Sunday, March 30, 2014

You Can Find Yourself Anywhere



I can find myself anywhere.
 
I can find myself in any situation, in any hardship. I can find myself when I am very ill, or in severe heartache. Sometimes, I can find myself more easily when I am weakest. I can find myself in ecstasy and ease. I can find myself when I am destitute, and when money flows like water. I can find myself when I am lost, in fact, getting lost is exactly the way to find yourself.

How can I do all of these things? How can I find myself, be myself when my hair is gone, or body dying, or mind is lost to everything familiar?

I have not cast my anchor in the material. I have not decided that all I am is my physical body. I know that all I am is not a mental experience. I have transcended these things, because I know that I am the consciousness witnessing all this, the artist observing the world and the intricacies of this role, this life story. I am participating fully, and I have manifested this mind and body, these situations through which I birth my consciousness, and it is my job to listen to the inner flow to guide me naturally in allowing mind and body to truly reflect my innermost Self, my soul. 

You are the light that pours trough your eyes, the witness of the heart that cries, you are the love shimmering playfully and curiously, you are the passion and creative urge. 

Everything else is real, but in order to know yourself, you must know that this isn't 'chicken or egg', your energy/soul causes all else to manifest, and changes made in the physical impact the expression of that soul in this world of form, but do not tarnish the essence.

No matter how many times you fail, your consciousness is still within you awaiting the return of your mind and body and heart into alignment with it. It never holds a grudge. You either are functioning partially or fully aligned. Spirit never dies, need changes, isn't corrupted by this one life story. 

So be fearless in living your truth, guided by your sense of inner rightness and you will be a free person walking in this world. Your consciousness/soul will shine through you unimpeded and you will be as a being of light in a world of darkness. Your joy as you taste all the flavors of life without restraining yourself from your authentic shine will illuminate the truth within others. If it is too intense for them, let them step out of the way. All free beings recognize each other, even if they only have moments of true freedom. It begins this way.

This is not just philosophy. This is pure direct experience speaking. If I can do this, anyone can, if they just make an effort and get out of their own way. 

It requires trust, bravery and diligence. It requires patience and a loving heart. It requires the cultivation of simple pleasures and child-like joy. You have what it takes, because you are human. 


Namaste.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Tiny Person

Tiny person,
I love so much,
You move me to tears..

The way your tiny lips curl when you speak so intently and articulately,

Of building machines and trapping the cats and birthing teams of siblings..

Our particles, once joined, are never unaware of each other's presence,

And when your focus scatters in overstimulation and exhaustion, mine too shatters if I do not reach inside with all the strength I have and more..
And hold on..

You destroyed walls and initiated me into the boundless love of this entire universe..

I was never in the state of true love until you exploded my mortal heart and gave birth to the immortal soul of me,

And I can consciously teach you what you unknowingly did to me.

Not only do you heal me with your natural unbridled curiosity and perfection..

But as you reflect my unsavory habits back to me, you force me to face my weaknesses and ascend to greater authenticity and truth.

Sometimes I cry because our time goes so fast and I love you like I know how to breathe, and loving you sets me free.

You are my teacher as much as I am yours,

And I have always loved you,
I knew I must give birth to you,
And I knew you were with me from moment one,
I never was unaware of your powerful spirit within me.

My life would not be complete without you,
And though this isn't our first lifetime together,
100 more lifetimes together couldn't be enough to satisfy or douse the fire of my love for you.

You are in my heart in every moment.
Your smile lights the sky,
I cannot breathe until you have drawn a breath.
My heart will always ache for you,
I never enjoy when you must cry,
But I will hold you, and cry with you.

I will show you everything I have learned about being a limitless soul in a finite body,
How to revel in the delight of having senses,
How to love without fear,
How to mourn,
How to stay strong,
And the ways to balance form and freedom.

I will give you the keys to this realm,
Because you are the key to my heart,
And I worship the sacredness of your soul,
Tiny person,
Tiny blessed being,

My heart breaks every time we part,
And I will teach you how longing nourishes love too.
I cannot keep you from hurting, so instead I will show you everything and not divert you from truth with fantasy.

I will show you that the fabric of it all is truly love and curiosity.

You, tiny person, are a miracle.
I bow to you, great soul.
And all of my love surrounds you like the sky surrounds the earth but does not trap her or bind her in any way. You are everything, and just one precious diamond at once.

~ for Finn.

Freedom From Body Dysmorphia

Part of becoming free for me, a major part, was finding a way to have peace inside this body of mine. It has been a long process and it seems like it's becoming increasingly subtle... The most grueling aspects seem to be behind me..

Overcoming eating disorders, looking into my experience to discover that "feeling fat" was actually just energetic imbalance remedied by lifestyle, and finding a way to allow the external layer of my body stay harmonious with my internal ocean of spirit and heart were the major tasks. The latter is the topic of reflection in this article.

In my younger years I felt tomboyish and that I was never pretty or feminine externally, although inside I felt I truly was. This rift caused me a lot of suffering.. It's the same sort of suffering felt by transgendered people, or anyone caught in living a lie and not fully conscious of it's landscape or knowing of a way to fix it.

This false feeling of being boyish and never pretty enough led me to carry an image inside my head that was entirely distorted and different from my external appearance.

Body dysmorphia: when the internal feelings and image of self are not congruent with external reality.

For years looking to rid myself of the remnants of jilted self-image, incongruency and insecurity, I became very ascetic. I also sought to take the least from earth's resources as possible, so I used it as an excuse to deny myself a lot of luxuries.

I didn't use products in my hair, I didn't use any makeup, I didn't dye my hair, I only bought second-hand clothes (except for underwear), and a lot of these principles I still utilize, but now joyfully.

I made myself go without these things and it showed me what I didn't need to feel whole. It also showed me that which I did. All of my friends had colorful and beautifully-styled hair, and wore gorgeous make-up. I tortured myself, because how could I feel beautiful standing next to them?

At the time I didn't realize that I wasn't ugly or plain, that my essence was crying out to have an external expression in line with my internal beauty and sweetness.

I am thankful for that time of simple denial, though, because I learned that I don't need much. I don't need every fancy serum and cream and make-up item and I don't need a thousand products and I don't need to dye my hair. Most of my clothing is second-hand and I wouldn't have it any other way. I use very few make-up items, I use baking soda and vinegar to wash my hair (and it's so healthy!), and very little product, if any. I have learned that all I need is exactly what I need, no more, no less, to help me to feel expressed as a beautiful soul and woman.

Sometimes we hide a subtle layer of our wounds under a label or crutch though..

And mine was the length of my hair. I no longer had to question if I was feminine, I had pretty make-up, flattering clothing that I feel good in, and long hair. I always enjoyed the look of certain short styles but when I cut my hair I'd feel like I was tomboyish again.. I had a relapse of sorts.

Well, after having my hair long for a few years, I decided to chop it spontaneously. I felt empowered. Then a day later I felt butch. Then I felt frustrated and annoyed that I did this, again... But instead of bashing myself internally or letting the latent wound-residues arising consume me, I focused on cultivating happiness with what is. In front of me is a me, with short hair. I am a playful, wise, and sweet woman with a child-like jovial personality. I am loving, feminine, and kind. I have a swing in my hips when I walk and a dance-like way of moving.

I realized that old views were arising within me, remnants of scars surfacing, when I removed the crutch of long hair.

I realized that STILL, my inner perception of appearance was not connected to how I actually look. I realized that the silent, subtle image I carried of myself inside was tomboyish, plain, and chunky. I wasn't even fully aware of this until I had cut my hair. In fact, I realized that I was stuck in a transition, where, when my energy felt good and balanced, I had an updated internal self-image that was beautiful, bright, slender and feminine. When I felt worn-out or imbalanced, that old self-image of chunky, heavy, boyish, plain and frumpy "me" was in my mind.. So subtly, like a hologram, like a ghost or whisper, it was there, tainting my every moment.

I have since practiced gazing in the mirror and seeing myself objectively. I don't fixate on subtle imperfections, but focus on my beauty. I update my inner image to see the radiance of my eyes and smile, I realize the ways that my external form is reflecting inner light. I don't get stuck, I let myself keep updating. Change is the nature of reality, energy flows like a river, never stuck unless we ourselves dam it up with debris. But I accept where I am right now, see my beauty, and will keep letting my external appearance reflect my inner river of love-consciousness.

And I have discovered that when I chopped off all of that hair, I felt energetically lighter. I used to fixate on growing my hair longer and longer, to feel more feminine and worthy. Now I realize that while I want my hair long enough to pin up if I wish, I may not grow it super long, at least not right away. I discovered that when we are highly attuned to energy, we can feel all the energy contained in the hair and it is beneficial to free ourselves of it or only carry an amount that allows us to feel whole, harmonious with our truth, and free. It should never be a burden. I am exploring a whole new view of myself and will not rush back to the complacency and safety of long hair. I will fully acknowledge this experience and distill every bit of growth from it possible.

Over the years, through trial-and-error, I learned to keep my energy balanced and body strong, and mind relaxed most of the time, even under a decent amount of stress. Parenthood upped the ante an forced me to withstand higher and higher stress levels and remain conscious and avoid slipping into old, spastic patterns of behavior.

However, there is no end to how free we can become. We can keep finding subtle holding patterns, subtle conditioned beliefs that hold us back in many ways, and choose to release them.

We are light-beings.. Energy.. And we manifested this body. It reflects our congruency with personal authenticity and it reflects our gaps between our truth and action. It doesn't lie.

We are meant to find completely freedom and comfort within the earthly clothing of this body. We are the merging, the interface, of metaphysical energy (spirit) and physical. By seeking inhibition, wellness, and wholeness, we accomplish this mission. We free ourselves of the blockages and distractions and imprisoning ideas that block us just BEING.

Your uniqueness is who you are. Your passions and curiosities are meant to be explored and expressed. Your externals are meant to reflect your internal truths. All things congruent and harmonious, you are simply a prism through which formless Spirit flows into this world of form and creates, feels, plays, experiences and enjoys, through your body. Your body is the conduit of Spirit.

It is not easy work to get free, but it is worthwhile. You can hurt, and feel the raw aches and pains of the expansion of consciousness voluntarily, as well as the incredible peaks of unexplainable bliss and ecstasy that are also part of the path... Or you can roll around in the endless agony of trying to stay stuck and small and live a lie when the entire universe conspires to catalyze your fullest expansion.

Friday, March 28, 2014

The Phoenix Cycle of Life


Sometimes your entire world has to crumble, fall apart, in order to usher in a completely new chapter of your life.

If you get stuck in the externals, you will suffer and spin in an endless loop of pain and self pity... Fixating on the pain itself which only serves to prolong it...

Instead, try opening yourself completely to the pain.. Mourn fully the death of the old you, old dreams, old works view and expectations of how your life would be.

What happens when the funeral pyre cools and only ashes remain is noting short of a miracle.. 

You are lighter, freer; and now, eyes seeing clearer, you are receiving a completely new set of potential energy that is even more in line with your ultimate happiness, dreams and purpose. Welcome the new truth with your whole heart and trust in your own resilience completely. You can handle anything life gives you, and with an open heart that uses the sense of inner rightness as a compass, only better and more authentic realities will be allowed to manifest. Still, it hurts to let go, even if you know it's right. Don't deny it, and don't imprison yourself there at that painful cusp~ let yourself mourn in order to transcend.  Keep flowing always...

Sometimes, you have to die to everything before you can awaken to the next degree of freedom. 

Inner Image & Interaction

There is a view of ourselves that we unconsciously carry... Often derived from the labels we have identified with and our insecurities accrued over the years...

I believe that carrying an outdated or distorted inner image of oneself is the root of body dysmorphia (along with intense sensitivity to energy & no knowledge as to how to care for & balance one's energy field)... And that it is one of our greatest obstacles preventing us from stepping into the life of fulfillment and abundance that we deserve. If we see ourselves in a false and "ugly" way, we cannot see ourselves successful and happy, and keep ourselves trapped in a cycle of self-sabotage.

Made conscious we can update this inner image.. Which is crucial because a picture is worth a thousand words, and this inner view contains a weight, a tone, a whole way of relating to oneself and the world.

For example, for most of my life I saw myself as ugly, stocky, plain and tomboyish. Most people say I am none of these things. So I have been rehabbing my inner image for years, but most consciously and intently over the last couple months. I am seeing positive changes in the way I feel day-to-day.

I am cultivating what I know myself to be in the way I carry myself, dress, act and relate to others, and I take a few minutes each day to notice what I actually look like. I make the changes to my appearance necessary in order to keep a sense of rightness and congruency.. That my outer self reflects my heart and inner truth. And I notice what I actually look like and the difference between that and the standard/habitual image in my mind.

Typically we stare at and fixate on what we consider our flaws.. And all we do is torture ourselves with that practice. Take care of yourself, of course, but accept your uniqueness as well.. Focus on your beauty, your shine, your power, your spark..

It takes a while to update the mental picture we habitually carry of ourselves, but without doing so, we allow ourselves to manifest our entire life based on a version of ourselves craved out of our insecurities, fears and shame. This is a version of ourself that may never have materially existed, but because it exists within our mind, we create our life as that person.

Strive to update your inner face, see yourself for your best qualities. Wen you practice balanced self-care, you will feel good, and when you feel good internally, you will enjoy what you see externally. What we see is interpreted by the brain, after all.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Labels & inspiration


Make sure that the labels you use to describe or define yourself are in service of your sense of rightness, inspiration and freedom. They should not constrict, crush or detain you in any way. Remember who is in charge of your inner world.. You are in full control of where you let yourself dwell internally. Take control. Don't linger in or feed thoughts, feelings and attitudes that bring you heaviness, insecurity or depression. Discard that garbage. And also throw away labels that prevent your expansion and vibrant self-esteem.

Labels can be used to help you to keep growing, feeling positive and inspired to continue on your path of persona authenticity and enhancing/following your sense of inner-rightness. Use them wisely! 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Contemplation of Perfection


See past your obstacles and current reality to the ultimate reality... Train your eyes to bow to your heart.

Know that you are the love and kindness you give to others, you are the beauty and strength you see in others as well.. Do not make space for jealousy~ jealously means that you have found a reflection of a piece of your soul that you have not yet allowed yourself to express or experience.

Love is abundant, but you will not feel this until you can stop hating yourself for being human.

Hold no space for excuse making, take full responsibility for your health and happiness every day, do not pass the buck to others.. Not even your family, your friends, your doctors or your government. At the same time, be patient.. Know that transformation is a process and that trial-and-error learning is our forte as humans.

Perfect yourself to live in dynamic alignment with your passions, joys, things that set you free, bring you health and a sense of inner peace/rightness.. But discard repeatedly the false concept of a sort of perfection that doesn't contain quirks, stumblings, or changes. That perfection is non-existent and it's pursuit will destroy your possibilities for happiness and wellness, as well as undermine your discovery and expression of your individual life purpose and light. 

You are never supposed to be anything other than your most raw and deepest sense of truth indicates. Ever. Please stop being afraid to be so amazing and powerful and instead make the most of your gifts and light. 

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Life is Lived in the In-between


This world of form is based on the clashing and dynamic balancing of all opposing forces..

Yet we can't seem to accept being in the middle... Or the constant currents of flow between the extremes which seeks to create the homeostatic balance.


We are all or nothing, 
We are obsessing or avoiding,
We are dogmatic or have no boundaries, 
We are all negative & hopeless or positive in a way that doesn't accept pain or suffering, 
We are extroverts or introverts,
We are lethargic or in constant activity...


There's no room for in between in our culture, but it is the In between where we exist, and where the balance that provides freedom and authenticity is found.

We are not the labels, we are not the ideas, we are not the rules...

We are fabulous shades of gray in between all extremes. Life is lived beyond all containers and labels and concepts. All of that is trying to point you to your actual experience. 

Get out of your head and the narration  of your experience and come back to your senses, open your eyes and throw down the adjectives and throw open your arms and breathe... Finally you are alive.

Thankfully life forgives us endlessly for forgetting to be here, and is always available to is when we wake up again. Wake up. Discard your ideas of life and just live; raw, purely and honestly from your heart.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Good News & Bad News About Pain



I wish I had better news than this: that you will hurt, intensely, in this life; you will realize truths that break your heart and that of others; you will lose people and situations that once defined you and provided great comfort; you will feel agony tear apart your insides; you will feel completely lost; you will question this life, your purpose, and your worth; and you will be brought to your knees in submissive surrender due to deep pain more than once. You will be cracked open like a shell beaten on the rocks at the seashore..  

The good news is this: that these states of intense suffering are acute and transient; that they happen in order to slough away dead layers of your identity and worldview that are keeping you small when you are actually destined to be great; that being lost is the only way that you can let go of enough preconceived ideas to realize new truths; and that when your shell finally cracks open you will know yourself to be the precious pearl and not the cumbersome, dingy armor you were afraid to remove yourself. 

Surrender in the spiritual sense is not weakness or giving up~ it is the release of pig-headed adherence to ideas that are no longer reflecting reality; it is the cessation of swimming against the current of life because you stubbornly feel it is "supposed to" flow the way which you thought it should; it is the acceptance, albeit reluctantly, of absolute truth over lies and delusions.

Surrender and the letting go that allows it mark the beginning if freedom. Without those false concepts and sterile expectations, and heavy ideals, not based in heart but in conditioned belief, it is like setting down cinder blocks that you had been carrying around for as long as you can remember. 

Set them down, and don't fear pain. Don't fear what you feel, no matter how intense. And no matter what your story has been this far, have absolute faith in your own resilience, your own worth, and your own ability to feel passion. 

Monday, March 17, 2014

Agony Gives Birth to Peace...



There is a low hum of agony and discomfort in many lives.. We all experience this at times.. 

Those of us living in the cold, we are part of the agony of anticipating the blooming of Spring, us and all of nature. We await the arrival of milder winds and greenery with our tired bodies and aching minds, like we all long for embodied freedom, which is a slow, intense but beautiful process.

I am not belittling your agony, your longing, your suffering.. And I do not say that you deserve to hurt.. But it is a fact that the discomfort forces us to seek what brings about peace and in that we reveal authenticity...

If you focus on gratitude and the even tiny things that bring you joy and inspiration, you will have an easier time with the challenges you face. Easier time, relatively, as they are not easy.. But why make things harder than they must be?!

There is a way that is not avoidance or complacency, a place of constant growth and movement, that is not totally cozy but not abrasive.. It is a place of aliveness.. Freshness.. The discomfort of learning should be revered and encouraged.. Never grow so lazy that you reject the newness of growth..

Stay vulnerable.. Accept the agonies and longings that fire up and burn at your soul.. They are the forge-fires and your conscious way of handling your experience is what allows your greatest potential to emerge, one bellow's breath at a time. Your consciousness is the blacksmith of your life, if you allow it to be..

Our pain is not nothing, our hurts are real and need proper healing... But we ARE NOT TO BE DEFINED BY OUR HURTS, OUR SCARS, OUR AGONY, OUR PAST.. We define ourselves in each moment by how we work with our experinces. There is no perfection in this.. This is sloppy, tear-stained work. This is work for ourselves alone and for reaching out to loving souls who uplift & empower our healing and naturally reflect our greatness back at us. It is in your honest, raw vulnerability; in owning your feelings, in honoring your truth; in being okay with falling but getting up again; in being tender enough to love yourself, and have enough compassion to see how deeply twisted & tortured others are inside if they can knowingly do harm to others.. In standing your ground firmly but compassionately, yet unapologetically, setting healthy & genuine boundaries; that brings about real healing, and reveals your highest truth.

STOP WAITING for perfection!! Don't WAIT for someday to have happiness or peace or to fully live.. Someday you'll be dead.. Live from your heart everyday! Perfection is in the lines on your hands and face, the dirt under your nails, in your tears and laughter, in the gratitude for food, love & beauty, in the ease of real comfort within your own skin, soul shining boldly and brightly through every pore. Peace isn't found when discomfort stops, it's found when you realize that discomfort, no matter how deep, is transient, but who you are is the light-consciousness that is steady, infinite, untarnished, and full of loving peace, witnessing this brief human journey. 

Friday, March 7, 2014

Reverential Playtime


So the trick is that every moment counts, not just when others are watching. There is no practice run, this is your life. This is all sacred, Spirit doesn't just live in a special building. You can't hide from the truth of your choices in any moment and they will create your life. Make the best choices you can with the cards that you are dealt.

And never forget, in every moment, your challenge is to worship this life, the Divine spark that is the light in every pair of eyes you see, the light of the sun.. It's ALL Sacred.. And at the same time, with your walls up, your fear & rigidity, what favors do you do the world? With your rules and regulations binding your energy ever tighter.. You constrict, negate, and destroy everything that is naturally you. It is your joy and appreciation of the beauty everywhere, in your child-like laughter and unbridled loving delight, in fearlessly loving without considering risk or possible loss that we are truly alive. 

You aren't here to be a worker drone. 

You are here to do what makes your soul shine and heart burst in inspiration. Every time, that is your truth. 

Sacred and light-hearted, you are changing the vibration of this world. We need more love, honesty, generosity, respect, and creativity. Bring it. Be it. 

Yoga Is..



Yoga practice isn't just exercise.. It is about open observation, that allows one to see (by feeling) what resonates with the inner rightness.. To learn to trust in what feels right and good and let go of all that feels tangled and wrong.. 

Yoga practice clears the slate so that we are free of our past.. 

Allows us to put the tangled knot of energetic, mental and emotional yarns down..

And when we pick it up as we leave the mat, we are more clear, the space has allowed it to loosen, and we are lighter. 

We are not our troubles, or the fearful grinding in our heads.. We are the loving-silent light that shines through the eyes and senses into this world, we are the soul that witnesses and delights and mourns in this brief merging of matter and spirit..
...dancing in and out of lifetimes...
Particles and consciousness knowing each other in arrangement after arrangement, and revering the beauty of each other's prism (body & life shape).. Like magnets playing in metal filings, arranging and rearranging intricate plays to stretch the limits of the infinite interface of metaphysical and physical. 

Dare you get stuck in just this current role and story, remember that you are an energy that is neither created nor destroyed, only changing in form. You are the actor, not the play. 

Yoga resets our clarity and connection to the part of us that is untarnishable and beyond this one trip in the world. Set your anchor in what is transient, you will suffer greatly, overwhelmed and confused.. Set your anchor in your consciousness, and you will know your truth without fear again.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Embarasment, Empowering Each Other, & Transcendence


It is not by disappointment in each other, disregard or force that we best catalyze each other's growth... 

When I am at my weakest, it is in seeing my reflection in the heart of those that love me and see nothing but the goodness of my heart, even when I fall far short of that mark, that uplifts and empowers me to face the sharp sting of messing up, to grow stronger and rise above it where I belong, shining brighter. Love ennobles us to transcend our shortcomings gracefully and without trauma.

We learn through our mistakes. It hurts like hell to truly mess up, and the burn serves as a reminder that we carry within, not to make the same mistake again. 

We often let the embarrassment of the revelation of our deficiency trap us in a cycle of shame.. But this is to debilitate ourselves and wallow in our own refuse, and does us not, nor any others, a bit of good. Self-pity is an ugly place to hang out, not very becoming on a human. Not productive in any positive way, it's just a lazy masochistic loop.

The pain of falling flat and messing up is like the wound of food poisoning. We lose all desire to repeat the same offense. We have no desire to eat the same food item for sometimes years or the rest of our days. So do our mistakes serve us, to grow us, if we allow them to be such.

"Love me most when I least deserve it for it is when I am most in need" ~Swedish Proverb 

Somewhere between letting go of unattainable ideals divorced from reality and genuine striving with everything you have within you and maybe just a little more, is a place. I'll meet you there.. Where we are very human, very authentic, and full of love. It is the place where the fullest potential is alive, and where honesty trumps pride. Truth and love, growing patience like a muscle, and total forgiveness are crucial qualities. Within those four pillars, we are everything we are meant to be. Messy, sloppy, sometimes tear-streaked, but full of honest love and reverence. Eyes shining, alive in our greatest potential...

Perfection and embarrassment have new meanings in the truly free spirit's vocabulary.

Perfection is complete honesty and giving all one has to embody their truth externally & internally, in the midst of all the quirks, roadblocks and of reality's detours. Integrity with one's own truth and with reality without resistance..

Embarrassment is the stinging slap of opening one's eyes to see a little clearer, like the clarifying slap to the cheek of one once hysterical. 

Shame has no place in our world, if we learn our lessons and forgive. No one needs an albatross around their neck anymore. We are all human afterall..The perfect wild stormy synthesis between physical and metaphysical energies. All-at-once sacred and just for fun, here we are in our perfect imperfection to love, laugh, cry, grow and revere. 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

How We Need Structure to Be Free...


Dear Beautiful Universe;

Many of us have issues with constraints..

Limitations.. deadlines... relationships... parameters...

And many on the path believe so ardently in living in the present moment that they don't want to impose any structure in their life, make any plans, or dream too much..

But what I have learned is this:

Structure can be constraining and imprisoning, if it is contrived.. if it is imposed as a rule, and not as a reflection of the truth revealed in the stream of life itself, it chokes off and prevents freedom.

The biggest way we get caught in the trap of unhealthy limitation is in adhering to labels and a concept that comes along with them.. I'm vegan, I'm Catholic, I'm diabetic, I'm single.. what are we buying into when we let something that is meant to be helpful to our understanding of life experiences and who we are control us? This reminds me of when I see my students reaching out of alignment to use the yoga blocks where they are- who is serving who here??

On the mat I teach that there is a foundational structure, rooting into the earth from the third chakra downward, we tighten and tone those muscles for support.  By creating that matrix, that structure, we consciously guide the flow of life energy through the body, instead of letting it haphazardly fall where it may.

I am an advocate of remaining connected to the present always, in communion via the sensations of the body and emotions, but I do not believe that all structure constrains, nor does laying down energetic groundwork for your inspirations to manifest in the future deter one from this connection to here and now. I have found that intelligently and consciously utilized structure liberates, as long as it emanates from one's experience, and is allowed to evolve as the present truth indicates. Structure is meant to serve your freedom, to direct the flow of energy to liberate you, NOT to stifle you.

Daily rituals and routines should not limit you, but follow the natural flow of your energy and inspiration and make best use of it, even amplify it.

A big part of getting free to be authentic and thus stop suffering is to question everything, to look at everything in barest most open observation and see if it is serving the flow of your consciousness and creative expression into this world.

Dreams are necessary, or else we drift unfocused and waste our potential.  We have to balance inspired flowing and floating with just a touch of conscious direction so as to manifest the visions we see in our hearts.  However, the gap between points A & B are filled with so many unknowns, and the eventual outcome may look nothing like how we saw it.  Yet, its our vision that takes us there, one moment at a time.

We cannot be free is we let ourselves flow into eddies and get stuck in dead-end cycles.  Like a bonsai tree is shaped, we shape our lives by the choices we make and the actions we take.  This is a receptive activity that we must find, as it cannot be all passive.

Contemplate this.. where you can implement inspired structure to get you past your roadblocks and stagnant times, and when that slowed-down feeling arises again, change the structure.

DO NOT get so caught in the trip of structure that you forget that you are in control of your happiness in the moment. You are free.. you just let layer upon layer of "should" and "should not" stand in your way. If it isn't harmful to another and arises joyously out of your heart, it is good and right and nothing should stand in the way. You are your inspiration. You are your passion. You are everything that you truly admire in the world! You just need to get out of your own way. 

Much love. ;) ~Laura