It’s great to have the sunshine back in Dallas, although I’m pretty sure the temperature dropped about 40 degrees in a couple of hours last night. It’s unbelievable the impact atmospheric changes can have on the body. I’m learning more and more to just accept where my body is each day, to not expect it to be where it was yesterday. If I just meet my body honestly where it’s at, instead of placing all these expectations on myself, (and just allow myself to be in my breath) I find amazing things can happen in my Yoga practice. It’s much better that way…I spent a lot of years trying to prove something to myself and often injuring myself along the way.

A couple of days ago I was in Whole Foods and I met this lovely gentleman named Walter. He was offering samples of a certain green drink. As I was browsing the greeting cards, I overheard him singing…it was beautiful. I made my way around to where he was and he offered me a sample. I said, how could I say no to you? He was singing and he said he would sing me a song. So, I asked him to sing a Christmas song. And, this is what he sang. Beautiful. Next time you go into the Whole Foods at Preston and Forest Lane, be sure to look for him and ask him to sing you something. You can tell him I suggested for you to hear him sing. He’ll love it. (I wanted to post the video on the blog, but wasn’t able to, so the link links to youtube. I guess it was time for me to get a youtube account anyway.)…

So, the Holiday Yoga playlist has been made, every year I teach this class I think I’ve found my favorite playlist, but it seems every year the songs just become more and more connected and beautiful. Something resonates even more deeply with me and I love this year’s songs. Some I’ve played before and some are new. I’m in love with Michael Buble and his Christmas album is awesome. I hope you will be able to join me this Saturday at exhale spa in Dallas for the annual Holiday Yoga class. It’s from 3-5 pm with refreshments following. It’s an incredibly special experience. We will also be focusing on this powerful time of positive change and transformation we are growing through energetically/spiritually as we awaken to the Winter Solstice on December 21st. It is a time for celebration as those of us who are spiritually aligned in the Yogic principles, the Universal vows, known as the Yamas, are growing more and more connected in the One Light that illuminates us all. Those of us who live our lives according to these virtues grow increasingly connected to the Light of Consciousness within us and all around us and we know we are, indeed, part of a spiritual family here on earth, blazing through space at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour. There is nothing to fear. We are growing stronger with each Divine, spiritually-charged breath of prana we breathe. Non-violence (Ahimsa) in thoughts, words and actions is the way, Truth (Satya) is the way, Moderation (Brahmacharya) in all things is the way, Non-stealing (Asteya) is the way, and Non-coveting/non-greed (Aparigraha)is the way. Here is an awesome article on the Yamas, which are the first limb of Yoga on the eight limbed path prescribed by Patanjali, the Father of Yoga, who lived before Christ. A very well-known Yoga teacher, Judith Lasater, wrote this article.

I hope to see you this Saturday. I also want to share the lyrics from one of my recent favorite songs by Michael Franti called Never Too Late. You gotta download this song.

Don’t fear your best friends,
because a best friend would never try to do you wrong.
And don’t fear your worst friends,
because a worst friend is just a best friend that’s done you wrong.
And don’t fear the night time,
because the monsters know you’re divine.
And don’t fear the sunshine,
because everything is better in the summertime.

But it’s never too late to start the day over,
it’s never to late to pick up the phone.
You know it’s never too late to lay your head down on my shoulders,
it’s never too late just come on home.

Don’t fear the water,
because you can swim inside you within your skin.
And don’t fear your father,
because a father’s just a boy without a friend.
And don’t fear to walk slow,
don’t be a horserace, be a marathon.
And don’t fear the long road,
because on the long road you got a long time to sing a simple song.

But it’s never too late to start the day over,
it’s never too late to pick up the phone.
You know it’s never too late to lay your head down on my shoulders,
it’s never too late just come on home.

Don’t fear your teachers,
because if you listen you can hear music in a school bell.
And don’t fear your preacher,
if you can’t find heaven in a prison cell.
And don’t fear your own self,
paying money to justify your worth.
And don’t fear your family,
because you chose them along time before your birth.

But it’s never too late to start the day over,
it’s never too late to pick up the phone.
You know it’s never too late to lay your head down on my shoulders,
it’s never too late just come on home.

Hold to your children, hold to your children, hold to your children, let them know.
.

WE are blessed. OM is within us and all around us. Everywhere I go these days I see OM. OM is God. Right now I’m sitting at The Pearl Cup in Dallas, a fabulous coffee shop and the girl who works here noticed my OM necklace, she is wearing an OM necklace, too, and has OM tattoed on her wrist. OM is the vibration we align with as we become increasingly attuned to these spiritual practices and principles. Spiritual evolution is not possible without first embodying the Yamas in our Being. Gandhi said “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

Off to work on my book reports for my Prana Flow Yoga 200 hour Yoga certification with Shiva Rea. Finally, the space has cleared for me to put my energy into this. I’m looking forward to completing my certification and being able to assist her at workshops and retreats as I continue to grow and evolve in the journey of Yoga. Om shanti, jai guru and Happy Holidays. Stand By Me just came on at the coffee shop. When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we see, no, I won’t be afraid… The girl with the OM just said that’s her favorite song in the whole world. Wow, now there is a guitarist playing live (click on that link and you can hear some of his music, I just found out his name is Bill Martin) right in front of me singing You’ve Got a Friend. God is good.

Ya know, just yesterday I remembered that a couple of weeks ago I attended a Kirtan and ecstatic dance here in Dallas led by Rudra Das. He invited us to cultivate an intention before we began the Kirtan and dance. He said, if you don’t know an intention, a good one is always to just ask to grow spiritually in the best way possible. When I reflect over the difficulties of the last couple of weeks, I realize and remember that God works in mysterious ways. If we don’t resist or fight against His plan, and surrender to it, He is always transforming us, opening us up to His Love and blessing us in amazing ways with His Grace. Now he is singing the sun is out, the sky is blue it’s beautiful and so are you, dear roots, won’t you come out and play.

And, now…Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise.

He’s also sangJoyful, Joyful We Adore Thee, another one of my dad’s favorite songs and now he is singing Silent Night, too. As I left, he was singing Oh Holy Night.

It’s time for Holiday Yoga with the ever-expanding Christ-Consciousness within us and all around us.