The Thoughtful Voice

I have had many thoughts passing through the super highway of my brain that seem to be displaying opposite views and perspectives. As I wrote last week, I felt pure joy witnessing the expression of genuine happiness at the Bhakti Fest. It has remained fresh in my mind and my thought this week was how much contrast I witnessed since stepping back from the blissful edge and into the reflection of our daily culture.

It really hit me as to how disgruntled people are at the moment. They seem angry at the government and in despair over the economy. We had people losing their minds like Serena Williams' outburst at the US Open, Kanye West bursting on-stage during someone elses acceptance speech at the VMA's, a Senator yelling out in a joint session, people cutting in front of me at Trader Joe's...I mean C'MON PEOPLE...where's the decorum?

People seem to be expressing their dissatisfaction. As Mick Jagger put it, "I can't get no..."

My thought is, "Is this expression necessarily bad?". Inappropriate?. Absolutely. But, it's expression nonetheless and voicing is good for the spirit. Perhaps it becomes more destructive when there is no counter balance...no yin with the yang. No feminine amongst the masculine. No ebb, just flow. So how do we express ourselves appropriately without thrusting our inappropriate behavior onto everyone else? Once those words have left the source, there is no taking it back.

Consciousness. That's how. Developing our own awareness for how we imprint the world. Whether that be through words, actions or thoughts. Realizing that we ARE a reflection of the rest of the Universe. We share the same Divine light as every other being on this planet.

The practice of yoga has hung around for some 5,000 years because people have consciously experienced how awareness raising it can be. I invite you to listen to yourself from the inside first, before you outwardly express. Feel your own inner beauty and peace and project that onto the planet.

I recently heard that wisdom is being able to hold opposing views without feeling that either is right or wrong.

I hope you enjoy an expressive few weeks!

Peace and Namaste',

Jayne

What Does Joy Look Like?

Greetings everyone,

I spent yesterday at Bhakti Fest, the first celebration of kirtan (music), yoga, food and energy of its kind, held in Joshua Tree, CA. It brought up numerous thoughts for this weeks writing, but one has stuck more strongly than the others.

Finding and expressing joy.

The beautiful thing about visiting the Fest was watching people express joy and happiness. Many moments in our daily lives are routine, often challenging and frequently riddled with different types of stress.

To step into a community of people who were letting go, of all kinds of daily life connections was reflective of a larger practice-that of non-attachment and experiencing the NOW moment.

I watched people stand up and dance with their eyes closed, chanting along with the kirtan leader. I saw people practicing Acro Yoga and doing Hula Hoops. I saw people smiling, hugging and truly embracing the experience. I saw my old high school friend, Dave Z, create a beautiful image of Shiva as he stood alongside the stage with Jai Uttal rocking the crowd. As I looked into the expressions on peoples faces...I saw happiness.

I invite you to find something that brings that feeling to your heart and radiates out through your being to others. The reason is, that seeing joy-brings joy. It's contagious. It's worth catching.

I hope you enJOY the upcoming week and to see you in classes soon!

Peace and Namaste',

Jayne

Morphing The Dream

With my upcoming trip to Australia, I have been in various stages of planning and re-thinking. My original vision that popped into my head over 18 months ago was a trip Down Under with a group of people in tow with all of us stepping into the natural beauty of Australia to practice yoga on a deeper level. What has transpired is that vision has morphed into something different and my question is, "how am I OK with that?"

The reality is the retreat isn't happening. I'm going to Sanctuary Retreat in Mission Beach, Queensland and will stay there for a week or so. I'll be there with my husband, Ed, and the two other people who wanted to do the retreat. The best we can hope for is that one or two other people who are staying at Sanctuary will be interested in taking a yoga class during our stay. If that happens, then I will be teaching yoga at the site.

The positive upshot of all of this is that a lesson is sitting within the experience. I'll have the opportunity to experience the retreat center from a different perspective and check out the setting. I won't be working quite as hard as originally planned and will have time to practice yoga, explore, read and write. I'll know more about what to do in future attempts to create an overseas retreat and I hope to bring back images and first hand experiences of what it's like to be in this setting.

Although my original vision has changed, my desire to pursue that vision has been an exercise in facing fear and disappointment. As it turns out...I'm still OK with all of it!

Peace & Namaste',

Jayne

Pool of Stillness

Greetings everyone,
I've had one word that's been stuck in my mind ever since my recent training in San Francisco and it has led me to my thought for the week. The word is bittersweet. In the training it was mentioned how life is both bitter and sweet. That its constant pendulum swinging action between suffering and pleasure supports us in our pursuit of finding equanimity. I have more fully experienced this relationship of challenge and ease, particularly this past year with both my husband and me having health scares.

It so often seems that we're cruising through life and then WHAM...something jumps out in front of us. How do we react? Do we ignore the obstacle and try to crash through it? Do we avoid it and go around or do we acknowledge its presence and accept it?

What yoga teaches us to do through its practices, is to have awareness around what's happening, and not BECOME what's happening. It teaches us to sit next to the feelings of fear and uncertainty, or in difficult situations without it changing the essence of who we really are. It teaches that who we are is deep, ever-present and wise. If we can sit quietly, we can connect to this place. We strive to find this place in our daily meditation practice as well as when we're standing in a strong Warrior pose and connect to that place of stillness through the vehicle of our breath.

As I've been sitting in my meditations this past week, as I try to bring a quietness to my mind, I visualize a place of balance between my heart and my head as well as in the center of my mind. I try to hold onto this place of stillness and balance without being in one place or another.

Once you step into that pool of stillness...you don't want to come out.

Challenge yourself this week to go for a swim in your own pool of calm, quiet and stillness.

Peace and Namaste',

Jayne

Be Kind to Yourself

Greetings everyone,
Firstly, this next week I will be attending the Advanced Relax and Renew course taught by the Queens of restorative yoga, Judith Hanson Lasater, in San Francisco. Therefore, classes this week are canceled and the regular schedule will resume on Tuesday 25 August.

This leads me to my second point and thought of the week which is related to taking an approach of "loving-kindness" towards ourselves and the physical image we hold within that. What prompted this weeks thought, is that in at least three of my classes this past week, people asked questions or made statements related to wanting to change their physical body. Things they were dissatisfied with such as the shape of their thighs or the thickness around their abdomen.

When they asked what they could do to change these things, I suggested that perhaps we needed to have our practice be around compassion for ourselves rather than criticism.

I have been working in the fitness/wellness industry for over 27 years and have seen many, many people wanting to find ways to lose the fat from their belly or legs and will then undertake particular "exercises" thinking that this will get rid of the fat that's lying over the top of the muscle. As is well proven, fat can't be removed through "targeting" a particular body part. If that were true, you would see tennis players who play with one hand on both forehand and backhand strokes having one arm with less fat on it than the other. This isn't true.

So, in my own growth instead of trying to encourage people to do more squats or more ab curls, I am offering a different suggestion of looking at how well our bodies function. Our abdominals are meant to support our spine...do they? If not, focus on how to use your muscles to give you ease of function whether it be strengthening them or lengthening them, or both.

From a more yogic perspective, our bodies are the vessels by which our souls have a physical experience. If we begin to brighten our own spiritual connection, this radiance shines through with such intensity that nobody, including our own self critic, will be able to see the less than media perfect physical uniqueness of our bodies.

I hope you enjoy a beautiful week and are kind-to yourself.

Peace and Namaste',
Jayne

Letting the Inner Child Out

Greetings everyone,
Having just spent the past week with young feminine energy via visiting relatives, I was once again reminded how great it is to step into my own childlike vigor. As we grow into our adult responsibilities, we often lose the connection to what it's like to simply play. Sometimes I have to stop and check my own seriousness and see how much fun I'm having living my life...how am I finding my joy? How am I expressing my inner child that is simply beating down the door to get out and play?

The next time you're in a public place, check out how many adults look like they're having a great time. Do they seem like they're in a hurry to get to the next order of business, or are they taking a moment to see something beautiful or offer a smile? My other thought is to step into some time with a young child and instead of acting all grown up...don't. Sit down and color outside the lines. Be "it" in a game of tag or fill up some water balloons without worrying if you're going to get wet or a grass stain on your clothes. Run around barefoot and "ssshhh" the grown up voice that wants you to "be careful and sit down".

That's it...play.

Laugh.

Joy.

Peace and Namaste',
Jayne

Wearing Many Hats

Greetings everyone,
I'll keep it brief this week as I have my grand daughter and two nieces watching a movie in the next room with them being here for the next week.

My thought for the week is around the different roles we play in our lives, particularly as it relates to our family. I spent the weekend being cast in many parts...daughter, aunt and now grandma. I spoke with two of my siblings and slipped on the sister hat as well as the role of wife. It's interesting to experience the variance of dynamic with each person. The off-shoots of each are that in some roles we are the caregiver, others the listener and sometimes the enforcer of rules and structure.

As my own life has evolved, I hope that I am now more able to bring a sense of love and steadfastness to each of these different relationships. I hope that I have become a better listener and that I can continually undertake the challenge of being fully present and releasing judgement with each individual.

It's going to be a week that tests what I've been working on in my own practice of yoga. And I'm betting that it will be there without me even realizing it.

Peace and Namaste',
Jayne