Meditation

I remember when I first learned about meditation. I was in a 7th grade class, and the teacher had us all close our eyes and find imagery. I remember thinking "this is weird", of course, because when you're 13, anything like that is odd. Now that I look back on it, I can tell that it planted a seed for 'future me'.

Over the past few years, I have been very irregular about my meditation practice. I would have random spurts of a week or two, and then I would stop for a month or two, and so on. I remember venting about some insignificant things to one of my friends, and she then asked me, "have you been meditating?" I smiled awkwardly, and said, "sortaaaa".

Do you get that?

Yes...that was me for a long time. Angry, frustrated, control freak, anxious, etc. Lots can go on in my delicate yet vast mind; just like everyone else. 

It wasn't until my teacher training began, that I actually starting making more efforts to developing a meditation practice. I took away tools that could help me through my day, even if I couldn't literally just sit for 5 minutes. I quickly learned that mantra (not necessarily chanting Hindu or Buddhist chants - but can be) are very helpful in stilling the mind--for instance, I have the tendency to be in a mental state of lack, therefor the mantra I found to be most helpful was "I am abundant" on the inhale, and "I am at peace" on the exhale. After repeating that to myself for at least a couple of minutes, I feel much more at ease and relaxed. I feel a whole lot more open to the universe as well.

I found that I can take mantra with me anywhere. I don't have to say it out loud, but I can if I want to...so it's very accessible. I've found myself in touchy situations, and have had to go to the restroom and say, "I am calm. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti" :) When I do that, I tend to handle myself and other people much more gracefully. 

Along with mantra, I have been able to take breathing (Pranayama) everywhere. Simple techniques like Ujayii and Nadhi Shodhana can be done anywhere--I often do it in my car, although be careful with the NS one, as people might think you are picking your nose XD haha...

Moving along, I became more aware of how I was spending my time; how much have I been wasting, and how much has been used wisely? I realized that a lot of time, I waste worrying, and/or being focused on things that really are not important. I began to prioritize. I really longed to have a seated practice, because I feel it is important for me to have and maintain; therefore, I began to make some changes...

What has helped me, is that I will set my alarm 10-15 minutes early, and will sit in my meditation room, and have a 5-15 min seated practice (Pranayama, Mantra, and Meditation). If it so happens I slept poorly or not enough, and I have to hit snooze, I hit snooze...but that means I will have less time to get ready. With that, I make sure I leave the house 5 minutes earlier than usual. I do breath control and recite my mantra in my car (maybe I will even throw in a little tune to it). I will (hopefully) make it to work early, and thus will turn off my car, set my timer, and close my eyes to meditate for 5 minutes - to just sit in silence and feel myself be just as I am, there in that moment. 

No matter where I go, I can take these tools with me...some days may be more hectic than others, but there is always time. Even if we have to sacrifice morning jams on our way to work in order to breathe and recite mantra, then so be it...as long as I am practicing, I feel my best. I feel in control of myself. I feel more connected with others around me. I feel freer, lighter, and stronger.

I used to loathe seated practice; but now I crave it...that must be a good thing.

Namaste.

Like Stars

I can't really explain how I am feeling, other than that I am feeling change sweep over me like a whirlwind.
As I walk my path in life, I learn through countless interactions, situations, and trials. One of my greatest flaws is my social anxiety. As I grow older, my anxiety seems to increase, as I learn day by day, that not all people are trustworthy...not even the people I love the most... either that is truth, or it is my anxiety speaking believable lies into my head.
My heart is heavy, because I feel as though I am a genuine human being, living in a superficial world. I know I am not the only genuine being on this planet, but it is difficult to find people like us, because we are so few and far between. We are like ships sailing in the night...or like the stars so distant in the sky, that you barely notice them.
I feel as though at times my ship is sinking. At times, my sails have trouble guiding me. Sometimes I have to repair damages that cut so deep in the worst places...but I move along somehow...not sinking.

Sometimes, I don't know how I do it. I know I am placed on Earth for a reason. I know that I have work to do here...and that is the only reason I am still around. If it were not for that knowing, I would not be here... the world can be so cruel...then again, it can be so loving and kind. I suppose its what you turn your attention to.

I have learned in my life, that even when focusing on the good, bad things will still happen. It's not always in my control what things come into my life. Sometimes, it's just the random play of the universe; or the way I am to receive my life teachings. Some days I feel so inspired, and others I feel completely drained. Some days my heart is full and willing...and other days, empty and reluctant.
I know that whatever happens...whatever I am feeling, will pass.

I have learned that in order to grow in this life, I must sit with my feelings. I must learn a valuable lesson from the ones that come raging in like an atomic bomb in my heart. My spirit gains the most value from those particular feelings and experiences...no matter how good or bad they are. Everything in a person's life is there to be contemplated upon...not ignored or pushed aside for another time...but they are there to be learned in those very moments that they come.

Time is nothing. Time is something only human beings understand, because we have the ability to think and to create. I create my moments. And by that, I mean that I choose the way I see things. If I see them the way that they are, rather than attaching a story line or melodrama to them, my life becomes a lot easier. It's not always going to be easy. I know this from experience. Sometimes the things you love the most are the things you have to let go of, no matter how much it hurts.

I am sensitive. I have a lot of personal issues...but who out there does not? Even the Dali Lama has his problems...but he sees them in light, and he uses them to teach him and others the way of truth and love. I see this in so many great public figures; Christ, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, Siddhartha, and so on...

I have learned that I just have to continue to remind myself to trust the process...my process...and believe, even when I feel like I can't... it's the only way to survive in the world, and to endure suffering in a healthier way.

My heart goes out to all who suffer...to everyone. May you, too, have the courage and the strength to endure with complete faith that all is there with purpose. May you walk your path steadily...May all beings be at peace. We are all stars scattered across a vast and ever growing universe....may we all continue to expand with her.

Namaste.

Growing up, but not growing old

Some time in November....

A dear old friend came up to me the other day and told me, "you are growing into such a beautiful young woman. I remember even just maybe a year ago, you were still just a little girl, but you've matured so much." She also said, "keep growing girl, bu just don't grow old" :)

I needed to hear that. I have been having some times where I have felt like I've been taking a few steps back. I have a lot of tendencies to go into certain modes of thinking and allowing myself to become overly stressed because of it.

Now it is December 15, and first off, happy birthdays to my Grandmother and my Sis in law....two very lovely women in my life.

I somehow forgot that I was in the middle of writing a new entry. I think that life has a way of happening sometimes. I honestly love staying busy, keeping a steady flow, and taking on whatever life decides to throw at me next.

Sometimes, the things life throws at me seem a bit harsh, unfair, or like it's just too much to handle, but there's always something that shifts my perspective, and reminds me that it's all just a part of the process. At my job, I recently was accused of something that I did not do, and could have lost my job because of it, but I didn't...but still, the anger and the feeling of being deliberately hurt runs through me...although more subtle today than the day it was brought up.
For me, this became a very big learning experience, and it has helped me realize that not everyone perceives things the same, and not everyone knows every detail. People see what they want to see, and are conditioned to see only the bad in others. I think most people, especially in our culture today, are seasoned to that sort of thinking. What I am striving to do is to only see the good in others, even if I feel deliberately hurt or offended by another person. How I see it is that everyone is simply just doing their best. I know this deep down, because I do not think anyone truly wants to hurt anyone just because they want to hurt someone. I think that when this type of thing happens, there are usually underlying feelings that have not been addressed, therefore build and build, until it explodes. Often times, things like this can cause some people to develop story lines, or melodramas, stories that are not actually real, in their heads. They repeat and repeat the story over and over again so that it becomes the truth to them, and then that is all they see. I know that I used to do this a lot until I was made aware of my tendency.

What I am getting at is that no one is perfect. Everyone has this humanness...a little good, and a little bad...all balancing out in the end. All of it teaches us so that we can become a better version of ourselves, and not blame or shame others for our emotions and our problems. We are each in total control of how we perceive the world around us...
I remember one time a friend asked me if I think the world is a loving place, and then I said no, because I felt as though people were out to get me...today, I think the opposite, because I honestly do think people are just trying to do their best, and when they feel stepped on or take something a way in which it was not meant to be perceived, the hurt feelings show, or not, and then all of that other stuff begins to play out. I know this from my own experience and growing throughout the past several years. And what is funny is that I feel like I still have a lot more growing and learning to do...I probably always will, and that will keep me from never growing old in my mind or in my heart, no matter how old physically I become...and for this too, I am grateful.

Namaste.

Chewing on things

I haven't blogged in almost two months. I've been writing still... I just moved into my new house at the beginning of July. It's finally coming together, and feeling like home.

I also bought my first puppy :) she is a pit/Aussie mix.

Her name is Durga, although I was GOING to call her Kali, after the dark goddess from the Hindu mythology, because she's black, but I decided I didn't want her to be destructive. So I named her after the goddess of conquering evil with good. She still behaves more like a Kali, since she's a puppy and is curious about everything. She likes to chew on things. Today I experienced her first aggressive outburst, when I attempted to get her away from a dead bird. She snarled at me all mean and bit up my hand...only minor, but nevertheless, it upset me. I have to remember she is just a puppy. I have to go through her crapping and pissing all over my house and even on my bed (and my roommate's bed... Haha). But THIS TOO SHALL PASS! She's still cute and lovable, so I still love her. 

I've also been attending meditation groups at the Buddhist Shambhala Center in Tucson. It's been wonderful doing readings, learning and contemplating the dharma, and just being with people who all want to same thing. Inner peace. 

I am chewing on some stuff. 

We create pain in our own lives. It is tough to understand at first, but true. It makes sense to me now. We attract what we focus on. If we get all bound up in a storyline, rather than focusing on the feeling itself, we create more pain. It's a cycle that can only end if we intervene by changing the way we think. I feel it is an important concept that I wish I had understood in my younger years, although I would not be the same person today, had I not experienced the trials I have. 

Tonglin meditation...

Breathing in all the negative stuff in the world...

Breathing out all the positive stuff in te world.

I had no idea about this in the past, and it would have been so wonderful to know and practice. The thing is, we get into this mind set that we are the only ones suffering and that we are separate from everyone else, when in fact, we are all one. We affect each other. It's important for us to breathe in and feel the pain of the world, then to turn those stabs into flowers...releasing love out to everyone, including ourselves.

Compassion...

We cannot have compassion for others, if we have no compassion for ourselves. What we see in others is a mirror, reflecting ourselves to us. Every experience is a chance to evaluate ourselves and understand ourselves more fully...so that we can love ourselves more fully...so that we can love and understand everyone else. 

We are not separate from each other or from a higher power. We are all one...all affecting and impacting reality. We have so many paths we can take. Time is just a bunch of possibilities waiting to happen, and waiting until we intervene and make a choice...free will. Anything goes. We can create our hell, or we can create our heaven. It is up to us, individually, yet so completely together...

Isn't that amazing?

On a final note, I did 20 urdva danurasanas in class today. And I feel fabulous! Have a nice day. 💜

I have a Solution

We are made to feel our feelings...fully and completely, without blocking, knocking, or banishing them away.

Pema Chodron says, "Lean into the sharp places". I've been reading a lot of her wisdom these days, which really resonates with me in the space I have found myself to be. She's got very real advice and very touching and moving writings that have indeed helped me through a great deal of emotional distress. I remember her words often, especially in times when I need them the most. Like now.
I experienced my own "leaning in" today. As the day grew and I became more anxious, I was unable to process my thoughts and feelings, because I cannot do that where I work...I have to be completely available and therapeutic for the teenagers and I cannot take my personal stuff into work, otherwise it will backfire...but once I got my break, I was already feeling like I was about to boil over from the things bubbling up inside of me, and I just let myself have it, and I cried for thirty minutes and just allowed myself to feel and release...and after all of that, the feeling was no longer so intense, and I was able to rationalize and bring logic and intuitive wisdom into the mix, which made it better.

I've written a lot about patterns and ways of thinking in past entrees, so I won't go too much into that, but I have been noticing a pattern of mine creep up on me...that "I'm unworthy/unlovable/stupid/an idiot" bullshit.

That is exactly what it is...BULL.SHIT. Period.

But in the moment, it's like, "Oh my God, I'm feeling this right now...so what do I do about it?"

Well, for one, I feel the feelings, and I let myself take the criticism as though I were taking it from some other human being...and once I've let myself get those feelings and thoughts out, I then remind myself that those thoughts are not true. I remind myself that they are lies that are destructive. It's so easy to blame ourselves and play the victim, when we have absolutely no control over a given situation.

It is quite amazing how quickly the human mind can shift from positive to negative, but how difficult it is for the mind to shift from negative to positive. I guess this is because our collective tendency as human beings is to suffer, whether or not that is what we want. No one truly desires to suffer. Suffering comes from victimizing ourselves...dwelling on things that do not serve us...perceived unfairness...feeling deliberately hurt.

This morning, I woke up feeling lovely, beautiful, lovable, light, desirable, wanted, and like every decision I had made the night before was the right one...how I felt that there was something good happening, and that things could not have possibly gone better...how I had gone through the motions with such clarity and such trust...and as the day went on, I began to feel out of touch with reality...out of touch with my heart and with my body...my mind began to spin, shake, and crumble, and even though I know in my heart that I was more than okay, my mind began to tell me things like, "you're an idiot", "how could you have been so stupid", "you should have known", "he doesn't actually care about you" etc etc etc.... when maybe, just maybe I'm over analyzing every single thing, thinking about "stupid things" I may have said that may have "turned him off".
"He kissed me goodbye, and I thought that meant he liked me..." Yeah, okay...and maybe he does. He did tell me he likes being around me...so?

I'm honestly still processing, and probably very much overreacting...but this is why I blog...words are my processor...

I have a solution, and that solution is to wait...patiently...give it time and space...understand that I'm not the only one whose head is probably spinning. It's not all about me. There is nothing more I can say or do without making myself feel worse, so I have chosen to leave it be for now...to let go, and let life happen.

. 

Patterns

The mind will go where it goes. There is nothing we can do about it, other than watch, and then choose how we respond to it. That sounds way easier than it actually is, but it is definitely something that can be done. It just takes practice.
I've been watching my mind a lot lately. It's an interesting thing to watch, as it goes back and forth, from one point to another, and how it tries to connect the dots all the time. Sometimes, it connects the dots correctly, and other times...not so much. The mind will even add dots that were never really there to begin with (called assumptions); and those can get us into trouble.

The other day, I read a quote by Henry Winkler, which was, "Assumptions are the termites of relationships". I thought...wow; that's actually true. I remember making assumptions in my past relationships (romantic and friendships), and I particularly remember how those assumptions caused me a lot of unnecessary pain.
It's funny to watch the patterns of thought...how similar they are, even in very different situations. Those patterns are also termed SAMSKARAS or NEURO PATHWAYS. You can never remove a samskara or NP without removing a piece of the brain physically...although, new ones are always able to be formed. New ones are formed the same way the old ones were, and that is by consciously making an effort to go about things in a certain way. For instance, if originally, you were to become very angry after an altercation with a friend or family member, and then decided to give them the silent treatment for weeks, and hold a grudge, etc...and you wanted to change that into something more productive, you might:
A- Take a deep breath
B- Consider your part in the issue
C- Apologize for your part
D- Make ammends
E- Forgive

...and so on.

That's one way of creating a new pathway...although, a new pathway cannot take over an old one, unless it has dug a groove much deeper than the old one...and that is done by repetition.
Instead of flipping out all the time and getting reactive about something, we consciously choose to breathe and then let it go, and accept things as they are...every time. Eventually, it becomes habit. Even so, the natural tendency that was there before, will always be there, and sometimes, we do fall back into that same pattern. This is why addicts have such a hard time and relapse. But a person can always pick themselves back up again.

I don't know what drove me to write about all of this, but I guess it was just in the ethers today. Maybe someone needs to see what I have to say. Sometimes, I just begin writing, and things come out of me that I didn't even realize were there...even advice I could use myself. It's a fascinating thing. For me, writing gets me into my soul...my true self. It's the one way I can access what I perceive to be truth, and I am grateful.

Last weekend, I went on a phone/social media fast. I hadn't ever done anything like that, unless I was out of the country, where it wouldn't work anyway. It was nice to keep living my life as I always do, only without all of that extra nonsense that the world seems to be so addicted to. I was breaking a pattern for 48 hours that I was so used to, every day, for the past maybe 6 years of my life. That's a deep groove to jump out of, even for 2 days. SO...while I had no connection to my phone or to the social media world, I found myself doing things I normally wouldn't do, thinking things I normally wouldn't think, and feeling things I wouldn't normally feel...

I made a list:
- The first thing was anxiety...not knowing what was going on in the world...a little discomfort around sitting with myself, without the typical distractions.
- Then I started feeling more in tune with life around me (close to me).
- I had more time to do daily tasks.
- I didn't feel rushed.
- I did feel withdrawn, but eventually, it faded away.
- I did feel occasionally worried, but that too did not last.
- I got locked out of my car; locked the keys in there and everything. I figured it all out on my own...used my own set of skills and knowlege rather than relying on someone or something else to do it for me.
- I subbed a yoga class, and felt more connected to everyone in the room, because I wasn't wasting energy on my connection with people online who I actually have no actual connection with in that setting.
- I danced with myself.
- I sang to myself.
- Took the time to cook myself meals.
- Thoughts crossed my mind many times to grab my phone, even at the weirdest times, like while driving, in bed, in a movie theater, at work, when I started getting bored, etc. It made me realize how unhealthy it is.
- I got out of my head, and in to my heart.
- I began feeling more 'in the moment' as opposed to being in lala-land with my facebookees or instagramees.
- I noticed a blue monarch butterfly flying over my head and circling me (those are rare).
- I noticed families of new quail hatchlings walking around and the parents so warmly guiding and watching them.
- I became more focused on making connections with people in my vicinity rather than people on a social media network.
- Now, I don't want to check my phone unless I am alone, because it's actually kind of rude when you're with someone.

I recommend trying it, even for one day. It's amazing what comes up in that one day.
It's amazing how our culture has become so addicted to our phones and computers. It's all a distraction from what we really need to be focusing on.
Even other addictions like drug and alcohol, shopping, even physical activity. Too much of anything can easily be turned into a bad thing.
We need balance.

Everything becomes much more meaningful when we choose to be in the moment, rather than being somewhere else in our heads when our physical body is right here.

Choose a new pattern.

Namaste.

When life forces you to move on

My first true love is getting married.
So is my long-time best friend...
My heart has been broken many times.
Plenty of times, I thought I was in love.
There comes a time when everyone you have ever loved will leave you...
Sometimes people part ways naturally,
Other times, not so naturally.
Nevertheless, the way things abruptly end sometimes
Is life, forcing you to move on...
Telling you to go out and find what lies ahead, waiting...
You go from full to empty in what seems like such a short amount of time...
You are left with so much space inside, feeling like there is nothing to fill it.
Only, what you don't know at the time is,
That the void comes as a gift, to soon be filled with all the treasures of your heart's desires.
Life has it's ways.

...

My life is, in a sense, empty,
But not in a way that is loneliness or nothingness...

Not at all...

It is empty enough for me to reach out...
to desire...
to want...

But not enough to make me sad...
Not enough to make me cry...
Not enough to make me feel meaningless.

Not at all...

In all the other ways, my life is full...
Full of love,
Full of life,
Full of purpose,
Full of peace...

I choose to live a life of service...
A life that keeps me giving...
A life that never fails to give back.

I am healing.

Every day is a new beginning.
Each second is another chance.
Each breath is another reminder...
To move ahead, and never look back.

See,

I can finally move forward.
Life is forcing me to empty and become refilled again.
Life is giving me another chance.
Life is leading me in a new direction.
Life is teaching me to detach from what no longer serves me...

Life is forcing me to move on.

To make room for change...
Transformation...
New beginnings.

For every end, there is a beginning.
For every beginning, there is an end...\
Whether that be by choice or by death.

Death is a fascinating term.
It can mean so many things...
Like actually dying and leaving this physical body,
Or like ending a cycle of a period, and not actually dying...

For me,

A cycle of my life has ended...
I am now entering a new period.
I have been entering this new period for the past few years...
Only now I am actually realizing it.

One by one,

I have been letting go of things which no longer serve me...
Grow me...
Or make me better.

I am ready to let go.
Or am I?
Am I being forced?

It does not matter.
...
I am letting go.

There is no use to hold on to such useless things...
All they do is add unnecessary weight.
Why walk the path of life carrying hefty empty baggage,
When there is no longer any use for such things?

Those things no longer define me.
Those things are no longer who I am.

Today,

I feel I have let go of the last few things that have held me back
From fully entering this new cycle in my life.

Now,

I feel ready...

I feel ready to fly.

 

The Power of Love

We should never stop believing in the power of love. The power of positive thinking. The power of sending healing, loving, vibrant energy to another human being in need. I believe in that stuff so much. When I receive a message that someone is thinking of me, or is sending me love and light, I close my eyes, and allow myself to fully receive their kind, warm, loving energy. I imagine that energy radiating within my heart, and moving throughout my entire being...intertwining with that person. Then I imagine myself sending the same loving energy back to them, and maybe even to someone else...It is such a beautiful feeling, to feel that you are cared for and loved by others. It is healing in itself to realize that you are not alone, and that you are in this with everyone else.

I am currently going through a very difficult time in my life, and being around people who emit love with all of their being has a wonderful effect on my own spirit. It helps me to remain in that light hearted state of being.

I try hard to not project how I am feeling inside on others around me. Even so, I still feel this heaviness within myself, which is detectable by others who are close to me... I don't want others to worry about me, but knowing that they are there...that's something I am extremely grateful for.

I live a life of service...and how can I be of service if I am not taking care of myself? So I continue to do good things for myself. I continue to love myself. I continue to send myself the same loving energy I receive from those close to me...and why do I do that? Because the most valuable love one can ever receive is that love that is given by oneself. To love oneself is to love the entire world.

So never stop believing in all of that...never stop loving...keep your heart open, mind free, spirit in constant searching for Truth. With all of that, you will heal. You will be set free. "this too shall pass"...Love on. Namaste.

 

A Deeper Wisdom

4/8: 12:05 am...
There is a deeper wisdom that lies within each and every one of us. Her name is Intuition. She comes around at the most crucial times...times that are critical to the direction our life will lead us in. This is why it is important to listen to her. I call Intuition a female, whether she resides in a man or woman, because Intuition is feminine. She is circular, rounded, creative, insightful, and wise. The masculine is Logic (mind), brother of Intuition (heart). Logic is linear, sharp, and instructive. Without one, we are imbalanced. We need both to thrive and to lead our lives to the fullest.




I was raised in an extremely Logic-filled environment, and matters of the heart were kept quiet. I had much difficulty because of this situation, but now, I am grateful for what it has taught me. It has caused me to long for my intuition...to want to listen...to care.




4/9: 12:05 am...

Today I was told by a co-worker that I smell "comforting". I thought it was a nice compliment. :)
Then I was told by the Chef at work, who used to be my boss, that I "look good! Must be all that yoga! You're always glowing!"...then he tells me "You need a boyfriend"... I want one, that's for sure...but they are extremely hard to come by. I've been so picky all my life, and then again I haven't been picky enough and land myself into relationships that suck the life out of me. I told a friend the other day, "If there's anyone out there just right for me, he's probably just like I am, a busy body who doesn't ever 'hang out', and if I do hang out, it's a rarity...thus, we might never find each other...let alone, notice...each other...."

True that.




My thoughts are scrambled tonight...seems like I have much more to write about, but I'm feeling blocked...so I will save it for another time. Namaste.




...ok, nevermind. I remembered something.




I think I was born into this life for a purpose greater than I ever realized. I was thinking about it on my drive home from work...how in every situation I've been in, within ever relationship I have ever had with anyone...I've always wanted to understand and grow from it. It's like my soul wants to be here to learn, and it's so powerful that it overrides my emotions most of the time...but it allows me to experience the feeling first, and once the feeling has been released, my spirit has been cleansed enough to gain clarity and insight to the experience. It's comforting to think of it in such a way...

It's as if I asked to come here for the purpose to experience, understand, and learn from life...




I am an extremely emotional being, and deeply spiritual being...I've always been more emotionally and spiritually adept, more so than intellectually and physically. Once I began my yoga practice, combining that physical movement and body awareness with emotional and spiritual self, I began to develop further and am here, now, writing this insight I just had 30 minutes ago. I've always been a deep thinker as well, and hated being in school, where they told me how to think, how to do, how to be, how to feel...all I ever wanted was to figure it out by myself, and I didn't want anyone telling me I was wrong. I was very bull headed as a child...probably got that from my dad. ;)

I feel very balanced these days...much more than in my past. I was often off center most of my life, until I found yoga and dedicated my life to it, and heard and accepted the calling to become a teacher. It's another great purpose I have in this life, and I'm just so thrilled that I have been called to do such a great deed for the world, by nature of the universe and by the will of my higher power...God/Goddess...Alah...Shiva...Krishna...Durga...Kali....Masculine...Feminine...all is one anyway.




We all have a great purpose...and sometimes...often times...that requires many different deeds...We just have to trust and have faith, and the universe always provides...it's the law of attraction. It's the way of the world...it's nature...it is love. Pure, powerful, raw, unconditional LOVE...

Namaste...for reals this time... <3 br="">

Let's Get Real

"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel."

~Steve Furtick


True story. I can absolutely, 100% relate. It is so very easy to watch ourselves become jealous of someone else's "picture perfect" life, especially in this social media consumed age. Now, I just have to make it clear before continuing on, that I am not saying I am against social media or that I am blaming social media for any sort of negativity or anything like that...I just have a few thoughts I've been pondering as of late.


Picture this:
You are an avid 'yogi'/'yogini' living in a tropical climate by the ocean, or living up high in the mountains with breathtaking scenery all around you. You can balance in hand stands forever, and you're extremely flexible and can do the most difficult yoga postures known to man... yeah...If I were that person, I would probably be snapping photos of myself in the middle of beautiful nature, in some sort of crazy twisted yoga posture.


...People do it all the time. Take instagram for instance. Hash tag this (#), hash tag that... Challenge this, challenge that...who can do the best hand stand in the best location...who can put their feet farthest behind their head...and THEN do an arm balance...


For a while, I found myself getting caught up in all the IG monthly challenges. It was fun, I tried new things, and it kept me busy...but the time I spent getting into a pose was nothing compared to the time I spent analyzing myself in the photo. I was constantly comparing myself to others, and even felt myself becoming jealous of my IG peers. It wasn't healthy. It became a competition. It was no longer yoga. . .


You see, what we see on IG isn't always true reality. Just because someone has a perfect posture in a perfect environment, doesn't mean that this person has a perfect life. They could be truly hurting inside, or not in a good place in life, or not happy in general. It made me start thinking..."could I be making people feel bad about themselves too?" Probably... The truth of nature is this...how we perceive the world is but a reflection of ourselves...A lense which goes deeper within than imaginable.


I stopped doing IG challenges, because I started to realize that the competition wasn't for me.. Yoga means so much more to me than a photo on instagram. Yes, I do post pictures of myself in a hand stand or in a pose from time to time...but more for the purpose of being artistic. I have a love for photography, the body, and yoga. But I have vowed to not mess with the angle of a photo as a means to make my pose (or body) better (skinnier, stronger, etc) anymore...


My whole reason for posting this is to let people know that there is more to a person that what they post (or don't post) for the world to see...and whatever they do post, don't take it personally by thinking that they "have it better" than you. Each and every one of us has our own lives to live...we should not be obsessing over the life of another person, wishing our life was more like theirs...that's just wasting our lives away...


I had a conversation with one of my yoga buddies on the way to Flagstaff for a workshop I attended with Christina Sell last weekend, where we talked about how a lot of people have become yoga teachers for the sake of self fulfillment, and not primarily to be 'of service'. It's a hot career choice these days, especially for women...there is a lot of beauty industry forcing its way into the world of yoga, and honestly...frankly...it does not belong there. Yoga is not about how the body looks. It does not matter whether you are overweight, underweight, or even 'just right'...(what is 'just right' anyway)...It does not matter whether you wear Lululemon or your favorite pajama pants to yoga class...your ability to move comfortably matters. Your self worth does not depend on a yoga pose, yoga clothes, or your body type, whether your skin is clear or broken out. Your self worth depends on you alone, without any outside influence. We are our own person, and beautiful just the way we are. There's nothing wrong with who you are. If you want to do something to change your appearance, do it for you alone...not for someone else.


In the workshop, Christina stated "It works if it works, except for when it doesn't"...hey, totally applicable in life as well as in yoga. What works for someone else may not work for you--in yoga, in life, etc. It's not a one-size fits-all world we live in. We are all different, we think different...HELL! You may not agree with what I'm writing here, but that's totally okay as well. What kind of a world would it be if we didn't all have different thoughts, ideas, and beliefs? I think it'd be kind of lame to be honest. The fact of the matter is, we just need to start being more real with who we are. We need to stop pretending to be someone we are not. We need to just follow our bliss and be confident with ourselves, and not let others influence our own happiness...It's no one else's to claim but ours. We need to stop comparing our behind the scenes to everyone else's highlight reel, and start living our lives the in the truest and most honest way.


All of this has been floating through my head for the past few days...and damn does it feel good to finally get it all out...


Namaste.

ONE Love

I sit here typing this in my bed, alone...as always it's just me, myself, and I. I ponder on the subject of love and relationships...like the romantic type, and I wonder...where have I gone wrong?

I'm not afraid to be real...to show the world my vulnerable side. I feel that if I didn't allow this part of me to become available to the world, eventually I'd fake myself out...and everyone else, and become someone that I'm not entirely. And with this side of me available to the world, I can maybe bring comfort to those with the same feelings or going throughs as myself...creating a common bond and a common understanding...

__

It seems as though everyone I know is in a good relationship, is married, and/or already has children...all my age, and even the ones younger than myself. What is it that I have done over the years that has caused me to be alone? I go through the motions, and I wonder...why am I alone? What's wrong with me? Why does no one want to be with me? I have searched within myself and have found things that needed to be fixed, and I have worked and worked and worked...but the only thing that has come of all of that work is a whole lot of self love...but that's still something to be grateful for...for sure...and it means more than anything else really...but there's still the part of me that desires a mate...someone to help me along life's journey. Someone who isn't going to leave me hanging...who will love me for me, and who will just "be there"...

I keep hearing the whole "you shouldn't date people from work" and "you shouldn't date people from yoga" and "you shouldn't date people" here and there...but what gives? Well HOW do you expect to find someone outside of all of your activities when you don't ever go anywhere else? How about if you're sober and don't hang out in clubs, bars, etc. Tell me then, where does one look in cases like these? I suppose one could resort to online dating, but I've been down that road, and that relationship didn't go so great...so what gives?

I am tired...tired of waiting. I'm almost ready to give up and stop believing in that kind of love...at least for me...

Maybe my "one" doesn't even exist...

I know I'm "still young"...as I hear a lot...but honestly, no one knows how long they are going to live...and everyone in this life deserves to experience love...no matter who they are or what they have done.

I sit here, becoming teary eyed now...not because I feel sorry for myself, but because within myself, there is love which flows over and spills into every inch of my being...so much that I have contained within myself that I need someone to give some of that love to...I feel that. It's a mixture between pain and bliss. It's the only emotion that can make me feel this way...angry, sad, lonely, hurt, happy, joyful, peaceful, and so many more...

I have so much...maybe too much love to give...and I am struggling, with no one on the receiving end.

That is all I have...

Beauty in Silence

When I was introduced to yoga, I was introduced to the kind that involved music of some sort in the back ground. I also remember always using music to run back in the day, and would never go for a run without it...Then I remember trying running without music, and it was extremely meditative...hearing my breath, listening to the birds, my feet hitting the ground, cars passing by, people talking, etc...I began to like it...and the plus side was that I didn't need to carry something extra with me...

So, on to yoga...

One day, in class, we practiced without music. I remember feeling very frustrated and agitated at little things around me and within myself...probably things I would ignore had I had the music to distract me... then as we kept practicing, day after day, musicless (I know it's not a word), I began to enjoy it. Hearing the entire class breathing together as one, especially during Surya Namaskara, where there's a particular placement of the breath to the postures, was a magical experience to me.

When music is playing, we get lost in the lyrics, or the beat, or whatever...if we know the song well, we sing along with it in our heads. That's just how we are wired. But I noticed that when there is music playing, it's actually more difficult to focus on the words of the teacher and on the body and mind. Actually, I feel that with music, it's almost more advanced, because it requires so much extra effort to focus. I for one like to practice both with and without music, but I wanted to lay out a few of the pros and cons of each. Sometimes, when I teach, I do so without music, because it gives the students a new experience and a different perspective on practice...showing that music is not necessary for the experience...it's actually kind of a luxury.

The PROS of music in yoga classes:

1. It is something to focus on.
Some music, like instrumental, non vocal, or mantra, can create a positive inner dialogue, or just create a comfortable atmosphere for the students and teachers.

2. It creates a mood.
 Slow music for yin/restorative classes, and up beat music for yang/fast paced classes. Music choice for the type of class that is being taught is crucial and could make or break a class, believe it or not.

3. Gives the instructor and students a sense of time.
 the instructor can use music as a timer instead of a watch, and the students can feel a sense of ease having something like music (how many songs have played, and so on) as an awareness of time passing, and not feeling so much like "when is it going to end?" (great for beginners)

The CONS of music in yoga classes:

1. Not everyone appreciates the same music
I've been in classes before, where people are like "I hate this song." or "omg, make it stop." Of course, I've had teachers who straight out ask us to tell them if the music is bothersome, and they change it or turn it completely off if it is.

2. Music can bring up emotions
I've actually cried because of a song, felt angry because of a song, and felt excited because of a song. I'm sensitive like that, and so are a lot of people out there. It's important to explore the emotions we are feeling. "Where is this emotion coming from, and what has triggered it? What can I do to soothe what I am feeling and to use it as a learning tool? Is it coming from the music, or is it coming from my body?"

3. Music can be distracting
I've been in classes where people start talking about the music, getting distracted from the practice and stating things like "I saw them in concert once" or again, "I hate this music" or "I can't believe you've never heard of them!" etc. It's like derailing the train of practice, and distracting for everyone. Including the instructor.
--

I do not oppose the inclusion of music in yoga classes, so long as it is not distracting. A lot of times, the asana itself will bring out latent emotions, particularly heart and hip openers (for me personally), and I feel that it is important to bring our awareness to those places inside of ourselves, rather than distract ourselves from them with something on the outside.

When I do choose to include music in a class I teach, or even when I am practicing in my home, I like to steer clear of negative messages, sexual messages, drug references, party references, etc. I like to steer more towards either mantra music, instrumental music, or music that sends an over all positive message, like Matisyahu "live like a warrior" for example. A lot of times, my home practice is silent.

When we are in a class, and we have no control over music choice, and we absolutely hate the music, it is our responsibility to block out the music and just focus on the words of the instructor, and the movement of our body. If that's just not cutting it, after class, pull the instructor aside and simply let them know how you feel. Most instructors love getting feedback from their students. I know I do. We are here to serve, and we are always looking for ways to improve our skills and teaching techniques. Don't be shy :)

And instructors, when a student gives you feedback, remember not to take it personally. It's just feed back. They probably read this blog. ;) Chances are, if they are still coming to your class, they really like your teaching and most likely, they really like YOU. Don't sweat it. Just receive the information and use it to guide you to improving your methods.

I hope you enjoyed my insight for today. It came to me quickly. Be well.

NAMASTE <3 p="">

Starting with Self

mind·ful·ness

ˈmīndfəlnəs/

noun

1. the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
2. a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Mindfulness comes to mind now for me, more than ever...or maybe I'm just being more mindful about mindfulness... 

Maybe it started with jamming my thumb due to lack of awareness...or the speeding ticket I received on my way to a yoga workshop out of town...or maybe forgetting little (and big) things here and there over the course of the past couple of weeks. 

What I've noticed about my mindfulness [or lack thereof] is that the busier I become, the more scattered my thoughts get, the less aware, the less thoughtful, the more rushed, the more prone to injury, the more anxious I tend to be. As a result, my negative self talk increases, and I fall into old habits and patterns due to the negative mindset...and as a result, I become even harder on myself. It is a vicious cycle that continues until mindfulness is brought back there. 

I choose to write about this, because this has been my struggle lately. This struggle has brought up many latent feelings that have not yet been dealt with, as well as many negative patterns that were never completely resolved. The unhealthy patterns are in fact symptoms of a bigger problem. 

I remember when we were on retreat in Costa Rica last November, we discussed a model that encompassed different parts of oneself- like the True Self, the Wounded/Hurt Self, and the Protective Self. I have returned to this model as a tool to reconnect with my True Self once again. 

A lot of times, when the parts of us who have been wounded or hurt are reminded of the pain by some circumstance that is similar in any way to the way we were harmed before, it is like rubbing salt in a wound...yeah, pretty painful. When we begin to feel that pain, we fall back into those old patterns in a strange way to [the way is seems] protect ourselves from experiencing that pain again. 

I'm working on being more mindful when things like this start happening in my own life; like right now...

When we bring our attention to these aspects of ourselves, that is when we can begin to heal the wounds. We cannot be self defeating in this process. That will only make matters worse. We have to set boundaries with our ego...that part of us that tells us that we are "not good enough" or that we are "a failure". The only way to go about this is by and through love...compassion...understanding...and the willingness to take action and get through it. 

I am fortunate to have wonderful people in my life who serve as constant teachers and reminders of these principles. I am blessed to have friends who support me and tell me what I need to hear in the moment...who help me to toughen up and to do what is right for myself...who remind me that I matter...that I need to take care of myself and be the warrior and hero of my own life. 

A simple fact of life is that, as my friend said today, "there will always be shit. If we didn't have any shit to work on, we'd all be just sitting here with nothing to do, like 'I'm so blissed out right now'".
So...we're all just here, doing our best. That's all we really can do. But it's how we do it that really counts. It's how mindful we are being while living this life that makes life yay or nay. It's how we think about it, respond to it, and decide to live it out. We are in fact, in charge of our own life. We are not responsible for anyone else (unless we have kids, but that's only about 18 years of life, but even so, we are not even responsible for our children, in the sense that we cannot and should not try to control their thoughts and opinions). 

I invite all of you to join the "MINDFULNESS" club with me...and to create a better wold...starting with Self.

NAMASTE 

Teaching Insight

These are my thoughts, and this is something I feel I must share. A good friend of mine came to my yoga class this evening. Afterwards, she expressed that it was just what she needed, especially after attending a disappointing all-levels class and crying about it in the studio parking lot afterwards. It seemed to me that the teacher was 1)being ridiculously hard on them, 2) choosing to begin the class by talking about something negative, and 3) not giving adequate instruction for a class that sounded {more intermediate/advanced}

Most people, if not all, come to yoga seeking a positive experience...or maybe just a tough workout. But I don't believe that anyone comes to yoga to have a negative experience.

The instructor may not have been aware of the negativity that was surrounding that class, and the students are always responsible for the way that they feel...but I do feel that as a yoga instructor, or as anyone in any leadership roll, it is important to be gentle with our students. They are delicate...physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a student, I want my boundaries to be respected, and to be given adequate information and cues throughout the class.

Yoga is an intimate practice. A chance to become introspective. Teaching a hard class is not just about kicking everyone's asses - it's about bringing them to their threshold, making them sweat a lot by building heat through core training, surya namaskara, balancing poses, and maybe a couple of arm balances here and there...not making the whole all levels class arm balances (unless it's a workshop intended to be that way), and showing them what is possible, but remembering to instruct and give them the tools they need in order to advance. Without that instruction, the student becomes lost, and maybe upset because they don't understand.

I'm not bashing anyone, but I am only sharing the insight I received when I heard my friend's story. Yoga is about balance. We can't be too firey, too watery, or to airy...we need all three elements in order to make it feel good. You know? 

Give Only Your Best

The lesson has been to remain attentive, as all around me there are lessons, or opportunities for learning, growth, expansion into a better version of myself. I was just talking with my co-worker this afternoon of how we often times look outside of ourselves for something or someone to be our greatest teacher, or greatest friend, or greatest lover – when…if we only learn to pay attention to the world around us, we will notice how much life mirrors our inner world – and we can then turn inward and see ourselves as our greatest teacher, our greatest friend, and our greatest lover. I’ve learned that we are much more powerful that we give ourselves credit for being. I’ve also learned that the less I judge myself, the less I feel judged by others around me…the more compassion, understanding, and love that is reciprocated…amazing, isn’t it?

The above paragraph is a comment I posted on a dear friend's blog, which is in perfect alignment with my thoughts and contemplations this evening. Life is never not a struggle; there will always be suffering; but it is what we make of our suffering that determines the outcome of ...well, the outcome.

The year 2013 came and went, and I have again grown tremendously from all the experiences I've endured. Endure...such a great word. To endure is "to suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently; to remain in existence." as quoted by the Google search dictionary. We endure to become stronger, more able and capable people. We endure, and where we were once broken, we become more steady and more 'durable' than before. Durable is derived from the word Endure...and that makes a whole lot of sense now.

At the end of 2012, I remember being in a dark and broken place...a place that I thought at the time was unhealthy, and a place that shouldn't be visited...now, I no longer feel that way. The broken place...rock bottom, is a place which we should visit, if not one, but multiple times in our lives. I find that when I'm in this place, I become more open to what the universe has to offer. I become more open and receiving to God. My heart is cracked wide open, and my mind is looking for peace. 2012 was a year of breaking...2013 was a year of healing and dreaming...and 2014? It's too soon to tell, but I feel deep down that it is a year of blossoming...manifesting...becoming...It is a golden year...one which I feel will be big and beautiful.

I am in the process of signing up for a teacher training this summer. I have said over and over again for the past two years that I would become certified by the end of 2014...and that has manifested, I know. I feel. I have gained much insight and wisdom just by paying attention to my life...the omens...the experiences...the people around me...and really hearing, seeing, and understanding what they were all trying to tell me. My journey has only just begun...but a remarkable journey it will be. I'm almost finished reading a book called "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. It is a beautiful work, filled with much wisdom. He writes,

 "We are travelers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity."

The journey is what makes everything worth it. The journey is more important than the treasure we are longing and searching for. The journey is the experience...the beautiful experience. The longing for the treasure...the suffering...is what keeps us living and keeps us motivated to keep on going.
Stephani Lindsey  my teacher, friend, and sister of my heart read a quote from D.R. Butler that I must also share; because it is too beautiful and wise not to:

"We are always relating to our own Self. We are always relating to the mirror of the Universe. Therefore send only good energy and good feelings. Give only your best; give only blessings. Don't worry about having to be anyone or do anything or respond to someone in any certain way. Simply give others your best, wish them your best, be an uplifting energy in their lives."

Namaste.

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success in common hours...in proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness." Henry David Thoreau

Be the Light - My Experience, My Review

I just returned from a week long yoga retreat in Costa Rica, lead by Christine Lee and Stephani Lindsey, at Hacienda del Sol retreat center in San Juanillo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. No words can describe how wonderful and perfect it was. The journey there was long, and took about 12 hours in total to get to Liberia from Tucson. I traveled alone, all the way until I reached Liberia, where I met up with another retreater, Gail, and we met our taxi driver for a 2 hour drive to the center. On the first flight from Tucson to Houston, I had the pleasure of watching the sun rise. It was remarkable.
I decided to take this trip in July, and had no idea that the timing would be so perfect. I have been struggling with drama and stress at work, and it had started to take its toll on me. Fortunately I have been able to confide in friends and coworkers  during the time leading up to the trip; it kept me sane for the most part.

Once we arrived to HDS, we were greeted by the lovely manager, Meg, who showed us to our open-air cabinas (cabins) and then took us up for dinner. We met everyone in the dining area, and began to eat. The food was mostly raw, with a little cooked stuffs here and there, as well as occasional fish throughout the week. The food was so amazing, and regulating. I think most of us revamped our entire systems by the end of the week ;)

The cabinas, once again, were open-air, meaning air could freely flow through the window screens. We were provided with mosquito nets over our beds, which may I add, made me feel sort of like a princess. The sounds at night lulled me to sleep, whereas nature also became my alarm clock in the mornings. The birds would chirp and sing, and Stef described one of the bird songs as sounding like the Thrift Shop song by Macklemore. LOL! There were also noises of howler monkeys, crickets, frogs, armadillos (walking around), as well as fireflies lighting up the night. There were fireflies in our cabin one night, and it was pretty awesome. My roommate was Anne, and she's also from Tucson. She's such a lovely person, and I am so grateful that I was able to room with her for many reasons.

The daily schedule was as follows:
7:30 am 30 minute mantra, pranayama, and meditation w/ Stef and Christine
8:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am 2 hour asana practice w/ Stef and Christine
12:00 n  Lunch
(FREE TIME)
4:00 pm 1 hour yin or restorative asana/ pranayama w/ Stef
5:00 pm 1 hour personal development w/Christine
6:00 pm Dinner
(FREE TIME)
*On the second day, we had a full moon ceremony after dinner
*On the last day, we had a Closing/Gratitude circle before dinner

The days were structured very nicely, and Christine and Stephani were both very flexible (hehe) and accomodating to everyone's needs. If people wanted to skip things, they could, no problem. Some of the group went on excursions, although I decided not to, since I've done most of the excursions that they offered the last time I was in CR. I just wanted to retreat. On the second day, Anne and I went to the black sand beach, which was about a 20 minute walk (kind of hike-ish). It was so relaxing and rejuvenating to spend time in the ocean, playing in the sand, doing handstands and back bends, taking pictures, and jumping in the waves. I felt like a child again...so free.

On asana:
As the days progressed, the morning practices became more and more intense. The sequencing was different everyday, although we would build on certain things each day from the previous days. We did everything under the sun. We even had the opportunity to work with partners when doing handstands and forearm stands, as well as urdva dhanurasana (wheel) and assisted downward facing dogs. Stef and Christine would take turns teaching the morning class, and during the evening class, Stef would teach alone. The evenings were nice and refreshing; headstand, shoulderstand, forward folds, twists, and hip openers. Christine and Stephani both did a fabulous job teaching and co-teaching. When one of them taught, the other would walk around and gently adjust those of us who needed adjusting. Both were very nurturing and careful in their adjustments and direction. It was incredible to watch everyone progress and become stronger throughout the week. It was magical.

On meditation:
Every morning we would chant the Ganesh mantra, Gayatri mantra, and Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina mantra.
Following mantra, we did what was called a Quadrinity Check, where we would scan our body and make a mental note of how we are physically feeling, then we would scan through our thoughts and make a note of what we had been thinking about since we woke up, then we would scan our heart for the emotions we felt, and lastly, we would focus on the place behind our heart, also known as "the cave of the heart", where our True Self resides, underneath all the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of ourselves, and we would ask ourselves, "true self, is there anything you want me to know today", and we would wait. Sometimes, there was nothing...other times, there were images, words, or sensations which were only of good nature. After the QC, we practiced pranayama. We did something different every day, like Nadhi Shodana, Ujayi, Square Breathing, and Breath of Fire. After pranayama, we sat in a 10-15 minute silent meditation. There were of course sounds around us, one woman who almost always around the same time every morning would be on the phone talking about dealing drugs, or workers blending smoothies for breakfast, cracking open coconuts, kitchen staff conversing with one another...at times, these distractions made it difficult, but we were told to let those distractions remind us to come back to our breath. I noticed progress over the week. No matter what, I always came out of that meditation room feeling more grounded and centered than I had when I walked in.

On community
Most of us had no idea who each other was. The only people I knew were Stef and Christine, but everyone else was a stranger.

Gail:
I first connected with Gail when we were picked up by our taxi at the Liberian airport. I noticed a woman sitting outside, and I somehow knew it was her. I asked her if she was Gail, and she bursted up and we hugged each other...complete strangers! It was like a soul reunion. We had quite the adventure getting to HDS, as the bridge was closed on one side, and only one lane of traffic could go at a time. It took us about 30 min longer to get to HDS than expected, and we were both getting our patience tested. I think we were both grateful to be in each other's company, and we made great conversation on the ride. She is a retired grade school principal who found out about the retreat randomly online, not knowing either teacher or anyone going. She's a brave one! She just started getting really in to yoga, and loves it. I'm glad! She's amazing.
Anne:
We were roomies! I can't describe what a wonderful creature she is. She lights up the whole room when she walks into it. She's from Tucson also, and works for Aveda skin and hair care. She's also one of Stephani's students. I never met her until the retreat, so I'm really glad she came! She's asked me if I would want to teach yoga to the students at Aveda Institute and receive free services in return, and I would be silly not to take up that offer! She was such a comfort to have around, and I would steel inscence from the colema (coffee enema) stalls and burn them in our room some mornings and nights. We could just sit in silence and be completely comfortable. It was nice to have her energy around. We had so much fun at the beach, as I talked about earlier. I'm just really glad to have met her.
Bonnie:
She's so wise, confident, and beautiful. She had some of the best wisdom to share with the group, and she also has this knack for tasting every single ingredient in a dish. It was awesome! If we wanted to know what was in something, we just asked her, and she'd most often have it right! She was adorable and such a treat to be around.
Trish:
She is such a grounding and stable woman. It was hard not to get sucked into her peaceful energy when she was around. I didn't get to talk to her much, but when we did talk, I found her to also be very wise, confident, and beautiful.
June:
She had a child like way of figuring out asana. She always has some really great questions during practice, and always had a desire to learn more. It was refreshing to have that as well. She has this way of making people think. She was also great with spanish!
Melissa:
Such a soul sister. We have been going through similar stuff, therefore we were able to connect at a heart level and speak to each other of our hardships. She is so fun and loving, and good natured. She also wore the most awesome colors every day! I loved having her sense of humor around.
Danielle:
She was the most mothery of mother figures to have around. She has a baby back home, and would skype with him every night! It was the most adorable thing to see. Like me, she's a sensitive being, sensitive to others' emotions and to strong personalities, so we were able to connect on a lot of things. She was also very grounding and nurturing to be around. That child of hers is so fortunate!
Wes:
The only male on the retreat! He was so funny! He was also very respectful and kind to everyone. He was there to learn, and was open to anything. I also noticed how he would take care of himself and take a break if he was feeling tired. He was a fun person to be around.

Christine: Dear Christine, I met about a year ago. I met her in Stephani's class one night, and was like "who is this badass next to me?" She's got such a loving and kind energy and is probably one of the funnest people I know. It was puring rain on the second to last night of the retreat, and she goes to her room, puts on her bathing suit, and runs by the dining area screaming "COME SWIM WITH ME!!!" and was jumping around like a crazy person. It was hilarious...so we all get into the pool eventually, and we start playing games and acting like absolute lunatics. Christine got us doing synchronized swimming, which will be on youtube soon, I'm sure, and then she had us play some farm animal game where we had to scream the sound of a rooster, pig, or cow to find other roosters, pigs and cows, while our eyes were shut. The management came out of their rooms to see what the hell was happening, and they were so in awe at how much fun we were having without being under the influence of any type of substance...I'll never forget that night, and I'm so grateful for Christine's fun loving and carefree nature. I am also grateful for the personal development work she brought us this week, which I will elaborate more on later. She's very wise, generous, and friggin happy. I love it. ANNND I think this is just the beginning :)

Stephani:
My teacher, my sister, my friend. Wow...I've spent almost 2 years with her. No words can describe her influence in my life, other than that she's definitely a special force within it; a guiding light, and a reminder and reflection of the light within myself. Not to mention, she's absolutely hilarious, all the time, and her smile brightens up everything within a very large radius. She has much wisdom, love, and compassion to offer the world, sees life like poetry, and lives from her heart. She's someone I look up to immensely. She gives so much of her self, all the time, and sees that it is her duty to serve others, and serving others makes her happy, gives her strength, and keeps her fire burning. She's been a perfect roll model, confidante, mentor, teacher, and friend to me; through the highs and the lows. She's a force to be reckon with, that's for sure. I look forward to many more years with her...as she grows, I also grow, and I am deeply grateful for her presence in my life.
Also, there was this experience with a beautiful blue butterfly, and all I can say is that it was one of the sweetest, most magical things I've ever seen. She basically saved this butterfly and set her free back into the jungle. It was amazing...and wonderful how much the butterfly was able to let go and just trust that she was safe...it was for sure an awe moment...and a reminder of how love will set you free.










On personal development:

This work was almost like an emotional survival game. We received tools to help us work through emotions, and protective layers that we have which are there to keep us from sitting with and feeling what we are actually feeling...and both of those laters, the protective and emotional layer, are what keep us from experiencing our true Self.
We were asked to journal on a certain topic nightly; some topics included:
- What do I want in my life?
- "I am" statement (ie: I am a compassionate, loyal, genuine, energetic, peaceful, poetic, open hearted, luminous being, who is grounding and reassuring to others, and who's purpose in life is to guide others to the discovery of their own light) <<- What were all of you craziest and wildest dreams as a child?
- What are my fears?
- IN what ways to I play small in my life?
- What does it mean to me to let my light shine?

We discussed how to break and transform patterns, and were given tools and ideas on how we can attempt to work on ourselves before seeking professional help. We talked about how old patterns are the Samskaras, ones which are like deep, learned grooves in our brains; things that are automatic...it's the same as retraining someone's automatic response who has PTSD...it works the same way.

I went through a short period of time on this trip where I just felt completely overwhelmed with emotions, things that were triggered by the PD classes, and I felt my entire being become flooded with anxiety, anger, pain, loneliness, and others. I eventually processed it all, and eventually, with help, I returned back to balance, and everything was better after it all happened. I think I just needed to feel it. It needed to happen. I had been keeping things bottled up inside of me, and not allowing myself to feel them until that moment. It was a pivotal point for me...and I'm grateful for it. The work is always there, and now that I have tools to work with, I see myself making a lot of progress in the future.


Now I sit here on my couch at home, writing about my experience, but also knowing that this does not do it justice...it's one of those things that, "you'd just have to be there" to understand how amazing and transformational it was. It seems that there will be more retreats to look forward to in the future. As I look ahead, I see myself attending many retreats, as well as one day hosting some. I am absolutely stoked about life, and what I have to offer the world. My mission in life is to be of service...to spread my light and share it with ever single being I come into contact with. All things are possible... anything I put my entire self to, mind, body, and spirit, will come to pass, and from this day forward, I set the intention be the light, wherever I go...no matter what may come.

Namaste: The divine light in me sees, recognizes, honors, and loves the divine light in you.

Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Nir-Aamayaah 
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet 
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih 

 Om, May All become Happy,
 May All be Free from Illness.
 May All See what is Auspicious,
 May no one Suffer.
 Om Peace, Peace, Peace.