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Cleansing, purging, release. Letting go, opening up.  Walking away, hanging on.  Losing, winning.  Risk…fly or fall.  Excitment, despair.  Tragedy, Miracles.  Hope, Fear.  Pain…poetic and attoning.  Scary beginnings, tragic endings, farewells, goodbyes.  Exciting adventures, connecting, witnessing, transcending.  Walking away, being left behind.  Being fought for, fighting for something.  Regrets, disappointments, what could have beens, why nots?  Moments of hypnotic silence and pure bliss.  Tears give witness to so many moments in our lives.  They signify life at its purest moments stripped of all the chaotic superficialities.  Sometimes we see our lives as a series of events, but miss out on the beauty born in these moments.  Moments of what it means to live.  Losing something represents a saying goodbye to the object you are losing in addition to who you were before it left.  Loss represents a new infinity of possibilities and potentiality.  You die to who you were everytime your life takes a turn, giving birth to who you will be come.  Sometimes letting go and walking away is the most powerful thing you can do.  When you walk away, you show yourself that you deserve better rather than stick around to engage in a fruitless battle.  Opening up, hanging on.  There is nothing more beautiful and exciting than a new connection.  The end game is not significant in this moment.  You are allowing yourself to be shaped by another human being with infinite characteristics and intricacies.  Connecting on a soul level is such a beautiful part of the journey…its like taking a break from the travels to simply dance in the rain, living life fully and completely, surrendering to the moment, the joy, the passion, the fire.  Risk…fly or fall.  Our spirits are at their highest forms of creating when we allow ourselves to take a risk.  There is so much beauty and vitality in both the fall and the flight.  These are actions of living, choices to partake, to participate-raw without fear or desiring to control.  The outcome doesn’t matter because the risk is all there is, it is the reason for living and breathing.  It is the teacher and the lesson.  For without it, we cannot come to know ourselves, who we can become, what we can recover from.  The leap is a baptism into the world and the act of living rather than the passive accidental being.  Sometimese being brought to our knees delivers us to our thrones.  It is from there that we are able to see the possibilities, the realities, we can see beyond seeing.  It is often our darkest moments that are teaching us and shaping us, delivering us stronger, better, deeper, and more adept to extract joy and ecstacy, inspired and affected.  Tears are sacred, they are necessary and they are beautiful.  Be a witness to yourself in these moments and extract the underlying grace and beauty that you are in the midst of adopting.  Tears are our teachers, our witness, our rawness.  Beginnings, Ends, Moments of sacredness.  Life is not an accident, it is a creation, live it as such–Be a painter, paint your story and live the canvas.

Namaste is a sanskrit word meaning “the light within me recognizes the light within you.”  It is a form of respect, endearment, reverence.  It is what I wish mattered more in our society, and not just within the walls of my yoga studio.  It is the highest level of connection that we can have with another, whether it be a close friend, or a random, fleeting encounter.  Because you are coming from a place of love and respect, you are coming from a place within yourself that honors and respects the sacredness of another, free from judgement.  It doesn’t matter how similar or different they are from you, you honor all of it.  You honor another for not only their strengths, but for their weaknesses as well.  It creates compassion within you, and emmanates out embracing those whose paths you cross.  You become a vessel of peace, of compassion, of light.  I have thought a lot lately about yoga, about the term namaste, about the way we treat others in life.  It saddens me that so many people employ agendas, “protect us from the truth,” tell us what we want to hear, say one thing and do another, there is no accountability or consideration.  I am an optimist.  I believe in the goodness of others.  I am also a realist.  I have lived through a lot, and it has all changed me.  Those who know me, know that it is my greatest desire to be a good friend.  I often fall short, and I have beautiful friends who help pick me up and allow me the chance to continually do better as I grow.  I try with all of my heart to be good to others, and in all things, I love.  I love those who have hurt me, those who have wronged me, those who had disrespected me.  But it saddens me.  I am an open book, what you see is what you get.  I care for others deeply and passionately.  If you are within my circle, you are my family.  When people choose to hurt you and disrespect you without any sweat off their back, it saddens me-not for me because I have the ability to bounce back and move on.  I have too much beauty in my life to cry over anything less, it just saddens me that there is an existence of people who have no problem hurting and not embracing the light within themselves, or in you.  We have much to learn from yoga and many of its enlightened teachers.  What would our world be like if its leaders practiced this art of devotion and of love and respect.  “The whole universe is inside you.  Ask all from yourself.”  Rumi The light within me recognizes, honors and cherishes the light that is within you.  There is nothing that you can’t do or be in this world.  In all things, come from a place of love.  First for yourself, and then pass that light and peace onto others.  We need more of this in the world.  Our society is ripe for enlightenment and change.  I have hope.  Light. Honor. Peace. Joy. Namaste.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Buddha.  This moment is all that we have.  Did you smell a flower today, witness a sunset, feel the rain on your skin?  Did you smile at a child, help a stranger, give thanks for yourself?  Would you choose to extract more joy if you knew today were all that you had?  For my entire life, I have been on a treadmill, running mindlessly to the destination–knowing that once I reached that mythical place and point, I would find happiness, peace, joy, contentment…I would achieve bliss.  I negated sunsets, raindrops, lighting storms, all for the future moment in time when I would have arrived, and been more capable of enjoying these priceless aspects of life.  I have no doubt that God invented fireflys and hummingbirds for our wonderment, to enrich our journeys.  On hot, summer nights when we are tired from a long day at work, and we walk outside, exhausted and dejected, only to look up and watch the dance of the firefly as he purely and reverently dances in celebration of his existence in this moment.  We cannot delay joy, scheduling it into our calendars for some unknown date in the future.  Today may really be all that we have.  Today may be the end of our dance.  I lost two very dear people this last year.  One, was my grandfather, a great, loving, funny man.  He was an unforgettable example of living in the moment.  He loved birds, and built birdhouses and hung hummingbird feeders.  He used to watch them through binoculars, and teach me everything he knew about them.  He tended to his garden.  I recall helping him plant corn and roses, and watched him spend hours upon hours in his beloved yard.  He fished.  He rarely brought anything home, but watching him fish was like watching a man meet God…he was in awe, totally present and totally at peace.  I cannot think about him without aching and shedding a tear.  Right before I lost my hero, I lost a dear friend.  Larry.  If you do not know him, no explanation that I have could be adequate to describe his spirit.  Hilarious.  Inappropriate.  Kind.  Unbelievable.  Larry lived every day of his life like it was his last.  Having him as a friend was like being a part of a fraternity.  His spirit was so big that it encapsulated anyone in the vicinity.  You were better and more alive for having known him.  So many times Larry invited me to spend time with his crew, and I put it off for that elusive date and time when I would have arrived, when I would be ready and worthy for joy.  That date never came, and Larry came and went.  Nothing was wrong.  He was here one day and gone the next.  He lived a lifetime in 35 years, and he left those who love him to find happiness for ourselves, but he taught us with his life.  All I can do is carry the essence and examples of these two men in my being, and to give honor to their lives by living the truths that they taught me.  Take time for the simple, yet essential moments of life, and dance in the rain, being authentic to yourself, no matter how inappropriate or outrageous.  Never for a moment stop to care what others think yet live your life honoring and respecting those who share your journey.  Don’t blink for if you do, you will miss a moment that will never come around twice.  Encompass yourself wholly and honestly.  Own who you are and never apologize for who you were meant to be.  Speak your truth.  Live your truth.  Honor your truth.

Trust starts with us, it springs forth from within. It is not an ethereal, abstract idea. It is a choice, a decision, a way of life. By making trust dependent on an outside source, we are giving away our power. We cannot control the actions of others, but we have the option to trust ourselves, our judgement, and our ability to recover. Trust resides at the epicenter of life, it is infused into every encounter, every relationship, every choice, action and decision. Without it, we build walls around ourselves and rather than keep everyone else out, we are only keeping ourselves in. The best way to improve our ability to trust, is to act in truthful ways. I have learned that often, those with the most difficult time trusting are often those who feel guilty about their current or past actions. Again, in all things, we have the power to change. As Gandhi says, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” If you desire trusting relationships, act truthfully. Be truthful with yourself first and foremost, and that truth will emanate from within to those whom cross your path. Our souls crave love and support, and there will be times in our lives when we are the only ones who can give that to ourselves. We desire the connection we get when looking ourselves in the eyes of our reflection. We must get to a point in our life where we accept everything that we have created for ourselves, and move on peacefully from that, thankful for who it has made us. We need to trust that we will include the right people into our lives. Often in life, we get what we need rather than what we want. If a relationship or friendship goes “wrong,” trust that it was an experience that you needed for your evolution and progression; let it go, and give thanks for it, trusting that you were changed by it. Trust the dreams and desires of your heart. Life and people may try to convince you of their wrongness, but trust that which resides within you as your truth and rightness. Trust your judgement. Trust the choices you make, and the sound of your own voice. Don’t give your power away to others and let them speak your truth, only you can do that. Again, sometimes we get what we need before we get what we want. A “failed” decision or relationship, may have actually been a success according to the bigger picture. You just have to trust yourself, life, and the process of your evolution. Trust in your ability to recover. That if things seem to go “bad,” that it was in fact what you needed in some way, some form. You may have needed the learning experience, or the pain, the temporary joy, you cannot know or understand from your limited perspective. Quit analyzing. Just allow it to have shaped you. Trust your ability to continue to walk forward, walk tall, and walk authentically. Trust may be messy, but it is safe. You will be okay. It is an exciting and rewarding part of the journey. Trust. Hope. Peace. Respect.

As I have said before, I have a tendency to exert force and make things happen.  Over the past few years, I have learned the value in letting things happen organically.  Now I am in the process of finding balance. I am realizing that life is the process of dancing and being danced.  I have made friends with peace, and I am learning from its wisdom.  I have learned that sometimes our expectations can limit our opportunities.   We can be so focused on what we want and believe we need, but fail to realize that timing is showing us a better way.  Sometimes something great falls apart to make room for something even better, and what appears to be rejection is just a bend in the road guiding us to bliss.  We only have a limited view of life.  There is so much more at work then we can even begin to realize.  Sometimes silence speaks the answer and stillness encompasses our power.  I strive to be and do many things, and often the striving leaves me weary.  In those moments when I can’t carry myself any further, the stillness whispers to let go, that God has something better for me than I can even imagine.  He can do more with my life if I just get out of my own way than I can ever force into reality.  I imagine Him sitting back and watching this boxing match where I am my own opponent.  Neither of us ever realizing that we are fighting our own essence, our own possibilities.  We are resisting the future and running from our past, or resisting our past and fighting our future.  We are afraid to let go of what might have been, and even more frightened of what could be.  We spend so much of our time fighting this illusory ghost, that we never stop to embrace ourselves, our grace, our potentiality.  We operate as frightened children afraid to trust our parents when we need to stop and learn to trust ourselves and cease to believe in the lower voices of our lesser selves.  There is nothing that we can’t do or be that is within our hearts.  We were all born with a realm of possibilities, a song in our heart.  A story- that to us is secretly so real, that we can taste it, feel it, live it-that we are too afraid to ever admit to anyone other than that place within ourselves, the knowing.  God created each of us down to every passion, dream, aptitude, hope, preference.  He knows what brings tears to our eyes, what makes our hearts soar, and if we only knew the power bestowed upon us, we would not waste one instant on doubt because we would be too busy bounding towards our quintessence, and inhabiting every moment of our lives fully and completely without the wasted efforts of striving or fearing.  “Every human being’s essential nature is perfect and faultless, but after years of immersion in the world we easily forget our roots and take on a counterfeit nature.”  Lao-tzu.  Why do we contribute to each others’ falseness?  You are doing no one a favor by trying to spare them heart ache or failure.  Instead, allow yourself to listen to that coveted yet hidden hope within another and encourage it, for the journey to claim our own joy produces that which we hope to find in the end of it all…ourselves.  And to share that journey with another is the greatest gift you can give and receive.  Joy. Hope. Passion. Fortuna.

Growing up, I used to regret a lot of things…I strived to be perfect, and came down hard on myself when I fell short. I don’t know when the day came that changed my life forever. I realized that life isn’t about being perfect, but about doing the best that we can and enjoying the process. “You will be called upon to account for joys not taken.” Talmud Beautiful. There is a scripture in the bible that I remember off the top of my head. It says something to the affect that “men are that they might have joy.” Forgive my casual reference. It is true. God did not just create robots, he created creatures with hearts and souls. Our talents and passions are the vessel in which we communicate from our souls, it illustrates our deepest truth and being. God made a canvas, and we are all a necessary portion of that canvas. When I shut my eyes, I hear my own voice, and it is the voice of reality. I realize that I see the world differently, but I wouldn’t want to see it any other way. I am grateful for every experience and encounter that I have endured. I began a naive girl, but I have emerged a confident, peaceful individual. The only regrets I have are about the chances that I did not take. I would rather fail a million times than fail to try, to live, to chance just once. For that is why I get up in the morning and give thanks for my next breath. Do not regret the process of learning that you have lived, give thanks for the journey and leap every chance you get. Leap. Love. Laugh. Live.

The relationship that you are in, or the one on its way, is a direct reflection of what resides inside of you.  Men bashing, women bashing.  It is a common occurence.  What we fail to acknowledge or admit, is that we have control and influence in the matter.  If it is not what you want, walk away.  If it continues to materialize, better yourself.  Timing has a lot to do with life, whether we embrace it or not.  So many times throughout my journey, I have fought and argued with timing.  I have always been someone who knows that I have the power to make anything happen, whether I live by that belief or not.  At the end of the day, I know that if I want it, I have the will and the abilities to make it happen.  So timing has been a very worthy adversary.  So many hours spent arguing with this elusive and unseen opponent.  I thought I knew best.  I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it.  I have come to make peace with Timing, although, almost always with a side of kicking and screaming.  What’s ironic, is that once Timing “gives in” and delivers that which I had so positively wanted according to His time, it never really tastes or feels the same.  I look at it almost confusedly.  I wrestle with myself tryin to remember why I had ever wanted it in the first place.  What I didn’t realize is that while I was busy wrestling with Timing, life went on and I evolved.  So as I stood there face to face with the object of my desire, I realized that it existed in the past with a “lesser” version of myself, and I had indeed moved  past it.  There will be times in all of our lives when there is something that we so desperately want, or believe we need, but there seems to be a mountain range standing between us…it is in that moment that we would be best served to breathe, to witness our life and the process of living, and just wait.  To continue walking, but to be a witness to our life, allowing ourselves to be changed by the process, having the faith that that which serves our highest self will eventually materialize.  It may be that we have something to learn before we are ready for our desire so that we can ultimately enjoy it and appreciate it more, or that it is not in our best interest and only time will reveal that to our wiser selves.  Be patient. Have faith.  Laugh. Love. Live.

“The mirror of relationships shows us where we need to grow, and guides us forward. ” Kathy Freston.  Relationships are the topic of every female I know.  We talk about it over wine, over coffee, over dessert, any chance we get.  We pretend to try to figure out the key to a relationship.  Ladies, let it be known, I do not believe there is a secret equation, or password.  Don’t get me wrong, I think relationships are a beautiful thing.  I think there are people who can elevate our potential, who can inspire us and encourage our best selves.  I think that should be what we all strive for.  It saddens me that so many people when they feel empty inside, or that there is something missing, look outside of themselves for a solution.  They think that some accessory will heal their longings.  Of course, nothing can.  Instead of healing or growing those aspects within ourselves that need attention, we turn to someone else to complete us.  Completion is an illusion.  It is a prison that we put others in when we expect that from them.  No one can complete us.  It is our choice to find completion within ourselves in our current situations.  It is not a destination, it is a state of mind, a choice, an empowerment, a constant evolution.  Our version of completion today cannot hold a candle to what our completion will be further down the road…that is the blessing of age, of life, of growth.   If we are unable to look within ourselves, to our essence, to our connection and relationship with life as the source of our joy, peace and inspiration, we may tragically miss out on our inherent potential grace and glory and the gifts imprinted in our beings.  The answer is not around the next corner, it is in our own reflection in this moment.  Get right with yourself, and all will align itself with your rightness.  Peace. Love. Joy.

I believe that when a child is born to this life,  they are born knowing their worth, their purpose, their power.  I imagine God whispering in their ear while they are in the space between worlds…”there is nothing that you can’t do.”  They are born with endless possibilities.  As we observe children and their organic essence, we feel envious of their innocense, their naivate.  Sadly, and naively, we extinguish their inherent fire and set out to teach them “the ways of the world.”  We school them and do everything that we can to baptize them into the customs of this life in hopes that they avoid heartache and hardship.  What is so hearbreaking about that, is that we often put out the flame that they brought with them from a better place.  With them, they brought flames of hope, joy, peace, resilience…flames of faith and magic.  They were imprinted with a purpose.  It is only necessary that we, the adults, step back and learn from them.  Listen–and let their actions teach us what is best for them.  Yes, we are the protector;  we need to make sure that they are fed, clothed, loved and safe.  What we must realize is that we cannot save them from life and from the path that they need to travel.  There will be passions and joys that burn within their hearts, and the greatest thing we can do in this life is to support and encourage those flames.  There is a realm of possibility that exists waiting to be brought into existence.  Every second, there is a new soul born, ready and able to be the vessel of change.  As you hold your child, listen and imagine that it just may be them who is here to discover the cure for cancer, who holds the answer to a world without war, without starvation.  Your child may lead millions, or infuse happiness and joy into the lives of those they pass on the streets.  They have greatness inside of them and it is not up to us to decide what is best for them, but to allow them to show us what is best for them, for us, and for the world.  I will never forget the words of Will Smith to his son in The Pursuit of Happyness: “Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. Not even me. Alright?…You got a dream?  You gotta protect it. ..People can’t do something themselves…they wanna tell you you can’t do it. ..you want something, go get it.  Period.”  Next time we have the urge to protect someone by saying that what they are trying to do is unrealistic, hard, impossible…hesitate and choose a better path.  This child might have the power of Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King, Jr. inside of them.  See every child as sacred and powerful.  Treat them as such.