Luminous Lotus~

March 29, 2009 It's been a few days since my last blog.  I feel the last few days have been mixed but full.  Oh, and little challenging too.  Of course, that is the way the river flows, and so I flow over rocks, under bridges, in the light and in the dark guided and held by the shore.  The steady banks of the river lead me on.   Over the last few days,  I have been thinking about this blog and my life and how it tends toward the yogic side of things, which is appropriate considering that is the life I desire to lead.  However,  I feel it necessary to include the other side of things, the family side of things since that is also part of my life.  One side of the river is held by my family and the other by the practice and both are held steady and guided by Grace so that I stay on the path. On days when I am feeling like I am uncontained and all over the place, it is nice to know that I have the support of my family, the support of my practice, and the support of the Kula holding

St Patrick's day marks the beginning of my new year because it is the first day following my birthday.  I think it is natural that as I celebrate another year older I also celebrate another year of lessons learned.  Every year around this time,  I look back over the road I have traveled so that I can asses from where I have come and know which way I will choose to go.   The last year has been full of challenges and change.  When I first arrived to Tucson, I felt misplaced and bewildered by the move.  In those first few months I felt a lot of anger and sadness. Many times I wondered what I was doing here and was having a hard time understanding the highest reason or purpose of my family's trek here.  I knew we came for Jason's work and to be closer to family, but, at the time, that was not enough for me.  I missed my studio and the little Colorado Springs Kula that was created during my time there.  I missed what I thought I had  a hold of and I really wanted things not to

Let me begin with this~   " If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature." (Bruce Barton) I stumbled upon or was lead to this quote a couple years back and it is one of my favorites.  I have been sitting with this quote, thinking about it, reading and rereading it and sharing it with others.  I feel that part of what I came away with from my time with John last week is that it is so important to trust my experiences both on and off the mat and to absolutely trust my expression of my experiences.  I know that we are supposed to teach from our experience but I understand this in a deeper and truer way now than I did before. When I arrived on the first day of the teacher training, I had those first-day-of-school butterflies.  I was excited and grateful to be there but a little nervous too.  On

March 6, 2009~ Today marked the conclusion of the teacher's intensive with John and he brought it full circle.  We reviewed what we went over.  We practiced and rejoiced in the opportunity to embody the principles and this experience in each asana.  John inspired us to express our individual beauty and essence in each pose fully but evenly.   In savasana, we were serenaded by Bronwin, which was a treat and has always led me to the sweetest and deepest of savasanas.  She has a way of carrying you away with her voice to some place familiar and beautiful.  John's closing was golden and touched us all at the core.   I'd say the whole experience was...  What is the word?  I'm not sure I can explain this with just a word.  All I know is I feel different.  In combination with the immersions and now this training, I know I have been lifted to higher ground and feel that my inner landscape has changed. I am in new territory but not lost.  As I take in the view and engage my s