I am creating these “Yoga Extras” blog posts for those of you resonating with the public yoga classes & Yoga Teacher Trainings I am leading. Inside of these blog posts you will find extra resources that support our weekly class theme. The weekly classes I guide are themed according to the season & collective energetic “weather”–This is of course influenced by many things; for instance, not only national and global events but how masses of people are feeling about and reacting to those events. It is also influenced by space weather (see spaceweather.com) & the current movement/placement of celestial bodies ie: the sun, moon, planets, nodes, stars, etc. You can find me teaching currently at Black Swan Yoga (North-Anderson) in Austin, TX. I am on the schedule as “Erika K.” Mention this webpage for a free class.
Hello dear beings!
One of you asked me last week: “How are you?” That’s a question I often have some difficulty answering, as I feel SO MANY THINGS! I settled on the answer: “unsettled.” This being nodded in understanding. We both agreed that unsettled is not our favorite way to feel. He then said: “The great thing about feeling that way is that it pushes you forward.” I couldn’t have agreed more, as I have been acknowledging that to myself over and over for a good long while now. I had also overheard someone say: “the obstacle IS the path.” And I thought, this is exactly why I offer the service in the world as I do. Because I need the constant reminders in order to stay upright and keep moving, rather than giving in to hard feelings and throwing my hands up in the air. I share this with you because it helps me. It honestly does. These reminders. Every time I want to freak out and give up on because of this gnawing unsettled feeling that seems to be following me around, I think: “This is like gas in a car. Fuel in a jet. Use it, Erika.” That one slight turn of mind makes the difference. And I’ve got to remember it over and over and over.
I watched a flying movie this week, and interestingly enough, had taken a full weekend course where they used a plane as their main metaphor. The plane follows this invisible signal in order to stay on course to its destination. And it doesn’t fly in a straight line. The pilot makes constant course corrections. Sometimes they are on the beam. Sometimes they are off. But they continue to follow the signal. The other reminder that came to me is that an airplane takes off IN to the wind. Against all that resistance in order to take off and gain altitude. So it is with us. I hope some stray word or metaphor here is useful some of you this week as you navigate your personal and collective skies.
We’re in this together, on the beam and off. Following that great internal signal that guides us. And it ain’t always gonna feel good. But it’s not always going to feel unsettling either. We are here for the full spectrum of feeling and experience.
Yours in flight,
ek
Click the image below for the music from this week’s class:
For this week’s readings, see below.
Almost when you least expect it, things fall into place.
You realize that what was left behind was making space
for what was about to arrive.
The quiet let you hear the guidance.
The unhappiness forced you to make a move.
The unsettledness made you keep seeking.
The end ushered in a new beginning.
The doors that closed turned you to the ones that were opening.
The lessons were always leading you.
Everytime you got it wrong, you were one step closer to having it right.
I hope you allow your life to be bigger
than you ever thought it could be.
I hope you allow yourself to embody more beauty than you ever thought possible.
I hope you don’t get trapped by the small stories, the little ideas about what you thought the future may be.
I hope you don’t long for the things you’ve outgrown, just because they’re familiar.
I hope you don’t feel everything you lose to be a loss.
I hope you don’t define yourself only by the limits of what you’ve known.
I hope you do not cap your potential
At what others said was possible.
Most of all, I hope you recognize the light when it hits you.
Below are two sets of active-learning opportunities (vs passive-learning like reading or listening to information). I advocate for active-learning as a booster shot for your personal growth. We must investigate ourselves for answers, not just repeat back info. we’ve heard.
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Reflective Awareness:How have you experienced moments when letting go of something allowed new opportunities to emerge in your life? How does this align with the idea of “making space” for what’s about to arrive?
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Guidance Through Stillness:How has finding stillness or quiet in your yoga practice helped you hear inner guidance or wisdom? Can you recall a specific instance when this quiet led you to a significant realization or decision?
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Growth Through Discomfort:Think about a time when discomfort or unhappiness prompted you to make a positive change. How did this experience mirror the idea that “unhappiness forced you to make a move”?
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Embracing New Beginnings:Reflect on a period in your life where an ending led to a new beginning. How did you navigate this transition, and how can this experience inform your practice of staying open to new possibilities?
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Learning from Mistakes:How have mistakes or missteps in your yoga practice helped you grow and improve? In what ways does this connect to the notion that every wrong step brings you closer to getting it right?
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Expanding Your Vision:How do you envision your life being bigger and more beautiful than you previously imagined? How can yoga support you in breaking free from limiting beliefs and embracing a more expansive view of yourself?
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Letting Go of Familiarity:What familiar patterns or habits have you had to let go of in order to grow? How can you use your yoga practice to support you in moving beyond the familiar and embracing new ways of being?
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Redefining Loss:How do you perceive and deal with loss in your life? How can you shift your perspective to see what you might gain from letting go, rather than focusing solely on what you have lost?
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Challenging Limitations:Reflect on a time when you felt constrained by what others thought was possible for you. How did you overcome this limitation, and how can yoga empower you to push beyond these boundaries?
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Recognizing the Light:What does it mean for you to “recognize the light when it hits you”? How can you cultivate a greater awareness and appreciation for moments of clarity and inspiration in your life and practice?
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