YOGA BEAUTY WELLNESS

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 ...

many times in life, there will be moments where we hold onto things that are dear to us. it can be relationships, careers, among other things that we feel we can't live without. this clinging comes from a place of fear that takes up the necessary energy needed to live fully in the truth of our lives. moreover, our desires for what we don't have, but feel we need, are also calling us to a place of surrender. it is there that we come to realize that all we have is all we need. our longing does not fulfill us. if anything, it makes us less whole, lacking, insufficiently waiting for something outside ourselves. my dear spiritual teacher and inspiration, Oprah, said it best when she said "you alone are enough". embrace that truth. surrendering can be as simple as inhaling the thing worth surrendering and exhaling it from our being. let's try it. breathing in, i acknowledge my need to find love. breathing out, i release my need to find love. breathing in, i...

it is my deep belief that all of us are born with a light within us. it is the mark of the divinity that created us, and a reminder of the love source that we originated from. let there be light. that light is what illuminates our life path. it gives us hope and reminds us that the darkness that attempts to enter our hearts doesn't stand a chance. we are the light of the world. i had an incident today that made me declare that i will not dim my light for anyone at anytime. sometimes our light intimidates others. they want us to glow a little less. how can someone have this much joy or be this entirely themselves? when you choose to live fully and tune into the awesomeness that has always been a part of your being, you become whole. do not get me wrong, it is an everyday decision. moment by moment, you will have the opportunity to shine out into the world. outside forces will be there to cast a shadow, but they too shall pass. let's meditate on the source of all energy ...

 a shoulder to lean on...  there are very few friendships that have come close to mirroring that of mine and my dear friend kim. she is the essence of what a good friend is; loyal, compassionate, wise, and always willing to tell it like it is. our friendship brings me joy and solace in my most trying times and i'm sure the feeling is mutual. true friendships are like that. they give more than they take, heal more than they hurt, and provide a support system that makes life beautiful.  everybody needs a friend like that.  the joy of friendship is that you have someone in your corner who is rooting for you and always wants the best for you. your friend should tell you the truth, even when it hurts or when you're not open to receiving it. that's what friends do.  so here's to real authentic friendship. may we all be blessed to know that joy!