KEY WORDS: The 2nd NIYAMA: SANTOSHA

As we wheel along, on our journey called 'LIFE', we discover another road to embark upon and to explore...this road is labelled: SANTOSHA, the 2nd NIYAMA....

Santosha means CONTENTMENT.....am I willing and able to embrace CONTENTMENT at this moment in my life? Am I willing to see the 'glass half full'? Am I industrious enough to make 'lemonade out of the lemons' in my day? 


ANOTHER YOGIC INVITATION: Am I choosing to SEE MIRACLES, as opposed to obstacles? Am I choosing to 'chant: 'YUM', rather than "YUCK' ? Am I able to be HAPPY, here, now? 


Again, and again, on this life's saga, we have the opportunity, the privilege, the chance AND THE CHOICE to SEE, to CHOOSE santosha, contentment.....

What are you choosing today? 

om shanti, om peace, om santosha!

Looking forward to sharing MORE, on this journey, together.....
Lee Ann

WHEELING into SPRING, WE PRACTICE SAUCA...

WHEELING INTO SPRINGTIME, on this 8-LIMB PATH OF YOGA, we smoothly transition to the 2nd LIMB: THE NIYAMAS, OR: MORAL OBSERVANCES.....

The 1st, of 5 Niyamas is entitled: SAUCA, or cleanliness, purity~ in our thoughts, words, and actions....So, how do we apply this Niyama to our day-to-day living, as we attempt to LIVE OUR YOGA? SAUCA.....hummmmm!

As Springtime enters our awareness in the Northern Hemisphere, many of us begin the annual process of "SPRING HOUSECLEANING"...we clean our cars, our flowerbeds & yards, our windows, our linens and rugs...washing, cleaning, shining, AND ENJOYING the results of fresh bedding, and windows....seeing more clearly through windows that were clouded over w/winter rains, sleet & snow...savoring the fruits of our labors!

Likewise, on a daily basis, we practice SAUCA with our own personal hygiene: bathing, brushing & flossing our teeth, cleaning our yoga attire & yoga mats,etc.

YES! all of the above are clear examples of LIVING THE 1ST NIYAMA of CLEANLINESS...

And yet, we know that YOGA CONTINUES TO ASK MORE of us...

How do we practice Sauca on a deeper level? By attempting to embrace the 6 MAIN KRIYAS of yoga (the main cleansing exercises for the physical body: Kapalabhati/breath of fire for the respiratory system; Trataka/candle-gazing for healthy vision; Basti/herbal enema for healthy elimination; neti/cleansing of nasal passageways; etc.). And by practicing our yoga for healthy bodies~integrating flexibility, strength and cardio; meditating to calm the vrittis (fluctuations of the mind field)....

As Nick Nolte's character in the movie: PEACEFUL WARRIOR states: "Empty the trash in your mind; the trash is anything that is keeping you from what really matters." 

So as we look at SAUCA from yet another perspective, and can continue to practice CLEANLINESS by continually releasing STINKIN' THINKIN' from our minds....striving for a more SATTVIC (pure) mental focus....letting go of toxic thoughts, that no longer serve us~ just as we launder the dirt from our clothing, our cars, our windows.....YOGA IS INVITING YOU AND ME TO 'LAUNDER THE DIRT, THE FILTH, THE NEGATIVE ENERGY' from our minds....this is a LIFETIME JOURNEY...

I don't rightly know if we ever 'ARRIVE'....it is a true SAGA for our SOULS to embrace.....are you ready? willing? able to join me on this lifetime quest?

Om shanti, om peace, om sauca on your path...one step at a time!

Blessings, Lee Ann

WHEELING & DEALING with Life, on this SACRED JOURNEY

We open our hearts & thoughts, souls & life's purpose to the 5th YAMA~ APARIGRAHA....non-hoarding....huummmmmmmmm!!? How does this Yama translate into MEANING, in my life at this day in time?

NON-HOARDING.....LETTING GO! 


What is my body, mind, heart HOLDING ON TO, that NO LONGER SERVES me on this Sacred Saga?

What am I willing/able to LET GO OF right here? right now in my physical realm (annamaya kosha/physical being)? 


Is there extra clutter in my kitchen cupboards, dresser drawers, closet, garage, attic? Too much stuff? 


Better questions might be: WHY AM I HOLDING ON TO THESE THINGS? When did I last use it/them? How many of these items do I have? ...do I need? WHAT AM I WILLING TO RELEASE to Salvation Army, to others?

And PHYSICALLY, within my own body, are there physical maladies that I've been complaining about, which NO LONGER SERVE me?

What am I willing to NO LONGER HOARD? And, as I begin to let go of the pain (physical, mental, emotional), more space is created for MORE HEALTH, more MOKSHA (freedom, liberation)! Huummm!

And in my ENERGETIC BODY (pranamaya kosha/energy sheath) am I holding on to 'STINKIN' THINKIN', thoughts, ideas that NO LONGER FIT? What happens if I CHOOSE to relinquish, release these same ol' thought patterns, and EMBRACE APARIGRAHA: NON-HOARDING of that which is negative, and open myself to possibilities?

I'll never know the answers to these questions unless I LET GO...practicing NON-HOARDING CAN BE a fun adventure, allowing MIRACLES & GIFTS to GRACE this day, in lieu of attachment to things, ideas, people, the past....UNCERTAINTY is a COMPADRE of APARIGRAHA....as we LET GO, we OPEN up to: whom? what? where? why? how? when?...


LIFE is a ROLLER COASTER RIDE...again, you and I have the choice to choose grasping, hoarding, holding on to all that is familiar, or making space for something else? something better? something new?


We'll never know unless we try.... unless we LET GO...."God loves our open, empty hands."~Amy Weintraub

om shanti, om peace, om aparigraha, 
Looking forward to seeing you soon, on this SACRED SAGA called LIFE!

Blessings on your day as you invite APARIGRAHA to join you!
Lee Ann

Listening to the WIND of our SOULS... with BRAHMACARYA

We could surely spend an entire lifetime embracing the idiosyncrasies of this 4th YAMA, on our 8 LIMB SAGA....BRAHMACARYA....

As Rolf Gates so succinctly states: Brahmacarya, or temperance, gets a very bad rap in our culture. Most of us associate moderation with repression. The hero of the story loves the fair maiden, loves her passionately, and then the repressive forces come in to wreck the day. NO ONE EVER SEEMS TO DEDICATE POEMS, SCREENPLAYS, OR ODES TO THE JOYS OF MODERATION OR THE REWARDS OF PASSIONATE BALANCE. As a species we seem unable to see the forest for the trees. Despite the staggering amount of evidence that excess destroys our dreams, there appears to be a human blind spot when it comes to the possibility that our most passionate existence might actually be accessed through balance and moderation. Once we actually start to bring BRAHMACARYA into our lives, we find that this YAMA is about truly following one's heart. We see that the chaos of immoderation brings us pain and anguish ~ and that the calm, clear energy released by moderation actually affords us the opportunity to realize all our dreams.

The moment I fall off the moderation wagon, my mind becomes consumed by the fact that I am no longer living up to my potential. My mind fills with obsessive concern; I know all too well the ways I am self-sabotaging. My heart yearns for peace. Then I wake up one morning and find that I have a made a decision. I am ready to let go of whatever it is that's consuming me. I am ready to reestablish brahmacarya in my life. I am ready to follow my heart. " I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul...."~ Cat Stevens

When we are ready, and willing, we, too, will listen to the wind of our souls.....

Are you ready to join me? Listen carefully.....

om shanti, om peace, om listen, om...................

BALANCE in the midst of giving and LIVING...

Wheeling along this journey in our lives, we turn onto the path of the FOURTH YAMA: BRAHMACARYA, which is translated to mean: BALANCE...

WHAT A PERFECT TIME OF YEAR TO EMBRACE THE DISCIPLINE OF BALANCE IN OUR LIVES~ the planet Mercury has just gone 'direct', and we are in the midst of the Holiday Season....where we encounter frantic schedules of shopping, food prep, partying, shopping, wrapping, rushing, hurrying, shopping, driving....BALANCE in the midst of this season of 'giving'....BALANCE in the midst of LIVING...

Where do we begin? For me, the very beginning of each day starts with my meditation....sitting down, breathing mindfully, grounding myself with my mantra...and, no matter what the day holds, beginning each day with this quiet time allows me to be more present to the rest of my day. As Deepak Chopra says: "The hour one spends meditating is for the other 23 hours in the day." It sets the tone of being a little more centered in the midst of life's ROLLER COASTER RIDE....

Oftentimes, Brahmacarya is associated with sexuality, and the expectation that one should be celibate, and thus, more enlightened...Brahmacarya is not a vocation of abstinence, but rather an invitation for temperance...to temper our thoughts, our words, our actions...to strive for a healthy balance in our lives.

During this season of hustling and bustling, are we also SCHEDULING TIME for quiet, solitude, a walk with nature, a quiet talk over tea with a loved one, time to just BE? While we share festive meals and snacks and drinks with business associates, neighbors, family & friends, are we consciously choosing to prepare healthy meals for other times of day? or, even to fast from specific unhealthy foods? As we're 'booking' our visits & party plans, are we also scheduling in quiet times to enjoy the decorations we put up, the gifts we so beautifully wrapped, the lights on neighborhood houses, as we take a stroll around the block?...

The choice is ours to make: time for ourselves AND others? or, just taking care of our list of things to do? We could CHOOSE to write on our "TO DO LIST": 'time for a soak in the tub'; or 'time for my yoga practice'; or both even; YOU get to CHOOSE.
May this Holiday season be extra-special because you are GIFTING YOURSELF with balance, with peace, with something simple that 'feeds your own soul'....

Om shanti, om peace~ as you wheel through your Christmas and the Holidays and New Year's... with balance & bliss!

WHEELING THROUGH LIFE, ON THE PATH OF ASTEYA/NON-STEALING, HONESTY...Our 3rd Yama

In this month of November, of GIVING THANKS, it is ironic to even think about TAKING AWAY....each day of this month is an invitation to GIVE....we ask for whom, or for what am I grateful today? or, am I choosing to TAKE AWAY from myself or another, the potential JOY IN THIS MOMENT? the GIFT of this day, this challenge, this conversation, this friendship, this love?

Novelist Tom Robbins offers us the choice of a daily mantra: Do I choose " YUM" or "YUCK"~ as my mantra this moment? Do I give myself an opportunity to see and embrace miracles, or grievances?

A popular Zen proverb states: "THE OBSTACLE IS THE PATH." Am I choosing, on my yogic journey, to embrace the obstacles? the little, and the BIG obstacles...as part of my life lessons or am I stealing these simple (as well as GRAND) lessons, wishing/willing them AWAY....

Rolf Gates explains that we "no longer have to believe that if YOU win, I lose. We no longer have to defend our opinions, or anything else for that matter. We can begin to live in harmony with the flow of life. We find that we have been like salmon, who, mistaking ourselves for beaver, have vigorously set about damming the river & making lodges. Despite the fact that we find this extremely difficult without beaver teeth and beaver paws, we spend a lifetime working to create the perfect beaver pond. Then an enlightened salmon comes along and explains that the river will take us effortlessly out to the ocean~where we belong and where we will grow into our full salmonhood. We are told that the river we have spent so much energy blocking and hoarding is actually endless and will deliver us to a place of unimaginable abundance. All that is required is for us to stop blocking the flow with our misguided efforts, our misguided beliefs."

To steal, or not to steal...to be honest & truthful or not...

A choice is presented to us again and again...on our paths, what will we choose today? Right here, right now?

Blessings on your choices...on your day...on your journey...

When we meet again, let's explore the 4th YAMA ~ Brahmacarya

Om Shanti, Om Peace,
Lee Ann

As We WHEEL through THIS DAY - ASTEYA

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY, as we WHEEL through THIS DAY, embracing the 3rd YAMA: ASTEYA, or: nonstealing...which invites the question: HOW DO I STEAL? and immediately the response, reaction can be: I DON'T STEAL! (I don't shoplift....etc., etc.) 

And yet, YOGA, as always, gently encourages us to explore this YAMA a little more deeply, for ASTEYA is a WAKE-UP CALL...ASTEYA nudges us to recollect ALL the ways, minute & major ways, that we DO STEAL: not claiming all our income on our taxes; RE-using our 'old stickers' to transport our bikes from the mainland, to the island; NOT RETURNING borrowed items to those to whom they belong; the 'shortcuts' we take at work: arriving JUST A LITTLE LATE, LEAVING JUST A LITTLE EARLY, NOT CLEANING UP AFTER OURSELVES....and once we get THINKING ON THIS, the LIST GROWS & GROWS....

And, then, the realization that, 'HEY, MAYBE I DO 'STEAL'!!!' confronts us center stage....

Recently, while studying at the Chopra Center, another definition was introduced to me for ASTEYA: HONESTY (also: NON-STEALING)...and, I found myself reflecting on Patanjali's YOGA SUTRAS, and how the 2nd YAMA IS: SATYA, which translates in our vernacular to mean: HONESTY....and the train of thought wheels along this path: 'ALRIGHT, THEN, HONESTY IS A BIG DEAL to be emphasized in TWO of the FIVE YAMAS!'...inviting us ALL to contemplate, a little longer on HOW, WHY, WHEN, WHERE, WITH WHOM I am sharing honesty? and, again, WITH WHOM, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, and WHEN am I 'stealing'?

Rolf Gates, in his beautiful book, MEDITATIONS FROM THE MAT, slips into this discussion that ASTEYA is "our first encounter with nonattachment. When we look honestly at the ways in which we have been stealing, we come to understand that in each instance, there is an attachment to a specific result that overrides our deeper values." Because "I WANT what I want, when I want it, I can so easily JUSTIFY lying about a friend or co-worker, and STEAL and try to sully their reputation...." "It's alright for me to steal from this employer, because of an attachment to the outcome." Or, in the words of a famous cliche', THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS....and, thus, it's not so much what I do, but HOW I GO ABOUT DOING IT that is dishonest, that is stealing, that no longer allows me to LIVE YOGA...

And, again, at the end of each day, we're invited to ask ONE QUESTION: 'DID I LOVE WELL TODAY?' According to the 3rd Yama, with stealing, with honesty, the answer is very simply~very clear: I DID, or I DID NOT! ....and again, as a compassionate witness to ourselves and others, as we WHEEL through THIS DAY, I have a choice to make amends when/wherever necessary; and I can continue to rationalize my thoughts, words and actions into righteousness...

Yoga is clear. The Yamas are clear. Choose honesty/nonstealing, or not...always, ALL ways, the choices are ours, as we travel on this road in life: do I take the honest fork in the road, or not...it's my life, my choice....it's your choice, your life....we cannot control one another's choices...we are each responsible for our OWN souls...and, again, we can ask: AM I LOVING WELL, thus far, this day?

Wishing you peaceful contemplation on this journey...
Om shanti, om peace,
Lee Ann