My Musings

NOVEMBER 2023

WHEN THOUGHTS BECOME A PROBLEM

Studies suggest that the average person may have tens of thousands of thoughts per day - it is often cited around 60,000 to 80,000, and while not all thoughts are conscious or deliberate (many are fleeting; relating to automatic processes, emotions, or background mental activity), our human tendency is to become quite attached to them regardless.

The study of yoga begins with recognising our ignorance and understanding that before we can see the truth, we must change ourselves and discern our thoughts. Our thoughts can become an issue if we take ownership and attach ourselves to our thoughts with an I-am-ness or ego (Asmita in Sanskrit).

Even the most ‘good’ people may contemplate committing a crime, however they won’t own or act on these thoughts as they have no attachment to them. Where the problem arises is when a person identifies with the thought of committing a crime. Through the persistent identification with these thoughts, what is to stop us from undertaking them?

Patanjali speaks to the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind through the application of the combined means of practice and detachment in yoga. The ‘and’ is where I place focus here because the application of only one of these two elements will lead to extremes of the mind - fundamentalism or relativism.

Ever heard statements such as “only ashtanga yoga is the correct yoga”, “karma yoga is the true path”, etc. etc. (insert your preferred method here). If we focus only on practice, there is a tendency towards fundamentalism - believing that there is one truth that excludes all others. We become entrapped by the mind, stopped from recognizing that a position or practice different from our own could also be right. In Yoga we refer to this as a solar attitude, when our prana flows dominant through the right nostril (Pingala).

Just as easily however is that of relativism where the belief is that there are many truths canceling out one truth, for example, “everybody has to live their own truth”, “all paths are equal” etc. etc. Here our prana is dominant to the left side (Ida) the lunar channel - cultivating an unwillingness to change or recognise the wrong path for ourselves because everything is true, I am okay as I am, everybody has their path so why even bother to cultivate a practice in the first place.

And so, this is where we must avoid extreme of these attitudes, as to abide in one's true nature is found not within the extremes of the mind - transforming the mind into a clear surface capable of reflecting whatever it is directed at. To know that we are awareness and not to lose sight of that.

Who am I in this increasingly unstable world?

The self. A very subjective and often mystifying concept. How do you perceive your sense of self? As of late looking at what is currently happening around us has me questioning - who am I in this current world? How can I be useful? By being what? By doing what?

Lack of self-knowledge immobilises and disempowers. Left to our own devices, our own individuality, our wellbeing and the part we play in the world around us is very much tied into and usually dependent on factors outside of ourselves.

But this is why we need to make the distinction between self-realisation and happiness. This concept of self-realisation acknowledges our strong drive to preserve ourselves and to persevere in the face of an unstable world. A flower that blossoms, beaming under the sun with insects feeding on its pollen is realising itself even though we have no perception of whether it is happy or not. It has an obvious and important place in the world -a vital contributing role to the greater ecosystem around it.

So this is where our little individual human intellect gets in the way of ourselves - because there's no way you're going to be able to figure out your part in the greater whole by preserving a narrow, personal sense of self. It is not only partial and incomplete but this lack of awareness often stops us from acting for the greater good. If we can start to transcend the constraints of our intellect that we put on ourselves, of our individuality - we start to understand that you, me, we, are part of a vast, interconnected Universe, where our wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us crucially depends on maintaining relationships and connections with others and that includes nonhuman and the environment we live in.

Because Self-realisation implies a unity of acting and knowing.

Just like the flower, it just knows what is the right thing to do and so acts accordingly. A fully realised Self is one worth preserving because it is an important (in fact, vital!) part of the vast, interconnected universe. Unlike the narrow small self or ego. Once you know this, we can begin to act. Our universality informs our individuality. And suddenly just like that we know what needs to be done.

Unlocking Lasting Happiness

Happiness. The pursuit of happiness. Isn’t that what we are all chasing? This emotional state that is so valued yet can feel so elusive. Does valuing happiness actually foster our ability to create it?

I don’t know about you, but I see so many people becoming masters at adopting perilous strategies to avoid confronting their dissatisfaction in its pursuit - engaging in the constant pursuit of instant pleasure. Whether it be through substances, consumerism or mindless eating, all hidden under the value we place on the pursuit of happiness.

What if we associated happiness with inner peace and contentment rather than excitement or elation?

It seems to me that valuing happiness does not foster our ability to pursue it, in fact, rather than being in a present state of mind, we are constantly seeking a result or possession in order to achieve that feeling. And even if that goal or thing doesn’t bring us this so called ‘happiness’, we get all wrapped up in the idea that everything depends on achieving it, and hence why we are constantly dissatisfied.

So, there is this hedonistic pursuit of happiness or there is the commitment to inner contentment while nurturing meaningful personal and social connections. The first, when unsatisfied, leads to sadness and unfulfilled desires. The second spurs commitment to self and a sense of inner peace.

Through our yoga practice we hone our self-awareness, one breath at a time, encouraging us to make more conscious choices. You become better equipped to distinguish between short-term pleasures and long-term fulfillment - a crucial element in making decisions that align with our ‘happiness’.

So, how do you sell one of the oldest, cheapest, most low-tech happiness, or should I rephrase that as contentment solutions, to people who are constantly chasing the newest, most distracting, not-so-cheap high-tech deliverables? We continue to build our own emotional stability and resilience through our practice, and day by day we begin to transcend the cycle of fleeting joys and discover a deeper, lasting happiness within.

And the best part - it’s free.

There is a lesson in everything, but not everything is a lesson.

It is empowering to learn from our experiences. If we are never spending any time with the ‘whys’ and just focusing on the ‘whats’, we are not taking authority over our lives. Learning from our experiences is one of the main ways in which we grow, develop, and get to know ourselves better.

Yet the reductionist (and very new age spiritual) approach, that we must always take complete responsibility for everything that happens to us, often results in unnecessary self-shame. Yes, there is a lesson in everything, but not everything is a lesson.

Why is this distinction important? I don’t believe anyone can look around at our world today and say that there are no bad events. Unfortunately, heartbreaking, devastating events occur daily. Pain is a part of life, something that is undeniable. Perhaps one day we look back and find the meaning within it, but right now, maybe we just need to take care of the pain with integrity and compassion.

We can learn to understand the distinction of when we are exaggerating our own importance but also when we are dishonoring it. There will be situations where we can find a particular pattern in our life where the decisions we make continue to lead us to certain roadblocks or suffering. Here we can assume self-authority and acknowledge our free will so the question becomes ‘Why does this pattern keep recurring? Why do I continue to make these choices so I can understand what it is trying to reveal to me?’

So now when life brings its everything to us, we can respond but with the acceptance of its true nature ultimately releasing us from the chains of suffering. Let’s encourage freedom from blame and an acceptance of the nature of life as the path to healing.

No lesson necessary.

JULY 2023

GURU PURNIMA

Stop and examine your life closely, can you pinpoint numerous teachers that have crossed your path?

The July 3rd full moon is known as Guru Purnima, a highlight of the Vedic calendar. This is the day of the month when the moon will reach its most full expression (Pūrṇimā is translated as full moon). The brightness of the full moon dissolves the darkness of the night.

A dispeller of darkness is Guru in Sanskrit. So, Guru Purnima is a day where under the full moon we honor those teachers in our life who disperse our ignorance and encouraging forth our own personal inner light.

I embrace this day with all my heart because it is with my many teachers and imparted knowledge that I stand before you today. I bask in this opportunity to acknowledge the source of my good fortune.

Guru Purnima asks me to reflect back and there are a few that really stand out in my mind, like beacons of light in a storm. As I age, I often reflect and think what would they do in this situation?

A deeper beauty of Guru Purnima that I often find is that it can also be reflected on as more than just our teachers we adore. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate everything - every form, every situation, every person who has enriched our learning.

This means it includes those whose lessons we may have preferred not to have experienced. In fact, often our greatest gurus are those whom we don’t want to emanate. Those who lead by showing us how we, in fact, do not want to act. Those whose influence we would have preferred not to have had on our lives, or those experiences that were not what we would have wished for. But because we learned from them, they were important teachers - we became wiser, we evolved and for this they deserve our acknowledgment.

So, here’s to celebrating Guru Purnima, the miracle that is learning. The miracle that is evolution.

COMMITMENT TO CHANGE

I am writing this off the back of an incredible week leading a yoga retreat in Ibiza with a beautiful group of souls. The subject that surfaced many times throughout the week was commitment to change along with the stickiness that can surround this process.

I want to re-frame how we speak about the subject in the first place - let’s call it the ‘freedom’ to change because it is a freedom that we should allow ourselves to exercise. When you chose to say, ‘I want to change,’ it helps you to free up your psychological system, your internal resistance - reinforcing to Self that those parts of you that are inflexibly programmed do not have to remain in the chains that bind you.

Yoga teaches us that we are not our bodies, we are not our social perceptions, our attachment styles, or our automatic impulses when interacting with each other. However, because of this deep attachment to identity that many of us have, we struggle with letting go of the way we think, even if we have an understanding of what it is causing us suffering. Often, we are trapped in thoughts that say if we reconstruct everything about ourselves, then we won't know who we are. In yoga we think of our “I” as something beyond the brain, body, or thoughts and this is what allows us to understand that there is so much more we can do to bring about metamorphosis- and even bring about a meaningful personal transformation.

So how can we create this freedom to change? First look to set intentions on what you want to transform. In yoga, this is known as Sankalpa, or resolution - giving us a clear focus upon what we need to do to begin our journey. From there we encourage self-reflection (Svadhyaya) as a means to understand our habits and our thought patterns. Start by reflecting on these daily to understand where and why we are stuck in unproductive old habits. During the course of the process, we draw on Abhyasa - perseverance and patience. This is about creating consistency and dedication over time. Shifting habits is not quick or easy so we give ourselves grace and work consistently, with unwavering enthusiasm over a long period of time with Vairagya (non-attachment), so we are not attached to the outcomes or the timeline.

A gentle reminder to finish; just like you rewrite a software program without getting mad at the program, you simply learn to continually make adjustments to get a smoother-running system. You don't get angry or attached to the system. You nurture it, develop it, reinforce it and work on it again, again and again.

SIMPLE, NATURAL & INNOCENT

When I started out on my Spiritual journey, I was certain that everyone else needed to become a Vedic meditator, that everyone else needed to practice yoga and jump on my personal spiritual path. Oh, and of course, if you were not into spirituality, you were in some way less conscious than I was.

While spirituality is a journey of connection, it is also very much an individual experience that you sometimes need to face alone, and above all not everyone experiences or expresses spirituality in the same way. I am not saying that you should not seek guidance from a teacher (this is actually a fundamental part of our Sadhana journey), but a true teacher will simply lead, and every conclusion and realization that you come to on your spiritual path will arise from a place of Self. Pushing a spiritual practice on those around you can actually be quite harmful. It is usually met with criticism, plus trying to convince others or prove a point is wasted energy.

I try to often come back to the reminder - to what extent do I have the ability to discern what it feels like to be the other people around me, to perceive what the genuine need of the time is? What I mean by this is, to what extent do I have an understanding of the genuine need of a moment/situation/conversation versus to what extent am I attempting to convince others that I’ve got the full picture, that my spiritual practice is more important than their current experience? Because in the end we are spiritual beings having a human experience, aren't we?

As we walk this path, the hope is that we eventually find ourselves at a point of Totality - where we can feel as one with everything, but we don’t have to talk about it all the time. Why? because we just are. I don’t know about you, but I am far more impressed by somebody who is natural and innocent in their experience, we can see their Spirituality shine through. Spontaneous, simple, natural and innocent, sharing when appropriate; not from a place of trying to show off our Spiritual prowess.

As always, I write this in humble gratitude for taking the time to read my words, I am open for any questions you may have on this journey, and hope that what I can provide takes into consideration what you are currently experiencing.

POWER IN THE LITTLE BY LITTLE

There is real power in the little by little.

While feeling in a difficult place we often push ourselves to reach for our most positive self. Grasping at the complete opposite position of where we currently are. Feeling unsuccessful, must become CEO; feeling lonely, time to get married; poor, only millions will do, low energy, time to run a marathon.

Why do we reach for the complete opposite spectrum to our current state?

As always, the mat mirrors life, or life mirrors the mat and if we push too deep, too fast with disregard to our current state, the body pushes back. We become injured, disgruntled, rendered unable to practice tomorrow. But our practice is the long game - a lifelong commitment.

Okay, but how do we get out of this stuck in a rut moment? The act of just reaching for the next highest emotion holds real power.

Just like in our practice we don’t go from crow to handstand in a day. It might just be searching for that longer breath in a tight bind this time or taking on a mindset of play when trying crow pose for the 10th million time and still falling out.

One of these first steps can also be to recognize our own biases in the way we assess our circumstances. As humans we seem to make many ‘affective forecasting mistakes’; in other words, we are really bad at estimating how we will feel in the future. We will be lonely forever, poor forever, sick forever. We struggle to imagine how we’ll get over a perceived threat or disappointment, but the intensity and duration of negative experiences is usually not as bad as we think it will be, sometimes just reminding ourselves of that fact might help to relieve the initial sense of hopelessness we often feel when in a rut.

And so just like that, little by little we rise till one day we feel lighter than we ever thought possible.

MAINTAINING BLISS

I’ve just returned to Australia after co-hosting a retreat in Mexico. We had an incredible week with a group of yogis that bonded instantly. At the end of the retreat the question was, how can we continue to maintain that ‘feeling’ we had on retreat in the outside world?

One of our participants offered a reflection which really touched me and reminded me why I practice yoga - “remind yourself that you are the EXACT SAME PERSON.” We all have an Atman (our true Self) that is our forever unchanging true nature, but it is so easy to become disconnected from that in our ever-changing world. When situations, relationships, jobs change around us, we lose our true Self’s natural state of bliss and go into reactionary mode.

So how do we keep connecting to Atman post retreat, beyond paradise?

We set ourselves up the best way we can. We are disciplined about our spiritual practices. So meditate daily, get on your mat daily, recite your mantras daily, whatever your practice is, discipline is the highest form of self-care. It carves out time for you.

And our practices should often feel uncomfortable too. There will always be excuses not to do them (tired, stressed, busy, work, happy, holidays, insert x.) but this is when our practice shines the most. It’s called a practice for a reason because it is a safe testing ground to observe and adjust how we are reacting when things feel sticky. So, talk to those in your immediate circle, tell them your practice is non-negotiable. They will observe the change in you, and it will start to make sense to them, and maybe even encourage by example.

I’ll offer this last insight from one of the participants in Mexico - “remember the beaming, floating being you ignited? … Allow her to exist anytime anywhere”. Because the work doesn’t end post retreat, in fact, that’s when it really begins.

THE TURBULANT MIND

You may have heard the Sanskrit phrase yoga citta vritti nirodha before. In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, this is the second sutra and often cited as the definition of yoga. It roughly translates to “yoga stops, or stills, the mind's fluctuations.” Those fluctuations, or citta vritti, are limiting, habituated thought patterns – misconceptions that prevent one from seeing the truth about the world and the Self.

We all know that the mind is more familiar with turbulence than it is with peace. Incessant thinking is usually a direct correlation to our current state of happiness, or contentment, because an unhappy mind is one that is eminently distractible about any potential thought or response centered around the idea that we could be experiencing something better right now. When we feel agitation, our mind will look for objects (people, ideas or situations) to focus on so that it can further increase the agitation. When it rains it pours, right? The mind is looking for the storm because tension needs fuel to burn, and that fuel is the attachment that keeps the mind from fully accepting the present moment as it is.

Firstly, one of the keys for me when I am in this state, is to move gently through the storm. Being with the agitation is more productive than adding to the agitation. So, let's first stop adding fuel to the fire. Secondly, give your community the opportunity to support you. Just as it is important to serve others, it is valuable to let others be of service to you - actively let go of the egocentric idea that we can handle everything on our own.

And finally, let's give the mind what it wants, bliss. This is where the yoga practice really comes in to meet healing. Do you have those moments in Savasana where the mind goes blank? Where your supreme inner contentment is so great, you feel that saturation of happiness that is beyond definition. And just like that for a moment the mind silent - yoga citta vritti nirodha.

THE GREAT NIGHT OF SHIVA

Mahashivratri, “The Great Night of Shiva” is one of the most significant events in India’s spiritual calendar, a Hindu festival celebrated in honor of Lord Shiva which occurred a few days ago on the 18th of February.

Shiva, whose name means “auspicious one” in Sanskrit, is both protector and destroyer. Shiva is one of the most complex gods, who seems to embody contradictory qualities. When we think of destruction in regard to Shiva however, we must not think of wanton annihilation, with no goal or aim except for its own sake. Shiva instead dissolves and removes what is worn out, old, evil.

I personally resonate greatly with prayers that are not about saving yourself, protecting yourself or doing better in life but instead of this dissolving - an opportunity for one to dissolve their limitedness, to experience the unboundedness of the source of creation which is the seed in every human being.

So, while Shiva is known as this destroyer, on the other, he can be seen as the most compassionate, the greatest of the givers because destruction and creation are inextricably linked—one cannot exist without the other. He destroys the ego and makes way for new creation and new life - an opportunity to experience this life beyond sense perception.

om namah shivaya

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

A phrase that has the ability to make a happy person sad and yet a sad person happy.

The very nature of life is impermanence, yet this essence is so easily forgotten when feeling stuck in certain circumstance. As of late I have been contemplating my current situations through this lense and the power of using this expression through the embodied work of my daily asana practice.

By putting ourselves in these artificially induced stressful situations we not only learn to be okay in the uncomfortable but understand that the uncomfortable will pass. On the other side of the coin, when feeling aligned and empowered on the mat, it is useful to step into the reminder that tomorrow this feeling, pose, moment may no longer be there. Stay with it, be present, enjoy yet don’t fear its loss.

This practice constantly provides feedback, an inner dialogue, that creates knowledge. A consciousness filled with knowledge is much less frightened, less disrupted by change, difficult moments, situations.

The takeaway from this daily endeavor is that you feel less like you are constantly riding a wave. As even when we are the wave, we don’t stop being the ocean. We are just curved totality, part of that greater ocean.

THERE CAN BE NO TRANSFORMATION IN DENIAL

Have New Year goals, intentions, resolutions etc? This year I personally found myself in a place of mental upheaval assessing my current state - another year gone and look how far behind I am....

So, I took to The Bhagavad Gita (one of the key texts I encourage you study as Yoga Practitioners or study with me on my next YTT). The Gita is a discussion between Shri Krishna to his disciple Arjuna in the middle of a battlefield.

Yes, that’s right; in the middle of a battlefield, which represents the chaos and confusion of life and our mental state. No, it is not set from a comfortable meditation cushion with Arjuna being in a state of blissful harmony.

In the first two chapters Arjuna is discussing with Krishna his dismal mental state. If Yogic tradition wanted us to look away or deny our present reality, then this would not be the main focus of the text. Importantly, Arjuna neither rejects his current state, nor does he fake a positive state of mind. Arjuna embraces his state totally.

There can be no transformation in denial. If one rejects current state of self, as ‘bad’, then one is rejecting self-transformation itself.

There can be no transformation without recognition and acceptance of the current self (lower self). A blanket rejection of the limited self as bad will only cause division & anxiety - exactly where I was on New Year’s Eve.

This is one of the many reasons why I choose to follow the path of Yoga as it is deeply rooted in acceptance of how and where one is. Yoga is a path of accepting the current, limited self & realizing the True Self hidden within it.

With that in mind, here’s to a 2023 where we relax, embrace our current state of self, and let life take everything away from you, everything that you are not, so you realize what you truly are, and always were.

WHAT IS IT YOU REALLY WANT?

On this spiritual path I have met many humans with the belief that if we just put out to the Universe what we want, we will manifest it into our life. Well, I put it out to you (especially at this time of year) - “What is it you really want?” If you receive ‘this stuff’ from the universe, will your life suddenly be better and happier?

In order for our thinking, behavior and life to really change, our state of consciousness needs to change. Think about it this way, what happens if you have a consciousness of lack and then suddenly win the lottery? Is our life better as we now have wealth? Or will we have the same consciousness of lack but with a more healthy-looking bank balance?

All of our actions are performed on the level of consciousness we hold, and all perception and experience come through our state of consciousness.

So, the practice of the Yogi is to raise our consciousness, to step beyond all of this relativity. Individuality is not going to be made better by fulfilling our desires or by attracting ‘stuff’. In fact, it’s not about attraction; it is about transcendence.

Yoga Teacher doing Dancers Pose on a beach in a bikini

NOVEMBER 2022

DOES EVERYTHING HAPPEN FOR A REASON?

They say that everything happens for a reason.

I am not one of those people.

I prefer to think that nothing happens for a reason, as Tennessee Williams once wrote,

“Everything could have been anything else and it would have had just as much meaning”.

What you perceive is what you believe.

There’s something romantic about the idea that everything happens for a reason, however the longer I walk this yogic path, the more I realise it is a much more romantic notion when we take responsibility for our perception, and of course, our choices.

Sri Swami Satchidananda wrote

“Everything begins in the mind. If you want to see clearly, you need clear vision”.

Perceptions become the basis of belief systems, and belief systems, regardless of how subtle and sophisticated, are like filters that allow certain bits of information to pass through while blocking others.

Rather than falling back on the ‘everything happens for a reason’ train, finding the unwavering peace we seek is realized by mastering the mind and the path of yoga is a route to get there.

pERSERVERNACE & PROGRESS

The capacity to stick to a task - particularly when faced with difficulties - is often a crucial factor in explaining success. Persevering in the face of adversity can prompt learning and improvements of skills. Treating challenges and limitations as an opportunity to develop and learn is what has helped me develop my practice to the level it is current at - things like Scorpion Handstand took almost 2 years of consistent work to develop (I already had a base of handstand and strong backbend practice before combining the two) and is still a constant work in progress.

I used to pride myself on my perseverance, noting it as one of my greatest attributes but what happens when not giving up can mean we persist even when we have nothing to gain?

Remaining fixated on long cherished goals or dreams can also mean we ignore better alternatives. So, when considering whether to stick with a task or goal, or to let it go, I have been asking myself to weigh the potential to continue learning and developing incrementally against the myopia which can come with stubborn perseverance.

Maybe it’s time to say goodbye to stagnant states, whether they be situation, emotions or environments. What do you need to say goodbye to?

In perseverance and progress.

Learn more

SEPTEMBER 2022

THE LAW OF LIFE

To relinquish is the voluntary letting go of limiting personal desires for the sake of a more fulfilling experience - an experience in which we dedicate the fruits of our actions to a greater good or others outside of ourselves.

Normally, we aim to retain the fruits of our efforts. After all, it was our work that brought the rewards; we deserve to be paid. The Yogic path takes a different view, the law of life is sacrifice. One that can always be observed in Nature: the tree never eats its own fruits. The fruits have been produced through it, not by it.

I am humbled to be able to work as Nature intended, allowing my work and efforts to be passed onto those around me. I am so proud of the work that I and my special teacher and friend, Leah Cavazzini offered up this past week in Ibiza.

Many of my major healings and transformations have occurred during and after retreats and trainings, hence driving me to offer such experienced for others.

Retreats and trainings help break the habitual patterns that are keeping us trapped in old cycles. Giving yourself time to nurture your spirit in a gathering of likeminded souls who are practicing together towards inner healing allows you to feel supported and cared for during your process.

How does your practice look on vacation?

Feel like summer has already flown by? We tend to wear "busy-ness" as a badge of honor - the more plans we have, the bigger the badge but filling our time with activities leaves less time for mindfulness and our practice - an essential piece to keep us grounded in the here and now, something that makes time feel a bit less fast. This August I took a couple of days off the asana aspect of my practice, allowing myself to be swept up in this “busyness”. After two days, I had a deep, almost desperate craving to get back onto my mat, which brought me back to one of my favorite sutras by Patanjali;

Yoga sutra 1.14 sa tu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkāra-ādara-āsevito dṛḍhabhūmiḥ

Practice becomes firmly grounded when attended to for a long time, without break, and with enthusiasm.

How can we tell if our practice has become firmly grounded? When it is harder not to practice than to practice or if we miss a practice or two our practice doesn’t completely slide. We want to come to a place where the enjoyment and rewards of the practice are stronger than worldly distractions.

How do we get there? Sometimes something like a retreat, or workshop can set you off on this path, working 1-1 with a teacher, or really taking the deep-dive and doing a Teacher Training.

I like to use these daily reminders to keep me on my path:

Assessing life’s experiences in regard to their ability to decrease or increase ignorance.
The effort to live according to principles that foster spiritual growth rather than what feels good at the moment.
Cultivating an inner awareness, an introspection mind-set that is aware of the motives for actions.
The redirection of the will when making choices; not by repression of desires but by directing the attention away from selfish actions.

I am here to support you as you develop a firmly rooted (enthusiastic) self-practice. Feel free to DM anytime with your yoga/meditation/pranayama questions. If you need that kick start post summer you can join me and Leah in Ibiza, or take your practice deep for 15 Intensive days on the upcoming 200hr Teacher Training this October.

THE ART OF LETTING GO

Aparigraha, or non-attachment, is the fifth Yama in the Eight Limbs of Yoga and is often a misunderstood concept in yoga philosophy. We often think about it as non-attachment to objects, touting a minimalist lifestyle and although it has some overlapping concepts, non-attachment has more to do with the desires and motivations behind our actions and outcomes.

I am working with this concept closely as I look to the future. I see myself and so many people around me looking for answers, certainty on what’s to come. Sometimes reaching out to tarot readers, or astrologers or just obsessing about wanting the future to be the knowable. We cannot know in advance that the decisions we are making now are the right ones and how they will impact our future. The future is the unknown and while this is easy to wrap our heads around, releasing the attachment around predictability is extremely challenging.

So instead instead of working on knowing the future, I am working with non-attachment to the outcome yet with an understanding that I will be more than capable of handling any future situations, whatever they may be. We are all more than capable of acting in any situation that is presented. The more we listen to this inner wisdom the more we are able to release and detach from this concept of having everything predictable.

Aparigraha and the 8 limb path is something we will study in depth at the upcoming 200hr Samatva Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training this October 5-20th. There are only 4 spots left and you don’t have to want to become a yoga teacher to take this course. It will deepen your knowledge of yoga and create transformation in your life like you have never experienced. I am here to answer any questions you may have.

JUNE 2022

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF MY SANGHA

Sangha, your like-minded community is an enormous part of our yoga practice. The Buddhist tradition teaches that there are three jewels to seek, your buddha (awakening) your dharma (your purpose) + your sangha (your tribe). Buddha taught that your sangha was one of the most important things to find in your life - a like-minded community in which to practice, in which to dig deeper. There is nothing like meeting like-minded people on this path.

ׂׂૢ So, I welcome you ׂׂૢ

I consider you an important part of my Sangha ♡. I am so grateful to be on this journey with you. Here, in this new space, I will be sharing some of my learnings, teachings, musings + discoveries.

We must always remember though that the most important work in yoga is the contemplative, the introspection. This is your journey. What will work for me, or someone else, may not be at all what you need. For real change + growth it is imperative to carve out time in your life for practice on your own as much as you make the time to be with others.

My self practice is the most nourishing part of my life, so what I offer in this space is my exploration. I hope it inspires your search.

The work is for you to discover.