Heartfelt goodbyes & Open-armed hellos

goodbye 20s and hello 30s!
Es my birthday this weekend and rarely do I celebrate or make that information public.

This year, however, I'm feelin' it....feelin' it deep from within.....a shift, a change, a sliver of clarity that is so kindly helping me to release an unserving version of myself and ushering in a brand new version of ME!

I'm so jazzed to be 30. I'm a real adult now! The wild 20s can now be put to rest. And I'm totally cool with that. 

My 20s were a trip, like most young people can agree. I dabbled in a little of this and that and tried a bunch of different selves on, only to have circled back to my center....something I haven't felt since I was a child. 

My 20s were a great time of experimentation. I went to college, got kicked outta college, went back to college, worked a bunch of strange jobs, lived in quite a few different houses, had 30+ different roommates over the years, collected over half a human body's worth of tattoos, dabbled in enough illegal substances to now know what NOT to do, got to see what jail was like for a couple of days, graduated college w/honors, had too many boyfriends, broke up with those boyfriends, met the mustached man of my dreams and found instant soul-love-connection, drank insane amounts of beer, absorbed myself into Krishna Consciousness, went 30 days without eating, moved out of Iowa to Arizona, discovered the magical world of plants and potency of the desert, crashed a moped which changed my life forever, found yoga, then the gong found me, and so much more I can't even put into words.

Through a decade of soul-searching and reckless abandon I found an equal sense of freedom and liberation in the pure ability to TRY THINGS OUT. I know I'm wiser because of it. I did not expect myself to be accountable for anything considered stable during my 20s except for the fact that I always worked and paid my bills, always held my own and always found my way. Though not everyone I encountered on my path understood my logic or reasoning at times (or lack thereof), I am blessed to have met so many fascinating and awesome people. And I've been gifted with a certain small group of amazing friends and an incredible family of sweet people who have always loved me. No matter how weird or crazy or strange my extreme swinging pendulum may have swayed in the past, I was always supported and appreciated during those times of exploration. So to those certain folks....you know who you are. Thank you for accepting me every bit of the way.

Now I embark on the first day of the rest of my life. That's how brand new I feel. And that's my motto every day. I feel a growing excitement encroaching....a sweet taste of adventure:::of travel and healing:::of wisdom and purpose:::of ageless beauty:::elegance and grace:::: all built upon a solid foundation of WISDOM through EXPERIENCE!

And how fitting.....take a nice nostalgic listen to the Stones Ruby Tuesday....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a00_tPLcE_g

May you also be inspired for adventure....
peace, love and blessings,
THE WISE OWL

xoxox

Fall into Balance

Happy Fall Equinox y'all!
Today marks the balance of :::night and day:::dark and light:::12 hours of each.
The Equinox offers us the understanding of balance, stability & equilibrium.
The residual effects of this last Full Harvest Moon in Pisces (On Sept 19) may have left you feeling equally inspired and tired. We were harnessing the balance between intuition and logic ::: freedom and routine ::: emotions and thought.
But really I think we are ALL tired here in the Valley of the Sun as it is STILL so hot. We've had a long knock-down-drag-out summer it seems. The high temperatures lately have been in the low 100s and flirting with the 90s, which is definitely a step in a more comfortable direction. I'm not usually one to complain much about the heat since I CHOSE to move to Arizona (plus this is the first of 3 summers that I've had any A/C in my car!).
But dang, I can't wait to open up all the windows in the house, burn a bunch of sage, put on some beautiful music and invite the winds of change back into my space!

We are now transitioning from summer to fall, from lightness to dark, from dynamic powerful heat to a cooler and calmer vibe. And I think it goes without saying that we are so ready for that! It's also a time of death...the death of one cycle and the birth of another. It almost feels like a precarious time of growth with a lot of old stuff surfacing in order to guide us through our darkest elements. So we need to remember that we are being Divinely supported on our paths to do this work....to walk the Void.

Those who seek the light must know their own darkness first.

That's been swirling around in my brain this last week as I've been contemplating where in my own life Universal messages are showing up. I've been hung up on avoiding the unique gifts of my Ego and now I'm not afraid to admit it. I've felt shame around being awesome and inspiring and powerful. WHY?
If I strive to control my life with a fine-tooth comb yet completely give away my personal power at no cost to anyone except to myself, how will my cup ever be full? How does that cultivate balance?

Some past injuries have been flaring back up and begging to be dealt with. I had to put my pride aside, accept that I need to take a step back in my personal practice, ask for help, dig in and give myself some LOVE.
I've been working really hard....I've been serving and giving and guiding and thinking and doing and teaching and networking and putting myself out there and starting a new business and working and still feeling broke and blah blah blah and yada yada yada....  
So now my cup is almost empty. How do I fill it back up? Where is the love for me?
Oh yeah...LOVE is all around me, I just need to receive.
So now listen to this amazing song then proceed.    :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjAoBKagWQA

We've got to recognize that we ALL have a darkness inside. If you think you don't then I don't believe you are human! And that's quite alright because it shows us it's ok to have fears, doubts, insecurities and lessons to learn. No one can escape from that, hence why we are here! You'll have to face your darkness at some point in some way. You can't hide from it.
Light casts shadow and that darkness shows up in every mystical teaching out there. Sometimes I feel like I myself am the Queen Darkness, the Holder of the Night, the Walker of the Void, Kali at the gates of hell, and the Wise Owl who seeks to emerge from the darkness to fall back into the light of balance.

But from walking in the dark we discover who we truly are. We may need to let go, grieve, release anger or resentment, get sad and have a moment or two or three. But through that process our strengths, our power, our intuition and our warrior spirit shines! If we can face the darkness then surely we can hold the light! We've made some peace with our own struggles and are drawn back into balance.
I think this is the key to opening the heart and understanding the balance of dark and light:::feminine and masculine:::receiving and giving::: for the heart has no boundaries, no limits, no labels, no polarities, no discriminations. In the space of the heart all is ONE. The heart is pure. Love is infinite and all around us, ready to be received.
So if you are like me and have been giving and giving and giving some more and ready to collapse, then ask yourself, "How do YOU feel?" What do you need to fill your cup back up? Are you receiving your own unique gifts and grace with open arms? Or is your Ego stuck in a space of doubt and insecurity? Do those you surround yourself with support you on this path of growth? Are you ready to love and believe in yourself?

Close your eyes and breath. When thoughts arise listen to the breath for information. How do you feel? Breathe into the spaces that feel weak or neglected.
Let yourself be FREE to explore the space of darkness inside. Trust that all is working in YOUR favor.
And allow yourself to emerge with the lightness of who you who TRULY are.
Set an intention to fearlessly Shine Your light.

May you utilize this Equinox to Fall back into Balance.
Cheers and blessings,
the wise owl
XOXOX

Sedona Magic!

We had a BLAST at the Sedona Yoga Trek Day Retreat this last Saturday. Lisa Hecke and I teamed up with a group of fantastic women to explore New Moon energy in beautiful Northern Arizona. 

We ventured around parts of Oak Creek, Crescent Ranch, were soothed by native flutes at Montezuma's Well, swam in cold clear water, wildcrafted some herbs, practiced yoga overlooking beautiful red rocks, bought some amazing new crystals, enjoyed a peaceful picnic & experienced the healing power of the gong outside in the forest. 

It was magical to say the least!

Hope you can join us again sometime for an outdoor yoga adventure!

cheers & blessings,

the wise owl

xoxoxo

the passive-aggressive hippie....

I couldn't resist.....

(isn't aggressive spelled with two "g"s? hmmmm)

I like being able to make fun of myself in the yoga world. You almost have to to survive!

I went to a party once and when a guy asked what I do for a living I said, "I'm a yoga teacher." 

Although he replies with words it could have easily been translated into an immediate erection.

"OHHHHHHH yeahh...so you can put your foot behind your head?"

I'm not stupid. I know he was on the edge of his seat waiting for me to show him right there that I could. Unless I'm trying to pick up a date, why would I entertain that thought in any way?

All you can do is laugh.

There's a stereotype for everyone and everything. And the funny thing is that I think many folks perpetuate their own stereotypes! Just take a look around and OBSERVE what you see. 

So all we can do is laugh.

There is a deeply earnest undercurrent to the science, art and practice of yoga, but ya can't lose your humor! My man helps me with this EVERY DAY. He's the ultimate jokester and drives me insane with his continuous antics of sarcasm. He always says, "I'm just funnin". Although I get uptight sometimes, I love him for it. It's what keeps me sane. It's what draws me away from mental rigidity and back into the space of playful behavior.

Yes meditation is strict business and there are plenty of teachers, spiritual leaders and gurus that will tell you there's no room for smiling, laughing or the distractions of mindless pleasures.

But I believe a lighthearted approach just may save ourselves from ourselves.
Humor can pull us away from our insecurities and sensitivities. With humor we focus less on dogmas and imposing a somewhat passive-aggressive approach upon others, and instead just take a backseat and enjoy the ride.

I remember years ago when I explored the practice of veganism and instantly adopted the approach as the only and one approach (this is my baggage and story, not yours....so if you are a vegan I really don't care either way.....do what makes YOU feel best!).

Suddenly everyone around me got nervous. I couldn't eat anywhere with anyone because the menu didn't fit my life (I was in Iowa at the time, mind you). Suddenly what started as an attempt to regain my health and cleanse my body, mind and spirit from negative karma and acidic foods, turned into a militant passive-aggressive bitch patrol. I was gettin WAY TOO SERIOUS!

It wasn't so much the fact I was abstaining from all animal products that put others on edge, but more so my judgmental, confrontational, intimidating and somewhat dominate attitude that accompanied it.

So when I saw this cartoon I couldn't resist.
Just do what you love and love what you do. 

Let others do the same.

Find what brings you together rather than what pulls you apart.

And for God's sake, just laugh it off.

That's my motto as of late and I hope you can find comfort in it too.

from the cheesiest, tackiest and silliest place within me,
I bow to that same space within you!
NAMASTE!
the wise owl 

xoxox