Equinox

It seems I am called to pay attention to the cycles of the seasons and the moon. We have just passed the equinox, the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern hemisphere and the Vernal Equinox in the Southern hemisphere. These are the turning points, the halfway marks between the Solstices which are the longest and shortest days of our year. As the equinox glides by, we notice that the daylight and nighttime hours are about the same and it's because the sun is moving about the level of the equator. And as the world is tilted and rotates, this changes as we approach the most dramatic changes of light at the Solstices. In the Northern hemisphere, our days are now getting shorter, we have left the dragon's fire of summer and are turned toward the fall and winter season. Of course, the opposite is true in the Southern hemisphere.

In paying attention to these seasonal shifts, it reminds us to notice the balance between darkness and light. It's as though we have this moment of stillness before tipping towards change. Traditionally, the Autumnal Equinox in the north has been a time of celebrating the harvest and abundance that the summer crops have yielded. It's a time when the fields, orchards, and trees come to rest and seeds are dropped into the earth. We are headed toward a dormancy only to be awakened in six months at the Vernal Equinox. But for now...things get quieter and we rest.

We also just passed the full moon and I asked my husband if he remembered where we were on the previous full moon. After a few moments, he remembered we had just watched the sunset over the Indian Ocean in Western Australia; it was dusk and we were heading away from the coast as the bright full moon rose up over the horizon. And as it happened, we spotted a kangaroo coming out for its dusk foraging and provided a most memorable scene (photo below)! It's during the full moon that we see manifestation, where what we've planted during the dark New Moon shows itself. And this too is another natural cycle that is an invitation for checking in to see if we're living in alignment with how we wish to be in the world.

  

This equinox prompted me to think about Sutra 2.46 from Patanjali. Only three of the 196 aphorisms in the Sutras talk about the physical practice of yoga, the "asana" or postures that we practice. It also means that these three references to the physical practice are loaded and is 2.46 "Sthira Sukham Asanam". It can be translated as "right effort", "steady and comfortable". The Sthira is also thought of as "alertness or strength" and the Sukham as "relaxation or surrender." Asanam is the root word for "posture/pose" so when you hear the instruction of moving into Tadasana, Sukhasana or Savasana you have a clue that it pertains to something physical in nature.

Within each pose, we can find the effort and, at the same time, the release. I call this moment of balance within the pose the still point, as it's that moment when everything feels compatible, at ease, and steady...just like the energy of the equinox. Early on in my yoga practice, I was in a Warrior Two pose, a strong lunge position, and my teacher, Murray, said to me, "Jayne...can you stay just as you are?" and then called the class over to my mat. He then asked the class to "look at my face" and in my own curiosity, I was trying not to make a face as others looked at mine. Then Murray said, "Can you see how relaxed her face is?". I hadn't tried to relax my face, it was simply a result of finding the balance between effort and letting go, so no extra tension was seen on my facial expression. Unknowingly, it was my first introduction to Sthira Sukham Asanam and, although I was "working" the pose, I wasn't striving to make it more than what was happening in that moment.

This is a challenge for so many of us...we are taught that we need to work hard, push through pain, leave it all out on the court and do that little bit more or else we're deemed lazy or apathetic. We aren't encouraged to find ease in the process, so finding "right effort" is something we can certainly explore through our practice. We also don't want to be sloppy and disconnected from our experience, giving less than, but to look for the sweet spot of equanimity.

A couple of things to notice during your asana practice to see if you're in balance is to notice micro-tensions, particularly in the facial muscles (clenching teeth, squinting, furrowing the brow) and to see if you can sense your breath without struggle.

As we honor the cycles of the seasons, whether we're welcoming spring or fall, take some time to reflect back to the previous equinox and see what has manifested in your own garden. Perhaps now we can stop tilling the soil for a bit, let ourselves celebrate all that has grown in our lives, and look forward to the next season.

Judgment

It was over 20 years ago that I first saw Deepak Chopra speak. It was at a gig in Melbourne. I went alone and remember having a seat that was fairly high up in the auditorium. Much of what he was talking about went way over my head...quantum physics and the like. However, one thing he said then was a true nugget for me and has stuck with me over the years. It spoke of finding the gap between our thoughts. At the time, I thought "there is no gap between my thoughts...what is he talking about." He said that within the gap is where insight happens...and that had me hooked. Of course, now I know more about what he was talking about as I have a steady meditation practice which allows me to know that gaps exist. How much time I'm able to actually stay there is a whole other thing, but I know it to exist.

This past weekend, Deepak was a key presenter at Bhakti Fest. It was his first visit to the high desert festival on its 10th anniversary. I sat in on three of his sessions and was treated to another nugget...some 20+ years later. He said that a key aim of our yoga practice is to be able to "observe ourselves, without judging ourselves." By doing this we are led to Moksha, often translated as freedom. When we can drop into that inner space of self-reflection and inquiry, we begin to release the entanglement to our thoughts and get to know the truth of who we really are. As he spoke, this particular thought felt as though he had just thrown me another nugget. I'm hoping that it won't be another 20+ years until the next one, but this one is a great thought for the week.

We have a given. We're human. We're judgmental. It's our nature and, deepened through conditioning, we toss judgment at not only at others but ourselves as well, often in a more harsh and stinging way. I don't know of many people that upon awakening, look in the mirror, beam and exclaim "Well, good morning Sunshine!" We are sold on the myth that something in us is broken and needs improving. We are sold on the belief that we need to change who we are as what we are isn't enough. Whether we are "sold" on these notions or we are programmed to have a negative bias are ideas that can be debated. Nonetheless, as I explore this path, I'm trying to re-frame that thinking to remembering that who and what I am is enough. I just need to get away from distractions in order to listen to my inner wisdom. It all sounds so simple, and yet, it is an amazing challenge.

I am also struck when people make comments about somebody being "good" at yoga. They may be talking about a person's ability to strike a pose that so many of us would never even get close to doing. I like to say that nobody is good or bad at yoga. We all practice yoga, and where the practice takes us is to those places where we are deeply challenged. Some things come more easily to some people and others may find the identical thing to be difficult. An example of this is I can do a handstand, all by myself, in just about any location with a somewhat level surface. I have been turning myself upside down ever since I can remember, and being inverted and viewing the world from that perspective feels comfortable to me and is "easy".  Now, if I did a handstand in the middle of a class, some people might look at it and think, "wow...she's really good at yoga" and I get that. What many people might miss are the things that are hard for me. The physical element of yoga has always been the easiest part of the practice for me. Quieting my mind, finding stillness, self-love, and acceptance has been hard. I stepped onto my yoga mat with none of those abilities and realized that I needed something beyond the physical practice. So my being "good" at yoga is a myth...I practice what I need to remember the most, what is the least accessible and that's the path of going inward.

So, as we release the judgment piece of the practice, we step into greater presence and curiosity. As Walt Whitman said, "Be curious, not judgmental". This past week, I've been encouraging students to watch how often self-judgment arises and to notice what may have triggered it. And then, to get deeply inquisitive about what's happening in the experience and see if we can adopt the observer role with an open heart, rather than the role of judge.

What Would You Like To Learn?

I'm a curious person and always have been. I want to know how things work, how they're structured, their design, and what materials are used to make it all happen. I love learning about the design of tiny homes, I wanted to know all the steps when our pool was being built, and I continue to learn Sanskrit and mantra. And like many others, I feel that I'm a lifelong student and spend several hours each week reading and deepening my own personal library of knowledge. In yoga, this is known as "Svadyaya" or self-study and it's one component to the lifelong practice of yoga.

I also like to listen to different podcasts and, as I was doing so recently, the question of "What would you like to learn?" was asked. Following on from the theme from last week, that of recreating my schedule and commitments for the upcoming season and how I'm willing to "dive in", this seemed to be a fantastic follow-up question...what is it that I'm wanting to learn at the moment? Part of my current learning is to listen deeply to my own cues. I'm needing to better manage my energy expenditure and am trying to perhaps "un-learn" some default patterns and approach myself from a more compassionate and less judgmental place. It's okay for me to not do every single thing I think I "should" be doing. So I'm trying to learn to cut myself some slack.

But my thought of the week is coming from a slightly different place, one of inspired learning that ignites the creative side of who we are. I am well aware of how simply being alive is a constant lesson. The many challenges that we face, the difficult realities that being human entails such as loss, transition, change, and grief...all of these life lessons teach us something. All of us can reflect into those difficulties and pull out of them what it taught us, but this week instead of using suffering as our teacher, let's look to that one thing that we've been yearning to know more about from a place of choice rather than from a place of what is thrown at us through daily living.

As I asked myself the question of "what do I want to learn" I kind of drew a blank. Nothing seemed to be screaming at me so I simply asked myself the question and handed it over to the Universal grid of energy. I was taught in ninth grade English that when writing an essay, to put if off to the side for a couple of days and then pick it up again.  It works as you tend to see it with fresh eyes after letting go of it for a bit. The same thing happened with me asking the question of what I wanted to learn. 

As it happens, when in Australia, being an avid photographer, I had my DSLR camera out and dropped the lens cap. I watched it roll around in a circle and then drop in the space between the planks of a boardwalk. Oops...So I ended up covering the lens with one of my socks for the remainder of the trip. Upon returning to the desert, I stopped into our local camera store, replacing my lens cap and happened to ask the question, "By the way, do you offer any photography workshops here?". The answer was, "Well, yes, actually we do and have our next happening in October". I smiled and said, "Perfect! Send me the details when you have them!" As I left the store, I felt that the letting go was actually opening a doorway to possibility and was happy for the potential outcome.

When we explore and learn from a curious and creative perspective, the result often connects us to doing something where inspiration is found. When we do what we love, we become focused and absorbed into it, often with time, space, judgment, and sense of self, dissolving. It's an act of meditation, one of being radically present with the current moment.

So know that whatever it is that opens up that channel of connection to something that you're truly wanting to explore, whether it's music, art, photography, being in nature or knitting, that those things are as much a part of our spiritual journey as sitting in silent meditation. They become the same thing...bringing us connected to the inspired part of who we are.

I'm curious to hear what you're wanting to learn...feel free to share!

Dive In

When I saw this water in the image above, all I wanted to do was dive in. Not surprisingly, this is Turquoise Bay at the Ningaloo Reef, Cape Range National Park in Western Australia. And yes, I did step into this idyllic water with mask, snorkel, and fins to explore what inhabited this pristine wilderness. I wasn't disappointed at its residents...abundant and varied reef fish, corals, and a sleek reef shark. My experience in stepping into waters such as these is that a certain surrender is needed as you feel the mood of the ocean's current tugging at your limbs and not to struggle against it. Part of the experience is hearing your breath through the snorkel as it offers immediate feedback as to how relaxed (or not) you are and also knowing that you're a visitor to these waters.

Throughout our time in Australia, I found myself diving into a few different bodies of water from the ocean to sacred pools. The sacred pools naturally fed by underground springs have been visited by aboriginals since they've walked this earth. It's said that they spray water from their mouths upon entering the pool to alert and ask permission from their ancestors to be there. I love the idea of asking permission of the land, water, air, and elders as it raises a level of consciousness that we don't often experience. Frequently, we stomp and splash our way in without much forethought, so slowing down and entering sacred space with eyes wide open is an inviting practice.

My thought of the week is around what it means to dive in, and it was inspired by a student saying I was "diving straight back into it" as I returned to teaching. In many ways, it hasn't felt like that at all but more like a stepping back into my California world with a sense of doing so slowly and with eyes wide open. I'm trying to carry what I learned from spending the past month immersed in nature, living simply, and exploring my environment.

My husband and I drove over 3100 miles (5100 Km) in just under three weeks and we often drove in silence. Not because we were in conflict or had nothing to say but more that we were simply enjoying being present. We didn't need anything else, whether it was a conversation, an audiobook, or music. Watching the endless roads, fringed by bursts of wildflowers, contrasted by the deep red ocher of the Australian outback was enough. We had many varied spots in which we found to meditate...most often outside overlooking the ocean or a gorge. We listened to the myriad of sounds that come from the natural environment...waves crashing, birds calling, the wind rushing. Each moment had its own unique offering and bursting with reminders of how easy it is to connect to the energy of all that's alive on this earth.

This time away has left me with the lesson to choose how I wish to be living. As I return to the States with the New Moon approaching, the seasons changing, and people returning to the desert, there's a sense of transition and tension. Anytime change happens it's accompanied by a pull of energies, the shift of the status quo. This is the perfect time for introspection and checking-in, prior to a greater possibility of busyness. This is the time that I get to re-create my schedule and think about how many commitments I can make without bankrupting my personal energy budget. I needed the downtime in Australia, the time for personal retreat and relaxation as I hadn't realized how fatigued I had become until I slowed down.

One lesson is to not blindly dive back into how I had been managing my energy prior to my break but to look at it from a place of compassion and consciousness and perhaps, switch things up a bit. I am grateful for the many sunrises and sunsets, for all the whales and dolphins, birds and wildflowers, and for all of those in my Aussie heart tribe. I am grateful to those who remained in the desert to look after our house, the yoga studio, and its participants. And I am most grateful for having the insight to give myself a good chunk of time away. Thanks for the lessons and I will hold the intention of diving back into things with my metaphorical mask and snorkel in place so I can hear my breath and see with clarity.

Retreat

It didn't seem to be much of a surprise to students in classes this week that my word of the week was "retreat". Next week, I am heading to Australia to not only offer two different yoga retreats but for a long personal retreat as well. I am hoping that I have learned my lesson well from 2017 when I was in Australia and ran a Restorative training workshop and two yoga retreats. In between all of that, I was visiting with many friends, which I love doing even though it zaps my energy, and took a three day break up along the coast north of Brisbane. I realized upon returning to the States and stepping straight back into running my business, that I hadn't allotted enough "me-time" space. I was grateful for my time down-under, but about halfway through our busy season, a quiet inner voice was asking for a reprieve.

Having taught for over 36 years, I have gotten to know that quiet inner voice whispering, "You need a break away from what you love to do...". And perhaps it's not such a quiet voice as the signs show themselves as having a shorter temper or not being excited by the upcoming day. Hmmph...when I get a bit grumpy, it's time to go away. So after I arrive in Australia next week and visit with friends, I'm driving up to a favorite spot along the coast and staying in a studio AirBnb...all by myself. Yep...nobody but me for company.

I have some ideas of what I might like to do, but I am also setting the intention to keep the space wide open. I have this way of seeing open space in my day and immediately filling it up with something on my "to-do" list. I'm retreating to practice simply staying open to what I need, rather than to what I think I "should" be doing. If I'm inspired to write...then I'll write. If I'm inspired to sleep, then I'll sleep. I'm nerdy curious to see how it all unfolds and super excited for the chance to take the time to do so.

The other intention is to simply be with me...in solitude. As spiritual seekers, finding equanimity in all things is part of the practice, and solitude is a test to see how much we wish to distract ourselves from being with ourselves. I'll report back (eventually) on how my experiment goes.

 I know the many benefits and experiences derived from taking ourselves out of the ordinary day and into a yoga retreat. Taking two or more days to explore and be immersed in a different aspect of our practice can have a long-lasting residue. In the retreats I offer we connect with others who are also looking to deepen their practice and take a break from ordinary daily life; we eat amazing and nourishing food; we take time to sit in silence; we practice the physical element of yoga; we relax and restore; and we spend time deeply connected to the physical environment. It nurtures us on all levels of our being and often gives us the open space to check-in with how we are wanting to spend time on this earth.

My thought of the week is to have us ask ourselves, "where have I made open space within my own life to be with myself?"  I realize not everyone is able to escape their daily lives by going away on retreat, so perhaps this is the time to look at where in your day you can come into a quiet space and be with yourself, even if it's only for a few minutes.  We can then turn away from the external world and drop into our inner world and in doing so, hit the refresh button so that when we return to our daily choices, we perhaps have a renewed and refreshed perspective.

Albert Camus (The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays) wrote:

"In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion."

Off I go to better understand the world and perhaps better understand myself. See you on the other side of it all!

Mantra

Om Shanti.

Om Namah Shivaya.

Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu.

Om Mani Padme Hum.

I am love.

May all beings be at peace.

What do all of the above statements have in common? They're mantras and they are one slice of the practice of yoga. This week, I've been sharing my love and use of mantra. Mantra is comprised of two words, "Manas" meaning 'mind' and "Tra" which means 'to transcend'. So when we utilize mantra, one of the reasons we do so is to "transcend the mind." And who doesn't want to leave behind some of our crazy and never-ending cranial chatter? I know I do and this is one of the most powerful practices I have discovered that does just that.

Mantra isn't limited to the practice of yoga, as it's basically an intention that can be thought of, chanted, or spoken. It can be in any language, although there's a strong association with Sanskrit and Pali (the language of the Buddha), but certainly not limited to that. One of the most significant aspects about undertaking the practice and study of mantra, is that we begin to see the pliability of their use as they can be chosen based on what intention and manifestation one is seeking. 

It is thought that when we do chant in a language that is not our native tongue (such as the "dead" language of Sanskrit) that we are able to focus more on the sound vibration rather than the specific meaning. It takes us into the senses of the practice and away from over-intellectualizing so we can truly feel the experience. 

The use of mantra is one of the supportive practices for calming the mind with many Kirtan artists espousing that once you dive into an evening of chanting, you begin to shift the mind's energy to one of greater calm and focus. In the Sutras of Patanjali, with its 196 aphorisms, the second sutra Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodha (1.2) can be translated as "Yoga requires the calming of the fluctuations of the mind".  In other words, in order for us to be in union with ourselves (which is the meaning of yoga), we need to bring the often wayward mind chatter under control. I think of Vrtti's like hummingbirds bombarding a feeder. They buzz about, diving past each other in quick movements, much like our minds do. So for us to find a sense of harmony, it's vital that we undertake some discipline of mind control...and mantra is one way in which to do so.

I use mantra on a regular basis. When flying, I chant a mantra on both take-off and landing. As both of our Golden Retrievers were transitioning out of their body, I chanted a mantra of transition (not very well, but it felt important to me to connect to them in their finals breaths). When I'm overwhelmed by the jagged daily news, I'll often turn off the radio and listen to a favorite Krishna Das CD instead (the album Kirtan Wallah does the trick). 

The most powerful experience I've had with a mantra practice began about seven years ago when I undertook the task of learning the Hanuman Chalisa, a 40-verse prayer, in the Hindi dialect of Awadhi. Each morning I had the words to the Chalisa and would chant along and then sit in meditation until the bell rang. I did this practice for probably two years straight and what I noticed was that upon waking in the morning, instead of my mind launching straight into my to-do list, I had the verses of the Chalisa looping through my mind. It was as though the transition from sleeping to wakeful consciousness was now infused with an intention of service and devotion. It was a way that my practice influenced and established my day from a choice I had made which strengthened over time.

Of course, after my morning practice, my mind would do what a mind does and I'd then launch into my thinking-busy self. The impact was that I had created space for a remembrance of something bigger before all of the habituated thoughts dominated. I also have noticed that if I spend three or fours days at a yoga festival, the same thing happens. I awaken with a mantra in my mind and it feels simply beautiful.

The more we repeat a meaningful mantra, the more it becomes part of who we are. I know that who I want to be is a person who lives intentionally, with purpose and service, from a place of ease and compassion. Mantra is the rock upon which this is built, and for that, I am truly grateful.

Solstice

We are at that turning point time of the year- the Solstice. I've written many times about both the winter and summer solstice as there's just something about these profound earthly markers that excite me. I think it's because they signal an opportunity to stop for a few moments and take stock. The word "solstice" means "sun standing still" or as Wikipedia says:

"The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol ("sun") and sistere ("to stand still"), because at the solstices, the Sun's declination appears to "stand still"; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun's daily path (as seen from Earth) stops at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction."

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, and specifically for those of us here in the desert, our days have grown long, with the birds making their pre-dawn conversations known at what seems a ridiculously early hour and the night sky is just getting dark 45 minutes before I retire for the evening. If I'm paying attention, I can see the signs of the solstice and am reminded to check-in with where I am.

It's been six months since the winter solstice, a time when things were dark and ready to welcome longer days. Now is the perfect time for taking stock of what's manifested in those past six months. In classes this week, we've been checking-in with what's been happening in our lives and asking the question, "Does this align with how I wish to be living in the world?". We can ask this question on the many aspects of who we are. Take a moment to ask yourself:

• How have I been looking after my physical self? How's my health been over these six months? Is there something that needs to be added or let go? Am I making time for self-care and nourishment? Am I moving my body in a way that honors where I am currently?
• How has my mental health been? What has been occupying my thoughts? Am I paying attention to past patterns and habits and, if yes, are they still serving me?
• What's been my emotional state since the last solstice? Have I been steady? Moody? Unusuallyexperiencing a strong emotion that I haven't previously?
• And how is my spiritual life and connection to my highest self? Am I nurturing that side of me? Am I making space for daily connection to what's sacred?

As we sit and reflect on what's happened over the past half year, it's more powerful if we can do so from a place of not judging how we did, but simply notice what has happened and if it feels good in our bones.

Recently, I was in a place where I was trying to make a major decision. I could feel myself reaching for the answers and as I did so, it seemed that more challenges arose rather than solutions. So instead of striving for an answer, I awoke the following morning and simply laid down in savasana (final relaxation pose). Setting myself up in a supported and comfortable position, I brought the image of being still and staying open to mind. The intention was to simply be, not try. And guess what happened? Ideas and solutions started to bubble up. It was in the stillness and letting go that I began to find clarity.

As a practice this week in classes, I've been encouraging people to feel the still points between breath movements. Breathe in, retain the breath and feel the still space. Breathe out and notice the same still point at the end of the breath. When we notice the turning points of the breath, we sense in our being moments of quiet. If we offer ourselves enough of these still moments, what we need or don't need might just appear. It's as though we can embody our own solstice moments.

Stand still and happy Solstice!