my choice

Yogis,

I am everything…….and everything is me.  I AM THAT!

That was how I ended my writing last week. 

I am the playfulness of the chipmunk, the curiosity of the titmouse, and the timidness of the cardinal.   I am the breeze created by the blue jay and the abundance shown to me by the raspberries.  The warmth of the sun and sensuality of the moon.  I AM THAT….as the world outside mirrors my world within.

As that realization settles into my bones…..I could comfortably stay in my garden and see in the mirror only that part of me that I embrace…..but that isn’t what this is all about.

I am also climate change.  I am the reason that few have everything and many have nothing.  I am the struggling healthcare system and the gridlock in our political process, the greed of the oil companies and the commercialization of all that I hold dear.  I AM THAT!

No….I don’t want to see that.  They are creating that.  They are the problem.   I will fight them.  I will argue.  I am good…..they are the ones that are bad.  The others.

But it doesn’t work like that. 

If what I see in this mirror of life doesn’t fit who I am, then I  am the only one who can change it.  I am that powerful.  Maybe I can’t solve it completely in a moment, perhaps not in  years, maybe not even during my time in this physical body,  but I can move mountains if only I take the steps .  But first I must accept the responsibility, when it is so much easier to point outside. 

Then I must believe I can…....or not. 

But I can’t fix climate change, or poverty or healthcare.  The problems are too big, too complicated and not under my control.    It is so overwhelming to even begin to think through it, and no one is going to be willing to make the changes anyway.  Those in power are controlling everything. The others.

Ok….then I can’t.  We can’t.  The world can’t.   If I can’t….. then it won't happen.  I AM THAT.

I can create change.  I believe I can tap into the inherent goodness in all people and begin a dialog.  I see it.  I begin to drive less, buy less, eat locally.  I look people in the eye.  Understand their story.  Serve others.  Share my vision.  Begin to live my life AS IF.   Desire it, see it and move forward.  Each of us.  Together. 

I must believe that I can……or not.  My choice.

I can.  We can.  The world can.  If I can….then it will happen.  I AM THAT.

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.”
                   ~Peace Pilgrim

Each of us contains the power to change the world,

SARAH

....tuning in

Dear Yogis,

Find something in your line of view.  Anything at all. Look at it.  Really see it…….

• ·         How did it get there?
• ·         How long has it been there?
• ·         How many different people were involved in it finally arriving in that spot?
• ·         How many hands have touched it?
• ·         What is its purpose?
• ·         What is it made of and where did those material originate from?
• ·         What would it feel like to run your hands down it?

See it, as if you are seeing it for the first time…….because you probably are.  Thousands of things pass through our line of vision every day, but how many do we stop to truly SEE?  But when we do we create a new relationship.  A bond….not only with it, but with ourselves.

Last week’s image was the straight, unkinked garden hose connected to source - in that case water.  When we open the crown of our heads and connect to our source -in this case the Universe, the divine, the Great Mystery, God, or all that is – the breath is the flow.  Uniting all of us.  The ultimate connection.  No longer separate.  All drawing from the unlimited pool of everyone’s thoughts, feelings, experiences and dreams. Collective consciousness.

Beginning to feel the beauty in everything that we see……because we are no different.  

Friday night  as I was preparing to leave town I spent time out in my garden to say goodbye.  I miss my garden when I am away.  Everyone and everything in it have become quite close friends.  I have a relationship with the garden, the plants, the animals and the trees.  Each one unique.  Each one special.  Seeing everything about each one. And learning about myself from them all.

The Cardinals have become even a little more trusting.  But it’s the male taking the chances while the female observes from the tree.  If I turn my back and lean down to do some weeding he will quickly land to grab a seed, perhaps even pausing there on the ground until I look over.  I just keep letting him know it is ok to come.  Moving slowly.  Teaching me patience.

The chipmunks are very dependable.  Always there.  Always gathering food to bring home.  Upbeat.  But when two get in the same path, watch out!  The chasing and tumbling are like a high speed chase – often over my feet or through my legs.  Ah!  I scold them for scaring me.  But they are so darn cute.  Teaching me to be ok with the unexpected.

The titmouse……the one with the black spot on his lower left chest.  He arrives when he wants seed, looking at me with a cocked head.  He follows me to the garage, landing on the handle of the rake, then on the light, then on the garage roof, watching my every move.  He follows me back to the center of the circle where he will land on my hand for food.  Very picky.  Wants only the light beige peanuts.  A funny bird.  A sense of humor.  Bossy….but in such a sweet way.  Teaching me to be lighthearted and silly.

The wrens.  Fun.  So alive.  Tiny.  So beautiful in their singing. Raising their families in two of my birdhouses, finding food from underneath the brush, and landing on the eucalyptus tree to announce their return.  They have taught me not to look directly, but to feel them and send my vibration…..with just a quick occasional glance when I have praise I want to share.  Teaching me how the clearest voices can come in the smallest packages. 

Now the Blue Jays have begun to arrive.   Big and strong as they swoop down – sending a breeze through my hair.   A large presence.  Come off as being a bully.  But I won’t allow first impressions to taint me.  I will watch, feel and see.  Teaching me not to judge.

My swiss chard has taught me not to harvest too soon, my wild raspberry bushes showed me that if I prune them back they will delight me with a larger harvest,  and the whole garden has spoken loudly about the gift of sharing plants with others….and so I have.

Everything is me.  I am everything.  I AM THAT.

……and look who arrived this week.

Teaching  us all to slow down.  There is nowhere to go.  Everything we are searching for is right here within us.  We just need to open the connection and receive the flow.

Tuned in to the best channel,
SARAH

....getting the kinks out

Yogis,

This week we moved up to the final stop on this journey…..the crown of the head.  Sahasrara Chakra.   But even here at our final stop, the movement is still up.  Not an ending……merely a gateway to another way of living.

This particular spiritual journey that I guide uses our seven major chakras as teachers, guideposts, barometers, and mile markers.  Each one stacked in succession above the other drawing a straight line right in front of our spine through our very center.  Although there are many spiritual paths, this is the one that not only spoke to me, but cleared the way for me to see and live life as I believe it is meant to be lived – as a limitless creator.  Less struggle and more flow.  Being me and creating life as I go. 

From earth, up to water, then fire, to air, ether, sound and light, as we awaken and balance each of the chakras our energy begins to rise.  Lifting and removing obstacles in its path.  Clearing the way so that when it reaches the crown of the head it bursts right through.  Connecting us to all that is.  To source.

Which brings me to my garden hose……

I have a very large garden.  Yet even with its size I quickly ran out of space within its borders and began carving paths into the edge of the woods in which to sow seeds, used the wall behind the air compressors to create a new line of flowers and herbs, and placed dried gourds under the bushes so their sprouting vines would wind out into the grass.  The whole back yard has become a garden.  Thus the need for a very long garden hose!!

My old faithful hose finally needing replacing so I went to the hardware store and decided to buy the 75 ft “Kink Free” hose (all of you hose users will understand the draw.)  That afternoon I hooked it up and dragged my end all the way across the yard to the right.  I began spraying from my additional purchase – a new nozzle.  A powerful soaking shower poured out and I was quickly done with that section.  I began my trek across to the other side, pulling the hose behind me.  I sprayed again.  Full force…..then a little less…..then less…..less………..a trickle………and finally nothing.  I looked back over my shoulder and I know you may not believe this, BUT the Kink Free hose had a dreaded kink!!!!

Ugh.  Of course it is WAY BACK by the faucet.  I try to twist the hose.  I try whipping it like a lasso to see if the ripple will take out the kink.   I pull it more towards me.  Nothing.  I have to physically go back over there and tend to it.  There is no short cut.  It will not just “work itself out”

We are like a garden hose.  And we get kinks.  The ones that cause our flow to sputter, weaken or even come to a grinding halt.   That long held fear of there not being enough is a kink in our earth energy.   The unexpressed anger causing overheated fire energy that plays havoc with our digestive system.   The stored grief in the back of the heart that we hope if we wait long enough will dissolve on its own.   Or the busy mind that is so in control that no flow – no matter how powerful- can pierce through that kink.   We keep going.  We shake, twist and pull the hose.  But eventually we must go back and work to release the kink, the holding, the blocked energy ourselves.

That is the work we have been doing in each of the chakras.  And it all comes back to a very simple premise – Letting Go.  Letting Go.  Letting Go.  Living life relaxed. Releasing.  Emptying.  Holding onto nothing.  It sounds so easy.  It’s the opposite of struggle, of “grit”, of hard work, which are all the things our society seems to reward.   But it takes trusting that there is more.  Trusting that if I let something go I create more space. 

And when we do that…….when we let it all go…..and open the crown of our head to connect to source, the flow is powerful, clean, clear and strong. 

…….and feels a whole lot better.

Opening to receive.

SARAH

There are no coincidences.........

Yogis,

There are no coincidences……..none.  Coincidences are large neon signs pointing our way.  But are you watching them?

 

At the throat we listened for inner guidance from the heart.  Hearing from within.  At the third eye we see which way to go.  And the Universe provides plenty of direction!

 

So you have out the map for a road trip (well, if you are over 50 you have out the map).  You have a sense of your route.  You know where you are now and where it is you want to go.  But you get distracted.  You’re listening to the radio and your mind is somewhere else.  A large green sign announces that your exit is 1 mile away on the right……but you don’t see it.  Your phone rings and it’s your son.  As you get the specifics of where he is going tonight and who is driving,  you fail to see the exit sign.  You are now 5 miles past the exit and noticing that you don’t recognize the town names you are passing.  The signs were all there.  You just didn’t SEE them.   In fact if someone asks you later you will swear that there were no signs warning of the exit you were supposed to take.  That the road is poorly marked.

 

Life provides us those same signs.  Every day!  All the time!  But we must be present, aware and in our feeling body in order to see them.  We must use our sixth sense. 

 

A call from that friend you were just thinking about.   A poster for a class nearby on something you said yesterday you were thinking of trying.  A hawk lands nearby.  The lyrics of the song you are playing speak to exactly what you are working with emotionally.  A Bunny Rabbit comes and sits with you each day.  A dream…..a vision…….a sudden inner sense. 

 

All signs.  All a pat on the back that you are heading the right way.  A push forward.  Suggestions on new routes.  Guidance……but only if you notice and follow. 

 

There are no coincidences………..

 

Begin to watch for them.  We don’t try to get signs, we relax completely and move forward toward what we want, knowing that they will come.  And when they do it “gives you the chills”.  They are like a small “bolt of electricity”.  A tingle.  The Third Eye is our energetic connection to all that is.  Connection to the current of the Universe.  Our fuse box.  The power cord.  So connect in and follow them…..

 

Spend time with that friend so see what message she has for you.  Take the class.  Read about hawks.  Dance to that song.  Write down your dreams, and send love to the Bunny Rabbit. 

 

…..and if the signs are telling you to turn around or take a detour…..do it.  No need to struggle and push through.  The path to your highest self and to all that you desire is one that is clear, well lit, joyful and lined with extremely well placed signs. 

 

  Notice me!

 

The Universe is the best GPS system on the market (and its free J)

SARAH

.......what did you say?

Dear Yogis,

There is a saying that “you teach what you need.”  I have found that to be true so many times over these last several years.  And it certainly held true these last two weeks…….

Last week the topic was listening within.  Becoming quiet enough to hear the directions being provided by the heart.  Turning off the TV, radio, computer and music to hear your own inner voice. 

This week we moved up to the third eye, Ajna chakra, where we wipe away the cloudy haze created by our perceptions, in order to see clearly.  To see what is right here.  Seeing what is real.  Inner vision.

 

About two weeks ago the back of my knee started feeling sore.  It would come and go, but each time it returned it was a little more painful.  It began to shift – sometimes up the leg and sometimes down into the calf.  But I continued on.  “I have worked my way through this before.  No problem!” 

Three days of running  this  week, 6 classes and 4 home practices later….it’s even worse.  What a surprise.  But it’s Friday!  My day to go to Down Dog!  I’ll just take it easy (in the 95 degree room doing power yoga, culminating with 5 wheels J).  I’ll rub some Indian Balm on the back of my leg to loosen it up.  And so I did, and off I went.

Halfway through class the back of my leg began to tingle.  The tingle then became heat.  And within 30 minutes the entire back of my leg felt as if it was engulfed in flames!!!  Oh my Gosh – as suddenly I remembered the balm and the fact that it was made with all heating herbs – clove, cinnamon, camphor etc.  – while I heated it up to a searing 95.  Wow.

By the time I got back for “time for me” there certainly wasn’t going to be any dancing.  My leg felt dead.  I lay on the bed instead to quiet down and write and what flowed out was that I was merely paying lip service to everything I had taught these two weeks.   I know my body inside and out.  I had been hearing clearly what it was saying, but didn’t like what I heard.  I remembered the little voice quietly saying I should skip class but I didn’t want to listen.  I could see exactly what was happening all week, but didn’t like what I saw.  Easier to look away and just keep pushing forward.  How often do we do that?

We can do that – not only with physical issues, but emotional as well.  We hear and see what is right for us, and still move in the opposite direction.  Rationalizing.  Talking our self out of it.  Giving the reins back to the mind.  But sooner or later it catches up with us.  The signs get stronger and the messages louder, until eventually they take us down.  Illness, injury, sadness or general sense of being disconnected.  Foggy about where we are, how we got there and which way to go. 

For me this week that inner voice had to turn the volume way up to get my attention.   But now that it has me I have tuned back in.   I have slowed waaaaayyyyyyy  down.  Mindful movement.  Sitting in my healing garden next to my friend Comfrey – the muscle/bone healer.  Re-establishing my earth connection as I write this from my grass pod in the circle.  Hearing the call of the crows and soaking in the sun’s late afternoon rays.  The cardinals daring to come just a little closer than usual.  Noticing this moment…..and listening for what it has to tell me. 

And look what welcomed me when I walked out first thing this morning!

 

She’s not Bunny Rabbit, but a new friend.  Time to start working my magic!

 

I see you Universe. And it feels good to be home again.

Just from the act of noticing and allowing, the healing has begun,

SARAH