Kripalu last day...

Well I'm officially a Yoga Therapist enjoying my last day here.  I took my last meditation walk this morning.  Here are some pictures and a translation of Patanjali yoga sutra 1.51

I go again to that place perched high above the sea to look out on the vast blue life that stretches out before me, where waves of who lenses unfold to soothe and nurture the deep ocean of my soul.

Up here, the wind carries away all words, life is softened in the sound of the surf, beliefs dissolve in the sea's embrace, and in the sun's warm caress, thoughts are erased.

This view is ever new yet always old, for it holds a drop from every sea I've ever known ; those waves that wash the world dust from my soul, leaving calm pools where freedom slowly unfolds.

I used to come here with the crowd of thoughts of all the things I'd hoped for, loved, or lost, but now, they've grown tired and gone home, leaving me to sacred silence of my soul.

Things to come and past mistakes still creep up to this rocky place, but I can let them come and go, they have their place; but now they wait, while I embrace this single sunlit day.

For I've harvested the seeds of bad and good, and eaten their sweet and bitter fruit, but now the karmic bank account is almost closed for lack of use and the owner has left alone on a pilgrimage of truth.

It may have taken me a thousand lives to reach this place, but now there's no way back, the Holy Spirit has eaten the crumbs that marked my way, and the only path ahead leads to my own true face.

Look! Down below, two whales are playing; I wonder how instinct could ever explain their joy of soaring without a care to feel the breeze, the crash into the sea, to reemerge and wave their tales in the air.

My spirit joins them in their joy, becoming one with natures glory, uniting all that's been, is and will ever be in a single moment of timeless ecstasy.

And as they play my world awakes to the horizon's infinite round embrace, joining all the points in time and space, where the seer, the seeing and the seen unite in the light of divine grace.

For here all meditation ends, and the levels of samadhi bring me back to where I began, but with nothing left to loose or win, only my soul softly singing to the wind.

Now a single drop perched in fear from a leaf high above, surrenders into life's ever flowing stream of love, to join the greater river of clear seeing, and dissolve into the ocean of pure being.

Finally, even this is erased, leaving everything perfectly in place ... The sacred earth, the endless sea, the infinite sky, this perfect day, and down below, two whales playing.

Mindfulness ....

I have been taking walks the past few days taking pictures along the way.  My artist eyes are coming back after being asleep for a few years.  I see amazing beauty and want to capture it and share it with others.  This may inspire me to paint with joy again.  The solitude I am finding in my walks here at Kripalu has helped me to practice being more mindful in my daily activities.  This is what we all strive for in yoga as well...to mindfully enter a pose, sit with it and feel it.  Feel the muscles stretch, feel your breath expand and fill your lungs, lengthening your spine and allowing the energy to flow freely to all parts of your body.  When I am mindful it brings me into the present moment so that I can fully experience it.  Here are some pictures I took on my mindful meditation walks.  I hope you enjoy!

What do you need to let go of...

I've completed module one of my yoga therapy training.  I have learned so much and can share and help everyone even more now.  My time here has also uncovered some baggage from my past that is not serving me that I need to let go of.  I am becoming the woman who owns a healing center and shares her gifts with others and this baggage can't go with me.  I was born deaf in one ear and have nerve deafness in the other.  Because of this I don't hear things, I feel left out and very different.  I've been trying to fit in my whole life, trying to be someone I'm not.  I thought I had gotten over that but it became apparent during the past two weeks that I have not.  I talked about this with my coach and mentor Kate.  We decided that I would write this out on a rock and release it in the labyrinth here at Kripalu by the Buddha statue.  So I started my walk looking for just the right rock.  On the way I found two.  On one I wrote out what I need to let go of "fitting in" and on the other I wrote an intention "I fully accept and love myself.  I am special and unique and I will bring great gifts to the world."  I placed the intention rock at Swami Kripalu meditation garden.  It is a beautiful round path in the woods.  The path is in an oval shape with rocks marking it and benches dedicated in people's memories.  I took the second rock, walked the labyrinth and left the other rock with Buddha at the larbyrinth.  On my walk I also found a part of a tree branch perfectly shaped like a boomerang.  It symbolizes to what we give out in life we get back.  I am going to paint it and date it for today and where I was.  It will be placed in my yoga studio as a reminder to always act mindfully.  I also picked these flowers on my way back from the labyrinth.  My room mate and I need some color in our room.

Hope you enjoyed the post ... Namaste!

Week one flew by...

It's the end of week one already.  This is an amazing place.  The scenery is beautiful.  Every morning I get to wake up and see a lake surrounded by mountains.  I start each day with a morning yoga routine and then it's off to silent breakfast indoors or enjoying conversation while eating outdoors.  We have people from all over in class: Australia, England, France, Canada and of course all across the US.  There are 4 teachers from WI.  After breakfast we have class lectures till 12:00pm and then or only break for the day till 2pm.  I try to sneak in another yoga class.  I learn so much from watching the teachers here.  It's almost 11:00pm so need to get some sleep.  Miss everyone ... Enjoy the picture!

Lake and Kripalu main building

Lake view outside main building at Kripalu

Getting ready to travel to Kripalu for Yoga Therapy Teacher training...

I am off to Kripalu in a few days and I wanted to bring you all along on my journey.  So, I decided what better way to do it than start a blog!   So here is my first post.  How do you pack for being gone an entire month?  Hmmm ... I only need yoga clothes so those can all be rolled and made compact.  Can you tell I'm only just starting to think about what I need to bring ... yikes.  I know it will all come together :).  I am so excited about beginning this journey because I know that it will be life changing and I am ready for it.  The more I read about this place the more amazed I am.  I think I would like to plan a retreat there every year, but bring friends and students with me.  So check out the links below and think about whether you'd like to join me next year for some R&R and personal growth.

Kripalu R&R Retreats

Discover Kripalu video