Half Moon Yoga and Art

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Flow through 10 Minutes of Moon Salutations after work to relieve your stress and achiness!

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With the time change last week, the nights have grown longer and the moon energy has risen stronger.

How does this change affect you?

My students were asking me about my Sunset Yoga on the Bay class. I’ve spent the last eight months building this lovely community and outdoor class from 6-7pm on Thursdays. They were wondering if I was going to cancel the class when it got dark. The question sparked a tinge of anxiety within me. Many of my students can’t come any earlier because of their work schedule and the commute. I certainly didn’t want to lose this group and this experience, but I knew that as a yogi, I needed to be open to change and the flow of time.

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(I was featured as a guest blogger on BeYogi.com).

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After all of this reflection, I decided to keep the time of my weekly yoga class the same, but change the style of the class to a Moonlight Meditative Flow, adding some flickering orange-colored solar-charged tiki torches and tealights for extra effect. The reflections of the water of the bay remind us to focus on our cooling flowing breaths. The orange color of the second chakra is the color of new beginnings and balance!

Slip on these Moon Salutation Yoga Leggings to remind you to do yoga afterwork!

Also, check out my Moon Salutations 10-Minute Video for FREE!

I plunge my spoon into the glistening vanilla chocolate swirl, being careful to catch a drop of whipped cream as I lift it up to my lips.

Oh, the bliss! My taste buds dance throughout my mouth. I go in for another, then another. Suddenly its gone. My 18 euro elegant ice cream sundae disappeared in minutes. I want more… but do I need more?

Well, technically, I didn’t need it in the first place. Now my heart is racing from a sugar overload. I want to lie down for a nap, but I’m a least an hour train ride away from my hostel in Nice.

I am standing in the land of excess. I look around me. My environment has triggered a desire for more. I’ve never seen such numerous massive yachts congregated in the same bay. There must be at least 100 of them glistening in the sunshine with the backdrop of the intense cobalt blue French Riviera. Everything shouts too much!

With 37,800 citizens, Monaco is the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. Commonly referred to as the playground for the rich and famous and made up of 30% millionaires, real estate on this .78 square miles runs at an average of $58,300 per square meter!

Monaco from my visit in 2011

However, Monegasques are not the only ones who indulge in excess. For those living in the United States (and other first world countries) it is clear that we do not have a realistic idea of what is enough. Western civilization has been culturally conditioned to focus on what we don’t have, rather than appreciating what we’ve already received or achieved. Everywhere we turn there are ads aimed at selling us bigger cars, bigger homes, and more. The definition of need has transformed drastically. Want and need have become equivalent. What are our real needs?

Almost everyone who reads this blog is rich.

You may not think so in the moment, but if you have a computer or smart phone, you are living in abundance. Let’s put things in perspective for a moment. Did you know that over 75 percent of the world’s population doesn’t have their basic needs met for clean water, food, and shelter? On the flip side, western countries have a huge excess of food.

Excess means that we have too much and we get distracted from our purpose.

We also have an excess of unwanted byproducts of our culture, such as pollution. While many of today’s problems seem to arise from scarcity, in the form of not enough money, many of our problems are quite the opposite: problems of excess.

Real scarcity means that we do not have enough to get by. This creates the weird global paradox: half of the world is starving to death, the other half eating themselves to death. They are tested with poverty; we are tested with plenty.

This Thanksgiving holiday is a reminder to pause and realize our plenty. Most of us celebrate this excess with our family in the form of a large harvest feast. We typically eat turkey, mashed potatoes, decadent green been casserole and pumpkin pie until we pass out or want to vomit. Why do we keep eating? What is enough?

Let’s go back to the decadent ice cream sundae. To every decision that we make, there are consequences. Sometimes we celebrate these results, and sometimes we regret. Eating ice cream did feel great per my taste buds at the moment, but I was doing damage to my blood sugar levels, emotional mood (tired), and my wallet.

The occasional feast or excess does serve a purpose; as does the occasional fast. By plunging into one extreme for a short period, we can recognize the value of staying centered and balanced.

When we wait until our stomach is growling or our nerves are worked up, it’s hard to try to make a good decision about what to eat and how much of it to consume in one setting; we often make poor decisions that go along with the phrase, “my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”

Pumpkin Pie drawing by Hannah Faulkner
Symbolic of our excess

In yoga philosophy, Tapas refers to the activity of controlling our inner urges of more.

When we live in an environment of plenty, we need to learn to set boundaries for ourselves.

We should only consume what we can burn, in terms of energy. When we overindulge, we are not acting in consciousness and awareness of our own body. We should use this tapas concept, self-discipline, to plan out our healthy meals ahead of time, so that we do not lose ourselves to our greedy ego in the moments of desire. By developing habits of eating balanced proportions, we can choose quality instead of quantity. Fresh and Fit Meals is an excellent way to plan your balanced meals in advance.

On the flip side, have you ever opened your refrigerator and thought, “I have nothing to eat in here,” when in fact you had many food items, but you were being blind to your excess? I did this the other day when my normal breakfast routine of salad with arugula, egg, avocado, and feta was not available. When I looked a little closer, I realized that I had plenty of ingredients that I could mix together to form a balanced meal. It just required a bit of creativity and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

So, why did I think that there was nothing to eat in the first place? Who was the voice telling me that I did not have enough?

This voice of scarcity is our ego. We all have an ego, but when we let it rule us, our lives spin out of control. The ego works together with fear. This fear manifests in the voice that roars, “I need more.”

We overindulge to fill a greater hole within ourselves, discontent. Maybe we have memories of hunger or poverty in our early childhood and we fear that we will have that unpleasant feeling again. The truth is, having an uncomfortable hungry feeling helps us to put food in perspective. Food is not meant to be our entertainment. It’s energy that is meant to nourish our bodies and minds so that we can live a productive life of purpose.

So, before you reach for your second serving of mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie, just pause and ask yourself, “Why do I need that excess? If you do give into the ego, then let this be a valuable lesson to yourself by tuning in to how your body feels afterwards. Do you still feel joyful and at peace, or do you feel guilty, tired, and grumpy? Are you operating under a mindset of scarcity or gratitude?

Oprah Winfrey states, "Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough."

At this year’s thanksgiving feast, my goal is to scoop up small portions, and slowly eat small bites. I’m going to pause with a deep breath of awareness and gratitude with every bite. I want the focus to be on engaging in conversations with my family and friends and spend my energy being conscious in the present moment, sharing joy and peace with those around me.

The practice of yoga helps us to tap into this gratitude and awareness as we focus on our breath and alignment. As long as we are still living, we can be grateful for our breath!

Twisting Boat with hands at Heart's Center
we are reminded to be grateful for our challenges and struggles as an opportunity to grow!

Along the same lines, one of yoga’s philosophical fathers, Pantajali, created a framework of guidelines to help us be more in touch with the joy and love that is within all of us. As I mentioned above, one of the Niyamas, guidelines for self-discipline, is tapas which controls how we consume and exert energy.

Another one of these rules is living a life of santosha, meaning contentment. Santosha signifies being happy with what we have rather than being unhappy about what we don't have.

We can minimize our hardships by focusing solely on everything that brings us joy. Even our struggles and challenges have a silver lining. When was the last time that you paused to appreciate the people that you passed on the street, the road that you walked on, the cars that let you merge into a different lane, the street signs and Google Maps that make it easy for you to know where you’re going, the rain that’s nourishing and plants and trees, etc?

If you'd like to learn more about Santosha, check out my mini yoga video course, Lessons from Abroad: Salzburg, where the focus is gratitude.

More about Monaco next week...

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.

Donate Here

BbAs 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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Get Leggings

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

Generosity.com

"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.

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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 will you find a balance between getting your basic needs met without 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. Elizabeth Gilbert proclaims in Big Magic that we all have a creative side, even though our mediums and outlets vary from writing, painting, designing, engineering, cooking, dancing, singing, speaking, coding, baking, acting, or even bedazzling your ox. She remarks, “To even call somebody ‘a creative person’ is almost laughably redundant; creativity is the hallmark of our species. We have the senses for it; we have the curiosity for it; we have the opposable thumbs for it; we have the rhythm for it; we have the language and the excitement and the innate connection to divinity for it…The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them…Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?”

What are your current creative goals? Will you make time and develop courage for it?

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.

What changes will you make to your eating and exercising routines?

In 2017, I want to learn more about what we eat in term of energetic properties. I’ve started reading a book about Ayurveda called Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom by Acharya Shunya 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.

How can you improve your awareness through breathing and finding commonality?

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 during 2016. In 2017, I will be teaching at an international yoga convention in Amorgos, Greece. I could let nerves and fear mess me up, but instead I'm going to focus on feeling comfortable with this communication experience with positive expression and faith that my words will be well recieved.

When our 5th Chakra is balanced and centered, we take responsibility for our own needs with truthful confession. We practice conscious listening and calmly give and receive constructive crtiicism.

In what ways can you grow in your speaking and listening practices?

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.

How can you see the world in a different life?

What is your vision for 2017?

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.

How will you stay connected to all living beings?

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

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!

Please share your highlights of 2016 and goals for chakra balancing in 2017 in the comments section below!

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 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.

.
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

Photo Credit: The Positive Pear

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: The Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual 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 human bodies are 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!

Also, grab a pair of my newest leggings design, a watercolor and ink rendering of the Caryatids of Erechtheion!

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"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 we promenade from the villages of Tholaria to Lagada, on the bay of Aegiali, our path is lined with a spectacular array of color. Yellow, red, purple, pink, and white patterns sprinkle throughout the green hillsides. I stop and kneel down to admire the variety of shapes, shades, textures, and scents of these wildflowers that chose to shine for us in this very moment.

In spring, the Greek island of Amorgos is covered with wild flowers like daisies, poppies, chrysanthemums, traveller's joys (Clematis viticella), chamomiles, hollyhocks, and Persian cyclamens as this island is known for its wide variations of herbs and plants. It is believed that Amorgos received its name from the flower “Amorgos”. This flower was used during antiquity to produce gossamer tunic which was colored deeply red.

The landscape of Amorgos is unspoiled and so dominated by mountains that in the old days, there was no road connecting east and west and each village had its own currency. This place is kept very natural (secluded with no airport and limited accommodations). There are six hundred species of flora that grow here. Many of these herbs, like sage and rosemary, are used to produce essential oils, through distilling processes, for beverages, medicine, and cosmetics.

In fact, the term, Wild Flower, can refer to the flowering plant as a whole, even when not in bloom, and not just the flower. For this reason, we can be reminded of the whole circle of life, growth, and involvement of the Elements- starting as a seed that has landed in soil (Earth), then being rained on (Water), sprouts above the soil (Air), and gains energy from the sun (Fire), after opening wide in the form of a flower (Space), flows back into the soil and starts the process, slowly throughout the seasons.

When we take the time to notice and appreciate the wonders of the natural world, we are also celebrating the spiritual energy that connects us with all living things. We can become connected and nourished with a sense of awe that there is a greater power that governs the Universe.

Fun Variation of "Flower" Pose at Fun Yoga in the Park!

The fifth Niyama, the 2nd Limb of Yoga Philosophy, is Isvarapranidhana, which is about celebration of the spiritual and surrendering to the higher power. Throughout yoga philosophy ancient texts and contemporary thought, there is an underlying idea that something bigger, more profound and pure exists other than ourselves, our egos. This higher power has many different interpretations, or names, depending on your cultural background or preference: God, The Universe, The Divine Light Within, The Self, Unchanging Reality, The Teacher.

We can make a conscious decision to look for the spiritual in everything and everyone that we encounter. We can see the energy vibrating from the tree, flower, or creature and appreciate the miracle that is our environment, nurturing it through awareness.

Celebrating the natural world and spiritual awe through painting at my Balance Retreat in Julian!

Further, spring is a time for new beginnings. Many cultures mark the spring equinox by celebrating the resurrection of life after the gloom of winter. Read more in my blog post, Easter Island and Celebration of the Spiritual. We can also look at the Spring season as a chance to find balance as we notice the balance between the sun and the moon, darkness and light, activity and reflection.

We should pause and take time to blossom by allowing creativity to flow through our second chakra, an energy source in our sacral region that is related to creating new life and expressions. We all have the ability to create. If you think you are not a creative person, try these twisting yoga poses to cleanse out those blocked negative thoughts and discover an outlet that meets your unique experience. To learn more about our creative potential, I highly recommend the latest book by Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic.

Twisting Yoga Poses to release creativity in your Second Chakra!

Twisting High Lunge- Parivrtta Anjaneyasana

Revolved Standing Forward Bend- Parivrtta Uttanasana

Sacral Chakra, Orange Energy

Twisting to Cleanse for Creation

In mid-March of 2017, I was trekking through Sagarmatha National Park on my way to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. We stayed at a teahouse in Dingboche and my room was seperated from the dining room. After eating dinner and playing some card games with the rest of the group, I decided it was time to rest up for the next day. Without a flashlight or any other lamps, I stepped outside and was surprised at how bright it was. I stopped and looked up.

Gasping in awe, I noticed layers and layers of white dots in this clear mountain sky. As a city gal, there are usually not many visible stars on an average night. My eyes scanned the heavens, I tried to search for something to make sense of it all, determining that some stars were shining brighter than others. I was looking for shapes that I could relate to. Orion and his belt was the first shape that stood out. Three bright stars in a row, floating in the middle of a trapezoid featuring the bright stars of Betelgeuse and Bigel. Then I realized that I don't know that much about the constellations or the names of stars...

How often do you pause and look up at the night sky?

Do you notice that the sky is endless with billions of swirling balls of fire?

Many ancient cultures would spend time mapping out the relationships of these stars according to our human eye, placing them on a single plane and connecting the dots. We call this map, constellations, a system for us humans here on earth to try to make sense of the vast space that extends out from earth in every direction.

Ancient yoga philosophers also pondered our relationship with the stars. In Pantajali’s Yoga Sutras, he points out that gaining knowledge of the movement of the stars and solar systems can be included in meditation practice. Further, in Yoga sutra 3.41, he states, “Master the breath and your body will shine with the radiance of a star.”

To become more in touch with your own star-like qualities and radiance, I recommend the pranayama, breathing technique, called the Breath of Fire. To perform Breath of Fire, you can sit comfortably in sukhasana, or a more challenging position like Navasana (boat). With a strong and quick inhale through your nose, expand your entire core, and on a quick exhale through your nose, pull all of your muscles and organs inward, pushing the air out quickly. This high-energy exercise builds heat in your solar plexus chakra and activates a higher state of consciousness. Continue this breathing for a minimum of one minute, then build up to 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or even 10 minutes in the future. Set a timer or count each breath.

This technique not only strengthens and balances your nervous system, but as I learned from Tommy Rosen at the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh, it also can help overcome addiction (when you practice this every time you are getting a craving), and helps to fight cancer and disease by allowing more healing oxygen into your system. Yes, this can be challenging, but it is through overcoming obstacles that we also overcome the ego, little by little. This part of ourselves wants to keep us from living a peaceful and happy life. I’ve recently incorporated this technique into part of my new morning meditation routine and I hope you will to.

Sukasana (Easy Sitting Pose)

Navasana (Boat Pose)

To learn more life-enhancing breathing techniques, I highly recommend this beautiful and intricate book called, The Power of Breath: Yoga Breathing for Inner Balance, Health and Harmony by Swami Saradananda. She gives more detailed instructions on activating you inner fire and motivation as she calls this technique, Bellows Breath, Bhastrika, as well as techniques for boosting energy, reducing stress, and much more!

In the San Diego region of Southern California, a group of nomadic tribes have mapped out the stars into characters and shapes that they understand from this perspective on earth. They call this My Uuyow, meaning "sky knowledge". Kumeyaay sand paintings and rock art often modeled the passage of the sun, moon, and constellations.

In celebration of Earth Day, we can also note how the traditional Kumeyaay way of life made such remarkable use of the natural resources in their local area in present day San Diego County. They wove complicated baskets out of pine and willow to use for food preparation, storage, and even gifts. They used wooden sticks for hunting and shovels. Further, coiled pots were rolled from clay of the local streams and rivers for water storage and cooking.

The Kumeyaay also believe that the Kwellyap Ketull (North Star) at the center of the night sky keeps watch over all human activities. Often recognized as the Pole Star, or Polaris in much of the western world, many cultures look to this point as the guiding star of the night for navigation.

In Hatha Yoga Philosophy, we strive to find a balance in right and left, forward and back, as well as up and down. Likewise, the Kumeyaay constellation of Llykuushirra (known as Cassiopeia in the western world) meaning Racer Snake, with its red and black patterns, represents the masculine and feminine sides of things like the day and night, sun and the moon, and yang and yin.

Racer Snake Pattern- Photo Credit: Paleo Planet

Kumeyaay Constellations
Photo Credit: San Diego Musuem of Man

Similarly, the Rattlesnake symbolizes the conveyer of punishment, for improper conduct. In yoga philosophy, we sometimes refer to this concept as karma. Positive thoughts and actions lead to positive results, and negative thoughts and actions lead to negative results.

Many of us are familiar with Orion and his belt, one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky. The Kumeyaay people divided these dots into shapes of a Hunter (Kwechnyay) and the belt area into a Mountain sheep (Emuu), which represents following the right path in life, even though it may be more difficult. Emmu (Mountain Sheep) combined with the Shuluk (Lightening) mark the solstices.

Lightening Bolt Yoga Pose

Teaching Mountain Sheep Pose at the International Yoga Convention in Amorgos, Greece

To learn more about yoga poses that relate to the Kumeyaay Constellations, join us on Saturday, April 22nd from 8:30-9:30am as I teach a yoga flow class inside the San Diego Museum of Man in accordance with Yoga One. Tickets are only $10. Save your spot here!

Also, stay tuned for a local San Diego spiritual retreat to Kumeyaay Campground in June 2017 for hiking, meditation, yoga, discussions and more!

"I think I’m going to Die!

I think I’m going to Die!!!"

This phrase keeps repeating over and over again in my head as I struggle to take another lunge-like step up the steep and jagged Nangkartshang Peak, also known as Nangkart Tshang. There’s not even a trail on this black mountain! Although it is technically a sub-peak of a higher ridge, it turns into a razor sharp knife edge and requires technical climbing gear after the false summit.

Not only do I feel like I’m going to fall, as my feet make quick and slippery decisions on where to step on or between rocks, but my heart is pounding faster than I can count. It feels like it’s going to explode!

Dingboche village with black mountain, Nangkartshang Peak, covered by the clouds

Today, March 15, 2017, was supposed to just be an “acclimation day” on the sixth day of the Everest Base Camp Trek with Mosaic Adventures. Typically, when we humans travel to higher altitudes (over 6,500 feet), our bodies take about two weeks to complete the acclimation process. Starting the trek in Lukla, Nepal, at around 8,500 feet, we made our way slowly up to this village at 14,469 feet, in four days.

However, this morning, our group ascended a steep hill for about two hours, then returned back down to camp, our teahouse accommodation in Dingboche. My roommate, Zoe, and I decided that we had nothing to do in this very small village, so we might as well just climb a little higher.

The point where Zoe and I decided to climb a little higher.
Photo Credit: Mandi Thorpe

However, after about 15 minutes of further ascent, a windchill of minus 5 degrees Farenheit, swallows us into a blizzard!
There’s got to be another word for this kind of cold!
Freezing doesn’t work either.
This is 37 degrees chillier than that!
My scarf around my chin is now frozen from my breath. It’s no longer doing it’s job of protecting my face!

Our guide, disappeared into the blizzard up ahead. I can’t even see farther than 20 feet in front of me! I look back at Zoe.
“Should we keep going?” I yell.
“A little further” She utters.
“Do you want to lead?”
No, just keep going.” Zoe urges.

We were caught in a paradox. The faster you move, the warmer your body feels. Also, the faster you move, the faster your heart beats, and it can only beat so fast.

Our heart is an adaptable organ and its function is to provide our organs and tissues with oxygenated blood and return deoxygenated blood to our lungs to become oxygenated again. In 32 degrees Farenheit at sea level, there is approximately 21% effective oxygen in the air. However, where we are now, on this cold mountain above 16000 feet, there is less than 11%. Therefore, our hearts need to beat twice as fast because of the density of oxygen present in the surrounding air. At 15,000 feet, our heart rate increases 50% higher than its regular sea level rate and increases even more with dropping temperatures. When we complete the acclimation process (after two weeks in high altitudes), our resting heart rate decreases and returns back to the same heart rate values that we had at our original altitude (i.e. home or where we were adjusted to before this experience).

This struggle to stay alive on Nangkartshang Peak is real and I’m not exaggerating. Many other adventurers experience the same difficulty in these conditions. The Walking Englishman claims, “It is a brutal ascent one that would have been hard enough in our beautiful Lake District but here with very little oxygen is proving to be very tough indeed. Only six of the sixteen of us make it to the summit and I do not mind saying with 400ft to go I stopped every thirty or forty paces, this is murder especially with this bloody cold. It is so hard, so hard, with no oxygen. Just trying to keep my heart inside my body is hard, its pounding within my chest enough to feel with my heavily gloved hand. I drink more water wishing I had taken Diamox but it is all too late by now and would do me no good at all.”

As I pause, gasping for a few deep breaths, I remember the mantra, "Bistari, bistari", that the Himalayan guides chant throughout each day of the trek. This means "slowly, slowly" to calm our hearts and our breath.

The word Prāṇāyāma, what we yogis know as breathing exercises (from the 4th Limb of Pantajali’s Path to Enlightenment), derives from the Sanskrit words prāna and ayāma, translating as "life force" and "expansion." Pranayama is considered to be one of the highest forms of purification and self-discipline for the mind and the body.

Photo Credit: Amrita Yoga

Prana can be understood by us westerners with the word Oxygen. Prana enters the body through the breath and is sent to every cell through the circulatory system. Prāṇa ultimately relates to the beating of the heart and breathing. Without it, we will die within minutes. In fact, some humans (currently dozens to hundreds worldwide) can actually live on Prana alone. This lifestyle called Living on Prana, or Breathariansim has been documented for thousands of years. This is described in the Yoga Sutras as Pada 111.30: liberation from hunger and thirst (As a disclaimer, there have been multiple reports of deaths occurring as a result of people engaging in this practice, and there is much more involved with your intentions and prana practice, than simply refraining from eating or drinking)

Process of transition to Living on Prana
Photo Credit: Collective Evolution

The word Air comes from the Latin word spirare. Its fundamental importance to life can be seen in words such as inspire, perspire and spirit.

Therefore our spirit (breath or life force) has the power to inspire us to perspire, or go a little further than our comfort zone!

Scott Carney’s book, What Doesn't Kill Us explores the true connection between the mind and the body and reveals the science that allows us to push past our apparent limitations. Our ancestors crossed deserts, mountains, and oceans in a variety of altitudes and weather conditions. Those achievements of strength now seem impossible in an age where we take comfort for granted. Carney explains further, “much of the developing world—no longer suffers from diseases of deficiency. Instead we get the diseases of excess…We’re being eaten by cancer, by diabetes, and our own immune systems. There’s no wolf to run from, so our bodies eat themselves.” Carney encourages that through breath control and cold-training we can dramatically enhance energy levels, improve circulation, reduce stress, boost the immune system, strengthen the body and successfully combat many diseases.

Similarily the survival expert and one of my favorite heroes, Bear Grylls, teaches in A Survival Guide for Life, “whenever you do something beyond your ‘comfort zone’ and realize you are still standing, the more you will believe that the impossible is actually possible. And on the road to success, belief is everything...we all have much further to push ourselves than we might initially imagine. Inside us all, just waiting to be tested, is a better, bolder, braver version of who we think we are.”

At the trekker's peak of black mountain we were overcome with lightness and joy, knowing that we were now stronger, braver, and more in touch with our spirit!

Do you ever hear a song that evokes a strong urge toward a particular path in life?

Do these sounds connect somehow with your inner knowing?

Last year, I came across Karunesh when I was searching for songs to play for my ancient India yoga sequence. After a life-changing accident and journey to India, Bruno Reuter changed his name to Karunesh, meaning compassion in Sanskrit. His music has strong Indian, African, Australian, Native American/Aboriginal music of Canada, and Middle Eastern influences prevalent throughout the use of Indian instruments such as the sitar along with violin, didgeridoo, bouzuki, Native American flute, Chinese temple flutes, tamboura, bamboo flute, and various world percussion instruments.

The song, Calling Wisdom, was so powerful that it almost floored me. It was calling me to India. It confirmed what I already knew, that I needed to make a pilgrimage to this motherland of yoga, so I decided to attend the 32nd Annual International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh (the yoga capital of the world) this March, 2017.

As I began to make preparations for this trip, it turned into a journey around the world with an opportunity to also teach at the first annual Elysia International Yoga Convention in Greece.

The costs of this adventure started adding up and I decided to ask for donations. Appropriately, I couldn’t imagine any other song representing this experience than Calling Wisdom.

If you like reading my blogs, it’s not too late to help me pay off this trip. I’m still accepting dontations…

Along the Holy Ganges River, on May 1st, as 1,000 yogis from around the world (100 countries) were flowing into a Downward Facing Dog…the sounds of Calling Wisdom vibrated into my heart. I began to weep tears of joy. At that moment, I knew for sure that this is where I was meant to be. I had never heard this song being played anywhere except on the Spotify Playlist that I created. Hearing this song here in at the International Yoga Festival in India was a symbol, a message to me from the Universe.

Surprisingly, the word wisdom means the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience. I connected with the sounds of this song throughout my planning (decision) and taking action (experiencing yoga in India). Further, it has been said, “It is good to be clever but better to be wise for wisdom is the core essence of the Universe.”

Almost 6 weeks later, at the International Yoga Convention in Amorgos Greece, I was practicing Shiatzu in Andy Butterfield’s workshop when again Calling Wisdom permeated into my being. Once again I was filled with a sense of knowing. I felt a deep warmth and joy knowing that I was living up to my purpose.

I’ve been home for three weeks now and in effort to stay connected with that wisdom and core essence, I play the song every morning at the end of my meditation practice and hold an inversion for the whole 5 minutes and 33 seconds.

An inversion is any pose where the heart is above the head. This position encourages blood flow throughout the entire body, boosting the immune system and circulating energy. It also changes our perspective of the world. The added blood flow to the face, combined with intense focus, adds a youthful afterglow to our complexion as well as a calmer overall demeaner.

Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog is my “go to” inversion and what I believe to be the most well-rounded yoga posture for strength, stretching, and resetting the nervous system. This pose targets your upper and lower body at the same time, so you’ll feel it in your hands, arms, shoulders, back, calves, hamstrings and even the arches of your feet. It is also one of the safest and most accessible ways to practice being upside down.

To get into the pose, start in a table top position, knees aligned under hips and wrists under shoulders. Spread your fingers wide and point the index fingers forward. Press all areas of your hand into your mat or the earth- fingertips, knuckles, and palms. Then, tuck your toes and lift your hips. Reach your inner thighs up to the sky and send your heart back towards your thighs. Descend through your heels only if you can keep a long spine. Wrap your outer armpits towards the ground and relax your head. Start with one minute, then build up to 5 or more. Play your favorite peaceful song and focus on the vibrations of the sounds. Don’t forget to breathe slow inhales and equally slow exhales.

Twisting Downward-Facing Dog at the Red Fort, Agra, India

On average, individuals who use inversions as part of a daily yoga practice find that they have an easier ability of staying positive and light hearted throughout the day. I highly recommend joining me in a long Downward Facing Dog or other inversion of you choice to feel for yourself the overwhelming joy and soundness (connectivity) that comes from applying this experience of wisdom.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
― Lao Tzu

This year, one of my new year’s goals was to “go with the flow”, specifically, the spiritual current. As I was in the process of planning my epic adventure around the world, I knew that I didn’t have control over everything that would happen. I have a tendency to over-plan for trips, including things to do each day, but with this trip, since there were so many transitions to different cities and countries, I tried to keep the planning to a minimum.

When I got to Thailand, the only thing I wanted to do in Krabi was to kayak around the huge limestone cliff islands called karsts. Fortunately, I didn’t have to look far for a tour as my hostel featured a sunset kayaking trip every Wednesday. I quickly signed up for this opportunity.

The next morning, Wednesday, was a warm 80 degrees Fahrenheit with partly cloudy skies. I strolled up and down the beach, dodging the reach of monkeys with my watermelon smoothie. I was captivated by the beauty of this spectacular unique backdrop and I couldn’t wait to get a closer look.

I visualized this upcoming experience… with the sun shining down on me, I’ll receive a soft bronze glow and I’ll playfully cool myself off while splashing the oar through the bay. I longed to learn the mysteries of these every-changing forms made of earth and vegetation.

At three o’clock, I arrived ready in my bikini and floral bodysuit. A few others sat down beside me on the hostel lobby bench. I looked out the window as I squinted. Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or does the sky seemed darker than it did earlier today?

Then, thunder shook me out of my seat and streams of water began plummeting from the sky!

Uhhh…I guess this means we’re going to cancel the kayaking trip. I was thoroughly bummed, but I kept looking out the window hoping that it would stop any minute now. Lucy said that this happened yesterday afternoon, but it only lasted about 20 minutes.

Just then, the tour truck showed up and the leader told us all to pile into the back.
Wait a second! We’re actually going to partake in a kayaking tour during this monstrous storm???

Did I mention that I’m from San Diego and it rarely rains? It’s a semi-arid climate, when it does rain, some people decide to just stay home because of panic. The roads turn into scary seas that require unknown skills. Most of us don’t even own umbrellas, rain jackets or rain boots.

This action of stepping from the hostel into the truck completely drenched me. My inner ego screamed into my head, “I don’t like being wet!”

I still can’t believe that we piled into the back of a truck and were on our way to go kayaking in the rain!

Attuning into the feel of my skin, I noticed the day’s contrast; what started as a warm blanket of humidity has turned into a biting chill in the air. Although my chin was chattering, I tried to think higher thoughts… remember that you just survived hiking through a blizzard in minus five degrees Farenheit. Oh ya, I almost forgot about that. This is actually pretty warm. It’s all relative…

We paired off, climbed into tandum boats, and started paddling. Not only were we paddling on the water, but the water was completely saturating us, running down through our hair, our face, arms, and legs.

These grey clouds also took the blue out of the sky’s reflection. This is not at all the picture I had dreamed about in my expectations, my reason for visiting the gorgeous islands of Krabi.

The sky broke the silence with a roar of thunder and electric white jolts of lightening scattered all around us. We were caught in the heart of this storm. Electromagnetic energy was swirling all around us! Sounds and Light: Fire, Space, and Water all colliding.

Photo Credit: Loehr Lightening

I knew at this point I had a choice. I could choose light or darkness, positivity or negativity. I could absolutely freak out, panic, and worry, telling people that we need to go back, this isn’t safe, or I could go with the flow and try to enjoy myself. In yoga philosophy, we refer to water as part of the personal observance of cleansing. This Niyama (according to Pantajali’s 8 Limbed Path to Enlightenment), saucha, is not just for cleaning the outside of the body but also for revitalizing the inner mind.

Further, the Element of Water represents our ability to feel and adapt. A little discomfort is not enough for me to loose my inner joy and peace. I felt the wetness of my skin and hair, and then I chose to adapt to the situation.

I decided to be brave and breathe through my natural fear of danger. We can cultivate the positive qualities of Water through deliberate movement. The flow of water (spiritual current) is supported by repetition in simultaneous movement between breath and body. I directed my attention to my breath and movement of my arms on the oar. Inhale as I bring the right side of the oar into the water, and exhale onto the left side. I found a peace in being focused on this present action.

At one point we were going against the current and when we looked at the strip of land next to us, it appeared that we weren’t going anywhere, but instead just wasting our energy. Our goal was to make it to the lagoon. Lucy and I just kept paddling slow and steady with our breath, choosing to look forward and not be discouraged by looking to the side. We watched as other panicked and yelled that there was no hope. They tried to get out of the boat to attempt to push it through the current. We paddled on in quiet patience.

After over an hour of paddling, we finally made it into the lagoon, but only to find that the tide was too low for us to move any further. Our kayak came to a thud into a bank of mud. The leaders shouted to us that this was a great place to take a break and enjoy a beverage and a snack, provided by management.

As I climbed out of the kayak, I was met with terror! My foot started sinking inches and then feet into this mushy quicksand! What if this “island” of mud swallows me up whole? Is this like the quicksand in the movies? My heart was beating fervently and I almost let panic sink in. Then I stopped and looked around me.

The cliffs were breathtaking! Karst landscapes feature limestone cliffs and caves that were formed by erosion of acid rain. I admired each crevasse and bend in the stone. With an array of brown and green shades and tints. These symbols of change and flow prompted me to once again go with the flow. The Universe brought me here for a reason. There is something for me to learn.

Water dripped off the surfaces as pieces of sand fell with it back down into the lagoon. In this process, the landscape is everchanging because of the water. In the words of the ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, “There is nothing is permanent except change.”

Did I mention that this tour was somehow 95% boys? They took a different approach to this seemingly miserable obstacle. They started wrestling and racing. Who can get the most covered in mud? This scene brought laughter to my heart.

I never would have planned a situation to go like this, but this surprise encourages me to look for the silver-lining in every situation. I am now a stronger version of myself. I know that I can be wet, cold, tired, and scared, but still smile, laugh, and have gratitude for this body and life.

I know that I can handle whatever is thrown at me. We can manifest water through the processes of entering and leaving, or arriving and departing. Whatever challenge that I face, is placed in my path for growth along this journey that we call life.

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
― Lao Tzu

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