A Poem for The change of Spring

Walk Slowly - Danna Faulds

It only takes a reminder to breathe,

a moment to be still, and just like that,

something in me settles, softens, makes

space for imperfection. The harsh voice

of judgment drops to a whisper and I

remember again that life isn’t a relay

race; that we will all cross the finish

line; that waking up to life is what we

were born for. As many times as I forget,

catch myself charging forward

without even knowing where I’m going,

that many times I can make the choice

to stop, to breathe, and be, and walk

slowly into the mystery.

Diving into Yoga: A book list

Yoga can vary from trendy exercise based classes with weights, to long-hold restorative classes with meditation, to everything in between. Maybe the teacher mentions something about a chakra, maybe they threw in a few sanskrit words, or maybe you were thrown straight into the deep end, staring into the depth of the Sutras, or the yamas and niyamas.

Because yoga is not just movement, and not just philosophy, there’s a niche for everyone; kind of like finding a book you like. So for wherever your wandering yoga journey is taking you, here are some of my favorite yoga-based reads:

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For diving into the philosophy and Sutras:

The Secret Power of Yoga - Nischala Joy Devi

As one of my teachers and mentors, Devi is incredibly fluent in translating the sutras in a digestable, applicable way. This is a interpreted translatino of the Sutras, the foundational Yogic text. No, this is not just for women.

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For subtle energy and mudras:

Mudras for Healing and Transformation - Joseph & Lillian Le Page

“Mudras for Healing and Transformation is the most complete presentation available on the ancient yogic science of mudra, yogic hand gestures for healing the physical body, balancing the mind and awakening spirit. Contains 108 mudras with in-depth descriptions and drawings of the mudra.”

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For science and research:

Science of Yoga - Ann Swanson

A picture is worth 1,000 words, right?

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For a great personal narrative:

Yoga - Jessamyn Stanley

“Stanley explores her relationship (and ours) to yoga (including why we practice, rather than how); wrestles with issues like cultural appropriation, materialism, and racism; and explores the ways we can all use yoga as a tool for self-love.”
(This is also a great audiobook.)

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For Nidra and Rest practices:
Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity - Tracee Stanley

Tracee Stanley draws on over twenty years of experience as a yoga nidra teacher and practitioner to introduce the history of yoga nidra, mind and body relaxation, and the surprising power of rest in our daily lives. This accessible guide shares six essential practices arranged around the koshas, the five subtle layers of the body: the physical, energetic, mental, intuitive, and bliss bodies.

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These are just a few (of a growing list) of personal suggestions. If you’ve found a book that really changed your journey, share it with me, I’d love to expand my list.

One tip for yoga teachers, your local office or print store should be able to spiral bind these to make keeping track of your pages easy!

Healing Through Consistent Yoga Practice: My Journey dancing with grief

In the midst of life's challenges, the return to wholeness is often found in the simple act of breathing and mindful movement. 

It’s funny that I say those words, and believe those words, and at times it feels so far from the truth. It can even feels like the calm, collected yogi sitting on their mat must not understand how brutal the world can be sometimes.

I recently faced a period of profound struggle as my family and I were involved in a fatal car crash. In the aftermath of this traumatic event, my faith was shaken. However, it was through the embrace of consistent yoga practice that I found my path to healing.  I’d be lying if I said that journey has been anything close to linear or complete, but when a tornado of grief sweeps you up, sometimes presence can be the only way to get your bearings. My yoga practice evolved beyond specific poses or movements; it became about staying in tune with and being gentle with how my body was feeling. My practice during this time could be anything from slowly sipping a cup of tea and finding presence in the changing taste and temperature, to a slow walk admiring the change of seasons. Each session became a sanctuary for self-reflection and healing, and even within my grief I could see myself as whole, and full of goodness. 

If you resonate with this and are uncertain about where to start, I would be honored to share the tools and techniques that have brought me clarity and ease on my own journey.

Feel free to reach out, and all the best to you, Tatiana

The Guest House ~ A Poem

​This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-Rumi​

What Grief Is Like ~ A Poem

It is the image of undoing,

the internal tide

that returns upon itself to erase

the very shore.

It is a cool stream of sympathy

that leaves you shaking once it’s passed.

Like mist, it haunts you in its waking,

this memory, a nightmare never shaken.

It covers all things, waiting

for your every turn.

It holds all things, like a promise

fulfilled, for it is the constant denial of

never having lived.

Groundless, hopeless, wordless.

The last bit of you gives way.

Every cell of your body, awash

with a grief that now holds you,

a new existence to house your soul.

It carries you through seasons.

It folds and unfolds as the clouds do.

It is earth, sky, air, water, fire.

It is a midnight, solaced,

still letting the light through.

And as you move closer,

as it enclosed you,

you see a new face on this body

of grief. You see

you have not been defeated.

Your surrender was of glory and grace,

a place of new growth, the spirit

of cosmic change.

It was your own crossing over.

It was made part of you and you,

made new.

This is a grief longing to be held.

This, the mood of the universe.

-Jennifer Williamson