Heart.......full

I SEE you yogis,

Did you pick one or two of the heart opening practices to work with?  If not, there is still time as we will stay at the heart chakra for two more weeks. 

Here they are again:

·         Mirror gazing.    Sit in front of a mirror and gaze into your own eyes.  SEE yourself.    Not what you look like or what kind of a hair day you are having.   Just SEE you.  First in one eye, then the other, and then in both.  Gently. 

·         When someone crosses your path during the day – really SEE them.  Look them directly in the eye.  The eyes are the windows to the soul.  SEE them.  It doesn’t have to be a long or uncomfortable stare.  Just a second or two of really looking will cause a connection.  You will feel it with your whole body.   A current.  Have the strength to allow it without backing away.  Your neighbor, the woman behind the counter, the homeless man.  SEE them. 

·         Using things that are easy, practice giving LOVE just a little more.    Perhaps when you are petting the dog, slow down, be present and do it with more love.  If you are reading a great book, stop occasionally to notice and LOVE the book.  When you take a bite of a perfect sandwich, stop, notice and LOVE the food and the earth that it came from. 

·         As you see a person, a tree, a view, a room, etc. – mentally say “I SEE you, and I love you”.    At least several things/people a day.  Start sending love. 

All of these practices awaken love.  First for ourselves, exactly the way we are, then for others, and then for all of life.  This is not the romantic love we see in the movies, but an openness to see everything exactly as it is, let it in, and send it back out.    The whole of the Universe moving through you.   

Here at the heart we begin  to sense that maybe, just maybe, there is MORE.  More than just little old me.  More than just doing my daily activities over and over until I die.  More than I can see with my physical eyes.    More sensation.  More vividness.  More aliveness………More love.

But in order to tap into this, first we must long for it, and then we must be willing to believe.  Surrender. 

Becoming love and sending it out.  Because if you aren’t sending the energy of love out…..what are you sending out?

 

I am not sure if it was because of just coming off the workshop, or because I have doing these daily practices, or because it was just time for expansion for me…..but this last week was jam packed.

I realized on Friday night that I had seen or communicated with all of my teachers within the one week.  I worked my 40 hours at Xerox and completed some major tasks.  I taught my 5 classes, ran 3 mornings,  and worked to expand the registration for this upcoming CSA season.   And I finally started the process of designing a web site.   All of this while I directed the painters who started repainting all of the trim in the house, and all under the light of the full moon.

I am also helping to lead  a neighborhood effort to ensure our elder neighbors can stay in their home and we all met as a street on Wednesday night.  The outpouring of concern and financial support was heartwarming.  And through this I have already gotten closer to some of the neighbors that I have lived near for many years, but never really knew.  One of my neighbors even brought me one of his gorgeous  Amaryllis plants that is budding so I could enjoy her during her time of bloom. 

One of my many foxes from the woods came up into the yard as I worked and stayed for a while, even  lying down at one point so I could get a picture.  And as I finished my meditation on a rock along the river’s edge, I opened my eyes to discover a large 3 foot snake had ½ of his body up on the rock with me and was simply staring at me.  Oh!  My  15 year old Miss Molly has been struggling this week and she allowed me to give her a full massage very late one night when I came down because I realized I hadn’t properly said good night to her.  She let me LOVE her. 

My seeds are sprouting, the birds are singing and the sun is shining just a little longer every day.

So Friday night when I went to yoga class, I was waiting in line for the bathroom with our teacher Hayley.  She asked me how my week was.  I answered, “Good, but very busy”.    And as soon as the words passed my lips I caught myself.  I could see.  I turned back to her and said, “no, not busy…….full.  It was very full.”

Busy is when we get caught up leading life from our belly.   Striving, trying, pushing.  Always moving forward and doing it all ourselves.  “I”. 

Full has just as much, if not more contained in it, but it is when we lead from the heart.  Aware, open and in complete awe of every moment.  No doubts, no worries.  Held in the arms of the Universe.  In the heart we move from “me” to “we”. 

So tomorrow morning when you wake up, give gratitude for the day, and make sure you SEE and LOVE absolutely everyone and everything that comes your way.  Breathe the Universe in, and send it back out.    AAaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh………………….

So full I feel I could burst,

SARAH

 

 

Heart......I SEE you

Yogis,

Some final words on Manipura – the element of fire.  On this journey of life, we all have something that is our calling……our gift…..something unique that we are meant to do.    And if we dig way down and allow our deepest desires to well up, they will begin to orient us in the right direction.    Then here in this fiery space of transformation we turn that desire into a vision.  We see it clearly and fuel it with passion.  

Bring your awareness to this moment.  Root down with your sit bones to lengthen and align your spine.  Become very still.   Completely still.  The only movement is your breath.  Relax………..

Now sense the whole back of your body, and visualize everything that has happened in your life up to this very moment behind the back of the body.  Feel it there.    Then gently exhale it away.  It is your past and it no longer exists.  Letting go.  Aaaahhhhh…..

Shift your awareness now to the center of the body.  The line of energy that runs an inch or two in front of the spine from the pelvic floor to the crown of the head.  Your breath traces this line.   This is the present moment.    Accept this moment completely.  Exactly the way it is.   Melt into it.  Feel it.  It is a gift.

Finally shift your awareness to the entire front of the body, from the pubic bone to the top of the forehead.   Energetically open it up.  Notice the infinite space in front of the body.  The future.  Notice how clear, wide, spacious and free it is.  Feel it with the wide open front of your body.    This is where you paint your vision.    Anything you want!

Then we begin to move toward it.  Baby steps.  Keeping the front of the body wide open so we notice the signs the Universe provides – and it will provide plenty.   These are the markers in the road.  They point the way.  But where the real inner strength comes in is when we see one of them – we MAKE THE TURN.    Stepping out of our comfort zone, even if it is only with our big toe.  The confidence to move without any “proof”.   A sign – take it.    A gut feeling – follow it.   An invitation  - go there.

This fire energy takes the place in our medicine chest of caffeine, anti- anxiety medications, antacids, Tums, amphetamines, and even some painkillers.   We learn here to become comfortable in the uncomfortable and take action.  It  is in this space that we grow.   Transformation.  And if you aren’t transforming……..   well, then you are staying the same.  
 

The reason we work so hard on building this inner strength, this unshakable sense of self, is because in the heart space we are asked to surrender.  We are asked to trust.   Completely.  What can be harder than that?  It is not for the weak.

I have spent the last 3 days in a workshop with Erich Shiffmann, a master yogi from California.    Erich has this incredibly warm heart and the gift of being able to put into words for me exactly what my journey has felt like.   And boy does he give great bear hugs!
 

So I would like to share a couple of homework assignments that he gave us this weekend that I intend to put into daily practice, and that I ask you to join me in.    They help point us in the path of “becoming love” which is the energy we are all made of and what the heart chakra – Anahata- is all about.  Again….these are not for the faint hearted. 
 

Pick one or two and do them daily over these next two weeks and notice:
 

·         Mirror gazing.    Sit in front of a mirror and gaze into your own eyes.  SEE yourself.    Not what you look like or what kind of a hair day you are having.   Just SEE you.  First in one eye, then the other, and then in both.  Gently. 
 

·         When someone crosses your path during the day – really SEE them.  Look them directly in the eye.  The eyes are the windows to the soul.  SEE them.  It doesn’t have to be a long or uncomfortable stare.  Just a second or two of really looking will cause a connection.  You will feel it with your whole body.   A current.  Have the strength to allow it without backing away.  Your neighbor, the woman behind the counter, the homeless man.  SEE them. 

·         Using things that are easy, practice giving LOVE just a little more.    Perhaps when you are petting the dog, slow down, be present and do it with more love.  If you are reading a great book, stop occasionally to notice and LOVE the book.  When you take a bite of a perfect sandwich, stop, notice and LOVE the food and the earth that it came from. 

·         As you see a person, a tree, a view, a room, etc. – mentally say “I SEE you, and I love you”.    At least several things/people a day.  Start sending love. 

 

I SEE YOU.  From the movie Avatar.  A greeting.  An acknowledgement of another being.    This is SEEING without knowing.  As if you are SEEING for the first time.  Without the usual judgments, opinions, sizing up, comparing, blah, blah, blah that we do with the mind when we look at another. 
 

So get out the windex, clean the windshield of the mind and SEE them!

And finally, as someone in class reminded me last week, you can’t make it over this bridge of the heart without the shedding of tears.  Lots of them.  But over time you slowly learn to be grateful for the cleanse of a good deep sob.

Surrendering

SARAH

Fire.......ode to dandelion

Yogis on Fire,

This week in class we pushed ourselves………… turning up the heat and fueling our practice with strength and passion.  At times coming to uncomfortable positions and becoming still to watch how we respond to stepping outside our comfort zone.
 

In the water energy we found our desires, but without the focus and passion of fire they will only remain wishes.   
 

This week Madam Dandelion has been speaking to me.  She is one of the purest incarnations of the fire energy.  My, she has a lot to say………..

 

 

At least here in the DC area, we are in the heart of dandelion season.  She is everywhere!    But often her mere presence sends humans scurrying to home depot to load up on “weed” killer.    She seems to somehow threaten our sense of being in control. 

But this week I really got to know her and can now see clearly that she contains so many of the characteristics that we all want.    That unshakable sense of self with no need to change only to suit others.

First, she is confident.   No hiding in the shadows for Dandelion.  She simply finds the sun, settles her long roots deep into the earth and looks upward.    Not hoping to be a tulip or a rose, just being her.  She stands tall.

 

Dandelion will not let obstacles change her vision.  Even a good lawn mowing will simply remove current blossoms, but she will just dig down and find her inner strength to create more.  Her focus is unwavering.

She is just as comfortable alone in a crowd of those quite different from her……

 

As she is amongst friends…………..     

And oh my gosh is she adaptable!!!!!    You will even find her in the streets of NY city!

Dandelion is also dependable.  You can count on her.  Once she has found her spot you know she will remain there through thick and thin.  Opening to the sun in the morning and closing as dusk arrives, only to do it all over again tomorrow.

………she is the kind of friend we all hope to be.

Finally, Dandelion has been a digestive tonic for hundreds of years.  Her young leaves are bitters that help to reduce the stress of everyday life.  She helps us “digest” life.  Her roots can be roasted and ground to be used as a healthy coffee alternative.  And her flowers brighten up our day and any salad.

 My lawn salad - Yum!

   

So this week as you are out, introduce yourself.  Get close and see her for what she is with new eyes.   Maybe just maybe she will have something to teach you!

Seeing Madam Dandelion as a slice of the sun,

SARAH

Fire.......I can and I will

Dear Yogis,

For these last two weeks we have flowed.  Lying back into the current of life and letting go to enjoy the ride.  My hips have been thanking me.

When we are in the flow we can feel it.  There is no struggle.  And when we come upon an obstacle we smoothly make our way around it.   We let all things in life come and go…..giving and receiving……feeling alive.  Diving down to uncover our deepest longings and giving them life.

So far we became very still and grounded with the earth energy.  Noticing this moment and planting the seed for that which we want to manifest in our lives on this journey.    We then watered the seed to soften it and  start the process of creation.    Now we bring it into the sunlight!

 

Manipura, the fire chakra, is located in front of the spine, just below and behind the navel.  It is referred to as our “City of Jewels”  and is visualized as the color yellow.  It is our energy, our heat, our digestion and our inner strength.  Our resolve. 

I CAN CREATE ANYTHING THAT I CHOOSE   (so be sure to choose carefully)

It is here in Manipura that we can bring about transformation.   So whatever it is that you desire, you must let it rise into the fire of the belly…….bring it into the sun and tend to it…..in order for it to manifest.    Otherwise our desires just remain  wishes. 

The fire energy is in the front of the body.   It is reaching out onto that enormous blank canvas of life in front of you and painting what you want with big bold colorful strokes. 

The work with this energy is building core strength and moving forward with an unwavering focus.    Seeing what it is that you want clearly, bringing it in focus.  And then taking baby steps toward it every day.    It is our discipline.  It is our ability to keep commitments.  To not be deterred by what may appear to be setbacks.  Steadiness. 

Look around you now!  You can see the strength of the sun in every plant that is bursting to life right now.  All reaching  upward for the heat and light.   The sun gives life…yet it can also make us uncomfortable.  It asks us to step outside of our comfort zone, try new things, shake off old habits and fears, and move with conviction.

So begin to visualize exactly what it will be like when what you told the Universe that you want, manifests in your life.  How will you feel?  How will you look?  See it clearly.  And revisit that image every single day.   Every single day.  Feeling yourself moving toward it.

I CAN CREATE ANYTHING THAT I WANT…..AND I WILL,

SARAH

March Meditation Reflection

Yogis,

I had to planned to write this note early in the week, but sensed that we needed a “pause between the notes”.  A time for everything to settle in.

I truly enjoyed leading the March Meditation.  It caused me to watch my own meditation with a new eye and reflect on why I do it.

.........me when I first started meditating

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meditation is a time for me.  A time to stop everything to just be me.  Nowhere to go.  Nothing to do.  So quiet in comparison to much of the rest of life.

After 5 years here are some of the changes that have manifested for me:

·         I can now take that calm with me for a good part of the day

·         I can “arrive” almost instantly because my body, breath and mind remember

·         My focus when I am working, doing a project or trying to get something done is much sharper – I get a lot more done in less time without feeling hurried

·         I can recognize when I am becoming anxious, distracted or judgmental and use breath to release it as I move through the roller coaster of life

·         I see life through a much clearer lens – more color, more detail, more beauty

As a tshirt I have says ….. Live Vividly – Meditate!

I have heard from some of you, but if anyone else has any feedback or observations, I would love to hear from you. 

I hope to run the same program again for others (although would love to have you back!) sometime in the next couple of months.  So please let me know if you know of anyone who would like to participate.     I will also keep this email list and will stay in touch.

Finally, I thought it was very fitting that this arrived in my inbox yesterday, so I wanted to share.  Same message, just presented slightly differently.

http://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes.html?%a0%20

And so for now – Every day……at least 10 minutes.

Living vividly,

SARAH