Coming Back

I have not written in 2 years and 7 months. A lot has happened in that time - marriage, new job, moving, and two more dogs to keep Sally company. 

There are seasons, ebbs and flows, in our lives just as there are in the Earth, and that is natural. We just have to recognize the season and act accordingly. ("It's winter; wear a coat!" as my parents would say) 

After spending eight years devoted to volunteerism and another four years encouraging others to do the same, I also backed off of that endeavor and focused all of my spare time on teaching yoga (and on building a new relationship.) With the dawn of 2014, I felt a new shift. I cancelled all but one regularly scheduled yoga class, not really knowing what was going to happen. Pretty quickly volunteer and leadership opportunities appeared, and my heart hollered, "yes! I am ready to do this!"

We, as humans, have to know when to let go and when to come back, whether that is in relationships, careers, projects, or even exercise. There is a balance, a healthy space, between isolating ourselves from everything and repeatedly coming back to something or someone that isn't working or is wearing us thin. At times, this is simply a momentary pause to take care of ourselves before we can continue to go on and take care of others; on the other hand, the change could be more long term.

This is not to say that my classes were going down hill. I just felt compelled to deliver that offering in a different way through workshops and, hopefully, this blog. There are shifts in life, in our energy, and in what we are called to do. 

To know, we have to listen. To listen, we have to relatively calm our minds and be patient. Sometimes, the instructions will be there waiting for us, and often, we have to ask a question of ourselves, of God, and of the Universe. Maybe the question we need to ask about our future is hovering right there, and we just need to acknowledge it. Don't worry about an answer, it will appear in its time. To move forward, we need a mustard seed of faith and confidence, AND... we have to keep clearing our minds and listening! 

Yoga poses, quiet time, and time in nature (ideally when it's not 20 degrees below normal, unless you're a duck hunter) - these practices will help clear your mind so that you can hear that inner whisper. 

To recognize whether what you hear is really your intuition and your Higher Power speaking to you and not actually fear or compulsive self destruction, ask whether the instruction is harmful to you or others and if it contradicts any Higher Truths you've come to know. If so, then it's not for you; it's just distraction and noise. 

So, what is your heart saying? What question is it asking? What part of yourself did you leave behind that perhaps its time to pick back up? What part of your life do you need to release? 

Happy 2014 and Namaste!