Cheerio...

I hope this finds you well. Can we get some sunshine in Dallas, please? Hi God, it's me Leanne...sunshine in Dallas, please? I'm ready for Spring and beautiful weather. I love jogging outside, being outside, and, the healthier I feel, the more I want to be outside...except when it's cold...not so much then. Despite the unpredictable weather, I have been feeling good lately. I started practicing Yoga again at the studio where I began my Yoga journey...Suze Curtis' Dynamic Power Yoga Plus! I love that name...it's a mouthful for sure. I allow myself to adapt to the Yoga practice there...if I need to modify, I modify, and if there is something I feel better doing...I allow myself to do that, rather than feeling like I have to force myself to do something my body doesn't feel like doing. Which, I did in the past, at times. Now, I honor the flow of the class, but, if there is something which feels better for my body in a particular moment, I give myself that, in a way that is respectful of the group energy. I have been in Yoga classes, in the past, where it felt like a student was trying to show off their Yoga poses. It's not about showing off my Yoga poses. Perhaps, at one point in time, I got a little into that, i.e. ego...although not much. But, it wasn't ever to impress other people, mostly myself. But, now the only reason I do what I do...is for healing or strengthening. There isn't anything egotistical about it...because the reality is...no one cares what poses another person can do. The only reason what someone else is doing interests me, is because I can grow through their example. If I see someone doing something or practicing something I haven't done before, I realize that potential exists in myself. It may not be the thing I can grow into right now, but it widens the horizons of my perception of what's possible...and that's always a good thing. What I love about Suzes, besides the warm room (it's not hot, but it's warm to help your muscles stretch) is she has all of these different affirmations written on the ceiling. So, while you are practicing, you are reading inspiring messages. Messages like: I express myself, change is exciting, be true to yourself, I feel loved, ask and ye shall receive, I attract abundance, Be transformed through the renewing of your mind, thoughts are energy and energy becomes matter, smile, giggle, etc, etc. This was my first introduction to Yoga...thinking positive thoughts while practicing. The reality is what we focus on we create. This is why even in the classes I teach, where there aren't message written on the ceiling, I still do my best to incorporate a positive message and remind people that our thoughts affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And, of course, mentally. It's been a blessing being back at Suze's. Since being there over the past few weeks, I've also realized, what was missing for me over the past 9 months or so was a regular Yoga practice just for myself. I was practicing, but mostly at home, and always with the intention to share it with others. So, my own Yoga practice was often, in some way, work related. Now, when I practice at Suzes, I'm once again able to practice just for myself, to take care of myself and give myself what I need...which is a wonderful thing...

So, I meet with the producers of The Difference movie next week. I'm looking forward to it and will share more with you after I've learned more. It's wonderful to have been asked to be a part of this project, no matter what my participation is meant to be. I'm grateful to get to share my experience.

A friend of mine is reading Michael Brown's book, The Presence Process. It's a 77 day journey of meditative practices. She shared with me that one of the practices is 15 minutes of conscious breathing/meditation in the morning and in the evening. Although it's been my intention to cultivate this practice, I have had a difficult time, more recently, being regular with my evening meditations. It's interesting how it's incredibly helpful to commit to these practices when we know someone else is practicing them, also. Just knowing she is going through this process, as well, has helped me to reestablish a regular evening meditation. I'm just beginning, but I'm finding I'm feeling increasingly inspired to find this time for myself and to not allow other things to get in the way or deter me from it. I haven't decided to read Michael's book, yet, although I probably will. One of the things Yogananda talked about is how he rarely read. He believed all the information we seek in a book is really ever-present, everywhere. I understand, for most of us, this idea is a bit 'out of the box.' But, he would encourage people to not read so much, but instead, to meditate. He would say that in meditation is where the answers are. That is the journey we need to take...not into a book...but into ourselves...for inside ourselves is where all the answers dwell. Granted, we can discover a lot of information about the world...but wisdom awakens from the eternal teacher within. I'm also going to practice this...reading less...and meditating more. There really is only so much time...and I would rather focus my energy on meditation more and more. This doesn't mean I won't read at all...but I will be really conscious about what I choose to read. That's what I know. It's so inspiring what Yogananda accomplished in his lifetime. It's said he accomplished more than any other spiritual teacher in the last century. He wrote enormous amounts of teachings, and what he wrote about, were the insights he realized through study and meditation. I hope you will have the opportunity to visit his incredible meditation gardens in California if you have never been. There are several throughout the state, including gardens in L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, etc.

I would like to post a couple of poems here. These poems are by Hafiz and Rumi. I finally got my Hafiz poetry book, called The Gift, back. I'm glad I get to share these with you...they are really incredible. I hope you enjoy them. Until the next time...even if it isn't sunny where you are...may the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you and the pure light within you guide your way on.

Sat Nam

Stay Close To Those Sounds

The sun turns a key in a lock each day
As soon as it crawls out of bed

Light swings open a door
And the many kinds of love rush out
Onto the infinite green field.

Your soul sometimes plays a note
Against the Sky's ear that excites
The birds and planets.

Stay close to any sounds
That make you glad you are alive.

Everything in this world is
Helplessly reeling.

An invisible wake was created
When God said to His beautiful dead lover,
"Be."

Hafiz, who will understand you
If you do not explain that last line?
Well then,

I will sing it this way,

When God said to Illusion,
"Be."
-Hafiz

How Do I Listen?

How

Do I

Listen to Others?

As if everyone were my Master

Speaking to me

His

Cherished

Last

Words.
-Hafiz

A Great Need

Out

Of a great need

We are all holding hands

And climbing.

Not loving is a letting go.

Listen,

The terrain around here

Is

Far too

Dangerous

For

That.
-Hafiz

No Conflict

No

Conflict

When the flute is playing

For then I see every movement emanates

From God's

Holy

Dance.
-Hafiz

How could anyone resent sunlight?
Keep walking in this spaciousness
where the sun's flame is a white hawk.

But there is something flying higher.
Notice how you say not more.
Not this, not that. I do not know.

Negation points to affirmation.
Say rather what completely is.
-Rumi

p.s.-in case you are wondering what Sat Nam means...

The Mantra Sat Nam
Sat Nam is a mantra commonly used in Kundalini Yoga and amongst its practicioners. It is frequently repeated three times at the end of a yoga session. But what is the importance of Sat Nam, what does it mean.

I’ve heard the following interpretations for Sat Nam via my Kundalini Yoga instructors:

•Truth is my identity
•My identiy is Truth
•My True Self
•Truth is our identity
It has been called the process of naming ones self Truth. It can be used similar to Namaste, (the divine in me aknowledges and pays tribute to the divine in you.) Where the “Truth” is the divine.

Being one who likes to get to “Source” info, I decided to do some further research into the nature of Sat Nam. I made an assumption that Sanskrit is a rather root dialect and that “Sat Nam” in Sanskrit would provide supplemental information on the nature of Sat Nam.

I found this Sanskrit Dictionary, and looked up the words, Sat and Nam.

Sat

1.being
2.real
3.that which really exists
4.the real existent truth
I’ve seen it written that Sat means Be, or more apprpriately Be-ness. Which would be the essence of being. (HPB’s Secret Doctorine) I suspect some careful analysis would find an interesting correlation between Be-ness and emptiness. (For those of Buddhist faith)

but onward to Nam.

1.To bow
2.To submit or subject oneself
And so one is bowing to Truth, to Be-ness the essence of being.

And the active interpretation of Sat Nam emerges.

Read more

Well, hello...

Let's see...today is February 6th. Next Saturday is the Special Partners Thai Yoga Workshop I am leading at exhale dallas. This is such an awesome class. I love teaching these partner Yoga stretches, many of which are influenced by Thai Yoga Massage, because they feel amazing and are incredible for learning how to give your friends and loved ones the therapeutic and healing gift of touch. This will be the third year I have led this class...and every year...all of the participants feel awesome. Blissfulness oozes and flows all around the room during this workshop...

So, I must say, many wonderful and mysteriously inspiring things are unfolding.

Well, now it's the 9th...I had to step away from writing this post...but, now I'm back. I have no idea, yet, what my involvement will be, but I've been contacted by a film production company about an inspiring docu-drama which is being made. Here is just a little info about the project:

A strong community of 6,000 talented, creative, adventurous and invincible people shape shifting the world through collaborative activity. Each person contributing his or her knowledge, wisdom and experiences into a sizzling melting pot to create an extraordinarily stunning film that inspires you and all of humanity, to reach your fullest and most absolute expression of yourself. We're making a film and in the process opening hearts, minds and unleashing people's magnificence.

So, anyhow, they contacted me because they were seeking individuals, in Dallas, in the self-improvement and holistic field and they found me through the Internet, and I'm guessing, because of the True Yoga Blog. Sometimes I have a hard time believing that I've been writing on the True Yoga Blog for over four years now. I love that it calls me back again and again. Like a true love.

Lately, I've been turned on to the spiritual teachings and work of Michael Brown. I've known about him for several years. But, I decided to watch some of his videos last week on YouTube. They are awesome. His teachings resonate very deeply with me. One of his teachings is that to love someone is to give them the space to evolve. I have, previously, been one of those people who wanted to try to make someone else change for the better. And, in some ways, exerting my will upon them, because I was afraid if they didn't grow and evolve with me I would lose them, or my connection to them. But, we are all evolving at our own pace, through space and time, and the timing of our evolution is perfect and whole for each of us. I'm realizing, just because someone may not be evolving at the same pace as me, it doesn't mean I have to stop loving them, or can't still be open to the evolution of love with them. As Byron Katie would say, love is an experience. It doesn't mean you have to live with the person. This has also been enlightening, because I've been inclined, in the past, to want to live with someone I love. Mostly, because this was the traditional script I had modeled for me. I've come to realize I am not traditional. Although I have respect for traditional values...I don't fit into that box. I'm looking forward to sharing more...but I'll leave it at that for now. It's liberating when we realize we can go with our own flow. What is most important is to live a life of honesty, integrity, authenticity and truth, with our self and everyone else. Everything is available to us when we are not afraid to be who we are and to express ourselves openly and honestly about that. I suppose this is one of the reasons why the great mystic Kabir would say:

Take care of yourself, it is you who you have to know.

Anyhow, I encourage you to listen to a few of his videos. The ones I've listened to are:

Everything is love
Love is to Evolve
Sexuality and Intimacy: Manipulation for the Orgasm

Sometimes it feels like we are evolving so fast these days there isn't time to absorb all the incredible teachings that are flowing to us and opening our hearts and minds, into the eternal now and the fearless, faith-filled present. But, I realize, ultimately, I am the teachings and the teachings are me. The essence of wisdom is to see the guru in all, but also, to realize the eternal teacher dwells in our heart. We are the guru we are seeking. The questions and the answers already live within us. It's simply a matter of trusting ourselves to follow our heart and go with the flow where we know we are being guided to go.

Let's see...what else in the Yoga world? Which, by the way, if you haven't realized yet...Yoga is everything...it is the eternal oneness we all are. I'm feeling like there is so much more I want to share...but I will let things be for now. I'll be back in a couple of days to write more, especially about this amazing gathering I went to which was an enlightening discussion about the dissolution of fear, surrounding sexuality, in the emerging consciousness of the oneness of our hearts and minds. It's called Liberation 2010, and, this first-ever LGBQT spiritual conference is taking place in L.A. in early April. I realize no matter how I identify with my sexuality, I am definitely an ally to the liberation of the hearts and minds from the phobias, that have plagued so many in our culture, for so long, surrounding sexuality. Byron Katie will also be speaking at this event. Regarding the awareness that everyone is guru and our teacher, Byron Katie, and all self-realized teachers, would say our enemies are our friends, our friends are our friends, and if your friends try to tell you your enemy isn't your friend...it might be your friend who is actually not your friend. (if that makes sense) Yogananda says you don't have to like everyone...but you must learn to love everyone as a soul. He says we must learn to love our 'enemies', and if we do, even God will be our friend. Although, I believe as we progress on the path, we see more and more clearly, and appreciate more and more, those opportunities we have to face our fears, and love our enemies. Because, it is through fear which we liberate ourselves. So, we start to celebrate the opportunity to befriend and love our enemies because we really realize they are blessing us with the opportunity to see our self and to liberate our own heart and mind from that which we fear the most. And, as we know...there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Now when I feel that faint flicker of fear about loving someone I feel a little afraid might hurt me, instead, I consciously observe the fear and celebrate the opportunity to open up to that which I fear the most. It is when we can learn to celebrate our fear that life becomes magically Divine. They say, we must love like we can't get hurt and sing like we aren't getting paid. I put the picture of the Beatles album on this post because Yogananda is actually on the cover of that album, as well as, three other Self-Realization Fellowship gurus, Sri Yuketswarji, Lahiri Mayasa and Mahavatar Babaji. (I found this out, thanks to a friend, who, brought this fascinating information to my attention yesterday. On this website, you can find out who all the people on the cover of the infamous Beatles album are. SRF gurus are disciples of Christ and Krishna.) He's in the back on the right. Apparently, Gandhi is also on the cover. Yogananda was one of Gandhi's teacher. He initiated him into Kriya Yoga, the highway of self-realization. George Harrison was also a devotee of Paramhansa Yogananda. One of my friends who has studied Yogananda for a long time says, whether they know it or not, Yogananda is basically the guru of everyone in the West. He, undoubtedly, accomplished more for the progression of spiritual awakening in the West than any other teacher in the last century. He really is furthering the teachings of Christ in a God-conscious, non-denominational way. Which is what our worlds needs...not divisiveness...but one-heartedness...love.

And, if you don't know yet. Krishna Das...whose music is actually on the True Yoga DVD (which is incredible, I'm still so humbled by his graciousness of allowing me to have his music on my DVD) will be in Dallas along with Deva Premal and Miten. This will be an amazing musical and spiritual experience. I highly encourage you to go, if you can. They will be at Unity Church in Dallas on April 5th. Tickets are available online. This is what they sing in one of their songs...Love is the only prayer. You can learn more about Deva's incredibly inspiring music on their website.

The new Saturday Yoga class I will be teaching will begin Saturday, February 20th. Class will be on Saturdays from 10-1115/30 am at Robert Bellamy's beautiful garden sanctuary in Dallas.

I'm looking forward to seeing some of you at the Partners Thai Yoga class this Saturday at exhale. Until then, I'd like to leave you with some incredible quotes by Rumi, at a perfect time, as we open our hearts to the month of love...and loving and living without fear. Breathing the eternal prayer of love in the breath...inhaling in the infinite expressions of love in this breath, our friends and those we think or feel are our foes, and exhaling the consciousness of light and love to all in each breath. The great mystic poet Hafiz says, every morning the many expressions of love walk out into the infinite green field. (as soon as I get my Hafiz book back, I'll post the whole poem...I love that poem)

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.-Rumi

The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along. - Rumi

This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.-Rumi

Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.-Rumi

Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.-Rumi

Only from the heart Can you touch the sky.-Rumi

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.-Rumi

Let the lover be disgraceful, crazy, absent-minded. Someone sober will worry about events going badly. Let the lover be.-Rumi

Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent.-Rumi

Everyone sees the unseen in proportion to the clarity of his heart, and that depends upon how much he has polished it. Whoever has polished it more sees more - more unseen forms become manifest to him.-Rumi

You can find more of Rumi's quotes here.

May the Lover love us into love with the One who loves us all with each breath we breathe. Each of us, is the Love we are seeking. So, love everyone around you because it's all you realizing how to love you, yourself, the Lover of all that is in a sublimely Divine way. OM

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day, valentine. I realized I needed to post something Krishna Das wrote. His new album is called: Chants of a Lifetime: Searching for a Heart of Gold.Here is what he has to say...

Chants of a Lifetime is about Krishna's search for true meaning within. He details his struggle with seeking outside himself for love and acceptance and the connection he found through chanting.

My life has been spent searching. Even before I knew what I was looking for, everything that has happened to me has led me into the presence of love, whether it was the physical presence of my guru or the presence of love deep within my own heart. No matter what my life may look like from the outside, on the inside it is a constant process of turning toward that place, of trying to come face-to-face with love.

The more I chant and share my path with seekers from so many different countries and cultures, the more I am being transformed myself. The purpose of this book is to illuminate the part of my path that surrounds and gives life to the chanting. I hope that by sharing the way I see my life, some of my experiences and some of the things I've learned while waiting for the door of my heart to swing open may be of help to those of you who are trying to open that same door.

Chanting alone is not my path. It is my main practice, but my life—and everything in it—is my path. I had the opportunity to spend several years in the presence of my guru, and I've been able to meet many saints, yogis, lamas, and instructors from different spiritual traditions. Without the blessing of these wonderful teachers and my experiences with them, I wouldn't have been able to pass through the darkness and despair that have often filled my life, and finally begun to learn how to be good to myself.

When we do kirtan, the practice of what in India is called "chanting the Divine Name" over the course of a few hours, we are letting go of our "stories" and offering ourselves into the moment over and over again. Chanting is a way of deepening the moment, of deepening our connection with ourselves, the world around us, and other beings. The Sanskrit chants that we sing—recognized for millennia as the Names of God—come from a place deep within each of us, so they have the power to draw us back within. If we go deep enough, we will all arrive at the same place, our deepest Being.

When you hear my story, maybe it will resonate in your heart because, even though all of us walk our different paths and live our different lives, we are all headed to the same place: our One Heart of Gold. - Krishna Das

Reading what he wrote is one of those experiences where it has me feel so good I want to cry...tears of joy...tears of relief...for this ever-expanding consciousness of love, oneness, which is ever-awakening in our hearts and minds.

Om namah shivaya gurave~Read more