Hello ,
Welcome to November e-HUG. "E-hug" sounds so much warmer than "e-blast", and I hope it feels just as sweet as a heart hug at the end of yoga class - warmth is exactly what we need on this wintry day. November edition of Satori news, it seems, picked its own theme. As we pause to remember our lost loved ones, let's also remember ourselves, our needs, our dreams, and our well - being.
How often do you hear that change is hard? We have this love-hate relationship with our health: we'd love be healthier, but hate to take steps to make it happen. Worse yet, we put ourselves at the bottom of the list, and while we continue to care for and nurture everyone else, we can't find time to refill our own well.
This e-hug is about making change easy. It is about breaking your worst habit of neglecting yourself. I invite you to examine motives behind your desire to change and methods you choose to achieve your goals, so that you can get inspired, take self-responsibility, change effortlessly and move into empowerment. Shall we start?
"In Buddhism, clinging to be different is the definition of suffering". I heard these words in one of my trainings last summer. Intellectually, of course, they made complete sense. Yet, somehow, they gave raise to a growing sense of internal conflict. It took a few month of sifting through my believes, and many hours on meditation cushion before I understood viscerally what that phrase really meant.
We often crave changes because deep down inside, maybe just below the surface of conscious mind, we believe that we have to be different to be important, loveable or whole. When the feelings of "lack" are the driving force behind our need for change, it feels strained, unnatural, and fails to provide lasting results. Our internal dialog as well as our methods are harsh - anything goes in our craving to reach desired level of fitness, thinness or whatever we believe might make us feel complete. We might abhor violence in Middle East, yet willingly participate in daily violence against ourselves - with negative self-talk, restrictiv
e diets that starve our cells, or by exercising through injuries and working out till we throw up in boot camp. Without the foundation of self - acceptance and respect, taking care of ourselves is saturated with guilt and tainted by belief that we lack something. Self-care that emerges out of "lack" or "should's" becomes a bore, and a chore, and yet another check box on your very long "to do" list.When you hold yourself in highest regard changes you make carry different energy whatsoever. They become an extension of love and respect you feel toward your body and mind.
You love your body enough to feed it the best food possible and give it the gift of movement.
You love your mind enough to offer it deep rest in meditation.
You love yourself enough to pay attention to your needs, get sufficient sleep, and walk away from toxic relationships.
Paradoxically, these concepts are easy to mental-ize - " Yeah, love yourself - right, got it!" - and bone-rattlingly difficult to embody, especially in our culture where media and advertizing constantly remind us of what we lack to engage us in consumer "arms race."
The topic of "enoughness" has been on my radar for a while now. It might seem too soft and far removed from real life's "taking charge and doing it," yet it is the most powerful catalyst for internal change
you will ever encounter. The choice is yours: you can continue to exhaust your free will, struggle with change and internal motivation, and play hide and seek with bettering yourself and your health. Or you can learn to embody wholeness and let effortless change become who you are, as you answer to the deepest needs of your being.
I've put together a self - empowerment program to help you develop inner listening, step into your inherent wisdom, and live your life more skillfully.
Start by reading the blog post ""Hungry Ghost" And The Memory Of Wholeness" below
. In it is a recount of our conversations in meditation class, and also an invitation to explore essential human nature and the origins of our intentions.
Join the class. Learning about the realm of wholeness from books, presentations, and blog posts is a start - but at the end of the day, we each have to do the work to access our intrinsic wisdom. Gain experiential knowledge and visceral understanding of wholeness through deep inner work, meditation and journaling.
Advanced Meditation Studies Group meets once a month starting on Sunday, November 17 to explore different meditation techniques and discuss what matters most. This session (November, December, January) our topic is " I am enough". Just in time for Christmas season, we will discuss and challenge our believes about " being enough" and "having enough"; we will talk about gratitude, conscious consumerism, and how to recover from "no time syndrome". Reserve your spot here.
Rest and refill yourself.
When you are depleted, old monsters of negative self-talk come out to play; mindfulness is no longer an option, and giving and caring becomes a burden. The first one of winter R&R retreats "Refilling Your Well" is on November 29 and 30. Important for everyone, this is absolutely crucial for those of us in caring professions and positions (busy moms, I am talking to you!) - without nurturing yourself you cannot be fully present or give from the heart (simply because there's nothing to give...)
Detoxify. The second installment of winter R&R retreats "Deep Clean Detox" invites you to take a fresh look at your life, and identify toxic habits that stand between you and your best version of yourself. Learn how to put yourself and your practice at the top of the list. Detox, de-clutter, and move your mental and metabolic garbage out to the curb.
Read more about Let's Do Winter Differently! R&R Retreats below, and claim your spot here. Please reserve your space early - retreat attendance is limited to 10 people to ensure maximum amount of personal attention and hands - on time in the kitchen (yup, we'll be learning to cook! I have secured the help of one of my good friends and food whisperer extraordinaire in co-facilitating these retreats, and we are already planning the menu. You can look forward to learning how to make tofu pesto, stuffed bell peppers and vegetarian shepherd's pie.)
"Hungry Ghost" And The Memory Of Wholeness
It's late. It's been a stressful day. You aren't hungry - it's been only a couple hours since supper. Yet you feel this familiar emptiness lurking somewhere inside. And so here you are, staring into the belly of your fridge, deciding on the drug of choice - chocolate cake, ice cream, a glass of wine. You stop momentarily, listening to your conscious mind telling you, no, screaming at you "no, don't, this won't help." And then sink into delicious delirium of the first bite. Pretty soon it is all over, and you are left one on one with that same sense of emptiness, feeling ashamed and guilty.
You are born as an unconditioned spirit, a bright light that knows only the expansiveness of love and safety of mother's womb. Already a manifested human being, your sense of separation and personal identity hasn't been established yet. Imagine yourself as a block of marble, piece of clay, or a blank page in the hands of the artist that is life. Blank page implies emptiness, but you are...
Read More Here
Winter is the time when nature lies itself to rest. Animals and plant kingdom settle in for deep rest and soothing quietude under thick blanket of snow, to emerge in spring renewed, replenished and rejuvenated.
We, humans, choose a different route. In our perennial quest to outsmart nature, we ignore the call of yearly rhythm and continue on with our incessant busyness under the super - brights of artificial lighting. December looms near, bringing with it the usual joys of fatigue, overspending, overeating, overdrinking and generally overextending ourselves. Once the joyride of Christmas season is over, the doom and gloom of January rolls in. By then, it is a typical crash and burn scenario, complete with flat-lining finances, nose - diving health and a steady climb of the weight scale.
It is anywhere between difficult and impossible to get motivated and stay motivated in the deep freeze of winter, despite all those New Year's promises. Comes March, and we are all but depleted, exhausted and SAD, cranky as a 2-year old before the nap, and most likely fallen prey to vicious flu bags that are starting to circulate after their cold weather hibernation. Ignoring earthly rhythms doesn't come without a price: even a minor disruption can mess up the release of hormones, body temperature, and other bodily functions (elimination, for example) leading to weight gain, increased risk of cardio-vascular disease and cancer.
This year let's do winter differently!
Winter R&R Retreats: Let's Do Winter Differently
Refilling Your Well: A Self - Nurturing Retreat to Prepare For The Holidays And Beyond.
Friday, November 29 & Saturday, November 30, 2013
Make self - nurturing a priority to counteract the symptoms of stress that can lead to chronic imbalances, burnout, and illness. This retreat is a perfect way to renew your whole being in preparation for the new year.
Nourish your body, mind and heart with deliciously slow restorative yoga. Feel your tension melt away as your body sinks into deep rest of supported poses, connecting to grounding energy of the earth herself. Get acquainted with Ayurveda, ancient Indian science of well - being, and learn to cook a fabulous and healthy winter meal. Discover simple and effective take-home tools to enrich your daily life and help you sail calmly through the chaos of Christmas season, and beyond. Get yourself registered:)
Get Ready For Spring: Deep Clean Detox
Friday, January 18 & Saturday, January 19, 2014
Lighten up, brighten up and get ready for spring! Sweat your toxins (and your intentions!) out in detox standing sequences, twists, inverted poses, and breathing practice. Drink ginger tea, juice parsley and cucumbers; lose toxic emotions and metabolic clutter that's sapping your energy. Stimulate your body's filters - liver, kidneys and skin - to restore vitality and boost your immune system. Emerge renewed, re-energized, rejuvenated, with glowing skin and a sparkle in your eye. Welcome spring's arrival on a high note, while staying deeply rooted your ability to make best choices for your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. More info and registrations are here.
Here is what's coming your way in DECEMBER:
I know I've promised you a report from "MOVING FROM THE ORGANS" training. The workshop was most certainly rich in both intellectual and embodied learning. For the time being though, I feel that my understanding needs to ripen and mature before I am able to eloquently communicate its insight. The writing words aren't there yet! BUT...This past Thursday students of CORE and STRENGTH class had a chance to dive into vibrancy and fluid depth
of moving from the organs practice, and they loved it! Seeing how much they enjoyed the intricate tapestry of this deeper practice, I though you might want to join in on the fun.
Please save the dates: Moving From The Organs class is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, January 5th. Registration for this and all other winter session yoga classes starts on Wednesday, November 27th for all currently registered Satori yogis, and on Thursday, December 5th for everybody else. See you on the mat!
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