Sacred Cycles

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 a motion. One moment arises and falls away into the next moment. We can even think that the cycles of our life 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.

Start filling it up and let the light shine in!

Peaceful Solstice

Here in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting short and the nights long. The natural environment seems to be drawing into itself and shedding excess leaves and growth until a more opportune time to grow and bloom. We are about to pass the Winter Solstice.

I love the idea of the Winter Solstice as it relates to light. The actual day in 2015 is Tuesday December 22 representing the shortest day of the year as it relates to the number of daylight hours that we see. From December 23 the daylight hours begin to lengthen. 

We step from darkness into light.

Isn't that what our own personal growth is about? Gaining clarity about our own life path and purpose? Moving from ignorance towards greater wisdom? Turning inward to see our own inner light's radiance? We acknowledging the darkest moments of our soul as we step into our own light and expanding consciousness. Another way to look at it is as we awaken consciousness, we bring what is lying in our own shadows into full view. We take a look at that which we've pushed away or tamped down and bring it into the light. When we do so, the power it has over us begins to diminish and we start the process of making peace with our shadow selves.

One of the fundamental teachings in yoga is that we are all born divine. This divinity possesses a radiance that is often referred to as residing in the heart center. Just look at a healthy newborn and you can't help but see that they are divinely perfect beings. And the thing is, that never changes...it never leaves us. What happens is that we simply forget. We travel through our lives and begin to disconnect from this notion of being whole and beautifully complete. Ways that we learn to cope on a day to day basis, often in the form of defense mechanisms, often leave a layer that takes us further away from knowing our deepest selves. 

What our yoga practice does, is help us to remember. It helps us to still the distracting chatter of our mind, to peel away the layers and to celebrate the magnificence of our physical body so that we can connect once again to the light that dwells within.

Let's take a moment as the Winter Solstice passes to connect to our inner radiance and all the potential that is sitting within us.

The word Namaste' describes this precisely. 

"The light in me, sees and honors the light in you. When we are both in this place, we are one."

Peaceful Solstice.

Daily Practice

The other day as I sat sharing my words of the week, "Daily Practice", I was speaking from the perspective that our practice is always in front of us. What we need to be practicing has a way of revealing itself and it's up to us to open our awareness and see what is sitting before us.

Can you think about the first time you stepped onto a yoga mat? Do you remember what your intention was? What had brought you to that moment? For me, my practice was just turning up once or twice a week. I had no idea of what "my practice" was or what it could look like. I simply had the intention of showing up and seeing what that particular session had in store. When the class was over, I'd leave and head back into the same frame of mind that I had before the class and perhaps feeling a bit physically different. And it was like that for quite a long time. I'd turn up, do the practice and wait until the next session before I did it again. I didn't have any awareness of the residue that would stick to me following each session. Yet, over time, it began to show itself.

The more times I came to the mat, the more insight I started to notice. My thoughts became as entangled in the process as did my physical self. I began to notice my breath (or lack of it) as well as how often I sat in self-judgment (and there was a lot of that). At some point along my journey, and I can't even pinpoint when, I saw my yoga practice leaking off my mat and into the time when I wasn't "in class". I started to notice my words more carefully and to bear witness as to the effect they had on others. I caught myself wanting to blurt something out and instead, pausing and deciding if it were wise and kind.

My awareness of being in practice off the mat accelerated when I started to delve into the philosophy of yoga and other wisdom traditions. I learned that a framework existed within the Sutras of Patanjali (an ancient text) that made sense to me...a way in which I could begin to live my yoga on a daily basis. What I do remember is having a profound moment of thought that if I were to be teaching these things, I had to be living these things. I couldn't ask others to do what I was unwilling to do. I needed to be connected to the practice (in my own way) both on and off the mat to echo and transmit a sense of authenticity.

You can't avoid it. Transformation happens when you step onto a yoga mat or sit down to meditate. It's inherent in the process but there is a caveat...consistency. In order for the magic to appear, we have to commit to doing the work. Every day and in whatever way it appears before us.

The more awareness we allow ourselves to open to, the greater our growth is along our ever evolving path. I refer to us having two selves: the evolving self and the un-evolved self. The evolving self is the one that sets the intention to attain a state of inner peace, connection to purpose, living with compassion and in a state of being with whatever is happening in the present moment. Our un-evolved self is the "old" us, the behavior that perhaps feels embedded from years of repetition. The behavior we'd like to change as it points us in the direction away from our highest and truest selves. The more we recognize our practice and work on it, the more quickly we recognize our un-evolved selves. We can feel it in our gut when our reactions are less than what we want for ourselves.

So my thought for the week is to keep at it. You may feel as though you're doing the same thing or not enough, but stick with as much as you can do. Notice your practice when you're not on your yoga mat or sitting on a meditation cushion. Let your life be your practice and to quote Pattabhi Jois, "practice and all is coming".

Be Empty

This time of year we become inundated with things to fill us up-the Thanksgiving feast, Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday, holiday parties, gift giving and spending and so many social engagements rushing us toward a new year. It can all seem a bit much and it's little wonder that we'll stumble into the new year feeling like we need to "detox" from the holidays. So in order to avoid the ever tempting opportunities to overdo the holidays, my thought for the week has been to "be empty". That's right...NOW is the time to take the time to clear out the clutter to avoid the somewhat inevitable overload.

Clearing the clutter can be quite literal. The recent long Thanksgiving weekend I was fortunate to have a four day "staycation". Not only was I able to see a movie, go on long bicycle rides and a couple of hikes with family and friends, I took some time to load up three boxes of donation items for one of our local charities. In preparation for the Thanksgiving meal, I was searching for placemats, serving bowls and napkins and, in doing so, realized how much stuff I hadn't used since the last Thanksgiving three years ago. If I hadn't used it...it went into the box. This rippled out to clearing out some dresser drawers and clothes in my closet. It felt enormously gratifying to be rid of these things. My thought was that it's time for them to find a new home and be loved by someone who will actually appreciate them.

And so began this weeks teaching of emptying out. And the thing is, I could turn around after such a cleanse and realize I could do it all again many times over. When we let go, we have the tendency to refill again. 

When we empty out, we dump things not only from our physical space but from our psyche. When we become empty vessels, we remember the deeper essence of who we are and why we are here. If we keep adding to the physical and emotional clutter, we can easily get distracted from what matters most. One way I practice being empty is through a daily meditation practice. Each morning I have sacred time dedicated to checking in and clearing out. This practice definitely sets the timbre of the day. It's as if each day begins again from a clear perspective of what's possible and what matters.

We can also "be empty" through the use of our breath and visualization. We can breathe into the inner borders of our body as though we are offering ourselves more and more space on each inhale and we can empty out whatever has arisen on each exhale. And just as things empty, then tend to come back in...just like the ebb and flow of the ocean. If we can regularly practice emptying out, we are freer in each moment. Instead of dust gathering on the mirror of who we are and altering the our true reflection, we gain clarity by clearing.

So perhaps begin this holiday season by giving yourself the gift of a feather duster, an empty box and some time to let stuff go. Less clutter equals more clarity both at home and in the heart.

Breathe in and let go...

Build Your Tribe

We have just passed the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, a day not only rich in turkey, stuffing, pies and tradition, but a day that can be honored with an attitude of thankfulness. As the day approached I was struck by a deepening sense of the importance of community. Following the Paris terrorist attacks with the anger and rhetoric that ensued, along with deep sadness, it reminded me of how important it is to stay connected to each other from the highest place of intention and integrity.

My thought of the week is to create our own tribe, to build a network of people who are supportive of each other even with each of us having different objectives and ways of life. The stronger we can come together with a collective intention of loving kindness to manifest peacefulness in the world, the better. Even if it just begins with you and one other person  sharing the hope of peace and acting upon it can begin to offer a shift away from negativity toward a more positive vibration. The point is to act upon the intention of support rather than keeping it as a theoretical and perhaps seemingly unattainable ideal.

When I began to shift my teaching career out of the fitness industry toward teaching the mind-body practices of yoga and meditation, it took quite a bit of steady determination. I had been teaching very large and often popular group fitness classes where people would arrive early to "get their spot" and would often need to share equipment to ensure everyone could undertake the practice. It was an abundant time yet deep inside I knew I was being called to work more with the connection of body-mind-spirit. I had the experience for quite some time of sitting by myself in the yoga studio, hoping and waiting for someone to walk through the door. Classes were often just a couple of people but my heart wanted to teach as though the class were full...and so I did. Fortunately, this determination and persistence has begun to pay off with what feels like an ever-expanding pool of people who've stepped onto the mat or sat down on a cushion.

Part of doing what I do involves building our local community of yogis and yoginis and what's astonishing is that some 12 plus years later, I'm actually bearing witness to its ripple. Building a loving and conscious community is vital for us to propagate peace in the world, even if it's just one person at a time. 

Since moving back to the States in 1997, I often felt like I couldn't find "my people". For years I had (and still have) what I call my "heart family"-the group of friends who hold your heart dearly and support your own path of growth and evolution. Leaving Australia, I left this behind and was hoping to find a similar connection back in the States. But what happened was somewhat surprising. My new tribe seemed elusive and I had many false starts as to what I was hoping to be authentic and long-term relationships. It was through walking my own path, being driven by a sense of my purpose in the world, that my tribe started to appear. It was as though I had to let go of what I wanted from other people and needed to focus on what I could do to serve other people.

Perhaps as you read this you're thinking about your circles of friends and community. Perhaps you already have a strong sense of connection. My thought for the week is to say: if you don't have it, build it through your own intention and if you do have it...make it bigger and be the catalyst that fosters a deeper sense of acting from love and support.

And to all of you who have crossed my path and joined me in this pursuit, my heart is wide open with gratitude. Thank you.

Peace and Harmony

It's been another one of those weeks where we've been transfixed on the occurrence of yet another horrible act of terrorism, this time unfolding in the city of lights, Paris. I heard the news of the attacks late on the Friday night after they happened and was away for the weekend to celebrate the wonderful event of our granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah. I didn't see any television coverage or hear anything on the radio during the weekend as the energy was all about seeing a young, and quite capable, near teenager become part of a community. It was about celebrating with family and friends as well as carrying on traditions that have been passed through the generations.

It wasn't until I started to make my way back home that I saw, not so much the news of the attacks, but how people were reacting to them. As Monday morning arrived, I had to decide on my teaching theme of the week and sat thinking to myself, "Again...another opportunity to talk about something so heinous that it breaks our hearts and tosses us into the den of fear. How should I approach things this week without sounding cynical or hopeless?"  It felt like the only refuge that I personally had was to go into my heart and pray for peace and healing, even though I had done this countless times previously, it still seemed like a sacred place to reside.

So how do we stay in our practice when such devastating things are part of our world? How do we continue to manage the feelings of disgust, anger and hatred toward others? And more powerfully, how do we hold such deep sadness in our hearts? I sadly believe that I will not see peace in the world in my lifetime. Does that mean that I should stop trying to?

My thought of the week is around holding ourselves in a place of compassion and love. That in order to find peace in the world, we must find peace within ourselves. Such events have only strengthened my personal resolve to make continued choices that are of the vibration of love and compassion, rather than "turning to the dark side". In order for my stunning granddaughter 
and spectacular grandson and all of our future generations to find peace in their lives, they must be supported in fostering this from the generations that have come before them. So I am determined to hold my own vulnerability, anger and fear in such a way that it is felt and acknowledged but doesn't lead my actions. Rather, my actions are led by trusting that at the core of my own essence is love which is the most powerful of energies and intentions.

We must begin with ourselves in finding self-love and offering ourselves loving kindness. May I be safe, happy, healthy, live with ease and find peace. What I wish for myself is what all beings wish for themselves. It's as though the seed of my compassion needs to be planted and nourished within my own heart so that it may ripple away from me, to all of my relationships, to all of my actions, to all beings known and unknown, so that the energetic vibe is that of love. 

May all beings everywhere be free of suffering. May all beings everywhere be safe and have enough food to eat. May all beings be happy and healthy. And may all beings everywhere find peace.

Om shanti shanti shanti...

Shine Your Light

My teaching theme and hence my thought for the week has been about "Shining Your Light" out to the world. It was inspired by this week's new moon (meaning "no moon") and a completely darkened night sky which signaled the beginning of Diwali, a sacred holiday in India. To quote yoga teacher, Saul David Raye:

"Diwali is a sacred festival from India, honoring the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil, wisdom over ignorance and hope over despair. It is a time to pause and reflect within, to remember the light within our hearts and that truly we are made of light. With the flame of awareness, we light the lamp of wisdom, the lamp of love, the lamp of peace within our hearts and invoke the power of the Oneness."

I love the image of light illuminating darkness and the metaphor of us sharing the light that lives within each of us, yet it is the same light that lives within all of us. We all have something to offer, some unique way of sharing our gift with others and when we tap into that and feel our individual offering we begin to express the deepest and most soulful aspect of ourselves. This light is the light of love. So instead of us focusing on our suffering, of what needs to be better or our own darkness, let's take this lead from Diwali to focus on the light.

A good way to practice bringing our focus onto our shining light is by asking the following questions:

What is going well in my life?

Why is this going well?

What have I done to invite this manifestation into my life?

When I asked myself those questions, one thing that arose was my past and current yoga teacher training courses. As I sometimes focus on what's next or what could be better, the questions above bring me back to my original intention of why I created the course in the first place. It allowed me to sit in recognition of something I have worked hard at, given many hours to and find deep satisfaction in doing. Why is this going well? I know it is when I hear the stories of graduates bringing yoga to their community, when they share what has been challenging and fulfilling. I know it's going well when I hear trainees ask insightful questions and show up with incredible curiosity and a hunger to learn. I know it's going well when I feel that deep sense of doing what I am here to do, to walk my path of dharma (purpose). It's as though my heart swells and gratitude is what is filling it.

And what have I done to invite this? I listened to that inner voice that whispered many years ago, take a chance, trust what you know and follow your path. Instead of just saying, "oh that sounds good, but I doubt I could do it, it seems too hard." I took a chance, did the groundwork, built the foundation and put it out there. Being passionate drives us to do great things in our lives...the beautiful and true saying, "if there's a will, there's a way". We find a path that supports our desire and try to make it happen. It also means taking a risk in that it might be different to what we imagined or it might take a turn in a direction we never could anticipate.

Letting our light shine is a fulfillment of our soul. We dig into what truly will bring meaning to our lives and radiate it out there. The more we do it, the easier it becomes, the more fulfilling it is and has greater impact. My thought for the week is for all of us to trust our inner wisdom, to expand our awareness of what's whispering inside our hearts and to let the peace and love flow out of us from the deepest source of our being.

Let's hold Mother India in our hearts for lighting the way and let's all shine our light and illuminate the Universe.