Please don't roll your eyes at the title of this latest blog post. This is what I really feel I am doing at the moment, and it's awesome, and also a little bit chaotic.
This *awakening your true self* was the fairy card I pulled yesterday, and it's so true that when you start to consciously shift things in your life, admit what it is you REALLY want, and decide to commit to it... things start to happen! You start to *see* all the obstacles that are in your way and it's like running towards your dreams with someone throwing lamingtons at you. Or something like that. Exciting, yes, and also a time of letting go of things that maybe aren't serving you anymore.
On Tuesday I drove up to the hills after yoga and on that beautiful sunny morning, found myself sitting across from a clairvoyant. Totally unplanned! He didn't so much as predict the future (thank Goddess) but he did shine a light on limiting beliefs and patterns that have been going on in my life for a while. He was the real deal, and was the wake-up call I needed. Do I need to believe a whole lot more in myself? Hell, yeah. Apparently I am quite intuitive, can read energy (this I am starting to see happening more and more) and the most interesting thing I found is that I am in the process of catching up to myself, that I have what he called an "entourage" of angelic and Divine support around me.
So what happens when you start to live the life you really want and be who you are? Clearing the decks! This can mean letting go of physical stuff, emotional wounds, setting stronger boundaries with people, surrounding yourself with people who make you feel inspired, happy and supported, and kissing old friendships/interactions goodbye as you boldly and delicately step forward onto your true path.
Friday, 11 May 2012
Monday, 23 January 2012
Punk Rock Yoga Melbourne
Though I'm not aware how many people actually read my blog, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for me to plug my new upcoming PUNK ROCK YOGA classes!
You might be interested...
If you like alternative, indie, electro, rock MUSIC.
If you like yoga, and doing yoga to cool music
If you don't know much about yoga, but are interested in trying something different.
If you'd like to create your own yoga flows.
If you like the idea of doing poses with a partner (your lover, friend, or even a friendly stranger!)
If you are open minded
If you are a bit of a rebel
If you are a punk... (but you don't have to be)
If you are a teenager, student, or adult up to 99 years old.
If you want a chance to shake it out! Literally, shake dancing.
If you want a yoga class that is a little bit different, dynamic, energising and FUN...
Then Punk Rock Yoga may be for you!
Elements include:
Breathing, stretching, moving, dancing, vinyasa flow, sun salutes, strength poses, mantra anarchy, short relaxation.
What Punk Rock Yoga Is Not.
It is not doing yoga to Punk music, although you may get this impression by the name.
It is yoga to different kinds of music though, as the slogan, "All kinds of yoga + all kinds of people + all kinds of music = Punk Rock Yoga" suggests. You won't hear any kirtan or traditional yoga music in this class, nor will you hear Gloria Estefan. Sorry.
It is not "yoga for punks." Although if you ARE a punk, you may really get into it! It's about challenging sterotypes. Are all punks angry? Are all yogis peace-loving, amethyst-wearing, mantra chanting, vegan hippies? Do you have to be a Hindu or Buddhist to practice yoga? If you like loud rock music and dressing differently does this mean yoga is incompatible with who you are?
I'm not suggesting anything is wrong with any of these things, such as being a vegan or wearing amethysts or chanting (I've pretty much tried and do all three, at different times), just that some people think that yoga belongs to a particular stereotype, or even that it is reserved for the elite. I too once had no interest in yoga, even though I could feel it calling me... because someone said it was only for white blonde rich women who lived in a certain demographic and carried a designer mat bag. Some of my friends at the time were anarchists, activists, queer rockers and punks, and I didn't want to go to yoga and become "uncool." I thought it was just another fad for stretchy, bendy people who liked to gaze at themselves in mirrors and chant Om.
Of course my perspective has radically shifted now, and one of the things I love about yoga is the yoga itself, and powerful connection that it JUST IS... and also that there is traditional yoga styles which anyone can do, and that there are different, electic styles. I love the diversity! I love all the people I've met, I love my yoga teachers. There are posh yoga studios that play Enya where the students are all from the same postcode and drive expensive cars (not that there's anything wrong with that) and then there's ... Punk Rock Yoga.
All I can say is come and see for yourself!
Rules:
Wear whatever you want. You don't have to wear expensive yoga-specific clothes, and in fact, if you want to, you can wear jeans, leather pants, leggings, shorts or a snorkelling outfit. But keep in mind, you are going to be bending and stretching and sweating (and dancing)! So practical, exercise clothes are best. You don't need to try to impress anyone but if you want to get creative, then go for it.
Bring an open mind - the flexibility is in the loosening of structure here.
Be prepared to have some fun, smile and lighten up. Yoga can be serious (as it's a method of self-inquiry) but this kind of yoga is quirky, subversive and creative.
Be yourself - always.
Practical tips:
Don't eat anything big up to an hour before the class. Arrive at 5.30 - 5.35 for a 5.45pm start. Totally on the dot.
Classes are held at Batesford Community Hub in Chadstone, starting Tuesday 24th January, and go for just 45 minutes, giving you a taste of Punk Rock Yoga. Every Tuesday night during school terms.
See my yoga teaching website for more details
www.sonicshakti.com.au
Link to a short video of PRY filmed in the US at one of their classes. Check it out!
http://vimeo.com/18856514
 |
| See Punk Rock Yoga in action! video link at bottom of post |
You might be interested...
If you like alternative, indie, electro, rock MUSIC.
If you like yoga, and doing yoga to cool music
If you don't know much about yoga, but are interested in trying something different.
If you'd like to create your own yoga flows.
If you like the idea of doing poses with a partner (your lover, friend, or even a friendly stranger!)
If you are open minded
If you are a bit of a rebel
If you are a punk... (but you don't have to be)
If you are a teenager, student, or adult up to 99 years old.
If you want a chance to shake it out! Literally, shake dancing.
If you want a yoga class that is a little bit different, dynamic, energising and FUN...
Then Punk Rock Yoga may be for you!
Elements include:
Breathing, stretching, moving, dancing, vinyasa flow, sun salutes, strength poses, mantra anarchy, short relaxation.
What Punk Rock Yoga Is Not.
It is not doing yoga to Punk music, although you may get this impression by the name.
It is yoga to different kinds of music though, as the slogan, "All kinds of yoga + all kinds of people + all kinds of music = Punk Rock Yoga" suggests. You won't hear any kirtan or traditional yoga music in this class, nor will you hear Gloria Estefan. Sorry.
It is not "yoga for punks." Although if you ARE a punk, you may really get into it! It's about challenging sterotypes. Are all punks angry? Are all yogis peace-loving, amethyst-wearing, mantra chanting, vegan hippies? Do you have to be a Hindu or Buddhist to practice yoga? If you like loud rock music and dressing differently does this mean yoga is incompatible with who you are?
I'm not suggesting anything is wrong with any of these things, such as being a vegan or wearing amethysts or chanting (I've pretty much tried and do all three, at different times), just that some people think that yoga belongs to a particular stereotype, or even that it is reserved for the elite. I too once had no interest in yoga, even though I could feel it calling me... because someone said it was only for white blonde rich women who lived in a certain demographic and carried a designer mat bag. Some of my friends at the time were anarchists, activists, queer rockers and punks, and I didn't want to go to yoga and become "uncool." I thought it was just another fad for stretchy, bendy people who liked to gaze at themselves in mirrors and chant Om.
Of course my perspective has radically shifted now, and one of the things I love about yoga is the yoga itself, and powerful connection that it JUST IS... and also that there is traditional yoga styles which anyone can do, and that there are different, electic styles. I love the diversity! I love all the people I've met, I love my yoga teachers. There are posh yoga studios that play Enya where the students are all from the same postcode and drive expensive cars (not that there's anything wrong with that) and then there's ... Punk Rock Yoga.
All I can say is come and see for yourself!
Rules:
Wear whatever you want. You don't have to wear expensive yoga-specific clothes, and in fact, if you want to, you can wear jeans, leather pants, leggings, shorts or a snorkelling outfit. But keep in mind, you are going to be bending and stretching and sweating (and dancing)! So practical, exercise clothes are best. You don't need to try to impress anyone but if you want to get creative, then go for it.
Bring an open mind - the flexibility is in the loosening of structure here.
Be prepared to have some fun, smile and lighten up. Yoga can be serious (as it's a method of self-inquiry) but this kind of yoga is quirky, subversive and creative.
Be yourself - always.
Practical tips:
Don't eat anything big up to an hour before the class. Arrive at 5.30 - 5.35 for a 5.45pm start. Totally on the dot.
Classes are held at Batesford Community Hub in Chadstone, starting Tuesday 24th January, and go for just 45 minutes, giving you a taste of Punk Rock Yoga. Every Tuesday night during school terms.
See my yoga teaching website for more details
www.sonicshakti.com.au
Link to a short video of PRY filmed in the US at one of their classes. Check it out!
http://vimeo.com/18856514
want to be inspired in less than five minutes?
Get ready to be moved. It's very empowering and uplifting, and might even make you cry! Unless of course, you have a robot heart. So simple, yet so profound. It makes you want to get out there and really live...
video
Esther Hicks in one of the most inspirational scenes depicting the law of attraction. Video includes Esther Hicks and Micheal Beckwith and many deleted scenes from Rhonda Byrne's film.
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Grumpy Red Fairy
Be Your True Self!
Yesterday afternoon I was in a bad mood. I was studying yogic (esoteric) philosphy all day, spurred on by a recent conversation that diverged so much from my own truth I began to seriously question myself. And I'm glad I did. The things I read made my brain hurt. I've decided that I'm going to trust myself and my own inner wisdom, and stop listening to people who may be well meaning, that try to convince me of their beliefs, whether religious or spiritual, whether they've been practising for 10 years or 20, whether it's "ancient" or "the truth."
So in my grumpiness, I pulled an oracle card from the lovely and mysterious, Oracle of Shadows and Light, by Lucy Cavendish and there starting indignantly back at me was Grumpy Red Fairy. Yes, I thought. Thank you. I'm mad and I'm going to allow myself to feel this way. Which helped a lot.
The card's message is to Be Your True Self. Essentially it's saying to stop caring what others think, putting on a nicey smile or wearing clothes that you think will impress others - do what you feel.
"You too are fiery, playful, defiant and lots of fun. Be you. Be rebellious, even. Who's to say how you should look, or behave?" There's an analogy here of dressing however you want, playing drums (hehe, drumming is my sadly missed hobby) and also just accepting your mood how it is, not falling into the trap of being something you're not. But this card really spoke to me, not about appearance but about "fitting in" as a yogi, or as a yoga teacher, when I have my own belief system that may diverge massively from some yogis. It feels good to me and that's what matters. I don't give a *** what your guru thinks!
So reading this card was a relief, and I noticed as I allowed myself to connect with how I felt without judging it, and join the dots, I started to feel better. Permission to feel how you feel is so good!
I can now see how important it is for me to be myself. Listening to my own intuition, paying attention to how I feel inside is what guides me to my truth. I think if everyone paid attention to how they felt more often and not other people's thoughts, and followed their bliss, we would all be radiantly shiny beings! So others can have their beliefs, and I'll choose ones that are more sparkly. :-) And now I'm feeling much better.
So a summary of what I learnt is this:
1) Accept how you feel, without fighting it, and give yourself some love!
2) Choose your own beliefs, thoughts, life.
Namaste.
Lucy's cool oracle cards are available from www.blueangelonline.com
Saturday, 31 December 2011
scrapbooking and changing your life
Peace, quiet, yoga, music, dancing.... and I discovered the ancient art of scrapbooking! My new friend Lauren introduced me to the idea and we planned to spend an entire afternoon this week making stuff. I've never been interested in scrapbooking up until this point, thinking it was for old ladies or bored mummies. But now I can honestly say IT'S RAD! It seriously is the Inner Revolution.
I took an inspiring trip to Kmart in Brunswick and picked up my first scrapbooking kit, which is an album, letter cut-outs and lots of stylish-looking pages with different designs on them, plus stickers, stars, colourful flowers and other cute bits n' pieces. Thursday was a sunny day at the hideaway, so we sat in the kitchen and went to work... using chocolate as fuel. (Did you know that chocolate apparently contains Shakti? That's my excuse to eat it ;-))
Lauren made about six small collage photo boards complete with themes like Play, Nature, Art, Love... I made a bigger Intention vision board expressing my three goals for this year. They are: courage, consciousness and creativity. So much fun. For a mid-afternoon snack, we served up some yummy fruit salad made by my friend, Rachel. Yum!
An interesting side effect we noticed is that creativity gives you energy, makes you feel happy, sparkly and like you are reclaiming your power back to literally create your life on paper. More on this next blog!
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Miss Sprunkles on the awkward art of yoga teaching
Despite what people may say, walking out of a yoga teacher training with a nice looking certificate doesn't mean you can teach yoga or you automatically become some kind of enlightened guru. It's an ongoing process of learning, studying and practising - and transitioning into a career as a yoga teacher is a BIG shift! It's fun, but also very challenging.
For me it's been a full on week. I've gone from practically studying full-time at RMIT (and doing a marathon 14 hours on my business plan submission!!) to adapting to the absence of this. It's weird being totally into something, focusing all your energy on getting some particular work completed, and then having it almost totally drop away.
All this frenetic activity and "deadline" focussing had gotten me into a weird space. I didn't even have time for my home yoga practice, and also my good friend Rachel was camped out on my bedroom floor for a couple of nights, for a sleep-over-like experience. She's studying for her masters and so working together helped make the work seem more fun and less arduous.
So today when I woke up, feeling energised as usual and not having practiced with my teacher for over a week I decided, "How awesome would it be to go to a flowing yoga class with cool music, stretch out before I teach, relax and yogify myself?" I'm pretty sure as I was getting dressed I heard a voice say it would take me longer than 40 minutes to get from the studio in Sth Yarra to Brunswick where my cover class was... but, I ingored it. I'm sure it said, "It's your call." Thanks, Voice. Next time I'll listen. :-)
After a fun class, doing handstands against a mirror, moving my chi, flowing through millions of sun salutations and noticing that I was the stiffest person in the universe (from sitting in a chair for probably 30 hours) I left the class feeling good but rushed... which is not good.
On the way my GPS stopped working, so I used the GPS on my phone which just searched for a signal endlessly. I got completely lost, it rained, and I finally made it to Brunswick, almost ten minutes late. Heart beating fast and breathless, but relieved to have made it, I psuedo-calmly asked the students to lay down on their mats in a relaxation pose, while I collected my own breath and thoughts, and then a strange thing happened. Someone who wasn't me just started teaching the class. I thought, "Who is this powerful person who has stepped in?" Okay, so that probably sounds lame but something else took over, shut down the thoughts of being embarrased or inadequate and started teaching the class... I looked around the room at the unfamiliar environment, messy and colourful walls, looked at the students in their downward-facing dog and felt so lucky to be there. And humble. And idiotic.
Then just as the class was moving into the flow, my android phone started to speak! Loudly an American voice said, "GPS signal lost." Comical... Maybe mirroring my mismatched connection with my own "inner signal."
As I write this, new insights are arising into my mind. Maybe I'm letting forces from outside me guide my journey and not trusting myself, nor planning properly. And while that studio class was great, I see how my being spontaneous gets in the way of honest and logical planning. You can't ACTUALLY be everywhere at once. Time to tune into my inner source of direction!
Miss Sprunkles is my alter ego. She's spontaneous, creative, silly, talkative, laughing, cute, gorgeous, steals biscuits, and is learning how to become a responsible adult. So we have a lot in common. I think originally she was named after a Siamese fighting fish I had...
Final thought: We are all a work in progress.
For me it's been a full on week. I've gone from practically studying full-time at RMIT (and doing a marathon 14 hours on my business plan submission!!) to adapting to the absence of this. It's weird being totally into something, focusing all your energy on getting some particular work completed, and then having it almost totally drop away.
All this frenetic activity and "deadline" focussing had gotten me into a weird space. I didn't even have time for my home yoga practice, and also my good friend Rachel was camped out on my bedroom floor for a couple of nights, for a sleep-over-like experience. She's studying for her masters and so working together helped make the work seem more fun and less arduous.
So today when I woke up, feeling energised as usual and not having practiced with my teacher for over a week I decided, "How awesome would it be to go to a flowing yoga class with cool music, stretch out before I teach, relax and yogify myself?" I'm pretty sure as I was getting dressed I heard a voice say it would take me longer than 40 minutes to get from the studio in Sth Yarra to Brunswick where my cover class was... but, I ingored it. I'm sure it said, "It's your call." Thanks, Voice. Next time I'll listen. :-)
After a fun class, doing handstands against a mirror, moving my chi, flowing through millions of sun salutations and noticing that I was the stiffest person in the universe (from sitting in a chair for probably 30 hours) I left the class feeling good but rushed... which is not good.
On the way my GPS stopped working, so I used the GPS on my phone which just searched for a signal endlessly. I got completely lost, it rained, and I finally made it to Brunswick, almost ten minutes late. Heart beating fast and breathless, but relieved to have made it, I psuedo-calmly asked the students to lay down on their mats in a relaxation pose, while I collected my own breath and thoughts, and then a strange thing happened. Someone who wasn't me just started teaching the class. I thought, "Who is this powerful person who has stepped in?" Okay, so that probably sounds lame but something else took over, shut down the thoughts of being embarrased or inadequate and started teaching the class... I looked around the room at the unfamiliar environment, messy and colourful walls, looked at the students in their downward-facing dog and felt so lucky to be there. And humble. And idiotic.
Then just as the class was moving into the flow, my android phone started to speak! Loudly an American voice said, "GPS signal lost." Comical... Maybe mirroring my mismatched connection with my own "inner signal."
As I write this, new insights are arising into my mind. Maybe I'm letting forces from outside me guide my journey and not trusting myself, nor planning properly. And while that studio class was great, I see how my being spontaneous gets in the way of honest and logical planning. You can't ACTUALLY be everywhere at once. Time to tune into my inner source of direction!
Miss Sprunkles is my alter ego. She's spontaneous, creative, silly, talkative, laughing, cute, gorgeous, steals biscuits, and is learning how to become a responsible adult. So we have a lot in common. I think originally she was named after a Siamese fighting fish I had...
Final thought: We are all a work in progress.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Desire and non-attachment (Aparigraha) - for all you crazy, intense artists (or artistes)
Living in a haze of a life where you don’t know what you want and pretend you don’t care is pretty shite…where you don’t set goals or create intentions because deep down you can’t let yourself believe you could actually create an amazing life. So you just drift along, dreaming about things but thinking, “Yeah, right.” Going after your dreams is way more fun, but can be scary, and can feel like being upside down on a rollercoaster at first. You may start to get kind of attached to certain outcomes in order to feel happy or successful. (Or maybe just addicted to the thrill of people “liking” your Facebook status.)
An interesting side-effect to taking my life in a new direction, deciding to take full responsibility for my life, starting a business and getting excited about what I want is that I’m becoming so intense at times I just can’t let go of what I want... Like right now, I can't stop writing this. I have to publish it TONIGHT. It’s the flipside of “killing” my desire by working at a dull job, numbing out and delaying my dreams. This is exciting! Being a control freak isn’t. Hence my exploration into the topic of Aparigraha (non-attachment.)
Leaving it all behind
I just read a blog post about a guy who gave away all his personal belongings, closed his bank account, his email and his phone (yes, no Twitter and Facebook) and then cut contact with ALL friends and family and went to live in far away with limited human contact for TWO YEARS…to let go of all attachments and return to a simpler way of living. It has got me thinking. Surprisingly, I like the idea of leaving everything behind and going and living on top of a mountain for a while. It sounds so liberating and peaceful. There would be no distractions and you could really experience some real Yoga. The only thing is… I think I’d start getting excited about the kind of life I want to create and would probably want to come back early so I could get started! To me that means that maybe being a renunciate is not my kind of lifestyle… I’d find it hard to let go and would feel I was missing out.
I’m interested in doing this to release my attachment to things that right now I really want – not because I want them but because it sucks to feel attached and wavering between excited and then doubtful. Let’s say I’m really attached to knowing/seeing a certain person, who I’ll call X. I know I don’t need that to be happy. I could walk away and never see her again and I’d be fine – a little upset, but fine. But that’s so not what I want! But I do want to have a glimpse into my true nature so that I can let go of this attachment…
There are things that I really want in life – like a wonderful relationship, a successful career, real friendships with like-minded people, connections with the people who inspire me, to travel and meet new people, as well as growing spiritually. I don’t think it’s all or nothing. But to go away and release a big chunk of my attachment personality, that would be so great. Can you still really want something though and just be not attached to having it? How does that work? When I want something, I am not cool, calm and collected. I am hyperactive, energized, excited and …trying hard to let go so I can feel normal! (No-one is though so it’s okay.)
So since I’m not about to go and live on a mountain top, how do I release my attachment to this strong desire of something that I want right now? How do I want it less and not care if I get it? Isn’t the intention and desire necessary to make it manifest? Maybe I just need to get excited about what I want and trust that it’s coming to me, yet release attachments to the outcome.
Maybe a silent retreat for a month would be a great idea for me to practice non-attachment – and at least I’d kick my Facebook addiction! Not as extreme as letting go of all your possessions (what if you wanted them back later?!) and going away for two whole years… That’s madness! But maybe it’s clarity. Maybe my lens is fogged up so I can’t see the truth. J
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