2020 Vision - the year ahead.

If you found 2019 to be a most challenging year, you are not alone!

Many people I know have chosen to address the "shadow" side of life – both personally and collectively. The shadow is our unconscious mind, the storehouse of every memory of every experience that's ever happened to us. For the past six years, I’ve stepped into the dark reaches of my individual psyche walking amongst a grove of sorrow and joy with awareness, purpose and curiosity. It's not been an easy ride, but I’ve learned a lot more about myself from this journey. Some personal traits I can genuinely appreciate, other aspects I still grapple with.

Yet, as 2019 rolls to a close, there is optimistic about 2020.
There’s a deep significance to consider about the year ahead. A“2020” vision is not just about having perfect eyesight. It’s an inner clarity, or spiritual insight, that arises from knowing who you are, why you were born, understanding your life purpose and culling a greathearted conviction to step on your unique path and allow it to unfold.

This is not a journey for the faint of heart!
It requires clear intention, inner strength, and unending adaptability. Are you up for that?

Culturally, we’ve seen a huge unveiling of what I call “Big White Male Privileged” behavior and separatist/racist/elitist patriarchal ideology. From politics to media to sports to business, unacceptable behavior is being called out in all arenas of our culture, by average people rising to the challenges of our times. And not only in the USA, but globally. People are coming together to push back against big pharma, big money, big politics, etc...

What does this have to do with yoga? 
What I love most about the Tantric yogic philosophy I’ve studied for over two decades, is the presiding ideology that honors the Divine Feminine & the Divine Masculine on equal footing. Neither a Patriarchal nor Matriarchal system, Tantric teachings encourage us to consider and practice an holistic way to embrace, respect and balance these two opposing forces within ourselves. The ultimate practice is to bring that knowledge into the way treat ourselves, behave towards others, and act in the world.

On my journey, I’ve explored the ways in which, as a white American female, I’ve both consciously and unconsciously embraced a patriarchy which suppresses the Divine Feminine in every aspect of our culture. I’m coming to know the best and worst within myself in an ever-deepening pursuit of awakened living. What better self-knowledge could there be?

It’s said that the world around us is merely a reflection of what we each hold inside.
So if you don't like what you see around you, discover where that same aspect lives inside you, then learn to love it and let it go.
Easier said than done, I know!

When we embark on the “hero/heroine’s journey plumbing the depths our own psyche to uncover all that is present – the beautiful and the ugly – our life will be enriched. Self-knowledge, self-love, and self-compassion are but a few of the jewels we'll discover. Over time, we'll learn to bring ourselves and the world around us, into greater harmony.

Here’s to “out with the old” and “in with the new” as we cross the threshold from 2019 to 2020.
Hold on to your mats, because it’s going to be a transformative year, in so many ways.
Om Namah Shivaya!!

Evolution is in the Air

Nothing in this universe ever stays the same.

No pattern ever repeats itself exactly.

As spring plants burst forth, you may notice how some plants sprout up in the same spot while others spread across your lawn or garden. Natural phenomena and scientific data indicate a Universe that is endlessly creative, ever-changing and persistently evolving.


We live in a cosmos that's ‘NEVER NOT’ changing!

The big question is:

Are you changing with it?

Or are you stuck in the ‘same old’ paradigm:

same old thoughts, same old habits,
same old patterns, same old emotional reactions?

While it’s natural inclination for humans to desire safety, security and stability (because the upside

of familiarity and repetition allows us to gain mastery in our lives), clinging to old habits puts us way out of sync with the ever-new and always-unfolding present moment. Holding onto the past blocks our current and future evolution.

With every act that is out of sync with nature/god/spirit, there’s a reckoning, reorientation, or rebalancing that eventually occurs. It’s the yin-yang of the karmic world at play, keeping the scales from tipping too far...one way or the other.

Change is gonna come!!
Whether you resist change kicking and screaming,
welcome change with open arms, or roll with change
as each new day unfolds.

So, I’m curious:

Do you create Conscious change?
Or are you subject to Unconscious change?

Unconscious Change:
This type of change can feel like some one or something is forcing change upon you!
You cross your arms in stubborn resistance or even push back.

Eating the same foods, never changing your diet with the seasons, or phases of your life makes
you more susceptible to whatever illness is going around. Succumbing to colds, flu, allergies every year is one of your body’s ways to clear toxins and regain balance...all because you don’t know
how to consciously, purposely adjust your habits to remain healthy.

Unconsciously dumping unprocessed emotions onto another person (nature or animal) when an
old wound gets triggered. Then ditching that relationship to start another, instead of healing the
inner child/ego/wound.

Resisting leaving a job that you hate in search of a new job, then getting fired before you have a chance to give notice. (The universe just gave you a nudge in the direction you were already headed, according to your heart's desire, but were afraid to initiate yourself.)

“Oh, change is gonna come...”

Life never stays the same - even if we pretend that it is the same or wish really hard that it would remain the same. When we resist change, life can broadside our best intentions, but when we realize that change is the only constant...we stand a chance of evolving consciously.

Conscious Change:
This type of change may be challenging at time, but you are clear that it is healthy for you,
and you welcome change with respect and care.
Mindfully changing your diet with the seasons helps your body clear toxins/excess and fortify immunity. Purposeful change will up the odds of staying healthy, while others get sick.

Harnessing spiritual practice to uproot self-sabotaging patterns of thought, and replace them with self-loving thoughts and conscious acts of self-care and self-kindness.

Expanding self-awareness to recognize how your own energy, actions, words positively or negatively affect the people (plants, animals) around you.

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Is the universe giving you a nudge?
What are you currently choosing to consciously evolve?

Are you able to find balance between a grounded center and life’s unexpected surprises?

-----

For several years, I’ve wanted to express my affinity for sound healing and crystal singing bowls with others.

Prakasa was the first yoga studio in the Pioneer Valley to offer restorative yoga and sound healing events. I’m delighted to see how this combination of healing paths has caught on.

Now, I’m stepping into another of my heart’s desires – to play music with my husband George and offer our unique sound for  inspirational healing in our local community.

Something extraordinary happens in the space of silence, stillness.
Similar to meditation or prayer, the karmic veils lift and the perceived separateness between ego self and Evolved Self falls away.

In that sacred space, deep within us, we can touch and bask in Pure Spirit, Pure Love, Pure Divine Presence...

This is how humans all around the planet are evolving:

Shift attention from one’s mind to one’s heart, from thinking to feeling, from judging to loving, from doing to being. Then making evolved choices from this new place.

As George and I continue to evolve, we will continue to offer new classes, programs and events at Prakasa to support you on your evolutionary journey.

Come over and try something new! 
This one simple action can shift you out of an old habit.
You’re never too old to begin. It’s never too late to evolve one little aspect of your ‘one precious life’.

Reach out when you’re stuck and in need of holistic guidance  on health, aging, diet, weight, sleep, or spiritual evolution or therapeutic yoga to heal back, neck, shoulder, knee, hip pain.
We’re only a click or call away.

Look out for our new events and programs.
We’ve got some good things in the works (Reiki Trainings, Back Care Program, Sound Healing Workshops). So stay tuned for upcoming announcements and dates!!

Pranams,
Lynne & George

Unblock the Heart & Release Emotional Pain

February 2019 - Happy Heart Month
Let's celebrate diversity & practice unconditional love for one another!

Love is powerful. 
Love is magnetic.
It binds atoms together in infinite complexity like
A rose. A child. An ocean. An ecosystem. A single thought. A full symphony.

Love is cohesive.
It binds people together in place and in community.
A family. A small town. A great nation. A single planet.

Unconditional Love is the most powerful force in the entire universe.
It allows us to soothe a crying child, offer compassion to someone less fortunate, infuse fun and excitement into our relationships...
yet it often seems unobtainable in daily life.

The human heart is like a flower that opens and closes.
A heart filled with unconditional love is like a lotus flower, rising out of muddy waters to offer its delicate beauty to the world. It has no idea how long it will bloom, or if anyone will even notice its presence. Still, it offers itself freely.

But sometimes the heart gets blocked, closed off from Spirit, unable to access love, compassion, kindness. An outburst of frustration, angst, anger, trepidation and fear, or sadness and depression can close the petals of the heart, one by one....
until love can neither be given or received.


What would we do in moments like these?
Could we breathe, get out in nature, or lend a helping hand? Get on our mat and practice? Stop work and go have some fun? Mediate or pray?

And if these fail to bring about the desired shift in mood, perception or thought in one's reality...
then what?

Practice acceptance for ourselves and others?
Wait until the inner storm passes? Or pry the heart back open?
Undergo years of psychotherapy?
Take a medication?

When you've done your very best to offer unconditional love and kindness, but feel thwarted by something you may or may not understand...perhaps something deeper than a passing emotion is surfacing. And that something is what ancient yogic texts call "samskara".

Samskaras are subconscious patterns of thought that can trigger a memory, feeling or behavior. They manifest as a tendency, an impulse, or habitual way of acting and reacting. Samskaras affect your daily life. They can trigger suffering or wellbeing. Or dredge up feelings of resentment, hate or sadness...or give uplifting feelings of love, joy, peace, contentment.



A few years ago, I discovered a new modality, The Emotion Code, which I successfully used to lift a heavy cloud of grief that hung over me for a long time. In just TWO days, I felt like my usual happy self again. It was amazing!!  Such relief. And that opening allowed me to feel reconnected to Source at work and at play. It was as if a floodgate opened and love poured back in.

This month, we hope you find numerous ways to unblock your heart, celebrate diversity and cultivate unlimited, unconditioned love. Love is the operating system of the universe, and the power that fuels it. As a self-sustaining energy there's an inexhaustible supply waiting for you. Just open your heart and let if fill you.

If you're feeling stuck (January doldrums) or are in need of uplifting - join us for one of our celebrations of the heart (read below). And if you're ready to shift any old unprocessed emotions (samsakara) that block your heart from giving and receiving unconditional love - check out my Emotion Code sessions. I work with people in-person and by phone. It's painless and the results to release both physical and emotional pain are immediate.

Namaste,
Lynne

Lynne Ann Paterson
Prakasa Yoga & Wellness   
www.prakasayoga.com

Certified Holistic Health Coach
http://www.prakasayoga.com/health_coaching.cfm

Certified Therapeutic Yoga Specialist
http://www.prakasayoga.com/yoga_therapeutics.cfm

Certified Emotion Code Practitioner
Complete this form to learn more.
http://www.prakasayoga.com/contact_us.cfm

Creator of The Back Care Blueprint: The Complete Spinal Health System
Watch my Free End Chronic Back Pain Training: https://1.prakasayoga.com/get-access