for the week

Wild Thing
Camatkarasana

Step by Step

Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog).

Bring your weight into your right hand and roll onto the outer edge of your right foot like Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose).

On an inhalation, lift your hips with buoyancy. Stay strong in your right hand making a clawing action with the fingers. Keep the head of the right arm bone back. On an exhalations, step your left foot back and place your toes on the floor with your knee partially bent.

Curl back through your upper back to create a sweeping action of the shoulder blades into the back of the rib cage.

On an inhalation lift your hips higher until you curl more into a backbend with your right foot solid on the ground.

Keep breathing and curl your head back, extending your left arm from your heart and expressing your power and freedom.

Hold for 5-10 breaths breaths, return to Down Dog and repeat on the other side.

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Thoughts for the week

To become a giant in the eyes of others, and to succeed in the 21st century, look up to those beneath you! Consider these action ideas as you lead your team:

Listen often and openly to what others say, and try to do so without prejudgment.
Don’t put anyone off or be too busy to listen to and answer questions.
Use praise frequently and sincerely.
If you feel that criticism is warranted, do it in private, and make sure you say something encouraging after the reprimand.
Be firm and be fair. Don’t meet with people in person or on the phone when you are angry. Exercise or take a walk first, then communicate when you are relaxed.
Don’t be afraid or hesitant to share your concerns with others. Far better to discuss a molehill, then to wait until it festers into Mt. Everest.
Don’t make rash promises and be consistent.
Whenever you are in a leadership role, focus your supervision on teaching effective habits and skills, not in pointing out mistakes.

Encourage everyone in both your personal and professional life to speak up and express their own ideas, even if you disagree with them.

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