Hello Fellow Body-Mind-Hearts –

First, if you are in the Seattle area I will be in town offering a pop-up in person outdoor yoga and meditation class on Thursday, September 23, 10-11:30am at Volunteer Park…followed by some time to socialize, so come by afterwards if you can’t come to class… YAY! Click HERE to register through Seattle Yoga Arts. Space is limited so register early. If you are unable to join class or would simply rather have a visit, I will be hanging out for an hour afterward class to socialize. The event will be canceled if it rains. I would love to see you there!

With so many restrictions and on-going changes to our schedules and what we can do and where we can go, it is easy to get bogged down and focus on all the things we can’t do and all the losses. I have been working with consciously changing my body-mind-heart state by asking instead…what can I do?

“What can I do?” This simple inquiry shifts my mind state and offers me possibility. And these days it seems that life is anything but full of possibility! It is so easy to notice all the things that have been taken away and ways we are unable to be in the world that we used to take for granted. And there are so many. Yet, there is always something we can do within the confines of our circumstances. 

“What can I do?” For days now, I have not been able to go outside due to hazardous smoke levels. I don’t get to enjoy the sunshine or go to the lake with friends, or sit on my porch to eat my lunch. I can acknowledge these truths and losses and then open to what it is I can do. I can connect with my students and clients virtually. I can do some of the little house projects that often fall off the radar. I can give the cats some really dedicated playtime. I can spend a little more time in meditation or in my workout. I can rest.

“What can I do?” Often, as I read the news and consider all the incredible hardship in the world I feel overwhelmed and that nothing I could possibly do would make a difference…I can’t do much about many things happening around the globe. But, what is mine to do in my little corner of the universe? I can offer kindness to others. I can be generous with my self. I can keep learning and growing and deepening my presence with the world. I can show up for my life even if it is not exactly as I had hoped or dreamed. I can stay committed to the work I do to support others in their journey of healing and growth.

I invite you to try saying, “What can I do?”, several times out loud with the emphasis on a different word each time and see what this elicits. Play with shifting the perspective from what you can’t do in this moment to what you can and see if that opens up a different way of moving through your day.

May we be willing to inquire as to what we can do in any given circumstance

May we be generous and kind of word and spirit with others

May we honor the limitations of our life and celebrate all we are able to do besides

May we seek out opportunities to offer ourselves to life just as it finds us and we find it

May we trust that there is always something we can do (or not do!) in any moment

May we be compassionate with ourselves and others during these trying times

Practice Prompts:

• When you notice the tendency of your mind to focus on all that you aren’t able to do, pause, and practice asking, “what can I do?” in this circumstance with this limited time, etc.
• When you’re on your practice mat notice when the committee shows up in your mind to tell you all the things you are doing wrong, or can no longer do or wish you could do. Thank them for their input and then take a few moments to consider “What can I do?” even if I can’t do this other thing? This is really helpful when working with an injury.
• When you notice that you’re in an activated state that feels tight and charged and limited. Pause. Bring your attention to the back of your eyes and invite them to soften and widen. Then do the same with the root of your tongue. Then see if your nervous system state has shifted in any way…have you slowed down or let go or settled in any way that can allow you to access a more curious and open attention.
• Schedule a free 20 minute Introductory Consultation to learn more about what I offer and how I might be able to support you in learning lots of ways to cultivate state shifts in your being.

Upcoming Live Streaming Practice Opportunities:

• In Person Outdoor Slow Flow Class, Thursday, September 23, 10-11:30am at Volunteer Park hosted by Seattle Yoga Arts
• Slow Flow Yoga, Mondays, 10-11:30am PDT  live stream through Seattle Yoga Arts
• All Levels Yoga, Sunday, October 3, 10-11:30am PDT, live stream through Two Dog Yoga
• Yoga Nidra Practice, Sunday, October 3, 5:30-7pm PDT, live stream through Two Dog Yoga
• Continuum Inquiry Playshop, Monday, October 11, 6-8pm PDT live stream through Body of Insight
• On Demand Yoga Practices…All Levels… through Seattle Yoga Arts (practice with me anytime, anywhere!)

Inspirational Wisdom:

You are the future

You are the future, the immense morning sky
turning red over the prairies of eternity.
You are the rooster-crow after the night of time,
the dew, the early devotions, and the Daughter,
the Guest, the Ancient Mother, and Death.

You are the shape that changes its own shape,
that climbs out of fate, towering,
and which is never shouted for, and never mourned for,
and no more explored than a savage wood.

You are the meaning deepest inside things,
that never reveals the secrets of its owner.
And how you look depends on where we are:
from a boat you are a shore, from the shore a boat.

                                          © Rainer Maria Rilke