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.