Soul Yogi by Stephanie Wendel Smith

The world of shoulds is an illusion!

2011-11-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself living in a world of "shoulds"? "I should be this kind of mother/wife/daughter. I should've said this or done that." ..ect? And we often put "shoulds" onto others. - "She should do it this way." We hold on to stories about the nature of reality that are not true to reality! In yoga, we call this Anava mala. which means: An impurity of individuality. It is a contracted state, centered on the "wrong view." It motivates from a place of lack (or shoulds). Downloaded from somewhere else.

The more time we spend trying to be who somebody told us to be, the less time we are manifesting our fullest potential.... It's a form of resistance.

Where are you still holding to these downloads? We all have our stories. Often when we let go of the story, the energy (or emotional intensity) deflates.

The right view is that each one of us in this very moment is divine, whole and complete. You can allow space for an unfolding of that self awareness, if you choose. I invite you to become more aware of yourself, the next time you are feeling/thinking from a place of lack (or shoulds). Stop resisting, sit with the emotion. Ask "Is this true?". Then allow there to be a falling away of those parts that are not who you are. The lotus of the heart is a tightly closed bud that will blossom with sweet effort, not agony. The tissue around the bud that prevents it from unfolding is the tissue of "shoulds" - downloaded from somewhere else.

My conditioned mind tells me nothing about who I am. Don't try to fix your mind, it's not who you are. Pause, connect to your essence, then bathe the mind in that!

2011-08-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

“If peace is really what you want, then you will choose peace. If peace mattered to you more than anything else and if you truly knew yourself to be spirit rather than a little me, you would remain nonreactive and absolutely alert when confronted with challenging people or situations. You would immediately accept the situation and thus become one with it rather than separate yourself from it. Then out of your alertness would come a response. Who you are (consciousness), not who you think you are (a small me), would be responding. It would be powerful and effective and would make no person or situation into an enemy”

~Eckhart Tolle

Happy Summer Solstice

2011-06-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of summer; Summer Solstice. More sunlight is received on this day than any other day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. "Solstice" is derived from the latin word: sun + standing still. On this day the earth and oceans absorb more sunlight than any other day of the year, yet it takes several weeks to release that heat into the atmosphere.

Have you ever felt stuck? Or like an obstacle you were facing would not budge? Of course you have, so have I.

Years ago, the summer solstice was a very important day. It reminded farmers that a turning point in the growing season had been reached.

For me, the summer solstice is a wonderful reminder that any obstacles (or problems) showing up, in whatever form will soon dissolve or "shift." There is no need to feel "stuck." Look to nature, and the cycle of creation that exists in EVERYTHING exists in your problems too.

"Creation >Sustenance>Dissolution"- You cannot look anywhere where it is not. And so experiencing "stuckness" is really an illusion. The obstacle may appear to sustain forever, like it will never dissolve, but it will, you can count on that. In the mean time though, we can choose to shift our focus. Instead of seeking contentment from the outside in, we can find contentment from the inside out. This paradigm shift comes when we view all events as opportunities to grow, to encounter our own magnificence. When we view things in this light, there are no obstacles, only moments in which to shine.

2011-06-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

A famous anecdote about the way you catch monkeys in India, goes like this:

If you put a handful of nuts into a jar with a small opening. The monkey puts his hands in the jar, grabs the nuts, and then finds that he can't get his fist out through the small opening. If the monkey would let go of the nuts, he could escape, but he won't. He's attached!

Attachment leads to suffering, Detachment leads to freedom. It's as simple as that.

In the Bhagadvagita, Krishna tells Arjuna that acting with detachment means doing things for their own sake, because they need to be done, without worrying about the results.

Perhaps that is most difficult: To not be attached to the outcome of endeavors that we pursue. "Letting go" of results is a practice. When one truly masters this, he will experience a rich freedom in life. I'm still practicing (Lol)!

Letting go does not have to mean loosing your grip. But it can mean relaxing enough to create some space. That fresh space is where possibilities live. And opening to that is the best letting go of all.

Are you living to your highest potential???

2011-06-06T18:33:00.001-07:00

With so many of us being challenged right now with loss, hopelessness, & emotional turmoil. Never before has it been more important to plug into your own source of spiritual nourishment.
I recently attended a yoga workshop taught by Amy Ippoliti & Christina Sell. Two fabulous Anusara Certified yoga teachers. The workshop was titled, "Turn up the volume on your inner voice". It was very insightful. And true, that most of us are not operating at our highest potential. That the volume of our inner wisdom is too low, distorted, or the dial is stuck. I love what Wayne Dyer says: "We are all connected to our source. The question is not are we connected? The question is: How dirty is the link?"

We all experience times when we are cloaked with doubt and fear. When we move away from our center the volume of our inner voice can become distorted and hard to hear. How far do you allow yourself to get before you notice?? We forget how much potential we have, and that our essence is greatness! The problem arises when we are unaware, and our behaviors and actions move us away from the alignment to our highest self. This brings about unwanted life results, habits even addictions that completely numb us from hearing our own inner wisdom & that calling to the greatness that we were meant to be.

There are two ways to work on the self: One is to hack away at that that we don't like, and the other is to focus on that that we do like, and let that light & wisdom grow bigger within us. We are all capable of living a highly fulfilled and joyful life. But many of us lack a commitment to our inner voice, and the work that is required in achieving our dreams. Yoga promises that it will be challenging & very uncomfortable at times. But to experience true freedom, and the life you've always imagined, you must heed to that inner wisdom that resides inside. Face all of your fears, demons, and dark corners with a BIG FAT YES. The answer to "how" is YES!

So often I just need to step out of my own way. Surrender to Grace, & trust the support that the universe offers.

How do you self defeat? Challenge yourself to become more present to those self defeating thoughts that create a distortion of your inner voice. See them for what they are... just thoughts with no power over you unless they are fueled with action.

There are many pathways of devotion to the higher self: Scripture study, Mantra, meditation, prayer. And my personal favorite; yoga asana. It's all yoga. What do you value? What does that inner voice call you to be and do? Can you keep your eye on the target, and heed to the voice of your inner wisdom? ....YES!!!

Life...A Rare Gem

2011-04-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

My father recently passed away on February 16th. I was sitting by his side when he left his body. It might sound weird to say, that it was a blessing to experience his death. In that moment I realized what a miracle both, the birth of a child and the death of a loved one is. There is a moment in time when everything stands still.... All that has value becomes very clear. All of the cloaking and identification with this life melts away just for a moment, and you get to witness what a rare gem life is.

The non-dualistic philosophy of Tantra asks us again and again, "what has value in this moment? .....What has the MOST value?" We will all lie in Savasana (Corpse Pose) someday, and not return to this life again. We get one shot....

Are you living your Dharma???

Ahhhh.... Spring is here!!

2011-03-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

Springtime! What a blessing! The beauty, the smells, the first birdsong at dawn. There is a "newness" in the air. It's as if Mother Nature is conducting a perfectly synchronized orchestra of which we are all a part. And yet, beyond it there is a sacredness that cannot be understood through thought. We often get lost in doing, thinking, remembering, anticipating - lost in the complexity of our perceived world. Nature can show us the way home. To be still, to be ourselves, where life is - in the here and now.

The next time you step outside notice how present a flower is. How surrendered it is to life.

There is a sacred mystery when we perceive nature beyond thought and witness the life within the form. We can sense how "still" it is, and in doing so that same stillness arises within us.

The contemplation of nature can free us from the "me".... The great troublemaker.

Nature is such a great teacher to help us reconnect with "being". Even committing a few minutes a day to meditation or getting quiet can bring more clarity and peace to our busy lives.

Happy Springtime!

Namaste

2011-01-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today is 1.17.11 - Martin Luther King Day.

Many of us in Arizona, and others around the country collectively mourn for those in Tuscon who were recently affected by the shooting tragedy there.

"Hate cannot drive out pain, only love can do that." - Martin Luther King

I have a question..... How did we get so far from AHIMISA?? Ahimsa not only means non-violence and non-harming; but having kindness, compassion and forgiveness in thoughts, words and actions toward ALL living beings and respect for the views of others.

Jainism is one of, if not the earliest religion recorded in history. It's teachings were rooted in Ahimsa. Its philosophy and practice emphasizes the necessity of self effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Regarding every living being as you do yourself, harming no one.

What a different place the world would be if everyone could be committed to this one virtue.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!" Martin Luther King

Mr. King has inspired me on this day to recommit myself in the practice of Ahimsa. Perhaps he can inspire you too!

2011...a new perspective

2010-12-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

2011, around the corner! Wow! The other night at dinner, my husband, Tom said, "I think I finally found my Dharma." After a couple of bumpy years in the economy, and basically reinventing the wheel, it's interesting to look back and see the flowers that take root when you're in the mudd. Looking back over 2010 I see how my yoga teachers, colleagues, and students, have taught me a lot about yoga and life!

I loved the questions that Paulette Bodeman, one of my beloved Anusara yoga teachers, asked in class yesterday on Christmas Eve. "How do you live your life?" How do you stand when it gets tough? Can you surrender to the Shakti?" (Shakti is that feminine part of self that loves to dance and create beauty.) When we connect to the Absolute, and keep our eye on the target, the Shakti inevidably has our back!

We all have to tread through the mudd, sometimes. The question is are you living your Dharma? Or should I say, "Are you living in Dharmony? - Lol"

There has been much talk about Dharma (duty, life purpose, or loving service) in my classes and others I've attended this month, and one thing is certain... We are in this together, we need each other! Yoga mimics life.... it makes me smile!

A quote I love for the New Year...

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."

Mother Theresa

Some inspiration from Marianne Williamson

2010-10-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?

Actually, who are you NOT to be?

You were born to manifest that light that is within you.

It is not in just some of us; it is in everyone.

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Namaste

An Amazing Journey

2010-09-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

9/14/10

After five days of instense studies; today I finished Immersion 1 of Anusara Yoga! Anusara means "flowing with grace". The Shiva-Shakti tantra philosophy is fascinating to me! Much different philosophy from traditional styles of yoga. I feel like I've come home! This yoga has revealed a lot of truth to me, mostly about myself. Sometimes it is difficult to look in the mirror. Lol!

I shifted to Anusara some 4 years ago after practing several other traditions for many years, I turned to Anusara, mostly because I was happy to work deep in a backbend without pain (finally)! I had no idea just how deep all that "heart-opening" would take me.

The first principle of Anusara is: "Open To Grace". I've heard this thousands of times in yoga class before, but this weekend I realized just how hard it really is. I must allow much more vulnerability both into my practice and my life. This is not easy! It is humbling to be reminded of just how much I still don't know about yoga! What an AMAZING JOURNEY!

2010-08-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

How does life continue to pass by so quickly?? My yoga continues to be the big teacher in my life! Both inspiring and revealing at so many levels. I have been speaking much about manifesting dreams and aspiritions this week in class. It seems so much bigger than me. But something else is driving this creativity within me and you, something unseen and good. Have you heard that song by the Indigo Girls? "Darkness has a calling that's insatiable, and lightness has a call that's hard to hear". Surrendering in the effort..... this is the practice! Grace supports us all!!
Namaste

BREATHE

2010-06-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to god.
-Krishnamacharya

A quote from Bill Gates Sr. - love this!

2010-05-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

"Life is the ultimate teacher, but it is usually through experience and not scientific research that we discover it's deeper lessons. We are all here for a single purpose; to grow in wisdom and learn to love. We can do this through losing as well as through winning, by having and by not having, by succeeding or by failing. All we need to do is to show up openhearted for class... So fulfilling life's purpose may depend more on how we play than what we are dealt. You have to be present to win!!"

2010-05-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

Talk less and less about others, but pray more and more for them. In this way we find ourselves understanding, and even becoming each other.

WHO ARE YOU?

2010-04-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever really asked yourself this simple question?
Are you the body that you wear? The job that you have? The family you've created? The knowledge you've aquired? The friends you've made? Who are you?

LIVE FREE OF THE THINGS AROUND YOU.

2010-04-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

Each evening give everything that you are back to Spirit. Strip yourself done to that which cannot be given away, then you'll know who you are.