Sacred Cycles

We have just experienced the Solstice, winter in the Northern hemisphere and summer in the Southern hemisphere. Here in North America our days will begin to get longer. The interesting thing is that we are not likely to notice this gradual lengthening of daylight hours as it's in such small increments. It's likely we'll begin to sense the difference six weeks from now but, for the moment, we are sitting in the heart of winter.

With the cycling of the seasons we are reminded of natural and sacred rhythms. Cycles exist in our day as we begin with the earth turning toward the sun and end by turning away. They exist in other ways such as the menstrual cycles of women, the cycle of the week, school semesters and with the arrival of each birthday. On a more subtle level is the ongoing cycle of our breath with each inhale and exhale marking one cycle. Considering that at rest we breathe an average of 12 breaths per minute, we are constantly in a motion. One moment arises and falls away into the next moment. We can even think that the cycles of our life are simply the present moment connecting to the next moment...one continuous thread of moment to moment.

The same applies to our individual practices of yoga and meditation. What often happens initially on our mats is that we have a profound or breakthrough experience. It's as though we've been sitting in ignorance and then WHAM!, we are struck by a life altering experience or thought. We sense an immediate and obvious shift. However it doesn't always happen like that. It can often feel as though we're plodding along in our practice, perhaps doing the same or similar daily ritual or practicing the same yoga poses. And then, just like the gradual lengthening of daylight hours after the winter Solstice, we notice a shift. It might not have been obvious but with each and every intentional effort to step into our practice, we continue to fertilize the depth and richness of our own journey.

In a story once shared by the Buddhist meditation teacher, Sharon Salzberg, she spoke about all of us having an empty bucket. With each intentional act of consciousness, we add a single drop into our bucket. Over time, we begin to fill the bucket up and all of it has originated from the place of our highest self, with intention and discipline. Imagine if we live unconsciously for years and years, perhaps saying things publicly that we feel won't affect others, perhaps harboring negative thoughts or perhaps holding onto the limiting belief that what we are isn't enough. Over the same amount of time, our bucket remains empty.

It's through conscious choice that we step into our practice and it's through conscious choice that we honor the sacred cycles that we meet along the way. At times it might feel as though we are standing still and that nothing is happening, yet the wisdom traditions affirm that the magic of what we are doing will manifest in some form at some time in our future.

So just as we naturally cycle from the darkest days toward light, we can do that metaphorically by staying with our practice, even when we think that nothing might be changing. As sure as the sun will rise and spring is around the corner, the cycles of our own practice will awaken. Trust the darkness to bring you into the light. Trust that every noble act, every kind word, every message of love sent to self and others is another drop in your spiritual bucket.

Start filling it up and let the light shine in!

Peaceful Solstice

Here in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting short and the nights long. The natural environment seems to be drawing into itself and shedding excess leaves and growth until a more opportune time to grow and bloom. We are about to pass the Winter Solstice.

I love the idea of the Winter Solstice as it relates to light. The actual day in 2015 is Tuesday December 22 representing the shortest day of the year as it relates to the number of daylight hours that we see. From December 23 the daylight hours begin to lengthen. 

We step from darkness into light.

Isn't that what our own personal growth is about? Gaining clarity about our own life path and purpose? Moving from ignorance towards greater wisdom? Turning inward to see our own inner light's radiance? We acknowledging the darkest moments of our soul as we step into our own light and expanding consciousness. Another way to look at it is as we awaken consciousness, we bring what is lying in our own shadows into full view. We take a look at that which we've pushed away or tamped down and bring it into the light. When we do so, the power it has over us begins to diminish and we start the process of making peace with our shadow selves.

One of the fundamental teachings in yoga is that we are all born divine. This divinity possesses a radiance that is often referred to as residing in the heart center. Just look at a healthy newborn and you can't help but see that they are divinely perfect beings. And the thing is, that never changes...it never leaves us. What happens is that we simply forget. We travel through our lives and begin to disconnect from this notion of being whole and beautifully complete. Ways that we learn to cope on a day to day basis, often in the form of defense mechanisms, often leave a layer that takes us further away from knowing our deepest selves. 

What our yoga practice does, is help us to remember. It helps us to still the distracting chatter of our mind, to peel away the layers and to celebrate the magnificence of our physical body so that we can connect once again to the light that dwells within.

Let's take a moment as the Winter Solstice passes to connect to our inner radiance and all the potential that is sitting within us.

The word Namaste' describes this precisely. 

"The light in me, sees and honors the light in you. When we are both in this place, we are one."

Peaceful Solstice.

Daily Practice

The other day as I sat sharing my words of the week, "Daily Practice", I was speaking from the perspective that our practice is always in front of us. What we need to be practicing has a way of revealing itself and it's up to us to open our awareness and see what is sitting before us.

Can you think about the first time you stepped onto a yoga mat? Do you remember what your intention was? What had brought you to that moment? For me, my practice was just turning up once or twice a week. I had no idea of what "my practice" was or what it could look like. I simply had the intention of showing up and seeing what that particular session had in store. When the class was over, I'd leave and head back into the same frame of mind that I had before the class and perhaps feeling a bit physically different. And it was like that for quite a long time. I'd turn up, do the practice and wait until the next session before I did it again. I didn't have any awareness of the residue that would stick to me following each session. Yet, over time, it began to show itself.

The more times I came to the mat, the more insight I started to notice. My thoughts became as entangled in the process as did my physical self. I began to notice my breath (or lack of it) as well as how often I sat in self-judgment (and there was a lot of that). At some point along my journey, and I can't even pinpoint when, I saw my yoga practice leaking off my mat and into the time when I wasn't "in class". I started to notice my words more carefully and to bear witness as to the effect they had on others. I caught myself wanting to blurt something out and instead, pausing and deciding if it were wise and kind.

My awareness of being in practice off the mat accelerated when I started to delve into the philosophy of yoga and other wisdom traditions. I learned that a framework existed within the Sutras of Patanjali (an ancient text) that made sense to me...a way in which I could begin to live my yoga on a daily basis. What I do remember is having a profound moment of thought that if I were to be teaching these things, I had to be living these things. I couldn't ask others to do what I was unwilling to do. I needed to be connected to the practice (in my own way) both on and off the mat to echo and transmit a sense of authenticity.

You can't avoid it. Transformation happens when you step onto a yoga mat or sit down to meditate. It's inherent in the process but there is a caveat...consistency. In order for the magic to appear, we have to commit to doing the work. Every day and in whatever way it appears before us.

The more awareness we allow ourselves to open to, the greater our growth is along our ever evolving path. I refer to us having two selves: the evolving self and the un-evolved self. The evolving self is the one that sets the intention to attain a state of inner peace, connection to purpose, living with compassion and in a state of being with whatever is happening in the present moment. Our un-evolved self is the "old" us, the behavior that perhaps feels embedded from years of repetition. The behavior we'd like to change as it points us in the direction away from our highest and truest selves. The more we recognize our practice and work on it, the more quickly we recognize our un-evolved selves. We can feel it in our gut when our reactions are less than what we want for ourselves.

So my thought for the week is to keep at it. You may feel as though you're doing the same thing or not enough, but stick with as much as you can do. Notice your practice when you're not on your yoga mat or sitting on a meditation cushion. Let your life be your practice and to quote Pattabhi Jois, "practice and all is coming".

Be Empty

This time of year we become inundated with things to fill us up-the Thanksgiving feast, Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday, holiday parties, gift giving and spending and so many social engagements rushing us toward a new year. It can all seem a bit much and it's little wonder that we'll stumble into the new year feeling like we need to "detox" from the holidays. So in order to avoid the ever tempting opportunities to overdo the holidays, my thought for the week has been to "be empty". That's right...NOW is the time to take the time to clear out the clutter to avoid the somewhat inevitable overload.

Clearing the clutter can be quite literal. The recent long Thanksgiving weekend I was fortunate to have a four day "staycation". Not only was I able to see a movie, go on long bicycle rides and a couple of hikes with family and friends, I took some time to load up three boxes of donation items for one of our local charities. In preparation for the Thanksgiving meal, I was searching for placemats, serving bowls and napkins and, in doing so, realized how much stuff I hadn't used since the last Thanksgiving three years ago. If I hadn't used it...it went into the box. This rippled out to clearing out some dresser drawers and clothes in my closet. It felt enormously gratifying to be rid of these things. My thought was that it's time for them to find a new home and be loved by someone who will actually appreciate them.

And so began this weeks teaching of emptying out. And the thing is, I could turn around after such a cleanse and realize I could do it all again many times over. When we let go, we have the tendency to refill again. 

When we empty out, we dump things not only from our physical space but from our psyche. When we become empty vessels, we remember the deeper essence of who we are and why we are here. If we keep adding to the physical and emotional clutter, we can easily get distracted from what matters most. One way I practice being empty is through a daily meditation practice. Each morning I have sacred time dedicated to checking in and clearing out. This practice definitely sets the timbre of the day. It's as if each day begins again from a clear perspective of what's possible and what matters.

We can also "be empty" through the use of our breath and visualization. We can breathe into the inner borders of our body as though we are offering ourselves more and more space on each inhale and we can empty out whatever has arisen on each exhale. And just as things empty, then tend to come back in...just like the ebb and flow of the ocean. If we can regularly practice emptying out, we are freer in each moment. Instead of dust gathering on the mirror of who we are and altering the our true reflection, we gain clarity by clearing.

So perhaps begin this holiday season by giving yourself the gift of a feather duster, an empty box and some time to let stuff go. Less clutter equals more clarity both at home and in the heart.

Breathe in and let go...