“Now is the sole moment that exists to live in the radiance of your true Nature.”
-Dana Faulds
What can I say that hasn’t already been said before in this time of evolution and uncertainty? I am pretty sure all the bases, all the emotions, all of the layers we are all feeling have been expressed in one way or another. But as Dana Faulds would say...and this is one of my daily mantras...”Why wait for the day of your awakening? The moment you open your eyes, seize the day.” This time has catalyzed deep shifts in my fields of practice, breath awareness and sense of place on this intricate planet. Now, more than ever I have come to realize how essential Sangha and community are. I’ve had to learn (and am still learning) to accept that for the time being...that we must gather in new and different ways, utilizing the tools we as humans have created. It’s a process...but when my kitty cat Maggy comes to practice with me on my mat (or decides it’s play time in the middle of my class), I am reminded of the simple, yet profound blessings I am privileged to experience on a daily basis. My hope is to share these moments with others.”
“Although it is a time of quarantine I find myself emerging. The time has provided opportunity for yoga practice like no other. Hours and hours available for asana, meditation, pranayama and self study. A yogi dream come true. Seeking guidance from podcasts and books I never thought I would have time for and deepening my sense of self. I drop below the surface into inner solitude and rise above the surface to see the bigger picture.
Lest I become totally free of my moorings, I am ever so grateful for the internet connection now the umbilical cord of life’s relationships. The ongoing progress and dedication of students warms my heart. And the joy of the household cat finding its way into svasana or the dog that just cannot help but lick it’s owner’s face in downward facing dog pose.
I am so grateful for this community that has seen me through thick and thin and so grateful for all of you who hold the space as well as those who occupy the space. Two hands together in a deep bow of gratitude.”
“To dance the dual qualities of sthira (steadiness) and sukha (ease) has been of great value and support in life these days! As the morning sun rises unconditionally each day rich with an unformed gift of possibility and renewal, I lean softly into that unconditional source of light with great faith and take a steady breath into the unknown.
Ever grateful for the warmth and love of my family, our sangha and this beautiful planet, I am reminded the truth of my practice. The qualities of sthira and sukha are not just to be cultivated but more so to be offered out into this world.”
“I enjoy creating a space for my students to come together - to practice, to feel seen and to be in community - even on Zoom. Where I can, I offer personal guidance and cue individuals. I also encourage turning camera off if that helps you go safely inward. I bring my usual sense of humor to my teaching as well as an authentic open and compassionate heart for the many emotions surfacing at this time. For me it’s a mixed bag of daily picking myself up off the floor and trying to focus on gratitude. I am so grateful that I can get on my mat daily, either teaching or practicing. When my head is spinning and the anxious thoughts take over, when my disaster mind has me going crazy forever alone in this apartment - I can come onto my yoga mat and find some ease. I start to calm the crazy one breath at a time.
I’m also educating and growing myself: having conversations about dismantling white supremacy and becoming anti-racist; making sure my teaching is affirming of gender, ability and body differences. I completed a training in Trauma Sensitive Yoga and next month I’m starting a training exploring the intersection of social justice and yoga. I’m looking forward to being part of the new Yoga Source Sangha.”
“This has been a time of shifting from fear to creativity. From shuddering at uncertainty to embracing new and returning to familiar practices that help me stay in the moment— Sounds like a cliche, but it’s exactly what my practice has been right now. Leaning into rest, study, and spend 24/7 time with my family. Growing new rituals that are all-new was scary at first. But now, I feel more ease. My nervous system is able to recognize that I’m going to be OK. And, that being OK, is alright right now.
To all the teachers, creators, artists, entrepreneurs and self-employed out there hustling, now is the time to pause, create, and know when to put down the things that are good but not necessarily the best choices for yourself. Now is not the time to be a people pleaser nor is the time to be thrifty with your generosity. There is a balance and that balance is constantly shifting to moments of grace.
Like a talisman in our pockets, we can use these reminders to bring us back to what really matters— and that will be different for each of us.
I look forward to walking this radical path with you and Yoga Source and seeing what the next phase of this brings us all. I am curious and open to what may come. Let’s do this together- - in community through “unity”.”
“In these extraordinary times borne by this pandemic, I’m practicing yoga even more off my mat than on it. Practicing patience, cultivating compassion, and striving to see the goodness in all beings – these are the pep talks I give myself anytime I step outside of my home. I am so thankful that I have this foundation and steadiness that yoga provides. Am I always successful? No! But I acknowledge my transgressions and treat myself compassionately when I fall short.
On the mat, I’ve re-affirmed how much I love teaching yoga. Yes, I miss being in the studio with students, but I believe that guiding them through online classes has honed my skills, making me a better teacher. And to be honest, the virtual format has freed up time to reconnect with favorite activities: being a yoga student myself, cycling (e-bikes are FUN) and sewing. I’ve made over 100 facemasks and gifted them all to friends, family, students, colleagues and total strangers – my own version of seva. Who knew facemasks would become both a necessity and a fashion statement!
I hope to “see” you on the mat soon. May your life and your yoga be victorious - jai bhagwan!”
“This magical, powerfully changing world has always demanded that my personal practices of conscious embodiment must adapt and evolve, and dive ever deeper. What a ride it continues to be. From early beginnings in the martial arts, to a long and beautiful journey across oceans of yoga, I find myself arriving in the deep heart and wide field of conscious human movement. I am inspired every day by the truth that presence is an experience that speaks through breath, bone, blood, and cells - all the way down to the quantum, bio-energetic subtlety of awareness itself. It wants to dance, to play, to express, to be strong and so very soft. This is what I am driven to share and inspire.”
“Through the millennia, yoga has served the awakening of embodied consciousness. It’s no different today — though many practitioner friends have shared in recent months a more profound sense of need to orient to our wholeness, our interconnectivity, and our reverberating life-force as we place our bodies, our words, and our actions with purpose in this delicate time.
I’m grateful for the essential intelligence of center and the plumb line of practice that, breath by breath, holds. And what a gift to be in sangha. This is the real work of practice. Together, we witness ourselves. We remember our way back into natural rhythm. We remember natural form. We recognize the spaciousness that opens beyond any one point in time. And we rise. With an ever-renewing, ever-affirming breath of life, we rise.”
“Connecting on Zoom with sangha near and far has been a huge source of sustenance for me during this sheltering-in-place period of groundlessness and grief. I have been grateful to be more involved in this community at YogaSource, exploring together how our alignment and presence in asana practice can help align us with how we want to be present for the wider circles of life to which we’re connected. It’s my joy to be a part of the administrative team working behind the scenes, to offer Yin classes starting this fall, and to help hold space for conversation and learning about how we can embody antiracism. I feel I’m discovering more everyday about how we can draw strength from the gifts of our yoga lineage to grow both stronger and more flexible in heart-mind as we learn how to outgrow perpetuating injustice.”
“Now more than ever, I’m grateful for my mindfulness practices. During the pandemic, my practices of yoga asana, pranayama, and meditation have deepened tremendously. My chanting practice has broadened, and I have more uninterrupted time for the study of yoga philosophy and to do more writing.
I’m grateful that I’m able to dive deep during this time. I’m grateful for the opportunities to share the benefits of these practices with others through teaching on the YogaSource online platform. Although Zoom classes are ever so different from in-person interactions, I appreciate the sense of community so many of us have been able to maintain in the online format. Coming together on our mats in our respective homes, on a regular basis, in real time – even across many time zones! – has demonstrated the power of practice… and the power of our community.”