In-Spire

As this year comes to a close, it seems appropriate for a reflective type of thought of the week-that of inspiration. Having just passed the winter solstice, the myriad of holidays, the  New Year about to ring in and the cooler temperatures, which delight the desert rat, it seems as good a time as any to contemplate something a bit deeper. 

I love it when one word holds a couple of different meanings and the word "inspire" is such a word. The first definition that pops up relates to the definition: "fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative." This is often the first thing that comes to mind with the word inspire, the awakening to that internal spark that tends to get us excited about undertaking something that we have not yet undertaken. The second definition: "breathe in (air); inhale." This definition is, of course, inextricably linked to yoga as without attention or awareness to the power of our breath, yoga is simply a series of poses or calisthenics. It's the breath that has the potent ability to alter our state, stimulate or calm us, offering a sense of being centered and focused. It is the breath that penetrates through all layers of our being from the most gross physical layer to our ethereal/spiritual selves. The breath is the thread that ties it all together, creating union (or yoga) in our being.

I wanted to use both definitions of inspire for this weeks thought. When we plant a seed of inspiration we then awaken that intention by "breathing" into it. If we truly want to bring something to life, we offer it nourishment, time, and the oxygen needed to propel its unfolding. So what does it mean to live an "inspired" life? Are you currently living from that perspective or is it something that's been sitting out on the periphery of your world, waiting for the "perfect" time to move more toward the center of your attention? Knowing that we have a finite time in this body, in this particular lifetime, I don't want to get to the end of my days and look back at was only a pipe dream rather than a reality.

It's quite a provocative conversation to have with someone and maybe this will be the spark that ignites such a dialogue, but ask someone you know and trust what inspires them and then sit back and listen with your full attention. And in reciprocation, have them ask you the same question. It's a way of checking in to see if you're on track with your deepest driving forces. My husband and I began this conversation in earnest over two years ago and it's an ongoing discussion. How do we want to be living and what do we want our lives to look like, not only now but in five, ten, or twenty years?  It's prompted us to steer our choices in a particular direction, as though we are pointing the compass toward our North Star for guidance, today and for the future. Although the conversation is filled with unknowns and possibilities, it's extremely exciting to be talking about the potential that lays ahead.

So I encourage you to take a moment and think about what it is that truly excites you, perhaps that one thing you've always dreamed about but have felt it's too big to begin. And as you're recognizing what that thing is, invite a sense of boundlessness in its pursuit. Visualize what this would look like if time, money, energy, knowledge and resources were in abundance and you could do anything. Then ask yourself, "Why not now? Why not me?". It doesn't mean it has to happen immediately but what it does do is put us in touch with the deepest creative essence of who we are and how we wish to fully express our truest selves. We can look to others and recognize how they've inspired connection, change, adventure, service, and courage in their lives. We are all born with a potential to fully realize who we are and I believe that each one of us is capable of living a life from an inspired perspective. 

The time is right now to plant that seed. Place it into your heart, allow it to take its time to reveal itself fully as you steadily nourish and foster it. The time is now to breathe life into your inspiration and may it manifest when the conditions are right. And may the New Year bring a sense of deep peacefulness and contentment, allowing all that your heart desires to blossom into full manifestation.

Frazzled

It's been one of those long-haul periods of work and activity with 12 consecutive days of regular classes, an advanced studies module, a writing deadline, the creation and affirmation of a new retreat to Iceland and an amazing Kirtan to welcome the Winter Solstice! In addition to work, our family decided it was time to relocate our Mother to a new care facility and, as timing sometimes has it, we moved her the day before the Kirtan gathering. The night before her move, I felt frazzled. As I thought about this weeks theme, I looked up the word frazzle: cause to feel completely exhausted; wear out. Yep, that sums up how I was feeling. 

Now mind you, everything that I had undertaken was deeply gratifying-deepening students and mentees knowledge around chanting, meditation, the Sutras and good back health with the advanced studies course; raising over $1600 through the Kirtan for the Alzheimer's Association with a packed house and high energy and vibration; connecting with a new organization called "The Travel Yogis" who create adventurous yoga retreat itineraries to amazing destinations; and finding a better solution to meet my Mom's ever-changing needs. It all felt good in my bones, although I was bone-tired with it all being piled up on top of each other in a short period of time.

My thought for the week is recognizing when we feel frazzled and doubling down on what we know to do to avoid the slippage toward feeling completely fried. Yes, I've put frazzled on a continuum of energy ranging from rested to frazzled to fried. We want to avoid getting fried from our own life-choices, but we need to know what frazzled feels like as to not step onto the slippery slope. For me, it's noticing how tired I am when I stop doing. So taking moments of pause are a way of checking into that. Another signal is realizing that everything feels back-to-back with little or no time to return a call, have a bite to eat, or a feeling that I've been talking and interacting more than usual. Simply noticing these cues can help us avoid becoming fried.

As we're heading straight toward the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, we need to be careful as it's notorious for knocking us off balance. According to Kate Smith Jamison, an Ayurvedic practitioner from Ireland: 

"Ayurveda sees winter as a delicate balance between VATA - the space and air dosha/humor that dominates in early winter, which is cold, wispy and dry, struggles to sit still, thinks all the time and in excess tends towards anxiety and insomnia - and KAPHA - the water and earth dosha that increases through late winter and into spring which is heavy, cold and clammy, could sit still all day and in excess tends towards lethargy and over-attachment."

Early winter is the time to focus on not elevating vata and with that being the case, sticking with a regular daily practice of slowing down, gentle yoga with twists, forward folds and long savasanas (relaxation), cooked and lightly spiced foods as well as oiling our bodies with sesame oil can support us in staying away from the fried end of the spectrum. For me, I take these practices into deep consideration as well as knowing that what lays ahead over the next couple of weeks is a quieter time. I have some time scheduled off from work due to the holidays and have intentionally kept from over-committing both socially and physically. I will allow myself to sleep as needed and trust that I will walk into the new year feeling centered and ready to meet what comes next.

Mind you over the past few days, I haven't felt the frazzle, so I'm grateful to what's already in place. I know that many people cycle into and out of more hectic and chaotic states, so if all is peaceful in your world keep doing what you're doing. I hope you allow some time for yourself over these holidays so you too, can greet the new year from a place of excitement and open-heartedness.

Peaceful and Happy Holidays to all!

Sangha

"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 those of 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 second anniversary in our Rancho Mirage studio and will be celebrating with a Kirtan (musical experience) with Jayne and The Om Boys to welcome the Winter Solstice. 

It's been a heart-warming reflection to consider all that has happened this past year: workshops on karma, sound healing, essential oils, and deep relaxation; teacher training programs with one 200-Hour class graduating and the new advanced studies program being launched, the addition of both belly dance workshops and weekly ballroom dancing; weekly yoga classes (yearly attendance over 5000); and 1-1 yoga therapy. We have instructors who continue to build their own business within DYT and bring great compassion to what they do.

Plus as a bonus, our enthusiastic community voted to bring us the honor of being named "Best Yoga Studio" in the Best of The Valley contest put on by the Desert Sun newspaper. What a year we've had!

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 second year, I can actually see the manifestation of this intention of building community. What's interesting is that as some people have moved away from the area and our community, other doors have opened.

It's thrilling to see the studio opening our Lotus Room, a place where local artisans can show their wares as well as what's in store for 2019- A Primordial Sound Meditation course, more workshops with medium Geof Jowett, more belly dancing, more ballroom dancing, a new yoga retreat to Iceland (July 7-13, stay tuned for details!) and a revisit to Australia for our annual Sanctuary retreat and the Women's retreat in Benalla, Victoria. More practitioners are finding an opportunity to bring their light into our space exploring art, poetry, and music. YES, music has been a huge part of the studio this year with Jayne and the Om Boys playing four gigs on the Solstices and Equinoxes. Collectively we have raised over $3000 for local charities and will continue to do so this upcoming year.

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 arrive 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 myself 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. At this point in time, I feel like I've been the rock dropped into the center of the still pond, but everyone else is the ripple away from that point.

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.

Fading Light

The pashmina and recycled cashmere sweaters are out and I'm truly enjoying the shift we're experiencing here in the desert and in the Northern Hemisphere. We are heading straight toward the Winter Solstice and, baby, it's cold outside! Being a desert resident, we have very short and rather mild winters compared to our neighbors in the north. With that said, it feels really cold to us compared to the high temperatures that we experience for many months of the year. So when our nights get cold and, almost frosty, when we dig out the puffy jackets and sweaters, it truly feels like a monumental change.

The days are getting shorter, the light not its familiar bright self, and the encroaching winter is beckoning us to turn inward. Mother Nature is tapping us on the shoulder saying "put on some PJ's, snuggle under a blanket, and grab a hot drink. It's time to come home to ourselves, to put down the busy to-do list, and allow moments of self-care and hibernation. Yet, the paradox is that the season of the holidays is pulling us in the opposite energetic direction. Particularly here in the desert, many of the snowbirds have flocked back into town and the roads, restaurants, and shops are busier, with a flair for the hustle and bustle. The holidays are often a time of doing more, not less. Social calendars fill up, we shop, bake, clean, welcome guests, pack for some travel, send out cards, and thank yous. Instead of hearing the call of Mother Nature, we are faced with our societal need to "do" things during the holiday season.

My request of students this week is to notice the fading light and to allow the feeling of turning inward to arise, even if it's for short snippets of simply getting grounded, taking a moment to slow down or to take a breath to be present. Of course, a good restorative practice blends beautifully into this time of year, so if things are driving you up the wall, take time to put your legs up the wall as well.

I love to notice and talk about the shifting relationship between darkness and light. Both the equinoxes and solstices grab my attention to remember the cycle of changing light and dark, noticing the swing from extremes (the Solstices) to equanimity (the Equinoxes). The cycle of things is like a built-in timer to wake up to the season and re-calibrate where necessary. Darkness and light bring power to each other. When it gets dark outside, we really enjoy the light. During our visit to a remote part of Western Australia, we were gifted with dark night skies due to the absence of ambient light from cities. It was a breathtaking experience to see the Milky Way painted across the dark night sky and to understand its moniker.

Two years ago at this time, we were in Iceland with about five hours of daylight, with the sun low in the sky creating a subtle kind of light, as though the sun was skimming across the line of the horizon. Cultures who have long hours of darkness also originated celebrations around light - think of Hanukkah, Christmas lights, and gatherings around candles and fireplaces. So as we welcome the darkness remember how brightly we shine. 

My wish for you during the fading light is for you to take something off of your list, to put on some fuzzy slippers, and enjoy the darkness! To my friends in the Southern Hemisphere, enjoy your longer days of sunshine! I guess it's your time to put on your flip-flops and get outside!

Enough

Enough.

What comes to mind when you say that word out loud? For some yoga students this past week, it evoked a sense of throwing our hand up and firmly saying, "ENOUGH!" as in, enough violence, enough cyber-shopping, enough Thanksgiving leftovers! There's a part of us calling for less. I think similar things when I ponder that single word, but my intention for the week was to actually focus on "Good Enough", which feels quite different to the above meaning of saturation and switches the focus into the concept of self-worth.

The focus of this week has been reaffirming that each and every one of us doesn't need anything else. Who and what we are, what we know, and what we have is enough...as is. We don't need to reach beyond the current moment to be better than the present version of ourselves. For many years I held a belief that I didn't know enough. I had undertaken both undergraduate and graduate degrees, attended countless workshops and trainings, self-improvement weekends, and aromatherapy sessions. A part of me simply didn't trust that what I had to share with the world was sufficient and only when I had that next diploma, certificate, or degree could I be valued. I don't know what flipped the switch, but I now have a different attitude and hold the belief that what I know can impact others, even though I don't know all there is to know. I know enough and that's good enough. That's not to say that I'm not curious or interested in learning more. I am and am constantly looking for topics that pique my interest, but a sense of desperation no longer accompanies the wanting to learn. I have my own sense of what knowing enough means in being able to do what I do.

As I spoke about this idea throughout the week, a yoga student forwarded along an article that was related to this topic and mentioned the concept of the "anxious striver". The person who is constantly looking for what's next, propelled by an underlying sense of their current state as being inadequate. They move from one thing to another, dissatisfied and wary of being okay with what they have or know. And the question begs to be asked, "At what point do you know if it's enough? Do you know what enough feels and looks like?". Imagine being on your deathbed and saying, "Wait, I'm not ready as I haven't done, said, learned, earned, or loved enough!"

In some ways, I believe perfectionism plays a role in this and can be instilled in us from a young age. As a budding gymnast, a coach of mine would say, "Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect." In training we had to perform 10-consecutive routines without noticeable errors, especially falling off the beam. If you were on routine #10 and fell...you had to begin again at one. Yep...it could take a long time to get through all that. And yes, it made you fight to stay on the beam and I did become a better gymnast for that, but it instilled a sense of perfectionism in me that lingers today.

Thankfully, as I've aged,  I have softened and learned to be more forgiving toward myself for being unapologetically imperfect. And it doesn't mean to stop learning, to stop being curious and just settle. It means to know that at this moment we are all that we need to be and, yes, opportunity for expansive experiences await, but we don't need to wait to do something because of feeling "not good enough" to even begin.

Have you ever thought when I...lose weight, get a job title, retire, have more vacation time, etc, I'll then do...? Let's stop here and take a deep breath. Now is the time to step fully into your own life. Embrace and celebrate all that you are right now because I'm here to share a little secret. You. Are. Enough.

Now get busy being you!

Kindness

This week in the United States was the celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, traditionally a feast featuring turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. At least, that's the tradition that my family had as we were growing up and it has evolved into a similar tradition with my husband's side of the family over the past 20 years. Some of the dishes and faces have changed, but its essence of connecting, savoring, and slowing down has pretty much remained the same. And given the events of the past couple of weeks as I wrote about in last weeks blog (click here if you missed it), with a mass shooting and tragic wildfires in California, it feels as though this Thanksgiving may offer some much-needed space to become radically present and deeply grateful.

Each Thanksgiving holiday I've been inspired to write about gratitude, and this year, I'm taking a slightly different approach to practice gratitude in action-- kindness. It feels like an infusion of global kindness could benefit so many people suffering worldwide and I know that any time I feel the tug of my own suffering, the first place I need to retreat is within my own heart.

As with many aspects of our yoga practice, kindness begins within. As we fill up our internal kindness well, we can then spill it out of ourselves and direct it towards others. As the saying goes, if we wish for peace in the world, we ourselves must be peaceful. So if we wish to see kindness in the world, we ourselves must be kind. It's a challenge, as dwelling within everyone lives our loudest and most obnoxious critic. Our self-talk can ring deafening decibels, so much so, that we wouldn't dare speak with a friend the way we speak to ourselves. Cleaning up our internal dialogue and offering loving-kindness is a necessary first step if we wish to expand it beyond our own hearts.

The meditation practice of loving-kindness has the process of offering affirming statements, beginning with "May I...". As Sharon Salzberg teaches, this practice of "May I be safe, happy, healthy, and live with ease" are phrases we repeat for several weeks before moving the statements away from ourselves and toward others. Once again, we begin within.

Related to this is the first Yama of the eight-faceted path of yoga as written in the Sutras of Patanjali is "Ahimsa", often translated as non-violence or compassion. As we study the sutra it relates to increasing our awareness of not only being non-violent to others, but also to ourselves. We examine what choices we make on a daily basis and see if they serve us in a positive way, supporting us in becoming the best version of who we are. The questions I've been asking people in class this week are: How do you treat your physical body with kindness? Are you nourishing, moving, and resting your body from a place of self-love? Is your self-talk coming from a place of compassion? Are you treating Mother Earth with kindness and what does that look like? 

We know that awareness is key to making any changes that align us with how we wish to be living, and I hope this week, you are treating yourself and others from the place of your kind heart. I am grateful to be of service to all of you and wish you a holiday season overfilled with kindness and compassion.

Find Calm

It's been an intense week here in Southern California. It began with yet another mass shooting, however, this one touched a nerve closer to home as it happened in my hometown of Thousand Oaks. Within hours not only were these lives senselessly taken too soon, but wildfires began to roar through the same area. Two tragedies within hours of each other, affecting people not only in the local community but reaching into far corners across the country. Growing up, Thousand Oaks was a quiet town where we knew our neighbors, walked in parades together, rode bikes through neighborhoods to the park and the mall. It has been one of the safest cities in the United States and yet, gun violence found its way to this enclave. It shook me at a place that I hadn't quite experienced before which provoked a sense of anxiety within me.

This past week, we also recognized the 100th anniversary of the Armistice and marked Veteran's Day by honoring those who've served, with many giving the greatest sacrifice - their lives. As I was thinking about returning veterans, many whom suffer from PTSD, I was also drawn to thinking about others who've experienced different types of trauma, I wanted to bring the topic of mental health and yoga to the forefront, in particular, the topic of anxiety. It is well documented that PTSD is common amongst returning veterans and how yoga is a safe place to heal. And it's not only vets who can benefit from learning to down-regulate anxiety but it applies to so many of us who have faced it in a variety of forms.

Anxiety is based on fear and triggers the part of our nervous system that is to fight, flight or freeze, the sympathetic side of our nervous system. It's an evolutionary response to our own survival and is paramount for our species to thrive and propagate. In our brains, there are six centers of activation for the sympathetic nervous system, so we are programmed to be ready to respond rapidly. The challenge for us living in today's society is that we have many perceived threats that go on chronically, much longer than what we are meant to tolerate. It's as though we have this sub-current of fear, slowly gnawing away at our feeling of being safe and secure.

The sympathetic nervous system sometimes gets a bad rap, as we need it to engage in the world...to read, write, interact, and get things done. And when we have an activation of the sympathetic nervous system we also have a very real physical response to it with cascading hormones being released, muscles ready to run, blood pressure and heart rates elevating. When the threat is over, we reverse many of these physical responses and head in the calmer direction of our parasympathetic nervous system, the place of restoring and healing.  It's a bit trickier getting into the parasympathetic side of our nervous system as it has only two centers of activation, thus the process is much slower. The upshot of this is that anxiety isn't something that simply lives in your head, but is intricately woven into your physical health.

The weekend of the fires and following the shooting, I had a few moments in public when I was at the movies and wondered if where we were sitting was the safest place should a gunman come into the theater. Yep...that's what was coursing through my inner thought pattern. I was feeling anxious in a public setting which in the short term isn't a surprising response given the horrible incidents befalling my hometown. The beauty of having a yoga practice in place was the awareness that these thoughts were present. I allowed myself to feel the fear being held in my body, the tension that arose from it, and recognition that I could take a deep breath and try to let go.

I also recognize that it's okay for me to want to find safety, to be alone, to find a place within myself that was like touching home. It's okay for me to feel the full sadness of loss and violence. It's okay for me to be outraged at the lack of change or action. And mostly, it's okay for me to hold my own heart softly.

We get so much from our yoga practice that is not related to the physical side of the practice. Asking students throughout the week what they received from the non-physical side of yoga they replied: relaxation, calm, centering, comfort, community, and slowing down. It offers people a chance to be fully present and to find their breath. As I heard these responses from my own students, I was yet again reminded to let those things happen for me as well. We know that if we breathe into our belly we calm down. If we slow down our exhale, we invite ease. If we can feel where calm resides within us, we can go there when needed. 

I am especially grateful for the growing conscious community that surrounds me. I know in the deepest essence of who I am that for us to enact any sort of shift, we must begin with ourselves, pay it forward, and grow the collective consciousness to one of love, compassion, and tolerance. Sometimes the most powerful lessons are the ones that kick us in the gut first. It's been a hard week and, at the same time, I am grateful to know that I am not a solo voyager. I am grateful for all that I have learned and for the enormous love that surrounds me. Inhale four counts...exhale six. Repeat.

Hear The Whisper

As I sat in the residue of our first weekend of the Advanced Studies program on Sunday evening, I needed to create my theme for the upcoming week. I felt inspired from the weekend's workshop, but less than creative. So as I often do, I just allowed myself to sit and feel into what it is that's on my own personal horizon. I thought to myself, "Wow...so it's November already. That means this week is the mid-term elections, about two weeks away is the Thanksgiving holiday, followed by "Black Friday", "Cyber Monday" and the launch into the holiday season...the horizon is looking rather hectic!"

Thankfully, the election has passed and the bombardment of ads has become quiet. Even if you were on a news fast, it was nearly impossible to escape the campaigning with candidate's posters splattered along the roadsides, and the endless mailers arriving in the post box every day.

About a month ago, I was in a hardware store and the holiday decorations were in full display. Yep...two months away from the big Christmas holiday and they were tempting us to get things done early. I mean, really? How much stuff do we need and how much time do we need to celebrate the holiday season? Unfortunately, many people try to "survive" the holidays partly as it seems challenging to get away from that kind of bombardment as well.

Then cometh the festival of shopping...Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We're being lured to get the best deals before they're all gone and it's been made easier for us through using our desktop computers and mobile devices. It's like a spending feeding frenzy, electrifying our nervous systems as it presses into our resources of energy, time, and money.

The barrage is in full flight, with people and companies trying to grab our attention, our votes, our wallets. It seems as though this time of year is more ramped-up than usual, perhaps due to the election cycle but regardless, it's beyond easy to see why we get so distracted from the deeper meaning of life.

So my thought this week is a simple reminder to Hear The Whisper, of our inner selves. The voice that sits at the heart of who we are is always present and always has been. At times such as this, it's easy to see how the voice gets covered up with other, external stimuli. We are pulled outward and in the Northern Hemisphere, nature is asking us to pull inward as we turn toward the Winter Solstice. It's time to drop our proverbial leaves, put on our jammies, and hibernate.

At the beginning of the week, in that state between sleep and waking, I asked myself "Is there anything I need to know? Is there anything I need to remember?". And up bubbled my answer...first, "You are loved", followed by "You are love." And I thought, "Wow...thanks for the reminder!" It was as though my inner voice wanted me to know that sitting beneath all of the surface noise, beyond the distraction, that love is at the heart of everything. Pure and simple, but sometimes overridden by other things. 

This listening begins within me and hopefully, seeps out through my actions in the world. If I get quiet enough to hear my true self speak, it is more powerful than anything on the surface and is the potent reminder that the truth of my soul is not outside of me, but seeded deeply within.

So as the festive season descends upon all of us, honor that quiet whisper by giving yourself a few moments of radical presence to listen. You might be truly inspired by what you hear.

What's Your Medicine?

The thought of the week is based around a simple question. What is your medicine? Perhaps the first thing that came to mind was what prescription medications do I currently take? One definition of medicine is:

"a compound or preparation used for the treatment or prevention of disease, especially a drug or drugs taken by mouth."

However, this week I'm asking what is it that you "ingest" on a daily basis that gives you connection to the harmonious balance between body-mind-spirit? The Global Wellness Day describes being well as:

"Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life.  It is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth. A good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; welfare."

"Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." - The World Health Organization.

Finding the key to wellness is an active pursuit, not something that simply happens to us. And in asking the question this week, it helps to elevate into our awareness the many things that contribute to creating our individual state of well-being. For me, my daily dose for the past 12+ years has come in the form of my meditation practice, supplemented by trying to live from a broad yogic perspective. It's that one thing that is completely non-negotiable and feels the same as the daily brushing of teeth...it's simply part of good health hygiene.

So when you notice when you're feeling less than optimal, there are many things that people have said are good medicine for them:

• Nature- Get outside and feel the impact of the natural environment. The sun on your shoulders, the wind tossing your hair about, the grass under your feet, or plunging your hands in the dirt. Breathe in the aromas of a pine forest or a damp desert morning.
• Ocean - Open and moving bodies of water are great medicine. Give yourself time to sit and watch the waves coming and going, or the gentle flow of a meandering river.
• Moon and Star Gazing - Head out into the night and take notice of which phase the moon is in, or perhaps the first stars to appear in the night sky.
• Music - One of the most powerful tonics is that of sound. Classical music has been shown to improve childhood development. Communities have gathered for centuries using sound and music to celebrate, mourn, and transcend.
• Pets - It's been shown that simply petting your dog or cat lowers your blood pressure. That's furry good medicine!
• Exercise - We inherently know the benefits of exercise as it's not only for our bodies but our minds with feel-good hormones getting released through movement.
• Quiet time - meditation, contemplation, sitting in silence in nature and prayer all connect us to our deeper selves.
• Reading - diving into the words of others can completely transport us into other worlds.
• Quality time with loved ones - Sitting down with a long-time friend and having uninterrupted conversation = gold!
• Essential Oils - I have my own apothecary of essential oils that I use daily. They help to activate different areas of my brain that can feel stimulating, relaxing, and grounding.
• Nourishing Home Cooked Food - Recently on retreat, we all remarked how you could taste the love in the food that was being served to us. 
• Yoga - So many tools and practices exist within this ancient wisdom tradition, that the more experienced you become, the more you uncover its magic.
• Sleep - Nothing heals the soul, heart, and body more than a restful nights sleep. Get your eight hours to boost your health.
• Humor - Laughter, whether it's a giggle or bellyaching roar is good medicine. It releases feel-good hormones and automatically puts those smiling muscles to work.

These are just a few ideas that people have been sharing throughout classes this week. Find what nourishes you and actively pursue it. In doing so, you may realize that you're surrounded by a full medicine chest of personalized, good medicine!

Dynamic Practice

As Benjamin Franklin said, "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes". Thanks, Ben, that sounds like a real downer even if it is true. Life changes and in response to that and in relationship to our yoga practice, we must change with it. Not only is our yoga practice dynamic, but so is our life...we don't live in a static state but in the ebb and flow, like ocean tides. If we have the quiet expectation that things will remain the same or live in a state of denial that all is temporary, inevitably we will create a deeper sense of suffering for ourselves.

The focus of this week is to address how we react to the dynamic nature of our being, particularly as we age, face injury or illness, or have a major life challenge such as marriage, death, retirement, or financial uncertainty. As I contemplated this ever-evolving and often unpredictable state, two words came up: challenge and change.

When a challenge shows up in our lives, we need to change what we're doing in order to adapt to the challenge. We could do nothing, but that's likely to be a short-sighted choice. For example, if we find out we have arthritis and keep doing the same movements and eating the same foods, it's likely our pain will continue and increase. If we know we now have to be more aware and gentle to ourselves, it can lead to significant changes in our activity. We may do a bit less, or change the amount of impact across the joint, eat an anti-inflammatory diet, or use an alternative method of pain management. The "doing nothing" scenario may eventually lead us to take more drastic measures--stopping activity altogether or getting a joint replacement.

As the challenge presents itself, can we mindfully and in a compassionate way adapt what we've been doing to something that now accommodates this newer and unfamiliar state?

Although it's a bit tough to admit, since I'm a yoga/wellness/fitness professional, I've had my own challenges over the past twelve months. I irritated my knee playing pickleball, then found out instead of it being a torn meniscus, it was osteoarthritis. Subsequently, my foot (on the same side) began to have pain in the plantar fascia (sole of the foot). The result was that I needed to do something that felt uncomfortable...take a rest from one of my regular activities of road cycling. This hiatus from activity challenged the mental paradigm that has been embedded in my psyche from years of training myself and others. The one that says if you're not doing X then Y will happen...if I don't get enough cardiovascular exercise, the "10,000 steps" mantra, then I'll get out of shape, or gain weight, or develop more diseases, or have insomnia. My mental battle was more challenging than the physical one. Letting go of what I thought I needed to be doing to create space for what actually served me was challenging.

The second challenge began around the same time as I had increased levels of fatigue, which felt a lot like depression. Turns out I had a resurgence in the Epstein Barr Virus I've had for many years. During my summer hiatus, it became evident that I needed to do something a bit different as I stepped back into my "regular" world. As a result, the challenge of fatigue and inflammation in my knee and foot led me to a drastic new way of being. Now, I have a firm policy to be lights out by 10 PM and if I don't need to wake up early, I don't set an alarm. I've been allowing myself to sleep as long as needed, and at times, this has meant sleeping through my morning exercise or desk work. And so be it. Sleep became the priority. My return to better health became the priority. 

An "advanced" yogi is one who can recognize what they need on a particular day and wrap specific practices around themselves, rather than wrapping themselves around a particular practice. The dynamic nature of being human will be constant and we can evolve our awareness to match our needs to the present moment. The bottom line with all of this is to hold ourselves softly, with kindness and compassion. It's a powerful act of self-love. 

We know that things will change, are you ready to go with it?

Be Scared

The theme this week is not related to Halloween or about having the pants spooked off of us. It's about taking the plunge toward doing something that scares us. I had two of those experiences this past week.

To begin with,  I entered my very first photojournalism contest. I've been an avid photographer for the past 40 plus years and never have I entered any of my images, of which I've taken thousands, into a contest. The main reason for my hesitation is I am scared of being judged. The feelings of not being good enough, especially when compared to others runs deep, so much so, that I've avoided it until this time. And I was somewhat happy with my entry...it felt rushed and could have been better thought out, but that was my own fault for misreading the entry requirements, working on the entry from a different angle and having to hurry to put it in before the deadline. I almost didn't. I almost, once again, thought "Well...it won't win. All the others look like pros and why bother...?" But I did it anyway. I fell into the fear and thought it was a worthy hurdle to jump, so I did.

The second happened this past weekend as my small band, Jayne and The Om Boys, played a musical event (Kirtan) to mark the Autumnal Equinox and raise money for a local charity. I play harmonium and sing the lead (call) part of the music, to which everyone else sings back (the response). So I'm sitting in front of everyone and singing in public. Another moment to be completely terrified of being judged as not good enough. Thankfully, I'm supported by amazing musicians and have now been doing this for a few years so the fear is less, largely because I sense the benefit in the practice and the charitable nature is much stronger than the fear. I remember the very first time I was asked to sing mantra on my harmonium at a friend's house where she was having a meditation event. My hand was shaking as I placed it on the keyboard. I silently wondered how I would ever be able to play, but a few deep breaths and closing my eyes got me through it.

This week is about finding something that scares us (that we choose) and coming to meet it face-to-face. Solo travel? Going to the movies or out to dinner by yourself? Asking for a raise or promotion? For me, it's even deeper than just sharing photos or singing. It's about healing some of my soul story, the karma that I've carried into this lifetime and is based around my throat chakra...the place of expression and creativity. Whether you're into bringing stuff from past lives into the current one or not, I've felt that my throat has been tied up for years. I used to get laryngitis at least a couple of times each year, went through speech therapy to correct the issue and learned for the first time, that I didn't know how to use my voice. Apparently, I was shut down and unable to express myself previously as well as not being given credit for creating certain things. So I guess I'm making up for it in this lifetime...singing, chanting, public speaking, teaching, photography, choreography, and writing are all connected to the energy of my throat. 

I am trying to learn to trust this part of who I am as being whole and worthy...and that's what makes it so terrifying. The healing of past wounds can be quite uncomfortable, yet within the fear awaits magnificent potential for positive change and evolution. So try this practice on for a week and notice what scares you into almost not doing something and then see if you can look below it...why does it feel that way? I bet that once we take a good look at feeling vulnerable, we can sense that our drive to overcome it is greater than the fear itself.

Feel the fear and do it anyway. It's okay to be scared!

Travel Light

My thought of the week was born a few weeks ago when I ran into a friend of mine who had recently completed the CDT (Continental Divide Trail). I had been following his trip which involved four months of solo hiking. About five years ago, he completed the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) which runs from Mexico to Canada, another amazing feat. So when I saw him, I stopped to welcome him back to the desert and asked how he was settling in. We got into a great conversation about being overwhelmed by people and things, as well as how parts of the trip went. He said initially it was all about finding the perfect gear...lightweight and efficient. He was traveling without a cook stove and ate everything raw and would binge on cooked foods when he came into towns.

As the journey progressed, he realized that he needed less and less. He then said, "We pack what we fear". I asked him to explain more fully as I was completely intrigued by this statement. Basically, he said, you pack more food if you think you'll be hungry, more water if you think you'll be thirsty and more clothes, well, just in case. It's the "just in case" scenario that begins to weigh you down. He said the lighter he became he recognized how resourceful he was and could be completely self-reliant.

It reminded me of the time I spent six months backpacking through Africa. I had minimum clothes: two pairs of shorts, two t-shirts, lightweight pants, raincoat, a pair of heavier pants, visor, some underwear, a bathing suit, and a sarong. We had some cooking gear (no stove), tent, Swiss Army knife, a sleeping bag, and mat but not much else. I had bought a one-way ticket to Harare, Zimbabwe and had no plans. I've told many people that those months were the freest I've ever felt in my life. It was light and I had no agenda or expectation.

Humans have been walking this earth since time began, often as nomads which meant that traveling light was essential. We've lost touch with this part of our DNA with our Western culture as having less is often equated with being unsuccessful. We stuff ourselves full of things in search of connection or approval. So when I hear about my friends hiking adventures, I can relate to the simplicity it offers and, in turn, the reconnection it can bring.

Another sign to travel light came to me recently when my sister, niece, husband and I were at my Mother's house preparing it for an estate sale. Mom has dementia and is in an assisted living facility so it's time to manage the house that we grew up in and where she lived in for 54 years. It was overwhelming as Mom is an organized pack-rat. Every possible place that something could be stored was filled. As we donated bags of clothing, my niece begged my sister (her Mom) to not do this to her. 

Lastly, my husband and I are downsizing so we have put our house on the market to find something smaller and, in the process, have been decluttering. Both of us agree that having less clutter feels good and we intend not to refill the house with anything, if possible. 

As I've been working on simplifying my life over the past three years, one of the starting points was decluttering. It began in a small way and has progressed to making bigger changes. So my thought of the week is to ask ourselves when we're bringing something into our lives, do we need it? Do we love it? If the answer is yes, then go for it! If the answer is no, then begin to explore why you're saying yes to it. It may be a physical item or saying yes to a commitment of some kind. One of the presenters in my "Simple Year" course spoke about getting out of credit card debt. One of her experiments was to not buy anything new for a year. Yep...a whole year beyond the necessities (food, shelter). I have tried this experiment for a month and it has been much easier by decreasing the amount of browsing done to websites, particularly ones that offer incentives for joining their email list. Buy another item and get free shipping, receive an extra 10% off etc...you know the deal. Upshot-unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe!

Ultimately this leads to another possible blog topic of conscious consumerism. The more conscious we become of our behaviors the more we can find peace in our choices. 

So, are you about to hit that "purchase" button? Pause and think if it will lighten your load and help you travel more easily through life. Now that's a challenge!

Move To The Center

In previous blogs, I have mentioned that if I have a cluster of images or signs show up, I tend to pay attention to them. Over the past several days, I kept coming to the image of a wheel, or a circle with a dot in the center of it. I felt that the center point, or what would be the axis of a wheel, is symbolic for "the now moment" and that the space that moves away from it contained within the circle, is the actions and thoughts of our lives. The center is in stillness, yet what is surrounding it is in motion. When we realize that we are no longer present and have been pulled toward the periphery, our practices of yoga, contemplation, slow living, and meditation are ways to move back to the center.

Often times it is anxiety, stress, fear, uncertainty, depression, or grief that pulls us away from the still point. Those emotional states can rapidly yank us out of the center point with so many of us spending vast slabs of time swimming around in it. They have a powerful pull and, like most people, I wasn't taught how to come back to a calm place so I would stay paddling around in swinging emotional states. Think of those people who seem to always have some drama going on in their lives. If people are a "hot mess" it might simply be because they've never been shown a way to come to the present moment. They know no other way of being.

My approach to yoga over the years has evolved from being one of a physical practice where heading to a class three times each week was "doing yoga" to realizing this is a way of being in life. The path never ends with the practices changing as we change. We are quite fortunate to have living masters of the "now". When I think of people who live in the center of the moment, Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama come to mind. They have been in such deep and dedicated practices over their lifetime that the center is where they spend the majority of their time. They may get pulled out toward the periphery, but are masterful at returning to the present moment. I'm grateful that I have stayed with my practice over the past several years, and so often, I feel like a neophyte finding my way. But what I've gotten so much better at is noticing when I've been pulled out to the periphery and now have ways to return to my center.

This past week in classes, we have been using the five senses to come back into the present moment. You can try this and see if it resonates with you. Sit or lay on your back and begin by exploring the sense of touch. Notice what your body is touching, how your clothes touch your body, how the air in the room passes over your skin and how the breath brushes the nostrils as you breathe in. Next, notice the sense of smell. What aromas are wafting past? Do they come from your own self-care products, a nearby stick of incense, or onions being sautéed? Move onto the sense of taste, noticing any residual flavors in the mouth. With the sense of sight, if your eyes are closed what do you see behind the lids? An array of colors like the Northern Lights or a dark night sky? And finally, listen to any sounds in your environment...stomach gurgling, swallowing, breathing. How about background noise in the space you're in? How far away can you detect sound?

Once you've spent a short time scanning the senses, is there one which you can easily sense? If yes, let that be your practice for the next week. Use this sense as a conduit back to the center of the present moment. The sense of sound is an easy one for me as I notice all sound arising and falling away. If I need to center myself, chanting 108 mantras or humming a song brings me back.

The challenge for all of us is to recognize the moment when we're doing laps around the outer edges of the present moment, rather than being in it. In that magical moment of awakening, we can use our senses to move back to the center. Everything that you sense in your body is happening in the now. 

Try it out and let me know how it goes! Ommmmmmmmm!

Equinox

It seems I am called to pay attention to the cycles of the seasons and the moon. We have just passed the equinox, the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern hemisphere and the Vernal Equinox in the Southern hemisphere. These are the turning points, the halfway marks between the Solstices which are the longest and shortest days of our year. As the equinox glides by, we notice that the daylight and nighttime hours are about the same and it's because the sun is moving about the level of the equator. And as the world is tilted and rotates, this changes as we approach the most dramatic changes of light at the Solstices. In the Northern hemisphere, our days are now getting shorter, we have left the dragon's fire of summer and are turned toward the fall and winter season. Of course, the opposite is true in the Southern hemisphere.

In paying attention to these seasonal shifts, it reminds us to notice the balance between darkness and light. It's as though we have this moment of stillness before tipping towards change. Traditionally, the Autumnal Equinox in the north has been a time of celebrating the harvest and abundance that the summer crops have yielded. It's a time when the fields, orchards, and trees come to rest and seeds are dropped into the earth. We are headed toward a dormancy only to be awakened in six months at the Vernal Equinox. But for now...things get quieter and we rest.

We also just passed the full moon and I asked my husband if he remembered where we were on the previous full moon. After a few moments, he remembered we had just watched the sunset over the Indian Ocean in Western Australia; it was dusk and we were heading away from the coast as the bright full moon rose up over the horizon. And as it happened, we spotted a kangaroo coming out for its dusk foraging and provided a most memorable scene (photo below)! It's during the full moon that we see manifestation, where what we've planted during the dark New Moon shows itself. And this too is another natural cycle that is an invitation for checking in to see if we're living in alignment with how we wish to be in the world.

  

This equinox prompted me to think about Sutra 2.46 from Patanjali. Only three of the 196 aphorisms in the Sutras talk about the physical practice of yoga, the "asana" or postures that we practice. It also means that these three references to the physical practice are loaded and is 2.46 "Sthira Sukham Asanam". It can be translated as "right effort", "steady and comfortable". The Sthira is also thought of as "alertness or strength" and the Sukham as "relaxation or surrender." Asanam is the root word for "posture/pose" so when you hear the instruction of moving into Tadasana, Sukhasana or Savasana you have a clue that it pertains to something physical in nature.

Within each pose, we can find the effort and, at the same time, the release. I call this moment of balance within the pose the still point, as it's that moment when everything feels compatible, at ease, and steady...just like the energy of the equinox. Early on in my yoga practice, I was in a Warrior Two pose, a strong lunge position, and my teacher, Murray, said to me, "Jayne...can you stay just as you are?" and then called the class over to my mat. He then asked the class to "look at my face" and in my own curiosity, I was trying not to make a face as others looked at mine. Then Murray said, "Can you see how relaxed her face is?". I hadn't tried to relax my face, it was simply a result of finding the balance between effort and letting go, so no extra tension was seen on my facial expression. Unknowingly, it was my first introduction to Sthira Sukham Asanam and, although I was "working" the pose, I wasn't striving to make it more than what was happening in that moment.

This is a challenge for so many of us...we are taught that we need to work hard, push through pain, leave it all out on the court and do that little bit more or else we're deemed lazy or apathetic. We aren't encouraged to find ease in the process, so finding "right effort" is something we can certainly explore through our practice. We also don't want to be sloppy and disconnected from our experience, giving less than, but to look for the sweet spot of equanimity.

A couple of things to notice during your asana practice to see if you're in balance is to notice micro-tensions, particularly in the facial muscles (clenching teeth, squinting, furrowing the brow) and to see if you can sense your breath without struggle.

As we honor the cycles of the seasons, whether we're welcoming spring or fall, take some time to reflect back to the previous equinox and see what has manifested in your own garden. Perhaps now we can stop tilling the soil for a bit, let ourselves celebrate all that has grown in our lives, and look forward to the next season.

Judgment

It was over 20 years ago that I first saw Deepak Chopra speak. It was at a gig in Melbourne. I went alone and remember having a seat that was fairly high up in the auditorium. Much of what he was talking about went way over my head...quantum physics and the like. However, one thing he said then was a true nugget for me and has stuck with me over the years. It spoke of finding the gap between our thoughts. At the time, I thought "there is no gap between my thoughts...what is he talking about." He said that within the gap is where insight happens...and that had me hooked. Of course, now I know more about what he was talking about as I have a steady meditation practice which allows me to know that gaps exist. How much time I'm able to actually stay there is a whole other thing, but I know it to exist.

This past weekend, Deepak was a key presenter at Bhakti Fest. It was his first visit to the high desert festival on its 10th anniversary. I sat in on three of his sessions and was treated to another nugget...some 20+ years later. He said that a key aim of our yoga practice is to be able to "observe ourselves, without judging ourselves." By doing this we are led to Moksha, often translated as freedom. When we can drop into that inner space of self-reflection and inquiry, we begin to release the entanglement to our thoughts and get to know the truth of who we really are. As he spoke, this particular thought felt as though he had just thrown me another nugget. I'm hoping that it won't be another 20+ years until the next one, but this one is a great thought for the week.

We have a given. We're human. We're judgmental. It's our nature and, deepened through conditioning, we toss judgment at not only at others but ourselves as well, often in a more harsh and stinging way. I don't know of many people that upon awakening, look in the mirror, beam and exclaim "Well, good morning Sunshine!" We are sold on the myth that something in us is broken and needs improving. We are sold on the belief that we need to change who we are as what we are isn't enough. Whether we are "sold" on these notions or we are programmed to have a negative bias are ideas that can be debated. Nonetheless, as I explore this path, I'm trying to re-frame that thinking to remembering that who and what I am is enough. I just need to get away from distractions in order to listen to my inner wisdom. It all sounds so simple, and yet, it is an amazing challenge.

I am also struck when people make comments about somebody being "good" at yoga. They may be talking about a person's ability to strike a pose that so many of us would never even get close to doing. I like to say that nobody is good or bad at yoga. We all practice yoga, and where the practice takes us is to those places where we are deeply challenged. Some things come more easily to some people and others may find the identical thing to be difficult. An example of this is I can do a handstand, all by myself, in just about any location with a somewhat level surface. I have been turning myself upside down ever since I can remember, and being inverted and viewing the world from that perspective feels comfortable to me and is "easy".  Now, if I did a handstand in the middle of a class, some people might look at it and think, "wow...she's really good at yoga" and I get that. What many people might miss are the things that are hard for me. The physical element of yoga has always been the easiest part of the practice for me. Quieting my mind, finding stillness, self-love, and acceptance has been hard. I stepped onto my yoga mat with none of those abilities and realized that I needed something beyond the physical practice. So my being "good" at yoga is a myth...I practice what I need to remember the most, what is the least accessible and that's the path of going inward.

So, as we release the judgment piece of the practice, we step into greater presence and curiosity. As Walt Whitman said, "Be curious, not judgmental". This past week, I've been encouraging students to watch how often self-judgment arises and to notice what may have triggered it. And then, to get deeply inquisitive about what's happening in the experience and see if we can adopt the observer role with an open heart, rather than the role of judge.

What Would You Like To Learn?

I'm a curious person and always have been. I want to know how things work, how they're structured, their design, and what materials are used to make it all happen. I love learning about the design of tiny homes, I wanted to know all the steps when our pool was being built, and I continue to learn Sanskrit and mantra. And like many others, I feel that I'm a lifelong student and spend several hours each week reading and deepening my own personal library of knowledge. In yoga, this is known as "Svadyaya" or self-study and it's one component to the lifelong practice of yoga.

I also like to listen to different podcasts and, as I was doing so recently, the question of "What would you like to learn?" was asked. Following on from the theme from last week, that of recreating my schedule and commitments for the upcoming season and how I'm willing to "dive in", this seemed to be a fantastic follow-up question...what is it that I'm wanting to learn at the moment? Part of my current learning is to listen deeply to my own cues. I'm needing to better manage my energy expenditure and am trying to perhaps "un-learn" some default patterns and approach myself from a more compassionate and less judgmental place. It's okay for me to not do every single thing I think I "should" be doing. So I'm trying to learn to cut myself some slack.

But my thought of the week is coming from a slightly different place, one of inspired learning that ignites the creative side of who we are. I am well aware of how simply being alive is a constant lesson. The many challenges that we face, the difficult realities that being human entails such as loss, transition, change, and grief...all of these life lessons teach us something. All of us can reflect into those difficulties and pull out of them what it taught us, but this week instead of using suffering as our teacher, let's look to that one thing that we've been yearning to know more about from a place of choice rather than from a place of what is thrown at us through daily living.

As I asked myself the question of "what do I want to learn" I kind of drew a blank. Nothing seemed to be screaming at me so I simply asked myself the question and handed it over to the Universal grid of energy. I was taught in ninth grade English that when writing an essay, to put if off to the side for a couple of days and then pick it up again.  It works as you tend to see it with fresh eyes after letting go of it for a bit. The same thing happened with me asking the question of what I wanted to learn. 

As it happens, when in Australia, being an avid photographer, I had my DSLR camera out and dropped the lens cap. I watched it roll around in a circle and then drop in the space between the planks of a boardwalk. Oops...So I ended up covering the lens with one of my socks for the remainder of the trip. Upon returning to the desert, I stopped into our local camera store, replacing my lens cap and happened to ask the question, "By the way, do you offer any photography workshops here?". The answer was, "Well, yes, actually we do and have our next happening in October". I smiled and said, "Perfect! Send me the details when you have them!" As I left the store, I felt that the letting go was actually opening a doorway to possibility and was happy for the potential outcome.

When we explore and learn from a curious and creative perspective, the result often connects us to doing something where inspiration is found. When we do what we love, we become focused and absorbed into it, often with time, space, judgment, and sense of self, dissolving. It's an act of meditation, one of being radically present with the current moment.

So know that whatever it is that opens up that channel of connection to something that you're truly wanting to explore, whether it's music, art, photography, being in nature or knitting, that those things are as much a part of our spiritual journey as sitting in silent meditation. They become the same thing...bringing us connected to the inspired part of who we are.

I'm curious to hear what you're wanting to learn...feel free to share!

Dive In

When I saw this water in the image above, all I wanted to do was dive in. Not surprisingly, this is Turquoise Bay at the Ningaloo Reef, Cape Range National Park in Western Australia. And yes, I did step into this idyllic water with mask, snorkel, and fins to explore what inhabited this pristine wilderness. I wasn't disappointed at its residents...abundant and varied reef fish, corals, and a sleek reef shark. My experience in stepping into waters such as these is that a certain surrender is needed as you feel the mood of the ocean's current tugging at your limbs and not to struggle against it. Part of the experience is hearing your breath through the snorkel as it offers immediate feedback as to how relaxed (or not) you are and also knowing that you're a visitor to these waters.

Throughout our time in Australia, I found myself diving into a few different bodies of water from the ocean to sacred pools. The sacred pools naturally fed by underground springs have been visited by aboriginals since they've walked this earth. It's said that they spray water from their mouths upon entering the pool to alert and ask permission from their ancestors to be there. I love the idea of asking permission of the land, water, air, and elders as it raises a level of consciousness that we don't often experience. Frequently, we stomp and splash our way in without much forethought, so slowing down and entering sacred space with eyes wide open is an inviting practice.

My thought of the week is around what it means to dive in, and it was inspired by a student saying I was "diving straight back into it" as I returned to teaching. In many ways, it hasn't felt like that at all but more like a stepping back into my California world with a sense of doing so slowly and with eyes wide open. I'm trying to carry what I learned from spending the past month immersed in nature, living simply, and exploring my environment.

My husband and I drove over 3100 miles (5100 Km) in just under three weeks and we often drove in silence. Not because we were in conflict or had nothing to say but more that we were simply enjoying being present. We didn't need anything else, whether it was a conversation, an audiobook, or music. Watching the endless roads, fringed by bursts of wildflowers, contrasted by the deep red ocher of the Australian outback was enough. We had many varied spots in which we found to meditate...most often outside overlooking the ocean or a gorge. We listened to the myriad of sounds that come from the natural environment...waves crashing, birds calling, the wind rushing. Each moment had its own unique offering and bursting with reminders of how easy it is to connect to the energy of all that's alive on this earth.

This time away has left me with the lesson to choose how I wish to be living. As I return to the States with the New Moon approaching, the seasons changing, and people returning to the desert, there's a sense of transition and tension. Anytime change happens it's accompanied by a pull of energies, the shift of the status quo. This is the perfect time for introspection and checking-in, prior to a greater possibility of busyness. This is the time that I get to re-create my schedule and think about how many commitments I can make without bankrupting my personal energy budget. I needed the downtime in Australia, the time for personal retreat and relaxation as I hadn't realized how fatigued I had become until I slowed down.

One lesson is to not blindly dive back into how I had been managing my energy prior to my break but to look at it from a place of compassion and consciousness and perhaps, switch things up a bit. I am grateful for the many sunrises and sunsets, for all the whales and dolphins, birds and wildflowers, and for all of those in my Aussie heart tribe. I am grateful to those who remained in the desert to look after our house, the yoga studio, and its participants. And I am most grateful for having the insight to give myself a good chunk of time away. Thanks for the lessons and I will hold the intention of diving back into things with my metaphorical mask and snorkel in place so I can hear my breath and see with clarity.