| In a private message to another member I mentioned that what pushed me out from under the barbells and back to the yoga mat was a few words of wisdom that a friend had sent to me. The author of these words is Jami. They are from Abode the Spring. I have never been able to lay my hands on an English translation of this work, but a few excerpts from his poetry can be found at Oldpoetry.com. Just type Jami into the "by" box of the search screen. Anyway, I tracked this down again and thought I would post it here. This may well become my pat response to all of the "can yoga help me lose weight?" posts.
Do not begrudge me my ugly exterior,
You who are lacking all virtue and fairness!
This body is a scabbard,
the soul is the sabre:
in the sabre is action,
not so of the scabbard.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Well, my favorite poem for keeping me going is this one by Rudyard Kipling. My ex- Father in law who is a Retired Lt. Colonel gave me this to have my son memorize as he was growing up. I ended up learning it myself. I always loved his poems and stories. My childhood favorite was the story about Riki Tiki Tavi. Amazing, how this guy grew up in India. Enjoy
IF
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling
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Jami
