Nature Speaks
I 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.
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Compassionate Yoga
Compassionate yoga yields so much curiosity and self-observation. I remember lessons from my yoga practice and try them out in other situations. I remember to add rest during a particularly busy day. I remember to make time for play, fun, and smiling. I remember to laugh at myself when I fall. I remember to try hard things. I remember I can be brave. I remember it's ok to feel sad; it's also ok to feel proud. I remember to back off.
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Your Perfect Story is Here
When we do get what we want, we call it fate. When we don't get what we want, we call it failure. Is there a difference? What if the story you would write for yourself is far less than what you deserve? What if our tendency is to sell ourselves short?
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What is Prana?
To 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.
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Endless Shavasana
Despite 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.
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Remember to Breathe
Our true Self might be fighting to come out lately, and under normal circumstances, it already battles our ego for our attention. During times of stress, when we allow ourselves to slip into fearful behavior, the ego gains even more power, and our intuition takes a back seat. So how can you tell the difference? Your ego will be worried, afraid, self-criticizing, and anxious.
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Witness Your Power
It 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.
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You are Safe in the Stillness
It’s shocking how we can use busyness to cope with stress in our culture, which only compounds the problem. Sitting still is scary because we are forced to actually feel our emotions and notice any thoughts that arise. It is ok to put off your to-do list, your yard work, or organizing of the house. It is ok to practice the ultimate self-care and sit still. It is ok to enter the brave work of being silent and tuning in.
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Today, Surrender
When 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.
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Tearing Myself Apart, and Coming Back Together in PLANK
Plank might be the most profound and effective pose in Yoga. Seriously! The pose has taught me so much about my body, my mind, and life itself, it’s almost crazy. Not only does Plank Pose give you the most benefit to your core, your point of strength, and yes, your defined abdominal muscles, a regular Plank practice will bring deep insight into what goes on in your mind when you’re up against a wall. Do you stay, and adjust? Do you lie down, and give up? Do you blame or yell at yourself?
Or, do you find out what you’re capable of?
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Ponderings about Presence (and truth)
The 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.
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You Owe Yourself This Life
I 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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Finding My Drishti
But by the end of that same class, as I lay on the floor in “Shavasana”, staring at the ceiling, smelling the musty floral scent, I envisioned all of the heartwarming moments that had unfolded here as well. Babies being baptized, surrounded by doting families. Weddings overflowing with love. Holiday services where the whole congregation sang as one. The sense of belonging that is felt so rarely these days. It all encapsulated the feeling of hope. And at that moment I realized that this church has absorbed life itself. The despair. The joy. And everything in between.
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Why We Return to Our Practice
This is why we return, again and again, to our practice. We return to remember who we are. We return because each time we taste the sweetness of acceptance, and a feeling that everything really will be ok, like a yummy dessert, we want to taste it again and again. We return because it is human nature to forget. We return because glimpsing the soul, as it's called in the 7th Limb of yoga, Dhyana (Meditation), is just that - a glimpse.
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My #yogasavedmylife Story
We come to our mats confused, alone, and afraid. We come to see what these poses are all about. We come to check out the hype and the trend. We leave lighter, and we wonder why. So we return, again and again, and pretty soon, we notice physical changes. Then, subtler, emotional changes. What is happening? We keep arriving on our mat. We keep up with the practice. And before we know it, yoga has seeped into the places that needed healing and growth, the places we hadn’t even considered or paid any attention. Yoga wakes up areas of our life we have long ago buried.
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My Healing Starts with My Body
I do believe the body can be a catalyst for healing, especially if your body has been a source of pain or abuse. When we punish the body, we punish our Self. And this can only be determined through our intention. The act of eating ice cream is not unhealthy, but the story behind it is. Running is not unhealthy, but the story behind it is. Our bodies will oblige us. What are we telling them?
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Victory to Spirit
Take a minute and ask yourself, "What do I need to hear right now?" Your heart already knows. Your wise intuition tells you the next right move. You don't have to resist your inner voice just because it's telling you to do something you don't want to do. There's a difference between talking yourself out of something hard and following your gut.
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The Role of Silence
Our society is like one giant hoarder, and there is no space left to listen or to be. Within the mess, there is no reality, only illusion and distraction. We drag around the residue of old wounds and relationships. We bend our heads over phones and computers. We expose our minds to continuous senses and information, and we carelessly grab at pieces to listen to.
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