The Benefits of Being Positive

I recently came across these wonderful reasons for being positive in Jon Gordon's Weeky Newsletter, and will share them for your reflection. If you ever needed some reason why - here they are!

1. Positive people live longer - In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived on average 10 years longer.
2. Positive work environments outperform negative world environments.
3. Positive, optimistic sales people sell more than pessimistic sales people.
4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure.
5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ration of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce.
6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity.
7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions whereas negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems.
8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can't be thankful and stressed at the same time.
9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level.
10. Positive people have more friends which is a key factor of happiness and longevity.
11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace.

So there they are. Perhaps you can think of other reasons - but all of these resulted from various studies.

You can download a PDF file of these at Jon's website:
www.jongordon.com

What is Your Vision?

A busy day awaits me. I will soon be crossing the river to go to Willow Street Yoga, to hear Dr. Manoj Chalam speak on the symbolism of Hindu murtis. I've had the pleasure of hearing him before, and have bought a number of Siva statues from him. They have graced my meditation space for some time now. They are also infused with very sacred energy and are quite special to me...

I quickly glance at my email, and find this newsletter from "Jewels of the Lotus" - and I am struck by how it compliments my recently blog entry, "What If?"

This newsletter invites us to consider what our vision for the New Earth is. And of course, it suggests, that any transformation of the earth simply begins with our own change and transformation.

Here are some excerpts from the newsletter:

"The way to transform your life is by reaching the inner world through awareness...

How do we really find our center? By entering the present moment and knowing that is where the peace we so long for resides. If we allow ourselves to be calm and still, even if only for a moment, we can find peace even during the storm...

Enter into Stillness as often as you are able. Open to your Divinity and thus transform your world. Enter into Stillness via your heart, joining with your higher self and together we can transform the planet!

Keys to a Peaceful Life:

1. Own your power
2. Know you are the master of your creations
3. Your relationship to self is the most important one
4. Know that you are always protected
5. Take time for yourself everyday
6. Lovingly parent your inner child
7. Know that we are all ONE
8. Practice non-attachment
9. Simplify your life
10. Every interaction is an opportunity to heal
11. Practice forgiveness
12. Look for the positive in all situations
13. Be aware of the Divinity within
14. Practice Peace in all areas of your life
15. Become a Spiritual Warrior
16. Live with Integrity
17. Be humble
18. Have a Gentle Heart
19. Be non-reactive
20. Live consciously
21. Be the embodiment of Spirit on Earth"

And to all of these suggestions, I add these quotes from Mother Teresa of Calcutta that I posted on Twitter this morning, which I feel complement these suggestions:

"Do not think that Love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is love without getting tired.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies...

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, is a much greater hunger. A much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

Words which do not give the light of love increases the darkness.

It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount f love that is put into them that matters.

All great achievements require time.

Peace begins with a smile."

For the complete newsletter, visit:
www.jewelsofthelotus.com

Loving and Forgiving What Is

It seems that in the last week, everything I've read or every audio recording I have listened to - has given me a similar message. But, I've already said that - haven't I?

It never ceases to amaze me that the messages are there - always - for those willing to still the voices that often hold us captive to allow the Inner Voice to speak its wisdom...

As I drove to teach my yoga class at Willow Street Yoga, on the other side of the river these last two weeks, I listened to excerpts from two CD's - one based on the book, Loving What Is, by Byron Katie, and the other Radical Forgiveness, by Colin Tipping. Both contained very similar messages and practices aimed at the acceptance and forgiveness of what currently exists in our lives, in our relationships, and indeed all of our experiences...

Here are some gems of wisdom I jotted down after listening to Tipping's audio recording:

"Things don't happen to us - but for us... [They happen for us to grow and let go of separation]

Every action is either an expression of love or a call for love...

Everything is perfect as it is. We receive exactly what it is we need. We experience separation to come back union...

If you spot it - you got it. [Meaning, behaviors we see in others we don't like are the very ones we need to own up to or we are not fully aware of]

The people in our lives are mirrors that reflect back to us what it is that we need to work on...

Life itself is a mirror - what shows up for us is what we attract in order to learn what we must learn...

We are one with God...

Matter [reality, experiences, and so forth] manifests from consciousness..."

In order to practice radical forgiveness, Tipping delineates steps to be taken - and offers many helpful and practical exercises which I found myself doing mentally in the car.

Byron Katie is known for "The Work," which enables you to shift resistant perceptions. Both of these authors and speakers, Tipping and Katie, show how all of our suffering is due to not accepting and loving things as they already are in our lives...

From Katie's CD and book:

"You are the teacher you have been waiting for. You are the one who can end your own suffering...

The only time we suffer is when we believe a thought that argues with what is...

Much of our stress comes from mentally living our of our own business...

Every time I had felt hurt or lonely, [Katie speaking], I had been in someone else's business...To think that I know what's best for anyone else is to be out of my business...

A thought is harmless unless we believe it. It's not our thoughts, but the attachment to our thoughts, that causes suffering...Most people think that they are what their thoughts tell them they are..."

Through "The Work," or what Katie call "Inquiry," one identifies one judgments and then proceeds to examine them through the thorough application of four basic questions:

1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it's true?
3. How do you react when you think that thought?
4. Who would you be be without that thought? and

"Turn it around"

There is obviously, much more to all of this, and I suggest exploring all of this work in depth.

But, just for today, be willing to entertain - that everything that happens to you is already perfect as it is. Every event and person in your life is an angel sent to you to help you transform - and help you remember your connection to the Divine - however you envision that to be. It certainly, can be a radical way of seeing things and living our lives!

For more information, visit:

www.radicalforgiveness.com
www.byronkatie.com

What If?

I came across this quotation that I have seen before, and decided to "Twitter" it in separate sentences. But it is worth savoring whole, as a meditation for this day, and indeed, every day...

So here it is, my rendition, slighted edited...

What If?

"What if--
our religion was each other,
our practice was our life,
and if prayer, were our words?

What if--
our temple was the earth,
if the forests were our church,
and if holy water - was
the rivers and the oceans?

What if--
meditation was our relationship,
and our teacher was life--
if the source of our wisdom
was self-knowledge,
and if love was the center of our being?"

(Based on a quotation by Ganga White)

What if all these things were our reality? Would it not be a different world? What if we all pooled our energy and our resources and gave intent to make it so?

It could be...It is only a mere thought away...

What if we changed our world by changing our thoughts?

What if....???

Be the Light

I sit in meditation at the noon hour, and I am amazed at how we receive exactly what it is that we need, at precisely the time and the moment that we need it...There are no coincidences...

During the evening last night, I read a Twitter post, and found myself almost adding it to the end of my entry yesterday, because it went so well with it:

"The kingdom of heaven is within you."
Luke 17:21

Yes, so true - the kingdom of heaven - and indeed - the whole universe is inside of each and everyone one of us - seeking self-expression in every thought, word, and deed...

Yes, truly, all that I need is inside...Everything will someday pass away...All that remains is Divine in its Essence...And that is at the heart of who we all are...

I tune into my breath - using the mantra - "Ham Sa" - "I am That" - I am One with the Divine - on the inbreath and the outbreath...

Breathing in, I mentally say "Ham" - and it comes to me that the breaths are like the ebb and the flow of the tides - the "Ham" - like the high tide - and the "Sa" - like the low tide - both necessary and complementary - like the "see saw" principle we refer to so much in Anusara Yoga. We draw the tops of the shins forward - but the tops of the thighs back. We draw the shins in - but the thighs out. This is how we create balanced action in our bodies...And now, in my sitting, I create balanced action in my breathing, and in my soul as well...

The breath connects me to the Light inside of me - it invites me to become that Light - and embody the Light in who I am and what I do...

I reflect on a blog entry by a friend, who contemplated on the Season of Lent as one inviting us to remember that we are Light - and to the Light we shall return!

I can think of nothing more beautiful than this - we are Light...

We breathe to remember that we are Light...The Light is inside of us...

If each one of us shines the Light inside of us just a little brighter, the whole world will become truly incandescent!

Limitless

I visit the river for the first time in weeks...It is cold, and as I make my way through the park and to the riverbanks, I notice all the downed trees that succumbed to the 34 to 40 inches or so of snow that came down mere days apart...

The river is very wide and seems so vast. I cannot remember the last time that Grace, my kayak, took me out to enjoy and explore these healing waters...

The river is truly limitless - the theme I used in my yoga class this morning...

We live in a world that imposes so many limits on us - but perhaps not more than the limits we impose on ourselves...

And yet, if we are truly made in the image and likeness of the Divine - as so many religious traditions teach - how can we be in any way - truly limited?

Even poets and teachers have indicated that we are without limit:

"The whole universe is inside of you.
Ask all from yourself!"
~ Rumi

"The universe is inside of you,
and you are the universe...
Return to the self
and know your own secret!
The whole universe
can be known within the self."
~ Nityananda

I have shared these quotations before - the latter most recently. But I felt that my students needed to be reminded of this as we worked with extending and blossoming in the poses with "Organic Energy" - one of Anusara Yoga's Universal Principles of Alignment.

We also worked with Anuloma Pranayama, with bandhas, and the focus of our drishti - or gaze while doing yoga asanas or poses to enhance its meditative aspects. We explored some things that were planned and part of the syllabus - and some that were not - but hopefully all helped to contribute to a greater awareness of our essence as being one that is fundamentally without limit.

As I gazed out at the river - these words by Sri Ramakrishna, whose birthday was on the 18th, came to me:

"Dive deep, O mind,
dive deep into the Ocean of God's Beauty:
If you can plunge into the uttermost depths,
There you can find the gem of Love."

May we always dive deep into ourselves and realize the Presence of the Divine is always there - however we envision that to be for us. For some of us, it may be more about realizing our fundamental connection to the universe. It does not matter. We are far greater than what we think we are. We are capable of so much. And our spiritual practices, are only a gentle reminder of that...

My theme this week was inspired by this poem by the yogini Danna Faulds, from her book, appropriately titled, Limitless: New Poems and Other Writings:

Limitless

Sun says, "Be your own
illumination." Wren says,
"Sing your heart out,
all day long." Stream says,
"Do not stop for any
obstacle." Oak says,
"When the wind blows,
bend easily, and trust
your roots to hold."
Stars say, "What you see
is one small slice of a
single galaxy.
Remember that vastness
cannot be grasped by mind."
Ant says, "Small does not
mean powerless." Silence
says nothing. In the quiet,
everything comes clear.
I say, "Limitless." I say,
Yes."

Let Nothing Disturb You

This day comes gently, easily, as an opening in the eye of a hurricane, or the calm before the storm - I know not which it may be - and it does not matter...

I reflect on these wise words given by a soul friend, who offered me her interpretations of Teresa of Avila's well know prayer, given as a precious gift, a blossom from her heart:

"Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything passes away except God.
God alone is sufficient."

I repeat these words over and over again - my soul masticating them - my essence nourished by their wisdom...

I think of the anchoress Julian of Norwich, counseling so many of those who searched her out, with these simple words: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well!" In the midst of incredible despair faced by the masses in the fourteenth century, her message was one of relentless hope...

There is always hope - in every moment - and in every circumstance...

Even Etty Hillesum, who died in Auschwitz at the age of 29, was capable of seeing the light of the Divine in the depths of her own soul and in those around her. I am edified by her words as well...

"It is sometimes hard to take in and comprehend, oh God, what those created in Your likeness do to each other...I try to look things straight in the face, even the worst crimes, and to discover the small, naked human being amid the monstrous wreckage caused by man's senseless deeds...

I am ready for everything, for anywhere on this earth, wherever God may send me, and I am ready to bear witness in any situation and unto death that life is beautiful and meaningful and that it is not God's fault that things are as they are at present but our own..."

Truly - how can I allow anything to disturb me? Everything passes away, like the grains of the sand blown away by the wind...

This morning, I read these words by Paramahansa Yogananda, and I found strength and solace in them:

"God understands you when everyone else misunderstands you. He is the lover who cherishes you always, no matter what your mistakes. Others give you their affection for a while and then forsake you but He abandons you never..."

The whole universe conspires to give you the messages that you need, and continues to do so in a relentless fashion until they are received and understood, deep within the heart...

Etty speaks again, touching the very fabric of my soul:

"Through me course wide rivers and in me rise tall mountains. And beyond the thickets of my agitation and confusion there stretch the wide plains of my peace and surrender. All landscapes are within me. And there is room for everything. The earth is in me, and the sky..."

I am without limit...We are truly "Limitless" as Danna Faulds writes:

"Be your own illumination...Do not stop for any obstacles...When the wind blows, bend easily, and trust your roots to hold...What you see is one small slice of a modest galaxy...Small does not mean powerless. Silence says nothing. In the quiet, everything comes clear. I say, 'Limitless,' I say, 'Yes.'"

That is what Danna says...

My friend says - paraphrasing Teresa - "Let nothing disturb you..."

Yogananda teaches that a good friend - a best friend - (and I have been blessed with a precious few beloved ones) - is the soul that leads one into deeper communion with the Divine...

I sit now, comfortable and content, in the quiet and the waning light of the day. I sit in the stillness and the calm that result from the shifted energies birthed in my saying yes...Nothing shall disturb me, for nothing touches my soul...

Acceptance of What Is

Everything that I have read or listened to in the last couple of days seems to have conspired to come together to give me the same messages, and I wish to share a few of the highlights. In a nut shell, all things urged to listen to - and accept what is in one's life - as an opportunity to change.

Everything I read or listened to, also offered the invitation to look at things from a different perspective. It reminded me of the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, which teaches that sorrow is rooted in ignorance and how we choose to think and look at a situation. I also thought of the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita which teaches that the fruit of our actions only belongs to God. All we can do is act to the best of our ability, without attachment to the outcome. It is attachment - to things, to people, to ideas, to our thoughts, which is the root of all our suffering, and the material that I delved into over the last several days mirrored that back in so many ways.

The following was received in an email sent from the Chopra Center:

The Law of Least Effort

"The Law of Least Effort: Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease, with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.

I will put the Law of Least Effort into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

1. I will practice acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. I will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. My acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.
2. Having accepted things as they re, I will take responsibility for my situation and for all those events I see as problems. I know that taking responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for my situation (and this includes myself). I also know that every problem is an opportunity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunities allows me to take this moment and transform it into a greater benefit.
3. Today my awareness will remain established in Defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them."

As I read through these points, I realized they were asking very simple but difficult things to put into action. And yet I also knew deep down inside, that they held the key to freedom and happiness...

The body is truly the map of all of our experiences and emotions, and this morning I received The Inner Journey Newsletter, entitled, "What is Your Body Saying?" And embedded within, were the following quotes:

"Many people treat their bodies as if they were rented from Hertz - something they are using to get around in but nothing they genuinely care about understanding."
~ Chaungliang Al Huang

"As we explore the extraordinary interplay of energies between the many aspects of our personality - our needs, unconscious reactions, repressed emotions, aspirations and fears - with the functioning of our physical system and its capacity to maintain itself, we soon realize how very wise the body is. With its intricately detailed systems and operations it portrays infinite intelligence and compassion, constantly giving us the means to understand ourselves further, to confront issues we are not looking at, and to go beyond that which is holding us back."
~ Deb Shapiro, Your Body Speaks Your Mind

"Your body is the ground and metaphor of your life, the expression of your existence. It is your Bible, your encyclopedia, your life story. Everything that happens to you is stored and reflected in your body. In the marriage of flesh and spirit divorce is impossible."
~ Gabrielle Roth

"What is always speaking silently is the body."
~ Norman Brown

And finally, last night, before going to sleep, I read these words by Paramahansa Yogananda, on true happiness, which complement the preceding practices and quotations...

"Without inner happiness, one may be a prisoner of sorrows in a sumptuous castle...

No matter what you are doing, keep the undercurrent of happiness, the secret river of joy, flowing beneath the sands of your various thoughts...[one] should learn to be in the world and yet not of it...

Don't make unhappiness a chronic habit...to be happy is a blessing to yourself and others...

Happiness is a state of mind...

Learn to throw the light of joy into all hearts, so that they may burn away the darkness and find the light within themselves..."

I will save the crucial insights received from my reading of Colin Tipping's Radical Forgiveness and Byron Katie's Loving What Is, for another entry, for there is much to ponder in all of these sources!

Musings on the Practice of Yoga, the Season, and Divine Love

After a week of being home bound by the snow, it was good to get back into some semblance of a normal schedule...

I knew that my morning yoginis were probably in need of a well rounded class after a week of shoveling, tending to families and kids at home, and probably sitting around a little too much!

Every Anusara Yoga class begins with a theme and a sequence that somehow relates to the theme and that is carried throughout the class. This week, I chose to have my students face each other as we all practiced together, enjoying a potpourri class of asanas with a shared dialogue on the theme: "What does yoga mean to you?" I borrowed the idea from the Seane Corn essay that I shared a few days ago on this blog.

Over the course of the last couple of days, it has been interesting to see what has been shared as we held some challenging poses, and worked on aligning deeply. I noted, that often, what brings you to a yoga class, is not what keeps you there over the long run. Over time, you may notice subtle or measurable differences in your attitude, outlook, and the degree of patience or compassion you might exhibit or may be capable of.

One student reminded me that sometimes what brings one to class - is exactly what keeps one there - except that there is a deeper and more nuanced understanding of this reason. It was fun to practice together and share our insights and just generally participate in moving mindfully with our breath...

I began and ended class by re-reading excerpts from Seane's essay, and invited my students to further reflect upon and explore what yoga means to them - and why they keep coming back to it. One very beautiful student wrote back later to share her personal journey with yoga, which is indeed, so touching and inspirational!

My beautiful garden of yoginis - which I meet both morning and evenings during the course of the week, are all exquisite blossoms to me. They truly, reflect the Divine for me. And it so happens, that the selections from Paramahansa Yogananda's Spiritual Diary right now, all deal with Divine Love.

As we begin this season of Lent - which is for me - all about spiritual transformation and deepening one's relationship with the Divine - take a moment to reflect on something that does this for you - whether it be the practice of yoga, enjoying the company of friends, a walk outside in nature, or whatever that may be for you...

"He is the nearest of the near,
the dearest of the dear.
Love Him as a miser loves money,
as an ardent man loves his sweetheart,
as a drowning person loves breath.
When you yearn for God with intensity,
He will come to you."
~ Yogananda

"Our love is the one thing God does not possess,
unless we choose to bestow it.
So you see, even the Lord has something to attain:
our love. And we shall never be happy until we give it."
~ Yogananda

On This Day of Love...

On this day of love, many celebrate St. Valentine's Day, and that needs no introduction or explanation!

But this is an interesting week for many other reasons as well...

Today, we celebrate the Chinese New Year - it is more specifically, the Year of the Metal Tiger, and it is said that it will bring many changes, inviting bold actions and risk taking, but it will also be a time of profound transformations. The metal element will provide us with the resolve and determination to see us through this time period when we will truly witness dramatic changes all over the world...

On Tuesday, many will celebrate Mardi Gras - or Fat Tuesday, coming on the Eve of Ash Wednesday and the commencement of the Liturgical Season of Lent - which I have always regarded as a season to journey more deeply within, to make our lives better and our souls clearer - and thus a more gracious and welcoming altar for God's Presence and love...

Last Friday, many celebrated Mahashivatri - falling on a moonless night and celebrating Siva - the "Auspicious One." - This time is characterized by many joining together for fasting, prayers, and meditation. The name of Siva connotes kindness, benevolence and grace, and he acts unceasingly for the good of all. Siva is also symbolic of change, and instrumental in the facilitation of transformation, and liberation.

So here we have a constellation of celebrations inviting us to become the best person that we can possibly be - coaxing our souls to become and radiate love more fully - truly urging us to become who we are at our deepest essence - and to shine that magnificently!

And so, on this day, I leave you will a few quotations from various sources...

"There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear
because fear involves torment.
But he who fears,
has not been made perfect in love."
~ Jesus

"Love wishes to be known,
completely understood and shared.
Love your enemies."
~ Jesus

"Every object, every being,
is a jar full of delight."
~ Rumi

Don't grieve.
Anything you love,
comes round in another form."
~ Rumi

"Let the beauty we Love
be what we do.
Only from the heart
can you touch the sky."
~ Rumi

"Your task is not to seek for Love,
but merely to seek and find
all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it."
~ Rumi

"You wander from room to room
hunting for the diamond necklace
that is already around your neck."
~ Rumi

"What was said to the rose
that made it open
is said to you
here in your chest."
~ Rumi

"Remember the entrance door
to the sanctuary
is inside you."
~ Rumi

What Yoga Means to Me (Insights by Seane Corn)

Love comes in so many different ways. It is always, truly, a season for love - for giving love - and for receiving it as well. Sometimes it arrives in ways most unexpected and touches us very deeply...Sometimes we meet the right person and the whole course of our lives dramatically shifts and we set forth to sail in a very different direction than the one we had originally anticipated...

Last night I stayed up late watching the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, which I found both inspirational and moving. As someone who has lived in Canada and has many Canadian friends, I feel a close connection with this country of very kind, civil, caring, and talented people. They have a lot to teach the world about their attitudes, outlook, and graceful ways of simply being in this world...

This morning, I was also moved by a few things I received in my in box, but most particularly by an essay written by the incomparable yogini Seane Corn, on what yoga means to her. This is a woman who is making a difference in the world. I had the pleasure of studying with her some years ago, and I was profoundly affected by the experience in a very life-changing way. Seane can definitely rock your world and challenge you in ways that will alter your perspective and practice. As I read her essay, I found that she truly captured the essence of the practice - why we dedicate ourselves to it - and how we are genuinely transformed by it over time - if we are willing to truly embrace it as a spiritual practice.

Here are some highlights from her essay:

"Yoga means to unite. Its translation is 'to come together and make whole.' It asserts that everything and everyone is connected...that there is no separation between the mind and body...Your body remembers everything...When you don't feel well...you can withdraw...It is through yoga, spiritual practice and emotional processing skills that you are provided tools to help you understand and embrace your circumstances, emotions, and live in a more holistic way...

Yoga has taught me that you are in a conscious body to learn what love is...God-love, which is inclusive and infinite...Yoga teaches you that everything that happens to you in this life happens perfectly...in order for the soul to transform and understand this level of God-love...

It has taught me that adopting a spiritual life doesn't mean I will be exempt from pain or loss. You will all get hurt, your hearts will be broken...that's life. All your experiences can provide invaluable opportunities for growth if you stay open to seeing from a new perspective...Some of the lessons will be elegant; some will bring you to your knees in devastation. They will all be necessary.

To learn these lessons...unique teachers will show up along the way to hold a mirror up to expose your shadow or wounds. Healing cannot occur without their inclusion in your life...Through them, you will be given the opportunity to forgive and be forgiven [and] you can remember that the God that is within is within all...

Yoga teaches us that if any one of us buys into the myth of separation or disconnection, then we are part of the problem. If we want to change what is happening within our planet and create an environment for peace, we must first transform ourselves...

Breathe and all will be revealed, love and all will be healed. That is yoga."

The whole essay is worth reading. I invite you to read it in its entirety, and reflect on it. Every sentence, every paragraph, contains a vast ocean of insights, each deserving to be fully meditated on during this season of love...

To read the whole essay, visit:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/What-Yoga-Means-to-Me-Seane-Corn

To visit Sean Corn's website:
www.seanecorn.com

A Geranium Blooms in the Depths of Winter

Today, it is not snowing. And for the first time in a couple of weeks, we do not have snow in the immediate forecast...

Today, the sun shines magnificently, everything in sight is both piercing and blinding to the naked eye, and yet also pristine, and breathtakingly beautiful as well!

Today, I am both surprised and deeply touched by my gnarly geranium, which I received as a Mother's Day present while my son was still in grade school, many years ago. He will be 25 this year, and I've lost count of how many years it has graced my kitchen. It's two misshapen branches are twisting towards the kitchen window, in a perennial quest for more sunlight. And within its cluster of vibrant leaves on one gnarly branch, a bloom is emerging defiantly, despite all the odds. While this plant's beauty may not be immediately obvious to others, it has bloomed in all seasons for more years than I can keep track of, and it has brought me great joy...

Today, my geranium reminds me that winter is a state of mind and that it is impermanent. And it heralds the coming of both the spring and summer seasons, in the months to come...

Today, my blooming geranium asserts that in every dying, there is also a rising...

Today, my geranium invites me to revisit the words by Nityananda that warmed my heart yesterday:

"The real sunrise is in the sky of the Heart..."

And my immortal plant shows me the way to these words of wisdom from the Buddha:

"The way is not in the Sky,
The way is in the Heart."

Today, my humble and simple geranium invites me to look skyward first, but then deeply into my heart, for it is a thing of beauty and everything that matters resides there...

Today, my beautiful geranium reminds me to go into my heart to roam, and get lost in all its treasures. And I think that today, it is Christmas, and my birthday, and anniversary - all wrapped into one - all over again!

Message From the Infinite Heart

Last night, as I prepared to retire for the evening, I came across this beautiful YouTube video of very inspirational quotations and saying by Swami Nityananda, the Buddha, Jesus, Rumi, Mother Teresa, Maya Angelou, and John Friend. In the depths of this winter, it warmed my heart and soul, even in the face of the coming blizzard, due to arrive in a few hours.

And so today, as the winds are howling outside, and the snow is blowing and creating drifts here and there - and everywhere, I share these quotes from Nityananda, and will continue sharing many of these, in the days to come...

"My heart sings to you in every moment.
In every sunrise, in every reflection,
through every word, every thought,
every sound, in every silence hear my voice.

You are Divine, you are Grace.
I love you infinitely...

Open your heart to receive fully
the sweetness of my love
and know always
I am love, I am always with you...

Return to the Self within and know your own secret!
The universe is inside you and you
are inside the universe.
The inner Self is the one dancing in all...

Freedom from doubt is the path
to one-pointedness of mind...

The real sunrise is in the sky of the Heart,
it is the best one.
Just as the water jar reflects the sun,
so the entire universe shines
in the heart-space of the self.
When you are in a train,
the whole world appears to pass by.
Similarly, the whole universe
can be known within the Self.

Give up all your desire but one.
The desire for liberation
reveals the splendor of the Self...

The heart is the hub of all sacred places;
go there and roam."

On this day, inviting greater silence and deeper solitude, give up all desire but one: to know yourself truly as the self within the Self - and to experience your essence as one with the Divine in all places and at all times...

Follow heart - go into your heart! Dwell fully in the cave of your own heart, for it is the temple of the Beloved. Go there and roam. Get lost in its infinite treasures!

(For the full video - "Message From the Infinite Heart," visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkBLHecsQhQ

Yoga is Union With God

Like everyone else in this town, I am waiting for another batch of snow that will begin falling shortly. And like many others, I ventured forth in the small window of time we have, in search of supplies, only to be confronted with empty shelves and treacherous roads.

And now, I am content to be home again, in my inner sanctum, where I meditate, surrounded by the beautiful energies of my sacred space...

Once more I turn to Paramahansa Yogananda, and my heart is warmed by this one paragraph that I found myself reading and re-reading, over and over again these last couple of days.

What is yoga? Every teacher tries to answer this question more or less succinctly to every new student she or he encounters in a class. Often the answer given is that yoga is an ancient discipline - that the word yoga itself is translated as "yoke" and that it is a practice that unites or recognizes that the body, mind, and spirit are all one...

But right now, I am drawn to Yogananda's simple explanation: Yoga is union with God. That is, for all intent and purposes, the goal of our lives. The "Royal Path of Yoga" is the path and practice of meditation - and its culmination is very simply, attaining - and maintaining - oneness with the Divine at all times. And this, takes dedicated practice. Yogananda taught, that one should meditate at least one hour a day. After all, does God not deserve at least 1/24th of our day and attention?

"It is alright to enjoy life; the secret of happiness is to not become attached to anything. Enjoy the smell of the flower, but see God in it. I have kept the consciousness of the senses only that in using them I may always perceive and think of God. Mine eyes were made to behold Thy beauty everywhere. My ears were made to hear Thine omnipresent voice. That is Yoga, union with God.

It is not necessary to go to the forest to find Him. Worldly habits will hold us fast wherever we may be until we free ourselves from them.

The yogi learns to find God in the cave of his heart. Wherever he goes, he carries with him the blissful consciousness of God's presence."

Yoga is union with God. In everything that we do. In everything that we say. In everything that we are. Every moment is sacred. And so is every opportunity we receive. And every encounter with one another. Yoga is life...

As I wait for the snow, I am reminded that mindful waiting is also yoga. How I shovel the snow, and prepare meals, and spend my time with a spouse who is frustrated by being cooped inside, is also yoga.

The Divine is in every snow flake that falls, and in every task and action I undertake. I offer them all up. As the Bhagavad Gita teaches, a yogi or yogini freely offers his or her actions without any attachment to the fruit of those actions, for they belong only to God. This is the heart of the true inner renunciant. And this also constitutes true union with God.

Cultivating Good Habits

This morning, as I reviewed Paramahansa Yogananda's writings, I felt myself drawn to his insights on the cultivation of good habits, and so I was inspired to post a few of them in an almost rapid fire manner, to Facebook and Twitter, before my students arrived for yoga class. As always, I found much food for thought in his words of wisdom, and they seemed to elicit some reflections on the part of some of my readers as well.

Here are the ones I posted, and a few more added in for good measure:

"Those who are attracted to calm and serenity attract the same...

It takes 5 to 8 years to substitute a good habit for a bad habit...

Don't let unhealthy ideas float down the stream of your habit forming thoughts...

The sin of all sins is ignorance...

You are the sole creator of good or bad habits...

Avoid surroundings that encourage wrong actions and never deliberately bring evil thoughts into the mind...

Strengthen your will power...

Exercise good judgment and discrimination...

People of bad habits seek bad company...

People do not intentionally turn to evil, nor do they really enjoy being evil. They are evil because they do not know the greater of charm of good habits...

If you have a bad habit of telling lies and by so doing have lost many friends, start the opposite habit of telling the truth. It takes time to form either a good habit or a bad one...

Evil cannot keep man under the influence of error forever, because he is made i the image of God..."

So today, reflect upon your habits, and dedicate yourself to working on one. See if you can shift one, so that over time, it may become ingrained...

Snow. Silence. And the Birthing of an Invincible Summer.

"I know a new and kinder day will come...
And there is only one way of preparing the new age,
by living it even now in our hearts."
~ Etty Hillesum

"In the depth of winter I finally learned
that there was in me
an invincible summer."
~ Albert Camus

The nearly 30 hours or so of relentless snow has ceased, and left much that will need attention to, in its aftermath - downed trees that are now precariously resting against my neighbor's house, a road that may not be plowed for days and that connects us to the outer world, power that was off for over five hours, and a half cooked turkey that we were not able to finish cooking and eat until about 10 PM!

Still, in the midst of all this fury, there was breathtaking beauty and God's sweetest invitation to slow down, to be present, to enjoy the moment, and to commune with Him. And truly, what can be better than that?

Since I am very much a contemplative at heart, the idea of being home bound for days is always enticing, except that I must re-schedule some appointments here and there to fully take advantage of this unexpected gift of "kairos" - sacred time - that gently pulled so many out of "chronos" - time measured by clocks and dictated by calendars...

Through the wonder of social networking and media, I was able to ascertain that many braved the weather well. My dear friend's purchase of the birdseed that I referred to in my previous entry, came in handy, and kept the party in her back yard going, even under the circumstances. And so many of my wild yogi and yogini friends posted pictures of themselves in advanced poses in the snow, resulting in much good cheer spread through the infinite highways of cyberspace!

Today, the sun shines brightly and magnificently, almost defiantly negating that the previous couple of days had been both treacherous and dangerous! Today, it is a shiny winter wonderland out there that is almost blinding to the eye...

Yet still, a part of me is dreaming of spring and summer, and there is a deep longing in me to be in a tank top and on the river, paddling upstream with Grace, my kayak...

But instead, I read some of these words yesterday by Etty Hillesum, a young woman who died in Auschwitz at the age of 29, and Paramahansa Yogananda, and they filled me, and warmed me, even during those hours when the temperature in my house slowly plummeted...

From Hillesum:

"It is a great deal to realize that one comprises part of a great growing process, indeed simply to be aware of such a process. I believe that for far too many people life still consists of rather disconnected, accidental moments...

There is a vast silence in me that continues to grow. And washing around in it are so many words that make one tired because one can express nothing with them. One must do more and more without meaningless words the better to find the few one needs. And in the silence, new powers of expression must grow...One day I shall find my own words for the things I have say..."

"Yes: to belong to one's experience. And to transform it. That is my great yearning...We must carry our experience within us, place it at the center of a quiet space within us and hearken to it there. That is something you cannot do if you pay too much heed to the enthusiasms assailing your poor self from without. To be alone. Stillness. No matter how much of a bustling crowd there is about you..."

From Yogananda:

"Humility is the example of an understanding heart and an example of greatness for others to follow.

Whatever you want others to be, first be that yourself.

Your good example will do more to change others than your wishing or words..."

Yes, there is, an invincible summer in the depths of this great winter which is slowly melting the icicles of my heart and eroding the confines of this waning season. It is growing, and soon my invincible summer will be radiantly on display for all to see, and it will be fully enjoyed. And today, my deep longing for it dissolves in the slightest, sweetest, inkling of a taste!

40 Lbs of Bird Seed and Inner Wisdom

As the snow falls gently, before it starts to get much heavier and blankets us in the nearly two feet or more that have been predicted, I stop, and marvel at the beauty all around me. While others are stockpiling snacks, and toilet paper and booze, my heart is warmed by the thoughtfulness of a dear soul friend, who ventured forth to buy 40 pounds of birdseed, to make sure that the congregation of cardinals and blue jays and others that gather in her back yard to party could continue to do so throughout the winter weather! She does this, she tells me, because it brings her great joy. But I know, it is because she has a big compassionate heart...

I sit here, in my office, warmed by that thought, thinking of how my husband has instead, set up ominous plastic owls to scare off the birds because they leave droppings all over the deck, and I have to laugh...What is one person's delight, is another's irritation...

Earlier, I tried to go down to the river, to watch and feel the heavy wet snow cover everything in sight and become one with the river, but it had been partially blocked off, so I was not able to go for a visit...

I sit here now, working and watching the snow coming down, and feel myself invited to journey very deeply in as I sip a cup of coffee, lost in thoughts, my tongue on edge with poems that seek birthing...

I have been reflecting a lot on inner wisdom, and relying on one's inner guidance this week. And I have come across a number of quotes from both Paramahansa Yogananda's writings and other sources that have spoken to me on this topic...

"Getting in touch with yourself
must be your first priority."
~ Tom Hopkins

"Our lives improve only when we take chances...
and the first and most difficult risk we can take
is to be honest with ourselves."
~ Walter Anderson

"Adventure can be an end in itself.
Self-discovery is the secret
that fuels daring."
~ Grace Lichtenstein

These quotes invite self-inquiry and thus self-awareness, which invariably leads to relying more deeply upon one's inner wisdom. We carry within us, the seeds for our own happiness and healing. And yet, we spend so much time looking outside of ourselves for answers...

Earlier this week, this very same friend who so selflessly has provided for the birds that visit her back yard, invited me to trust my inner wisdom, gently urging me to take a more active role in my journey of healing and in re-igniting my yoga practice.

I listened, followed her advice, and found myself, as I shared with her a few days later - joyously reconnecting with the heart of the practice once again, enjoying the movements I could still do without the experience of pain, I suppose, not unlike someone learning a new skill for the first time. Within me, lay the ability to not only experience my practice with more joy, but I found that its fruits spilled over in my meditations, and my disposition and demeanor as well...

"Be so happy in your mind that nothing that comes
can possibly make you unhappy."
~ Yogananda

"If you want to be perennially happy,
look within.."
~ Yogananda

"Sorrow has no being of its own...
Constantly you affirm sorrow,
therefore it exists.
Deny it in your mind
and it will exist no longer."
~ Yogananda

"Avoid associating with those
who are always complaining about life.
God will never reveal Himself to you
unless you are contented and happy."
~ Yogananda

To connect and embody our own inner wisdom, there are things we must let go of - things that we must, in essence renounce. Only then will we live more deeply...

"Renunciation does not mean giving up everything;
it means giving up small pleasures
for eternal bliss..."
~ Yogananda

We give up some things, to experience others. And in these small things, we find great joy and touch the Divine in our lives. It can come through the spontaneous and loving insight of a friend, through the falling snow as a gift of God, through the warmth and comfort of a cup of coffee, or through nascent poetic musings...

All is well in my heart and soul...

Life is truly a thing of great beauty!

Trust Your Inner Guidance

It is such a simple lesson. Trust yourself. Trust your inner guidance. But how often do we do this? Really?

My experiences yesterday with a very dear friend - and two other subsequent conversations with souls who are also dear to me - affirmed what I had been sensing and feeling about some directions to take in my life. But I didn't trust my own intuitions, until they were mirrored back to me. And really, I do know better!

My favorite quote by the poet Rumi is one I often share with my students over, and over again. Right now, I am feeling that these simple verses are inviting me to really listen to its very compelling exhortation, so that I can then embody it, and shine out its message to others:

"The whole universe is within you.
Ask all from yourself!"

I am a microcosm of the macrocosm! There is nothing I cannot do if I put my mind to it! And thus this morning, I find these quotes in my email inbox, once more, giving me exactly what I need:

"I never know what the next lesson is going to be,
because we're not supposed to know;
we're supposed to trust ourselves to discover it."
~ Melody Beattie

"I trust so much in the power of the heart and soul;
I know the answer to what we need to do next
is in our hearts.
All we have to do is listen,
then take that one step further
and trust what we hear.
We will be taught what we need to learn."
~ Melody Beattie

"Ultimately, we must learn to trust ourselves.
When we do this intimately and intelligently,
the world opens full of meaning before us.
We find that we ourselves are the doorway
to a fathomless understanding of the source of life itself.
We need only to learn to walk through it."
~ James Thornton

How deeply do you trust your inner guidance? How deeply do you listen?

Trust what is best for you, gather information, ask for assistance, but in the end, you are the only expert in your life. Listen to your soul. Listen with all your heart. What is it that your whole being says "yes" to?

Listen for that, and then follow your inner guidance.

As I shared with a dear friend and student last week, ask to be shown the way. Ask to be shown clearly. And then listen. And trust your inner guidance. I am only sharing what I myself, need to work on!

Stillness, Meditation, Renunciation and the Labyrinth

I have been a little out of sorts and overwhelmed the last couple of days...

And so, this morning, I got up, and read a passage from Paramahansa Yogananda's writings before my meditation in search of some insight. And these were the words that spoke to me:

"To engage in actions without desire for their fruit is true tyaga (renunciation). God is the Divine Renunciant, for He carries on all the activities of the universe without attachment to them. Anyone aspiring to Self-Realization - whether he be a monastic or a householder - must act and live for the Lord, without being emotionally involved in His drama or creation."

These words were timely for two reasons. I have been reviewing Dr. Douglas Brooks' book - Poised for Grace, an annotated commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, from a Tantric perspective in preparation for a workshop he will be giving on this very topic this coming weekend. It so happens that Yogananda's comments are also on the Gita. Furthermore, the issues that have resulted in my feeling out of sorts have to deal with attachments and not letting go of the fruits of my actions.

And so I thought, we may not always get what we want - but we always get what we need as a message from the Beyond, here in our midst...

I found myself driving over to meet a dear soul friend with a heavy heart. As often as we can, we walk the labyrinth together, meditate, and update each other on our lives. Today, after our walk and meditation, we reflected on various challenges we were experiencing, and our heart to heart sharing yielded many fruitful and touching insights for me - truly blessings received as gifts in my heart and soul!

When I finished my walk, and was waiting for my friend to complete her own labyrinth walk, I picked up a little meditation card with this inscribed verse from Psalm 37:7:

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..."

The words were so simple, but so appropriate. A drawing of a little cup accompanied the verse, and my dear friend smiled, noting how wonderful that a cup of tea was included. I of course, corrected her and observed it was a cup of coffee. We have shared so deeply over the years, often sipping on a cup of tea or coffee, depending on the place or the season...

We also spoke for a bit about my various writing projects - some of which are on hold right now. My friend reminded me, that if I never wrote another word again, there was still a very sizeable body of work, that she referred to as "a cup of beauty." I was profoundly touched by that description, and it reminded me of another dear friend who likes to refer to my work as my "offerings."

I rode home, feeling more fortified and grounded - having almost greedily absorbed the energy of our shared meditation into my very essence...

The sky was definitely looking very wintry again, and a few flurries floated here and there. I have loved the abundance of snow we have gotten this year. I drove down to the river, and walked to the boat launch. The waters have retreated and they were perfectly still - just a few beautiful and majestic birds gliding effortlessly on its surface...

I enjoyed the stillness down by the riverbank inviting me to let go of my personal attachments to drama and unnecessary things in life...

I told my friend, that every night, at the end of the day, I like to visualize all my good deeds in a pot, and those I am less proud of - in a pot as well. As I review the events of the day, I ask myself - have you added more to the pot of good deeds? I hope that at the end of my life, the contents of one pot will far outweigh the contents of the latter...I believe my friend's compassion and insights today certainly were solid contributions to her pot of good deeds.

Every day offers us miracles and opportunities to deepen our spiritual work, and today, was that kind of a day.

Did You Find Joy? Did you bring Joy?

I began my yoga class this cold winter morning by asking my students - do you feel joy in your life? Do you give joy to others?

Ancient Egyptians believed two questions determined whether or not they would be allowed to proceed on to the afterlife:

Did you find joy?
Did you bring joy?

I read this a few years ago and was very moved by the questions, because it made me reflect on my own life. Years later I noticed a reference to these very questions in the movie "The Bucket List" with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson - two men dying of cancer who go on a journey of truly living their dreams and re-discovering joy in the final months of their lives.

But the truth is, we do not have to wait for a death sentence to experience joy. We can begin - right here - right now. We can begin to experience, embody, and reflect joy in this very moment.

All Anusara Yoga students are taught and know that there are two reasons for practicing yoga:

1. Self knowledge - "chit" - for our awakening, and
2. Ananda - for bliss - for the sheer delight and joy of it!

While personal practice is important - I enjoy yoga most when it is shared in community. Last Friday, the Willow Street Yoga community came together for a candlelight practice that was a benefit for Haiti and the earthquake victims. It was both an inspirational time and joyful occasion for those present, even if the event that gave rise to it was not.

The Buddha taught that each one of us is given 10,000 sorrows, and 10,000 joys. We cannot connect with and access those joys if we do not first connect with our hearts.

So today, give intent to find joy and embody joy - so that you can share that joy with others!

To help you do this, take a moment to do this exercise:

Close your eyes - and focus on your heart. Visualize a beautiful green light that nurtures and bathes your heart in pure love. Take a deep breath in - and as you exhale - say "YUMMMMM" in one long syllable.

Feel the sound vibration in your body and notice the energy flowing effortlessly from the base of your spine to your heart, inviting the currents of joy to bathe you. Can you feel the joy within your heart? And can you share it? And can you make your little corner of the world a better place today? Of course you can!