Give-olutions

Unless you've had your head in the sand, you are aware that not only has the calendar flipped into the year 2020 but we have also entered a new decade. It's also that time of year when people write, blog, and talk about a "new you in the new year" and ask us to create New Year Resolutions. If you've read this blog very often, you won't be too surprised that I'm not a fan of making resolutions no matter what time of the year. To me, they can seem short-sighted, inconsequential, and often flippant. Lose weight, stop smoking, work less, save more, go on an exotic vacation...blah, blah, and blah. 

We know that New Year's resolutions tend to be short-lived and can't seem to gain much traction. So, much to my surprise, I read an insightful article by Paul C Pritchard about "Give-olutions" (click here to read). and was inspired to play with the idea of what it would be like to have a paradigm shift away from resolutions to what we can "give" throughout 2020. 

Fortunately, I was sitting in an airport departure lounge when I read this and had adequate time to contemplate my own list of give-olutions for the upcoming year. I broke it down into three categories: self, others, and the planet. This is what I came up with:

What can I give to myself in 2020?

• Self-care
• Compassion
• Challenges
• Solitude
• Creative activities
• Time for contemplation, direction, and growth
• REST
• New Experiences
• Daily Movement/Exercise
• Optimizing Health

What can I give to others?

• Presence
• Love
• Time
• Donate energy, resources, and services (i.e., volunteer/Seva)
• Patience
• Compassion
• Kindness

What can I give to Mother Earth?

• Downsize
• Minimize
• Consume Less
• Decrease the use of single-use items
• Support environmentally conscious businesses
• Compost

I would suggest that you try this out...pop a heading at the top of a page and jot down whatever comes to mind. Then, narrow it down to simply one thing per category to begin working on today. I love the idea of referring back to this list regularly and adjusting to where you are at that moment.

Give-olutions have a stronger sense of doing rather than the more dreamy/lofty/fantastical notions of making a resolution. When we really focus on simply changing just one or two behaviors, we can more easily create life-long shifts.

And as we've been so beautifully reminded through the death of Ram Dass just a couple of weeks ago, that his guru, Neem Karoli Baba taught that if we're feeling stuck in life to get out of our own way and give back to others. Feed people, love people, help people. When we give, it rebounds back to us in a powerful wave of intensity.

I'm keen to hear your thoughts and be inspired by your 2020 give-olutions. Feel free to share!

Happy New Year and New Decade!

Solstice

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sahasrara Chakra

What an amazing seven weeks it has been, journeying through all seven chakras culminating this week with the crown or Sahasrara Chakra. Located at the top of the head, I see the crown chakra as a portal to infinite consciousness, connection, and potential. I visualize a funnel of energy that keeps expanding the further out you go...infinitely through all time and space.

The crown chakra is represented by the color violet and connects to all expanding consciousness. When we are balanced in our Sahasrara chakra, Geof Jowett from his book, "The Power of I Am", states that "we understand things from a wider context with creativity, compassion, and an expansive imagination. The more balanced and stable my crown is, the more open I am to divine energy and universal consciousness" (p. 161). To paraphrase, when we are connected here, we see things from the wide-angle lens of our life, to how we are merging with all that is and to not sweat the small stuff. It puts things into the big picture perspective of why we are here and how we are all connected.

When we are experiencing life from this crown center, we are coming from our highest self...who we are fundamentally, as well as who we strive to be. This feeling is one of open spaciousness where we truly feel as though we have dissolved into the whole and that no separation exists between all beings. In working with all the chakras we see how each one is affected by the other as we ascend up the chain. The earth element of the base chakra dissolves into the water element of the sacral chakra. The water element is altered as it interacts with the fire element of the solar plexus. Fire is affected by the air element of the heart's fourth chakra. Air expands into the ethers of the throat energy and all elements. As Swami Saradananda writes in the book "Chakra Meditation", "this enables you to transcend worldly experience and to understand your connection with universal consciousness."

It is thought that when we are connected with universal consciousness we experience feelings of freedom (moksha) and bliss (Ananda), but in order to connect more frequently, we need to do the work. "Doing the work" means to truly commit to getting to know and understand the geography of our own inner landscape. It means turning our awareness away from the outer world to our inner world. We withdraw our senses by stopping, closing our eyes and finding stillness (pratyahara). We begin to bring our focus into one thing such as the movement of our breath or a mantra (Dharana). As we continue, we begin to find an inner state of peacefulness (dhyana) which leads us to moments of expanded bliss (samadhi).

Now most of us have only fleeting glimpses of what pure ecstatic bliss feels like, however, the yogis believe that disciplined effort can take us into these states more and more frequently. Sharon Salzberg said recently, "holding onto thoughts is like holding a bird in our hands. When we realize we're doing it, we can release our grip and let go of the bird". The same is true for thoughts. What can keep us from reaching expanded states of consciousness is that we hold onto thoughts and perpetuate their energy by going into the past or future or making a story out of it. When we recognize that we're holding, we can open our hands and let go. And we might have to do this over and over again, but when we do we experience the realness of the present moment and when we're in the present, it's easier to connect to the big picture.

Six of the chakras have bija (seed) mantras: Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Ham, and Om but the seventh chakra is silent (there is no sound in space). Another way to connect to the seventh chakra is by wearing violet and repeating affirmations such as:

I connect with spirit.

I invite sacred transformation.

I embrace the unity of all beings.

When we raise the vibration of consciousness we begin to listen to the wisdom and truth of our individual soul as it connects to the whole cosmos. As we are about to turn the calendar into not just another year, but into a new decade, now is the perfect time to clear, cleanse, and connect to all seven of our energy centers. May we rise up in body, heart, soul, and mind!

Ajna Chakra

As we ascend through the seven chakras, this week we explore the Ajna Chakra which is located at the brow center and often referred to as the "Third Eye". It is said that as we close our physical eyes, we begin to see more clearly into what is unknowable through the Third Eye. We are fortunate in the desert to truly experience the color of this chakra which is indigo, the deep royal blue color of the early evening desert night sky. It's that rich bluish-purple hue that allows us to notice the first planet or stars that appear in the evening sky. Its Bija mantra is OM, often written and sounded as "AUM" and represents our connection to our inner knowing and intuition. As we move above the heart chakra, the pivotal point between the upper and lower three chakras, we journey further into unknown realms, opening ourselves to connect to deeper states of consciousness and inner wisdom. The Third Eye chakra isn't truly represented by an element but some say it would be that of light, which makes sense as we move toward greater moments of self-realization and "enlightenment".

All of the energy centers and elements interact and align with one another.  Yet, the upper three energy centers can feel more elusive to capture in description and are felt largely through experience. In my experience, intuition is like a blip on our consciousness radar. It isn't something that hangs out and lingers, rather, it shows itself in a flash, often referred to as having an intuitive hit or insight.

The Ajna chakra is all about going deeper into who we truly are by listening to the wisdom that arises when we stay open rather than narrowing and clinging to what we identify with. Staying open can translate as letting go of our quickfire opinions and judgments, holding space patiently and without expectation. We keep the wide-angle lens on as often as possible which helps us "to see" the vast potential of ourselves and how we navigate through our lives.

I recently regretted not trusting an intuitive hit. I was looking for a new place for my Mom to live as her facility was closing down. I walked into one place that hadn't yet opened and it was clean, beautifully appointed, and had some of the qualities that I was looking for. But, I had this underlying and nearly silent sense that although it looked great, it wasn't quite right. However, I ignored that sense and rationalized why I was going to choose this place over another. Fortunately, a couple of other things happened which confirmed my intuition before I moved her into this facility and I changed my decision. In doing so, I created my own discomfort as I now had to summon my courageous self (third chakra) to make a phone call withdrawing from the first deal. I look back now and realize that had I paid attention to the intuitive flash, I would have gone through less suffering...but I didn't listen. Instead, I let my ego and intellect overrule what my intuition knew.

It's said that if it's coming from your intuition you simply know it to be true...there's no negotiating or reasoning. You just know. And the tricky part is trusting this deeper knowing. It may not seem to make sense in the current scheme of things, but the times when I have fully trusted my intuitive self, alignment manifested and things went smoothly.

This week we've been visualizing our connection to the third eye, with a swirling indigo ball of light at the forehead and chanting OM repeatedly. The intention is to stay open to what arises, feel the expanding vibration of the mantra, and trust the synchronicity of our lives.

The other cool thing in talking about the Ajna chakra this week is that we're getting closer to the Solstice, the Winter Solstice here in the Northern hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the Southern. The shorter days and longer nights of the Winter Solstice are calling us into hibernation, a time of turning in, resting, and enjoying the simplicity of the season. It's the perfect time to delve into the Ajna chakra, connecting to our true self through meditation, letting go of identity, and finding the light within.

May you trust and know that you ARE intuitive. And may you stay wide-open to all the mystery that is sitting below the surface waiting to reveal itself.

Vishuddha Chakra

We continue our exploration of the seven energy centers called chakras and this week we have been moving into the higher chakras working with the fifth or throat chakra. In Sanskrit, this chakra is called the Vishuddha chakra and is located in the area of the throat and neck. It has the color of radiant, rich blue, its sound vibration resonates in the note of G and has the seed mantra of HAM. 

As previously stated, these elements are an integral part not only of our Universal environment but of the subtle energy systems of our being. When we experience our connection to the elements we are able to deepen our sense of an inherent relationship to all that's around and within us. Each chakra represents varying aspects of ourselves from the most physical to the most ethereal.

The throat chakra has the element of ether and sits directly above the heart. Ether is even more seemingly elusive as an element in the form of being a gas, making it more volatile. It is described as "the clear sky; the upper regions of air beyond the clouds". And this makes beautiful sense as the heart chakra (the fourth) is represented by air and ether is the next element beyond the heart chakra..." the upper regions of air beyond the clouds". 

All of the energy centers and elements interact and align with one another. The lower three chakras create the foundation upon which our energy rises toward the heart and when we begin to live from the intention and energy of being more loving, it's as though we are better prepared to express ourselves authentically. The first three chakras and elements, earth, water, and fire are familiar to us as we know what each of these is, how they look and how we interact with them. This more vague concept begins as we rise from the lower three chakras to merge into the heart/air chakra. We all know what air is but it becomes more difficult to actually see. And so it goes as we rise into the upper three energy centers and into the realms of expanding consciousness, intuition and our connection to something that is often difficult to comprehend.  

The throat chakra is all about self-expression, creativity, and communication and it happens to be the one chakra I personally have had to work the most on opening. Although I was quite shy, as a young, boisterous and often "loud" child, I was told to "pipe down" and over time began to do so. During my years of coaching gymnastics, I would typically lose my voice completely three or more times each year and developed nodules on my vocal cords. I went through three months of speech therapy and, for the first time in my life, began to understand how to more effectively use my voice. I was also a mumbling low-talker and realized years later that it was because I felt that what I had to say wasn't of value.

As I stepped more deeply into my yoga practice, I began to realize that my throat energy needed some work and coupled with a chakra reading that said, "your throat is like a caged bird, looking for the key" the practice of opening my throat energy began to unfold. When I first began studying to become a yoga teacher, I thought I'd do it as long as I didn't have to chant. My belief at the time was that chanting was weird and somewhat cultish. I then had the experience of being at a yoga conference for some training and as we stood at the front of our mats, they said "And now we'll chant Om Mani Padme Hum" together. I rolled my eyes with an act of defiance and reluctantly began to sing. Tears began to form and I started to cry as I realized that my fear around chanting seemed ridiculous. I was just singing and I love to sing! I held a deep belief that kept me locked down in my throat.

Chanting, mantra, and the creative pursuits of writing over 500 blogs have been the creative mainstay of me opening up my throat. I knew that if I was to fulfill the dharma/purpose of my life, in sharing what I've been gifted by great teachers and those who've come before me, I would need to express myself. Coming to my throat, gaining confidence in speaking my truth supported by the energy of my heart has enabled me to do what I'm meant to be doing.

I know that each of you reading this has a unique offering to the world. If you need a boost to get it going, get creative and step into the arena of self-expression and tap into your Vishuddha chakra. Sing, dance, write, sketch, or create anything that your heart is beckoning you to express. It will not only raise your vibration, but you'll be sharing your beautiful gifts with the world.

Anahata Chakra

We continue our exploration of the seven energy centers called chakras and this week we have been working with the fourth chakra located at the heart - the Anahata Chakra. It has the color of vibrant green, which I once described sitting in the yoga studio on retreat at Sanctuary in the rainforest of Queensland and simply said..."look outside, that's the color I'm talking about!". Its sound vibration resonates in the note of F and has the seed mantra of YAM. 

As previously stated, these elements are an integral part, not only of our Universal environment but of the subtle energy systems of our being. When we experience our connection to the elements we are able to deepen our sense of an inherent relationship to all that's around and within us. Each chakra represents varying aspects of ourselves from the most physical to the most ethereal.

The heart chakra has the element of air energy and lies in the center of all the chakras, forming a meeting point of the lower three more physically bound energy centers to the upper three more ethereal realms. 

What magnifies the significance of the air element in yoga is its relationship to the breath. We can go through our entire lives without being conscious of how we breathe. And what makes yoga unique is the connection to breath. If we practice yoga postures without any awareness of what's happening with our breath, we are simply doing calisthenics. It's the ability of pranayama (altering breath to change states) that penetrates through all the levels of our being, from the most obvious physical body to the most blissful aspects of consciousness and it can be incredibly powerful. This includes research that has shown that 80% of anxious symptoms can be reduced within a minute of diaphragmatic breathing. In other words, when we feel the stressors of life building up, we have one immediate tool to tear them down...deep, belly breaths that emphasize a longer and slower exhalation.

This week in the United States we celebrated Thanksgiving, the perfect time to come to the heart. It was a timely reminder, as so many people gather with family and friends, and as Ram Dass says, "If you think you're enlightened, spend the weekend with your family". Overall, it's an opportune time to cultivate the highest versions of ourselves and sit in loving kindness. 

In classes this week the emphasis has been on connecting to the heart center as a place of love and compassion. If we are focused in the heart and act from that place, all of the other wheels of energy pass through and complement what's happening in the middle. Yoga poses that "open the heart space" such as backbends and expansions of the chest are also useful.  But in a deeper sense, everything comes together in the heart...the very physical grounding of the lower three chakras come to a sense of balance within the heart and, at the same time, support the expansion and create a foundation for the energy to expand in this love focused part of our being. It also is a transitional point for how we speak our truth, follow our intuition and connect to higher consciousness through the upper three chakras. When we can come fully into our heart and embrace the air element, we begin to recognize how all of us are connected.

One of the ways this connection to all beings is evident is that we are all breathing the same air: the air that our ancestors breathed and that all beings are breathing throughout the world. We all share a common breath. Imagine if each of us literally lived and breathed these breaths from an intention of peace, compassion and love, what an incredible gift each of us, with every breath, would be offering to all beings everywhere. Truly, a breath of the heart.

We can further manifest the air element through wearing a rich, bright green color and chanting the bija mantra-yam, yam, yam and using such affirmations as:

I am loved. I let love in.

I am kind to myself.

I live in peace and gratitude.

We know that the energy of the heart is capable of touching all beings and that the air element is fundamental to simply being alive. So let's connect into this powerful place that dwells within the heart by moving our bodies from a place of self-care, by truly getting to know our breath, to recognize how this energy connects us to all beings everywhere and to support ourselves in creating a life that lives from a place of love...more powerful than any other emotion or action. Let's live in our hearts. Let's infuse ourselves and our communities with love. Let's enjoy this same breath that we all breathe as one.

Manipura Chakra

We continue our exploration of the seven energy centers called chakras and this week we have been working with the third chakra called the Manipura or solar plexus. The location of this center can be found toward the spine where the soft abdomen connects with the more rigid rib cage on the torso. It has the color of vibrant yellow (think of the sun), resonates in the note of E and has the seed sound of RAM. 

The element of this chakra is that of fire, the third of the physically oriented chakras representing the center of our power and is about self-worth, self-esteem, and transformation. If we think about the energy of fire, it's all about change, absorption, and courage. To fully stand in our own power, we often have to "walk through the fire" of change. It's about finding the courage to begin the process of shedding limiting beliefs, about fully understanding our self-worth and standing up for ourselves. When in balance, we stand in our own power and, in doing so, set the platform from which the upper four chakras begin to express themselves. This place of transformation can be fraught with challenges. Think of a time that required you to invoke your most courageous self. What did it feel like before you faced this challenge? How did you source the energy to face this situation? Were you able to overcome feelings of inadequacy and move forward? Did you let the strength of your convictions flow easily? What did this experience teach you?

As we've been chanting repetitions of "Ram" this week it's as though we are plucking the string of a violin or guitar that begins to vibrate. This vibration awakens and opens the energy of the chakra, helping us to connect to it more fully. The most powerful tool we have through chanting this sound is through our own voice. When we chant it alone or in groups and connect to the sound current,  we awaken our own energy and its potential to shift. As we've practiced it this week, I've encouraged students to really project their voices, emphasizing a wide-open mouth in the "aaaa" sound and notice the strong resonance of the following "mmmmm". It's also a terrific way to work on controlling the breath. We've been taking a deep inhale, followed by "ram, ram, ram, ram..." until the breath is out and on the next exhale a single long "ram". This can be repeated two or more cycles concluding with sensing the experience in silence.

In order to charge up our fire energy, we can incorporate within our yoga practice things that challenge or scare us, such as an inversion or that "difficult" pose that we avoid practicing at home. Twists and poses that engage the core muscles can "fire" up the Manipura chakra. We can add layers into manifestation through wearing a bright yellow, chanting the bija mantra-ram, ram, ram and using such affirmations as:

I am courageous.

I am whole.

I stand in my power.

A blocked third chakra might be evident by someone who feels powerless, has low self-esteem or who haven't been able to be heard. It is a place in which those who've been victimized may eventually find healing from their trauma. On the opposite end of the spectrum, people with an over-inflated element of fire (that which is out of balance with the other elements and energy centers), might seem "full of hot air", boastful and without substance. A great example of this are politicians seeking election. Bringing the fire element into harmony with our whole self is vital in creating a sense of power underlined by a sense of humility.

We know that fire is a transformative element with the example of a wildfire clearing the undergrowth of the forest in order to enrich the soil, clear debris that prohibits some plant species from thriving and awakening new growth...a true rebirth of energy. Although fire can be powerful and sometimes painful and even deadly, we know that it is often the spark that is needed for us to move along our own path of growth.

So what are you holding onto that could be cleansed out of your being in order for the next layer of growth to take place? How about working with the fire energy of your third chakra and see what happens. Move wisely, as too little energy here will leave things unchanged and too much might blow things out of balance. Step into the fire with intelligence and let yourself be mesmerized by the flames.