I feel like there is so much I could say, and yet, I’ll do my best to keep it ‘blog length’.  I’ve been told that sometimes my posts are quite long for a blog, if you know what I mean.  A lot of blog posts are just a couple of sentences or paragraphs.  I looked and one of my posts, one time, had over 3,000 words.  That’s like a short novel or book.  Which, speaking of books, the Fresh Fruit Cleanse is going great.  I’m still writing along and I’m really enjoying the process now.  I feel like I’ve made it through the most challenging parts.  One of the most challenging parts of writing the book was just getting started.  I officially began writing back in August although I didn’t actually submit anything until the very end of August.  Actually, it’s hard to believe the hours and time I’ve put into writing it, and, I’m not completely done yet, but, I feel good about where things are.  There is still more to write about and share, but, the most challenging part of the book, which was designing the whole 3, 5 and 7 day cleansing programs has been written.  This is about 1/3 of the book so it was a lengthy process developing it, writing it and putting it all together.  But, I’m so happy about it because there are some really amazing recipes and drinks, like a Detox Blast Smoothie, which is full of nutritional benefits for a healthy body AND beautiful skin.  I’ve learned that clean blood is the secret to beautiful skin and there are certain herbs which can be taken to help improve the quality of the blood.  All of this will be in the Fresh Fruit Cleanse and I’m really looking forward to sharing all of this incredible information I’ve learned with you.  Some of you may already know about these health secrets but I realize there are many people who do not.  It’s wonderful to learn about healthy things that are good for your body, mind and spirit.  The evolution of communication is one of the greatest gifts on the planet.  We are all so connected and we are realizing it ever-increasingly.  It seems we are finally realizing we are all one.  This realization and loving our neighbors and countries as ourselves really is the gateway to individual, collective and planetary healing.  Om namah shivaya gurave and what an awesome time we are living in and how amazing to realize the gift it is to be alive.  Paramahansa Yogananda actually says it is Yoga which will help to bring about the healing of the planet by blending the spiritual ideals of the East with the materialism of the West.  There is so much to learn from one another and how incredible we each get to be a part of that positive evolution and transformation in some way…

Shiva and the Winter Solstice

So, I’m participating in an online teleclass with one of my Yoga teachers, Shiva Rea, right now.  I love her so much.  She’s such an incredible inspiration and I’m so inspired by her work.  She’s also so intelligent.  She has her Masters from UCLA and has been studying Yoga for over 20 years.  The teleclass is amazing.  I’m learning so much.  Like, for example, did you know it’s defeating to try to lose weight in the Winter?  The body naturally puts on 3 – 4 pounds during the Winter months as its way of protecting itself during the darker and colder days and having enough energy in the body.  But, once the Spring rolls around, otherwise known as the Great Melting, that weight will melt away with greater ease. 

It’s unbelievable to think how much energy the sun supplies to the planet.  Most of the time we just take it for granted but it’s an absolute phenomenon.  I mean, really.  During the Winter it’s important to eat oilier foods and to rest a lot.  Ayurveda recommends sleeping longer by going to bed earlier between 10 and 11 pm and waking up between 5:30 and 6:30 am .  The Winter months are a good time to actually do strength training with weights, etc.  It’s important to not overdo it but realize you can still be active and it’s good to be.  But, make sure you are getting enough rest, too, and be extra good to yourself with bubble baths, hot tea, massage or anything that helps to nourish and nurture you and have you feel your best.  Over the next week until December 21st we will be moving towards the longest day of darkness.  The lack of sun has a profound effect on every part of our being.  That’s why it’s so important to take care of yourself right now.  Putting almond or sesame oil on your skin, your ears, your nasal passages or massaging it on the body is helpful, also, during the Winter months. 

In your Yoga practice, longer holds in the poses and standing poses are good during the Winter season.  Poses like Tree Pose, Eagle Pose, Standing Hand to Foot Pose or any other standing and/or balancing poses are stabilizing, grounding and energizing this time of year.  It’s a good time to do less arm balances and inversion since the energies tend to be heavier during the Winter months.  You’ll be ready to fly again and be upside down when the Springtime weather and longer days of sunlight return.  This doesn’t mean you can’t do those poses.  But, you might find you naturally feel you prefer to do fewer of those poses right now. 

Here is a little info Shiva recently wrote in her newsletter.  I thought it was fascinating and I’d love to learn more about the lunar cycles because they affect us greatly just like the solar cycles and seasonal changes. 

We are living the preparations for the auspicious Winter Solstice – Full Moon Eclipse sandhya – sacred juncture – coming up. I will be offering special classes beginning this Monday with Dave Stringer and the retreat is an auspicious opportunity to connect with this cycle. This coming juncture is the strongest full eclipse for southern California for 1,591 years and it will not be this like this again for at least another millennium! – Shiva Rea

Not only is the Winter Solstice next Tuesday, December 21st but it’s also a lunar eclipse.  That’s powerful.  I’m not sure what all that means but it means something.  Here is some information I found:

Hidden away in our cozy, warm homes, so many of us are painfully disconnected to any form of ritual unless it involves shopping and organized religious practices, much which have lost meaning. The Winter Solstice is a time to honor the magical, miraculous planet we inhabit through lighting of candles, being in joyous celebration with others, and acknowledging that all is well, the light is, indeed, returning.

This year the Winter Solstice occurs as the Sun enters the constellation Capricorn. This year it will occur at exactly 6:59pm EST on 21 December 2010. Adjust for your time zone. The Winter Solstice occurs a few hours after a powerful Full Moon lunar eclipse.  Eclipses are times when the electromagnetic forces from the Sun and the Moon are interrupted, creating potent opportunity for shifting thought forms and consciousness. Old thought forms more easily dissolve, making way for new thought forms much better fitted for ushering in the new.

Many planets are involved and affect this Full Moon eclipse and the solstice. Both chaos-maker Uranus and expansive Jupiter square the eclipse. Best to expect the unexpected and go with the excitement of accelerated flow as things are rapidly changing. Hanging onto the life raft of Faith and Trust with all the joy you can muster will greatly enhance your ride on this wild river of transformation and change we are on. Stay flexible and deal with WHAT IS, not what you wish would be, while still holding fast to your visions of possibility. I know, it’s  a delicate balance, for sure!

The Moon opposes Navy Seal dwarf planet Pluto, who with laser-like precision, cutting to the core of your fears and attachments, facilitates your release from these binding thought forms, like fear.

Fear is a thought form. It exists only in your mind. To release fear, replace with love.

Dispel fear through releasing your attachment to expectation and outcome. Focus entirely on raising your vibrational frequency, filling your thoughts with love. Do something extraordinarily generous for someone else (preferably anonymously) and stop cursing the darkness.

It’s Winter Solstice! Light a candle, preferably with others. Keep that flame glowing in your home and your heart until the fear subsides, replaced by the peace of connecting to all that is, all that ever was, and all that ever will be. When peace is securely anchored in your heart the magical transformation can occur.

And we all really could use that right about now! – http://www.livinginseason.com/starcycles/winter-solstice/

Energetically, we are experiencing a time of tremendous global transformation as we aling into the infamous 2012 which we have all heard about one way or another.  I can tell you the world is not coming to an end.  Not at all.  We are awakening to the opportunity to make our planet a better place for all of us and for it and we are realizing we each have the ability to contribute to that in some way.  One of my friends is actually moving into a completely natural home.  While everyone may not be able to do something like that right now, we can become healthier in all the choices we are making one day at a time.  The reality is we can all do something to make a difference and we must treat the planet well (love our neighbor and home) if we want it to treat us well and be good to us.  This is just common sense.  Finally, we are aware of how we have neglected the planet and we are also aware of what we can begin to do to make it better.  I write about this briefly in the Fresh Fruit Cleanse.  One of my friends always brings his own container with him when he orders take out.  Instead of having the restaurant put it in Styrofoam they put it in his reusable container.  Can you imagine the difference it would make if the entire planet did this AND it would save the restaurants money!  The answer to healing our planet and ourselves is to work together and to realize we are all in this together.  By loving one another and coming together in a positive way we realize we have the ability to make a difference when we align our hearts and mind for good.  Many people have proven this throughout history and many more will continue to prove the positive difference we can make when we come together for good.  I hope I can contribute to that positive difference in any way I can.  And, I look forward to the opportunity to align with others for good and the benefit of all beings and Mother Earth, too.   We can all be better the more we wake up.  The Buddha was asked if he was a God or a man and he replied, ‘I’m awake.’

And, another one of my favorite quotes by Yogananda is ‘there are no obstacles, only opportunities.’

Christmas Meditation

The Holiday Yoga class at exhale spa was also wonderful this past weekend.  It was an incredibly special and sacred experience for all of those who attended.  I haven’t ever had this feeling but I wished I would have recorded the audio of the class afterwards.  It’s in all of our hearts and minds but it was really powerful even for me.  I know we all felt better afterwards and we felt the blessings of Spirit in our lives.  One of the things we did at the end is I put 3 candles in the center of the room and we sat in a circle around it.  It was then that I realized just how powerful a flame is.  It was possible to feel heat from the candles even being 5 – 10 feet away.  As we turned toward the candles I said this is symbolic of how we have been turned away from the light and we will soon be turning towards the light again as we cross over the Winter Solstice.  Sunlight is so powerful.  If it’s possible to feel the heat of 3 candle flames imagine how powerful that sunlight is on our body, mind and spirit.  So, even during the Winter months make sure you are spending at least a couple of minute in the sun when you can.  Soak it in any way you can.

Alright, well I did my best to keep this True Yoga Blog post short and sweet, but you know me, I’m not usually at a loss for words.  Although, I do appreciate silence more and more these days.  I’m finding that I’m finally craving meditation in my life.  I’ve been meditating for a while but I’m feeling I’m really longing for it more and more.  This Saturday I’ll be attending an all-day Christmas meditation.  Yogananda says that if you meditate on Christ you will feel the presence of his Spirit in your life.

“I am giving this special blessing to you all, that if you will meditate deeply during the Christmas period, you will feel the presence of Christ.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

I’ll be attending the meditation on Saturday but I’m not sure yet if I’ll stay for the entire day.  I did last year but I may stay for part of it this year.  However long I choose to stay will be exactly what is best.  I’ve learned to trust myself now even with meditation and to not force it or myself but to let it happen.  Just this past Sunday at my meditation group I had a powerful insight while sitting.  As we devote ourselves, we are blessed with these insights along the way.  They are like little gems of wisdom which can only be realized by going within and hearing the teacher within enlighten you and illuminate you to the way.  While someone could tell us it, it’s virtually impossible to know something until we learn it for ourselves, if that makes sense.  Personal direct experience is the only way really.  It’s just like writing a book.  Someone could share with us what that experience is like but we wouldn’t ever know for ourselves until we go through it and experience it directly.  Meditation, or anything else, is the same way.  So, keep practicing and know that as you sit, even when you are restless, you will feel the presence of God and guru in your life celebrating your efforts every step of the way.  It’s not about perfection.  It’s about showing up.  If you show up, consistently, you will realize miracles unfolding in your life.  That’s all I know at this point is that I’m committed to continuing to sit down and show up.  It may not always be perfect.  But, I’ll be here. 

Blessings to each and everyone of us. 

Happy Holidays!

Jai guru

Dreams Do Come True

(But, they don’t always come easy which is what one of my friends says…I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of ups and downs as I’m sure many of us have.  It makes us stronger all along the way…no obstacles…only opportunities. ) 

The reason why I titled this post The International Fresh Fruit Cleanse is because I just found out today the book will be promoted in Europe.  The other cool thing about that is just last night, before I found out this news, I had a dream I was in France flying and taking pictures of crosses on the hillsides.  Then, today I found out that news from the publicist.  Pretty cool stuff.  This is an incredible, mysterious and magically Divine Universe.

Thank you for reading the True Yoga Blogs