Solar Power!

This will sound like some sort of propaganda for Ana Brett and Ravi Singh's DVDs but I really wanted to share something; for my own benefit of reminder and to offer a powerful method to anyone who needs it.

Lately, I've been in something of a funk.  I know what it is; it's being in that strange in-between place where you've left an old way (that no longer suits you) behind, and have yet to manifest the new life fully enough to be immersed in it yet.  Some call it leaping into the void, others have called it living the split.  I call it the pits at times! Feeling pulled in 100 possible directions, not able to hear my own inner guidance which always points me in the direction for my highest good, and having a simultaneous feeling of both fatigue AND excessive electrical energy with no outlet. Yikes. Sort of like PMS with an existential crisis kick, how lovely.  But I get it, I observe it and I let it flow. Sort of, lol. (Honey, if you're reading this, just keep smiling!)

I have been looking for new employment for a few weeks now and was trying to stay open to a couple of vastly different scenarios; moving to Portland within weeks or even days, or staying in LA and starting a new gig someplace I will enjoy and feel honored for my true worth. Tall order it seems in this town, but I have faith.  Well, not having a focus has been keeping me from manifesting something, and the fears around an abrupt move and lengthy drive finally got the best of me.  We decided to stay put for now, save, search and make a nice orderly, relaxed move within a year at the most. I think, lol. Anyway, it lets me focus on the here and now, gives me someplace to direct my energies.  But still, I've been feeling frazzled and old addictions and cravings have been out of control, and I just haven't even given a damn really. I've kept it vegetarian and mostly vegan but you can have some pretty unhealthy things even in that realm. My recent batch of homemade and hearty veggie stew was fabulous, healing and my love helped me top finish a huge pot within about 2 days where that used to last me a week, but the rest of the time...oy.

So just now I took a stand with myself, hearing the wise words of the great teacher, Sri Pattabhi Jois who said "Practice...and all is coming."  I cannot deny that when I have a daily practice of any yoga I suddenly find myself moving with grace and strength, making informed choices rather than subconscious ramblings, and feeling a sense of openness and love towards everything and everyone.  So why the HELL don't I do this daily then, especially when I'm now home daily, cyber hunting for new employ?  Resistance.  Plain and simple.
Old patterns are like living entities and they know what habits give them power and what habits threaten their very existence.  If you were a nasty little habit who knew that when your "host" did yoga it meant the end of power for you altogether, you'd provide ample energy towards resistance too.  And so it goes.  Your higher self knows the answer is daily practice, it works beyond a doubt to where I only want things in and on my body that are truly life giving and as simple as nature gets; mainly fruit and greens.  But those old reliable friends, my patterns of comfort and numbing that kept me going in their own strange way, well they want to live.  But as I said, I took a stand.  After all, who's in charge here?! This is MY life, and lately I feel like I spend more time thinking about and planning how I WILL live it than actually living it. I want no part of this anymore.  Those patterns served their purpose for a time but now I bless them, thank them and let them goooo!

I put on a DVD by Ana Brett and Ravi Singh called Solar Power.  It's incredible; about an hour of vigorous but very safe and approachable Kundalini yoga with lots of breath of fire for cleansing and rejuvenation, and some truly miraculous moves and meditations.  I'd forgotten just how much every cell in my body loves this work.  I love all Kundalini and all Hatha, but this DVD calls out to me right now.  The Solar Power DVD focuses a lot on opening and strengthening the solar plexus; the epicenter for your nervous system and the nadis and is said by yoga to be the seat of power, focus, fearlessness and WILL. I'll take two of each please....maybe three or four of each?

So I got down, found myself far more rusty than I thought, and yet continued on because it felt great and I KNOW it does its job.  That is the magick, the alchemy of yoga; if you just breathe and do your part, the poses do the work for you. If you trust in the wisdom of the poses and the teachings, then your part is relatively simple. I sweat, I shook, I burned, but I also felt broken open, released, melted and FULL OF LIFE.  This is how I want to feel all day, every day...well, a more fit version, but with this underlying sense of life force and pure joy.

Is this a revelation for me? No. I've known that a daily practice was the key for me for ages, but there is always a turning point at the beginning of true, deep, permanent change.  People often describe me as looking and sounding like a faery

Sat Nam