Right NOW -- this weekend -- is a great time to make a positive change. It will be the New Moon in Taurus. As we learn in the teachings of Kundalini Yoga, the New Moon is always a powerful time to set a new intention. With this New Moon, the energy of Taurus supports lasting change. You can think of yourself as the bull -- determined and grounded in strength and confidence. Are you thinking of making a change? Do you want to eat better? Move more? Wake earlier? Drop a bad habit? Shed a self-limiting or hurtful thought? Then, let's start NOW. If you've been considering a positive lifestyle change, start NOW. Give yourself every advantage. I've put together a list of 10 tips (which includes seizing the opportunity of the New Moon in Taurus) for giving yourself the advantage and anticipating and helping yourself through some of the challenges of change because change can be tricky. Before I get to the tips, let's look at why it isn't always easy to step into new good habits. No matter how much we want to step into a positive future full of good habits, our old patterning may threaten to overpower our positive intentions. Old patterning gets in the way in the form of discomfort. For example, you can imagine that you may feel off if...
In addition to the old patterns, we also have the constant chatter in our minds that can knock us off course. At times, many of us are flooded with unhelpful and distracting thoughts. Our minds can throw us off track. For example...
Kundalini Yoga has a plethora of techniques for overcoming the tricks of the mind and the entrenchment in old patterns. I've put together a list of them below with a couple other things thrown in. Pick the tips that appeal to you; pick the ones that you feel will nourish you and carry you through. But, for goodness' sake, support yourself. Spoil yourself with support! You deserve it!
Don't know who Syd is? Well, he's this super chipper Buddha who believes in you, believes in your vision and your ability to change. You can tell that he's saying, "You've got this. I love you." At MKY, we have a special connection to Syd because his creator is our dear friend and student, Ellen Atkins, aka the Suburban Monk. We are a proud Suburban Monk affiliate. You can click here to see all 14 colors of Little Syd, meet Big Syd, find out a little bit of how he came to be, and purchase a Syd for yourself and for your change. I hope these ideas serve you as you move closer and closer to a vision of your life that is the most expansive and joyful and aligned. Happy New Moon! Happy Change!
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Tonight's turbo-charged, wolf howling, full blood moon lunar eclipse promises to bring a crescendo to whatever is most important in our lives. The Leo season makes us want to shine, to show off and actualize our potential. But the blood moon urges us to look backwards instead, at the burdens we insist on carrying around with us from the past that no longer serve our higher self. Knowing this, I yearn to use this eclipse to finally move into my home. As some of you know, last year I experienced the devastation of a house fire. My home burned down, and we rebuilt from scratch. (All living creatures were unharmed. Even my turtles survived.) I haven't really moved into the new home. I've been sidetracked by still more disasters, so my belongings wait patiently inside hastily packed boxes that can't mask the sickening stench of smoke from the salvaged items inside. I must go through each treasured belonging to decide what to keep. Grim and dirty work, but it's got to get done. With my few hours off work though, I'd rather do a load of wash, or meditate in front of my altar. Most of all, I long to design a shiny new yoga program for aspirants at MKY. But with no real home base beneath me, my radiant dreams remain embryonic. Astrologers agree that this lunar eclipse in Aquarius is completely idealistic. Yet its Shangri-La expectations are frustrated by the earthly, domestic concerns that now influence the moon's energy. This perfectly describes my own frustrated emotions: I want to fly so high, but too much needless ballast weighs me down. Whatever we've been resisting or holding back is now pushing violently to the surface. We are called to make a sacrifice, to forgo our magical thinking and clean up our messes. Astrologers urge us to be with our feelings right now, understand what they are bringing up to be looked at and dealt with. We must face our inner demons, and my demons are hunkered down inside boxes, badly in need of a bath -- loitering, unemployed sentries, waiting for their next tour of duty. We are also now on the eclipse's razor edge of Mar's rebellious fury. Time to reign in our egos, so magnified by the proud majesty of the Leo sun. We want to be careful what we say and avoid emotional outbursts that we may regret later. The moon rules our emotions and Mars rules our passion, so relationships with people, places and things we love are super charged. Thankfully, the structuring effect of Saturn will hopefully lead us into a mature and productive channeling of this fiery force. So now to deal with the outcome of my own fire; feelings of loss and sadness, the senseless attachment to things I no longer need, all the ways I avoid the unpleasant tasks that need to get done. What kind of truly powerful life might I lead if I stop avoiding? Intense transformation rules this time. This blood moon eclipse gives us the opportunity to completely drop our baggage, to volcanically purge and clear all that no longer serves us. Doing this fully promises to bring abundant reward. So I open the first box, my senses are accosted with the smoky remnants of the fire. My heart jumps with delight as I lift out my beloved stuffed dragon, Raj, who used to sit atop my quartz crystal collection. His red flanks are darkened from the smoke, his once proud whiskers are covered in ash. I’m instantly reminded of the most frightening day of my life. Along with a sense of anguish, I also relive all the smiles Raj brought me and thank him for his decades of service. My hand trembles slightly as I place him carefully inside the garbage bag. I’ve begun. What is rising to the surface for you? Please let us know in the comments below. Let's move through the challenges together. Savitri's path of right living centers around the spiritual upliftment of each person she encounters. As a Yoga teacher, Savitri brings the potency of over thirty years of spiritual study and practice, including meditation, in-depth study of Tai Chi, Chi Kung and other martial arts, as well as her certified expertise in Kundalini Yoga & Shakti Dance™. Savitri transmits her passion, joy and commitment to truth through these Raj (royal) yogas, which enliven and empower all who attend her classes, workshops and retreats. Join Savitri on Wednesday and Friday nights for Kundalini Yoga with Sound Healing and on Saturday mornings for Kundalini Yoga & Meditation. |
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