A rant & rave.

My hope is  that we begin see beyond this eco-friendly, green gimmick that is being shoved down our throats as sustainable. To sustain something is to nourish it. To keep it alive.  More production and more consumption, even if it is toxic-free, organic, raw, or whatever the catchphrase of the week is, is not nourishing anything other than our egos. We tell ourselves we need this or that to stay warm, stay cool, stay blemish-free, stay awake, stay asleep.  We have fallen prey to the illusion that the thing outside of ourselves will bring us peace, fulfillment and love. As an industrialized, "advanced" society, we are enslaved to the vicious and aggressive cycle of production and consumption that is zapping our resources, destroying habitats, and bringing us more and more out of balance with Nature.

 I don't believe it's always been this way, in fact I think there are still many cultures that live in harmony with Earth instead of constantly disrupting and destroying it. As an industrialized society, we view these cultures as primitive, underdeveloped perhaps.  Yet take a another look and maybe we'll notice the ways in which their simple, natural and ancient approach to life here on Earth offers a sense of abundance, joy and peace that we don't come close to here in this Country (or other parts of the industrialized world). 

It seems to me that we are in fact the primitive culture. We are so reliant on things, so dependent on a consistent level of comfort, that we have completely abandoned our basic survival instincts that play a crucial role in helping to recognize what is good for us and what will bring us harm. Christ, many people do not even understand the process their food underwent to make it to their plate. We have gotten so wrapped up in a material world of commerce, that we continue to neglect any accountability for how our actions affect those around us including not just people, but animals, trees, the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Instead, we invest our energy and our money into perpetuating the destruction. The lifestyle of a typical Industrialized culture is counter productive in terms of sustainability, health, environmental preservation, and attaining a sense of peace and harmony. Violence will not get us there. Money will not get us there. Greed will not get us there. As a society we need to learn to break our addictions to excess. Break our addictions to things. Break our addiction to bigger, faster, more. We need to wake up to the destruction we don't even realize we participate in.  


Truly, we are the younger brother, the primitive culture. For as a society, we have not yet learned to ride without our training wheels, not yet liberated from the attachments and addictions of a materialism, consumerism and industry. 


Alas, there is hope. We can learn from indigenous cultures, we can learn from nature, we can learn from the garden growing in our backyard.  The power of Mother Nature, the force of this Earth is readily available for us to tap into at any moment. 

A good starting place is being grateful.  I try to take a few moments out of my day, usually in the morning and in the evening, and share gratitude. Gratitude ushers in a higher level of awareness to the present moment, and when we are present in the now we are able to make conscious, healthy choices that support, nourish and sustain. 



Thank you and many blessings <3

 I am learning to Surrender. 

Surrender my worries about what others think.

Surrender the stories I've told myself for too long.

Surrender my expectations.

Surrender the patterns I've fallen into unconsciously.

Surrender the attempt to control, steer and manipulate.

Surrender the need to understand. 

Surrender my attachments to specific outcomes.

Surrender  the need to have and to hold on to things.

Surrender into the here and now.

Surrender into the my deepest and truest Self.

What is there when I let this all go? Space.

There is only now.

Sometimes I don't start things, 

because I don't know where I'll end up.

Sometimes I don't start things,

 because I'm afraid I'll get lost along the way. 

I stay here a few paces before start,

tossing the dice in my hand hoping for the perfect roll.

Unfolded in front of me
the gameboard of life.
But if I don't make a move
I know I can't make the wrong one.

It's time to go The voice whispers. 

It doesn't matter where you end up.

On this journey there is no such thing as lost. 

There is only now.

When we step beyond fear, we step into a realm where anything is possible. This new territory can feel unfamiliar, even uncomfortable at first.  There is so much space where we are used to feeling fear and doubt.  As we allow ourselves to fall into this newfound freedom, our ego-self reaches out to grab onto anything it can hold on to.  But we breathe. We remember that this is what our soul has been yearning for.  There are things we want to do, places we want to go, people we want to interact with - all that exist beyond the barriers our fears erected.  We have tired of running up against these walls in disappointment or doubt.  We are ready to bring these walls down and align with our deepest and truest self.  We are ready to step into our power.  

Doubt your doubts and they vanish.

Feel your fears and they fade.

Let go of your worries and they fail to materialize.

What will it take for us to really get it that life is about letting go?

-Baron Baptiste

Detachment does not mean isolation. It does not mean to be devoid of emotion or enjoyment.  Detachment means living with out attachments that hold us back from our living to our fullest potential.  Attachments to expectations, attachments to patterns, attachments to outcomes and results, attachments to the stories we tell ourselves, attachments to emotions.  We've carried this all around with us for so long, mostly unbeknownst to us. By recognizing these attachments, we can begin to see how they serve us.  Do they leave us feeling empty and disappointed? Do they keep us yearning for more; an insatiable quest for fulfillment? If so, it's time to let go. 

Most of our attachments are so ingrained is us we don't know they are there, and most of these attachments are rooted in fear.  When we take the time to explore where we hold on and why, we reclaim the power to create the reality we desire. 

Explore. Notice. Breathe. Surrender.  You have the power to create the reality you desire.  Your intentions are rooted in the Greater Good and by living to your fullest potential you are making the world a better place.  The time is now.  Step beyond fear into the limitless possibility of your deepest desires. 

What if we let go of fear?

What if we stepped beyond what we've always done?

What if we stopped telling ourselves the same stories?

What if we let go of where we've been and what we've done?

What if we let go of anger? Resentment? Hatred?

What if we let go of where we want to be and what we want to be doing next?

What's left?

Limitless possibility. 

The secret to life is to live without fear.

I recently learned how to ride my bike with no hands.  To some this may seem trivial, but I must ask...have you ever tried?! I have always been under the impression that riding with no hands was simply something I could not do.  I'd see people cruise by without holding on, looking so relaxed and comfortable and I'd think to myself, "it looks fun, I wish I could do that!" I did try a few times, with no success. I'd get going a comfortable speed, feel very balanced, but the time would come for me to let go of the handle bars and all of a sudden I got scared, and the slightest wobble had me back to a white-knuckle grip. 

Recently, I was sitting with a friend and an arms-free biker cruised by and I commented on how I wished I knew how to do that.  He laughed and said, "well of course you know how to do that. It's really no different than riding your bike holding on.  It's not a matter of balance, you just need to have the courage to let go."  Those words sparked something within me as I realized how often I am reminded what is possible when we have the courage to let go. The following morning as I biked into the sunrise, I decided I'd give it a shot.  I reminded myself that the only difference between hands on and hands off, was courage. I picked up some momentum, let go of the handlebars, and cruised for several blocks relishing in the feeling of CAN.

I find myself in the same inspired state of paralysis on my yoga mat.  I watch as other students gracefully glide up into Birds of Paradise, or fearlessly flip themselves upside down balanced on their heads.  I tell myself, "maybe someday I'll be able to do that. After more practice, once I become a really yogi. But I can't do that now, I'm not ready." Well, similar to my bike-riding breakthrough, something finally clicked within me. I had been attempting Crow Pose for a while, but still wasn't able to get both feet off the ground. I would be so close, and just as I was about to lift off I'd tell myself, "no! I can't! I'll fall forward, I'll break my wrists!" Once again, I would convince myself I can't. Finally, after class one day, I decided to ask for help.  I had always wanted to seek out some individual instruction, but again, always seem to come up with a reason not to - "I don't have time." "She's probably to busy." or "I don't want to be embarrassed when I still can't do it, even with the help."

Back in the studio, with no other students around, the place felt different. Still. I was guided through some preparation and then started to get into the posture.  I moved slowly and I listened to my body. I realized that Rachel, my kind teacher, had no doubt that I'd be able to get into the full pose.  She guided me confidently one step after the other, and I felt her confidence flood out my own fears. I placed my knees on my triceps, engaged my core, and tilted forward. Shifting my gaze in front of me, lifting one than both feet off the ground . Nothing hurt, I didn't fall. In fact, I felt completely amazing as my body took this shape for the first time.

What these moments of sheer and simple brilliance helped me to realize, is that often times we confuse our ability with our willingness. There really is nothing standing in our way of what we truly want, besides our own fears. However, we sometimes get caught up in the same old stories we've been telling ourselves our whole lives.  Stories rooted in old fears of failure, disappointment, or pain.  Stories that have etched themselves into such familiar grooves, that we don't even realize they are there. Friends, what I'd like to remind you is that you have the ability to change these stories.  There is no reason why we should convince ourselves to hold back.  No harm will ever come to us if we consciously choose to move beyond our edge, in the direction of something that will serve us to be better, stronger, kinder, more compassionate human beings. Learning to trust ourselves and our abilities is something we owe ourselves and each other! Imagine if everyone lived to their full potential?

Thus, the the secret to life is truly no secret at all. It is simply a state of mind. When we choose to stop listening to old beliefs and do that which we have not done before, we grow. Change. Inspire. Teach. Learn. 

You owe it to yourself, and you owe it to the world around you to live to your fullest, deepest potential.  Right now, in this moment you have everything you need to do whatever it is you want.  Trust yourself.  Have courage. Let go.

~With love and gratitude~