BANQUET OF BLESSINGS (UK) 2018 - Kundalini Yoga & Raw Food Retreat

Make a cup of tea, sit back and take in this interview. In it, I play my Native American Love Flute and answer questions (posed by friend and raw food coach, Gabriela Lerner) about the upcoming Kundalini Yoga & Raw Food Retreat: 

"Banquet of Blessings", in Dorset, UK, 11-13 May 2018. 

Click here to find out more about the retreat and register before end of January 2018 for the early bird special (10% off). 

Sat nam.

Invitation to full moon Healing Ring of Tantra - 1 January 2018

A wonderful experience and powerful way to start the new year 2018. Together we will lay the groundwork for healing on many levels. We will gather in the glow of the full super moon—the largest full moon of the year 2018. Please make contact to indicate that you will join, so that numbers are known. (Please message Thou Art Yoga on Facebook). At least 11 people must be present for this meditation. Sat nam. <3 span=""> All details on flyer.

Remove the wall that keeps you small

REMOVE THE WALL THAT KEEPS YOU SMALL

Kundalini Yoga at Kariwak, Crown Point today:

Friday 3 March 2017

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

All are welcome. $70TT per person.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing.

Yoga mats available on site.

Sat nam.

www.thouartyoga.com

"Just for You" Self Love Weekend Retreat (Tobago)

Please click on image to enlarge and see details.

Choose any weekend ... and it is yours (availability permitting)
 
Each customised "Just for You" Self Love Weekend Retreat caters for one person at a time. If that person is you, you are dreaming of spending quality personal time in a supportive, relaxing space ... to let go, find answers, be inspired, create new possibilities and meet someone wonderful ... Yourself.

Please click here to visit the site for more info and images.

The Just for You retreat is a product within Thou Art Yoga's W.O.W. (Wonderful One Weekend) retreat series.

Try this . . . simple, powerful.

Yesterday I went to visit a friend/yoga teacher from Toronto who is here to give a workshop today. While we were sitting chatting, a huge Jack Spaniard was buzzing around her head.

"They love me," she said. "Whenever I come here they swarm around."

She began to tell me a story of a time she was in Trinidad to do some spiritual work. She used to sit at a desk near to a bookshelf. Every day Jack Spaniards would fly in and out of the bookshelf, but she wasn't sure why . . . until one day she looked and noticed a huge nest behind the books.

She alerted the three other people working with her. The normal procedure is to burn the nest, but they couldn't, as it was in the bookshelf. One of the group, a girl from Findhorn said:

"We have the intention to move this nest. Let's sit and meditate in silence for 20 minutes. When we're done, we will say to the insects Please leave within 24 hours, otherwise it will be necessary for us to find a way to destroy your home."

The party of four sat and meditated in silence for 20 minutes, after which the Findhorn girl said aloud what she had to say to the inhabitants of the nest.

Within 8 hours, the large Queen flew out of the nest and through the window, never to return. None of the other Jack Spaniards ever came back either.

What I like about this story is the calm conviction of the girl from Findhorn and the subsequent results.

Try it, with something you want to see happen in your life. I did it last night before bed.

Conversations with a little yogi

Recently my 10-year old nephew, Liu, went on a baking spree to raise money to buy a Mac laptop. He got a huge amount of orders, mainly from my friends, who were all raving about his cakes, cookies and brownies.

Today he was in the kitchen helping me to make hummus (to eat after this afternoon's first introductory Kundalini Yoga session).

Liu: Is hummus yoga food?

Me: What's yoga food?

Liu: Relaxing food. (Thoughtful pause) Are all people who do yoga vegetarian?

Me: Many are.

Liu: Well I meditate but I eat meat.

Me: How do you meditate?

Liu: In my room.

Me: What do you do?

Liu: I sit and close my eyes. Ommmmmm. I empty my mind, like those monks do.

Please play your part: project & protect

Yesterday four friends and I gathered to do a special meditation for Trinidad & Tobago. At this volatile political time, with merely a week until what promises to be a historic election (May 24, 2010), it serves us well to project as much Love and Light as possible, in whatever way(s) we are each moved to do so.

We chose to use two Kundalini Yoga mantras (see below) which we chanted at eleven and thirty-one minutes respectively.

AAD GURAY NAMEH
Translation: I bow to (or call on) the primal wisdom. I bow to (or call on) the wisdom through the ages. I bow to (or call on) the true wisdom. I bow to (or call on) the great transparent wisdom within. It is chanted for protection. It surrounds the magnetic field with protective light.

RA MA DA SA SA SAY SO HUNG
Powerful meditation for healing self and others.
We projected this light to ourselves and others, to the nation, to the leaders (both outgoing and incoming), to the electorate and all other citizens of TT.

Please play your part. Project Peace wherever you go, envision Light surrounding us as we move forward.

Here's to the highest outcome possible.

Sat Nam.

One for my Birthday

My birthday gift to myself is "Oneness".

The above photograph is of my feet and my footprints on the beach sand. It symbolizes me standing face to face with the Self and committing to the process of becoming One. The "empty" footprints are not really empty. They are full of every aspect of myself that I am consciously welcoming, embracing, merging with in my True Self.

By extension, the 'empty' footprints also represent standing face to face with and seeing/reflecting the external other (i.e. the various reflections we encounter around us in our daily interactions). The intention is to see, be and reflect our True Selves, from a place of Love = Divinity (non-duality) within and without.

Using this photograph as a template, I invite you to create (as a personal meditation for yourself) a symbolic photograph of your own bare feet and your footprints. If you don't have sand, you can use your empty shoes, chalk marks drawn around your bare feet, impressions on the ground made by your bare wet feet ... or anything else you can think of. In your own time and space, stand face to face with your Self and recognize, welcome, embrace, merge with all that enables you to be the full and true "You".

Sat nam

I will close with the words in the birthday card that Daddy made for me:

You deserve the best birthday on Earth ... not to mention the Moon, the Stars and the Universe.

... and yes, it already is the best.

Elspeth

Sacred Journey photos and captions

As promised, here are a few of the photos from Sacred Journey, my piece for the interactive art event, Mystic Intervention - a part of Red Earth Eco-Arts Festival 2009.

Click here to read a short synopsis of Sacred Journey ... what it was about.

Through the natural curtain (curtain made by my friend Rosanna), enter the room in which the raw clay finger labyrinth and other elements of the Sacred Journey were contained.

The clay finger labyrinth is inside, zen style on the floor, with two cushions: one for the person using the labyrinth and one for me when I'm talking to them and explaining before leaving them to have their experience alone.
I made the labyrinth with ridges along the pathway to facilitate closed eyes. Three heart shaped rocks at cardinal points surround the traveler with Love. The 'heart' in the fourth cardinal point is the Traveler/the person sitting before the labyrinth. Rose Quartz crystal (The Love Stone) at centre. Surrounded by Love, with Love in self and Love at the centre on the Sacred Journey.

The feathers emanating from each heart shaped rock are from the Miracle Bird ... Wings of Love, Taking Flight, Miracle.

I liked the shadow of these leaves falling on the paper.
Rose Quartz removed from centre, but energy still present.
Flower Powers.
These wire flowers were hanging all over the wooden walls of the room. Each contains a piece of paper with a special message (most of them being a message I've written down after my morning yoga/meditation). After 'walking' the finger labyrinth, the person chooses either a Flower Power or a Nature's Wisdom Card to receive a message that supports, confirms, gives them further insight about their experience.
One of the Flower Powers by the window.
Nature's Wisdom Cards.
A series of mystical cards, made from a selection of my nature photographs. For each one, I translated the symbols from the image and wrote down key words and phrases - messages for whoever selects a specific card after 'walking' the finger labyrinth. 'Nature Tarot', so to speak. Nature speaks to us through symbolic messages that guide us along our path in life when we take the time to tune in and listen.
Throughout the day, various people entered and embarked upon the Sacred Journey to the centre of themselves (afterwards, choosing their message in either a random Nature's Wisdom Card or Flower Power).
For some it was an individual journey ... a moment alone.
Some did it together. The circuit of the labyrinth is wide enough for one finger, so this couple rested one on the finger of the other and moved along the path.
Mothers and children also did it together.
(Mother and son - J & J).
Mother and daughter.
Some little children played on the pathways.
Eyes closed, feeling her way to the centre and back out again.

Quite moment of stillness and connection.

Sacred moments

The Journey of a Lifetime

Journeying to her centre

Bon appetit
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There were many other travelers, but these photos will give you an overall view. Tomorrow I'll share photos of some of the pieces by the other artists who were involved.

This (notably special) morning

One of these tall candles always keeps me company as I do my yoga/meditation early in the morning (anywhere between 3:00 - 5:30 a.m.).

Looking out of my bedroom window around minutes to six
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Since I automatically wake up so early, I always experience the day as it emerges. The first bird calls, the first light ...

Something about this particular morning - today - feels notably special. Even the light in the sky and something in the colour of the clouds struck me as being 'different' when I first looked out.

I'm not sure what it is and I don't think I am seeing it or touching it yet ... but energetically I know something has shifted, something is happening, something has been/is being given to me and I am ready to receive it. I've been feeling this building up ... and I felt it very strongly yesterday in particular. This morning I felt so thankful for 'it' in advance, that I started to cry after yoga ... and found myself saying (silently, in my head): "Please help me to really see it and know when it comes, to be really open to receive it, to embrace it fully and make the most of it."

Wow!! ... as I wrote that I looked down and there's a Praying Mantis praying under my fan! So of course I had to look it up as a power animal to see what message it has for me. Fitting, as always!

The Praying Mantis under my fan

Patience Pays

“Patience pays. Wait. Let the hand of God work for you. One who has created you let Him create all the environments, circumstances, and facilities & faculties.

Tu kaahay dolay praaniaa tudh rakhaygaa sirjanhaar | jin paidayas tu kiyaa soee kardaa saar

Oh individual, why you are in a very doubtful state? One who has made you will take care of you. One who has created this universe, all the planets, planetary faculties and facilities on Earth, He is the One who has created you. Wait, have patience, lean on him, and all best things will come to you.

Dwell in God. Dwell in God. Dwell in God. Befriend your soul. Dwell in God and befriend your soul. Dwell in God and befriend your soul. All the faculties and facilities of the Creation, which are in your best interest, shall be at your feet. You need million things; million things will reach you, if you are stable, established, firm, patient. Remember, Creator watches over you and Creation is ready to serve you, if you just…be you.

So please take away the ghost of your life and stop chasing around. Consolidate. Concentrate. Be you. And may all the peace & peaceful environments, prosperity approach you forever. Sat Nam”

- Yogi Bhajan –
Master of Kundalini Yoga and White Tantric Yoga

Source

Birth Day, Yoga Night, Muesli Morning

Raw muesli which T and I made for breakfast one morning.
The jar to the right contains sesame seed milk.
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When T was here we made lots of simple and delicious raw eats/drinks on a daily basis, but the raw muesli with sesame seed milk which she showed me how to make was perhaps my favourite (see above photo of our gourmet prep).

This morning I made a large batch of it for breakfast (today and tomorrow) and I'm eating some now as I blog. It contains finely diced (firm) Graham mango, coconut, pear, apple, raisins, dates, cashews, oats. Mixed all of that up then topped with the sesame seed milk, some banana slices and a thin spiral of honey. Yum.

Yesterday for my birthday, all was quiet. I mainly stayed home, went to the Post Office to collect a package (raw food book ordered by my sister Vanessa), did some groceries and went to collect my French prize (which turned out to be an invitation for me and 'up to two guests' to attend the ceremony later this month where I will collect the prize). I'm curious as to what le prix français is. A book? A CD? A DVD? A trip for two to Paris?

The only thing I felt specifically like doing to celebrate my birthday was yoga - a kriya for working on the 7 chakras and aura, followed by the ra ma da sa healing meditation. Simple and powerful. I felt that would be a good gift to give myself. So in the evening I got together with friends Cherrymoka/webgrl/Kris and Glen on C.Moka's verandah with its view of the large playing field and mountains. We lit some candles and did a short version of the chakra kriya followed by the meditation and topped off with a smoothie I had made (cucumber, avocado, apple, coconut water, flax oil, banana, ice cubes) chilled and poured into wine glasses.

A yummy end to a birthday and a yummy beginning to the day after ...

International peace and spontaneous music

I was just reading an e-mail from one from one of my yoga students, saying she would most likely not be able to come to the class today. While reading her message, my room was quiet, the only sound being the washing machine in the distance and birds outside. I was responding to her message when all of a sudden I heard sweet music starting up. It took me a short while to realise that it was yoga music coming out of the blue from my CD player. I had put in a new yoga CD much earlier that morning, but it had not been playing for hours since. Interesting. Especially as it started up when I was writing about yoga. This sudden yoga music had happened the other night as well.

On that note, because today is the global meditation for peace,today's class will be geared towards that. Below is an extract from a 3Ho newsletter forwarded to me by Harisant, the teacher who introduced me to Kundalini. I've invited him to come and take my class today:

On September 21, 2008 the world will celebrate an International Day of Peace. The United Nations dedicates this special day to non-violence and invites all governments and citizens of the world to support this peace initiative through education, meditation, and peaceful action.

3HO is a Non-Governmental Organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and extends this invitation specifically to our worldwide Kundalini Yoga Community. As 3HO is committed to the excellence of the individual and the elevation of humanity through the technologies of Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and conscious living, we urge all communities, yoga centers, families, and individuals to dedicate September 21 to peace and healing through education, meditation, and prayer.

We invite your creativity. Consider planning an event at your yoga center, or dedicate your sadhana or yoga class to peace, or visit your child's school to include the participation of children in this worldwide event.

Open Cup of Self

Today I am filled
With a Power beyond myself.

It comes
Through my Pores
Opening Doors

Placing me on sure foundations
Pointing me in true directions

I surrender
To It.

Centre

Overhead view of candle after one of my morning yoga sessions looks like my tattoo on fire.
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Find your centre.
Be in your centre.
Extend from your centre.
Return to your centre.

What moves you?

Be still.
Breathe.
Move the world
Inside
Outside
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Location of video: The poui tree on the hill in the garden on a windy day
Director: The Wind
Soundtrack: My Breath
Inspiration: Moving beyond this question

Beyond

Beyond the resistance
Is the flow.
Go.

Centre

.
Nothing else matters.
Focus on the centre.
Inhale.
Slowly and deeply.
Feel your scattered pieces come together,
Like swarming ants becoming one still body around a drop of honey.
Exhale.
Slowly and deeply.
Project your self.