I know there are people who have worse days...but yesterday was definitely up there as far as 'bad days' go. The amazing thing, is it was the best 'bad day' I've ever had. So, I'm definitely grateful for that.

I honestly believe I got through the day yesterday because I was listening to the Krishna Das song, God Is Real. It's amazing. As I've mentioned, I've been chanting to Krishna Das for the past few years, however, there are times when I'm less connected to his music. It always seems his music reemerges just when I need it. And so it was with this song which David Romanelli played on Friday night.

So, I woke up yesterday morning having had a somewhat emotional dream. I lived in Spain for several months 10 years ago...in reality...when I was in college. In my dream, I dreamed I was back in Spain and was seeking to find the lady who I had hosted me at her house while I was there. In the dream she was alive, but when I woke up, I felt sad thinking that, in reality, she may no longer be living. When I lived with her, she was about 60. It's totally possible she is still alive, but nonetheless, I felt sad about the idea that one day, she will no longer be here.

And, you know, death is really not depressing...although, it's still hard to lose the physical person/s we love... When I was meditating today, it occurred to me in a completely new way, the reality of our energetic experience. I was chanting the Invocation to Patanjali before I went into meditation. Once I was in meditation, I realized the powerful potential of chanting. Essentially, everything is energy...it can neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore, the energetic wisdom and consciousness of every great Master who ever walked the planet, is still present in the ether and air which surrounds us. The energy they were, is ever-present everywhere, just as it was when they were alive and always will be. We are all breathing the same energy, the same breath. I suppose this is where the idea of 'we are all one' comes from. We are all the same energy. Well, then what about those individuals who's energy is destructive to the essence of life? What about those individuals who seek to harm creation in any way? I believe everything is an evolution. Is anyone tossed out? I don't think so. But, one of the priviledges we realize with earnestness of practice, no matter what our practice is that we are practicing (faithfully with positive intention of course), be it Yoga, Tai Chi, Gardening, Painting, Chanting, Breathing, is the ability to grow to more and more advanced stages of awareness, Consciousness. This is probably why meditation is considered the most important path, because it is one that is accessible to everyone. It doesn't require a special ability. We can all access Universal Consciousness through stillness.

Anyways, back to my super 'bad' day. When I walked out to my car, I noticed my back tire was extremely low, to the point where I was nervous to drive on it. But, I knew I had to make it to Yoga class, so I made the decision to go ahead and risk it. Fortunately, I didn't have to drive on any highways to get there. But, once I decided to give it a go and get there, I realized I wouldn't have time to put air in it between that Yoga class and my next, plus I had to drive on the highway to get to the next place I was going. I managed to get to my next class...miraculously...but after that class, I knew I must go to the nearest gas station. I pulled out onto the service road driving about 25 mph and made it about 1/2 mile before I felt the tire blow. I still hoped the air was just extremely low when I pulled into the gas station, but the other part of me knew it was flat. I texted my girlfriend to share the news...feeling pretty bad for myself. I pulled up to the air pump and as soon as I got out of the car, an African American gentleman approached me asking if I needed help. One important thing to know, is I had just decided it was all going to be ok. I know it was just a flat, but nonetheless, I knew I would need help, and at the moment it happened, I didn't know how that help would appear. And, sure enough, help showed up. So, this gentleman, who happened to be homeless, changed my tire for me. (Not only was he homeless, but he shared with me that he had spent a great deal of time in the hospital over the past year, recovering from being robbed with $2 on him and attacked in the robbery by being stabbed and shot.) The amazing thing was the Spirit he did it in. He didn't ask me for money. He wasn't doing it to try to get something...I felt that. We all know what it feels like when someone approaches us just wanting money... Either way, he would have been happy to help. After he changed it, (which it turned out it happened to be quite a difficult ordeal...he had to kick the shit out of it to get it to dislodge) I handed him some money for his help. He graciously accepted it. Before he walked off I said, you came along exactly at the right moment...thank you. And, he said, well, He helped me out...so I help you out. I tapped my fist against his and we went on our way.

That was the first time a flat tire ever turned my day around for the better. Later that afternoon I went on to teach the last two Yoga classes of the day. When I got home later that evening, I was feeling lighter about everything. I was standing in my kitchen, and bent down to pick up a few pieces of mail which had fallen on the ground. When I went to stand back up, I nailed my forehead against the corner of the counter. I screamed my head off...I'm sure my downstairs neighbor must wonder what's going on, as just last week I yelled at the top of my lungs when I slammed my shin into the corner of a table. I didn't think I had cut it, (but I guess I wouldn't know as I've never cut or gashed my face before so I don't really know what it feels like) but I went into the bathroom to check out the damage. I had this welt which had immediately swelled and a cut on my forehead...which immediately started bleeding as blood dripped down my forehead. I called my girlfriend to share the news of my accident. It was really helpful to be able to talk to her about my pain. But, for the first time, I was able to get through both of these events, without someone having to be there to rescue me or bail me out. Instead, even in my moments of distress, I felt incredibly supported, Energetically, Universally. And, I chose to feel the Presence of that support with me throughout it all. And, so it was and is...that, It, is always there.

So, there it is. That was my day...the best 'bad day' I've ever had...may all our 'bad days' be the best they can be.

Thank you, God. That was the funny thing... when I got out of my car at the gas station and the homeless gentleman walked up to ask if I needed help... I walked around and looked at the tire with him and said, "God, this sucks." And, then, I immediately corrected myself and said, "God, this is awesome." ;)

Love...All ways...as Shiva would say.Read more

(Picture of David Romanelli)

This is the name of a song by Krishna Das, one of the greatest Kirtan singers in the world. (And, also the music which is on the True Yoga DVD, which he so graciously allowed me to use:) )The vibrational resonance of his voice, has a potent power of awakening and melting the Heart Chakra. During some of my most difficult times, I have chanted in my car to his music, or chanted along as I've been practicing poses. Many times I've emotionally melted into a release of tears feeling the Benevolent Presence of the loving, peaceful Presence which is ever-present, everywhere. His music, and the chanting, has a way of absorbing me in some of the most soothing joy I have ever known. It is possible to realize Divine Ecstasy/Union, which Yoga calls Samadhi, or Bliss through the practice of Bhakti Yoga, or the Yoga of Devotion. Krishna Das is a Bhakti Yogi, as far as I know, he doesn't practice the poses. His spiritual journey has been through music, and in particular, chanting to God. Through this, he has realized his oneness with this Presence, otherwise known as God or Love. As Shiva would say, if we think God doesn't make love, then how did we all get here?

So, I went to this amazing Yoga class with David Romanelli on Friday night here in Dallas. He offered three other classes over the weekend, but this was the only one I could attend. I'm so glad I listened to the Spanda on this one and spontaneously decided to go at the last moment on Friday night. David travels the country presenting Yoga + Chocolate, Yoga + Wine, Yoga Chocolate Chakra Tour, and Beautiful+Funny+Delicious workshops, teaching how everyday passions (chocolate, wine, music) are accessible gateways to the present moment. The class I attended was the Yoga + Wine class and it was awesome. It was an hour and a half Yoga practice set to fun, uplifting, inspiring and emotionally-moving music, followed by a wine and hors d’oeuvres party after. The theme of the class was freeing oneself from fear and anxiety, quite a poignant topic for the times we are experiencing. When we came out of Savasana, there was a glass of wine waiting at our feet. If it sounds too wonderful to be true, it's not. And he's absolutely right, a glass of wine indulged consciously, is a gateway into the aliveness of the present moment. It was so much fun...I cried and laughed during the class (before the wine) and afterwards I experienced the awesomeness of community as I enjoyed a glass of wine with fellow Yogis... It was definitely a bonding experience, it made me wonder why it's the first time I've ever allowed myself to enjoy a glass of wine after a Yoga practice with the company of friends. Everyday would be a little excessive. But, once-in-a-while, that's the kind of Yoga class I'd be sure to attend. He played the song God Is Real by Krishna Das while we were in Savasana. This was the first time I had ever heard this song, although I've been aware of it being on one of his albums, Door of Faith, for a while. He also read this quote to us during class, which I thought was awesome.

"Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained." - Arthur Somers Roche

David has a book coming out called Yeah Dave’s Guide To Living the Moment, which will be released by Broadway Books/Random House in March 2009. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I'm definitely picking up a copy after attending this class with him. I also have been receiving his newsletter for quite some time now, and I definitely recommend subscribing to it...it's hilarious. I hope you have a great start to your week, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon... Read more

If you read the last post, you gotta get that book Three Magic Words. I can hardly put it down.

So, if you haven't gotten the info on the upcoming True Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica, January 24-31, 2009, you can get all the details here. It's going to be a phenomenal time and January is an excellent time to go. It's actually the beginning of the dry season so we're looking forward to beautiful weather while we're there. I definitely plan to go surfing.

It's a cloudy day here in Dallas. We've had such beautiful weather recently, it's actually nice to have a day that feels kind of grey. It's amazing how much the weather affects our mood...I'm feeling a little sleepy myself. It just feels like we've been through so much recently and we need some down time emotionally, energetically.

So, I know we've all been riding a lot of waves right now, particularly, the wave of uncertainty and change. One of the intentions of our Yoga practice is to enlighten us to how to surf the waves of change. Oh, this is perfect...as I was writing this, I put on my Rod Stryker Yoga Sutras training on itunes. In this part of the training, he is talking about the 5 States of Mind. I will share some of it here:

"We're moving right along through this scripture or text called The Yoga Sutras, and, there's just so much in here, we really could have spent all 5 days on just a fraction of what we've done so far. But, really, the more time you spend with it, it just keeps coming back that Yoga is about your mind. More than anything else, it's about your mind. No doubt, they developed an amazing practice around working with your body, and most of you are here because you found that practice of meaning and of value to you, but the primary focus of all of it is mind. And, the rationale for that is pretty simple, you know it doesn't really matter what kind of shape your body is in, there are no guarantees of happiness if your mind is not in the right place. Doesn't even matter what's happening outside of you, what determines your experience of the world is your own mind. And Patanjali from the very beginning of this book, asks us each to take responsibility for the way we experience life. Life will always be uncertain, that's this word Prakriti (the world of change), so there's that world, the world of change, unpredictability, one moment things are one way, the next moment things are another way, and that's not just weather conditions. But, it's also your body. Even your body is changing, it's not just the world, politics, real estate values, everything. But, everything...everything that can be seen or perceived is changing. And, then on the other side of the chart is the realm of the Seer. The part of you that is complete, and what actually observes all of that (the change) happening. Before I did Yoga, I had some sense of this. I think many of us do, if not all of us. And, that is while we're changing all the time, and we can look back and think of ourselves in grade school, high school, we have a sense of how different we looked in all of those pictures and stuff, there's still a tiny fraction of ourself that has always felt the same. Some thing has been watching the whole stream unfolding. That's a kind of vague version of the Seer, some part of you has always seen it happening. And by definition, according to the Yoga tradition, that part of you is complete, whole, unchanging. And, in fact, it's the only thing that you and I can experience that is unchanging. And, what we've talked about a lot, is that Yoga is a practice of really separating yourself from all that seen stuff, even though a lot of it is good, so you can rest in that part of yourself that is never changing, always the same, eternal, complete and whole. Day 1 I said, Yoga is not a process of trying to make you better, it's simply a process of removing the stuff that you are identified with that keeps you from seeing your wholeness. That's really what Yoga is about. So, Patanjali makes the case it really is all about your mind, your experience of the world is less about the world than it is about your mind...

Finally, the last state. The 5th state is what it's all about. The word he uses is Nirodha. And, in this context it means, free...freedom. Nirodha. What it basically says then, is that no matter how dark or how distracted or where you come from, where you mind is emotionally and mentallly...let me actually go back. The first thing it means is it has stopped. That the action of the mind has stopped. You can stop the fluctuations, you can stop the restlessness and you've achieved that one-pointedness. But beyond one-pointedness, is there's no more movement in the mind, and the result of that is resting in your wholeness...being complete. Rest in the real you. That actually is the real meaning of the word Purusha, it means the real you, the real person, it literally means, this is the word they use for soul...Purusha means real person. My example earlier is that you feel these different you's through all the stages of your life...none of those are the real you. The real you has been the same in every phase of life...from the beginning, through the middle and it will be at the end...it never changes. Nirodha is actually one of the 7 essences of the mind. One of the 7 aspects of mind, which means that the mind at any moment has the capacity to rescue itself from uncertainty and confusion and challenge and difficulty. Nirodha is not something you have to dig for, it's something you have to remember and relax into. You don't have to create it, it's always there, permanently there. Your mind has the ability to rescue itself from all distress. What you do is have to create the right situations to provoke or evoke or awaken that aspect of your mind. Correct your breathing, move your body in a certain way, create the right opportunity for that quality of the mind to reappear."

What I love about Three Magic Words, which was recommended to me by a fellow student of Rod Stryker's, is how it explains the Universal Subconscious Mind, which is the part of our mind that affects our reality. This is the time to transform yourself through the renewing of your mind. All of the perceived instability and change we've been growing through reminded me today of the quote by Helen Keller:

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

And, as I was searching for that one, I came across these brilliant ones, as well.

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." - Helen Keller

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope." - Helen Keller

Choose faith and release fear! When change happens, it just means you're ready to surf the next enlightening wave. Surfs up!Read more

I've been going through so much change myself, as I'm sure we all have.

I went to this awesome Yoga get-together on Saturday night. A fellow Yoga teacher, who I met at Rod Stryker's training, organized this gathering. There is something so incredibly powerful about connecting with like-minded people. I thought everyone who would be there would be a Yoga practitioner, but was surprised that most of the people were spiritually minded, but just didn't necessarily practice Yoga poses. (However, several people expressed interest in getting into the practice of the Asanas. It does just make so much sense, when we realize the incredible physical benefits the poses have to offer.) I do love the poses, I gotta say. There was even live music and drumming and it was amazing to be able to just allow my body to start moving spontaneously in the Asanas and a little bit of dance and to feel free enough in myself to allow my body to move.

The teacher, Liz, who organized the gathering, read from this book called Three Magic Words by U.S. Andersen. This morning I attended a service at a place called the Center for Spiritual Living. It was awesome. When I went in the bookstore, they had this book there. I've only just begun it, but the foreword is very powerful. I would like to share it with you here. Before I do, I would just like to say that the answers we are seeking are within. In these times when it feels like the unknown is all around us, we can realize the peace that passes all understanding by simply turning within. As Rod Stryker mentioned in his newsletter, this is the time for allowing the stillness to speak. Om Shanti!

"This is the age of uncertainty. This is the time of emotional upset and nervous instability. This is the era when man, surverying the universe from atop the heap of his material accomplishments, sees his insignificance in comparison to the stars, understands how puny is his strength in comparison to atomic power. This is the time when man, in his headlong rush to master the elements and harness nature's energies, has come far enough to know that he treads the wrong path to his own security. For there is no security in machines or electricity or electronics or atomic power.

What am I? What caused me? Why am I here? Where am I going? These are the questions of the human soul that demand an answer. Their resounding echoes are in the offices of our psychiatrists, in our penal institutions and our homes for the insane and depraved and wicked. Their anguished cries are on our battlefields, in our uprooted families, in every charred ember of every burned village and pillaged town that exists in the wake of the hordes of humanity who have cut off their ties from God and from hope and from divine reality.

For man is not an animal that exists upon the earth for a day, a freak of existence in a maelstrom of chaos. The human soul does not exist who at some cloistered moment has not reach out with timid fingers and touched God.

No circumstance or fact or event or thing exists that does not have a reason, and so it is with man. All harnessing of nature's elements and powers, all creation of material wealth and posessions are but passing fancies, things of the moment, for man enters into life naked, and naked he departs. The only thing, the single important thing that concerns his existence on earth, is the discovery of his soul.

For man is not body alone. No human being can bear to live who regards himself as only a freak occurrence in a freak circumstance. Man is spirit, clearly and without dispute. Man is the essence of the mighty intelligence that guides and controls the universe. Man lives in this intelligence; he is a part of it and the whole of it. He is as small as his temporal life and as great as his spiritual life, for the intelligence from which he comes is greater than all, greater than the far reaches of space, greater than the power that holds the planets in their courses. This intelligence is man's to use as he sees fit. It is God-given, a divine birthright, and is denied to no man except by himself.

In the pages of Three Magic Words, formerly called The Key to Power and Personal Peace, you will learn of the unlimited power that is yours. You will learn how you can turn this power to work for you, here on earth, to make your life majestic and overflowing with good. Three Magic Words is not a religion or a sect or a society. In its entirety it is a series of essays aimed at revealing to you your power over all things. You will learn that there is only one mover in all creation and that mover is thought. You will learn that there is only one creator and that creator is the Universal Subconsious Mind, or God. You will learn that this creator creates for you exactly what you think, and you will be shown how you can control your thoughts, not only to obtain answers to your problems but to create in your experience exactly what you desire.

You will not do this in a day or a week or even a month; but do it you will if you keep heart and keep faith. It requires only a few minutes of your time each day, a few minutes that will reward you with greater vistas in life, greater hope and promise than has ever been dreamed.

There is a cause! There is a reason! There is a power greater than you are, which you are a part of, which you can use to make your life good and great and vigorous and full of abundance!

Political beliefs aside, whoever becomes the next President of the United States, may the change be positive and bring about peace and abundance for the people of our country, our world and Mother Earth herself.Read more