Thoughts Provoked On Breathing
Yoshiko Matamoro wrote, “Each moment of this precious life is a treasured vessel, ready to be filled with every grace and many blessings.” Nietzsche wrote, “You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.” Does not every mother give birth to a ‘dancing star,’ a shining soul worth everything she has [...]
Read more Mother’s Day Re-Defined
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We do not honor our great Mother. We do not look to her future. We do not listen to her needs. We only pay attention when she is really pissed off and blows a volcano, tosses a tsunami, or hurricane our way. We do not offer sacrifices and bow in celebration every day, as she [...]
Read more Gaia’s Sanctuary
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Sometimes when least expected, a magical event appears from haphazard seed. It seems all the more special as magic is in short supply these days. The following tiny story comes to you full of magical possibility, born of an odd thought in an insouciant moment Our Yoga community celebrates. We create ritual for the earth [...]
Read more Amazon Queen
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Her imponderable weight rises Caught by skeletal spring branches Of the neighbor’s pear tree, Momentarily enmeshed In tiny nets of unfurled bud. She hangs- dropping gold. Lighter, she lifts silvery Full-orbed, pendulous Breasts and belly wrapped In sheets of silent silk. Her honeyed sheen dazzling The night sky Blazing a trail for other galaxies. Resplendent, [...]
Read more Full Moon At Dusk
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The exquisite delight and detriment of saying “yes,” as opposed to no, or maybe, creates extreme polarities of greatness, and failure. We must have said yes to take this incarnation, no? We must have said yes to grow beyond childhood. But as adults, with accrued disappointments and failures, what remains of our ability to express [...]
Read more Saying, “Yes!”
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The reason the world is round is it keeps us from looking too far down the road. Another reason is that- roundness is symbolic of a mandala, a magical circle. Roundness delineates birth. It is the womb. The inmost shrine of an Indian temple is called a garbha, the womb. The center of a mandala, [...]
Read more Roundness
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Is March-Madness an outer or an inner state? It is a tippy month of seasonal change, coming in like a lion, out like a lamb, with everything in between. Does the body simply yearn any excuse to disrobe the inner quiet of winter? And is the inward turning, peace, or pent-up energy? Is the Vernal [...]
Read more Judging March Madness
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Being vacuous is the new luxury. Vacuous defined as, ‘empty, void, vacant.’ The modern inference is, lacking intelligence. But the truly vacuous state may be the most intelligent after all. When we are empty – are we not available for filling? When was the last time there was space to not do-YOU? When was it [...]
Read more Serene As A Fish
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A newcomer to class, observing a Shakti Yoga Dance for the first time, told me he was surprised at how strongly it affected him. He asked how I chose to put them together, why connect those particular Asanas? Surprised by the question I had to question, how do these dances grow out of the mat? [...]
Read more Sometimes When We Dance
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Last week I wrote about ‘right relationship.’ This week, I un-expectedly return to that theme due to an article in the NY Times on 1/5/12, “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Life,” by William J. Broad. It has gone viral in the Yoga community, and despite being well written, and informative, has created tremendous fear and [...]
Read more Love & Loathing
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For some strange reason- the world decided to begin a new year in winter’s thickness, when natures turns in, and the north wind summons silence and long sleep. Perhaps winter’s slow and quiet offers needed space to review and consider how best to begin again? It takes fortitude, desire, and generosity to forgive and surrender [...]
Read more Right Relationship
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At the revolutionary beginning of America, Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together now, or we shall most certainly hang separately.” In this Last Breath of 2011 I’ll echo Ben’s advice, ‘be your own best revolutionary.’ We must be the source of our inspiration, and our happiness. We can’t roll over hoping for our [...]
Read more Resurrection
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On this Solstice night, Declaring winter, The year’s closing sigh relents By-gone months of Broken selves strewn Untidily in cobwebbed corners, Dreams shrugged From shoulders bowed in Disappointment and desiccated hope. Effort and agony-the excellent products. On this longest, darkest night Let us sit silent in review Lest we miss angelic, “Hurrah” For failure and [...]
Read more Winter Solstice
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This time of year takes us into the dark, our inner core of sustenance, which does not have to be mysterious, but when given half a chance-is. As explored in last week’s Breath, we are in that straddling time of endings and beginnings, of work and celebration, of fall into winter, of questioning past results [...]
Read more Mystery & Mastery
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Straddling is not easy. When we are of two minds it’s difficult to make clear decisions. Emotionally, when we are un-committed, neither fish nor fowl, we stew. Straddling is more difficult with big changes such as divorce, losing a job, a child arriving, or a parent dying. This requires we figure out new energetic pathways [...]
Read more Straddling
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The stranger arrived five days ago. I see him stride along the storm-line Stooped and blood weary Yet resistant to surrender, Walking miles with himself Watched by those inside Warm by fires, wondering Does he want friendship? Is he hungry to be seen And sit shoulder to shoulder With us as the dogs do? He [...]
Read more The Stranger’s Grace
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How much room does expectation take up? Where does it live? Who does if feed? How do we see it? When is it at its worst? And…if you did not expect ‘it,’ would there be room for more delightful things such as contentment, awareness, lack of angst, and more turkey? It’s hardest when we expect [...]
Read more Holiday Minefield
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We can choose to perceive the mundane as a grand, and weird mystery, or a boring dump. We can, and do, edit our viewpoints from multiple perspectives in every moment: spiritual, self-absorbed, short-sighted, hopeful, angry, in awe, confident, un-knowing, detached, add-on ad-nausea. As Buddha said, if you are sad, wait until the next breath. In [...]
Read more Engaged In Mystery
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