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. 

10 MINUTE guided & stillness MEDITATION: St. Barth's

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

Dec. 1, 2020

 First light is light of stone💎 ....

ॐ असतोमा  सद्गमय । तमसोमा ज्योितर्गमय । मृत्योमार्मृतंगमय ॥ ॐ शािन्त शािन्त शािन्तः ॥

oṃ asatomā sadgamaya tamasomā jyotirgamaya mṛtyormāmṛtamgamaya 

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ “

Om from delusion toward truth From darkness toward light From death toward life

Om, peace, peace, peace.

Today was a day filled with light for me, I connected  with a lovely new person and spoke on the phone with another lovely new person...2 people who recently have found there way to me via the pull of the universe and it's perfect alignment.  I also, ofcourse had a wonderful day because of the sunshine that lives in my home, my son...and my sweet Poe,... along with clients that I adore and students I am so appreciative of....

The beginning,.... I frequently can be quoted saying, I love coming to the mat, because for me, it is always like a new beginning but,.. we are only really REMEMBERING who we are.... far more than CREATING a new being,.. but on the mat we have this opportunity to recognize our light and darkness as well.

  "in this realm, my path is my experience, and this can create fear,... Seeing the absolutely eternal manifestation in all things allows strength and peace to stream into this experience"... 

We are so fortunate to have the knowledge from thousands of years to guide us on our journey.  If I have a struggle with a meditation,.. I simply invite a sense of appreciation.  This often blooms into more appreciation and then I can sit with those thoughts and then,... maybe stillness.  Today,.. Dec. 1st,.. it SNOWED.  I walked through the trees and on the snow and the quiet brought me such a sense of peace.  I was reminded of being underwater and walking on a sandy beach at sunrise.  The silence and connection with nature...beautiful.  

As winter approaches, there is a growing mood of sleepiness of the world. Through the stories, and songs we bring, and observation of nature, we can experience a settling down. The fallen leaves, the animals in hibernation, the shorter days.

Advent balances the darkness and sleepiness with expectation and anticipation. It is a time of moving through the darkness toward the yearly rebirth of the light, when the days begin to grow longer. Advent is really a four–week festival, the four weeks leading up to Christmas and Solstice, starting on a Sunday evening. Many religions celebrate festivals of the returning of the light. Among those festivals are Solstice, Chanukah, Christmas and Divali.

The mood of Advent prepares us for the light beginning to grow stronger again. If we are quiet,.. quiet like the snow in the woods, quiet like the stillness under the water,... like footprints on the sand. - If we are STILL in this quiet,.. we CAN feel the light growing stronger.....

During Advent, we can deepen our relationship to the world around us through recognizing the strength and beauty in all the four kingdoms of the natural world.

The first week is related to the mineral kingdom, the physical foundation for life. The mineral world gives us a fixed stage, a basis for our ever-changing existence. Without the mineral world we would have no ground to stand on.

ॐ

भूभुर्व: स्व: ।

तत्सिवतुवर्रण्ये।

भगोर्देवस्य धीमिह ।

धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात्।।

oṃ

bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tāt savitūr vāreṇyaṃ

bhārgo devāsya dhīmahi

dhīyo yo naḥ prachodāyāt

“Om

To the divine Light

Which pervades the three worlds

The Light which is Love

On that divine radiance we meditate

May It enlighten our intellect and awaken our spiritual wisdom.”

namaste' with love and LIGHT

Kerry and the YOGA TREE familia 💓

Meditation by the sea

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 

TODAY is the day, oggi, hoy

Today,….hoy, oggi,…today! THIS DAY!

It is this day,…it must be THIS DAY, that I choose,… to be alive, to be awake, to make mistakes, to say, “I don’t know” ….Today is the day, that I let go, release and fly free.  What makes this day different than any other,…It is TODAY,…Maybe I will “fail” to LET GO… Maybe I will fail to BE FULLY awake!... but, then I will begin again….I will give my heart to this effort. 

 

I will let go of suffering and move forward…I remind myself and students:  You ARE your best teacher, the answers lie within…So,..JUMP, SOAR, FLY! AND…sit….THIS is the best teaching SIT…Not everyone who practices Yoga is aware that the word ASANA ( which is a part of most of the Sanskrit words that describe the POSTURES we take in the physical “practice” of Yoga,…Asana translates to ‘TAKING ONE’S SEAT’,… therefore, What we are ATTEMPTING to do,…is TAKE A SEAT, in the shapes that we make in a Yoga “class”…What does that EVEN mean?????

How can I ‘TAKE A SEAT’ in Warrior II 

while standing and extending my💓🙏 arms and activating my inner thighs and pulling into my 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd chakras,… How do I engage mulabhanda and SIT ,….

The answer is SIMPLE,… ( I didn’t say easy, I said,…simple)

The breath is smooth and even,…the posture allows for strength and flexibility to present themselves…and then, in the stillness, breathing, holding the space of the posture (shape, pose) there is a moment that exists,…DO YOU CREATE IT?... I actually think that it is ALWAYS there, always present but when we are quiet, we notice it,…we pay attention.

Your body has to cooperate to an extent to be able to be still and listen,… How do you do this?...PRACTICE these postures, eat well, sleep well, sit still A LOT,.. 

be compassionate

…take care of yourself, others and the earth. Continuity, consistency …stay the course,… sit when you are happy, sit when you are sad, sit when you are active, sit when you are mad, sit when the sun rises, sit when the time presents itself.  The opportunity to be with yourself is available many times each day, I know you say you are too busy, you say," it’s too hard",…..

Rewrite the story, today is a new day.  Today, you start again,… and then ONE DAY,….one day soon,… you will be in a shape, a yoga asana,… You will “sit” in the posture and breath, your body will be at ease and the great answers that you seek will become a beautiful song in your heart,.. you will hear the song like beautiful music, your heart will dance, your soul will shine and it will be TODAY!

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.

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! 🌞☔🎃