Simplicity, Nourishment, and Presence. Kriya Yoga in Practice
“Yoga is both a state of being and practices that point us towards that state.” Judith Hanson Lasater
7/24/24
Hello dear ones,
News. Letter. Top of mind always is how to use this space well, with discernment and respect for your kind attention that comes from my heart and authentic expression. Let your insights arise and ongoing permission to meet yourself where you are, as you are. To what is simple and nourishing, with presence. A longer form read, a letter and some news. Thank you in advance for my candor and integration in connection today.
Messily speaking- I have been occupying a lot more introspection and returning to the tripod of Kriya Yoga(below) and Saucha (purity) as I care for my layers, the koshas, of body, breath, mind, and spirit. My time is being spent simplifying and purging possessions while meeting direct calls for connection and responsibility as they arise. Ultimately, I’m working to create more space to support and enjoy. Projects to clear, to organize, to prepare for fall, and above all- to simply be present w/out intention. Pacing, balance, grace and kind discernment continue to be my teachers.
My multiple attempts to write this week have been incomplete, unfinished, unresolved. Awe inspired moments of poetry, potency and fleeting beauty are calling me to be with, rather than capture for consumption... Nature and eastern wisdom meeting westernized yoga. And the inner dialogue surrounding this...
Take away is to be with. To be with what is. For collecting moments. For revisiting the ever-present past with presence. For honoring what arises.
It is said, you never step in the same river twice. Challenges to meet this commitment, bring forth my teachers of Ahimsa (nonviolence), discernment and Tapas (nourishing discipline). Persistent players of perfectionism, procrastination, and restlessness are also present. Familiar for many I’m sure. I care immensely for consistency, and yet there has been resistance to force any sort of inspiration or insight in this form. Greater- a desire to be in the doing of what feels familiar, what flows, and especially to be in nature. Parts that simply want to play w/out attachment. This svadhyaya (self-study) for me, is the yoga in practice off the mat. From the ruminations or oscillations of my mind brings forward the ultimate call for surrender. To give over to. Ishvara pranidhana. From that surrender, insights to return to what is simple, what is nourishing, what is present.
This is the practice of Kriya yoga. Chapter 2 in Patanjali’s yoga sutras- we say tapas (self-discipline)- svadhyaya (self-inquiry)- Ishvara pranidhana (surrender).
Commit. Awareness. Surrender- Soak. Rinse. Repeat.
To welcome integrated listening into action with intuition. To bring grace and presence. To be in alignment with the ever-changing evolution of heart-centric living. By honoring the rhythms of mind, body and heart.
We are in the peaks of sun, and just off the waters of a full moon. There are micro and macro level impacts for all of us. In the political, ecological, socio-economical and emotional spheres. Heightened temperaments, causes and pursuits alongside daily life may lead to overwhelm. If this resonates, be reminded that we have the power of our breath.
Deep Breath in. Cleansing Breath out. Life giving breath in. Gifting it back out. Steady here. Hone your ability to pause, to slow, to tune, and to bring heart. Slowing. With a gentle smile. A comforting embrace. Let the pace of nature return to you.
When the noise and bustle, the indecision and demands, and the calls for tenderness or pause cross your path. When the in-betweens, or moments of restlessness or apathy graze you. May you then be reminded to return to what is simple, what is nourishing and with presence.
Simplicity, nourishment and presence.
And so as I sip my tea. Peppermint. Chamomile, and Honey, a sun-kissed morning offered the loving light to begin again. Inviting trust- as Mark Nepo extends- for us to learn from the river. If questioning what to hold onto or what to leave behind- The river doesn’t to hold onto the water that passes through it. It is shaped by the water.
Let yourself be shaped by the water of your experience. As you meet the projects, the responsibilities, the joys and pursuits. As you meet hard conversations and decisions. For where your discipline and inquiry are being called. And for where you can surrender and invite intuition.
Return to simplicity, nourishment and presence.
Over these next few weeks, we'll bring in practices to support nourishment through cleansing the koshas. The layers of body, breath, mind, wisdom and spirit. Together, we'll deepen the exploration of the Ayur Mantra: May your life be nourished. May we come to the yoga of unity, of more wholeness, and the practices that support this union. In this spirit,
The unfolding here is always a great honor. Thank you for your ongoing support. Please share, connect, or subscribe. If you’d like to further explore how to deepen your connection to self with my support through yoga therapy, please reach out!
I have vacation on the horizon and will be taking the next few weeks from the online content weekly creation to grant that space for play, healing, refresh. You can expect Mid-August earlier class times for Online Morning Yoga. Stay tuned.
Here with you in practice. And in Love & Light
-Maya