I feel devoted, rather than committed to this practice.

Kirtan … bhakti yoga … kirtan … bhakti yoga … kirtan … bhakti yoga …

My intention is to write what I feel following a kirtan session – I feel light, airy , uplifted, softened … I feel a desire to begin singing again and again, and I am hearing the mantras in my head, as though they are surrounding me with love and drawing me in.

I hear Jai’s voice, beckoning … Jaya Jaya Ram, Bolo Jaya Jaya Ram … Sri Ram Jaya Ram, Jai, Jai, Jaya Ram!Kirtan is so unlike any other yoga practice, yet it is familiar, as all yoga practice. It creates a feeling of desire to experience it again, and again, and again.  

I feel devoted rather than committed, to this practice. Kirtan is joy. I cannot think of a better definition.

I feel joy, love, and intense gratitude for all that is yoga - living it, learning it, breathing it, and for Eternal Health Yoga, our special sacred place in which to practice; I am grateful for the devoted students who have created this loving community, and for the amazing teachers who share so much of their time and energy and support, without whom there could never be Eternal Health Yoga! I feel love, joy, and gratitude for the continuous flow of growth and healing that takes place here. I am grateful and filled with joy for my health and that of my family members and friends. I am grateful for my teachers from whom I have learned so much! For Jai Uttal and Nubia, Doug and Anna, Wah!, Sharon and David – I am grateful for Kirtan! I am grateful for having found Bhakti Yoga!

I am grateful for being filled with love, and for the opportunities to share Yoga, Kirtan, and Bhakti with others. I am humbled and so grateful to be here at this time in this place with these beings; and for the awareness that there is something special about being human, with all of our flaws and imperfections,

I am grateful for the wonder that I still feel each day when I step into the world.

Community, transformation, and connection were found in unexpected places ...

Earlier today, I was looking at pictures from the various Eternal Health Yoga retreats that I have led over the past 6 years. Wow, those were some amazing times! The out-of-the-ordinary specialness of being on retreat is deeply sacred; because we are outside of our normal space it feels as though all of time and space has been changed and created to accommodate our individual needs. As I recall the different retreat groups, I remember that sweet feeling of arriving as individuals, from different places with lots of different life experiences, and from this, forming a spiritual community. Within the sacred space of your spiritual community, you can safely process whatever it is you need to process, learn what you need to learn and transform into the next awesome phase of your life! 

Over the past six years I have led a variety of retreats, some for just a weekend, and others longer (seven to ten days). Regardless of the length of the retreat, we created community. Individuals, who arrive with their own expectations, come to a deep realization of their connection with one another. It happens every time; it is quite beautiful! I remember the first retreat I led; it was in Maya Tulum, Mexico. There was a small group of yoga students with me who did not all know each other and didn’t quite know what to expect. But the ocean, the sand, the amazing moon, and the beautiful yoga space all worked together to allow us to be extremely present with ourselves and one another. We snorkeled, sunbathed, meditated, and enjoyed amazing meals together. It was a fantastic trip for everyone :  )
The Yoga Holiday to England was also quite incredible! We travelled the country, stopping at various places to explore, practice, and connect. We found sacred space even amidst the bustle of city happenings in London, Canterbury, Edinburgh, York, and others. Yoga practice outside on the green of Canterbury Cathedral, at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, Stonehenge, and Edinburgh; mmmm … yoga really is for everyone everywhere! Practicing among ruins and ancient sacred spaces added an element of serenity. I remember feeling very humbled as we chanted outside the Cathedral and walked around sacred stones. Again, community, transformation, and connection were found in unexpected places.

Each retreat is different from the one before and the one after; each has its own unique flavor that is reflective of the group that creates it. By getting away from day to day living you have an opportunity to focus on your practice and on your experiences while they are happening. Sharing those experiences brings an intensity of joy and delight.  We have rock climbed at Red River Gorge, walked the labyrinth in New Harmony Indiana, dripped in the sweat lodge, and chanted Kirtan around a campfire. All retreats are infused with life-affirming rituals, deepening asana practice, pranayama and meditation. But it is the nuanced setting, the temporary community, and the safety that it represents that allows positive change to occur.  For those who dare to retreat, you will be changed; the community allows you a safe space in which to work, learn, and grow with and alongside other who are as fearless, (and fearful), as you.

I am feeling the urge to create “retreat” again; many students have been asking lately and I look forward to the manifestation of my hope to share this experience with some of you this year. I know it is true that yoga is yoga no matter when or where you practice, but based on my experience, the powerful process of being away from your everyday life, allows a deepening that is difficult to achieve in so little time while still at home. I look forward to sharing this experience soon. Namaste

Learning to surrender ... Bhakti, Kirtan, Devotion

Leading Kirtan this past Sunday was an extraordinary experience for me.  The voices of our group and the expression of love infused within the sound of the chanted names, was pure joy. We were transported to a space of perfect peace and I long for the next opportunity to share that group experience. Bhakti Yoga, of which I am a new student, has allowed me to open to higher levels of self-understanding. It serves as a tool with which to work through fear, insecurity, and yes, those bits of self-loathing that we all seem to hold in a deep pocket.  Chanting the names of Sita, Ram, Hanuman and others, brings to the forefront, our highest sense of self, opening us up to the memory that we are pure and gentle beings. When we chant with a group, we feel the connection we have with one another, with all things good, and peaceful, and true.

Since discovering Bhakti Yoga and consciously trying my best to live each moment as a devotional practice (all things for a higher purpose), I have been less inclined to put energy into negatively charged feelings and ideas. What works best for me?  When I sense a bit of negative self-talk coming, I instantly bring mantra to the conversation, “Sita Ram, Sita Ram, Sita Ram …" chanting internally or out loud if need be, until I get to the to the point where I feel, physically, the loving presence of the deities in me, around me, all-encompassing. It has become easier and easier. The calmness, the awareness of peace, the knowledge that spiritual assistance IS there is so reassuring.
By allowing myself to open to this practice, what have I come to notice above all? I am learning to surrender. 

What keeps you from living your truth?

Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah  
The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is yoga.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Book 1 Sutra 2

What keeps you from living in a state of spiritual awareness?
What keeps you from being in yoga (union)?

The Yoga Sutras explain that, as humans, we experience modifications (vrttis) to our mind-stuff (our connection to the universal truth) in order that we may live within the society into which we have been born. Unfortunately, we develop a lot of attachment to these vrttis; and they interfere with our ability to live consistently in a state of yoga. Therefore, we must learn to restrain, control, and/or govern, these vrttis. There are five basic vrttis with which all of us will contend as part of being human. They can be perceived as good or bad, painful or painless (Yoga Sutras 1.5), but they occur as part of our human experience.

They are: Right Knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, sleep, and memory (Yoga Sutras 1.6).

We all experience these vrttis. If you want yoga, you need to learn to control your attachment to them.

Yoga is the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff.

Now, the learning of yoga begins for you!

Atha Yoganusasanam – NOW the Instruction of Yoga begins. Book 1 Sutra I of, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Atha yoganusasanam
NOW, Yoga is being made apparent to you, reader.
NOW, it is time for you to step into the spiritual deep waters of your time.
NOW, it is time to do your practice.
NOW is not the time to simply listen to others talk about the benefits of yogic living, or to read of the transformative experiences of others and acknowledge their credibility, but to do it.
Be in it, walk it, breathe it, eat and sleep it.

NOW, TODAY.
If this sutra has found you, if you are hearing, seeing, or reading it then you are being given a sign to begin your spiritual practice. If you have fallen away from your practice and are now reading this first Sutra, you must recognize that your inner truth is calling you, crying to you to return to your practice.  Atha Yoganusasanam – NOW, the teaching of yoga begins, right here, and right now. Listen. Take the step. Know it and be in it. Be ready for what comes next.  

Put forth effort ... make a contribution

I own one business with two locations. I love what I do, but that does not translate to, "I don't work". I have heard the phrase, "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life". Well ... I understand the sentiment, but the statement implies that work is a bad thing; or that if you feel like you are working, then you must not really love what you do for a living. Hmm ... I love what I do. I am a business owner, a teacher, mentor, administrator, retreat leader, curriculum developer, cook, cleaner, and cheerleader. I shop for beautiful candles, exotic incense, intricately created mala beads, special books, and toilet paper. I meet interesting people everyday, I travel and study with amazing teachers and share what I learn, and I pay the water, electric, and internet bills, rent, and insurance premiums. It is also my job to compensate teachers, file taxes on time, and make sure there are plenty of candles, matches and New Student Forms at both locations. Oh, and I teach yoga classes : )

I work full time; I love what I do and I love that I work. I love that I put forth effort to create and develop and collaborate in order to contribute to helping make the world a better place. Why has work become, to some, a negative? The Yoga Sutras (1.21) tell us that our success is dependent upon the intensity of our practice. Yoga is a way of living. Yoga is not an exercise class that you "take" two or three times a week. If we are to live yoga, and respect the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as a manual for living, then we need to pay attention to the message and apply it to all aspects of our day to day living. It feels good to know that I have put forth effort into all the things that need my attention. As a result, I have balance and a sense of accomplishment each day of my life.                                                                                         

Heal the body, nurture the spirit

Today was really nice; I got up this morning, showered, practiced, and made a green smoothie. The smoothie was delicious with strawberries, banana, pineapple, mango, red kale, baby spinach, and some leftover spring mix - so good! When the body is healthy, the spirit thrives; I am already noticing more clarity and a deeper sense of well-being than I have in months (years) past : )
I went to the studio and taught the morning Vinyasa class in which I spoke about using the body as a gauge and a tool for monitoring and healing ourselves, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I reminded students that it is important notice their internal dialogues and to practice moving and messaging themselves in ways that are positive and encouraging; when we practice positive self-talk and offer kindness to ourselves, we create a better environment for the divine spark that resides in us all. Essentially, a peace-centered practice and peace-centered lifestyle create contentment, peace, and healing in the world.
The significance of the body as a theme for the class is reflective of my current state of being and perspective; I have been very in tune with my body recently which has positively influenced the way I feel in all aspects of my life. I have been taking more time for self-care than I have in the recent past; I have been drinking healing teas, bathing with nurturing, herbal remedies and aromatherapy treatments, cleansing with green smoothies, and monitoring my self-talk, especially when the subject is body-criticism. This has been really powerful toward letting go of unnecessary thoughts and negative feelings.
It is amazing how strong the intention is when it is applied consistently and with full awareness. It is also interesting to observe changes that occur in the yoga practice; the natural flow of the practice weaves around different aspects of our lives so that we give attention where it is needed. Today's focus may be different than yesterday's and both may be different from tomorrow's depending on where one needs to work.
During this morning's class, I reminded the students that the body, the breath, and intention are necessary tools that assist us in changing habits of behavior which keep us from reaching our highest potential. Negative self-talk, mindless behavior, and aggressively moving through our asana practice, all  contribute to creating negativity in our lives. This shows up as disease and discomfort in the body. When we take the time to care for ourselves as we would a loved one, the body responds with health and wellness. Commit to taking care of yourself. Speak to yourself as you would a lover; you will gain much and feel better. Namaste