Being and Becoming

I have this strong memory of standing at the window in my childhood home staring at the rain.  A vivid recollection as the rain fell from the roof and formed perfect drops into a growing puddle. I can recall the sound, the grayness, and the cool temperature of the glass that separated me from the elements. I don't know if I was more than a couple of years old, as I was mostly pre-verbal, but that moment left an incredible imprint in my memory. The point of this story is the person that who was watching the rain is the same person that's been watching my entire life. This is my witness-self, the eternal part of me that sees the history of this incarnation without making comment or having judgment around it. That two-year-old self is the same as the current 54-year old self...it hasn't changed. This "being" is the part of us that is transcendent and unchanging and is referred to as the paramatman, the universal or eternal soul.

Then there's this other aspect of ourselves called the jiva-atman, or the "becoming" self. This part of us is connected to why we are in this body, with the often asked question, "why am I here?". The unveiling of this question often points to our purpose or dharma. Some people ascribe to the idea that our soul comes into this body at this particular point in time with an intention or purpose. What is it that I need to experience to continue the evolution of my soul toward complete union with divine consciousness? Why have I taken this form and what is my role in this incarnation? Some may believe we have just a single experience...we're born, we live our life and when we die we head someplace other than earth that is a reflection of how we lived. And others think it's an on-going experience, coming into form so that we can learn the many lessons we need to become enlightened. No matter what you believe, the point is that most of us feel connected to and driven by a purpose. Whether or not we have a clear vision of what that purpose may be is the "becoming".

I'm lucky to have uncovered what I believe to be my dharma-that of a teacher. I have been teaching most of my life in one form or another and the older I became, the more clarity I gained that I was being called to teach and, more specifically, to teach through the lens of yoga. All of the various teaching experiences have refined and deepened my understanding of what I'm currently teaching and this became crystallized about 15 years ago...I felt I truly knew why I was here. 

So as we come to the end of 2017, I wanted to put on the wide angle lens and take a broad view of where we are, hence the theme of being and becoming. As we reflect on the past 12 months, many of the themes I've taught and written about revolve around the challenges we meet, the upheavals that come to us, the dark moments as well as the joyous and celebratory ones and how we can use the teachings from the wisdom traditions to better cope and find ease in our lives. The past couple of weeks have been about not only what are we ready to release, but of what's been put in place and is really supporting us to find integration. If we've been walking this path with any amount of awareness and intention, we've created small changes that make a difference. Some can be surrendered and others kept in place. So, as you flip the calendar to 2018, reflect on the good that you've brought into your life and how that's filled up your own well. We know that if we nurture our own selves, the abundance of that flows away from us. And when the energy is flowing from our hearts, we are free to step into the roles this life has for us.

I am so incredibly grateful to know why I'm here and to have a growing community of like-minds that want to share the ride and spread the yoga love. May all of us tap into our heart-space, breathe deeply, and serve others so that we find a more peaceful world...a world at ease.

Sacred Flow

What a week it's been, with many energies colliding and coinciding. Monday we had a new moon, a sky with darkness as the moon cannot be seen. In the lunar cycle, this is a ripe time to set intentions, planting the seeds of what we wish to see manifest in the light of the full moon. As so often happens, it might be more than a lunar cycle to see what blooms from our intentions, but we put it out there nonetheless. Also, the Solstice happened this past week, the winter in the Northern hemisphere and the summer in the Southern hemisphere...the shortest and longest days of the year. I love this time of the year in the north, as it feels as though we are being called home, to turning inward to listen to what our inner voice has to say. The day following the Solstice in the Northern hemisphere has us turning in the North direction from a Shamanic perspective. Turning to the north asks us to connect to the spiritual aspect of who we are, melding perfectly with the introspection and setting of intentions being brought forth this week. Plus, we finished the celebration of Hanukkah this past week and Monday marks Christmas day...so many occasions that revolve around light.

As Diane Booth Gilliam wrote, "The sun symbolizes your soul. In fact, the word "solstice" means sun standing still, so in a sense, we could say your soul stands still on the solstice-maybe even long enough for you to catch a glimpse of it, as some legends say you can at this divine time of year."

As we mark the Solstice, I am reminded of our time almost a year ago that we had in Iceland. It was early December and we were only a couple of weeks away from the Solstice. The daylight hours were limited to about five hours and it never truly got that light outside. The sun loomed along the horizon, never venturing overhead and the surreal feeling was as though we were in an extended dawn. It's no wonder that countries that are located close to the Arctic Circle embraced the celebration of the Winter Solstice with bonfires and gatherings represented by light. This time of year is a turning point as the days begin to lengthen with the return of the light.

I've come to appreciate the darkness as it feels like an invitation to put on a bathrobe, grab a cup of tea and snuggle into the couch. It feels like a personal invitation to withdraw and slow down for a few moments of quiet.  I am also reminded of how these sacred moments are in constant flow. The cycles of the season continue to turn and the shape of the moon shifts each day. If we pay attention, we can recognize our own personal flow that includes our breath and the blood coursing through our bodies. Our breath is in a constant cycle...in and out, on average 12 times each minute. This happens whether or not we pay any attention to it. The circulating blood in our bodies, being pumped by the constant rhythm of our hearts, is happening 60-80 beats per minute. This also happens whether or not we pay attention to it. 

One of the beautiful things about our yoga practice is that it asks us to get to know our breathing. It gives us space to sense the energy emitting from our heart and to pay attention to the signals the body is constantly sending. It teaches us to pay attention to our individual cycles, to how we feel on each day and what we need to support where we are moment to moment. If we expand this out and listen to what the cycles of nature, the seasons, and the moon are saying, we become part of the grander sacred flow of energy. We awaken to all that's around us as well as to what is within us. And when we pay attention, we may just hear our soul speak the deepest truths of who we are and how we are spiritually embodied in a human experience.

So, I hope you'll join me this time of year in making space to recognize what you're ready to let go of and what you're willing to hold onto. If you've been exploring your holistic path you may have put into place things that support you (your non-negotiables) and realized that much of what you thought you previously needed is no longer supporting you. Listen to the call of the darkness and go into your spiritual home. Turn in and tune in. 

The light in me sees and honors the light in you. Peaceful Solstice to all!

Sangha-Building a Spiritual Community

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

~Jane Howard

For us at Desert Yoga Therapy, it's a time to say thank you for being part of our community. This past week we celebrated our first anniversary in our Rancho Mirage studio. In some ways, it feels like we've been there for much longer as so many experiences have been had over these past 12 months. 

It's been a heart-warming reflection to consider all that has happened this past year: workshops on Ayurveda, chakras, auras, intuition, ecstatic dance, kids and tweens; teacher training programs with two 200-Hour classes, advanced studies, and restorative yoga; weekly yoga classes (total attendance over 6000); 1-1 yoga therapy and 1-1 Pilates. We have instructors who are building their own business within DYT and bring great compassion to what they do.

For those who've been to our studio, you have commented on not only how beautiful it is, but how it feels welcoming and safe, a sacred place for us to be on our own journey of wellness. One of the intentions that my husband, Ed, and I had for the space was that it would be a place where people could come to be in community no matter who they were or what was transpiring in their lives. We wanted this space to be free of turmoil from the "outside" world, a place to re-calibrate our sense of self, a place to process and move and breathe. We are honored that you have allowed us to serve you in this way.

To get a sense of what this anniversary means on a personal level, I went back to some older blogs I had written about finding community. Two blogs, in particular, stood out, written in 2011 and 2015. When I left Australia and returned to the States in 1997, I left behind a community of people that I call my "heart family". These are the people in our lives who've bared witness to our journey and hold us with compassion, support, and unconditional love. I thought I would find that upon returning to the States, but instead what I seemed to be looking for was elusive. I had a few false starts, hanging out with groups of people that I enjoyed, yet lacked the depth I was seeking. On a deeper level, I was looking for a community of people that were also seeking to connect to higher purpose, who were willing to share their vulnerabilities, and support each other in finding meaning in our lives.

Something within me was calling for this and, since it wasn't coming easily to me, I thought perhaps that part of my purpose was to build community. You know the saying, "build it and they will come" which is perhaps true with the right intention, but I had many moments of sitting in an empty yoga studio waiting for someone to walk in the door. It's been a long, slow growth which has taken persistence and determination. I hold the attitude that no matter how many people turn up to practice, I will give it the same energy. And now in coming to the end of our first year in our new space, I can actually see the manifestation of this intention of building community. I love being in our studio for many reasons-the purple walls, the beautiful floor, the soft natural lighting...but what I love most are the people who walk through the doors. We often come with some agitation or heaviness of heart, and I am fortunate to see the after-effects of what happens within the classes and sessions. People leave smiling and relaxed. They engage with others and form lifelong friendships. 

My teacher, Judith Hanson Lasater, has a saying about our role as yoga teachers, and that is to "reflect the inherent goodness in people back to them".  I know that I was looking for people to reflect that back to me in my search for community, and when I turned it away from me and began to focus on how to serve others, that's when it happened. By shining my own light, other people's  radiant nature came flooding back to me.

My wish is may all of us shine our lights brightly, attract those who do the same and offer our hearts to the larger community. May this year be one of great peace and ease. And may we continue to find our individual way with support from those around us.

Pratyahara

The darkness that envelops the sky after the completion of my evening classes lets me know that the Winter Solstice is fast-approaching. Our daylight hours are seemingly short and the natural rhythm of nature is beckoning us to welcome the darkness. Although we don't quite go into a full-on hibernation, this is the perfect time to begin reflecting on the past few months and recognize that it's time to drop our own leaves...what can we release? 

My thought of the week is about Pratyahara, often translated as a "withdrawal of the senses". It's the fifth of the eight limbs of "ashtanga yoga', the eight-faceted path as described in the Sutras of Patanjali. The first four limbs: Yama, Niyama, asana, and pranayama have a somewhat physical focus being internal/external observances and ethical behaviors; poses; and the effect we have on energy through the use of the breath. Pratyahara is the pivotal point where we begin the shift from the physical body into the mind/ethereal body. By pulling the senses from the outer world, we begin to awaken the senses of our inner world. This is beautifully experienced when we practice savasana, the corpse pose, at the end of a yoga practice. The corpse represents the death of the physical body so that we can enliven and explore the interior landscape of who we are. When we engage in pulling the senses in, it pivots us towards a quieter space which is concentration, meditation, and moments of merging with Divine energy, also known as the final three limbs of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.

I was inspired to talk about this "turning in" for two reasons: the approaching winter Solstice and having spent the past weekend teaching a restorative intensive workshop. Much of the time during the intensive we worked on creating an environment to entice and foster deep states of relaxation and we do that through drawing the senses inward. Keys to finding deep relaxation are: quiet, dark, warm, comfortable, safe, and still. When we support the body with blankets, bolsters, and blocks, then cover the eyes with a lightweight eye pillow we create the perfect circumstances for a shift to occur...from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic part of the nervous system continuum.  

It is within the state of deep relaxation that our body, mind, and spirit have the space in which to heal. This is because deep relaxation has a potent effect on our physiology. The heart rate slows down, blood pressure drops, whatever contents we have in the stomach get digested, and we reabsorb the stress hormones of adrenaline and cortisol. If we are chronically held in the vigilance of the sympathetic nervous system, our biology is impacted and our health suffers.

An example of this is a podcast I recently heard that had the story of a woman working in technology development who was always connected to some device, worked long hours, and was well embedded in the corporate hamster wheel. She began to notice that her memory was poor and she lacked clarity, so she sought medical support which found nothing structurally wrong with her brain so she was at a loss as to what was happening. Eventually, she and her husband headed to Hawaii for a holiday and upon landing, she texted a client saying that she was now available. Her husband suggested that he confiscate all of her devices for the duration of their vacation to which she agreed, but felt anger toward her spouse. However, she recounts that it was day eight when she awoke with her senses vibrantly reawakened...she noticed the texture of her sheets, the smell of the air, and the sound of the ocean. She felt she was back and her memory was as well. When she returned to her corporate role, she tried to make changes within the work environment but realized it was the environment that was "scrambling her brain"...so, eventually, she quit.

As I heard this story I thought that perhaps it wasn't all technology's fault, but the fact that she never disconnected from it. It's vital to our mental and physical health that we take time to turn in and pull our senses away from stimulation. Some of us are still distracted without technology, so let's all do ourselves a favor and shut down whatever it is that constantly tugs us away from our own heart.

Now...take a deep breath, find a comfortable position, and close your eyes. Your entire being will thank you for it!

Be. Receive. Give Thanks.

At times I hear something and know immediately that it's worth holding onto. This past week, I was listening to a guided meditation by Sarah Blondin on the Insight Timer App (free and fabulous) and she said the above statement: Be. Receive. Give Thanks. I kept repeating this phrase throughout my meditation and noticed how each word had its own gifts and imagery. I knew I wanted to share it with classes this week with the hope that each person who hears these words with little prompting, can explore what arises when silently repeated.

Be.

For me, this speaks volumes to the many practices in the wisdom traditions that support us in being fully present and in the moment. We are so easily enticed away from the now by the everyday-ness of life. We awake in the morning and so often pick up a device, checking for what has happened during our sleeping hours which can prompt us to look into what the day ahead holds. We completely skip over being right where we are.

It also feels as though "be" is about acceptance, coming to a place of being with what is happening without the need to alter, fix, or change the experience. In doing so, can we be in a state of equanimity with whatever is occurring? 

Receive.

As I sat with this word, I allowed myself to receive whatever was arising without trying to alter it. To receive the next breath, to receive the thought that popped into my head, to receive the touch of air on my skin and the sounds in my environment. What do I receive easily? What is it that I don't like to receive? In receiving, we need to stay open and porous with our yoga practice as this is often the place where not only do we let go of what no longer is serving us, but open to receiving what does.

Give Thanks.

We just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday here in the USA. A day devoted to gratitude and feasting, so gratitude seemed to be elevated in people's awareness. A practice of gratitude is a powerful way to remind ourselves of the abundance in our lives, particularly potent when we feel less than or frustrated when things don't go the way we want. To honor this, we put up a white board in the reception area of the studio with the heading of "Today, What Are You Grateful For?". Connecting to this part of our brains helps to re-wire negativity and set positive intentions. And in challenging times, it may seem we don't have much to be thankful for, but A.A. Milne, Winnie-The-Pooh reminds us: 

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude." 

As a practice, find a comfortable position and begin to focus on the movement of the breath in and out of the nose. Every time the breath changes direction, repeat the phrase as though you are breathing the intention into your cells and sending it out to the wider universe. Notice what comes up when each word lands in your awareness.

Be.

Receive.

Give Thanks.

A student shared their experience with the above practice noticing how they are all interrelated. When we allow ourselves to simply be, we are able to receive what we need. And when we receive what supports us, we are filled with gratitude. I couldn't have said it better myself. Enjoy the exploration!

Non-Negotiable

Last week we took some time to look at our "why", the driving force behind what motivates us to do certain things. It began with the story about someone writing their eulogy and realizing that what they had written wasn't aligning with how they were currently living. This awakening led them to make significant changes by setting intentions of slowing down and living a more purposeful life. Once we realize what's really important to us in the long run, do we have the discipline to enact and, moreover, stick to daily rituals that connect us to our why?

We are constantly engaged in a dynamic daily shift of experiences and this topic is purposefully timed to coincide with the holiday season, sometimes nicknamed the "silly season". We hear people saying they're going to try and "survive" the holidays which sounds not only combative but truly exhausting. Wouldn't it be refreshing to set an intention of ease and peace during this time of year? So this weeks thought is twofold: 

1. What do we need to do daily to keep us from capsizing when life gets overly full?

2. What do we have in place that keeps us connected to our larger life's "why", those things that provide the rich soil for our lives?

In a recent interview, Courtney Carver from Be More With Less spoke about three non-negotiables that she has for those times when the "tilt" happens. The tilt is a period of time in which we know that our schedules are over-scheduled and we may be burning the candle at both ends. We are quite adaptable creatures and can sustain the tilt for short periods, such as the holiday season or running a major event, but know that over the long haul, being tilted will eventually lead us to tipping over the edge. During these times, Courtney ensures that she: 1) gets sufficient sleep; 2) eats nourishing whole foods; and 3) meditates daily. 

My personal list of non-negotiables is 1) getting sufficient sleep, and 2) daily meditation. Those two things are at the top of the pile and have been at the top over the past several years as I have found them to be the ballast of equanimity all year long. Close to the top of the list with a bit more wiggle room are: moving my body, being mindful of nourishing myself with whole foods; and getting out in nature, including putting my hands in the dirt and feet in the sand. When I connect into that inner sanctuary, not only does it feed my own soul and keep me connected to my larger purpose in life, but it makes me a nicer person to be around. I know that hungry + tired = cranky, so keeping things in place leads to greater ease for all.

As we enter this holiday season, perhaps we can set the intention to be more present rather than stress about giving the perfect presents. Perhaps we can honor the rhythm of the Northern Hemisphere as we approach the winter solstice to give ourselves some time to hibernate and rejuvenate and in the Southern Hemisphere, to get outside and touch the earth. Perhaps we can put the wide angle lens on the camera of our life and look at the big picture, to slow down, take a deep breath and truly savor rather than survive this time of year. In the end, what has impact and adds quality to our lives are the experiences we create more than the stuff we give or get. So remember what's important to you, to connect to your why, for not only this time of year, but as the mantra of how you want to live and honor those couple of things that help you stay on track and make it manifest.

Now take a deep breath and do something that feeds your soul...no negotiating!

What's Your Why?

Over the next two weeks, we'll be exploring two connected concepts-What's Your Why? and Non-Negotiables. These two ideas are linked as once we truly know what motivates us, we begin to put non-negotiables in place to support us staying on track. My thinking about the timing of these two topics has been inspired by the approaching holiday season and all of the things that trip us up during this time. It's as though we enter into expectations that have been built up over a lifetime. 

When I was growing up, our Mom always made a huge effort to create a memorable Christmas holiday. She spent hours shopping and finding things that were just right for us four kids...nobody got more than anyone else, the tree was always trimmed, the presents beautifully wrapped, and Christmas morning Santa always delivered something special into our stockings. As a kid, I loved this time of year and, as I grew older, I realized that what was magical for me triggered an enormous stress response in my mother. Even in the past few years, this time of year flipped the stress trigger for Mom even though she had been an empty-nester for years. It's the expectations that we hold that can bring us less than a happy holiday, so in anticipation of being pushed off center during the holiday season, now is the perfect time to look at a deeper sense of our "why".

I love listening to Brooke and Ben McAlary of the Slow Home Podcast, who prompted this idea of finding our why. As part of a re-entry into her writing, Brooke randomly opened a book about things that spark ideas and inspire us to write and landed on the page that asked to write her own eulogy in three sentences. After many attempts and re-writes, she realized that the eulogy she wanted wasn't lining up with how she was living in that moment. In order for her to create her dream eulogy, she realized that something needed to change. As she began to uncover her why she started to put things into place to support a deeper intention.

I know that a large part of my why is to contribute to a more compassionate world, not only for myself but in actions toward other beings (human and otherwise) and toward Mother Earth. I use the lens of yoga to do my work in the world which is to share as much as I know and to support others in finding greater ease and balance in their lives. Another motivating why is to be of service to others, in whatever form that may take, whether it be through fundraising, raising consciousness, or lending a helping hand. I had a very real moment many years back as I began to transition fully into teaching yoga. I recognized that I needed to have experienced what I was asking of my students. It was important to be living from a yogic perspective in order for me to authentically share it with others. I didn't want to be a person who spoke the words during class and then acted differently once outside the doors. And this why shaped certain behaviors that over time have evolved into being my non-negotiables, such as a morning meditation practice and a commitment to writing.

Your why may be, and probably is, quite different to mine but perhaps you use the practices of yoga as a support to being more present and grounded in your why. Another example of taking action based on your intentions can be something as simple as bringing your own shopping bags to stores, or investing in multi-use containers for beverages and food, rather than single-use items. The why is that perhaps we no longer wish to contribute to excess plastic in landfills or in the ocean and the result is that we consciously use multi-use items.

As you approach this holiday season, ask yourself why you might feel compelled to be busy during this time and see if it aligns with how you wish to be in the world. I am grateful to all of you who take the time to connect with me through this blog and in our ever-expanding yoga community. May those of you who celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday spend it with love in your heart surrounded by those you love.

All Blocked Up

The other day a yoga student was suffering from seasonal allergies. They were all stuffed up, breathing through their mouth, and kept stepping off their mat to blow their nose. They were all blocked up...which led me to thinking about how we can be blocked not only on a physical level (cold, allergies, muscular cramp or atherosclerosis) but we can also get stuck on a mental, emotional and spiritual level of our being. And the perfect antidote? Yoga of course!

If you're a regular reader of this blog, then this news won't be earth-shattering. According to the Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient Indian text with 196 aphorisms expounding the practice of yoga, describes in the second chapter (pada) that yoga has eight limbs. And only one of those limbs talks about yoga as a physical practice. Yep...just one. When I first learned this, I think my jaw dropped a bit as I knew there was much I didn't know about yoga, but my initial image was that it was another form of movement or exercise and had this potential to help create calmer states. And all of that was true, but it was also a naive viewpoint as I was missing seven of the eight limbs and thus also missing much of the magic that renders yoga a diverse and deeply enriching experience.

To reiterate, the eight limbs are:

1. Yama - Self-awareness, internal observations. The five Yamas are: Non-Harming, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Moderation, and Non-Possessiveness.

2. Niyama - Ethical Principles. The five Niyamas are: Self-Purification, Contentment, Self-Discipline, Self-Study, and Surrender.

3. Asana - Translated as pose or posture. Literally as "a comfortable seat".

4. Pranayama - Breath awareness and control.

5. Pratyahara - Withdrawal of the senses.

6. Dharana - Concentration

7. Dhyana - Meditation

8. Samadhi - Merging with Divine Consciousness or Enlightenment.

One way to check in with ourselves is through the reflection, study, and application of the eight limbs. If we've only been focusing on the physical practice by doing poses, we have an opportunity to create greater harmony in ourselves by practicing the other seven branches. For my personal growth in yoga, I was well acquainted with the physical part of the practice and something deeper within me was asking for a more soulful exploration of my place in the world. The eight-limbs provided this framework and still do.

So if you think you've got blockages that are keeping you out of balance, how do you find them and do something about it? This past week in classes we've been checking in with our seven energy centers known as the chakras (meaning "wheel" in Sanskrit). You too can go through the below visualization and notice your answers to each of the questions. Notice how well you're able to sense or visualize the colors and what answers pop up with each question. Try to do so without judgment by bringing a curiosity to the exploration.

Find a comfortable position, preferably lying down with your body comfortably supported. Connect to a few deep breaths, imagining the inhaling breath starting at the base of the spine and rising to the crown of the head along the back channel of the body. On the exhale, simply let the breath go. Then bring your awareness to each of the energy centers and ask yourself the following questions:

Base (Muladhara) Chakra - At the base of the spine, this is the root/base energy center. Do I feel safe? Am I grounded? Do I feel connected to community/tribe? Can I imagine a RED sphere of light in this area?

Sacral (Svadisthana) Chakra - Located along the spine behind the navel center. Do my emotions flow easily through me? Do I feel adaptable, like water? Can I imagine an ORANGE sphere of light?

Solar Plexus (Manipura) Chakra - Located in the solar plexus of the upper abdomen. Can I stand up for myself? Do I feel empowered in my life? How is my self-esteem? Can I imagine a YELLOW sphere of light?

Heart (Anahata) Chakra - Located in the heart region. Do I give and receive love? Am I living my life from a place of compassion for myself, all beings, and Mother Earth? Do I need to forgive someone? Can I imagine a GREEN sphere of light in this area?

Throat (Visuddha) Chakra - Located in the throat. Can I speak my truth? Am I biting my tongue? Do words get stuck in my throat? Am I creating the life I wish to live? Can I imagine a BLUE sphere of light in this area?

Third Eye (Ajna) Chakra -  Located between the eyebrows on the forehead. Do I trust my intuition? Am I listening to my inner wisdom? Can I imagine an INDIGO sphere of light here?

Crown (Sahasrara) Chakra - Located at the top of the head. Do I feel part of something bigger? What am I doing to deepen my level of consciousness? Am I able to surrender to a higher sense or power? Can I imagine a brilliant WHITE/VIOLET sphere of light here?

Notice if any particular area felt dull or if the questions piqued your interest. This may be an area that needs to be opened up and/or cleared. Focus a few deep breaths into that particular area and take some time to explore what arose during your experience.

We know that all of these practices take time and what we experience one day may be quite different a week later. Thankfully, we have the structure of the Yoga Sutras and the practices of yoga to help us find our way. In these challenging times, spending some energy bringing harmony into our own selves is time well spent.

Happy clearing!

Show Up

You've arrived. You're sitting on your yoga mat a few minutes before the class is scheduled to begin. As you sit, you look around at the other people arriving and settling onto their mats. Perhaps you're feeling a bit anxious about what lays ahead. You look at the person a couple of mats over and think, "Wow, they look like they know what they're doing...I wonder if I'll ever look like that." Perhaps you're wondering if this is where you actually want to be, as there are so many other options available to you at this time. I mean, you did have to say "no" to something else in order to just get here in time. Is it worth it?

As I sat in contemplation on Sunday afternoon, thinking about what I would talk about in the upcoming week, I wasn't struck with any seemingly brilliant sparks of inspiration. So, I reflected back into the types of conversations I had been having with people and it seemed that one common theme was that of simply showing up. It can be truly challenging to make a commitment to something on a regular basis and stick with it. In order to understand our drive to being there in the first place, understanding why is a first step. 

What is it that brings you to the mat or meditation cushion? 
For so many, the initial impetus is finding a way to stretch and strengthen our body. Another is to search for a way to manage the everyday stresses in our lives. These are great reasons to come into a practice of yoga or meditation. Another reason is to truly get a deeper understanding of ourselves.

When we show up on the mat it has a double effect. The first is the experience that we have during the practice. We can breathe, stretch deeply, slow down, and perhaps gain some insights we hadn't connected to previously. And the second is the effect that occurs when we step off the mat and back out into the world. What we do on the mat supports us in showing up in our lives. Students in my classes might have heard me say that when we go to a class it's as though we're stepping into our own laboratory. It's where we experiment, where we try things out or perhaps taking a bigger risk into something unknown. It's easy to find deeper relaxation, a quieter mind, and deep breathing in a beautifully controlled environment which is climate controlled, filled with props to support and pad us, as well as a lovely and often high tech yoga mat to step onto. The teacher guides us through progressions and visualizations to help accelerate a particular experience, often with a focused intention. 

The "real" yoga begins when the class is over and we head outside of the lab. We come face-to-face with the world, which, after a good yoga class or session of meditation, appears as though everyone we come across is about as far away from enlightenment that a person could get! It's enough to knock us out of our post-savasana haze into the cruel "realities" of daily life. One of the most unexpected gifts I've received from practicing yoga and meditation is a sense of softness with the world. When I see anger, frustration, rage, or deep sadness in others, I can more easily see through the suffering that has caused it. I continue to practice offering kindness to myself on my mat so that I can step out into the big bad world and try it out on others. 

It's a practice. It's challenging. It often makes us feel vulnerable to expose ourselves a bit more fully than we have previously. As Brené Brown, (Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead) says:

"The willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time." 

So my thought of the week is to applaud all of you who take the time to read this, to those of you who set the intention of showing up in your practice, and to those who come back, again and again, trusting that what we create in the lab stays with us as we venture out.

Thank you for showing up!

Difficult Simplicity

One of the gifts I have received over the many years of teaching is that of an ever-expanding community. Each week I get emails from people, locally and globally, particularly from people in Australia and Canada. So, it's a really cool thing when someone I have worked with in one of those locations sends me a message about their practice. One of the main intentions I had years back in starting an email list was to stay connected to people I wasn't able to see year round, so it's deeply gratifying to stay in a role of supporting people on their yogic journey.

Such an incident happened this past week which was the catalyst for my thought of the week-Difficult Simplicity. A student who I've been working with in Australia over the past few years has made tremendous progress in their daily meditation practice and was beginning to wonder if these gains had evaporated due to a recent bout of thoughts pulling him all over the place. He likened his experience to the Sharon Salzberg metaphor of sitting on the banks of a river (meditation) with boats floating down the river (our thoughts)...and realizing that sometimes we find ourselves on the boat without knowing how we got there in the first place. My student said that he had an entire "flotilla" of thoughts floating down the river and was doubting his ability and the gains he had been making. Here was my reply to him:

Sometimes what we need to be reminded of pops up in front of us just at the right time. These are turbulent times...it's truly a challenge to find our center and, in that, to realize that there is no loss of gains as this present moment is the only one that truly has power. It's the difficult simplicity of that...remembering to be exactly where we're at. I am constantly being reminded to focus on my own path, to keep my eyes within my vision as the moment I start looking outside to what this or that person is doing, I question my own journey. I love being reminded to stay within my own heart. 

But it ain't easy!

It seems to be a human condition that we like to make things more complicated then they need to be. Confucius, who died in 479 BC, said, "Life is simple, but we insist on making it more complicated". And Henry David Thoreau (who died in 1862) said "Life is frittered away by detail. Simplify. Simplify." What these two people and statements have in common is that they recognized how we like to make things harder than they need to be and, in the process, we create more suffering than is necessary. And both of these people didn't have iPhones or advanced technologies to add to the complexity and yet, they still recognized the human condition of busyness and complication, supporting the notion of simplification.

If we explore the path of yoga and meditation, it can sound quite basic. Can you find how your breath is moving in/out of your body? Can you relax any tension found in your body? Can you come back to present moment awareness? Do you carve out 10-minutes/day to sit in contemplation? Do you have non-negotiable "me time" scheduled every day? It sounds simple, right? Well, the ideas may be simple, but that doesn't mean they're easy. So many people I come across find it challenging to answer the above questions. It's as though carving out time to look inward is the last thing on the to-do list, I mean, most of us are just trying to get through the day with our basic needs being met along the way.  And this is the difficult part of these simple practices. We are challenged to make it a priority and when we do take the time it can feel selfish and "unproductive".  Sometimes when we make the effort, it's anything but zen-like so it can feel discouraging. We're seeking inner calm and we come face-to-face with our inner storm instead.

This is why we need people to support us along the path. To reflect back their own and others experiences of turbulence, which is a normal part of awakening consciousness. We want to take a look at the long-range forecast, not tomorrow's prediction, as this practice deepens over countless times of coming to it on and off the mat or cushion. It sounds simple and parts of it are, but that doesn't make it easy. My thought this week is to honor the idea that being human, we have a tendency to make it harder and more complex than may be required. To hold patience in our hearts every time we step onto our mats, releasing expectations as to what may happen or what experiences we may have previously had. To know that the difficulties we face in the practice bring us more mental and spiritual agility for when things get even more challenging in our daily lives. Yes...it's simple and difficult. And we can trust those who have gone before us that the ride is worth it

Quiet Mind

Sunday afternoon I sat in the afterglow of the weekend's events. We celebrated the graduation of my yoga teacher trainees following the completion of their 200-hour course. We'd been working together for eight months and it was a feeling similar to having planned a big event that was now complete- exhilarating and exhausting! With all of the crazy news of natural disasters, violence in the world, and a full workload, I realized that what I needed to bring energy to this week was a quiet mind.

So many people who come to class, when asked what they need for that day, often reply "To relax", "I need a new brain", "To just be here...so anything you do will be good!" Of course, one reason we come to the mat is to connect to our body in a loving way and another reason is to help manage the daily stressors we face in life. So often we find ourselves spinning with what seem uncontrollable and rampant rogue thoughts...they just keep coming. In the meditation and yoga worlds, these out-of-control thoughts are often described as having a "monkey-mind" or more appropriately, "a drunken-monkey who's been stung by a scorpion!" And it seems that these thoughts love to arrive around 2-4 AM, keeping us awake as we toss and turn, seemingly unable to "stop thinking".

One way that we can begin to find a quieter mind is to understand the nature of the mind. Just as the heart beats, the mind thinks. If we wanted to ask the heart to stop beating, it wouldn't. Its job is to dictate and respond to the rhythm of our lives from beginning to end. And just as the heart's nature is to beat, the mind's nature is to think. We do ourselves a tremendous disservice when we think that in order to find a quiet mind we must stop thinking-it's not going to happen, even with the most practiced of meditators.

Instead, we practice by not attaching ourselves to all of those thoughts.  Buddhist meditation teacher, Sharon Salzberg, shares the metaphor of meditation as follows: "You're sitting on a riverbank, watching boats float down the river. Being on the bank represents being in meditation. Then, without knowing how, all of a sudden you're on one of the boats. You begin to think, how did I get on this boat? I wonder where it's going? Does it have a captain? Are there snacks? Being on the boats represents thoughts and how we've attached to them. The magical moment is when we realize that we're on the boat. We can now awaken and recognize that we can get off the boat and put ourselves back on the bank". And, of course, this takes practice.

Another way of shifting our thoughts is through the practice of "Citta Bhavana", or moving the mind. In this practice, you can create any state of mind you would like to cultivate, according to Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. In order to do this, we bring to mind a memory of the state we seek, such as deep relaxation or connection to something greater. Once we find that memory, we recreate as much of the feeling of that memory as possible: Where were you? What was the light like? Were you alone? How was your posture? Were there any sounds or smells? Really bring what this experience felt like and locate where you're feeling this in your body. Then...let the memory go and stay with the feeling of it.

Most recently, I had this feeling of deep peace and inner stillness while at Sanctuary Retreat in Far North Queensland. I had been teaching for a few days and was back in my cabin. My husband, Ed, had gone up to the longhouse as it was getting close to dinner. The sun had set and the rainforest was growing dark. I had the screen door closed and as I sat on the bed, I realized I didn't need to do anything. I didn't need to review the day or plan ahead for the next, but to simply be present. As I closed my eyes, I simply listened to the sound of the evening frogs and crickets, feeling the light breeze pass over my skin created by the ceiling fan overhead. A deep sense of connection and peace arose and I could feel myself being part of the beautiful and simple moment of connecting to nature. As I conjure up this memory once again, I can sense the tension releasing from my forehead and my shoulders relaxing. This is a form of Citta Bhavana...creating the desired state of deep relaxation and connection. I was able to find my quiet mind as I do now in simply writing this.

So if you find you've been hijacked by a monkey mind and it's drawing you away from how you wish to be, remember that you have some options in shifting the current state. Get off the boat and head back to the bank or step into the memory bank of past desirable states of mind. After all, you are the captain of your own ship!

No Mud, No Lotus

Sometimes I'm not quite certain where inspiration will come from as I look for my weekly thought and theme for classes. Next week marks the celebration of Diwali, a 5-day celebration of lights in India. It's a big deal and I would love to be there one of these years to see it in full action. So, I began to think about light as I contemplated my weekly theme which led me to think about darkness. It seems that the past several weeks have been rife with tragic events: hurricanes, mass shootings, and deadly fires in the public realm, and a host of other occurrences in my own personal sphere. I kept wondering what my thought of the week would be, but unfortunately, the difficulties that are present are good fodder for spiritual growth and teaching.

As I thought about darkness and light, I recognized that it's the darkness that gives more power to the light. I love to head out on early morning bicycle rides, right at dawn just before the sun peaks over the horizon. Some mornings it's a striking pink and orange, others just a lightening of the sky. But it's when the sun first strikes the local mountains that always takes my breath away...they ignite in an earthy pink and it's the preceding darkness that makes it so powerful.

When we have the contrast, the light seems more effulgent. I once heard a powerful statement that "our hearts break open so the light can get in." The dark times that we experience are a natural part of living and further along this thought inquiry, I remembered the saying popularized by the Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, "No Mud, No Lotus". What this basically means is that the radiant and stunning lotus flower is anchored in pond water which is often muddy, murky, and lacks clarity. Yet, the flower buds, rising up through the muck and mire to blossom on the water's surface into its full beauty, apparently untainted by the muddy waters. Yet, it needs the mud, as it's the mud that provides the soil for the anchor of the flower and gives it nourishment to grow into its full potential. And once the lotus comes to the end of its bloom, it returns to the mud and becomes compost...readying the soil for the next cycle.

So, in a sens, we need the mud even when it feels like the only thing that exists is the mud itself. We can feel covered by it, unable to recognize the inherent and always present beauty that is ready to awaken. And boy, it seems like there's been so much mud of late!

This week has evolved into thinking about our own inner radiance and when things get murky, we turn back into ourselves with practices of loving kindness. And when we connect into our inner light, we recognize that it's the same light that all beings have within them. The mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum" is related to this week's theme and is often translated as "the jewel inside the heart of the lotus".  This well-known mantra reminds us that lying within our own hearts, within our own lotus is a multi-faceted jewel. When the light shines onto the jewel, it reflects and refracts the light in a way that is unique to us, our individual selves. The same light will manifest in a different way for all beings, but the source in common is the same light. We connect to our inner radiance with this unique gem sitting in the center of who we are. When the conditions are right and we manifest the metaphor of the lotus, we realize that although we may look different, we are inherently connected.

During these dark and muddy times, it's even more powerful for us to connect to each other and to shine light into the darkness of others. In the process, we know that the mud is a reflection of our challenges, but without it, the beauty of the lotus is unable to manifest. So let's tenderly and with tremendous compassion, honor the suffering within ourselves and to all beings. Let's honor the mud for it brings us into the light and beauty of all that we are.

One-Heart

Before I had even heard about the tragic events in Las Vegas this past week, I had planned to talk about the mantra - Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu as a theme for the upcoming weeks' classes. This Sanskrit mantra is often translated as "May all beings be happy and free" and further to that, "may the merits of my own life and practice contribute to this happiness". So when we step into our own practice and begin to awaken to the energy of our truest selves, it not only benefits us individually but collectively. Just as a stone dropped into a still pond sends out ripples, we have the capacity to raise a collective intention based around happiness and freedom.

Andye Murphy wrote in an article for Gaia, "Recognizing we are all one, we can move into sincerer compassion for ourselves and those around us. According to Insight State, "we cannot achieve true happiness if we cause unhappiness to other living beings, nor can we be free if we deprive others of their freedom." The mantra moves us into the one-heart.

Ironically, this past week on 60-Minutes they were reporting on the refurbishment of the Hubble Telescope and how its aim is to now look so deep into space that they are looking for the origins of the universe and hence, when it began.  The NASA scientist being interviewed was talking about the formation of stars and planets and basically said that our existence is based on the connection that we are all stardust. Yep...top NASA scientist stating that we have all come from the same source. So when we create suffering by focusing on what divides us, this humble reminder begs to differ. We are all connected. The one-heart.

When tragedy strikes, and it seems to be doing so ever more frequently, how do we manage those feelings of grief, anger, and helplessness? Now, more than ever, we need to step fully into the light of our own inner strength and affirm that the direction we want is one of love, hope, tolerance, and compassion. The practice of beginning with our own suffering, offering ourselves loving kindness is vital. When we sense our knees buckling under the heaviness of our times, instead of pointing fingers and looking outside ourselves, we offer ourselves kindness. As we dig into that intention with an authentic dedication, affirming repeatedly that what we wish for ourselves, we wish for all beings everywhere. To be safe. To be free. To be happy. To live with peace and ease.

Sanskrit mantras are old, especially if you recognize that Sanskrit was one of the originating languages on earth and is now "dead". The words of the mantra, Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu, have been repeated for millennia, billions of times by billions of people. Each and every time those words are spoken, it's as though the intention for happiness and freedom are once again thrown into a universal prayer.  We have been gifted these mantras and they come fully loaded with energy, having been passed through the generations. In my own personal practice, if I repeat the phrase 108 times for 21-days, do the math-that's a strong setting of intention. And if I share that with others in my community and they do the same thing, the energy exponentially expands with the intention of raising the collective affirmation of wanting happiness and freedom for all beings.

Some say there's a tipping point, that if the collective energy grows stronger, we will begin to exit these dark ages (the Kali Yuga). I know that when I feel the deep despair of such tragedy in our world, I trust what I have been taught---to offer myself compassion. To continually build that well and fill it up so it spills out of me as naturally as an exhaling breath. I am reminded to stay focused on building a conscious and compassionate community. And I am reminded that we are all in this life together, coming together in the one-heart.

Seasonal Transition

You can feel it in the air. It's getting cooler (well, almost) and thank goodness! Apparently, the desert has had its hottest summer on record, so we are more than ready to feel the cooler autumnal winds and temperatures. We have just passed the autumnal equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere (the vernal equinox in the Southern) and fall is officially on its way. The equinox happens twice each year where the daylight and darkness hours are the same. In the north, our days will become progressively shorter as we approach the shortest daylight hours of the year at the Winter Solstice. These shifts in season are times of transition which are demonstrated by the inherent cycle of Mother Nature.

As summer turns toward fall, it's a perfect time to reconnect to the rhythm of the earth and get grounded. It's a time where not only do the temperatures begin to drop, but humidity lessens and winds can increase. Trees respond by dropping the last of their sweet summer fruits ending the cycle of production and head into the cycle of dropping what they don't need to enter hibernation--their leaves. And it's not terribly obvious to us here in the desert. We know that fall is here because we no longer have triple-digit temperatures but we don't have changes in the fall foliage as in other parts of the country. So, in some ways, it's easy for us to miss the signals of change. Since we can get almost any fruit or vegetable at any time of the year, we miss the cue that some of them may not be in season locally.  Without drastic shifts in the weather, we keep on doing what we've been doing.

It can get even more confusing living in a seasonal community. Just as the natural cycle is asking us to slow down and turn inward, people begin to return to the desert. Our roads, restaurants, and social calendars will begin to get busier, beckoning us to get out there and participate, another reason to pay attention to balancing out the increase in activity through mindfully making time to turn inward.

My thought this week is more of a seasonal reminder that we have passed the equinox and things are changing in our environment whether we notice it or not. For us in the Northern Hemisphere, we are approaching Halloween and Thanksgiving, times where tradition brings us to eating more root vegetables, squash, and pumpkins with pomegranates and persimmons coming into season. If we eat seasonally, we feel how it's directing us toward the earth so it's a perfect time to begin letting go and dropping our own "leaves". This time of year is perfect for re-balancing our digestion, possibly through cleansing (Ayurvedic cleanses are specifically geared toward this time of year), to slow down and reconnect to our inner sacred time through ritual and meditation.

Yet, perhaps the greatest gift we can give ourselves this time of year is one of softness. Maybe for the next little while, we let go of being on the self-improvement train and practice loving ourselves just as we are...in this moment.

All At Once

The past two weeks have been intense: we were delayed in Australia six hours for our return flight to the States; the morning after we arrived home, my Mom went to the emergency room; a tree fell across my sister's driveway blocking access to her house; a good friend's Mom had passed away; another friend had to put their dog down and finally, I got a notice saying my insurance had been canceled due to a missed payment. WHAT?! It felt like everything was happening all at once, with just enough gathered momentum to create a feeling of overwhelm. I know that if this had happened 25-years ago, I would've gotten through it but been a hot mess in the process. I never knew that when I first stepped onto my yoga mat that it would prepare me for the ups and downs of daily living but it has, and for that I am grateful.

We expect things to happen in life, big and sometimes intense challenges, but when they stack up in short succession it can be enough to push us over the edge. Our practice can support us in finding what we need to do to keep from submerging. It may get rocky, but we don't capsize as easily. And when life is full of challenges, we are often pulled outward into the chaos. We focus on details of events, begin to project into the future and create stories around the unfolding drama. Yet we know that when we become established in our yoga practice, we remember one of the things it has taught us is to go inside, rather than out.

One practice we've been undertaking in classes throughout the week is related to BRFWA-Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch and Allow. This is a process that supports us in connecting into the experience and turning our awareness inward so we have an opportunity to dissipate any tension that has a tendency to accumulate when an intense situation arises. Here's a simplified explanation of the practice:

Breathe - See if you can connect to what's happening to your breath in the present moment. Are you able to slow it down? Deepen it? Can you breathe in a way that's even and rhythmical, in and out through the nose?

Relax - During intense situations, we often subconsciously prepare ourselves to fight, flight or freeze which primes the sympathetic aspect of our nervous system. We might notice our shoulders, jaw, chest, fists or belly tightening. Can you notice the tension and relax it?

Feel - All of our emotional experiences are filtered through our physical body. If we ignore, tamp down, or turn away from the emotion it simply hangs out in the tissues until it's addressed. The saying "the issues are held in the tissues" applies here. So as the experience is happening, can you notice where in the body you feel it? Can you describe the feeling?

Watch - As we are finding the breath, trying to relax, and noticing where our tension is held, this part of the process asks us to simply watch, without judgment, the experience. Almost as though we are witnessing it from outside of ourselves.

Allow - Once we've tapped into the experience, we allow it to be acknowledged for what it is. Here we accept what's presently happening.

The beauty of this practice is that it gives us a method for dissipating the energy of intense situations. And the tricky part is that we need to practice doing so BEFORE the intense situations happen. And that's one of the reasons we come to the mat...to practice finding equanimity in the midst of challenging moments. Our asana practice encourages us to be in these situations. Imagine you're doing a pose that really challenges you. Can you find your breath? Relax the parts of the body that aren't needed to do the pose? Feel where the sensations are centered inside your body? Watch the experience and let go of judging yourself? Allow a sense of presence and ease as the intensity builds? It's the same for both physical and emotional difficulties but we need to practice the experience on all levels.

It's ineffective to ask someone in the middle of a crisis to "take a deep breath and relax" if they've never done so before that moment. We come to the mat to practice finding ease when things get challenging so that when everything happens all at once, we have a way of getting through and being with it, perhaps even with a smile on our face!

Footprints

This week I asked people what came to mind when I said the word "footprints". The majority of people said, "sand" and others came up with something along the lines of "leaving an impression". My mind immediately goes to the sand image, in particular, the many footprints I've left along Brooke's Beach where we go for our morning sunrise meditation during the retreat at Sanctuary, in Far North Queensland, Australia. We arrive just before the sun rises over the Coral Sea and the beach has been swept by the overnight waves. Sometimes the sand is smooth and, at others, a collection of sea artifacts have washed ashore. But one thing that is missing are footprints, that is, until we are blessed to feel the sand between our toes as we greet the day. Ahhhhh....what a fantastic awakening!

As I thought more about the symbolism of footprints, impermanence, as well as our carbon footprint, came to mind-what are we leaving behind? I love the idea of having stepped onto many beaches around the world, leaving only my footprints and taking away only photographs. These are the places where my feet have kissed the earth and, really, I am the only one to remember these personal contact moments. Our footprints remind us about walking our own path and about the transient nature of our existence. It is said that we leave footprints everyday, so imagine the millions of impressions you've made throughout your life alone! How many of those have been created by following the footprints left by others? How many of them have been created because you left the known path and  stepped into the unknown?

More deeply, this thought began to germinate during the Sanctuary retreat when a group of people were talking about legacy and what they were leaving behind. I didn't hear the entire discussion, but someone replied, what about your "energetic footprint" that you're leaving behind? That stuck. Think of someone who is no longer on this earth that you knew and what it feels like when you think of them. That's an energetic footprint. Did their behavior influence how you behave or point you in a particular direction?

Not all of us can leave a legacy that's concrete, such as our own dedicated library, small fortune, or many children. But what we can generate is a potent impact through how we have lived our lives. What our yoga teaches us is to explore the multiple layers of who we are, moving through our energetic layers known as the Koshas. We begin by moving our physical body, which is the Annamayakosha (also known as the food sheath). From this obvious physical place, like an onion, we delve through layers of the body, to energy, mental/emotional layers, and more deeply into wisdom and bliss. But many of us who step onto the mat, stay connected only to the physical aspect of the practice and can miss out of the profound experiences if we were to dive more deeply.

This past week, we've been using guided imagery to create energy within our own hearts, expand it and share it with others who are suffering. We've also been trying to sense the pulsation of energy in our body once we have established a particular posture. When we know the pose, we can take our attention away from the mechanics and feel the other sensations which are present. We enhance these connections through other practices of meditation, chanting, guided imagery, and surrender.

Everything in the Universe is vibrating at some frequency. Toning, humming, chanting and singing are our natural ways in which we connect into a felt vibration. Hum the letter "M" and feel it resonate in the chambers of your throat, mouth, lips and head. This is another energetic footprint that can easily be experienced and support us in tuning into the present moment, and when we are in the present moment we are connected to the wider grid of energy.

So this week, reflect on what you are creating in your day-to-day experience and notice if it's aligned with the sense of your truest nature. What imprint is your being making in this lifetime? And if you really need to re-calibrate your frequency, try walking in the sand and let the ocean kiss your ankles...that'll work!

Finding Home

This week I asked people what came to mind when I said the word "footprints". The majority of people said, "sand" and others came up with something along the lines of "leaving an impression". My mind immediately goes to the sand image, in particular, the many footprints I've left along Brooke's Beach where we go for our morning sunrise meditation during the retreat at Sanctuary, in Far North Queensland, Australia. We arrive just before the sun rises over the Coral Sea and the beach has been swept by the overnight waves. Sometimes the sand is smooth and, at others, a collection of sea artifacts have washed ashore. But one thing that is missing are footprints, that is, until we are blessed to feel the sand between our toes as we greet the day. Ahhhhh....what a fantastic awakening!

As I thought more about the symbolism of footprints, impermanence, as well as our carbon footprint, came to mind-what are we leaving behind? I love the idea of having stepped onto many beaches around the world, leaving only my footprints and taking away only photographs. These are the places where my feet have kissed the earth and, really, I am the only one to remember these personal contact moments. Our footprints remind us about walking our own path and about the transient nature of our existence. It is said that we leave footprints everyday, so imagine the millions of impressions you've made throughout your life alone! How many of those have been created by following the footprints left by others? How many of them have been created because you left the known path and  stepped into the unknown?

More deeply, this thought began to germinate during the Sanctuary retreat when a group of people were talking about legacy and what they were leaving behind. I didn't hear the entire discussion, but someone replied, what about your "energetic footprint" that you're leaving behind? That stuck. Think of someone who is no longer on this earth that you knew and what it feels like when you think of them. That's an energetic footprint. Did their behavior influence how you behave or point you in a particular direction?

Not all of us can leave a legacy that's concrete, such as our own dedicated library, small fortune, or many children. But what we can generate is a potent impact through how we have lived our lives. What our yoga teaches us is to explore the multiple layers of who we are, moving through our energetic layers known as the Koshas. We begin by moving our physical body, which is the Annamayakosha (also known as the food sheath). From this obvious physical place, like an onion, we delve through layers of the body, to energy, mental/emotional layers, and more deeply into wisdom and bliss. But many of us who step onto the mat, stay connected only to the physical aspect of the practice and can miss out of the profound experiences if we were to dive more deeply.

This past week, we've been using guided imagery to create energy within our own hearts, expand it and share it with others who are suffering. We've also been trying to sense the pulsation of energy in our body once we have established a particular posture. When we know the pose, we can take our attention away from the mechanics and feel the other sensations which are present. We enhance these connections through other practices of meditation, chanting, guided imagery, and surrender.

Everything in the Universe is vibrating at some frequency. Toning, humming, chanting and singing are our natural ways in which we connect into a felt vibration. Hum the letter "M" and feel it resonate in the chambers of your throat, mouth, lips and head. This is another energetic footprint that can easily be experienced and support us in tuning into the present moment, and when we are in the present moment we are connected to the wider grid of energy.

So this week, reflect on what you are creating in your day-to-day experience and notice if it's aligned with the sense of your truest nature. What imprint is your being making in this lifetime? And if you really need to recalibrate your frequency, try walking in the sand and let the ocean kiss your ankles...that'll work!