Category: Blog

Your heart is the size of an ocean. Go find yourself in its hidden depths. – Rumi

Beloved hearts,

How is it going in your part of the world? 

I have been back in the studio, teaching “live” at a lovely riverside space. After teaching Yoga for Nervous System virtually for a year, I have almost forgotten how wonderful it is to connect in person. You know what, the mandatory face mask and social distancing do not separate us. We are connected like the web of life that binds us all. I love what Edward Lorenz so poetically wrote, a butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian jungle and a storm subsequently brews in northern Europe.

More than 18 months on, there are ever-changing dos and don’ts, and restrictions are abound around the ups and downs of a viral outbreak that is still wreaking havoc globally. Covid is the reason we consciously and conscientiously live our best lives simply because there is so much life has to offer.

The recent passing of a prominent figure in the Kundalini Yoga community has gotten me contemplating the close shave with death a few people near and dear to me had in the last year. What and who have I lived for? Are there longings and regrets I want to tend to? What are my last thoughts and words when I exhale for the final time? There are big questions with little immediate answers. The immensity of life simply demands an introspection just as proportionately profound.

When Grim Reaper is a hair’s breadth away, there is an urgency to spend more time doing things that truly matter, with people I want to walk to the end of the world with. 

Choosing heart-centered living means I show up for Me with a capital M, even if it sometimes means going against the expectations of others and societal conditioning. Allowing the heart-brain to lead is an extraordinary path of fulfiling the highest destiny in this finite human experience. We are gifted tools to navigate happiness and grief, love and loss, certainties and unknowns, synchronicities and inconveniences. There are sunshiney days filled with rainbows and unicorns, and stormy moments of fire and hailstones. 

You know what I am coming to. Yoga is the answer. I write this as a seeker who sought the answers to equanimity pretty much all of my life. Yoga works. The ancient teachings of yoga makes even more sense in the current tumultuous world. The way I like to practice and teach yoga is how I live my life, cultivating a sensitivity of the sensory system so we are in touch with what it is to be living optimally physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

On my mat – and may I add in the school where I teach little children – there is freedom to make mistakes. In fact mistakes are very welcome. I like to invite the courage of curiosity. I welcome unknown answers in unknown realms. This is how we open the higher centers of intuition, by welcoming curiosity and fearlessness.

On my mat, we exhale, inhale, let go, let in. With every breath, we surrender more and more, trusting we are safe and lovingly held so we can journey deeper. With every breath, we breathe purposefully, listening in to the goings-on on the [yoga] mat, to the beatings of our little hearts. The heart that knows it all. We allow the unraveling and becoming in the quiet. We turn inside, connecting, integrating, aligning, one breath at a time. 

This is how I intentionally rise every day. This is how I live light and be the light. There are no shortcuts living a life I want to call whole and holy. 

How are you living the fiery heart of the bold and courageous lion this Leo season? How are you harnessing the fullness of this one precious life? What do you want to birth on this expansive 8/8 day so you can live your most potent life?

May this New Moon in Leo ignite your mojo and passion to live the life you always dreamt of. May the surge of light waves from our spiritual sun inspire you with courage and strength to follow the calling of your heart. May you know you are safe and protected as you pursue your highest existence, led by the brain in your heart. Sending you lots of big-hearted sparkly love. Roar!

Join me for in-person Yin + Crystals by Candlelight and Himalayan Sound Bath at The Wise Life Co. I am taking a pause from teaching Yoga for Nervous System virtually as I return to the little children in school at the end of summer break. It is all about carving out an even wider berth of breathing space to tend to Me. Spots for private classes and healing sessions are limited and by appointment.

What is yoga?

A 4-year-old explains…

“OK, so yoga is just… you breathe in and out like this, then you start doing slow karate.”

My yoga journey returned me to my memory of a young lady fresh out of school with disposable income to explore the vast wide world of spirituality. Books, workshops and yes, yoga. I did not get yoga. In fact, I did not like yoga at all. It was too slow, too long, too painful. The promise that wisdom and all of life’s answers can be found working-in, on the mat, was impossibly nuanced for a goal-getter who relished the adrenaline rush of a sprint uphill. More than 20 years ago, a walk in the jungle was a work-out counting the steps and beating a previous record. 

Unsurprisingly it was the intensity of Ashtanga yoga that later reconnected me with the mat. The practice that took my breath away opened the world of svadhyahya, or self-study. Long story short, in the fervent search for The Teacher who did not exist, I left the practice that broke a shoulder and found much more. I have shown up dedicatedly on the yoga mat for 10 years now. Every morning I rise and sit on my magic carpet. I connect up and tune in. I pray, chant, move my body and sit in silence. Swathes of silence so I hear all that is going on inside, in my blood, veins and bones, and the incredible chatter in my head. 

Have you heard this noise in your head? It is deafening in the quiet of the ambrosial hour. My magic carpet is a great illuminator. I create space in my body every darned day so I have room to step many steps back and breathe when the external world is fiery. 

You see, it took a loooong time before I arrived in this space of a soft, quiet life. The more I pour myself into the physical practice of yoga, the more I appreciate its subtleties. Yin yoga is more than an antidote to our masculine, task-oriented lifestyle, or prescription for “issues in the tissues”, so succinctly put by Bernie Clark. As a teacher and energy medicine practitioner who is passionate about self-empowerment and self-healing, the slow practice that eluded my youthful insolent self now returns as the perfect meditation tool to tune into the intricacies [Y]inside. 

Yin yoga is the art of deep listening. How we navigate the sensations on the mat is how we listen to the stories inside that are longing to be heard. We want to cultivate this sensitivity on the mat so we can bring this refined awareness off the mat, into our lives. 

You know what? I am not concerned with you touching your toes or attaining the perfect symmetry. I wish to know if you, blessed with this beautifully complex gift of a human body, can touch your core to find your way h[om]e, to your unique you. 

Come join my new in-person classes at The Wise Life Co., to live a little lighter, a little more tenderly. Come own your magic:

Yin & Crystals by Candlelight

Tuesday, 7 – 8:15pm

Come join this 75-minute class where I will take you through the art of deep listening with nourishing long-held Yin poses paired with crystals. Does it sound magical? It is. The crystals speak to me and my hands are guided to place them on and around your body. It is all intuitive and curative. I want you to know my classes are never about nailing the perfect asana. I like that they are rooted in self-empowerment, with self-inquiry and self-understanding paving the way for courageous, heart-centered living. The way I like to practice Yin is gently, contemplatively, centered in the practice of surrendering with grace to find our way h[om]e. In a cozy, candlelit space supported by the vibrations of crystals, I will guide you to navigate sensations on the mat to listen in. Do know this relaxing secular practice is accessible to all levels of practitioners.

Self-Reiki

Saturday 5:30 – 6:30pm

I am also teaching self-healing techniques with the beautiful and gentle energy of Reiki. With Reiki, everyone can have the gift of healing hands. Did you know? Reiki, the most mainstream energy medicine today is a safe and simple way to self-heal. This universal energy is known to promote post-surgery recovery, induce a deep sense of calm and balance, and relieve conditions ranging from insomnia and anxiety to eczema and muscle tension. With consistent practice, Reiki heals beyond the physical and brings balance and harmony to every aspect of life. Reiki is the perfect foundation to deeper energy work. 

In this guided class, I am going to show you how to connect and awaken the body’s innate ability to balance and restore itself with the energy of Reiki. This hands-on practical session empowers you to self-heal with your hands and leaves you relaxed and recharged. This gentle and soothing session is suitable for all ages. 

I am right here waiting for you. All you have to do is to register here.

Yoga for Nervous System still happens online every Saturday morning. Personal Reiki workshops, Inner Child therapy, Akash and Angel meditations, and energy healing with Light beings and Tibetan singing bowls are by appointment.

There is nothing quite like a dip in the ocean to wash away the stuff that does not belong. Or an amble in the woods to leave behind a busy world. When traveling was unrestricted and easy, I traveled for pristine waters and spectacular mountainscapes. Oceans where I could swim with turtles. Mountains with cold misty air to wake up to. You know remote places to watch the moonrise and count the uncountable stars in a night sky lit only by celestial bodies. Those were soulful nights of silent commune with the stars. I remember those moments like yesterday. I hold them close and allow them to hold me right back.

If you could travel again, where would you go?

I long for the mountains in Nepal. There is magic in this Land of Mountains. When I spied the distant Himalayan mountain ranges from the little plane to Pokhara, I saw snow-capped peaks that have probably witnessed the tumultuous evolution of humanity. Those rocks must be older than present-day earth. You bet their shrubs weathered countless storms too. Perhaps reaching the peak is not about conquering the destination, like yoga is never about touching the toes. It is the journey of connecting with our Great Mother and remembering this precious human incarnation in our physical bodies to fulfill our longings. 

Most of all, I remember my retreat at a mountaintop organic farm in Kathmandu.

It was pretty darned magnificent to teach and practice Reiki and yoga in nature’s sweet embrace. The Kingdom of Heaven was above us, below us, inside us and all around us. Away from the hubbub of modern-day distractions, sacred moments were seen from the eyes of the heart. We city folks found ridiculous amount of thrill in harvesting perfectly ripened peaches and tucking into delicious farm-to-table produce. I tended to my dream of running my own retreats since my days as a travel and wellness writer. It was a dream a lifetime in the making. I cannot wait for the day I can return to lead Self-healing Journeys in the Himalayas. Will you consider joining me?

You know what were some of the best parts of Self-healing Journeys? It had all that I held dear to me, from yoga mats handwoven by disadvantaged women and assiduously planned nourishing plant-based meals to heartfelt connection with locals and seva for the underprivileged.

If you put your heart against the earth with me, in serving 
every creature, our Beloved will enter you from our 
sacred realm and we will be, we will be... so very, very happy. 
~ Rumi

You see, my heart always worked for something bigger than an identity defined by the multiple roles I play at home and at work. Not so long ago I ran a little Fairtrade shop working with impoverished communities in Cambodia and Laos. There is so much I want to offer to this world during my finite time on earth. When I breathe my last, I want to know I have been true to every part of me. I want to create, do and be what matters to me most.

I tend to my vision of teaching villages of little children in the Asia I am still very much in love with. I show up every day, living the best of me, in a school with a spiritual pedagogy that is in line with my own beliefs, esoteric practices and potent ancient teachings I was schooled in. The stars align, heart and soul journey deepens, and life purpose clarifies.

Just like this another summer solstice arrives. Rudolf Steiner likened the cycle of one earth year to the full respiration of a human. Solstice, meaning the standing still (stice) of the sun (sol), is akin to the pause between exhalation and inhalation. Without this breathing space, the threat of hyperventilation is real, literally and figuratively. Steiner also spoke of summer solstice as the union of the soul of the earth and the spirit of the sun. It was a time of enlightenment for the ancients, where in the attainment of cosmic heights they could receive the Light and meet their higher “I”.

Remember, Creator wants us to pay attention. We live in amazingly pivotal times. We have all the cosmic support we need to step into our highest evolution. We have potency to heal from our physical ailments, karmic patterns and what is holding us back from living a glorious life.

It is our birthright to shine like stars know how to shine.

If not now, when?

As we transit into the next half of 2021, I like to be intentional on living my higher “I”. With so much brilliance and light streaming onto earth, this is the perfect moment to pause and illumine a new season. I like to ask:

• What is emerging from the seeds I have planted?
• Where do I want to direct more of my energy to?
• What do I want to walk away from?
• How have I been moving on the yoga mat and consciously practicing yoga off it?
• How am I observing my breath and wellbeing with awareness and curiosity?
• How can I check in with my heart more ?
• How can I carve more pauses into the daily grind?
• What is on my not-to-do list?

I am reflecting and feeling a lot. These days, spending inordinate amount of time swimming in the sea turns out to be the perfect panacea for farsickness. I float on my back watching the clouds weave their poetry. Have you heard this lovely line from Thich Nhat Hanh?

A cloud never dies.

I watch the white puffs transmuting and transforming incessantly, completely open to possibilities. I watch the rush of water toward me and surrender to the crashing waves. It is beautifully peaceful when salty water washes over my head and I allow my body to be submerged in the serenity and quietude beneath the crest. There is a heart-opening sense of freedom when one stops resisting the waves and dives headlong into it. They say never turn your back to the waves for it will pull you deeper into scary, uncomfortable places. Trusting our hearts could be unfathomable when the mind demands control and surety. Yet not knowing how things will turn out is the only way anything comes out at all.

In the end, everything passes over. Nothing is permanent. Neither the waves. Nor the clouds. Or that debilitating fear that keeps one stuck. Emancipation is found when one drops the resistance and trust the waves to take you to unknown depths.

There is medicine in the deep. Can you trust it?

Yoga for Nervous System happens online every Saturday morning. Reiki workshops, Inner Child therapy, Akash meditation and energy healing with Light beings and Tibetan singing bowls are by appointment.

• 

Into our inner being

The riches of the senses pour.

The Cosmic Spirit finds itself

Reflected in the human eye,

Which ever must renew its strength

From out that spirit source.

– Rudolf Steiner

In the school where I teach, we spend time in nature every morning with the children, barefoot on earth, playing and weaving nature’s bounty into floral arrangements for the kitchen table where we draw, paint, sew, cook, make bread and eat together. Or we are gardening in the backyard, tending to a garden that flourishes quickly in this heat and humidity. Just last week, we harvested blue pea flowers and oregano from our garden for pancakes and tea. Getting my hands and feet in dirt, immersing in the soul of the earth have replaced long jaunts in the forest since 2021 began.

A day at work begins in the Teachers Room reading a Rudolf Steiner verse and message from the angels. In the classroom with the children, we connect to what matters when we light a candle, then honor all that is and who we truly are in a circle, with soulful poetry and movement. 

This year of change is one I witness the fullness and alchemy of my physical and metaphysical practices. There is a sense of completion yet everything has just begun. There is so much I want to bring to this world. All that illuminate and nourish me, the movement, esoteric knowledge and epiphanies, I bring them to school. I love to cradle the soft faces of my children and whisper “I am here with you.”

When I see little souls, I see their gifts and lessons this incarnation. I see the inner child wounds of their guardians. I see spiritual beings exploring and living this tricky yet beautiful human existence with wonder, guilelessness and innocence. 

As conscious educators we connect them to a divinity on this earthly realm that is not unlike their true home. We must not forget where we came from. We are of light and galaxies, multidimensional and multifaceted. Peel back the veils of amnesia and we see heaven in flowers and crystals, dragonflies and clouds, mountains and oceans. I wish for children to know their greatness and be true to their longings. I wish for them to know they possess more courage and resilience than fathomable, that they can be everything they want to be. I wish for them to live the best of their infinite potential like I rise purposefully every morning living the heights and depths of me. I am sooooo deeply humbled I touch heaven and earth every darned day doing what I love. I wish the same for every sentient being walking this path that is sometimes crooked and breathlessly heartrending. Life can be as magical and lyrical as you wish it to be. ✨

One of the greatest takeaways in 2020 was how connected we all are. In a pandemic-strained world, time zone difference disappeared, yet distance and absence made hearts grow fonder. We realized we need one another. More than before. Staying at home so much tending to the sacred space inside was as sobering as it was clarifying. It was a year of epic growth for many of us. Never mind workshops, retreats and travels were canceled, and the life we had in mind had to be postponed. In face of mortality, the tumultuous year that passed was about counting the blessings and taking courageous, purposeful steps to live out our longings and dreams. Life gave another chance to master our demons. We were called to deepen into our heart space, into what we hold dear. Trust what the universe has organized for us. Trust we always receive exactly what is needed for our evolution. Life is as perfect as it can be.

I personally know many who forged new paths, one from the depth of their hearts and souls. The heart tunes in. More than the head brain, the heart brain is our navigational system. It knows truth that the rational mind is unable to intellectualize.

Will you take the leap of faith even if your destination is not within sight?

I had high intentions to begin 2021 with a weekly online Meditation with Angels, a natural progression from the illuminating Akash meditation – a journey into the soul records – I had been guiding virtually on Zoom. It appears for now the Divine has other plans. Destiny is calling. There is nothing left to do but surrender.

I feel so very grateful to integrate all my tools and practices at a school with a curriculum centered around developing the body, soul and spirit. The epitome of holistic education was ahead of its time when it was founded in 1919 in Germany and may I say it is ever so apropos in this Aquarian age. This multidimensional and profoundly spiritual approach to educating big souls in little bodies has everything I stand for. How I nourish my heart, body and soul is how a consciously spent day in textbook-free class is filled with the arts, nature and esoteric wisdom. The day begins with soulful poetry and ends with a gratitude song honoring another spiritual being living a human experience. Will the future of planet earth remember how we connected with Father Sun and Mother Earth in classroom and therefore see every living creation as being inherently beautiful and equally worthy? Will they follow their heart’s wisdom as they recall how we valued their every artistry and imagination? It is my vision for humanity, as it is the school’s.

To say the least, it is a soul mission manifested, in complete alignment with heart work that is rooted in self-inquiry and self-empowerment. Working fulltime with little children and shadowing special needs ones with soulmates who understand my heart as I see theirs bring forth the best in me, parts of me I did not know exist and qualities I have been dedicatedly cultivating on and off the [yoga] mat. I am filled with awe and humility witnessing and living my highest potential every darned day. Words are hardly adequate to express the depth of my gratitude.

Have you heard this achingly tender rendition of a Whitney Houston classic? It landed in my phone as I was contemplating the circuitous yet graceful unfolding of my journey.

May you know you are more than you think you can be. May you know your dreams are a heartbeat away, and the answers are up to you.

May you always honor what your heart knows.

Yoga for Nervous System still happens every Saturday morning. Energy and Inner Child healing are available by appointment. Stay tuned for Meditation with Angels.