Shine your light

For all to see! Thanks Heidi!
Happy May Day from the Himalayan Institute!
A day early, but it's May 1 somewhere... Probably where they need it most.

On shanti

Nancy Drew

I loved the Nancy Drew books. I mean, who doesn't love a good mystery? Who doesn't love to be the first one to solve it?

One thing we are discussing in this amazing training, "The Art of Transcendence," is how we, as the Omnipresent, left trails of breadcrumbs so we can find our way home.

It's like a scavenger hunt, or a secret Harry Potter map, where we get to open little messages in a bottle, clues that we've left ourselves to lead us back to remembering who we really are.

If I had an icon of a smiley face with sherlock holmes hat, or big magnifying glass, I would insert it here.

Game on!

more and more

evolution.
evolving.
resolving to dissolve.
dissolving to evolve.

Things that go

Things that go bump in the night:
Hips
Heads
Egos
Beds

And the silent stealthily tracking of a banana slug

Baggage free- again!

Yep. Apparently a 4 hour layover in Newark wasn't enough time to move a bag 1 gate.

I could look for reasons.
Or I can just go with it.
And in going with it I can see the humor. Check. Call the airlines. Check. Get disconnected. Check. Write a letter expressing my frustration. Check. Decide I've spent as much time/energy on it as I willing to. Check. Let it go and enjoy the clothes on my back. Check.
And be glad I listened to the voice that told me to put my lecture materials in a carryon even thought didn't need to.
Check.
👍💪🙏

One more! Rumi!

"Poems are the rough outlines for the humans that we are."

I can't even comment on the multi-dimensionally faceted aspect of that.

Read more Rumi. Love more people. Live more life.

Amen. (I was raised catholic and god is in the details.)

Another Rumi

"Find your place and close your eyes so your heart can start to see."

We will be doing this and more at the 500hr module, the Art of Transcendence starting this Friday.

Yummy!

Destiny

Sometimes you have a day when elements align- the weather, a feeling in your body, your ability to not take things personally, your access to seeing a bigger picture, the way bok choy and quinoa taste, the way your dog looks at you. And you are in the elusive "zone." The place reserved for high level athletes, artists, shamans... And you. Right here right now. It's like you were upgraded to first class, or for some reason, you ended up in the cool kids group. Don't question. Embrace this moment, for it could be your future. No time like the present to practice your destiny.

Rumi tonight

My most amazing friend and teaching partner gifted us 2 tix for the Rumi concert tonight. Little did she know the big part Rumi had in our early relationship development (ERD). We had 5 Rumi poems in our wedding. I haven't read Rumi for many years, but it's time to get back on that horse, Shetland pony, unicorn, or sunflower. Or something else.

Of the many amazing lines from tonight, I share this one:

When you give up the Self absorbed, your being becomes a great community.

Dang he's good.

Sigh.

I love when people take me to a place if speechlessness. Of nothingness. Of being ness.

Finding Your Inner Voice

This is what yoga is all about. Aligning with Self. Knowing Self enough to viscerally know that It Knows best. Strengthening resolve to overcome tendencies (vasanas) that keep us on the fear wheel. Developing Shradda, faith. In the bigger part of you that is the Big S Self.

Where do we start? With our lives.

How do we start? Anywhere. Pick something to change. Stop judging the outcome.

When do we start? Hopefully now.

What are the results? A new and brighter You. A light so strong that no matter what tragedies abound and surround, you are unshakable in your faith and trust of your Self. And that light will be a comfort and inspiration to those around you. Unless they are so locked into fear, that they are scared of you.

Then what? Don't be afraid of their fear. Don't judge them for their fear. Stay true to you. That is Love.

We Shall Overcome

What are we overcoming in the song "We shall overcome?" Obstacles. Inequity. Fear.

Fear is everywhere and it is being capitalized on. Think about it. How many of our thoughts and concerns and decisions are fear-based? Does this make me look fat? What if I can't afford it? What if something comes up and I can't make it? What if something better comes along? What if there isnt enough left for me? What if someone else gets my dream job?

Advertisers play on our fears. They used to be a bit more subtle about it. Now they just come right and say it "if you don't buy this product, someone will steal your identity." "Who is going to rip you of next? You'd better be ready..." Instead of dancing around the F word (fear) by comparing us to the Jones' whose lives are perfect, bodies immortal, kids thriving, they tell us "dont let this (tragedy) happen to you!" As if we can prevent tragedy. Just sayin'.

Authority figures use fear to keep us in line/manipulate our decisions. We are afraid we are being manipulated... Get us comfortable enough, then threaten to take away our creature comforts. Yep. they've got us by the proverbial balls. They warn us if we don't behave, we will be outcast, put on watch lists, get audited by the IRS. Again, etc...

We are being steeped in it, especially with the Boston Marathon bombings. It's as if we are stuck in this fear hole and cant see past it. And if we can't see past it, or even imagine past it, our prospects may look pretty dim.

What recourse do we have? Hide? Fear-based. Avoid? Fear based. Go along with the crowd? Fear based. Do nothing? Fear based.

Our recourse us to learn what our inner voice of truth is, listen to it, and follow it no matter what. When we listen and act according to the One who Knows, aka Your Inner Voice of Truth, then we have nothing to fear. Because, who/what knows more than that Inner Voice? Who/what else knows what to do, where to turn, better than Your Inner Voice? So if you want to be safe, make your decisions from your Knowingness. Or else...

Blown around

It's a fine line between being tossed around in the wind and resisting the winds of change. We know that balance is not an absolute but a state, a process. And as we embrace the process we find the answers that are blowin in the wind.

Freesias

Note to self- plant more freesias. Even one or two in a vase can change everything with the scent of their elixir-. Nature is amazing and as I write this, the freesias seem to know because their perfume is the only thing I can smell right now. Thank you freesias.

And also thank you Deeb, for the amazing roses that dominated my senses until they went to sleep. Call it tag team nature, and I have a front row seat. Omg. What else is there?

I'll tell you. An amazing group of people who came to the "impressions of India"workshop where I had the honor if sharing my experiences from my point of view.
Wow.

Yeah, that's it. For now.

KF4 - The Final Frontier

So what did I ask back in the in the first of these four stories on space? "What was this thing that these 2 virtual strangers shared?"
We shared the space.
We shared the space that runs through all physical things (even molecules).
We shared the one thing we all share.
God. Or put in your own word for it. This God is space. The clear transmitter. The clear message. The intuition, the Knowingness. Our Higher Self. We all have One and the Space is it. The river that runs through us all is the space.

The more we acknowledge and know this space, the more clearly we can transmit the teachings of whatever it is we are here to transmit. The more clearly we can receive the transmissions of others, and if we are transmitting/receiving from the space, which is uncluttered by personalities and judgements, the more easily we can understand the Whole Big Picture. And see the world as an amazing web of the power of our thoughts which created something from nothing.

and if you liked this topic and want to read a really cool novel, I suggest The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Magic, thought constructs, and the power of imagination. And yes, there's always a love story...  I loved the story.  Can you feel me? If so, we are communicating through space. 

Kinesthetic feedback

Last night i had a dream that mentioned my first yoga teacher, Dr. Albert Franklin. in the dream, it was cool because i met someone else who knew him, and together we experienced a kinship of experience. We had both studied with this amazing and inspiring person. What was this mysterious thing that 2 virtual strangers shared? This got me thinking...

When I was a dancer, I felt it was my job to transmit the feeling of what I was feeling while dancing so the audience member would feel like they were doing what I was doing. When I was teaching dance, I taught from that place, not only to inspire them to evoke kinesthetic feedback, but when I demonstrated, it was about more than the shapes in space. It was about the feeling. Could the audience/student feel what I was feeling? If so, I had done my job. Message received via kinesthetic feedback. Message received via ...

Kf3- through space

Continuing this journey from the last 2 days, I retrace my steps and give thanks and credit to the teachers who taught me about space.
1. Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen who introduced me to different "minds" of the body, who at that time was teaching me about the space that runs through us all, and how to communicate through it.
2. Dennis Adams who taught me the "space story" where I learned/experienced the space as God. He also opened my awareness up to the fact that we can consciously and unconsciously transmit information, knowledge, teachings, through the space and those teachings were the most powerful. Powerful since they aren't carried in with words as the transmitter, because words have thought constructs surrounding them, which dilute or misrepresent the truth. But hey, we do what we can with what we've got in the moment, right?
3) and Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, who transmits the deepest teachings through the space.
4) my students, who let me practice and home my skills in transmission and reception through this space.

Kf2- transmission

Continuing from yesterday's theme what I was doing was figuring out how to access the space in order to transmit information. I started observing other artists, athletes, etc... Anyone who inspired me. When I felt inspired, I felt what the artist was feeling in their process, whether looking at a painting, reading a book, listening to music or someone speaking, or watching a person move. As I developed this idea, I found that I could start feeling, experiencing, this kinesthetic feedback thing in "non-artists." I was becoming more sensitive to what was being transmitted through the space, consciously or not consciously.

Kurmasana

Stability sets us free. When we are stable, we can fly farther, with more confidence.
Kurmasana - tortoise pose. 

Raining Pouring

It's raining
It's pouring
The old man
Is snoring

Who is the old man? Thunder? The wind? The sound of silence because there is no old man to get up in the morning?

Just sayin'

And I do like a quiet evening at home - with or without. Old man, feel free to join this party, or not. It's all good and i will be getting up in the morning...

Blue Musings

Blue musings.
Is there a Blue Muse amongst them?
Blue-
One of my favorite Joni Mitchell albums. Seriously.
Blue - Jean's
Blue - the color people think my eyes are until they look closer.
Blue - my favorite color growing up. Again - seriously.
Blue - as in "a dog named..."  (peter, paul, and mary fans will totally get this one)
Blue - a big crayon
Blue - as in true
Blue - as in Picasso's ....
Blew - as in Dizzy Gillespie
Blew - as in i blew it
Blew - what i did to dandelion puff balls
Blew - as i what to birthday balloons
blue - what i felt when ( fill in the blank with your own ideas)
Blue(s) - as in singing the

Feel the sky blue light in the heart and experience the vast expanse of the sky.
You are the sky.
You are the blue.
You are the blue you knew before you became the You.

Blue also rhymes with really fun words : skidoo, anew, tattoo, fondue, Katmandoo, adieu...

Am I blue?

Blue berries
Two berries
Two blue berries
Berry berry blue

The Importance of a Name

It's been said in the business world, often times, if you want to make someone feel acknowledged and more appreciated, thus happier in their job, change their title. Yes. It really works.

and when i look at blog posts, i realize the importance of a title. think about it. people read titles that interest them. myself included. How can you get people to eat the weirdest parts of animals, or common weeds that you dig up from your lawn on a restaurant menu? Give them a new title.

It's all in a name. A person named Edgar will probably have a completely different life in high school than a person named Forrest. No greater than or less than mind you, but definitely different. Moon Zappa. What if her name had been Ashley?

Would I have been more popular if I would have been named something else? I remember when my mom was pregnant with my youngest sister. We talked about names. Sue was the coolest name in my opinion, so I rallied heavily for Susan, so she would have a leg up on all the other girls her age, in her class. Even at age 8, I recognized the power of a name.

So when we name ourselves, when we give ourselves identities, make sure we want the whole of what that means. Because in this world of duality and ego-identification, the importance of a name, a title, an identity, can make a big difference.

in the world of non-duality, it makes no difference whatsoever, even though our ego-identity tries to convince our Self that it matters. So have fun with the costume of a name. But remember that who you really are is that which cannot be named.

Siddhis and Ahimsa

Continuing from Siddhis, once we are able to discern our inner voice of truth, the next siddhi is to have enough trust that the voice we are hearing is that Voice, and that we can confidently act on that Voice, in spite of what we have been taught, in spite of rules, social morays, all things that were constructed to help others feel safe in our presence. The rules were to make life easier for the rule makers. So the rule-makers looked for an easy way out. A way where they didn't have to work on their own fears. The fears that drove the creation of the rules.

If we work on making ourselves feel comfortable, I mean truly comfortable, then maybe we would be closer, as a community of humans. We might feel embody living more fearlessly. Because if I am comfortable enough in myself, then no one can make me uncomfortable, and as a result,  I will have no need to "protect" myself from others, and make choices based on others taking away my feeling of safety. I will no longer need to rely on the "kindness of strangers" to make me feel valued or comfortable. And hanging out with people who are truly comfortable in their own skin is usually really comfortable, easy, less work, and quite frankly, a relief.

Ahimsa. Non-violence. Start at the house of you, and go from there. If you are comfortable in your own skin, truly, unequivocally at peace, you will have no reason to act in a violent manner towards anything.

Non-violence aka Ahimsa

Non-violence. In yoga-land, it's called ahimsa. How can we truly carry out this task of living non- violently? Some say, don't eat meat. 10 Commandments say don't kill. Parents say be nice. All of those may be acts of non-violence, or not. But think about it. Closer to home. Closer to Self. What does it really mean to be "non-violent?"

i think it means being true to yourself. There is a Shakti out there that causes restlessness in a person if they are not fulfilling their dharma - their life's purpose. This restlessness may be a form of "violence" against the soul. Otherwise, why would there be that restlessness.

Also keep in mind that the soul is beyond violence. We just talk about it in human terms, because we are, well, human...  What i'm saying is that since the soul doesn't take things personally, there is no violence. So maybe taking things personally is an act of "violence." If that were true, then Ahimsa would be "not taking things personally" instead of blaming others for what they did to you.

hmmmmmm.... so how does that relate to eating meat?

Just saying'....

Siddhis

We built this siddhi
Siddhi of the angels
Kansas siddhi

In yoga, we talk about cultivating power. Often times, a motivating factor is the promise of acquiring siddhis, or psychic powers.

IMHO, the power that subsumes the others, and hence, would be the one to acquire, is being able to discern you inner voice of truth from the cacauphony of voices, opinions, fears, programming that we have inside. What good will it be if we can hear someone else's thoughts, until we can hear our own? And who's to say the thoughts we think we are hearing aren't someone else's? Whose thoughts are they really?

When we can discern our inner voice of truth, we will hear exactly what we need to hear in the moment.

At that point, the next siddhi is to have enough trust that the voice we are hearing is that voice, that we can confidently act on it, in spite of what we have been taught. In spite of rules, social morays, all things that were constructed to help others feel safe in your presence. Perhaps those rule makers could have had an insight, or less laziness to turn it around. If I work on making myself feel comfortable, I mean truly comfortable, then maybe we would be closer, as a community of humans. To living more fearlessly. Because of I am comfortable enough in myself, then no one can make me uncomfortable, so I will have no need to "protect" myself from others, and make choices based on others taking away my feeling of sfaty. I will no longer rely on the kindness of strangers to make me feel valued or comfortable. And hanging out with people who are truly comfortable in their own skin is usually really comfortable, easy, less work, and quite frankly, a relief. Ahimsa. Non-violence. Start at the house of you, and go from there. If you are comfortable in your own skin, truly, unequivocally at peace, you will have no reason to act in a violent manner towards anything.