The Path of Re-Awakening . . . What Yoga is All About

We are each on our own path.

Your path looks different than mine, yet we are wandering this Earth together, as human beings–bright sparks of spirit who have voluntarily forgotten how incredibly amazing we are so that we can go through the adventure of remembering.

This, to me, is the re-awakening.

It is the realization, that comes in moments and songs and deep breaths and tears and dances, that who you truly are is Divine.

This is what yoga is all about–union, or really, it is RE-union, since we were never truly separate in the first place.

We’re in Mercury Retrograde now, which can make technology, communications, and things like that tricky. But what it does invite willingly is re-lease, re-newal, re-connection, and yes, re-union.

This month the theme I’ll be teaching in my Kamloops yoga classes is “Re-Awakening.”

Perhaps this is always my theme, simply spoken in different ways and woven into other angles of seeing.

The point of so many incredible teachings is to really get you to not just think of yourself as a Spark of Source–which is a challenge because the ego fights it–but to feel, at the heart, from the pure being-ness of who you are, that you truly are Divine.

Tricky, eh?

Yet you aren’t expected to just pick it up in a flash, it’s actually what the entire journey is about. That and enjoying all of the experiences along the way, including nature, loved ones, dance parties, sunsets, chocolate, and numerous detours that somehow point you back to yourself.

As you live, breathe, do, and be, when you practice yoga and when you’re caught up in the whirlwind of life, see how often you get flashes of this remembrance.

The more you tune in, the more you’ll notice those moments where you feel a knowing that goes beyond the mind to your heart–that, yes, you are this beautiful physical form, but you are also so much more, and that your essence is pure, flawless, and truly Divine.

A deep bow to the journey of Re-Awakeing!

Re-Awakening Quotes

“Life gives you exactly what you need to awaken.”
― T. Scott McLeod

“Jesus Christ knew he was God. So wake up and find out eventually who you really are. In our culture, of course, they’ll say you’re crazy and you’re blasphemous, and they’ll either put you in jail or in a nut house (which is pretty much the same thing). However if you wake up in India and tell your friends and relations, ‘My goodness, I’ve just discovered that I’m God,’ they’ll laugh and say, ‘Oh, congratulations, at last you found out.”
― Alan Wilson Watts

“WE ALREADY HAVE everything we need. There is no need for self-improvement. All these trips that we lay on ourselves–the heavy-duty fearing that we’re bad and hoping that we’re good, the identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy and the addictions of all kinds–never touch our basic wealth. They are like clouds that temporarily block the sun. But all the time our warmth and brilliance are right here. This is who we really are. We are one blink of an eye away from being fully awake.”
― Pema Chödrön

Make Your Own 5 Minute Yoga Practice [Video]

There are ways to give yourself the very needed time to cultivate self-love and support, even when it doesn’t feel like there is space in the day. You can create windows of time for your yoga practice that revive and re-inspire you on every level.

Even one deep breath can make all the difference.

When it comes to asana, the physical postures and practice of yoga, my body craves it every single day!

Yet, because life can be busy and time becomes a premium, I’ve found myself developing a home practice that fits into 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

In this video, I show you one possible 5 minute practice. (Okay, it’s only 4:27, but I did do Savasana at the end and you don’t see that bit.)

The singing in the background is me. A bluesy Om of sorts, with occasional accompaniment by my dog Riley.

 

5 Minute Yoga Practice Flow

 

So that’s an example of what my practice might look like if I had only 5 minutes to stretch everything that needed stretching, and open to a more full and free ME.

You very likely have experienced how much more freedom and ease you feel when you’ve taken time to strengthen and stretch your body, as well as connect to a deeper sense of self.

The increased clarity, circulation, and feeling of well-being is very noticeable!

So what does your yoga practice look like if you only have 5 or 10 minutes?

Your practice might not look like mine. It might look like a chair practice, a slow gentle sequence, a rock-star arm balance play session, or just 5 minutes of Legs Up the Wall pose followed by Savasana.

It’s about finding whatever is most appropriate for you, for your body and any needs it has, and for your energy or capability at any given moment. Day to day it changes.

Part of a home yoga practice is learning to trust yourself and feel what’s right for you.

Create Your Own Custom Yoga Practice

Here are some questions you can ask yourself, and examples of poses to get your creative juices going:

So Close!!! A Sneak-Peak at the Cover of Yoga for Dragon Riders

Wow! Yoga for Dragon Riders is almost ready to publish!

Who knew self-publishing a book would be so much fun… And so much work!

Good thing I love what I do.

For those of you who have been asking me “When’s the book going to be ready?” the answer is, very soon! I hope to actually have the print version of the book ready on my original release date of March 21st. (I had to pick Spring Equinox ’cause that’s how I roll).

The layout is in it’s final, last-minute polishing. The cover is DONE!

All I have to do is send it to the production house and have them get it ready to print, up on their website for purchase, and Amazon.com ready.

I love that Yoga for Dragon Riders is coming out for Spring, because it offers so many practices for self-growth and transformation, which is what Spring is about.

Anyway, I promised you a sneak-peak at the cover so…

Here it is!

Ahhh… Savasana.

savasana-yoga-poseAh, the yoga bliss of savasana. Sometimes at the beginning of class I ask if anyone has a request. One of the most frequent is “Savasana please!” followed by a big grin.

Savasana literally translates as corpse pose, and signifies the end of the practice and a time of transition. It is one of the most difficult yoga poses to do fully. Why?

Well, because totally relaxing and yet staying fully present is not something most of us know how to do. Yet this pose is one of the most beneficial, so it’s worth giving the practice of mindful relaxation your best… ‘er… effort. 🙂

How To Get On Your Yoga Mat… Even When You Don’t Want To

Sometimes the hardest part of a yoga practice is rolling out the mat and actually starting in the first place.

This video gives you 3 easy ways to get past that lack of motivation into the infinite rewards of practicing yoga.

You’ll like it. Really. There’s chocolate involved. 🙂

  1. Just start doing yoga, wherever you are, however you can.
  2. Bribe yourself, knowingly and kindly, with a treat.
  3. Make your practice a dance of devotion

What motivates you to get on your mat? Please post a comment below and let me know.