just to get by..

what my dear friends are up to..

Clara – Yoga around the globe http://lilavinyasa.com/

Alex – Yoga with our future women http://www.girlvanayoga.com/

Sara Jade & Reno – Yoga for all beings http://oneloveyoga.ca/

our unity..

 

We say that you cannot divert the river from the riverbed. We say that everything is moving, and we are part of this motion, that the soil is moving, that the water is moving. We say that the earth draws water to her from the clouds. We say the rainfall parts on each side of the mountain like the parting of our hair, and that the shape of the mountain tells where the water has passed. We say this water washes the soil from the hillsides, that the rivers carry sediment; that rain, when it splashes, carries small particles. That the soil itself flows with water and streams underground. We say that water is taken up into the roots of plants, into stems. That it washes down hills into rivers, that these rivers flow to the sea, that from the sea and the sunlight, this water rises to the sky. This water is carried into clouds and comes back as rain, comes back as fog, comes back as dew, as wetness in the air. We say everything comes back. You cannot divert the river from the riverbed. We say every act has its consequences. That this place has been shaped by the river, and the shape of this place tells the river where to go. We say look how the water flows from this place and returns as rainfall. Everything returns, we say, and one thing follows another. There are limits, we say, on what can be done, and everything moves. We are all a part of this motion, we say, and the way of the river is sacred, and this grove of trees is sacred, and we ourselves, we tell you, are sacred. 

 

 

Susan Griffin, Woman and Nature. 

the power of the goddess..

Lakshmi – the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, abundance and wisdom. Her name means good luck and she is a revered mother goddess. Today we sing to her to ask for blessings of abundance on the physical and spiritual planes. The more you receive, the more you have to give.

“Om Shreem Maha Lakshmiyei Namah”

let’s talk about sex..

Whats that?? Feeling down? Depressed? Low energy? Sick of the rain?? Maybe you have a cold coming on? Grabbing for chocolate? Mindlessly eating? Feeling irritable and anxious?  Can’t concentrate?? What the hell is wrong with you????

Have an orgasm.

It’s free. It’s fun. It’s healthy. It restores you to your true self. You can share it, go solo, or as part of a team!

Way to practice getting into the present moment, totally and completely and utterly JUST LET GO.

Here are 10 reasons to up your orgasm quotient for a better healthier you:

1) Orgasm is a powerful stress-reliever. You release loads of oxytocin at climax, which makes you feel sociable, content, safe and relaxed. In fact, oxytocin is the natural antidote to stress hormones in the body.

2) Orgasms will save your relationship. What is the main difference between your intimate relationship and all of your other relationships? The fact that you are having sex with that person. Sex is the glue. Prioritize it and give it the attention it deserves. It will give back. Multiple times. SHAVE YOUR LEGS LADIES AND TAKE OFF GRANDMA’S NIGHTIE!!!! MAKE AN EFFORT BOYS AND SUPRISE US WITH NEW MOVES THAT WORK FOR US!

3) Anti-aging. People having more sex knock years off their lifespan. Dr. Oz touts a 200 orgasms a year guideline to remove six physiological years off of your life.

4) You’ll unleash your creative genius. Its true- Sexual energy equals creativity! Both at the same time often too! Revving it up is a powerful way to summon the muse.

5) It’s good for your heart. Three or more orgasms a week reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke by half and lower your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Your emotional heart will benefit too: Sex strengthens your bond with your partner. The oxytocin released at orgasm promotes bonding, deepening your sense of connection with each other. LOOK at each other, CONNECT.

6) Boosts your immune system. Feel a chill or the tickling of a sore throat? Quick—run and have an orgasm! A Wilkes University study showed that people having sex once or twice a week had a 30% increase in immunoglobulin A, which strengthens immunity.

7) Orgasm recalibrates you. It brings you back to yourself. The French term “la petite mort” or “the little death” alludes to the idea of death and rebirth through sexual climax. We all need a place to come undone. When you have this, you return to your daily life feeling rejuvenated and stronger.

8) Pain relief. When you have a headache, don’t avoid sex. Have it. The endorphin release can relieve up to 70% of your pain symptoms. Headaches and menstrual cramps are greatly reduced. (OK chocolate also works well here too)

9) Sexercise. Yes, a vigorous session will burn calories. How much depends on how vigorous. It’s like comparing a gentle Hatha class to a rockin’ Vinyasa. Beyond that, sex and orgasm strengthen little-used internal core muscles that keep you all sorts of supple.

10) Orgasms make you beautiful. From the pheromones you emit, which make you more attractive, to the estrogen produced, making hair shiny and skin smooth, well-sexed people radiate. They give off a certain magnetism, a je ne sais quoi that is the afterglow of good lovin’. It wears you for days afterward.

There are a plethora of reasons why you ought to have more and multiple orgasms.

Have fun out there, and be safe!

Michelle  (Edited from a piece by Kim Anami)

thank you Michelle, what a sweet note to get in my inbox on this rainy morning!

Revelling in melancholic arpeggio .. and sultry passion. Sunday night.

“salvation is what they’ll pray”. Wolves – Sanders Bohlke

 

“I’m a fool for your belly”. Rhye – Open

the only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once *einstein

sweet serenity – can’t feel it all at once. One wave at a time.

the delicious nectar..

 

“Each asana has its own beauty. Each asana has something to give for the living cells. …the bees go in search of a flower to take the flavour of the flower to form the honey. So similarly, you should know, you have to taste the honey of each asana, totally, completely. Then only will you know the nectar of the asana. Asana does not come to you, you have to go to the asana.  ..it does not come in two days or three days, sometimes some flowers have no flavour at all. The bees try here and there.. so similarly, if you do the asana like that, the nectar cannot come, which is why people leave Yoga. But me, I cannot leave, something new is coming.”

*interview with BKS Iyengar by Kamakshi

Duets…

Just sharing some love..

 

journey for your ears..

More music for my friends.. heartspeak..

Go HERE to listent to the playlist in its entirety.

1.  One More – Cymande

2.  Tezeta – Mulatu Astatqe

3.  Brighton Beach – Telepopmusik

4.  To the Melody, With Love – Apollo Brown

5.  Midnight in a Perfect World – DJ Shadow

6. All I Need – Radiohead

7. By Your Side – Gayngs

8.  Twice – Little Dragon

9.  Higher Love – James Vincent McMorrow

10. Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi – Air

11. Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair – Nina Simone 

Rebirth is the new Death..

Every time I think of Ana Forrest, I remember how she has broken me apart. She has unearthed every one of my emotions in a 3-hour class. over and over. Suffice to say, because of her brutal honesty and nitpicky tactics, I am a stronger woman and teacher.

Her first book, Fierce Medicine, an autobiography of her life and her yoga method (Forrest Yoga) left me a little uneasy because of the unveiled honesty about her life-its horrors and brutality. My heart shunned her storytelling as I wasn’t ready to face the horror that I had been going through in my own personal life. In fact, I really guarded myself against her teachings when I last saw her in February. (my compassionate voice says-Carolyn, you were deep in some heavy shit and weren’t ready to unload at that point, it’s ok).

Without fail, it has always been a woman calling me on my shit while peering into my Spirit. At the time, I was very intimidated by what I was holding onto and needed some long-term therapy-not just a sob session in Ana’s 3 day intensive. I thought I could be happy and fine and I sort of was. The trauma comes up once in a while for grieving and to keep me questioning everything. Until now, I had no idea how scared I was to see her because I was content living in avoidance..

I digress…

I love Ana. She is tender, she is wrinkly and she exudes feline power. There is no way to hide from her demands that you release your cloak of armour and be true. True in your words. True in your relationships.

In a sporadic moment of insanity, I want to share something personal that I extracted from her book, Fierce Medicine. This is the Death Meditation exercise.

I recently led a group through this exercise and they found it very disturbing. Granted, you have to imagine you will be dead in 12 hours and then answer various questions about regret, unfinished communications and then come to what really makes you content in this life and what matters most..? Of course when you’re in the shits and you feel like you’re dying, it’s uncomfortable. But when you wake up, you are aware, you are lighter, you are forgiven.

** Consider: if you knew that in twelve hours, you would be dead, what would you do now, for these last twelve hours of your life? Feel the Death of your hopes and dreams. ..what are your regrets? What were the promises you made to yourself or your loved ones that you can no longer keep because your time is over?

I wasn’t nice enough to those I felt competitive against.

I didn’t travel to every country.

I didn’t bake for friends for no reason at all.

I didn’t massage momo enough.

I wasn’t spontaneous enough – new crazy work ideas, dancing all night long, could have laughed more, could have learned more. Work is overrated.

I didn’t visit people who were sick or dying.

I didn’t try new ways to move my body, new ways to sing.

I was too hard on myself, too hard on everyone.

 

** What are your unfinished communications? What did you want to say or write to your loved ones? To the people who touched your heart…or who broke it?

 

Dear ____, I think I’m breaking the pattern. I’m changing how a Budgell acts in a partnership.

Dear____, I’m so glad you made it and that you stayed so strong for us, even though I resented you and sometimes still do. You are so strong.

Dear ____, I want you to get help. I want you to stay calm under pressure and to be a great man.

Dear ____, You created a destructive ground for my future relationships. You were unsteady and unstable so you couldn’t see how impressionable and vulnerable I was.

Dear ____, You destroyed me, you ganged up and it truly hardened me and put me at odds against women for my whole life.

Dear ___, your stubbornness is hilarious and not unlike my own. You have made me a better and more independent woman.

Dear ____, You put me on a cleaner path.

 

** What have you been lying to yourself about? What are all the ways you’ve sabotaged yourself? ….can you finally recognize what you have in your life that should have died long ago?

 

By thinking I’m better or smarter than someone.

By thinking life can be better this way or that way.

Why focus on the future? Just do it now, really, if I were to die tomorrow? This would all be bullshit. This physical practice of yoga doesn’t matter, but, HOW WILL I BE REMEMBERED?

 

** What in your life needs to break off and die so you can live freely for your last few hours?

 

Holding grudges and judgments against myself.

Doubting the decisions I have made in the past.

Condemning the decision I have made in the past.

Caring about what others think of me.

Worrying about money.

Mistrust. Entirely. Go away.

 

** Can you make a Warrior’s Choice to choose the life you most deeply desire? Make that choice. Let Death take out what you are ready to be free of. Now, as you breathe new life back into your heart, What are the dreams that you are willing to invest your life in now? What matters most to you? 

 

Enjoying the sunrise.

Being kind to all beings.

Being patient.

Not worrying if I’m late.

Not worrying if I’m sad.

Living in THIS moment.

Spending time with others.

Travelling.

Staying committed to friendships.

Being a helpful daughter.

Finishing my work and important tasks completely.

Helping people when they ask.

Listening to my heart and then helping some people, when they don’t ask.

 

(all ** questions adapted from Fierce Medicine, Ana T Forrest)