Month: November 2024

Today’s new moon gives us a chance to set our intention for a magical holiday season. Some of us avoided the black Friday consumer holiday in favor of creatively expressing ourselves in the new white Friday movement. I got creative in the kitchen, preparing a feast to share with our son today, and expressed myself musically with chanting and playing guitar.

As I teach classes I’ll play the music and warm the foods. The students will hear and smell some of those efforts, inspiring their own. In these ways, I intend to set the stage for Hatha Yoga Center and our community to have happy, creative and peaceful holidays.

What is your intention for the next month? How can you align with your truest desire today on this new moon to set that into motion? Ki to Happiness makes offerings of sound and scent to create an atmosphere of peace and joy.

While others are madly consuming on this shopping holiday, others have begun a movement to create. White Friday is a good day to make stuff, using skills and abilities. Paintings, clothing, crafting, singing, are some ways you may be moved to share.

In doing so, our Thanksgiving spirit continues to expand outward. To give of ourselves in humble and homey ways may brighten this season more than store bought items. Utilizing our talents could enhance them and encourage others to do the same.

What would you like to create? Can you let yourself make the mess and risk sharing your creativity with others? Ki to Happiness offers simple gifts to the world.

I wish all of my readers a very happy Thanksgiving. Friends, family, students, clients, and all my helpers contribute to my life daily in ways known and unknown. Focusing on my many blessings keeps me with the attitude of gratitude as a lifestyle.

I get to teach my 10 AM class and enjoy the rest of the day in my chosen ways. Our larger studio space is clean and ready to serve all who attend. Our simple fare of stuffed acorn squash, pumpkin soup and baked potatoes await our feast.

Do you count your blessings every day? Can you begin today? Ki to Happiness cultivates the attitude of gratitude with her gratitude journal.

I awakened this morning from a dream in which I found protection behind a huge tree from whatever threatened me. The experience means that on my subconscious level, I am grounded, rooted, growing, and protected. I am forever grateful for all that has brought me to this safety, free from fear.

The yoga sutras of Patanjali state that dream interpretation is one of many ways to become enlightened. By contemplating images revealed in dreams and dreamless sleep, we attain higher consciousness. With each smile, I spread the limbs of safe shelter and deep roots to ground this wisdom.

 What images are revealed in your dreams or dreamless sleep? Can you contemplate the meaning of those images? Ki to Happiness is grateful for all the many ways to attain higher consciousness.

My most recent Ayurvedic treatment included steam applied to one specific nerve path. Removing inflammation from it left me wiped out. After a good night sleep, I feel renewed and balanced at a deep constitutional level.

Unusual benefits arise in other parts of my body.  Far from the site of treatment, other little cranky areas stabilize and heal. Supporting the body with gentle natural approaches allow it to respond in surprising ways. 

Can you be gentle with your need for healing? What requires support in order for your body mind spirit to heal itself? Ki to Happiness utilizes the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda for modern needs.

About a month ago, I started making some lifestyle changes. Tuning up my eating, sleeping and recreational activities has already resulted in gradual progress. I detect improvements in my constitutional balance.

In working with my Ayurvedic physician, these changes have been guided and monitored. Today I have my last treatment as I continue with supplements and root into these new habits. I appreciate the allopaths who said it couldn’t be done, as I took the challenge to heart, and committed myself to seek a 2nd opinion.

What changes would you like to make ? What guidance and monitoring might you need? Ki to Happiness is grateful for 1st opinions as they lead to getting 2nd opinions.

We had a date with some of our community members to go out and listen to the University of Washington’s a cappella group, Furmata. This competitive group came in second place in the nation this year. Next year, they may come in first if last night’s show is any indication.

The whole group opened the first number before they shifted into duets and trios. The first duet had both Bob and myself in soft tears. By the time the trio ended, I was reaching for tissues to mop up, as I watched Bob wiping his cheeks as well.

What moves you to tears?  When is the last time you were moved by artistic beauty? Ki to Happiness is moved to tears by love, harmony and beauty.

The second cyclone did not have the same strength as the first one. We retained power, and made good use of it with Hatha Yoga Center fully functioning. Laundry, cleaning, and cooking all resumed with joy at these simple creature comforts.

We went out for our burrito date, happy that our neighborhood joint reopened, albeit without guacamole. The old guy in front of us in line insisted he be compensated for its lack in an ugly demanding way. We witnessed the interaction and surmised he must not have lost power, been humbled by the storm or experienced the gratitude of power restoration like we did.

What loss has humbled you? How does your gratitude grow? Ki to Happiness grows grateful and humble through each loss. 

Our power is restored, thanks to the diligence of the Seattle City Light workers. The firemen arrived shortly afterwards to disarm the alarm that responded to the restoration of electricity. We celebrated by contacting all those who supported us through our 48 hour ordeal, and we started to clean up, sort out, and dig through the aftermath.

After a fresh hot meal, we declared it as our early Thanksgiving. Slowly, our space warmed up beyond 55°. We reset the Wi-Fi, and charged up all back up battery chargers, just in case. The second cyclone that came in last night did not take out our power so today continues the immense gratitude of returning to our humble normalcy.

How grateful are you for normalcy? How quickly can you express that gratitude? Ki to Happiness thanks early and often, resetting attention on to our many blessings.

After the morning efforts of serving clients and students without power, there was a flickering before another transformer blew. It triggered the fire alarm in our building to go off with its excruciating siren, necessitating our evacuation. It took the fire department over two hours to come and turn it off with so many other pressing community needs.

We secured the cats in the quietest area, and walked in our neighborhood, breathing consciously, assessing the damages and interacting with neighbors. Friends went out of their way to drop off a backup battery charger so we can have cellphone contact with the outer world. Another morning practice in the cold dark centers me in gratitude for many things–candles, water, shelter, food, warm clothes, yoga, neighbors, friends, family, cats, health, cellphones and back up power supplies.

What centers you in gratitude?  Can you count your blessings even while you are facing hardship? Ki to Happiness evacuates from stress when necessary to access gratitude.