First, HUGE thanks to all who attended the Empower Practice on Saturday! We had a tremendous time engaging the Ananda Tandava – the Blissful Dance of Life (even though it doesn’t always seem blissful!) over the course of 3 solid hours of community and asana. If you missed out on the practice but still want a taste of what we covered, join us this Wednesday night at 5:45 at StudioVibe for a mini-version of the practice. Our next Empower Practice will be in mid to late June or early July. Much of that depends on the needs of our soon to arrive little boy 🙂 As the Empower Practices are an opportunity for you to dive deep and expand your boundaries I would love to hear your suggestions for themes or aspects of the yoga you want to explore.

After a decent amount of prayer, meditation, journaling and many contemplative walks my word for 2014 has arrived. For the first time in the history of my having a word (about 7 years now), it scares me. In a good way. It’s a word that is calling me both out of myself and into a more complete expression of myself as a member of the community of beings on this planet. That word is Generosity.

All of the words I’ve had in the past have been explicitly “self focused” meaning they were about me exclusively: healing, balance, vibrant, artistry etc. This isn’t bad, it’s where I was and what I needed at the time. Now, as I evolve as a human, a woman and an almost new mom, I feel it’s time to begin to move beyond myself; to find a healthy balance between my introverted nature and my part as a member of our great community. There are times when my introversion causes me to retreat too far in and become overly focused on my needs. I don’t want to ignore those needs, but I also no longer want to exclude others from my life because I “need” so much “me time.” As a mother, I want to be able to respond to my child’s needs with as much love and as little resentment as possible. (I’m sure there will be times, but I’d rather they be the exception rather than the rule!)

My friend Abby, (whom I like to call my favorite librarian), is one of the best conversationalists I know. This is not only because she has an eclectic range of interests, but also because she is genuinely interested in what you have to say. This inspires me. So often I find myself monitoring my responses to another person’s side of the conversation that it becomes about me listening to me instead of me listening to you. I needed to do this monitoring to counter my tendency to take things personally.  I needed to train myself to remember that what you say is about you, what I hear is about me. But I think, just maybe, I’m strong enough within myself now that the I can lessen the vigilance and remain standing in integrity.

I do not know how “Generosity” is going to play out in my life; what actions or experiences it will beckon me toward; what graces it will call forth from the depth of my being. I do know that despite the modest level of fear, when I think or feel into the “Generosity” it’s like a path of light opening out before me. I choose to trust that.

Have you found your word for the year? Or, like “Generosity,” has it found you? If not, take heart, simply asking for the arrival of a guiding word will set you on your way. Trust that by paying attention, it will be revealed in time. If your word has found you, I’d love to hear about it! You can share it with me via email, on Facebook, or in class. Not only will this help me, help you live into the fullness of your word, it will give you a chance to win a Free spot*  in the upcoming Cultivating Your Personal Yoga Practice online retreat, which you can read more about here.

May your word arrive with clarity and guide you an ever deeper and more authentic expression and experience of your own Fullness.

With love,
Melinda

* Please send me your word by January 22nd

“One Ring to Rule them All. One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” Wait. No. I’m not talking about The Fellowship of the Rings here. 🙂 I am talking about a word. Your word.

If you’ve been around the yoga world for sometime now you’ve likely come across the idea of sankalpa. If not, here goes. A sankalpa is an intention cultivated over a long period of time. The practice of selecting one’s sankalpa involves a good deal of inner listening for what is wanting to be born through you. Sankalpa’s can be discovered or renewed at any time. But here, in our western culture, in the Northern Hemisphere, as the days are shorter, the nights longer and the celebration of the New Year and Epiphany approaches it’s an especially potent time to revisit or seek out a new sankalpa to guide you in the days and months ahead.

The difference between a sankalpa and a New Year’s resolution is that a sankalpa carries with it the power of depth, of what you are really longing for in your life. Getting in shape, eating right, managing your schedule better, taking up a meditation practice are all excellent but they are merely action steps, the means to achieving a deeper desire for greater wellbeing on every level.

Maintaining the discipline and energy to continue the action steps you know you need and want to take is difficult without a broader, more rooted sense of meaning. This year, I invite you to spend some time over the next few days reviewing the year past and your goals for the year ahead. What actions are you wanting to take? What is your heart calling you to study or create?

Take a look at your answers and see if you can sense a common theme or a thread. If that thread were boiled down into one or two words, what would it be?

Here’s an example of how I arrived at my 2013 Sankalpa. (2014 still in process).

Actions I knew I wanted to take:

• Finish writing the book
• Get more clear with my teaching and wellness career
• Enjoy the seasons rather than rushing through them
• Become a mother

During the first weeks of January I spent a good deal of time in quiet meditation and in taking long walks out of doors. On these walks I would ask for “my word.” Several candidates appeared but that one I eventually settled on, the one that felt right was “Artistry.” (I started with Create, but then realized I’d already “created” a lot of these things, it was now a matter of refining, finishing, polishing. This is very different from the raw process of creation.)

Throughout the year I would return to my word as a means to check in and guide my actions. Am I carving time to work on the novel? What am I doing to build my teaching and strengthen my authentic voice? Have I let busyness overwhelm my ability to enjoy the changes of the year? What steps can I take to support the health of my body and its ability to get and stay pregnant?

Once you’ve found your word, consider posting it somewhere meaningful. You could make a pretty picture or paint it on a clear candle holder. You might even write a little poem with the first letter of each sentence coming from the letters of your word. Whatever you do, I encourage you to write it down along with the action steps you want to take and keep close at hand. Check in regularly throughout the year. (Perhaps schedule a check in at the change of each season.)

Allow yourself to be fluid. If you discover it’s time to change or revise your word or action steps give yourself permission and space to do so.

Your word is not there to “rule” you, but it is there to find you, to guide you and in the light, bind you… to the deepest longings and manifestations of your heart.

For a wonderful, guided mini retreat on finding your word, please check out this resource from Abbey of the Arts.

Words in Community

Another powerful way to work with sankalpas is to do so in community. I got this idea from Alyson, a colleague and teacher at Studio Vibe in Cary. For the past decade or so she and her husband have been creating words or themes for the year that they cultivate together. Examples include The Year of Partnership and Passsion, The Year of Friendship, The Year of Adventure etc.

Perhaps this year, in addition to (or instead of) finding your own word, consider entering into conversation with your partner, spouse, family or community and discerning a word or theme for the year together. Write down the action steps, schedule check-ins, and open to the Grace revealed through working to grow together.

For a wonderful, guided mini retreat on finding your word, please check out this resource from Abbey of the Arts.

Happy Word Searching. May you find the word to guide you and your community into a deeper, living expression of your authentic heart.

“One Ring to Rule them All. One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” Wait. No. I’m not talking about The Fellowship of the Rings here. 🙂 I am talking about a word. Your word.

If you’ve been around the yoga world for sometime now you’ve likely come across the idea of sankalpa. If not, here goes. A sankalpa is an intention cultivated over a long period of time. The practice of selecting one’s sankalpa involves a good deal of inner listening for what is wanting to be born through you. Sankalpa’s can be discovered or renewed at any time. But here, in our western culture, in the Northern Hemisphere, as the days are shorter, the nights longer and the celebration of the New Year and Epiphany approaches it’s an especially potent time to revisit or seek out a new sankalpa to guide you in the days and months ahead.

The difference between a sankalpa and a New Year’s resolution is that a sankalpa carries with it the power of depth, of what you are really longing for in your life. Getting in shape, eating right, managing your schedule better, taking up a meditation practice are all excellent but they are merely action steps, the means to achieving a deeper desire for greater wellbeing on every level.

Maintaining the discipline and energy to continue the action steps you know you need and want to take is difficult without a broader, more rooted sense of meaning. This year, I invite you to spend some time over the next few days reviewing the year past and your goals for the year ahead. What actions are you wanting to take? What is your heart calling you to study or create?

Take a look at your answers and see if you can sense a common theme or a thread. If that thread were boiled down into one or two words, what would it be?

Here’s an example of how I arrived at my 2013 Sankalpa. (2014 still in process).

Actions I knew I wanted to take:

• Finish writing the book
• Get more clear with my teaching and wellness career
• Enjoy the seasons rather than rushing through them
• Become a mother

During the first weeks of January I spent a good deal of time in quiet meditation and in taking long walks out of doors. On these walks I would ask for “my word.” Several candidates appeared but that one I eventually settled on, the one that felt right was “Artistry.” (I started with Create, but then realized I’d already “created” a lot of these things, it was now a matter of refining, finishing, polishing. This is very different from the raw process of creation.)

Throughout the year I would return to my word as a means to check in and guide my actions. Am I carving time to work on the novel? What am I doing to build my teaching and strengthen my authentic voice? Have I let busyness overwhelm my ability to enjoy the changes of the year? What steps can I take to support the health of my body and its ability to get and stay pregnant?

Once you’ve found your word, consider posting it somewhere meaningful. You could make a pretty picture or paint it on a clear candle holder. You might even write a little poem with the first letter of each sentence coming from the letters of your word. Whatever you do, I encourage you to write it down along with the action steps you want to take and keep close at hand. Check in regularly throughout the year. (Perhaps schedule a check in at the change of each season.)

Allow yourself to be fluid. If you discover it’s time to change or revise your word or action steps give yourself permission and space to do so.

Your word is not there to “rule” you, but it is there to find you, to guide you and in the light, bind you… to the deepest longings and manifestations of your heart.

For a wonderful, guided mini retreat on finding your word, please check out this resource from Abbey of the Arts.

Words in Community

Another powerful way to work with sankalpas is to do so in community. I got this idea from Alyson, a colleague and teacher at Studio Vibe in Cary. For the past decade or so she and her husband have been creating words or themes for the year that they cultivate together. Examples include The Year of Partnership and Passsion, The Year of Friendship, The Year of Adventure etc.

Perhaps this year, in addition to (or instead of) finding your own word, consider entering into conversation with your partner, spouse, family or community and discerning a word or theme for the year together. Write down the action steps, schedule check-ins, and open to the Grace revealed through working to grow together.

For a wonderful, guided mini retreat on finding your word, please check out this resource from Abbey of the Arts.

Happy Word Searching. May you find the word to guide you and your community into a deeper, living expression of your authentic heart.