Following My Bliss

This past weekend, another group of students graduated from True FLOW Yoga Teacher Training.  This was the tenth 200 hour yoga teacher training that I have independently led. As I look back and reflect on the last few years of my life, it is very surreal.  Five years ago, although I was already teaching yoga classes a few times a week, I was also still pursuing a path towards a “real career,” or what I thought a real career is supposed to be.  Now here I am today, running my own small yoga business and doing what I love most as a career. 

I did not plan this out; I can’t take any credit for that.  Five years ago, I never would have thought that I would be doing what I am doing today.  The path that led up to this point consisted of a lot of random opportunities that seemingly “fell into my lap.”  I used to think that I just got lucky, but the more I pay attention, the more I realize that opportunities are constantly falling into all of our laps assuming our eyes are open and we are willing to rise to the challenge.  The one thing that I have done consistently that I believe has made all the difference is this: I always stay open to new possibilities.  When opportunities arise (often ones that seem really scary!), I am presented with a choice to either step forward into the unknown or to stay where I am.  Each time, I choose to move forward.  I am where I am today because I have allowed myself to take risks, I have allowed myself to fail, and I have learned what it means to get back up and try again. 

As we move into the holiday season, I have so much for which to be grateful.  Not many people have the good fortune of doing what they love as a career, and I am very aware that I could not possibly have gotten to where I am alone.  Every step of the way, it has been the support of my family, my good friends, and my inspiring students who have given me the courage to keep moving forward into the unknown and taking chances.  I am so incredibly thankful especially to my parents for standing behind me and always being my biggest fans.  Without knowing that I had the safety net of them to catch me if things didn’t work out, I might not have had the faith to take the steps I needed to take to get where I am. 

Perhaps most of all, I am grateful to my students for reminding me again and again why I teach.  When I am having a bad day and I have to muster up the strength to show up and lead a class, without fail I end up leaving the class feeling much better than when I came in.  Just the simple fact of feeling the energy and attentiveness of the students in some way heals me.  Students know that the teacher is there to help them, but I often think they don’t realize that it is truly a two-way street: they help me by being there.  We are a community and the relationship only works when we both show up.  There is not a more rewarding job in the world than to facilitate and be present for another person's self-discovery and awakening.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all those who have been part of my path and supported me along the way.

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” ~ Joseph Campbell

Celebrate Life

On March 20, the sun will cross directly over the Earth’s equator, creating a day of equal daylight and darkness on our planet. For the Northern hemisphere, this day is the Vernal Equinox and marks the first day of Spring. The next 6 months are symbolic of the victory of light over darkness, as days will be longer than nights. The lethargy of winter dissolves and the promise of new beginnings manifests as the leaves return to the trees, flowers come into bloom, and fresh green grass returns to the fields. What a beautiful time to celebrate life! 

I would like to share a meditation with you that I practice regularly to remind myself of the simple, yet profound joy of being alive. Either from a comfortable seated or prone position, place your right hand over your navel/belly center and your left hand over your heart/sternum. These locations are home to two powerful energy centers in the body. The masculine navel center houses personal power and sense of self, while the feminine heart center houses love, compassion, and the ability to relate to others. In this calming posture, do not attempt to do anything special. Merely close your eyes and become aware of the experience of being alive. Notice your heart beating, your breath rising and falling. Think of this as time to recharge your human battery. 

In order to keep a healthy perspective on what really matters in life, it is imperative that we take time often to consciously plug in and appreciate our natural, unadulterated existence. Otherwise, we tend to get caught up in day-to-day frustrations and wind up expending a great deal of energy on trivial incidents, while forgetting how fortunate we are to be here at all. Think what a miracle your life is: How many events had to happen in just the right way in order for you to come into being? What a staggering concept! If just one small thing had changed along the way, you may not be here today. So let us rejoice in the serendipity of life and dance through this month with a spirit of celebration.

“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

 Playlist: 1 hour Reggae Celebration Flow

 Treasures - Thievery Corporation 

 Sun is Shining (Sand in my Shoe remix) - Bob Marley 

 Mantra Mix - Sacred Sound System 

 World a Reggae - Ini Kamoze 

 Beach in Hawaii - Ziggy Marley 

 Concrete Jungle - Bob Marley & the Wailers 

 We're Gonna Make It - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley 

 Soul Rebel (Bonus Track) - Lee "Scratch" Perry 

 Warrior - Matisyahu 

 There for You - Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley 

 Gold to Me - Ben Harper 

 Somewhere over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole 

 One Road to Freedom - Ben Harper

New beginnings

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

2010 has arrived and the new year brings with it a fresh start, a time to make new commitments and personal resolutions. We make these commitments with the best of intentions, but once the train gets derailed we are back to our old patterns. Inertia is hard to overcome in such a large chunk. What if we were to consider every day as a new opportunity to create a positive change in ourselves and the world? Remember the freedom of choice that we all possess when choosing the words we speak and the actions we exercise. How will I choose to define myself by my choices in this moment?

My personal resolution for 2010 is to remind myself of a mantra every morning that I will repeat in order to consciously plant a seed of clarity:

“This is the perfect moment to begin living my life more in accordance with my values.
Today is the perfect day to embody the change I wish to see in the world.
Now is the perfect time to be the person I wish to be.”

For me, it will be a daily reminder to keep moving in the direction I see as “forward.”  One thing that we can always count on in life is change. While we are powerless to stop things from changing, we can determine the direction of the change. Positive thoughts breed more positive thoughts. Correct actions lead to more correct actions. As I make my daily commitment to simply be a little more honest, a little more compassionate, a little more peaceful, I slowly but surely embody my Truth ever more each day. I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on what is important to you and perhaps to establish a mantra that speaks to you and your Truth.

Create a beautiful 2010.

 Playlist: 1 hour Yoga Flow

 Pranafestation - Desert Dwellers 

 The Eastoner - General Midi 

 Ocean of Joy - Ikarus 

 Meu Destino - Thievery Corporation 

 Oscar Tosca and Anna Clementi 

 Gute LauneTosca and Tweed 

 Jai MaWah! 

 Jai HanumanShaman's Dream 

 Durga ShaktiShaman's Dream 

 SamadhiShaman's Dream

Feeling Connected

Being connected is not a rational thought or just a pleasant feeling.  It is a “knowing,” a deep and utter awareness of being part of a vast and grand scheme.  We seem to only stop and take notice when we have these moments of feeling connected because for most of us, most of the time, we feel completely dis-connected.  Disconnected seems to be our default state, the condition we are used to. 

The nature of the modern age is such that the majority of our lives do not require us to be aligned with the cycles and rhythms of nature.  Our society has evolved to the point that the seasons, the tides, and the weather hardly affect most of our daily comings and goings.  We are fortunate enough to live in a place where just about any crop is available to buy at any time of year.  We have heating in our homes and cars and offices for when is it cold and air conditioners for when it is hot.  Most of us spend the majority of our lives indoors, inside of little protected boxes.  We get into our car “box” to drive to work.  We step into our office “box” from 9-5.  We drive over to our gym “box” to exercise.  We get back into our car “box” to drive to our home “box” to spend our evening.  If it is too dark out, our boxes even light up.  If it is too bright out, we close the shades.  We go to great lengths to keep the “outside” (insects, animals, wind, rain, even other people) out there, away from our own personal little bubble.  We do not want the outside getting inside.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with these comforts, if we don’t make the effort to notice the natural world then we will resign ourselves to feel disconnected from it. 

Ancient cultures paid close attention to the seasons, to the weather, to the moon cycles.  Farmers still do.  They know the importance of planting and harvesting at the right times of the day and year.  As diverse as they may be, surfers and physicists alike know that everything in life has rhythm and is made up of waves.  Like the Earth, humans are composed mainly of water.  We are fluid beings.  And like the Earth, our bodies are affected by the cycles of the moon and the movement of the stars. 

So how do we get re-connected?  A teacher told me “No matter how disconnected you may feel, you never really are.  It’s always all right here.”  Getting outside of the “boxes” helps.  Just step outside: taking a walk or jog (without earphones!), watch the sunrise or sunset, watching the waves on the ocean, sitting in your yard to eat breakfast, stargaze at night.  Do any of these things and pay particular attention to the sky, the earth, the temperature of the air, what the plants are doing this time of year, the smells, and the sounds. 

Our yoga practice is a beautiful place to find connection.  When we enter the room, we remove our shoes. Our bare feet touch the earth. Our hands touch the earth. Our entire bodies ground down and connect us to Earth. We listen to our breath and the rhythmic beating of our hearts.  Like waves on the ocean, life pulses through our bodies.  The natural world has rhythm and cycles:  the seasons, the days, the tides.  By watching yourself, you notice the natural rhythm of YOU: breathing, pulsing, living.        

And then you remember that it’s not all out there.  It’s all in here, inside of you!  Humans are a microcosm of the Universe.  Everything that is without is also within.  As the Vedas say, “You are That.”  The feeling of connection stems from that realization: You are all of this!  You are not the small, stressed out, stuck-in-your-head, dis-connected person that you believe yourself to be.  You are all THIS, as far as your eye can see, as deep as your mind can fathom. 

So this month, I invite you to get outside, drink in the air, smile and make eye contact with the other people who are part of this beautiful journey, and rejoice! 

“The small man builds cages for everyone he knows. While the sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low, keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful, rowdy prisoners.”    ~ Hafiz

Playlist: 1 hour Yoga Flow
(I am on a bit of a Cantoma and Thievery Corporation kick this month!)

 Offshore - Chicane 

 5th & Avenida - Afterlife 

 Marisi - Cantoma 

 A Gentle Dissolve - Thievery Corporation 

 Air Batucada - Thievery Corporation 

 So Com Voce - Thievery Corporation 

 Samba Tranquille - Thievery Corporation 

 Shadows of Ourselves - Thievery Corporation 

 Maja - Cantoma 

 Only People - Cantoma 

 Down Slow - Moby 

 Everloving - Moby 

 The Time We Lost Our Way - Thievery Corporation 

 All That I Am - Shimshai