The Gift of a Snow Day

I am so grateful today for this "snow day" we are having here in Cincinnati. My Thursday cleansing participants were supposed to start today, but we've postponed to next week. I know they were eager to start, so I feel a little bad about it, but there is divine timing to everything...especially a Spiritual cleanse.


Because I knew they were excited, I sent them things to start doing this week to jumpstart the program. As I wrote some simple things to try, it made me realize that everyone should start doing some of these simple things. What else do you have to do? Your not going anywhere.


Snowed In:
Create a sacred space for meditation. Cover the TV with a blanket. Clear the clutter out of your bedroom, bring in your favorite comfy chair, pillow or pad. Set up a little altar with pictures of your loved ones and your family. Place a yummy candle on your altar. Drape a favorite shawl or blanket over the chair. Sit down. Close your eyes. Repeat daily.


Clean out your pantry. Throw dated items away. If it isn't organic or whole, place it up high, give it to the food pantry or toss. Commit to buying only organic and whole processed foods.


Get the clutter out of your house....the knick knacks, the extra pillows...Put them in boxes and store them. You can bring them back out as your distracted mind settles.


Find a yoga studio online within 5 miles of your work or home. Study the schedule. Make a plan so that you can get to one or two classes a week.


Google vegetarian, vegan and organic restaurants. Print out directions and maps to where they are.


Download your kindle with spiritual books, self-help books and poetry.


Go through your magazines and tear out pictures that inspire you. Tape them in your journal and write about why you like the picture...places you want to go, things you'd like to have and emotions you'd like to feel.


Play in the snow.

What will you gain when you lose?

I was watching TV the other night and Special K had a commercial. The theme was "What will you gain when you lose?". It's a good ad and I think it will really resonate with the general mainstream public. People step on scales and great messages like "poise" and "charm" pop up instead of your weight. I like special K. I like how they are trying to motivate people.

BUT, you see, the problem is........

I'm a yogi. I don't have to lose to gain. In fact, I don't have to work to lose (we are talking about the weight that they are talking about). The gain they are talking about is confidence and poise and self-esteem. BUT. I don't have to lose (weight) to have that. Confidence, poise, self-esteem and love for self don't come with weight loss. Those qualities are qualities of your soul which you already possess. Regardless of your size, regardless of your goals to look like a super model, I want you to to know that you already have poise, self-esteem and confidence.

Those qualities come from your soul. You already have those qualities regardless of your physical condition. Those qualities come from your soul. Should I repeat? Your soul couldn't give a crud how big you are. Your ego cares and of course we need to soothe that HUGE guy on many levels, but.....

You guys are so perfect. I see you (do think Avatar here). I see you. I see you. I see you. Sometimes I'm frightened by the actual beauty that I see. Every day look at yourself in the mirror just the way you are and see beauty. You are charming already. You are poised already.

God is calling....can you hear?

I stumbled upon the poem below which is by Kahil Gibran as I was trying to find something that would inspire you to come to the free meditation workshop tonight at 6 pm and to take the 7 day meditation challenge which starts this Friday at 6am!!! After reading it, I realized that if this poem can't inspire you to sit quietly and connect with God, then not I nor you nor anything can.

It is so beautiful, it simply struck me silent...for once.

A Lover's Call by Kahil Gibran

Where are you, my beloved? Are you in that little
Paradise, watering the flowers who look upon you
As infants look upon the breast of their mothers?


Or are you in your chamber where the shrine of
Virtue has been placed in your honor, and upon
Which you offer my heart and soul as sacrifice?


Or amongst the books, seeking human knowledge,
While you are replete with heavenly wisdom?


Oh companion of my soul, where are you? Are you
Praying in the temple? Or calling Nature in the
Field, haven of your dreams?


Are you in the huts of the poor, consoling the
Broken-hearted with the sweetness of your soul, and
Filling their hands with your bounty?


You are God's spirit everywhere;
You are stronger than the ages.


Do you have memory of the day we met, when the halo of
You spirit surrounded us, and the Angels of Love
Floated about, singing the praise of the soul's deed?


Do you recollect our sitting in the shade of the
Branches, sheltering ourselves from Humanity, as the ribs
Protect the divine secret of the heart from injury?


Remember you the trails and forest we walked, with hands
Joined, and our heads leaning against each other, as if
We were hiding ourselves within ourselves?


Recall you the hour I bade you farewell,
And the Maritime kiss you placed on my lips?
That kiss taught me that joining of lips in Love
Reveals heavenly secrets which the tongue cannot utter!


That kiss was introduction to a great sigh,
Like the Almighty's breath that turned earth into man.


That sigh led my way into the spiritual world,
Announcing the glory of my soul; and there
It shall perpetuate until again we meet.


I remember when you kissed me and kissed me,
With tears coursing your cheeks, and you said,
"Earthly bodies must often separate for earthly purpose,
And must live apart impelled by worldly intent.


"But the spirit remains joined safely in the hands of
Love, until death arrives and takes joined souls to God.


"Go, my beloved; Love has chosen you her delegate;
Over her, for she is Beauty who offers to her follower
The cup of the sweetness of life.
As for my own empty arms, your love shall remain my
Comforting groom; your memory, my Eternal wedding."


Where are you now, my other self? Are you awake in
The silence of the night? Let the clean breeze convey
To you my heart's every beat and affection.


Are you fondling my face in your memory? That image
Is no longer my own, for Sorrow has dropped his
Shadow on my happy countenance of the past.


Sobs have withered my eyes which reflected your beauty
And dried my lips which you sweetened with kisses.


Where are you, my beloved? Do you hear my weeping
From beyond the ocean? Do you understand my need?
Do you know the greatness of my patience?


Is there any spirit in the air capable of conveying
To you the breath of this dying youth? Is there any
Secret communication between angels that will carry to
You my complaint?


Where are you, my beautiful star? The obscurity of life
Has cast me upon its bosom; sorrow has conquered me.


Sail your smile into the air; it will reach and enliven me!
Breathe your fragrance into the air; it will sustain me!


Where are you, me beloved?
Oh, how great is Love!
And how little am I!

Health Scare to Kick off 2011!

New Year's Eve...lunchtime...top of the mountain Lake Tahoe with my family...check my messages...(note to self about workaholics).

Sh#t. My obgyn leaves a message to call her back. I'd gone in for my routine exam on December 21 (note the full moon lunar eclipse on that date) and apparently the "abnormal" test results were back. I've had this happen many times before so no worries. It's always due to something unexplainable (I think lab error here). I'm sure I simply need to go back in for a follow up pap.

Not this time. They say words I don't understand and quite honestly couldn't hear very well at the top of Lake Tahoe. Follow up procedure. Biopsy of some sort to be done on January 4th (note the solar eclipse here). uggg...shit...cancer...what every woman thinks when they get that call. Fear rears its ugly head..."hello my darling fear, come sit with me awhile". Breathe in. Breathe out. Go back to family and act as if nothing is wrong. (note to self about silent suffering).

Oddly, once I caught my breath, my first thought was "Well god-dammit, if I'm going to die of frickin' cancer then I'm having the best year ever". Fear leaves. Fear comes back. Fear leaves. Fear comes back. Fear leaves. Gratitude emerges.

Shocking I know. Gratitude. There's nothing like a health scare to kick off a new year. On New Year's eve I really got to spend some quality time thinking about this crazy life I've lived. I thought about lessons learned and not yet learned. I thought mostly about life purpose and the lessons illness can bring. These are my actual notes to self:


Present Moment Awareness:
Honey, slow down. You have been running hard since the day you were born. Have you not yet figured out that everything works out on its own without your continuous effort and focus. There's a plan and a path and your little feeties just need to be aware it's there. Stroll. Effortless Ease.


Meditation:
Seriously. Practice what you frickin' preach. These little "mini' sessions you have been cramming in these past 6 months to simply keep you sane while you distract yourself with the studio, kids and boyfriend are not enough. You KNOW that if you meditate 2x a day and do not one other thing that you will have a happy life. Sit your butt down 2x a day and get deeply involved in that conversation with God. You know that it is the only true path to happiness and health.

Yoga:
It's time to kick some butt. You are not in the best shape of your life right now. You've put on a few pounds and yes...poooooor lil' baby.... I know you have been working hard and running kids and blah blah blah. Teaching is not practicing so don't even go there. Once a day. And dear God kick it up a notch! Add those push ups...and dear God, heal yourself....Yin...Yoga Nidra. Why on earth do you have a studio if you aren't going to practice for yourself every day. duhhhhhhh.

Love:
Pami, I've been your friend for a long time. I know you have have suffered. Just allow. You don't have to manage everything. Some things are just meant to flow. Just be. What if you only did have a limited time left on this planet? Wouldn't you wish you had simply loved more?

Dharma:
Why on earth would I get sick now? Not this year. This is MY year to finally figure out how to make a living teaching and doing what I love. I'm supposed to work hard this year and actually get a salary for myself. I'm sure God realizes that my alimony is all gone next year. Hello? I know you are listening.

Well fine then. Try to kick my ass...I will kick ass. If I have something as inconvenient as stupid cancer at the stupidest time of my life, then I'm going to do something positive with it. I will teach yoga for cancer and illness. I will write a book on how to cure cancer with yoga and food. I will ROCK cancer.

(the scare is enough to motivate me to do the above...I don't actually think I need the experience...I know you are listening.)

What you think you know.....

I have to tell you that I'm kind of getting tired of people. In fact, they are starting to annoy me. You see, when people find out that I teach yoga, Ayurveda and meditation they get really curious. I start to speak, they interrupt and then proceed to tell me all the other things they do or have ever heard of that they believe to work better. I get to hear about sleeping programs, belly fat cures, south beach diets, eating for your blood type and so many herbs and concoctions that I want to vomit.

I'm sick of these people eating 20 pills a day, cleansing for 3 - 7 days on some expensive over the counter crap that does NOTHING long term (very little short term) for them and going to a frickin' "develop your intuition" workshop for a weekend thinking they are going to meet an angel, their dead relative or Jesus. Keep in mind that none of this is cheap.

The absolutely hysteric thing (or really not) is that I'm sitting there looking at these people and they don't look healthy. Many are overweight, they look tired and their mind is so scattered that I absolutely KNOW they can't even hear a thing I say let alone remember it. I simply stop talking, pretend to listen and begin to pray for them. The lightning bolt that would get them into my studio, however, never magically appears.

Here are my favorite things that people think they know:

Cleansing:
Most people believe that they can buy an over the counter cleansing kit that flushes out their colon in 3 - 7 days and resets their digestion. This is just total BS. Your body is quite capable of flushing out its own colon. You are wasting your money.

Herbs:
People self-diagnose and self-prescribe with herbs and will then go on to tell everyone that they know to take that herb too. This is just dangerous. Herbs mixed with prescription medicine can have catastrophic effects to your liver. You need to know what you are taking and involve your doctor in your decisions. Further, if you are unhealthy, it doesn't matter what food or medicine or herbs you put in your body....you probably aren't digesting them very well and therefore not absorbing them very well either. If you are swallowing 5 or more supplements a day...time to step back and look at what is really going on in your body.

Yoga:
People believe they can't do yoga. I've taught yoga to children, the elderly, the wheelchair bound ridden and to people recovering from cancer sitting in their hospital beds. Everyone can do yoga. CLICK THROUGH FOR YOGA

Meditation:
They've "heard of it" or "tried it for 5 minutes one day" and decided they can't do it. It's not for them. Again, this is just total BS. Meditation is a practice that requires commitment and dedication. If you are not meditating, its because you are not willing to do the work required to establish a practice. Sorry, I know that's blunt. CLICK THROUGH ON HOW TO MEDITATE

Protein:
They say "I just gotta have a little meat everyday...I crave it. I need protein". The fact is that there is a place for meat in an Ayurvedic diet depending on your Element or "dosha". If you are a Wind body (Vata) you get to eat meat. Otherwise, you would be healthier not to. Eating meat means you are eating only 3 - 5 servings per week. A serving is the size of the palm of your hand. Most people only need 49 grams of protein a day. Protein is found in everything....beans, whole grains and veggies. You don't need protein from meat. In fact, meat has been PROVEN to cause cancer and is full of saturated fat that is PROVEN to cause heart disease. CLICK HERE FOR PROTEIN FACTS

(and btw...pigs are smarter than dogs, cows will run to you if they know you and you call them and so will chickens.)

Allergies:
They say..."but I'm allergic too....(insert endless list here)." You are not allergic to all the crap you think you are ESPECIALLY the "self-diagnosed" allergies. Your digestion is simply a wreck and your digestive fire (Agni) needs stoked. CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO STOKE IT

Okay, I'm done having a Pitta (Fire) meltdown...think road rage.

People, I need you to get serious and take responsibility for your health and healing. The FACT is that you are not your body, you are not your mind and you are not your spirit. You are an amazing combo of the three. We gotta clean out your body, calm down your mind and get you connected to your spirit. My job is to help people get healthy and happy. Let me help you.

7 day meditation challenge
Elemental Cleanse
FREE introduction to meditation (Tuesday, January 4th 6 - 7 pm)
FREE introduction to Ayurveda

Snow Policy & Sangha

ALWAYS CHECK THE CLASS SCHEDULE FOR SNOW CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Yogis,


We have struggled for two year now to create a snow policy that meets everyone needs. This has been hard to do for lots of reasons that support no closings, yet are countered by reasons that support closings. The bottom line is I am finding it very difficult to serve the individual desires and the collective needs.


Most western minds perceive that EOM is a "business" and expect the same "business" type service as they receive at groceries, department stores and other business spaces. Some aspects of EOM are a business. When you come in and shop, it is a business. I think you appreciate our flexibility, our willingness to give discounts and the need to never ever have a receipt or a reason. When you pay for yoga, know that you are paying rent, utilities and the instructor's fee.


When you come in to practice yoga, EOM is "community". This term in sanskrit is "SANGHA". Basically, that means that Elemental OM is a place you can come to to practice with like-minded people. It is a kinship of yogis who care about similar things and more importantly, care about each other's happiness and welfare. In Buddhism, Sangha is right up there with Buddha and your Life's Purpose or "Dharma". That's how important Sangha or community is in Buddhism.


So, I'm just doing what is safest for our community:


If there are school closings, winter weather advisories or you look out the window and question whether you should be driving or not......CHECK THE CLASS SCHEDULE! If we cancel, it will be on the schedule. I tend to get up very early on the days that it is coming down and watch the news and my neighborhood. I will then make a decision and post it to the class schedule.


I apologize in advance for the closings. I will save "embracing uncertainty" and "going with the flow" as topics for future blogs.

Yesterday, today and forever.....

I've had a disaster of a week. We don't have to rehash, but let's just say I'm still cleaning up the mess of the xmas tree falling over and it will take a carpenter to finish up the repair on the flood in my kitchen. My body is sore from painting. I'm 3 months behind on my accounting. ....we'll just stop at this point because I know you don't want to here about the yorkie pottie clean up...must have eaten an xmas bulb. Needless to say, my yogi magical powers seem to be failing me this week and I'm stressed...worried...think Vata Pita imbalance BIG time.

In the midst of all this, I found myself standing at the check-in counter in the warm sun mindlessly entering credit card transactions into the system. In a dreamy state, I had a vision of a more normal life. I imagined waking every morning to a clean house. I would make coffee, light a fire and read an actual newspaper. I would walk my dogs. I would go to the studio every day. I would sit around with my yogis and drink tea and talk about philosophy and theology. I would have a salary. My accounting would be done. My nails would be done. My hair would be done. I'd smell good all the time.

All of this left me as daydreams do and I didn't really have another thought about it. It was just a subtle thought. Later, Hewitt (our resident poet) stopped in. Hewitt is what I would describe a Sage. He's very well read, well spoken and obviously well written. I love when Hewitt pops in because he always says something that is a direct message from God to him to me. I know to listen. Busy and distracted, I wasn't listening well. The plumber had come...people were showing up for class. Still, after sharing my daydream, Hewitt said to me the phrase..."yesterday, today and forever."

This phrase is from the Bible. I googled and found a lovely poem by by Albert Simpson:

Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same.
All may change, but Jesus never! Glory to His Name!

It stopped me cold. I had just been wishing for sameness. I was wishing that each yesterday and each today and each forever would be the same. Hearing this phrase made me circle back hugely in my subtle intention. You see, I hate sameness. Some part of me believes that the minute everything becomes the same and easy, I will be done with this incarnation. (Note to self: be careful what you wish for and rethink this disbelief about effortless ease)

It also struck me because within the midst of all my chaos, I'm the same. I'm always the same. Your core is complete and whole and pretty much okay with whatever is going on around you. I guess that's why in the middle of total chaos, you can enjoy the warmth of the sun. Yesterday, today and forever.