There is a physics to the Universe, a vibration to every cell and every object. Trees, humans, animals, and music all vibrate differently to create their form. Love is said to be the highest vibration of all - and I believe this. Because when I have felt pure love, I get so overwhelmed by the energy. The vibration of love is so high it nearly drops me to my knees.
Read MoreIn order for the Universe to respond to what we want, we need to be clear. We need to be focused. We need to say what we want and then mean it through our actions. If I say to the Universe, "I want to be a published author." But then I never write a book, and instead focus all my time and energy on another task, then I have just confused the Universe.
Read MoreTrust in something else outside ourself opens a door. Trust in our bodies to heal, emotionally or physically, relieves the fear of being damaged or sick. Trust in this life being unknown and unpredictable allows us peace despite chaos. The more difficulties we overcome, the more we begin to trust ourself.
Read MoreStaying still and creating slow transitions used to be painfully challenging for me. When the instructor would guide me to make small movements, I wanted to immediately sit up and check my phone. I wanted to roll up my mat and start putting on my shoes. I had already practiced yoga for over an hour. Why was this last part such a drawn-out process? I had lots of things to get to and get done.
Read MoreMy aunt reminds me there is always overcoming. There is always a path forward, even if it wasn't the path we had planned. Always in the overcoming, there is a BEcoming. A coming into a new Self, if we are brave enough to keep moving forward. If we drop the excuses of age and circumstance, if we simply keep going, more will always be offered to us.
Read MoreWe are all in this together - helping each other in our lessons, our inspiration, our personal growth, and along our paths. People are like real-life angels to guide us, we just don't know that about ourselves.
Read MoreThe first time I felt desperate enough to admit I couldn't do something on my own was when my drinking got really bad. I had read all the books and just wanted to know the solution so I could take care of the problem - not bother anyone. Recovery meetings became so much more than a tool to stop drinking. Somehow, by listening to others share their stories, stories that were just like mine, I felt heard and seen for the first time.
Read MoreI believe in the magic of nature. I believe in all the lessons we can glean from trees that endure weather and society and time. I believe if we lean on nature, like I leaned on this tree, we not only remember who we are, we receive the answers we need in order to keep going. We remember that we ARE the tree - the roots, the earth, the branches, and wind between the leaves. We remember that like the tree, we can stand tall, no matter what threatens to shake us or make us snap. We remember that nature holds secrets we have forgotten.
Read MoreShining our brightest light with the world is scary. Being our most authentic and powerful self might mean losing people, relationships, core beliefs, and even parts of ourself.
Read MoreTo connect with Prana, with your true essence, lie in the grass and feel the soft blades under your palms. Sit up against a thick tree trunk and soak in the wisdom. Walk barefoot. Wade in the sea. Dance in the wind. Stare at the moon.
Read MoreEvery experience we have creates a groove and a story in our psyche, a belief about ourself, another person, or a situation. And the more experiences we have that reinforce the story, the deeper the groove becomes, until we don't even realize the pattern is the result of a story at all - we simply accept the belief or behavior as truth. In yoga, our stories, our scars, are called "Samskaras". Samskaras are deep wounds - and they don't have to be the result of something traumatic or even wrong, but they certainly can be and often are.
Read MoreI have a feeling you create everyday, even if you don't call it by that name. You make and decorate a home, you grow a garden, you start a business, you write a poem. Do not underestimate the power of bringing something forth, something that was not in existence just moments before.
Read MoreDespite the minimal physical effort it takes to lay flat on my mat, eyes closed, body unmoving, Shavasana has never been an easy pose for me. I squirm and I fidget. I anticipate when we will be allowed to come out. My body is not used to laying still. My mind is not used to being languid and undramatic.
Forcing myself to stay in Shavasana requires a letting go of my conditioned need to do something, to go somewhere, and to be someone.
Read MoreIt can be helpful to take it down a notch, and relish in the small, simple things we take for granted. Notice and be grateful for the cast iron skillet that cooked your delicious meal. Tuck your body sumptuously into your soft sheets and feel your head resting on fluffy, clean pillows. Sit underneath your warm blanket and be aware that you have a safe resting spot on your couch. When we allow ourselves to feel gratitude for the everyday, simple things in our life, we raise our vibration and become more easily grateful for all things in our life - the good, and the not so good.
Read MoreWhen we surrender, we release the burden of needing to know all the answers. We release our grip on whether or not we are doing the right thing, because we understand there is only so much we can do. We can remain vigilant and still surrender. We can take care of ourselves, our loved ones, our health, and the health of others, in ways that make sense to us. But we don’t need to obsess over the unknown because we leave that part up to something bigger. As a world, we are being asked to humbly surrender in this moment. We are being challenged to prepare as best we can, and then wait.
Read MoreThe point is, we can indulge in something external for a temporary fix, but the moment will never be sustainable or long term. As long as we understand this, we can enjoy delicious food, loving relationships, and career successes, all the while knowing they are not the solution to accepting who we are. When we grab at anything outside ourselves to complete us, to fix us, or to save us, the moment will never last.
Read MoreThere has been grace: Every time I've fallen down and had to begrudgingly and painfully pick myself up. Every time I've feared that I was making he wrong choice or that everything was all my fault. Every time I've heard people laughing at me as I walked away. Grace is when you're at the bottom and you're not sure how to get out. You know the next right move, you only need to muster the strength to put one foot in front of the other. And somehow, because of grace, you do.
Read MoreI never expected yoga to become a spiritual path. Yoga started as a way to get out of my house and out of my mind. Yoga started as an escape. But once there, on my mat, I observed sensations in my body, and instead of running from them, or drowning them in wine, I stayed.
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