YOGA BEAUTY WELLNESS

no expectations a spirit that lives in this world and does not wear the shirt of love, such an existence is a deep disgrace. be foolishly in love, because love is all there is. there is no way into presence except through a love exchange. if someone asks, but what is love? answer, Dissolving the will. true freedom comes to those who have escaped the questions of freewill and fate. love is an emperor. the two worlds play across him. he barely notices their tumbling game. love and lover live in eternity. other desires are substitutes for that way of being. how long do you lay embracing a corpse? love rather the soul, which cannot be held. anything born in spring dies in the fall, but love is not seasonal. with wine pressed from grapes, expect a hangover. but this love path has no expectations. you are uneasy riding the body? dismount. travel lighter. wings will be given. be clear like a mirror reflecting nothing. be clean of ...

i wrote this poem for the children of Sandy Hook Elementary School. i will forever carry them in my heart. i carry the bereaved families in my prayers, the people of Newtown, and this great country. tragedy is never welcomed, but when faced, it amazes me how we as a country come together. let's not let these children's lives go in vain. their legacy may be the start of real peace in this country. we owe that to them. - jehrod alain stolen LAMBS: crimes against humanity their young, childhood bodies lain against the floors of their classroom — slain. innocent blood splattered across the Christmas trees they were coloring and across the whiteness of the dry erase board. when their mothers prepared their lunch today, she had no idea it would be their last supper. when their fathers kissed their cheeks goodbye, he could not have known that would be the final one. gun shots ringing, cutting through precious bodies. an ending too soon for a beginning ju...

dates are important to us. birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and even days like today. they remind us of what's important in life and gives us reason to celebrate. while everyday is important, i want to talk about days like these. what do they truly mean? 12-12-12. is it magical? does it have some kind of divine significance? these are just some of the many questions that come to mind. i don't have the answers specifically, but i do want to share what i feel today can mean for us... 12-12-12: jump off the edge of your dreams. and by that i mean to stop dreaming and start working on the dream that is most important to you. so often we are inhibited by fear— when we fall, will we fail? jumping takes courage. you don't know what will happen as you free fall. but what we do know is that if we don't jump, we will stay right where we are. those of us who are dreamers can become paralyzed by continuous dreaming. you can dream so much that none of your dreams come tru...

beautiful things and moments inspire. it could be a good book, the falling of autumn leaves, jazz, a child hiding playfully behind their mother, or my favorite, dinner at the Parlor Market. these moments are all around us daily, but how often do we miss them when we are caught up in the mundanities of life. not noticing them is like fog covering a stunning view— although the view is still there, you aren't privy to it. in order to dispel the fog, one must make the decision to not only look for the beautiful moments but to create them. when you do this you open up to all that is good and pure and true. it is the essence of that Emily Dickerson quote that says "I dwell in possibility." although beauty is subjective, it's powers are limitless. no one can tell you what beauty is for you, you know it when you see it. you know it when you feel it open you up. such is its power. fashion for yourself a world in which you become intimate with the beautiful. if you have ...

I don't know about you, but it is my deepest desire to live in the divine flow of life. when there, you fret for nothing for you know that all that you need and long for will come to you. you put your trust in the fact that GOD will never lead you to where he can't carry you. that, my friend, is faith. so how do we begin to experience this flow? first you must understand that things are unfolding as they should be. don't fight with what is. embrace it. give thanks for it. i love how pastor Joel Osteen puts it, "all things are lessons GOD would have us learn." so in everything, give thanks. when you embrace what is, you surrender to the divine order that governs each of our lives. none of us are exempt, but many of us fight it or are simply unaware. this surrendering is the opposite of living in the darkness and limitations of our perceptions. it opens you up. just like the river heads into the ocean, so do we into GOD's divine purpose for our lives....

HOW often are we in a state of longing for something that seems to allude us? maybe it's losing weight or finding love. maybe it's a promotion or beginning a new business venture. whatever it is, there it is — somewhere beyond you. within your grasp but exceeding your reach. for the past few years, i've longed for a relationship. i felt i deserved that. as beautiful as a human being as i am inside, i know that beauty radiates without. however, no one seemed to honor my shine enough to want to have it in their life, romantically, of course. the fault had to lie with me, right? i constantly interrogated myself, asking what am i doing wrong... why hasn't he came... what is my single self suppose to learn that my relationship self cannot... my longing caused a great sense of anxiety and lack. i felt less whole and more unwanted. although i am surrounded by the love of those closest to me, not having the love i felt i needed and the love that needed me made me suffer...

SUNDAY is my favorite day of the week, hands down. it is a sabbath of sorts, and for me a day of reverence for GOD and for the beauty of my life. as a part of my sunday celebration, i often take a long, hot lavender bath while reading Rumi under candlelight. this is a spiritual practice for me. the eternal words of Rumi connects me in ways that only poetry can. so with that being said, i'm elated to share the poetry that speaks to me from the heart of this wise sage and Sufi mystic. "Disciplines" (from Coleman Barks RUMI Bridge to the Soul: Journeys into the Music and Silence of the Heart) do not expect to be always happy on this way. you have been caught by a lion, my dear. the friend dumps plaster on your head. think of it as expensive perfume. inside you there is a monster that must be tied up and whipped. watch the man beating a rug. he is not mad at it. he wants to loosen the layers of dirt. ego accumulations are not loosened with one swat. conti...

GRATITUDE is the governing attitude of my life. no matter what happens, i stay in a constant state of giving thanks. i know that whatever i'm going through could easily be worse and that all things happen to teach us something — accept the lesson, experience growth. reject the lesson and you will stay stuck, of this i am sure. with thanksgiving being two days away, everyone is in conversation about what they're most thankful for. while my list is quite extensive and ranges from my love for my family and friends to the extensive book collection i own, i want to talk about the single most important thing i'm giving thanks for this thanksgiving. this thing has been a constant source of strength and inspiration. it has been the foundation of my peace, joy, and the love i give to myself and to others. it is the wealth of my life and my connection to all that is and will ever be. i am talking about my spirituality. spirituality is about being open and connected to spirit....

those who know me best, know the intimacy that words and i share. i am a poet, through and through. what frightens me more than anything though, is that i believe i'll never be able to love anyone like i love writing. that may come from me understanding that words will never leave me—they are faithful. here's a poem i wrote recently...  untitled  let this love be poetic, like nothing i've known before.  let the alliteration abide as assuring as the autumn air.  let this love be meaningful,  connotation and denotation wise.  may it be complex enough to be beautiful,  yet simple enough to be understood.  let it be all that i ever thought love was  and more of discovering what i never  dreamed it to be.  like falling rain, let it be  cleansing, nourishing, sustaining,  and for my growth.  let it be true and ethereal.  let it be sure and eternal.  may it heal the cosmic parts of me  that were abused in ...

the love of love  as a single individual, i understand the hype and organic beauty of relationships. one of the great truths of life is everybody wants to be loved, valued, appreciated, and held by their beloved. relationships offer a chance to get to know someone, and at the same time, an opportunity to build something meaningful together. this is the ideal. however, i don't want to talk about romantic love perse. i want to discuss the foundation upon which that love is built-- the love of self. what does it mean to love yourself? does that love come naturally or is it cultivated? if you were to ask someone if they love themselves, the obvious answer would be "yes, of couse." but is that the truth? in my solitude, i have learned how to fully embrace myself lovingly and without critique. this is difficult and it is definitly a work in progress, but worth every effort. all sustainable love is like that. it must be cared for and attended to. our first lov...

sunday , i began a six-week journey into learning insight meditation at the beautiful and tranquil dojo of bebe wolfe. although i've had some meditation instruction from my mentor william green, i have never been as consistent with the practice as i would like. you see, meditating is spiritual work. you must be wholly dedicated to it in order to reap the rewarding results. a daily practice is absolutely essential. as a person who is deeply interested in the spiritual, i believe that meditation is a fundamental tool to discover some sense of clarity and balance. with all the trappings of technology, our daily, never-ending to do list, and our chaotic, obsessive thinking, we must find quiet. it is in this stillness that we gain the repose necessary to stay in the present moment and live fully in the now. insight meditation allows you to you to become more intimate with your breathe, and thus your life, through sitting and walking mediation. although it is based upon buddhis...

beloved, i am only eternal within your arms for it is there that i feel god. doubt turns to faith. fear recedes into confidence. your love is my sanctuary giving rise to spirituality long forgotten. your love is my solace i weep for the beauty of it. deepness unbeknownst to me until i looked into your soul. there a mirror showed me how worthy i was of a love as divine as this. storm clouds gathering. rain drops falling gently now. i need shelter your love is that for me. ground shaking fiercely from the ecstasy we create. our kingdom come your love is that for me. no where to hide. your love strips me nude. skin glittering in your sunshine wholly sinful. your love is that for me. nirvana. after-life. reincarnate. heaven. hell. truth. the end. revelation. your love. is that. for me.

with the advent of autumn approaching, i cannot help but contemplate the beauty of the changing seasons. every leaf that changes color and eventually falls, were the leaves that shaded us from the sun's blazing rays just a few months ago. the chill of the morning tells us a transition is happening here on earth-- such is the progression of life. we grow, and in growing we lose the parts of ourselves that are no longer useful to us. as we evolve, we must do so with the knowledge of our past experiences and the hope of our future endeavors. which leads me to ask this pertinent question... is change really inevitable? and if so, is it a change of progression or regression? who exactly are we as we change? being the introspective individual that i am, i often find myself trying to gauge my spiritual growth. i have always believed that positive change is always a good thing and when consciously aimed for, the results are immensely rewarding. i aim to be the person who, just by my ...