OM PAGE

Come Monday morning, June 28, I will be on a plane headed to Prague for a month stay, to teach Yoga for writing students that come to study writing and photography abroad through Western Michigan University. I have been blessed in given the opportunity to teach for this program because of my beautiful husband who directs the program, year and year now for 17 years.

This will only be my second year of teaching in Prague, but this year something more awaits me, The Wellness Studio.

I will be teaching Yoga at The Wellness Yoga studio and bringing Yoga with me wherever I'm able. Wherever and whenever I can help guide others through their bodies, minds and spirits, through asana, pranayama, meditation and chanting, I am blessed. Of course, the asana(postures) are more openly embraced and people are often more reluctant to settling into a comfortable seat, doing breathing exercises, or using their voices, sounding out ancient sounds, mantras and vibrations, but I am hopeful, as I make my way on this yogic path that if I am able to teach one person how to find a sense of peace and comfort within their bodies, if I am able to guide one person closer to cultivating more self love, I am living out my divine purpose.

My story is a success story. It's also a survival story, a story about how the practice of Yoga had offered me the courage to take my life back. I had contemplated taking my own life many different times over the years. As happy as I have become it seems impossible that I had come so closely to ending it all, to ending this magical journey. But until one truly lives from truth, in truth, one will not know the true meaning of happiness and peace. Each time I stepped foot onto the mat the voice within me began to speak loudly, sometimes it screamed at me, and it was only whenever I came to Yoga classes. It was as if my true voice was only heard when I was on the mat. More accurately, it was the only time I allowed myself to truly listen. I had suppressed my voice, and allowed another's to dominate my own thoughts and desires. I began believing what I heard, day after day. I had created a false sense of happiness, year after year. I covered up all the lies that were spoken to me, and also the lies I told myself about the life I was living. I was living in a classical, text book, misogynist relationship, and after nearing almost 18 years, I left. I began through Yoga to discover the FLOW of life rather than battling my way through the days ahead of me. Life had became a chore. But once I honored that little voice within me, when I allowed it to grow and to be heard, life became the blessing that it is!

I am grateful every day I wake up, and every night when I lay down to sleep. I am most grateful that I am still here, and when I turned over the leaf, (I literally picked up a leaf and turned it over!) I vowed to honor my heart, my life, my voice, and to dedicate my life to helping others through Yoga. I also vowed more specifically to help other women.

When we honor ourselves, we honor others. When we heal ourselves, we heal others, and when we spend time on our mats, listening to our breath, hearing our hearts desires, wishes, and dreams, we bring the body, the mind and the spirit back into greater alignment so that we can grow within the true flow of life. Invoke the Goddess within you EVERY DAY!!! Honor yourself, love yourself, in loving yourself, you love and heal others.

Namaste-The divine in me, sees and honors the divine in you.

Till next time.

With Full heart, breath and JOY!!!

OM Shantih, Shantih, Shantih

May there be Peace, Peace, Peace

Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu

May ALL being be happy and free from suffering.

This year, July, my writings on Yoga will appear in the magazine, Spirituality and Health, along with being in the quarterly Integral Yoga Magazine. I welcome you to follow me here, and there, and if you're in Prague from June 28-July 29, stop by The Wellness Studio and take my 2 hour Vinyasa Intensives. Or if ever in Kalamazoo, Michigan come by Sunrise Yoga where Sunrise Yoga's mission is not only to teach Yoga, Meditation, Chanting and Pranayama, but we also offer Invoking the Goddess Workshops, to liberate the Goddess! We recreate ourselves through Yoga, Crafts, and other self honoring ceremonies. The Goddess teaches us how to fall in love with ourselves, with the Goddesses that we already are! There is also a beautiful Goddess Walk/Labyrinth at Sunrise as well, come walk it. Invoke the Goddess every day!

www.SunriseYogaKzoo.com