Yukko

As most of you already know - I write and teach right from my heart as I believe we are all connected and I sense what goes on for me occasionally or is touching your life as well.

Do the holidaze bring a mixed bag of feelings? They do for me. A sense of excitement about the celebration, seeing family and friends from far away and of course the frenzy of the feast. But behind all of this lies this burden of energy that must be spent. I wrangle with giving away too much of my personal power to house guests and certainly to feeding and organizing everyone. This year, I will be working with personal boundaries and protecting my sacred quiet space.

As a Yogi, I need adequate amounts of quiet time to bath the sensitivity of my soul and quite simply because I enjoy them. The practice has taught me how nourishing quiet free time can be. My experience has shown me how draining and stressful constant activity, conversation and care taking is. This TG, I vow to be conscious of what/who is feeding my well being and that which is not. Monitoring my experience so as to not stress and drain my inner resources.

I think we all wish to be as I describe above. The problem lies in that most of us are so ADDICTED to stimulation of all sorts and dread the gaps of nothing. For some reason, it has become acceptable to be constantly overwhelmed, busy and stressed out. It is the cool way to be -- in fact, you are definitely "someone" if you are this way. Sadly enough, this is a sign of our crazy times.

I choose a different road - one last traveled but one with an open expanse to the wonder, beauty and silence that life continually provides if we are willing and able to see it.

I give thanks for the teachings that allow me to live my life with choice. I give daily these teachings so we all may live healthy and fulfilling lives connected to spirit as we see it. Namaste'

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is a softer more poetic side of Yoga. A perfect compliment to the yang styles most of us practice, this beautiful and quieter form renders joint pliability and inner calm. I was lucky enough to discover this ancient Taoist form of Yoga about 10 yrs ago thru my dear friend and 1st teacher: Paul Grilley. From the 1st practice, it felt right. Sitting in simple floor poses for 3-5 minutes was heaven for my yin-like constitution and such a relief from the demands of my yang addictions. Not necessarily easy to do as 5 minutes in a seated forward bend can make you feel like you are about to break in half, but truly nourishing to the joints, connective tissues and something more -- the meridian/energy pathways throughout the body.

Yin Yoga is based upon Meridian energy theory - an ancient Chinese medical system upon which Acupuncture is based. Sitting in long held poses you can actually feel pent up energy release and begin to travel through the tributaries of the body. I love this practice. It has done so much for slowing down my vata (hyper) constitution and moistening my aging insides. They say Yin Yoga has become an anti-aging practice as it renders your inner body to become more fluid and subtle. This has been my experience and certainly is what keeps me coming back to my mat.

Beyond the physical however, Yin Yo brings forth a contemplative - spiritual aspect to mind. When you are guided to be still for long periods of time, there is time to ponder life's big questions, to dwell on thoughts of "how am I" and "what the heck is my life about anyway". Doing Yin is a precious time to introspect which I have come to discover is very healthy for my mind and spirit.

Try it:-)

Out on a Limb

If we want to grow in our lives, we have to be willing to "go out on a limb" on a regular basis. This act alone stirs up old patterns of resistance and self doubt. It is a bit like going to the gym, or setting out the yoga mat and doing a challenging flow series -- strengthening sleepy muscles groups. When we do this, we have such an opportunity to break out of limiting beliefs about ourselves, and discover a whole new world waiting for our creativity and intelligence. And, sometimes, "going out of a limb" brings up intense vulnerbility and exposure. What if, what if, what if someone finds out I'm not perfect, or I'm sensitive or, or, or.... Ahhhhhhhh, if we could all just realize we are one heart beating to the universal drum of life.

On some leve,l we are all a little intimidated about being "seen". About being something other than what our ego mind wishes the world to know about us. When we put ourselves out into the world, we cannot always be perfect in the eyes of everyone. We become available to the negative energies that exist. How to manage these rough waters?

Be in the moment! One breath, one thought, one reality. Realizing there are a multitude of people, places and things to dwell upon, and in any given moment, we reach for the highest vibration, the highest thought pattern, and the thing that brings joy the most!

Ground Hog Day

Some days are truly about growth and personal transformation. It might seem like a normal Monday. Kids off to school, spouse to work, laundry in process, dog eating breakfast, and Facebook messages popping up like mosequitos, but there is this resistance to something percolating in the back of mind. I always know when I'm about to expand my consciousness as there is this subtle resistance to change that shows up. Like a "I don't want to, I'd rather stay the same, and not have to stretch today". Like "I am comfortable here and isn't it healthy to be comfortable?". Such reasoning compulsively haunts me. On days like today, I know need to ground my energy, like take a walk in the forest, or go on a good hike thru the hills. My Yoga moves "off the mat" and into nature... nature of the mind and outdoors to process the ramblings of the monkey mind. To explore resistance to change, growth and of course, fear. Doesn't it always come down to fear and love?

Yoga & The Empty Spaces

So life gets busy, fulfilling and accomplished and then suddenly there is so much space. I find myself noticing this as the days are shorter and it gets dark earlier. Somehow, I have already managed to move my family's evening dinner routine up, as it feels later than normal, and then I look at the clock and it is only 6;30p. What the heck -- how can it be so early, and dark, and what is there to do with so many hours until bed time?

The empty spaces of time. Do we need to fill all available space or can we be comfortable with nothing to do and await what is to show up next, or simple just BE.

I actually enjoy empty spaces and quiet for that matter. I find them all to be nourishing. At parties for instance, I am most happy, chit-chatting a bit and then simply being quiet when I've had my full of conversation. I don't have a need to constantly talk, be entertained or socially engaged. I am happy with my own solitude. I realize this makes other people uncomfortable. The empty spaces of time thing again:-)

Put into perspective, it is simply living moment-to-moment and watching life as it unfolds into our reality. Trick is that we have so many different realities. What makes one person fulfilled drives another nutzo.

Here's where the Yoga comes into play. Yoga means "union" -- uniting the yin and the yang -- yolking or blending everything together as one. Isn't it possible for us all to be okay, and to accept our differences and to allow moments of quiet to simply be that -- moments unfolding into others, and others, and others?