Oh, Say Can You See, the Sacred and the Silly…

 Part of my practice is to create sacred spaces where I honor my guides, my teachers, a theme, what I am manifesting, what I am inspired by, and what I am teaching.

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This ritual helps me remember my intention, connect to the deeper teachings which I take quite seriously, and to myself {which I don’t }.

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My routine usually entails selecting pose cards or chips, children’s drawings, a poem or passage, photos of my heroes and heroines, and my particular notes and books about the message I am working on to share with my students.  I usually add stones and malas.

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When I gaze upon these creations, I see the world differently and know what I’m opening to.

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When I then close my eyes, I see myself differently. I know what I’m stepping into.

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I hold this space to focus my intention on the best outcome for my creations and projects. It works to enliven and build more life force in my body, lift the clouds of doubt, and sharpen my mind so it can penetrate beneath the surface.

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I start to gain a higher perspective and feel brighter and more clear and present~ and perhaps a bit silly. That just happens to be my wish for the children.

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Joseph Campbell says, ​”​[Sacred space] is an absolute necessity for anybody today. You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.​”​

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I want my students to experience themSELVES. I do this practice so I can give them that.

Oh, Say Can you See? The Sacred and the Silly~ Please share your sacred {and silly} spaces with us. What objects have you brought together to manifest your creative projects?

Sat Nam

 

Photos by Rachel Schattle & Annabelle Finley, my brilliant and creative interns.

More to Explore

  • “Lightbulb!”…Recognizing The Importance of Honoring Your Self!

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  • Meet Keira and Kendall

    Hi, my name is Keira and I have been doing yoga for 4 years. It has been a great experience. Yoga has helped me calm down when I’m mad. Yoga makes me feel peaceful. Practicing yoga has helped me a lot by calming me down and making me more flexible. It’s fun learning new poses and helping others earn their bandanas. I wish I had started earlier. I had fun earning my bandanas, and if you do yoga, I hope that you’ll have fun earning yours.

    Kendall Kiera
    Hi! My name is Kendall, I’m 12 years old, and I have been doing yoga for four years. In these four short years, yoga has become a huge part of my life.
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  • The Royal Mind

    Monkey Mind

    Hmmm, Our Monkey Mind
    Our Mind Monkey~
    Is restless, and random,
    Rebellious, and junky?

    Silly, and scattered
    Like a toddler in its movement~
    Won’t settle down,
    And needs vast improvement?

    The mind is a problem,
    That we need to control.
    It’s random, and restless
    And a bit of a troll?

    That’s nonsense, we say!
    And quite derogatory!
    The nature of the mind
    Is going for glory!

    The mind is evolutionary,
    progressive, dynamic.
    Always seeking and moving
    toward that which is magic.

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    So, think NOT monkey mind
    More like, mind is royalty~
    A King to Serve
    With Love and Loyalty.

    But, how can we Serve,
    The Great Intelligence of our minds?
    By meditation and mantras
    And movement refined.

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    By exceptional quality
    Of the company we keep,
    What we see, what we hear,
    How well we do sleep.

    By lavish feasts of sutras,
    Of songs, and of silence,
    Of settling, and stillness
    And speech for your Highness.

    Much of your activity
    Will settle in bliss~
    Yet portions of Royal Mind
    Will continue to hiss.

    And that, my dear friend~
    Is the Great Intelligence~
    It wants more and more
    Of higher elegance.

    The Discipline of yoga,
    Now, you see,
    Is in permitting and inviting
    This process~ to BE.