Aligning with Grace

I am poised to begin the Lenten journey once again, ready to commence it with a seal of ashes tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. Such an ancient ritual - but for the past few years it has been a time of personal growth and recommitment for me... A few years ago, I gathered my Lenten entries from over the years and forged them into a collection I titled, Everything in God and God in Everything... I repeat those words today, as a mantra... "Everything in God and God in Everything." As in other years, Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva, observed by many friends, also coincides with this journey... Years ago, a friend gave me a photo with this quote: "I do not know what it calls me to, but I recognize the Voice." I truly do not know what - or where that Voice calls me to - but I know I must respond and go where I am led. It has become more insistent and persistent over the years... The Voice speaks. It beacons. It invites me to a journey. It will be lon...

On this eve of Maha Shivaratri , the Great Night of Siva, when it is said that prayers and mantras are magnified 10,000 times, I ask a few dear ones, to encircle their own with mine, for this is a time of great need in our yoga community, and in the much larger community of peoples on this planet... On this day, which stands on the threshold of the another season of Lent , always a time of prayer, introspection, and spiritual cleansing for me, I am mindful of the importance of setting strong intentions for the good, for healing, and for emanating as pure a vibration as possible for a community's transition... This is a time when everything is possible. It is a time of letting go of the old and embracing the new. It is not a time of resurrecting what no longer serves. It is the time to boldly go where no one has gone before... No one said that 2012 was going to be easy... I am in a wait and see mode. Yes, wait and see... Evolution takes time. Yesterday I read these words online, off...

Yesterday, I quoted a wonderful article, "Blessing Heart" by Sally Kempton , the well known and loved meditation teacher. Giving blessings is a powerful form of spiritual practice that Sally writes about - and it can lead to deep transformation and healing on many levels - for the one sending the blessings, and the one receiving them as well. In Sally's words: "When we offer blessings, we align ourselves with the force of grace that runs through the universe. We become channels for the higher power. And according to some of the mystical traditions, this is the hidden purpose of human life. The Vedic sages, whose culture is the basis of the Hindu tradition, believed that one special function of human beings is to create conscious bridges between earth and cosmos. They did this through invocations and offerings, and bracketed their practices and ceremonies with mantras we chant to this day - Lokaha samastah sukhino bhavantu - May all beings be happy... Grace is everyw...