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!