YOGA. REVERENCE,... & Things working out

 Things have a way of working out. 💚🙏

As much as we stress and toil over what happens around us and "to us"... We can really get caught up in a whirlwind of ... "why is this happening to me?" ... but,..

If we are really looking - Did something happen TO YOU?  Or, have "things" in your life come to a point that the decisions and habits and patterns of your life are simply revealing the truth of your choices over time?   The teachings of Yoga are SIMPLE... Did I say 'EASY'? no,.. not EASY.  But, we are taught in the sutra - (chapter 2 specifically ) about practice and that we must find ease and be steady.  We must practice with effort and ease.  In recent study, I had an even deeper understanding of this teaching.  The EFFORT, the steady part of this teaching has to do with our connectedness to the earth.  How are you on the earth? WHO are you on this earth? One of my favorite quotes, teachings,... is something I learned while studying Anthroposophy, steiner and Waldorf Ed. - "BE WORTHY OF IMITATION"... It is a principal I lived in my daily life as a Waldorf teacher and something that I TRY each day to practice as a mother.  How are you? When no one is watching? When you are talking to yourself? Are you kind to yourself? This week, we are practicing AHIMSA.  Ahimsa is non-violence.  Not harming yourself or others - We look through the lens of non-harming with what we eat, how we speak to others, as well as to ourselves and in how we care for the earth.  Another word that I learned in Waldorf study is REVERENCE.  My favorite story to share is handing out crayons in 1st grade, in the classroom that I held.  20 first grade students - a beautiful mix of boys and girls, all walks of life... In the mountains of Arizona.   In this classroom, the way that we approached caring for "gifts" in the classroom was with REVERENCE.  So, on a special day... I told a story about .. the bright bold sun and how much life she offers, the brilliance, the boldness - the glowing light.  The gift of light and warmth and how the sun listens and gives.  How the animal kingdom and plant kingdoms benefit, the yellow of the flowers and on the bees body.   A beautiful story told to the children.  At the end of the story, I walk around the classroom with a special basket filled with brand new YELLOW crayons - the wax shared from the bees - A huge GIFT! As I would approach each child, their eyes would be wide and their lips sealed - lovingly looking at this special and beautiful gift.  First graders in the waldorf school begin with block crayons, therefore this beautiful yellow block of pure color is coming their way.  The child, as if asked, opens their hands, ... forming a chalice to receive this offering.  The child gazes at the crayon- imagining parts of the story told and also imagining that they will create a beautiful image on paper of something from their heart.  The child closes their hands around the crayon and feels the texture, noticing the rectangular shape and says, "THANK YOU".  THIS is reverence.  Throughout the year, the children take good care of their crayons, their gifts,... they have special hand sewn crayon holders and they clean their crayons and use them in a way that preserves their beauty, they also share them if need be.  Are you treating your life with reverence? Are you steady and at ease with the earth and yourself?  Are you offering effort without worry of attaching to the end result?   Are you doing these things with truth, without taking from others? Are you disciplined and do you feel content in your life?   Are things messy and out of balance in your life or clean and pure?  Are you holding too tightly to a person or "thing"... There are many ways to study Yoga,.. many paths that take us on the journey.    The journey is inward - The journey is to the true self and sometimes the road may not be EASY... but the yogic teachings, in my opinion, are simple and if we are steady and at ease... if we practice principles like non-harming ( ahimsa) then we are more open to seeing that things "have a way of working out".... We feel less like " this is HAPPENING TO ME" and more at ease and steady,... connected to the earth below us.  If we have reverence and practice aspects of yoga like - non attachment, there is a peace within that reveals itself.  Take a breath... right now,... JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES,... take a deep breath and just sit for a moment.  LOVE. 

What stands in the way?

myyogatree.com

💓WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?... who do you stand with? Do you feel as though you are living your dharma? ( DHARMA-your truth, order, universal law, your social obligation, the invisible law that governs, fulfilling your role in society, - carrying yourself with respect, your empathy and courage...)  

Do you TRUST in your gift? Doubt and indecision take you away from your Dharma-

💗💙💚💛💜💓💛💚💜💓💓💓💓💓🙏

Patanjali tells us of DOUBT,...( it is one of the 9 obstacles/hindrances ) - DOUBT, disease, lethargy, mental laziness, false perception, lack of enthusiasm, clinging to self enjoyment, lack of concentration, losing concentration....

What is in between YOU and the object that you would like to rest your mind on?....You can become overly focused on this distraction - this can be helpful at times ( doubt) but it can also be a hindrance ( misplaced doubt)... the Buddha says, "test it out"... if you have a doubting attitude - it taints trust.  We should be symbiotic - everyone benefiting.  Boundaries should be soft, mutual goodness, steadiness...

If we look back on our life, we question ourselves, we have to make so many decisions, confidence can become arrogance.  

If we look back at our lives, we see life is flowing, it is not GOOD or BAD,... or right or wrong....instead of judging, - know that it is flowing,... LIFE,... If you don't KNOW,... = you don't need to fill it with knowing.. It's about WATCHING,.. sakshi - observing,... Don't feel that you have to FILL it up.  Acknowledge that previous decisions have brought you to the now . 

If you have doubt within the practice, test it out,... experience clears up doubt.  Yoga emphasizes direct experience.  Yoga motivates you but to clear doubt, is through your own work.  Beginners ask lots of questions, but as we practice more, we ask less, - we have to be confident in what we believe, not doubt.  AND.... if we study too much, as teachers, as students... and not "PRACTICE".... then it's complicated and unclear to (us, students)... and lineage can be LOST here...

what we doubt, ... IS OUR TRUE NATURE- but,... nothing is MISSING... you don't have to go running - you already ARE - a "HOLY BEING" (S. Gannon)...  Yoga is trying to REMIND us... NOTHING is missing! Your true nature is ... YOU - SHINING BRIGHT!  

If someone doubts, and they LEAVE carrying DOUBT, - it stands in the way of all that they have learned,... so - TEST IT OUT!  ... don't let doubt take you away from your focus.

LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU...

namaste'

mucho love and light, 

Kerry ~ YOGA TREE

Going deeper ~ Yoga Tree TEACHER TRAINING

August 22, 2020...The BEGINNING,...The KNEW SCHOOL.

🌞

Yoga Tree 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training session began with a beautiful ceremony on the above date. The students were excited, open and inspiring. The seed 🌱was planted long ago to offer this training, but in recent months (or a year) ~ many wonderful people have contributed to the impulse that made this KNEW beginning a reality. For that, I am forever appreciative. 

     In the recent months (some of which will go down historically as a time when, in the world, 🌍el mundo, WE,.. the people, were "quarantined").   What came of this time, is unique to each person, based on their personal perceptions, habits and willingness to go or flow.  

    Practicing and teaching Yoga☮ for nearly 2 decades gives way to experience, but when embarking on an adventure, one consults the map and creates somewhat of an itinerary ( Anyone who knows me would chuckle reading this because my version of itinerary is a little different than most)... Nonetheless, when stepping forth on a new expedition, I do pull together teachings and look inside. In so doing, I have immersed myself in study to "wake up" information and knowledge from within, so that I could share, with a full heart, these amazing, practical, simple, deep, wisdom-rich stories and suggestions on living a whole and peaceful existence. What a time to be in Yogic study, I feel so fortunate to have started this personal walk so long ago, but I to still feel so passionate about the study and so infantile in my learning phase. The beauty is in the SELF STUDY ~ Svadhyaya,

The word itself is made up of Sva, meaning own, self, or the human soul, and Adhyaya, meaning lesson, lecture, or reading, and can imply the practice of studying scriptures, as well as a practice of studying the Self.  

‘self’ study and ‘Self’ study….

In many pieces of writing regarding the practice of yoga, when we see the word self written with a small ‘s’, it refers to ourselves in this physical form, our ego, and who we consider ourselves to be on a daily basis. When you read the word ‘Self’ with a capital ‘S’, this is likely to refer to the true self, Atman, or the divine within us.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra says: “Study thy self, discover the divine” II.44

It’s probably fair to say that the more we realise what we are not, the closer we come to realising who or what we truly are. By studying ‘the self’ and recognizing our habits and thought processes, we realise how much of what we do and think is far from who we really know we are.

When we listen to the ego, we often do things that don’t always align with our true beliefs or intuition. The ‘I’ or small ‘self’ is mostly concerned with survival, which usually entails getting what it wants in all situations, and proving it is indeed ‘the best’ despite what consequences that might have for us. The small self judges, criticises, fears, conditions, doubts and is essentially the cause of the chitta vrittis, or ‘fluctuations of the mind’.

By paying attention to, or ‘studying’ our ‘self’, we become more aware of the things we do that harm us, and also those which serve us and bring us closer to that process of ‘yoking’ or ‘uniting’ with the true Self.  

In the above paragraph, I mentioned that the "teachings" are SIMPLE,... I did not say, "easy"... Below is a copy of a drawing depicting the descript of Patanjali's  8 limbs,...  STEPS to enlightenment... Yamas (restraints ) and Niyamas (observations), Asana ( your seat), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal from the senses), Dharana (focus,concentration), Dhyana (meditation)

These are not SECRETS, hidden from us,.. but guidelines to live meaningful and purposeful life, per the guidance of Patanjali. 

Words like: discipline, liberation, support, community, non-attachment, non-violence, not stealing, not lying, contentment, purity, self-study, simplistic living, devotion, restraint.  These are aspects the Yogi cultivates.  At Yoga Tree for many years, the mantra has been:🌈🔥🌎🌎 Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu ~ May all beings be happy and free, may my thoughts, words and actions contribute to the well being of all.  For me, this is also folded into my personal practice of Ahimsa (non-harming), we practice this in my home by being kind to each other, speaking intentionally and with our eating, paying attention to and having kindness with what we choose to ingest into our bodies (through the eyes, ears, mouth and skin).  This blog is simply to share some of the foundation that will be the ground layer for our adventure inward, to awaken, pay attention and to pause.  Thank you for whatever you have done today to contribute to making this world, a kinder, more peaceful place.  namaste'💗

Go BIG!

Authenticity...BE authentic....Can you BE authentic,....BE you... be yourself... In all situations...? but, WHO ARE YOU? Do you know?...hmmmmm...

Do I? Who do I WANT to be? Who do people THINK I am?

AM I THAT person....and when other's are disappointed in you,.. ARE THEY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU,... or do they see you as a mirror and they are really, DISAPPOINTED IN THEMSELVES?

The beginning of this blog post was from late June 2020, It is now Aug. 31, 2020, I decided to add a few thoughts....

My son came home from school today and we discussed a question that a teacher asked of his class ( 10th grade)..The inquiry was more or less this:

Are people more motivated by FEAR?  

 OR... Are people motivated by....HOPE?

It is truth, that most people are more motivated by fear...

How do we shift this habitual paradigm?  Well,...As human beings, it is my belief that we are constantly seeking outwardly for things like approval, questioning ourselves in comparison to others, and looking outside for obvious answers that are within.  So much of the Yoga practice is not about more but less.  The practice of Yoga is unraveling,...as we release past suffering and let go of the masks that we have worn, the TRUE YOU shines through!  It took time to create who we are TODAY,.. and therefore, it also takes time to unravel some of the "mysteries" that lead us to where we currently stand.  By this, I jest a bit, we have simply 'FORGOTTEN' who we are and our "work" is to soften those outer layers, dissolve the outer, protective layers, so that your 

                                                                                                                                    inner light... 

can once again shine.  

The journey inward is not easy but,... it is simple...Slowing down and "sitting" 

with yourself in meditation can be a lovely way to simply observe WHERE you are,... WHO you are?  Reach out for support, but look inward into your heart. 💓 

Go slowly and be kind with yourself,... take walks outside, surround yourself with beauty, and as you close your eyes, take a deep breath and consider that the walls created around you were built by an amazing being,  someone who, over time, needed protection in some way to feel safe.  But, now, the time is here for you to peak up over those walls, ... look around and then, take another deep breath and REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!  That amazing being who built those walls that hold you back,... can also break through or jump right over them for peace and freedom.

.

So,... LIVE,... WITHOUT FEAR! Be your best you!

 Take a chance on yourself!

May all beings be HAPPY AND free,... may YOUR thoughts, words and actions contribute to the well-being of all! 

and my own personal family motto:  GO BIG OR GO HOME!

In light,

Kerry 

take a walk

Take a walk with me.....

OUR STORIES

I've been THINKING about writing but,..about what? why, oh, whynot?

 just write.

I kept feeling the urge to write, but... about what? Which one of the swirling thoughts in the sea of my mind deserves to be heard.  Many times, a thought comes to me, then consumes me,.. pulls me deeply in and speaks to me,.. I can be taking a walk, in my neighborhood, on a beach, in my mind.  

Here I am, ... at a beach that is very familiar to me.  

The day is overcast, alot of rain earlier and gusts of wind. 

I've worked today, rearranging my relaxing oasis of an oceanview master bedroom into a zoom capable Yoga studio space.  I woke up at 2 am, 5 am and finally rose at 6:30 am.  Yoga teacher,...uhm,... OK, Stressed, anxious,...happy was not on the menu.  The sun is trying now to poke through the gray, hazy sky... The die hards are out there, running, jumping, riding waves,... beaching...I am on the deck, overlooking the beach,...willing the sunshine to come,..from inside of me, out.... I just finished another book, reminding me again,.. be strong, be you... be bold....I had an epiphany just yesterday,..."it's time!", and then,... somehow, the doubt, the pressure to do the "right"things,... these overwhelming thoughts consume me,... all the, "I need to..", "I can't...", "I'm committed to"...all the bullshit...The voices and stories of old...THAT'S IT... I told myself,..."JUST WRITE"... and it will come... so,..yup,... it did. 

I've been thinking for a while about this,... our STORIES... THE stories that we tell ourselves... OVER AND OVER AND OVER again... and for WHOM am I DOING things FOR?

OK,..moving forward...It's the only way to move..or it is not considered moving.

So, it's time to take a leap...Why am I waiting... 

Well,... in the meantime,..I'll write.

We have all that we need, within us... We have all the wisdom we seek, inside...

So, why, then are we always searching, seeking?... ok, maybe not everyone but ME.  I can only speak for me.  My son says that I am never satisfied,... always trying to improve, make things better...He says my expectations ( we aren't supposed to even HAVE these...) are unreachable. Does that mean, unless I change the story, that I'll always be chasing that which doesn't exist?  What is it that I'm looking for? .... hmmmmm well,..it's a good start... the writing I mean,... here's a good place to start.

Worthy of Imitation

Worthy of imitation... is a phrase that I learned while deepening my understanding of Waldorf Education.  I was trained as a Waldorf teacher and had the privilege of teaching 1st grade at a small waldorf inspired charter school in northern Arizona.

Yet, I was introduced to Anthroposophy and Rudolf Steiner's works long before I became a Waldorf teacher.  I studied whole food nutritional counseling and massage therapy at a healing arts school in San Diego, California in the 1990's.  I did not know it then, but the foundation was set to delve deeply into Waldorf education.   The relevance would be revealed more and more through my life but most significantly, in 2004, when I became pregnant with my son.  As Waldorf teachers, we are reminded the children will imitate.

As children, most of us are taught, "do I say, not as I do".  As Waldorf teachers, we are reminded our actions speak louder than words, any of you who are parents, can attest to this, I know I can.  Children are acutely aware of their environment, they are inherently observers.  I am not fond of the term, "sponge", but I understand the context in which people tend to use this word.

Children do absorb, we all do.  The interesting thing is that in meditation, for instance, we are re-learning the "art" of observation.  In my opinion, as we "adult", we become so overly sensitized, judgemental (of our selves), attached and at the same time disconnected,... that the "work" we do in meditation is to "unravel, deconstruct, or break-down" all the layers that we have created over the years. 

In our lifetime, we try on numerous hats, costumes, and in the midst of taking on archetypes, identities and thoughts of other people and "things", we ABSORB these thoughts and they permeate our being.... thus "creating" us....Therefore,... circling this back around to children, being AMAZING observers,...YES!,... it is of the utmost importance that the thoughts, words and actions of the influencers in a child's life, be, "worthy of imitation".

WHEW! That's alot to say,... think, and feel!...

Over the past two decades, through counseling, teaching, sharing, traveling, parenting,etc.... I have had the opportunity to connect with a variety of people ( adults, children, etc.) in various stages of life, healing and growth.  I do not profess to be perfect or to have all the answers,... I explain occasionally to my teenage son.  I do not pretend to have all the answers, nor do I pretend I am flawless. What separates me from the norm, (if there is a distinguishment) is that each day, I wake up and try to make that day the day that I'll be the best version of me that I can.  Does it always work?,... uhm,... no,.. but it doesn't stop me from doing it ALL OVER AGAIN, the very next day,....In the past 20 years of sharing the practice of Yoga, I remind myself and anyone that I have the privilege of sharing with, that each time we come to our mats,...(if we come with openness and a loving, kind heart, and pure intention), we have the ability to observe ourselves.  If we can observe without judgement, disconnect from the emotional wounding of the past experiences, we have the ability to LEARN from our experiences and apply those teachings to RE-creating the KNEW (yes,... I meant to spell it that way,....Thanks to my dear friend Claire...reminding me that it is not "new" but the "knew" we KNOW it!...we are simply unlearning sometimes and thereby, what is revealed is what we already KNEW).  If that went over your head, read it one more time and if it is unclear, come to class! 

If we CHOOSE to come to the mat, take a seat, be still,...if we CHOOSE to do this, with the above mentioned mindset, I believe that the OPPORTUNITY is available... to shed that which has served it's purpose, and begin to rebuild the KNEW.  In holistic healing, we speak about alignment and synchronicity.  These are helpful aspects of contentment, but the foundation (or stage) must be set. 

 

Another aspect of "worthy of imitation" is the reverence and respect that we, as individuals have for others (on many levels), but even for "things"... The care and respect, the reverence that we show translates to how we will take care of ourselves, others and the "things" of others,...from a crayon, to a home, to mother earth.  We lead by example as creatures.  

I love a story that my grandmother told,...When my father was young, and had begun walking, my grandmother had a friend with a child that was a similar age but not yet walking (crawling as main mode of transportation).  My grandmother's friend decided that if my father ( the walking wee one) spent time with the master crawler... maybe the impulse to be upright would be conveyed and ultimately adopted by the crawling child.  And what happened?....the mother's let the children play for a bit and not long after, observed the young lads...BOTH crawling!... SO, you see IMITATION is interesting.  As a parent, we know that the influencers in your child's life WILL impact them in some way....We can not know exactly the patterns, behaviors and directions, just know that there WILL be influence.  

How can you be "worthy" of imitation? Be your best you.  You know, deep inside, what your BEST you is.  We make choices throughout EACH and EVERY day about who we will be.  Our thoughts eventually, thought over and over,... will take the form of words... words spoken repetitively, will transform into real life actions...these things ultimately are WHO WE ARE.  It goes all the way back to: what are you doing with your time.  What are you thinking,... what are you looking at, reading, listening to, eating.  What activities are you making a part of your daily routine.  We ARE creatures of habit.  We must realize that the daily patterns that we repeat, become a part of us.  

One last story,... As a waldorf teacher, we teach the students to revere and care for, not only themselves, their classmates and their teachers but also the materials and goods that they utilize to CREATE beautiful expressions of their thoughts.  In first grade, there is a transition in some classrooms that the child would,( instead of sharing all the crayons ) the child would  make their own individual crayon holder in handwork class, and be given the spectrum of colors by way of a specially made beeswax crayon to create with.  The teacher tells a story about the color of the crayon that the child will receive.  The story of yellow may be about how the bright shining sun provides warmth, healing, and growth,... the story would be TOLD not read and the children listen to the story intently. After the story, the teacher passes out individually this yellow crayon and hands it to the child to care for throughout the year.  The light in a child's eyes, while they have their hands cupped to receive this GIFT is beautiful, full of appreciation and reverence.  It parralel's how items in the classroom are cared for and continues to influence how the children care for one another.  This same reverence CAN be applied in the home.  People (not just children), observe how we do things, what we say, the manner in which we say them.  I share these things, not to overwhelm but to shed light and bring awareness to the fact that we constantly have opportunities to encourage and be WORTHY OF IMITATION.

It is a beautiful gift to be a part of a child's life, or a part of anyone's life really.  We should cherish these opportunities to share wisdom, experience, as well as openly share our own truth through teachings from previous bumps on our own path, etc.  I share these words because they have been significant in my own life.  I heard a quote not long ago, about looking back at the previous 24 hours of your life...Did you do, in the last 24 hours of your life, things that you are proud to be imitated?  What if you knew you only had 24 hours ahead of you?  Would your imprint be "worthy of imitation".  I do like the phrase, " food for thought" that's all these blogs are ....take a taste, digest it,... decide how or IF it is applicable in your life or the life of another...use what you need for energy and discard or share the rest.  

namaste'

RAINY on the outside, SUNNY on the inside

Rainy on the outside, sunny on the inside!☔🌞
Happy Halloween! 🎃
Thursdays are busy.  I teach 3 Yoga classes to 3 separate groups within the same organization at different locations! 😜 It is wonderful, crazy, a total challenge.....Then I see a few massage clients as well as the regular, pick up my son,.. take him to his activities, make an amazing vegan dinner, enjoy family evening rituals with him ( talks about our day, laughing, etc. ) then take a bath, chat with my special someone ( see below) and read before bed. I am an early riser, ( meditation and mate’ in the morning) so I try to get to bed before the cycles of healing and rejuvenation kick in ( more on that later when we talk about digestion... ). I love my work: I LEARN more about people, el mundo and MYSELF each day in so many WAYS!  BE FOREWARNED...I am completely experimenting with the blogging so,... here goes, occasionally, I think in Spanish and/or Italian, therefore, this is a warning that a random world from a language OTHER than English could be inserted to the blog post,...at any given (time)TIEMPO!  I am not certain if I am writing this for you or me, but what I DO know is that I have learned, over time, that if I (you), do things that make MY heart feel good things with good intention... these things have the best outcome!
I will most likely have stories to share that involve my son,... but this is all new to me and we ( my son and I) have been very private and not on social media, and so forth... but I have felt an impulse for a very long time to SHARE ... thoughts, experiences, concerns, life lessons with those who would like to know...so, this is the venue where these things will begin to evolve and grow.  I am interested in hearing from readers if there is specific content you would like to read about or experiences you would like more information on or basic information from subjects in which I could bring light.
I personally think storytelling is an AMAZING way to connect and share so,... some will be stories,.. I can not promise things will be concise and organized BUT,  that being said,... things could shape on as we go! ....flaws and all!

I will also bring into the mix Poseidon, our dearly loved quadruped....who, recently has been renamed: Procrastination...because I have been walking him ALOT lately and quite a few times,.. I have walked him,... inSTEAD of staying focused on a task,... telling myself I needed a breath and to connect with nature,.. these are TRUE,..but staying on task at times, can be a challenge for this Sanguine ( with a lil choleric) AQUARIAN!  I like to listen to YouTube talks or Ted talks while I walk Poe ( formentioned fuzzy friend).  I will PROBABLY share some of this unsightful chitchat as I move along with my speedy fingers.

SO,..RAINY ON THE OUTSIDE, sunny on the INSIDE,.. is because it is POURING today,.. monsoon style! Whew! And it is HALLOWEEN!🎃 SUNNY on the inside is because I am all SMILES today... It’s a GOOD day! The students in my first class today were very open and fun and participated,.. we laughed, smiled and joked... I love making people happy and love it when I receive of course as well!  This sunny attitude has stayed in my heart all day... Wanna know more about how to have that? ...... ok, then STAY TUNED!
Thanks lots for reading!
Peace, love and GUACAMOLE! 🌞☔🎃