The first yoga class I attended after moving to Burbank, CA was at Yoga Blend on MagnoliaBlvd. It was recommended to me by my daughter-in-law,  as well as a fellow yoga teacher, and a new friend who was my neighbor at the time.

I had been doing my own practice but there is nothing that compares to taking a class and experiencing the energy of a like-minded group. I did not know a single person in that room but we all came seeking the gifts of hatha yoga. We all came equipped with a mat, a body and mind, and a breath.

I came away feeling like my body was my own instead of some tight, stiff vehicle that had carried me around but didn't feel like me. I could feel where the muscles stretched or worked. There was a sweet tenderness that let me know my practice released pent-up toxins, tightness and emotions. Once home, a cup of soothing mint tea steeped on the kitchen counter for me to sip after blogging. I ended that day with a quiet evening, preparing...

                              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...

Most of us have heard of and/or made gratitude lists. The speaker at a weekend retreat I attended said, "Gratitude opens the heart for further blessings." When we are overwhelmed by life, the body pulls into its center. It is a survival mechanism that shunts blood to the most vital internal organs. The body often literally curls in toward the base of the rib cage and navel. The circumstances that overwhelm can be physical, mental, emotional, or all three. The physical is most obvious, of course. Mental and emotional demands can create the same body responses but it is a bit more difficult to recognize the source. Picture where your physical heart is. Now, curl slightly forward and roll your shoulders down as you tip your head toward your waist. You are creating a physical haven for the heart.

This can be helpful in the face of immediate trauma; shut down, turn inward, protect yourself. Staying there longer that necessary for survival is counter-productive and can be harmful for...