Happy Monday!

 

Today we softened and slowed down after Friday’s power flow. I felt the need for us to ground and center. We practiced focusing our attention, breathing, and feeling into the postures to root down. We also challenged our balance, mimicking the strength of a rock bearing the brunt of crashing waves and the stability of a tree swaying harmoniously with the wind.  

 

The energy has been moving quickly and we have transformed so much that sometimes we need to pause and feel into who we are becoming. Pausing also allows us to discern and respond to life with more patience and compassion. I was on the beach yesterday and typical Aries my story was “what more can I be doing?” Of course, the inner sage responded, “for now just be, enjoy the moment.” Have you ever looked at old photos or reminisced about chapters of your life that were full of joy and adventure and said to yourself…“I wish I would have realized then just how lucky I was? Or I wish I would have appreciated it more or realized everything was actually better than I thought?” If so, seize it now! You will look back at this time and remember the joys and adventures too despite the challenges.

 

The past week/weekend may have brought to the forefront some of those current challenges or you may have cruised through with presence and gratitude! Most of us were probably somewhere in between. Maybe though, you are discovering that the things that used to trigger you may not have the same effect as before. That’s growth. Even if you feel uncomfortable when something non-enhancing shows up, not having an emotional reaction but instead sitting with it and learning from it displays the inner healing work you have done. It’s from that centered observer space that you respond with more wisdom. We are triggered by external things that reflect what we need to heal inside of us. The less you are triggered, the more you have healed within you. There are times too when you are asked to be a teacher in a situation, maybe you trigger somebody else. Sometimes something needs to be said, sometimes saying nothing at all is the sages response. From the observer space all involved are teachers in one way or another.

 

We talked on Friday about not taking things personally. When you are able to slow down and observe situations, you often discover it has nothing to do with you. We all filter life through our own lenses of experience and we often project or are projected upon. When we practice yoga, practice presence…we carry those skills off the mat and can see the movie playing when certain situations act out in our lives. We learn to pull back from it and see that it’s just a story and we can co-create the experiences we wish. Our power in this depends on our consistent presence….our consistent clarity….as well how how much we trust and have healed and worked within. This is yoga in action.

 

I had a baby stingray visit me while I was at the shoreline yesterday so I googled the spiritual symbology as I like to do in these quiet moments with animals and this piece stuck out:

 

 

Discern. This doesn’t mean to be walked all over or to be violent, it means to be in harmony. Respond according to wisdom and grace. 😊