Listen to the River
Last week, we were at the Smith River for 4 days and it was divine. We have friends who live out on the South Fork and are homesteaders. I always get super inspired when we spend time there. They live totally off the grid, grow an abundance of food, and now have use of a solar oven and a super cold room for food storage. There is no internet, no phone, not even a car as we have to walk 30 mins from the parking area to the house. I love the days spent outside doing yoga and meditation under the tree, walking through the water, resting in the sand, exploring the garden, sleeping under the stars. I find myself getting extremely relaxed, sleeping a ton, and generally slowing down. I often leave wondering how I can integrate this slower pace into my own life. How can I spend more time in nature, how can I expand my garden, how can I simplify my life? It was quite apropos that I started to read a recent biography of Ramana Maharshi, a 20th century Indian sage, while we were there. He awakened at the age of 17 and became a highly recognized wisdom being.
So this last week in classes, I shared this teaching of his, with inspiration from my time at the river. “Your duty is to be and not to be this or that. 'I am that I am' sums up the whole truth. The method is summed up in the words 'Be still'. What does stillness mean? It means destroy yourself. Because any form or shape is the cause for trouble. Give up the notion that 'I am so and so'. All that is required to realize the Self is to be still. What can be easier than that?”
And it was so perfect that my last class of the week was our last day of the Awakening the Voice of the Heart course - a retreat on the Mad River where everyone spent solo time at the river and then we shared our experiences and finished with yoga under the trees. The course was all about listening to and awakening the inner voice of wisdom, so being by the river supported this quiet, deep listening.
The river and any wild nature inspires me to look within and be with myself. There's nothing to do but listen, drop in to nature, enjoy the water and sun on my skin. I realize how much I get caught up in all the things I want to do, all the ways I get attached to who I am and how I want to be. So this teaching has been sweet for me to contemplate this week. Just be still, just be with myself, be simple - in my meditation, in my teaching, in my cooking and packing for a trip. And what I've been adding to his words here, is to recognize that the stillness within me is the same stillness in nature- in the plants, the river, the rocks and birds. It is the underlying essence of all things which is perfectly whole and complete, and when I can come into this, feel this within me, I feel myself letting go and resting with ease.
And now we're gearing up for our next yoga and river experience on the Trinity River. I'll be teaching with Patrick and Karen Harris. It's such a sweet weekend of communing with yogis in nature, practicing yoga and meditation outside, eating great food, having fun in the water, and making new friendships. This is one of my favorite events of the year and we have a great group forming. This will likely be our last year at this location, after about 10 years. I hope you can join us!
I wish you the greatest of ease today,
namsaste.
Musings on life and Yoga with Robyn Smith, certified Anusara Yoga instructor from Arcata, Ca www.innerfreedomyoga.com
Monday, July 29, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Summer Updates
Happy Summer everyone! I know it's been quite a while since I've blogged, so here's a snapshot of what I'm exploring or have been doing:
Post-Cleanse Tips: It was a great moderate cleanse for me and I'm still pleased with my diet overall. It helps to have so much access to fresh garden and market veggies! I tend to be a fairly healthy eater anyway but I have found that traveling and eating well is much more challenging. Here's what I do: Bring food for the plane so I'm not stuck w. airplane and airport food. I have great containers that hold grain and veggies easily, so I usually bring something like that for the plane. I also bring nuts for snacks. This is my usual mode in town as well, whether I'm eating at home or in town. We just make a pot of grain every 3 - 4 days and use it for 1 -2 meals a day. We also make a big veggie dish every 2 - 3 days and use that for 1 - 2 meals per day. I like to bring my own veggies and grain w. me, sometimes salad or meat or hummus or dal or whatever else I've made, so I know I'm getting healthy food when I"m home or in town. I'm also enjoying soaked almonds as a snack (left over from the cleanse) and peeling the skin off is so easy when they're soaked, which makes hem more digestible.
Upper Limits Problem - a term from the Hendricks: Last week, I taught about this in classes after I realized it happening to me. I got a cold and felt pretty down after coming back from my last fabulous Hendricks training in early June. The ULP is when people have a downfall after some sort of great experience. So after a wonderful time away with your partner, getting a raise at work, feeling especially high on life in some way, you may find yourself starting a fight or worrying, tripping, breaking things, injuring yourself, feeling negative, stressed, or getting sick. We unconsciously do this to bring ourselves down to our usual comfort zone, our set thermostat for positive energy. How to make the shift? First, notice your specific pattern. Then, breathe and ask yourself what you need. Do you need to have a conversation and talk about your feelings? Do you need to sit and breathe, do some yoga, or take a walk in nature and get some space? All of these can be very helpful. I also like using a statement to affirm my intention to be able to contain more positive energy. Here's the one I like from the Hendricks: I am willing to grow a new nervous system capable of sustaining large amounts of positive energy for long periods of time. Give it a try!
And before I part, I want to let you know we have a Summer Special for July-August: 20 classes for $160 which expire August 31. For one person.
I hope to see you soon!
Robyn
For monthly updates about our events and specials, be sure to sign up for our newsletter and Like our Facebook page.
Post-Cleanse Tips: It was a great moderate cleanse for me and I'm still pleased with my diet overall. It helps to have so much access to fresh garden and market veggies! I tend to be a fairly healthy eater anyway but I have found that traveling and eating well is much more challenging. Here's what I do: Bring food for the plane so I'm not stuck w. airplane and airport food. I have great containers that hold grain and veggies easily, so I usually bring something like that for the plane. I also bring nuts for snacks. This is my usual mode in town as well, whether I'm eating at home or in town. We just make a pot of grain every 3 - 4 days and use it for 1 -2 meals a day. We also make a big veggie dish every 2 - 3 days and use that for 1 - 2 meals per day. I like to bring my own veggies and grain w. me, sometimes salad or meat or hummus or dal or whatever else I've made, so I know I'm getting healthy food when I"m home or in town. I'm also enjoying soaked almonds as a snack (left over from the cleanse) and peeling the skin off is so easy when they're soaked, which makes hem more digestible.
Upper Limits Problem - a term from the Hendricks: Last week, I taught about this in classes after I realized it happening to me. I got a cold and felt pretty down after coming back from my last fabulous Hendricks training in early June. The ULP is when people have a downfall after some sort of great experience. So after a wonderful time away with your partner, getting a raise at work, feeling especially high on life in some way, you may find yourself starting a fight or worrying, tripping, breaking things, injuring yourself, feeling negative, stressed, or getting sick. We unconsciously do this to bring ourselves down to our usual comfort zone, our set thermostat for positive energy. How to make the shift? First, notice your specific pattern. Then, breathe and ask yourself what you need. Do you need to have a conversation and talk about your feelings? Do you need to sit and breathe, do some yoga, or take a walk in nature and get some space? All of these can be very helpful. I also like using a statement to affirm my intention to be able to contain more positive energy. Here's the one I like from the Hendricks: I am willing to grow a new nervous system capable of sustaining large amounts of positive energy for long periods of time. Give it a try!
And before I part, I want to let you know we have a Summer Special for July-August: 20 classes for $160 which expire August 31. For one person.
I hope to see you soon!
Robyn
For monthly updates about our events and specials, be sure to sign up for our newsletter and Like our Facebook page.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Inspiration for Cleansing
I'm having a great time on the cleanse this year. I love how light and energetic I feel and how little hunger I have. I find it quite amazing that I can feel this good with such a reduced caloric intake! Of course, I couldn't do it forever, but it's a great reminder to me that eating less and eating cleaner just feels better!
One of the things I'm especially getting a kick out of with this cleanse group, that I'm leading for the first time, is sending out the inspirational emails with recipes and cleansing tips. It's been fun for me to remember old recipes and cool practices from all the years of cleansing I've done. Another great boon is watching the participants discover more energy, vitality and lightness in their bodies. And it's super cool to share the group emails where people share their own tips, recipes and especially their physical experiences. In fact, I got so inspired by the process, that I decided to offer a second round of cleanse support to anyone who wants to start in late May. Here's the info for anyone interested.
Since I just watched the movie, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, my inspiration to support people in making healthy lifestyle changes has skyrocketed- and that's partly why I wanted to offer the cleanse again. I've been talking for weeks in my classes about discipline and commitment in regards to self-care. And this movie was so powerful in that arena. It follows two very obese men as they completely transform their lives by doing 60-days of juice fasting. I definitely think that's very extreme, especially coming from a hamburgers and coke kind of diet and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. (Luckily the guys in the movie were being watched closely by their doctors). That's why I like this cleanse so much. It's super gradual and very user-friendly, plus, it's actually a deep colon cleanse with all the awesome herbs included. That said, the guys in the movie had tremendous will power to pull that off! And their "nearly dead" health conditions completely turned around! They inspired many others to follow their lead and change their lives. "If they can do it, I can do it," was the common thread, as I'm sure it is for many who see the movie.
And what I found very fascinating was that there were still people close to them, some also quite obese, who said "I couldn't do it. I just don't have the will power." I'm fascinated by this. What does it take to make a major life change? For many of us, it takes something cataclysmic, like having a serious disease or accident, loss of a loved one, or something that shakes you to the core. And for others, they really do not have the will power (or don't believe that they do), and they just decide to eat or smoke themselves to death because they'd rather have an easeful life and die early than a longer one that requires strong discipline and in their minds, less joy. That's pretty much what somebody in the movie said. And perhaps they didn't feel their life was worth extending or they just didn't believe they could be happier by being healthier, or that it was worth it. So I'm just curious about when we decide to exercise our will, and when we don't, or when we lapse in our discipline, and when we get back on track, and why. I wonder if those in the movie who said they didn't have the will power could do it with a group to support them, who were also doing it?
This is a big discussion, so I'll leave it here, but I'll come back and explore this more with you soon!
To your full health!
One of the things I'm especially getting a kick out of with this cleanse group, that I'm leading for the first time, is sending out the inspirational emails with recipes and cleansing tips. It's been fun for me to remember old recipes and cool practices from all the years of cleansing I've done. Another great boon is watching the participants discover more energy, vitality and lightness in their bodies. And it's super cool to share the group emails where people share their own tips, recipes and especially their physical experiences. In fact, I got so inspired by the process, that I decided to offer a second round of cleanse support to anyone who wants to start in late May. Here's the info for anyone interested.
Since I just watched the movie, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, my inspiration to support people in making healthy lifestyle changes has skyrocketed- and that's partly why I wanted to offer the cleanse again. I've been talking for weeks in my classes about discipline and commitment in regards to self-care. And this movie was so powerful in that arena. It follows two very obese men as they completely transform their lives by doing 60-days of juice fasting. I definitely think that's very extreme, especially coming from a hamburgers and coke kind of diet and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. (Luckily the guys in the movie were being watched closely by their doctors). That's why I like this cleanse so much. It's super gradual and very user-friendly, plus, it's actually a deep colon cleanse with all the awesome herbs included. That said, the guys in the movie had tremendous will power to pull that off! And their "nearly dead" health conditions completely turned around! They inspired many others to follow their lead and change their lives. "If they can do it, I can do it," was the common thread, as I'm sure it is for many who see the movie.
And what I found very fascinating was that there were still people close to them, some also quite obese, who said "I couldn't do it. I just don't have the will power." I'm fascinated by this. What does it take to make a major life change? For many of us, it takes something cataclysmic, like having a serious disease or accident, loss of a loved one, or something that shakes you to the core. And for others, they really do not have the will power (or don't believe that they do), and they just decide to eat or smoke themselves to death because they'd rather have an easeful life and die early than a longer one that requires strong discipline and in their minds, less joy. That's pretty much what somebody in the movie said. And perhaps they didn't feel their life was worth extending or they just didn't believe they could be happier by being healthier, or that it was worth it. So I'm just curious about when we decide to exercise our will, and when we don't, or when we lapse in our discipline, and when we get back on track, and why. I wonder if those in the movie who said they didn't have the will power could do it with a group to support them, who were also doing it?
This is a big discussion, so I'll leave it here, but I'll come back and explore this more with you soon!
To your full health!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Taking a Stand for My Health
I've been thinking a lot about my relationship to self-care, especially since starting to lead our group cleanse. Although I'm not doing the full cleanse at this time for various reasons, I am choosing to eat mostly vegetables, alkaline foods, and lots of huge salads. I love the feeling of taking greater care of myself through diet, supplements, exercise, and other practices like oiling my skin after bathing.
All week in classes, I taught about creating the balance between taking a stand for ourselves and self-appreciation (inspired by one of the Hendricks' grads, Matt Chappman). It's been a great inquiry for me in regards to my health. What do I stand for with my health? Where do I put my foot down and say "no" to certain foods or activities, yes to others, and where am I more lenient or easygoing?
For me, there's something empowering and freeing about making a commitment. Then I know where I stand and I don't have to be in limbo. Like when I'm cleansing, I just commit to only alkaline foods, no meat, no dairy, no sugars, no salt, no processed food. I'm not tempted by other foods- at least for that time period, because of my commitment. And instead of feeling restricted by that, I actually feel a sense of ease.
Appreciation becomes a great balance to the discipline of commitment. I appreciate my commitment, I appreciate myself for taking care of myself, and this appreciation softens the intensity of my discipline. Otherwise, discipline can feel too rigid and tight. It's also super helpful if my commitment waivers. If I fall out of discipline in some way, then instead of beating myself up, I just get back on the horse and recommit. In Hendricks' speak. We call it a drift when we fall off track with our commitments, and a shift when we get back on. So if you drift, then you shift again. Simple.
I've been thinking about all of this in light of how challenging it can be to create new healthy habits for ourselves. When I researched it, I found that it can take anywhere from 18 to over 100 days to create a new habit, depending on the person, with an average of 66 days. So that means discipline with a new activity is really important. We have to practice something over a period of time in order for it to "take." (In yoga, abhyasa is crucial for results, and it means consistent practice over a long period of time. But it must be balanced with letting go of attachments - vairagya).
I think this is really true for many new yoga students. So many people get excited after the Beginners' course and sign up for a series. Then they come once or twice and we often don't see them again. I feel sad about that. I really want people to integrate yoga into their lives, but it's up to them. They have to make that commitment to themselves to keep showing up, even when they feel resistant. It's this continuous practice, over several weeks, that will create that new habit for them. Then it's not a question of going or not, it's just built into their lives, like eating 3 meals a day or taking a shower. It becomes a commitment and they start structuring it into their schedules.
What are you committed to? How do you take a stand for your health?
All week in classes, I taught about creating the balance between taking a stand for ourselves and self-appreciation (inspired by one of the Hendricks' grads, Matt Chappman). It's been a great inquiry for me in regards to my health. What do I stand for with my health? Where do I put my foot down and say "no" to certain foods or activities, yes to others, and where am I more lenient or easygoing?
For me, there's something empowering and freeing about making a commitment. Then I know where I stand and I don't have to be in limbo. Like when I'm cleansing, I just commit to only alkaline foods, no meat, no dairy, no sugars, no salt, no processed food. I'm not tempted by other foods- at least for that time period, because of my commitment. And instead of feeling restricted by that, I actually feel a sense of ease.
Appreciation becomes a great balance to the discipline of commitment. I appreciate my commitment, I appreciate myself for taking care of myself, and this appreciation softens the intensity of my discipline. Otherwise, discipline can feel too rigid and tight. It's also super helpful if my commitment waivers. If I fall out of discipline in some way, then instead of beating myself up, I just get back on the horse and recommit. In Hendricks' speak. We call it a drift when we fall off track with our commitments, and a shift when we get back on. So if you drift, then you shift again. Simple.
I've been thinking about all of this in light of how challenging it can be to create new healthy habits for ourselves. When I researched it, I found that it can take anywhere from 18 to over 100 days to create a new habit, depending on the person, with an average of 66 days. So that means discipline with a new activity is really important. We have to practice something over a period of time in order for it to "take." (In yoga, abhyasa is crucial for results, and it means consistent practice over a long period of time. But it must be balanced with letting go of attachments - vairagya).
I think this is really true for many new yoga students. So many people get excited after the Beginners' course and sign up for a series. Then they come once or twice and we often don't see them again. I feel sad about that. I really want people to integrate yoga into their lives, but it's up to them. They have to make that commitment to themselves to keep showing up, even when they feel resistant. It's this continuous practice, over several weeks, that will create that new habit for them. Then it's not a question of going or not, it's just built into their lives, like eating 3 meals a day or taking a shower. It becomes a commitment and they start structuring it into their schedules.
What are you committed to? How do you take a stand for your health?
Thursday, April 11, 2013
My Bio as My Story
It is April 11 and I'm so happy to be back at my blog! I'm probably having the busiest Spring ever, so I've let my blogging slide- and I miss it!
Where I've been focusing my writing energy the most these days is in rewriting my bio. It's been such an interesting process for me. Months or rewrites! First it was for my own website, and then it was for the TeleSummit site. I can't believe how many drafts I've been through at this point - from over a page to just a paragraph. My TeleSummit bio has been up for a couple months, and I recently decided to rewrite it. Realized there's more I could say.
I've been scared about putting myself out there in a more vulnerable way, but also wanting to do that, to come out as who I truly am and what I've been through. Ready to stop hiding. And this TeleSummit, where I'm getting interviewed about how yoga has transformed my life on April 23, created the perfect opportunity to look deeper at my journey.
I've been unsure of what exactly I wanted to share, how to keep it simple and concise. Lots of questions like: What's important? What's boasting? Who am I really? What do I have to offer? How can I best describe what I do? What have I actually learned along the way? How has yoga changed my life? What do I want people to know about me? How can this be of service?
So it's been quite poignant, like diving into my life story. The funniest thing is that in the course I'm currently co-teaching with Karen Harris and Therese Fitz-Maurice, we are asking people to write up their stories, either whole life story or a story that needs some healing, with the idea that working on the story and sharing it, does bring healing. So this is, in effect, what I've been doing anyway. And along with my Hendricks training, and my commitment to being authentic and transparent, I'm really taking this bio into new and vulnerable territory.
I've realized that my story of insecurity and low self-esteem is big. It's been a huge player and driving force in my life, creating my big Perfectionist persona, who tries to protect me from pain and loss, as well as the Driver, who's always pushing to accomplish things in the world. I can see how much healing I've done in this area, and there's more, and it's still my story. I have recognized that I'm not alone in this, of course, and it's still my story. I think my owning this aspect of myself and being willing to share it with others actually helps me to embrace all of myself, actually helps me detach from the story of "I'm not worthy, I'm not enough" and claim that this story and my journey with it are my gifts instead of my faults. And I get empowered by sharing them. WOW! It's totally the opposite of the pattern of hiding them because I feel ashamed. How about stepping up and sharing them and then I feel powerful and strong and hardly feel their pull on me anymore!
And I know by lots of recent experiences now, that me sharing this and letting others see into me, into-me-see = intimacy (thanks to Marc Takaha for that one), that I become more connected to people, which is what I really want anyway. AND, this is completely the opposite of what happens if I hide or pretend to be something I'm not! And I also see that coming forward with my story can also be of service to others who are hiding behind their own wall of shame. In fact, I feel so pumped up by this process, that I just want to get on my soapbox and tell everyone to stand up and share something they've never shared before, tell their loved ones their darkest secrets, tell a friend something they've been withholding, and let yourself be seen and held in all of who you are!
So this is where I see my teaching going, and it already has, in workshops, in retreats, long term courses like the one I'm dong with Karen: helping people to own, to share their stories, to embrace themselves, their true essence, to be seen and let go of the armoring that keeps those stories hidden. (Of course the deeper unfolding may take longer, but this is where my personal coaching practice can help, or some other modality). I believe it's our hiding, our trying to disown part of ourselves, our trying to be somebody that we're not, that holds us back from living the life we truly want to live. Hiding is pent-up energy. Revealing is releasing energy!
Okay, I'm super excited now. Thanks for reading this far. I'll come back to this thread later. But for now, here's my latest TeleSummit bio: super brief for the website, but hopefully, it encapsulates some of what I've shared. I love your feedback!
Namaste,
Robyn
Robyn Smith, owner of Inner Freedom Yoga in Arcata, CA, is a certified Anusara yoga instructor, Hanna Somatic Educator, and Hendricks Conscious Living and Loving coach. She's been teaching yoga for over 18 years, helping people with chronic pain and tension since 1998, and engaging in conscious communication and healthy lifestyle practices since she was 20. She's in awe of yoga's power to transform all aspects of life and her teachings offer empowering messages of love and healing.
Having struggled with early loss and a teenage eating disorder, she's no stranger to self hatred and deep insecurity. With growing self esteem and confidence over the last 25 years, she has come to know that her essence is wholeness, and she's committed to loving herself and experiencing radiant self esteem all the time.
Robyn is a champion for living the life you love. Through her teaching and coaching, she helps people reclaim their bodies, live from their hearts, and celebrate their true essence. She delights in gardening, nature hikes, and growing community through parties, long courses and retreats.
Where I've been focusing my writing energy the most these days is in rewriting my bio. It's been such an interesting process for me. Months or rewrites! First it was for my own website, and then it was for the TeleSummit site. I can't believe how many drafts I've been through at this point - from over a page to just a paragraph. My TeleSummit bio has been up for a couple months, and I recently decided to rewrite it. Realized there's more I could say.
I've been scared about putting myself out there in a more vulnerable way, but also wanting to do that, to come out as who I truly am and what I've been through. Ready to stop hiding. And this TeleSummit, where I'm getting interviewed about how yoga has transformed my life on April 23, created the perfect opportunity to look deeper at my journey.
I've been unsure of what exactly I wanted to share, how to keep it simple and concise. Lots of questions like: What's important? What's boasting? Who am I really? What do I have to offer? How can I best describe what I do? What have I actually learned along the way? How has yoga changed my life? What do I want people to know about me? How can this be of service?
So it's been quite poignant, like diving into my life story. The funniest thing is that in the course I'm currently co-teaching with Karen Harris and Therese Fitz-Maurice, we are asking people to write up their stories, either whole life story or a story that needs some healing, with the idea that working on the story and sharing it, does bring healing. So this is, in effect, what I've been doing anyway. And along with my Hendricks training, and my commitment to being authentic and transparent, I'm really taking this bio into new and vulnerable territory.
I've realized that my story of insecurity and low self-esteem is big. It's been a huge player and driving force in my life, creating my big Perfectionist persona, who tries to protect me from pain and loss, as well as the Driver, who's always pushing to accomplish things in the world. I can see how much healing I've done in this area, and there's more, and it's still my story. I have recognized that I'm not alone in this, of course, and it's still my story. I think my owning this aspect of myself and being willing to share it with others actually helps me to embrace all of myself, actually helps me detach from the story of "I'm not worthy, I'm not enough" and claim that this story and my journey with it are my gifts instead of my faults. And I get empowered by sharing them. WOW! It's totally the opposite of the pattern of hiding them because I feel ashamed. How about stepping up and sharing them and then I feel powerful and strong and hardly feel their pull on me anymore!
And I know by lots of recent experiences now, that me sharing this and letting others see into me, into-me-see = intimacy (thanks to Marc Takaha for that one), that I become more connected to people, which is what I really want anyway. AND, this is completely the opposite of what happens if I hide or pretend to be something I'm not! And I also see that coming forward with my story can also be of service to others who are hiding behind their own wall of shame. In fact, I feel so pumped up by this process, that I just want to get on my soapbox and tell everyone to stand up and share something they've never shared before, tell their loved ones their darkest secrets, tell a friend something they've been withholding, and let yourself be seen and held in all of who you are!
So this is where I see my teaching going, and it already has, in workshops, in retreats, long term courses like the one I'm dong with Karen: helping people to own, to share their stories, to embrace themselves, their true essence, to be seen and let go of the armoring that keeps those stories hidden. (Of course the deeper unfolding may take longer, but this is where my personal coaching practice can help, or some other modality). I believe it's our hiding, our trying to disown part of ourselves, our trying to be somebody that we're not, that holds us back from living the life we truly want to live. Hiding is pent-up energy. Revealing is releasing energy!
Okay, I'm super excited now. Thanks for reading this far. I'll come back to this thread later. But for now, here's my latest TeleSummit bio: super brief for the website, but hopefully, it encapsulates some of what I've shared. I love your feedback!
Namaste,
Robyn
Robyn Smith, owner of Inner Freedom Yoga in Arcata, CA, is a certified Anusara yoga instructor, Hanna Somatic Educator, and Hendricks Conscious Living and Loving coach. She's been teaching yoga for over 18 years, helping people with chronic pain and tension since 1998, and engaging in conscious communication and healthy lifestyle practices since she was 20. She's in awe of yoga's power to transform all aspects of life and her teachings offer empowering messages of love and healing.
Having struggled with early loss and a teenage eating disorder, she's no stranger to self hatred and deep insecurity. With growing self esteem and confidence over the last 25 years, she has come to know that her essence is wholeness, and she's committed to loving herself and experiencing radiant self esteem all the time.
Robyn is a champion for living the life you love. Through her teaching and coaching, she helps people reclaim their bodies, live from their hearts, and celebrate their true essence. She delights in gardening, nature hikes, and growing community through parties, long courses and retreats.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Responding to Tragedy
Yesterday I found myself weeping while listening to NPR's story about the Connecticut elementary school shooting. What a horrific tragedy. My heart goes out to the parents and families of the children and teachers who were killed. The scope of their grief is unimaginable to me.
Many Solstice Blessings to you,
Robyn
My response has been deep sadness, anger and confusion. And the part of me that wants to fix it, prevent it, says: What can I do to help? How can I make a difference? While I do believe that serious gun control regulations could make a difference, I also think that people who commit such violence would come up with other means to express their feelings if they couldn't get guns. I think the root of the problem starts early, with families, child-rearing, and social pressures. So while I'll do my part with gun control, I'm more passionate about sourcing the root of the issue. And I realize it's incredibly complex, from media influences to drugs, to family issues and mental illness.
Questions arise like: What makes people want to commit such horrific acts? Why and how did they learn that violence was the best way to handle their feelings? What happens inside of them to drive them to such measures? As one of my teachers said, everything that people do is because they think they need to do it in order to survive.
Almost two decades of teaching yoga and spiritual practices has shown me that the greatest human suffering we face is related to our emotions. We want to be happy and don't have skillful training in how to express ourselves or how to get our needs met. We are told (especially for women) that it's not okay to express our anger or (usually for men) our sadness. And we either bottle it up and let it make us sick, or we lash out at ourselves or others in some way. We feel separate and alone because we forget our inner light, that we're ultimately all the same on the inside and want the same thing: happiness.
So I've been studying various communication skills and spiritual practices because I want to help myself and others with this emotional suffering and confusion. I want to learn and teach people skillful means for self expression and self-honoring, and how to see the love and beauty in themselves and in each other. Through my recent foray into the Hendricks' work, I'm discovering how to love myself more fully, finding the courage to express myself authentically, and learning how to coach others in doing the same. It's another level of my yoga practice, a powerful and sometimes terrifying journey of exploration, and one that I'm deeply committed to for it's great rewards.
I'm enjoying bringing this work forward into my weekly classes and longer courses, like Awakening the Voice of the Heart, and eventually I plan to coach individuals, couples and groups. But when tragedies like this hit, or when I hear stories about long-term prisoners who've committed murder, theft, rape or abuse and lost 20+ good years of life because of deep suffering and emotional outbursts, I imagine taking this work out where it can have the greatest impact: to children, parents, teachers and prisoners.
I pray that we can live in a society where we know and love ourselves enough to share our true feelings, have the courage to ask for what we want, and can see the light within and in everyone we meet.
Many Solstice Blessings to you,
Robyn
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Essence and Authentic Self-Expression
I've had a great time exploring the concept of Essence in my classes over the last two weeks. It came up from studying the Hendricks' work and they talk about living from your Essence. For them, Essence is who you really are, like who you are at the core, behind your foibles and ego constructs. I like to think of Essence as in flower essence, as in the concentrated form of You when you're distilled down to the most pure qualities of yourself. So I've been thinking of it as a very personal flavor of Essence, ie. my Robynness. Like how much could I remove and still be me? Like what is my most authentic form of me? I love this contemplation. I love to think of a new born baby and how they are so pure, and yet they very definitely have an Essence, a nature that is unique to them. We know that this never changes. We can look in the mirror year after year, and though the outer form keeps changing, there's something inside that feels very much the same. From Essence, we're drawn to certain types of people, environments, textures, activities; we experience the world from a certain perspective, move at a certain pace.
I think the goal of our yoga practice is to take us back to the experience of this Essence within, our purest form, before it got layered on with beliefs, stories, catastrophes, ego development, etc. And how does it feel to be in our Essence? As Marc Takaha said today in our interview about his upcoming Conscious Loving workshop, when you're in Essence, you have a feeling effortlessness, ease, and pleasure. It's an experience, not a mental concept. So, as I see it, you're embodied presence when you're in your Essence. Movement can take you there, especially conscious movement like yoga and ecstatic dancing. Meditation can also take you there, as can doing the Hendricks' relationship work.
What I'm learning from the Hendricks is very much like the Yoga of Relationships, as I've been calling it lately, because in their work, we are trying to uncover Essence, fully know it, and then live from this place, and this is exactly what we're doing in Yoga. In Tantrik philosophy, Yoga is about knowing your true Self as Divine Consciousness and letting it shine through your full expression. So our Essence is then both our unique personal flavor as well as a Universal presence that ties us all together. In yoga, it may also be called Essence, but other names are Self, Divine Consciousness, Shiva/Shakti, Spanda, and more. And if we can live from this experience of Being, as Ekhart Tolle calls it, then not only can we feel more free and alive, but we can also relate to others and the world from this place.
I think of this as living in alignment with what's true; living authentically. This is the practice of yoga on the mat as well as off the mat. For example, if I'm in yoga class and honoring my Essence if what's true for me is that I love gardening, I love dancing, I love studying, resting in the sunshine and deeply connecting to nature, and I'm not doing those things on a regular basis, then I am not living in alignment with who I am. I'm avoiding it. in denial or not tuning in, etc., and I will not be resonating at a high frequency. I will not be thriving. So living from Essence is living your Yoga.
According to Tantrik philosophical teachings, the Divine Consciousness chooses to express itself through each of us, and it's will/desire, known as iccha, is for each of us to then fully express ourselves so it can know itself more fully. This is known as lila, the Divine Play. In fact, it chooses diversity by creating each of us to be totally unique from each other, including beings and things, because with more diversity, there can be a greater range of expressions and then more possible self-knowing. This is very close to what the Hendricks are teaching, as far as I understand it, with the addition of many wonderful nuances and techniques to support skillful our expression through conscious communication, movement, play, etc.
So this work of sourcing truth, feeling into Essence and then letting it be expressed, is what I've been teaching in classes, and it's been really fun. It's really the perfect pulsation of inner and outer. Turn inwards to know the truth, and then open outwards and let it shine as your unique individual expression!
I'm on a super fun journey of doing both these things, continually refining my understanding and experience of who I really am and exploring how I want to express this in my own unique way.
I so appreciate all of you who are along for the ride and I'm super excited to gain more skills so I can support you in stepping more fully into your unique expression of You!
On that note, I want to encourage you to check out the free interview I just finished with Marc Takaha who I mentioned earlier. We discussed his long background in the Hendricks work and his upcoming workshop in Arcata called The Art of Conscious Loving on Sunday, November 11. If you listen to the whole call, you'll hear the special offer at the end, but you must act by October 29. You can listen to the call at this number: (641) 715-3800 passcode: 34279, extension 23 or download it to your computer at this link:
You can find out more about Marc's upcoming workshop and sign up online here:
You can find more about other upcoming interview calls here on my website:
I hope to see you soon,
Robyn
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