One of the common themes I heard from students this month, as we continue to navigate COVID, the murder of George Floyd, and what will inevitably be more divisiveness amidst an election year was, “I don’t really know what to do.” I experienced this same level of sadness and humility in many deep thinkers around me. We are truly beautiful people trying to study ourselves in this difficult time.

I took this compassion and heaviness with me on my walk yesterday and was met with the following wisdom. The Owl swooped in reminding me to “Conserve your energy and be aware of your surroundings”. Traditionally a symbol of Death, the Owl alerts us to change, and the need to release the Old. Letting go of what no longer serves us is a healing process, and it beckons us to allow more stillness and rest.

In this place of pause, we can learn from the essence of the Chipmunk, abundant in the woods right now as new ones have recently been born. The message of the chipmunk is typically of playfulness, curiosity and trust. I struggled a bit to feel the appropriateness of their lesson, until I recognized that when we’re down, it’s important to continue doing things that bring us small joys, remembering what we love and are grateful for. Don’t let these things go. We need you to stay vibrant and balanced.

As many of my students reflected in this month’s Yoga Philosophy Community Call, the evolution of our humanity is not an easy fix, nor are we guaranteed to see any progress in our lifetime. The only change we can truly affect is within ourselves.

I hope you will feel as supported and encouraged by the wisdom of Nature as I am, in the video playlist below. Like spiders weaving their webs, little by little into a complex masterpiece, we can take one small step in the direction we want to go. The snake helps us remember that a natural part of life is shedding our skin, personally and collectively. The blackberry flower encourages us to stay grounded and that we will have the energy we need to act, when directed from the unique wisdom of our Self.

With Great Love,
Julie

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"Help For Our Collective Healing" Video playlist -  (click on the photo) Track 1:  4:44min; Track 2: 1:19min; Track 3:  :53min; Track 4:  :42min

As we navigate continued events in the world that cause anger, fear, anxiety and division, let us rise to the heights of our human Heart, Intellect and Spirit.

Though our emotions are very important and useful units of energy, they are tied to our ego which has only a limited perspective of the whole picture. Our emotions also threaten to lash out with the same energy we fundamentally oppose.

It is crucial for us to guard the shadow side of our emotional being which is vulnerable to the constant provocations of our mainstream media. Remember, every headline and news story, by nature of the industry, seeks to provoke us so we will keep watching, keep reacting, keep buying.

Though evil and unjust events are happening all the time, which bring me great sadness, I want for us to be effective in our approach to shifting and changing our world.

Rather than reacting from an emotional place, it will serve us and humanity better to practice the Witness Perspective that Yoga teaches us. This will give us greater space to see the whole picture, and unite our emotional being with our more discerning Intellect, resulting in a better plan of action to bring about the change we wish to see in the world.

Even better would be to invite in a ‘Beginner's Mind’. Invite in compassionate conversations with a variety of people, especially those in our own family, neighborhood and local community, to better understand the complexity behind all of these situations.

We are not the enemies of each other. We are the enemies of violence, greed, hate, and all other dehumanizing energies.

Yoga, and many traditions, provide us with the first step: First, do no harm, within your thoughts, words and actions. In Yoga's 8 Fold Path, Ahimsa is this first step, and one we humbly return to again and again.

We must become more attuned to the qualities of negative energy as they exist in the world and exist within us. With the power of Awareness we can direct our energy to releasing and letting go of lower vibrations, making space for the uplifting Light and warmth that is our true nature.

Be careful with what you give your attention to. Try out this 13 minute practice instead of the news, and notice its rippling effects on your energy, well-being, effectiveness and fulfillment in the world. From this Energy, we can all do amazing things.

With great Love,

Julie

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Video playlist -  (click on the photo) Track 1: 13min; Track 2: 1:17min; Track 3: 2:48min; Track 4: 1:10min

What is Bliss and how can I get some?

The little flowers of Azure Bluets make me blissful, which must sound very silly. I want to talk about Bliss because it is our most subtle sense. I think a lot of us don’t spend much time in what Yoga calls anandamaya kosha, or the spirit layer of our being.

Most of the way we live our lives is very much in our minds. When we’re in our Spirit, such as in Nature and feeling that Union, we can feel this sense of “happy” which is not aloof...but a grounded and peaceful happy. It’s not like “blissed out, Dude”--its not a checking out, but very tuned in.

These tiny little white flowers remind us to do the things that bring us bliss. What are those things? So often when I ask people what brings them joy, “What do you love?”, they don’t even know. Please go out and do those things. That is the most important thing you can do and, from there, comes the best from You. And, once we become more familiar with what brings us bliss, it becomes more apparent what doesn’t bring us bliss, and we can start to minimize those things, start to let those things go.

With love,
Julie

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Video track -  2:15 minutes (click on the photo)

We Grow Stronger in the Winds of Change

Azure Bluets are small white flowers with golden centers, like the Essence glowing in our Center, surrounded by the bright white Light of Pure Consciousness.

Though it would seem they would get blown away with a strong wind, they are very strong. The wind, in fact, enables them to grow stronger, just like we know it is good to pet our house plants because it causes them to strengthen their roots.

We are small, like these flowers, like little children.

The wind represents Higher Consciousness. It represents Change, and how that opens us to get out of our own way and allow Divine Consciousness to guide us forward. It challenges us so we grow stronger roots, and elevates our consciousness beyond the limitations of our past. Allow the wind to lift your awareness upward.

I’m reminded that, as we are on this journey, like little children, this whole process can feel like we’re learning a new language. This is why our guides and our guidance, and surrounding ourselves with teachers and Teachings that are very compassionate and nurturing of the childlike stage of development of spiritual growth is very helpful. It also means we may very well be taking a deeper look at our inner child, and allowing some healing there, so we can rise up into our Dharma--our Highest Potential.

With love,
Julie

Video track -  2:42 minutes (click on the photo)

As businesses begin to open, and uncertainty continues about the duration of our social distancing, I am observing continued efforts by mainstream media to heighten drama and to divide us. This is nothing new, and will not change once the COVID crisis passes. Divided, we are distracted, disempowered, and consume more stuff to numb our misery.

Dr. Jayadeva, at the Yoga Institute, was known to say that politics was "like a rat chasing its tail". He said, “If it is your dharma (life purpose), then go be a politician. If not, focus on your own dharma. The Bhagavad Gita confirms, “It is better to do your own dharma even imperfectly than someone else’s dharma perfectly (Ch. 18, vs. 47).

I personally limit and sometimes abstain completely from media of all types. I remember struggling with this decision about 10 years ago when I was talking with a friend. She said, "Julie, maybe we need people like you to help hold a different energy."

I have discovered that indeed this helps me not only maintain a greater sense of sovereignty and well-being, but helps me better support others in returning to that state. I've also found that I can remain quite well informed through the impressions of other people, and I seek a variety of viewpoints.

As a Yoga Therapist, I try to listen for the emotion underneath their stress--is it Fear of Death? Is it Anger about lack of Freedom? Is it Sadness about the very nature of Evil in the world? In these emotions, I can relate. I feel Compassion and Connection. I feel Love.

If you can not feel this, turn your attention back towards loving yourself. There is no better remedy than Nature, the vibrant green of Spring resonating with our Heart Chakra and deepening our breath. Everything in Nature has evolved to overcome a specific obstacle, to shine in its unique expression of Life, each modeling virtues that can balance and harmonize our Being. Which would you like a dose of? Resilience? Vitality? Faith? Freedom? Inter-Connection?

All are free with infinite supply. In this time of continued uncertainty, be very watchful of your own energy, putting your hand up to negative influences, and practicing cultivation of Love in your heart frequently (see video for guided practices!).

With great Love, Julie