Life's short. Let's practice.
I watched how I’ve been handling life. Rather than than trusting in the flow of the Universe I was still turning my boat upstream and paddling as hard as could toward my intentions. Not trusting that the Universe will get me where I want to go.
I saw clearly that I wasn’t loving all the parts of me.
Read MoreWhen he revealed their motto “Everybody in” he said “our roster is millions deep, it’s the collective power and passion of our remarkable players and fans”, everybody in.
I couldn’t help but think how timely this was in my own life and on the mat.
Read MoreWhat I find so compelling about this information is that it is being said in all realms of my practice. Years ago during a teacher training with Aadil Palkhivala he said “you can have the absolute perfect triangle pose and still be an asshole.”
Read MoreI’m beginning to notice when my world seems small and limited, to question the truth of my fear based thoughts. I hear the words of Mike Dooley saying something to remind me of the magnitude of life such as:
The sun rises and sets everyday without question.
Read MoreHow does it feel to let go like that? To let go of the need to control? To give yourself over to something bigger than you? Does it feel different? Scary? Unfamiliar? Or does it feel like the weight of the world was lifted off your shoulders?
Read MoreLife becomes more fun, we take more chances because we trust in the lessons we will receive, we find a softness that had gotten covered by the armor of protection we no longer need. We become kinder, mostly to our own dear selves. We have faith in who we are, exactly as we are. We learn to trust in our own intuition and we feel more connected, to ourselves, to others and to world around us.
Read MoreThis is alignment. Street-level you beautifully co-creating with higher-level you. We know these moments by the ease we feel, the lightness in our body accompanied with complete confidence. This happens because we are perceiving life through spirit rather than our limitations.
Read MoreTo look at our judgement is to change the relationship with it, not to delete it completely from our lives. However hard I work there are still going to be moments when I categorize things into good and bad, right and wrong. There will still be stresses in my life that will cause a habitual reaction of being guarded. I will never not give the side eye to someone leaving their grocery cart in the middle of the parking lot. But I will, as I’ve already seen, soften around all of my outward projections.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever taken sugar or caffeine out of your diet you probably experienced some discomfort, a low grade headache or even full blown flu-like symptoms. It can be so intense we often reason the cleanse is simply not worth the side effects. I prefaced my classes this week by saying “this is our sugar-flu, expect to feel uncomfortable because you are peeking into areas your ego doesn’t want to go”.
Read More“When we become willing to invest in love, spirit can step in. Spirit won’t take from us what we’re not willing to give away. But when we’re willing to forgive, spirit can take away our shame, guilt, and sin and help us see love instead.”
Fortunately, the philosophy tells us that once we realize that we are problem we also find the solution. You can’t have Avidya without Vidya (clear seeing). Something brings us back (a sunset, a sunrise, a walk with a friend, a yoga practice). Something reminds us that it’s going to be OK. Something allows us to feel more than we are in these limited physical bodies, with chaotic minds and sporadic highs and lows of emotions. That something for me was the voice that I’ve come to trust. The voice of Love.
Read MoreWhenever we are faced with a situation we wished had gone differently there’s a lot of room for condemnation, critique and judgement. There is also an opportunity to practice forgiveness. This too requires some skill; allowing ourselves to be learners in this lifetime, forgiving ourselves for the human experience.
Read MoreClose your eyes for a few moments and imagine yourself sitting in the center of a circle. Get grounded in the center, feel the floor under you, the breath breathing you. Around the circumference of the circle begin to place all things in your life. Begin with something as close to you as your physical condition, you remain sitting but separate your body.
Read MoreWe use the practice in this way. We begin with the body because it’s the most tangible, the most easily accessed. Through building strength and opening the tight spots we access the energy flow that has become stuck and stagnant. As the energy becomes unstuck we find a new level of awareness, of curiosity, we step into the flow
Read MoreChodron says “there’s nothing to hold onto and no escape from the groundlessness of being”. Sometimes groundlessness is something we chose other times it’s circumstances beyond our control. But if there’s nothing to hold onto the question then becomes how can I find strength and clarity in the midst of the instability?
Read MoreWe are being reminded that we already possess the answers we are seeking and it begins by believing in ourselves. We look out at an ego-driven world that is beyond our control and it’s a big scary place where if I win, you lose. On the mat we look within and we are reminded of truth of who we are. A truth that we all know but possibly have lost touch with along the way.
Read MoreAnd the simple reason for this is because yoga is a tool that we’ve been given that allows us to remember. To remember the truth of who we are. To open and strengthen the body, to clear the mind, to balance our emotional state and to eventually connect with the part of us that is bigger than us. The presence that holds us upright that is beyond muscle, tissue, skin and bone. Some call it God, consciousness, the light, spirit, Universe. I believe it’s the thread, the unifying force that reminds us that we are all connected, all the same.
Read MoreThe stillness of our meditation practice serves as reminder that the magic is still there. When we still the body and quiet the mind we see who it is we are beyond all that is temporary. We learn that we are not just these limited bodies and chaotic minds but we are also the Intelligence that lies in wait in the still place behind the chattering, the rationale and processing.
Read MoreTo me what Joe Maddon was saying was, “listen, you are going to go out there and make some mistakes. You will go out there and probably not be the best, you might fall down, you might even fail. But if you are trying not to suck it means you are showing up every day from where you are with what you have and essentially are doing your best, working hard and taking personal responsibility all without the pressure of needing to be perfect. Because you already are. So go be human and have fun.”
Read MoreHow often do we allow our fear to stand in the way of our showing up? How often do we find ourselves saying “but I don’t know how”? or “I’m too old, young, short, tall, overqualified, underqualified.” Somewhere along the way we have bought into the story that says we can’t.
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