soul stretch yoga blog

There’s a famous story in the Bible about two sisters that reminds me a little bit of Hustle Rose and Heart Rose. Over the years, many best-selling and popular books have been written about Mary and Martha. My favorite versions of the classic story are the ones where you stop trying to “bible study” them with your head and start reading them with your heart. In honor of Easter this year, I’m taking you back in time, to the story of Mary and Martha, as a reflective tale for every modern woman who feels she isn’t good enough…isn’t loving enough…isn’t doing enough. Because the life of a woman today isn’t really all that different from that of Mary and Martha in the New Testament.

I am a yoga instructor with Dyslexia. This makes things just a little bit more difficult for me. If you attend my classes regularly, you will notice that I occasionally mix up my right and left cues. Although sometimes annoying, this is something that I and my students have learned to deal with. Perhaps it may even make them better in someway. That is because I have learned to rely on my intuition (EQ) rather than brain function (IQ) to teach my students.

The Third Eye or the Inner Eye is right smack between your eyebrows. It is the chakra of intuition, of sixth sense, expressed as an extra eyeball on your forehead. It is the bridge to enlightenment, clairvoyance, and higher consciousness. Our physical eyes see the physical world; our Third Eyes “see” the universe, and our spiritual connections to it, as a unified whole.

I have been a seeker and still am, but I stopped asking the books and the stars and started listening to the teachings of my own soul. -Rumi One of the things we lost during the pandemic is travel. Not just get-on-a-plane-and-go kind of travel, but also the deeper truth we seek through new experiences and meeting new people.

"Good morning and welcome to Flight 2022. We are preparing to take off into the New Year. Please make sure your Positive Attitude and Gratitude are secured and locked in the upright position. All self-destruct devices; pity, anger, selfishness and resentment will be turned off at this time. All negativity, hurt and discouragement will be stowed away. If you lose your positive attitude under pressure during this flight, reach up and pull down a Prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by Faith. Once your Faith is activated, you can assist other passengers who are of little Faith. There will be NO BAGGAGE allowed on this flight. God, our Captain, has cleared us for take-off. Destination: greatness!" -Author unknown

Here’s the thing, Lovelies. Unless you put God first, you’ll never feel the serendipitous nudges or hear the words of enlightenment being sent your way. In my experience, God doesn’t speak in a sonorous voice or throw fireballs to get my attention. The whispers and clues are there, and if we are putting God first, if we are paying attention to our relationship with God, we are so much more likely to see and hear them.

When I “vibe the room” at this time of year at my Monday morning Restorative Yoga class, I feel the exhaustion of many of my students. They are tired. There are two kinds of tired, one that requires rest, the other that requires peace. The tired many of us are feeling these days requires peace and spiritual renewal. Trust me, I feel the exhaustion sometimes myself, and when I do, I know it’s time to close for spiritual maintenance.

We can just stop “should-ing” ourselves. Easy to say, right? Yes, it IS easy to say, way too easy, and that’s a key. As Hess explains, when we “should” on ourselves or others, we create fear and doubt and uncertainty. Even worse, it stands between us and our connection with our higher power, our inner wisdom.

Music is a place I often rest. Since I was a teenager telling my parents they didn’t understand me, then rushing to my room to play Bonnie Taylor’s Total Eclipse of the Heart over and over and over, music has been an emotional refuge for me. The first few notes of Foreigner’s I Want to Know What Love Is brings an immediate memory of a high school dance, lights low, my boyfriend shuffling me around the dance floor. Patty Griffin’s Oh Heavenly Day steeps me in comfort and reassurance. And when I hear Amazing Grace, I move from sadness to peace. Songs trigger my childhood memories, my wedding to Doug, chemotherapy. My playlists sustain me.

Let’s face it, I’m not what you would call a “social influencer.” My taste runs more to PBS and jigsaw puzzles than to Tik Tok and chasing Pokemon. Popular culture to me ended with the Big Band era and I Love Lucy. Reality shows and social media aren’t on my radar. Give me a book on ancient civilization or better yet, a cookbook, over “original” television any day of the week. I’m an “old soul,” lovelies...

Whether we are ambitious resolution makers, or not so much, the New Year undoubtedly brings an opportunity to check in with what we all believe in, what we are dreaming about, and how we can develop the self-awareness and self-love that will allow us to thrive under any circumstances in 2020. ~Entry from Rose’s gratitude journal, 12/31/2019

I don’t exactly remember what I said or did that led Sid to share his “wolf” analogy with me, but there was no doubt that the huge and mean and evil wolf was tearing away at my brain! Maybe Sid sensed my emotions or maybe I was grumping around. But however he came to it, the Two Wolves story was just what I needed to hear, in that moment, to realize that God spoke through Sid to tell me to stop feeding the terrorist wolf in my head.

Book clubs do all sorts of good stuff for us. They encourage critical thinking. They broaden our horizons. They help us accept and engage and release. And they foster community. They give us a reason to come together and discuss narratives that matter to us.

I like to think of myself as a person who follows Ghandi’s urging to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” It is the mantra we embrace in Soul Stretch’s yoga teacher training as we mindfully take a step, and then another and another, into the transformative journey of self-study. Through our self-study, we change, change that is rooted in our core being and fills our hearts with passion. We become agents of change, for ourselves, our community, our world.

The need for people is a paradigm shift away from the material, digital world we have inhabited in recent decades. The word “distance” has become a swear word for many of us, as we learn that it is the people in our lives that matter, not the things. We have had to become remote, and find ourselves craving proximity. So how do we deal with this paradigm shift, lovelies? First let’s look at how NOT to deal with it...

Acceptance doesn’t mean you are on autopilot, giving up any personal responsibility and taking whatever life throws at you. It means we do what we can to make the situation right, protect ourselves, lift ourselves up. But when there is nowhere else to turn, you accept it and surrender control.

"We need to figure out how to take this idea of “it is enough” back into the world when it really starts spinning again. But if this is it, I’m grateful. Dayenu." - Ginny Grossman

Lovelies, in a month filled with so much angst, this perspective gave me much needed pause to allow for some space and grace. And to recognize that our common storm in different boats takes us different places.

It surprises me when I hear people say practicing yoga cannot co-exist with believing in God. I wish they could peek in my windows. I have a half-dozen Italian ceramic crucifixes hanging on the walls, along with mandalas and chakras. I have a Catholic rosary in my purse, a Christian-blessed prayer shawl draped over my sofa, a chunk of rose quartz on my windowsill. And I lean on them all.

We're all exhausted this time of year from the pressure of the holidays. We're cranky because we have so much to do. It gets compounded at the New Year when we start thinking about our resolutions and change. We get stuck and resist. We stew. What we really need to to "stop stewing" and "start doing". How do we do it? By finding our Tapas and cooking ourselves in the fire of self-discipline.

People often use their “power” for their own good. But using your “influence” is truly for the good of others without thinking how it affects you.” Forget the power trip, yogis. Practice being a force of good for others; help them experience their own greatness by sharing your knowledge, inspiration and vision. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

We are so convinced that time is an important, expensive commodity that we don’t develop the skill of patient, faithful waiting. What we lose by believing we are masters of the clock is empowerment. “Now” is when we have to learn that we may not be ready for what we want. “Later,” when we have gained the wisdom to rest in the Divine, is when we may actually get what it is we want.

There is no better mantra for Thanksgiving than the “leaf” mantra above. It’s one I repeat often during my November and December classes to remind myself and my fellow yogis that life, in particular during the holidays, doesn’t have to be perfect to be magical and wonderful. Imperfect works just fine!

If we don't take time to listen, sometimes God throws a brick at us. It's up to us whether we listen. Sometimes it takes the powerful quiet of our yoga mats for us to be able to hear what’s put forth and be ready to receive it. Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.

Karma is paying it forward. To share, to give, to be compassionate and generous. One of the mantras of AA that I learned from my husband, Doug, is that you have to give it away to keep it. Very yogic.

If you’ve been to Rose’s class you’ve heard her say, “your yoga mat is your sacred space… the place where you come to heal… to figure shit out.” But the yoga mat is just a symbol; we carry our sacred spaces within us, and unroll them wherever we find a place of calm and peace and restoration. Wherever it is that we “figure shit out.” Rose rolled up her sacred space and took it with her to Italy. We, too, each have a special sacred space that informs our healing and brings us comfort.

The lotus inspires in me an innate desire to grow in spite of obstacles and adversities I may face along my path. The cupped flower says to me that no matter how muddy the waters of my life become, I have the power to tap into my inner self, my inner power, and rise up into the Divine. It reassures me that no matter what lies ahead of me, it is not as great as the power within me.

But once I came to the practice of yoga, I started paying attention to how animals moved and expressed themselves. It’s so instinctual, so natural and God-aligned. By assuming yoga poses and movements, I developed a connection with Mother Nature, breaking away from my “human” spirit to connect with all aspects of my soul and the natural world. A kind of spiritual “shape-shifting” that brings balance to our lives.

Summer is my time, my La Vie En Rose. And summer is the season of the Yogi, starting with summer solstice in June. Summer solstice represents awakening, when we come out of winter and soak up sunlight. It is a time to create our own personal magic, to put on our rose-colored glasses and set an intention to refill ourselves with the life-giving energy of light that surrounds us and is within us.

Not all of us have the kind of dad featured on an American Greetings card. The dad who takes his kids to get ice cream, laughs at their silly jokes, swoops them up if they fall. Some dads can’t … or even won’t … provide a protected and loving place for their children.

Family isn’t always blood relatives. It’s the people you want to be in your life … and they want you in theirs. The ones who accept you as you are, hold your hand during the bumps, lift you up when life hurts. The ones who walk into your life during a shit storm, while others walk out. The ones who love to make you smile and give really good hugs.

If you’ve been to one of my yoga classes, you’ve heard me say that Love is my religion. Many of my students also know that I live by a Higher Power. I connect to my higher power by immersing myself in Mother Nature as often as I can. Practicing yoga and breathwork also helps me to be filled with a Divine Light. And my faith, my higher power, my divine light, and love, all help align me with my higher purpose in life.

The last few years of my life have been a test for me to replace fear and control with faith and flow. This year, on the morning we arrived in Maui for our annual vacation, I took my first sunrise walk. And while I strolled the beach holding my husband’s hand, breathing in the salt air, listening to the shush of waves, I came upon a pristine shell.

Rest is a holy gift you give to yourself. It teaches you to have more faith in God than in your own doing. - Regina Brett

When I was child, I loved Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. Such happy and delightful books about lovable Pooh and his playful pals. It never occurred to me that Pooh and his adventures were anything more than entertaining stories.

Second, in the winter of the soul we are tempted to isolate ourselves. The winter of the soul carries with it a sense of failure or shame or sadness, a feeling that no one can identify with our pain or sadness. We are tempted to spiritually hibernate. But in the winter of the soul, one of God’s gifts is community with others.

I believe a vision board is a very sacred thing - an affirmations of hopes, dreams and goals, a representation of higher purpose. For me, it’s a representation of God’s plan, which extends far beyond what my human mind can envision! With God’s mighty power working within me in this Universe, I can do far more that I dare to ask or dream for myself. I can bring what is on my visualization board to life.

As we wrestle with the hustle and bustle of another busy holiday season, let me share one of my favorite sayings: We are all connected. It’s a perfect mantra for this time of year, when daylight comes late in the morning and darkness arrives before most of us get home from our jobs. Yet the stars are shining at their brightest in the dark December sky. We feel connected, not just to each other, but to the universe.

As we approach the holiday that reminds us to count our blessings, I hope where ever you go, whatever you do, you’ll do it with a grateful heart. Gratitude turns what we have into enough. There is nothing to be added, nothing to be subtracted. Be content to say “Oh Divine, thank you for bringing me here”, in the moment, no matter what the moment brings, and you too shall find happiness supreme.

Americans have an uneasy relationship with death and dying that goes back hundreds of years. People are living longer than ever before, but too often that translates to a prolonged period of suffering as well as a heavy emotional, physical and financial burden. All too often, any talk of death is taboo in families. The rise of the self has made it more difficult to acknowledge the fact that one day, our “narrative” will expire and we will stop living too.

"This being human is a Guest House. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice. Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes because each has been sent as a guide from beyond." - Rumi

The summer days are going fast and now the fall is almost upon us. This time of year can inspire us to shake things up – change how we eat, how we dress, change our work and leisure schedules to accommodate the shorter days and cooler nights. For some of us, this time of year inspires deeper change, such as when a relationship, a job, or a place may have run its course. With the turning of the leaves, we realize it’s time to shed what no longer serves us and venture out.

I never really paid much attention to #YOLO until late last year, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I didn’t know what it was or what it stood for until one of my instructors explained it to me.Then, suddenly, like a smack in the face, #YOLO starting popping up everywhere! I saw it on bumper stickers and t-shirts, backpacks and travel journals, coffee cups, and even paddleboards! It was like the Universe was trying to get my attention and asking me to say yes where I was often saying no.

My parents immigrated to the United States several years after WWII. They came from the Italian island of Sicily by boat. This is my family's story. May we always lift a lamp beside our doors, shining light onto the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, and bringing hope to the tired and poor seeking a better way of life. As we all are.

I have always been madly in love with summer and the feelings it evokes. From mid-June, through the end of August, summer allows us a special kind of freedom that's sadly too hard to access during other seasons. I think it's because life moves at a slower pace in summer, where it's perfectly acceptable to ditch our To-Do lists in exchange for nothing more ambitious than picking shells along the beach or napping in a swing on the front porch.

Turning 50 is not a time to mourn the passing of our youth or to fret about getting wrinkles, or to treat our birthdays like a miserable disease. Turning 50 is a time to celebrate and reflect on all the wisdom we gained along the way.

I'm a huge fan of Mother Teresa. For a woman who never gave birth in the physical sense, Mother Teresa was a source of life to the world. She possessed the ability to nurture others with unconditional love. She devoted her life to serving the poorest of the poor in the streets of Calcutta and she never told anyone, "I'll care for you only if you become a Christian." Instead, she offered the same unconditional love to everyone - Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Muslins, etc. And isn't unconditional love what motherhood truly is all about?

I believe in order to grow in life, everyone (including myself) should take some time to be "temporarily closed for spiritual maintenance."

Fall in love. Cherish all in your heart. Now open and let it go!

Admire someone else's beauty without questioning your own. Theodore Roosevelt said it best: "Comparison is the thief of joy."