Be pecky!

You might be wondering "What in the world is pecky"? I too would have asked that until yesterday when I was watching my husband's new favorite show, Swamp Loggers. I learned about pecky cypress, and it's pretty awesome! Cypress trees often grow in swamps and for unknown reasons, certain trees are attacked by a type of fungus that creates lens shaped pockets throughout the wood (as you can see in the photos above). In addition this wood is extremely dense, much stronger than a cypress without the pockets. Some of the trees may be up to 1000 years old, and in fact one about that age weighs around 28000 pounds! This highly desirable wood is incredibly durable and stable, lasting hundreds of years more when it is used in homes or other places for human appreciation. It is given a value of around twice that of any other wood harvested in the swamp.

What can we learn in this lesson from nature? Sometimes the challenges of life permeate and affect us profoundly, even attacking us to the core. It might feel like a battle. However this difficulty can give us value, and beauty, and strength beyond belief in our lives and after. I couldn't have created an analogy for yoga philosophy any more amazing than this forest lesson.

Next time I do tree pose, I will be a pecky cypress! :) I hope you'll join me.

Namaste,
Kat

Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving Yogis. I found the poem below, and felt it was a nice reflection on America and our past, present, and future. Times are tough, but we have a strong history, and for that, I am grateful. Please do get some rest during this holiday break! Namaste.


Giving Thanks
For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the "Land of the Free" --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
Author Unknown

Thinkin' bout makin' my move...

What leads to those seismic shifts in life?

Some people seem to experience them regularly, others never or maybe once. A kick off to start your own business, or move to a whole new place and start fresh. To some this is stress, to others a relief. A new approach to life takes a distinct recipe that requires very special conditions. First, an individual has to be open to their true needs. Comfort can be a need, but too much comfort and we forget who we are, we are never tested and can never flash our vibrant and highly able selves. Not enough security and we feel as though strong ocean waves with an undertow are washing over us again and again, relentless and without mercy. We must find those moments where we have a combination of peace and push. The base to let us leap off a steady platform, but also the courage to reach out and embrace change.

Lately I have noticed myself becoming set in my ways about a few tiny things. Driving routes are less varied than before. New routes feel mildly odd. These things are small, but shocking. Getting in a different car to drive and not liking the set up. Wanting to use only my own mugs that are from Japan, I got them free in a box on a curb from a long-over garage sale and I love them. Plus I kind of fear items made in China, related to food. Coincidentally (or not) I have been away from yoga a bit more often, could my strong grasp on the known relate? As our bodies lose flexibility, so too do our minds? Sure. I know I read somewhere recently that our very blood vessels and arterial health can correlate with our muscle flexibility. So could it follow that physical motion and exploration allows our grey matter to dive and soar, just as we do in forward fold and then upward salute?

I renew my commitment to yoga. I now have a home space and I know I'm open to it. One day last week I woke up and headed down for 15 minutes of morning practice with music and pranayama. The day definitely felt better and it was a doozy, organizing a luncheon for 100 people, then yoga then a soccer game at 9:30 at night. I'm teaching two classes of yoga a week as well so that is nice, a constant source of the inconstant. May this shift towards the universe allow the energy around me to swirl, flow, and vibrate, crackling with expectation and hope, alive with potential and joy, and allowing openness towards destiny. I wish the same for you!

Namaste,
Katherine

spring Forward, fall Back

Fall is upon us again. The shriek of the crow echos, hustling squirrels create mental maps, and warm hues of retiring leaves make me feel that this is a time of goodbyes (to the year). Maybe these vivid solar colors remind us to cherish the warmth that is due to leave our hemisphere for a while.

Another orbit around the sun is finishing up and as time moves forward, its normal that we return to memories of the season. I can remember picking apples, hiking with the Marchin clan, Halloween fun, and a brightly lit kitchen with chili cooking on the stove, a warm safe place as darkness fell outside.

Don't forget to set your clock back on November 7th. And do remember to set aside some time to remember autumns past. Happy Halloween!

Namaste,
Kat

sur-prise!

What is surprise? Hard to pinpoint. It can be lovely I suppose. Many times I find it can be difficult, maybe I'm just a control freak. Today we went for a little walk at a park, and I had a happy thought that my family had been here walking one time. Then I got a great big shooting surprise as my mind realized that was just after my dad had passed away, and he would not be showing up in that particular memory. Ouch. Hard to win there at times, memories with him hurt, those without him do too.

A young baby typically loves surprise, peek-a-boo drawing out peals of laughter. What happens to us? Do we get conditioned by surprises at work, or otherwise that turn the joy over? I do love some little surprises...a dear letter out of the blue or when a rare but favorite song pops up on the radio. Seeing a friend somewhere when I didn't expect it.

I suppose surprises are shaped by the very expectations that we do have. If we can detach a little from our planned view, we we be affected a little less when any sort of strong shocks do come our way, for good or bad. I believe this is healthy. Tonight I went to a new experience, it was pretty good. I'm happy for those that made happy memories that will stand out.

If you want to sing out...

Recently I organized a Karaoke night out with the girls. I like it so much more than just going "out". Why? I don't know, it's cute. People put themselves out there. Some have awesome skills, some not so much (yours truly for example) but it doesn't really matter because a lot of well-loved songs are rolling around in the ether and the vibe is soothing.

Also, it addresses a chakra that I chose to work on. The throat chakra (energy center) is how we express ourselves, singing fortifies this chakra and grows it. Any time I sing, it feels great. Any time I go to a choir or vocal concert or even a symphony, I find myself happy and contented. I have delightful memories of singing in church with my family, a few notes of a certain song and I'm right there with them all. In addition, singing releases energy that we may not even realize we had stored up.

So, here's to expression! Wherever we find it!
Namaste,
Kat

More Labor?

"Waste not want not." Maybe this phrase applies to our lives, more specifically than using two kleenex when we only need one. Do we waste our lives sometimes? Work work work, what about relaxing? Do not waste your life away in only work or only play, but balance the two. Some people avoid work at all costs, they don't seem particularly joyful either.

On this Labor day weekend, take stock of what you're working for, or towards. Posessions? Children? The future? Try to incorporate that goal for the future into the present, and the labor may feel less burdensome. Post a picture of your dream car. Make some calls or a list related to your dreams. Many people do achieve their dreams, often a few steps at a time, rather than in one dramatic moment.

Namaste,
Kat