Theo knows me as Love and Light….and that truth is eternal

John and I LOVE to take Theo on walkie-talkie adventures at Oak Openings.  To make it more fun, one of us takes Theo and the other takes Suki and we walk on different sides of Evergreen Lake and then meet in the middle, switch and return back to the car.    

Yesterday, I had Suki for the first part of the adventure and John had Theo. When we met halfway, I fully expected Theo would switch and walk back with me, but he insisted on staying with Pop Pop…. AND he wanted Suki, too.  So, I was left walking back to the car alone.  Now, I love walking in the woods so it wasn't really a problem.  BUT…..a part of me collapsed and started to pout…Theo prefers his Pop Pop.  I'm not enough.  Ridiculous, right? 

In my heart, I know that's absolutely NOT the truth, but this stubborn, insistent, tantrum part of me (tells you its a very old belief) kept screaming, “Hey, GaGa…. Theo likes his Pop Pop better!  Pop Pop wins, you're a loser!” And, that frozen part of me….locked in an old, familiar belief….. wanted to stomp my feet and demand he walk back with me.    

In yoga, an old belief that no longer serves us, is called a samskara.  Samkaras are unconscious beliefs that are a product of past experiences.  Thus, based on our past experiences we make assumptions about the present that may not be our truth.  

But, here's the secret about samskaras…..once they become conscious….and, we realize they're our guiding force. …we have a choice.  We can do what we've always done or we can declare, “Hey stinky, persistent, 'I'm not enough' belief,  I don't need you today.  Go away and stay away!   I'm an extradinary Gaga and my grandson, Theo, loves me.  In this moment he simply chooses his Pop Pop.  Its no reflection on me or my relationship with him. "

So…. how do you make a samskara conscious? 

• First, notice when you suddenly feel prickly, stuck or there is a shift of emotions.  (For me the wonder of the walk in the forest and time with family suddenly took a back seat to feeling unworthy)

• Pause and name what's happening….be conscious.  Three deep breaths can give you the time and space to break old patterns.  (My old pattern was to feel worthless…you may recognize that old belief or you may havew your own)

• While pausing, take a few moments to place one hand on your heart and one hand on your low belly and intend Reiki support you.  For Master Reiki Practitioners, invoke the Master Symbol.  (Don't know about the power of Reiki?  Consider joining me for a Reiki Session or Reiki Training.)

• You now have a choice…..do what's familiar….or make the highest possible choice for yourself in that moment.  Sometimes, the highest choice is being present with the discomfort or redirecting your attention.   (I chose to feel the warmth of the sun on my face, to be grateful for this walk in my favorite metropark and to soak up precious time with family.

Does that mean I will never feel unworthy again.  Heavens no!  This samskara is ancient for me…..feeling ‘not enough’ took root in my unconscious years ago.  But, I have the tools to hold that pesky samskara with reverence and then kindly choose my greater truth.   As Theo grows our relationship will ebb and flow, but the truth is….Theo knows me as love and Light….and that truth is eternal.  

FREE [+VIRTUAL] New Moon Contemplation

I started this business because I’m choosing to honor the subtle but undeniable urge to live and lead more authentically.

At the same time, I’m spending less time looking to books and experts for my next steps and more time diving inward to explore the unique way the divine is expressing herself as me.  

Do you know what I mean?  

Inspired by Emergence: The Shift from Ego to Essence by Barbara Marx Hubbard, each morning for the last month I’ve dedicated two hours to just be with Me…. in my meditations, in sacred time alone with Nature and journaling.  

I’m actually creating the space for curiosity and opening my inner ears + my inner eyes to the subtle nudges I ignored in the past

Here’s what’s bubbling up for me… 

• broader and more creative ideas about leadership

• a deeper, more respectful relationship with Nature

• a kinder, less judgemental perspective about myself + all of life…

• and finally, I’m befriending my body and embracing her as my teacher  

I believe that cultivating an intimate relationship with your own inner wisdom will change your life.  

And, I believe that’s absolutely possible for ALL busy women (even with a short investment of time).

That’s why I created FREE [+VIRTUAL] New Moon Contemplations - so we can gather together, supported by Nature + in honor of Soul.

Why the New Moon? 

I choose to honor the New Moon because in Nature, this is a time reserved to REFLECT on the past (i.e. notice what inspired you, what was prickly for you) + INVITE what’s to come (by creating an empowering intention for the coming lunar cycle).

Why Contemplation?

Contemplation invites us into the mystery of life! We can be curious about past, present, and future - and we do NOT have to have all the answers.

It’s a breath into letting your powerful, unique questions be the source of information (not books, not advice, not other peoples’ opinions).

What happens during a New Moon Contemplation?

Every New Moon Contemplation will delve into three layers of consciousness:

• First, we’ll move to the MIND (the witness of your life!) and give her an unedited chance to share.  

• Then, we’ll move into the higher vibration of the HEART, to soften and open the inner ears + eyes to more subtle messages. 

• And finally, we’ll move into the expansive HEART WITHIN THE HEART to welcome the wisdom of all ages.  

All of this will be done together with a group of Soulful Women, within the sacred container of a Coning (a short, powerful ceremony that asks Nature to co-create with us to manifest our biggest dreams.)

If you’re ready to live + lead more authentically with me, I invite you to sign up right here.

With deep gratitude for all my teachers, most especially Mother Nature + my inner guides...  

With love, Kathie

My Love/Hate Relationship with Yoga Poses

I have a love / hate relationship with the physical practice of yoga. 

When I started practicing yoga 25 years ago, I fell in love with the way powerful, graceful movements could weave with the breath of the body to honor the Divine. 

That’s when I knew I wanted to teach yoga!

But when I started teacher training, I found myself practicing these challenging “pinnacle poses” of yoga (the ones that made you a so-called “master” of the practice) - and ending practice feeling worse than before.

Headstand was my greatest challenge!

I would wake up every morning, drag my mat to the wall, and attempt this pose - most of the time, to no avail.

But even after I “mastered” this pose, it never felt right in my body.

I ignored that, because I thought self-mastery was necessary to become the best yoga teacher possible. 

Now, I know and teach otherwise! Because one of the main “commandments” of yoga is AHIMSA. 

Ahimsa is the practice of living every moment with love and reverence for all things.

That’s a fairly easy practice for me as a teacher, with my students - but it’s always been more challenging (and often ignored) in my own practice. 

The good news is, I’ve now learned to listen to my own body, to soften into my own practice v push through it. 

And now when I step off the mat, I feel fulfilled by my practice, invigorated with new energy, and balanced.

Here’s the lesson: Yoga is so much more than mastering an individual pose. 

It’s actually about realizing deep reverence and respect for the bodies we inhabit, the ones that bring us to the mat (whether we can do headstand or not!)

If you’d like to learn more about how to practice AHIMSA on your mat, please visit this page to see what’s available right now.

Love to you,

Kathie

What Imbalance in the Body says about Inner Conflict

My husband and I sometimes travel to an island in the Caribbean called Saint Martin (it’s our intention to vacation there whenever possible!)

And in 2017 this beloved island was hit hard by Hurricane Irma. 

Even so, last December we decided to visit, hoping that much of the area had recovered - but we found out that, while the hotels and resorts had officially opened, much of the native population wasn’t provided the resources needed to rebuild.

This resulted in a week-long uprising on the French side of the island (where we stay).

Our 30-minute drive to the hotel turned into three hours of witnessing (and waiting for) protests in the streets - followed by the realization that our vacation would look much different than planned!

It felt prickly to witness all this, on vacation.

And yet, the invitation was there - could I sit with this discomfort, inside the contemplation of, “Why am I on vacation in the middle of an uprising? What meaning might this hold for me?”

Contemplation rarely provides an immediate answer. Instead, it’s the practice of simmering with the question, watching it evolve, and listening for the answer(s).  

First I realized, there was a Revolution happening inside my own body (at the same time I was witnessing this one in Saint Martin).

I arrived with a knee injury that made it hard to move around - much like the protests prohibited our movement on the island - which led me to ask the question, “If there’s an imbalance in my knee (the part of my body that requires flexibility for mobility) that’s causing an ‘uprising’ in my body, what’s my inner conflict?” 

The conflict was between my Outer world and my Inner world. 

My Outer world was filled with demands that put other people first and neglected my own needs. My Inner world was asking me to slow down and move toward my Soul Work in this world. 

This was an invitation for me to connect more fully (and more often) with my Self first, through contemplative meditation and intentional practice with Nature (which I teach about right here).

NOTE - the awareness of all this took time, and the changes that had to happen next have taken time, too.

For more than three months I inquired about my next steps, and finally I realized: I will say ‘yes’ to what I want and ‘no’ to what I’m supposed to do.

Here’s the beautiful part: In saying ‘yes’ to myself, the pain in my knee went away almost immediately… 

Of course, my knee pain comes back on occasion. But now I witness my knee as the teacher who guides me back to balance. 

If you’re ready to explore this idea further + dive into personal practice, head over here to check out my latest offerings (or dive into the archives of this blog for more!)

Love, Kathie

You are already Whole + Perfect

Here’s what I’m contemplating lately… “The sweet pea just is.”

She doesn’t think, “Oh, I’m going to make it rain today, because I’m thirsty,” or, “Gosh, I need more blooms so I look as good as my neighbor.”

She’s just herself! She’s unapologetically exactly who she’s here to become. 

Which makes me think… what would it be like if I started to UNAPOLOGETICALLY be myself? How would my life feel different if I started to live in greater alignment with the pure, exquisite part of me that’s already Whole + Perfect? 

(And what if that doesn’t require as much “efforting” as I think it should?)

According to Tantric yoga teachings, the Right View is when we stand in the Truth that we are already Whole, Perfect expressions of the Divine… which means, our whole purpose with yoga practice is to remember that!

When I’m more aligned with my worldly self (the one I’m more used to embodying), there’s often this sense of comparison, frustration, self-doubt… which can feel like a tightening in my chest and in my stomach. 

And, living from my “worldly self” also tends to thwart my Creativity - which is maybe the most frustrating part for me, because CREATIVITY is the place from which I want to live and teach!

But, when I do the deeper practices of yoga (like meditation, deep breathing, nature walks, contemplation, journaling), I connect with the part of myself that feels Full, Bright, and Creative. 

That’s what I want more of! And that’s the practice… 

Yes, it’s normal to boomerang from one experience of Self to the other… but the purpose of yoga practice is to REMEMBER + COME BACK to the truth that we are already Whole + Perfect as we are right now!

If you’re ready to explore this idea further + dive into personal practice, head over here to check out my latest offerings (or dive into the archives of this blog for more!)

Love, Kathie

Compassionate Yoga for Chronic Pain [WORKSHOP]

About a year ago, I experienced debilitating pain in my left knee - the kind that prevented me from walking across the room. The kind that made me feel old. 

And here’s the thing about pain… it’s persistent. 

It feels heavy and like too much to hold sometimes, because it’s always (or often) there.

The good news is… there’s possibility inside pain (if you can get the necessary support from your healthcare providers AND yourself).

Here’s what I mean:According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, with a dedicated practice of Tapas (i.e. having COMPASSION for everything in your life, especially your challenges)...  

You can return to balance and lightness and ease! (And I can attest to that.)

My pain was an invitation to SLOW DOWN and actually BEFRIEND my body in ways I hadn’t before… even as a dedicated student + teacher of yoga.

That’s what I want to offer to you now, as a yoga student and/or teacher.

THE WORKSHOP:

“Compassionate Yoga for Chronic Aches + Pains” was created within my experience with debilitating chronic pain. It’s my offering to help you (and/or your students) through something similar. 

Because the reality is, more and more people are suffering in pain. AND WE CAN HELP THEM!

This workshop is designed specifically to support you in co-creating a yoga practice that heals mind, body, and spirit. (For yoga teachers, this is an opportunity to gain 4 hours of “continuing education credit” while learning how to support your students through pain.)

We’ll play with important modifications to asana practice for someone in pain… and more importantly, we’ll talk about the mind-body-spirit philosophy of yoga that helped me move from immobility to youthful vitality!

SIGN UP right here. 

Love, Kathie

How To See Possibility In The Void

(Listen, or read below!)

One of my favorite wisdom teachings of yoga is that - at the crossroads of life, we have the opportunity to choose… 

We can choose despair, unworthiness, and judgment. Or we can choose joy, possibility, and faith.

Here’s an example: Last year, one of my dear friends (and an incredible yoga teacher!) asked me to co-facilitate a silent yoga retreat with her. 

And I found myself at a crossroads… 

The part of myself that’s deeply familiar with “unworthiness” said, “YOU CAN’T! What do you know about creating a silent retreat?”

But right next door, I heard this whisper of possibility that said, “SAY YES!”

I followed that whisper, and we created a wildly successful silent retreat together! In fact, it was so successful, we decided to host the same retreat this year… 

Until she called and said, “Kathie, I can’t do it this year. Can you do it without me?”

And here I was at another crossroads… I could choose judgement, self-doubt, and despair. Or, I could choose to be present in the void of possibility.

And here’s what I know: There is POSSIBILITY in the void! 

I could cancel the event, I could host it alone, I could find another partner, etc. The point is, I had options.

Now - staying in the void was painful, because I had to feel my visceral fear and deep sadness. But here’s what I know… 

If you stay in the void long enough, the possibilities show up!

I quickly knew exactly who I wanted to work with (shoutout to Laurie Gyurko!) - and since we partnered together, our creative flow has aligned in ways I can barely explain. 

There’s this magnetic vibration that’s supporting our work together. 

Here’s my lesson for you: Yoga tells us that we have a CHOICE at every crossroads:

• We can lean into what’s familiar. (For many of us, what’s familiar is self-doubt, unworthiness, sadness, anger, and total collapse.) 

• Or we can lean into what’s unfamiliar and be PRESENT in the void. And this is where soul-aligned possibilities show up!

What happens when you follow your heart is, TRUTH reigns. And with that comes JOY.

If you’d like to join me for a silent retreat this October 23-25 in Columbus, Ohio, head to BalancedOwlYoga.com/workshops to sign up for “Creating A Joyful Life In Our ‘New Normal!’”

Until next time, Kathie

Gentle Yoga: Hip Openers for Creativity

Ready for a little movement? 

This 15-minute asana practice is designed to help you move out of “fight or flight mode,” calm your mind, and soothe your nervous system. 

The goal is to really create space with this movement - because space creates FREEDOM!

And movement that opens the hips helps us open to creativity (because our creative center lives right there).

As you practice, pay special attention to what feels tight and what feels open, both physically and mentally. 

Can you create more space? Can you open more fully?

If you liked this video + you think you might enjoy a joy-filled yoga class with me (in-person or virtually!), go to StillWatersYoga.com (+scroll down on the “classes” tab) to sign up for my Wednesday or Saturday morning classes!

How To Rethink Samskaras (Old Beliefs)

I used to have a full head of curls (courtesy of regular perms). But about five years ago, I started foregoring the perm to embrace my naturally wavy hair!

That’s where this story begins. 

Growing out a salon enhancement is a long process that leaves an unmistakable sharp line defining “what was” and “what’s emerging.”

And it’s in the in between the two where I had my a-ha moment. 

When I was five years old, I was invited to attend kindergarten for a day with my friend.  I was BEYOND excited - and I remember the night before, my mom put pin curls in my hair to prepare!

The day I visited was kindergarten picture day.  

And when it was my turn for the picture, the teacher said, “I absolutely adore your curls! You look beautiful!”

Now, this happened in the late 1950’s - meaning, this was a different time from now. 

Where I grew up, it was considered best to toughen children up by not “spoiling” them with flattery or adoration - especially girls. The goal was to teach HUMILITY. 

Honestly, this compliment was the first time I remember thinking, “Is it possible? Am I really beautiful?”

That teacher left a lasting impression on me.  

And as I was struggling in the in-between of growing out my perm, I could feel into that first moment of being seen as beautiful…

“Is it possible that I’d been seeking beauty by keeping my hair curly - for 50+ years?” 

Maybe.

In yoga we learn that “samskaras” are unconscious beliefs that can produce unconscious actions. And old samskaras (or, old unconscious beliefs) have the power to move us away from our greater truths.

I had been holding the unconscious belief that my beauty was tied to my curly hair! 

Now that I can see the source of this samskara, I can more fully align with the truth: It doesn’t matter if my hair is curly or straight, at the core of me, I’m beautiful!

But gosh, it’s taken a lot of work to get here. 

Here’s what I want you to know (and ponder): Each time you’re presented with a familiar situation (one you’ve experienced before)… 

You have the opportunity to react differently and review old beliefs or create new ones. 

That’s what I’m doing now. 

(And honestly, staying home the last few months has given me the time and circumstances to see lots of edges in my life and to explore the stories behind those edges… maybe you’re experiencing that, too.)  

With deep gratitude for all my teachers (especially that sweet kindergarten teacher who told me I was beautiful!) - NAMASTE.

Love, Kathie

P.S. If you’d like to take a joy-filled yoga class with me, go to StillWatersYoga.com (+ scroll down on the Classes tab to “Schedule”) to sign up for my Wednesday or Saturday morning class!