December 6: The basic tenet of Somayog, starting where I am with what I have, happens to us all every morning with the grace of awakening from sleep or dream. This is a most wonderful opportunity to roll into the movements as practiced in the warm-up to the yoga class, Somayog Level One, as found on my product page. We are spiritual beings, no doubt, but once we awaken, if we have been graced with the necessary number of working limbs, the day stretches ahead with doing for this and that by using the body. Hello body! Somatic practices upon awakening, still lying in the bed, include: very gentle, relaxed and easy stretching, fingers to toes, each side separately and then left leg with right arm, right leg with left arm; toe-wiggling; rolling side to side on the tailbone; and all this before even opening the eyes. It gives a gradual, delicious entry into the body for the day. At the same time, if you can be aware of your heartbeat and find that feeling of gratitude for being ...
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September 29, 2021 Before I write about resonant spirituality and the inclusion of the practice of meditation, I'd like to expand the mainstream notion of yoga. Initially evolved as a means of opening the being to the spirit, it is now an accepted exercise routine found in many gyms and exercise studios. This is a wonderful thing, that an age-old technique can be found to be of great use in our modern world. However, if we feel the call in our hearts to explore a life of spirit, we will find that a yoga practice can be a most wonderful lead towards our understanding of this that we call life. The suggested eight limbs of yog, found in the ancient scripture, Patanjali Yog Darshan, prescribes asana (yoga positions) as necessary to keep the body supple and free from pain, all to enable us to better meditate. Thus yoga can be an embodied spiritual practice. The actual term (embodied spirituality) embraces practices that address the disconnect many people have between their bodie...
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August 31, 2021: A rather daring title to this my latest blog: Resonant Spirituality. It all has to do with my journey of the last decade. The penultimate entry to my previous blog, (Dare to Dare, Day to Day, Dear to Dear) pointed the way: "As soon as I open my heart, my mental chatter releases. But that line of enquiry my friends will have to be the subject of another blog." So here it is. I have dived deep into my heart's longings and found them to be the link to my soul; in other words the life of the spirit that I live as a yogi and meditator is vividly and urgently supported, nourished and expanded when it is linked to the physical shell I inhabit - body, mind and heart - as well as the environment in which I wander and wonder. A favourite poem by a favourite author may help to expand this notion. "When I Am Among the Trees" by Mary Oliver When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech,...