From Why? to Wow!

All the mechanics of alignment will do very little in the long run unless we first honor the force of spirit that animates us in our lives. John emphasizes this again today like he would be happy if we only wrote this in our journals, packed up and flew back home. (However, I do have a burning question about the engagement of lower scapula that I have to ask him this week!) He reminds us that even though we learn specific ways to fire this muscle to move that bone into alignment it is always secondary to the bigger picture of opening to spirit.

I remember five years ago when I was given an assignment from my spiritual teacher to create an ‘evidence’ journal. I was to write down everything in the course of the next 5 months that would classify as synchronicity or stoke of good luck like chance meetings, right place at the right time or events that seemed horrible at first but ended up being a blessing. Within a few weeks a 1/4 of my journal was filled up. At least once a day life’s inherent perfection was proven to me, I just had to take the time to notice. It literally blew my mind and radically shifted my view on life. I always thought that my carefully constructed plan would lead me to happiness... so I painstakingly did all the ‘right’ things like every ‘good girl’ should. Luckily I also had a little rebel inside that questioned everything-- sometimes it felt as if the rebel girl and the good girl got into a hair-pulling fight at recess. This represents the dance of light and dark, shiva and shakti in the material world. Both come to be so we can know the perfection of Spirit. Writing that journal and seeing how the universe is supporting me allowed me to let go of my attachment to my plan and open to the universes plan. I not necessarily an easier ride, for me it has been a more alive, vibrant and life affirming ride- one that I could have never orchestrated on my own.

Now, tell me that when I was grief stricken during my divorce, lying on the floor of my bedroom feeling lost in a black sea of sadness and swimming in a pool of tears.. and I would have said you are crazy! However, Spirit sees the BIG picture.. we often do not. We only see a narrow view like standing on the beach looking through binoculars when spirit is standing above us looking at the entire ocean. Where we only see one bird, Sprit sees the entire flock, the global migratory patterns and so on. I could not always understand at first the reason I became divorced, lost my home or injured my shoulder but over time the bigger picture become more clear.

My truth is that the universe works in mysterious yet deeply profound ways and every time I acknowledge this I become so humbled in the face of such divine perfection that the only thing left is complete gratitude. I am human and I do forget these things, some days I want to say “Why” instead of “Wow”. But that is the reason I practice yoga~ to remember the Wow! And, from this place I bow down to the unfathomable ways in which I have been guided every step of the way.

After his Big picture reminder he says casually “Today we are working on the shoulders”. I immediately feel both happy and terrified at the same time. It is a vulnerable place for me and an area I have worked on for 10 years. The ‘caving’ in of my heart has been giving way to healing and expression. This blog is part of that expression, Thank you for reading.. there is no accident that we are connected.

Namaste~ Sienna

A Quantum Ride to Healing

“The universe is not random...life is deeply orderly. From symmetry of flower petals, the distribution of colors in the rainbow, to the rain drop patterns on the rooftop there is deep order and inter-connection in the universe and our body follows suit.” says John. This is one of those phrases where my brain explodes trying to comprehend it and yet I eagerly jump on the quantum super highway, buckle my seat belt and go for the next ride. The journey of inquiry and revelations continues and there is a child-like joy inside as I ease on the gas to explore this truth.

Because the universe and the body has a deep order, healing can happen quickly through the art of aligning our bones. “Heal 10 or even 40+ years of chronic pain in one day~ line up the body, the channels open and the body heals” says John. I heard this a few years ago and again today, my left eyebrow raised...(I can't even raise my right eyebrow, that's for the next yoga therapy session!) but I have seen him in action and more importantly I have experienced it myself using the principles.

My right hip has been torqued forward for 15 years and today it released. I felt a softening and settling in my front hip flexor that I have not felt before. Two years ago I had a similar breakthrough in my neck. After 10 years of neck pain where occasionally I could not lift my head off my pillow in the morning I worked with these alignment principles and my neck pain was gone in a week. The realigning of my hips and neck both brought up emotional releases as well.

The physical body is the outer expression of what is happening on the inside. The tension in my body began in childhood by contracting during the times I felt unsafe. I literally sunk my heart into my chest and rounded my shoulders forward to shield myself from harm. My neck pain was the physical manifestation of this long held internal pattern-- and when it final healed it was because I was ready for the pain to tell its story and be freed. The body speaks in the language of pain because it is something we ultimately listen to, right? Pain is hard to ignore for long. (On a side note; what does western medicine do for pain?... often prescribes pain killers which severs our connection to our own inner healer.) Now, that I no longer needed to protect, my muscles are safe to release and I have the profound opportunity to feel the emotional energy that arises with it. Intense as it may be, deep down I feel an unwavering inner strength that grew right out of these challenging situations. LIfe is full of miraculous and orderly spirals~ that which hurts us can heal us and then come back around to empower us. I appreciate the potency of this in my life.

All day today I had a smile inside thinking of the divine order that has lead me to this moment here in Maui sitting in front of John. There are no accidents only a deep order that resides in the universe. Everyone I have met has helped me get here and to know some aspect of the truth from the flower, to my neighbor to my spiritual teachers~ Thank you.

Mahalo and Namaste~

Sienna

Airplane yoga~ Opps!

Aloha~

I was doing yoga on the plane to Maui today... standing forward bend, lunge.. I looked down at my feet and noticed my ankles looked a little puffy... Ah, I said an inversion would be perfect for this. Hummm... I have never done an inversion on a plane, should I? Better yet, could I... in this skinny little hallway by the bathrooms? Before you know it I was kicking up into HANDSTAND on the plane... then a funny thing happened...

Hands on the floor, forward bend, one foot up then airborn with the other foot...and OPPS my right heel hit the inward fold of the accordion like bathroom door and pushed the door inward and sent my foot over my head and toward the you know what... luckily I have been doing so much core work in my practice lately that those abs kicked in and flung my legs forward again and back to the ground. Wow, Yoga helps in all kinds of situations.. it just goes show that you never know when your practice will come in handy, even if it is to get you OUT of something that your Yoga practice got you IN to in the first place! Either way, I will take it. Here's to starting off the week smiling :)

Mahalo,

Sienna

Goddess Pele destroys and creates in a fury for the highest~ John Friend's

Hi all,

Maui is known for its rock you to the core healing vibration that chews you up and spits you back out~ I am sure it is no accident that John Friend choose it for the yoga therapy training this week. Many come to Maui to heal.. some stay and some run screaming home.. the goddess Pele does not mess around. Goddess Pele is a Hawaiian Volcano and Fire Goddess~ the embodiment of both destruction and divine creative power. "She is the flame of passion and the fire of purpose, she is the energy of dynamic action and she is the glowing essence of eternal and profound love." says R.Barkemeifjer de Wit. Ok, sign me up. Tomorrow I leave for Maui to dive into the Pele's fiery arms, the blue oceans wild current and the earths sacred ground to meet myself again and again... this time its not the Iron Goddess of Paris but the Fire Goddess Pele that presides over the court of truth and transformation along with an amazing teacher, John Friend.

With anticipation I read an email from Donna at the Anusara registration office saying... "make sure to bring a journal, you will need it everyday"... I can only imagine why. I savory these concentrated times to go in.. and am also a little uneasy. But that has never scared me off before not matter what comes up. The spiritual path and the human condition fascinates me to no end. I have a ferocious curiosity about what lies inside and it propels me past the comfort of clear water into the unsettled murky water. For as long as I can remember I had this desire to know. I was the child who would climb the fence that said "no trespassers allowed" and for good or bad I had to know what was behind that chain linked fence. Sometimes I found a frothy mouthed, teeth wielding dog and sometimes I found succulent, sweet oranges hanging from low branches. No matter what I discovered, I was always going back for more. And, this trip is me climbing over the fence again.

I wade through the waters of my own soul so I can know myself, so I can be with that which blocks me from knowing who and what I am. To be real, to myself in every moment is my dedication,,, however that looks. The human condition is not always pretty, despite the images the media bombards us with, and I want to honor the realness in myself. Over the years I have glimpsed the truth that we are an embodiment of the divine~ I want to deepen my knowing of this. And, If my experiences along the way translates into helping others to see the light of their own Self then I am honored. If not I still walk, I still yearn to discover and explore my own true nature.

In love and gratitude to my teachers who have lead me here. Thich Nhat Hahn, Georg Feurestein, Thai Ashonoah, Jean Marie Hayes, TKV Desikachar, Gary Kraftsow, Mirka Kraftsow, Maritza and John Friend. I bow deeply, Namah.

Sienna

Yoga~ Plain and Simple

The spiritual path is a "Reality Project" a term coined by Stephen Cope in one of my favorite books of all time "Yoga and the Quest for True Self. In order to feel what is Real we go to its contrasting opposite.. and literally jump into the murky depths of the unreal. We dive into the illusion-- flop around, go belly up, try belly down and tread water dog paddle style until we become tired, exhausted and on the edge of giving up. Then in the darkest hour we stretch out our feet and touch the sandy bottom of Reality and walk to shore.

A famous modern day yogi A. Desai says "Reality is more sacred to me than my most sacred concept. Reality is the message of consciousness. Reality is God in disguise." Reality is this moment, a live, streaming, real-time experience of each moment where awareness is completely absorbed in what is happening now. If we do not like what is happening now then unconsciously we may move into "WHY, is this happening now?" and fight the truth of the moment. But the truth remains,, this IS happening now. So, the Reality Project begs us to change the question to "WHAT is happening now?" because then we have the opportunity to really love. From a yogic perspective, LOVE is acceptance of what is. If you are in the moment, you are in love. Now, that is the knight in shining armor of true LOVE we've been searching for not the white dress, not the house or 1.5 kids. Being in the moment, observing the truth and accepting what is. And, to choose to say "I do" to every moment, again and again. That is the essence of the spiritual path... plain and simple. It is a divine marriage of Self to Reality for the sake of LOVE.

Namaste~ Sienna

Open to the moment, and miracles are revealed.