Sometimes, gratitude does not come overnight. Sometimes days, weeks and months can pass before thankfulness finds its way into a broken heart. But from experience (and lots of it), I know there will be a silver lining to every story of challenge, hardship and adversity. If you’ve read my blog before, you are familiar with…
Tag: trauma
WE Shall Overcome
LET US NOT SEEK TO SATISFY OUR THIRST FOR FREEDOM BY DRINKING FROM THE CUP OF BITTERNESS AND HATRED. OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. This morning, in the midst of a very personally needy time, during which – admittedly – my yoga and spiritual practices have become greatly self-centered (just trying to put on my own…
Holly Go Lightly
“There is a light and it never goes out.” ~ Morrissey * * * There’s some drilling or sanding or sawing going on in one of the apartments beneath me; and it’s piercing enough to make my skull feel like there’s a dentist office in its core. I’m using all of my yoga tools to…
Gratitude, Pt. 2: Shiva and the Darkness
I recently found myself apologizing to god. It was the umpteenth time that I’d broken out in sobs while singing along with Jai Uttal’s “Om Namah Shivaya.” To be exact, it was Monday, October 24th. I was driving to rehearse with The Shaktis, an all-female Kirtan group with whom I play percussion. Two days before,…
The Happy Heart Project: The Halfway Mark
“Hey, I’m trying to hard to see the light, to see the light – to see it burn thru.” – Abigail Washburn When it comes to maintaining and manifesting an intention over 100 days – and that intention is to overcome a nagging internal darkness and move deliberately toward joy – it is imperative to…
The Happy Heart Project: 100 Days Toward Joy
“The Happy Heart Project: 100 Days Toward Joy” launches this Sun., 8/28. Curious? See below, then “Like” Urban Yoga Den on Facebook or subscribe to UrbanYogaDen.wordpress.com to stay informed, join in, and/or, share your efforts! Under the new moon of Sunday, August 28, 2011 I will launch “The Happy Heart Project: 100 Days Toward Joy,”…
Falling Off The Yoga Wagon
Why does it take a sick day for me to realize I have totally abandoned my yoga practice? For the past two days, I’ve been battling a sinus infection. This morning, after sleeping 11 hours, I woke up, chanted mantras, said prayers, wrote in my journal, practiced breathing exercises and sat to meditate. All of…
Focus Wrap Up: The Eight Limbs – Yama
It was 10:38am on Sunday, April 3rd when I started writing this wrap up, and the New Moon hung invisibly above. In that Sunday’s classes we wrapped up our March focus on the 1st of the Eight Limbs of Yoga – Yama, or, abstinence. I extended the March focus through April 3rd so the New…
Focus: Abundance – Growth
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again. – Dorothy Field, 1930s Musical Lyricist When I was around 6 years old, my mom would drive my sisters and I to a farm outside of DC for horseback riding lessons. A few weeks into our series, a horse threw me to the dirt! I…
Focus: Why Yoga? – Resilience
Today a friend is having a lumpectomy to remove cancer in her breast. This friend is a strong, solution-oriented, resilient woman. After reading my news about the betrayal, breakup and decompression process, she wrote to encourage me to join her in a ritual of surrender. Instead of asking friends to pray for her well-being, she…
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