Present time!

It's that day again! Time for presents (presence)!

So open your presence.

and

Enjoy your presence.

The Choice is Yours - Really!

In this season, and in any season, know you have a choice. Own it. Digest it. Get off your back. And move on with a more enlightened (or at least educated) point of view. Here is the rant from Ageless Yoga class on 12_14_2016.
Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-168113093/you-have-a-choice

E-ticket ride bought and paid for

Well, 2016 has been an E-ticket ride for sure. Think about all the changes. Think about how much "them and us" "are you with me or against me" "un-friending" "liking" etc... there has been. Personally, politically, and in the news, movies, social media (and more). (This is the Ha and Tha of Hatha yoga. The duality of our reality.)

One cool thing about our country is that our constitution guarantees us the "right" to free speech. How do we use that freedom? Or maybe some of us don't use it at all, and just say what we think others want to hear? Regardless, we live in a world where we can publicly vent, lie, tell the truth, escalate, calm, on a moment to moment basis. As soon as we press "send" - it's out there! (It was out there regardless, but that's another blog). And then, how do we change our mind? It's out there after all? How does one gracefully change one's mind without feeling embarrassed, less than, stupid, etc...? With all this free speech and expression, can we put some space in there so we can all listen and grow and evolve?

That is the E-ticket. We all bought it when we came to Earth (Earth-ticket). We all bought it when we came to physical form because like it or not, we came to Evolve (Evolve-ticket).

I'm not sure if there is a refund policy, but since it's the "Holidays" you can't get anyone on the phone anyway, and no one wants to give you your money back, so why not sit back and enjoy the ride. I mean really people, who would buy a ticket to a roller coaster or Space Mountain if you just sat there?

And if the ride feels too rough, remind yourself that this too shall pass. Remind yourself that you only get what you can handle. Remind yourself that sometimes going to the gym is hard, but you come out stronger. And try smiling at strangers. Laughing at yourself. Changing your mind. Listening instead of talking. Paying it forward. Asking for help. Remember that your Big S Self is driving, hoping to get your attention, so maybe pay attention. Or not. Personally, I'm big into hot baths and dorky Holiday movies. And looking at things that make me see that the roller coaster in my mind is not the only reality, like twinkly lights, my dog's cute face, cityscapes, landscapes, a dying house plant. The list is infinite and if one thing doesn't work, I move on to the next until I find one that works for me in the moment. Such a delightful surprise to see "dirty sidewalks sparkle in the sun." (a song lyric I never got to use).

Love yourself. Love the ride.  Love the dirty sidewalk. And remember, at some point, you might feel gypped if it was boring. 

From Mushrooms to Apples

Yes, yesterday was a day of opposites. "One side of the mushroom will make you grow taller. The other side will make you grow smaller." As I paraphrase Lewis Carroll, I point out that neither tall nor small is the right choice. There are times where small is more useful and there are times when tall is what is better for the situation. The important part of that is to know which one is needed in the present moment. So it's not about tall or small. It's about the size that's right for you in the moment.

So back to the pairs of opposites. And remember what Yoga Sutra 2:48 says (again paraphrasing) - the result of mastery of the physical is when opposites cease to have impact. In other words, we are not thrown off our center by positive/negative and other opposing points of view, etc... Opposites.

Back to the mushroom. So I had a 2 sided mushroom kind of day.

One side of the mushroom:
On one hand, my breakup from my former employment is going less smoothly than I hoped. But when a person commit to really learning, and I made that commitment to myself,  the Universe, aka your Big S Self, makes sure that you look at all the parts. And leaving isn't always the easiest solution. I wasn't expecting it to be easy. It wasn't. Deciding to move on took a lot of time and thought for me, because I am a Leo and really loyal. But last weekend, the trigger was pulled and the apple cart is tipped, and when that happens we have the opportunity to see what's in there. And we all have some apples that wouldn't make the State Fair. I'm not afraid of my non-State Fair apples. Those are the ones that will help me grow better apples. Or at least keep the cart from stinking.

This side of the mushroom made me grow ____________ (fill in the blank with taller or smaller. your choice. it's all the same to me)

The other side of the mushroom:
On the other hand, my mail-lady came to my door yesterday, as friendly as she always is and asked how I was (as she delivered a package containing a UNICORN POPPER!!!!! ) (YES I SAID THAT!!!). She asked how I was, and I answered, "Well, my back is hurting, but at least I can walk to the door today! I can't quite stand up straight though." She responded (I'm paraphrasing in spite of the quotes),"If you want, I have some remedies that really helped my husband. I'd bet happy to come by and put them on you tomorrow." I said "yes, come by anytime after 11."

And she did!!!  She came by, with some Chinese medicine patches which she heated up and then applied 4 of them to my back. This is the person who knows me by name and delivers the mail!!!! That's some great State Fair Apples!

This side of the mushroom made me grow ____________ (again, fill in the blank with taller or smaller. your choice)

So opposites in one day. Contention and Kindness. Both grew me. Both showed me how to grow more amazing apples. So eat the Whole mushroom. Unless you're allergic. Then find another metaphor. 

The Holidays Part 1: Give a Gift

The Holidays! Or should I say Holi-daze???  And lest we forget the Holi-nights! And the Holidaze after the Holi-night. And then there are the Holy-days and Holy-nights. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"The Holidays" is such a big state of consciousness, it's hard to not get swept up in this flurry at some level. The consciousness is so big that when I say "the holidays," we know exactly what time of year that I am referring to, even though there are many other holidays throughout the year. These are the actual "Holidays." Interesting.

So here is my holiday tip for the day:

Give yourself a gift today. Then pay it forward.

Once your cup is full, you'll actually have something to give.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Or as I heard it put so well on the radio: "What's not to love about a made-up holiday about food?" Whether made up or not, I love Thanksgiving. Yes, I love food. And this holiday used to be about food, family, friends. And it still is.

Fade to black. lights up. A few days later...

I started this blog on the actual Thanksgiving Day.  I actually had some pretty inspiring words to share. But true to the moment, that was then, and this is now.

On Thanksgiving Day, I was in the midst of a flu that as of Saturday, I'm now on the other side of. But I still felt grateful. I still felt that even spending the first half of our Bahamian vacation gargling with salt water, tripping out on vertigo due to ear congestion, and sleeping whenever I saw an available cushy spot to get prone, was well worth everything it took me to get here. No, not to the Bahamas!!! Well, ok, that too... :-)   But to get HERE in this life where I am less and less concerned with what others think of me, and other things that used to make me stress out and worry, and more interested in asking myself what i Really want, who I Really am, and what I'm Really doing here. Besides stocking up on Vitamin D, eating fresh fish, and washing cold medicine down with Pina Coladas. Ok, not the Pina Coladas part. But I would if I thought it would help!

I have a really long list of shout outs, but for now let me hold you all in my heart, hold you with the closeness of One who Knows and Is, and bathe us in the light of gratitude. And if you are wondering whether or not I'm grateful for you, I am. 

Am I doing enough?

How to decide if you are doing enough? Play the worst case scenario and ask yourself- "could I live with myself if X happened and I had done nothing or didn't do what I thought I should do? When we act from a place of no attachment, we are acting not expecting outcomes to be according to our personal plans. There may be a bigger picture that we have no control of. So focus on doing what you need to do so you don't drown in guilt later. Cuz a drowning person is just one more thing that "needs saving." Save yourself so someone else can spend their energy saving their own ass. When you are deciding what is your next "right action" from a place of center, you are not attaching to outcomes, just doing what you personally need to do in order to look at yourself without judgement, remorse, guilt, or other. 

What exactly is "Toxic?"

Toxic - it may not be what you think.

https://soundcloud.com/user-168113093/toxic

Listen and Learn

Listening is being willing to digest what is being said and growing. Listening is not about showing up in a room and not talking. Just because a person isn't talking doesn't mean they are listening.    More listening please. 

Am I willing to be the one that doesn't have an immediate response? Am I willing to be Ok with my own digestive timeline? Am I willing to commit and listen from center as I hear what is being said from the sides?

How to be a Spiritual Gangsta

How to be a Spiritual Gangsta.

https://soundcloud.com/user-168113093/spiritual-gangsta

Be more than a fashion statement. 

Psychic Centrifuge

In this psychic centrifuge of life, we churn. We churn to mix, to digest. We also churn to separate, discern, to differentiate so we can see what's in there.

I know that as the speed of this centrifuge has kicked up, it has been humbling as well as awe-inpiring to see what has been buried inside. We get an opportunity to see where our glitches and buttons and unresolved material lay dormant (aka our karmas). Also, we can see the past karmas (thoughts, glitches, buttons, material) and how they've digested. What I mean by "digestion" is that we have worked with the material until there is no longer an emotional hot button attached to the issue, and we are able to actually see the perfection of the situation. And when we can see our digested past, we can be less reactive in the present.

Because we have gone through the process of having and digesting judgmental thoughts, thoughts of hatred and rage, thoughts of victim and dominator, thoughts of greif, sorrow, doubt, we are able to better understand others when they have similar thoughts or mind-sets. We can actually see ourselves in others. Not from a place of greater than or less than, but from a place of understanding how they must be feeling/thinking, and we remember that we had to go through our own unique process to get where we are now. In this way, digestion helps us build our capacity to see a bigger picture.

And when that centrifuge kicks up, instead of freaking out, I've learned to get curious and start asking "why" until I find an answer that pulls me out of my little s self, and helps me see the Bigger Picture and perfection.

Why do you think what you think?
Help me understand
So I can better understand instead of undermine
So I can how I fit into
To the Wholeness of our situation

Churn to learn
As we learn, we churn
Yes, we may burn
But there is also water in the mix
As we create a solution

Churn to Learn

Churning is rajasic (rajas loosely means "movement" or "activity"). Rajas moves from a state of inertia (tamas) to either a state of increased tamas, or to a state of sattwa (loosely means illumined clarity).

Can we say YES to the rajasic nature of this time of change and use it to help separate ourselves so that we can see the Whole more clearly? So that by witnessing separation, we can understand the Whole organism? So that we can see ourselves as part of this Whole? That understanding, in my world, would be a state of illumined clarity and to me, that is well worth upsetting the apple cart for.

Digest and get into present moment

Build capacity to digest fear and doubt.

https://soundcloud.com/user-168113093/2016-election-night-dharma-talk-intro-digestion

Audio file from Nov 8, 2016 Transformational Flow class. Recorded and posted by request.

I'm testing out this audio file thing. Let me know if it works from a technical point of view, and also if it works for you in general. Or stick with written word? Video?
thanks!

The Salve of Fire and Light

Feel your fire burning through the dust, the thickness of thought forms. Feel your light slide through as you relax and get clear. Let go of tension. Feel your muscles - relax. Your organs - relax. Your face -relax. As you drop tension, feel lighter. Feel clearer. Feel your center line. Rinse and repeat.

Politically Correct?

Politically correct? Possible oxymoron here.

Maybe the election was a partially a backlash and reaction to all of our increased "political correct-ness." Maybe it's time to be less concerned with being "politically correct," and take the politics out of "correctness." In the yoga sutras of patanjali, there is extensive discussion around "right knowledge" vs "wrong knowledge." This is NOT about emotionally charged judgement calls of good/bad, right/wrong, hero/villain. "Right knowledge" simply means that a being remembers who they really are, that they are Wholeness and they feel a state of equanimity. "Wrong knowledge" means they forgot those points and are identifying with their ego, personality, job title, and other qualifying markers based on comparison. If we move into being simply "correct" in our thinking, aka "right knowledge," instead of being "politically correct" we may shift our focus from "trying to get it right because we don't understand," to actually understanding because we have embraced and experienced, or at least believe and recognize that we are Wholeness, and the result of that is that we recognize it in others.

Politics is not the boss of me. Politics is not about seeing each other as Whole and divine. Politics has been about separation, territory, greater than/less than, good/evil. When I look at it that way, there is nothing "correct" about politics, so why should I spend my energy being politically correct? Especially when I look through the current lens of politics today.

I'm not saying get rid of politics and that politics sucks. I'm not making politics wrong. I'm just saying it is not the basis of how I see myself, others, our nation, and the world. I'm going with patanjali on this one. "Patanjali correctness?" Hmmmm...  Kind of rolls off the tongue....

Now what?

Ok we did it. We proved that anyone, regardless of experience or understanding of the constitution can become president. Now what?

Now is the time to get real with your Self and what you are doing here. If a reality show personality can become president, is that exciting? Scary? Or something else? Stay alert. Stay present. Stay out of judgement. This is one big ass opportunity to grow. Do we say yes to the fear and doubt menu? Or can we walk the center line and dig deeper to see our part in this reality show of life?

America voted for change. Whether this is the change we were seeking or not, it's the change we got. Now what are we going to do with it? Will we sit back and let someone else's version of change be what we accept, or will we follow the voice within and be willing to Be the Change we seek? How many are actually willing to do that much work?

To me, this appears to be similar to Americans going into another country, upsetting the apple cart, and leaving before a new plan and system is fully established. There is a big empty space now. Do we, the change-seekers, have the chops to fill it, and with what? Because unless you happen to be a 2 year old, we can scream and cry for what we want, but how are we going to get it? What are we willing to do to get what we want? Usually things don't drop from the sky, and part of this change we seemed to be seeking is that we didn't like what mom and dad were doing in that big White House, so we elected one of our own to run it, and without a viable plan. So we did that. Now what are we going to do about it? No blame. Just looking at the cards we dealt ourselves.

One thing I do know is that every organsism makes choices that are in it's own best interest. Whether that be each of us as people, the organism of a culture, a country, a planet, a solar system. A choice was made, and now it's up to us to grow from it.

One reason I haven't been super radical in politics is because I know I don't have time, money, or bandwidth to give these issues the energy they need to actually make some change. As a yoga teacher, I play for the " long game" even if it means that students may not get instant gratification of handstands or head stands. Yet, I know if they take their time and work systematically, we get there. And this is small stuff- yoga - one person. Not an entire country. I'm not the one to play the political long game- I don't think I have the drive for that. But if you do, then play it well, play it hard, play it long. I'm thinking that changing the attitude of a nations thinking might take longer than learning a headstand. And for most, a headstand takes more than a year to learn.

So be that political change. Or don't. But decide today that you won't be swayed by someone spouting rhetoric that leads you into an abyss of fear or erodes your faith with the corrosion of doubt. Walk the center line and dare to be the one that doesn't sling blame. Dare to be the one that is solution oriented. Dare to be the one who listens to both sides, sees that they are both right, and puts forth a point of view that illuminates. Dare to enlighten yourself by watching those tendencies to blame and judge and freak out with fear. What can you control? Control that. Or learn how. 

Another thing I know is that it's perfect. Does this mean that I do nothing? Not necessarily. It means that I stop blaming and freaking out and figure out what the next steps are. And build my capacity so I have the fire to execute them from a place of min-judgment. Other option: I stay the same and ignore the opportunity to grow. But something has got a lot of people's attention. And that is worth looking at. We got our attention, and if we don't look at it now, it will mostly likely come back around at some point, bigger, louder, more dramatic.

Voted my conscience

I'm going to get publicly political, which is not my style, but here it is. 

I voted. For Hillary. And that was me voting my conscience. Voting for a 3rd party candidate may be voting one's conscience, but will it change anything? No. Merely voting for a 3rd party candidate will not change this system. To me, voting for Trump, or anything that points to Trump, is saying Yes to fear, doubt, and blame. And it all trickles down from the top, so if that's what we want setting the tone for our country, then yes, Trump is the answer.  Not my answer. Not my conscience. But to each their own. Which is the beauty of our country.

A vote for Hillary is a vote for someone who has spent her whole life in public service, who has a love and knowledge of the law, and the constitution. She has demonstrated repeatedly that she is capable of hearing both sides, and seeks win-win solutions. I believe she honestly wants to serve, and she is qualified to do the job. She doesn't accuse and sling blame. She seeks solutions. It's easy to pontificate and inflame the masses, especially when they have been fed a strict diet of fear and doubt. My hope is that she is elected, and we can begin to nourish ourselves as a country, and recover from the diseased thinking that has been sweeping through like a plague, especially in this election season. 

Regardless of who is elected, we must fight to overcome this fear/doubt/blame. 

How can we be "land of the free home of the brave" if we are bound by fear?

Connected or Attached?

Many of us are seeking "connection." It's important not to confuse connection with attachment. We can be connected to something without being attached. This means that we and the object I am feeling connection with are untethered and free flowing. "Connection" is more a state of being, not something we can pack in our suitcase. 

Many of us substitute attachment for connection. Attachment comes with strings, uh, well, attached! And just because we are attached doesn't mean we will get the connection we are seeking. 

Forest through the trees

If we are the tree that falls in the forest, can we hear ourself fall? 

It's not the material, but the experience of the material. 

What is the experience from the other trees point of view?

Can we hear the forest as a tree?

Can we see the forest as a tree?

The bigger the forest, the smaller the tree may seem, yet to the falling tree, it's probably huge. We are all specks that pack a whallop. Unless we are looking at ourselves from space. Then that big fall virtually never happened. 

Stillness is

Stillness is stillness. Nothing more, nothing less. Stillness may or may not take you to the center of your Self, but it probably won't hurt. 

Don't turn stillness into an opportunity to nit-pick yourself. Don't turn stillness into an opportunity to find something that you think needs fixing or changing. Just enjoy it for what it is- stillness. And if you don't enjoy stillness, fair enough. If you want to enjoy stillness, practice. Small bits at a time. But stillness for what it is. 

Just stillness.

Lineage

What is this thing called lineage? We talk about teachers who have come before us, yes. But it's deeper than a bunch of names and forms. We hold ourselves in our own knowlege, our own embodiment, our own experiences, our own lessons. That is the lineage that ultimately holds us. That is our through-line. To tap into the lineage is to tap into our inner knowing of who we really are. 

So what about the teachers then? Those names and forms? They help us remember. They tow the line by holding steady when the journey becomes ridiculous or unbearable. They hold the knowingness as an example of our faith-to-be. That knowingness and example becomes our inspiration and our light until we see it, know it for ourselves. We can lean on their faith, their light, until we can see and know our own. Until we are steady enough to stop worshipping name and form and journey and path, and are able to see ourselves as equal- equal to.

We are all of the same lineage.

Interesting that the lines that help us get steady eventually dissolve into One. 

Truth

Truth is simple. 

If something seems burdened or too complex or hard to understand it's probably art. 

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny. We learned that in Social Studies somewhere along the line. I can't even remember how it was presented. Something about someone or some thing's destiny as being pre-determined I think. Regardless, now those 2 words all all the buzz rage. "Manifest your Destiny!" and the like. Hard to get away from all this destiny and this manifesting. So of course, I jumped on the bandwagon and  tweeted "its a great day for manifesting! come to Transformational Flow tonight at 6:30 etc..."

So I've got a full room. "How to manifest" in 90m minutes? Simple. Navel center - 3rd chakra - manipura chakra. The place where (according to me) "you make your dreams into realities." So a bunch of agni sara later, we're doing some poses. And then the manifest part. It takes the holy trinity of chakras to make the formula work: 3rd eye (6th chakra), heart (4th chakra), and navel (3rd chakra). 1st - you have a heart's desire (4th chakra). 2nd - you zoom out and get a big picture and clarity that this is what you are meant to do (6th chakra). And 3rd - you get in and do the work on the physical plane (3rd step, 3rd chakra). The cycle continues. You may say, "why is this so hard? why am i doing all this work?" and then you remember, "oh, i had a heart's desire." Then you zoom out (6th chakra) and in this bigger picture, see why your heart's desire is important and get inspired to continue. Then back to work - 3rd chakra - apply your will and execute the deeds on the physical plane.

It's a perfect formula. Perfect for manifesting. Perfect for growth. Perfect of overcoming obstacles. Just perfect just cuz.

It's your destiny to manifest. Maybe its your manifest destiny. That's what we do. That's who we are. For now at least.

Results

In yoga we talk about not focussing on results. But looking at results, aka action/reaction, helps us to understand cause and effect and therefore, karma. Once we understand and embody that our actions create reactions, and that we have some semblance of control over those actions and reactions, we more clearly see how we play a part in this big ol thang we call "life's circumstances." As we play with goals, results, cause/effect, action/reaction, we begin to more fully understand how this physical dimension works. We can then layer that into the emotional body and the mind, and begin to master our emotions and move into more conscious thinking and decision making. As we keep laying this foundation of understanding and embodiment, we prepare ourselves to more gracefully move into a dimension that contains cause and effect, but is not run by it.

Value system

What are you wiling to lie for? Cheat for? Steal for? Kill for? Give up your integrity for? Those are the things you value the most. What are they? And what is your system for protecting them?

Feather of the Peacock Pose

Last week Yoga International published a short video of my tip on how to stick your forearm stand (pincha mayurasana aka feather of the peacock pose). For this tip, you need a working split. One viewer wrote and asked, "what if you don't have a working split?" This was my response. I hope it's helpful:

Hi (insert name here)-

Thanks so much for asking! Without actually seeing where you are with your journey on pincha, it's hard for me to give you the one big pointer that will "tip" you over the edge to success! That being said, 

1) continue to work on your split - stretch hams and quads - both on the floor and standing 

2) keep working on the shoulder alignment for strength as well as shoulder mobility. the tighter the shoulders, the harder this pose will be since you have to fight not only gravity, but your own physical immobilities 

3) when you do kick up, think of kicking the legs straight up instead of into the wall. Its' like you are catching and upward wind tunnel. Once you are past the point of fear of going upside down, kicking into the wall can become a big habit, and a hard one to break. 

I hope I get to practice with you in person sometime! I would love to help you dial this in!

peace and love

Jean

and yes, I hope I get practice with all of you at some point - pincha mayurasana or something else. 
And here is the link to the quick tip:

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/one-quick-tip-for-sticking-your-forearmstand

Commandment #9: Love isn't Lust

Commandment #9: Love isn't Lust

Another excerpt from Heart, Hips, and Relationships workshop.

Lust is all things sensual, sense related, second chakra. Love is beyond the senses. As you grow, you don't need to keep trying to keep the sensory experiences alive. This is not to say that if the sensory is still working for you, that you need to put a lid on it! Just keep doing it! Not a problem. But if "the thrill is gone," so what? Does it mean you love each other any less? Don't compare your relationship to someone else's view of what a "good relationship" looks like. Sometimes, you move past needing the sensory to feel successful and alive.

It's like getting attached to asana. Some people will love asana their whole lives. Others won't. No greater than or less than. They are still doing yoga. Still doing Life.

Lust on and on and on if it serves you.
But lust isn't love, and all things sensory can fade.
Thank God love isn't one of those sensory things.

Commandment #3: Truth is not a weapon

In the workshop "heart, hips, and relationships" I lay out the 10 Commandments of relationship according to me. And this year, I added the 11th commandment. 

#3 - Truth is not a weapon. 

Am I telling the truth because I feel hurt  less than in some way? Am I using this idea of telling the truth in order to hurt back and give myself a boost? Am I telling the truth because I feel lost and lonely and invisible and i need someone to acknowledge me to affirm that I exist? 

There are times in relationship where we need to tell our truth to a loved one (or other lucky devil), when in fact, we really just want to knock them down a few pegs. Lucky them. So before casting these pearls of wisdom, consider these points:

#1. Tell yourself the truth first- what do I really want to get out of this interchange? If you can be brutally honest with yourself, then you can be brutally honest with another.

Then remember the following:

1. You exist

2. You are equal to, no matter what perception you have chosen to give your truth to

3. You are worthy.

4. Tell yourself the truth first. 

Do you what need to do in the moment, and see if telling the truth was the cause that created your desired effect (karma). And feel deep in your heart. If you plan on using truth as a weapon, be very clear on what dragon you want to slay. For Truth is not a weapon, but that which shines a light and helps us grow. (Think fertilizer vs Round up)