What's Next? What's Now?

If you've read any of my blogs over the past few weeks, you may have gleaned that it's been a bit hectic. During this time, I've stayed committed to a morning walking practice in order to get outside, enjoy the cooler mornings, notice the birds and what's blossoming. I find it invigorating as it connects me to my beating heart and my supportive legs. It's also a time where I allow thoughts to come and go, sometimes inspired by a podcast that I might be listening to or simply some favorite music.

It was during one of these walks recently that I was going over my to-do list. I thought to myself, "OK, what's next?" and then I paused as the next thought slammed into me, "Not what's next, but what's now?". It was as though I was receiving a universal reminder to come back to all the beauty that was surrounding me. Part of me was almost nagging, "Stop planning! You're missing all the good stuff!". So in addition to my morning walking jaunt, I've consciously allowed myself to practice being in the moment of now. To really see the birds and the mountains with their remaining sprinkling of winter snow. To smell the orange blossoms fragrance wafting around my neighborhood. To sense the seasonal temperatures brushing against my skin. To be here now, as Ram Dass so famously said.

This week in classes, I've been encouraging people to truly sense their experience. When we come to the sensations happening, we can't help but be in the present moment. We don't smell, hear, or taste a future experience. When we allow ourselves to simply observe which senses are lighting themselves up within the physical experience, we are completely in the moment of now. This takes some level of concentration to simply bear witness to what's happening whilst remaining in a state of equanimity. We witness our experience without the need to fix or change it. As we become more adept at being with what is, we move away from the ego that so loves to dominate our attention. Eckhart Tolle says that being fully present allows us to disempower the ego. We notice when the ego is pulling at our proverbial sleeve and at that moment recognize ourselves more deeply.

Another practice that helps us to connect to the present moment is becoming more aware of what's called our "subtle" body. We talk about the subtle body in yoga in regards to aspects of ourselves such as the chakras (energy wheels), the koshas (layers of being from the physical to the non-physical), prana (the life force energy pulsing through our body); as well as our auric field, the bubble of energy that lays beyond the skin. 

To sense the subtle body, close your eyes and let your awareness settle into your hands. Try to feel your hands from the inside. What do you sense? When I practice this, I get a strong sense of tingling and pulsing in the palms of my hands. The more I focus on the feeling, the more I can feel its presence throughout the body. Then see if you can notice this energy during movement as well as stillness. This is often referred to as our "inner being", the sense of self that isn't visible but we know is there, and we know that on a deeper level it has always been there. And this remains true despite the ever-changing stages of our physical form as it is thought to be present even when our physical form dissolves. As we experience this other aspect of ourselves not only are we radically present, but we connect to the essence of who we truly are. In other words, by understanding the less obvious forms of ourselves, we awaken to deeper stages of consciousness.

So as you scurry throughout the day and find that inner voice asking, "What's next?" allow yourself to pause and ask "What's now?" This is enough to bring us back home to our inner being and truly feel alive. Now is the only moment that matters. Now is where our life is happening...notice so you're not too busy and miss it!

Spring Equinox

You can feel it in the air. The energy is shifting and as I write it is not only the Equinox but a full moon reflecting her brilliance tonight! Many regular readers will know that I love marking the four times of the year with each Solstice and Equinox we experience. The Equinox is the day when both daylight and nighttime hours are equal and depending upon in which hemisphere you live, you are either heading toward darkness or toward light. It's the perfect metaphor for life's rhythms and time for reflection as to where you are currently in relation to this cycle.

Here in the desert, we have had an unusually high rainfall this winter with cool temperatures. It feels as though the warmer months tempt us with the occasional warmer day, but we are yet to fully step into the heat we all experience living in this environment. And boy! You should see our surrounding mountains, washes, and roadsides. They are awash with growth and the super bloom of wildflowers is strutting her beauty wherever you turn. I can't remember our mountains looking so deeply green and lush, compared to a more familiar reddish brown and yellow of our desert palate. Spring has definitely sprung and you'd have to be a cave-dwelling reclusive to not notice.

This is also the time of year for us in the Northern hemisphere to see what is blossoming in our own "garden" as it's a reflection of what we planted some six months ago at the Autumnal Equinox. What did you dig into your soil back then and what is currently manifesting in your life? At times, we need to survey what's present, put on the gloves, and do some weeding. If things haven't grown, we can look at what needs to nourish our intentions and decide if we need to continue or to release it until another time.

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, days are getting shorter and the cooler, quieter energy of autumn and winter are on the horizon. It's the perfect time to set intentions, send them out to the universal energetic grid and then release any attachment to the outcome. This allows the energy to "hibernate" through the winter months and reawaken next spring. What is something that's been calling to you yet perhaps now just doesn't seem to be the right time? Put it out there and see what happens.

Our focus in classes this week has been on checking in with our right and left sides of the body. The right side of the body is the masculine side, controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain. Its qualities are represented by the sun, Shiva (masculine energy), Yang, linear, and analytical. The left side is the feminine controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain. Its qualities are Shakti (feminine energy), the moon, coolness, Yin, spaciousness, and creativity. One way to become more connected to these two halves is to simply do a body scan on one side at a time, beginning at the feet and heading up to the crown. As you scan, notice any differences or feelings of contraction. As you finish scanning, invite a sense of wholeness and compatibility between the two sides, recognizing that opposite energies are always coexisting in our body and go through cycles of dominance and awareness.

Nadi Shodhana, or alternating nostril breath, is another easy practice to bring a sense of equilibrium. As you establish a comfortable sitting position with a lengthened spine, bring your right hand in front of the face as you inhale. The left hand can simply rest on the lap. Gently use your right thumb to occlude the right nostril, to exhale through the left nostril. Pause. Inhale through the left nostril, use the right ring finger to gently close the left nostril, pause, before releasing the right nostril. Inhale right, close, exhale left etc. You may also notice nostril dominance throughout the day, an indication of which side of the brain is most active. You can use Nadi Shodhana to create more balance if that's what you're seeking in that moment.

On this Equinox, let us celebrate equanimity and all that is blossoming in our lives or that which we wish to manifest. Find a full breath and take some time to honor both the darkness and the light.

Happy Equinox!

People People Everywhere

I don't know if we're there yet or not, but it seems as though all the signs are saying "yes". We have hit peak season as people people are everywhere!

It was particularly noticeable over the weekend when my husband and I were at the BNP Paribas Tennis Open, the fifth largest tennis tournament in the world and often referred to as the "fifth" slam. We are fortunate to have such an event in our valley with the best men's and women's players in the world competing for the title. The event has grown considerably over the past several years which, in turn, means that more and more people make this tournament a destination. Last Sunday, we had great stadium seating and were able to see Simona Halep and Roger Federer play. When Serena Williams came out for her match, after the first set she retired due to illness which meant that a packed stadium began to empty all at once. We were like spawning salmon trying to find an easier passage but without much success. Locals have also been commenting on how busy the roads have been and how crowded the restaurants, bars, and shops are. For us locals, this influx can feel overwhelming although we are grateful for the increase in business that all of this brings to us.

And if you're an extrovert, the type of person whose energy goes up when connected to others, this is the perfect time to get out there and participate! And if you're like me, an introvert, it's the perfect time to be reminded of how to maintain your energy when tons of people can feel draining. Fortunately, over the years, through my study of self-reflection and inquiry, I've gotten better at keeping in place things that support what I need. Here are a few suggestions that all of us can benefit from, so see what might resonate with you.

1. Keep sacred time, sacred. I begin each and every day with morning meditation. No exceptions. I like the thought that sacred time is when we don't intentionally bring in any other form of information-no listening to conversation/podcast/music/radio; no eating or drinking; no watching or reading from screens or devices. Simply be with what is and let whatever is touching your senses be awakened.

2. Set aside time to attack what is on your to-do list. And stick to it. If it isn't at the top of the list, it can wait. This means prioritizing what needs to be completed today.

3. Sleep. Maintain a regular sleep habit. Bed at the same time, rise at the same time. If I'm feeling really pooped and have a small window it's either a restorative yoga pose or a wee nap for 15-30 minutes.

4. Humor. I'm busy. You're busy. Let's get over it and it doesn't mean we need to lose our sense of humor. I take time to either listen to comedians on Pandora, watch my favorite sitcom, or give my brother a call as we laugh together more than anyone else I know.

5. Gratitude. Try to keep things in perspective during the busiest times of your year. I feel blessed to have an abundance of work,  great friends from all over the country that spend time in the desert, and I have a genuine opportunity to make a difference on a daily basis.

6. Breathe. It's simple. It's available in this very moment. It can calm me down in a matter of three deep conscious breaths.

7. Walk, Move, Exercise-Get outside for some fresh air, sunshine, or moon gazing. As you move, you release not only the physical kinks but tension that's harboring itself somewhere in your tissues.

It might be hectic out there with people people everywhere but I'm happy that this is the challenge that we face. Bask in the abundance, step into what inspires you, and unplug when your energy begins to need a refill. Oh...and remember to find the sacred space in your day, every day. Even a minute of sitting in your parked car as you arrive home with the radio off can be one of the most awake and delicious moments of your day. Enjoy!

The Jagged Tooth

"The tongue always finds the jagged tooth" is a quote from my teacher, Judith Hanson Lasater, and my thought for the week. It doesn't exactly relate to orthodontia but more to noticing how often we bring our focus to things that are challenging, difficult, negative, or "jagged" in our lives. It's a metaphor for focusing on the glass being half empty and can usurp so much of our attention that, over time, we begin to identify with the "jagged tooth" as who we are.

When I was a kid, my Dad had a gold cap on one of his teeth. He had it following an injury during high school football, but when I asked him how he got it, he said, "When a tooth falls out, if you don't stick your tongue in the gap, a gold tooth grows in." Of course, my naive young self wanted to believe this to be true so on many occasions when I lost a tooth, I challenged myself to not stick my tongue in the now vacant hole. Needless to say, that lasted all of a millisecond with the result that not only did I not get the golden tooth, but I couldn't leave the gap alone.

Our yoga and meditation practices are one way in which we have the opportunity to notice when we've been drawn to the more negative qualities of ourselves, others, and life-events. We can begin to gain awareness as to how much of our daily energy is being consumed by things that draw us away from living a compassionate and loving life. As humans, part of us is programmed towards a negative bias. We often slow down to gawk at a car accident, get drawn into scary or violent movies, or participate in the alluring conversations of the drama of other people's lives. We can spend so much time poking our tongue at the jagged tooth of life that we become consumed by it. Many of us have come across people who seem as though they can only talk about their illness, recovery from an injury, their divorce, or troubled child. They begin to almost wear it as a name tag saying, "I am the person who's going through this....". It can be a difficult cycle to break and we often notice when our identification with whatever it may be, begins to reveal itself through our body via somatic experiences.

Those moments of recognition that something needs to shift for us to feel better are powerful and awaken us. As Martha Beck said, "the worst ones are really your personal koans, and tormenting ambivalence is just the sense of satori rising." The things that are the most difficult for us can become our own personal puzzle to solve and in the process, "satori" or "sudden enlightenment" begins to appear. The process of this discovery takes time and happens often in layers, with our yoga and meditation practices allowing us to sit quietly enough to hear the message. And if we're lucky to have a teacher guiding us as we navigate through these challenges, it may be an enormous shift in our own personal evolution.

Our practice for this week has been to take a moment to reflect on the goodness that is sitting within us. What is one good thing you did yesterday? Can you see the good in others, even those people who may be prickly? So if you notice a knot in your gut, tension in your shoulders, or you're clenching your jaw, check in to see if it's related to the amount of energy you're giving to those "jagged teeth" in your life. Then pause, take a deep breath and acknowledge the good. Give it a go. It might just set you free!

Best Friends-Everybody Needs A Lucy

It all began in 1982 when Lucy and I met as first-year physical education students at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. All of the first year students were divided into four groups in alphabetical order, so as it would happen, me (Robertson) and Lucy (Strasser) ended up in the activity of gymnastics. Lucy and I covered the full gymnastics spectrum-I had been a competitive gymnast and, upon retiring, wanted nothing to do with the sport, and Lucy coming from a background in scuba diving and bush-walking, having never set foot onto a balance beam, much less hung from uneven parallel bars. So in some ways, we both would've preferred a different first-year activity but were required to be there.

It was also during this first semester that my father was diagnosed with cancer. He had been working in Washington DC at the time and returned to California to undergo treatment. It was an aggressive cancer and within a few months, he deteriorated rapidly. Lucy was that person who took me under her wing, literally guiding me to get my airline ticket, renew my student visa, and drive me to the airport so I could see Dad before he passed. And she was the person who upon my return at the beginning of our second semester that picked me up at the airport and a couple of months later, suggested I see a school counselor as I wasn't coping with the tremendous grief I was experiencing.

We like to joke that she's been my bridesmaid...twice. So it's simply astonishing to me that some 37 years later, our lives have not only stayed interwoven but that she was leading one of our Advanced Studies Workshops on Conscious Communication for Yoga Teachers and Yoga Therapists, in a studio that I own and operate. The morning after she arrived as I awoke I thought to myself, "Everybody needs a Lucy", hence my theme for the week.

One of the great things about having a lifelong bestie is that it may be several weeks or months between conversations, yet the moment you see each other, it's as though no time has passed. The ease of re-connection happens because we don't have to cut through the superficial layers that are present as when you first meet someone. It got me to thinking about the word, "Namaste", often translated as "the light in me, sees and honors the light in you. And when we are both there, we are one." To me, this "Namaste" moment is present when two lifelong friends come together. They truly see each other's light, as well as their darkness, and in doing so recognize that they're inextricably linked. 

In honoring our friends, we've been undertaking a short practice on loving kindness in classes throughout the week. This practice has the classic repetition of phrases such as: May I be safe, may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I live with ease, may I be peaceful or any phrase that encapsulates a sense of kindness. It begins with the "I" statements, with the intention of truly getting behind the phrase with sincerity. After repeating just one selected phrase several times, we next imagined our friend sitting directly opposite, trying to sense their energy, visualizing their face and whole being. The phrase that we chose was then altered with "May you be...". To end the practice what we wish for ourselves, for those dear to us, we also wish for all beings everywhere. 

Let this week be about the celebration of those who support us in being the best version of ourselves and us, doing the same in return to them. May we create many more namaste moments and may all beings everywhere live with loving kindness in their own hearts. And may all of them have a "Lucy" in their lives.