This moment gives birth to the next.

This statement is an invitation to mindfulness, being present in the moment. What do I mean by this? Thank you for asking and for inviting me to take you deeper.

If I am in a truly unhappy, difficult experience and I am advised to count my blessings I will feel a small smile forming on my face as I quietly nod my head. Years ago, a woman older and wiser than myself told me that gratitude opens the heart for further blessings. In order for my heart to open and receive what I need right now, I must be mindful of current blessings. The Circle of Life is evident here. If I desire blessings, I must see blessings right now in this moment. The gratitude I feel in this moment gives birth to the blessings and gratitude I will feel in the next moment. It is a circle within the Circle of Life.

How? Nature has always brought me...

In my last entry I referred to dark/light as an example of Yin/Yang. The first thing that comes to mind when I think in these terms is black and white photography. This is one of my favorite artistic mediums. The edges are more apparent than they are in color photography.The lack of color calls to the imagination. The shadows or dark areas give definition and clarity to the light. Rather than working against the light, the dark supports the light, making it shine more brightly.

Emotions are judged harshly if they have been labeled as negative. Fear is deemed negative in the Western mind and yet, in Eastern philosophy, it is seen as one of the Master Teachers. Fear definitely has two sides. Legitimate fear can save your life. Unrealistic fear can paralyze you. Learning from your fear increases your self-awareness and nurtures your spiritual growth. Sitting with an intense and uncomfortable emotion brings insight and often healing. Here is a practical example: When you feel...

The concept of the yin and yang principles feels like a paradox. Yin and Yang are forces that appear to be opposite or contrary but, in actuality, are complementary. I like to use two primary examples: female/male and light/dark. In the literal translation of the ancient languages, yin means bright and yang means dark.

In hatha yoga, we use yin to describe practices that are receptive in nature and yang to describe practices that are more assertive in nature. I taught and still practice yin yoga, moving slowly and thoughtfully through the asanas (postures), mindful of breath, awareness, and movement. In yang classes, vinyasa tends to be the norm challenging us to breathe and move more quickly and strongly through the asanas.

Yin is defined as the feminine (receptive) aspect of the Divine in all creation and yang is the masculine (assertive) aspect of the Divine in all creation. As human beings, we carry elements of both in our physical, mental, emotional makeup....

Many years ago while living in Las Vegas, I was working full time and feeling worn down by it all. I treated myself to a weekend retreat from so many people, business, the heat. My memories remind me of important lessons and choices:

Bella, my little furry friend, and I snuggle in the chilly mountain air, fireplace lit, and music playing. We walk, rest, read, doze. She is a sweet companion. So lovely to have a dog to bring with me. She came to me through the cocker rescue group, a foundling abandoned to the desert wind, without a history. Her story unknown makes no difference for we are not our stories. She is love wrapped in a small package and her life warms mine.

As I gain clarity regarding issues at work, people stuff, I realize this:

I live life large - large of heart and mind. To focus on the behavior of another makes my life small...and I live life large.

Again life reminds me that you cannot make a person see what they cannot see. Each of us can only live from the...

Do you ever wish you could just have a normal life? Have you ever asked yourself what you mean by that or what "normal" is in our society? Let's do that now.

The word "normal" is a statistical term meaning an average, standard, model or pattern. For example, if there are ten homes on the block and seven of those homes have garages, then 70% of the homes have garages. It could then be said that an average home on that block has a garage.

As I listened to a recorded speech given at a national Alcoholics Anonymous gathering, my mouth dropped open when the speaker reported a statistic that claimed 70% of motorists on the roads at any given time in this country are chemically impaired. That number includes alcohol, illegal substances, prescription medications, and over-the-counter medications.

I burst out laughing as I realized there was no way I wanted to be "normal!" That statistic did not deal with the resulting dysfunction in friends and families of the impaired drivers. Normal...

“Life is led by reinforcing both positive and negative themes, because they lend structure to a person’s story. Without themes, the story would turn shapeless. Yet positive and negative themes share the same flaw. They bind you inside your story. It’s better to win than to lose, for example, but if we heed the world’s wisdom traditions, winning and losing are opposites that depend on each other. Therefore, winners will always eventually face loss. Optimism will eventually fail. Loving will eventually lead to disappointment. Evolution occurs when you stop identifying with these themes—known as the state of duality—and begin to measure your life in ways that are not dual, not dependent on opposites. What we’re talking about are the fundamental qualities of consciousness that lie deeper in our awareness.” (page 600)

Excerpt From: Deepak Chopra & Rudolph E. Tanzi. “The Healing Self.” Apple Books. ...

I have been practicing yoga for 30 years. My first experience as a student was during a most challenging and sad time in my life. Staying with my class in spite of intense emotions and exhaustion allowed me to go through that time without becoming ill.

One day, while cleaning house, I caught my reflection in a mirror and was shocked to see the look on my face. When had I lost my smile? Did I ever have a face that smiled naturally? I could not remember in that moment. I sat down and wept. My heart opened to a new, healing desire and a new mantra was born: May I have a face that smiles.

Here I am all these years later finding myself smiling as I walk, cook, watch television, read, put out the trash. The smile is natural, needing no stimulant. I wonder at times if I look a little goofy - smiling for no reason at all. I have heard people comment that they never trust anyone who smiles all the time. Now, that's goofy!

Oh, there are times when the soul smile fades a bit. Just before...

Our physical, mental, and emotional bodies are designed for balance and wholeness. Talk of proper diet, sufficient exercise, sunshine, and water abound. It isn't very often the conversation of sufficient rest arises. Human beings have decided, for the most part, that multi-tasking is a necessity and technology has taken this practice to unbelievable extremes.

Eating out is an education. Look around at other diners, even in gourmet restaurants. It is common to see people sitting together at a table using phones and tablets, never interacting or looking at one another. I'm not thinking of a group of friends sharing memories of favorite books and films or photos of a recent adventure.  That enhances conversation and can even quicken our memories of other details to be shared. I'm thinking of times when I was not able to interact with someone at a table because they never stopped texting. They say they are present with us but they are not.

Do they ever let their eyes, fingers, or...

In 2000 the internet was still very new. I was still developing the habit of checking email every morning. As I checked early one morning, I discovered an email from a stranger who later became a delightful teacher and friend in my life. 

Jim Dreaver sent that email to yoga teachers to introduce his book The Way of Harmony. In the introduction, Jim presents the core insight of the book. These few sentences set me on the path of discovering my True Self: 

The core insight involves a subtle shift in the way you see yourself and your life. It is a stepping back, so to speak, and beginning to see that you are not the person you thought you were.

Specifically, you are not your "story." The reality you've created inside your head about who you are - your beliefs, personal history, attitudes, identity, and self-image - is not who you are.  (The Way of Harmony, pages 4-5)

For some of you, this is not new information. For...

The importance of mindfulness, being aware of the present moment, is no longer new to most of us. Being aware of our own level of awareness is an ongoing practice. Mindfulness is easier in a yoga class because the teacher calls us to our breath and to what we are doing and experiencing in our bodies. In guided meditation, we are invited to focus on the flow of our breath and to notice our thoughts. How do we take all of this into our everyday lives?

I first noticed my own awareness levels when my first yoga teacher's voice began to live in my head. I would hear her guiding me to feel my breath or notice my thoughts when my mood shifted. Everyday things became lessons in mindfulness.

Intention is a powerful form of thought energy. It guides the flow and sets the tone for my experience. It is about consciously flowing with life rather than reacting or trying to control it. Awareness of my first thought reminds me to form a conscious intention for my day. How does this work?