Life in the Woods

No man ever followed his genius till it misled him. Though the result were bodily weakness, yet perhaps no one can say that the consequences were to be regretted, for these were a life in conformity to higher principles. If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal, - that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality...The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.

- Henry David Thoreau

Being strong versus feeling strong

 "And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once." -Into the Wild 

Being strong is physical. Tight abs, biceps, triceps, shoulders, legs. That's a strong body. A body that is good to look at.
Feeling strong is to live life with strength and with flexibility. 
Like the mighty oak : flexible, rooted, connected !

Gaia

Our living Earth possesses an innate intelligence. It is the same intelligence that digests food, converts food and oxygen into energy, circulates blood, and translates sensory input into nerve impulses. These impulses are decoded by the brain and form an image of the outer reality. The same intelligence gives rise to instinctive responses of any organism to a threat or challenge. These primordial responses are similar to human emotions of anger, fear and pleasure.

And yet, the difference between instinct and emotion is this: An instinctive response is the body’s response to external stimuli. An emotion is the body’s response to a thought. The body’s intelligence cannot tell the difference between an actual situation and a thought. You may be lying comfortably in bed, yet a fearful thought such as “I am in danger” would set your heart racing faster, muscles contract, breathing becomes rapid. This buildup of energy has nowhere to go, since the danger is just a thought. Part of this energy is circled back into the mind, creating more anxious thought and the rest turns toxic and interferes with the harmonious function of the body.

I Know The Way You Can Get

I know the way you can get

When you have not had a drink of Love:

Your face hardens,

Your sweet muscles cramp.

Children become concerned

About a strange look that appears in your eyes

Which even begins to worry your own mirror

And nose.

Squirrels and birds sense your sadness

And call an important conference in a tall tree.

They decide which secret code to chant

To help your mind and soul.

Even angels fear that brand of madness

That arrays itself against the world

And throws sharp stones and spears into

The innocent

And into one's self.

O I know the way you can get

If you have not been drinking Love:

You might rip apart

Every sentence your friends and teachers say,

Looking for hidden clauses.

You might weigh every word on a scale

Like a dead fish.

You might pull out a ruler to measure

From every angle in your darkness

The beautiful dimensions of a heart you once Trusted.

I know the way you can get

If you have not had a drink from Love's Hands.

That is why all the Great Ones speak of

The vital need

To keep remembering God,

So you will come to know and see Him

As being so Playful

And Wanting,

Just Wanting to help.

That is why Hafiz says:

Bring your cup near me.

For all I care about

Is quenching your thirst for freedom!

All a Sane man can ever care about

Is giving Love!

From: 'I Heard God Laughing - Renderings of Hafiz'  

Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Reach for your dreams (Anjaneyasana)

The story goes that baby Hanuman, while playing once reached for the sun thinking it was an orange ball, a mere plaything. In crescent pose, it is this same over-reaching that helps achieve your dreams. As you gracefully swoop your arms upwards, seek inspiration, aspire for your dreams, and reach for your higher self. The self that is compassionate, ever loving !

Fight your lower self (Virabhadrasana II)

In warrior 2, as you gaze across your outstretched arms, your drishti holding steady at your target, what is it that you are fighting? You are fighting your lower self. The part of you that leads you into anger, jealousy, coveting, judgment.  Every day, in your practice, as you move in the warrior series, let the fire of transformation shoot across your outstretched arms and burn your lower self. Slowly and surely, you sink deeper into the pose.

Fire in your belly (Parivrtta Trikonasana)

The other day, as I was in revolved triangle pose, my thoughts turned to my belly and how it hurt. The room was heated and as I was dripping sweat, my thoughts turned to fire. And what does this fire signify? It is tapas, the heat of transformation.

Earth rejuvenates with this fire. Volcanoes spew fire and smoke from the underbelly of earth and lava erupts. The molten lava spews down the mountain and as it cools, new earth is formed. The beautiful islands of Hawaii are a testament to this very same transformative energy.  To take your pain and turn it around to offer the world beauty is the greatest transformation.  Like a rose blossoming out of thorns.

Welcome to my blog

I am a mom with a voracious appetite for yoga. I am certified in Vinyasa Flow (RYT 200) through Cosmic Dog Yoga, recognized by the Yoga Alliance. Under the mentorship of Suzanna Spring, my style is ever evolving into a transformative, inspiring, integrative practice,  in rhythm with realities of our lives as householders. It is a dynamic approach to the art of living and embodying yoga.

In my classes, I slowly open up the body into deeper poses, using the asana practice as a metaphor for subtle spiritual awakening and awareness of the present moment. I invite you to breathe and share my journey of slow ripening and rapid blossoming into aspects of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Namaste !!