BJ Galvan • Musings on Grace Love and Life

Dancing With the Divine - Anusara 2011 Purna Huti Blessings

2011-12-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

The fullness of John Friend’s Anusara Yoga 2011 Dancing with the Divine tour ended with a perfectly revelatory explosion of Grace in Denver last weekend, setting the tone of love and harmony for a perfect new beginning of the 2012 Ignite the Center tour.

At the culmination of any creative cycle all the energy that has been created prior mounts to point and is cumulative in the Purna Huti, or the fullness of the Celebration. More than just the 2011 tour, the fullness of all the past 14 years of Anusara, and all those 1000’s of years of teachings, all the great beings who have walked before us, have seeded this Path of awakening are present in this critical point of power for the future.

After two days of excellent practice and play, pranayama and deep contemplation, John educated us about 2012. He spoke of the deep order of the way everything is related to everything else, mathematically through sacred geometry, astrophysically and spiritually, teachings that resonate as a deep ancient remembering of why we have all found each other.

He asked Anodea Judith, illustrious master genius and best selling author on the chakras, to comment on the coming times. She said “we are all unified in a similar vision, it is one of the most critical times, an initiation to humanity, into the beginning of the Godhood.”

John concurred, “It is the time to move from the individual power to the Heart and feel the connectivity to everyone else. We are on a precipice of the major shift, and shift can be painful. Crazy little edges, one little thing and we have major transformation. By our self it would be scary, but now we have so many aligned with this vision, this is how we shift to the initiation. It is a death on one level and birth on the other, both are painful. We are evolving. It’s an incredible time of shift.” He asked Anodea to give us a blessing to take home for 2012, “Move from the love of power to the power of Love” is the gift she offered.

“Whatever destiny we have, whatever karmic things, we are the ones with the responsibility and dharma, strong and flexible, with character. Speak the Truth and people will listen. Put the Truth out and it will shake things up, it is positive for all of us. We emphasis Love, the power of Love works. Light attracts Light. We will shift the world. May the Light be triumphant in the Dark.” – John Friend Purna Huti 2011 Dancing with the Divine

This is your moment, your point of power, to make shift and change, to benefit all beings, those who walk beside you and those who will come after you for generations to come. Om Namah Shivaya.

Solstice - Sun Standing Still

2011-12-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

Solstice - Sun Standing Still
I feel humbled sitting under the vast moonless heavens, in the silent pulsation of potential on the deep dark of this longest night. Heart dreams and intentions cook, and I wait for the morning light to permeate the crisp Sonoran desert. The power of the Goddess and how She moves through us all marvels me and I am dazzled by the bright steady Light with whom She dances.

Gazing back on this most wildly Shri-filled year, this is the time to see where we’ve grown, where we can refine, count blessings and extract the blessing energy from the heat of the year’s challenges. I feel so blessed and grateful to have been able to do what I love and love what I do! Every month was full of adventure, wonderment and love. So many highlights, so many new deep heart connections, strengthened old ones, inner thresholds crossed and inner challenges, sick loved ones, death and close calls, new babies, beautiful beginnings and even a few bittersweet and welcome endings, all of which are counted blessings.

From the twilight of this Master threshold year 2011 peering into the unknown darkness of the 2012, our counted blessings illuminate the inner scape of 2012 as infinite points of light on a moonless night. Our blessings light our way as we venture into the unrevealed cycle of Grace. Next year promises to be full of more blessings both joyful and challenging; friends we haven't met and a deeper remembrance and recognition of our essential Nature and what truly is meaningful. As our awakening planet leaps into higher awareness and healing, I'm honored and grateful to share Anusara’s Tantric teachings on our playground of Shiva-Shakti, this Earth Island third rock from the sun. More opportunities for us to come together as world visionaries; envisioning, co-creating, and taking personal action aligned to something greater than ourselves, to serve the Flow in these uneasy critical times. May we all feel the blessedness of being alive, awake and free to choose how to offer to and cultivate this garden we've be given.

This season is all about the Light. Just about every civilization, tradition and religious belief system has some historical connection to ritual celebration of Light at this time of year. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice invites us into the cozy hearth fire of our own soul. The sun stands still as the Goddess delivers the physical Sun from the depths of the longest night. It is a time that invites us to dive deeply into the inner Light, the Luminous Love of your Heart, to assess and reflect on the dissolving year. Reflect on yourself, your life, who you've been and how skillfully you've maneuvered the waves on life's ocean. How did you receive your year, all the churnings of life, the blessings of what you wanted and the challenges you might not have consciously preferred or chosen?

The Yule Solstice is the threshold through which the cold birth of winter Ignites the Center, your dreams and wishes in the warm sanctuary within. We are called to plant the seeds of our intentions, prayers, dreams, and deepest longings to steep in the fertile embrace of your own heart. As days begin to grow longer towards the coming year, those germinating seeds emerge into expression in your outer life. The Universe will take you as far as you can imagine, dream and desire, and it will be even better than you can imagine if you allow it to unfold and align to the Divine Grace of Shakti. What will yours be? Who will you become by December 2012? What will your contribution have been and how will you have offered the gifts only you can offer? What is your vision for yourself, your community and the world? How and what will you do to help ensure the evolution of yourself, your vision and your world?

It is my deepest wish and prayer that in these times of intense planetary shift and inner journeying, we all can invoke our inner wisdom to make the best choices as visionaries moving fearlessly into the unknown. May you carry the teachings in your Heart, lighting your way, nurturing and cultivating your prayers, longings and intentions into beautiful New Year manifestations of beauty for yourself, your family, the Kula, and the planet, for the benefit of all Beings now and to come.

Big Solstice Blessings of Love, Joy and Bright Light from within for these Holy Days and every day throughout the coming cycle!

Luminous Love & blessings of the Maha Light to you always,

BJ

"Light is Love at rest, Love is Light in motion." - Wah!

Party Like It's 1999...Pray Like It's 11.11.11

2011-11-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

Remember partying like ‘it’s 1999’? We sit on another threshold in the fabric of time and space. Pray, it's 11.11.11. Energetically every aspect of our world is intensely stirring right now. I don’t know anyone with or without a spiritual practice who isn’t experiencing some sort of transformation, or some deep life transition, chosen or not. During times of challenge, deep intrinsic questioning of truth, life, love and what is meaningful is triggered. What is your vision for your life and your world? What do you want?

What if “following your Heart” meant the Universe would give you everything you want, even more, even if it doesn’t ‘look’ the way you think it should? For me, the hardest thing is always to figure out what I want. Once I do, the becoming and living it flows, and the result is always WAY beyond, bigger and better than in my dreams. One key is the radical ‘yes’ to what is the Universe offering and then allowing your inner Guide to lead you in making choices that align with what is, what is being offered. It would mean you have to trust what the Universe is giving you, even if it looks different from how you think it might look, and trusting that your heart will lead you in the highest way. The more you do it, the greater your direct experience (anubhav) of aligning with Grace is, and it becomes easier to trust your Heart’s lead. If it scares you, do it. When you let go and trust the inner Voice of your heart, your feelings, what lights you up, the manifestation of the co-creation is exponentially grander than your wildest dreams!

11.11.11 is the end and beginning of a new cycle. It is an open invitation to what will become the experience of your life. It is a clean slate, open mind and heart, unpainted canvas for the masterpiece of your life. It is another seam in time and space you can access Creative generative Power of the Universe, Shakti. Every moment is a point of power to co-create and envision of what can be from the vibrational platform of what is.

Your feelings with thoughts are the fuel for the vibrational Flow of the Universe of what is to come. Conscious co-creating happens from the momentary place of strong feelings. If you feel ‘good’ ('good' comes from Old English ‘God’) that is the vibrational match you will attract. If you feel fear, worry or other shadow emotions, you create what you don’t want, what you fear, opposite of good, opposite of what you want. (You create what you think about whether you want it or not.) You don’t have to know what it will look like, you just have to feel what it would feel like. It also needs to be in present tense, not in future, or it will just stay in the future.

For instance, ‘I feel happy that our world is coming together in greater harmony and peace, and the power of Love, even though the dissolution of what isn’t serving feels hellacious right now. I feel interconnected in service and love with my community and work. I feel soft and deeply connected to Spirit and in love, shared vision and intimacy with my partner and growing family. My roots feel anchored and at home everywhere. I trust Divine order and feel there is always enough for everyone. I feel abundance of wealth and vibrantly healthy and strong. I feel hope and pray for those who are suffering, lonely, sick and hungry, and they and all Beings find peace, love, happiness and freedom.'

Today, and everyday, sit. Let every moment, every breath be a point of Grace filled Power for the next cycle. Allow yourself to dream, pray and feel big. Affirm it in the present, as if it is, feel it, and then let it go. Allow the Universe give it to you, in Heart time, and it won't look the way you think it should, it'll be better.

If you follow your Heart, what you dream and pray for now, will seem small when you see what you're offered. No dream or prayer is too big for your Heart, your Heart will never lead you astray.

Anusara: “To Follow Your Heart”—Lead Teachers Follow Theirs.

2011-11-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

(This post was originally posted at ElephantJournal.com)

I was in Israel leading an Anusara teaching training when I got news that three of my friends and highly recognized Anusara teachers resigned their certification. My first thought was, “whoa, bummer, what’s up?” Ultimately, all three teachers have developed their own expression of the teachings and the way they transmit the yoga to their students.

One of the main teachings of Anusara is to ‘Follow Your Heart’—even the word Anusara means to ‘Follow your Heart.’ Two of the three teachers articulately and publicly claimed that in their heart they don’t align with Anusara’s philosophical vision (darshan) anymore and want to offer their service in ways that are not fully aligned to the method’s philosophical view.

As the great Tantric philosopher Abhinavagupta said, “one’s svadharma (heart’s duty, life path) can never be abandoned.”

Just as our great teacher John Friend, came to the point in his studentship and teaching that his heart did not align to his teacher’s method, he had to resign from his yoga method to honor the inner voice of his heart. However painful and challenging it was, it was the right thing to do for everyone. In the same way, since in their heart they are not aligned to the method, the highest thing to do is to give thanks and love to their teacher and go on to shine their brightest, follow their heart.

John honors and appreciates that they are following their truth and has given them blessings of love on their new adventure. One of the tenets of relationship Anusara ascribes to is mudhita (feeling joy for someone else’s success) from the brahmaviharas (ways to be with God). Speaking for myself, and anyone else in the Anusara community who truly aligns with the teachings of Anusara, we all bless them with love and appreciation and truly wish them the highest and to see them be brilliantly successful as they courageously cross this threshold of their life journey.

After all, if you do what is right for your heart, it is right for everyone’s heart.

~

Anusara: “Seguir tu corazón”- Los maestros líderes siguen el suyo

Estaba en Isarel liderando un entrenamiento de Anusara para profesores cuando recibí la noticia de que tres de mis amigos y altamente reconocidos profesores de Anusara, renunciaron a su certificación. Mi primer pensamiento fue “guau, qué está sucediendo?”. Con el tiempo, estos tres profesores han desarrollado su propia expresión de las enseñanzas y la forma en que transmiten el yoga a sus alumnos.

Una de las principales enseñanzas de Anusara es “Seguir Tu Corazón”-incluso la palabra Anusara significa “Seguir Tu Corazón”. Dos de los tres profesores sostuvieron públicamente que dentro de sus corazones ya no se alinean con la visión filosófica de Anusara (dharsham) y que quieren ofrecer su servicio en formas que no están completamente alineadas con la visión filosófica del método.

Como dijo el gran filósofo Tántrico Abhinavagupta, “el propio svadharma (responsabilidad del corazón, camino de vida) nunca puede ser abandonado”.

Tal como nuestro gran maestro John Friend que llegó a un punto como estudiante y maestro, en que su corazón no se alineaba con el método de su maestro y tuvo que renunciar a su método de yoga para honrar la voz interior de su corazón. Por más doloroso y desafiante que fuese, era lo correcto para todos. De la misma manera, como sus corazones no están alineados con el método, la acción más elevada es dar las gracias y amor a su maestro y continuar adelante haciendo brillar su más elevada expresión de luz, seguir su propio corazón.

John honra y aprecia que ellos sigan su verdad y los ha bendecido con amor en su nueva aventura. Uno de los principios referente a las relaciones al que Anusara se alinea es mudhita (sentir alegría por el éxito del otro) de los brahmaviharas (formas de estar con Dios). Hablando en mi nombre, y en el de cualquier otro ser de la comunidad verdaderamente alineado con las enseñanzas de Anusara, bendecimos a los tres con amor y aprecio y les deseamos lo más elevado, y verlos brillantemente exitosos al tiempo que cruzan con coraje este umbral en el viaje de sus vidas.

Después de todo, si haces lo que es correcto para tu corazón, lo será para el corazón de todos.

Light in the Forest of Life...

2011-07-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Don’t you just love those moments of deep recognition where you realize everything is exactly in perfect order, just the way things are supposed to Be? Ever since I was a little girl I have had a deep fascination with ‘the G word’, Spirit, that which will remain un-nameable, Supreme Consciousness, the Universe, the very Power that is the Essence of everyone and everything.

At the beginning of my sadhana (path of Truth) or yoga journey, the moments of deep awareness came close together and there were many of them. It was a time of profound remembering of an ancient omniscience already present within, everyday rich with awakening. As the experience of time marches on, the moments of ultimate recognition become fewer and farther in between. That recognition that is beyond the knowledge that I am completely immersed in the Ocean of Consciousness at all times, but the actual direct experience (anubhav) of ‘“I Am” the Wave, Current, Ocean, those moments of Light and deep Awareness are often elusively concealed behind the left arm of Nataraja (Cosmic Dancer of Bliss), hidden in shadows of the forest dance of life’s day-to-day duties. This is the dance of concealment and revelation, forgetfulness and remembrance.

At any moment in the jungle of householder life there exists a possibility of stepping into sublime Light of remembrance between the shadows. Whatever awakens your Heart to Spirit is the Guru Principle, the revelatory power of Grace (anugraha).

Last night on a sunset walk in the Black Hills Forest of South Dakota, I took a detour off the beaten path for no reason, except ‘I wonder’ what was over that hill on that little jeep trail. The trail wound up a few hundred feet through the ponderosas, and all of a sudden poured into an enormous grassland sea etched in strewn wildflowers. It is a breathtakingly beautiful meadow bordered by the forest and hills Custer knew intimately. The meadow is always there just being for it’s own delight, the ground of Shiva, whether anyone is there to witness it or not. In its steady presence, Shakti is continually expressing a pristine wild beauty, the kind of western beauty cowgirls dream of.

The sun nestled behind the silhouetted needles casting a gentle hue over the wilderness only a sunset can offer. The power of the Goddess in the silent splendor thundered my heart and tears of deep reverence washed over my cheeks. I remembered,….again. Divine Beauty, Shri, and Grace is always there, a choice and the closest thing to me, and the closest thing to you.

Why and to what are we aligning to anyway?

2011-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

I read a lovely blog on alignment earlier, which inspired me to contemplate it… again,… and share my thoughts, scary, but here they are.

Alignment matters, from my perspective, an Anusara perspective. When I’m in alignment, I feel happy, connected to my Self and the world, I feel free; when I’m out of alignment, I feel contracted, alone and stuck, not free.

As a yoga student in class, I want to know 'why' the teacher wants me to align in a certain way, and I want to know 'to what' or ‘to whom’ am I aligning? Kim artha, for what purpose, why? The 'goal, reason, purpose' of our practice is to awaken to and recognize Supreme Consciousness in ourselves, each other and all beings and things, sentient and non-sentient.

My lineage, (a lineage is considered when it’s teachers can be traced three generations back) is an "Align with the Divine" hatha yoga practice, Anusara. In Anusara, the 'why' we align is to remember and express the highest part of ourselves, Divine Spirit, which is first the ‘to what' we align to. We align to the Highest first, to the Divine.

Based on the premise that non-dual Supreme Consciousness is the case, (our Essence), the five bio-mechanical Universal Principles of Alignment (UPA's) are applied sequentially with balanced action in every pose. Our physical outer Material body aligns to our inner subtle Energy body, aka the inner manifestation of Divine Spirit that is both eternal, yet constantly changing and becoming us. This is the ‘how' we Align to the Divine, with principles based on Nature, not rules dictated from outside. (Key = you can use the UPA’s to be in the Flow in every area of life...they work if you actually apply the knowledge!)

And of course there is 'what' are we doing? We are doing the physical hatha yoga practice as an expression of beauty and art, to awaken to and celebrate Ultimacy expressed as the multitudes of diversity.
This is what I love about alignment. It took the edge off me trying to transcend this life, trying to get to Oneness, trying to stop the inner currents, my vrttis, that would take at least a whole lifetime.

Because the UPA's are universal they can work for anyone, they worked for me. As my teacher John Friend says, "Good Therapy is Good Alignment. When you align with Nature, healing happens." Good alignment and any movement towards optimal alignment is healing. Anyone can actually do almost any pose to their fullest potential at that moment in time and feel better! Whether it is a 70 year old grandmother (or 50!) or a 25 year old man, anyone can experience an inner illumination and healing. The Heart's desire plus good alignment and balanced action equals a opening that reflects the inner radiance in the outer form of the pose. The best thing about the alignment technique of Anusara (besides being relieved of pain and suffering) is doing it in a class with other people who share the same vision of CommonUnity and love for their world,.. our world, all of us creating art, beauty and love through yoga.

The benefits of good alignment from the Anusara perspective are innumerable. When there is good alignment in the physical postures the yogi heals, experiences her/his Essence, begins to recognize It in the outer world, experiences a greater vitality, is happier, starts loving life again and expresses her/him self in the world in a sweeter, kinder, nicer way, creating ripples, waves of loving kindness through the ocean of embodied time and space. If everyone would get their thighs back, the whole world would be a happier place! (I'm serious!)

In our tradition, it’s always the Highest first. The ‘iti sampradaya chara’ of good alignment (what it means to our lineage, according to us) is to awaken to the Source within, to recognize that we are the embodiment of Spirit, and we are here to awaken with each other. We are always connected to Spirit and each other. Ultimately, we become our own best Soul friend, (Gita 6:5) learn to love ourselves and love each other. This is the highest teaching, and this is why we 'Align to the Divine'. Love....Now.

The Little Drop of God....

2010-12-22T23:53:00.001-08:00

As the sunset on the shortest day of the soul, (Winter Solstice, Yule) I pulled up to pick up my little granddrop Sebastian for a sleep over. I call him (and all my grandkids) Grand Drops because of an incident that happened when he was three.... he is now 6 and a half.

For those who don’t know the story, I had been at an Anusara yoga event with John Friend. When I got home I was sooo full of Shakti (Life Force) and so happy to see Bashi we were seated cross-legged on the floor, Bash in my lap while his mom was nursing Preston (Granddrop #2) on the couch next to me. As I cuddled Bash in my arms, his back to my heart, I could feel waves of Love transmissions passing between our hearts. All of a sudden, he jumps up, looks at me, looks at his mom, and says, “Mommy, where is God?” Off guard and puzzled, she answered something, I don’t even remember what she said. Bash cocked his head and looked at me, and I said, “Sebastian, YOU are a little drop of God!” A big smile ripped across his gorgeous elfin face, and he said, “Oh!” and bounded off to his room.

So, I pick up Bash on the solstice sunset, just after he tested for another belt stripe in karate. When we got in the car, he said, “Bibi, can we go to yoga?” I was a little puzzled. We play yoga on the floor at home, I fly them and play, but he hasn’t been to a kids yoga class since he was four. I told him maybe tomorrow, but there isn’t any kids yoga anymore and he’d have to come with me.

That evening we watched the Fantastic Mr. Fox. A very sweet movie with yummy Tantric themes to keep even me entertained. One of the characters was a cousin who ‘wrapped his legs in a pretzel’ to meditate. Bashi said “Meditation is just thinking thoughts, I can meditate,” and he pops into seated meditation with Chin mudra.… After the movie, I led him through a mini sensory meditation, he loved it. We slept like babies all snuggled up. YUM.

In the morning, he woke up bright like the chunk of stardust he is, ready for yoga. I reminded him we’d be going at 6 pm after the day. We did the grandma things, cleaned up, went for breakfast, picked up his little Lilly cousin and went to the park for a few hours. The day buzzed by on the swings and slides and finally, we dropped Lilly off and headed to Yoga Village.

I had second thoughts about this, after all, sure my friend was teaching, but what about the other students? I told Bash, “Rule, this is a grown up class and if you don’t like it or it is hard you have to just sit quietly and watch, ‘k?” He said, “Okay.” We signed in, removed shoes, and laid down the mats.

He sat down, was focused and attentive to the centering theme, closed his fawnlike eyes, brought his hands together before his amazingly infinite Heart and as a yogi, sang his first formal Anusara invocation three times. The class was influenced Anusara all levels class, and he did the entire thing and did his best. It LIT me UP!

It gave me hope. It gave me hope that all the time I’m out teaching away from my own grandchildren might really be making a difference. Just maybe all the moms, sisters, daughters, sons, brothers, fathers will live in ways that will inspire their little ones to want yoga, to want do the right thing in life and live from and for Goodness. It might just be that kids will grow up knowing they are little Drops of God, knowing we are all connected to each other and our Earth home, knowing that they are worthy of all their wildest dreams. It might just be they will grow up believing they can and will make a difference and know they are empowered co-creators of life, and they might just find ways to live in harmony and make peace in the world and save the planet from our own destructive abuse.

After savasana, the teacher announced the Christmas Eve class and Bash said, “I want to come on Friday, and I want to teach too.” The Little Drop of God receives the Ocean, and the Ocean receives the Drop.

Wishing everyone Gracefilled blessings of Hope, Love and Harmony on these Holy days. The Light is brighter than ever.

Love B & Sebastian

Standing Steady without my Credit Cards and iPhone

2010-09-10T03:18:00.000-07:00

A few months ago my dear student, friend and hostess in Chile gave one of those backpack purse adornments, a string of dazzling purple and gold hearts, Shri-ed (high beauty) up with golden sequins and bobbles in the Anusara colors. I immediately put it on my travel purse and have enjoyed the deeper meaning of the talisman ever since.

The closing day of Anusara Immersion One in Geneva came fast. It had built up to it’s peak, day five of five straight 7+ hour days, moving our bodies, cooling our minds and cooking our hearts together. A talented international group, Italy, France, Costa Rica, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Israel, the UK and me, the American, were in the house. Three of them were somehow involved with the United Nations and everyone had their unique gifts to offer. Everyone spoke English, and of course the language of Love. The week ended in great awakening, love and friendships that will last a lifetime. Amazing Grace of the community, the kula, the family we choose to walk with on this path of awakening and love.

This Purna Huti (fullness of the Celebration) day, I had taught on the ways we meet challenge, and how we are always held in Grace, it is always there and at any moment we have the possibility of remembering and recognizing the ever presence of Spirit. This is anugraha, the revelatory power of Grace. We are never not connected to Spirit, our center, we just forget, it’s part of the deal of being embodied. We think we are separate and alone. The practices serve to awaken us to the ever presence of Grace, that we are held in Grace whether we recognize it or not. Grace holds us in our breath and in our heartbeat. With time, devotion and regular practice we recognize that we are an integral part of the Ocean of Consciousness, we are the very thing we seek, we are what the Universe is doing. With the knowledge and tools, we can choose how to best move in the flow of the Ocean, learn to get with what is going on in the flow of the Universe. Eventually, we become steady, anchored in a quiet content place, no matter how the Flow is going. We stay centered even when the waves are crashing and currents are thrashing. We learn how to respond from the highest place and make the highest decisions in the face of challenge. We become skillful at living a spiritual embodied life. That's the plan.

We learn to stand steady in our Heart, our core, the madhya, instead of react by being consumed or running away. That is the teaching. Can you stand steady in your heart? Anchored in the teachings? Or do you let yourself be consumed, indulge in the problem or just run away? These are questions I ask myself over and over.

After an emotional Shakti-filled (full of energy) closing ceremony, most of the locals gave love and said goodbye. A few of the international guests and I headed out for a walk around Lake Geneva then dinner together.

The evening was stunning. The last summer rays blushed across wispy clouds, Mont Blanc glistening in the distant French Alps, Le Jet D'Eau shooting into the pale sky, families, lovers and tourists strolling along Lake Geneva’s malecón, soaking up the beauty. We were so lit up from the immersion, each other and the titillating ambiance we piled our yoga bags, day bags, and purses on a bench, and turned to the Lake to take photos.

Geneva and Switzerland as a whole is considered to have practically no crime compared to the rest of Europe. Practically being the operative word. While we were upside down and backs turned, a Bicycle Thief, (not the brew, not a thief of bicycles, but a thief ON a bicycle) buzzed by and snatched my purse. A couple of young Spanish girls alerted us and we all came down to see what was the commotion.

Sure enough my purse was gone. Passport, credit cards, money, iPhone and personal effects, GONE. Under my breath I said, “he stole my purse, oh this is not good.” It was especially not ‘good’ because I had a morning flight to Copenhagen and the thought of missing the workshop stirred me up. We all started milling around to see if we could spot the thief, as if maybe he was dumb enough to stick around, or maybe he would just toss it and we’d find it. Everyone’s face went from ecstatic to very long and somber. I reassured them I'd be fine and not to let this be a buzz kill. I seriously was waiting for the big panic, slug in the stomach, I’ve just been ripped off, sick feeling. What I did feel was the Shakti of my lineage, my teachers and the teachings holding me. The sun was setting, we hadn’t eaten, and there was definitely no sign of my purse or the bicycle thief.

We headed up the Rodeo Drivish lanes of Geneva towards the police station. As Grace would have it I had the kula, one of which was a beautiful French man to keep us grounded and make the police report in Frances. I kept waiting for the sinking feeling simultaneously reassuring everyone else everything would be fine. I was mostly worried about how I would get to Copenhagen the next morning. Clement gave the police the blow by blow in French, which made the whole thing seem kind of glamorous. The policeman, who looked younger than half my kids, explained that if I gave the report to the immigration at the airport, they would give me a temporary passport that I could travel the rest of my trip on. Not sure if it was the language difference, the fact he could have been one of my kids, or that we live in a fearful world beholden by bureaucratic red tape and how could anyone possibly travel across borders without a passport, I was incredulous to the thought of an easy passport fix in the morning.

After all the courtesies and reassurances of the Geneva police, we headed out looking for food. I had no money, credit cards, passport, iPhone, or any thing else, including that pissed off, sinking feeling. I was still waiting to be knocked off center. Instead, wonder, surprise and a bit of dred for all the work of canceling my life via Skype that evening and facing the airport officials in the morning was what the bhava (experience of the moment) was. After dinner when I ordered my coffee and realized they got my vanilla stevia and now I would have to drink my coffee with sugar! Bastards!

It was after midnight by the time I returned and started skyping the credit card companies. I canceled and changed passwords on everything I could think of and then packed for an early departure. I remembered I had a scan picture of my passport in my computer and emailed it to myself to print in the morning to take with me. At least I had that, and the 50 Swiss Francs a dear student gave me.

Sleep was not really in the plan, it never is when I’m teaching. The morning was one Gracefilled event after another. My beloved student/friend/apprentice showed up early. She is always like a sunbeam and I’m always happy to see her. We headed to the airport, and went straight to the police. Unfortunately, the original police dude was misinformed and the only emergency passport available was for Swiss citizens, and I was out of luck. I felt the beginnings of the panic, so I took a breath and we headed to the airline counter.

I went to the SAS customer service and got a very sweet helpful woman who called Copenhagen immigration, explained my story, hung up the phone and said, “okay, you can go. But you must get a passport in Copenhagen, because London won’t allow you in.” Whether it was shock or Shakti or both, I was overjoyed, and on my way to Denmark. Grace.

It was sunny and gorgeous when we landed in Copenhagen. Nanna, the gorgeous Danish goddess organizer for my trip, collected us (European, for picked us up) and I explained the story and that I needed the US embassy. “No problem, it is around the corner, 5 minute walk from where you are staying.” Grace, once again. We stopped on the way, they let me in, took the info in 10 minutes, told me to come back at 9:00 am and it would be taken care of. Where were the lines and bureaucrats?

Still no sign of panic or ungrounded insecurity surfaced. We arrived at the beautiful bright apartment, and I checked my email. There was a message from my son that someone had contacted his father in Mexico and said they have my purse in Geneva. The thief had taken the money and iPhone, leaving everything else and tossed the purse, which was found by a Mexican guy from Tijuana working in Geneva. After a few rounds of emails and Skypes, my purse was scheduled to be sent to the United Kingdom where I would be sure to meet it.

The entire event was one Gracefilled event after another. Even learning to travel for three weeks without credit cards and my iPhone was an opportunity to expand my perspective on resourcefulness too. For me the whole experience was a Lakshmi, (an auspicious mark of beauty). What could’ve been perceived as a Klesha, (stain or blemish, challenge) was ultimately a grand initiation for me. It was a process of my own recognition that the practices and teachings work, that I could be steady in the Madhya (midline, core, center of Being) in the midst of the churning Ocean. The waves crashed, currents raged, and I watched myself stand steady, neither being consumed or pushing away, just receiving what was. One event after another, I did my best to respond in the highest way I could at the time, trusting Grace, trusting everything held as Truth at my very core. What I found, my practices work, the teachings hold true.

I am held in my Heart, Grace (Samsara), with my Heart, with Grace (Anusara), steady in my Heart, steady in Grace (Abhysara). Grace. All this and I have my purse back, purple Shri Anusara Hearts dangling from it in delight, not to mention now I have to get the new iPhone.

Yes on the Mogul Moon...

2010-07-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Sunday to be exact, marks the traditional Indian celebration of Guru Purnima. It is the brightest, fullest moon of year, in the month of Ashadha of the Hindu calendar. Thousands of years ago, this moon was chosen by disciples to celebrate and honor their Guru, the ‘one who brings the light to the darkness’. Students would offer blessings, gifts and prayers to their teacher in deep gratitude for their spiritual knowledge and guidance the teacher had bestowed on them. Guru Purnima is still celebrated by millions of people to this day in honor of their teachers.

Sunday is the perfect day to celebrate my teacher John Friend, as well as all my teachers who have illumined the horizon of my ignorance, even the ones I didn't like! I don’t believe in coincidences and find it auspicious that an article written on John will be featured in this Sunday’s New York Times. The article went live online on Thursday, and I got a hold of it on Twitter. Between emails and household details, I read it with delight and happily retweeted, “Yes, We are the yoga of YES!’

The Yoga Mogul

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25Yoga-t.html?_r=1&src=tptw

And then, the second word in the title, ‘mogul’, a no, and it kind of tweaked me. I love moguls on mountains under my boards, but this was not that kind of mogul. My favorite thesaurus offered me some solace. The writer had indirectly inferred that John is a “magnate, tycoon, VIP, notable, personage, baron, captain, king, lord, grandee, nabob, bigwig, big shot, big cheese, top dog, top banana, big kahuna, big enchilada.” I felt better, yet I preferred "Mogul=Open-hearted fire starter" offered from, yes, from a Facebook post. John is definitely an Open Hearted Fire Starter, and I decided I could go with ‘mogul’, another yes. I read on…

As I mulled over the Times’ Yoga Mogul discourse several times, I mentally argued with Mimi (the author of the NY Times article) about “what is she thinking!?”, another no. I wanted to rewrite the whole thing through my lense of 'looking for the good first' that would’ve been more reflective of the John Friend I know. Then I realized all press is good press. How could I expect anything less than a provocative, critical article from the New York Times? I watched Sex in the City, imagine if this was in the New Yorker! Being critical is what she is trained to do, it is her art and what she does. Our art is Anusara yoga. We are trained to look for the good, see beauty, even in the ugly, and say yes first. It is what we do and how we live. It is what the Mogul does and how he lives.

Contemplating the conversation, (yes, I personally turn in and contemplate) I figured out how to say yes to the things that irked me most in the article. This article taught me so much about the way the Matrika Shakti, (the power + the ‘little mothers’; speech, words that create) can stimulate feeling and emotion. That is what art is supposed to do, evoke something. You won’t necessarily ‘like’ it, but art evokes something. I’ll bet she and her boss are just kvelling over this piece. The New York Times wouldn’t be the NY Times without being critical… any more than John Friend wouldn’t be John Friend without charisma. John uses his charisma to evoke beauty, goodness and meaningfulness to life,..a not so exotic Sanskrit term known as Shri.

When I see a friend bust out an amazing vashisthasana (beautiful yoga pose, especially if they have really long legs!) or I see student do something they never did, my heart is touched. Even a beginner in handstand is art summoning up energy in motion at the deepest level. Anusara is art that expresses Shri. (Shri = beauty, life-affirming, value, abundance, goodness) The article was an expression of her art, not necessarily with a ‘goal’ of Shri. She did her job, what she is trained to do, write and evoke feeling, not that I have to like it. The column is an intellectual ‘discourse’. She is supposed to be critical and to create buzz and news, otherwise no one would read it except yogis.

Decision made, I won’t do a blow by blow argument of ‘yes’ against the decidedly critically skewed images Mimi chose to paint of my teacher. I am reminded that for time immemorial the greatest minds and beings, ideas, innovation, anything that goes beyond the accepted vibration and thought, is met with opposition, resistance, criticism, and betrayal. Apparently it is normal to be critical and resist change. After all, change can be uncomfortable. It is uncomfortable. The fact is that everything must evolve, even yoga. And the fact is that even the charismatic Mogul who pioneered this synthesized yoga for "21^st century-modern-householders" will be met with opposition and criticism. It is just the way it is, so I have to say yes, that is what I choose. It is first principle of Anusara Yoga. Open to Grace, say yes to what is and then make a choice how to respond. Even Mother Theresa has detractors, even Mother Theresa. I think she said something like ‘I won’t protest against the war, but I will stand for peace.’

Sunday, I will celebrate, remember and offer blessings to my teachers. It will be the Mogul Moon. My life and thousands of people's lives have been radically transformed for the better because of John’s vision of goodness, his relentless service and dedication to his students, Anusara, and first and foremost to the Spirit of Yoga. I am humbled, honored and blessed for the privilege to share the wisdom teachings of Grace and Shri the “Open Hearted Fire Starter” has generously ignited in me and so many. I am grateful and hopeful that the seeds of Grace being planted in the hearts of so many people will grow into acts of compassion, love and kindness. I am hopeful that as the people shift, the leaders will shift, and as the leaders shift, the world will shift. We can't know how far and wide the Anusara waves of beauty and love will ripple out for generations, but they will. Anusara is transforming the evolution of consciousness on the planet. The world is a better, brighter, more hopeful, beautiful place to be, thank you John Friend. Yes humble blessings of Grace and Gratitude to my dear teacher on this Guru Purnima.

Start with a yes and end with a yes. Yes to the press, after all, we are the yoga of YES!

You Can't Cover the Sun with a Finger...

2010-06-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

I love how things challenge me to my very core, inspire me to the real question of what exactly do I really believe, what is my perspective and from where and how will I act. Today was a dreary rainy day, most of which was spent in the Minneapolis airport over a three hour plane delay. Not exactly what I planned for my rocking solstice celebration, but it was the catalyst for one of those inner questions to bare her luscious fangs. Instead of doing ‘work’ or futzing on Facebook, I read and contemplated several blogs of note on Solstice and the Gulf oil spill tragedy.

Tragedy is an understatement. I lived on the gulf and remember the tragic regularity of red tide and oil covered beaches every summer in South Texas as far back as twenty years ago. What is happening now is beyond tragedy. It is a social travesty, long beyond FUBAR. It is the climax of years of lust, rape and exploitation of the feminine principle of Nature’s abundant beauty for our own greedy habits. We are living an ecological night terror, our dreaded wild imaginations, premonitions and fears playing out as reality. Any whistle blower's protests, and green activism have long ago been smothered by political and corporate rhetoric B.S. muscling.

In Spanish, there is a saying, “No puedes tapar el sol con un dedo.” ‘You can’t cover the sun with a finger.’ Today, at the height of the northern hemisphere’s exhale, Father Sun explodes its masculine penetrating summer light dispelling rays of heat and light in all directions. The sun doesn’t discriminate where to shine, it just does what it does, shines fully reaching anywhere there is no finger blocking its radiance. Where there is an obstacle the beams of light expose the shadow, the dark side, exposing the finger, revealing the awareness that something is blocking the light. The feminine manifesting fullness of Mother Earth gladly receives his light, consummating the co-mingling of their summery tryst in a synchronized ecstatic exhale revealing the abundance of her natural beauty.

This Summer Solstice day, 2010, there is no beauty in the Gulf. The shadow cast is the shadow of the finger that is our very own. It is the shadow of choices we make, the way we consume, the way we don’t make ‘different’ choices, all the ways we as individuals are choosing to stick our fingers in the sky, pretending we can cover the sun with one finger.

Yes, the Gulf disaster is a disgusting expression of just how deeply unconscious our social collective Un-Conscious still is exactly that, un-Conscious. Yes, we should be outraged, and yes we can do something. This shadowy event can only be possible because there is light to cast and reveal this apocalyptic shadow.

As dark, scary, horrific and tragic this Gulf crisis is, there is simultaneously a growing awakening on the planet. Even in the face of the black death rippling across the the sea and wetlands, choking the life force from the diverse ecosystems and creatures in the path of this slimy reaper, there is hope, there is a yes. There has to be. I have to have hope. I have to say yes, even to the bloody f-ing oil spill. I have to say yes. This too has to be a threshold of awakening, this too is Grace, Fierce Grace as Ram Dass says. It is Grace in a Chapter -11-of- the- Bhagavad Gita- kind - of- way.

Yes, I have hope that everyone who sees the hideous images is mortified to their bones. I hope that it moves them in their gut, moves them to tears and haunts them to the point that when they pull up to the pump they remember the images, feel and recognize their responsibility and contribution to the crisis. I hope we drive less, ride and walk more, seek alternative sustainable options. I hope that every time I get into the car, buy a product, choose what to eat, where to shop and patronize, where to put my financial resources, energy and attention to, I remember my ability to respond and choose from the highest for the highest. I have to say yes, yes to me making a difference, me making every choice knowing that it will affect the whole, even if I can’t see it, or ever know the outcome.

I have to say yes, so I can say no. No more sticking my finger in the sky, no more pretending I can cover the sun. I say yes that I can make the highest conscious choice from the highest perspective, with the highest intention at any given moment. I have to say yes to making a difference in thought, word and action. If I can, anyone can. Cit happens, shift happens, and the sun will shine again tomorrow,.. I hope, in a 'Chapter - Eleven - of - the - Gita' kind of way.

Some Things Never Change... Reflections on the Anusara Certified Teacher's Gathering

2010-05-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

One of John Friend’s favorite teachings is at the end of every practice, event, challenge or experience, to ask ourselves ‘‘what insight have I gained?” As a recovering overachiever (that’ll be the day), I can’t help myself but to do my best to be a good student. So, naturally I do my best to apply the teachings. To myself I ask, "what insight did I gain from this year’s Anusara Certified Teacher’s Gathering?”

Every May since I’ve been eligible, I’ve attended the Certified Teacher’s Gathering with our illustrious teacher John Friend. Last week it was held in Morrisville, North Carolina and “was our largest, most harmonious, and most radiant certified teachers' gathering in our 12-year history.” (John Friend)

Every year, I leave feeling more empowered, more connected to my own Heart, more connected to my friends and peers, more connected to our vision, more connected to my teacher, and most importantly, more connected to the ever present Ocean of Grace we are always fully immersed in.

Each year has been different, with a little different emphasis, yet the central teachings remain steady. Every year feels different because we are different from year to year. Some years the focus has been on a strong physical practice to build our vessels to hold more Shakti (life force). Another year the focus was on the very foundational aspects of the principles, another the teaching skills, community building, or a strong lineage and philosophical emphasis. The common denominator never changes. John’s vision, the core teachings and the principles never change. He is steady, clear and unwavering.

This year, in good Tantric form, the first teaching of the week was the highest teaching. John always takes the highest perspective, “You are always connected….Use the discipline of the mind to see the Goodness first….Our first response is to see the Shiva-Shakti first…Anusara starts with a Yes, and ends with Yes, and all no’s in between serve the Yes.” First principle, it never changes.

At one point, John presented the question “what is your view?” How do we see the world? What’s our perspective? John guided beautiful deep practices infused with the highest teachings of Grace in ways we all directly experienced our inner Light with a fresh awareness. Just as yogis in kula (community of people whose hearts share the same vision) have always done, we engaged in lively philosophical conversations, the idiosyncrasies of business, the nuances of the Universal Principles of Alignment, questions on teaching and studentship and the joys and challenges facing the ever-expanding community of Anusara. Guest scholar Dr. Bill Mahoney came to shower us in love with his poetic offerings from the Narada Bhakti Sutras, a text on seeing the Supreme as the Nature of Love. The perspective of Love is the consistent hallmark of Anusara welcoming anyone wanting to step into the deepest longing of their heart.

John’s teachings are clearer and more powerfully articulated than ever. Maybe I‘m just clearer than ever, or maybe we both are. As I reflect over the week, over the last five years, my insight is the same, crystal clear and deeper.

Each year comes sooner, the hosts, the venues, the theme, the whole fabric of space-time change. We change, we are older, wiser, there are new faces, different conversations, but the core is clearly the same. The integrity of our vision, our intention and John’s vision and intention is Shiva steady. The same unwavering core of Light, same vision of Grace, goodness and intention to serve the Light, even as the community expands and everyone in it shifts. The rectitude of the core is unshakeable, and through my own direct experience (anubhava) my trust, my faith, (shradda) where I place my Heart is stronger and more rooted in the teachings than ever.

Anusara is alive, a living organism, pulsing, expanding, and transforming, and the hub, the vision of our Heart, is a steady pillar of Light. Anusara is an invisible yet tangible flowering web of Light, each of us a point of Light connecting our Hearts to other points of Light. We gather like stardust magnetized to the hub of Light. Pulsing, practicing and breathing together, sitting and sharing in great conversation we reflect our inner Light in ways that help awaken one another. Syncing up to each other, we bathe in each other’s radiant presence re-anchoring our deepest longings and intentions, our vision of Grace, Shri, Love, and how we will serve. Just by being together, we get brighter, more luminous to shine back out into the world, never forgetting our Hub, the lineage of Grace that brought us all together.

What insight did I gain from coming together with 170 of the greatest beings alive on the planet under the loving guidance of one the greatest, if not the greatest modern yoga Masters of all time? Coming back to the hive nourishes my heart, replenishes my soul. As the community expands, just like the stars, we have to come back together to the inner sanctum of our Hearts to twinkle brightly. The highest first, we are always immersed in Grace, as Grace. We are blessed friends walking and living a path of awakening together. Every moment is pregnant with the possibility of experiencing our own divinity, pregnant with the possibility of recognizing the same Divinity in everyone and everything. We are here to express the gifts no one else can offer in artful ways that uplift and create more sweetness, beauty and Light in our lives and the world around us. What we do is who we become, and we are free to choose how to serve, free to see and be Shri. Some things never change.