Go and push a rock

I received the below story this morning in an email from a friend:

There once was a man who had a huge desire to please God, so he prayed day and night until one day a Voice spoke to him, “I want you to go and push a rock.”

The man woke up the next morning elated, and ran outside to find a huge boulder.  He began pushing it, but nothing happened, so he kept at it all day.  The next day he did the same, yet it still didn’t budge an inch.  He went on like that for three months, until one day he got so frustrated that he stopped pushing.

That night he had a dream, and the Voice asked him, “Why did you stop pushing?”  “Nothing happened,” he answered. “Nothing happened? Look at you! Look how determined and focused you’ve become. Look how powerful your muscles are now. You’re no longer the person you were when you started. 

Besides, I didn’t tell you to move the rock; I told you to push it. I’ll move the rock when it’s time.”

Keep pushing your rock.  It'll move at the right moment, in the perfect time, when you least expect it.  And amazing things are happening, even if you're not noticing them yet.

More Daisy Love

"It took 12 days for Daisy Chain to arrive.  I have only read one chapter.  I am saving it for when Emily and I go camping August 1-8.  We are going to read the chapters aloud to each other.  It should be fun." 

- Kimberlie Kranich  and her partner, Emily -

Illinois, USA

Purchase your copy of Daisy Chain from Amazon 

Loving Daisies

"I have read a few chapters of your book already and love it.  In fact, while reading the very first page I was like, "Oh, I'm going to like this one!!!!"

- Laura (Param Atma Kaur) Anderson -

Oregon

(And today Daisy Chain is quoted in Laura's blog post)!

Purchase your copy of Daisy Chain from Amazon

Homework

Lately whenever anyone asks me to do something—professionally or socially—my answer is: "Check me after August 5th."

Who would have thought that this time would have come so quickly—or come at all? I cast my mind back to roughly around this time last year when my friend/yoga peer Durga Devi and I were embarking upon our efforts to bring the first ever Kundalini Yoga teacher training to Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean.

With the guidance and assistance of the Divine, we did what often seemed daunting or impossible. The final week of training will be from 30 July - 5 th August. How time has flown.

Meanwhile, in the next few days leading up to the 30th July, the rest of life comes to a slow down or halt. I have a lot of homework to focus on—various assignments to complete and studying to do for the final exam.

It has been a great journey. Where it ends is where we begin again.

Excerpt from MONA (one of the 53 women in my novel Daisy Chain)

The taxi driver was a small man named Mobi, short for Mobilandopacanisunaretipopo—Alopican slang for "one who moves like a goat through the mountains". Indeed, he lived up to his name as the honeymooners bounced through potholes the size of volcano craters and bumped over mounds of dirt piled like small haystacks on the unpaved roads.
        Mona's "mammo-mammaries" as she called them (short for mammoth mammaries) were suffering the consequences. They bounced, slapped and jiggled, dancing to the clanking of Mobi's dilapidated jeep.
     "Stuh-uh-range-ahhhhhh land-uh-scape-oh-ouch!" Tom said as they flew over a small ravine. It was difficult, in fact almost impossible, to speak without biting off one's tongue at the rate at which Mobi was driving. Deciding to keep a vow of silence until they reached their destination, the newlyweds clutched hands and stared—half-fascinated, half-terrified—at the blurry, passing landscape.

To continue reading this and more, purchase Daisy Chain online now at amazon.com

The things we take for granted

How long does it take you to inhale slowly to the fullest capacity of your lungs? Before reading on, try it now—inhale slowly and count slowly while doing so. What number did you reach? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty? More? Now scroll down and read the rest of this post.

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On Tuesday afternoon I met a man who has a terminal lung condition. In conversation, it came up that I teach yoga. This led to me telling him about the One Minute Breath:


Inhale for 20 seconds (through the nostrils)
Hold for 20 seconds
Exhale slowly for 20 seconds (through the nostrils)

Because of his difficulty in breathing, he told me he couldn't do twenty seconds.  I explained that not everyone could at first, but eventually they are able to build up to it as their lung capacity expands.

I suggested ten seconds. He shook his head.

I suggested five seconds. He shook his head.

I suggested three seconds. He hesitated, shrugged and said "Okay, I'll try."

We inhaled together for three seconds, held for three, exhaled for three. His face lit up. "Let's go again." 

After the second time he paused and said: "You know . . . something feeling different already."  His eyes were glinting with excitement.

The third time, I almost cried when I saw pride and victory sweeping across his face as he realised he could make it to three seconds consecutively. Something that most of us take for granted—our ability to inhale and exhale without even thinking—could be the climbing of Mount Everest for someone else.

How many other things do we take for granted?

Excerpt from I.S.A.D.O.R.A. (one of the 53 women in my novel Daisy Chain)

I walk like a dancer
Someone once told me
And I believed them
Dancing became my passion
Once I learned to dance I was free
Rather than trapped
And angry

I
Sometimes dance
Along the coastline
Digging my toes into the sand
Opening my arms
Rebirthing my intentions
Amen

Into my life came a wonderful Being
Some time after
An angel of sorts
Dreamlike
Omnipotent
Radiant
Attractive

I am Love, that Being said
Surely! I replied
Are you ready for me?
Definitely!
Only me?
Running is no longer in my vocabulary.
At last, I knew the true feeling

I began to change
Suddenly
And irreversibly
Darkness fell away from my aura
Others were amazed
Resurrection is possible
All in the name of Love

To continue reading this and more, purchase Daisy Chain online now at amazon.com

Yoga Portraits: NEALA

OCCUPATION
Sales Manager for a design and build firm providing shade solutions for homes and businesses.

1. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER KUNDALINI YOGA?
A few years ago I read about Kundalini Yoga on Elspeth’s blog, Now Is Wow.

2. WHAT ABOUT YOUR FIRST KUNDALINI YOGA EXPERIENCE MADE YOU DECIDE TO CONTINUE WITH IT?
Elspeth was very encouraging and supportive when, upon signing up, I explained that I wasn’t sure that I was flexible enough for yoga. She explained that flexibility was not a requirement and that doing what you could do was enough. In our first class we learned how to breathe deeply and fully, (most people take quick shallow breaths), and Elspeth took us through our first kriya (series of postures), and our first meditation. I felt innocent and new and open at the beginning of the class and these were all new experiences for me. After class I felt awakened. I felt like I’d been given a gift and my whole self (body, soul, mind) was welcoming and appreciative of that gift.

At the end of the class Elspeth offered us a small deck of cards to randomly select one of. My card said: “I let go of all my limitations. I dispossess myself of all the weight associated with things, people, places, public opinion, fears and desires...I fly.” What was written on the card was reassuring and reaffirming to me. I had made a conscious choice to come to terms with negative influences (external and internal) in my life, let them go, and grow into the person I know I am on the inside. The card was encouraging, as I interpreted it to mean that I was making the right decisions and ultimately would choose what is best and right for me, in all aspects of my life: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

3. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTISING KUNDALINI YOGA?
Since September 2010.

4. WHAT ABOUT KUNDALINI YOGA MAKES YOU CHOOSE IT AS OPPOSED TO THE MANY OTHER FORMS OF YOGA?
Last year when I decided to practise yoga, I read up on the different forms and chose Kundalini Yoga because of the mental, physical, and spiritual balance it offered. Now, after ten months, I don’t see a reason to change the form of yoga. I am open to trying other forms but I feel connected to this one.

5. DO YOU KEEP UP A REGULAR PRACTICE?
I attend class once a week and between May 10th and June 8th I practiced once a day. It was an amazing month. Unfortunately, since then I’ve been less disciplined and can easily make excuses like work stress, and other extra-curricular activities. The truth of the matter is, the subtle and definitive negative effects of not practicing every day have become so apparent that I’ve realized how important Kundalini Yoga has become to me.

6. WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU EXPERIENCE?
I see myself growing and blossoming because of all that I am learning, feeling and understanding during yoga. I feel connected to my mind, body and spirit in a way I never really trusted before, and this makes me very happy and confident.

7. HAS ANYTHING ABOUT YOU OR YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED PRACTISING KUNDALINI YOGA?
When I first started practicing Kundalini Yoga after just a few weeks I noticed subtle changes: I was more focused, disciplined and creative at work. I had a more positive approach to my job as well, and less dragged down and affected by work stress. My co-workers commented that I seemed less impatient and less frazzled and annoyed when things went wrong with projects and clients.

As months passed I saw a marked change in my liming habits such as no more liming during the week, and less late hours on weekends. The choice of activity also changed, and I opted for attending more art exhibitions, movies, plays, book readings, and outdoor activities instead of making a beeline for my favourite watering hole.

My eating habits have also changed and I know that is directly related to how I’ve come to view my body. I’ve always been more or less a healthy eater but I’ve found that I have developed a particular respect for my body and my life and this has affected the food choices I now make.

Kundalini Yoga is called the yoga of awareness, and I understand why: it’s how I feel about my body, mind and spirit: more aware. I’m more aware of how all my choices affect me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECT OF KUNDALINI YOGA?
I like each aspect for different reasons: Even though some of the postures in a kriya may be difficult for me, it’s a great feeling when I push through the pain and accomplish the posture. The meditations never fail to calm, center and focus me. At the end of each session, we chant the Kundalini Yoga closing prayer and I feel what I can only describe as joy and gratitude for the connection to my own divinity.

9. HOW DO YOU GENERALLY FEEL AFTER A KUNDALINI YOGA CLASS?
Refreshed, peaceful, and calm, yet charged, energetic and happy with a heightened sense of awareness.

10. ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR ANYONE READING THIS?
There are so many little signs, methods, practices, and ways of thinking that can help people, but most don't know of them. It's a way of life that has been unlearned over the history of mankind, generation after generation. Maybe that's why so many people are lost. But I do have hope for our future. Many people are seeking truth, and yearning for 'something' they know they need even though they don't know how to find it, or what 'it' is. My humble advice to anyone who is looking for that ‘something’: Try new methods and practices until you find one which connects with you, inspires you, and brings out the best in you, and make it a part of your life.

11. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THOU ART YOGA?
From Elspeth’s blog, Now Is Wow II, and Facebook.

12. ANY FAMOUS LAST WORDS?
The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.

(W.E.B Du Bois)

It Happens All the Time

It happens all the time in heaven,
And some day

It will begin to happen
Again on earth -

That men and women who are married,
And men and men who are
Lovers,

And women and women
Who give each other
Light,

Often will get down on their knees

And while so tenderly
Holding their lover's hand,

With tears in their eyes,
Will sincerely speak, saying,

My dear,
How can I be more loving to you;

How can I be more kind?

- Hafiz, Sufi Master -

Excerpt from CELIA (one of the 53 women in my novel Daisy Chain)

By the time Celia and Dixie were walking through the grocery doors with their stocks, they had only exchanged pleasantries about the wonder of coincidences.
     Celia: Funny how we bought the same things!
     Dixie: Isn't it?
     They didn't say anything else. Dixie seemed to be in a hurry. Maybe she wasn't reading much into their synchronicity, but to Celia the whole affair was fascinating. She'd never had the experience of buying exactly the same things in the grocery as someone else! She hung back a bit, walking a few steps behind Dixie, curious to see if they might even be getting into the same kind of car. But no. Dixie was heading towards a small, forest-green van with an eagle sticker on the back windscreen.    
     Celia turned the key in the door of her trusty old red Volkswagen bug, which she'd named Elma after a woman with flaming red hair about whom she'd read in a novel someone had left in the women's toilet at the cinema. As she piled her groceries into the back seat, she couldn't take her eyes off Dixie. She found herself trying to memorize the number plate, so that she would know it if she ever saw it again. But . . . hmmm, maybe that wasn’t necessary. Not many people had forest green vans with eagles on the back windscreen.
            Maybe one day she would see the eagle van parked somewhere, like outside a bar. She would definitely stop, go in and possibly find out that they would order the same drinks, or something equally amazing.
            Eagle Woman, she said to herself. She realized that she didn’t even know this woman’s name. Should she call out and ask? Or would that be rude and invasive—a complete stranger calling out for another complete stranger’s name in the middle of a public car park in broad daylight?
            Eagle Woman was still piling her groceries into the back of the van when Celia walked up to her. “Hi. I didn’t get your name when we were inside,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Celia.”

To continue reading this and more, purchase Daisy Chain online now at amazon.com

Excerpt from MARGARET (one the the 53 women in my novel Daisy Chain)

1. Go for a long drive
2. Paint murals on forgotten walls
3. Pick flowers and give them to random strangers
4. Picnic naked in nature
5. Surprise neighbours with loaves of homemade sweetbread
6. Blow bubbles at the sun to see spherical rainbows
7. Sit on the verandah and soak our feet in Epsom salts
. . . and so on.

To continue reading this and more, purchase Daisy Chain online now at amazon.com

When work is play

Yesterday morning from 9 a.m. - midday I (Thou Art Yoga) led 14 children aged 5 - 11 in an environmentally-themed art, yoga, music session. It was part of a kids' camp for children of TDC staff members. My assistant for the morning was a young woman, Falima, the niece of one of my friends (who had recommended her). She turned out to be a great assistant—very good with the children, proactively attending to things that needed to be done without me having to tell her what to do and when, and quite apt at taking pictures while I conducted the session.

 

We introduced ourselves by saying our names and which animal or plant we thought we most identified with. The children then made name tags with their name and a drawing of the animal or plant they had chosen—shark, jaguar, cheetah, monkey, puppy, snake, rose, tarantula, etc. Melisha (see above name tag) decided she was most like a bat "because I like the night. I like to stay up late watching TV."

We separated into two teams—Flora and Fauna—for an exciting game of Pictionary, using names of local flora and fauna as the items to be drawn. The children were very intuitive and excellent at guessing each other's drawings, even when the depictions looked nothing like "the real thing". For example, would you have guessed that the above was a leatherback turtle? They did.

Storytime yoga followed, with an environmental story I had developed called "Susie and the Magic Knapsack". In the above photo the children make their way into tree pose, representing the trees in the forest where Susie goes to rescue endangered animals.

They seemed to enjoy it. I certainly did.

We also made sock puppets, using old socks and items brought from home—buttons and cereal boxes. Reduce, reuse, recycle. The morning snack was eaten while watching I SPY Things in My Garden (a ten minute environmental documentary made by children aged 7 - 10 under my guidance)—after which questions were asked to see who had been paying attention.

 

 The final part of the session was a composition of a song about keeping the beach clean, sung lustily to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", which some of the children were able to play on the pan.

Before lunch, we closed off by standing in a circle, each saying one at a time: "I promise __________________" and filling in the blank with something we promised to do for the environment.

Answers included:
I promise to pick up rubbish whenever I see it.
I promise to help my mummy clean the house.
I promise to not throw garbage in the water.
I promise to ride my bicycle (i.e. to help reduce toxic car exhaust)

Being around children, there are many things they say that are worthy of remembering and recounting to others for a laugh. The one that stuck with me above all was this one . . .

(Just after I had told them what our next activity was going to be).
Little boy: But I HATE yoghurt!
Little girl: It's not Yoghurt! It's yogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Exxcerpt from PHILIPPINE (one of the 53 women in my novel Daisy Chain)

She was sitting in front of the mirror in her changing room, applying a big red smile to her downwardly arching lips . . .

When her husband first saw her ten years ago, her face was white with makeup, her nose large, red and round like a swollen plum and her eyes, usually doe-like and innocent, appeared comical under rings of cheap multi-coloured eye shadow. The wig she wore that day was a humongous rainbow puff, quite like the clouds of cotton candy the deformed dwarf sold at the snackette on the circus grounds.

     It had not been a good day. The circus was heavily in debt, so she and the other clowns had received only half their weekly paycheque. But what could they do? Leave the circus? Go and become secretaries or bank tellers and earn steady salaries? No, God forbid. Since they had been children, all they had known was circus life: how to be a clown, how to make fluffy cotton candy from scratch, how to swing from a trapeze with anything from two fingers to one foot, how to walk a tightrope even after having had a few rounds of powerful homebrew, how to feed the elephants and how to bathe the lions and tigers without being mauled to death like that unfortunate old gypsy Stanislaus Miklan.

     Because of her reduced paycheque, she was sulky, her frown almost down to her chin with disappointment. She was sitting in front of the mirror in her changing room, applying a big red smile to her downwardly arching lips, when the man who would one day be her husband walked in. He was the technician who had been sent to fix the air conditioning unit in her trailer.

     "Hey, why so glum?" were his first words to her. "Cheer up! It can't be that bad."

     But she was too sulky to respond. She sat there, ignoring him, painting on her happy face and gradually transforming herself into the clown that children either loved, feared or downright despised.

     Realising that she was not in a talkative mood, or thinking that she may have been deaf or mute, he left her to her makeup and proceeded to tinker with the rusty unit. The air conditioner was spluttering like an asthmatic and spewing hot air and dust into the already claustrophobic trailer. No wonder this poor clown was frowning, living in a place like this!

     "Hot in here, isn't it?" he shouted, thinking that she was hard of hearing.

     "I can hear you," she said. "You don't have to shout."

     "Oh, so you can hear then."

     That was how they met. She found out only later that from the time he had entered the trailer and seen her sitting in front of the mirror sulking, he had fallen in love.

     On their wedding day he insisted that she wear more clown makeup than normal, to emphasise her clown features, even though she felt that the almost fluorescent colours on her face would clash horribly with her elegant lace dress, made by the freaky five-hundred-pound circus seamstress. And yes, the extra clown makeup clashed and felt terribly heavy on her face, pulling down her cheeks and weighing down her eyelids. But she was eager to please him, so she convinced herself that she looked like a radiant blushing bride. Granted, the wedding pictures were a bit odd, but it was enough that her husband seemed to love them-in fact, he couldn't stop staring at them and grinning.

"Gordon, I think we have a problem," she finally told him one day after five years of marriage.

     "What's that?" he asked, gazing lovingly at their wedding photos.

     "Well, I'd like to take off my clown makeup and remember what it's like to experience my own face, at least for a while."

     "Do you really think that's necessary, honey?"

     "Yes! Since we met you've never seen my real face!"

     "I don't need to. I love you this way."

     With a heavy sigh she sat on the sofa next to him. What he said was true. He had met her as a clown, fallen in love with her as a clown, married her as a clown, made love to her every night as a clown, awoken daily next to her as a clown, had breakfast every morning with her as a clown, had lunch every lunchtime with her as a clown, had dinner every evening with her as a clown. Everything she was to him was just that-a clown. A miserable, old circus clown. If she took off her makeup, what would happen?

To continue reading this and more, purchase Daisy Chain online now at amazon.com
 

Excerpt from GRACE (one of the 53 women in my novel Daisy Chain)

"You're still alive," Grace said. "There's time."
       "No, there's not. Besides, I've stopped feeling it."
       "Just because you've stopped feeling it, doesn't mean your dream is no longer there," Grace assured her. "You're just a pathetic human like the rest of us, with no true concept of what it means to believe. Who needs upfront proof? Believe in your dream even if it seems crazy. Even if you seem crazy."
       The waitress looked unconvinced. "How about you—your dream. Did it come true?"
       "Not yet. But it will."
       "You know that?"
       "Of course . . ."

To continue reading this and more, purchase Daisy Chain online now at amazon.com
 

Attitude of Gratitude

Sit down with pen and paper and make a list of everything you are grateful for. Each day do this again. And again. And again. This is an honoring process, it will open your eyes to everything you have in your life to be grateful for. This is very important. You may think, "Yeah, yeah, I already know I have a lot to be grateful for." But this exercise will take you in deeper and deeper detail into every facet of your life that is good, positive, great. It will show you how blessed you are. And it will shift your focus from the negative to the positive. 



"Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, you will be flooded with it. You do prayer when you are in difficulty; pray when you are not in difficulty, that's the attitude of gratitude!"


Yogi Bhajan

(Excerpt from this source)

Purchase your copy of Daisy Chain now from amazon.com

In this remarkable collection of vignettes, Elspeth Duncan spins tales that draw the reader into the creative process. She gives us characters who are at once familiar and yet strangely unfamiliar, whetting our curiosity just enough that we find ourselves imagining endings for her tales, creating stories for the characters that tell as much about them as about ourselves. This is the genius of Daisy Chain. After one story, the reader is hooked. It’s an exhilarating ride to self knowledge though the stream of consciousness of fictive characters.

Elizabeth Nunez, Anna In-Between, Prospero’s Daughter and other novels

***

As some of you already know, Daisy Chain is the stream-of-consciousness novel I wrote in 7 days in 2006. In 2010 I pulled it "off the shelf" and published it as a limited-edition e-book. (See videos from the e-book's launch reading here—May 2010—featuring excerpts read by me and 6 female friends).

Realising that most people wanted a hard copy version of Daisy Chain to curl up in bed with, I worked over a few months with editor, Jeanne Mason, to tweak and tighten the text of Daisy Chain—making sure to maintain the integrity of the original stream-of-consciousness content. This was a valuable learning process.

Well-received public readings during this time were held at Hotel Normandie, St. Anns (through Paper Based Bookstore) and at the 1st Annual Bocas Literary Festival, held in Trinidad, 2011.

If you live abroad, you can order your copy of Daisy Chain online from Amazon . . . or  from Infinity's bookstore. 

If living or vacationing in Trinidad & Tobago, you can look forward to purchasing your autographed copy at the book launch at NALIS, POS on Saturday 27th August 2011, from 6 - 8 p.m. Write the date in your diary from now . . . and I will also remind you closer to the time.

Enjoy your reading and feel free to write a review on the amazon site so that other buyers will gain insight from your experience.

All of Emily showing tonight & rescheduled time

As previously advertised, All of Emily was due to be screened tonight on
GISL (Channel 4) at 9 p.m.
CNC3 at 9:30 p.m.

Re GISL—I've been told that Emily may show at 9 p.m. or it may show at 9:20 p.m. Tune in from 9 p.m. tonight just to be safe.

Due to revised CNC3 schedule, AOE will no longer be screened tonight on that station. Instead, CNC3 will screen All of Emily on Saturday 16th July at 11:30 p.m.

Affirming

Fabric book of affirmations made by Lynn

Second blog post for the day (first one here). 

I just went to put something in a drawer and spotted the fabric book made by Lynn of Getting My Feet Wet.  The book is made up of quilted pockets, each one filled with affirmations written by Lynn.  (You can custom order a fabric book by contacting her through her blog). Having not selected an affirmation in ages, I decided to pull and got these three:

I am a success.

I know my true love is coming to me now.

I take time for myself.

Timely messages, welcomed with open arms.

Yoga Portraits: ARACELI

NAME: Araceli Marchan

OCCUPATION: Mathematics Teacher/ College Lecturer

1. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER KUNDALINI YOGA?
I wasn’t familiar with this form of Yoga until about 9 months. After reading up on it and talking to a friend about its benefits, I realized that the teachings and meditations were very much in line with my spiritual beliefs. I was very excited about trying my first class.

2. WHAT ABOUT YOUR FIRST KUNDALINI YOGA EXPERIENCE MADE YOU DECIDE TO CONTINUE WITH IT?
I was actually very unsure whether I wanted to continue after my first experience. I felt transformed, but I couldn’t identify how. Something in me had shifted but I couldn’t verbalize what it was. However, I knew I had to do another class to fully understand what had taken place within me. After my second class I realized that it was the intensity of the spiritual connection that I felt that made me antsy after my first class. As I grew comfortable with the complete surrender that you experience during Kundalini Yoga, I began to relax and enjoy the benefits.

3. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTISING KUNDALINI YOGA?
For approximately 6 months.

4. WHAT ABOUT KUNDALINI YOGA MAKES YOU CHOOSE IT AS OPPOSED TO THE MANY OTHER FORMS OF YOGA?
I am not too familiar with other forms of yoga, but what I like about Kundalini Yoga is that you not only build physical strength but you also work on your emotional and spiritual muscles as well. Some kriyas are more physically challenging than others, but my ability to accomplish things that I thought would be physically impossible always impresses me. I feel a sense of accomplishment after each class. The physical attainment, coupled with the spiritual inner peace, make this the ideal form of yoga for me.

5. DO YOU KEEP UP A REGULAR PRACTICE?
Not as regular as I would like to. I try to make time each day for at least a few minutes of meditation. I wish I had more time to do kriyas at least a few days a week. I try to attend class every week. The weeks when I am unable to make it to class, I truly miss it. My mind, my body and my spirit crave it.

6. WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU EXPERIENCE?
I am filled with love and acceptance for all of humanity. With that comes clarity and a great peace of mind. I possess the tools that enable me to surpass any challenging situation that may come my way. I also experience increased physical endurance.

7. HAS ANYTHING ABOUT YOU OR YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED PRACTISING KUNDALINI YOGA?
I am a lot calmer and less easily angered. I get less anxious about life situations and am inclined to surrender to the divine more readily. I am more at peace and feel centered…unaffected by negativity. I am more conscious of my breathing; my breaths are deeper…more fulfilling. My work schedule prohibited me from starting Thou Art Yoga’s kundalini classes sooner than I did. Now that I am a class regular, I schedule my work and life around my yoga classes instead of the other way around.

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECT OF KUNDALINI YOGA?
The meditation. It allows me time to relax, clear my mind, allow positive energy to flow through my cells.

9. HOW DO YOU GENERALLY FEEL AFTER A KUNDALINI YOGA CLASS?
Resurrected. Renewed. Revitalized. I am Reassured that my life is unfolding according to a divine plan. I am Empowered to go forth with confidence, knowing that all is well. I like to call it my Kundalini Yoga high.

10. ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR ANYONE READING THIS?
My three year old daughter loves doing Kundalini Yoga as well. Besides the fact that it provides us with quality mommy and me time together, she enjoys chanting the mantras and the physical aspects of the kriyas. In her own words, “Yoga is beautiful”. Kundalini Yoga may not be for everyone but if you are open to it, it will be open to you. The benefits are life transforming.

11. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THOU ART YOGA?
From the Facebook group. I was directed there by a friend.

12. ANY FAMOUS LAST WORDS?
“I Am There” – by James Dillet Freeman

Do you need Me ?
I am there.

You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.
You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.

I am at work, though you do not understand My ways.
I am at work, though you do not understand My works.

I am not strange visions. I am not mysteries.
Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know Me as I AM, and then but as a feeling and a faith.
Yet I am here. Yet I hear. Yet I answer.
When you need ME, I am there.

Even if you deny Me, I am there.
Even when you feel most alone, I am there.
Even in your fears, I am there.
Even in your pain, I am there.
I am there when you pray and when you do not pray.
I am in you, and you are in Me.

Only in your mind can you feel separate from Me, for
only in your mind are the mists of "yours" and "mine".
Yet only with your mind can you know Me and experience Me.

Empty your heart of empty fears.
When you get yourself out of the way, I am there.
You can of yourself do nothing, but I can do all.
And I AM in all.
Though you may not see the good, good is there, for
I am there. I am there because I have to be, because I AM.

Only in Me does the world have meaning; only out of Me does the world take form; only because of ME does the world go forward.
I am the law on which the movement of the stars and the growth of living cells are founded.
I am the love that is the law's fulfilling. I am assurance.

I am peace. I am oneness. I am the law that you can live by.
I am the love that you can cling to. I am your assurance.
I am your peace. I am ONE with you. I am.
Though you fail to find ME, I do not fail you.
Though your faith in Me is unsure, My faith in you never wavers, because I know you, because I love you.

Beloved, I AM there.
****
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Fun things to do while walking. (Try it).

Yesterday afternoon I met a friend to go walking on campus. As we started out I said to her: "I'm going to give you a challenge. Tell the fifth person who approaches us: You look beautiful today."

At first she felt uncomfortable with the idea but eventually, after some prodding, agreed to give it a try. The fifth person was a young man in t-shirt and jeans. As he approached, all she could do was look at him and smile but the words wouldn't come out. Seeing her smiling at him, he said "Hello" and kept walking.

I had a good laugh, then asked for a "challenge" of my own. I was to say something in a foreign language to the 7th person to approach us. This turned out to be a large young man. I looked at him as he approached, smiled and said "Bon soir!" He looked back at me, but said nothing.  Maybe he doesn't speak French.

Challenges after that included asking for directions to the Post Office (even though I know where it is) and saying various phrases of greeting or compliment. As I said to my friend, most people love to be acknowledged and addressed pleasantly, especially when they least expect it, from a cheerful stranger. Some people, mainly older people, were only too happy to respond with things like: "Oh, yes! It is a lovely evening for walking!" or "Yes, I am enjoying my walk!"

At one point a man was approaching us. As he neared, I said hello and, once he responded and I had his attention, I asked "So what's the best thing that happened to you today?"

"Jesus!!!!!" he cried out as though someone had slapped him. But he didn't mean that Jesus was the best thing that had happened. He meant it as a cry of helplessness. "Now DAT is a hard question!! Whey, boy!" He walked on a little bit, then turned his head back and said, "I'll have to think long and hard about that one."

That said a lot.

At one point on the walk, I said to my friend "Let's see how much we can pick up about a person as they approach us, from the way they walk, hold their bodies, etc. Let's take this woman approaching now."

Compared to everyone else in their jogging suits, track pants, t-shirts, she looked somewhat odd. She was a large woman somewhere in her 50's, wearing what appeared to be a loose, misshapen flannel nightgown and new track shoes. She had on no bra and her large, long breasts were bouncing against her torso. Her hair, even from a distance, was seen clearly as an unruly mop. My first thought was that she had escaped from an institution.

"Is it me or does she look a bit odd?" I said to my friend.

"Something doesn't look quite right," she agreed.

As we neared the woman, we both looked into her face. She looked back at us, gave us the warmest, most beautiful smile and said "Hello." All of a sudden her appearance disappeared and all we saw was her smile. Out of all the "normal-looking" people we had passed by or interacted with through our "challenges", she is the one who had greeted us in what felt like openness and sincerity.

We felt bad about having judged her by her appearance. Yes, she looked "odd" because of the nightgown . . . but what if it wasn't a nightgown? What if she had a medical problem and couldn't wear pants and decided to wear a jersey dress? What if she had on no bra because she was a free spirit or because for reasons unknown to us, she was unable to wear anything constricting in that area (plasters? injury?). What if she just didn't care what people thought once she was comfortable?

Toward the end of the walk I suggested we look at everyone we pass and find something beautiful about them. The first person was a female guard, sitting on a step. "This will be hard," my friend said. The guard had a hard, solemn face, but the first thing that struck me was how her legs were neatly crossed and her hands were clasped in her lap, almost in a sacred manner. As we neared, both looking into her face, she broke into a beautiful smile (eyes and mouth) that completely lit her up and transformed her appearance.

"Lovely smile!" my friend and I agreed as we walked on.

The next person had her back to us, but I saw her laughing and that was her beauty. She also had long legs that she elegantly folded as she got into the car.

The next person was a pudgy young woman in black/navy blue clothing. By looking at her we got a host of impressions: she was determined, focused, honest, she gives it to you as it is, no need for pretense, she's a good friend, she's serious about what she does, she's caring, she'd rather be alone than fake an interaction. She had lots of beauty to her.

It doesn't matter how someone looks. There is something beautiful about everyone. Based on appearances, we are all quick to judge someone, in some way, at some time, even if we don't mean to—due to stereotypes, social conditioning and association from past experiences. But give everyone a chance, be pleasant with them, and you will see who they are.

Yoga Portraits: KEISHA

NAME: Keisha Tamara Lindsay

OCCUPATION: Speech-Language Pathologist and adjuster to life in Trinidad - ☺

1. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER KUNDALINI YOGA?
I was visiting the Natural Balance store in St. Clair and saw the Thou Art Yoga card. Later on, the owner suggested the classes to me as a way to become more centered after I expressed my many difficulties since my recent re-location to Trinidad. The first “try” was an event entitled “Yoga and Cupcakes”. It was held on the rooftop of the Carlton Savannah and it was my birth event into my yoga practice. The cupcakes were divine!

2. WHAT ABOUT YOUR FIRST KUNDALINI YOGA EXPERIENCE MADE YOU DECIDE TO CONTINUE WITH IT?
I believe it was about the connection I felt to the chants. The class was extremely difficult for me, both mentally and physically. I remember it being hard to quiet my mind and to breathe, but once I chanted, I began to feel more connected to this divine self. I wanted to see if the experience would get easier and also thought it would be a wonderful way to connect with others.

3. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PRACTISING KUNDALINI YOGA?
My first class was April 16th, 2011. Seems a lot longer!

4. WHAT ABOUT KUNDALINI YOGA MAKES YOU CHOOSE IT AS OPPOSED TO THE MANY OTHER FORMS OF YOGA?
Though it is more difficult for me than Hatha yoga, Kundalini empowers me and reminds me that I can push through any challenge. At times, it is challenging to even begin practicing in the morning, but once I do, the strength I feel is divine. (I know, I use the word divine a lot!)

5. DO YOU KEEP UP A REGULAR PRACTICE?
I do. I wake up most mornings and do it before exercising. The mornings are wonderful for me and I enjoy waking up and practicing before my cell phone begins to ring. I find it difficult to keep a regular practice when I am traveling, so I will need to work at scheduling this.

6. WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU EXPERIENCE?
A sense of openness. Perhaps it is being a Libra, but I have always been the kind of person to balance the scales: “Should I do this or that?” I am constantly questioning which means that my mind feels like it’s on a treadmill. With Kundalini, my thoughts are beginning to quiet and I am beginning to be more open – open to whatever is coming my way, open to possibilities that I did not plan, open to a divine plan.

7. HAS ANYTHING ABOUT YOU OR YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED PRACTISING KUNDALINI YOGA?
I sense small changes. I don’t worry as much about what tomorrow will bring as I find myself trying to take in all that is in the present. The greatest effect has been in how I perceive my personal relationship. Instead of questioning and planning, I am simply open to receiving the love that my partner gives, which in turn allows me the gift of returning that love – an amazing cycle! I am now realizing how much love we share in our own special ways.


8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECT OF KUNDALINI YOGA?
Wearing white! I feel so regal and so confident – the true Keisha really does come out in white! And it’s great shopping for white clothing too!

9. HOW DO YOU GENERALLY FEEL AFTER A KUNDALINI YOGA CLASS?
Lifted in so many ways. As a result of the small group in the East, I believe that we lift each other. My spirit is lifted after and I feel inspired to do what is mine to do. I also feel physically lighter after the class – as if weights have been lifted off of me.

10. ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR ANYONE READING THIS?
It’s the same words I tell parents of picky eaters – “you must try it twice before you say it’s not nice.” Kundalini is not easy, but it is truly a divine experience that allows you to come into alignment with that true, God-given self.

11. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THOU ART YOGA?
Through the staff at Natural Balance and then by joining the Facebook page.

12. ANY FAMOUS LAST WORDS?
The meditation that I do every morning and during the day when my heart must be opened – SAT KARTAR. Open Your Heart!

***
To find out how you can join Thou Art Yoga classes:
http://yogapassport.blogspot.com/

Powerful Dream

The candleholder

This morning after yoga (about 4:30 a.m.) I lay down, placed my hands over my heart, fell asleep and had an amazing dream.

In the dream I was going somewhere with a friend. Having forgotten something at home, I went back to get it. I parked the car at the side of the road leading to the driveway and left her sitting there with the window down. I intended to be back in a minute or two, but somehow once I got into my room everything slowed down. I can't recall exactly what I was doing—I think I was rearranging items. I was aware that I was taking longer than planned and that my friend was waiting.

Eventually, as I was about to leave, I noticed a light glowing in South-East corner. By this time it was dark—time had passed. I didn't know where the light was coming from, as there was no sunlight. Upon closer inspection of the corner, I noticed the light was coming from a small candle holder I have with a stained glass angel on it. As far as I knew, there was no candle in it and, even if there had been, I had not lit it.

I went closer and looked into the place where the candle is supposed to go. There I saw the face of Jesus glowing brightly, as though sketched with pure white light. It was the kind of intense luminous white you get when burning magnesium. As I stared at the face, it stared back at me through its third eye, which was a glowing white crosshair (Either of two fine strands of wire crossed in the focus of the eyepiece of an optical instrument and used as a calibration or sighting reference).

Crosshair

Now as I place the image of the crosshair on the blog, I realise it has a cross in the middle. In the dream, Jesus's third-eye/crosshair was pulsing with light, projecting to me, not only as a gift, but also as a message to use the power of my own third eye/crosshair. In the blazing vision, even though Jesus had two other eyes, the third eye was the one being used.

I knew in the dream that the illuminated Jesus was real and that we had communicated with each other.

I woke up feeling very grateful.