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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 (seespaceweather.com) & the current movement/placement of celestial bodies ie: the sun, moon, planets, nodes, stars, etc. You can find me teaching currently atBlack Swan Yoga (North-Anderson) in Austin, TX. I am on the schedule as "Erika K." Mention this webpage for a free class.
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Hello darlings!
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A couple of weeks ago I talked about a feeling I was having that was matching what I was looking at in terms of collective energy and astrological weather. The image that matched the feeling was this: from high up, I saw a broad-bodied landscape of ocean. Some higher aspect of me was looking down on all of us, myself included, on surfboards, looking toward the horizon at a slowly-swelling wave in the distance. The feeling I had was of some larger force inside of myself (my inside voice, my Higher Self, something like this) as a wind or a strong energetic push to start to prepare for this exciting wave approaching; ie: paddling my feet to turn the board, keeping focus on my body on the board as well as the approaching wave. Like some exiting opportunity was approaching. An opportunity for change and moving forward. Now, I knew I could duck dive the wave, and any of us can. And that's perfectly ok. But we would remain where we already are on the board in the ocean, instead of on a new shore (depends of where you desire to be). I have continued to feel this inner push to get myself ready for a change. I have literally been packing up and organizing my things as I keep getting the message to head out in my van for a few months (maybe shorter, maybe longer). I also feel the energy of resistance trying to hold me back. Because that would mean I would have to leave my regular teaching schedule, my little family in Austin, my routine and life here. But I continue to get ready to be ready to be ready.
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This week, the word "temporary" got my attention strongly. And anytime I start to feel the anxiety of not having clear plans in the form of a completed map in front of me (but rather just the first few steps) I see that word "temporary," and remember that indeed, everything is just that. The increasingly uncomfortable feeling I am having at living in a house I'm not wanting to, is temporary. This small chapter in my life will close as all the others before have. It helps me to understand that life is paradox (holding what feel like opposites, or two opposing forces). Life/the "spiritual path" we are all on is paradoxical in nature. If I can hold that larger view that all is temporary, and that the nature of this life experience is paradoxical, it gives me just enough relief to keep pushing forward, getting ready for whatever new chapter is beginning for me.
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Now, it is my understanding that words do not teach, but rather experience does. So, we will be starting classes this week with a visualization exercise in order to do just that. If the explanation of the experience were put into words, it would be these:
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You can make peace with the things you do not want by saying: “no big deal, it’s temporary.” & you turn your attention more and more to things that feel better (cultivating theliterally powerfully creative energy of gratitude), before you know it, those things that were really plaguing you will bedistant memories that are rarely activated, and in time, not activated at all.
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Learning to live from a place of gratitude helps you see past the pain until you reach a state of grace you never even imagined.
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While in the midst of whatever suffering in the moment,
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trying to hold the larger view
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at the same time is where gratitude lives.
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And gratitude is a bridge from suffering to contentment. From survival, to thrival. From living in the lower energies of the smaller, scared, egoic, personality self, to those of the Soul Self, the Transcendent Self, the Higher Self.
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Yours in the desire to see beyond illusion, suffer less, and appreciate/thrive more,
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ek
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Click the image below for the music from this week's class:
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For this week's readings, see below.
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All That Glorious, Temporary Stuff
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Some days I fall asleep, or land in that
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even better place–half-asleep-where the world,
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spring, summer, autumn, winter-
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flies through my mind in its hardy ascent and its uncompromising descent.
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So I just lie like that, while distance and time
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reveal their true attitudes: they never
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heard of me, and never will, or ever need to.
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Of course I wake up finally
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thinking, how wonderful to be who I am,
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made out of earth and water,
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my own thoughts, my own fingerprints-
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all that glorious, temporary stuff.
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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. The first set of Q's is based on Mary Oliver's above-poem. The second is based on more that I will be sharing in class/deeper thinking along the lines of the theme for the week.
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What does the notion of "glorious, temporary stuff" mean to you? How do you perceive the temporality of your own life and experiences?
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In moments of quiet reflection or half-sleep, what thoughts or visions tend to surface for you? How do they influence your understanding of yourself and the world?
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How do you relate to the idea that "distance and time… never heard of me"? What does this perspective evoke about your place in the universe?
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What does it mean to you to be "made out of earth and water"? How do you connect with the natural elements that constitute your being?
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How do you reconcile the idea of your unique individuality (your thoughts, fingerprints) with the transient nature of existence?
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What role does gratitude play in your life when you consider the fleeting yet wondrous aspects of your existence?
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How do you experience the cycles of nature (spring, summer, autumn, winter) in your spiritual journey? What parallels do you draw between these cycles and your personal growth?
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When you reflect on the "hardy ascent and uncompromising descent" of life, how do you navigate the highs and lows of your spiritual path?
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What insights have you gained from embracing the impermanence of life? How does this awareness shape your daily choices and spiritual practices?
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In what ways do you find beauty or fulfillment in the ordinary, everyday aspects of life, recognizing their transient nature?
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———-
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How do you currently deal with challenges or situations you do not want? In what ways could the mindset of "no big deal, it’s temporary" transform your approach?
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What practices or habits help you turn your attention towards things that feel better? How can you incorporate more of these into your daily life?
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Can you recall a time when something that once deeply troubled you became a distant memory? What steps or shifts in perspective helped facilitate that change?
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How does living from a place of gratitude impact your ability to cope with pain or discomfort? What role does gratitude play in your spiritual journey?
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When you’re in the midst of suffering, how do you find the strength to hold a larger view? What practices or reminders help you maintain this perspective?
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What does “a state of grace” mean to you? How has gratitude helped you approach or experience such a state?
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How do you balance acknowledging pain in the moment with cultivating gratitude? What techniques help you stay grounded in both realities simultaneously?
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In what ways can holding a larger view during difficult times shift your experience of suffering? How might this perspective change your relationship with challenges?
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How do you ensure that gratitude is a consistent part of your life, even when faced with ongoing difficulties?
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What is one area of your life where you could apply this teaching more fully? How might it change your experience of that area?
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