Connect to Your Soul

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice for your soul is ALIVE.
—Eleonora Duse

Being connected to our soul is to remember our true nature and yet when life presents the outer confusion of fear, we forget. This past month has been a practice of staying clear to what is the truth. When chaos abounds in the terror of war and killing, we react in ways that begin to collude with panic and doubt. The beauty of life and the essence of the spirit are pushed into confusion and we tend to move away from our hearts. We must be FEARLESS warriors of LOVE. How can we as a community not nurture the integrity of our intrinsic nature of kindness and compassion? We must strengthen our commitment to find peace within our own hearts and to extend to our community as a refuge for love.

I opened Yoga Among Friends over 19 years ago and still have the passion and conviction that we are more than our outer identities. We are souls needing to be seen and acknowledged for the brilliance of our inner light. Every human being needs to be seen for the inner beauty that lies within. We begin to spin in the worry, doubt and fear of what we see and hear around us but if we pause and go inward, we are reminded that there is another voice. We must give attention to this quiet vibration in our inner being, to resonate with life with the call to love more.

I never want to assume that yoga is the only path. Yoga is so much more than a physical exercise and when we use the tools together, we begin to feel the sweet safety of beauty calling forth our inner strength. Embrace all of life. Find a safe haven to share in this courageous journey of the heart. I want everyone to be filled with the grace of a loving Thanksgiving as we remember that life is a blessing. To be content is the wonder of living and the acceptance that grief is only a doorway into joy.

We extend our hearts this Holiday Season from all of us at Yoga Among Friends to our community. May you celebrate each day as a miracle of life and rejoice in being ALIVE for LOVE!

Take the First Step Toward Understanding Your Breath

The first step towards a deeper understanding of breath is to learn how to breathe in a way that our subtle bodies are finely tuned as the harp is tuned to respond to the wind. It's easy to take breath for granted. If we live life passionately and really love being here, we will want to explore the depths of breath.

My consciousness is profoundly linked to breath and I am able to influence my mood with the appropriate use of it. Breath can carry intention from one area of the body to another for special purposes. Correct breathing makes it possible to choose the way you wish to travel.

There is a great message here! When the wind changes we know something different will happen in our world. Collectively we can stir up the winds and create too much agitation for our souls to digest. Or we can understand that the rhythm is vital and can learn to direct the appropriate pattern to create the needed effect for stability.

Pranayama can be practiced every moment of every day. It takes desire to slow the mind down to feel the breath as pure sensation. When we learn to breathe in awareness, there is a chance to come upon this inner being that is our True Self. There is a science to the learning of this yogic breathing and it takes a practice, a teacher, and a desire to be joyful. We come into life with breath and go out with breath.

Every year, Michael Taylor and I host a wonderful retreat in a warm and beautiful space. We come together to share learning and explore the deeper tools of mindfulness. Yoga is not just an exercise for the body; it is a profound practice for awakening the Spirit and listening with our inner ears. I hope that you will consider making this journey to Baha Mexico with us.

How to Follow Your Intuition to Overcome Obstacles

I know I'm following my intuition when doubt moves aside, and I just know. My intellect is not weighing the pros and cons. The voices of my inner dialogue stop. In this moment I am clear. I am confident. No more am I filled with
Laura Jane false bravado or arrogance that I am right. A sweet humility and inner excitement for the unknown arises when my mind ceases its chatter.

Yoga asks us to strive to detach from the goal of a perfect body, to let go of the struggle to attain that desire. We feed thoughts every day that tell us we need to obtain false happiness with "self-help" techniques and promises. This path only leads to more self-doubt.

Yoga is a tool used to strip away layers of false identity and reveal the unlimited beauty of our authentic Self. Being mindful is letting go of intellect and feeling an awareness of being enough. Rather than responding to the small mind's need to do, this larger perspective is all about letting go. And only through feeling can we achieve pure consciousness. Words alone give us nothing. We need the actual experience of being alive. We must be willing to focus our roaming minds and practice stillness daily.

Instead of instant attachment to outcomes, we can use yoga as a tool to find kindness, compassion, and loving joy. When we do, our true nature is revealed, and we can no longer hide behind the doubts, fears, and confusion of an anxious mind. Peace is not a thought. It is the willingness to go inside and listen to the palpable experience of peace. This new sensation arises out of the heart's desire to fall in love with the fullness of life. MindFULLness is pure contentment. In that space there is no doubt. I realize I am more than the outcome of my identity. The grace of love is revealed.