The truth of our world is heartbreaking. The human experience is one of violence, abuse, poverty, and suffering. Of course, there is also joy, compassion, kindness, selflessness, and deep love. All of these experiences exist, in some form, in each of our lives. But there is no escape from pain. Pretending pain does not exist, or numbing the pain out, is a way of abandoning ourself as well as all of those in suffering.
Read MoreA sense of being held is often all we need to step out of our inner turmoil and into unwavering belief. Faith does not depend on an outcome or anything exterior to look a certain way. Faith is often the opposite - belief despite how something appears.
Read MoreOnce the wave crests, and falls, we discover a myriad of things about ourself - first, that we can survive difficult emotions. Second, that we will not in fact break or disappear as the result of pain. Lastly, there may be new insight we can take with us after seeing a difficult emotion through. If we stay, we arrive at the bottom of the wave, a new person.
Read MoreIf you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
I interpret this bold statement to mean two things. First, there is a unique gift that resides within each of us. Second, we should not be afraid of, or doubt this unique gift. In fact, we should lean into our gifts and do whatever it takes to bring them forth.
Read MoreI held on to the fantasy for so long. I longed for the perfect person, family, career, and outside world to make me feel whole, complete, and fulfilled. If I worked hard and got all the pieces right, I wouldn't have to worry about looking within to find happiness or strength. My outer experience would reflect inward, and I would be happy.
Read MoreYou are expansive beyond what you can see. Every urge, every longing, every heart-felt sensation, is answered by the Universe. Since the day you were born, you have been a spinning orb of energy, and the love you crave, the feeling of peace and safety, the feeling of "rightness", is already inside you. Your own longings are like beacons pointing you to truth.
Read MoreAn example of moving from Prana might be calling someone to say, I love you. It might be hugging your child or family member. It might be taking a bath or doing a yoga practice. Prana lets you know when something or someone is off - that icky feeling in your gut. Prana makes you dance, chant, laugh, scream, or cry.
Read MoreI promise, you are making progress. I promise the path is much harder when you self-loath and self-criticize along the way. It's ok not to be perfect. Our society tends to romanticize the rags to riches story, as if there were no setbacks along the way. When we believe this story, and expect that we should match that image, it can be difficult to accept our own delays.
Read MoreWe have also been tricked into thinking if people change, we will feel better. Or if circumstances change, we will be happier. Outside experience does not dictate our inner happiness; people or how they treat us does not need to define us. Actually, our inner happiness dictates our outer experience.
Read MoreDuring times that we are challenged, it feels as though something else has stepped in - we move differently, act with more grace and purpose, and go on in a way we can't quite name. During challenging times, we act on an amount of trust we usually don't embody in our everyday. We trust that time will heal. We trust that something else will arrive. We trust the process, and our changing emotions. In order to let grace step in, we need an amount of surrender. We need to remember the times prior when we were unsure, but it all worked out. This is trust.
There are toxic yoga teachers and compassionate truck drivers. There are terrible therapists and insightful bartenders. Our daily roles are a route to spreading joy and goodness. I am means we can achieve whatever we want in life, but the significance relies on how we touch and relate to others, not on the title or perceived value. Who am I? The question feels open, wide, and impossible.
Read MoreA few practices that can help cultivate witness consciousness are yoga, moving the body, or meditation, being still with the mind. We can also go for a walk and observe nature or our surroundings. We can ask ourself which senses are active and what we notice - what do we see, feel, hear, taste and smell? When we learn that our mind will take us to places that are not present, we can gently and compassionately discern between real threat and the mind's trickiness.
Read MoreI think back to life before Covid. It was a way of life I took for granted, never imagining that we would be two years into a new existence made up of masks, Zoom meetings, and social distancing. Even subtle shifts in my mind have occurred when it comes to people, crowds, and my own immune system. The person I was before Covid no longer exists. Even if the virus disappeared today, parts of me are forever changed by the experience.
Read MoreAll of life is a practice, and anything worthwhile requires discipline, and a continued returning. At first, in any overcoming, the peaks and valleys might be close together. We glimpse freedom and possibility, and then are quickly dragged back to an old way of being. We come up for air - but even when we sink back down, we know the coming up is possible. In order to change our way of life, we need to give ourselves the time it takes to overcome years of doing things a different way. All I knew was 10 years of marriage. All I knew was taking a drink to swallow any pain. How silly to think these beliefs and behaviors could be undone and dismantled in a short period of time.
Read MoreConsider a time when you exercised, did yoga, or meditated. Or, consider a time you went to a concert, ran through a rainstorm, or laughed really hard with friends. After any of these experiences, you may have felt free, lighter, and more joyful. Even if something uncomfortable or challenging was playing out in your life, you were able to glimpse your true state of joy despite the external chaos.
Read MoreThere 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 MoreTo look back and think "if only" I had not made that mistake (or all the mistakes), is to minimize the beautiful gift of experience, the gift of not knowing. The not knowing is when we learn and grow - we may screw up. We may succeed - it doesn't matter. There is not a right or wrong, as much as a "just keep going".
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