Hibernating for Winter

With all of the holiday celebration surrounding us, hibernation seems counter intuitive. Yet the rhythm of nature tells us, with it's cooler weather and shortened days, that this is the time to turn inward. Rather than moving into action, take the time for internal self-care and self-examination. It is fitting that work and school schedules pause and that we take a short break from the momentum that has built since last Summer. Gather energy and data so that when Spring arrives in March, you are able to intelligently plant your seeds in fertile soil.

Nature has a wisdom, and different times are for different actions. Winter is for heartier foods in smaller portions. Winter is for indoor sports or for enduring the challenging elements of the outdoors. It is time to slow down and take stock of where you are on your path, for it is essential in order to map out your course. Holiday time is a marker for what it was like last year. I always like to do an end of the year wrap up, creating a list of my accomplishments, my trials, changes, trips, and anything notable that occurred in this year.

Here are some ideas for slowing down and going inward:

• Cook something hearty, like butternut squash soup, or a stew with all the vegetables in your fridge. Take the time to try out a new Winter recipe to share with family or friends.
• Read a novel. I enjoy going back to the classics. Henry Miller, D.H. Lawrence or Dostoevsky. Choose something rich with description. Perhaps an author you missed along the way.
• Practice yoga at home. There is nothing harder than leaving your home when it's dark or chilly out. Commit to creating an exercise regiment or yoga practice that you can do in your home at least twice a week.
• Get outside. Bundle up and take a walk. Being connected to the elements is another way to get in sync with nature.
• Up level your meditation practice. In the stillness of Winter meditations become deeper. 
• Hot water bottle. Nothing like a warm body, or bottle in your bed. 
• Green Tea. Stimulating and a great anti-oxidant, green tea is my go-to. Try Jasmine Green.
• Catch up on your binge watching! I admit that I am not the best at this. I usually let someone else take the lead, and jump in on their binge watching. Nothing like a little entertainment to help you relax your busy mind.
• Podcasts. Yup. That App on your iPhone has a lot to tell you. I love The Moth and This American Life.

Join me in slowing down, and enjoying it! All will get done. Nothing to accomplish. Nowhere to go, except inward. 

Holiday Gift Wish List

Dear Santa,

Here is my Holiday Wish List: 

Veronica Rose Becoming Clear Ring

BNYXOJM Jennifer Meyer's Apron Dress

Persephenie Jade Camellia Body Balm

Alexis Smart Flower Remedy: My Personal Assistant 

The Life You Were Born To Live by Dan Millman

Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind Body Makeover

Angel Cards

Ele Keats Flower of Life ring

A tarot card reading with Nadine Kijner

Sextrology by Starsky and Cox

I AM FREE Affrim Mat

Miraculous Silence by Mitra Rabhar

Unlimited 1 month pass to Moore Dance Studio

OSHO Zen Tarot Deck

Subscription to Mountain Astrologer

Gift Certificate to JUICE SERVED HERE

2 plane tickets to Maui

Yogalosophy DVD

10 Sessions at Foundation Pilates

A copy of the movie AWAKE

Zen Bunni Lost Salt of Atlantis Chocolate Pack

Thank you for your consideration. 

Love, 

Mandy

New Moon Musings

The new moon falls in Sagittarius on Friday December 11th. The energy of Sagittarius is normally expansive and abundant. It is ruled by the planet Jupiter which is larger than life. That explains why this time of year is naturally filled with celebration and even excess. This season, the typically exuberant energy of Sadge is tempered by the planet Saturn ( in the sign of Sagittarius for the next two years.) Saturn is restrictive and brings lessons. It insists upon a thorough job and will not settle for the broad strokes and vision alone. It wants to make things tangible and real. The dreams and visions of the Sadge journey can be concretized this year, however we may need to slow down and map the journey out for now. Jupiter (the ruling planet of Sadge) is in Virgo, humbling the energy even further. It’s time to mind the details. While this may not be the most jovial holiday season of late, it could be a time for growing in true humility and for stabilizing and making real your loftiest dreams. The energy of Sagittarius likes to journey, so a long distance run or taking a bike tour through a distant land are good outlets for the energy. Expansion can mean expansion around the waistline, so be careful not to overindulge….Prayer and any religious ritual of any religion is interesting and favored at this time. Select the God of your understanding and dance under the moonlight in thanks!

YOGALOSOPHY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

The time has come for feasting, expansion and celebration. Of course, in the midst of all the Holiday cheer, we strive to meet deadlines, entertain our relatives and take stock of what the year has been. Along with this, world affairs pull our attention to the tension. With so much jam packed into a few short weeks, December can cause massive overload. During this time of year, it is essential to take space and make room for you. More than ever, scheduling time just for you is the key. Here are a few yoga cures.

Ways to handle holiday blues: 
• Do energizing poses like bridge, wheel or camel.
• Eat spicy or warming foods. Try cinnamon, curry or chili flakes.
• Dance!

Ways to relax and calm down: 
• Staycation. Unplug from responsibility and take a few days to do all the things you love.
• Cooking. Try a healthy recipe from a magazine like LA Yoga Magazine or GFF.
• Soothing epsom salt bath. Add a few drops of lavender oil to relax your nervous system.

Yogalosophy Gift Ideas!

     

While this has not been my easiest year, its been a great year for self-intimacy and a growing relationship to spirit. I feel incredibly grateful to have all of you in my sphere and I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season.

As we wrap up 2015, let us not forget the great gifts it has brought with it as we move forward into the new year. I can’t wait to share more with you about some upcoming projects in 2016!

Expand Your Perception

It's that time of year. You know what I mean. It's the time of year for expanding waistlines, more parties than you can handle, the ocean of sorrow that we are globally steeped in...it's the time of year when we are reminded of those wishes that never came true, the things we didn't accomplish last year, the deadlines we must meet....yesterday. It's that time when we miss those we have lost EVEN MORE and when we caste our hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. It's that time of year when family taunts us, haunts us and gives us gratitude. It's that time of year where the hunger and the sorrow runs even deeper. The time of year for giving... (and forgiving). It's the time of year that magnifies all of the above.

Sound familiar? Feel familiar? It's over load....isn't it? There's so much energy out there, and in here....pulling me in multiple directions. Yet, I am swimming in confusion and the inability to make a move. There are too many to make! I feel like I'm drowning in it all. Still I have hope and feel excitement. But...the details. I must stay on top of the details.

In order to gain perspective, I must expand my perception. I am imagining the inside of my mind where there is a mountain of ideas, thoughts and business. If I climb to the top of it and get some space. Claim my space, and sit. Here. I begin to breathe. I am able to feel and sense my body. My mind begins to turn off. The din in my mind becomes a faint whisper. It begins to sound more like a wind. In and out. In and out. Breathing. Breathing.

My mind becomes more of a canvas. I ask for the wisdom to paint the picture and I start to feel open and see more clearly. In times of intense excitement and stress...perhaps times when we become afraid of what we may not get or of what we may lose...it is important to settle in. I often hear and read that fear and love cannot exist at the same time. What if...the fear is there to strengthen my courage. In fact, there could be no move towards growth unless I had to muster the courage to find peace even amidst the fear.

These are the thoughts I have today. This is the idea the life has painted upon my canvas today. I don't have to force myself to feel the love. I don't have to erase the fear feeling. I can today embrace the the fear. I can love it, knowing that without it, I could not gain in strength and courage. Expansion(contraction), expansion(contraction). Inhale. Exhale. Life. Death. Repeat. Expansion. Expansion. Expansion.

Happy Thanksgiving.

POWER YOGA TO DETOX ROUTINE

Let's begin this week with a routine to support the power of release! This routine will help you to power up and generate heat in your body, while twisting and compressing to actively expel toxins that you must release and let go! 

POWER YOGA TO DETOX ROUTINE

Downward Dog

Knee to Forehead

Twisting Crescent

BEGIN IN A SEPARATE LEG FORWARD FOLD WITH SUPPORTED TWIST

Separate your legs 4-5 feet wide and parallel. Place your palms on the floor, directly below your shoulders. Lift your tailbone up and press your thighs firm, to straighten your legs. Bring you left hand to below your face. Reach your right arm up towards the sky as you rotate your chest open. Keep your hips level. 5 breaths. Switch sides. Then walk your hands to the front of the mat and legs to the back of your mat for DOWNWARD FACING DOG.

DOWNWARD FACING DOG WITH KNEE TO FOREHEAD (x3)

Press your palms down, as if you were going to make imprints of your palms into the mat. Move your pelvis backwards and upward. Squeeze your elbows in towards one another. Press your palms and index fingers into the floor. Press the legs firm and straight. Melt the chest towards the thighs. You should look like an upside down “V.”5 breaths. 

Raise your right leg up behind you. Then shift your weight forward (shoulders over wrists) and draw the knee to the forehead, forehead to the knee. Contract your abdominal muscles. Extend your leg behind you and repeat 8 times.

CRESCENT TO DIAGONAL WITH ARM SWEEPS (x3)

Step your right foot forward in between your hands. Stay on the back toes and raise your torso, arms extending up. Front leg is lunging at a 90 degree angle. The knee is aligned directly over the ankle. Feet hip width distance, not on a single line like a tightrope. Both hips facing the front. The back leg is firm; kneecap is lifted, heel pressing back. Arms extended by the sides of the ears. Palms face each other. Breathe here. 

From this lunge, sweep the arms behind you and reach your torso to a diagonal. Keep pressing the back leg firm. Tuck the chin slightly, and imagine your neck and head as an extension of the spine. Inhale, back to Crescent, arm sweep up. Repeat 8 times.

 TWISTING CRESCENT

From Crescent, bring your left hand to the floor by the inside of your right foot. Reach your right arm up towards the ceiling, as you rotate your chest open. Keep your back leg strong and continue to lengthen out through the crown of your head. 5 breaths. 

JUMPING SWITCH-BACKS (x10)

Release the twist and bring both palms to the floor on either side of your front foot. Get some spring-action in the legs and hips. In one move, jump the right leg back and the left foot forward. Again, switch. Try to move with each breath. Switch the legs 8 times.

COME BACK TO DOWNWARD FACING DOG REPEAT ON SIDE 2

New Moon 11-11

This week's New Moon in Scorpio occurs on 11-11. 11-11 is a portal that we may step through and make a quantum leap into a new reality. When one door closes and another opens and there is not a better sign than Scorpio for transcending one reality and letting go completely in a new one. Scorpio is symbolized by the Phoenix that rises from the ashes. All else may die, but Scorpio somehow regenerates itself and gets reborn. Another symbol is a snake shedding it's skin. The art of letting go is the mark of an evolved Scorpio. Scorpio energy has the power to transform the most base to the most enlightened. From the serpent to the eagle, Scorpio is the alchemist. 

Kundalini energy is Scorpio energy. Death and rebirth is the Scorpio path. Control and Release are its themes. Ultimately, it is the ability to control our own response by choosing the highest path rather than the lowest that brings us to enlightenment. We have a choice. Choose wisely this full moon and watch your world transform. Our thoughts, words and the way we communicate is key, since Mercury is conjunct this Scorpio New Moon. Make a conscious effort to notice these moments of choice in your daily life. Part of the strength we develop in this lifetime comes from the power to observe our thoughts and to select our words and actions consciously. Plant the seeds for cultivating power on this new moon. Seek to bring your shadow to light. Attune your nature to it’s highest good. The highest evolution of the Scorpio energy is the dove. Having been transformed and enlightened the dove represents pure peace.

When planting seeds for the month, creating a ritual can be potent. Try Kundalini yoga or join a fire ceremony. Find places to express pent up desire and safely honor your shadow side. Dress up as your dark side. Explore breath work. Holotropic Breathing (formerly called re-birthing) is a type of breath work that could be transformative. Get your chart done. Try Pole Dancing. Be sexy. Be fierce. Be in control of your actions. Perfect challenging yoga poses: Scorpion, Eagle and Corpse Pose. Most importantly, let go. The feeling of release is actually quite pleasurable. All creation is born out of the emptiness. Be not afraid of the dark, for that is where true power lies. 

Shadow and Light

"Only in darkness can you see the stars."
~Martin Luther King Jr.

As I fall back into Daylight Savings Time, and embrace the shorter days and the darkness of the night I look forward to the revelations I may have during night fall. Much is revealed when the darkness comes. I write this on Dia de los Meurtos, the day after Halloween where we come in close contact with the spirit world. The veil is very thin during this time of year. It is appropriate to become more nocturnal. Night time is a place where secrets are told. There is intimacy in the darkness. More is revealed in the in-between spaces of the night, as we come closer to the spirit world and the dream time.

 B photography, shadow and light, the body's edge. Schattenspiel

The emotionally dark times can bring us into deeper intimacy with ourselves. I have found my greatest strengths as I struggled with the despair of a loved one dying, the agony of my physical body failing me either through an injury or internally or the devastation of romantic heartbreak. It is in these moments when I stand alone and face my fears and my shadow that I stare into the void and am somehow imbued with an inner strength that seemingly comes from nowhere. It gives me faith on my journey. It reminds me that I am the heroine of my own story.

Shadow is a valuable commodity. While many selectively view themselves as positive or light, I embrace my depth and my dark. I dive into the abyss of the emptiness to explore the territory where no one has been. This is the ride I have chosen. The both/and. The shadow/light. I have seen signposts along the way telling me that this space is most fertile. I have heard that nature abhors a vacuum. Or that not-knowing is the most creative state. Time and again when I feel that I can't go on and I let go and surrender to the unknown, something new will appear. Just as when I look to the sky for that first star of the night with childhood memories of the promise that Jiminy Cricket made to me. I make my wish from that empty place of yearning and desire.

 I know that without my darkness my light will not shine as bright. I know that I must love this being fully. She longs to be known for all of who she is, not just the fruits of her labor, but the arduous journeyer that she is. Each step on the well worn path, pressed into her face and peppered throughout the strands of grey in her DNA. She wants to be seen. And she wants to see you.

Let us stand strong and watch the shadows play upon our faces as we gaze up at the stars in tonight's sky. Let us watch the shapes of dark and light that moon casts upon these well etched and hard earned wrinkles.

Oh how I love your empty spaces and your in-between places.

Dive In Deep

Transformation is a long and painful process. The ability to sit in the discomfort of the nothingness, like the chrysalis in it’s cocoon requires mastery. Entering as a lowly little caterpillar and emerging as the delicate and beautiful butterfly is a major adjustment. Today crawling and tomorrow fluttering by. Nature reveals these miracles daily, and reminds us of our own slow, yet seemingly instant, transformation. The external change appears to happen in a burst, yet the process itself is wildly unglamorous.

I will speak for myself when I say, these past two years (and particularly my past year) have been a slow and grueling transformation with periods of extreme sadness, waiting in the unknown and facing fears. Life has tested me to my core. Since I am a 47 year old woman, I have had some training and practice in being tested by circumstance. I was well-prepared to sit with and face my fears in a way that I have never done before. I can humbly say that my internal strength and my faith has grown tenfold. While there is still uncertainty, I am no longer trying to gain control over any outcome.

It feels like this: I settle into my cocoon. I sit, and willingly dive deeper. Uncover more of myself. Realize that she is there. Hiding. Hiding behind her strength, her accomplishments, her projected image. Who is this she, I am yearning to know? I let her know that I love the one who is hiding. I love her. The one who thinks she has more to say, but doesn’t know what. The one who wants to give more. The one who is afraid of being seen. Now I understand the fear. The timidity. Is it because she is delicate. Because she is fluttering by wiith her many colors in her final, beautiful stage.

As you move through transformative times, have patience. Know that the burn you feel in the stillness is the alchemical process of change.

Delight in your depth. Be heavy. Sit. Be still. There is nowhere to go. That is a good thing.

Restructure your thinking. As above, so below. Nobody and nothing else is the problem. The problem is blaming outside circumstance for the way you feel. Instead, feel the way you feel. And notice your thoughts.

I wish you depth and faith!

Reflections on Navaratri

In my daily meditations I reflect and learn. To practice yoga is to seek balance. A balance of strength and flexibility in body and in mind. Conditioning  polarizes us and teaches us "good" vs. "bad." We lose our balance, trying to do "right" instead of "wrong." We seek "strength" and shun "weakness." Yet, each day, our world reflects back to us that one person's "victory" is another's "defeat." Life is balanced in this way. One needs the other, and so the wheel spins.

The path of yoga is the path of both/and. My judgment of a brother or sister is usually a reaction to a quality that I disown within myself. My sense of lack gets triggered if I forget that I too possess the beauty I may project on to another. All that I see and encounter in my world is simply reflected aspects of my Self.

What an eye-opener to entertain that I contain the compassion of Christ and the callous self-righteousness of Isis. As I open up to my own depth and complexity, I find a deeper peace with the world as I sit solidly in my center. No more hiding. No more hiding my fear, my insecurity or my rage. No more hiding behind my accomplishments. No more hiding behind my friends. No more hiding behind my opinions. No more hiding behind my history. No more hiding behind what my dad said or did. No more hiding.

Our Navaratri Altar to Goddess Durga

Auspicious seat.

The Self is the playing field of these dynamic energies. During this week, I had the opportunity to connect with the energy of Navaratri, the Hindu celebration of the Divine Mother in her many forms. She is fierce, pure, abundant, sly, life-giving, and she rides atop a tiger. Her eight limbs hold tools. I was given the tool of the malas or rosary. When I read about this tool, I was delighted to find that it contains the ability for special powers. Both the ability to become so small that one becomes invisible and large enough to encompass the universe. The ability to become so heavy that one is immovable and the power to be light as a feather. Who is this Self that can contain such extreme opposites?

In reflecting upon this vast playing field, one could contemplate that indeed we are not simply one point of focus, or even one player, but like the Divine Mother we are the field itself and the multiple players, as well as we are none of it at all. The dance itself is life. Each playing its part. Sometimes blindly. Sometimes fearlessly.

When I look at the world today, what aspects of myself might I see? When I see myself, how can I embrace her with the reverence and fierce love that comes with the naked truth. How can I be both visible and seemingly not there at all. Reflections of the many forms of truth.

My sister from the same mister. 

Which me shall I be? 

Monday/Moon Day

The rhythms of the planets are a cyclical dance of synchronized chaos. The moon, our fastest moving planet rules our emotions, moods and needs. If you are like me, this can change from hour to hour (that's a Gemini moon for you!) The new moon is a one month marker, of a certain energetic theme. This new moon vibrates in the sign of Libra. Partnership oriented; concerned with fairness and equality, Libra needs to relate and cooperate with/as an equal. This sign of marriage is ruled by the planet Venus. Venus is known to bring beauty, pleasure, money and love.

When looking at a new moon chart, one must read the other planets for clues. On this new moon, the planet of chaos and excitement, Uranus and the planet of transformation, death and depth, Pluto create friction. When faced with immediate change and power struggles, our needs may warrant an overhaul. Today. The planet ruling Libra: Venus, is conjunct Mars and Jupiter, making her extra physical and sexy. She is also opposite Neptune. This can be spiritual or deceptive. Another hint is that Saturn is engaged in a bit of a struggle with all of these personal planets. Many lessons to learn, many hard circumstances to work with. Inhale. Exhale. Continue.

There may be relationship issues requiring structure. Be flexible, and patient with this new moon. Tune in to what relationship means to you today. Get current with where you are. For instance, you may have wanted marriage years ago, but with a few bumps in the road and some experience under your belt, you may have decided that flying solo might work best for now. Or perhaps attraction is shifting. Perhaps what you once swooned over~ just don't seem to evoke the same visceral reaction anymore. You have arrived at a new place in your life. Outer beauty only goes so far. 

Take the time to redefine your partnership needs. It may be a good time to make that list of qualities you are looking for in a partner and take it a step further. What qualities do you want to project in a partnership? What would you like to give to another? 

Most importantly allow information to flow freely. See what sticks. 

Partnerships do require compromise. As my uncle, who is an attorney says, "A good deal is when both parties are a little disappointed." Be willing to let go of something, knowing that you will have more to gain by working "with."

New Moon Blessings! 

Inner Beauty

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."— Audrey HepburnAs a  young girl I looked to my mother as the icon of beauty. I always  noticed that she was  appealing and charismatic.   Men would stop her on the street, women would start chatting with her at the  grocery store and all my friends wanted her to hang out with us.  She was really quite something.  My father,  being a bit crass gave her the nickname Audrey Heartburn. Nice. One thing that I did recognize about my mother was that she would tend to look on the bright side of things, and give others the benefit of the doubt. If I came home from a confrontation with a girl at school, she would remind me that perhaps the reason the other little girl was so cruel, was because she may not have it so good at home. It could be quite frustrating when I wanted to complain, or have her on my side. Looking back, I am happy that I had a mother that pointed out that I might look a little further into someone to find some compassion. Decades later, my mother became a  literacy teacher to children, and was quite the popular rock star. Kids would beg their parents to allow them to be tutored, even if they were doing well in school. Mom was in demand.  She played with and entertained the kids, one of them was   quite disappointed when he found out she was not his age and he would not be able to marry her.   It was a lesson she taught to a little girl ,Luah, who was not in the spotlight next to her friend who was being complimented on her beautiful dress. Luah was a little upset and asked "what about mine?" My mother noticed this and  told her that there is such a thing as "inner beauty." Did she know what that was? And proceeded to share with her about goodness. What a lovely lesson, even to this day. Inner Beauty. What is it? It is a feeling towards the world. A way of looking at the world with love. It's a way of feeling touched by the gifts of nature  that we can find in any given moment. Standing in the light of life itself , we can develop the grace to receive abundance and to take each moment thoughtfully and with poise. This requires presence of heart and mind. Taking the time to be exactly where you are and to choose light and delight. You are not alone. The best possible way to know this in your heart is to  begin a relationship with a force that walks alongside you, supports and sustains you. The best possible way to begin is with a sit. I've heard it said that prayer is how I talk to God, and meditation is   how I listen.  In each moment, as I pause through out my day , I can allow this stream of light to enter my heart. Prior to my action, I can learn to pause and see through the eyes of G-d. Which holds all in the light. To me, this is Inner Beauty. 

Hashtag SuperMoon

It seems no matter where you turn these days, you see a #hashtag about a Super Moon. I knew the hundredth monkey phenomenon had officially occurred when my uncle, who is a lawyer, reminded me not to get upset because Mercury in retrograde is "real." This weekends' Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse was actually trending!! Well, Mercury is retrograde. So how can we make sense of all this "information?" As I was checking out my own social media, I actually became weary of the obligatory posts on said #supermoon. So feel free to tune in again next week, unfriend, or even make a snide comment if you must. (I actually got one on my Facebook page: Blablabla, he commented. And I sort of agreed. 

Now down to business. After over four decades of astrological study, here's what I know: Whenever there is a full moon we are working with the polarity of opposites. Issues of relationships come to the fore because we are working with the Sun (self) and the Moon (internal emotional life); therefore emotions heighten as we feel a pull from deep within and equally from the external forces. We feel pulled in two opposing directions, creating dynamic tension. This past full moon was on the Aries/Libra axis. The sun in peace-making Libra and the moon Libra's opposite fiery sign of Aries. This indicates an internal need to care for the self first; to follow your impulse and to be selfish. At the same time, the conscious and solar life highlights partnerships. How can you balance your own needs with those you are closest to? 

Now for the eclipse part, which is what made it a #BloodMoon because of the pinkish hue. As earth travels between the moon and sun, it eclipses that light reflecting off of the moon. In this moment of darkness, there is a reboot. In a way like turning your computer off and then on. Eclipses have a six month effect, so it marks a new theme in your life. It isn't like a lightening bolt or an "aha" unless it is touching your personal planets. For more clues into what this may look like for you, perhaps you can remember back to Fall of 1996. There was an eclipse in a similar position. What were you learning then? Take some time to identify what themes are similar for you today and stay available for a makeover.

As far as the SuperMoon part, when the moon gets as close to the earth as possible, thus making it appear larger, and has no significant astrological effect due to this display. I will say, there have been a lot of #SuperMoons lately. I almost feel that I need to jump on the bandwagon and address it! 

I will leave you with this, everyone has Aries and Libra somewhere in their chart. Personally, I try to roll with the energy of the day and in the Libra month, balance postures, surfing, and aerial yoga classes could benefit you during this month. When training at the gym, work with a Bosu Ball to challenge your balance. Relationships and negotiating, compromise and pretty things take priority. When challenged by the impulse of the moon in Aries that is quick, impulsive and active, communication is the key. But what's done is done. Moving on. I hope you had a #SuperWeekend and have a #SuperWeek filled with #SuperSunSalutations.

Balance is Beautiful: Let's Fall!

As a young woman, my life was filled with extremes. I swung from being a very rigid and serious task master; so strict with my body and diet to being undisciplined and directionless, in body and mind. As age has seasoned me, my swings have lessened and my life has become more subtle.Too much strength and we become hardened. Too much flexibility and we get wishy washy. When we learn to hold the dynamic of opposites and extend in both directions simultaneously, life becomes a beautiful dance. Balance is a dance of opposites, which creates a dynamic energy: both/and. This engages us and allows us to relate with one another, with our environment and with our own bodies. 

Let’s look through the lens of yoga: 

*GAZING POINT: for a balance posture the gazing point is essential. In life too, we can find our higher vision and still the mind of petty details and tit for tat mentality.

*BREATH: The breath and finding the natural body rhythm is key to being in the present moment. In life there is an ebb and flow, a natural rhythm. Being present may require waiting and a trusting that things are happening as they should, as well when we are present we sense the moment when it is time to act. There is a divine timing. 

*EXTENSION: We embrace the world of opposites, and experience the dynamic energy within that. It is possible for more than one truth to exist simultaneously. Understanding that we are both light and dark, we awaken to wholeness. 

Balance. although serene to behold is really quite active requires attention. Just like an easy relationship, presence is key. When communicating, repeat back what has been said by your partner said to be sure you understood, and that the other feels heard. Mirroring the body language of the other is a tool that creates a feeling of being in sync. In relationship to ourselves and others, communication is a key element for an easy, natural flow. 

Check in and be related to your body, and what it requires. It will let you know. 

POSE OF THE MONTH

BOAT POSE: NAVASANA

THIS POSE WILL INCREASE YOUR BALANCE AS IT TONES YOUR ABDOMINALS AND FIRES UP YOUR DIGESTION.

DIRECTIONS: From a seated position, bend your knees and place the soles of the feet on the floor. Grip your hamstrings and extend your chest up, almost pressing your lower back forward. Balance on your sit bones. Extend your legs so that your toes are at eye level. Reach your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor, and lift your chest and sternum upward as you gaze up.  Balance here, using the strength your lower abdominal muscles. Hold for 5 breaths. Repeat 2 times. 

Here’s to a beautiful Fall! But when you fall out of your pose, simply try again.