......packing

Yogis,

I have always been an over- packer. Weekend trips demand the medium sized suitcase and a week away has me struggling to lift my bag onto the scale when checking in at the airport. Not much gets left home.

I always start out with good intentions, carefully placing in the necessities, but little by little the ‘what ifs’ slip in. What if it rains……what if it is chilly at night…..what if I don’t feel like wearing those pants. Before I know it, I am struggling to close the zipper and yet I still inevitably stuff one more thing in as I am heading out the door.

I’ve always envied someone who shows up for a weekend trip with a small duffel over their shoulder yet looks amazing no matter what we end up doing. Or those that casually mention how they did carry on when traveling Europe for 10 days. What!!! They must have a packing gene that didn’t make it into my DNA. I am in awe.

But then we planned a trip to Ireland for 9 days with some friends……who suggested we all carry on. Oh no.

Is it possible to change lifelong habits? Can I possibly become a light packer at age 57? I decided it was time to stop saying ‘I wish’ and do it. I wanted it so I began to visualize it.

I started with our beach weekend trips, scaling down to carry on size luggage. I watched to see if I even wore that amount of clothes in 3 days and of course, noticed I did not.

How would I handle shoes? I imagined the cool misty days and decided waterproof hiking shoes would be on my feet all day and some cute short brown boots would be my evening wear. Simplicity.  I was beginning to be able to ‘see it’.

Browns, golds and whites in clothing to all intermix. Travel size toiletries, which I admit are straining the quart sized bag zip lock. Would gallon size be too much to ask? A rain jacket that rolls into a ball and a fleece. And the small suitcase zips. I did it! I ‘am’ a light packer!

For many of you naturally light packers out there this all seems silly, but this was a change for me that required going out of my comfort zone. Wanting, visualizing and taking baby steps. Doing it.

I am writing this on Friday, the day before leaving, so as you read this I am already in Ireland. Perhaps by now I wish I had brought something that didn’t make it into the bag. But that’s ok because I know I will feel lighter and freer. Less burdened with stuff. Maybe this will carry over into other parts of life.

I will let you know how it went……

Watching for fairies in Ireland,
SARAH

....what I love about summer

Yogis,

It’s officially summer! 

Friday, we celebrated the Summer Solstice, honoring the life giving force of the sun. Her heat, light and power all cause growth and transformation. All you have to do this time of year is look out your window to get a sense of her strength!

I have always loved summer. When I think back to my childhood the images that flash through my mind are the ones of me in the woods building forts, making ‘houses’ in buckets for the all of the poor caterpillars I captured and walking barefoot on the hot Georgia pavement to the pool. The carefree days of summer.

As adults our summers aren’t necessarily quite as carefree, but there is a still a gentle shift in energy which brings everything down a few notches. A slower time that gives us all the opportunity to pause and realize the many small things this season brings which we are grateful for.

Here are mine………

You of course know my number 1#! Being able to be barefoot all day 😊 My toes sing a song of joy once freed from the constriction of shoes, instead feeling the morning dew on the grass. Clover flowers constantly getting stuck between my toes like jewelry.

My garden. Having a sanctuary in my own backyard where I can go each day to putter, photograph, get my hands in the dirt and talk to the other creatures who too visit frequently. The garden offers me mint and lemon balm for my water, herbs for my salad and medicinal plants to make my medicine, all which I sample as I walk through. Each plant with a unique personality and all give me much joy.

The long days. Having time after dinner to head outside and watch the bats swoop out from my eaves. This week I counted 12 in five minutes so I am sure there are many more. Great mosquito control! The songs of the night birds and frogs and of course, the lightening bugs.

Sleeping with my window open. There is nothing like the sounds of the breeze through the trees and the rain on the roof to lull me to sleep. Yes there are planes but I truly don’t hear them as I tune in to life’s hum. And yes…..there are those foxes who in addition to being much more visible these days have now taken to launching a raucous in the middle of night.  Phoebe has learned not to bark but can’t help allowing little muted grrrr’s and groans to escape her lips.

The tastes. Everything so gorgeous and fresh it’s hard to decide what to have! Salads with scrumptious lettuce from the CSA, blueberries and feta. Greens galore, beans now sprouting in my garden, melons and tomatoes. Every meal a mouth party.

And the smells. Oh my gosh the smells…… Freshly mowed grass, honeysuckle and roses. The sea air, suntan lotion and caramel corn on the boardwalk.

Wearing shorts, getting sweaty and sleeping in my tent. Licking an ice cream cone strategically so as not to allow a messy melt. The more I list, the more that come to me. That is how the energy of gratitude works. A powerful magnet.

Summer. So, what is your list?

Happy Summer,
SARAH

.....being there

Yogis,

These last couple of weeks my garden has been exploding. Marshmallow now taller than me, echinacea buds beginning their opening spiral dance and comfrey so top heavy she is now laying the burden of many of her stalks onto the ground. Yet each time I went out I felt like not a whole lot was going on.

I would take a stroll through, planting some of my tender seedlings in the earth and trimming back those full-bodied plants that were already beginning to block the path, awaiting that moment that would send a tingle down my spine. Nothing. And in I would go. Ho hum.

Last week I sat in my grass pod and silently weeded. For a while. It was only then that I noticed the shaking of the butterfly bush. Loud thuds and deep rustling that resembled the stomping of a tyrannosaurus rex through the jungle. I cautiously approached and lay on the ground to glance underneath. That is when I spotted the bright red eyes of the visiting box turtle from last week’s video. A tingle.

But the next day I once again was distant ……..

Only days later did it become apparent that it wasn’t life’s magic that wasn’t present, it was me. I was being the casual visitor instead of planting myself like the motherwort and being there. Landing. Staying. Listening. I was passing through life instead of living it.

I talk of this so often you would think I have it down by now, right? I don’t. The act of ‘being there’ isn’t easy. How often are any of us actually anywhere? We spend the majority of our waking moments ‘on the way’ to somewhere. In our thoughts and on our screens. Rarely being completely and utterly present with what is right under our own feet.

When I finally sat myself down in the grass, took a big exhale and opened my senses, only then did I begin to notice. To ‘be there’. The small white clover in the grass. Who knew it was so stunning when examined closely? The bees coming in for a landing with me inches away. Inchworms, dragonflies, ladybugs and spiders all within arm’s reach which I hadn’t even noticed moments earlier. The breeze against my skin. The warmth of the sun.

I was reminded, so I am reminding you. Find time each day to land. To be there. Allowing all that ‘has to be done’ to wait a few minutes. To experience the magic that is always there waiting.

Friday night I took the time to hang out the open window next to my bed which overlooks the garden. A bat swooped by and then I saw them. The twinkling of the fireflies lighting up the trees. Did someone say magic? Bed can wait……I want to ‘be here.’

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha

Here is an excellent place to be,
SARAH

......an altar

Yogis,

Do you have an altar in your home? A space to place your most sacred objects?

When I began holding classes in my studio eleven years ago, I started a small altar on the floor in the front of the room. A corner spot that everyone sees, and which ends up at being at eye level as we move through chaturangas. 

First I hunted and found a medium sized wooden Buddha in a shop that I frequent in Rehoboth. I spread an earth colored pashmina scarf on the wood floor where Buddha was then placed along with a few larger rocks from my yard. A candle completed the space which was lit at the beginning of each class.

Over time a few other small objects made their way onto the alter. A metal heart, a Ganesha painting and at times a vase with herbs. All in all, it didn’t change much for many years. It was my first altar. It was simple.

Then I moved my statue of Lakshmi onto it……

Soon I felt that she was calling for more color (beauty that she is) so I layered a second more vibrant scarf on top. Before too long, a starfish from a beach walk and a tangerine stone from a crystals shop made their way in. A couple more candles, goddess cards, flowers and a lovely handmade smudge stick from a friend. Little by little without my awareness, my altar was transforming.

A few weeks ago, while putting my hand drum away I realized it should be in the studio, and what better place to become more connected with its rhythm than on the altar. This week feathers have appeared on my path while running. Each time I placed them in my bra and ran home with them, knowing they too should grace this sacred space.

All of this without much thought, until Monday morning class as I bowed down in a posture and Lakshmi caught my eye. I suddenly ‘see’ the altar with new eyes. It is beautiful! But of course! Lakshmi is the goddess of abundance and prosperity. Her presence drew beauty and bounty into the room.

Everyone can have an altar. You don’t have to be religious or a yoga teacher to create a special place in your home that causes your heart to smile each time you are near. You may have already created an informal one without realizing it.

It can be on your dresser, a nightstand or even a windowsill. It can be any size and can certainly have buddhas, malas and goddesses, but can just as easily be filled with seashells, photos or flowers. Anything that connects you more deeply to you. All that is important is that it is cared for and treated with kindness and respect.

If you already have one, look at it with new eyes today. If you don’t……look around and find a space. Place a couple of objects to begin and then see what life blows in. The energy of your altar will be a gift you receive each time you are in its presence.

 “Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.’ — Joseph Campbell

.....would love to see pictures!

Grateful to Lakshmi,

SARAH

......your purpose

Yogis,

Yesterday was the Bloom day retreat here at my home. Three beautiful warm women and I each took a few steps further down our own paths. Around the fire pit we meditated and picked oracle cards for guidance, under the ever-watchful eye of the canopy of guardian beech trees. Breathed mindfully while we practiced and floated in and out of consciousness through a yoga nidra. A day spent moving slowly and sipping mason jars of lemon water with peppermint from the garden…..which made for many trips to the bathroom.

One of our topics was dharma. The principle that we all have a purpose in life. Something that we are meant to do while here inhabiting these human forms. Not a destiny. A purpose.

Beneath this lies the belief that each of us has some unique gift that is expressed through us in a way that is unlike anyone else’s in the world. Your particular gift and expression of it is one of a kind. It’s there waiting in us all, but how often is it uncovered?

Some are clear on their purpose at an early age. Famous musicians, artists, scientists. Those that are driven by the inner flame that lights the path meant to be taken, regardless of the fear, challenges and naysayers. But the majority of us get swept up by the movement of societal ways keeping our gifts on simmer.

Fortunately, they can be heated up and revealed at any time!

What is it that you love to do? If every occupation paid the same, which one would you choose? Or as the metal block in my bathroom asks……what would you do if you knew you could not fail. What?

When you do it time doesn’t exist. It feels so natural that all of the fears and worries, for that time melt. You are in ‘the flow’.

Then as Deepak Chopra teaches, once found you must ask, how can I be of service to others. How can I help? Once your unique gift is polished and it is done in service to others, your purpose is crystal clear. And when performing your purpose you are supported.

I myself have been struggling with this lately. My own personal gifts began knocking so loudly at my door a few years ago that I finally left a comfortable corporate job. I was so clear at the time. But then the everyday worries of attendance, money, what do people think, maybe I should expand, offer this instead……..began creeping in. The mind distracting me from what was already divine. Blurring my vision. Dampening my fire.

As I sit here in my garden cutting my lovely comfrey into a jar to make oil, the bees buzz around me (and a few mosquitoes which I am energetically asking not to land) and I slow my breath and listen. Diving back into my center. A need to pull out of my thinking mind and tune into the inner guidance which brought me to where I am at this moment.

Letting go of attachment to outcomes is not easy. Deep trust is required. A letting go. I will once again start asking myself, how can I be of service. A constant practice. One well worth it as I only have this life once.

What is your dharma?
SARAH