The Day of LOVE

This "Time" of the year always seems so special...
No, it's not because we are out of school, or having time off from work, or getting to open presents, or that winter snow is falling for our snowboard adventures, or that summer time is brightening our days of "shrimps on the bar-bee"!!

It's the Magnification of the LOVE that is being shared...

Of course, we go through so many experiences of these "Times" through the years...
I can remember being, as my niece & nephew now express, "is there another gift to be opened?" :-)
I now know that "thirst" really could never be quenched, because it isn't the objects we need.

I remember adolescence, pretending for my siblings that I too think I heard someone on our roof and wonder how HE got in when we didn't have a chimney!
Last night, I put two round pieces of chocolate outside by the dish of hay... to show the twins that "the reindeer pooped after their treat" and I also had the honor of leaving the cookie crumbs as well :-)
I still choose to believe in that MAGIC!!!

I have grown tolerant in this ritual of "madness" that retail brings during the last month of the year...
And patient with those that have forgotten the SPIRIT of the Season...
There still is LOVE that gets transferred anyways :-P
My "knowings" allow me to find IT easier and be content to "drink IT" in for all ITs worth.

I am able to participate with compassion and wisdom, not frustrated that some toys break after only one use.
And to be able to silently witness the need of "stealing" a gift during the White Elephant, instead of risking opening the unknown bag of uselessness!
Also be able to rejoice seeing someone else give that gift I saw, but didn't buy for that special person :-)

So I respect what you & what you choose to "call" this Day(s), this "Time", this Season...
And how you go about expressing YOUR LOVE...
Somehow I am effected and fortunate to get a "hit" of IT, even if ITs indirectly received.

May you sleep well tonight and may WE ALL remember to re-create THIS LOVE again tomorrow!!

What a Trip

Ok, I admit it took me awhile to get into "the spirit" of this gift-giving holiday.
Not because I don't enjoy it... it was a TIME thing...
Yeah, I'm one of those people that kinda wants to know what I'm going to buy before I actually go to the store and make my purchase. Not that I don't like shopping, it can be a creative experience and it was this year. I just don't like the pressure of having to "get something" when I don't have a clue what might be needed. I hate buying something that will end up as a White Elephant next year. Rather be boring and give a gift card, but thats no fun!

Oh yeah, my shopping ALWAYS involves buying stuff for me too :-)
So that also gets me distracted from my mission...

This year that shiny BIG store with those 4 letters on it came through for me!
You know the one... K I A E (scrambled of course, not gonna be blatant about it).
Well... I've never been to Sweden, but I like their style. Love the odd or better yet, different approach to things.
The kids are scoring all kinds of cool stuff... even the in-law cousins that I don't really know all their names got a gift!
Even the drinks i need to bring was there and on sale HAH!
My sister would be proud her older BRo finished shopping with 4 days left!!?



All my present shopping done in one trip - 2 hours! heehee I wonder if I'll wake up and find that this was just a dream.

OK, I admit I need to get a couple of gift cards to round out the oddness this year :-P

Attitude

Im sure in my parallel world the rooms are painted Red,
Bouncing off the bed and walls is excepted and quite fun :-)
Though to view "there" from "this side" could seem quite chaotic...

This is the last of my "Fighters" series, probably the most favorite.
Gets me jumping everytime, reflecting my heart's powerful rhythm,
While the many other tunes reflect my heart's Love & softness.


(double-click on the screen to pull up the video for the sound effects to this post :-)

What have we done with in-no-sense, child like behavior based on truth and trust?!?
Sometimes it's like peering into the keyhole of my closet or AM I looking out!?
Trying to call others around for support or join in the amazement of insanity...
I've unlocked the key, now just having the strength to carry out my 'dance'.
One in 10... i'll never be some donkey stench!

The word "monkey wrench" brings me back to the age of seven...
Shawn and me working on our bikes and skateboards, best friends until he moved away.
I still remember him crying after his dog Blue bit me... old wire-haired mutt!
Thanks for the memories Shawn... I think I still have those baseball cards :-)

Things may seem to to disappear... war & peace no accident!
All this time to make amends, enemies now becoming friends.
Time better spent, remembering why we were sent..

One last thing before I quit,
I never wanted anymore than i could fit into my head...
I still remember every single word you said,
And all the love that somehow came along with it...
Still there's one thing that comforts me,
Since I will always know we are truly free!

I Am Becoming...

Yes, I Am a (Foo) Fighter, though I prefer to be a Lover...
We must fight sometimes to preserve Our Truth, though its usually with myself :-P
I Am many poses, constantly morphing into another expression of "my" divine dance of life.



I Am a warrior, shifting from the past to the present... creating the future as I take each step.
"Its times like these" that help me feel my heart beat the Truth, bright as the stars in the sky at night.
And I Am always grateful for the support of my path as I grow like the Son!

I was blessed to visit my love last weekend for several days... the one mentioned in my last Blog.
A warm embrace of the child I Am that is looking for peace...
Allowing me the space to connect with my yoga practice on a deeper level and heal what needs releasing.
Oh... Ojai, I am so grateful for you in my life!

Humbling touches of my Soul from other peaceful warriors sharing gratitude for Our moments shared...
Of course The Cook feed my body and The Farmer riddled me with tales of peppers and potatoes.
Starry nights smiling down on me as I laid in the cottage, fingers still buzzing from my new Drum...
Conversations with God casting enlightenment of this journey on Earth :-)
I wonder what my little roommate 'the mouse' is up to tonite?!

I Am that 'missing piece' that finishes the puzzle as You are mine...
I Am a reflection... of that Burning Bush that Moses questioned that fateful day.
I Am still the disciple learning to Love and extend compassion even when it stretches me to a limit...
I AM an explorer who fears the dark but still searches it so that the Light will cast it out.
I Am a student that has come here for you to teach me what I have forgotten and to remind you what you have hidden.
I AM recalling Who I Really AM!
I Am Becoming...

how ever long...

I'm not someone who waits... though it may look like that sometimes.
I choose to stand here ready, prepared to receive... is this "where the traffic starts"?!
I know IT will be there when the time is "right." Until then, life goes on...

And I wonder when I sing along with you... OM
Promise not to stop when I say "WHEN"
I will return once again to fulfill my agreement :-)
Even if I'm in over my head.

Your face reveals so much to me each time I look,
I have learned to trust you are there to receive me, an embrace not found anywhere else.
A piece travels with me each time we part, like a fragrance that floats on the wind.
Strength supported by memories of the love you share.

Reflections cause me to see YOU in other places,
Reminding me that once felt, always held.
I choose to re-create our shared laughter and pass it forward.
Breath out so I can breathe you in...

Planet of the Apes

Malibu Creek is where that old movie was filmed, I saw it as a kid and it kinda freaked me out.
People with ape heads... disturbing! But now yoga life has me appreciating the Hanuman stories and I have now made peace with that fear :-)
I have had the pleasure of Uschi & Noah tell me stories of that "rock & roll monkey god"... and I definitely can relate!

It is one thing to be humble & patient, but another to realize & pursue your potential. Balancing these two things is what I love most about climbing. It is a humbling act for me, connecting to deep recesses of my being... the place of complete truth. I have been fortunate to be scaling rocks with partners that accept & respect my play within this balance. There is no "ego trip" with me and my physical pursuits... isn't this what yoga practice is all about??! I will always live to climb another day.

The Creek was amazing as usual... the colors, the textures, the smells, ahhh. Nature is so good at receiving me and I am grateful always for Her Love. She shows that things are always in constant change... this is good, even though I have to state every once in a while that "WOW, it used to look like this" & "Hey there are new bolts over here!" The kid that I am notices a lot and I wouldn't have it any other way :-P (Hey did you cut your hair?.. looks great!).



Even though I never climb the Planet of the Apes wall (too crowded & easy to find)... I did hang from a big branch that tried to hit me in the head when Eric lowered me from a new climb we found, heehee! Got a chuckle out of him when I started making monkey sounds. How I wish I had a personal photographer that followed me around and captured all the things I get to experience, see & hear. Someday maybe I will find a way to download my mental pictures to share, until then I will paint them with words here.

the skies on fire! (twice)

Yesterday was a surreal day...
It started as one of those beautiful mornings that make you glad you got up before the crack of dawn and experienced this part of the world slowly wake up! The winds had woke me up extra early... my chimes signaling the off-shore ocean conditions. Probably only climbing could let me ignore the urge to put on my wetsuit and run down to the beach :-)

I met up with the class at Big Rock for some outdoor adventure, the first time for most of the students. I enjoy watching them experience 'real climbing' after pulling on plastic all semester long :-) Of course we had to have the after session feast at a local pizza place. That's when we started hearing the news about freeway closures and fires. It was sort of comical to watch everyone taking calls and checking their phone internets for road & fire conditions... I knew we were in for a journey to get home. Only 1 of the 3 freeways we would use was still open & that meant party on the pavement for sure. Yoga has helped me develop the type of patience needed for times like these...

From the crawling 60 Fwy... the sky looked like a bomb had hit Chino Hills. The sun was an eerie orb in that black smoke and the bright orange glow of fire on the shadows of dark clouds made you feel like the center of the earth had opened up! Took us @ 4hrs to get out of that traffic, thanks eric and laurel for the enlightening conversation to pass the time as other around us were losing their minds at this 'inconvenience.' When we finally got onto the other side of the hills, it was like Red's (a local pub) at last call... the smell of smoke penetrating everything :-P I felt like that fish on a camel ride, but i knew why I was so damn thirsty...



Today felt like a late night after the pub...
Clothes and house still reeking & revealing the past, as my mind wonders what really happened?! I pray and vote that those more directly effected can find meaning in their moments. We must remember we come from a past such as this... ancestors "slashing & burning" to prepare the earth for providing us crops. I still relish the sweet scent of burning cane fields in Maui, hmmm.

I was very much reflective these Sunday hours... finally getting my time with mothr ocean as the sun was setting. Seeing the water's surface reflect all the wonderful colors in the sky. Witnessing 'chovies' dancing on the lquid surface until Mr. Bass invites one 'in for supper.' So many mental photos I took this last hour of daylight as I watched again, the sky light on fire! Let us give thanks for each moment and learn to appreciate what we have, as we are 'lent it'... before we must give it back. We must be sure to 'baptize ourselves' frequently with appreciation and wonderment... for this life is truly a short lived gift :-)

Below is today's yoga sequence that I came up while worshipping on my board:
AM: blanket wrestling & savasana... followed by bewildered eye openers
Noonish: football tadasana & couch savasana, with a few high tide salutes... not ridable waves :-(
Sunset: Lots of cobras & seal poses on shortboard... moving into stoked surfer warriors & smiling belly-flop dismounts
Plenty of single person chants of hooting & hollering for being truly enriched & refreshed
Progressing evening of mixed laundry twisting and possibly traditional "yoga" (on a mat?!!)

"Freedom isn't Free"

Thats what the veteran told the crowd today at the pier-side ceremony.
I've heard that before and never agreed totally...
Do we really have to "fight" for what we want, need, deserve!? The deeper part of me says F@$&K NO! But sometimes there are obstacles present to truly test our resolve and help us build character. Our true nature has everything present at our disposable or utilization... sometimes it is ourselves we must "fight" to receive abundance.
Yoga teaches us to find a balance so there is no struggle to achieve peace in our moments. Allowing us to receive this inborn perfection and to re-member our spirit, so as to dance through this beautiful celebration called life. Why must we expect or accept otherwise?

Freedom is a choice and choices are always free...

I took this photo today of this beautiful hawk. Flying to me symbolizes freedom and having this day to hang out & witness flight was liberating :-) She kept looking at me as if to ask where is it?! Knowing full well that her dinner laid hiding in the bushes just waiting for it's moment to leave this world as nourishment for another.
I thank those that have dedicated their time and lives for my growth and blessings. May they be generously rewarded as I have been and grateful for the experiences.

Rock Yoga

Was in Joshua Tree hanging with the all the cactus praying towards the heavens.
Solid crew of eight spreading out our crash pads, while boulders stood in random tadasana poses.
Even with us crawling and inching our way up, these solid friends kept their poise.
Found some places that have stood the test of time, even with the rumblings of the land.

Its always fun to imagine you are the only one there or has ever been there...
But my silent friends sit patiently, witnessing me as I explore this playground.
I feel like I could run away there and spend the rest of my life climbing towards my soul.
With the nights emblazoned with light from millions of stars.

It is good to get away from the asphalt and noise, stripping away this unrealized tension.
Clinging to slopers and crimps as my body utilizes the freedom that has been revealed through my yoga practice.
Skin slowly polishing holds as my sweat feeds the local flora.
It is good to connect to the Earth and into the recesses of my body, mind spirit... we are all one again :-)

Can we just get along...

Its been great listening to others this past month... so many opinions and well articulated ideals.
Life on a university campus is so alive and dynamic. Spent 20 mins the other day listening to discussions on both sides of the Prop 8 issue. Sometimes politics can create hostility, but its been quite refreshing this year. People are really into expressing their desires for improvement... its a great step forward.
It can be a sticky situation for some, but I love to ask for peoples' viewpoint.

Yoga is all about finding balance, what is needed & what is wanted. Most instructors this year at the Crib really focused on connecting and "allowing the pose to come to you." I used to hear that and think what the f@$k?!! But my time has come to understand and accept. Like all these private debates... if our foundation is strong, you can hear & do anything :-) Coming off some injuries, it was good medicine for me to be patient and tolerant of my current limitations.

This man's search for meaning does involve others... I do like to forge alone, but I do see we need each other.
I guess we must stand on each other's shoulders to reach our limits. And when those situations arise that stretch us to our edge, trust and faith must prevail. Reflection will reveal that there was a reserve or space for growth... so never "burn that bridge."

As the election results roll in, I hope we band together with our goals for change.
Partly why I write this blog is to share this song I found by father & son... makes my heart sing of peace with those in the past.
May peace be with you always...

Random Yoga Moments

OK... I finally am writing about a question Ashley brought up weeks ago.
Does yoga add up? Does it count as yoga even if you aren't on a mat? Or having a full-blown yoga session?
I say... YES!! :-)

One thing I have been doing for some time now is to have "asana minutes" as often as possible.
Its a new hobby actually, where if I am in a "waiting situation"... I do a couple poses. The trick is to not be to obvious and make a game out of inventing a little 'MINI SERIES'. Hint: forward bends are best done with your back near a wall.

The beauty of this "practice" is that i am now never impatient during a slow situation = more time for yoga.
Scott Blossom gave us a Bandha lesson during the Crib and its gave me a lot more to work on. This stuff is great cause it is that one area I have wanted to master and it is very subtle. Sometimes i am doing it the car or while having a conversation with someone! This also leads to the practice of "connecting to the Big Mind" as Erich so eloquently spoke of in the church.

I must share that since I got to Ojai last Wednesday I am on a "handstand kick." Seems like every chance i got i was doing a handstand. Thats the fun with this practice, when the moment is right and the "coast is clear'... a quick pose or two always leaves you feeling inspired and reconnected. Your growth in "pose quality" also goes up exponentially as well. So I think that answers the Zen Muffin's enquiry :-)

I think the key is start modestly, don't put a foot or your rear end in anyone's face and breathe deeply... you may be surprised.
If you are like me, sitting on the floor 'anywhere' is a great place for a "mini floor series."

i turn the page...

I just finished watching Mr. Magorium and loved it... because I too believe in magic.
How infinite are the possibilities and unlimited is our potential. I wonder why sometimes this makes
my heart swell and my eyes "sweaty." :-)
As the toy impresario & wonder aficionado said, "your life is an occasion... rise to it".

Forever adjusted from my time in the Crib, I choose to always be playful and childlike.
As a great Book quotes, it is from this place we are able to enter the Kingdom.
Growing up does force us to move forward, because we really can't stay in any one place.
You see those that do... like reminds of the "what if" and you can sense their pain from being stuck.

So I turn the page, with appreciation and gratitude.
For I know that this will bring for more playful times and more joys to behold.
So now when my heart swells, it is from moments of thanks and the tears are of happiness.
For one of our truly magical gifts is our ability to feel. Our actions can be misconstrued, our words may fall short, but the feeling emanating from our eyes & heart can not be denied.

So I choose to plunge into this realm and i'm extremely grateful to have yoga to help guide me.
This has become a tool, much like a compass. Somehow always able to help me know my right from my left... up from down.
I am thankful for the blessings of my time in Ojai... Kira and the many peeps there.
I have learned to trust myself and in what is revealed to me. We really need others so that we can see ourselves.
In this day, the brightest mirrors are not always easy to find.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” - Rumi

Out of the Crib

Wow... finished my third Crib and I'm still buzzing from the high it gave me.
Its amazing what 5 hours of yoga per day can do for you... not to mention all of the sweetness that Ojai has to offer.
The people that live there and come to LIVE for the weekend is so refreshing.
I am humbly honored to be considered a Crib Peep!

This year was meant for adventure since i had no "accommodations" set in place. Which means I didn't know where i would be parking my truck and sleeping under the stars :-) The Sanctuary is going through changes and "mysteriously" the opportunity to heal an outness from last year's Crib presented itself the first night. I thank you Mr. S for allowing us to close that door and letting me gaze under your oak tree and the splendid Valley blanket of stars.

I'm still processing the work we all shared and ideas presented or actually "reminded" in me :-) These 5 days were spent gathering blankets and rugs, hanging tapestry and lights, smiling and laughing, lots of handstands all over the place, and those apple/walnut muffins ruled Olivia!! The private session in the "church' after Kirtan will always be a special memory.

This was especially nice to have it finish with joy, not sadness for ending... but an awareness of how life continues to move forward... in the best direction. Inspiring conversation for an hour on the corner with a physics professor, then patiently waiting for a pizza that flopped... leading to delicious soup and pasta. Hmmm... life is meant to be an adventure. Finishing with my ritual bath in the creek (brrr...) and a moonlight cruise along the coast.

I will see you soon my lovely Ojai! Thank you for the beautiful memories again.
Peace and blessings to all those that made these days so complete.