Half Moon Yoga and Art

Last week, I discussed the importance of gratitude, the yoga concept of santosha, and acknowledging that we have enough, especially involving excess to food. However, Thanksgiving is about more than just a feast.

There are two parts to this phrase: “thanks” and “giving”. In the previous blog, I emphasized the importance of being thankful for our excess and even our challenges. Although a day of Thanksgiving is celebrated differently in many different cultures around the world, in the United States, we commonly trace our story of gratitude to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts.

But there’s another big part to the phrase of Thanksgiving and that’s “giving.” As the story goes, Squanto was a Native American who learned the English language during his enslavement in England. After he was released, he resided with the Wampanoag tribe and acted as a translator between the Pilgrims and the tribe. On this cold winter of 1621, the supplies from England were insufficient for the Pilgrims to survive, so Squanto convinced the Wampanog leader to give food to the colonists. Further, he helped them to self-sustain by teaching the Pilgrims how to catch eel and grow corn.

This is a valuable lesson for us all to remember and implement. We all have special skills that we can share with others. Even though Squanto, had been imprisoned by the British, he decided to look past that hardship and injustice to see the oneness of humanity. He used his new knowledge of language combined with his cultural knowledge of the land to help the new settlers grow and thrive.

As we end the month of November, we enter the season of giving. The act of giving extends beyond money and material goods. Gratitude is an interactive spiral between a giver and a receiver. It recognizes that a gift has been given. It recognizes a favor done by someone for us.

Wayne Dyer states, "Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into." Having an attitude of abundance is about knowing that we are enough and we have enough, besides what society tries to tell us. It relates to the concept of overflowing fullness. But with having enough comes some responsibility. Have you heard the wise phrase, “To whom much is given, much is required?”

I see a world of abundant opportunity and chances to make a difference. We can generate an abundance of love, peace, health, kindness, compassion, enthusiasm, nutrition, and other delights. When we teach others, we are providing a valuable service. Since so much has been given to me, I gladly continue to teach for donations and share my stories here for free so that you can hopefully relate and benefit as well. I hope that I am living up to my purpose and requirement as I continue to seek a peaceful balance and share that with the world.

Photo Credit: http://julianapark.com/the-abundance-loop/

Another definition of abundance means we have enough of a resource not to be troubled by it. As I mentioned in the previous blog, excess is the state of surpassing or going beyond limits of necessity and into extravagance. If we cut down from excess, we will eventually end up with abundance. Along these lines of abundance is the yoga concept of non-hoarding, Aparigraha, which means to take only what is necessary, neutralizing the desire to acquire and hoard wealth.

What keeps us from giving freely?

Excess violates the universal principle of Abundance. According to Hippocrates, "Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

Clinging to large amounts of material and monetary goods is called greed (desire to acquire or possess more than one needs).

This should probably be the goal of the human race: how to distribute resources so that they are abundant for every person on the planet. Grateful people are more likely to sacrifice individual gains (ego) for communal profit (spiritual community).

But in aiming for abundance, we have at several places erred on the side of excess. Excess leads to waste, Abundance leaves more than enough… for everyone.

Let’s tap into this abundance through the yoga philosophy guideline for universal morality, Ahimsa, compassion for all living things.

JP Sears addresses the modern concept of Abundance as some believe it is the same as excess.

Do you believe that you are going to be a millionaire and get everything that you want? Why do you want? If you need a bunch of extra things, that is not abundance mentality. You already have what you need.

Ask yourself, what part of me wants this? Why does this part of me want this? The ego speaks from a inner sense of inadequacy. It believes that more is always better, yet more is never enough. Would you rather live by the surrender of the soul or the control of the ego?

When our ego starts speaking up, remind yourself, I am whole and complete the way I am! The ego looks outside, our soul looks inside. Let’s dip our toes into the surrender and become curious about finding the wholeness within.

On my visit to Monaco in 2013, I reflected on the concepts of abundance and excess.

I read that Monaco has the world's lowest poverty rate and remains virtually crime free. This sounds like the ideal place. I would like to believe that the low poverty comes from the community sharing with one another. As I mentioned in the previous blog, this country is made up of 30% millionaires. However, the wealth of this country is based on tourism, mostly from the world famous casino, Monte Carlo. The casino makes money on the concept of chance. Foreigners believe that they can multiply their income, so they manifest excess, as they take a trip to Monte Carlo. When they lose, the money goes to the state of Monaco. In the late nineteenth century, the casino was making such a vast sum of money that the principality could afford to end tax collection from its people. This attracted the wealthiest from all over Europe to reside here.

So basically, the rich from all over the world made large sums of money from common working people, but instead of giving a portion of that money back into their economy in the form of taxes, they fled to Monaco to sit on this money and protect it; they hoard their money and keep others from touching it. “Mine all mine,” the egos roared!

In fact, there is one police officer for every 68 people, which means that Monaco has the largest police force and police presence in the world in terms of area and total amount of people. Every public space is shielded with cameras, and any kind of disorder produces an immediate reaction of many police officers. So, if there is no poverty in this land surrounded by natural beauty, why would this country even need police? The wealthy people are afraid of theft. They want to hoard their money. They don’t want to share their resources with anyone else.

People who live in real abundance are motivated by their dreams, purpose and passion, and are not interested in hoarding money. Living in abundance means we're inspired to share what we have with others. What we have to share might be friendship, knowledge, lessons learned, expertise, and whatever it is... we see the value in sharing and we feel compelled to do so.

Do you hoard your money and skills, or do you spend them, giving back to humanity? Are you using everything that you have? What’s happening to the extra? How do you spend your excess? Please comment in the comments section below.

In the book, The Abundance, Annie Dillard explains that we are not living as we should. We are abundant in time, but only as long as we are still living. She asks us to ponder this vital question, “How do you spend your life? How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” If you were given $100,000 every morning, and then whatever amount you didn’t use was taken back at the end of the night, how would you spend it every day? She urges us to “spend the afternoon. You can’t take it with you.”

What does it mean to spend? Spend means to allow time to pass in a particular place or while doing a particular activity, or to use up energy to do something. In terms of money, to spend means to let go of; to disperse. It is the opposite of keep.

Time is precious, and some of us will come to realize when it’s too late. It's easy to get caught up in our day-to-day routine. Sometimes it's even difficult to find time to do the things we enjoy. Dillard urges,“Take every day and take every moment and make something of it. Make something positive.” In the same way, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love and Big Magic admits, “If I am not actively creating something, I find myself actively destroying something.” In this world, we have an abundance of natural beauty. Spend time finding, noticing and appreciating it.

After consuming the ridiculous ice cream sundae, in Monaco, I remembered what I read in a guidebook about some lovely hidden coves nearby. Following the coastline, Colleen and I walked for a couple of hours. This scenery was breathtaking. Craftsman houses and crashing waves lined the path along the enchanting Riviera. An artist’s paradise, I was so pleased at the array of colors, shapes, movement, proportions, lightening, textures, and forms that came and left my peripheral vision. Moving steadily along, I couldn’t wish for anything else.

Then, tucked back and down behind the main bluffs of suburbs, we encountered Mala Beach, Cap d'Ail's best beach and one of the most stunning on the Riviera. This vivid stretch of white sand and pebbles has the fertile Cap Mala on the eastern end and steeply rising cliffs on the western side. Relaxing in this semicircle of Mediterranean greenery and gazing out over the rippling translucent water is the Cote d'Azur at its best. My heart was filled with abundance, a deep gratitude and love for nature, the Universe’s gift to my eyes. Although I have seen many beautiful places in my years, this place has made a solid marking on my memory. This experience was time well spent!

I choose to spend my time and my life with curiosity and joy, exploring the natural beauty in the world and sharing my learnings of yoga philosophy with those who can relate. Travel experiences offer a special first-hand learning experience. I spend my money and time on this purpose.

This spring, I’m motivated to take a journey to India, the birthplace of yoga, to learn about many different styles and cultures of yoga from around the world at the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh. Further, I will be exploring and appreciating the intense and dramatic affects of nature by trekking through the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp.

Lately, I’ve been trying to earn more money for this trip. But instead of being attached to sales, I’ve decided to send it out into the Universe. I believe in humanity and our ability to give to one another.

Do you enjoy reading this blog? I spend much of my time writing this FREE blog for you.

Today, I am opening an opportunity for you to give back. In return, I will continue to give back to you, not only in the form of more valuable blogs with travel tales and yoga philosophy, but also in the form of videos and yoga leggings.

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As a Special THANK YOU for your support, I have provided even more gifts for you:

$25 Donation- Receive a Yoga Video Course
As a thank you for this generous donation, I would love to give you access to one of my Lessons from Abroad Yoga Video Courses. This is normally a $20 value. Choose one of four videos with valuable yoga philosophy concepts all filmed on location: Gratitude in Salzburg, Alignment in Vienna, Concentration Prague, and Forgiveness in Dubrovnik. Email Address required to receive the link.

$60 Donation- Yoga Courses & VIP Group
As a huge THANK YOU for your generosity, I am giving you access to all 4 of my Lessons from Abroad Yoga Video Courses along with membership to my VIP Half Moon Facebook Group where you can connect with other like-minded yogis and be the first to know about my upcoming retreats and book launch parties. This includes valuable yoga philosophy concepts all filmed on location: Gratitude in Salzburg, Alignment in Vienna, Concentration Prague, and Forgiveness in Dubrovnik.

$100 Videos and Yoga Leggings
THANK YOU! Receive all of the previous gifts, plus a pair of your favorite Half Moon Yoga and Art Leggings designed from my paintings and digital art! Choose from this link https://society6.com/halfmoonyogaandart/leggings and send me the name of your favorite pair along with your size.

$300 Attend Yoga Retreat
Choose this option and you will receive access to one of my Lessons from Abroad Yoga Videos Courses, membership to my VIP Facebook Group, and a FREE space to one of my upcoming women's Yoga Retreats (TBA: Big Sur, Joshua Tree...). This space includes accommodation, food, yoga, meditation, book discussion, hiking, and a painting workshop!

How will you spend your time and resources?

How will you give back to humanity?

To whom much is given, much is required.

Do you ever think about how yoga and art are related?

Thousands of years ago, a yoga philosopher named Pantajali created a framework called the 8 Limbs of Yoga. These limbs are guidelines for us to understand the yoga lifestyle of union.

The 6th limb is called, Dharana, meaning to focus on one object, concept, or sound. We can practice this concept on or off our yoga mat. This concentration method is often used in sitting meditation practices as we focus on a sound of a singing bowl, repeat a mantra, gaze at the flicker of a candle, or color a mandala.

In the physical practice of yoga, we use this Dharana to focus on a drishti point in balancing poses. This point can be a blade of grass or a speck on the carpet. In poses like Warrior 2, we direct our gaze just over our middle finger.

When we encourage one particular activity of the mind, the more intense it becomes, and the more the other activities of the mind fall away. Typically, our mind is full of constant chatter with to-do lists, replay of emotional experiences, upset with past events, or anticipation of the future. When we can focus, we are bringing our attention to the present moment. This consciousness brings a sense of peace.

When we create an artwork, we must focus on the details of a person, object, concept, or landscape. Through line, shape, form, value, texture, and color we interact with rhythm, composition, proportion, variety and unity to present something that is important to us.

Many of my paintings are inspired from unique places that I’ve visited or explored both locally and abroad. Sometimes they are rendered realistically and sometime they are zoomed-in or even blurred to create a special effect.

When we hang an artwork on our wall, we are making a statement about what is important to us. Some of use choose a piece that has colors to match our furniture or wall paint. Color schemes play a vital role in setting the mood for art. Bright colors represent excited energy while neutral colors can be more calming.

In Sunset Reflection and Foggy Beach, I demonstrate how the composition and colors can completely change the mood and message of a painting of a San Diego beach.

Sunset Reflection reminds us to be present in the moment. Time keeps moving, but when we stop to pause we can notice the beauty of natural wonders that last only for a moment, filling our heart with joy and gratitude. This painting by Hannah Faulkner catches the moment when the sun descends and the sky changes color. These colors reflect off of the water and wet sand into an exciting array of energy and texture.

In Foggy Beach, lavendar, nude, seafoam, burnt umber, and pearl...these neutral tones layer to create a calming affect. Through the practice of yoga, we often aim for a peaceful neutrality, being careful to not overreact. We try to let our consciousness lead us through each moment without letting the control of the ego take over our thoughts and actions.

When I slip on a pair of these artfully designed yoga leggings, I am reminded to focus on the message whether it be excited energy or peaceful contemplation. I am declaring what is important to me.

Would you like to have a pair of artfully designed yoga leggings to help you get into the mood of yoga?

Or, perhaps, you’d like to inspire a friend or loved one to get started with yoga and practice more regularly…

Choose from over 15 designs, with yoga inspired messages, right here in my store!

As soon as you slip these on, you will be ready for stretching, strengthening, and balancing your body. This low rise, thick banded pants are soft and stretchy with lightweight and quick drying fabric. They are made from 90% Polyester and 10% Spandex, and the designs are imprinted using an advance heat sublimation technique.

Deepen your dharana practice as you bring your focus to the concept of each artwork.

If you’d like to learn more about Dharana, check out my online Yoga Video Course about Concentration in Prague. It’s filmed on location and includes a written and video discussion, alignment slides, and a one-hour yoga video to lead you through this physical yoga sequence.

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If you would like to receive a pair of these leggings as a gift, please donate to my generosity project!

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"Only those who know how to breathe will survive."
– Pundit Acharya

What if I told you that you have the power to heat your body to withstand temperatures of negative degrees Fahrenheit by simply using breathing techniques?

Within the last decade, one individual has broken numerous world records involving:

completing a full marathon in 5 hours and 25 minutes (26.219 mi), wearing nothing but shorts, above the arctic circle in Finland, in temperatures close to −4 °F
breaking the ice endurance world record 3 times by standing fully immersed in ice for 1 hour and 52 minutes and 42 seconds in 2011
climbing to 22,000 feet altitude at Mount Everest wearing nothing but shorts and shoes in 2007

Wim Hof is a Dutch extremist commonly nicknamed "The Iceman" for his ability to withstand extreme cold. He has created and mastered meditation and breathing techniques, similar to the Tibetan technique Tummo.

Through these breathing exercises, he is able to turn his own thermostat up as well as produce ample benefits including reduced stress levels, more energy and improved immune response to swiftly deal with pathogens.

Now he is training groups of people all over the world through heightening oxygen levels. Oxygen is, by far, the most vital component humans need to live. We can go weeks without food, days without water, but only a few minutes without air.

5 Minute Intro to Wim Hof

View the fascinating full 40-minute documentary here.

Although, I have not personally trained with the Hof Method, I can attest to many of the incredible benefits of deep breathing that help to destress, relax, prevent altitude sickness, and help the body’s systems to perform better. In the following 5-minute video, I lead you through a breathing exercise to help warm you up and feel energized.

It’s shocking how little of our lung capacity is used on a regular basis. Although the regular human lung capacity is about 6 liters of air, we typically inhale much less. This can be defined as shallow breathing, or chest breathing. Shallow breathing is a self-expressive term, and may be caused by poor posture, stiff muscles, or inactivity. However, when shallow breathing is the only type of breathing you do, you’re using a small fraction of your lung capacity and doing your lungs a disservice. Shallow breathing lets stagnant air and pollutants gather in the depths of the lungs and may lead to fatigue, respiratory sluggishness, and diminished tissue function.

Lately, with the busy holiday season, I’ve found myself in moments with a heightened heart rate and shallow breath. As soon as I become aware that stress has kicked in, I immediately pause from the chatter of my mind and take 10 slow deep breaths.

These breaths can help clear out toxins that may have built up in the lungs, improving lung performance. Deep breathing gets more nourishing oxygen into your body that will help you feel better, and give you more energy.

In yoga philosophy, breathing techniques are called Pranayama as prana means the life force than runs within us all. Pranayama is the 4th Limb or Petal of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra philosophy path and means the measuring, control, and directing of the breath. Practicing these techniques is considered to be one of the highest forms of purification and self-discipline for the mind and the body. According to William J.D. Doran, “As the yogi follows the proper rhythmic patterns of slow deep breathing the patterns strengthen the respiratory system, soothe the nervous system and reduce craving. As desires and cravings diminish, the mind is set free and becomes a fit vehicle for concentration."

I have been especially focusing on my breath as I’m training for a trek of a lifetime, Everest Base Camp. Altitude Sickness is a serious threat and the best way for me to prevent it, is to keep control over my breathing which leads to a stronger immune system.

To help prevent altitude sickness while hiking through the mountains I constantly redirect my focus to deep inhales and pursed lip exhales. I use this technique when the incline gets really intense and its harder to breath out through my nose. The deep inhales quickly bring needed oxygen to my blood stream while the pursed lip exhales calm my nervous system.

This exercise reduces the number of breaths you take and keeps your airways open longer. More air is able to flow in and out of your lungs so you can be more physically active. To practice it, simply breathe in through your nose and breathe out at least twice as long through your mouth, with pursed lips. This technique also calms our nervous system and cools our body.

The Everest Base Camp trek will be a spiritual experience of a lifetime. I can’t wait to share my stories and lessons with you, but I need your help.

Will you help me get there?

Check out my awesome video and gifts for you here:

Generosity.com

I usually teach Diaphragm Breathing at the beginning of my yoga class as it is one of the most common techniques for deeper breathing.

Our Diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle located at the base of our lungs. our abdominal muscles help move the diaphragm and give us more power to empty our lungs.

This technique helps strengthen the diaphragm muscle so people use less energy when breathing.

At first, you'll probably get tired while doing this exercise. But keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic.

To begin, lie down, sit in a chair, or take an easy seated yogi pose.

If this is your first time or you have a lung condition, I recommend lying on your back with your knees bent, one hand on your upper chest and another resting on your abdomen to feel these areas expand and contract.

When inhaling deeply through the nose, first expand through your diaphragm (upper abdominal area) then through your lungs (chest). Even when you think you can’t inhale any more, try to squeeze a little more air in. Allow your lungs and stomach to fully inflate. This enables oxygen to reach the deepest depths of your lungs and break up any toxins and pollutants that may have accumulated.

Think of your breath as an elevator, filling up with people (oxygen) at each stop up to your head, pausing at the top, and gently traveling back down, deflating the lungs and finally the abdomen empties completely as you pause for a second at the bottom.

When you think you can’t exhale any more, keep blowing from the deepest depths of your lungs and stomach!

You can start with 3 seconds of inhale and exhale, and try to gradually build up to 8 seconds or more for each inhale and each exhale. Don’t forget to pause at the top and bottom for one second.

This exercise should be practiced 10 times in a row, and at least 5 times daily.

You can practice diaphragm breathing here on my third video.

In Kundalini yoga, our green 4th chakra energy center is related to air. The green color reminds us of green trees that breathe out oxygen for us to breathe in.

As you perform this exercise, imagine that your throat and lungs are illuminated by emerald green light, the color of the heart chakra, and as you exhale imagine stagnate energy in the body and lungs leaving the body as black, grey or brown light. Each inhale draws in vibrant green light, each exhale cleanses the body and the lungs.

Which breathing technique do you practice throughout your day?

Please comment below:

“O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Such pleasure do you bring me…
Each shining light each silver bell
No other light spreads cheer so well…
A symbol of good will and love
You'll ever be unchanging… “

Photo credit: House Beautiful

Until you die in the next few weeks...

Do you love to decorate your beautiful Christmas Tree every year?

Does it make you feel warm inside to see it all lit up and colorfully decorated?

Do you ever pause to think about why we follow this tradition?

Evergreen trees have traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals (pagan and Christian) for thousands of years. Plants and trees that remain green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Ancient people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries, it was believed that evergreens would keep away ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. The Romans used these trees to decorate their temples at the festival of Saturnalia. Christians use them as a sign of everlasting life with God as the leaves remain evergreen.

Early Christmas Trees, across many parts of northern Europe, were often symbolized by the use plants or a branch of the plant, that were put into pots and brought inside so they would hopefully flower at Christmas time. People who couldn't afford a real tree or plant, made pyramids of fallen wood and they were decorated to look like a tree with candied apples, gingerbread, and candles. Sometimes they were carried around from house to house, rather than being displayed in a home.
(http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/trees.shtml)

There are many stories told in differing cultures about where the Christmas tree tradition began. One story suggests that first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. According to this legend, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wrapped lighted candles around the branches.

And so, the modern tradition began, of bringing an evergreen tree into your house each year. Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850 (http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees).

Photo Credit: Time Traveler Blog

Now, all over the world, cultures celebrate Christmas with trees. 34 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced each year in America, and 50 to 60 million are produced in Europe. The most popular trees used for Christmas are Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and White Pine.

Different cultures decorate them differently with lights, stars, snowflakes, apples, gingerbread, gold, candles, colorful ornaments, pieces of cotton that represent falling snow, or other symbols like angels, photos, stockings, etc. For most of the Japanese who celebrate Christmas, it’s purely a secular holiday devoted to the love of their children. Christmas trees are decorated with small toys, dolls, paper ornaments, gold paper fans and lanterns, and wind chimes. Of the small percentage of Chinese who do celebrate Christmas, Christmas trees are called “trees of light," and most erect artificial trees decorated with sparkles and paper chains, flowers, and lanterns. In the Phillipines, where pine trees are hard to find and afford, a star shaped lantern ornament, called a parol, is made out of bamboo and covered in brightly colored rice paper. They are placed in each window, representing the Star of Bethlehem.

Star of Bethlahem in windows at Cafe Chloe

As the years passed in my adult life, I haven’t been able to follow through with this tradition of putting a freshly cut tree inside of my house for only a few weeks. It never felt right to me and now I finally know why. I’ve been reading a book called The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from A Secret World by Peter Wohlleben.

Did you know that trees are similar to animals?

“There is a burst of careful scientific research occurring worldwide that is uncovering all manner of ways that trees communicate with each other above and below ground.” They communicate with each other through electrical vibrations, sounds, at a frequency that we cannot hear.

When they are thirsty, trees will scream out for help and if they have a companion nearby, another tree can slowly extend its roots to give nourishment to a friend. Trees have families too. “It appears that nutrient exchange and helping neighbors in times of need is the rule, and this leads to the conclusion that forests are superorganisms with interconnections much like ant colonies.”

They also communicate with scent to protect their species. Information travels via the roots by means of electrical impulses at the speed of a third of an inch per second. In comparison with our bodies, it is extremely slow. However, there are species in the animal kingdom, such as jellyfish and worms, whose nervous systems conduct impulses at similar speed.

Ancient happy forests also communicate contentment through sound waves and scents, which is how we can feel so peaceful when we take a long walk in the forest.

If we could hear trees,
would that change how we treat them?

In Christmas Tree farms, trees are murdered after only being alive for 7 to 10 years.

Why sacrifice a tree’s life for only 2-3 weeks of decoration?

This is a similar ritual as the concept of child sacrifice that was practiced by many ancient cultures including the Incas. Everyone just went along with it in the name of tradition.

And what about the trees that don’t get sold?

They have already been separated from their life source, their roots that serve as brains. These trees are wasted. They could be giving oxygen back to the environment, but instead, they will most likely go into a landfill.

In this clip of Friends, I relate to Phoebe’s distaste for Christmas Tree lots and the process of killing trees.

However, unlike this clip, trees don’t have any desire to be cut down and sacrificed in the name of one of our holidays.

In yoga philosophy, the very first Yama (one of the 8 limbs of Yoga Philosophy about Universal Morality) is Ahimsa, meaning kindness and doing no harm to other living beings. Some people translate this to mean no hunting or eating meat, but what about the plants? They are living beings too. Yes, we must eat some type of living being to survive, either plants or meat or both, but we don’t need to waste our resources and indulge in excess.

What do you do with your tree after Christmas?
If you use your tree for warmth in a fire, then the tree did serve a purpose for shelter. Be careful to only use these branches in an outdoor fire pit as creosote build-up is a hazard in indoor fireplaces.

I hope you remember Ahimsa throughout your holiday season and year. Take a walk in a forest. Be still and listen. Maybe you can even pick up on a conversation amongst these ancient wise ones, our givers of life, oxygen.

Tree Pose

Tree Hugs

Ahimsa- Yoga Philosophy of kindness to all living beings.

Trees actually feel hurt when part of their branches are cut off!
Notice the tears!

Are you also an omnist, a person who does not claim any one religion but finds truth in them all?

Did you know that there is a common denominator around the world's major winter’s holidays?

All of these celebrations include light which translates to unity and love.

Many tribal groups celebrate the winter solstice as the invitation to let light and longer days back into the Northern Hemisphere.

The Yuletide festivities include partially burning a log on the winter solstice and keeping that log in your house all year to bring magical powers.

The three wise men followed a bright star to lead them to baby Jesus.

Photo Credit: Malpitas Chat: Three Kings Day

Jews around the world celebrate Chanukah, a wintertime “festival of lights,” with a nightly menorah lighting and special prayers.

Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year. One of the major festivals, it spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.

Further, Kwanza also celebrates life and the 7 principles through lighting 7 candlesticks.

Photo Credit: Prokerla.com

In Scandinavia, Saint Lucy’s day is celebrated with wreaths of candles worn as headpieces. Saint Lucy brought food to the martyr Christians who were hiding in the catacombs. The bright headpiece illuminated the way of love.

In addition, the Lady of Guadelupe is a symbol of unification between many different religions in Mexico. She is honored during this time of year and depicted wearing a bright golden crown that creates a circle of light around her entire being.

Further, the crescent moon is a symbol for Ramadan as it determines the one month of fasting from New Moon to New Moon on the Islamic calendar. Fasts begin at dawn and last till dusk, and so the moon is shines as the light through darkness and represents the time available for eating and prayers.

Instead of buying and killing trees,
I recommend the following 2 suggestions for celebrating Light and Life this season:

1) Decorate a house plant with ornaments and lights. By using fallen branches or plant pieces, we do not have to kill entire beings.

2) Buy a live tree with its roots in a planter and plant it in your yard. Select a tree that's right for your climate, soil and light conditions. You still have the option to decorate with it lights and ornaments.

Photo Credit: Yoojah Home Design

Celebrate trees with these Winter Trees, Foggy Park Leggings.

Although they shed their leaves in the winter, they are still very much alive and ready for a new year of growth. Are you?
Stay tuned for next week as we discuss our goals for growth as we bring in the new year.

On Sale Now

Tree Love

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As we approach the end of 2016, this is a great time for reflection.

What are the highlights of your year in 2016?

Did you meet your goals?

What surprises were you greeted with?

What struggles did you overcome?

I am so grateful for everything that has happened in 2016. Although it started with a breakup in my romantic life, it blossomed into experiences that I both dreamed up and was surprised with. My sister, Coaching with Rebekah, guided me through the life-changing process of becoming aware of the power of my thoughts and mindset. Awareness in my physical yoga practice has also been carrying over to my personal life.

In May of 2016, I finally took the magical trip that I’ve been dreaming of for the past decade, a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru.

I stayed focused on my goals for writing my weekly blog, that led to being pleasantly surprised when I was awarded as one of the best yoga blogs on the planet in 2016 (from 3 different sources).

Unexpectedly, I attended my first silent meditation retreat, then led my first two themed yoga retreats in Southern California.

I stumbled upon the opportunity to produce unique yoga leggings as well as a sponsorship by Fresh and Fit Meals.

I kicked the bottle and I’m almost finished writing my first book.

In the process, I’ve read many enlightening books such as….

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

A Survival Guide for Life By Bear Grylls

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Being in Balance by Wayne Dyer

Tree of Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar

Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell and Lao Tzu

The Abundance by Annie Dillard

Triggers by Mark Reiter

Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith

The Wheels of Samsara by Tim Pyke

As we move forward another year wiser, we often create new goals as a vision towards our best self. Our journey through this life is about saying yes to the things that help us become the best version of our self and no to the things that don’t.

However, being yourself requires the work of self-study. In yoga philosophy, we call this svadhyaya. As the 4th Niyama in Pantajali’s Limbs of Yoga, it means to intentionally find self-awareness in all our activities and efforts. Through self-reflective consciousness we can learn to welcome and accept our strengths and limitations without reacting to these dualities. We can strive to dissolve self-destructive inclinations.

Photo Credit: BeYogi

Let’s take a journey deep within us, to our Chakra system. When we live with self awareness, we can balance these seven spheres of energy to feel whole, unified, and at peace.

What goals can you make and actions can you take to become more balanced on each of these levels?

1st Chakra

Our first chakra resides at the base of our tailbone, or wherever we make contact with the earth. It represents our roots for grounding and usually has to do with our relationship with basic needs sucha as money, jobs, home, clothes, etc.

How can we find a balance between getting our basic needs met and having excess of material things?

My first Chakra goal for 2017 is to get my first book published. I aim to receive money in exchange for the value that I am giving. I’ve been creating a multitude of videos, blogs, and themed yoga classes in my spare time, but I haven’t seen the results in money thus far. I’m going to manifest money in the form of compensation for the time spent in production, so that I can spend more time learning and growing. I also aim to write my second book, along with a new video course, as a result of my travels.

2nd Chakra

Our second chakra is about creativity and productivity. This orange energy spins around our reproductive organs. As Elizabeth Gilbert states in Big Magic….

I am going to leave space in my daily and weekly schedule for ideas to land. It’s tempting to fill my schedule with lessons, serving shifts, and yoga classes, but I’m going to designate at least 3 chunks of 4 hours each week to write, record, plan, and sequence.

3rd Chakra

Our third chakra is where we find our willpower. It is often associated with diet and exercise as energy in equals energy out. Most people focus on this energy center after sugar filled feasts around the winter holidays. We resolve to go on a diet or follow a strict exercise program.

In 2017, I want to learn more about what we eat in term of energetic properties. I’ve started reading a book about Aruveyda as I will incorporate this eastern philosophy into my eating habits.

Further, I’m going to challenge my body to a week of yoga at the International Yoga Festival of Rishikesh in India and a 2 week trek to Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas. I’m training with 1-2 difficult hikes each week and 20 pounds of weights in my pack. Although I’ve made this commitment to my body and spirit, I still need your help. Would you love to hear about the adventures and lessons that I learn along the way? Will you donate to my growth?

https://www.generosity.com/education-fundraising/hannah-s-spiritual-experience-in-india-and-nepal

4th Chakra

Our fourth chakra is involves our heart, both physically and symbolically. I’m focusing on deep breathing, as a part of our respiratory/cardiovascular systems, during my high-altitude hike as I’m reading The Power of Breath by Swami Saradananda.

Further, I’m focusing on empathy when I encounter others. Lately when someone does something that goes against my values, instead of reacting in anger, I tell myself, “They just haven’t learned this yet on their journey.” Then I try to find a common ground in conversation.

5th Chakra

Our fifth chakra encompasses space and speaking our truth. This involves setting and respecting boundaries instead of behaving in a passive/aggressive pattern. I’ve made some progress in this category this year.

When the 5th Chakra is balanced and centered, you feel comfortable with communication, you take responsibility for your own needs, you practiceconscious listening, you are truthful in confession, you calmly give and receive constructive criticism, and you have positive self-expression and faith.

6th Chakra

Our six chakra is about seeing clearly.

I aim to notice beauty everywhere I turn and recreate as much as possible. I intend to stay focused on my vision for this year as I am open to seeing the world in a new light.

7th Chakra

This crown source of energy is what connects us. Yoga means union. Union between our mind and body as well as union amongst all living beings. This year I will continue my self study of unity in the form of reading, walking in nature, writing, breathing, meditating, yoga, and loving other people and creatures. I seek to continue to donate to individuals and organizations such as Amnesty, Goodwill, friends, family, and guests.

Overall, 2016 has been a huge year for me.
I thank all of my siblings, students, followers, family members, and fellow yoga instructors, for their influence in the events of this year as well. Thank you, Alexis Burns for your advice and ideas with the yoga leggings. Thank you, Yoga One for continued teaching opportunities. I’m so grateful for my mom who continuously supports my efforts and finally tried yoga with me for her first time ever! Be Yogi, Body Positivity, Sarah Stieber,…..Matt Zozoya.

Over the holiday season, many of my friends and family told me that they would love to buy some of my new yoga leggings, but they want to lose weight first. After hearing this repeatedly so many times, I had to stop and think about it.

It’s quite ironic actually… Yoga leggings are meant to be worn in during the PROCESS of CARING for our bodies, WHILE we DO yoga, hike, jog, go to the gym, etc.

I mean, yes, my designs are really fun to show off, but they are also great for motivation to take care of your body. It’s exciting to slip on a pair of these and feel comfortable with yourself. You can always buy a smaller pair later and donate your first pair!

For those who like a low waist and a thick band, you can choose this option for your body now. However, if you prefer a high waist pant, I have an option for you as well. Just choose from the pull-down menu.

Yoga Leggings Store

These fabulous leggings were featured on Studio40 Live in Sacramento, on January 4, 2017.

Watch the Replay Here:

http://fox40.com/2017/01/04/yoga-and-art-in-perfect-harmony/

Studio40 Live

I've extended the flash sale of 40% off through January 5th!

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I recently received an invitation to contribute to an article about Body Positivity along with 30 other yoga influencers concerning these two common questions:

1) How does yoga promote body positivity in your life?

2) How has yoga changed your self-perception?

You can read the whole article here.

The following are a few of the main points found throughout the article:

When we practice yoga, we start to understand that our body is a blessing, not an apology. Yoga teaches us to be kinder to ourselves, accepting both positive and negative characteristics.
Yoga helps us to shift our perspective from what our body looks like to what it can now do. Although we come in all shapes and sizes, we share much the same hopes, dreams, fears and insecurities. We can shift our perspective to feel happy and grateful NOW, not when we lose ___ pounds.
Through yoga we can feel strong. How we feel on the inside radiates external beauty. Strength plus flexibility equals power.
Yoga helps us to feel grateful for our body as a profound miracle of our functioning: heart beating, breathing moving in and out, along with all of the other simultaneous systems. It is with these vessels, our bodies, that we are able to practice yoga postures, share our voices, hug our friends, and live our life!
Yoga reminds us that we are more than the external body, that our souls are the light that matters the most.

This was my response:

NOW is the time to make a commitment to yourself to practice yoga regularly.

Start with 15 minutes a day, and an hour class a couple times a week.

I’ve created this free video 15- Minute Yoga Video on You Tube just for you:

Ready for more?

Practice a 10-Minute Moon Salutations Yoga after work.

Sign up to receive exclusive access.

You can also practice this Yoga Video Course called Love Yourself Paris.

Enjoy a full hour of physical yoga practice with short video discussions and alignment slides to supplement.

Yoga Pants

“If money were an object, what would it be for you?”

My sister and life coach, Rebekah Anderson, asked me this question one day while hiking last summer.

Immediately, an image of a bedazzled elephant came to mind. I hesitated and tried to think of something that would make more sense before I said it aloud, but the elephant was all that I could see.

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She continued to ask deeper questions about this elephant and my relationship to it.
“How close are you to it?” Rebekah asks.

“It’s far away, but I’m working to go meet it,” I respond.

“When you meet it, what will happen?” She questioned.

“I want to experience a ride on this elephant, connecting with his/her story.”

After you ride the elephant, will you keep it, or let it go?”

"Let it go," I uttered.

During this conversation, I already knew that a journey to India was next on my list, but I hadn’t made any plans yet.

India, the motherland for yoga, is a special place full of dazzling color, life, and history.

I discovered that I think of money as a means for experiences and travel. However, as I’ve started my research, I’ve realized that the elephant not only represents our relationship with money, according to our chakras, but also holds much more significance for this journey. I actually felt goosebumps as I took a deeper look…

In many cultures the elephant is a symbol of power, intelligence, dignity, strength, endurance, and reliability.

The elephant may also be viewed as a burden or obstacle. In the same way, in Christianity the elephant is an icon of patience. In addition, in many Asian cultures the elephant represents a symbol of longevity.

Photo Credit: Buzzle.com

If you dream that you are riding an elephant this suggests you have a tendancy to be a leader, and others are heavily depending on you. Specifically, the elephant is considered a symbol of responsibility because it takes great care and responsibility of offspring and elders (Animal Symbolism: Elephant Meaning by Avia Venefica).

Moghul King Procession Scene on Elephant Miniature Painting

When elephants come into our dreams, it is a message that we are able to deal with any obstacle we are faced with.

Interestingly, in hindu India, the elephant god, Ganesha, is the Lord of Obstacles. His task, in the divine scheme of things, is to place and remove obstacles.

Photo Credit: Tarang Arts Miniature Painting of Ganesha

Coincidentally, I recently read the book by Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph. He teaches that obstacles are put in our path to make us stronger, “The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.”

We have a choice on how we view this obstacle. Holiday inspires us to be the best that we can be, “In life, it doesn’t matter what happens to you or where you came from. It matters what you do with what happens and what you’ve been given…Just because other people say that something is hopeless or crazy or broken to pieces doesn’t mean it is. We decide what story to tell ourselves.”

Elephant energy can support us through a long, hard journey by overcoming whatever obstacles are placed in our way.

Ironically, I will be doing a lot of writing for this blog and upcoming books during this time in India this spring 2017; I learned that Ganesha is also the patron of arts and sciences, of intellect and wisdom. His energy is often called upon during writing sessions. As many stories stress his cleverness and love of intelligence.

The traditional story of the blind men and an elephant was written to show how reality may be viewed from differing perspectives. The source of this parable is unknown, but it appears to have originated in India. It has been attributed to Buddhists, Hindus, Jainists, and Sufis, and was also used by Discordians.

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In yoga kundalini philosophy, our root chakra, Muladhara, is the energy center at the base of our spine. Mula means "original or main" and adhara means "base or foundation". It extends to our legs and feet as our grounding mechanism.

Isn’t it peculiar that money is sometimes called “mula?” When our root chakra is in balance, we have a healthy relationship with working and saving/spending money and living up to our full potential. We have our basic needs met for food, water, shelter, and safety and we move through life’s struggles without being stopped by fear.

Bulls and Bovines are the animals associated with this chakra. Ironically, baby elephants are also called bulls; therefore elephants are also the symbol of our 1st basic chakra. Likewise, Ganesha, the god of fortune and protection, is worshiped on many secular occasions, especially at the beginning of ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business. Ganesha is believed to protect you as he charges through blockages and obstacles on your behalf.

Check out my new digital artwork, designed with reference to my bookend, to represent the elephant as our relationship with money and our 1st chakra.

This artwork is now available on yoga leggings!

Buy Money Elephant Leggings Here

I’m trying hard to earn as much money as I can to spend on upcoming growing opportunities and adventures. Most of my work all depends on the amount of business I receive and that shifts with the seasons and tides. Recently, I’ve been setting a weekly date with money to set enough aside for my bills, emergency savings, education, and business expenses before I spend on any extras.

One helpful mantra to charge through any problems with money is to chant, “I provide” whenever I’m feeling scarcity. I stay open to new work opportunities, like teaching piano lessons. I recently opened that door to the Universe and now I have 7 sweet beginner students!

Ryan Holiday encourages us to ignore excuses and fear, stop complaining, and start working towards our purpose with action, grace and poise. Life happens and surprises are guaranteed. The higher we aim, them more pressure we will face. We can respond by working twice as hard.

I’m aiming high with this upcoming journey. The more I realize the importance of this challenge, the more I feel empowered to reach it and now my trip is almost completely planned. I’ll be flying into New Delhi, solo, touring the city, Taj Mahal, and Jaipur, writing and recording yoga videos; then I’ll spend a week at the Ashram, Parmarth Niketan, for the International Yoga Festival 2017 in Rishikesh.

My first obstacle is raising the money I need to pay for the flights, food, accommodations, etc. The second obstacle is enduring the 30 hours to get to New Delhi. The third obstacle is getting to the hostel safely, my fourth obstacle is meeting people to tour the city with, and my fifth obstacle will be recording and editing yoga videos at these sites. There will probably be even more surprises along the way. I’m hoping to make many yoga connections at the festival as well as explore deeper yoga concept both in my body and in my soul.

Buy Bedazzled Elephant Leggings Here

This bright bold creature is on my mind more and more as my departure dates grow nearer (February 23rd). With each obstacle, I know that I will grow and become stronger. As I work hard, I believe the elephant energy will help me to provide for these basic needs by inspiring my wisdom and intelligence. Although I’m working well over full time with my teaching and working, I haven’t quite reached my goals for this trip.

Can you help? Please watch the video and donate on my generosity.com page. I’m a huge believer of “what goes around, comes around” and I have many yoga benefits to exchange in gratitude of your donation (yoga videos, leggings, VIP Facebook Group and reserving a place at an upcoming retreat).

You can also contribute by purchasing one or some of my yoga leggings and videos!

Videos

Yoga Leggings

After I symbolically ride the elephant as a journey through India, I will set it free and let it go and with an empty bank account and a full heart. Then, I will start working towards my next adventure, perhaps a playful monkey or courageous lion…

Finally, Ryan Holiday strongly proclaims, “You know what’s better than building things up in your imagination? Building things up in real life.”

What obstacles are you overcoming with strength, intelligence, and endurance?

Wishing you New Year Goodness!
Sshin-nyen haoww (Mandarin pronunciation)

Every year the Chinese culture, all around the world, celebrates this time of year with good luck rites, house cleaning, family feasts, and fireworks. The next few weeks are set aside as a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. Unlike our western Gregorian calendar, the Chinese calendar runs in accordance with lunar-solar observations; therefore, the date for the new year changes from year to year. This year, it starts on January 28th. Celebrations will occur the day before and continue until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the new year.

According to tradition, people must stay up late on New Year’s Eve to welcome the New Year, and then to let off fireworks to scare off ominous spirits and Nian, the New Year dragon monster. Chinese are careful of their actions on these two days as they will prophecy their upcoming year. In the first five days of the New Year, people eat long noodles to symbolize long life. On the 15th and final day of the New Year, round dumplings shaped like the full moon are shared as a sign of the family unit and of perfection (History.com). One legend states that hanging your hopes for the coming year on a Wishing Tree (synonymous with good luck and fortune) will encourage your dreams to come true. Further, some Chinese people refrain from regular routines such as hair and laundry washing in honor of the water god, celebrated on these days.

Chinese New Year Mini-Parade 2013 Chinatown San Francisco California
Photo Credit: You Tube

The Chinese culture is unique because it is not only one of the oldest civilizations in history, but also the longest continuous culture that has lasted for over 5,000 years and is still going today. The ancient Chinese people had invented paper and printing press that led to development of calligraphy and literature. They have made some huge contributions towards other notable inventions like the compass, umbrella, drums, flutes, harps, seismoscope, noodles, silk clothing, bank notes, acupuncture, and irrigation.

Further, the dual Yin-Yang system is approximately as old as China itself. It is the central theme of all Chinese systems of insight, and a key component in Chinese philosophy. Yin, being the female principle, and Yang the male principle. The combination and interaction of these two opposites is believed by the Chinese to cause all universal actions.

Yin generally refers to things that are relatively lower, colder, stiffer and slower: yang generally refers to things that are higher, hotter, flexible and quick. Yin represents the moon and night, while yang symbolizes the day and the sun. This circular symbol moves in accordance with the seasons.

In physical yoga practice, yin represents a forward fold and rounding of the spine, while yang is heart opening and arching. Imagine the flow of cat/cow movements or half Sun Salutations to observe this play of opposites. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra in 400 C.E. (II-46) states “sthira sukham asanum” which means that “your asana should be steady and comfortable.” Stable is yang, comfortable is yin.

Chinese 12 Year Zodiac with Yin Yang in the Center

In contemporary yoga today, we can attend classes that focus on our yin or yang. Most Vinyasa or Power Flow classes build heat through standing and strengthening postures for Yang, while Yin Yoga is sometimes referred to as yoga for the joints, and involves sitting or laying down. I try to blend equal balance of both in my yoga classes.

How do you observe these opposite relationships in your life?

In the yoga lifestyle, we take a deeper look inward as we study our self, svadhaya, and improve our relationship within ourselves (niyamas) and with others (yamas). As I study ancient Chinese philosophy, I see wise words that connect our role as humans with society. Between 800 and 200 BCE, ancient China went through a time of deep political and social change and intellectual awakening. Three main religions or philosophies arose: Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.

Confucianism holds that one should live with honor and morality in mind, treating others with respect, politeness, and kindness. Confucius preached the popular phrases, “Our greatest glory is not, in never falling, but in getting up every time we do” and “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” Further, like most Chinese philosophy, he showed a deep reverence for nature and the elements, “Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.”

In Taoism, the leader, Lao Tzu, emphasized that a universal force flows through all living beings (Qi) and respecting that force will lead us to a happy life. He also teaches the power of a controlled mind through some of my favorite philosophical quotes:

Photo Credit: Sizzle

Check Out this Online Yoga Video Course

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Photo Credit: Journey of 1000 Miles

Learn More about my upcoming journey to China and Beyond

Buddhism emphasizes that the world is transient and is constantly changing. In this transient world, sorrow is bound to come. By following the path of moderation, humans can raise above these worldly troubles.

As one story goes, Da Mo Bodhidharma, came from India to preach Buddhism in China during the Liang dynasty (502-557 A.D.). He arrived at the Shaolin monastery and was shocked by the state of decline and the weakened physical state of the brotherhood. He decided to teach yoga to the monks in order to strengthen and develop the vitality necessary for their spiritual cultivation. Within the next century, his yoga was then absorbed and integrated into the Chinese indigenous form of physical/mental practice called qigong. Qigong is literally translated as “energy work” (Huffington Post).

However, some roots of qigong in ancient Chinese culture date back more than 4,000 years; it is also believed that knowledge about qigong was passed from adept master to student in elite unbroken lineages, typically with secretive and traditions of training and oral communication, and with an emphasis on meditative practice by scholars or dynamic practice by the working people.

According to Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian philosophy, qigong allows access to higher realms of awareness, awakens one's "true nature", and helps develop human potential. Qigong practice typically involves moving meditation, coordinating slow flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and calm meditative state of mind. Now practiced throughout China and worldwide, qigong helps to bolster the immune system, repair damages caused by disease, balance the body’s energy flow, and create a stronger and more adaptable body.

As I have researched deeper into these yoga roots in this ancient Chinese practice, I decided that I must experience qigong to see how it relates to the Western contemporary yoga that I have known for the last 6 years.

I attended the Wu Qigong 7am class with Jill Van Bodegom-Smith at Breakthrough Healing Arts in Pacific Beach area of San Diego, California.

Jill’s wealth of knowledge and expertise in Qigong sent me on a beautiful journey full of imagery and loving energy. Eight qigong members of this community all warmly greeted me with smiles and introductions this cold and rainy morning of January 19th.

We started in a standard standing position (yang) similar to tadasana, mountain pose. Jill directed us to "lengthen our spine like there's a weight on our tailbone, feeling extra space between each vertebra". We moved our hands around with our breath as if we were holding a ball, twisting from right to left as our hands drifted up as if to shield us from the light of the sun. This pattern developed into a petting motion, as if stroking a beautiful and exotic peacock, the symbol of divinity and beauty within all of us. We also performed some holding poses similar to crescent side bend (Indudalasana), forward fold (Uttanasana), and chair pose (Utkatasana).

Then we scanned the room for qi, life force, energy all around us. When I closed my eyes, I felt something powerful in this room of loving people. Many of whom came to this studio for a deep physical healing from conditions and illnesses, others for emotional healing, and some of us to find a deeper inspiration and oneness with the Universe.

With slow, deep breathing, we began to “take down the heavens,” by inhaling and moving our arms out and up, then exhaling very slowly through our heart’s center. Jill led us through a visualization of love and white light washing over us, like hot wax being poured onto our bodies, bringing relaxation (yin). By pulling an imaginary thin silver line with our fingertips, we strengthened our shoulders from center out to the length of our arms.

With bend knees, we brought healing to our kidneys by shifting our weight from side to side through large circles with our torsos. With solid grounding through our feet, we imagined our connection with mother earth and bringing her energy up though our legs and the water element flowed back down through our arms.

At the close of the class, we came back to our loving intention as we rubbed our belly in circles of unification and oneness, the key concept within the word, yoga.

There is much more to learn and I highly recommend trying Qigong at Breakthrough Healing, Yoga One San Diego, or at a studio in your local city. I aim to incorporate some of this principles into my future home yoga practice and classes that I teach in the future.

I absolutely loved this experience as I left feeling full of love and connectedness within my body and with the Universe. I appreciate the mention of some of the elements: earth, water, and air as the characteristics of each element, its strength, and compatibility with other elements are fundamental and critical in Chinese Astrology as well as the study of Calendar Science in ancient China. These elements were weighted for their strength and weakness during each of the four seasons. Wood is the strongest in spring, Fire is the strongest in summer, Earth is the strongest during the season transitions, etc (Chinese Fortune Calendar).

The earliest depictions of the 12 Zodiac animals appear in tomb-ceiling paintings dated to 533 BC with a Yin Yang symbol in the center, of course. Some animals are an odd number which represents Yang, while others are even numbered for Yin.
Yang: (1) Rat, (3) Tiger, (5) Dragon, (7) Horse, (9) Monkey, (11) Dog
Yin: (2) Ox, (4) Rabbit, (6) Snake, (8) Sheep, (10) Rooster, (12) Pig

Each year a different animal is celebrated according to your birth year. But according to Chinese belief, the year of your sign is believed to be one of the most unlucky years of your life. This year, we celebrate the year of the Rooster. If you were born on a year of the rooster, you are characterized as being honest, energetic, intelligent, flexible, hardworking, resourceful, confident, and talented (Telegraph).

Tianguan is the Taoist god responsible for good fortune. His birthday falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month at the first full moon. Therefore, on that day, the New Year festivities come to a close with a special Lantern Festival to decline the darkness of winter and move into the night as a community with human-made light. People create paper lanterns to symbolize the sun, light, warmth, and a physical prayer to the Sun for it to come back.

The lanterns' artwork vividly demonstrates traditional Chinese images, such as fruits, flowers, birds, animals, people, and buildings. Lighting lanterns is a way for people to pray that they will have smooth futures and express their best wishes for their families (China Highlights). This marks the beginning of Spring. After the Lantern Festival, Chinese New Year taboos are no longer in effect, and all New Year decorations are taken down.

Photo Credit: The Places Liz Goes

Wishing you 'Happiness and prosperity!'
In Mandarin: /gong-sshee faa-tseye/

India is commonly known as the motherland of yoga, but what if I told you that yoga originally began in Egypt and then traveled to India hundreds of years later?

Knealing Twist

Paintings, engravings, and murals from ancient Egyptian tombs and temples show images of figures in positions that represent some commonly known yoga poses.

According to the book, Egyptian Yoga: Postures of the Gods and Goddesses by Dr. Muata Ashby and Dr. Karen Ashby….

We can find the god Geb (god of the Earth) in plough pose engraved on the ceiling of the Temple of Aset (Isis).
Framing him is the goddess, Nut (goddess of the sky), in a forward fold yoga pose.

Further, we can see Geb in a spinal twist and Ra in the squatting position like Virasana, Hero’s pose.

Dr. Ashby proclaims that yoga was practiced in Egypt earlier than anywhere else in our history, long before the evidence is detected in India (including the Indus Valley Civilization) or any other early civilization (Sumer, Greece, China, etc.). This point of view is supported by illustrative and documented scriptural evidence of physical exercises, meditations, and implementation of wisdom teachings in daily life.

It is commonly believed that the practice of the yoga in India began with the use of the Lotus Pose, which is traced to stone engravings in the Indus Valley culture (1500 BCE). However, the use of the lotus pose here could possibly only symbolize the iconography of meditation. This seated flower position represents a spiritual person who develops detachment and dispassion from the world since it sits in the muddy water but is not touched or affected by the mud. Yoga poses, as we know them in the western world, developed much later in India’s history.

Lotus Pose from the Indus Valley
Ancient Civilizations

Through ancient Egyptian mythology, we can see the attempt of humankind to understand divine energy. Their gods and goddesses are symbols of cosmic forces in nature and in the mind. The ancient Egyptians believed that by acting and moving like these divine beings, they could develop their own dormant divine qualities, producing spiritual enlightenment. As these ancients practiced the postures, they saw themselves embodying the ideologies of the ruling deity of that posture. In other words, if they needed fertile land to grow crops, they would practice plough pose for Geb, god of the earth.

Sema is an Ancient Egyptian word and symbol meaning union. The hieroglyph symbol of Sema represented the union of two lungs at the trachea, symbolizing the union of the Higher and lower self. Recognizing balance of duality, like observing Yin and Yang, night and day, inhale and exhale, leads to the knowledge of the divine consciousness.

The ancient Egyptian god, Asar, symbolized the Higher Self, the essence of all things and the very soul of every human being.

Over time, Divine has become limited in association with the human body due the lower self. The lower self feeds the desires of the mind where it experiences pain and pleasure in the world of time and space. In this way, it is the Ancient Egyptian god Set, as the force of our impulses and desires, that separates us from our higher intellect.

Instead of oneness and unity, we often see separateness which promotes egoistic (selfish) and violent behavior like greed, hatred, anger, lust and other human failings. In contemporary philosophy, we call this the ego. Learn more in my blog about our dark side.

Similar to the duality concept of our higher and lower selves, in ancient Egypt, there were two Kingdoms called Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Both of these kingdoms had their own religions. During the Early Dynastic period (c. 3100 to c.2680 B.C.), the two kingdoms, of Upper and Lower Egypt, were united under King Narmer, so he and his successors are referred to as the First Dynasty (family rule). From that time on the pharaohs are shown in paintings wearing a double crown, white for Lower Egypt and red for Upper Egypt.

When the two kingdoms became one, many of the religious beliefs and cultures were combined, and so there are many different names to represent some of the combined gods and goddess over the course of 3,000 years.

The gods and goddesses were often set up in sets of two, each showing the opposite site, such as life and death. Other gods were associated together because they were similar, such as Amun, the god of hidden power who was paired with Ra, the god of the sun. While the ancient Egyptians didn’t worship the animals themselves, they would sometimes show their various gods and goddesses with the heads of certain animals of power. A specific god could also have more than one animal to represent him, especially after the upper and lower united.

For hundreds of years, the dynastic rulers, pharaohs, spent their living life with focus on the afterlife. The ancient Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead’ is part of the Egyptian religion. It contains all the information that is needed for the spirit of someone who has died to get through the trials and tests and emerge to their afterlife. Hieroglyphs and passages have been found on the walls of many burial tombs. They include illustrations and pictures that sometimes show the individual person as they make their journey to their afterlife.

The Museum of Man, in San Diego, has one of the most important ancient Egyptian collections in the United States.

This collection features painted coffins, masks, mummies, figurines, hieroglyphic stone carvings, jewelry, pottery, amulets, everyday objects, and a mummified falcon. All of these objects were found in tombs.

Small funerary figurines call ushabtis covered the floor around a sarcophagus. These were called answerers because they carried inscriptions about their readiness to answer to the god’s command to work, after the pharaoh passed away. Produced in huge numbers, ushabtis, along with scarabs, are the most numerous of all ancient Egyptian antiquities to survive.

Ushabtis at The Museum of Man, San Diego

These artifacts are from the ancient city of Amarna, where the Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti reigned, and the famous young King Tut spent his boyhood.

Following all this confusion of multiple gods and changing names and animal figures of gods, a unique king unified the concept of divine. Akhenaten is my favorite Pharaoh because he established worship of the light and the higher self of love.

Akhenaten rose to power during the 18th Dynasty, around 1300 BCE and he is especially noted for abandoning traditional Egyptian polytheism and introducing worship centered on the Aten, the sun. This light was envisioned as a sun disk whose rays ended in hands touching and caressing those on earth. His original name was Amenhotep IV, but after the first year of his reign, he changed it to mean “effective for Aten.”

Akhenaten and family worshiping the sun, Aten

This time period was known as the Amarna Period because Akhenaten moved the capital of Egypt from Thebes to a place called Amarna. The city was built in the middle of Egypt facing towards the east and precisely positioned to direct the rays of the morning sun toward temples and doorways. Each day, Akhenaten and Nefertiti processed, in their chariots, from one end of the city to the other, mirroring the journey of the sun across the sky (Ancient.eu).

Akhenaten and Nefertiti riding the chariot through the city

It is theorized that Akhenaten was the first recorded ruler, in the world, to envision a single, supreme deity who cared for the individual lives of human beings. His image of Aten was an all-loving, all powerful, supreme creator and sustainer of the universe. By worshiping Aten, Akhenaten displaced the idea that the pharaoh was a god.

Sigmund Freud suggests that this pharaoh’s reign, of 17 years, altered the course of world civilization. In his 1939 work Moses and Monotheism, Freud argues that the biblical Moses was an Egyptian who had been a devotee of the Cult of Aten, throughout his upbringing, and was driven from Egypt following Akhenaten’s death.

Learn More at Goodreads

National Geographic

In this new religion, Akhenaten focused on what can be seen now, with an emphasis on the light of the sun. Before Akhenaten's time, the pharaoh, from the images from other dynasties of Egyptian history, was routinely depicted in an angular, linear form with wide, broad shoulders, a strong body, and an emotionless, ageless face.

Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and their children blessed by the Aten (Solar Disk),
18th century. Relief from Akhetaten (Tell el-Amarna).

Love between Akhenaten and Nefertiti

Art from the Amarna Period depicts the royal family with a new sense of realism including naturalistic physical features and familial affection. Akhenaten was portrayed with a more curvilinear approach, organic lines over solid, straight ones. This added an androgynous look of masculine and feminine coming together and finding unity. His torso became slim with wide hips, and his neck, face, and fingers were elongated as well. His imperfections were highlighted rather than hidden in ideal proportions, as noted in his pudgy belly. (Ancient Origins)

Akhenaten is depicted with his wife Nefertiti, in brief moments of life, rather than the eternal nature of his reign. He is portrayed as a good and kind father, dynamic in day to day activities and enthusiastically playing with his children.

Akhenaten’s son, Tutankhamun or “King Tut” is probably the most well-known Egyptian pharaoh today because his burial tomb is one of the few that was discovered with everything still in it! Tutankhamun (reigned 1336-1327 BCE) was only ten years old when he became a pharaoh, and he was known as the ‘boy king’. He was given the name Tutankhaten at birth but changed his name upon ascending the throne to reflect his rejection of Atenism and his return of the country to the ways of Amun and the old gods.

Many years ago, I was inspired by the impressive pattern and form of King Tut’s burial mask, so I somewhat replicated it in ceramics, with gold paint, as a study in portraiture.

Ancient Egyptian by Hannah Faulkner

Now, this design is available on my yoga leggings!

The San Diego Museum of Man in accordance with Yoga One San Diego come together twice a month (2nd and 4th Saturdays) at 8:30am-9:30am to hold a special yoga class in the Rotunda.

I have the honor to teach the class this February 11th, 2017.

Will you join us for this journey in Ancient Egypt?

Buy Your Tickets Here

Egyptian mythology, when understood as a system of Yoga, gives every individual insight into our own divine nature. The ultimate goal of yoga is to awaken the spiritual consciousness, the divine energy that connects us all.

The practice of yoga poses can be a journey of self-discovery and not simply as a chore simply to keep the physical body fit. The promotion of health is only a byproduct of the practice, and not an end in itself. However, these postures also simultaneously affect the nervous system and mind. To receive the full benefits of oneness and spiritual awakening, a yogi should also integrate meditation, reflection, and conscious living.

Through a unified approach of poses and lifestyle, we can awaken our loving energy of light and unity that is resting within each of us. See yourself as the creator of your own life, the sustainer of your reality. Breathe in the light of oneness and divine energy and see yourself connecting with life itself.

The Sacred Blue Lotus Flower was associated with the sun-god as the bringer of light and the embodiment of the “perfection of wisdom.”

A peaceful seahorse glides slowly in the sea, moving from space to space, using only its tail as an anchor in the stormy seas. This patient and unique creature is historically connected with various divine beings.

Photo Credit: Love These Pics

In Ancient Greece, the seahorse was sacred to the sea gods Poseidon and Neptune, representing perspective, persistence, and protection. Further, the seahorse image has been used by Greco-Roman sailors as a good luck charm. They believed the seahorse was responsible for guiding drowned sailors through the spiritual current until they reached their fate of afterlife (Spirit Animal). Spiritual followers often make this connection that the seahorse monitors dramatic change. We can be reminded of the seahorse when we navigate through intense transitions with persistence, perspective, and protection.

Seahorse as a Good Luck Charm
Photo Credit: Pinterest

Floating along with the element of water, the seahorse also relates to emotions and intuition in the form of generosity, friendliness and high-perception. Interestingly, male seahorses are those who carry the female’s eggs for about one and a half months in a tail pouch until they are born, representing an amazing partnership between the males and females, who mate for life. Along with the element of water comes inventiveness. This tiny being has eyes that can look in opposite directions at the same time adding both observation and ingenuity.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

In the southeastern arc of the Cyclades, Greece, the island of Amorgos is shaped like a seahorse swimming its way east towards the Dodecanese. This striking island rises from the sea with a ridge of rugged mountains like the jagged edges of a seahorse’s rigid exterior, representing protection and persistence.

Photo Credit: Amorgos Island Magazine

Jagged Edges of the Rigged Exterior

Photo Credit: Amorgos Island Hotels

Photo Credit: Versa Vino

In the same way, this island holds a special sense of spirituality, transition, peace, creativity, and perspective. Amorgos is well known for its strong magnetic field as well as revitalizing energy. The southeast coast is mercilessly steep and hosts an extraordinary monastery built into the base of a soaring cliff. Consisting of eight different levels affixed on an enormous rock cliff, the Amorgos monastery is one of Greece’s most impressive and dramatic monastic destinations.

Photo Credit: Panhellas Travel

On the other side of the island, the quaint town of Aegiali has the best beach in Amorgos and draws spiritual seekers in the form of yoga. It is considered one of the most popular Yoga Retreat destinations in Europe. Aegiali is surrounded with a wealth of purity, energy, beauty, spirituality and history. “Its purity of biodiversity and variety of therapeutic herbs make it the ideal combination for a spiritual and physical uplift. Away from mass tourism even in high season, Amorgos is surrounded by natural beauty, unique energy, crystal deep blue sea, marvelous beaches, breathtaking landscapes and amazing sunsets. Known as 'pearl of the Aegean. (Elysia Convention)'"

Through spiritual connectections, we aim to become closer to union with divine energy. According to Pantajali’s Path to Enlightenment, two of the eight limbs of yoga involve more details into this process. The seventh limb, Dhyana, is when we practice meditation on the Divine. The final eighth limb of yoga is Samadhi, meaning Union with the Divine. Although Samadhi is very difficult to achieve, through the practice of the other limbs, we strive to experience some of this union in our lives.

Further, we can get closer to this union when we practice Isvarapranidhana as a daily personal observance meaning Celebration of the Spiritual. It is the recognition that the spiritual saturates everything and through our attention and care we can attune ourselves with our role as part of the divine. The practice requires that we set aside some time each day to recognize that there is some universal force larger than ourselves that is guiding and directing the course of our lives. This guiding energy is similar to the concept of the seahorse that guides and directs people through transitions.

Photo Credit: NTiLN

This April, Aegialis Hotel & Spa is hosting the ELYSIA International Yoga Convention from the 5th – 11th, 2017. The Elysia team is inspired by heavenly places where, poets like Homer, Pindar and Hesiod described in ancient Greek mythology, kings and heroes go to dance and place music. In this divine place with blooming meadows and eternal spring, the souls of the blessed arrived to experience absolute euphoria. Likewise, this Elysia convention imagined Aegeali as such a spiritual place to gather people of the yoga community and unite them, forming partnerships like the seahorses.

The Elysia Team has gathered 20 inspiring Yoga teachers from around the world to present and teach their spiritual practice. These classes and opportunities include an experience for all of the senses with aroma and ayurveda, deep breathing, sound healing, looking more closely at nature and art, as well as moving our bodies with our breath.

The schedule includes:

Being in the Here and Now: An Introduction into Mindfulness with Andy Butterfield

Go Inward Meditation with Garth Hewitt

Mantras for Enpowerment with Franciane Santos

Give Your Yoga a Voice with Anja Kursawe

The Pathway to the Soul: Sacred Teachings of Yoga with Einat Ran

Alignment through Greek Sculpture and Philosophy with Hannah Faulkner

Mapping Out the Four Bodies with Mette Kolding

Shoulder Bliss with Roberto Milleti

Uncover the Mysteries of PSOAS with Francesca Cassia

Five Kosha Prana with Morena Shree Sandari Firpo

Pilates for Yogis with Mareile Paley

Juicey Yoga Flow with Abbi Miller

Rocket Yoga with Aggeliki Matopoulou

Presentation of Ayurveda with Barrios Francoise

Chakra Yoga Aromatherapy with Karuna DiLibero

Maha Sadhana-Working with the Power and Energy of Crystals with Laurie Wondra

The Health and Well-Being of Yoga for People with Cancer with Dr. Malik Jasmin

A Balanced Approach to Grief with Gellin Katerina

Explore and Experience the Practical Benefits of Shamanic Sound with David Kennet

Divine Sleep Yoga with Kathy Cordelli

We are running a promotion until the 10th of February, all participants who join by then will get 10% off!!

Book Today!

This event will be the first convention of its kind in the whole region of Greece, and it is of great significance. From the website, “Our mission is a contiguous sharing of new ideas and practices in a dynamic learning environment of spiritual transformation and transition in nature. Elysia aims to bring together the world of Yoga and provide the chance to demonstrate innovative ways to adopt and integrate a healthier lifestyle for mental and physical well-being. The selected discussion topics intend to the emersion of new ideas that will inspire the participants make an impact and perhaps, introduce new practices in their home country.”

Make an impact, educate and exchange knowledge with experts from all over the world!

If you are interested in joining us, you can feel free to e-mail info@aegialis.com or visit the website elysiayogaconvention.com.

Modified Photo from Home Away

Ancient Greek sculptures, composed mostly of marble or bronze, developed in phases from Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic as the concept of the human figure evolved from abstract to realistic. The Ancient Greeks believed in sculpting the human figure for its own sake and of finding the body to be a worthy subject for art.

Further, in Classical Greek philosophy, they believed that humanity is the “measure of all things,” as our bodies symbolize our divine soul. Likewise, moving our bodies through strengthening, stretching, and balancing became increasing important to the Greeks through the development of Olympic games and other physical activities.

Cycladic Figurine,
Pre-Archaic

Peplos Kore,
Archaic

Discobolus,
Classical

Nike of Samoursathe, Hellenistic

The physical postures (poses) of yoga, called asanas, are the third limb out of 8, of Pantajali’s Path to Enlightenment. It is while practicing yoga asanas that we learn the art of adjustment, and constantly redirecting our focus.

BKS Iyengar teaches, “Working on our alignment is like sculpting in which a piece of stone is constantly shaped and refined; but here the sculpture, the sculptor, and the act of sculpting is one and the same – our own selves. Moreover, the sculpture is not a static entity, but a dynamic one that changes over time; it tends to deteriorate if we don’t take a good care of it.”

Similarily, Philosopher Heraclitus instructs, "There is nothing permanent except change."

In the same way, the Greek philosopher Aristotle preaches that we must continuously strive to take good care of ourselves, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then... is a habit.”

Yoga allows us to rediscover a sense of wholeness in our life, where we do not feel like we are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together. Alignment is the study of relationship; how everything is connected to everything else. BKS Iyengar famously proclaims, “It is through the alignment of my body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.”

Greek Philosopher and historian, Xenophon observes, "Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." Constantly directing awareness to our alignment brings the most benefit to each position that we take with our bodies.

Let’s take a closer look at how alignment and philosophy can be found in each of these sculptures to help us take a journey inward towards our core.

Caryatids of Erechtheion

Between 421 and 406 BCE, Greek female figure statues evolved from the static korai figures (archaic) to an outstanding display of female power in the Classical Period. Voluptuous curves meet immense muscular strength as these new representations of Ionic columns are depicted looking casual and relaxed as they balance heavy stone roofs on their heads.

A Caryatid is a sculpted female figure taking the place of a column or a pillar. The most famous Caryatids are the six which support the roof of the false south porch of the Erechtheion on the Athenian acropolis.

These figures display a distribution of weight called contrapasto, in which the figure stands in an s-curve through a play of opposites. Although the marble remains stagnant, this posture shows that there is potential for motion inherent in each living being.

This position is similar to Tadasana Godmukhasana. Tadasana is our mountain pose, setting the foundation for all other poses. We stand tall with a long spine and the outer edges of our feet parallet (together for harder or hip width distance for easier). We activate the energy in our legs by pressing into the earth from all four corners of our feet. This should lift our knee cap and direct our tailbone down. Next, we tuck our ribs in and bring our chin parallel to the earth.

Gomukha is the name of a traditional musical instrument comparable to a horn or trumpet. We will make this shape with our arms. Lift your arms up to the sky and bend your left elbow. Rest your left hand on the back of your neck. Using your right hand, gently pull your left elbow back any amount to feel a tricep stretch or come into the bind by internally rotating your right arm down and behind your back, reaching your fingertips to grasp those of your left hand.

Consciously moving with your breath, bend one knee at a time to show contrapasto, feel you weight balance shift from one side of your body to the other. This contact with the earth is what we call our foundation. “You must fill every inch of your body with the asana from your chest and arms and legs to the tips of your fingers and toes so that the asana radiates from the core of your body and fills the entire diameter and circumference of your limbs. You must feel your intelligence, your awareness, and your consciousness in every inch of your body. (Light on Life, Iyengar) .” This posture improves our body awareness, stretches our triceps, loosens our hips, strengthens our core, and our elongates spine. Switch arms after 7 slow breaths.

Disocbolus of Myron

Disocbolus of Myron is a perfect example of a transitory moment of action, expressing the moment of stasic just before the release, like a coiled spring being pressed together. His expressionless face does not reflect this tension. Through yoga postures, we recognize the importance of coming as we are, making adjustments to get the best variation of the pose that works with our body. We strive to find that peaceful expression, activating the parts of our body that need to strengthen and relaxing the places that can be relaxed, like our facial expression and even our tongue.

This pose look very similar to the yoga pose commonly know as Twisting Chair. In Sanskrit it’s known as Parivrtta Utkatasana meaning revolved powerful pose. This pose tones and massages abdominal muscles and organs, lengthens the spine, strengthens the ankles and knees, and expands your chest.

In this pose, think root to rise. Bringing you big toes together, lift your toes and press your feet firmly into the ground. Squeeze your legs together as you sit down into a pretend chair, stacking your knees over your ankles, rather than your toes. Tuck your core in and be careful not to over-arch. Find a long spine as you bring your hands together at your heart’s center and lean forward. Wrap your left elbow over your right knee. Try to keep your knees and hips level and square without one protruding farther forward than the other. Gently reach your core, chest, neck and head slightly more to the right. Open your arms wide into a straight line, pressing your left arm against your right thigh, leveraging your twist a bit deeper. Hold for five to seven breaths then exhale and unwind. Switch sides.

If you feel too tight in your neck, shoulders, or lower back, here are some common modifications. If your shoulders and chest are tight you can keep your hands pushing together in Anjali Mudra. If it hurts your neck to gaze upward, turn your gaze to the floor, instead. If your back is tender you can try separating your feet hip-width apart and putting a block on its highest side between your feet. Press into the block with your bottom hand and stretch your top arm straight up, revolving your chest toward the top arm.

In this pose we focus on rooting to rise which means that after we find a firm foundations, we can bring our focus inward to find length and lightness with a balance of opposing energies, strengthening and stretching at the same time.

If you’d like to learn more about Greek sculptures and how they relate to yoga poses and alignment, sign up for this exclusively FREE Gift with details and images of 3 more poses!

"You're going to 8 countries in 7 weeks, alone?! You're crazy Hannah!" People say.
"I know," I reply with an archaic smile.

I know that many other people in this world could do this trip, but would they want to?
I believe that I was meant to go on this trip. One of my favorite, most inspiring mantras is a quote by Swami Rama. He imparts, "You are the architect of your spiritual life. Be brave. The brave alone enjoy the world. Enjoy the world by living in the here and now."

What would your special and unique trip around the world look like?

How do you live in the now?

I'm waiting here at LAX about to embark on the most epic adventure of my life thus far.
I feel calm and confident. I've created my detailed itinerary, packed all the essentials, found coverage for work and a pet sitter for my kitty. I've done my part in preparation, now I'm leaving the rest to the Universe to guide and surprise me.

In yoga hatha philosophy, our will represents the front side of our body and the Divine Universe represents our back. Yoga teaches us to find a balance and listen to our bodies. When we strengthen our core, we support our back as well. Likewise, when we need to find an equal balance between doing our part through willpower and trusting in the Universe for the rest.

I know that I was meant to do this trip. Every trip that I've experienced has lead me to feel prepared for this journey. I know I can handle 19 different flights because I've flown over 4,000 times during my flight attendant career. I know that I don't have to worry about impure water becauce my Life Straw will keep my water clean as it did on the trek to Machu Picchu. I know how to treat the blisters on my feet from the treacherous Trans-Catalina Trail. I know that I can hike for two weeks straight with a heavy backpack because I did almost 250 miles of the Camino de Santiago in 2014. I know that I can scale high altitudes because I reached over 17,000 feet at the Salkantay Pass in Peru and submitted the highest peak in the contiguous U.S., Mt. Whitney.

Like the pyramids of Teotihucan, I'm excited to explore the Pyramids of Giza. I have been exposed to poverty in cities in Mexico, so I hope that will prepare me for New Delhi. I've attended silent buddhist retreats at Mountain Center and that will prepare me for buddhist temples and tea houses. I've lead full weekend yoga retreats, so I feel prepared for teaching at the International Yoga Convention in Amorgos, Greece.

So why 8 countries in 7 weeks?

It started as a journey to India, the yoga mecca and motherland. I want to see how yoga is practiced there, with a spiritual angle verses the athletic style that is mostly taught in the western world. I'm curious about the colors, sounds, chants, and silence. I'm also hungry to meet other yogis from around the world and learn how their styles are different as well. I found that Rishikesh is the yoga capital of India, and therefore the world, as it hosts an annual International Yoga Festival from March 1-8. This city is considered holy, as the Ganges runs through alcohol and meat of any kind are forbidden.

I also want to fly in a few days early to tour some of the historical sites, like the Taj Mahal and film a yoga video at an Ancient India site. A couple of years ago I decided that it was a goal of mine to record and Ancient Civilizations yoga video course on location, so I'm going to start here.

As I was looking into flights and time off, I thought that since I love an intense hiking adventure and I will be so close to the Himalayas, I might as well sign up for the 15-day trek to Everest Base Camp, 19,000 feet! March-May and September-October are the best times to go, so this looks like perfect timing. I joined a group from March 10-25.

Then, I received an invitation to teach at the International Yoga Convention in Amorgos, Greece from April 5-11 I'm so excited to stay at this spiritual island and stunning 5 star resort while making new friends with yogis and learning more about sound healing, subtle bodies, yoga nidra, etc. Learn more at www.elysiaconvention.com (save 50% if you use the code HFELYSIA by March 6th). Then I realized that I can also record another yoga video at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Yes! Two out of the five videos will be done.

At first I thought that maybe this was too much. How can I afford to take this much time off work, 7 weeks? Then I asked the Universe to send me a sign so that I know I'm supposed to do this.

As I started looking into the flights, I noticed that I can have a 15-hour layover in China and 11 hours in Egypt!!! OMG, I might be able to film this entire Ancient World Civilizations Yoga Course in one trip. I felt goosebumps as this concept surfaced. I felt a true alignment with my purpose. Everything is falling into place.

Since I have 10 days in between the trek and the convention, this is an awesome opportunity to check off some more must see destinations on my dream list: explore jungles full of Buddhist temples in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, climb and kayak around the limestone cliff islands at Krabi, and explore the Grand Palace of Bangkok.

After my near death experience running from a train last summer, I decided read Gabby Berstein's book, The Universe Has Your Back. I've been learning the importance of trusting in the divine plan. The Universe puts obstacles in our way to help us grow and become stronger. Every struggle that we face is an assignment. How often do we let go of the ego and choose Love, the divine connection. She declares, "To truly say yes to the love of the Universe means you have to look at your resistance and give up a thought system that you mistakenly identified as safety, security, and the foundation of your life." For me, traveling strengthens this kind of trust as I have to leave behind my home, friends, job, etc.

As Lao Tzu teaches, "Every journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step." This trip is no longer a dream hovering in the future. It is my present. I strive to soak up every moment of now.

I am truly grateful for the amount of savings that I can put towards this trip and the available credit that I have built over the years. If you enjoy reading this blog and you want to hear more, will you help to support this journey? Check out this video at www.generosity.com/education-fundraising/hannah-s-spiritual-experience-in-india-and-nepal
My heart melts from your warm donations!

I write this with love and extreme gratitude for all your prayers and safe wishes. I know the Universe has my back and has yours too when you choose love and trust.

As each day passed at the 29th International Yoga Festival of Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh, India, we settled into a routine and the days started to blend together. Is it the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th day of the festival? Is it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday?

My roommate, Crystal, and I rose every morning just before 6am, attended a meditation class, ate breakfast, attended a 2-hour physical yoga class, took notes at a following lecture, ate a hearty lunch, participated in a restful yin or nidra yoga class, and in the late afternoon went for a walk, attended another lecture, or meditation. In the evening, the Ashram would hold a gathering on the banks of the Ganges River, followed by dinner and a cultural show. We would be in bed with the lights out before 10pm.

Coincidentally, as I began reading a book called, Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom: A Complete Prescription to Optimize Your Health, Prevent Disease, and Live with Vitality and Joy (www.amazon.com/Ayurveda-Lifestyle-Wisdom-Complete-Prescription/dp/1622038274/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8) I realized that the Yoga Festival schedule was somewhat aligned with the Ayurveda daily routine. Acharya Shunya started learning Ayurveda techniques from her enlightened grandfather and throughout this book, she shares his stories and words of wisdom that have been handed down for thousands of years.

Shunya teaches about the importance of living a daily routine in accordance with nature's time clock. In this contemporary world with light bulbs, commutes, and computer screens, we have become distracted and divided in our routines, far from the truth and beauty of Mother Earth. Shunya recommends rising early for cleansing and meditation, then exercise and breakfast. Until lunchtime, she advises completing intellectually challenging work, then after lunch, go for a walk and complete tasks that don't require too much brain power. After dinner, engage in pleasant activities like reading or meeting with friends and family. I highly recommend soaking up this entire book that includes amazing tips about consuming and releasing food along with much more about routines and peaceful healthy living.

The word Ayurveda means "knowledge of life" as through these practices, we can enrich the quality of our lives to that of healthy joyful consciousness and unity in our bodies without drugs, side effects, or insurance companies. The bottom line is "The closer we are to Nature and her ways, the healthier we will be. The farther we wander away from Nature, the more we will suffer." This enlightening book is filled with a wealth of more information about how to connect with nature and the divine within.

The natural Ayurvedic routine sounds similar to a typical day for me back home, except a few subtle, but key differences. At home, I would usually rise between 6 and 7am, check my Facebook and emails, make and drink a cappuccino and begin writing. In this modern society, we use technology to separate ourselves from nature and ignore these important ways of living.

Lately, I've noticed that I initially wake up well before 6am, but I would start tossing and turning as I believed it was not yet time to get up. However, I just read an article by Do You Yoga that proclaims if we awake between 3am and 6am, this could be a sign of spiritual awakening. This frame of time is tied to the lungs and if we get up to practice mindful breathing exercises through meditation, this calls to our inner Self for guidance towards a more peaceful, joyful, and loving life.

Have you ever wondered why the birds start chirping and cooing before the sun rises in the morning? They are singing from the joy of their hearts, welcoming the light in rhythm with the grass, trees, and plants. Just like the birds, Ayurveda philosophy urges the importance of waking up while it is still dark outside, sometime before 6am to witness universal consciousness as the sky becomes infused with divine light. By spending the early morning in a meditative state, we take time to show gratitude and reverence to the life force. Through our breath and concentration, we return to balance that enhances our immunity.

At this 29th Annual Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, India, Tommy Rosen taught a chant in his class titled The Wonderland of the Consciousness, "Ong namo guru dev namo," which translates in English to 'I bow to the divine in everything.' What a beautiful mantra for the early morning ensemble of gratitude. I'll share some more techniques for early morning meditations and practices in future blog posts.

The similarities between my previous routine and the Yoga Festival/Ayurvedic routine included doing more intense work in the late morning, and more social or chore/errands in the evening with a slower, more calming late afternoon. Between 2 and 6pm, I usually enjoy going for a walk and reclining into some slow Yin Yoga Postures, such as putting my legs up the wall while reading some of a book. This is also a good time to complete chores and run errands. Then as evening begins to fall, so does the darker side of our being. This is a great time to gather support and connection by sharing a meal and discussion with friends and family.

On a normal afternoon in San Diego, I love to go for a peaceful walk through the neighborhood and picturesque central Balboa Park.

Photo Credit- https://www.doorsteps.com/articles/the-best-neighborhoods-in-san-diego-for-a-walkable-lifestyle

On the streets of Rishikesh, India, I also desire an afternoon stroll, but instead of the spaciousness of sidewalks and streets lined with palm trees, I'm thrown into complete chaos. With a width of about 10 feet on this cobblestone trash lined street, I'm bombarded with barking wild dogs, families of holy cows eliminating waste, weeping beggars, shouting store keepers, and honking motorbikes that won't stop for anyone.

This is an overwhelming experience for the senses. Everyone and everything seems to have a hand stretched out, desperate for me to bless them with some form of wealth. The dogs and cows not only wish for affection, but also clean water and food while the shop keepers are willing to embarrassingly drop their prices just to get a single sale. Those riding a motorbike would be thrilled to take me to my next destination for a small fee. My heart breaks at the sight of beggars with missing limbs or holding a box labeled "ear cleaning kit" I'm obviously a foreigner whose clean clothes and trendy haircut suggest a life full of blessings. I starkly realize that even what I consider to be a humble load that I carry with me on this journey is worth far more than some of these people will ever have in their lifetime.

Each day that I dare to brave these uncomfortable streets, I feel tense and cautious. Are the onlookers waiting for me to drop my guard for just a second so that they can snatch my bag? If I even respond to a simple "how are you?" I'm instantly surrounded with more questions and crowds urging me to give. Even when I have selectively purchased a small souvenir or beverage, it's never enough. They want more.

So, what should I do about this? If I start giving my cash and belongings away to everyone who asks, I will be completely broke and left with nothing in no time. How do I decide who to give to and how much? How can I have an open heart of compassion in such a situation?

On the sixth night of the 29th annual International Yoga Festival, I felt a spiritual awakening. Throughout the week, I had been learning techniques for developing a peaceful and joyful demeanor through yoga and meditation, but I was having trouble maintaining this calm on the streets. After dinner, the Pujya Swami Chanand Sarawatiji was exiting the dining hall just as I was about to as well. He paused and turned towards me and made eye contact. With his hands at his heart's center, he offered a simple bow of Namaste. My heart filled with warmth and connectivity. Instantly, I knew that this gesture of love and light was what I needed to bring to this outside world.

On the very last day of the Yoga Festival, I stepped out onto the streets with the courage to go a lot further, but this time leading with love and trust. Each time a shop keeper or beggar asked me for something, I brought my hands to my hearts center, lips curled into a gentle smile, and I softly bowed to them. When the cows blocked the road or motorbikes whizzed by, I took a long slow breath and noted the rhythm of sounds surrounding me. I walked slowly, careful not to step on excrement or dog's tails. When asked if I would be willing to take a photo with an Indian family, I gladly accepted, letting the joy and love in my heart shine through.

Later, I left a generous donation to the ashram as I know they use their income to take care of the land and the people. "Pujya Swamiji has also increased several-fold the humanitarian activities undertaken by Parmarth Niketan (www.parmarth.org). The ashram is not only a spiritual haven for those who visit, but it also provides education, training, and health care to those in need."

Now I am in Nepal and "Namaste" is the typical greeting. I am constantly reminded of its true meaning...

"The light within me honors the light within you!"

As I was packing for this epic adventure, 8 countries, 8 weeks, 100 degrees of temperature variation, my friend, Victor, suggested that I write a blog about what's in my pack. I was pretty proud of all the just-in-case gadgets that I was able to squeeze into a backpack and a duffel so that I would find myself "without" something that I "needed."

I packed all of the chargers that I could need (iphone/ipad, kindle, keyboard, headlamp) along with extras, plenty of mini-toiletries, a yoga mat towel, fleece lined wind and waterproof jacket, Croc flip flips and mary-janes, and much more.

But what do I really need?

Five weeks later, after completing the two-week trek to Everest Base Camp, I shipped a 33-pound box back home. I was happy to part with this extra weight of coats, boots, souvenirs, socks, etc.

With only a large backpack and a handbag, I checked in 3 hours before my flight from Kathmandu to Kuala Lumpur. "Shoot," I thought as I realized my backpack weighed twice the limit for carry-on luggage, so I had to check it. I actually felt free like a bird as I whizzed through security and onto my gate.

My flight was painful. We were delayed for 2 hours on the runway and I developed a dehydrated headache in the process. I couldn't wait to claim my backpack to get some Advil. I also noticed that my nails needed to be clipped. I'll fix that when I get my bag too. Also, I'm feeling warmer than I thought on this flight. I can't wait to change into something lighter.

Upon arrival, I impatiently circled the baggage claim belt, along with about 15 others. The sign flashed, "Last Bag" and then the next city title "Bangkok" presented itself.

"No! No! No! Where my bag?!" I began to panic.

A crowd formed and people started to grumble at a nearby agent. He claimed that he was looking into it...

After some mumbling on the walkie talkie he turned to us, "So, it looks like your bags are still in Kathmandu. You'll have to file a claim at the office and we'll get those bags to you on the same flight out tomorrow."

"Oh no! I'm transferring to Siem Reap, Cambodia, early tomorrow morning!!!" I declare. The baggage agent assured me that my bag will arrive in Cambodia in a day and a half. They will call my hotel when it's ready.

I couldn't believe this! I mean, yes, I've had my bags lost before by the airlines, but this time I didn't deserve this! I went to so much trouble to pack carefully! I packed a different pair of my yoga leggings (http://www.halfmoonyogaandart.com/yoga-leggings.html) to record a yoga video in each country! I thought the Universe wanted me to do this trip! Why was I being punished?

When I arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I'm was dying to change into something cooler. It's a blazing 100 degrees! I bought mini shampoo (without conditioner), toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, sunblock, deodorant, and bug spray along with 2 light dresses and a pant outfit. As a towel, I used my scarf.

Each day I asked the host at my hostel if the airport called about my luggage. He just laughed and said no no!

On my 90 minute tuk tuk ride to Kbal Spean Waterfall trail, we passed many locals going through the actions of their daily life. Their homes were thrown together with sticks and lose pieces. Their beds were hammocks. Their clothes were old and mis-matched, yet the kids would look up at me and smile and wave. I began to reflect on what I really NEED, not only to survive, but to be happy.

Oxygen, water, food and some type of shelter over our heads or clothing. To avoid disease, it is important to cleanse regularly too. But, I don't really need my fancy facial and body products, 3 extras chargers, extra books (just in case I get board), an extensive first aid kit, all 8 pairs of my specially designed yoga leggings, etc. These things are simply nice to have to avoid discomfort.

However, its our ego that wants to avoid discomfort because it doesn't want us to grow. Through the struggle, challenge, or obstacle that we are faced with, we are able to see what we're made of.

I realized that I'm much more free than I was with all that luggage. I can breathe breaths of gratitude and I feel sheltered in the clothes that I'm wearing now. I'm fortunate to have a variety of food to choose from and a LifeStraw with clean water filter.

I began to feel overwhelmed with how blessed I was in this place, in this moment now. I don't need anything else. In Pantajali's 8 Limbed Path to Enlightenment we call this attitude, Santosha. It means to be grateful for everything that we have without greed or desire for more, whether it be a pile of dirt, or a mansion of gold.

I finally realized the valueable lesson that the Universe wanted to teach me, to travel lightly on this spiritual journey with an attitude of Aparigraha (One of the Yamas, guidelines for Universal Morality), meaning non-hoarding.

On my way back to the airport in Siem Reap I was wondering if my backpack was there waiting for me. I made peace with the Universe and agreed to remain happy either way. It was there and as I lifted it onto my back, I felt ridiculous to have so much stuff. Next time I travel, I will certainly take much less!

Preparing to visit Rome in January of 2010, I was flipping through the Italy Guidebook. Suddenly, my gaze was halted as I noticed an image of a foot statue in a sandal, resting on a pedestal. This looks strangely familiar, I thought. I remembered an episode of LOST, that I had recently watched, in which the characters came across a similar statue on the mysterious island with an enormous foot, in a sandal, resting on a pedestal. The creators of LOST must have been inspired by this mysterious piece of art history.

Screenshots from LOST

I was so excited that I mapped out the cross streets and intended to find it after viewing the Pantheon. As we strolled through these side streets, I didn’t see any monumental foot. Ironically, I didn’t realize the translation of the street name at the time, Via del Pie di Marmo: Street of the Marble Foot! I turned to peak down an alleyway before we decided to give up and leave, when directly in front of me stood the foot! It was smaller than I expected, only four feet long, but that means the estimated full original statue was around 26 feet tall!

This marble sandaled left foot belonged to a colossal statue of a Greco-Egyptian god, either Isis or Serapis, that was built by Empero Domintion as a part of an ancient double temple in 43 BCE. The cult of Serapis was introduced in the 3rd century BC on the orders of Ptolemy I of Egypt as an effort to unify the Greeks and Egyptians.

Serapis was a synthetic god created as a combination of god figures from differing cultures signifying both abundance and resurrection. Serapis became a god revered all around the Mediterranean Sea, where he became a symbol of the universal god. He was represented as a robed and bearded figure, with a cup on his head and a three-headed dog at his right hand while he played the role of a sun god, as well as a god of fertility and healing.

Photo Credit: Mind Serpant

Photo Credit: Clip Art Etc.

Ironically, a smaller statue that like looked like a dog-headed Anubis was also found around this temple. Anubis was the gate-keeper of the world of the dead, and he is depicted in Egyptian mythology with the head of a jackel, carrying a ankh in his hand and a cup on his head.

In the same way, the foot statue from LOST was revealed in a later episode to also belong to an ancient Egyptian god. After viewing the statue from the three-quatered angle behind view, there was considerable debate if the statue belonged to Sobek, Anubis, or Tawerat. Note the similarities in the picture of Serapis above.

If both of these statues were indeed related, what does this mean to us now?

Regardless of the original statues, what is left now of both of them, is a foot, in a sandal.

Footwear has been around since the beginning of civilization as remnants of sandals can be found in Ancient Mesopotamia. Our ancestors primarily walked around barefoot. The wealthy Ancient Egyptians, and the wealthy in neighboring ancient cultures, wore sandals for decoration on special occasions or for protection if their feet were likely to get hurt during an activity.

Photo Credit: ST-Takla.org

Photo Credit: The Pharoah's Mag

Shoes played a major role in the development of Ancient Roman Civilization. The ancient Romans were one of the first peoples in recorded history to develop a wide range of footwear. Romans contributed the entire-foot-encasing shoe to the Mediterranean world. The shoe-maker, called a Sutor, became a valued craftsman as larger variety in the types sandals and shoes began to multiply.

Although seemingly productive, as people began to live a more convenient life, they slowly began to lose their foundation with the natural earth.

Roman Variety
Photo Credit: Emaze

In both footwear and architecture, Romans allied form with function to create solid foundations. Regarded as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization and as the first ever metropolis, the Kingdom of Rome grew rapidly from a trading town to a prosperous city between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE until it became a vital economic, political, and cultural center.

Rome's history now spans more than two and a half thousand years. It is referred to as The Eternal City, one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe.

The Colosseum in Rome
An example of the Foundations in Architecture
Roman Concrete and the Roman Arch

Using a mixture that included lime and volcanic sand, the Romans created a very strong and durable type of concrete. It formed the foundation for solid roads and arches that could support huge amounts of weight. This development aided in effective administration of this expansive area. The Romans built the most sophisticated system of roads that the ancient world had ever seen, many of which are still in use today. At its height, the Roman empire encompassed nearly 1.7 million square miles and included most of southern Europe.

Further, the Romans were able to build massive structures, such as aqueducts, which provided water to cities. Romans showed a talent for borrowing and improving upon the skills and concepts of other cultures. The Romans perfected the Arch, made with Roman Concrete. This freed architects to explore different and larger structures. The Concrete Revolution contributed to structurally complicated forms, such as the Pantheon dome, the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.

Roman Style- Triumphal Arch

Roman Arches

Roman cities were typically focused around the forum (a large open plaza, surrounded by important buildings), which was the civic, religious and economic heart of the city. This forum was a foundation for social life. They also included grand gymnasium-bath complexes that were built and funded by the state which included running tracks, gardens and libraries. Ancient Rome was the wellspring for many modern government programs, including measures that subsidized food, education and other expenses for the needy.

The Founders of America were fascinated by this Western Empire and applied some of these republican and democratic causes. Many of our political symbols in the U.S. such as the eagle and the image of a leader on a coin were of Roman inspiration. The architecture of the American Foundation also showed a bias for the Roman artistic intelligence.

Roman Forum Ruins

As you can see, the Romans have assimilated concepts from other cultures and have laid foundations for our contemporary western culture in terms of architecture, roads, development of cities and governments, as well as our relationship with our feet.

Before any feast, the Romans would remove their shoes and place them in a different room. Both for the sake of a clean house and to develop a greater feel for the surfaces under our feet. I believe that it is still a good practice to leave shoes at the door.

Our shoes can also be a warm, moist, hotbed for bacterial growth and is the leading cause of foot infections. The smell of our shoes at the end of a long day hints at this infectious growth.

This gesture of taking our shoes off at home, relates to the eastern tradition. This Indian custom also draws an important boundary between the impersonal traffic of the street and the intimacy of home life.

One way that we can keep our feet clean is by spraying Aurorae’s All-Natural Deodorizing Shoe & Foot Spray on your feet, shoes, and your yoga mat.

This all-natural foot spray is designed to freshen up your foot gear or your feet by masking odors and providing a subtle hint of Peppermint Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Thyme Oil and water to ensure that there are no chemicals or toxins touching your skin or shoes.

Just like the Romans who took their shoes off at the dinner table, I believe that we need a balanced relationship with our feet, in and out of our shoes. While shoes may offer some protection against severe injuries, they are often responsible for most of our chronic foot injuries, like bunions, hammer toe, over-pronation, fallen arches, etc. Confining footwear can lead to tense and foreshortened feet. Shoes that are bad for our feet include ballet, high heels, and cowboy boots.

I used to abuse my feet regularly as a waitress and flight attendant, trying to wear wedged heels all day. I would struggle with in-grown toenails and infections, as well as pain in my arches and lower back. High-heeled shoes are a major cause of foot pain because normal weight-bearing is altered: weight is borne by the heel and ball of the foot, instead of the arch.

I recently found these amazing flat Crocs that feel spacious on my toes while they maintain a non-slick surface, so I won't slip at work. Therefore, it’s important to choose shoes that are breathable, offer a lot of space for your toes, have non-slip protection in work environments, and still allow your feet to make active contact through their arches. I also use my Aurorae Foot Spray to keep these shoes and my feet feeling fresh and clean.

Available Here

I still believe that wearing functional shoes can be an important habit for convenience and function in our lives, but we also need an equal amount of time barefoot to restore the intimate connection with our body. For example, when I power walk in the park, I can move my body much faster than I would be able to if I was barefoot. In my New Balance comfort running shoes, my feet are protected from bee stings, sharp rocks or branches, or the hot temperature of the cement. Furthermore, I can burn more calories and complete my cardio exercise in a timely manner.

However, sometimes I like to take my shoes off and walk slowly in the grass or sand. This practice strengthens my spiritual connection with the earth as I directly feel the contact that my feet make with the soil, rocks, and leaves. Going barefoot not only exposes the skin of my feet to refreshing air and sunshine, but I can also feel where my weight lies and make adjustments towards equilibrium.

As a yogi, we can stay connected to what really matters, standing directly on the earth through our foundation. Barefoot Sandals by Forever Soles is a free-spirited, adventurously cool concept. The Flower of Life barefoot sandal is made from lilac crystal beads, cotton thread and an eco-friendly nickel free metal.

These sandals were originally designed for brides having a beach wedding, but we can wear these on our yoga mat, at home, at the beach, or on a nature walk in the park. Feel the sand beneath your toes through your wanderlust confident mentality that wants to get closer to nature and more in touch with your foundation.

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Walking barefoot, especially on uneven surfaces stimulates the feet. In prehistoric times, people usually walked barefoot. These conditions demanded that the foot be responsive: agile, adjustable, and articulate. In addition, the micro-adjustments required of the foot, when walking on uneven terrain, promoted small movements in the pelvis and spine that led to a pliability throughout the whole body.

During the physical practice of yoga, we want to restore that responsiveness as we stand barefoot on our mat. We again develop a greater feel for the ground below. As we become more intimate with our feet, and they also become stronger and more mobile.

Mountain Pose is the foundation for all the postures because the neutral standing position teaches us to be fully upright and connected to the ground. In yoga, our physical foundation is what touches the floor.

In standing poses, feet are our foundation. Just as the foundation of a building must be level to support all the structures above, the distribution of weight over the four corners of our feet determines the alignment of our shins, knees, pelvis, spine, neck and head.

Have you ever heard your yoga teacher remind you to root down through all four corners of your feet? The four grounding corners of our weight distribution lie in our inner and outer heel and our big toe and baby toe mounds.

When our feet are properly aligned, our shins will be parallel to one another, with our arches and outer ankles evenly lifted. In Mountain Pose, the outer edges of our feet should be parallel while our big toes are pointing slightly in. To activate the energy in your feet, press down into this outline of your feet as you draw up through your arches. You should feel your quads engage.

Look at the soles of your shoes. If there is excessive wear on one side of the heel, the foot is shifted off its central axis, likely putting strain on the knee, hip, or lower back. In people who have fallen arches or, as they are commonly called, flat feet, the lack of arch support causes the inner ankle bone to collapse in and down. Once the inner ankle drops, the inner groin at the top of the inner leg often also collapses. In turn, the weakness of the inner thighs leaves the lower back vulnerable to compression.

The structural arrangement of bones, ligaments and tendons in our foot results in three arches: the outer edge of our foot, the inner edge of our foot, and the top of our foot. Our arches provide our feet with flexibility to absorb shock and distribute the weight of our body. The arches form a dome that distributes about half the weight to the heel and half to the ball of the foot.

When barefoot at home, we can incorporate all sorts of
foot yoga into our daily routines.

Here are a few more easy stretches to gain mobility, strength, and flexibility in your feet:

Lift just the big toe on both feet, keeping the other toes down. Then try to do the exact opposite: lift all the toes but the big toes. Keep switching back and forth to activate the arch at the top of our feet.

From Mountain pose on your inhale, raise your heels so that you’re standing on the balls of your feet. On your exhale slowly lower them. Repeat this at least 10 times daily.

A simple way to stretch the underside of the foot is to kneel with the toes turned under; hold this pose for 5-10 slow breaths, then untuck your feet and stretch the tops of your feet in Hero Pose, Virasana for another 5-10 breaths. Repeat as needed, daily.

More fun poses to build intimacy with your feet!

Big Toe Pose (Padangusthasana)

Staff Pose (Dandasana)

Grab your pair of Sunset at the Colusseum Yoga Leggings!

Or these featured Wet Sand/ Dry Sand Leggings reminding of feeling of our connection to the earth through our foundation, our feet!

I think she’s down for her afternoon nap. She’s not in any of her usual places, the bed, table, dining chairs, bathroom rug, kitchen tiles. She must be deep in the dark depths of the closet where it is cool and quiet.

Yes!!! I’ll get to practice alone this time!

I pull out my yoga mat and press play on my Spotify Playlist.

As I adjust myself into Virasana and close my eyes, I bring attention to my breath.

Then I flicker my eyes open and Boom! There she is sprawling out on my notes in front of me.

She just couldn’t resist an opportunity to do yoga with me.

Okay, I compromise, let’s do a seated forward fold together.

The warmth of her little body and soft fur send waves of joy through my system. Apparently, the calming effect of owning a cat triggers the release of oxytocin, the hormone known for inducing feelings of love and trust. Strangely, according to an Austrian study conducted in 2003, having a cat in the house is the emotional equivalent of having a romantic partner.

I haven’t always been a cat lady. I would say that I didn’t even like cats until about seven years ago. Sometimes I would go over to Shawn and Nicoletta’s place and their American Short Hair Tabby would like to sit in my lap and purr while we watched movies. I was shocked at this friendly behavior, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a previous notion that cats were snobby and certainly didn’t like strangers.

Four years later, when a co-worker was looking for someone to watch his cat for six months of traveling, I was surprised to find myself volunteering. I had heard rumors about this crazy cat, Kiki…He never came back for her.

Kiki is a Maine Coone. With various legends of ancestry leading back exclusively to the Queen of England, France, or other royalty, she certainly carries a majestic essence.

It took us a while to settle into the groove of living with each other, but now it feels so natural. While dog lovers tend to be the life of the party, cat owners like myself are quieter and more introverted.

We start the day in my cozy chair with a cappuccino as I begin writing. She hops up onto my keyboard and I tuck her into the space between my hip and the armchair. Sometimes I wrap her in the blanket, she purrs constantly for at least 30 minutes.

Is it ironic that cat ownership often suggests both sensitivity and intelligence?

We also share the same reading interests.

Since we’ve connected, I never feel lonely at home. Though cats are often known for their independence, the bond between a cat and its owner reinforces companionship. Also, my immune system is boosted as my resistance is strengthened against pet dander and fur, as this exposure decreases my risk for allergies and asthma.

Further, since I’ve been a cat owner, other cats have been drawn to me wherever I go.

Cats are excellent yogis because they listen to their body.

When they wake from a nap, cats immediately stretch out with a forward fold or even a Downward Facing Dog Pose. This keeps them supple and flexible.

I love witnessing Kiki taking a gentle twist or leg-behind-the-head bind, whenever she needs to. She inspires me to do the same.

The main pose that us humans imitate from these fellow creatures is Cat Pose, Marjaryasana.

In this posture, we begin by kneeling, aligning our knees under our hips and our wrists under our shoulders. This position strengthens our wrists. If your knee caps hurt, you can fold your mat or place a firm blanket under your knees. The best way to practice cat is in conjuction with cow, so that we can undulate our spine, alternately opening our front and back sides.

As we inhale into cow, Bitilasana in Sanskrit, we drop our belly towards the earth and lift our shoulder blades back and behind, reaching our ears away from the shoulders and lift our head. As we exhale into cat, we gently round our spine, leading our chin towards our chest, and lifting our belly up to the sky. Sending our tailbone down as we press the ground away, I like to press my untucked toenails into the earth for more grounding stability.

This flow stimulates the nervous function, improves spinal mobility and massages our abdominal organs. Undulation is just the right amount of movement to nourish discs and ligaments. Our spinal discs depend on gentle movements to stay healthy. Fluid filled discs provide cushion between the vertebrae, which can shrink and bulge when not in optimal condition.

Coordinating this movement with your breathing relieves stress and calms the mind. I like to practice at least 5 full breaths each time I do these poses, encouraging the breath to become slow and deep. This sequence also helps to develop posture awareness and balance.

Cat Pose

More Kiki Cuteness:

Does your cat do yoga?

Please share your favorite cat poses.

Pictures are welcome too!

What are you going to be for Halloween?
This week, I challenge you to consider the following concepts as they relate to yoga and costumes.

1. You Always Have Choices

In a yoga class, we have options. We can stay in Downward Facing Dog, or come down to Child’s Pose if we need to rest. We can lower through Charturanga with our knees up or down. Further, we can reach our arms all the way up to the sky or bring our arms into Cactus if we have tight shoulders in tree or High Lunge. These choices help us to stay present and aware of our bodies. We want to find a place of tension and ease in each pose. We want to challenge ourselves to build a little sweat and see what we are capable of, yet also listen carefully to our body and not lead ourselves to sharp pain or injury.

Swami Rama teaches, “You are the architect of your spiritual life. Be brave. The brave alone enjoy the world.”

In the same way, we have a choice on how we want to represent ourselves through our costumes. Do you ever ask yourself,” Why did I choose that particular costume?” Does this costume lead me to be the a better version of myself, or am I doing damage or injury to my inner light?

Sometimes we want to choose a costume that exemplifies a part of us that is either hidden or needs more development. For example, if you choose a hero costume, perhaps you want more will power in your life. You want to achieve your goals and feel like anything is possible. This is a positive decision that shows your desire to love yourself and grow.

On the other hand, if you choose a vampire, zombie, devil, etc. perhaps you want to express your anger or distaste for life. If you choose a costume that stirs up fear, you are associating with your ego, your dark side. Your ego wants you to be fearful, sad, angry, and wishing harm upon others. We all have an ego, but we have a choice to go along with this voice, or listen to our inner voice of light and love. The more you associate with your dark side, the more it grows.

2. You Are Important, Nurture Your Body and Your Soul

In the physical yoga practice, we set aside time to strengthen, stretch, and balance our bodies. This time commitment places our health as a priority of high importance in our lives. In the physical practice of yoga, when we focus on the present moment and the breath moving within us, we find inner peace and calm, bringing nurturance to our deeper Self, our light.

Does your costume improve your being?

Take the time to let your costume improve your being. Highlight the positive, peaceful elements in your life. Make a list of the things you enjoy: cooking, traveling, reading, etc. For example, if you like animals or food, dress up as your favorite pet or healthy food item. Or, the costume could emphasize a side of you that everyone already knows and loves such as being silly, healthy, or bright. You could dress up as an angel to remind others to choose their light side, banana to represent a balance of fruits and vegetables in your diet, or cell phone to represent strong communication skills.

Your true Self is loving light. Let your light shine. Choose a costume that reflects the bright, positive side of you. For example, last year I was a ballerina, posing in Dancer Pose, to remind myself and others to listen to our bodies and share the joy of yoga with others.

3. Look Past the Mask to Find Community

Did you know that the word yoga translate to oneness and unity?

I encourage you to look for the connecting light in yourself and others. Community is where people begin to care about one another, and where they begin to share things that are important to one another. The Dalai Lama teaches, "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

When you practice yoga outside of your own home, you begin to form a sense of community. All of these other people in this class are also there to better themselves. Your yoga community celebrates your breakthroughs and your growth. The yoga class becomes a community based on a higher purpose, a deeper meaning and a more profound goal in life, consciousness.
This forms a oneness and connection.

I continue to attend classes at Yoga One and extend the connections to other yoga classes, workshops, and retreats to develop a wider connectivity. When we can start seeing the connection that we all share with all living beings, this sense of awe brings us peace. Albert Schweitzer proclaims, “Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

This week especially, we are tempted to associate with our ego. Through the mask of our ego, our false self, we find disconnection and discontent. Our ego, associated with our dark side and loneliness, hinders us from being happy and healthy. I encourage you to find positive common ground with those that you meet and shine your light far and wide. Listen to your inner voice of consciousness that knows oneness.

Try to see past the masks and make positive connections.

Sharing Community at Yoga One

Do you want to practice Costume Yoga?

Join us this week in San Diego and wear a costume of your choice as we build community and well-being! We will try to come up with a yoga pose to represent your costume!

Donation Classes at Mission Bay Park- Levels 1 & 2
2688 E Mission Bay Dr, San Diego, CA 92109 (we meet AT THE WATER behind the Visitor's Center at I-5 and Mission Bay Dr.)

Thursday 6-7pm Sunset and Candlelight Yoga
Saturday 10am-11am- Fun Yoga in the Park
*Optional Community Discussion Afterwards 11-11:30am:
*What does your costume say about you?

Sunday Rooftop Yoga and Pool Access 9-10am
Hotel Solamar on 6th Ave. and J St.
with Yoga One (www.YogaOneSanDiego.com)

If you can't make it to our live class, please join my Fun Yoga for Autumn Video Course on Udemy with an entire section and hour-long yoga sequence dedicated to Costumes Yoga.

Learn More

Many cultures around the world take a day or few to acknowledge the reality of death. Many people believe that you will always live on as long as someone in the living world remembers you.

Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a happy day about celebrating a deceased loved one or ones and remembering them by making bread of the dead, their favorite foods and playing their favorite music. People build altars, ofrendas, in their homes or at the graves and fill them with their deceased loved ones’ favorite things, tissue paper decorations, and sugar skulls.

The delicacy of the tissue paper means that the decorations won’t last long at all. They are meant to be enjoyed until they fall apart or until it's time to take them down. This non-attachment to longevity is in line with yoga philosophy and many other Day of the Dead art forms that are only temporary.

Beautiful orange flowers called marigolds (Cempasúchil) and candles line spaces from graves to houses so that the lost souls can be guided on these paths back to the world of the living. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events, jokes, and stories about the departed.

Dia de los Muerto evolved from a blending of Aztec traditions and Catholic religion. For hundreds of years, the Aztecs dedicated a festival to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, "Lady of the Dead." She is often associated with owls which are also symbols for wisdom, mystery, and transition. Today in Mexico, the Catalinas (skeletal female figurines) are an echo of this goddess.

In Aztec culture, like many ancient cultures, the head was believed to be a source of human power and energy, thus the skull is a powerful relic.

The blending of the Catholic religion creates these days as All Souls Day (for every deceased person) and All Saints Day (Day of the Innocents). On these days, the dead souls are welcome to visit and to reconnect on a spiritual journey.

Our Western society today is both deeply fearful of and uncomfortable with death. For many of us, death implies a cold, unpleasant, and unwelcome end to all we find precious. We hold powerful attachments to our bodies, relationships, material possessions, and identities that feed into the fear of death. Today, painting your face like a skull is a chance to symbolically overcome your fear of death.

In the yoga tradition, deeply acknowledging the reality of death is said to be a source of freedom.

Sometimes we hear stories of people who clinically died for minutes or more and came back with a huge zest for life. When we acknowledge death as inevitable instead of being blinded by our fear of it, everything else just comes into clearer focus, including the preciousness of each moment of life. In the same way, when we can fully surrender in Death/Corpse Pose, we can live fully as well.

Do you ever wonder why we take a long “resting pose” at the end of our yoga practice?

Practicing Savasana, pronounced Shuh-vah-sana, at the end of each yoga session is practicing the art of dying. When we finally surrender, we let divine healing and love melt in and over us. Taking this final resting pose at the end of any yoga class allows your body a chance to regroup and reset itself. It is perhaps the most important part of yoga practice.

Savasana can be compared to turning off your computer when it is not working properly, let it rest for 10-60 seconds, then turning it back on again. It usually performs faster and more efficiently after this reset.

This resting pose calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression. It is a relaxation of the nervous system, where the heart rate slows and blood pressure lowers. This pose reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia while increasing energy levels and increase in focus and productivity afterwards.

We are practicing death. Yoga itself means to yoke or unite. And the ultimate yoga is to yoke with the Divine/Universe. And the ultimate union with God is death. To be a yogi is to stare death in the face. We begin to shed layers of fear and desire. We want to dissolve the ego and live our life in unity with our purpose.

Savasana is the ultimate act of conscious surrender. This is meant to be a fully conscious pose, not a nap, aimed at being awake yet completely relaxed. It’s normal for the mind to try to resist this deep relaxation.

This Sanskrit name translates to Corpse Pose. In Corpse Pose, we symbolically “die” to our old ways of thinking and doing. Our society tends to place greater value on speed and productivity. Learning how to do nothing is a skill that can help you become more productive when you need to be. It takes practice and patience to surrender easily. When we do, we find a state of blissful neutrality of nothing with no thoughts and no dreams. Deep healing and rest result from this conscious savasana.

How to Savasana

After directing your energy towards physically strengthening, balancing, and stretching your body, lie flat on your back and tuck your shoulder blades behind you and down.

Let the crown of your head align with your long spine, tailbone pointing towards your heels, and let your chin remain perpendicular to the earth.

Turn your palms to be facing upward on the floor, with your arms at 45 degree angles from the side of your body.

Let your fingers curl up slightly. With your legs long and feet slightly wider than your hips, let your feet and knees relax completely, toes falling gently to the sides.

Allow gravity pull you down as you sink into the floor.

Then close your eyes and turn your awareness inwards, away from sensory distraction. Scan your body from head to toe, looking for tension. Consciously release any areas that you find and physically relax all of your muscles and bones. I like to then direct my focus inward, on a healing loving light, glowing from my center. Your body is a material container for your soul.

Finally, release all control of the breath, the mind, and the body. Stop fighting the clock, and make space for peace and harmony to fill your soul. Stay in Savasana for 5 to 15 minutes, 5 minutes for every hour your spent in other, more physically active yoga postures.

Then, gently, reawaken. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Make small circles with your ankles and knees. Reach your arms overhead and point and flex your toes. Invite a deep breath back into your body as you restart your life with less fear, clearer focus, and unity of love.

Practice a whole hour of Dia de los Muertos, Yoga with a long Savasana at the end on my Video Course, Fun Yoga for Autumn.

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Fangs, scales, or tentacles?

Have you fashioned a monster?

From snake-like, dragon-like, bird-like, or octopus-like, humankind has been creating monsters across cultures and time. Ironically, a fear of certain creatures and the unknown is shared on all continents. On the other hand, one of the important characteristics of historical heroes across cultures is being fearless in the face of big and often lethal enemies. This story and message has been told time after time throughout the human experience.

So, why do we still all use our imaginations to provoke fear?

When we imagine or see strange creatures, we often associate them with something that is large, ugly, and frightening. This triggers an unpleasant emotion, anxiety, caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and likely to cause pain to ourselves or someone dear to us.

Accelerating the breathing rate, sweating, and alertness are physiological changes in the body that show fear is activated. This reaction is an inborn response for coping with danger. This primitive mechanism can help people to survive by either running away or fighting the threat.

In the exhibit, Footsteps Through Time: Four Million Years of Human Evolution, we can identify tools, artifacts, body parts, habitats, ideas, and other touchable replicas of early humans, primates, and futuristic cyborgs (part human, part machine). Stepping through this display, we piece together some of their story. From the tool shed, we see an assortment of tools they used to fight their threats. These battles can result in either dinner, a peaceful night’s sleep, or both. Because early humans that were quick to fear dangerous situations were more likely to survive and reproduce, caution is theorized to be a genetic effect.

From an evolutionary perspective, according to Human Brain Evolution and the "Neuroevolutionary Time-Depth Principle by Bracha in 2006, different fears may be different adaptations that have been useful in our evolutionary past, developing during different time periods. For example, a fear of heights, may be common to all mammals and developed during the dinosaur or reptile era. Other fears, such as fear of snakes, may be common to all monkeys and apes developed during the mammals and birds era. Additional fears, such as fear of mice and insects, may be unique to humans and developed during the early human paleolithic and neolithic time periods (when mice and insects become important carriers of infectious diseases and harmful for crops and stored foods).

As a result, humankind shares a fear of the unknown.

One of the ultimate mysteries is the concept of death. This fear ritualized the lives of our ancestors. For example, the Ancient Egyptians created a detailed mummification process with elaborately decorated tombs and sarcophagi. These rituals were designed to reduce the fear the end of life in ensuring the people that they will transition to another life after this one. These rituals also helped preserve their cultural ideas and form some of our present ideas like the concept of heaven.

The Museum of Man is honored to have one of the most important ancient Egyptian collections in the United States. The most extraordinary of painted wooden coffins is an extremely rare child’s coffin, in which only six others are known to exist worldwide. This sarcophagus is a cultural treasure reflecting the devotion ancient Egyptians had to their religious customs and beliefs.

Fear may be politically and culturally manipulated to persuade citizenry of ideas which would otherwise be widely rejected. For example, sometimes customs and beliefs bring more separation amongst the human race. Only a century ago, “anthropologists at the Museum of Man and the Smithsonian Institution worked together to collect plaster life casts of different racial types. These casts were displayed in San Diego at the 1915 Panama-California Exposition as part of an exhibition about the “progress of man” that presented European Americans as racially superior. (Museum of Man website)”

Previous scholars tried to conclude judgements of species and intelligence levels between people with different colors of skin. However, science has now discovered that over of thousands of years, our DNA has adjusted our skin color to relate to the amount of sun/vitamin D that our bodies should receive at a time. People whose ancestors come from the North need less sun each day, so they could stay warm in shelters, while people from more equatorial regions would stay outside all day and therefore not be oversaturated with vitamin D. The skin pigments adjusted accordingly.

In the exhibit, Race: Are We So Different?, artists like Kate Clark strive to connect the dots between the museum’s archive of face molds to the reality of living and breathing people today. She created a series of face molds from museum visitors to break down the stereotypes from these older social constructs. Today, so many different races have blended and moved around that the results are remarkably more united.

Did you know that we share a connection with all living beings?

According to DNA, we are 50% related to bananas,
98.4 % with chimpanzees, and
99.9% similar to the person next to you
as well as all people in this world now.

It has been theorized that the formation of communities happened because people lived in fear. The result of this fear forced people to unite to fight dangers together rather than fight alone.

The Kumeyaay are the Native American people of present-day Southern California. For many generations before the arrival of the Spanish, they occupied the deserts, mountains, and coasts, developing sophisticated means of adapting to the diverse environments (Museum of Man website). Artifacts and photographs from the museum’s collection highlight the rich cultural heritage of the Kumeyaay, featuring the art of pottery and basket making, food procurement, dress and adornment, traditional medicine, games, and ceremonies. These tribes banded together to share their techniques of survival through hunting. They created a sense of unity and oneness in their clothing styles, rituals, and games as they strongly valued community. Kumeyaay have studied the night sky, developing a deeply-rooted cosmological belief system that centers on the Mat’taam (calendar year), My Uuyow (sky knowledge), and constellation map.

Photo Credit: Museum of Man

Further south, in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, the Mayans also had an intricate system of understanding time and sky knowledge along with a sense of community. Using cycles of the moon, sun, and planets, the Mayans developed accurate calendar systems. More than a thousand years ago, they used unique hieroglyphic writing to carve important dates, names of their rulers, and ceremonial events on huge stone monuments called stelaes. Displayed in the Rotunda Gallery are casts of the original stelaes from Quirigua, Guatemala. The casts were made for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and have been on display since.

In the center of this exhibit lies the ceiba tree, the sacred model for the Maya cosmos.

Archaeological discoveries of masks, bowls, and figurines highlight the creativity and beliefs of the ancient Maya. Two plates show a figure seated in sukasana pose. For millennia, people all over the world have been sitting on the ground in cross-legged positions.

Mayan Figure seated in Sukasana Pose

Despite its name, Sukhasana meaning “easy sitting pose” it doesn’t always feel easy for a lot of people, especially in today’s culture with the convenience of chairs. Using our core strength, we make many small adjustments to distribute our weight evenly over our sitting bones, balance our shoulders directly over our hips, and align our head directly with our spine.

A well-aligned Sukhasana produces the conditions for a relaxed, yet alert, state in both the body and mind. Therefore, Sukhasana has the power to draw us deep inside, leading us toward a meditative state and revealing the immense joy present within our hearts.

The word sukha can also mean “happy” or “joyful.”
This name is a reminder of the innate joy that is within all of us.

Is it surprising then that the opposite of fear is calm, assurance, love, courage, heroism, confidence, faith, happiness, and joy?

We have the power to overcome frightful social constructs through connection with our mind and body, we can breathe through fear! In yoga practice we call these breathing techniques pranayama.

Yogic philosophy is a guide and reference point along the journey made by those who have walked it before us. Thousands of years ago, Pantajali created the 8 Limbed Path as a guide towards true yoga and peace. He suggested the practice of asanas (postures) and pranayama as preparation for Samadhi, the very last limb, which means "to bring together, to merge." Samadhi refers to union. There is an ending to the separation that is created by the "I" and "mine" of our illusory perceptions of reality. During samadhi, we realize what it is to be an identity without differences, and how a liberated soul can enjoy pure awareness of this pure identity. (expressionsofspirit.com)

Mandalas at the Museum of Man are a symbol of Unity.

In the state of samadhi the body and senses are at rest yet the mind and reason are alert, as if awake. There is only the experience of consciousness and unutterable joy. Samadhi, is the ultimate goal of our spiritual journey on earth. Perhaps enlightenment is not your conscious goal right now, but samadhi is the highest state of consciousness that a human can reach in life.

There is no longer any individuality of our experiences: gender, personal history, family and cultural values, education, etc. In Samadhi, that filter is removed to make room for being intensely present without a point of view. In samadhi you perceive all points of view of reality at once, without focusing on any particular one. This concept of samadhi brings with it the possibility of a deep hope about our growth as human beings.

Samadhi can be experienced through our purple Crown Chakra, the energy source, resting on the top of our head. This crown represents the invisible dwelling of God consciousness, our divine nature, this connection to our God Self, from which we came and also are destined to return.

We may have glimpses of this state, but it’s very rare to live entirely in this state. Some people have this experience during prayer or meditation, others during physically bonding, and still others while alone in the woods. Samadhi is awareness of the oneness of the Universe blended with connectedness, forgiveness, joy and love. We need the journey of yoga to help us discover what was present inside us all along.

Be still.
Can you find this connection and oneness within yourself and all living beings?

Join us for Yoga under the Rotunda at the Museum of Man as we explore the story of humanity and reach towards samadhi.

Saturday, November 12th, 8:30-9:30am

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