Half Moon Yoga and Art

Connecting with external elements, like stones, helps us to internalize positive energies and eliminate negative ones.

When we arrived at 1:44am on April 6th by ferry onto the island of Amorgos, Greece, we were greeted warmly with hugs by Mat Turner, the concierge and one of the founding organizers within the Elysia Yoga Convention team. Yogis and spiritual seekers from around the world were gathered here for the first international yoga convention in all of Greece.

After a short bus ride up to the 5-star Aegialis Hotel and Spa, we were welcomed further by the CEO, Irene Giannakopoulos, with tastes of the local wine and pastries. Excitement was in the air. Mat explained to us that we were in a very special place. This island has been famous for its positive energy since antiquity.

I was now on the sixth week of my adventure around the world, I had been sharing rooms in hostels, ashrams, and tea houses through five countries, and I still had another 2 weeks of traveling ahead of me. I met so many amazing people, places, and ideas. My mind was spinning with inspiration, but I officially missed home and the comfort of quiet relaxation. I needed some time to regain composure and develop more stability. I quickly realized that Aegialis Hotel and Spa is the perfect setting for grounding and feeling at home.

Mat Turner

Irene Giannakopoulos

Upon entering our room, Kelly Trifilo and I noticed an angular rock sitting on our beds. What’s this? This orangish-brown crystal fit comfortably in the palm of my hand. I’ve heard about crystals having special powers or energies, but since I hadn’t experienced or tuned into an experience with them before, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. A small rectangular piece of paper rested underneath the stone explaining its importance and ability to protect and ground one physically and spiritually. These Smoky Quartz crystals were hand collected by the Elysia team from the steep mountains of Amorgos island!

After a brief four hours of excited sleep, I jumped out of bed and pulled the curtains back. Indeed, a room with a view! I stood breathlessly captivated for minutes, trying to soak up this incredible beauty. The beach below had the most incredible visibility, beyond the clarity depths of any bay that I had seen before.

According to the book, Healing with Form, Energy, and Light: The Five Elements, “Many of us live out of touch with the power of the natural world, knowing it as something fenced in parks and tamed in gardens…but, if we relate to the natural world as alive, full of spirits and elemental beings, the natural world speaks to us.”

Outside of Amorgos, our modern world is an obstruction on the spiritual path and when we become consumed in it, it’s easy to lose the sense of the sacred. When we see and accept pure natural beauty, our life-force is enhanced as our whole body responds for healing and regeneration.

Untouched by modern technology until about 35 years ago, Amorgos meets the description as an ideal location for natural connection and balance. This physical environment includes a land where the earth is fertile and healthy, the water plentiful and pure, the air clean and fresh, and the temperature moderate. The elements are ideally balanced. In a place like Amorgos, we can live happily in nature with little material wealth and few friends, yet remain stable, centered, and flexible.

Because of the sparse ferry schedule, many tourists are deterred from the 8-hours ride into the night to visit this island. But when we consciously decide to arrive here, our concern for the world environment is also stimulated. We realize how the natural world should look and how we have abused our resources.

The smoky quartz is also known for inspiring ecological solutions as this mineral honors connection with Mother Earth. Correspondingly, each year, the hotel hosts the International Convention on Sustainable Tourism and Culture YPERIA.

Further, these crystals are believed to offer protection and retreat. Aegialis Hotel and Spa was built on and around these smoky quartz. These walls offered a protection and retreat from the winds and storms of the seas as well as the fiery heat of midday sun. The bed was the most comfortable that I have ever experienced. The white comforter matched the white walls, white villages, white sheep and white clouds!

White is the color (or combined colors) of our crown chakra. The crown chakra is our source of connectivity with our divine and the divine in all things. White light shines through the smoky quartz just as white light illuminates through our crown chakra and all the way down our spinal energy system to the root chakra of grounding and earth. Therefore, the quartz allows us to attune to the light instead of being consumed by delusion of darkness.

During the opening speeches of the Elysia Yoga Convention, Mette Kolding, an actress and life coach from Mount Shasta and Denmark, shared with us the power of yoga in public speaking. She explained that we can transform fear of public humiliation with excitement to share what we know with others. We can take deep yogic breaths to transform any negative nervous fear energy into a calm and open space of compassion and positive energy.

Fear is a survival instinct related to our root chakra and earth element. We naturally want to stay alive and comfortable through earthly substances like food and shelter. Directing our fear into action is what helps us to materialize these substances. In the modern world, we work to make money to buy these basics. Therefore, if we feel nervous about something going wrong with our work, such as a public speaking engagement, our internal earthly element feels imbalanced.

Mette’s message was precisely the reminder that I needed to hear. A few months ago, I was contacted online and invited to teach a yoga class here at this first Elysia Yoga Convention. This would be my first-time teaching at an international event and I was quite nervous. I got to work immediately preparing a special message about greek art and philosophy as it relates to yoga philosophy and poses. I spent most of my time in Athens visiting these sculptures and trying to cram more facts into my mind.

Further, Mette preached through the wise words of one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Gilbert, “Perfectionism is like fear.” Before we speak publicly, there is comfort is preparing our outline and notes, but when we don’t leave room for sleep or balance, our true light has trouble shining through. Instead, we can find a place of “enough” to share and find an innocence that we don’t have to invent or know everything. When fear creeps up through nervousness, we can prepare ourselves with ahimsa or kindness, one of the yamas in yoga philosophy (Pantajali’s 8 Limbed Path of Enlightenment), by acknowledging, accepting, then acting through deep breathing (pranayama).

Later that day, in the comfort and retreat of my room at the Aegialis Hotel, I acknowledged that I was afraid of forgetting some facts or not knowing enough. With the smoky quartz sitting in front of me, I picked up my ipad and researched its meaning. I learned that it is associated with our root chakra and earth element in reaching personal and business goals.

Bringing our focus to the qualities and symbolism involved in our earth energy assists in manifesting dreams and ideas into reality by promoting rational, pragmatic thought processes and improving organization. I realized that I had already done enough thought preparation and organization for my upcoming class. I also accepted that I do not know everything and I decided to stop spending all moments of my free time trying to cram extra information into my brain. I accepted that teaching at this festival was a wonderful and exciting opportunity to share the beauty of connection. I was well prepared and now I needed to leave room to enjoy this present moment in Amorgos. I took a few more deep breaths to let these positive mantras seep in.

As I held the crystal in my hand, I released the negative perfectionist fear energy down into the earth. I cultivated the positive dream of reception and connectivity. When we catch ourselves in the middle of anxious fantasies, we can generate compassionate ones. We can cultivate the positive qualities of the pure elements, such as stability and joy.

“The more balanced our internal elements, the greater our health, and the less balanced, the worse our health. This is true on every level: physical, emotional, psychological, energetic, and spiritual” Healing with Form, Energy, and Light: The Five Elements.

The next morning, I felt confident teaching with my inner joy and light shining through, just as the light shines through the murky orange of the Smoky Quartz. In the Namaste Shala, we soaked in the beauty of this mostly untouched natural landscape. Feeling at home in the yoga community, we took a grounded bow in namaste after imitating the ancient greek dancers sculpture.

After breakfast, we headed out for a hike through fields of wild flowers and encounters with wild creatures. When we are connected with our earth element, we feel a personal pride in walking the earth in human form.

On the last day of the convention, I scheduled a pedicure. I received the comfort and quiet relaxation that I needed. After backpacking for weeks, my feet, an extension of my root chakra energy, were in desperate need of some exfoliation and care. The spa was indeed an extension of home and shelter, helping me to reconnect to the earth element in my body.

The Smoky Quartz is believed to encourage growth, prompt new beginnings, enhance vitality, increase nourishment and inspire abundance. I grew in many ways throughout this spiritual journey and week-long festival. As I’m presented with new opportunities in the form of events, classes, and travel, I will also be sharing more about what I learned on this journey in upcoming blog posts. I felt completely nourished and comforted with the abundant and delicious food offered at Aegialis Hotel and Spa. I’m so grateful for the experience to learn, share, appreciate, and connect with nature, the spiritual, and other human beings.

Thank you Elysia, Aegialis, Amorgos, and all the wonderful people that I encountered on this journey and all of you that are reading this now.

“Transform your home into a sacred space.”
― Marie Kondō, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up:
The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

By foot, planes, and trains, I finally arrived at midnight on April 16, 2017. As I walked up the stairs of my building to my studio apartment on the third floor, I couldn’t believe that I was finally home. I traveled to eight countries in eight weeks, staying in hostels, ashrams, tea houses, friend’s apartments, and hotels. The phrase “home, sweet home” had never felt more alive in my heart.

I fell fast asleep in my comfortable bed, but awoke several times throughout the night. I looked around to figure out where I was. Am I in Naples, Athens, or Rome? No, I recognize these paintings on my wall! I’m HOME! Each time I would be filled with such excitement that it would be hard to fall back to sleep.

Throughout my long journey, I often thought about home. I missed the quiet peace, symbolic reminders, and space to practice yoga and meditation alone. The element of space is sacred and connected with our higher chakras and consciousness (Healing with Form, Energy, and Light: The Five Elements,). The more we integrate with the space element, the clearer and more expansive our awareness becomes. Our life-force is enhanced when we see beauty. Therefore, we should spend time in spaces that are special and beautiful.

Is your home a beautiful and open space?

In this space, do you feel a peaceful connection with inner awareness?

Although I already cherished this beautiful space, I knew that I needed to make some changes to open it up a bit more. I had some clutter and my stuff wasn’t as organized as it could be. Now that I know I can live joyfully with only the items in my backpack, I no longer wanted to be weighed down with excess material things, but I didn’t want to be a complete minimalist either.

My sister, Naomi Vidal, and my best friend, Alexis Burns, both exclaimed that they’ve started reading the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and they recommended it to me. I considered myself a pretty tidy person as I would tidy up or clean at least once a week, but somehow clothes, purses, mail and other junk would seem to stack up on my kitchen table, dining chairs and reading chair. Usually my clothes only felt tidy when they were all in the laundry. It was an ordeal to stuff them back into the drawers and it would often take too long to locate something if I tucked it away.

I started listening to this book on Audible.com and instantly became inspired to start cleansing excess items and reorganizing my space. Marie Kondo encourages us to only keep things that we love. One by one, pick up each object and if it sparks joy then keep it, if it doesn’t, dispose of it. She also recommends disposing of anything that does not fall into one of three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, or must be kept indefinitely.

I learned that tidying up is a transformative process that forces us to take a deeper look at our relationship with the present moment. Are we keeping things that served a purpose in the past or something fearful to discard something that might help us in the distant future? This process is a tool to establish a peaceful lifestyle for the person that we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past. It’s also important to thank objects for the purpose that they have served you then send them off.

Although Marie Kondo made some excellent and useful points, I disagree with some of her discarding principles. I believe that we have a responsibility for what we acquire. It’s important to consider how we dispose of things and where these objects will go now. Try to avoid a landfill as much as possible. This brings us to the popular modern phrase “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” We can take it even further and add re-purpose and re-gift.

When I got to the chapter about books, I took the pile of books that I don’t love down to my building’s community bookshelf. This is like a mini library in which we can all exchange ideas. If your building doesn’t have one of these, some cities have book share boxes located throughout the community. On 4th Avenue in the neighborhood of Banker’s Hill and University Heights of San Diego, I’ve encountered these boxes on my walks. You can leave books or take books that have already served their purpose for other intellectuals’ growth.

Further, many used book stores accept books for a small monetary exchange. Finally, every city has a library that would be happy to accept or sell your books. If you are camping or trekking, paperback pages can be torn out to serve a campfire starters. Magazines can be donated to art programs at local schools and junk mail or old papers can be recycled into toilet paper, paper plates, etc.

Contrary to Marie Kondo’s negative opinion about giving our items away, when we consciously give and donate to other people, these offerings help to develop our capacity for compassion, sensitivity, and generosity. I’m grateful to have grown up with my parents reciting the phrase, “One man’s junk is another’s treasure.” From the book, Healing with Form, Energy, and Light: The Five Elements, “We [should] offer our wastes to whomever can benefit from them.”

Periodically, my girlfriends and I get together to throw a Clothing Exchange Party. We each bring bags of clothes, shoes, and accessories that are no longer serving us. We try things on and go shopping for free in each other’s closets. This exchange is so beautiful as we reuse what is already made. Whatever is left over is donated to our local charity, Goodwill or Salvation Army. Another option is to take clothes or fabrics to your local H&M store where they recycle these fabrics into new trends.

After discarding the excess, it’s time to reorganize what I do love. The chapter on clothing brings a smile to my face every time I open a drawer or the closet door.

Marie Kondo teaches, “The act of folding is far more than making clothes compact for storage. It is an act of caring, an expression of love and appreciation for the way these clothes support your lifestyle. Therefore, when we fold, we should put our heart into it, thanking our clothes for protecting our bodies.”

I learned how to fold my clothes like books and stack them on the edges. When I open the drawer, every shirt, pant or sock is visible and arrange from light to dark. Not only can I see my objects more clearly, but this special arrangement of light to dark also has aesthetic appeal.

Our living space should not only be about beauty, but also about comfort and protection. I finally realized that much of my shoulder pain was coming from my posture as I sat typing in a simple chair in front of my computer. I had been living without a couch for the past 5 years because I thought I didn’t have space or money for one. It didn’t seem like a priority.

Then, I thought about how spacious I would feel if I got to sit in sukhasana pose while typing with my keyboard and mouse resting on a pillow on my lap. I could stretch my legs out to the sides or in front of me when needed. I realized that my posture is certainly a priority and my work space at home needs to honor my body.

So, within minutes of a quick search on the world wide web, I found a charming and simple and firm sofa on Amazon for only $200. It was easily delivered to my door and now my shoulder pain has reduced considerably. It was so easy to move my table to make space by the bay window.

Some of the clothing, books, furniture, and items that I’ve collected over the years do serve a useful, as well as joyful, purpose in creating a beautiful environment of peaceful sanctuary. A sanctuary is a place of refuge, safety, and protection. The original Latin word meant a container for keeping something sacred or holy inside. Therefore, a sanctuary is a container for something of high value. This home space is important as it holds our body and consciousness. It should be regarded with reverence.

I learned in India that its important to keep your spiritual symbols where you can see them. I witnessed many people bowing in reverence to such shrines. These holy places or altars are also called sanctuaries. I returned from my journey with several symbolic reminders to attune into the higher consciousness. These items included an antique Tibetan singing bowl, a hand painted Buddhist Wheel, a smoky quartz crystal, prayer beads, and several books and notebooks. I needed to arrange my space to aesthetically display these important reminders.

Marie encourages, “Most clutter accumulates because things are not returned to where they belong. Hence, designate a specific place for everything. Storage should help you access items more swiftly, not keep them out of sight and mind.” With this inspiration, I ordered some cubicle shelves to place these sacred symbols and precious books that I often refer to. I can easily reach my Tibetan bowl to start my meditation each morning, and place it back where is belongs in front of the Buddhist Wheel painting.

Did you know that energy can be manipulated through symbols?

What kind of energy do you want in your home?

I choose positive, loving, joyful, and peaceful energy every time I look at these shelves and use these objects. Now I have an open space for my morning sunrise meditation and yoga. I’m content with staying home in the evenings as well. Correspondingly, the element of space manifests consciousness strongly from sunset until sunrise.

When the space element is balanced in us, there is room in life; whatever arises can be accommodated. A person with balanced space may work full time, have a family, take care of a home, meditate and engage in spiritual practices, and accommodate everything. There is enough space for everything.

After this home transformation, I invited Alexis over for dinner. While sitting on the new sofa she declared, “You’ve changed. This is incredible to witness.”

I hope you too will take the time to make your home space an environment of high value, a sanctuary of beauty and order.

You can have fun with the element of home space in my yoga online video class, Journey Around my Bedroom from the Finding Peace Course. I'm offering a special this month only for 60% off, that's only $20 for lifetime access to all four yoga classes with supplemental materials like alignment slides and quizzes.

The following is a preview for Journey Around my Bedroom Yoga. However, the schedule is outdated, please view the updated yoga schedule here.

"Besides heat and comfort, the energy of fire has to do with ripening and maturing. Fire purifies through burning negativites." Healing with Form, Energy and Light

Many of us pause to reflect on life and death when someone we know dies. With the death of an extended family member this week, I’m reminded of the strong smell of burning wood from the fires at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Nepal.

In Nepal’s center city (of eighty percent Hindus), I stood on the other side of the river behind Pashupatinath and watched three burning fires. Each fire was the body of a loved one surrounded by the family. These death rituals are open to the public to remind us all that our time here on this material world is short and unknown.

Within minutes to hours after a loved one dies, many Nepalese gather the family and head to the holiest Hindu temple in all of Nepal. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located along the Bagmati River, that eventually flows into the Holy Ganges River in India.

Because the Bagmati is considered a holy river, shortly after death, families take the body to be washed in it. According to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times so that the reincarnation cycle may be ended. After the last visit to the temple, the deceased is covered by a white cloth. Then, the body is placed on a ghat, according to the social hierarchy. There is one space for the royal family, one for rich families with prestige, and others for common people.

Then a pile of wood is ignited near the mouth of the dead body as Hindus believe that the spirit leaves the body through the mouth. In the end, the ashes are eventually pushed into the river below. Many relatives who join the memorial procession also bathe in the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of cremation, as they believe this act will purify their soul.

This last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements: fire, water, earth, air, and space. The element of fire represents a transformation of energy. Our spirit that was living in the material world of our body, moves on to become part of the spirit world, the air, when our body dies.

According to the Yoga Sutras, one of the main causes of suffering is clinging to life. However, when we attune with the bigger picture and higher spiritual energy, we realize that our experience in this body is just one tiny moment of infinity. Just as we came into this body, so we leave it, our soul or inner spirit energy will simply change into another form.

Whenever I see death, I am reminded of how short our life really is. We do not know the day or time that we will leave this body, so we are encouraged to live every moment towards the light. Our third chakra is our fire source of energy that hovers just above our naval. This solar plexus is a mini yellow sun that activates our willpower and discipline to follow our purpose in life.

Middle Eastern poet and philosopher Rumi boldly states, “Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” In other words, live life enthusiastically and transform your energy towards the light of connectivity. This relates to the inspiring words of popular survivalist Bear Grylls, “This is your life. Live it with energy and purpose in the direction that excites you. Listen to your heart, look for your dreams: they are God-inspired.” Fear of death keeps us weighed down to the material world. When we let go of fear, we learn how to truly live.

Photo Credit: The Living Yoga Blog

My Kathmandu city tour guide Keshar Jung Thape, with Mosaic Adventures, informed us that many parents bring their children here to remind them not to steal as we can’t take the material world with us into the spiritual world. Asteya is the fourth Yama of Patanjali’s Path to Enlightenment. These concepts are recommended for virtuous and enlightened living. The practice of asteya stresses that one must not steal, nor have the intent to steal another's property. Desire and envy prompt stealing and they are often disguised in get rich quick schemes or shortcuts, like plagiarism. However, money was designed to be an honest exchange of value in the form of services or goods. Some people view money as a source of power over others. Manipulating this value exchange causes harm to others and therefore is not a practice of the light.

All misappropriation is an expression of a desire for power and a lack of compassion for other beings. Gandhi believed asteya as human right to property without fear. Another perspective of stealing another's property is stealing from one's own potential ability to develop. This concept reminds us of the non-material richness of our lives.

“This is your life. Live it with energy and purpose in the direction that excites you. Listen to your heart, look for your dreams: they are God-inspired.” -Bear Grylls

What is your potential and purpose in this life?

Do you have the inner fire and courage to share your light with others?

At my most recent yoga camping retreat, Natural Connection, we gathered around the campfire and discussed these important prompts with tears of joy and connectivity.

My purpose is to live life to the fullest with curiosity and joy. I take steps of courage to overcome fears and let the light shine of loving connectivity, peace, and joy as far as I can.

Sarve bhavantu sukhinah
Sarve santu niraamayaah
Sarva bhadraani pashyantu
Maa kashchit duhkhabhaag bhavet
Om shaantih shaantih shaantih

“May all be happy. May all be healthy. May all see the divinity in everything.
May there be no unhappiness or sorrow.
Om Peace Peace Peace.”

Quote from the Parmarth Niketan website

The sanskrit symbol of OM (AUM) engraved on the streets of Rishikesh, India

With curiousity and joy, I watched fellow yogis toss flowers into the fire pit. Along the Holy Ganges River, in this ancient Aart ritual, we came together in a spirit of humility and gratitude to be immersed in the elements, God’s divine form. The flowers represent the Earth (prithvi), the Ganges River is the Water element (jal), the fire pit and lamps represent the Fire component (agni), singing is the precious quality of Air (vayu), and Divine presence is the Space (akash) contribution.

“The sunset Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan draws between hundreds and thousands of visitors each day from all cultures, all languages, all religions and all walks of life. Regardless of one’s religion or ability to understand Hindi or Sanskrit, the power of the aarti is universal” (Parmarth Niketan)

In the holy city of Rishikesh, in the Indian Himalayas, over one thousand yogis from one hundred countries around the world gathered at Parmarth Niketan Ashram for this thirty-second Annual International Yoga Festival, during the first week of March 2017, to share our experience with this practice called yoga. The word yoga means to yolk or unite. When we practice the yoga poses or asanas, we are striving to unite our body through strength, flexibility, and balance, but the full practice of yoga aims to unite our minds with our body, each other, and divine consciousness.

In this ceremony, light from wicks, soaked in ghee (purified butter), and set on fire, are offered to the Divine presence. It involves the circulating of an Aarti lamp towards the holy river and is generally accompanied by the congregation singing songs in praise. The purpose of performing aarti is coming together in a spirit of humility and gratitude, to become immersed in God's divine form, the elements.

From the Parmarth website, “The essence of the aarti ceremony is that all day long God offers us light – the light of the sun, the light of life, and the light of His (Her) blessings. Aarti is a time when we say, “Thank You,” and we offer back the light of our thanks, the light of our love and the light of our devotion.”

This divine light ceremony is filled with song, prayer, ritual and a tangible sense of the divine, through the elements. Aarti is a time in which we break free from the normal stresses of everyday life and gather together in joy, reverence and peace. As the bright yellow sun dips into the water we are filled anew with a deep sense of bliss, reverence and spiritual connection. Our beliefs don’t have to divide us, they can unite us.

This National Geographic video shows an Aarti cermony in other holy city called Varanasi in India.

“We all share the wonder and gratitude that we are here at all.”
Morgan Freeman, The Story of God

Back at home in San Diego, a group of yogis joined me at Natural Connection, Women’s Yoga Camping Retreat to explore our connection with these five elements. Each evening at sunset, we gathered around the fire to share our connection with the spiritual world through discussion about how we relate to the elements. Everyone opened up to chance to connect through questions like:

How can you shed the excess of too much material goods and comforts? (Earth)
How can you have more compassion for other human beings? (Air)
What is your life purpose? (Fire)
How can you attune into the spirits of the space around you? (Space)
In what ways can you go with the flow of the spiritual and creative current? (Water)

Throughout the weekend, we connected with Earth by hiking and drawing details of the natural world. With each step we felt grounded, safe, and stable.

We connected with the Air through Pranayama exercises like Breath of Fire, Lion’s Breath, Pursed Lip Breathing, Alternate Nostril Breathing, and Expansion through Counting.

We connected with water when we hydrated ourselves and washed the dishes and our bodies as well as performing cleansing twists and thought purifications.

Finally, we connected with the spacious consciousness through yoga inversion poses and chanting Om as well as absorbing the chimes from the singing bowl and birds chirping.

Parmarth Niketan Swami Chidanand Saraswati sends his blessings to all

“Be with nature and change with nature. Let yourself become like the sunrise which peaks over the mountain tops, bringing light and warmth and a new day to all- freely with no discrimination, no hesitation, and no expectation.”

Do you perform a ritual or ceremony of offering thanks for the light and all of your blessings?

Please share as a comment below.

What does Light mean to you?

When I was a young child, my dearest memory was a bright white light. It was the first thing that I knew. Whenever I needed a reference of time at ages 2, 3, and 4, I would close my eyes and remember the warmth and joy of this light in the beginning. Surrounding the light were blurry faces that emanated love as they looked upon me.

Many years later, I was a teenager in the kitchen with my mom and suddenly this memory popped into my mind. I told her about this light as the first thing that I knew. Stunned, she exclaimed that I was born with Jaundice and I had to be placed in an incubator with a spotlight for up to three days after birth. This phototherapy or light treatment absorbed the light waves into my skin skin and blood to eliminate the excess bilirubin that causes yellow discoloring. Nowadays, parents with newborns that have jaundice are placing their babies near a window to absorb sunlight four times a day for 15 minutes each.

Now, I know light as my hero and source of love. It represents life, energy, joy, purity, and goodness. On the longest days of the year, the light seems to stand still in the sky.

Performing Sun Salutations are an opportunity for us to give thanks to the light in the sky and the light of our life and many blessings.

I remember hearing, at some point throughout my yoga journey, that traditional yogis practice one hundred and eight Sun Salutations on the solstices and equinoxes. This practice is like a marathon of Vinyasa Yoga in which we unify our mind, body, and breathing while also practicing with other yogis around the world. It's a chance to let our inner light shine along with the sun that stands still in the sky.

A Sun Salutation is a sequence of 12 postures in which you move in accordance with your breath.

To begin, stand in Mountain Pose, Tadasana. Inhale as you life your arms up to the sky in Uttitha Tadasana, exhale into a Forward Fold and release the crown of your head down.

Inhale to a Halfway Lift as you roll your shoulders back and exhale as you step your right foot all the way back into a Low Lunge.

With your left knee aligned directly over your ankle, inhale to lengthen your spine and exhale to flow halfway or all the way through Chaturanga, elbows hugging into your body.

Inhale to Upward Facing Dog or Cobra, opening your heart and pressing the tops of your feet into the mat, exhale into Downward Facing Dog, lifting your hips and descending through your heals.

Inhale to step forward with your right foot and exhale into a Forward Fold.

Inhale to Halfway Lift with a long neck and move one toothpick over to the other bowl.

Exhale Fold again. Inhale, reach your arms out wide, press strongly into your feet and reach your arms all the way over your head.

Exhale hand through heart center. Repeat the 12 postures with your left foot stepping back first.

To learn more about how to flow through a Sun Salutation A, check out the first part of my blog on Big Magic and Creativity.

Sun Salutation Sculpture at New Delhi Airport

A few days ago, the idea popped into my head that this is something I should challenge myself with. Just as soon as the inspiration came, so did the voice of fear, "That's a lot! You don't have time for that! What if you injure your sensitive shoulder?"

I recognized this voice and used courage and discipline to overcome it. The night before June 21st, I not only decided to get up at sunrise and do one hundred and eight Sun Salutations, but also to record myself, LIVE. I usually claim to dislike Live videos and they make me uncomfortable, but I knew that this accountability would help to motivate me and possibly encourage others to join in as an offering of peace and unity to the world.

So, why 108?
There are 108 sacred points in the body.
There are 108 Upanishads.
There are 108 energy lines to our heart chakra, anahata.
And relating to the Solstices, the distance of the Sun and Moon to the Earth is 108 times their diameter!!!

I researched how to perform this Mala Method. I broke the Salutations into 12 groups of 9, taking a short break in between. I used toothpicks to count. I placed 9 toothpicks in a small bowl and I would transfer one over at a time to the small bowl on the other side. Then in another bowl I had 12 pink toothpicks that represented the completion of 9. If you decide to join me on the next equinox or solstice, please modify as much as you need to and listen to your body.

Let your light shine🌟, and make an offering of peace and unity!
You can follow along on the Facebook video too.

Namaste and have a wonderfully joyful season of light 💛!

To learn more about the Summer Solstice and yoga philosophy, check out my blog about the Crown Circles of Summer Solstice at Stonehendge.

This summer in San Diego, contemporary artists from around the world gathered to create an interactive experience called Wonderspaces. Through multimedia installations, previously only viewed at expensive and exclusive festivals like Burning Man, these visual and spacial involvements leave room for personal interpretation so that the viewer can grow and cultivate wisdom.

Wonder:
[ˈwəndər] noun
1. a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
synonyms: awe, admiration, wonderment, fascination
verb
2. desire or be curious to know something.
synonyms: ponder, think about, meditate on, reflect on, muse on, puzzle over, speculate about, conjecture; be curious about

These creators used their third eye strength to “see” these installations before producing them. Through their intuition, they accessed deeper truths and special messages that needed to be shared with whomever is willing and open. People who have the capacity to utilize their third eyes are sometimes known as “seers”. Ironically, my featured quote on this website is by Leonardo da Vinci, “Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects with everything else.”

Lately, I’ve been curious if it was possible to actually see my third eye. When I attend Kundalini Classes at Kundalini Windansea, the instructor often asks us to close our eyes and look at our third eye. Last Monday I was staring up at the white light bulb above me when Aerial asked us to close our eyes and look at our third eye. I saw it! The negative image of the light bulb was flashing in the space just between my eyebrows. I’m sure this kind of phenomena can be easily explained with science and light sensitivity, but, it was even the Indigo purplish color of our third eye chakra energy!

The Third Eye Chakra relates to wisdom, intellect, insight, understanding, intuitive reasoning, and visualization. When this Chakra is balanced, we have the ability to think reality into existence, we have concentration and focus along with a healthy blend of intuition and imagination. When the Third Eye, 6th Chakra, is not balanced we can feel stuck in the daily grind without being able to look beyond our problems. We may fail to set a guiding vision for ourselves. Further, we may have a rejection of everything spiritual or beyond the usual. Emotional issues can include judgment, confusion, fear of truth, and lack of concentration. Some physical dysfunctions include headaches, nightmares, eyestrain, learning disabilities, and blindness. If you would like to balance your third chakra, you can close your eyes and focus on the space between your eyebrows. You can also repeat these affirmations.

Third Eye Chakra Affirmations
I seek to understand and to learn from my life experiences.
I am wise, intuitive, and connected with my inner guide.
I listen to my deepest wisdom.
I trust my intuition.
I am connected with the wisdom of the universe.
I am open to inspiration and bliss.

I will share some of the personal and yoga truths that I “saw” during my visit to Wonderspaces. I will leave the rest as a mystery for you to discover with curiosity for yourself…

Sweet Spot

Individual vertical strings of color enveloped me. Although I recognized the colors of the rainbow, I could not make sense of the sequence. I did not recognize any obvious patterns. One memory immediately came to my mind. I recently shattered the screen of my iphone 6, then dropped it again and shattered the LED screen. This released vertical and horizontal lines of color. These lights no longer fit into their programmed formulas or functions. My instant connection with knowledge and wisdom of the internet was severed. Isn’t it ironic that when this light formula and pattern was destroyed, so was my access to knowledge and connection. This installation is meant to encourage the viewer to slow down and meditate on the pleasure of seeing. It reminded me to stop relying on my phone so much. When we don’t have such instant access, we must move more slowly and really observe our surroundings. Shawn Causey and Mark Daniell from Indianapolis visualized 3700 thin multicolor nylon cords hanging ceiling to floor through handmade wood compartments. With 19 miles of cord in the piece, a team of 80 volunteers contributed 1000 hours to its completion.

Daydream v2

Takami Nakamoto generates space distortions as white light illuminates moving shapes and forms against the contrast of a dark room. The timing and balance do not quite align as I stand in the center of these perpendicular planes. Accelerations, contractions, and metamorphosis of this light through 12 glass panels sparks in me an astonishment to the workings of this awesome mystery. I’m certainly drawn towards the light in the center. Perhaps this is the white unifying light of our crown chakra that becomes distorted through our own lenses of reality and imperfect relationships with the Universe and each other.

Pulse Portal

This futuristic 16 foot arch, envisioned by Davis McCarty, welcomed visitors to the Burning Man Festival of 2016. With an array of iridescent multiple colors, like soap bubbles, triangles and pyramids collide into an admiration of sacred geometry. In the triad or triangle, three symbolizes the trinity of life of mind, body, and spirit. It is the point where matter and consciousness connect with the higher realms. Although I was dressed for Sunday brunch and not yoga class, my best friend, Alexis Burns, and I connected with this piece through an interactive Partner Triangle Pose, similar to a tetrahedron.

You and Your Shadows

What color is your shadow?

In reality we mostly only see a dark shadow cast by the sun or another powerful light source. However, in this interactive exhibit, we see multiple colors as our shadows. This reminds me of our Aura. Our auras are like magnets picking up vibrational energies that are floating around everywhere we go. Some spiritually awakened individuals can actually see Auras and sometime they have different colors or shades depending on the mood and energy that we are carrying around. For example, maybe my aura is plae yellow because on most days because I’m on a spiritual journey and I’m hopeful for the future, but if I collect some negative energy and thoughts throughout the day, my aura can turn into a brownish yellow that feels overwhelmed or tiresome.

We can cleanse our own aura by paying attention to our thoughts. We can choose to focus on the bright side of things. If you notice that a negative thought is trying to creep in, confront it with a positive one. Further, gentle exposure to sunlight stimulates the flow of your own energy. Some lower vibrations cannot exist with exposure to bright light. Further, creating something you're enthusiastic about gives you a creative high. These surges of creative energy stimulate the flow of your own energy and support you in releasing blocks and unwanted energies.

A Religious Experience

Lights shine through a foggy darkness like the humbling array of stars in the universe. I’m overcome with a feeling of admiration, amazement, and marvel. Is the Universe speaking to me here? Light has often been associated with the sacred, the infinite, spirituality, and God. Light rays specifically have and continue to be used as symbols in many works of art, from stained glass windows to gold leaf reflections, to allude to the supernatural. According to Adam Belt, “Our collective understanding of the cosmos continues to exponentially increase as scientists make numerous discoveries that expound our sense of awe.”

On Tilt

Air flows up from these flamboyant massive characters. With loose limbs and flexible bodies, these figures go with the flow of the wind. I want to cultivate this element of air within my heart chakra. They are light and free as a spirit with a grand smile, but at the same time grounded on this earth.

Come Together

Spools of thread hang from the ceiling against a white backdrop. “Am I missing something?” With curiosity I start to walk around these neutral skin tones, shades and tints. Then I reach the sweet spot. Surprise! These individual pieces come together to form a fist, just like a digitalized image. This is a powerful message for all of us individuals to come together and see the unity of humanity that binds us together!

The Last Word

At first glance, this exhibit looks like a pegboard with a hidden image, but as I look closer, I see people pulling out pieces of paper to read and replace. Others are scribbling a message onto black white papers and finding an empty space to plug them back in. I pulled a few out to read and was saddened by the many dark messages. The purpose of this public art, according to the collective of Illegal Art, is to inspire self-reflection and human connection. We are encouraged to write down what we wished we had said either as a perfect ending to a conversation, a clever comeback, or a farewell bid to a loved one. Some of these remarks were based on pain and unforgiveness.

I encourage all of you to let go of what is holding you back and live life to the fullest. Basically, what message do you want to tell the world? I chose to leave words that inspire me everyday, but I often forget to tell people, “Be brave. The brave alone enjoy the world.” The most inspiring message that I found was one of my favorite affirmations, “You are enough. You are loved.”

What words would you leave? (comment below)

Restroom Sign
This unexpected surprise brought a smirk to my face. Is this informational sign asking yogis to take their asana pose photos outside?

Get Your Ticket before July 20th

Photo Credit: JoAnna George

“MMMEEEOOOWWW! NOO! Not again!"

Why are you packing your duffel bag and backpack? Anxiety envelops me as I start pacing back and forth. I jump on the bed, then on the table and back to the bed, desperately trying to signal to her that I’m not happy with this action.

"This must mean that you’re leaving me for another one of your crazy adventures! I hate change! Why can’t you just stay here with me and remain happy and comfortable?!"

Uh oh! Things have taken a suddenly scary turn. Why is the cat carrier out on the table!?!?
Suddenly, Hannah Half Moon picks me up and tries to shove me into that suffocating prison.

“MMMEEEOOOWW!! Put me down! I’m not going in there!”

I brace for my life, clinging to the perimeter of the opening. I engage all of my muscles in terror!

She then lifts me from that space in the back of my neck, that renders me immobile, and before I know it, everything I know fades from view as I swish side to side in this compact vessel. Step after step we descend down the stairs and into the car.

“MMMEEEOOOWW!! MMMEEEOOOWW!! MMMEEEOOOWW!!”

"I hate riding in the car more than anything! You must stop this nonsense now!"

Maybe if I keep screaming, she will change her mind, turn around and things can go back to normal. Abruptly, we stop for a moment and Hannah Half Moon helps her friend, JoAnna George, load the car with more stuff.

I don’t understand what’s happening.

Abruptly, we start driving again, but this time she opens my cage door and allows me to roam free.

I went straight for her lap, my favorite place in the whole world, filled with warmth, love, and affection.

At least she brought a few of my favorite things: scratching pole, litter box, mouse toys, treats, available food and water, and my soft elephant blanket. This comfort feels nice.

JoAnna is really nice too. I especially like her soothing voice, pleasant aroma, nails, and smile.

We’ve been driving now for longer than I could ever imagine. Where are we going? I’m starting to feel sick!

I crawl down to the car floor and curl up into a ball. I can’t even look out the window anymore. Everything is spinning and I’m so confused. I become numb and unresponsive.

Like the Snow Lion cat in the novel, I was paralyzed by fear.

Fear [is]… an instinct that prevents many from taking actions that they know, deep down inside, would liberate them. Like a bird in a cage whose door has been opened, we are free to go out in search of fulfillment, but fear makes us look for all kinds of reasons not to.”

-The Dalai Lama's Cat by David Michie

Many hours later, the car stops and my beloved Hannah Half Moon places a horrendous harness around my neck and belly.

“What do I look like to you? I am no dog! Didn’t you get the memo- Cats don’t wear harnesses!!“

This is terribly uncomfortable and it feels so strange.

She lifts me out of the car and places me on the most filthy surface I have ever experienced! Dirt everywhere!!! Who are all of these random people trying to pet me and say hi!

I go into full alert and danger mode as I lift my ears, widen my eyes, extend my neck and lower my hips and tail. I swiftly scan this area trying to find the darkest, tightest space where I can feel safe again. Mommy has deceived me! How could she put me through such stress!!

I quickly reverse myself out of this harness and start running free! However, I’m so confused that I don’t even know where to go.

Immediately, my owner swipes me up and tries to swaddle me in her arms.

“I don’t want anything to do with you right now! I hate you,” I say with my piercing eyes and rapid strike of fingernails into her flesh.

I guess it worked because now I’m safe once again in the cat carrier. Who knew that I would ever WANT to be hanging out in this confined space!

She sets up a domed structure that they call tents and let me roam free in this space. During the day, I hide and sleep buried in her duffel bag, under her clothes, because it smelled like her. At night I pace the tent, listening to every footstep, tweet, car alarm or snap of a branch.

“What’s happening outside?” I can only imagine. At least mommy is here with me. I cuddle up to her and purr with gratitude in her warm arms.

Over the next few days, I develop a routine here in the tent. Hannah Half Moon notices that I am becoming more comfortable and takes it as a sign to challenge me even further. She attempts to lead me onto the campsite in my harness again, but this is extremely stressful! I don’t recognize these people or these strange forms. There are ants everywhere and pokey branches that I have to avoid stepping on!

“You, of all people should know that I hate getting dirty!” I meow.

I try to break free again but this time, she grabs the cat carrier and I gladly go back inside. I listen to their conversations as I try to catch my breath and calm my heartbeat.

On the last night, a group of dogs start suddenly bark at 3:30am. Mommy sits up, opens her eyes, and takes out her ear plugs. I could hear her heart racing. Even though dogs barking is one of my most hated sounds, I wonder why she is bothered by it. Did I just hear a deep growl? Maybe its one of those black bears that everyone is talking about here in Yosemite, California.

Another branch cracks…She closes her eyes to listen for something else and starts breathing slowly. I’ve seen her do this before in the mornings while chiming her Tibetan Singing Bowl. I’ve heard her call this posture sukhasana, easy sitting pose, for meditation. I wonder what’s going on in her mind. I’m attracted to her calm demeaner as she lengthens her exhales. I crawl into her lap as this zen is comforting. I try it too. This special breathing really is calming. Maybe I should try this next time that I’m scared. After about 30 minutes, she lays back down and falls asleep.

I remember hearing on the audiobook in the car, “The purpose of Buddhism is not to convert people. It is to give them tools so they can create greater happiness. So they can be happier Catholics, happier atheists, happier Buddhists.”

The next day, I watch her do yoga with the sun shining through these tall and strange pointed trees. I stretched my arms long and lifted my hips. I love a good stretch as well. At home, Hannah Half Moon and I often stretch together on the mat, but I’m grateful for her decision to leave in the carrier and just let me watch from a short distance this time, as I don’t want to get dirty or deal with those annoying tribes of ants.

Similar to the quote from the novel, The Dalai Lama’s Cat, “Even though cats spend most of the day dozing comfortably, we like our humans to keep busy. Not in a noisy or intrusive way—just active enough to entertain us during those periods when we choose to remain awake. Why else do you think most cats have a favorite theater seat—a preferred spot on a windowsill, porch, gatepost, or cupboard top? Don't you realize, dear reader, that you are our entertainment?”

After 5 days and the longest and most dreadful car ride, I thought I was going to die.

We continued listening to the Dalai Lama’s Cat through the Audible App. This Himalayan pure bred actually has a lot in common with me. I can relate to the name HHC, His Holinesses Cat. My given name, Kiki, doesn’t quite live up to my status. That name represents my past. From now on I want to be called Hannah Half Moon’s Cat, HHMC.

Although I experienced much panic and anxiety as I resisted the unknown of my future and longed for my past of home comfort for most of this camping experience, I now know that I can handle much more than I thought in the beginning. I am stronger for each struggle that I’ve overcame. Through this experience, I also learned that if I pause and find gratitude and strength with each breath, I have nothing to fear and I can calm down.

Although I experienced much panic and anxiety as I resisted the unknown of my future and longed for my past of home comfort for most of this camping experience, I now know that I can handle much more than I thought in the beginning. Like HHC learned, “They are never asked for, but how we deal with [problems] defines our future happiness or unhappiness.”

I am stronger for each struggle that I’ve overcame. Through this experience, I also learned that if I pause and find gratitude and strength with each breath, I have nothing to fear and I can calm down.

“Most [beings] think that their only option is to change their circumstances. But these are not the true causes of their unhappiness. It has more to do with the way they think about their circumstances.” ― David Michie, The Dalai Lama's Cat

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Finally, Hannah Half Moon opened the door and I urgently stumbled back into paradise! Home sweet home! I’ve never been so grateful for this space where I have freedom to roam around, climb, jump, bathe, eat, sleep, drink, socialize, listen, etc. Hannah Half Moon’s bed is so soft and comfortable. I now have a greater appreciation for all of my blessings!

I wrote this blog because the novel teaches, “It is most useful…to share one’s knowledge with others. Otherwise, what is the point in having it?”

Next time, I will trust, cultivating these thoughts of gratitude and peace instead of giving into my fears. I just want to leave you with one more bit of advice from my adventure and from the HHC herself, “Thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed; the deed develops into habit; and habit hardens into character. So, watch the thought and its ways with care, and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings … as we think, so we become.”

When I arrived in India in late February 2017, I was standing in the currency exchange line at New Delhi airport when a turbaned gentleman behind me asked what I was doing here. I told him that I primarily came to attend the International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh. He immediately warned me to not become a vegetarian. He urged me to not give up meat because a body needs protein. I found this response surprising as I thought that most Indians were Vegetarians, but I agreed with him as I thought that I did need protein from meat.

Indira Gandhi International Airport of New Delhi, India

For most of my life, I ate whatever I thought tasted good. After working part-time at a gourmet French restaurant for the past seven years, I have developed a well-rounded taste for many meats, eggs, creamy sauces, cheeses, pastries, and buttered vegetables. I thought it was all fine in moderation as long as I drank plenty of water, slept enough, and exercised regularly.

However, one of my 2017 New Year Goals was to explore my relationship with food and experiment with what would help me to be the best version of myself.

Photo Credit: Union Tribune

Photo Credit: Trip Advisor

At the festival in Rishikesh, we ate delicious gourmet Vegetarian meals and I encountered Vegetarians like Crystal Galleher. who were surprised that through my yoga journey I had not yet given up meat. I was in denial that there was anything wrong with eating animals and I thought we needed a balanced diet to receive the appropriate nutrients and energy. Isn’t that what we’ve all been taught by society?

Crystal encouraged me to look deeper into the Ahimsa aspects of meat eating and watch some of the many documentaries on Netflix explaining why we should make this change for the environment and our own health.

All-You-Can-Eat Gourmet Vegetarian Indian Food at the International Yoga Festival, Rishikesh

Photo of Hannah Faulkner & Kia Miller

Roaming Rishikesh with my festival roommate, Crystal Galleher

I tried to avoid this reality at first, but when I returned from my journey, I decided to finally face the facts. I watched Forks over Knives, Food Inc., Food Choices, and Food Matters and I was shocked with the truth. These documentaries are filled with real but shocking footage of animal cruelty. I can’t help but imagine the cycles of this negative energy as it transfers into my body.

It brought to my awareness how disconnected we are from where our food comes from. I realized that I wouldn’t torture, kill, skin, and prepare animals to eat, so therefore I shouldn’t be consuming them while allowing someone else to do that for me. That would be like sharing responsibility with Hitler who ordered hundreds of thousands of people to their death, but didn't have to watch or perform much of it himself. By eating meat, I shared the same responsibility for cruelty to animals and as a result the karma cycle taints our long-term health.

Yoga means union or oneness. One of the first guidelines to Universal Morality, or Yamas, to living a life of union as outlined in Patajali’s 8 Limbed Path to Enlightenment, is Ahimsa, meaning kindness or non-harming. This concept relates to our relationship with ourselves, other fellow human beings, and all other living beings.

Patajali's 8 Limbs of Yoga: Path to Enlightenment

After viewing and processing this horrifying footage, I remembered a symbolic dream that I had. In January, I found the first cockroach in my apartment. I had been living in this apartment for seven years and was surprised and terrified. I reacted in fear and instantly killed it with my shoe. Although it bothered me for a couple of hours, I soon forgot all about it. Several nights later, I had a dream about a cockroach crawling on my wall. Again, I got fired up and wanted to kill this filthy creature, when unexpectedly, it began to slowly transform into something else. Its hind legs started growing very long in feathers and upper arms turned into wings. It became a beautiful Quetzal bird and it started flying around my room. I was captivated and frozen in awe. When I found peace in its presence, it slowly transformed back into a cockroach.

This dream influenced the way that I think about other living creatures. According to the Dalai Lama in the enlightening novel, The Dalai Lama’s Cat, he tries to explain to a professor how animals think like us, “We all want to live and we all want to be loved.” There is an underlying unity and oneness in how we feel and desire. Yes we are also more highly developed beings in our consciousness and brain activity, therefore, we should make more unifying habits and decisions for those being who cannot free themselves.

Photo Credit: Yoga Yamas

Ahimsa goes further that not harming animals directly. It also relates to non-harming the Environment, or natural world of plants, trees, clean water, and fresh air. I learned that the production of so much meat and other animal products creates a substantial problem for the environment. Outrageous amounts of fuel emissions are released into our air to transport animals and animal products while ancient forests are being cut down to harvest mass crops for to feed the animals. As a result, other species are losing their habitats and species are becoming extinct. Further, with a loss of trees, our air quality is going down in oxygen saturation.

“In Brazil alone, the equivalent of 5.6 million acres of land is used to grow soya beans for animals in Europe. This land contributes to developing world malnutrition by driving impoverished populations to grow cash crops for animal feed, rather than food for themselves (Vegan Society).” Conversely, considerably less crops and water are required to sustain a vegan diet.

What Would Happen if the World Went Vegan? by Micheal H. Brunnet on Linked In

Therefore, I realized that I should not take another creature’s life or harm to mother nature just for a tasty pleasure that will quickly fade. I decided that I must at least try to become a Vegetarian. In fear of missing out of my favorite flavors and textures, I told myself that I will just be 90% Vegetarian and gave myself a couple of months to adjust to this first major step, allowing one day to cheat by eating a meal with meat. At first, I savored this weekly meal of gourmet halibut or burger with brie and French fries. Then, I started noticing that I was leaning on cheese, milk, cereals, pastries, pastas, and buttered vegetables for most of my caloric intake. Cheese and Ice Cream were my favorite foods and I couldn’t imagine parting with these flavors and textures.

Unfortunately, I noticed that I was gaining weight and feeling foggy and confused. My friend, JoAnna, told me a story about a Mexican nun named Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695) that loved eating cheese until she researched and found that cheese degraded the mind, poisoned reason, and hindered learning. In her devotion to God, she gave up the beloved food forever. Like many monastics, she considered the pursuit of learning vital to her vocation on earth, in this life ( After Cheese).

This was alarming information to me and I knew that I needed to let go of dairy. I went back to the documentaries to help me remember and feel motivated once again about my consciousness of other beings, nature, my own health, clarity of mind and lightness of being.

I learned that besides killing animals for their meat, 90% of animals who are harvested for their milk, cheese, butter, or eggs live a tortured life. According to Vegan Society, “The production of dairy products necessitates the death of countless male calves that are of no use to the dairy farmer, as well as the premature death of cows slaughtered when their milk production decreases. Similarly, in the egg industry, even 'ethical' or 'free range' eggs involve the killing of the 'unnecessary' male chicks when just a day old.” As much as I love the taste of dairy products, I don’t want that kind of negative energy flowing through my body and infesting my cellular structures.

Spiritual Awakening expert Ekhart Tolle emphasizes,
“The type of food that you put into your body will greatly impact your depth of awareness.
Natural food will boost it, artificially refined will reduce it.”

Apart from the compassionate reasons to abstain from meat and animal products, I discovered that eating a plant based diet, free from processed foods, is also considerably better for your health. The Daily Mail states, “Cheese is as addictive as drugs because of a chemical called casein. This is found in dairy products and can trigger brain's opioid receptors. Opiod receptors are linked to the control of pain, reward and addiction.”

Recent resources and articles support this argument, “women who ate the most saturated fat scored lower on tests of brain function and memory. On the other hand, women who ate the most monounsaturated fats (found in foods like olive oil and avocado) had higher scores. Further, “Consuming large quantities of processed foods over a lifetime slowly destroys your nerve cells and causes your brain to shrink.”

The Vegan Society has well documented research that, “Well-planned plant-based diets are rich in protein, iron, calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals. The plant-based sources of these nutrients tend to be low in saturated fat, high in fiber and packed with antioxidants, helping mitigate some of the modern world's biggest health issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.” I find plenty of protein in kate, spinach, artichokes, mushrooms, and broccoli. Eating a clean plant based diet is also increasing my energy and giving my skin a youthful glow.

From these documentaries and other interviews, I recently learned that some of the world’s top athletes are Vegan. Further, Ancient Greek Olympic Athletes ate only fruit for top speed and strength performance while the soldiers ate primarily meat to make them more aggressive killers.

Photo Credit: Pixel Joint

Therefore, eating more fruits enhances lightness and swiftness, while meat eaters have more aggression and anxiety. Since I made the switch to vegan, I’ve certainly felt more light and compassionate. I’m much more in tune with how other animals are feeling.

Letting go is not easy. In yoga philosophy the guideline of Aparigraha is about lightness and non-hoarding. When I feel tempted, instead of telling myself, “Never again,” I say “Not now, today I am going to eat fruits and vegetables.” At first, I was still very attracted to buttery croissants, cheese plates, creamy macaroni, and croque madams, but the more I ate clean foods, the better I felt.

Making small changes to everyday meals is one of the easiest ways to bring more lightness and clarity. Some people start by removing meat or dairy one day a week and go from there. Others try changing one meal at a time, having vegan breakfasts during the first week, adding a vegan lunch during week two and so on. Now my taste buds have changed to like the taste of coconut or almond milk as well as coconut oil better than dairy milk and butter.

Tapas means Self-Discipline

Photo Credit: Arvore da Vida

When I did occasionally give into the voice of the ego that desires comfort and pleasure in the moment, I felt tired and foggy. This motivated me to make even healthier choices the following days. This is why I titled the blog, Becoming a Vegan. This is a process involving steps of tapas or self-discipline. I allow myself room for forgiveness, and remind myself that I've been making so much huge changes as I just recently gave up beef, chicken, pork, and fish!

Instead of feeling guilty and shameful when I mess up, I forgive myself and get back on track. In the near future, my taste for these items will fade and I will only desire whole foods. For example, the thought of eating chicken or steak no longer crosses my mind, but I do find myself craving kale and beets! Further, instead of desiring dairy Ice Cream, I’m learning how to make my own Ice Cream out of nut milk and caramel from blended dates.

As a vegan, its also easy to fall into a desserts and processed foods trap. I have to remind myself that just because chips or some vegan breads are not made from animal products, does not mean that I should eat them. I’m trying to stay away from sugars too.

However, my biggest challenge, besides working part-time at a delicious French restaurant, is social gatherings. I’ve found myself at parties, surrounded by processed food made with animal products. After the first couple of awkward temptations, I’ve started taking the time to prepare delicious vegan items. This not only helps me to stay on track, but also to show my friends how delicious eating vegan can really be. So far, the Curried Coconut Lentil Soup while camping is a favorite!

When I want to meet up to catch up with a friend, now I always suggest Cafe Gratitude in San Diego! The 100% Vegan menu centers around the concept, "You are what you eat" as each item is a positive word to describe who you are. For example, if I want to order the Indian curry lentil bowl, I tell the server, "I am humble!"

I’m becoming so excited about fruits vegetables and all of the exciting combinations of ways to prepare and eat them. Sometimes for lunch I’ll have lentils, roasted corn, sliced almonds, organic heirloom tomatoes, chopped dates and a dash of extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic. Then in the afternoon I’ll prepare a smoothie. Occasionally its peaches, figs, pecans, cranberry, lemon, and dates while other times it’s carrots, beets, walnuts, olive oil, and apple.

My favorite is my Green Gaspacho. Check out my blog post on how it helps to open your heart chakra!

Are you ready to be the change that you want to see in this world?

What steps are you making to becoming a more conscious, healthy you?

Please share your journey with us and comment below!

A Pilgrimage is a journey for your spirit. Many religions attach spiritual importance to traveling to particular places: the place of birth or death of founders or saints, or to the place of their spiritual awakening, or of their connection with the divine, to locations where miracles were performed or witnessed, or locations where a deity is said to live, or any site that is seen to have special spiritual powers. These religious followers are encouraged to visit for their own spiritual benefit: to be healed, feel a magical presence, or to have questions answered. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.

Are you a pilgrim?

As I mentioned, sometimes a pilgrimage involves traveling to a specific memorial destination, according to a set of specific religious beliefs, but sometimes this journey is simply the road itself to explore and transform into your own potential and to get in touch with your higher self, your spirit, with each step of meditation. In yoga philosophy, we call this kind of journey Svadhyaya. The first part of the word—sva—means “self.” The second part—dhyaya—is derived from the verb root dhyai, which means “to contemplate, to think on, to recollect, or to call to mind.” Therefore, it means to study one’s own self.

As the 4th Niyama in Pantajali’s Limbs of Yoga, it reminds us of the importance of learning both from our inner teachers and from other teachers. Svadhyaya concerns both self-study and the study of from our teachers in the past and present via spiritual texts and/or via live. Individual awareness and growth is like a wave in the sea, distinctive, but never separate from the vast expansiveness of infinite consciousness.

Are you on a spiritual journey to get in touch with the infinite consciousness, your higher self?

The past few year of my life have been a pilgrimage, as I’ve been consistently looking to explore and transform my own potential and connect with the bigger picture; I've found leaps of inner growth occur on multi-day trekking routes as journeys to holy places. The act of stepping and walking allows us to slow down and reconnect with nature in the form of earth, air, water, fire, and space, tune into our own bodies, notice our thought processes, develop courage, connect with others, encounter new situations that open our perspective, let go of past attachments, live in the moment, cultivate deep gratitude, and develop trust in the higher power.

“When you travel, you experience, in a very practical way, the act of rebirth. You confront completely new situations, the day passes more slowly, and on most journeys you don't even understand the language the people speak.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage

In spring of 2016, I treaded the 4-day route to Machu Picchu via Mount Salkantay in Peru. Through an offering ceremony at Salkantay Pass, we took a moment to meditate on gratitude, with the mountains as a symbol for sources of life and water that sustains us. This pilgrimage filled my heart with warmth, joy, and an overwhelm of connectedness to Mother Earth.

You can learn more about these adventures on these blogs:
Dhyana on Apu Salkantay and The Element of Space at Machu Picchu.

“The boat is safer anchored at the port; but that’s not the aim of boats.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage

In March of 2017, I joined a Mosaic Adventures 13-Day Trek to Everest Base Camp on the Khumbu glacier. The whole of Khumbhu region is considered sacred and there are many caves and hermitages that are used by highly regarded teachers, and monks for meditation and svadhaya. Throughout history, pilgrims have been walking this trail to visit Buddhist Monasteries and monk memorials called stupas. Often times these memorials are covered in an ancient calligraphic text with unknown meaning. These memorials are meant to remind us to meditate and reconnect with our higher selves, just as the monks and pilgrims that came before us.

Tengboche Monastery is the leading Buddhist center in the Khumbu with a residing Rinpoche who blesses pilgrims and travelers to the area. We paused to meditate and receive these prayer chants. Through the intense conditions of this cold and high-altitude trek, I connected with the higher Self when I realized that all we need to stay alive and even happy, is to trust in our breath of life force, or Prana. You can read more on my blog about Survival and Prana.

Levison Wood agrees that happiness lies in having to make do with your situation in his book, Walking the Himalayas,
“The simplicity, the lack of choice, of having to make do, that’s what happiness is all about.”

In the summer of 2014, I set off to hike 200 miles of the Camino de Santiago, The Way of Saint James from Leon to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. I decided that I wanted to make this trek for adventure, cultural awareness, observing nature, and self-discovery.

The Pilgrimage is a 1987 novel by Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho. It is a recollection of Paulo's experiences as he made his way across northern Spain on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. This fascinating tale grasps the necessity to find one's own way. Part adventure story, part guide to self-discovery, this compelling interpretation carries the perfect combination of allure and insight.

During these two weeks of this self-study, I cultivated non-attachment through Aparigraha and became comfortable with few material things. Further, I learned how to take the time to care of my body through restorative yoga poses like Legs-Up-the-Wall for 30-60 minutes after each day of trekking.

My most sacred discovery on the Camino came in my increasing ability to trust in the Universe. There is a popular phrase along the Camino de Santiago, “The Camino Provides” which gradually became my mantra. When I longed for a bench to rest on, just over the next horizon a random bench would appear on the trail. When I desired a specific change in landscape, like tall yellow grass, that would also appear just over the next horizon. I realized the potential that we hold for manifestation, cultivating reality from our thought processes. You can read more about these lessons in my blog post: The Way of Aparigraha on the Camino de Santiago.

“When you are moving toward an objective…it is very important to pay attention to the road. It is the road that teaches us the best way to get there, and the road enriches us as we walk it's length”
― Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage

This road has a rich history in many different traditions and religions. Loaded with symbiology and spiritual lessons.

I’m excited to return in 2018 to uncover these concepts with you!

“The language of signs is our individual way of coming into contact with God. In order to learn this language, one's intuition must be developed. In order to develop intuition, one must not be afraid of making mistakes.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage

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" At once this disk of sky slid over the sun like a lid…
It materialized out of thin air –
black, and flat, and sliding,
outlined in flame.”
- Total Eclipse by Annie Dillard

Photo Credit: Collective Evolution

A Solar Eclipse is the obscuration of the light of the sun by the intervention of the moon between it and a point on the earth.

The word hatha, as an umbrella form of physical yoga practice, actually contains the Sanskrit words for sun (ha) and moon (tha). For centuries, yogis have been observing the relationship between humans and astronomical objects like the sun, moon, and stars including Sun and Moon Salutations as a series of poses in greeting of the Sun and the Moon.

Solar Eclipse

Sun Salutations

Hannah in Half Moon Pose at Aztec Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan

In astrology, the moon represents the feminine model of the mother. She is associated with cooling, grounding, releasing, reflecting, and inspiration with the second sacral chakra. The Sun, on the other hand, is classically connected with the masculine realm and the father. Our sun chakra, the solar plexus, governs our ego just as the sun at the center of the solar system controls the planets that revolve around it. The Sun reveals the sources from which we draw our power and energy. (Mind Body Green)

Photo Credit: Meditation Art

Photo Credit: Jenna Lilla

A solar eclipse is an opportunity to develop connectedness, between our control of willpower with the introspection of the new moon that can release the veil of unconsciousness. This is our opportunity to be invigorated with more intentional awareness. During this event, our individual electromagnetic fields alter so that our energy resonates with the new frequency incoming from the universe. These powerful moments give us the energetic push we need so that we bring forth the fresh beginnings that we have been struggling to generate. We can pause and listen to our spirit’s guiding whispers.

According to Elephant Journal, “Eclipses are a reminder that our soul is aware of our destiny and inherently knows which roads will lead to love and the fulfillment of our mission and purpose.”

In her essay, Total Eclipse, Annie Dillard describes her awakening to the great power of the Universe, as she distances herself from the troubles that humans face in daily life. She understands that she previously failed to understand the essence of human life while being focused on daily routines that consumed time and effort. When she observes the natural phenomenon, she re-evaluates her perspective and finds unity of humankind with majestic nature. She emphasizes the concept of spending your time wisely by being in the moment, soaking up the sounds, colors, and textures as she urges, “Spend the afternoon…You can't take it with you.”

Although, here in San Diego, we will only be experiencing a partial eclipse on August 21, 2017, Annie Dillard still finds this experience as a worthwhile way to spend your time, “A partial eclipse is very interesting. It bears almost no relation to a total eclipse. Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse as kissing a man does to marrying him, or as flying in an airplane does to falling out of an airplane…However, during a partial eclipse the air does indeed get cold, precisely as if someone were standing between you and the fire.”

Will you let go of your routine to take the time to feel the cooling, reflective effects of the moon energy?

Will you allow yourself to feel the thrill of energy as the sun peaks through, like a new kiss or your first time flying in an airplane?

Buy Annie's Book of Essays

Annie comprehends that her past and present, as well as future, are simply moments related to the eternity of the world and the universe. She expresses that the total eclipse, darkness of the new moon, is a symbol of her own, as well as humankind’s, blindness, while the sun is the symbol of enlightenment.

She describes her observations of color in the moment, “I turned back to the sun. It was going. This color has never been seen on earth. The hues were metallic; their finish was matte. The hillside was a nineteenth-century tinted photograph from which the tints had faded. All the people you see in the photograph, distinct and detailed as their faces look, are now dead. The sky was navy blue. My hands were silver. All the distant hills’ grasses were finespun metal which the wind laid down. I was watching a faded color print of a movie filmed in the Middle Ages; I was standing in it, by some mistake.”

Likewise, Phil Cousineau emphasizes the importance of observing sights, sounds, and feelings during moments of your spiritual journey.

“What matters most on your journey is how deeply you see, how attentively you hear, how richly the encounters are felt in your heart and soul.”
― Phil Cousineau,
The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred

Next summer (2018), I’m leading a Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage along the Road to Santiago in Northern Spain. Pilgrims along this route, the French Way, often start in Saint Jean Pied du Port and usually end in Santiago de Compostella (I’ll share the reason in just a moment). However, the road keeps going until you reach the Atlantic Ocean.

Via Finisterre (from Latin, the Way to Land’s End), is believed to be a magical place and altar dedicated to the Dying Sun (Ara Solis). This journey enlightens one’s soul as the concept of the sun dying is an emotional response similar to the effect of an eclipse. In ancient times, people did not understand the orbits of the moons and planets. However, just as the sun disappears every day, it returns again the next morning illustrating rebirth and a fresh start.

One thousand years before Christ, Celtic people from all over Europe traveled along this route, in modern day Spain, in search of Land’s End and the Sun’s resting place, celebrating all sorts of ceremonies, as did people before them. They believed the sun died and the worlds of the dead and the living became closer. Prayers would be said and offerings would be made to please the gods along this rocky and treacherous Coast of Death that was believed to be the end of the world.

Legends from Celtic and Iberian tribal origins believed the souls of the dead gathered here to follow the sun across the sea. For these people, and many modern pilgrims ending their treks here, watching the sun set over the endless waters was a spiritual experience. As a symbolic gesture of death and rebirth, it is tradition to burn one’s old clothes, discard worn boots, and build rock sculptures of gratitude.

“Ancient wisdom suggests if you aren't trembling as you approach the sacred, it isn't the real thing. The sacred, in its various guises as holy ground, art, or knowledge, evokes emotion and commotion.”
― Phil Cousineau, The Art of Pilgrimage: A Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred

Along the present day Camino Frances, Road to Santiago, from southern France, the Pyrenees are dotted with dozens of stone circles or cromlechs, dating back to prehistoric times. Studies have shown that these stone circles represent stars reflected on earth from the sky above, and if viewed in groupings, reveal the precise configuration of constellations in the same way the three major pyramids of Giza mirror the stars of Orion’s belt.

Photo Credit: Corn Flake Traveler

According to the Christian tradition, when the apostles spread out across the known world to preach the Christian gospel, James from Galicia (Northwestern Spain), was beheaded by Herod, becoming the first apostolic martyr in 44AD. His followers took his body back home, where it was buried inland.

In 814 AD, Pelayo was following a guiding star when he was said to have discovered the tomb of St. James. Upon finding the bones of St. James, King Alfonso II ordered that a church be established over St. James’ corpse, the famous Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. In the Middle Ages this route became very popular for spiritual seeking, forgiveness, and healing and within the past 20 years, it has once again risen to that popularity. Many of the pagan ancient temples and holy places were then buried under Christian cathedrals and shrines.

An ancient definition of the word pilgrimage translates to one who goes “through the fields.” ‘Compostela’ element of the city’s name comes from the Latin ‘Campus Stellae’ meaning field of stars. Combined, this declares the town’s name to be ‘Saint James of the Field of Stars’. The Way of Saint James is the stellar route, accessible to the courageous and persevering who associate with these qualities of the sun, our solar system’s star.

Field of Stars- The Way of Saint James as a Stellar Route

According to a common medieval legend, the Milky Way was formed from the dust raised by traveling pilgrims. At night, the Milky Way over head seems to point the way, so the route acquired the nickname "Voie lactée," the Milky Way in French.

From Webster’s dictionary: Milky Way: the spiral galaxy, containing our sun, seen from the earth as a broad, faintly luminous band of stars and interstellar gas arching across the night sky.

All the stars which are visible from Earth are in the Milky Way galaxy, this luminous band that stretches across the heavens. This galaxy contains our Solar System and is composed of approximately a trillion stars, and probably at least 100 billion planets, most of which are too distant to be seen individually.

Photo Credit: National Geographic

While witnessing the total eclipse, Annie Dillard also reflects on the miracle of our galaxy in the Universe. “The small ring of light was like these things – like a ridiculous lichen up in the sky, like a perfectly still explosion 4,200 light-years away: it was interesting, and lovely, and in witless motion.”

On this eclipse, I challenge you to stop your routine and take the time to “spend the afternoon” or morning in observance of stellar power. Let go of distractions and invite change in the form of more light and clarity towards your purpose.

Join us on this Special Event Solar Eclipse: Yoga, Meditation, and Discussion to view a 60% partial eclipse on this lovely morning in San Diego. Find peace as we connect with nature and each other on Monday, August 21st from 9:45am-11:15am.

We will begin with some breathing exercises, then flow through Sun and Moon Salutations. As the moon overcomes the sun, we will slow down and reflect with cooling yin poses and longer holds, meditation, deep relaxation and aromatherapy while ending in group discussion about what we felt and observed within our own bodies, minds, and the natural world around us.

This event is available for a suggested donation of $20 including eclipse certified glasses (limit 24 attendees).

“Birds! Birds!”

Two-year-old Stephen pointed and stumbled closer to these flighty creatures. Only stopping for moments to chirp, the birds at the ruins of Herculaneum, in Italy (April 2017), would float from room to room with an air of mystery and lightness.

Stephen’s curiosity was piqued at this concept of creatures that can both stand and fly.

Photo Credit: Nicoleta n Shawn Photography

When was the last time you marveled at these feathered friends?

What would it be like to soar above the world?

The Ancient Romans incorporated beautiful frescoes and mosaics of birds, including the stork. The size, elegance, and faithfulness to an established nesting site contributed to the stork’s prominence and reputation in mythology and culture. Roman writers noted the timely convenience of white stork's arrival in spring, which alerted farmers to plant their vines.

When I was walking the Road to Santiago in Northern Spain of 2014, my eyes were open with curiosity to noticing birds, just like Stephan. Vultures, falcons, goldfinch, geese, ducks, hens, but most commonly, white storks. Numerous towns have white stork nests perched atop church and bell towers, in plain view of humans, and often in the middle of town.

The white stork's preferred environment includes grassy meadows, farmland and shallow wetlands, which makes the farm villages of northern Spain an ideal home. White storks are long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills and long-legs. Because of this long beak, a common fable includes this feature as a lesson about the Golden Rule. A stork and a fox get involved in a game of trickery that ultimately leads to disappointment and frustration. This encourages children to treat others the way they would like to be treated, especially when it involves being a welcoming host.

Photo Credit: Long Long Time Ago

The white stork is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa from tropical Sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as South Africa, or on the Indian subcontinent. When migrating between Europe and Africa, it avoids crossing the Mediterranean Sea and detours via the Levant in the east (countries near Israel) or the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, because it follows the air thermals that do not form over water. Followers of Islam revered these storks because they made an annual pilgrimage to Mecca on their migration.

As with other storks, the wings of the white stork are long and broad enabling the bird to soar. This gliding flight conserves energy while wingbeats are slow and regular. It flies with its neck stretched forward and with its long legs extended well beyond the end of its short tail. It walks at a slow and steady pace with its neck upstretched.

In yoga philosophy, we can relate to this flying with lightness as a similar concept to Aparigraha. Although this concept technically relates to non-hoarding, when we practice non-attachment to material items or old thinking patterns, we can gracefully and playfully float through life with a Bird’s eye view.

Photo Credit: Moving Forward

This Bird’s Eye View perspective is the opposite of narrow minded. It involves stepping back and looking at the entire situation from a different, more summative angle. Physically we speak of this angle when we look out the window of an airplane to see the towns and cities below. We can also draw maps or floor plans.

This bird's eye view as a genre, has existed since classical times. Before people flew in airplanes, the term "bird's eye" was used to differentiate views drawn from direct observation at high locations (for example a mountain or tower), from those constructed from an imagined (bird's) perspectives.

When I taught visual arts to grades K-8, one of my favorite perspective exercises was to have the students draw an imaginary city as seen from the sky looking down, made up of basic shapes and a central vanishing point.

Is there a situation in your life right now that can use a broader perspective?

Maybe a hike up to a local mountain, hill, tall building, or flight could help.

Seeing these huge, bright white, social beings, on a daily basis, tends to bring warm feelings to a pilgrim’s heart. Correspondingly, storks are loving and nurturing parents. These winged legends appeared often in ancient European folklore as a symbol for family, responsible for bringing babies to new parents, because they take very good care of their young. Working with equanimity, monogamous pairs of storks build a large stick nest together, which may be used for several years. Each year the female can lay one clutch of usually four eggs. Both parents take turns nurturing the eggs and both feed the young. Bill-clattering is a central form of communication at the nest. The young leave the nest 58–64 days after hatching, and continue to be fed by the parents for a further 7–20 days.

Photo Credit: Bored Panda

This nurturing parenthood led many cultures to honor the stork as the giver of life to human families as well. In Hindu myth, birds are special and believed to enter the realms of heaven. Their ability to fly makes them ideal messengers of the gods. In Ancient Egypt, the white stork was associated with, the Ba, or soul. Similarly, according to European folklore, the stork was believed to find babies in caves or marshes and brought them to human households in a basket on their backs or held in their beaks.

An ancient German legend popularized the story of storks and babies through a 19th-century story called The Storks by Hans Christian Andersen. For this reason, Poles, Lithuanians and Ukrainians believe that storks bring harmony to a family on whose property they nest. Likewise, German and Dutch households would encourage storks to nest on houses sometimes by constructing high platforms to being good luck.

Ancient Egyptian Soul- Photo Credit: Ancient History Lists

In addition, the Hebrew word for the white stork is chasidah, meaning merciful or kind. Storks often preen the heads of sitting birds, sometimes these are parents grooming juveniles, and sometimes juveniles preen each other. The Greeks also held that killing a stork could be punished with death.

Their nests are often very large and may be used for many years. Some nests have been known to grow to over two six feet in diameter and about ten feet in depth. The males arrive earlier in the season and choose the nests. Larger nests are associated with greater numbers of young successfully fledged, and appear to be sought after.

Several bird species often nest within the large nests of the white stork when they go south for the winter. Regular occupants are house sparrows, tree sparrows, and common starlings; less common residents include Eurasian kestrels, little owls, European rollers, white wagtails, black redstarts, Eurasian jackdaws, and Spanish sparrows. Therefore, a sense of unity and connection is formed amongst the birds because of the leadership of the kind, soulful, graceful, balanced white stork.

You can practice increasing your focus, stillness, balance, and inner peace through Stork Pose.

Begin in mountain pose and take a few slow inhales and exhales.

Direct your gaze at one point in front of you. For beginners with one-legged balance, start by looking at a speck on the ground below you, then over time, look across at a wall or horizon and eventually, up at the sky or ceiling.

With a strong core, shift your weight over to all four corners of your right foot and lift your left knee to the height of your hips in a right angle. Roll your left ankle around in circles one direction and then the other.

You can wrap your arms around your left knee, or clasp them together in steeple mudra to represent the beak. Remember to also roll your shoulders back and down, away from your ears. This action keeps your upper body engaged.

Hold this pose for five to seven breaths, then switch sides. You can also add the variations of opening your hip and twisting your knee across your body.

After practicing on both sides, I like to flap my arms: Inhale lift my arms along with my right knee, exhale lower my arms and right leg; inhale lift my arms and left knee; exhale lower my arms and left leg.

Physically, this one-legged pose helps strengthen your legs, open your hips and align your feet while improving your balance and coordination.

The pose is also effective in moderately stretching the muscles in your arms, shoulders, chest and stomach to help improve overall posture.

Stork Drawing by Hannah Faulkner

Just like many birds like to share the large, welcoming nests of the storks, there are many bird poses in the Yoga Asana that can remind us to practice Aparigraha, lightness and non-hoarding/ non-attachment. Aside from Pigeon there is Eagle, Crow, Duck, Rooster, Peacock, Swan, Crane, Heron, Rooster, and Partridge.

Crow Pose

Peacock Pose

If you want to experience the warmth of viewing and witnessing storks in action, join us for the Spiritual Trekking Adventure and Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage on The Way, El Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain, next Summer 2018.

Spaces are limited and the Early Bird Special Ends on October 31st, so Book Now to save your space today!

Print by M.C. Escher

The other day a friend, Ashlee, told me that I must have been a cat in my previous life. She was trying to make sense of the phenomenon of why animals, and often times cats, are so attracted to me. But, I haven’t always been this way. I used to be afraid of animals and tried to steer clear of them for most of my life.

It wasn’t until I started doing yoga (Yoga One San Diego), that I’ve made a connection with these beings. The more I became centered and found inner peace and awakening, the more animals liked to be in my aura.

On the Salkantay Trek, in Peru, I made friends with dogs and cats on the trail. All over Greece, I petted cats on the streets of Athens and Amorgos. In Thailand, an adorable Orange Tabby fell asleep in my lap and even in Sacramento, a cat ran up to me on a walk through Capital Park.

On the Everest Base Camp Trek, I had two separate magical experiences with loving cats. The first one was on the second day of trekking when a cat jumped up onto my shoulder and wanted to come with me. I was happy to let him sit there, but the local girls came running out to take him back.

Then, on the fourth day, I stopped to pet another cat that was sitting on someone's backpack along the side wall. This one leaned her nose up to mine and crawled up on my arm. She started licking my cheek intensely. I received this act of love as a Universal sign of harmony and goodness. This incredible kindness brought tears to my eyes. My entire group stopped to watch this gift from the Divine. They started calling me the Cat Whisperer.

Dogs would follow us too. On one particularly freezing day in a blizzard, I saw a young pup that was following us on the trail. He was shivering and struggling to keep up. He must have followed us for miles, since we passed the nearest town. I leaned down and picked him up, holding him tightly and warmly while I walked until my arms needed a rest.

One of my favorite animal experiences is when I was walking along the Camino de Santiago in 2014. JoAnna and I were both missing our pet cats from back home when suddenly, out of the brush, five little kittens approached us. We stopped and started petting and holding them. They just wanted to be loved. Our hearts were filled with so much joy to share this connection with the natural world.

We stayed there for about thirty minutes then JoAnna said, “We should probably stop wasting time and continue walking.” I abruptly snapped back, “This is NOT WASTING time!” We still tease each other about that statement, but the truth is that taking time to stop and connect with nature and our inner source of love is really the best ways to spend our time and our lives.

Later that day as our hearts were still overflowing with joy, we approached our shelter for the night, an albergue, and found another six kittens in the back yard where we did our laundry! Love attracts more love!

Join me on my next adventure to complete the entire Camino de Santiago (or option to do parts) next Summer 2018. This all-inclusive Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage will include guided meditation, themed discussion, hatha and restorative yoga, as well as many opportunities to connect with the natural world, animals, cultures, traditions, and surprises.

Learn More about the Trekking Adventure

Our Crown Chakra, Sahaswara, is our source of enlightenment, consciousness and spiritual connection to all that is. This connection takes the form of a circle, like a crown. Feeling enlightened with a balanced Crown Chakra is experiencing unity that everything is connected at a fundamental level. The other day, when I was meditating and bringing my concentration to this place of inner peace and connectedness, my cat walked over to me and pressed the crown of her head into the crown of my head. Moments like this are enthralling!

Similarly, just this past week at Fun Yoga on the Bay, after flowing through bird poses like Duck and Pigeon, a duck walked into the middle of our circle and made long eye contact with me and the others. It felt the loving peaceful yoga energy that we were all cultivating towards other living beings like itself.

Fun Yoga on the Bay

At the Living with Animals exhibit in the Museum of Man San Diego, we are reminded that all animals can be our friends. Pets used to be wild creatures that have developed a relationship with humanity over time. We have made friends with dogs, cats, birds, turtles, fish, mice, and even beetles.

However, sometimes the way we live causes separateness and we lose connection with creatures when we label a certain creature as a pest or a taco.

Why is it that in the West we can develop laws to protect the treatment of dogs, but we are blind to the way cows, pigs and chickens are treated and manufactured in a factory?

Perhaps our first animal allies were wolves who would crawl up to a campsite at night and with a soft whine beg for some scraps of food or if our ancestors would abduct and raise wolf pups from 15,000 to 40,000 years ago. Over time dogs became protectors and hunting partners, then friends and even family members.

However, some parts of the world view dogs as pests and even meals. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world, including East and Southeast Asia, West Africa, Europe, Oceania and the Americas. It was estimated in 2014 that worldwide, 25 million dogs are eaten each year by humans in many parts of China, Korea, and Vietnam.

Downward Facing Dog Pose at Living with Animals

Did you know that the Ancient Egyptians considered cats to be sacred? Killing a cat was punishable with death. When they died, they were mourned, embalmed, and given sacred burials. Some cats were specifically bred and mummified as sacrifices and offerings to feline-goddesses like Bastet (Museum of Man: Living with Animals).

Cat Pose at Living with Animals

We have the ability to befriend any animal. In Colonial America, girls who could nurture squirrels would supposedly make good wives and mothers. Likewise in many parts of Asia there is a long tradition of keeping pet insects; stag and rhinoceros beetles are among the most popular with children today.

Beetle Pose at Living with Animals

Genius Albert Einstein emphasizes, “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

When a dear pet dies, we often feel a whole in our hearts. This lonely place of missing their tender bark or meow, soft fir, or even just precious eye contact. When we make eye contact with other living beings, we recognize the oneness.

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama states, “Life is as dear to mute creatures as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.”

In the jungle of Thailand, monks, who have reached a high state of connectedness and inner peace, show a brilliant example of our capacity to connect with any creature. By cultivating respect and awareness, these monks have offered a safe sanctuary to very endangered tigers.

In 1998 two tiger cubs took refuge in an isolated Buddhist temple, about a 2-hour drive west of Bangkok. Now, with ten endangered tigers, Wat Pa Luangta Bua, has been declared a tiger reserve by the Thai government and has a monk to take care of each one. While they cuddle and play with the cubs, they treat the grown-up animals with great respect. They go for a walk with these sacred creatures on a leash every day.

The documentary, The Tiger and the Monk, portrays the harmonious relationship between humans and predators without disregarding the monks' motto that a tiger will always be a tiger. Even if it feeds from the hand, it will always be a wild animal.

Sometimes we live with animals that we do not want in our space. We call these creatures pests and we often try to kill them. When I was a child, I used to be petrified if I found a spider in my attic room. I was so terrified of these creatures that I would stare, shake, and freeze for hours at a time. It wasn’t until a dream that I had in January of this year, that I began to see creepy crawlers as beings that are beautiful living miracles. Now, if I see a creepy crawler in my living space, I practice capturing it with a jar and paper and take it outside to release it into nature.

The Living with Animals exhibit, takes a look at how a pet can become a pest, a pest can become a pet, and a pet can become a pest that ends up on our plate.

It is becoming increasing clear that we humans have taken advantage of the environment, our Mother Earth, and animals are taking back what they need to survive and be happy. This interference with our “plans” of concrete civilization often creates a war of separate walls and violence. For example, in Hinduism (India’s main religion), monkeys are revered and treated with respect. However, as their habitats get bulldozed, millions have moved into cities where they pick pockets and rampage through homes searching for food.

A Family of Monkeys Watching the Sunset in Rishikesh, India

Have you ever watched a mouse die?

One time, I was working in a restaurant that had spotted a Ratatouille. A company came in and set up a sticky trap to block the escape route for this wanderer. I had to walk back into this storage room to put something away when I heard scrambling and twitching. I looked over and it was freshly caught. It stared at me with desperate eyes and I looked back with compassion and love, but I didn’t know what else I could do for it. This image stayed in my mind for a while. Now, I wish I would have taken it outside and let it go. Having tasted the potential death of this trap, this mouse would probably not return. Perhaps the problem lies more in the dead end of a trap. Using the trap to reroute the pest would be much more kind.

Pests of the Living with Animals Exhibit

Nineteenth-century English philosopher Jeremy Bentham preached,
“The question is not can they reason, nor can they talk, but rather, can they suffer?”

What should we do when certain species become multitudinous?

We could turn them into pets as Jack the Reaper did with white albino rats, or send them back out into the wild with a balanced amount of natural predators, so that they don’t overpopulate like situations with the lion fish in the Atlantic or rabbits in Australia.

Sometimes, we turn pets and pests into creations on our plates. For thousands of years, most people saw and lived near the animals that they ate. Sometimes, they would eat their pets, like pigs and chickens, on special occasions and feasts. However, in 1878, Swift & Company created a refrigerated railcar that allowed slaughter of animals to occur out of sight and mind for individuals consuming its meat. Since then, this has saved money for manufacturers and lowered prices for consumers, but placed the living conditions for animals out of sight and mind for most people. Because of this we have been increasing the amount of animals that we eat, not only in proportions on our plate, but also in quantity of every meal.

Up until six months ago, I have been guilty of disconnecting the animal with the flavor. Then, I became confronted with some yoga philosophy of Ahimsa (non-violence) and how it relates to karma. I finally opened my eyes and heart to the documentaries available on Netflix and other platforms that are trying to awaken us to how we are responsible for torturing animals every time that we buy meat or animal products.

I used to think that we “needed” to eat animals for protein and have since learned that we can find much more healthy nutrients and proteins in a plant based diet. Leo Tolstoy announces, “A man CAN live and be HEALTHY without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he partakes in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite, and to act so is immoral.”

The Living with Animals exhibit showcases mini video footage that we “are not supposed to see” about the atrocious suffering that our cows, pigs, and chickens endure so that they can end up on our plate. Many pigs are stuffed in cages so tight that they are NEVER able to even turn over or around during their entire lifetime. Chickens are piled high and stuffed into machines and drawers while they are still alive, and cows are overfed, injected, and pumped, also while begin squeezed into cramping cages.

Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher from the 6th century BCE, stated, “For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap the joy of love.”

Like an ex-smoker who still desires a swig of cigarette every time they smell one, my mouth still waters at the smell of crispy bacon and tasty hamburger, but then I close my eyes and visualize the whole creature and how it is being treated today, under horrible conditions, with the purpose of companies making more money, and I can no longer partake in this bad karma. Peaceful Mohandas Gandhi, past leader of India proclaimed, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

The Museum of Man poses the dyer question, “How Can I Live Better with Animals?” Attendees at this exhibit have responded with their heart-felt experience…

Charles Darwin urges,
“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”

Eckhart Tolle, the expert on consciousness, teaches us, “You do not become good by trying to be good, but by finding the goodness that is already within you, and allowing that goodness to emerge. But it can only emerge if something fundamental changes in your state of consciousness.”

Would you like to be an animal whisperer too?

Join us for Yoga in the Rotunda at the Museum of Man San Diego and visit the Living with Animals Exhibit to awaken connectedness and inner peace.

I will be leading the class on Saturday, September 9th, 2017 from 8:30-9:30am in accordance with Yoga One San Diego.

We will be flowing through animal poses like Cat/Cow, Dog, Beetle, Mouse, Pigeon, Fish, Turtle, and more as we cultivate Crown Chakra Connectedness and Ahimsa for all creatures!

Please share your stories of being an animal whisperer or awakening to an awareness of living with animals in the comments section below.

After a long day on my feet, the first thing I want to do is to rest them. Whether I’m trekking 10-20 miles a day with a heavy backpack, teaching, serving tables at a restaurant, or even sitting and writing, my body craves relaxing restoration. My favorite pose to recover and heal from a long day is Legs-Up-The-Wall and it can be practiced almost anywhere that you have access to wall and enough space to lay your back down against the corner. You can add blocks, blankets and bolsters to feel more supported and increase your energy through a back-bend, but the basic posture itself does miracles inside of our bodies.

Legs-Up-The-Wall, also known as Viparita Karani in Sanskrit, is an inversion that increases circulation flow (lowering blood pressure if practiced regularly), grounds the head, and quiets the brain for deep relaxation. This pose can stimulate the legs, refresh the heart and lungs, relieve the back and harmonize the thyroid and parathyroid. This pose changes the energy of the legs from moving down and out to the feet, as in our normal stance, to moving down and back to the pelvis (Relax and Renew by Judith Lascetor). This pose can also be useful to relieve headaches, stress, and insomnia.

Ancient yoga philosopher Pantajali believes that, Restorative Yoga is the
“Great golden womb of the Universe.”

Photo Credit: Times of India

To find the most support and grounding for your body in the moment, you can experiment with different props. According to Judith Lasater Restorative Yoga is, “The use of props to support the body to create deep states of relaxation, health and ease.” We are encouraged to support any part of the body that can be supported (even our wrists, neck, and head) so that we can feel like we are being held with our body in flexion, as inside the womb.

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Practicing Restorative Yoga is the antidote to our fast-paced busy society.

However, the goal of practicing restorative yoga is NOT just to DO restorative poses when we feel that certain parts of our body need healing, but instead to carry the peaceful restorative awareness to our whole lives.

Did you know that our bodies have two different nervous systems?

One is more dominant than the other. According to Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga, “Each network has an intricate, interconnected network of nerves running between our brain and organs and communicates through a variety of neurotransmitters, which further signal different chemicals to be released in our blood to change the organ functions.” These chemicals also regulate the pace of our breathing, and our heart rate.

The sympathetic nervous system keeps us active in a “fight or flight” survival mode in which we are often busy in our mind and body. We can all relate to that feeling of sweat and butterflies before we are about to make a speech, performance, or other uncomfortable confrontation. We can also experience this survival alert in the midst of a physical disaster. However, in today’s society, we often get so pumped up on caffeine, sugar, or crammed schedules that we stay in a state of alert for much of our daily routine and week. We keep checking our phones or Facebook and try to multitask as our heart-rate rises, vision narrows, and sweat forms. This system can be associated with our ego and how it relates to wanting more and more in the material world, never stopping or getting enough.

Photo Credit: Dr. Bruce Lipten

Further, when we are stressed for days and weeks at a time, without giving our parasympathetic system a chance to take over, this can lead to anxiety, emotional fragility, and getting sick through a weakened immune system. “Stress and stress related problems account for up to 90 percent of why people go to see their doctor…Astonishingly, few doctors (only three percent) talk to their patients about how to reduce stress in their everyday lives.” Both our body and our mind can suffer from this chronic stress. Learn more about the scientific details about how stress affects our health and how yoga repairs, along with an 8-Week Guide to Strength, Awareness, and Flexibility in the book by Dr. Marylynn Wei and Dr. James E. Groves, The Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga.

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On the other hand, our parasympathetic system is slow and growth based. It is often associated with digestion, absorption of nutrients, and strengthening our immune and reproductive systems. Restorative Yoga stops the negative cycle of stress by turning on your body’s relaxation response, a state of deep rest by the counter stress, parasympathetic nervous system. This is the state in which we can listen to our inner voice of awareness and consciousness, peace and stillness. This system releases chemicals to relax your muscles and slow your breathing. In addition, restorative yoga has been linked with loss of long-term body fat and weight loss that is maintained over time. The more you practice, the more you will reach this relaxed state.

Legs-Up-The-Wall with Variations of Props

To set up for Legs-Up-the-Wall pose, you have the option to create a bolster. A bolster is a firm pillow, cushion or pad used for support. You can also use a block, rolled up yoga mat, a rolled mat wrapped in a blanket, or a rolled up blanket or sweatshirt wrapped around a few books (if you are traveling). You can place this bolster parallel to the wall with a few inches of space in between. For extra support you have the option to have cushions ready on each side of your yoga mat (or whatever surface floor), a looped strap, eye pillow and two beanbags, and a blanket or two.

The simplest most minimal way to practice this posture, if you are in an open space without any props or nearby wall, you can lay on your back and lift your legs straight up in the air, making a right angle with your body. If you have only one block, or a stack of books, you can practice this pose by starting in supported bridge, with a block placed on the low or medium height, then lifting your legs straight up to the sky.

To get into the pose with props, sit parallel on the bolster or on the floor (or bed) to the wall. Your shoulder and thigh should be touching the wall. As you lean back to a perpendicular position, swing your feet up. Try to bring your body to 90 degrees with your sit bones touching the wall, but arrange the bolster so that it is not touching your lower ribs. If this is uncomfortable on your lower back or hamstrings, scoot a few to twelve inches off of the wall, or add extra padding under your lower back by pressing your feet into the wall and lifting your hips, then sliding a cushion or folded blanket underneath. If you already have a bolster under your hips, you have the option to push it out to the side and try the pose without it.

Next, you have the option to place a looped strap around your thighs and tighten it so that your legs are parralell and lifting straight up. This requires less effort to try to keep your legs straight up. If your legs go numb at any point, bend your knees and swirl your ankles or bring your feet together into bound angle. Otherwise, keep your legs straight, but relaxed.

If your chin lifts towards the ceiling, place a standard-fold blanket under your head and neck to support your cervical curve, so that your chin is slightly lower than your forehead. Relax your neck, head and back on the ground.

Relax your shoulders away from your ears and draw your shoulder blades together and away from your head. Relax your arms either above your head or alongside your torso about 45 degrees away, palms up. Option to rest your hands on cushions (perpendicular to your forearms) in a flexion position with bean bags to rest your fingers on. You can cover your eyes with an eye pillow or sleeve of a sweatshirt to shut out the busy activity associated with light.

Settle in by taking a few deep breaths. Imagine the fluid in your legs flowing down and release your tension. Your legs begin to feel softer and lighter. Imagine that your brain is sinking towards the back of your head. Enjoy the open freedom in the position of your arms and feel your spine supported by the floor or bed.

Stay here for a minimum of 10 slow breaths or set a timer for five to twenty minutes. To get out of this pose, gently loosen your strap and let your knees bend and maybe open up to the sides in bound angle. Then, bringing your knees together, slowly lean to your side and let your eye pillow fall.

Use caution or avoid this pose if you have whiplash, spondyolisis, hiatal hernia, sciatica, high blood pressure, or like most inversions heavy menstruation, pregnant after first trimester, retinal issues, or glaucomaua.

While trekking the Camino de Santiago in Spain during the summer of 2014, JoAnna and I practiced this pose, after each day of walking, for at least 30 minutes.

Join us….for more restorative poses like Supported Half-Dog, Savasana, and much more on the Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage in the Summer of 2018.

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Tiny hot fragments massaged the heel of my foot, then the arch, ball, and in between my toes. My calf muscles extended and tightened with each step. Suddenly, the refreshing edge of the vast sea snuck through my feet and ankles, bringing my awareness to its icy trace. From admiring the organic wind and sea layered auburn, ginger, and beige rock formations, to the contrast and patterns in the black and white sand, my attention was once again redirected to the sparkling stones all around me.

Should I choose a round and shiny black stone that fits in my palm with a high gloss highlight or perhaps a white jagged quartz that I can almost see through? These speckled stones are a stimulating mix of the two, while this small red one has a porous texture that stands out from the rest. Maybe something more complex would represent me better.

I started gathering the stones. “I reveled in each find like a child on an Easter egg hunt, plucking up the colorful little gems before the sea reclaims them” (The Numinosity of Rocks by Patricia Adams Farmer)

I gathered so many stones that I couldn’t even hold all of them. I glanced over a JoAnna, she is feeling the same sense of overwhelm and excessiveness. We both made a little pouch in our shirts as we piled more stones in.

We were only each supposed to choose one. This was a difficult task.

Which one stone represented my life here, my home, my past, my solidity, my burden?

Making our way over the mini boulders by the road, we sat down and unloaded our burden of rocks. Carefully we separated them into categories of Absolutely Love, Maybe, and Not as Much. After that, we tossed the Not as Much stones back into the sand and then the Maybes too. I was down to five stones and JoAnna had 3 left. We decided to take these finales home to wait for divine inspiration to guide us.

As I was packing for the Camino de Santiago in 2014, I decided to bring three: the quartz one to represent my past loves,
the black one for my fears,
and the layered one as excess.

For hundreds of years, pilgrims have been unloading their burdens at the Iron Cross at Cruz de Ferro, the highest point (approximately 5,000 feet) on the Camino Frances route of the Camino de Santiago. A small iron cross is mounted atop a tall wooden pole, which is atop a mound of stones that’s more than ten feet high.

This monument lies between the beautiful towns of Astorga and Ponferrada and has some of the most breathtaking views along the way. Astorga is known for its Episcopal Palace, designed by Antoni Gaudi, as well as a vast gothic cathedral.

Between those towns, we reached the Iron Cross by trekking through the small villages of Foncebadón where we contemplated sharing a barn albuergue with donkeys, cows, and goats (except, contrary to what the guidebook promised, there were no baby animals at this time of year) to Manjarín, in which there was only one resident, who dresses up as a Templar knight (for his visitors) and runs a rough albergue with no running water. Just outside the albergue are a number of wooden planks showing the distances to various places.

Foncebadón

Manjarín

When we came upon the Iron Cross, we felt a heavy sacred presence as we approached. A variety of rituals surround the surrendering of stones. This tradition was originally a religious one, to say a prayer at the Iron Cross and leave the stone behind, would symbolize that you were leaving behind your sins. Over the past few decades, the tradition has been leaving behind not only the sins that pilgrims carry but also other burdens in their life.

Some pilgrims meditate in the fields next to the site, others climb instantly to the base of the cross and pray, some enthusiastically take photographs with fellow pilgrims. Some pilgrims believe you can pick up a stone while you’re walking the Camino, put your sorrow into it, and disburden yourself of that sorrow when you put the stone down. These stacked stones of sorrow used to show the way, before yellow arrows. For all pilgrims, this is a stopping place to take the time to honor their journey. I slowly scanned the stack, recognizing that each unique stone represented a soul that was awakening to a life with a deeper connection to the divine by letting go of what is not serving them, Aparigraha (part of the Yamas in the Eight Limbed Path to Enlightenment).

Join us next summer, 2018, on the Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.

Spiritual Trekking Adventure

According to the ancient yoga philosopher, Pantajali, the spiritual journey of a yogi can be likened to carrying a full load of rocks on one’s shoulder while climbing up a hill, but each time a yogi meditates, he or she starts to throw these rocks away from his or her shoulder one by one. The further the yogi goes, the lighter that load of rocks on his or her shoulder will become until the yogi has reached to the top of the hill. At this point, the yogi has nothing left to throw away. If there are some rocks remaining, they are not important. At this time, the spirit or consciousness of the yogi becomes free of the bondage that has covered it.

Rocks are collections of vibrant energy rather than passive lumps of matter. Primitive human beings believed that rocks were filled with gods and spirits. The longevity of structures made of rock and stone often means that they are associated with the divine and the eternal. Have you heard of Jesus’ sermon on “The Rock of Ages,” the God of eternity who is the beginning and the end. Native Americans viewed rocks as the bones of Mother Earth. In the same way, homes are not only built for the living, but also for the dead. Piling rocks on graves or creating tombstones, were once believed to contain the spirit of the loved one. In the same way, the earliest sculptors sought to "free the spirit" within the stone as they carved masterpieces out of them. Stone formations often symbolize the passage from one life to the next. They are healing because they can connect us to something beyond our struggles and mortality. (Ancient Wisdom in Rocks and Stones)

Humble warrior pose is a forward bend that requires stability, balance, and a deep groin and shoulder stretch. When you trust this pose and let yourself surrender, you release any need to grasp and cling. Other benefits include: stimulating the nervous system and abdominal organs, opening the lungs and chest, stretching the arms, legs, back, and neck, as well as strengthening the legs and ankles.

In humble warrior pose, your legs are positioned in a lunge with your front knee is straight over your ankle (as in warrior one), and your hips squared toward the front of the mat. Your hands are interlaced behind the back with the palms touching. Your body hinges at the hips and folds forward as your arms stretch behind you. The crown of your head leans towards the floor.

Seasonally, I walk along these same shores of Torrey Pines State Beach. Each time these walks represent struggles to overcome and perspectives to be gained. They have inspired this painting and they yoga leggings. Consider how you might infuse your day to day life with reminders of the building blocks of your life. Many myths, fables and stories use rocks to symbolize the obstacles a character must overcome to complete their quest to attain steadfast wisdom, enduring perseverance, or joyful awe.

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Stones have been used throughout history for therapy. The practice began among the Hindus in India approximately 5,000 years ago, and was called Ayurveda. This involved the placement of stones on the body to relax tense muscles and relieve related pain. Further, Chinese used heated stones more than 2,000 years ago as a means of improving the function of internal organs. Spanish healers, called curanderas, used heated stones to relieve period pain and cold stones to slow bleeding after child birth. Some cultures documented that women held stones during labor which added to their strength and endurance. Stones were also used for healing work in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Egypt. Because of their incredible energy, stones are also used in reiki, polarity therapy and cranial sacral work.

A couple of months ago, my friends decided to have a Do-It-Yourself Spa Day. I had the idea of returning to my favorite beach, Torrey Pines to choose some stones to use for Hot Stone Therapy. We heated them up in a crockpot with a few drops of essential oils on medium and took turns giving and receiving this warmth and relaxation. If you try this at home, please remember to always use a barrier, such as a specific textile product designed for stone placement, or at least a sheet or towel to protect your skin.

Diiiinnnnnnggggg, Ding, Doooooonnnnongggg, Dong, Diiiiiinnnng, Doooooooonnnnnnng...

Rings of purple and gold outlined a bright white glowing circle. The white light grew, expanded, and faded out as a new outlined circle appeared in the center and began to expand as well. Although my eyes were closed, my entire body was filled with vibrations of warmth, love, and joy. A blissful smile expanded across my face.

Digital Artwork by Hannah Faulkner

At this first annual Elysia Yoga Convention in Amorgos, Greece in April 2017, Yoga and Wellness leaders from around the world gathered to resonate together under a high frequency. Lying in the open space of sound, I felt a deep connection within my body. My mind was clear as it allowed the sound to penetrate every cell of every organ. This alignment was not only taking place within my body, but also within the whole room as David Kennet swarmed around us with crystal and metal Tibetan singing bowls, chimes, and dynamic shamanic chants.

Some may call this awakening, enlightenment, dharma or samadhi, but these moments of knowing are universally recognized as a profound transformation of consciousness. In this moment, I knew that I was re-aligning with my authentic and eternal essence.

David’s Soul Sounding Workshop “is a transmission of high vibrational energetic tones that help shift the listener into a deeper state of awareness, allowing you to re-member Home. Home is where the Heart is . . . where unconditional love, unlimited joy and peace reside.”

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Eysia Yoga Convention Closing Ceremony 2017
Photo Credit: Yair Go Love

Likewise, the morning after the closing ceremony, many of us were on the ferry back to Athens. We rounded up for a meditation and singing. As we gathered, only the formation of a circle seemed rational. We held hands as we together sang the sacred sound of OM, our vibrational frequencies aligned. This community indeed felt like home.

Tibetan Symbol or Aum, the Sacred Sound

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Om or Aum represents universal consciousness. Because all other sounds emerged and are an extension of Aum, a yogi can make any sound a tool, such as their own voice or a bell, to reach the primal sound Aum. Great yogis believed sound was the ancient reality existing even before there were ears to receive it. Sound carries a spiritual weight more meaningful than other sensory properties like smell taste, and touch. Science supports this belief in revealing that sound is the first sense to come to a fetus in the womb and the last sense to go in death.

Hannah Faulkner with the Om or Aum symbol of sacred sound

Nada Yoga is a philosophy that the entire cosmos and all that exists in the cosmos, including human beings, consists of sound vibrations, called nāda. This concept holds that it is the sound energy in motion, rather than of matter and particles, which form the building blocks of the cosmos. Nada means flow of sound and Yoga means Union. Nada Yoga is the process of the union of the individual mind with cosmic consciousness through the flow of sounds. On the path of Nada Yoga, the body is healed, the mind recovers its balance and the person develops a deep sense of well-being. In this sense Nada Yoga works as medicine and therapy, helping a person to lead a healthy, happy and balanced life in the world.

Sound is also employed to raise the level of awareness of our energy centers called chakras. In Cusco, I had an Aura Cleansing at Paramatma Holistic Healing in which different sounds were chimed above each chakra and vibrations were harmonized.

Using sound to connect to a higher state of consciousness is a common practice of most spiritual traditions.

Historically, bells have been associated with religious rituals, and are still used to call communities together for religious services. Later, bells were made to commemorate important events or people and have been associated with the concepts of peace and freedom.

When I was visiting Kathmandu in Nepal (March 2017), on a tour with Mosaic Adventures, we were taken to a Tibetan Sound Bowl Shop. Bronze bells from Asia have been discovered as early as the 8th–10th century BC and singing bowls are thought to go back in the Himalayas to the 10th-12th century AD. Only a few pieces of art, dating from several centuries ago, depict singing bowls in detail, including Tibetan paintings and statues.

Typically, Tibetan Bowls are a type of bell, specifically classified as a standing bell, rather than a hanging inverted. These handmade antique bowls consist of a rim that vibrates to produce sound characterized by a fundamental frequency (first harmonic) and usually two audible harmonic overtones (second and third harmonic). Singing bowls are played by striking the rim with a padded mallet. They can also be played by the friction of rubbing a wooden, plastic, or leather-wrapped mallet around the rim to emphasize the overtones and a continuous 'singing' sound, as in David Kennet’s technique.

Singing bowls are used worldwide for meditation, music, relaxation, and personal well-being. The sound healer in the store demonstrated how to feel the vibrations of the Ancient Tibetan handmade antique bowls by turning it upside down, balancing on the crown of our head and striking the bowl on the outside in a clockwise tradition. I realized that I must bring one of these home with me, so I went on a search throughout town for the best one.

Today, antique and new bowls are widely used as an aid to meditation. They are also used in yoga, music therapy, sound healing, religious services, performance, and for personal enjoyment. Since I’ve been back from my journey around the world, every day when I sit down for meditation, I place the bowl upside-down on my head and chime it several times. My cat, Kiki comes running up to me and circles me counterclockwise a few times before settling into my lap with a deep purr. All of these vibrations calm my emotions and clear my thoughts, bringing me to a state of gratitude and peace.

In the same way, church bells are traditionally used to call worshipers to the church for a communal service, and to announce times of daily prayer, called the canonical hours. Historic bell towers exist throughout Europe. In Christianity, many Anglican, Catholic, and Lutheran churches ring their bells from bell towers three times a day, at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., summoning the Christian faithful to recite the Lord’s Prayer. The ringing of church bells is also believed to drive out demons, or darkness.

Walking through the road to Santiago in Spain, it is difficult to not to hear the lovely sounding of church bells swinging in a bell tower throughout the day. Michael S. Rose proclaims in his article, Bring Back the Bells and the Bell Tower Too, “A church should not only be seen, but heard… For the pilgrim in city or country, that distant sound of ringing may well be the first indication that his destination is not far off. He then looks forward to catching his first glimpse of the church tower or spire rising above the urban fabric or seeing the silhouette of the church building atop a distant hill. In fact, the bell tower is one of the primary vertical elements that draws the pilgrim to the church, not only by the sound of its bells but by its visual profile. Pointing upward to the heavens, it is a welcoming sign to pilgrims and tourists, parishioners and merchants alike.”

Indeed, the church bell towers often incorporate clocks to bring us back to the present moment. These chimes felt like the comfort of home throughout the Camino de Santiago. Please share, this sacred reminder to be present, with me on the Spiritual Trekking Adventure next summer, 2018 on the Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage in Northern Spain.

Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage

As my flight arrived into Krabi, Thailand (March 28, 2017), I was surprised to hear an announcement, through the intercom, advising tourists to respect the feelings of the Thai people, following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a man seen as a father-figure in the country.

I’ll admit, I didn’t do my homework for this quick 3-day stop. Unlike most trips when I read up on everything I can about a country that I’m about to visit, since I was also visiting 7 other countries in seven weeks, I skimped out on Thailand’s history and political status. All I knew is that Thailand was often called Royal Thailand with a Grand Palace and it had breathtakingly gorgeous beaches and limestone cliffs.

Strolling through Bangkok, I was captivated by beautiful murals honoring the life of this king and witnessed local people dressed in black (for the last six months and will continue for up to a year) and crying at altars set up for this being who was believed to be divinely inspired.

According to the wisdom in Chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching,
“In the world there are four greats,
and the king is one of them.”

Commonly known as The Great Way or simply, The Tao, written by Lao-Tzu, these 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching are the ultimate commentary on the nature of our existence. Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Lao-Tzu offered advice and guidance for a balance moral and spiritual life. In Wayne Dyer's book, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, Wayne spent a full year reading the Tao Te Ching in many different translations and he wrote an essay on each chapter that brings the text alive into modern day life.

I soon learned that King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was the world’s longest-serving monarch, and he has left behind a legacy that will be remembered by his people. Throughout his 70 years on the throne, King Bhumibol the Great has been credited with skirting numerous catastrophes through intelligence, fortitude and his love of country. Chapter 59 offers, “The one who rules like the mother lasts long.” He was generally highly revered by the people in Thailand and his successor, Vajiralongkorn, does not share his same popularity.

He demonstrated this life-long learning principle as the King played saxophone with jazz legends like Duke Ellington, won prizes for sailing, was a keen amateur photographer and painted expressionist oil paintings.

With all this, he remained humble as he declared, “I must also be criticized. I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong, because then I know. Because if you say the king cannot be criticized, it means that the king is not human.”

Similarily, Bhumibol Adulyadej showed his humility and connectedness with other spiritual leaders around the world.

He commented on the Dalai Lama’s influence,

"A good person can make another person good;
it means that goodness will elicit goodness in the society;
other persons will also be good."

Throughout my travels, I noticed that Thailand’s quality of life stands out considerably compared to the countries around it. Thailand, means, Land of the Free and this king emphasized the importance of life-long learning for all. From establishing schools to granting scholarships, the Thai people bestowed him the title, “Teacher of the Land”.

Likewise, the Tao Te Ching tells us in chapter 54, “Cultivate virtue in the country, and it will be abundant.” He kept giving to the people, to improve their conditions. The people would say of him, “The more he does for others, the happier he is. The more he gives to others, the wealthier he is. (Study International)” Forbes estimated Bhumibol's fortune, including property and investments to be US$30 billion.

My visit to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand

Bhumibol’s body has rested in Bangkok’s spired Grand Palace in a golden urn, draped in silk, gold and diamonds, for an official grieving period of one year, as Brahmin priests and Buddhist monks, wreathed in incense smoke, chant incantations.

What makes an amazing leader?

Some common traits across cultures include wisdom, knowledge, focus, planning, coaching, courage, patience, perseverance, flexibility, humility, integrity, and compassion.

These are qualities that come from balanced chakras, or energy centers along our spinal column. When our Root Chakra is balanced, we plan details for survival with appropriate food, clothing, and shelter. Our ability to be Flexible comes from a balanced Sacral Chakra of creative flow. Courage, confidence and perseverance come from a balanced Solar Plexus Chakra. While the HeartCchakra opens with compassion. The ability to speak and listen with integrity comes from a balanced Throat Chakra. Whereas, a balanced Third-Eye Chakra cultivates vision, and knowledge. Finally, we can feel a balanced Crown Chakra with wisdom, cooperation, and trust in a higher connected consciousness.

“When the emperor is crowned or the three dukes are appointed,
rather than sending a gift of jade carried by four horses,
remain still and offer the Way
(Chapter 64).”

Just as the Tao is considered to be The Way, so is the popular trek in northern Spain called the Camino de Santiago. Next summer, in 2018, I'm leading a Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage along this route. Watch the video below to learn more about why you would want to join me.

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Mosaic:

A combination of diverse elements forming a more or less coherent whole, perhaps as piece of art or picture produced by arranging together small pieces.

It is often used in decorative art or as interior decoration. Most mosaics are made of small, flat, pieces of stone or glass of different colors, known as tesserae.

The concept of decorating with small pieces, mosaics, can be traced back in history to temple buildings in Ancient Mesopotamia during the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. They consisted of pieces of colored stones, shells and ivory. However, it was the Greeks, in the fourth century BC, who raised the pebble technique to an art form, with precise geometric patterns. The Romans elaborated with detailed scenes of people and animals that have been preserved in places like Pompei and Herculaneum.

Ancient Mesopotamian Mosaic
Photo Credit: Encyclopedia Britanica

Ancient Greek Mosaic
Photo Credit: The Vibes

Roman Mosaic of Pompeii
Photo Credit: Mozaic Artistic

The first great religious building of Islam, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, which was built between 688-692 CE, was decorated with glass mosaics, both inside and outside. The rich floral motifs follow Byzantine traditions, and are Islamic in the sense that the motifs do not include representation of men or animals. Likewise, the Dome and California Tower of the Museum of Man are decorated with colored tiles representing the sun, sky, and stars.

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

Dome and California Tower of the Museum of Man

I'll be teaching Monsters Themed Yoga
under this dome at this
Museum of Man in San Diego
on October 28 at 8:30am.

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In the same way through Contemporary Art, sculptures come to life through mosaics at Balboa Park and Waterfront Park in San Diego by the world-famous artist Niki de Saint Phalle. She was one of the few women artists widely known for monumental sculpture. By 1964, she was calling her artistic expressions of the everywoman, Nanas, after a French slang word that is roughly equivalent to "chick." She started making life-size dolls of women, such as brides and mothers giving birth, and even monsters.

Saint Phalle moved from Paris to La Jolla, California in 1994 for health reasons. She set up a new studio, and produced sculptures which were covered with mirrors, glass, and polished stones. In her new workspace, she started to explore novel technologies for designing and creating artwork. She also became an active member of the San Diego arts scene, participating in fund-raisers and exhibitions.

Snake-Head Monster Nana by Niki de Saint Phalle at Waterfront Park, San Diego

While teaching Sculpture at Torrey Pines High School, I introduced a mosaic project inspired by Saint Phalle and a visit to western Spain in 2012. In Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi is famous for his massive organic Art Nouveau cathedral called Sagrada Familia in Spain. This building comes to life with flora and fauna elements as well as an array of stunning shapes and colors of stained glass joined together in a mosaic. He also decorated winding benches and terraces with broken pieces of dishes and painted tiles in Parc Guell.

With permission from the Visual Arts Department, my students worked together in small groups to brighten up the outdoor patio. We designed colorful table tops and decorations for the outside wall. I asked my students to bring in old dishes and using appropriate safety precautions, we broke them and arranged the pieces by color. Taking all of the necessary steps, we sealed colorful designs into a what was a bland patio.

As a team, we became the mosaic. Each member had a vital role in the process and we developed a sense of trust and cooperation. These qualities are associated with our crown chakra of unity and wholeness. In our contemporary society, we usually value individuality and ability to be self-sufficient. While I definitely value my independence, I also strive to stay connected.

Likewise, before I booked my guided tour for the Everest Base Camp Trek in March 2017, I was considering doing the trek solo. I valued my extensive experience with trekking without a guide and group and I weighed the value in spending extra money for the group experience. Although I can enjoy a quiet day alone between meditation and my own thoughts, the idea of being alone for 13 uninterrupted days seemed a bit too much. I reasoned that I would appreciate learning more about the culture and it would be nice to have someone responsible for me, just in case I got altitude sickness, to guide me to a hospital or helicopter rescue. Yes, helicopter rescue is actually an industry here with 5% rescues. Before the helicopters were available, 2 out of every 100 people would die from lack of oxygen to the brain.

After scouring the internet many times to compare prices and read reviews, Mosaic Adventures sounded like the right match for me. I obviously connected with their name, Mosaic, historically representing an assemblage of many pieces or people coming together as one.

Mosaic Adventures was founded by people who began their working lives as porters and trekking guides. Hard work and determination has seen them realize their dream of joining together and forming tour company. This background and experience of guiding trekkers all over the Himalayas has given Mosaic unique insight into what people really want and need on an adventurous trip. They offer impeccable, friendly and personalized service for a trip of a life time.

When I arrived at my hotel in Nepal, I met my roommate Zoe, an Australian scientist; traveling with her dad, Peter and his partner, Mandi. Also from Australia, Christian with his girlfriend, Caity. From the US, Rosena from New York, Katherine from Chicago, and Mimi from Los Angeles. The three from the US booked an extended tour, but since we were departing on the same day, March 12, 2017, Mosaic decided to combine the groups, so we got to travel with two of the best guides on the trail Bhavanath and Pravin.

Throughout the first few days we were busy with chatty introductions: where are you from, what do you do, what brought you here, etc. I supplied some playing cards and we each excitedly shared a game from our cultural upbringing. As the altitude got higher, the temperature cooler, and the trail more technically difficult, we began to reach out for help. We walked together throughout the trek, remaining in sight of the other members and stopping to take breaks to allow everyone to catch up. I believe this technique is what kept me from developing the sickness.

Christian and Katie offered conversations of spirituality and rocks, along with silly comments and expressed emotions. Zoe joined me on the optional excursions and pushed me to go a little further. Katherine engaged in stimulating book discussions about mountain climbers that have lost their lives while Mimi and Rosena shared their own epic travel tales. Peter kept a steady pace while Mandi offered a some entertaining dancing and Buddhist philosophy. I offered a yoga class when we come across an open rooftop room in Namche Bazaar.

Luckily, I packed a pretty solid first aid kit with "just-in-case" items. Christian tore his glove, so I offered him my sewing kit. Rosena shoulders were struggling with the weight distribution of her backpack, so I showed her how to comfortably adjust the waist straps. Zoe's knee was throbbing, so I offered her some tiger balms patches. Mandi needed a safety pin and I had many. Mimi loft one glove, so I offered her my extra pair. The feeling of helping others is so much more rewarding than just helping yourself.

When I was physically and emotionally exhausted after reaching base camp, Pravin offered to carry my backpack. When we were feeling headaches, BN massaged our head and neck in a special Nepali style. This ritual stimulated a profound sense of connectivity again into the flow of blood into our cells.

In this silly photo, Pravin is trying to imitate Bhavanath's amazing massages.

We look like a Mosaic in this epic EBC photo

In yoga philosophy, the energy center that rests at the top of our head is our Crown Chakra. This circular space represents our connections to the divine in all things. Therefore, this action of massaging our heads produced a joyful unification among the group. We were bonded on this extremely challenging trek of negative temperatures, sharp terrain, and thin air.

Circular Connectivity of our Crown Chakra Energy

Come together with me on a Spiritual Trekking Adventure, the Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage, in northern Spain, summer of 2018 on the Camino de Santiago.

The Early Bird Discount ends soon, October 31st, so make your deposit today to lock in the special price and save your space!

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We carefully tied the scallop shells to the backs of our packs. When pilgrims carry the scallop shell it represents our personal journey, the sacred path that we must take within. Starting on the outer rim of the shell, we try to find our way back to our center. Many pilgrims along the Road to Santiago wear the scallop shell to identify other pilgrims. When we see other scallop shells, we are reminded of why we are walking. Even though each person has their own story, the shell itself represents the many different spiritual pathways that lead to the same place. We are ultimately bound together by this oneness of the universal center, the spirit. On a more universal note, scallop shells relate to travel and movement.

Over the past hundreds of years, pilgrims would also be given food at churches and other establishments, and a scallop shell scoop was the measure for the food they would be donated. Further, this symbol guides pilgrims on the way, as a milestone marker pointing you in the right direction, and can provide reassurance at some points that you are still on the right path, The Way of Saint James.

In pre-Christian societies, the shape of the scallop shell also resembles the setting sun, which would be full of symbolism regarding the sun setting at the land’s end, the name to the end of The Way, Fisterra.

The grooves in the shell, which come together at a single point, could also represent the various routes for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostella. In addition, Saint James' body was believed to be covered in scallop shells after he died, which was considered a miracle in 44 AD. It is no coincidence that in French the scallop is called Coquille Saint Jacques, while in German scallops are called ‘Jakobsmuscheln’ (James mussels).

Scallop Shell Pose also known as Wide Legged Boat or Prasarita Navasana

In general, a shell’s primary purpose in nature is protection, as it is made to keep small, defenseless sea creatures safe from harm. Because of this, shells have strong protective energies. Many cultures in coastal areas protect their homes by placing strings of shells over windows and doors. Necklaces of strung shells can be worn by children to keep them close to home and safe from harm. Shells are also strongly associated with the element of water. They are linked with the moon and feminine energy, which drives ocean tides.

The Nautilus Shell, being a sacred representation for growth and rejuvenation, forms into progressively greater chambers throughout its life, and they are coated with mother-of-pearl. The golden mean number (known as PHI – 1.6180339…) can also be found in the shape of the Nautilus Shell. The universal design of the golden mean seems to be a geometrical blueprint for life itself. PHI can be seen in all biological configurations such as the seed pattern of a sunflower, the spiral pattern of a sea shell, the proportions of human and animal skeletons, and in the patterns of certain types of cactus plants. This value was known by Plato as being “the key to the physics of the cosmos.” Spiral shells can be used to stimulate energy in your home.

Nautilus Shell Pose also known as Reverse Warrior Variation or Viparita Virabhadrasana

When blown, the Conch Shell produces a loud noise. As in the famous novel, The Lord of the Flies, it can be used effectively for communicating, and as an aid in clearing up misconceptions. The conch shell was one of Buddhism’s eight auspicious symbols, signifying truthful speech and strength that is meant to awaken one from ignorance, and is a sign of victory over suffering.

Horagai are large conch shells that have been used as trumpets in Japan for many centuries. They are used for religious purposes or as a signal for samurai. In Chinese Buddhism, the conch shell signifies a prosperous journey, and in Islam it represents calling people to prayer. It also appears in the Hindu tradition of prayer. The spiral formation inside the conch is symbolic of infinity. The space, which gradually expands in a clock-wise direction is like the human journey of life.

Conch Pose, Commonly known as King Pigeon or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Ujjayi (pronounced oo-jai) Breath is a method Pranayama in Yoga practice that is commonly referred to as the “oceanic breath” that resembles the sound that a shell makes into your ear. This sound helps a yogi to synchronize breath with movements, making the entire yoga practice more rhythmic. It helps practitioners to stay present, self-aware and grounded in the practice, which lends it a meditative quality.

To begin Ujjayi breath, seal your lips and start to breath in and out through your nose.

Take an inhalation through your nose that is slightly deeper than normal. Exhale slowly through your nose while constricting the muscles in the back of your throat.

If you don’t hear anything, then try again with your mouth open. Exhale the sound “HAAAAH”—it’s similar to the sound you make when you’re trying to fog up a mirror. Practice a few more time with an open mouth to familiarize yourself with the muscles in the back of your throat.

Then, close your mouth and attempt a similar sound, feeling the outflow of air through your nasal passages. Once you have mastered this on the outflow, use the same method for the in-flow breath, gently constricting the back of your throat as you inhale.

Ujjayi is a diaphragmatic breath, which first fills the lower belly (activating the first and second chakras), rises to the lower rib cage (the third and fourth chakras), and finally moves into the upper chest and throat. This breath should be both long and smooth.

This technique, builds internal body heat, tones the lungs and encourages the free and healthy flow of prana, while clearing toxins out of the bodily system. The slow and rhythmic nature of the Ujjayi breath is helpful to calm nerves. Next time you find yourself with a case of the jitters, try some yogic breathing to settle the worries.

What do shells mean to you?

A monster is a threatening force, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is often a creature of strange or terrifying shape, and may produce fear or physical harm by its appearance or its actions.

Well-known monsters in fiction include Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, werewolves, mummies, and zombies, yetis, sea-monsters, and dragons.

Monsters! Exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man

We can find many stories of monsters paired with a hero’s journey throughout legends in history. For example, before the Ancient Greeks, the Minoans ruled the island of Crete and the surrounding areas of the Mediterranean Sea. In 1400 BCE, Daedalus constructed a labyrinth for King Minos inside the Palace of Knossos. King Minos formed this labyrinth as a manifestation of the dark side of his ego and power over other people. It served as a prison located in center.

The maze was built to incarcerate the Minotaur, a creature supposedly born from an illicit encounter between the queen and a bull. Because of the scientific fact that a minotaur is not possibly produced from a queen and a bull, perhaps this monster was the king’s own deformed child with a deformed face and human body. Every year the king fed the monster with prisoners sentenced to death. These actions cultivated fear in the lives of the Minoans, until a wise hero, Theseus, came along and volunteered to face this creature, putting end to the fear that ruled the people.

You can learn more on the blog, Our Dark Side.

Monsters! Exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man

The hero’s journey is the process by which we struggle to overcome our dark side and become enlightened individuals. In the popular new age novel, The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho meets a terrifying black dog several times along the Road to Santiago, and each time there is a brutal confrontation. The dog symbolically represents Paulo’s shadow or dark side. When we are overcome by those parts of ourselves that are dark and foreboding, we feel attacked by these hidden aspects of our personality.

With the help of his guide, Paulo was able to face the symbolic black dog and transcend his ego by facing himself as he is rather than an idealized version of himself. He then returned home and would become the next master for a new pilgrim on the path. Only when we face our own demons, can we find the freedom to live and the wisdom to teach others (Along The Road To Individuation).

Would you like to experience this hero's journey along the Road to Santiago?

I'm leading a Meditative Yoga Pilgrimage on this path in northern Spain next summer, 2018.

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When our Third Eye Chakra of vision and intuition
is out of balance, sometimes we
choose to focus on the dark and scary
instead of all the light and goodness in our life.

When we take the time to pause and examine our thoughts,
we can change them to choose light over darkness.

Third Eye Chakra

Are you afraid of your own power?

Where the Wild Things Are is a popular 1963 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak. This story focuses on a young boy named Max who, after dressing in his wolf costume, inflicts such chaos through his household that he is sent to bed without his supper. Through the power of his imagination, Max's bedroom undergoes a magical transformation into a jungle setting, and he winds up sailing to an island inhabited by dangerous beasts known as the "Wild Things."

After successfully intimidating the creatures, Max is hailed as the king of the Wild Things and enjoys a playful dance with these creatures. However, to the Wild Things' disappointment, he starts to feel lonely and decides to return home. Upon returning to reality in his bedroom, Max discovers a hot supper waiting for him and he is reunited with the love of his family connection.

This book shows how we can choose deal with various feelings that arise such as fear, frustration, anger, and boredom. Through our power of thought and imagination, we can focus on the journey of survival, change, and growth, to bring us back to reality and loving connection, in the form of grounding comforts.

What does your monster look like?

Monsters! Exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man

Amulets are symbols of protection.

When we wear these or keep them close, they are reminders of our inner strength and ability to choose courage over fear.

Monsters! Exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man

Do Monsters haunt your dreams?

Sometimes monsters appear in our dreams. "The mind has a great power of imagination: a locked door could mean you feel lonely, a sunny day could represent joy and monsters could personify your anxiety (TEEN Magazine)." The story of Frankenstein was inspired by a dream from Mary Shelley. In the same way, the artist, Pedro Linares, had nightmares about all kinds of crazy creatures like “donkeys with butterfly wings and roosters with bull horns.” He chose to focus on this fear as he recreated these colorful imaginary creatures with cardboard and papier-mâché, calling them Alebrijas.

Monsters! Exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man

"The mind has a great power of imagination: a locked door could mean you feel lonely, a sunny day could represent joy...and monsters could simply personify your anxiety."

Sweet Dreams by Anne Guillot,
TEEN Breathe Magazine Issue 1

Dream Yoga is practice is designed to bring light into some of the deepest and darkest aspects of our being. Our dreams are telling us about ourselves: our beliefs, our hopes and fears, and our values. They give us the freedom to leave behind all the extras of our material life and fling ourselves into a truly spiritual way of being, to learn and grow.

According to the book, Dream Yoga: Illuminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yoga of Sleep By Andrew Holecek, with sleep yoga, your body goes into sleep mode, but your mind stays awake. You drop consciously into the very core of your being, the subtlest formless awareness-into who you truly are.

To make sure no unwanted monsters show up in your dreams, you can leave them behind on the community dreamcatcher at the San Diego Museum of Man. Dream-catchers were created by Ojibwe/Chippewa Indian parents to act like spider webs that trap nightmares, instead of flies, but let good dreams pass through.

You have the opportunity to write down or draw nightmares or monsters you want to leave behind on a paper feather, and then tie the feather to the web and release them forever.

Monsters! Exhibit at San Diego Museum of Man

Join us on Saturday, October 28th from 8:30-9:30am
for Monsters themed Yoga in the Rotunda
in accordance with Yoga One San Diego
at the San Diego Museum of Man.

In this one hour experience, we will flow through fun monster poses like dragon, wild thing, octopus and more while exploring the inner concepts our ability to choose the light and let go of our fears.

Learn More and Sign Up Here!

What are you afraid of?

Dream yoga and sleep yoga can develop into “bardo yoga,” the famous Tibetan practices that use the darkness of night to prepare for the darkness of death. The word bardo is a Tibetan word that means gap, interval, transitional state, or in between. Our Western society today is both deeply fearful of and uncomfortable with death.

For many of us, death implies a cold, unpleasant, and unwelcome end to all we find precious. We hold powerful attachments to our bodies, relationships, material possessions, and identities that feed into the fear of death.

In the yoga tradition, deeply acknowledging the reality of death, as a transition into another energetic state, is known to be a source of freedom.

When we are afraid of something trying to harm or kill us, the root fear is ultimately the fear of death. When we no longer fear death, then we can truly live.

Hannah HalfMoon in Warrior of Light Pose

When we can fully surrender in Death/Corpse Pose, we can live fully as well. Practicing Savasana, pronounced Shuh-vah-sana, at the end of each yoga session is practicing the art of dying.

When we finally surrender, we let divine healing and love melt in and over us. Taking this final resting pose at the end of any yoga class allows your body a chance to regroup and reset itself. It is perhaps the most important part of yoga practice.

While the body rests comfortably and completely relaxed in savasana (corpse pose), the yogi can remain fully conscious and become increasingly aware of the inner world.

Savasana Pose at Yoga in the Rotunda, San Diego Museum of Man

Hannah (HalfMoon) Faulkner acknowledging the reality of death at the San Diego Museum of Man

"In time and with water, everything changes."
-Leonardo da Vinci

“You’ve lost weight!”

I’m surprised at how many people notice and comment. I’ve always been pretty comfortable with my weight and size. Trimming down was not my motivation for starting this juice fast, but after three weeks of a liquid-only diet, I must say I do feel lighter and some of my pants are feeling quite loose.

What is juice fasting and why try it?

Juice fasting, also known as juice cleansing, is a certain period of time when you typically consume only raw liquids, specifically water, herbal teas, fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
I’ve recently read that multi-billion dollar industries profit from sick people and that is why fasting is rarely talked about positively in the media. If you suffer from headaches, constipation, diarrhea, skin troubles, fatigue, irritability, excess weight, bloating or any other number of symptoms, your body needs some help to cleanse.

Fasting is the key to boosting our immune system and detoxifying our body, not just physically, but also emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Detoxing dates back to at least the ancient Hindus, Egyptians, and Greeks who all used certain foods and herbs to purify and detoxify the body. Further, fasting is an unifying truth and practice of many ancient cultures including religions like Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, and now modern-day science is confirming its power to transform us (The Chalkboard).

Back in July, I started juice fasting for two days a week, and recently I decided to transition into a 21-Day Juice Fast before going into a longer water fast. Through a juice or water fast we can develop self-discipline as we learn how to step away from the downward spiral of desire. Besides boosting my immune system and cleansing my digestive system, my motivation for fasting lies in the spiritual realm as juice fasting is a nourishing tool to improve clarity, sense of connection to self, and connection to my spirit.

"Through a juice or water fast we can develop self-discipline as we learn how to step away from the downward spiral of desire."

Saucha is one of the Niyamas from the Eight Limbs of Yoga. These limbs are discussed in many ancient Indian texts such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

Saucha means cleanliness. Cleanliness indicates a sense of self-respect. On a basic physical level it applies to how we clean ourselves. This cleanliness also applies to food. We’ve all heard the popular phrase, “You are what you eat,” so the cleaner our food is, the cleaner we’re going to be inside and out.

Water is symbolic of healing and cleansing.

An ancient Oriental proverb states, "Be water my friend, be water," which is to say be flexible, adaptable in mind and body.

Spiritually speaking, the Element of Water symbolizes our emotions that ebb and flow.

Did you know that 90% of eating is emotional?

The element of Water is linked with our Sacral Chakra, Svadhisthana. The Sacral Chakra is about finding a balance with creativity, pleasure, and desire, and when it’s off balance, sometimes we attempt to fill the resulting void with a “quick fix” like comfort food, alcoholic beverages, or romantic flings. Sacral means relating to the sacrum, or sacred. Sacred is something considered worthy of spiritual respect. Therefore, as universal symbol for the soul, the Sacral Chakra is area where new life is generated.

Everything that we create, whether it be a poem, a drawing, or a website, originates from the energy of our Sacral Chakra. Any time we take raw materials, physical or mental, and transform them into something new, we are using our creative energy. We also tap into this source when enjoying art, beauty, and sensory experience; being able to experience emotions without being overwhelmed by them; being adventurous and open to change.

Some signs that we are out of balance in this energy center includes: emotional instability, fear of water, fear of change, sexual dysfunction, depression, overly needy, insufficient boundaries, and addictions in which there’s a constant need for stimulation (entertainment, partying, binge eating) or frequent emotional drama.

By restoring our balance in this center, we find balance with our feelings, sense of trust, respect for nature, abundance of life, compassion for others, inner serenity, and creative expression.

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”
-Loren Eiseley

If you would like to explore your creative side and introduce a fasting routine into your life as well as to flush out blockages in your emotional energy center, then join us for a Beach Camping Juice Fasting Weekend on Friday, January 19th- Sunday, January 21st, 2018 at San Elijo, California State Beach.

Come together as a community to meditate, practice yoga, hike, discuss, read, play in the ocean and create watercolor paintings as we spark Big Magic into our being and aim to find balance with our feelings, sense of trust, respect for nature, abundance of life, compassion for others, inner serenity, and creative expression.

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On a physical level, when we juice our fruits and vegetables, we remove the fiber and drink only the liquid which contains the organic hydration, nutrients, vitamins and enzymes from the plant food. Pure raw juice helps to break down acidic waste matter and rejuvenate our bodies at a cellular level. Although fiber can be useful in our diet, going for a certain period of time without it gives our bodies a chance to spend less energy on digestion because around 70% of our energy each day is spent on digestion alone. So when we are eating three meals a day plus snacks, we are rarely giving our bodies a chance to direct energy to deeply cleanse the body.

When and Where to Juice Fast

If you are thinking about starting a Juice Cleanse or Juice Fast, I recommend starting with a goal. Write down why you want to fast and set up small steps to gradually working your way up to a longer fast. Experienced fasters can go for as long as three weeks on a juice fast, however if this is your first time, it is recommended that you start with a smaller, more manageable target. Fasting can be challenging, both physically and mentally, but it is better to complete a short fast successfully than to falter in the middle of a long one.

You could start by replacing one meal a day with pure Juice to get you used to the process.
Or, consider introducing a 24-hour weekly juice fast into your routine. Doing a juice cleanse once a week will help you with some detoxification.
Many first-time fasters plan their juice fast for over a weekend, from Friday to Sunday, when they can be at home for extended periods of time where they can carve out some time as often as you can for relaxation, rest, gentle movement like stretching and walking, reading, watching films, meditation and for working on creative projects that inspire and delight you, rather than those that drain you.
Once you have done a three day fast, you can move on to doing longer cleanses periodically, progressing towards a 7 day or even 21-day juice fast, if desired. Although this may seem daunting, fasting actually becomes easier the longer you go without solid food. Your body trains itself not to feel hunger, as it recognizes that it is getting all the nutrition it needs from the juice.
Stay strong and remember why you decided to do the fast in the first place. Remember that you will feel much better in your body, mind, and spirit afterwards.

If you don’t have enough time to prepare your own juices, I recommend Juice Crafters. Juice Crafters is a family owned juice bar which uses raw 100% natural ingredients to prepare some of the most amazing freshly pressed juices in the world. They emphasize the importance of providing natural holistic wellness by extracting nature’s medicine into our immunization juices. Their fruits and vegetables are handpicked by local farmers and delivered daily to guarantee quality and freshness that you can taste with your every sip.

Swing by one of Juice Crafters locations to grab a freshly pressed juice made to order. Currently juicing in the following locations: Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Downtown LA & Newport Beach. Our San Diego locations: La Jolla, Hillcrest, Little Italy. Visit Juice Crafters Juice Bars today and start a better life.

How Much Juice to Consume

If you are drinking a lot of juice, you may find that you can continue functioning with your normal schedule just fine while fasting. However, by doing so you are not giving your body the maximum chance to embrace and work with the healing and cleansing process. While you may be able to get up and go to work, do your chores, look after your family, and make your juice to boot, you won’t be giving yourself the best experience and results possible. Rest and relaxation are vital for optimal results.

I usually just drink water in the morning and don’t start drinking juice until the afternoon. Drink plenty of water is also important when on a juice cleanse, as the water will help to flush toxins from your system, along with helping you to rehydrate after eliminations. Drinking water will also help to keep sensations of hunger at bay. You should aim to drink at least a glass of water with each juice, or dilute the juice with 50% water.

How to Juice

For best results, experts recommend buying a juicer. However, I created my juices the old-fashioned way with a Ninja blender. I first selected the organic fruits and vegetable that I wanted to use, then I chopped them and added water. After blending, I strained out the fibers through a thin wire strainer, and cheese cloth.

To avoid excess sugar and maintain a high nutrient value, experts recommend that juices should contain a healthy proportion of vegetables and fruits. I find myself craving more grounding root vegetables like carrots and beets with a hint of orange or bell pepper to add sweetness. Other amazing vegetables include celery, brussel sprouts, basil, spinach, kale, garlic, ginger, and shallots. Delicious fruits include cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, melons, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, pears, lemons, watermelon, kiwi, and pineapple.

The best part about making your own juices is that you get to indulge in creativity and experiment with different fruit and vegetables to get tasty and unusual combinations. When you really put thought into what flavors will work well together, drinking your juice will be a pleasure.

Most fresh juices have a shelf life of 72 hours. Although I did end up purchasing some Organic 100% Juice from the store, I later learned that they were Flash Pasturized and although they were tasty and colorful, they were boiled and lost their raw enzymes and vitamins.

Sample Recipes for a Day in the Life of Juicing:

Fresh Basil Tomato: Juice 2 tomatoes, one skinned Persian cucumber, one peeled garlic cloves, 1/4 of a peeled lemon and a handful of basil leaves.

Afternoon Delight: 3 strawberries, 10 blueberries, 1 honey crisp apple, and one pear.

Dinner Substance: Juice 1 sliced beet, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 4 kale leave, 1 green apple, and 1/4 of a peeled lemon

Date-Apple-Almond Milk- 3/4 cup of soaked almonds in water, 3 pitted dates, 1 apple

I personally love to make juice and nut milk combos. Use fresh raw pecans, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, or almonds or hazelnuts when making your milk as they have retained all the nutrients from not being pasteurized and heated. Avoid any nut milks from the grocery store as they are filled with all kinds of chemicals that we are trying to rid ourselves from in the fast.

It's best if the nuts are soaked in filtered water. The simplest way is to put them in a jar of water overnight so you won’t have to think about the timing. Make sure you let them soak for at least for 4-6 hours.

Other Ideas for Homemade Nut Milks:
Hazelnut-Strawberry-Pear
Blueberry-Walnut
Peach - Pecan milk
Pineapple - Cashew milk

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