Just Give Me This . . .

Just give me this:

A rinsing out, a cleansing free

Of all my smaller strivings

So I can be the class act God intended,

True to my purpose,

All my energy aligned behind my deepest intention.

And just this:

A quieting down,

A clearing away of internal ruckus,

So I can hear the huge stillness in my heart

And feel

How I pulse with all creation,

Part and parcel of Your great singing ocean.

And this too:

A willingness to notice and forgive the myriad times

I fall short,

Forgetting who I am,

What I really belong to.

So I can start over,

Fresh and clean,

Like sweet sheets billowing in the summer sun,

My heart pierced with gratitude.

--Belleruth Naparstek

Emptying. Over the course of the last several months I've had to empty myself. Painful, scary, liberating all at the same time. When I empty, what I cling to becomes evident. What doesn't serve me becomes clear. When I empty of all that is unnecessary I see what is then worth holding on to, and IT is what is holding me. Grace. God. Love. Whatever you want to call it . . .  What a welcome release that is. 

As my trip in Taiwan starts to wind down I am reminded how honored I am to be able to do what I do. I have worked with some of the most warm hearted people imaginable and truly I have learned so much from the experience. A part of me will always be tied to this island nation. Always. And, I have the people who inhabit it to thank. 

Buddha Memorial Center. More Pics!

Serene. Majestic. Here are more photos of my day trip to The Buddha Memorial Center, in Kaoshiung, I thought I'd share. Taken from a real camera and not my iPhone! Imagine that.  

Unraveling

“Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” 

— Adyashanti


When I came in contact with the above quote it really struck home in a time when I needed it. I guess that is how it happens. There's a question maybe we can't quite formulate, and an answer comes, or at the very least, a new perspective. I welcome the challenge of viewing something in a new way. Discovering a new opening or outlook pushes my ingrained thought patterns or stuck points of view. 

When teaching, I don't illustrate the path of yoga as rainbows and yellow brick roads. Often the path becomes quite murky when we start to unravel. In truth, that is what it is all about, a shedding, because our purity is within and nowhere else. Sure, we are inundated with images that it comes from out there somewhere, externally. One of the many reasons consumerism is at the level it is. It's not all bad, no, there are necessities and also why not enjoy. However, in the same breath, when entering on to the path of yoga, or other spiritual practice, sometimes things feel like they are getting worse before they get better, in the end, an exposing feeling may not feel the most comfortable, but just might be what you need. This has been my experience. 

I remember going through a period where the tears fell like an unending stream. No, it wasn't pretty on the outside, I felt fragile, I felt shattered, I felt fragmented. Through the process I felt lost in an environment where being on purpose was an expectation. I allowed myself comfort in face of uncertainty when a mentor at the time told me, "it's okay to not know in this moment, this means you are open. It's okay not to know where to turn next, it will only broaden your mind to possibility." 

At the root, authenticity comes to mind. I want to taste what is real even if that taste is sour. Throw away the pretense. It's the down and dirty, grounding, touching my nose to the earth that really teaches me something. I've observed it in those on the realized path. What brings me to my knees softens my heart.

Breath is the Bridge

Stockholm

"Our breath is the bridge from our body to our mind, the element which reconciles our body and mind and which makes possible oneness of body and mind. Breath is aligned to both body and mind and it alone is the tool which can bring them both together, illuminating both and bringing both peace and calm." - Thich Nhat Hanh

Breath is the bridge. This has been my mantra this week . . . Honestly, I've been going through some interesting stuff internally during my stay in Taiwan. Once I attain some semblance of clarity, I will share. I've been working various balance points, and it has been a challenge. Planning for the future which requires intense focus, all the while, staying present, stepping into various roles, and still feeling connecting to my center, can be an interesting dynamic to play around with. To say the least, I've been touched by the warmth of the people and community in Taiwan. So in that regard, I feel grateful. Experiencing internal upheaval has in many instances given me the opportunity to recess my direction, my life, hopes and dreams. Also, a big one for me is what is holding me back? That, more than anything, has been a big issue for me. I know where much of it has manifested and truly sometimes I wonder if I will ever heal from it? I am sure many of you out there can attest to this. When stricken with certain events and misgivings in life often we find better ways to cope, but maybe haven't truly resolved or come to terms with it fully. I am only human, and when I start to feel the cracks in my being, though painful, brings me closer to my humanity. I soften. I come out of the numbing. So much in life pulls us out of the quiet and the stillness, but it is only here where we can find our truth. 

Look to This Day!

Taiwan

“Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life,
In its brief course
Lie all the truths and realities
of your existence:
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendor of beauty,
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow only a vision,
But today well lived
makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!For it is life, the very life of life,In its brief courseLie all the truths and realitiesof your existence:The bliss of growthThe glory of actionThe splendor of beauty,For yesterday is but a dreamAnd tomorrow only a vision,But today well livedmakes every yesterdaya dream of happinessAnd every tomorrow a vision of hope.Look well, therefore, to this day!”

- Kalidasa