It Slips By

Time "goes so fast" that it is impossible to fit in everything I intend to do, want to do.  Uet the moments are more crisp and clear these days.   I am back in Asheville for  my second weekend of yoga therapy training.  Loving it.  Here's to an early morning after a late night!

Yoga Fitting Around Life

Peaceful moment

I have been deeply "allowing" my difficult feelings to arise, and it had been intense. I have a life long habit of only allowing "positve" feelings, but I am ready to remove that blockage.  One day at a time! 

Some days

Are harder than others.  This was one of them.  Several "reasons" but the cause? Being human.  We suffer.  We have difficult feelings.  We have unfulfilled wishes or expectations.  I spent the firts five minutes on my mat today in childs pose, just curled up.  Felt nice.  Then, some balance work.  Crow play.

 

Direct Experience

Natural Female Beauty

This was removed from my feed on Facebook but it is so worth sharing.  Enjoy!

http://www.themilitantbaker.com/2014/08/expose-shedding-light-on-collective.html?m=1

Making it Work

It can often seem overwhelming to find time to practice with a small child in the house.  This morning Michael and I decided to try practicing while our little one ran around.  Mostly, he stayed righth by us asking questions about poses and driving his trains ans cars under our bridge poses.  Success!  *this post failed to publish a couple days ago.  :). Retry

Breathe

Early morning again.  I am actually startihg to look forward to these dark sleepy mornings, and to miss them when I don't get up.  Considering what a staunch night-owl I always was before that change in itself is amazing me.  We can grow, change, develop brand new ways of being over time.  Keep doing it little by little and breathe into it.  Things will shift.

Morning Play

Asana (physical postures) with Victor VanKooten's inspiring art and Bikram's full-body range of motion sequence (without the heat and at my own pace) at home this morning.  "Asana is not merely an activity of the physical body, but also of the breath and mind" -Desikachar 

Home Again

I thought I might be exhausted today but I am exhilirated.  My alarm went off 40 minutes early too!  I am kind of amazed actually.  The whole weekend I felt so in the right place, coming home feels like the right place too.  I love that I can have both.  Only 2 houra of work today, then I get to arrange my studio with all the delightful "props" that arrived in the mail while I was away.  Yoga=play!!

Early morning me making coffeeee!

On the Path

Going home today, but this is only the first weekend of many.  Being "on my path" isn't an abstraction these days, it is an actual course of training, a clear vision of what I could be doing in the future, and of course the literal being on the road.  It is envirgorating.  Even though I have had less sleep than usual, been camping in the rain, it feels fantastic.  One of my biggest motivations in unrelentingly seeking out my own happiness and fulfillment is to be able to support others in doing the same.  Whatever it is that will put the pieces into place that allow each of us to grow into our wholeness.  Keep at it!!

Here, Now

Why, for me, yoga?

People who know me know I have become progressively more yoga crazed.  It isnt because of a fad or for exercise... for me it started as a child.  By nature I was very flexible and enjoyed a sort of intuitive body movement practice that, looking back, had yogic elements.  But at the same time, I was raised in a very strict,repressive fundemtalist home.  I gradually learned to totally rely on external authorities for every aspect of my behavior, thoughts and feelings.  This disconnect from my own inner life and empowerment became so integrated in me that I became unaware of my body.  I would stub my toe and it would be bleeding and I wouldnt even notice.  My mom would jokingly (haha..) say "its like you dont even know you HAVE a body!"  

When I reached adulthood and finally realized I had to leave that environment I was cautious.  I made big life changing decisions.  But I also knew to avoid choices with consequences not easily undone.  I was slow to "throw out" the teachings of my youth.  I just let it be, didnt pursue it further but didnt reject it either.  

Many choices andexperiences later I began my conscious journey of personal empowerment and well being.  I started by reading a variety of books.  

"Love Wins" by Rob Bell, which freed me from the pervasive fear I had been taught.

"A New Earth", by Eckhart Tolle,  which opened my mind to many new possibilities not least of which was that peace is always available in the moment.

Several books by Thich Nhat Hahn that gave me practical, simple everday tools to begin to experience more of that in-the-moment peace.

Around that same time adear friend gave me a yoga dvd suggesting I might enjoy it.  I did.  It stuck with me.  Began to brinng me back to a connection between mind and body.  To bring my awareness from the past and future into My Body Now.  And that sensation has revolutionized how I feel in my body, my mind and my life.  

      

On the Road Again

Everything is packed, prepped, and I am about to leave Chattanooga!  Whole Foods munchies for the road, plenty of water, fresh coffee, tarp, tent, love letter from my sweet, aaaand People magazine issue about the Jolie-Pit wedding.  What more could a modern yogi want?!  Here I goooooooo!!!

Almost there

I'm in North Carolina!!  Asheville here I come.  Thanks to Macklemore, Mary Lambert, Of Monsters and Men and last but not least Dan Savage for keeping me company on the way.  

(Don't worry I am posting at a rest stop- never text and drive!)

Here I go

I am so grateful for the opportunities and blessings in my life.  All that is, that which sustains my life and this conscious experience.  I am ready for this next adventure!  Off to yoga school...

Get creative

5:51 AM- coffee and Paul Grilley.  Yoga next.  Perhaps caffeine before yoga isnt recommended...but I am a modern Western yogi who pretty much picks amd chooses my combination of practices.  :D