The Embrace of Gratitude

 

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.  Whatever it may be, just remember each day is a new day to make a change....a change for the better.  It is always interesting to me how we seem to wait until year's end to make changes....to make resolutions.  Throughout this past year, I have been reminded each moment is a gift and THAT chance. We can transform in each and every moment.  We are in control of our reactions and more importantly our actions and our words. God gives us the ability to transform; to become more like the Perfecter Of Our Faith in each moment we exist.  Our job is to use yoga for its sole purpose: to prepare the mind and body to meditate with God.  We need to allow our faith to be connected; think of ourselves as being plugged into our faith in each moment.  Allow others to see our faith in action, not just in our words.  To allow others to see we are being the change we want to see in the world, of being an extension of God's love to each other and to this world.

2 Corinthians 3:18 New International Version (NIV)
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 The Message (MSG)
Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are-face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us!  Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.

Personally, 2020 was a year of growth and gratitude for me.  I experienced things I never dreamed were possible; both good and trying.  My trials over the last few years have dug DEEP trenches, but coming out of them ever so slowly has been all the more sweeter....tender repair....the growth after the pruning. I have been taught to let go of things I have deeply clung to, to trust God no matter what, to trust my heart, to listen to my inner voice of God guiding me no matter what the outside world is saying.  

I have recently spent some time with someone who challenges me to look at not only how I deliver a message, but also how I view some current situations happening in my life in light of choices I have recently made. There is something to be said about the sting of removing veils to be able to see more clearly....I am grateful.  They have stirred something I thought I had dealt with from a few decades ago only to find it still lurking deep within. The deep, dark and twisted tendrils of anger and resentment still needing to be released completely....and with love. Yep, still working here...again grateful. 

I have found new depths of my girl gang and I never realized how deep our love for one another goes. The trust. The rawness. The authenticity in which we are all capable of existing in and from with one another. Thank you to each one of you for loving me in my mess these days and responding when I cry for help. It's so hard for me....asking for help. I at some point in life, I appointed myself the fixer--the handle it all person. Not sure why or how I did that, but have operated on that notion since I was 22. Finally, over 50, it has dawned on me....what the hell am I doing that for? We are made for community and just like I like to help others, who am I to deny others of being able to help me? It takes tremendous strength to ask for help and to go get help....I have been an avid practicer of both this last year. Again....grateful.

All in all, it has been a year of reclaiming things.....slowly....and with tender, loving care.....that were set aside and needed to be gathered back up.  A year of getting my priorities back into living sequence. All in all, it has been a GOOD year.  Definitely a challenging year as well, but GOOD. Each year is GOOD though....each teaching what it has to teach....if we are a willing and alert student.

As we all get ready for 2021, it is important to be filled with gratitude for all we have come through! All we have learned about ourselves, our family, our community, and our world. We have managed the day to day changes of these unprecedented times and have all experienced a global pause. A chance to reset our priorities and get back to face to face conversations we all miss and crave!

We, the staff of Soleil Lune, are grateful for this crazy, COVID-ed journey and each one of you has had something to do with it.  Whether you take our classes, come to our special practices, dive into our advanced studies program, or read this newsletter--you have been an inspiration to us!  We appreciate your flexibility in the constant changing tides of this pandemic and the inward roller coaster of emotions as we all dealt with the 'new normal' of the day.  Thank you for embracing our virtual studio as well as our beloved brick and mortar sanctuary of a studio. Without each and every one of you, our jobs as yoga teachers would not be possible! We appreciate all your encouragement and especially your word of mouth-it is what makes and keeps us successful!  

Thank you......although thank you just does not seem to do it.......

THANK YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY SOUL AS WELL AS TO THE MOON AND BACK  for allowing this studio to exist and continue be an amazing community!
  

With Utter Gratitude,

Trish

Cultivating Peace

Welcome to the 'new normal' seems to a saying we all say these days. The world is chaotic and most of feel chaotic. During this proverbial shit show of the pandemic world wide, self care and cultivating inner peace are necessary. Turmoil is all around us and our constantly changing protocols for existence only adds to this. There is an absence of personal, family, and relationship peace/connection along with local, national, and international peace. By many researchers' calculations, in the last 3,500 years, there has been less than 300 years that could actually be considered “peaceful.” Many historians have defined “peace” in the world as the ‘lull’ in the battle when everybody stops to reload. People talk about trying to find “peace and quiet,” or trying to “make peace.” Law enforcement tries to “keep the peace,” and global arbitrators trying to “establish peace.” We do all this until we finally “rest in peace”!

Humanity defines peace mostly in negative terms: to be without trouble—free from conflict, stress, hostility, fear, anxiety, depression, despair, and unrest. Peace for the world is just the absence of what troubles them—a kind of superficial, temporary respite from an otherwise troubled existence. So, people try many things—good and bad—to obtain peace: solitude, meditation, music, exercise, recreation, entertainment, shopping, friends, volunteering, church, and even alcohol, drugs and other forms of escapism. Many also try to manipulate or trick their minds into a peaceful state. 

Now, I’m not going to say there isn’t any value to some of the personal mind techniques, all the research about ‘peace psychology’, or recognizing someone trying to achieve peace, but I am going to make a bold statement that these will NEVER FIX our peace problem! The thing is, I posit peace is not an emotional, circumstantial, or a psychological issue—I believe it’s a SPIRITUAL BELIEF issue.

Peace WITH God paves the way for a believer to have an internal, experiential peace—a sense of goodness, contentment, tranquility, confidence, and well-being here on earth no matter what the circumstances are. The peace OF God. Now, this is not just a passive peace—one that gives you the strength to endure. It’s not some kind of benign reality—it’s much more than that. It’s a victorious, conquering peace! It’s a peace that not only protects you from anxiety, fear, doubt, and despair, but is a peace that triumphs over everything with courage, confidence, and contentment!

According to the Bible, Jesus’ sacrifice provides more than just eternal peace—it also allows for us to have peace in the here and now by having a relationship with the Holy Spirit—the 'Advocate' Jesus said God the Father would send to dwell in every believer. The Holy Spirit will take the peace of Jesus and disclose it to you. Spirit will help us live in ways we couldn’t possibly live on our own—by filling our lives with love, joy and peace [Galatians 5:22-23]. This peace is not what the world can provide. So, to be more peaceful, let go and let God! 

Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.” I also have a magnet on my fridge that reads 'We make plans, God laughs". This reminds me to trust God even when things don’t make sense. Even when things are a constant shit show. Even when things become nothing but black. We need to trust that no matter what we are experiencing, it is meant for our spiritual growth and there is a bigger picture. It’s one sure way to enjoy your life, experience more peace than ever before, and someday you’ll look back and discover God had your best in mind all along!

An illustration might help to clarify this:

A train was traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm. The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gusts of wind rocked the train from side to side. When the lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of the passengers, yet several of them noted through all the noise, lightening and wind, one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace. The adult passengers couldn’t figure out why the little girl was so calm during all this excitement. Finally, one passenger asked her, “How is that you can be so calm when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?” The little girl smiled and said, “My father is the engineer.” She wasn’t anxious, worried, or fearful. She had a peace that couldn’t be shaken. Why? Because she knew her father and she knew he was in control—and so it is for believers who know their Father in Heaven has it all under control!

Those of you who know me well know my life verses are “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” [Philippians 4:13] and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” [Proverbs 3:5-6]. As was said previously, trust in God is a component in peace, and these verses also emphasize our need to remind ourselves God is in charge and will take care of obstacles when we come to them…..if we’ll do our part….by giving Him the ‘wheel’ (cue song: Jesus Take the Wheel).  When we do this, the impossible can become possible!

Now, this doesn’t mean things will always turn out the way we want them to, and we won’t get everything we want. You will find God takes care of the barriers when you take our hands off of them—and He often does it in the most surprising of ways. As you walk your spiritual path, you will experience situations that simply will defy explanation. When you look back, after the fact, you realize that you could not have figured out a better plan! At the time it seemed strange, frustrating, and mysterious, even illogical....but, that’s just God working on the situation. Things will happen that seem totally contradictory, but these are God’s arrangements. God will HONOR YOUR TRUST and will give you an inner quietness, security, and a confidence beyond anything we could ever understand…… you will be enveloped in peace!

No God, No Peace. Know God, Know Peace.  Do your yoga.  Get quiet. Go inside. Inquire. Discover. 

Onward and upward!

Mindset Reset

 

Well, fall is coming…..the change into deep fall and winter seasons approach…….the change into the ‘school schedule’…….’change’ is just plain in the air literally and figuratively and also seems to be a daily mantra!

Change is constant. It is the one thing consistent in all of science. Energy, matter… it’s always changing, merging, morphing, growing, dying. It is the way we try NOT to change or believing that people don’t change that is unnatural. We need to experience and enjoy the constant changes that ARE life in the world today, in others, and more importantly within ourselves whether that be coming back to your yoga practice or starting from scratch.

The way we experience change is up to us. It can feel like death as you cling to the past (past events, people, past perceptions, the way 'normal' was, etc), or it can feel like a pure adrenaline rush knowing at any moment we can have another chance at life. At any moment, we can be born all over again with God’s help. You have the power to embrace change and let go of fear because letting go, opens the doors to new possibilities.  When we let go of how things have always been or how we perceive our reality to be, we can move into a new space. A space that is more grateful, more willing to be engaged, more able to SEE things which call us to ACT. It is a space that can provide more ease in our bodies, our minds, and our hearts.  Ultimately it is a space that can be life changing and effect EVERYONE we come into contact with.

Bob Marley’s Redemption Song says it all, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. No one but ourselves can free our minds.” The things in our lives we perceive to be obstacles have been placed there by us and only we have the power to remove or overcome them. I strongly believe yoga helps to 'de-clutter' our minds as it is SO easy to stay wrapped up in our everyday dramas. Getting out of your head and into your body—FEELING versus thinking—just once a day works wonders for all parts of your being; physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. Maybe this is something you can think about when contemplating whether you should practice yoga again, or invite more of it into your life, or leave for class once you’re home from work whether this requires a car drive or a short walk from your home office to your door for a studio session or to your mat for a virtual session. Emancipate yourself from the "I can’t”, “It’s too late”, “I’m tired” or “I’m not used to it”… because on the other side of the jailhouse of this thinking is your ticket to freedom knowing you can, you’re adaptable, and brilliantly able to do more than you ever thought possible. As Charles Darwin said “it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change”.

The best part of having this brilliant tool of yoga is that you don’t need fancy equipment and it is available to you at any time and in any place throughout your day. Your mat as well as our studio's virtual options are available to you throughout your entire day....especially those of you who have access to the On Demand Video Library! All you need is your undivided attention, some time (even if it is only 5 minutes), your breath, and your body. Don’t have the patience? Just refer back to Bob Marley’s quote!! LOL!

Being in your yoga space allows you to tune in to tune out, to be ENGAGED not only with yourself and others, but with GOD.  One simple change in your mindset can create a catalyst for meeting and exceeding any goal or dream you can imagine.  Remember, God’s plan for us is more than we could ever imagine and might just take us to the most unexpected places!

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you perceive it. If you can’t change the way you perceive it, practice yoga and see what happens……

Onward and Upward!!

Trish

The Freedom & Chaos of Unprecidented Times

Well, life sure is crazy these days. Pandemics, riots, looting….just all kinds of unsettled circumstance vying for our attention.  Our bodies store everything that happens to us and most of us do not give credit to our current state of existence as a trauma. Some of us believe bad things will happen if we go outside while others of us run and hug people when we see them! Our recent current events just add to this already unprecedented time!

So, how is it that when life is spun around by circumstances, benign or otherwise, some people flail, while others sail? Why do some of us wallow in that place where we're so shocked and unhappy about an unexpected turn of events that we resist reality and find ourselves mired in bitterness or fear or hopelessness? Instead of accepting change with grace, we dig in our heels and suffer through each day of things not being what we think they should be. What's the secret to riding each new wave gracefully?

I hear a lot of people say that change is exciting, but they mean a specific kind of change. We all have an aversion to change that we'd rather not have. Certain change is appreciated, and some is not. The funny thing is as a culture, we seem determined to celebrate change. "Change is good," we tell each other, and, "Everything happens for a reason." Thoreau himself volunteered, "All change is a miracle to contemplate." Yes, we praise the virtues of change religiously—until some unwanted, unscripted change occurs….like the pandemic.

How can we learn to accept change with equanimity, absorbing each phase in stride and learning from each new experience?  We need to know change Is inevitable. When any unscripted change comes down the pike, there's an overwhelming feeling of losing control, and that's perfectly normal. We’re moving into unknown territory and deep down, we're never in control…..of anything…..ever. We all know this, but we really like to think we are TOTALLY in control. Life doesn't exactly give us breathing room, but if we stop grasping for control of the uncontrollable, we can learn to breathe through it all.

Once we’ve accepted our utter lack of control, it can still take some doing to accept the emotions that often accompany a sudden unraveling of our expectations. Even minor setbacks challenge us. We can be disappointed with certain changes, but we should accept that disappointment the same way we’d accept delight.
What does that mean? We can separate our feelings from our response to them.  Respond vs. React. By distinguishing our core emotions from those that pile on afterward, we don't limit our emotional life; on the contrary, we un-clutter it. It’s the clutter that leads us away from our true experience and into murkier territory.

We need to begin to look at major life changes and their constellations of angst in terms of what is, and isn't, permanent. Our duty is to recognize in the midst of radical transformations, the Self remains stable. If we can come to an understanding of this through asana, breath work, and our meditation, we can soothe the discomfort brought on by external changes. The yogic thinking is that there's part of us that's unchanging—the spiritual part of us that has peace and joy and love. Our soul. The nature of the world, however, is in flux.

Learning to make peace with life's calamities—lost jobs, romances, dreams, and crazy pandemics—does not mean we have to be passive. Sometimes we try to provoke change in our lives. Rather than just be with sadness, anxiety, or anger, we want to change it. And this inability to sit with what's happening is duhkha, suffering.

If we are present, grounded and tuned inward we can listen to our hearts. In that deepest silence we will be guided toward the appropriate action. We practice our yoga so we can be guided from within. In stilling our thoughts, we free up a more reliable inner wisdom. The more peaceful our mind is, the clearer and stronger our intuition is, and the better able we are to make the proper decision.

No matter how much the circumstances of life turns us upside down or sideways, we can be in touch with our core—our soul—the center of our being where God’s guiding voice resides. This space is ALWAYS right side up. Being in touch with this space, the core of who we are and who we were created to be, in turn, provides the clarity to navigate life's loops with calmness.

Our yoga practice has served as the perfect training grounds for times such as these. Let’s get on our mats knowing we are moving through this together. We are not alone. We are all making adjustments. We are alluding the emotional roller coaster. We are all experiencing the freedom and chaos. We got this.

Onward and upward as usual….

Sacred Sanctuary

As we quiet our mind, we begin to see the nature of our own resistance more clearly, struggles, inner dialogues of our mind’s committee, the way in which we procrastinate and develop passive resistance against life. As we cultivate ‘the witness’, things change. We don’t have to change them. Things just change. Everything in our life is there as a vehicle for our transformation. Together we are all on a journey called life. We all are a little broken, a little shattered inside, and a little hard where we should be soft. We are each brilliant and uncovering our potential through the muck, the mire and dark valley we slide down into. We discover our strength, tenacity, and commitment with each mountain top we ascend to. None of us are deprived of pain here and we have all suffered in our own ways. We have all experienced loss and betrayal, but we have also experienced brilliance, beauty and magnificence in all sorts of capacities.

Our yoga practice creates a sacred sanctuary for us to delve in deeper. To quiet our very own crazy and feel what resides within. When we are grounded, when our mind is still , when are fully present and we exist in ‘the witness’, access to the infinite treasure trove of answers is granted. The space of the witness is a place inside each of us where simple awareness resides. It is a place where we become aware of everything and we notice and watch without judgment. We are just present to what is, living from a heart-centered space, and we are fully immersed in the here and now.

The witness is your awareness of your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Witnessing is like waking up in the morning and then looking in the mirror and noticing yourself — not judging or criticizing, just neutrally observing the quality of being awake. That process of stepping back takes you out of being submerged in your experiences and thoughts and sensory input and into self-awareness.

Along with that self-awareness comes the subtle joy of just being here, alive, enjoying being present in this moment. Eventually, floating in that subjective awareness, the objects of awareness dissolve, and you will come into the spiritual Self, the Atmān, which is pure consciousness, joy, compassion, the One.

The witness is your centering device. It guides the work you do on yourself. Once you understand that there is a place in you that is not attached, you can extricate yourself from attachments. Pretty much everything we notice in the universe is a reflection of our attachments.

Jesus warned us, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt . . . For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.(Matthew 6:19-20)” Desire creates your universe; that’s just the way it works.

So your first job is to work on yourself. The greatest thing you can do for another human being is to get your own house in order and find your true spiritual heart.

Excerpt from Ram Dass’ book Polishing the Mirror: How to Live From Your Spiritual Heart.

The witness is a gateway that brings the spiritual into our physical life experience. When we learn to live from the witness we come home to our soul, we live from our heart, and we can access the plumb line of God. In contrast, the activity of our mind is governed by intentionality and implicitly is a movement governed by ego. It is activity that wants to grab information and to “conquer,” to keep control over, the objects of activity and the process of self-knowing. When we withdraw the senses (pratyahara) and center ourselves in the heart, looking for the deepest aspects of our being, we start to search our interior and we begin our journey toward our soul.  In this way, we pass from the usual “conquering” attitude of the mind to a receptive, contemplative disposition of the heart. It is a kind of surrender, which implies lucidity, discernment, vigilance. It is in the mind where we are fascinated by our words, but it is in the heart where we truly meet in the silence behind them.

There is nothing more powerful than having someone come alongside you and sit with you in the dark. Holding space. Not fixing. Just loving. Loving all aspects of our being—the brilliance, the dirty, the chaos, the sparkly……Sitting there and always being the beacon of light to guide us back to our own space of knowing. To allow us to redefine our reality, our truths, to expand beyond the false veils we see the world through. To be the witness for us when we don’t have the strength or wherewithal to do it for our self. To be the encourager when we get stuck. And to be our cheerleader when celebrate our inner victory.

Our journey is all about healing ourselves and healing each other in our own special ways. Let’s just help each other put all those pieces back together and make it to the end more beautifully. Let’s finish this life well and together. We are all travelers on this path of life. Let’s be raw and authentic in out travels as well as with our fellow sojourners. I think this quote by Ram Dass sums it up:

Ask yourself: Where am I?

Answer: Here.

Ask yourself: What time is it?

Answer Now.

Say it until you can hear it.

Onward and Upward as always....even in the chaos

Trish 

Releasing into the Possibility

Well, it’s that time of year….a time to say goodbye to the current year and hello to the new one…..a time for reflection and new intentions. As I look back over the last year…it has been a helluva year. It has been a year that has called forth things rooted deeply in my past, stoked embers that were sleeping giants, peeled back layers of protection, parts that cut deep, stepping into necessary endings, inviting new realms, tangling and untangling the webs we weave, saying goodbye to my father,  and walking through the aftermath of it all. There is something to be said about taking the time to walk throughout the rooms of your heart. This past year has been exquisite in that regard.

It is always interesting when your past calls to you and reminds you of who you are and what you were made to be. It peels back the layers of other people’s idea of what you should be, what you should do, and what is to be expected. Often times these views do not resonate within us and we know we are to walk a different path…to break free of the mold we are in….to get off auto pilot and be brilliant. It is that deep down inner knowing that transcends all understanding yet calls to us like the siren’s song and stirs our soul so much we can’t ignore it any longer. We have to act as it is our dharma’s voice. There is no other choice. It often doesn’t make sense to those outside of ourselves and it goes against the norm. It’s a space where our soul’s truth demands to be given voice…it must come out.

It is a scary place to give that voice volume….to own it…..to step up and into it unapologetically, trusting God’s plan is bigger and better than your plan. It’s incredible when you have other humans alongside you who help you to clear away the cobwebs and the fog and support your stepping up and in. They encourage. They build you up and hold you accountable to your brilliance. They see beyond the dark valley you may need to travel in order to reach it. They are patient and loving as you make your way through your own, self-imposed forest and will wait to celebrate the mountain top when you eventually reach it. They understand this is your path and it is in your timing. They offer the clarifying voice when you get lost or become stagnant. They are the reassurance you are acting rightly and are listening….responding….and becoming no matter how hard it is.  Do you have those humans? Are you that human for someone else? I am so fortunate to have three of these humans and I thank them. I only hope my presence is as profound for them as theirs is to me. I could not have gotten through this year and what lies ahead without them.

Saying goodbye to my father in the way of Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia where I saw my father fade away and someone new emerge. I had moments of tenderness that otherwise would never have happened. I had the chance to say what I needed and to tell him how I saw and valued him as a father. I got to care for him and be present as he left this earth to go home. At his celebration of life I got to witness all my lives coming together: my present in Wisconsin life, my growing up at the lake life, and my high school life from Illinois….all my dear friends from different facets of my lifetime meeting for the first time and being in the same place…feeling and being supported by their love. It was truly amazing. I am forever grateful. During this last year I reconnected with someone whom my soul has been forever tethered to and forever will be….no matter what. As such, I was reminded of what could be….what lies within….and what it is like to be fully awake and present to what stirs deep within me. I was able to give it all voice for the very first time which was scary as hell. Finding connection in a way I never thought possible…so at peace…so natural…like it always had been, but was discovered for the first time. A true giving and receiving. I also found the loving support of my cousin and even though the miles lie between us we are there for one another…through it all….through the crazy.

It has been a year of new opportunities, new adventures, and cleansing experiences. It has also been a time of challenge an darkness which still lingers and will take time to get through. It is a time of foraging new, deep and authentic friendships while letting go of relationships that no longer serve me. It has been a time of deep reflection and letting go of the ‘shoulds’ and stepping into the ‘musts’ even though they are not the norm of our culture. It is being sidelined by a car accident and humbled by its affect and effect on my body, mind, emotion, and subtle energy. It is a space of being my own advocate and standing firm on boundaries laid. It is seeing who is there in the thick of darkness to help guide and also seeing who is not there and being okay with that….releasing them and myself from the expectation….being disappointed and left wanting after the years of verbalized promises with no action to back it up…it’s a shedding of what could have been….letting go of the responsibility to carry the load alone…letting things fall away that are meant to and keeping those that are not….it’s a releasing into what possibly could be.

It is scary. It is exciting. It is dark and it is light.  It is an end…a definite end.  It’s also just the beginning…...

'For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.' – TS Eliot

Hang on tight. Here we go. Onward and upward.

Shanti.