I do want to say HAPPY New Year. I am feeling incredibly positive and hopeful about the year ahead, even in light of, all that has been happening in our world, and all that has happened in my own personal world. Perhaps this optimism is connected to an awakening of the quality of sraddha, faith, which is the first quality of enlightenment we develop as we grow on the Yogic path and in our personal Yoga practice. There’s this song I just downloaded by Michael Franti called Have a Little Faith. It’s amazing and I’ll be playing it in class for those of you who practice with me, and I’ll post the lyrics at the end of this blog.

So, the Yoga retreat in Costa Rica is almost here, just two weeks away. This is a dream come true, as I have been envisioning the possibility of going to Costa Rica for almost seven years. If you are just finding out about this retreat I’ll be leading, there is still time to register, and, airfare to Costa Rica is very affordable. We are still honoring the early bird pricing so it’s not too late to join us. You can find more information here…

So, I’m weaning off of my 5 day liquid cleanse. I did eat my first bites of salad today, and I’m actually almost uncomfortably full. Over the course of 5 days I only ate raw almonds twice, once on Tuesday and once on Thursday. Other than that, I sustained the cleanse on only liquids and it was awesome. In fact, I believe it has radically transformed my eating practices. This transformation has been happening over the course of the seven years I’ve been practicing Yoga. I have gradually grown healthier and healthier with my relationship to food, both in the quantity and quality of what I eat. One of the reasons why I was inspired to commit to this cleanse, was to experiment with whether I would notice visible differences in my ability in the Asanas, as well as, the quality of my meditations. And, the answer is definitely yes. Yesterday, I was able to go the deeper into a pose than ever before. It’s a pose I’ve been practicing for almost one and a half years called Uttana Salabhasana B. I am also seeking to become stronger in my practice, although since my father’s passing, I am noticing my primary place of focus right now needs to be on healing my heart, so I’ve been being guided into opening more deeply in my backbends and heart, i.e. the softening and letting go.

One of the other benefits I experienced during my fast, was feeling increased clarity and energy, as well. During the next several days, I still intend to eat very lightly, and I may even find that I go a day or two on very little, if any, food at all. It’s an incredibly empowering feeling to be able to break one’s addiction to food, since food is a drug and our greatest addiction. If you’ve never read Autobiography of a Yogi, it is a must-read. In there, Paramahansa Yogananda tells the true story of a Yogi/Saint who lived on sunlight and ether alone. For over forty years, she took no food or drink. I know this sounds mind-boggling, but it’s true. We do not survive on food, but on Prana, or the Cosmic Energy/Light/Life Force. Yogananda talks about how one day, we will learn, just like the plants, how to turn sunlight into sustenance. Plants do this, which is what chlorophyll is, and whether we are a vegetarian or a meat-eater, that is actually the energy we are receiving when we eat food. (Because even if we eat meat, the animal received it’s energy from some animal which eats plants.)

Yogananda also suggests fasting as a regular practice for both physical and spiritual reasons. I can definitely see myself going without food, for a day or more, when the Spirit moves me to fast. There is some really interesting information on this website about fasting which I think you will enjoy.

One more thing, and this sounds awesome. If you are in or near the D.C. area, this is definitely something to check out. All the information is in the pic above or on the website www.chant4change.com, but basically, it’s a gathering of some of Yoga’s greatest teachers and musicians on the night before the inauguration in Washington D.C.

Here is a little info from the website:

Celebrate the Inauguration of Barack Obama with sacred activist Shiva Rea, world-renowned kirtan/chant artists Jai Uttal, Dave Stringer, Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits and 400 other conscious revolutionaries including Saul David Raye, Daphne Tse, and Joshua Greene. Join us for a night of chant, dance, expression and teaching within sight of the White House and the Washington Monument. This is the place to be on the night before the Inauguration. Millions are converging on the nation’s capital to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event. Be here now at the heart of the movement! Breathe! Chant! Move! Dance! We will lift our hearts and voices to empower ourselves, our new leaders, our city, our country and our world in this revolutionary gathering of sacred sound and movement.

Have a Little Faith-Michael Franti
I know it’s hard when you’re down
and the bad times seem to follow you around
and they got no reason to show
Don’t let it go, oh no
and when it’s 3 in the morn
and you’ve told your whole life story to a telephone
and the radio’s the only thing to let you know
You’re not alone, oh no

Oh…
Don’t let it go