A Yoga Space for All

We stand in the place where opposites come together

Or, as I re-draft this. “We stand in a place where “perceived opposites” come together. We can use our practice today to experience how we feel a presence in our lives in the world and how the world is a presence in our lives.

Whether you have had a heightened experience deeply or remotely during the last weeks to follow the intensity of COVID we were brought back abruptly (back several years perhaps) to the deaths and social unrest stemming from racial violence, retribution and mass frustration.

The principle of Ahisma is the practice of non-violence. The practice is intended to be engaged on and off the “mat”. When our body, emotions or mind are in tremendous resistance, we can use our practice to restructure. That may require modification, removal of expectation or ego parts as we address or change opposite aspects of our pose, belief or lives. Often a muscle might dominate over something. Or, our mind might insist on moving longer or deeper into a stress pattern. Yoga offers another tool in these cases.

Letting Go – non possessiveness helps us to vary our practice and can create a strong relationship with equanimity. It is also mentioned in the yoga Sutra that to release the tendency to grasp or yearn can be brought out in our practice.

In this Yoga set today, I am offering a path and practice to unite and yoke together the moving center, emotional center and the mind. This can bring awareness to these philosophies.

Consider how your body in each pose is a place where aspects of yourself come together. See and feel where the poses might hang you up or push and work through the breath to enhance the union. Try to regain a sense of the balance the pose levels within you following the practice.

Glance through your morning as you approach the Sunday Class.

Link to Class

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85357112117?pwd=VlMvQmNldk0xRUdsbCs2REZzTTV0QT09

Zoom Village Class Pacific Standard Time 9:00 am-10:15 Class ID #853 5711 2117
Password: 031245

========================================================================

💙   Begin with separation of the inhalation and exhalation.

💙   Lie of your back with a prop under your head and knees bent or resting on a bolster

💙   Our 4 minute breathing practice will lead to deeper and slower breaths. Try to engage in awareness on the moments of pause and shift from one to the other.

💙   Remove any bolster and continue to bend your knees suspending/them above your hips

💙   Allow even gentle rocking of your whole body

💙   From a seated position stretch over one leg, then the other (3 times)

💙   Calm your breathe to a slow and deeper pace as you reach your arms overhead

💙   Now stretch both legs in front of you and both arms up (alt. use a blanket under hips)

💙   Use your hands and knees to come into kneeling dog stretch – release your wrists

💙   Now, engage opposites energies of your back-front core–notice strengths & resistance

💙   Engage in Standing poses

1. · Tadansana
2. · Reaching back leg extension
3. · Warrior 1
4. · Warrior 3 (prep – meaning leaving back leg down)

💙   Return to Mountain pose and enter silent sun salutation – 8 sets

💙   Phase into wide leg stances

1. · High lunging
2. · Triangle Pose
3. · Warrior two
4.  End in a revolved pose of choice (revolved triangle, lunge, or half moon) 

💙   Return to Mountain pose and enter silent sun salutation – 4 sets

💙   This can be an excellent time to unify elements of your practice.

Consider your stages of awareness, your moving center, your mind (ego) and your heart.

1. · Balance with your feet (toes lifted, calves lifted) and (repeat with arms raised)
2. · Balance on one foot (turning out one knee – tree pose)
3. · Balance with one leg crossed and one bent behind (stability-strength-flexibility) Dancers pose)
4. · Finally open up from a high lunge to Warrior 3 (lifting the back leg this time)

💙   Return to Mountain pose and enter silent sun salutation – 2 sets

💙   Return to your seated position with single leg and both arms stretched forward (both sides)

💙   After a Slight Twist engage in comfort of kneeling pose (alt use low blanket under knees)

1. Experience Camel Pose – 3 times

💙   Lie on your back (use a strap if available) press one leg against couch or wall

1. Maneuver the alternate leg in lifted leg series
2. Switch legs

💙   Return to prone position for plank pose on forearms or palms 

💙   Return to kneeling downward dog

💙   Give yourself kindness! Elevate the legs (up the wall or in shoulder stand alt. blanket prop

We can conclude the practice with knees softly resting. Allow your awareness to reflect on the space of the breath – the space between the breaths. Release attachments and explore parigraha as a state of being.

Thoughtful Thursdays

May Focus on Clutter Clearing

Could it be as simple as that?  What if by eliminating clutter, you find clarity?  

Last week we initiated Clutter Clearing focus and effort in our lives.
But what if you can transform your surroundings, and therefore your own approach to life.
We combine this effort towards an objective of re-tooling ourselves, like a "modern-day alchemy".

We think it's worth the experiment.

Let's explore how you have been approaching an obstacle and, after this week of de-cluttering,
then how you can approach that previous sense of a barrier (obstacle) as flowing progress.

Set down the phone or mouse and begin to journal for 10-15 minutes on how you have initiated this process of de-cluttering. Remember this is your journal; it's not necessary to share.

1. Did you find a goal or task for the de-cluttering initiative?
2. How did you made the conscious or unconscious choice to pick that task?
3. Has there been a positive change in your space since initiating the project?
4. Do you need to make modifications to your plan?

Returning to the blog, let's try a small energy exercise to open the the door wide.
Close your eyes and allow 10 deep breaths. During this breathing time, visualize removing physical barriers (trash, baskets, boxes or clothing) through an open door.

After the breathing exercise, return to see and feel the space more open. Create a positive image of that clear space.

Inspirational art @EarthTones - crystal infused Affirmations by Andee Allen

Now consider how to celebrate that space. Visit us at our Conscious Living Store and select one inspirational item to celebrate the progress you've made. Pick an item that is affirmative of your goals whether it is a candle, chime, incense or printed inspirational message.

We will check-in next week for more elements of the clutter clearing focus.

Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
—Albert Einstein

Our Guidance for New Thinking emphasizes Thoughtful Thursday advice to re-pattern and re-energize your life using clutter clearing principles.

Most of us don't realize how it may be affecting our daily lives.

We long for clarity, mental tranquility, and deeper connections.  Habitual clutter can become a mental distraction that surround us and steals our energy to progress those qualities we are trying to harness.  

According to the Einstein quote above, (who wouldn't trust Einstein's wisdom?!) "in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."  In the middle of our chaos, lies the opportunity, the possibly, for clarity, tranquility, deeper connections, harmony and simplicity.  Doesn't that sound like a relief..
But where to start?

Being the Alchemist of our own life.

Denise Linn, whose work we carry in the shop here at EarthTones Gifts, Gallery, and Healing, says that clutter clearing is "modern-day alchemy."   Alchemy is in part defined as the "supposed transformation of matter." Perhaps clutter clearing could be the tool you use in your life to transform chaotic elements into harmonious ones.  Not just with the objects themselves but all the feelings you carry becoming more harmonious. And notice the changes as your own internal response mirrors the newly tranquil environment.

During the next month dedicate time, focus and steady action to declutter one or more area of your life.

1. Set aside an afternoon or evening with specific task(s) to accomplish. Set boundaries towards the task ahead. Keep the time dedicated by setting an alarm. If distractions arise, bless them and use the awareness as a stimulus for action.
2. To be focused is to return to the steps necessary for the project. Keep your expectations balanced. If focus is overwhelming, try a breathing exercise. For two minutes breath in calm and center the nervous system and breath out a sense of acceptance of the project at its current status. Afterwards, reflect without judgement what lies ahead.
3. Remain in steady motion. If you stall or upon beginning the next phase of your task be willing to tweak the process, consolidate the piles or modify your time commitment. If the results are not favorable or action isn't working shift your strategy and hopefully the flow will continue.

As the task nearly finishes you will have time to add some joyful maintenance including meditation, guided visualization or inspirational movement.

Keep in touch this month as you progress. We will bring new strategies forward next week.

Fall 2017 Reiki 21-Day Purification Retreat

Day 2 

Use the spark of sunrise to enliven our path ahead

Sunrise can present a spot of hope of joy and a way to not delve into the known or unknown. Sunrise avoids the how to agenda and rigorous path by teaching us to move slowly and celebrate the mystery. It is a pause – one of gratitude and reverence.

At the beginning of the day is the true breath, pushing through slumber. The morning air brings the spirit of the breath and is precious, divine and something that awakens our senses for the day. The morning dawn energy gives us ozone exchanges like no other time and the molecules are energized and excited with the light. Connecting to this time, being outside, observing our senses helps us adapt with intuition throughout the day.

Use Pranayama practice, breathing techniques each morning. Start with five minutes. Allow yourself an upright posture. Breathe the air slowly in and release slowly. Then, connect the inhalation to gratitude for the day and the exhalation celebrate the gift of life. Afterwords conduct a light stretch.

Natural Interval Kinetic Education (3)

Today's message resurfaces the famous 'ol adage, Just Do It - or as Grigg says in The Tao of Relationships (3) Just Doing.

Flowing from the mountain to the sea, the stream touches every stone in its path. Rain wets where it falls, from highest to lowest, from hardest to softest, from driest to wettest.

Indiscriminate water. It moistens and nourishes everything. Beyond accepting and rejecting, it is even beyond choosing. No will. No struggle. Just doing.

So what is NIKI (Natural Interval Kinetic Education). It's my term for the process of Just Doing. To both give and receive in our relationships requires us to keep fluid. Go with what is natural and avoid stresses of a rigid plan or structure. This way we can respond in the moment of conscious activity -- and do effortlessly.  If the mindset of the doer /doers can remain centered or pure there is no struggle. Kinetic action is happening and fulfilling. And, at the same time action produces great nourishment.

We can sync our attitudes and mindset towards a common goal but these will change (dry, wet, high, low), regardless they WILL change. So when that happens consider it an "interval". As with conditioning intervals create momentum and can give fresh perspective of aptitude and outcome. It move us away from stacking up resentments or burnout. This creates more desire to work on the goal.

When we sign up for something or join efforts consider the flow of these dancers. They learned about the flow of elements working alone and together and then trained themselves reaching new skills and honing equanimity. Thus through a process like NIKI they reached that flow when the need arose, the performance or coming together challenged them.