Mirror Mirror...

I was given a card just this week that had the age old quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, "Do one thing every day that scares you." Inside the card was written, "Oh yea you are!!"

As I sit

At the beginning of 2011 I remember thinking... this is going to be a great year for love and life and yes it was, but it was so much more that I am happy to put 2011 in the books and gear up for what 2012 has to offer. To have grown the way I have over the past year channels me to believe that I have been prepared for an amazing 2012. I'm beyond thankful for my family and great friends, new and old who have held me together without even realizing it!and think about this past year and about where I am right now in life, I can't help but think Shit, I've have one hell of a year and I can say that yes the year of 2011 could be defined for me as a year of exploration, of love, of trust, of self awareness, of change, of living in the moment and living for me.... all of which scare the shit out of me but have made me so so so much stronger of an individual.

So what to look forward to in 2012?

Travel, travel travel!!!

Fiji and Belize then who knows but great things are unfolding and I'm looking forward to what this year has in store. Rockin yoga in new places and stepping out of my comfort zone and into adventures of my own!

Fiji Details: March 30-April 1 Weekend Yoga Retreat at Bethams Beach Cottages

Belize Details: June 2-9 Week Retreat of Yoga and Diving at Ak'Bol Yoga Retreat Center in Ambergris Caye, Belize

Keep updated on all these events and more on Facebook and Twitter or on the web at www.k10yoga.com

Cheers to Peace, Love and Light for each of you in 2012

Trash...

Spread the word, thinking the next retreat will include some ocean cleanup :)

From: http://www.zmescience.com/science/oceanography/just-in-case-you-didnt-know-theres-a-garbage-island-twice-as-big-as-france-in-the-pacific-ocean/

I was surprised to talk to a bunch of people today and find out they didn’t know about this, so I figured this is definitely something worth knowing. Here’s the deal.

There’s a whole lot of garbage floating around; a whole lot ! Some are above the surface, some are below. What happens is they get sucked in by oceanic currents, and tangle up with other garbage (mostly plastic). But you shouldn’t think only about bottles and such; most of the times, the plastic particles are hard to see even from a boat, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous – on the contrary. It’s been proved that albatross and other sea creatures ingest way more plastic this way. The total amount of ‘plastic soup’ is hard to quantify, varying from twice the size of Texas (or France) to twice the size of the USA. It’s also expanding – fast. Stretching from Hawaii to Japan the biggest such patch is estimated to weigh around 100 million tons, according to American oceanographer Charles Moore, who also explains:
“The original idea that people had was that it was an island of plastic garbage that you could almost walk on. It is not quite like that. It is almost like a plastic soup. It is endless for an area that is maybe twice the size as continental United States.”
There’s also a missconception that it has well defined borders, like an island. There’s just a gradient of particle density, with most particles being as big as 1-3 mm. According to wikipedia, 80% is a result of terrestrial pollution, and the 20% left comes from ships. As you probably guessed, any effort towards cleaning the area is not going to happen any time soon, as it would require massive efforts and collaborations, and an estimated (very rough) cost of 10 billion dollars. No nation has made a step forward in taking responsability, and I can’t see anyone doing this in the near future.

“At this point, cleaning it up isn’t an option. It’s just going to get bigger as our reliance on plastics continues. … The long-term solution is to stop producing as much plastic products at home and change our consumption habits.”, said Chris Parry, public education program manager with the California Coastal Commission in San Francisco.

The effects are hard to estimate, varying from extremely harmful to catastrophic. Without even taking into consideration the long term effects and what will happen when it becomes even bigger (which quite frankly, won’t take that long if things continue to move the way they have), the short and medium term effects are devastating. Marine animals and birds ingest plastic which just doesn’t go away from their stomach. Eventually, it starts filling it up, and if it’s not toxic, and kills them, it fills their stomach and basically causes the animals to starve to death – a quite painful and tragic death. It can be harmful even for humans because we too eat the animals which ingest the plastic.

In case you’re wondering, no, I don’t think there’s anything you can do to help clean the patch up (even if you wanted to). But you can limit it’s ever growing size, as well as the size of land garbage. Just do the basic stuff:
- Limit your use of plastic whenever possible. Take your canvas bags to the supermarket or just don’t take plastic bags whenever possible.
- Throw your garbage where it should belong; don’t leave it on the beach or on the street or whatever.
- Tell other people. Make it spread. Many people don’t care about this at all; but many do, and they just need a small push to act. Be that push !

Love your earth

Haiti 2011

From the girls at Off the Mat, Into the World... :)

So this is it, the hour of reckoning: the proverbial “Savasana” of the Global Seva Challenge 2011 is finally upon us, and what a year it has been! Regardless of whether you reached your goal or not, just for taking that first step forward and committing to a Challenge as big as this. And we are so proud of you for having the courage to step into your greatness and explore the possibilities of your own leadership potential.

Now is the time to rest. To let go of attachment to outcome, and allow these final moments to unfurl exactly as they are meant to. To stop the doing and step into the being. To integrate your experience from the past year. To observe where you have grown and what you have learned. To nourish your body and reinvigorate your connection to Spirit. To reconnect with friends and family and loved ones in celebration of this divine gift we call life. And to express gratitude for all of the ways in which we are blessed, and for this opportunity to serve.

This year you have collectively raised more than $300,000 for Haiti (final numbers will be posted on the homepage of the OTM website in the coming weeks). I want you to know that this is no small feat by a team of 60 participants (in past years we have had closer to 120). Suzanne, Seane, Hala, and all of us at OTM are so thankful for all of your efforts, and we value everyone’s participation equally, whether you raised $20 or $20,000. The work you have done in your own communities could have an impact that lasts for generations to come. Maybe your efforts have inspired a change in someone else’s life in a profound and radical way – or maybe, just maybe, your own life has been changed somehow.

You may never know the full extent of the impact you have had, fundraising for Haiti this year with Off the Mat. But we do know exactly what your hard-earned funds will help OTM and our partners in Haiti to do:
provide clean drinking water at an orphanage and school
build a community center
support women’s empowerment through micro-lending
create a mosaic art wall
remove rubble from the streets
build an eco-friendly children’s center

From K10-THANK YOU! Thank each and every one of you for your support whether through monetary funds, opening your space for transformation, or just being an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. It has been an amazing journey and I look forward to continuing to raise awareness for our world and hope you will journey with me to make a difference for ourselves and our future generations!

In love and gratitude,

Kristen

Giving Thanks, a cliche?

I used to find it cliche to be thankful for things on thanksgiving, why cant we be reminded everyday to be thankful? But in the spirit of the season I would like to take a moment to recollect and find thanks in what seem like the most awkward or tough situations.

I'm thankful for...

• Karma
• Truth
• Family
• Love
• Patience
• Eyes to see
• Babies
• Yoga

I'm thankful for having the eyes to see the karmic path I have chosen. Knowing that somedays things will hurt and taking responsibility for those actions.

I'm thankful for those who know the truth, who see the truth, who speak the truth, and those who feel the truth. Truth being whatever feels right within their own being. Those who will stand for that among what others say may or may not be right for them.

I'm thankful for my family, direct and indirect. I am thankful for my roots and for those sent through a higher power to cross my path as family or friends or loves to bring me to my current place in this world.

I am thankful for love, pure unconditional love that I have felt in very rare ways this year. Love for myself, love for others, love for life, love for those questionable times that bring you to your knees and allow you to love yourself even more.

I am thankful for patience... even though I am tired of being patient, I am thankful for it and for the lessons it teaches me each and every day. Do not rush, live.

I am thankful for babies, for the miracle of creativity and for the privilege to assist in trainings and classes that birth new philosophies into the world. For being able to make small changes in the world one person, one day, one breath at a time.

I'm thankful for yoga which is the thread that binds all of these things together. Recognition of the karmic path, seeing life as it is, and loving it.

In the midst of confusion, hustle and bustle that comes with this time of year, I encourage you all to your own revelations and thankfulness to those people and places of your life. From my heart to yours...Cheers!

Be your own painter

I dream of painting, then I paint my dream... I think thats how the quote goes... regardless I have had this idea of being an artist on the mind lately. We are all artists in our own sense. Perhaps we don't create huge canvas paintings that could be sold for millions, or perhaps we do... but I want to look at it from a different prospective.

When it comes to love and life and what to do what not to do and when to start and when to stop etc, inevitably we are the ones in control of that. Others can tell us their opinion about what to do, when to go when not to go and yadi yadi yadi but at the end of the day YOU are responsible for YOUR own Happiness. Some may think you are crazy for choosing the timeline that you do, but its up to you. Just like the painter, people may look at the art and say it is perfect. People may look at it and say ohh, that needs some work. Why do we try to tell others what to do? When the painter is happy with the painting when in his or her own expression is complete, then the job is done and the project can be put out into the world for it to become whatever it will become.

Think about life, how long do you hold onto a situation? It's okay if you say 50 years, or 45 minutes because it is up to your own creative expression what you will do with it.

Be the painter. Life is your canvas. Be responsible for yourself. Create the life you wish to live.

What will you birth?

What will you create? Hold it in love!

I don't know if you have been feeling it or not, I would hope that everyone is so intuitive to notice but things are changing, and fast. Sometimes referred to as the quickening, this age of Aquarius is upon us. After a heartwarming weekend with Heather Till learning how to teach yoga to pregnant mommas a number of things came to mind and I choose to share this one...

When thinking about the birthing process there is the conception time, the time you carry the baby, and then what some call the fourth trimester when you are getting to know your new one. So what if we took that concept and moved it into this awakening of consciousness that is happening. It's difficult to pinpoint a conception date but just say it were 11.11.11 and then we use the time in the year 2012 to really feel the shifts and changes of baby inside of each of us. Then we deliver, we step up and take responsibility for the life we have lived and prepare for spiraling into new life set before us. We are brave, we are proud of our creation, we are scared but joyful and excited for the new time. Then we transition into this new life, funneling our emotions and thoughts, coddling them, nourishing them and becoming accustom to this new experience.

It is a beautiful process that is sincere and divine. For each individual with the eyes to see the beauty in this new creation, cheers to you. For those who may not understand and cannot see past birthing an actual baby, best of luck.

The time is now, take responsibility, clear out the old, unnecessary, clutter of the past years and prepare. You have a great gestation period to meditate, forgive, and proceed. Where will you go? What will you do?

Be excited, Be open, the shift is near! Ride the energy wave for beauty is just around the corner!

Remembering How to Love

Great post, I had to share with you all. From my Aussie friends, love to see we are all in this exploration together even on the other side of the world! xo :)

"Remembering How to Love"

QUESTION: I’ve been feeling lost and unsure of my next step. I feel the urge to move but I don’t know where.

ANSWER: Then don’t move until you know.

QUESTION: I need to earn money, but have been unwilling to do work that seems menial to me.

ANSWER: And you will continue not to have money as long as you make that decision.

QUESTION: This is good! I’ve written a book but I don’t understand where it belongs. I have a lot of energy and I don’t know where to focus it. I’ve been feeling tired and angry and feeling what I have to give is invisible or invaluable. I feel caught between what is true inside and the way life works on the outside.

ANSWER: You remind me of Paul!

QUESTION: Is there a reason for me to be on the planet right now? I want to live and I....

ANSWER: Well, what is your alternative? I am not being smart here! But I am asking you so that you might realize that the question really means nothing, "why am I on the planet right now". If you truly have no alternative then you might as well pay attention to being here. Because obviously if this is where your presence of mind is being aware, then this is where to give your attention—this is where to be curious. But continue...

QUESTION: I want to live and I want to thrive...

ANSWER: You want to live, did you say?

QUESTION: Yeah.

ANSWER: I know you can take this. I am very glad that you want to live, because again you have no other choice. Don’t want to live if you are already living. Continue...

QUESTION: Do you have any suggestions that will help me to proceed?

ANSWER: Well, I will tell you that all of the things that you just talked about are nothing but distractions you are providing yourself with, distracting you from allowing yourself to be fully present in the moment as who you Are. They are distractions from your allowing yourself to be present in the moment fully enough and quietly enough to have the opportunity to experience what this presence is that you Are. You do not have to be afraid of finding out. You do not have to be afraid that you will find out that there is nothing really here of any value.

As reconfiguration occurs little elements of your life will seem to no longer relate to each other in a way that secures a sense of identity for you. And yet you will find yourself still present observing these elements that had provided you with a sense of identity and substance no longer being cohesive. You will find yourself still observing these elements no longer seeming to be cohesive. They’re disbanding, as it were, from that which seemed to hold you together and will not disrupt you from being the presence of awareness or the presence of mind that is watching them do this. You will remain absolutely permanently present! As these things which you had used in order to have a sense of identity seem to fragment and float away from you, you will find there is less covering You up from your Self.

You know what’s there underneath all these things? What is there about you that is eternal, forever present? It is Love! You know we talk a lot about Awakening, you hear talk about resurrection, I have spoken about coming Home with a capital "H", Remembering with a capital "R" the truth about yourself—and I’m not just addressing her, this is true of every single one of you. And I know some of you have wondered, "what is it, what is it that I have forgotten that something in me is moving me to remember? What is it?" I will put it this way, what you have forgotten is how to Love! And what you will remember is how to Love!

Some of you have felt out of place, you might say, since you were three months old, one year old, two years old. Some of you have never felt happy here. Well, I’ll tell you something, it isn’t because it’s such an awful place. It’s because you have forgotten how to Love. You have forgotten how to Be Love.

I’m going to take a few moments to share some things with you. There is something quite essential to Being the Presence of Love. And what it is that is essential to it is a lot less than what you are bringing to the living of your life. In order to let the Love that you are move into expression you must give up some things—some excess baggage. For example, defense, judgment, plans of your own, insecurity. Interesting, you thought insecurity was something you had because you gave up security and now I’m saying you must give up insecurity? Yes, insecurity felt and practiced is a defense. It is a way to keep yourselves preoccupied so that you don’t find out what’s underneath this thing called insecurity. And what’s underneath it is this Love that each one of you Are—your essential Being. Fear is another thing that you will have to drop from your knapsack! Pride... Personal success...

Now I agree that this is nothing new. And yet it is very important for me to reestablish in your awareness that all of these things stand in the way of your being quiet enough, being present enough with this presence of mind that you are that you would have the opportunity to discover the feeling of the presence that you Are, which is a Movement of Love.

This book or yours, this opportunity to work and have income, what are they if they’re not the opportunity to be in the Movement of the Love that you Are so that you might let it find expression. They are not means of getting anything! Who are all of these people who for whatever reason don’t find value in anything you have to share? Well, they aren’t somebody there to validate you by finding value in what you have to share. They are, I’m going to say, the opportunities you have to share and fulfill your purpose for being in the giving, whether it’s received, whether it’s understood, whether it’s valued or not. Because I want to tell you something: more than the items that you would share it’s the fact that you were giving without self-protection, without fear, without judgment, without self-righteousness that constituted the real gift. The real gift is when you are being present not covered over by anything whatsoever!

I want to come back to the fact that any distress you might be feeling is not because of circumstances—any of the list that you read off, so to speak, at the beginning, but because you have forgotten something. And this is true of everyone in any aspect of their lives. You are afraid, you are judgmental, you are defensive, you are unforgiving, and on and on. Why? Because you have forgotten something, not because there are justifications for these things—it is because you have forgotten something. And so, the answer lies in your remembering.

And this is what you could call a reconfiguration at a higher level, we could say reconfiguration at a more fundamental level. And that which is more fundamental is more universal, it is therefore more natural. It is not something you are working towards but something you are letting yourself into.

Remember, all of you please remember that you cover over the fundamental Presence of your Being which is the impulse of Love which has it’s source in God. It is a matter of covering it over with distractions of fear, judgment, hate, self-righteousness, goal seeking, willfulness, doing good based upon thinking rather than the good that you would spontaneously do as a result of being Conscious of your Self as the Presence of Love. You cover over the Love that you Are with things which you have come to conclude are essential to survival. And because you think they are essential to survival they are worth every ounce of energy you can bring to them so that you can survive. And yet you have no choice but to survive because you Are the Essence and Presence of Life in action already.

The things you were concerned about in the expression of your question all had to do with survival—survival relative to the dynamics of relationships and the power they seem to hold over the ease or lack of ease of your survival. And I am giving you a new point of attention. The point of attention that I am drawing your attention to, is that in you which is underneath all of these distractions, which is the Presence of God which I am calling the Presence of Love. And you being the Presence of Love are the absence of fear, hate, anxiety, judgment and on and on and on. Therefore, this that I am redirecting your attention to is something very valuable, because it is you experiencing the Essential Integrity of your Being so completely that fear and all that follows fear is nothing but nonsense, is nothing to attend to because you are not blocked in anyway from being the fulfillment of purpose that God has in Mind in being you at this very instant.

I want you also to understand that although this could sound like a dissertation on the spirituality of Being, I am describing the actuality of being right here in this very instant, which is absolutely relevant to right where you are—right where everyone of you is. I’m expressing the truth of the instant you’re in and the truth of you in this instant. But you say, "Well I understand what you’re saying. But when I leave this room and go back into the world, what you’ve said isn’t going to mean beans, because I’m going to have to relate to the world the way the world says I’m going to have to relate to it."

Well, there’s another one of those distractions again. It’s not true. There is no reason for you to abandon the genuineness of the Presence of You that is Love and cover it over with a disguise and pretend that you are somebody else and forget who you Really Are and never make the full Gift of your Self. There is no requirement for you to do that! I’m not really picking on you, but you did ask the question. There is no requirement for you to be ingénue! You can be Present in a new way.

And the discovery all of you have waiting you is that when you refuse to be present in the world covered over by fear and defense you will not become dysfunctional. That’s the discovery you have awaiting for you. You will not become such a radical presence that no one will understand you. You will be even more meaningful. And the primary reason that you will be more meaningful is because in your expression of your Self there will be no apology for what you are expressing because there will be no fear there. And when there’s no fear, people know they are safe. And when people know they are safe they lower their defenses and they let something in. And what could possibly cause someone to lower their defenses but the Presence of Love?

It was important for all of you to hear this today. Thank you for your question.

Excerpt from - http://pamelaparnell.homestead.com/files/frnance.htm

Be a Strawberry

Stand back. Watch the world go around. It's an interesting place, this world. There are a few ways to walk through this world, one with eyes open and one with eyes closed. I do believe it came from the infamous Beatles, Strawberry Fields Forever singing "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstand all you see..."
What happens when you open your eyes, understanding all you see. That seems easy in theory but it is quite tough and can be quite painful, this transformation. From here we grow, coming out of the muck and blossoming into that lotus flower we hear about.

We have choices, we can choose to stay in the muck or we can allow ourselves to blossom. We are in the places we are because we chose to be here. So, if you aren't feeling happy or secure or grounded... maybe its time you look in the mirror and decide if you choose to stay in that place or not. Depending on how many dependants you have determines how deep your roots are in the muck. (dependants here being kids, debt, j-o-b, mortgage, commitments, etc...) I can't tell you how to get out, how to blossom, but being aware of it and having those eyes to see tends to help. What about commitments, some people are dealthy afraid of them, some deathly afraid of not having any, how do you find a happy median? Where do you stand, be honest with yourself.

What about those who are not rooted in the muck, can they be beutiful lotus flowers? My analytical mind is curious what the ratio of muck has to be in order to be that beautiful flower... can you be too flowery and not rooty enough? Who knows really.

The bottom line is this... Can you go through life with eyes closed? yes you can. Does it get you anywhere on the path to enlightenment and top chakra kinda stuff... I dont know. But for me, I accept the responsibility to live with eyes open trying to understand our world from a place of compassion in hopes that one day I can be that fully blooming and enlightened lotus flower. Shit gets tough, yes, and some days I just want to crawl in bed and cry until I cannot cry anymore and thats just human. At the end of the day though, be strong, stand firm, argue if you have to, commit when it feels right, play loud music, yell, scream, jump up and down, offer a helping hand, be passionate, follow your heart but think with your brain. Then... get up and do it again.
Open your eyes, face the world, understand yourself, and move from a place of compassion and grace and from there blossom.
Imagine an entire world that did this, translate that lotus into the strawberry and we would have... strawberry fields forever.

Rock on Yogi's

What does it mean to be in tune... we hear it in yoga class, "scan your body" "be in tune with your inner works" and on and on...

Here is my thought process: Tune, okay you tune a guitar, what if you dont know what it sounds like for a guitar to be out of tune? I am not very musically inclined (though I can play the first few licks from Dream On by Aerosmith) but it seems to come as a natural instinct if the guitar is out of tune. Things dont sound right, I dont know what 'right' sounds like but it just sounds and feels funny.

I think the same is with our bodies, maybe you feel extra tired one day or things just are not working out or flowing as you think is best. Something just feels funny. Unfor"tune"tly for the average 2 legged roaming this earth their instincts feel the movement of being out of tune but they are so caught up in the rat race that they don't know what to do about it. So then we all know the story you have all the things people try to make themselves feel better and more in tune... shopping sprees, beer, sex, pedicure, beer, sex, a nice dinner out, sex, beer, you get the point.

Yoga, for me opens me and gives me a chance to be aware of what string is out of tune, and with practice, to tighten or loosen that string until it creates a beautiful tone to my ears. "Those with ears to hear, let them hear it". As we move through life, perhaps we take time to listen to the tone of our bodies. Use the breath to soften the sounds of the world around you and listen within. Become aware of YOU. Stop looking at others and trying to 'fix' their tunes, listen within instead.

Next time you find yourself in pigeon pose and those little thoughts start to enter into the mind... "goahhh, is it time to unfold yet...", "if you keep me here one more second I might throw this block at you", "dream on dream on dream until your dreams come trueeeeee" or whatever it may be just take note where your thoughts are. This can be a signal to which chord might need to be tunes. 6 chords on most guitars... think 6 chakras and then that final beautiful sound that resonates across the universe, the infamous 7th tone that encompasses all 6 chords.

Life is beautiful, take time to check in, and tune your chords :)

Rock on Yogi's

A Golf What???

"Lets plan a fun golf tournament to promote my new business and donate the moneyto those who need it..."

"Okay, what should we call it?"

(crickets...)

Google... Wiki...

A Junket can refer to:
an excursion for the purpose of pleasure at public or company expense

PERFECT!! The Golf Junket

Thats how it all started one evening at our regular Sunday Funday dinner table.

We pulled ideas together and came up with The 1st Annual Tailwind Aviation Golf Junket! Splitting proceeds with Kristen's Seva Challenge Haiti Fundraiser, building sustainable communities in Haiti, and with SUDS (Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba).

Kevin, my co-collaborator and owner of Tailwind Aviation and funder of the Golf Junket is also a diver and has a heart filled with gold. I've taught hot yoga classes in his livingroom in the middle of the winter to him and the dive boys, and then they would make dinner. Not a bad trade!

So this Golf Junket, was just that a Junket. A way to get friends and family together for a good cause. After all was said and done we were able to split about $1000 between Seva Challenge and SUDS.

We really wanted to make this a fun tournament, so for prizes we had a variety of "junk"et things! For instance the 1st place trophies were actually plungers that we painted pretty colors and fun designs on! (They also came with a $25 gift certificate to Floyds 1921 Restaurant)

For those who came in last place, no worries you get a prize too... A bag of army men (and a $25 gift certificate to Island Grill)

Bottomline, we had a great tournament, raised fantastic funds for two great organizations and we had fun along the way! Look for the 2nd Annual Tailwind Aviation Golf Junket coming in 2012!!

Sincerely,

The Junket Heads- Kristen and Kevin

Inner work

After my last post where I needed to vent and re-route my feelings, I was able to calmly and with non-violent communication, have a conversation and find out quite a few things that really cleared the air. It's amazing how easily things can get misinterpreted etc... 5 points for communicating!

I've been co-collaborating Yoga in Action and it is quite amazing to see the transformation in students, and in myself. I went through the program in NY and it was great, and teaching it now is completely different yet still inspiring. Students don't often realize that they are in fact too teachers.

From Sleeping Beauty we hear mirror mirror on the wall... take a look what do you see. My life is chaotic, I can't decide what I'm going to do, what my next step is going to be. I decided today, after meditations, looking deep and seeing that inner critic show his grimy face and turning him around etc... that I'm going to do what I really want to do and I need to let go of my own inhibitions and just dance and play and make it happen. Why do I second guess myself so often? What am I so afraid of? Go for it k10, jump in and meet your souls desires.

Sooo on that note, you guys better all meet me in Belize for an amazing yoga and diving retreat! It's a big step for me to reach out and start something that I can call my own, but at the end of the day its not about me, its about making changes in the world, and that is my intention with this program. Whether someone takes it and runs with it, or they simple view things in a new way and share it with a friend, the seeds will be planted!

Excited :)

Ugh..... Ahh!

I truly do like all of the things and places etc that I "like" on facebook, and being a yoga nerd the majority of those likes are inspirational things and people and all that good stuff. But from an honest point of view, some days I just want to say, okay thank you inspirational quote for being inspirational when I'm in the mood for inspiration. Thank you person with a positive outlook on life for being annoyingly positive on life today but I'm just not feeling it.

I don't want to admit it, but today is one of those days... I'm on edge, I'm annoyed, I am battling feelings of abandonment, and a whole slew of other emotions and the last thing I want to see is some quote about, keep your head up blah blah blah...

Then I refer back to the Sutras and remember that I know I have left people feeling in a state of abandonment for my own selfish reasons. I have been annoying, when others have been on edge and it all comes full circle. Of course the impatient part of me says okay universe I get it, can we carry on now. But the truth of the matter is that I have to BE in that emotion to appreciate it and to move from it. As much as I want to call someone and tell them that they make me feel abandoned for x number of reasons, or tell someone at work or in my life that they are annoying me, what good will it do? Obviously this is easier to type then to actually do but I feel like I should get some brownie points for being aware of it.
In the Yoga Sutras it talks about something being itself in itself. What are you talking about? Okay... an example, if I perceive you as being annoying right now, someone else in your life could perceive them as being sooo sweet.

Who am I to make judgement on them? Woah...

So now I feel bad for saying someone was annoying me and making me feel abandoned...wait for it... that sentance is all about me. Get the clue Kristen. So what do I do? I think a simple conversation with open hearts and open ears may be best. But first it has to be within myself. Others actions are causing me to be annoyed and emotional, I can let them know that their actions towards me are creating that feeling but inevitably it has to do with me. Who knows, maybe once I face the conversation within my own mind as opposed to pushing that on someone else then MY perception of the actions will change and then theres no need for the conversation (other than to educate that person on the breakthrough you just had, in hopes they can use it in the future too)

Take a breath... in with love, out with fear and judgment... Let. It. Go.

Woah Opportunity

After teaching water aerobics and talking to one of my students about what in the world I'm going to do with my life because nothing seems to be dropping into my lap... ohh whoops, I said it, I challenged the universe and within 4 hours I had a friend send me a link to a yoga instructor job that didn't even fit in with the forum she was searching. Sent my resume and within 12 hours basically have an offer on the table for me to name my salary and they will pay for all accommodations, food, paid vacation time, insurance etc if I commit to 2 years in an exotic and remote location in the middle of the Arabian Sea, 2 hours from the closest town and thats taking a speedboat and a puddle jumper plane.
Woah universe, I wassn't expecting you to throw that one in my direction. Sounds fantastic, now the logistics. My instincts tell me that if they will narrow down to a year then I'll probably do it. What an amazing opportunity, not to mention the place is absolutely beautiful, one of those places you see on postcards and wonder if it really exists in real life. To have someone say that your credentials are very impressive is weird when its coming from a complete stranger half way across the world, good to know that all my hard work over the past 10 years is paying off.

Wondering what the future holds...

A Garden of New Snazzy Seeds

Since I have been putting together this yoga program from the Sutras, I have been very very mindful of what seeds I plant in myself, and others, not just right here right now but in the past that have brought me here. In my last post I talked about "where did everyone go?" and after some contemplation (well thats what I call it when I know the answer but sit and hope it will change) I realize that I have put some people in a position to feel the same way I did. Looking at it that way, I can actually see the exact emotions but from a completely different scenario playing out in my life right now. The good news is that I think it's almost over, but the even better news is that by having the time to reflect on this situation allows me to plant good seeds within myself. By forgiving myself for putting others in this position creates even more good seeds, and by holding that emotion for what it is, looking at it in my hands from an all seeing eyes prospective I can appropriately place that situation outside of my world and carry on with the new good seeds that I have now.

Short and simple right

Where did everyone go?

Wow... it's here Labor Day Weekend. This weekend represents a lot of different things, school starts and work slows down so I can take a breath which is a yay! But also the man leaves to embark on his dreams that I so wonderfully encouraged him to do. Best friend and roomie is off adventuring in Ecuador. Best companion dog Spirit has to stay at my folks because the land lady changed her mind. Family 5 hours away. So here I am, sitting at night wondering whoah, where did everyone go?

The truth of the matter is that I almost feel better since they have gone, the emotion that is contained in the anticipation of pre-departure life is intense, I have never been so emotional and so in love in completely different ways with different people (and animals) as I have been this summer. Best part of this anticipation is knowing that it all peaks and happens within one week (not to mention hurricane Irene plotting a head on collision with the island my new place sits on)

I know that all of these people sit so very close to my heart and that I can send little messages from my heart chakra that they feel consciously or unconsciously. I'm so ready to embark on my own adventures the best thing I can do to embody the patience is to plan the trips, be ready when the time comes. Create the destiny that I want, and go for it. I keep thinking how ready I am to go go go but I have to remind myself how much closer I have gotten to those goals then where I was this time last year and that brings everything into prospective.

So very thankful for everyone in my life and in my heart, you haven't a clue how much you inspire and support me.

With great Love... k10

Circles of Change

Circles, or circuits are represented in the labyrinth. You could look upon them as just a path to keep you in a mindful meditation or you could look at them as metaphors of your life-each stick, bump, or lack of either on the path representing a time in your life when things were rough, or smooth.
Change, it is everywhere, day by day the earth is changing. Re-newing itself from fresh rains to falling leaves, hurricanes, earthquakes, you name it, it's happening. With this renewal of the planet is also coming the renewal of the consciousness. Can you feel it?

Combine the two, circles/change, circles of change, be the changes that you see in your life. Create your own destiny, follow your dreams, dance these intentions into realities.

Are you planting seeds of change or restriction in your life? In the lives of others? Where are your thoughts? Be mindful, set positive intentions for yourself, create small circles of change in our communities... imagine if you made a small circle of change in your group, and one of them made small circles of change in their work group, who took it to their families, and to their friends... the circles concentrically get bigger and bigger just as in a labyrinth. Each day is a walk of mindfulness.

Until next time, plant good seeds!

Fall-ing?

Fall according to the technical world is still more than a month away but it is already here. I can feel it, something has shifted, you can taste it in the wind through the 100 degree temperatures. With fall brings quite a few emotions, watching those that I love follow their dreams while I still ponder on mine, knowing that I'm on the brink of something great, but am in the pergatory of patience.
Some days you want to cry, some days you want to skip around the world. Somehow I find a healthy balance here though. I have always been quite patient but its starting to wear on me, I'm ready for action. I'm looking forward to 300 hours of Advancing my yoga studies to really put all of this knowledge and yoga into action, reminding the world how it feels to smile.

In essence I come to like fall even though sometimes I feel as though I am falling, but the reality of it is that the time has come to play.

Smiles

Recently embarked on a journey to the Omega Center in NY to hang out with the Off the Mat into the World girls. During this week long excursion I tried to pin point exactly what do I want to do with my life? What did I come up with? In a nutshell... "Help the world remember to smile"

Working at a resort, I see people on vacation all the time they have 7 whole days to enjoy the beach and it normally takes them 2-3 days to get off the phone or computer and enjoy the time they have with their loved ones. I spend a lot of time (40 hours a week in fact) sending good vibes and happy smiles to those vacationers. Then it hit me... oh me, sometimes I forget to smile for myself. There are certain people in my life who make this possible and who remind me to do that and I am ever so thankful for them.
I need and want those people in my life, those souls behind the scenes reminding me to smile while I am reminding others to smile.

Take a moment and think about those people in your life, smile with them, smile for them and spread the love!

:)

Now, onward into new adventures, bringing a bag of smiles with me!

Yoga off the Mat

My family came to visit this weekend and as we were talking about my busy schedule and how excited we were about the upcoming events and watching the universe work things out this topic came up... Off the Mat into the World, not just the group I'm training with next week but a true life expression of taking yoga principles off the mat and truly into the world.

I haven't had a lot of time to be on my mat lately, working 10 hour shifts, planning a move, building a relationship, planning fundraisers for the OTM Seva Challenge for Haiti, finishing up the work for my 200 level training and prepping for the 500 in the fall... where is the time for yoga mat work?

Sure I could get up earlier or stay up later to get my practice in, and I do cherish those moments when I'm teaching that I can move through a pose or two between instructions, however, I look at this entire segment of my life as movement on my mat. Let the world be my mat!

I think in those busy times of your life when you can't get on your mat like you want to you can still practice yoga. Meditation on changing the world each and everyday, remembering my breath through each movement or asana have you. When I look at the last few months of my life from this prospective it brings taking yoga Off the Mat and Into the World a new meaning.

I hope that this concept is helpful for some of you who sometimes feel that they need to get on the mat more or they aren't being a good yogi, well step back and put your life into prospective, are you able to keep the yogic principles in mind when the world get hectic. Live the life and enjoy the physical asana each time you can, but in the meantime, appreciate the things life throws your way and be mindful of the meditation that walks with you through life.

Take your yoga Off the Mat, and Into the World, literally!

Not to Worry

During a recent reflection I realized some things about worry... I have spent some time of my life, probably more time then I would like to admit on this little thing called worry.

Why do we worry? I used to say I worried about the ones that I loved, as a way to show what ends up being my ego that I can love because I care enough to worry... Well not so much, I have been practicing not worrying because when one worries about someone else you are taking away from their power and ability to take care of themselves. Thats a big thing, why would you want to take away from someones abilities. When you do, the result is that person unconsciously feeds off of this and you take on their fears, trials, and tribulations. That person needs those moments in their life to grow therefore when you worry and take the power from them they have a more difficult time growing from the circumstance.

Instead, be present, dont let the mind worry about what if's... there will always be "what if's" but what matters are the "what are's". When you find you mind trying to worry about someone you love or care for, take a breath, realize that they are strong enough to handle the things thrown at them and that by taking on their situation you are only adding fuel to the fire. Step back and send them the loving kindness vibes that can fuel their unconscious fire building their power towards a scenario.

In the end it always comes back to the ego and it warping your perspective of a scenario to make it once again about YOU. I don't know that you can ever truly eliminate the ego and its crafty ways of threading itself into your worldview, but you can recognize it. Once you recognize it is rearing its head then you can have power over it instead of it having power over you.

"Only if we grant power to something can it have power over us. It becomes a serving and sustaining potency when we again are able to place it into the realm where it belongs, instead of submitting to it."

Don't worry, just be happy! Peace :)

Kingdom of Consciousness

The following are quotes from the movie Kingdom of Heaven that hit close to my heart!

"A new world. A better world. A kingdom of conscience...a kingdom of heaven"

As our souls ascends, our physical body creates a positive vibration that is creating a new world, a better world. Though what we see and hear through the media may indicate otherwise, take a look around, the mere fact that we had a dozen people in the Yoga Teacher Training in Carteret County, NC is an indication in my world that the shift is happening. That shift from old to new, creating a kingdom of consciousness for each of us.



"What man is a man who does not make the world better"

As a conscious soul there is a responsibility that has been given to us in the reality that is known as Malkuth in the Gnostic/Kabbalistic reasoning. Do you accept that sacred contract of making the world a better place or do you find yourself pulled into the whirlpool of social distractions?



"I have given Jerusalem my whole life. First, I thought we were fighting for God. Then I realized we were fighting for wealth and land. I was ashamed"

What are you fighting for? Can you fight in honour as a knights of Aur?


The final quote doesn't need much explaination or additional insight, its much like the lotus, it sits heavy but is full of beauty.

"Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; that is your oath"


En Light,
Kristen

Tree of Life

Trees grow up from the earth, as we climb the ladder of enlightenment we climb that tree of life. Rooted in the physical, growing into the ethereal-heavenly-realm. It's interesting to notice where you are on this path. We will go up and down the tree but progressively move up. It's like moving up the chakra line, finding that place of ascention.

I picture this concept in the form of a labyrinth being the branches of this tree of life, or one big branch/fluff, of the tree. You move around the tree, the ladder, the chakra line, but once you are on the path you notice that your past as brought you to your present and that it leads you into your future.
Ahimsa, means non-harming, I think about this in terms of not harming other, mother nature etc, but also yourself. Be mindful of the actions and thoughts you have, as you do this, the chances that youre going to be in a position of harming someone or yourself is reduced. When these things are reduced then we have less sticks and rocks in our labyrinth path and our ascention is progressive!

Motivation

In yoga class: "choose an intention for yourself" instantly out of no where comes motivation. Humm interesting how that just popped into my head. What does motivation even mean... to be motivated... to be moved, to re locate your perception. Well to each his own but it did hit home. There are lots of things I want to do but they are not just going to happen on their own (well they might over time as the universe decides to kick me in the butt for not making it happen sooner) so get on it Kristen. Begin to manifest these heart felt intentions for yourself.

So over the next little while you guys are all going to see lots about this thing I'm calling "to haiti with love..." What is it? A fundraiser that I'm partaking in to raise money to build a sustainable community center complete with papaya and mango farms, and fresh water kiosks among a whole list of other things for people in Haiti. I look forward to using my own hands and sending my own reiki love to the area when I am there in February. For more info you can visit the website

I'm open to any fund raising ideas that any of you have, it is a pretty substantial amount of money I will be raising but with everyone's help we can make a positive impact! For more information on how we can make an impact across the world keep with with my girl Lasha at Trek to Connect she's doing some amazing things!

So... events to look forward to over the upcoming year (email me if you want to volunteer kristenwillia@gmail.com or have any great ideas!)

• Movie Night once a month through the summer at Yoga for You


• Yoga Party, a series of classes taught by various instructors throughout the day


• Hike-A-Thon, get your donations in per mile hiked up Grandfather Mountain's profile trail in NC


• Yoga and Wine Gathering, wine-yoga-and maybe some of the great chocolate made by the General Store in Morehead City!


• T-shirts and stickers


• Origami cranes, make your own or purchase one already constructed~write a well wish for the earth on it, and place it in the nest at the yoga studio. Creating positive intentions throughout the state. Suggested donation $5


• Gita Talk: We will choose a section of the Bhagavad Gita and discuss our thoughts on it. Great time for intelligent conversation and celebration of this ancient text.

So, there you go...thats what is in my brain right now and it will be manifested over the next few weeks. Look for more information coming soon!

Threads of life...

As I embark on the journey that is Yoga Teacher Training I reflect on what brought me to this place right now and I cannot help but fall in love with the synchonisity that is life.

The labyrinth that my family and I build 10 years ago has worked its way through my life in amazing ways. Just as Ariadne, the lady of the labyrinth, wove her thread of truth and devotion into what she loved, I can emerge from the darkness, from the menotars lair, just as Theseus did, and find the light of freedom.

Yoga allows me to grant myself permission to hover above my life and look at these synchronicities through my minds eye. The ability to observe is magical but to observe ones life and the circuits that have brought you to this place right here right now is a gift. How often do we stop and reflect on the good, the great, the bad, and the ugly that have put us right here. Not only that but how often do we appreciate all of those sticks in our path for bringing us here... now that is the hard one. Do we weigh ourselves down with sticks and stones that block our path by putting them in our pockets, our hips, our shoulders etc... or do we look at them and thank them for being there but then continue walking forward towards the light of freedom?