Success In Bed February 6, 2010

I hear about it countless times a week.

Can you please tell me what postures help with sleep?  Can we do a yoga for insomnia class today?  Are there any breath techniques I can do to sleep better?  Do you have any meditation cd’s you can burn for me, I can’t sleep?!

How much are you getting these days?

In fact, I know all too well the perils, terror, and frustrations that revolve around being unable to catch  a substantial amount of sleep on any given night.

It started when I went off to college countless years back.  It went on for weeks on end and  over the last ten years I have continued to battled with sleeplessness.

It’s about 11.30 now as I sit down to type this post and I can remember that I told my massage therapist at four that I was exhausted when she asked me how I was doing.  The plan was to head home after my last class today, drink a cup of hot tea, and hit the sack for a much needed eight hours of beauty sleep.

That brings me to my first important point:  We must plan our night time rest.  Sleep is one of those things that constantly gets left off the to do list as if it is unnecessary.

Sleep is not only mandatory for good health, its a process that remains a mystery of which scientist can’t quite explain.  We know it has a powerful effect on our mental health, from our emotional well being to efficient brain function.  It effects our mood, our memory, and our ability to concentrate. It is the time when our immune & nervous systems work on repair and it is when vital hormones are timed to release.

Arianna Huffington has set a Sleep Challenge encouraging women to sleep themselves to the top (and not in that kinky 60’s Mad Men sort of way).

I will talk more about this topic as the seasons progress, in the mean time I would like to offer a few tips.

• Make the room you sleep in as comfortable as possible.  Pillows, sheets, blankets, jammies, lights, and noise.  All of these things can effect your experience.  Make sure your bed and accoutrements are clean, comfortable, and pleasing to the touch.  Lights should be on low, none of that overhead light nonsense, and cut out noise from electronics in the bedchamber all together.

• Lights: Many of the artificial indoor lighting conditions that are commonly encountered in modern society are arbitrary and bear little relationship to natural light conditions. It is believed that certain artificial lighting conditions may have an adverse effect on the natural biological rhythms that influence human behavior. One of the pivotal moments in my journey through sleep therapy came with the recommendation of creating a simulated sunset in my home.  Brilliant!

Start by turning off all the overhead lights in your home three or more hours before you go to bed if you use them at all.  Floor and desk lamps are turned off an hour or so before lights out leaving either low watt bulbs in a couple of fixtures on or going to candle all together.  Let candles or a soft LED light be the last point of illumination in your room until you’ve decided to call it quits for the day and count sheep.  This simulated sunset triggers the bodies natural circadian rhythms.  For this reason, light therapy has been gaining a lot of ground.  There are lights for both sunrise and sunsets and some are even set up to function as your alarm system so you get to circumvent the whole waking up to that blunt noise annoyance that most of us deal with. On that note, a Zen Clock is high on my list of things to purchase.

• Noise & Electronics: Get rid off all computers, television sets, and radios where you sleep.  The abrasive lights along with the sounds are killing not only your sleeping patterns, but for many couples, time for intimacy.  There are some that would swear too that the electrical currents from these devises are reeking havoc on the subtle body systems even in their standby states and would suggest leaving all laptops and cell phones in another room all together.

• Bed: There are two things to be done in bed.  One of them is sleep.  One of them is, um, not sleeping.  Reading, crosswords, homework, list-making, sewing, eating, watching movies all disrupt your sleep.  How?  It is confusing to the body when you do any of these activities in the place where you are meant to lay your head down and get some shut-eye.  If you refrain from these disruptions you will send a strong and constant signal to the body that BED= SLEEP… and, um, sexy time…

• Ritual: Create an evening routine to train the body and the mind.  Mine starts with the simulated sunset, followed by tea and time for reflection.  Sometimes I do a few restorative yoga postures and some pranayama before I slide in between the sheets.

• Sharing Space: It may be a worthy investigation to see if sharing your bed space is serving you.  If you and your partner are on different schedules and cycles you may be disrupting each other in your quest for rest.  Many couples, recognizing the need for individual space, have turned to the Master Suite design concept where two bedrooms accomodate the couple.  It may add an element of longing back into long standing relationships which is an added bonus.  I for one rarely sleep in the same place on any given night.  Some nights I stay on the couch, some in bed one direction, and other nights I spin around and face the other wall to admire my paintings.  I certainly am not the kind of woman who is going to sleep on the same side of the bed for the rest of my life- with or without a partner in it.  For me it is fun to move about in search for slumber and has been made easy with my round bed.  According to one friend, it is very Hugh Hefner of me ;0)

These are just a few ways you can make your rest quest one prone to more success.

Do some research.  Create a ritual for yourself.  Invest in time to unwind.  Try and relax and if you find yourself staring at the walls for hours on end then get up all together and sit in another room while you drink some hot tea or stare at a candle.  Resist the urge to worry about or beat yourself up over sleep and soon enough your eyes will shut and slumber will be at hand.  Talk to your teachers about breath and posture options, meditation recommendations, and perhaps have an advisor come into your home to check out the Feng Shui of your space.

Till next time,

Good Luck & Goodnight-!!

At Home In Your Body January 20, 2010

    

It is incombent upon you to make your home as comfortable, as beautiful, as possible.- Maharaji 

 

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?- 1st Corinthians 6:19

 

You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. ~C.S. Lewis

 

To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. ~Buddha

There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies. ~Friedrich 

Nietzsche

 

Your body is your home.  It is your duty to care for it.  Seek out the spark of the Divine and make that your companion, everything else will fall into place… These are the words I heard from Prem Rawat, also know as Maharaji, via a dvd at an event this last weekend at One Yoga Planet over in Ft. Pierce.

 

My friend and tribesman, Boston based DJ High-Fi (aka Ian Hyman), was mixing some killer live tunes while we sweat it out to the stylings of Margarita Tree.  After, there was a lovely mixer and a presentation on the teachings of Mharaji in which it was shared that, “…what you are looking for is within.  Your truth is within, your peace is within…”

 

It comes at a time when I am musing over the first chakra in preparation for a three part Chakra Immersion I am hosting over at Living Yoga at the end of this month.  The Root Chakra, Muladhara, is the seat of Ganesh and is located at the base of the spine.  The keys words are To Be.  

 

This has got me thinking about Embodiment.  

 

What does it mean to be embodied?  For me it is an intimate connection with what is going on in my primary relationship (my self) and the information that I can gleam from her (feelings) and the adjustments I need or wish to make on any given day.

 

Some days it means I need to take it easy, some days I need to get my butt up off the couch and hit the bridges on my shinny new Cannondale, and other days it means sitting in stillness and allowing the divinity within the opportunity to be heard.  

 

Taking care of the body temple, our original and only life long partner, can leave us overwhelmed.  It is important therefore to take it a step at a time.  Did you drink enough water?  Are you choosing fuel (food) that will support you?  Is there room to treat yourself with a little more dignity and respect?  The root energy is the primary force of our grounding, security, and survival.  If we are experiencing imbalance at our base, the entire system is out of whack.

 

Until you believe that you are in creative control of your life you may fall prey to feelings of loneliness, static energy, insecurity, fear, pain, and frustration.  A balanced system on the other hand sets us up for success in manifesting what we desire and brings us into a state of peace and calm.

 

Over the past few years I have been experiencing these pains in my body.  They shift around as I ply myself with massage, accupunture, and yoga… though as I said, these pains have simply been moving around.  They’ve set up camp at one end of my long legs, moved over to my shoulders for a bit, and recently there have been some protest from my hips and my jaw.  It was not until I got serious about these instabilities, this imbalance, that I was able to ferret out the base causes and deal with them in a direct manner.  In fact, I have whittled down the list of complaints to two: both of which manifest in the body and in my emotional landscape.  

 

It is not always a cake-walk when it comes to dealing with issues head on, especially body issues.  I do believe however that this is one of the powerful lessons our yoga practice teaches us.  We must be willing to get real honest with what we are experiencing in order to evaluate the situation and make decisions based on a complete set of information.  If we are disconnected with what is going on right in our very own lap, it is unlikely that what is going on around us is going to offer us much satisfaction.

 

One thing is for sure, if you take a moment or two to get in touch with what is actually happening then you are far more likely to make adjustments that will have a positive long term impact.  It is important that we treat ourselves with care and compassion, that we feed ourselves with nourishing food, that we stay hydrated, that we move around and keep our muscles and joints lubricated.

It is just as important to take time and massage our own two feet, without whom life would be significantly more difficult.  If we refuse to care for our vehicle we will run out of time to do the things that we wish for in our life and in the mean time we make the whole process one fraught with self imposed limitations.

 

All of the issues that you are dealing with in your daily meanderings impact the body.  All of your thoughts impact the body.  The body stores our memories, our emotions, the compliments and ciritisizims of others, and it is what ushers us in and out of this world.  We must be willing to care for our temple.  We must demand from ourselves a higher degree of care and respect.  We must get reconnected and in doing so set ourselves up for profound positive change.  

 

Single steps turn into patterns.  Patterns turn into tapestry.  It is the fabric of our lives that we are daily threading.  Make it one that exposes beauty, joy, balance, and love.

 

The greatest of these is Love…

 

 

The Glory Of The Undertaking January 10, 2010

So we are about ten days into the New Year and I wonder, how are ya doing?  

 

 

We’ve set some goals, dumped some baggage, made a few new commitments, and we have decided to embark on a new chapter in this whirlwind we call life… well I did anyway.

Since it’s best, I believe, to live by example let us review what’s been going on in the life of Shelley.

Where to begin?

 

It’s cold!  I mean I know it’s not snowing or anything and that I am blessed with a heater and a few reverse fans in my apartment, that I have plenty of layers due to the treachery of winter city life, and there are no shortages of warm hot liquids at my disposal.  I know I live in a beautiful sea-side paradise and most days I am not one to complain… I must for the record however state that I am freezing!!  Apparently it’s the combination of switching to a Vegan diet and the unusually low temperatures.

Alas, my diet is serving me quite well and instead of heading to Five Guys for fried potato product I have been devouring Paul Pitchfords’ “Healing With Whole Foods.”  It is a tomb of information on Chinese Medicine, Diet, Herbs, and other related topics.  Not the kind of thing I am going to sit in a chair and read cover to cover yet it has some actionable information in regards to a variety of ailments, nutritional advice, and it can be used as a diagnostic tool.  I highly recommend it. 

Speaking of herbs, I found out that I can get much of what I need from Maria and Randy over at Tea & Chi. They are open to ordering too so if you have something (teas, herbs, tea accessories) that have been hard to find feel free to give them a ring and they will be more than happy to assist.

Back to the mat after the rush of the holidays and I feel Amazing!

 

I have found some comfort in downward dog and forward folds for the first time in a year having recovered from some knee and elbow issues… I’ve recorded new playlists for class (much appreciated by my students who were as sick of my old tunes as I was) and I am all geared up to host my three-part Chakra Immersion over at Living Yoga.  In addition to workshops we will be working on some new sequences and delving a bit deeper into an exploration of breath and intention as the grounding force of our practice over the coming months.  I’m Excited!!

My Book!!

 

You keep hearing me talk about this book that I’ve been working on (for years) and I am sure you thought it was all a hoax.  Indeed, it has taken me many moons to get with the program but I am finally well on my way and I’ve got momentum again.  Though not always rainbows and butterflies, I am proud of myself for setting down time every single day to write.  I’ve given myself small hurdles and realistic goals in order to get it all done.  I’ve been learning a lot about process from Jonathan Fields over at Tribal Author.  Yippee….

That sound you hear in the middle of the afternoon over on Granada is my dear friend and band-mate Susanne and I singing up a storm.  Kirtan, devotional singing, is the name of the game and Mantra Melt is the name of the band.  You can catch us at Living Yoga on January 23^rd and up in Melbourne at Aquarian Dreams in February.  Check us out on Facebook ;0)

What else?

 

OH!!  My dear friend Luciana (read Ecuadorian actress extraordinaire, mystic, earnest, vivacious, full of love bombshell) came up for the weekend to get in some girl time.  It’s been about two years since we last met and it was as if not a day had passed and that at the same time a lifetime of happenings had since occurred. 

We met in NYC as classmates at a quaint conservatory.  I was her unofficial translator due to the fact that I could read her volumes of expressions and the waving of her extremities as she spoke too fast for anyone to understand.  A few of my most cherished lines of hers are “my skin goes like chicken” (goose-bumps) and “oh, yes, I have a questions” (when didn’t she?) 

Spirit, Stones, Love, Yoga, and Journey were the main topics of conversation.  We had a wonderful afternoon over at The Inspired Heart where the dynamic Patricia gave us the low down on healing with stones, vibrational medicine, Earth Keeper Crystals and a heartfelt pep-talk on how we already know the answers we are simply just trying to remember them… the reminder was at once refreshing and timely (for both of us).

If that wasn’t enough we had had the good fortune of some amazing raspberry and tangerine sunsets that are as clear as the air is crisp.

So much to be thankful for

 

As I sit at Panera musing and thinking about what the next week has to offer I feel a great satisfaction for the days past and all that I have accomplished.  I hope you too are experiencing a renewed sense of direction and that you are taking it simply a day at a time.  If you have lost a bit of your bearings, NO FEAR, you have all the time in the world. 

It is never too late to start. 

 

In fact it is never too late for an “I’m Sorry,” “I Love You,” or an “ I Miss You,” a statement of adoration, or an expression of need.  Make small changes daily and eventually they will add up to a pretty fantastic tapestry called your LIFE.

Ask for help if you need it, celebrate the successes, let go of the need for perfection and bask in the glory of the undertaking. 

Woo Hoo Hoo!!

Live Out Loud Damn It! December 28, 2009

 

What The Hell Are You Waiting For?

 

I remember the scene, a year ago on Coco Beach, with my tribesmen in a bathing suit running in the sunlight I was knee deep in the churning waves of the ocean toying with the idea of diving into the cool waters for the very first time. 

I’d been in Florida for less than ten days as a reprieve from the cities blistery winter. Though amazed at the refreshment of the ocean in December with the sun full on my face and the sounds of play all around me I was still chilled by her unfamiliar waters.

“JUST DO IT! DO IT! JUMP IN!!”  “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?”

These were the words pouring out of a longhaired surfer/skater boy of about fifteen as I splashed against the constant tides.

What was I waiting for?  Why was I dressed to swim and standing in the waves as if paralyzed?

Fear…I was afraid!

 

It was the unknown that kept me standing there fighting against the current.  It took the goading of that fearless youngster and the laughter from his friends to drive me past my fear of the water and JUST DO IT!

Immediately refreshed and giggling we ran up and down the beach chasing each other and with a newfound freedom… I felt baptized.  It took my whole life to take that step and the reward was so worth it.  I couldn’t believe what was happening.  I was in the ocean, on my birthday, in a bathing suit, and enjoying it!!

Something major had shifted.

So what are you afraid of?

 

As the end of the year approaches and we wind down from the hustle and bustle of the holidays many of us look ahead to the year to come and set resolutions and goals.  I admire the willingness to search ones heart for what they want and desire but I admire the willingness to act on these dreams even more. 

“Dreams are fine.  Actions count.”

 

Sitting in my apartment last week I had the fortune to spend a fair amount of time in conversation with a friend that was visiting for the holidays.  Topics were ever shifting the conversation was electric and there was something that was said that struck me;  “I admire that [about people], their ability to try new things, and when something fails, make a go at something else entirely.”  The implication was that the naivety of my countrymen is often what drives us towards projects that would to some seem impossible and that no matter what the driving force, this sheer act of continually trying was a quality much to be admired.

I agree completely. 

As I sit and look at my journals of the year past and make my dream boards for the coming one I notice that there are things that I have experienced that I could not have possibly planned for, things on my list that seem ridiculous to me because they are no longer relevant to my dreams, and there are things that I am setting to paper that a year ago would have made me laugh with delight and disbelief at there mere existence.

With all of these dreams laid before me I wonder where the tenacity of spirit and the willingness to dive in feet first comes from.  Indeed, I must acknowledge my parents who taught me that anything was possible and all the mentors, friends, and lovers along the way who have supported and encouraged me.  I must also give props to the dreamers, artists, and yogis that have inspired… and those who were total douches and tried to dissuade and even actively prevent me.

Goals are great to have.

 

In the end it is the simplest decisions we make that create the big shifts in our lives.  It is the act of doing.  In fact, Love is a verb.  It is also true that life will present amazing opportunities that you could not have possibly imagined or planned for. 

Growing up I was taught that God never gives you more than you can handle and as I have become a woman I find that I think God must have a pretty perverse and interesting sense of humor to offer such a delicious set of opportunities.  With that said, I believe it is important to leave enough room in your plans for the unexpected, to remember there is a fine line between rigidity and spontaneity.  If we stay too focused on where we think we are headed we may miss some pretty stellar opportunities along the way.

There will be times in your life where the unexpected will tempt you.  There will be times in your life when you will wake up and realize that what you have been working toward is no longer satisfying you and that you want to make a radical shift in a new direction.

I say again, what are you waiting for?

 

In this age there are in-roads into every profession.  Want to be a chef? Sure! Read a few books on the culinary arts, take a class, get a job as a line cook, and BAM… you are on your way.  Teacher, pilot, priest, dancer, a mom, or an artist?  A wealth of information exists and there is no time like the now to take your life by the horns and go for it!

What is it that you really want?  Perhaps you are searching for more meaning, a new place to live.  Perhaps you woke up today and realize you are in love with someone a half a world away.  Maybe you still long for the company of friends that you’ve since lost touch with because of a row that you can’t quite remember why it was so important…

Dream BIG!

 

Open that restaurant, learn a new language, move across the world, travel with a band of hippies on their way to the Burn, dance in the middle of the club and get the party started, get up off the couch and ride your bike for miles on end and feel the wind in your face, get back to the mat, profess your love to each other, try it and see, and whatever you do stop waiting out fear of how it will all play out!! 

LIVE OUT LOUD DAMN IT!!

 

Fear is an unrealistic response to things that do not actually exist. 

There is no excuse for mediocrity and if you find yourself living with regrets that are based off of fear than there is no one else to blame.  It is our single responsibility to live our lives to the fullest.  Show each other by example that we are meant for greatness, happiness, and that a tenacious spirit is valuable, even when it is also naive…

There is no time like the present, and that is why so many people give thanks for each day as a gift.

Share.  Be Kind.  Work Hard.  Love Without Expectation.  Profess Your Dreams & Desires, TRY IT-

As Always,

I mean it with Love…

What Are You Building? December 21, 2009

 

What are you working toward?  What is your calling card?

These are the questions I am pondering this week as I gear up for our Solstice Goddess Party  Tonight.

In my tribe we get together, enjoy a nosh, drink hot cider, and sing to the Divinity.  We write down all the things we are ready to give up to God and we write down the things we are ready to accept from that sexy lady the Universe.

In fact, I get an email from the Universe Monday through Friday and you can too.  Click here…

Back before that Love inspired dude Jesus was celebrated at the end of the year (on MY birthday no less) there were those super cool people at parties that honored the Solstice with fire rituals, a respect for the earth, and love of the Goddess energy.  Thanks to sacrifices of our young and the brave I am afforded the opportunity to celebrate these as I choose and thus I will be singing at the top of my lung tonight with a handful of other inspired and fierce ladies.

To that end I have been mulling over this last year, with all of it’s delights and surprises, and have come up with a list of things that I am willing (and so very ready) to let go of.  In addition, the journal that holds the things I am ready to work toward is becoming a pretty lengthy and glitter filled undertaking in and of itself, one that reflects my current attitude and desires.  Which brings me to my point in question:

What are you working towards?

 

My dad always taught me to write it down on a list.  Growing up that to-do list was usually filled with the dreaded chores that I was assigned as the older sibling.  As I have grown into my own master there are also things on my list that fill me with joy, gratitude, and a sense of excitement.  The one thing that has remained consistent since my youth is that if I write it down, see it with my own eyes, I am much more likely to inhabit the space and the energy that is required to tackle the list of goals.  These days I have colorful post-it notes all over the walls, journals filled with ideas and poems, and dream-boards gracing the walls of my kitchen and bedchamber.  There is a constant revision process as I change and grow and it is fun to see the shifting of the visual palets that I have created.

 

In this love affair with life I make it a priority to take the time to write down, to create little reminders, of what it is that I want.  

 

Artists do it- lists of materials that are required for play, Architects do it- they draft their plans and create digital models to share, Pastors do it- notes to craft their weekly sermons and tapestries that remind them of their focus, Teachers do it- working out their lesson plans, Kids even do it- it may look like scribbles, but those little raskels are formulating opinions and goals right in front of our eyes!

 

With a clear plan I am more able to ferret out actionable steps that need to be taken in order to reach my goals.  A lesson I was reminded of most recently by reading my mentors latest book, Career Renegade. 

 

All of the work that I do in meditation, in the maintenance of my body and mind, leads me along the path of creating a life beyond my wildest imagination.  A life that is filled with love, art, yoga, family, and unexpected surprises at every turn.  My calling card, I believe, is my joy, light, and love for life.  It is not something that happens by accident but with great attention and dedication.  I could not write, dance, teach, or live in love if I didn’t first decide that this would be my path and in turn actively participate in its cultivation.  

 

I get up every day and set this intention.  

 

This holiday season, as you are gathered with your own tribesmen, I encourage you to create a list of things you are ready to tackle and a list of things you are ready to let go of.  As you sit around your yule-tide fire toss the list you are giving up to God in the fire, this simple gesture is a powerful statement of intent.  If you are without fire then perhaps tear it up and bury it, or take it to your place of worship and set it in the offering plate.

 

However you choose to explore this ritual of Surrender and Acceptance, I hope you will find it as rewarding and enlightening as I have over the years. I pray that you will be surrounded by Love and Light this season, that you have friends and family to support you, and that you will be moved by the Holy Spirit in your quest.

 

I look forward to see what you build this next year!!

 

As always- Be Blessed, Be Bold, Be Loved.

 

- Shelley ;0)

 

 

 

Living In Hell On Earth? November 24, 2009

 

 

There is a lot of discussion in my head and among my support network these days about two proposals:  First, is that there is room for it all and second, that we must make adjustments as necessary.

 

 

The inroad into theses concepts requires us to observe with a keen curiosity.  We start by taking a look at how our body feels, what’s going on with the breath, what situation/environments do we find ourselves in, and that great solidifier, our emotional landscape… how do you feel?

 

In classes I say, “Observe the sensations of the body and make adjustments as necessary.” 

 

The whole idea here is that I will learn all the lessons I need in life by simply participating in earnest when I arrive at my mat.   Do I need to lengthen, bind, twist, or back out of a posture?  How might I manipulate the breath in order to find ease?  Where might I explore the edges?  These translate into real life situations at every turn. 

 

• Should I spend more time with these friends or on my own playing? (lengthen) 
• Ought I hold my tongue and listen? (bind) 
• Might I be flexible with my partner? (twist) 
• Could I be best served by removing myself completely or setting positive boundaries? 

 

Our most valuable lessons are learned when we apply the same discerning attitude that we have in our yoga practice to the every day happenings of our waking lives.  There is a certain integrity and a healthy dose of clarity & communication that is required in order for this to be a success.  We must get really honest about what is going on in our experience, and then adjust if, or when, it behooves us to.

 

A great example of this is my recent shift from the bright lights of Manhattan to the calm sounds of beachside Vero.  People ask me all the time, and often with unveiled wonderment and a touch of derisiveness, “Why Vero?” 

 

Seriously? 

 

Have you looked around today?  The weather is amazing, the beach is spectacular, and I am comfortable and loved in my beautiful home.  I have the privilege to work with an amazing set of yogis who want to play on a regular basis, a few close friends that are knitting themselves into the fabric of my life, I can ride my bike almost everywhere and without being taken out by a yellow cab, and I can sleep through the night without hearing the incessant sounds twelve million people outside my bedroom window.  

 

To be honest, I believe that when people are asking me “why Vero” (with that sound in their voice that implies I’m crazy) they are less interested in what brought me to this awe inspiring town and more interested in why the hell I left what they quickly describe in one way or the other as the “better” choice of NYC.  Um, excuse me, where did the contempt for where you live come from? 

 

To be fair, I understand not being jazzed about the place that you live in.  In fact, that is exactly why I left the city to begin with.  So in order to clarify here is an abbreviated answer to the question of “why.” 

 

After a little under ten years I found myself wanting different things.  My experiences in the big apple are ones that you couldn’t pay me a billion dollars to trade in.  I discovered a large part of who I am as a woman and found out that I am stronger and have more grit than I had ever given myself credit for.  I’d found myself in rooms that I thought had closed doors, got an education in areas that I didn’t even know existed in my youth, and with the help of a few outstanding mentors and friends I cultivated a greater sense of self, one that is balanced with an awareness due in large part to my yoga practice.  As wonderful as New York is and was, I just wanted something different.  Simply put, I saw that what I wanted to explore next did not exist in the environment in which I found myself and it was nobody else’s responsibility to make a change.  So I did.

 

Viva la Vero!!

 

I’m not suggesting that any discomfort is indicative of the need to make major changes.  What I am proposing is that it is important and necessary to contemplate and be inquisitive and to get real about what is happening in your lives and relationships.  Who are you?  Where are you?  Are you happy?  If not, get a grip and try something else. Knock it off with the disillusionment already.  My granny says, “shit or get up off the pot!”  A classier way to say it (though I’ve never been accused of being classy) is, “Just do it!”

 

 

What about the first point you say? 

 

Outside of a few basic agreements, we must approach life without judgment and expectation.  It is imperative that we relax ourselves and make room for it all.  As I type this, my tea guru Maria asks me if I mean this physically or metaphorically.  Both. 

 

If we continue to put ourselves, our families, partners, art, coworkers, god, friends, and strangers into boxes then we are strangling the fundamental gift that individuality offers.  If we shame others for living out loud or trying new things then we are sending the message that it’s silly to try or that they are unworthy of such self-expression.  It is almost worse when we afford ourselves this same level of contempt.  You have the right to exist and explore.  So do I. 

 

Relationships come in all shapes and sizes.  We are quick to define what others are engaged in so that we can be confident in how we respond to them.  If they are friends we treat them one way, if they are lovers or are married we treat them completely different.  Why is that?  Is it possible to approach each person as an individual and support their decisions to explore their lives no matter what shape and what twists and turns they take? 

 

I imagine the reason we are so hard headed when it comes to labeling is because it takes far less energy than to engage in the ever-changing reality of what actually is.  The biggest bummer here is that our attitudes of and reactions towards others is often based on assumptions.  There are a disconcerting number of realities and possibilities and we most often are way off the mark in our quick judgments.  Our rigidity cuts us off from embracing the beauty of life and love.  But I digress…

 

There is room for it all.

 

There is room to try new clothes, a new job, to express ourselves through art, dance, singing, surfing, or reading in the corner.  There is room for you to be committed to your partner and yet to have substantial friendships with others.  I can love my family and support them in their quest to live in the sticks and yet decide that for me a life in the bright lights of Paris is more appealing.  There must be room for that.  We need friends, companions, people who will listen to us bitch, we need a tribe, our families, we need strong support in our work endeavors, and we must have people who will sponsor us in our quest for artistic expression.  If we expect that all of these roles can or should be taken on by the same person then we are setting ourselves up for great heartbreak and disappointments.

 

It is important to take into account that we have no idea how our lives will play out or if we will even feel the same tomorrow about anything (most likely not).  If we have arranged our lives in a manner that requires nothing to bend or change and we show an unwillingness to do so ourselves then we will indeed be living in hell on earth. 

 

 

Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see.” 

 

I dare you to try.  Embody your beliefs, do to others as you wish them to do to you, take responsibility for your actions and happiness, support others with love as they endeavor to soar, make adjustments as necessary, and cut yourself some slack.  Nobody can dictate the course of your life and we should be humble enough and show great respect by not trying to control others.  I mean really! I have enough to think about… like what am I going to wear for my dinner date tonight.

 

 

ps: I love you ;0)

Gratitude Dude November 13, 2009

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.- Cicero 

 

 

As the holidays roll around, lights are being hung, talk of spirit and god abound, the theme music starts to blast from the speakers overhead, the temperature is dropping, flights are being booked, plans are being deliberated, and as all of us are feeling the gentle pressure of the coming winter obligations I would like to offer a single suggestion:  Cultivate Gratitude. 

 

That’s it.  

 

No matter what tradition you follow, regardless of your particular religion or community affiliations, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on all the wonders of your life.  My dear friend and little sister makes a gratitude list for the Thanksgiving madness each year.  Last years brightly decorated sign offered gems like “avacado fat”, “sunshine”, “hugs”, and her choice for entertainer of the year.  As lists go, it was a compelling insight into the mind and gentle soul of this fiery eleven year old.

 

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.- JFK

 

In tribute to her idea I give you my list (that is growing daily) and hope that it in you may find some inspiration and real life examples of the blessings that surround us daily.  There is Abundance friends!

 

 

I am Grateful for my health, family, friends, the goddesses of Vero Beach, yoga, my mentor and friend Jonathan Fields, EA and her tribe, the new found relief of my hip thanks to Jill Jaynes, the Junior Leauge of Indian River County for their warm welcome and tenacity of spirit, coffee time at Cafe Mojo, Tea & Chi, funny people, the beach, guacamole, massage, the sound of the wind in the trees, the beach and all of her power, everything random, salsa night at La Fonda, the musical stylings of DJ what’s his name at Honey, time in NYC with my tribe, the great perspective small towns teach, lessons in happiness, time to contemplate, NPR, each and every breath, music (especially drums), critical thinking, ideas worth spreading, science, the stars, the sound of laughter, water, whole foods, unexpected adventures, kissing, a new pair of socks, reading time, the ability to change and grow, the space between the in-breath and out-breath, that my girl Kelly is Gone Again,   my fizzy bubbly, The Art of Non-Conformity, healthy relationships, eye contact, friendly trash-men who see colors, peach cobbler, countertop ovens, sprouts, ten fingers and ten toes, a gentle sigh, surprises (especially the romantic kind), old men and war stories, medina texas, well water, that they call me candy, and that there are those out there who play in the dirt!

 

 

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.- Marcel Proust

 

Follow your heart.  

You are already complete.  

I love you.  

Smile.  Laugh out loud. 

Breathe deep.  

Enjoy moments together.  

Find a still place.  

Observe the sensations of your body, your breath, and your emotional landscape.  

Be hopeful.  Heal yourself.  

Practice Unconditionally.  

Liberate each other.  Hydrate.  Contemplate the spaces.  

Merge.  

Jump in feet first.  Don’t look back.  

Make fewer plans.  

Dream.  Vibrate.  Dance daily.  

Consume yourselves with passion.  

Be a woman of your word. 

Know your truth.  

Be Blessed, Be Bold, Be Loved.

 

 

Yama Mama October 29, 2009

 

 

Let’s begin our journey into the Eight-Limbed path of Ashtanga Yoga!!

 

 

 

Yamas, Universal Ethics/ Outer Actions, are the roots of our practice.  Correlated with the Muladhara (root) Chakra at the base of the spine, these principles guide the yogi by creating a strong foundation, self-preservation, grounding on the physical plane, health, prosperity, and security.  The Yamas are our liberation current and the path to transcendence and inspiration.

 

BKS Iyengar states that the Yamas are “eternal, irrespective of class, time, and place.  These great vows are non-violence (ahimsa), truth (satya), non-stealing (asteya), continence (brahmacharya), and non-covetousness (aparigraha.)”

 

• Ahimsa (non-violence) Withdrawal from all injury both toward the self and others.  Some modern yogis have interpreted this into a vegetarian & vegan diets as to not harm the animal kingdom.  Some interpret this as the rule of thumb when it comes to conflict resolution.  I tend to think of this vow as one of removal from injury in thought, deeds, both physical and mental.  This is the step that removes me from my desire to use shame and contempt or passive aggressive tactics towards others.  It’s a daily practice indeed.  It helps if I remember that there is a divinity that resides in each of us, and that we each came into this existence in order to live out our agreements with the universal consciousness. 

 

• Satya (truthfulness) Tell the truth.  It is easier to remember the details and though the truth is sometimes painful, we are not responsible for the reactions of others but to simply walk with integrity and speak plainly.  This vow also, as they all do, extends towards our relationship to ourselves.  Get honest about your motives, your desires, your aims, and your goals.  Strive to be a woman of your word.  Without truth there can be no friendship, without friendship there can be no true love.  Omission and half-truths count here too people so become mindful of not just what you say, but what you don’t.

 

• Asteya (non-stealing) There is Abundance!  There is more than enough to go around without you getting all uptight about not “getting” what you deserve.  It can be as simple as not trying to upstage your partner at a party because you need more attention, not being devious about the performance (and very often help) of your co-workers for fear that you wont get enough credit, not taking your roommates last serving of ice cream from the freezer, or being underhanded in general.  Old school yogis took the path of reducing their wants so that their inclination to steal to get all that stuff they “need” was removed completely. 

 

• Brahmacharya (continence/chastity) The ability to see the divine within each and every person without the arousal aspect.  To remove ones self from the desires of the flesh in order to calm the mind, listen attentively, create sensitivity.  It is a wise yogi that removes herself from the need to explore things outside of the necessities of life (which can lead to sorrow and increase the desire to act out because we didn’t get what we wanted).  The Tantrics have a slightly different bent on this particular vow.  They tend to practice chastity as the means to increase ones sensitivity in order to be in a state of righteous arousal that is intended for release with ones spiritual partner, which is done as a means of ritual and is believed to be the ultimate act of surrender to god and the joining of your divinity, your partners divinity, with the supreme divinity.  For the Tantrics everything is devotion (bhakti), including deeply intimate physical acts, which are to be celebrated  since the body is the temple of the divine.  

 

• Aparigraha (non-covetousness)  Thall shall not covet thy neighbors wife, or his house, his car, his bank account, et al.  Dude!  He’s got some baggage to deal with because of all that stuff so take a moment to breathe and let go of your desires for what neighbor guy has.  Here is the secret- that wife is sometimes moody, his house is in foreclosure, his car smells like puke from his two brat kids, and his bank account is having a hard time keeping up with all of his obligations, as amazing as you believe them all to be.  The message here is that the reality of any persons situation is always vastly different from what we believe it to be.  Be satiated.  Show gratitude for what you already have.  There is abundance, as we have already discovered, and as soon as you make the space the universe will send you your own laundry list of blessings (and the lessons that come with them)!

 

 

Take some time to meditate on these and see what bubbles up.  You may find a strong resistance to one or more, and that may be a great indication of where your maintenance should start.  If you follow a religious tradition you may find that these concepts have some accessible counterparts.  There is no correct order for undertaking these principles so work at your own pace and perhaps journal about your experience. 

 

 

There are grand lessons to be learned when we contemplate.  Greater still are the lessons we teach by our actions.  In thought and deed be pure of heart and allow yourself to be a bright white healing light.  Have the audacity to change and grow for the better.

 

Namaste-

Just Breathe October 19, 2009

 

 

In my opinion, Pranayama, the practice of manipulating the breath, lies at the very heart of yoga. It has the ability to Calm, Balance, Invigorate, Purify, and its benefits can be observed in the mind, the body, and in the energetic landscape.

 

 

Old school yogi masters taught that Pranamaya Kosha, the “conquest of the life force,” can be cultivated and directed through a variety of breathing exercises.  In fact, the breath is the only autonomic system that can be manipulated and harnessed and therefore serves as a powerful bridge between the Annamaya Kosha (the body) and the Atma Jaya (soul).

 

In his book, Light On Pranayama, B.K.S. Iyengar writes that the art of Pranayama, that is the participation in it as subjective knowledge, can lead to Peace, Poise, and Tranquility.  His student Yehudi Menuhin states that, “the irradiation of the human being with light and power, the very sources of energy [is what] in fact complete Einstein’s equation of matter and energy and translates it into the human, the living incarnation.”

 

I want in on that!

 

Just breathe.  I remember my mother saying that to me on more than one occasion.  It is what I tell my students and my contemporaries and this breathing business has become my main inquiry in the field of yoga.  

 

There are many techniques and modern science has been catching up with the ancients in providing illumination on how the process of breathing has such a powerful and positive effect on all of the systems of the body.  I won’t go into all the “hows” here but I will say that taking the time to practice just a handful of breathing techniques has already elevated my yoga practice in ways that has shocked and delighted me and I am starting to see the effects of this journey in many areas of my life.

 

Interested?

 

I believe that the foundation of your Pranayama practice is best laid on the groundwork of a confident exploration of three techniques; Ujjayi, Kapalabhati, and Nadi Sodhana.

 

• Ujjayi, or Victorious Breath, is a balanced inhale and exhale breath that sounds like the waves of the ocean.   Think about fogging up a mirror.  Breathing in and out the nose, allow the tongue to be soft in the mouth, and cultivate a gentle constriction in the back of the throat.  It’s as if you are saying the word “ha” as you breathe.  Almost like a deep sighing sound on both the inhale and the exhale.  This is the breath that I use in my Asana practice and the one I most often turn to when I need to focus, calm, and collect my thoughts.  It can be practiced without the sound too so that your coworkers aren’t left wondering why you sound like that creepy Darth Vader guy.

 

• Kapalabhati, or Skull Shinning Breath, is an invigorating breath that can empty the lungs of any stale energy and awaken the mind (it’s better than coffee folks).  I recommend trying this on an empty stomach as it can really stir things up in the mid line of the body and you dont want to blow chunks all over your fellow yogis.  This work is all about short sharp exhales.  Draw in a full breath, exhale to empty, inhale half breath, and begin to pump out the exhales through the nose.  The inhale will happen automatically here so just concentrate on the out-breath.  I usually do this in rounds of 25, 50, 75, and 100.  You will feel a pretty great buzz in your third eye and because of that this is a breath technique that has been successful in helping smokers kick the habit. 

 

• Nadi Sodhana, or Alternate Nostril Breathing is my favorite hands down.  This purifying breath is great tool to settle the mind for meditation.  Most often I teach this at the end of class before savasana but I have been known to start class with this dynamic option as a way to bring the class (any myself) to a place of great concentration.  Gently close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril, then close it with your ring finger. Pause with the breath held in the body.  Open and exhale slowly through the right nostril.  Keep the right nostril open, inhale, then close it, hold the breath in, then open and exhale slowly through the left. This is one cycle. Often taught with ratios of inhale (x count), retain (x times two), exhale (x times three)  So it could look like this: inhale for four, retain for eight, and exhale for twelve.  Find a ratio that is comfortable for you.  Sometimes I let the counting go all together and simply inhale to full, retain as long as I can, and exhale a long slow breath all the way to empty.  There is room to experiment so I encourage you toward this end.

 

These are three great ways to start out on your journey.  As you practice I encourage you to observe the effects of each of these styles of breathing.  How do you feel?  What sensations occur in the body?  As you have questions search out your teachers for answers.  Be patient. 

 

As with any of the limbs of the practice of yoga, Pranayama is a powerful and worthy undertaking. I wish you success and as always- have fun with it.  

 

Much Love-  

 

 

Fall… in to love all over again! September 24, 2009

It’s Fall, my Favorite season!!

 

 

I’m back in action after an exciting month in NYC.  

 

For those of you who have asked about the details of my trip here goes:  

 

Vero to NYC via Delta, walk through the cloisters with my lizz, candlelight dinner with port/daniel/steve/and the bleeps and giggles princess, yoga with keith, lunch with johanna, class in the eve with someone who rocked my world, and an evening of art and laughter, coffee with lori, class with lori, touched base with jenna, laughed at jenna, dinner at some weirdo mexican food restaurant with a table full of crazies on a friday night, lunch with mj, workshop #1 at sonic yoga, drinks with yogis post mat-high, workshop #2 “tropical heat theme”, Y3 fashion show, Marc Jacobs show ( I saw Madonna and Lady Gaga), lunch with my dream-weaver/intuitive amber, Marc X Marc show (boots to die for), Narciso show (must have one of these dresses),  breakfast with krissy and olive june (my womb is still yearning), saw my ladies over at NBW (thank you for my life!), Proenza show, drinks with a blast from the past, Phi show (lots of leather), Calvin show (tasteful soft linens and interesting cuts), dinner and general cavorting with my buddy rob, lunch with lovers marco and julie, coffee with mj, dinner with dina (thanks for the glitter girlfriend), and a long friday night with mj and martin playing dress up, morning massage with master john, then off to the races for the last 36 hours in nyc with my dearest and nearest tribesmen…. and a u-haul trip 95 south to Vero Beach….

 

Now that I have landed I see that the beach is still beautiful, the birds and the bugs are vibrant, and unpacking my life has been like an extra holiday in and of itself ;0)  I am so thankful to be here, and if we have yet to meet, I am the girl that’s skipping through the streets and dancing on the beach!

 

There are some new classes to choose from, a yoga boot-camp, and some workshops that I am excited about in the next few months.  Check it out on the schedule page, I would love to see you.

 

Fall is the perfect time to reflect and make arrangements for the long winter months ahead. Clean the house, take a look at your diet, make some plans for your winter classes and to sit in stillness.  With that, I will be launching a community Meditation class soon so be on the lookout!  Let us share some space together and learn to tap into the deep creative energy and wisdom that resides within each of you.

 

Let me know what is going on in your life, how I may serve you, and when we are getting together next to play- 

 

In the mean time, be happy and healthy and try a headstand!

 

LOVE & LIGHT