dragonfly & the green yogini

in this moment~

2012-02-29T16:45:00.001-08:00

This moment contains all that we need for peace and serenity. When we can become aware of the many ways in which our minds are continually resisting being present, we can experience the moment, experience the peace of the moment. We can awaken.

Truly, we can realize that as far as being present, we are in possession of all that we need for peace, for being love.

Meditation is one of the ways in which we can bring ourselves fully into the moment, as the moment is, rather than thinking about some future moment.

There are many ways in which to meditate but one of the simplest is surrendering to the moment. Allow yourself to fully occupy this moment, not a future moment, not a past moment. Breathe deeply. Allow the mind to empty. Continue.

My yoga teacher would say, “It is not meditation that stops the mind. It is the surrender of the mind to the soul, and the soul to Truth. It is when you prefer the word of Truth to the word of your own intellect.”

Sometimes there are days when it appears impossible to find the time to get on a yoga mat or impossible to sit down to meditate. So be it. Some days are like that. Regardless, there is always time to occupy the moment, always a chance to be present.

Simply surrender yourself to yourself, to the deep peace, the deep love that you already are. Breathe. Allow your heart to lead, to expand. Experience Samadhi. If only for a moment.

yoga, scantily clad

2012-01-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

So- first, I must admit, no one could be more surprised than I at this posting. Not my usual realm of contemplation, not even close.

It went down like this- the other night my husband was online and what drew me over to look at his screen with him was the music. What kept me looking was the yoga. I’m talking about the recent Equinox video with Briohny Smyth – you can view it here

I was mesmerized and as soon as we came to the end, I pushed replay. What I saw was a beautiful, strong, graceful yogini. The setting of the video implies an early morning sadhana, while the partner slumbers on. What yogi hasn’t been there? I found myself appreciating the clear dedication that Briohny brings to her practice. To flow with that kind of grace takes years on the mat. I found myself wondering about her training, her preferred tradition and the sheer amount of time it must have taken to make such a challenging flow look so effortless.

I did have one other fleeting thought as I drifted away from the computer and over to the sink to do the dinner dishes, but, I’ll save that for later.

Imagine my subsequent surprise to find the world of chattering yogi’s all upset over this beautiful video. Charges of objectification, sexism, commercialism, sensationalism and using sex to sell are just a few of the ones that I’ve encountered so far. Ugh. Really?

It’s not that I am unaware of sexism, objectification or the commercialization of yoga. On the contrary, I’m super aware. The very morning of the day that I watched the video of Briohny, I spoke with my son about what sounded like blatant misogyny in a rap song that he was listening to. I get it. The treatment of women in some quarters of popular culture is downright frightening. To not address this wherever and whenever possible would be seriously remiss. But Briohny’s video is a celebration of yoga, strength, and where dedication can take a determined spirit. Period.

As for all the outrage and editorializing- I humbly suggest that there are more worthy issues and outlets. The planet is on the brink of collapse and the inhabitants are not far behind. Concern over the objectification of women could be channeled into work on human trafficking- it is believed that human trafficking (forced work in labor and sex trades) is the fastest growing criminal industry, both internationally and nationally. The estimate for the United States alone is hundreds of thousands of people, primarily women and children, being trafficked. To learn more about this issue or get involved, go to www.polarisproject.org

There is so much to celebrate, so much to be thankful for and so many positive ways to channel our energy in ways that have the potential to uplift us all. Kudos to Briohny for her hard work and inspirational results. And kudos to this guy (watch here) for his sense of humor.

Oh yeah- that other fleeting thought? I realized that in more than twenty years of practice, not once had I ever practiced in just my undies. I fixed that the very next morning.

~happy winter solstice, holy winter solstice~

2011-12-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

Winter Solstice has always seemed like a time to draw in closer to the hearth, closer to the family as well as closer to our most inner self. The year has been spent, for better or worse, we have sowed and reaped. Now feels like a time of caring for our deepest selves, our soul selves. It is nice to put some portion of the day towards tending and nourishing the well from which we drink. Regardless of the weather, I always like to spend some time outside on this day. Nature is the ultimate cathedral in which to worship. Incidentally, the custom of bringing evergreens into the home comes from long ago when the people wished to signify to the nature spirits that they were welcome, that safe shelter from the cold and dark outside could be found in a home so decorated. I also like to look for my shadow on the solstice as the longest shadow you can cast is at noon on the winter solstice.

When I meditate on the energy of winter solstice, I feel all the seeds snug in their earthen beds, deep below a shimmering blanket of fresh snow. Solstice at winter also feels like the pause at the bottom of the exhale, the ultimate exhale, really. Winter solstice is that moment before we begin to inhale, before the light begins to grow again. It has been my understanding that some of the most profound healing in yoga happens in the pause between the breaths.

A nice practice for this solstice energy might be to sit in Easy Pose, hands in Gyan Mudra, eyes closed. Follow the breath, pausing at the bottom of each exhale, listening before drawing the inhale. Perhaps 3 minutes, 5 minutes or 11 minutes of this. Follow with sweet witnessing meditation, no judgment or attachment, just a witness of what flows up.

My wish for you is that you will make a bit of time to tend your soul today and that your healing will be profound, your happiness complete. Happy Solstice.

~ gratitude

2011-11-20T14:19:00.000-08:00

Gratitude is perhaps one of the most transforming energies that we can allow into our beings. It has been my experience that simply by inviting gratitude to dwell in my heart I can shift out of any experience or moment and immediately find myself in a higher, better place.

My yoga teacher, Yogi Bhajan, used to say “the attitude of gratitude is the highest yoga.” I would add that not only is it the highest yoga, it is the easiest and the most rewarding yoga as well. I am on a bit of a gratitude trip right now as the 40 day global sadhana included ending in a shower of gratitude. This has been so profound energetically that I have decided to make a point of concluding all sadhana with gratitude!

Our thoughts really do create the vibratory frequency of what we draw to ourselves. You don’t have to take my word on this- it is an incredibly easy hypothesis to test for yourself. Right now, as you read these words, allow a back beat of gratitude to begin to rise within you. Simple gratitude: gratitude for the breath that is entering and leaving your body, gratitude for the ability to see, hear, feel, taste, touch. It is my deepest hope that you, dear reader, have safe shelter and adequate nourishment, and so, gratitude for these aspects of life. I have found that simple gratitude deepens from my heart into my belly and rapidly moves from a trickle of sensation to a full and mighty river of gratitude. Once you begin with the simplest gratitude, there is no stopping the awareness of the many, many blessings in your life. And, truly, even when we are in hard, cold places in life there is always something to be grateful for. By beginning there, with the smallest of appreciations, we can often travel to the place of stunning beauty within, gratitude for simply being alive.

Your practice of gratitude will be different than mine but I am confident that it will be equally as rewarding. For example, no matter which path I embark upon on my gratitude meditation I always find my heart overflowing with gratitude for my children, gratitude for the chance to be a mom in this lifetime. Inevitably, this has to happen at the beginning for me as it is my deepest gratitude, more meaningful than breath to me. You will find your deepest gratitude fairly quickly if you are not already aware of it. Just allow that gratitude its place of prominence and then move forward. Truly there is no end to gratitude once you begin.

I have not lived through the hardships that many experience in this lifetime but I have endured my share of adversity and heartbreak. I have found that even in my deepest despair there can be something to be grateful for. This practice of looking for the light and glimmer in the dark is a profound gift.

As we head into this season of gratitude I am reminded of something that Meister Eckhart once said, “If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you’, that would suffice.”

Indeed.

inspiration for these times from the Dalai Lama

2011-11-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

As per everyone’s request: here are the beautiful words of the Dalai Lama that I read in class today~

Every day think as you wake up,

Today I am fortunate to have woken up,

I am alive; I have a precious human life,

I am not going to waste it,

I am going to use it.

All my energies to develop myself

To expand my heart out to others.

To achieve enlightenment for

The benefit of all beings,

I am going to have kind

Thoughts towards others,

I am not going to get angry,

Or think badly about others,

I am going to benefit others as much as I can.

~H.H.The XIV Dalai Lama

thought seeds~

2011-11-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

If each thought that is generated in our mind can be understood as a seed, then the logical next step is to visualize our mind as a garden.

Patanjali lets us know right away, sutra 1:2 that the goal of Yoga as well as the practice of Yoga is to restrain the modifications of the mind-stuff, or to master the mind. This one sutra has been singled out as the only sutra that the truly devoted student needs by numerous teachers. All of the sutras to follow are really just a further definition or elaboration on this most basic truth of Yoga. This is an excellent sutra to dwell on. All suffering comes from our mind, our interpretation of events and the world around us. Swami Satchidananda is the author of one of my favorite translations of the Sutras. Satchidananda shares a Sanskrit saying, “Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoho” in his discussion of this sutra. This saying translates: “As the mind, so the man; bondage or liberation are in your own mind.” An overt or gross example of this revelation would be the prisoner who has achieved liberation behind bars, as well as conversely, the person who has allowed their mind to enslave them in various ways.

Yoga teaches us that happiness, bliss and success is a result of mastering our minds and that our mind exists as a servant to the Atman, or the soul.

One way to begin working with the mind is to begin with the stream of thoughts that are in this moment. Each thought that we think is a seed, a potent and energized seed that we sow in our own soul, our own destiny. Take a moment to contemplate the nature of your thoughts. It is possible that we are generating tens of thousands of seeds each day. What is the caliber of seed that you generate? If you have not begun to catalogue or witness the contents of your mind then all of the identifications, emotions, projections, prejudices and more are unconscious. These identifications, emotions, projections and preferences color our thoughts. To truly evaluate our path forward as well as the work to be done internally, we need an awareness of what is coloring our thoughts. It is much better to be as aware as possible regarding our intentions, yearnings and the shaping of our stream of consciousness. By doing the deep work to realize your bias you can then not be trapped by your bias, at least not consciously.

One of the best tools for working with the mind is meditation. Meditation exists to cleanse our minds, to take a mental shower- so to speak. Yogi Bhajan taught that “meditation is the process of controlling and transcending the waves of the mind, allowing the flow of radiance from the soul.” Basically, if I can get out of my own way, my truly beautiful soul will shine forth.

You can be doing Yoga in this very moment. Simply by observing your thoughts and working with the ripples created by each thought, you are practicing. Back to the mind as garden, what are those seeds you are sowing? Sow seeds that are compelling with compassion and love. Allow the seeds intoxicating with truth to sink into the fertile mind. Banish the seeds of ill will, negativity or harm. Truly, it wouldn’t be the single huge act of violence that ruins a life so much as many small yet continuous harmful seeds generated over a lifetime that result in a colossal tragedy. Yes, thoughts are small and so consider the acorn and the oak tree. Each seed grows well beyond its initial seed form, seed size. Each of us has the ability to till the soil of our minds, to create a nourishing and beautiful garden that supports, sustains and uplifts others.

It has been said that if all one ever does is “to control the rising of the mind into ripples, you will experience Yoga.” Think on this sutra.

40 day global sadhana

2011-10-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

It has been taught by Yogi Bhajan for many years that on 11-11-11 the transition to the Age of Aquarius is complete. The Piscean Age was about individual consciousness and the Aquarian Age is about collective consciousness. In this new age we will be able to manifest our shared vision for a world of peace, harmony, truth and beauty.

There is a global meditation that is beginning on Monday, October 3, 2011. This sadhana will last for 40 days, completing on 11-11-11. The meditation is to assist us in accessing the Aquarian energy flow. If you don’t get to begin on October 3^rd, begin as soon as you can. Forty days is the length of time that it takes for change to happen on a cellular level, for the patterns in our energy to shift and receive the essential effects of the meditation.

You can practice this meditation at any time of the day. Be sure and do both meditations in the order given.

~First Meditation: Sitali Pranayam

This is done sitting in easy pose with a nice straight spine. Place your hands into the Gurprasaad mudra (hands placed together, cupped, as if to receive) and hold the mudra just in front of the heart, with upper arms relaxed by the side. The tongue is curled up on the sides and pushed just barely out of the mouth, resting on the lower lip. You will sip your inhale up through the center of the tongue, long and deep. Then, when full of breath, bring your tongue back into your mouth, close your mouth and pause just a moment. Then exhale through your nose slowly. Repeat. The eyes are closed. After 3 minutes inhale through the nose and exhale, letting the hands fall together at the heart.

~Second Meditation: Synchronize with the Universal Flow of Light

Stay sitting in easy pose with a straight spine. Bring the hands to the level of the heart, right hand on top of left, both palms facing down. The right thumb and left thumb are bent, under the left palm. Press the thumbs together so that the thumbnails touch. The drishti (eye posture) is at the tip of the nose with the eyes barely open- about 1/10ths open. You will chant the mantra: “Waheguru Waheguru Waheguru Wahejio” which means “ecstasy beyond words, here and now, from darkness to light, my soul”. Lift the diaphragm and navel each time you chant “wa”. (If you are a woman on your moon time, just barely pull in the navel). Continue for 11 minutes. To complete, inhale and hold the breath for 20 or so seconds. Relax the breath, then inhale again, holding for another 20 or so seconds. Then relax the breath and the posture. Close the eyes completely and sit for a few moments in silence and gratitude, allowing the meditation to integrate into your being.

You can learn more about this global sadhana, as well as watch a teaching video of the meditation with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa and Snatam Kaur Khalsa by visiting www.spiritvoyage.com Once on the site, click the Kundalini Yoga tab at the top and then on the left of the page there will be “yoga lounge categories”, choose “40-Day Global Sadhana”

~yoga heals

2011-09-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yoga heals.

From broken backs to MS, arthritis, addictions, cancer and more- I have witnessed amazing healing in others through the practice of yoga.

Twenty years ago, I was a broken person. My heart was broken and I had no faith in myself, in my ability to make intelligent decisions nor even in my perception of events unfolding around me. Worse, it seemed I had nothing to live for. Luckily for me, there were people in my life that didn’t give up on me. One of these friends dragged me to a yoga class with Sarah Powers. Needless to say, the class was amazing, Sarah was amazing and I was hooked.

My path to wholeness did not unfold overnight rather it was a long, slow and often painful process. At first, I could barely hold it together and once I hit shavasana, the tears would come. Feeling miserable, I would weep the entire duration of deep relaxation. Yoga was keeping me alive yet more was being demanded of me. On my mat there was only room for truth and the truth was that I was in a lot of pain. I proceeded to cry for the next two years. Somehow, this helped. Yoga made me stronger, inside and out. For my many questions, I had a 6,000 year old tradition to explore for answers.

There are a lot of different theories on why and how yoga heals. From the medical science of the parasympathetic nervous system to the luminous beauty of linking breath and movement to the daily discipline of sadhana and everything between, there is potential for healing. While it is incredibly rewarding to study those theories and read the sacred texts, in the end, does it matter? Regardless of how, yoga heals.

Yoga doesn’t change the world on the outside but it changes you on the inside. You can’t escape yourself on the mat but you can transcend yourself- if only for a few hours. From that transcendence, comes perspective. You remember your divinity, your own sweet essence. At least, that’s how it worked in my case.

Last year the deepest yearning of my soul overwhelmed me yet again. Back to the flame I flew. As profoundly as it hurt, this time I had my practice to hold on to; this time I had an embodied hold on the teachings. This time, as a yogini, I was able to realize the gift I had been given. Love and gratitude to the one who has the power to break me open again and again. It is the shattered vessel that reflects the most light.

Life is a gift. Yoga heals souls as well.

tar sands in the light of aparigraha~ (or, why I am risking arrest this weekend)

2011-08-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Aparigraha is often translated as non-possessiveness, or non-greed. Aparigraha is a sublimb of Yama and not often discussed. I can’t help but feel that perhaps the world would look a little differently if we embodied the vow to not take more than that which nourishes us. Surely we would not have arrived at the precipice of environmental collapse with this vow in our consciousness.

There doesn’t seem to be much wiggle room on this one, no loose or muddy areas for discussion. Simply the vow to not take more than one needs. If we take more than we need then we have strayed into the territory of Asteya, the vow to not steal. By taking more than we need, we can’t help but take from another- as, after all, we live on a seemingly finite planet.

In spite of my efforts to live simply, I have failed dismally with regard to this vow. A brief glance around my home confirms that I have much more than what I need for nourishment.

But what really keeps bubbling up for me as I work to align myself with the vow of Aparigraha is the push to develop the tar sands in Canada for oil. There is a proposal on the table for a pipeline- the Keystone XL- to deliver bitumen from the tar sands in Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas. This pipeline would cut a swath down the center of our country, crossing some 2,000 key waterways, including the Yellowstone River. The pipeline would be built to have the capacity to deliver 830,000 barrels per day. (www.thinkprogress.org) That’s a pretty big pipeline. While I’m worried about the impact this pipeline will have on our land and waterways here in the states, I’m devastated at what I imagine the consequences will be to the land in Alberta as well as the strain on climate. The extreme lengths we are now going to, to fuel lifestyles that are out of balance with the needs of other species is unconscionable, worlds away from any semblance of Aparigraha.

My understanding of how bitumen is extracted from tar sands heightens my despair. Mining the tar sands happens in one of two ways- the basic strip mining scenario or, more likely, what is called “in-situ” mining. This is for the bitumen that is really out of reach- it needs to be melted way below ground with superhot steam and then pumped up. We will be saying goodbye to the Boreal Forests and the life that resides there. Hello to more and more toxic tailings ponds. Is this really what we are choosing to manifest? Simon Dyer of the Pembina Institute summarizes much of what I am wondering when he says, “Are we going to get serious about alternative energy, or are we going to go down the unconventional-oil track? The fact that we’re willing to move four tons of earth for a single barrel really shows that the world is running out of easy oil.” (www.pembina.org)

At what point do we put a stop to this madness? We are all culpable here. As James Hansen and 19 of the most prominent Climate scientists in the world point out in a letter to President Obama, “The tar sands are a huge pool of carbon, but one that does not make sense to exploit. It takes a lot of energy to extract and refine this resource into useable fuel, and the mining is environmentally destructive. Adding this on top of conventional fossil fuels will leave our children and grandchildren a climate system with consequences that are out of their control. It makes no sense to build a pipeline system that would practically guarantee extensive exploitation of this resource.” (www.tarsandsaction.org)

Aparigraha- the reminder to not take more than what nourishes one. It seems that we have strayed vastly from this injunction. For more than any other thing, we are nourished by the health of earth- by her waters, her air, and her green and growing body. Without earth’s health, there will be no nourishment. Really, it’s not rocket science to realize this truth.

I study the words of many masters of yoga, both living and long gone from human form. I look for interpretation of our predicament as I feel that I have perhaps lost my way, lost my ability to divine what comes next, what the right course is. So much wisdom is encapsulated in the sutras of Patanjali but maybe what I really need to think about right now is one of the lessons that the Bhagavad Gita goes to great lengths to teach. That doing nothing, or taking no action, is much worse than taking the wrong action with the right intent. Or, as Yogarupa (Rod Stryker) so eloquently stated in an open letter to the yoga community post 9/11- “we must also carefully consider the argument that more harm has been done by the non-activity of good people than the activities of those who are evil.”

I can’t be a good person that doesn’t take action anymore. I know in my heart that it is time to step up and do whatever it takes to prevent further damage to our climate. I know that the time has come for me to do everything I can do, for the sake of my children and all that I love. I’ll be going to Washington, DC and taking part in the planned peaceful protests that will run from August 20^th to September 3^rd. This may turn out to be the biggest civil disobedience campaign in human history. It would be appropriate as this is most certainly the biggest problem that we have ever faced.

And yes, this is yoga.

You can learn more about this effort at www.tarsandsaction.org – I hope I see you there because after all, we are the ones we have been waiting for.

pranayama for earth~

2011-07-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

There is no denying that one of the most important components of our yoga practice is our breath. Not just our simple, sacred ability to breathe but as well, our ability to focus on the breath, work with the breath and to control the breath. There are times on our yoga mat when the breath is everything.

So much of life is about respiration and not only do we and other animals breathe, plants breathe, indeed our planet breathes. The forests of earth are literally the lungs of earth. Taking in CO2 and giving off oxygen, it is a simple and elegant equation that makes life on this blue-green jewel possible.

Last week we were given an unprecedented opportunity to give something back to earth. To do something that isn’t about immediate gratification of human wants and desires, that doesn’t consume, consume, consume but rather replenishes. That something is as fundamental as the ability to breathe. Ecuador has given us the opportunity to step up and do the right thing. Four years ago Ecuador proposed to the international community that a fifth of its oil reserves be left in the ground- that’s right- oil undeveloped, left in the ground, for the health of the planet. In exchange, the international community was asked to contribute half of the market value of this oil to the people of Ecuador. This is an incredibly generous offer from a country with 38.3% of its population in poverty, 13% on the brink of starvation and a child malnutrition rate of 45%. And unlike some countries that come to mind (remember that awful chant of “drill, baby, drill”), the people of Ecuador think this is a great plan and are proud to be part of it. What is significant about last week is that the international community has not really stepped up and rather than give up, the people of Ecuador are turning to you and I. Previously the Yasuni-ITT trust fund that is administered by the United Nations Development Program only accepted donations of $10,000 or more. As of last week, the fund will accept donations as small as a single dollar. The fund is named for the Yasuni National Park of Ecuador as well as the Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tamboccha oil fields (ITT) that lie beneath the Yasuni National Park. Now, with this change in the ability of the fund to accept donations of any size, we all have the opportunity to give and to give what we can. Honestly, I think that making a contribution to this fund and this effort is probably the single most significant thing an individual can do right now to take action against climate change. It would certainly be the easiest.

Your contribution would not only help the planet to avoid the emission of 407 million metric tons of CO2, it would also help preserve biodiversity (a single hectare of Yasuni has more species of trees than the whole of North America and more species of ants on a single tree than the entire British Isles). Your contribution would help respect the rights of indigenous peoples and their way of life as well. Where else can you get so much for so little?

Donating is easy, all you have to do is go to http://mdtf.undp.org/yasuni and hit the green “donate now” button. Then share your news with your friends and family. Share this blog with anyone and everyone you can. Because no one is talking about this and our governments are not stepping up. We have less than six months to raise $60 million for Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa to know that the people of the world support his efforts.

When I think about saving this rainforest, I think also about the earth breathing. I think about how, as yoga practitioners, we know that the breath is both ours and not ours, both gross and subtle, both earthly and heavenly. I think also of how my breath is linked to the breath of the trees, the health of the earth and I have no doubt that saying no to extracting the oil from the ITT oil fields and yes to preserving the Yasuni National Park is the most important thing I can do right now. Not just for me, but for all of us, so we can breathe.

~the simple gift of grace

2011-07-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

What if we all remembered that everyone is doing the best that they can? What if we brought that kind of remembrance and grace to each interaction with each person, in each moment? What would that look like? More importantly, what would that feel like?

To understand that kind of grace, take a moment and think of a situation from the recent past or impending future where your perception is that you are going to disappoint someone. Imagine telling the person how sorry you are but that, in fact, you are not going to be able to make it out to see them or meet the deadline or cover their shift or whatever the issue is. Now, imagine that instead of hearing all the ways in which that person is disappointed, inconvenienced or just plain put out instead what you hear is this: “That’s okay, I know that you are doing the best you can do.” How great does that feel? It feels like grace and what a sensation for the heart, for the mind, for the shoulders even. Not only does it feel amazing to be told this, it feels even more amazing to say that to someone. To set aside your own expectations, your own hopes and simply be with another soul and acknowledge that yes, of course they are doing the best that they can. And, everything is going to be just fine.

adi shakti~

2011-07-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

Mantra is an amazing, deep and luminous ocean of possibility that one could study for a lifetime and still not know entirely. A simple definition of mantra from Desikachar: “a sacred sound, often used as the object of focus during meditation”. Those who utilize mantra know it to be so much more. There are several aspects to mantra beyond just the meaning and energy of the words. Mantra that is chanted aloud has an actual physical effect based on where the tongue strikes the palate in the mouth and the small bones that vibrate (according to volume) in the head. Mantra is a beautiful and sacred science that can bring great joy, as well as peace and clarity to the practitioner. Not all yoga lineages utilize mantra. The Kundalini lineage has many mantras, as well as many variations per mantra.

We did a celebration last week for one of our local yoga teachers. Jessica (looking like a goddess in the picture above) was 120 days pregnant last Tuesday, so we gathered together to celebrate her with mantra, meditation and blessings. Yogic tradition holds that the soul incarnates 120 days from conception. On this day, the mother is celebrated and supported and the community affirms their love and support for her and her child. A celebration of 120 days can be composed of any elements that the mother and community wish. In our celebration we created a pedestal for Jessica to sit upon and we all sat in a circle around her. After chanting and meditating for 31 minutes, we showered her with flower petals and prayers. We then shared yogi tea and incredibly yummy gingerbread pear muffins that my friend, the goddess in the kitchen, made. You can find the recipe by clicking on the link above. The Adi Shakti Mantra and meditation are a very traditional option for a 120 day celebration. This mantra is also referred to as the Kundalini Bhakti mantra (a mantra of devotion) as well as the First Shakti mantra.

Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Adi Shakti, Namo, Namo

Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Namo, Namo

Prithum Bhagawati, Prithum Bhagawati, Prithum Bhagawati, Namo, Namo

Kundalini, Mata Shakti, Mata Shakti, Namo, Namo

This mantra tunes into the frequency of the divine feminine creative force, as well as to protective, generating energy. Chanting this mantra can eliminate fears and reduce insecurity. It is said that whenever this mantra is used in meditation, the yogini will find the security and abundance that she needs. Translation is always tricky, especially with ancient languages and I’ve seen this mantra translated in various ways. The translation that I am most drawn to and seems to resonate best with the individual words when translated in other mantras is this:

Adi Shakti translates as “Divine (Feminine) Primal Power”

Sarab Shakti means “All Power”

Prithum Bhagawati means “that which creates through Heaven”

Namo can be “I bow to” or “I call on”, depending on the intention of the chanter

This mantra can be chanted for 5 minutes, 11 minutes or 31 minutes. A lovely practice during pregnancy is chanting this mantra, in easy pose or Sukhasana, for 5 minutes every day. When pregnant, this mantra supports heart-womb connection. All women can gain emotional rejuvenation and more from a daily practice of 11 minutes. In our gathering for Jessica we did 31 minutes of chanting with a clapping rhythm of 1:2.

I have found holding a mantra in my heart and practicing a meditation with mantra for 40 days at a time to be a tonic for my soul and an opportunity for my consciousness to expand. You do not need to be a woman to chant this mantra. In reference to this mantra, my teacher has said “merge in the Maha Shakti, this is enough to take away your misfortune.”

yogi tea

2011-06-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

The heat index hit 113 degrees today in some parts of the Carolinas. A nice hot cup of tea is probably the last thing on your mind right now. But, just because it is hot outside doesn’t mean we have to give up all the healing benefits of tea. Yogi tea is an amazing beverage that can deliver wonderful nourishment all year long. When the temperature rises, I drink my Yogi tea over ice.

I’ve been told many times over the years that I make the “best” yogi tea. The recipe that I use is the classic recipe that Yogi Bhajan has shared with his students. If my yogi tea has a certain something, it would be this: I hold the intention of creating a delicious and healing beverage that will hold much love for the drinker. I chant as I make my tea and imagine that my hands are filled with love and that this love goes into the tea. I also always begin to make my tea the night before I wish to share it. There are two reasons that I do this. The first and most important reason is that I am not rushed and am able to make the tea with calm intention. The second reason is that the tea has an opportunity to steep longer, developing a stronger taste.

Yogi tea is said to be good for the blood, colon, nervous system, and bones. Yogi tea is also indicated for colds, flu, and any physical weakness. The science of the blend is this: the black pepper is a blood purifier; the cardamom is a digestive aid; the cloves are for the nervous system as well as to generate heat in the body; the gingerroot is good for colds, flu, physical weakness, digestion as well as overall vitality; the milk helps assimilation of the spices as well as coats the stomach lining to avoid irritation and the black tea is a nice energy boost.

This recipe has a yield of approximately 2 quarts of tea. If you double it you will have a gallon of tea which is a nice amount for a gathering. I’ve found that there is no such thing as too much yogi tea!

The ingredients you will need: 2 quarts of water, 15 whole cloves, 20 green cardamom pods, 20 black peppercorns, 3 sticks of cinnamon, 8 thick slices of gingerroot, ½ teaspoon of black tea, 3 cups of milk and honey to taste.

Bring the water to boil in a large pot. Add the cloves and boil for at least 1 minute. Mash the cardamom pods in a mortar and add to the boiling water, along with the peppercorns, cinnamon, and gingerroot. Boil for 20 – 30 minutes. Turn off heat and add the black tea. At this point, I leave the pot on the stove, covered, overnight. The next day I strain the tea and return to the pot to warm gently. When warm, I add milk and honey. Voila! Yogi tea to enjoy.

It is a special treat anytime of the year. In the summer time, I like to drink my Yogi tea iced, with a cinnamon stick to swirl.

Intention

2011-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

At all times, we have intention. This intention can be conscious, mindful, developed with thought and held clearly and firmly. Or, intention can be subconscious, below our awareness yet still shaping our path, our interactions, our karma and our destiny. A mindful intention is very much like a prayer and sacred to the weaver. An intention that has been meditated upon has the power to guide us and shape our lives.

There is intention in this blog that is absolutely prayerful. It is my hope to share my musings on earth, ecology, hope, yoga, and action. I imagine that most of my posts will be about the intersection of ecology and yoga yet I am open to traveling to other destinations and other topics. Any and all comments are welcomed as it is nice to get feedback on the contents of one’s thoughts. It is also my intention to share, at times, in a way that I hope is practical and helpful for others. By this, I have the intention to sometimes post yoga recipes, yoga healing techniques and sequences as well as resources for taking action on environmental issues.

Since beginning this blog I have realized that I have some discomfort with the “I” of it. The sheer level of “me” gives me pause and makes me feel a little shy. Yet, I think this “me-ness” is just inherent in the nature of a blog. My motivation is less “me” and more “we”. These are the conversations that I wish we were having. These are the conversations that I believe we would be having if everyone had a little more time, a chance to sit down, share a cup of tea and share the song in our heart.

Thanks for being here. I’ll do my best to make it time worthwhile.

practicing ahimsa

2011-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

As a yogini, I think about ahimsa quite often. Ahimsa is a sub-limb of Yama, one of the eight limbs of Yoga. Patanjali gave us these eight limbs as one of several ways to organize and conduct ourselves on our yoga journey. Patanjali considered Yama to be “great vows, universal” and guidance for how we conduct ourselves in the world. While the eight limbs are considered to be like the limbs of a tree, interrelated as opposed to ladder steps, there is no denying that ahimsa is first up, the first sub-limb of the first limb to be mentioned.

Ahimsa is often translated as non-violence or non-hurting. Pattabhi Jois (my go to guy for the most austere and conservative interpretations) notes in his book, Yoga Mala, that ahimsa is “no injury at any time for any reason, including in word or thought.” So, the practice of ahimsa is not only to not hurt anyone or anything to the best of our ability but also to not think hurtful thoughts. When I practice ahimsa, I need to eliminate injurious thoughts, potentially judging or critical thoughts- not only of another but of myself as well.

As a long time yoga practitioner, I am interested in the guidance of yoga as applied to all aspects of my life. As Desikachar says, “we can understand yoga as a process of examining our habitual attitudes and behaviors and their consequences.” Just with the intention of ahimsa as one of my vows, I have the ability to work with my mind-stuff, watching the thoughts roll in, examining them for worthiness. I’ve found with my practice of ahimsa that I can generally catch a physical sensation just prior to the formation of an injurious thought, or, a thought that does not embody the qualities of ahimsa. Being aware of this physical sensation I can often stop the thought before it forms.

Ahimsa on the inside, ahimsa on the outside. Or, maybe not. Lately, I wonder how I can claim any margin of success in ahimsa with the world in the state that it is in. Because, even the simple act of flipping a light switch (unless you live in a home that is 100% powered by renewables) is violent. Depending upon where you live, the power that is lighting, warming, cooling your home has been generated by violent means. Be it mountain top removal coal mining or nuclear power or hydro-fracking, our energy sources are increasingly violent. And I, as consumer, create the demand and so, I am the one responsible for the perpetuation of the violence. How ahimsa is that?

Of course there is more, there is always more. The source of everything I purchase or bring into my life provides an avenue for the practice of ahimsa. And, there have always been obstacles to ahimsa, sometimes we can have contradictions right in front of us and still not see them. An ancient yogic practice for some traditions is to use a sheep skin to practice on and I’m fairly confident that sheep would view that as violent. While vegetarian myself I do own leather items. Is wearing leather that much different than eating animals? And, if we are honest with ourselves, driving a car is perhaps one of the single most violent acts that one could inflict on the earth.

I’m not ready to give up the vow of ahimsa by any means. I find that I have the deepest gratitude in my heart for this practice. While initially disheartened to consider all the ways in which I am so far from the practice of ahimsa I also find that I am incredibly devoted to getting there. To arriving to that place where I can draw a deep breath and realize, at least for the moment, I am in ahimsa. In fact, my yearning to be ahimsic can guide my actions beyond my personal conduct and lead me in my work in the world. Choosing to be ahimsic can also be choosing to work against the proliferation of nuclear weapons or choosing to work on animal rescue or on behalf of solar power. The possibilities are almost endless and I would imagine that the callings of our heart, with regard to ahimsa, if listened to, could help us to create an Eden of right intention, of loveliness. As Pattabhi Jois says, “The world is full of falsehood, deceit, and exploitation. A yogi has the power to correct this and to attract people of the world to the right path.”

And, in the meantime, as you work with the practice of ahimsa, be kind with yourself as well.