Author: Ki McGraw

During this lengthy period of transition, I continue to ground myself with my yoga practices. As I meet the challenges of uncertainty with my head held high, I grow. Conscious breathing connects my growth to my grounding.

Slowly I release all attachments to what has been so that I am ready for what’s next. I feel like an air plant, greening as I am suspended. My few requirements are easily met.

How easily met are your requirements? What attachments do you need to release so you are ready for what’s next? Ki to Happiness grounds and grows with yoga practices on and off the mat during this and every other time of transition.

We entered in to our potential space for relocation. Until then, I cobbled together images from the rental listing with my glimpses through the closed curtains from the outside. Turns out, I came up with something close to reality.

Now that our applications are in, we wait for approval. We imagine ourselves and the Hatha Yoga Center to be a safe risk for the landlords, having made the rent continuously since 1977. Let’s see if this can turn into reality.

How active is your imagination? How far away from reality is it? Ki to Happiness imagines Heaven while reckoning with the reality on Earth.

With our great need for relocation, I am having to deal with people and processes far from my wheelhouse. In the post- Covid environment, each step is fraught with inconsistencies and misinformation. None of that is personal.

What feels personal is when others attempt to manipulate me into doing what they want me to do, by changing their behavior toward fake smiles and feigned interest. Being worked by others brings out my stubborn streak, resistance, and resentment. Recognizing this empowers me to make my choices evermore responsibly.

How do you respond to other’s attempts at manipulation? Can you recognize that is about them, not you? Ki to Happiness would rather work than be worked.

There are so many blessings in my life, counting them and focusing on them daily helps me to stay grounded in gratitude. This is the most basic spiritual principle and practice. Recently I’ve come into another way to do it.

As I look around, I am aware of the temporary nature of my present circumstances. In addition to being grateful for many aspects of this impermanent situation, I am also increasingly aware of the many things I will not miss once this, too, has passed. During this time of waiting acceptance of our application for the right next place, I’ve been alternating from one method of counting my blessings, to the other.

How do you count blessings? Are you open to other ways? Ki to Happiness counts you and your loving eyes reading these words among the many blessings in my life.

After morning practice and yoga class, we set off with our son to look at a potential spot for relocation. We looked at it a month ago, and are reconsidering it since they dropped the price a bit. From the outside, it looks great!

Since we couldn’t get in until our tour on Monday morning, we took a little walk to check out the surroundings. Suddenly we found ourselves wandering in the wooded wetlands behind the neighborhood grocery. This hidden benefit inspired us all to explore as our outing became a family adventure.

When’s the last time you allowed yourself to wander? What adventures await you if you divert from your intended route? Ki to Happiness shares her surprise discovery to inspire your exploration.

With all the right self-care and grooming, my cats and I are happy anyway. Nothing has changed in our circumstances. Joy abounds and issues forth from the great Well of being.

It is irresistible. I won’t try to repress or diminish it. I proceed along my yoga path, marveling at the mystery, with my lips upturned, my nostrils wide open, and my eyes shining.

Underneath your circumstances, can you feel joy bubbling up? Can you allow its expression? Ki to Happiness expresses it here.

As we learned yesterday of another rejected application for relocation, our cats became alert and agitated. Following me from room to room like a shadow, I stopped to pet and give comfort. Soon, I grabbed the brush to groom away stress.

The other cats came to also receive grooming. I took it as a tip that I needed also to groom myself, with tender care and loving touch. Receiving guidance and acting upon it, I could rally to teach my class after conducting private sessions.

What guidance have you received on this full moon? How can you best act on it? Ki to Happiness keeps her grounding yoga practices, opens to intuition as she grooms herself for her future free from the stress of rejected applications.

We enter the fullness of the Capricorn moon. With it, lots of emotions are stirred. Processing all of the feelings may be facilitated with extra water, drinking, bathing, crying, and being near natural bodies of water.

Emotions carry energy that wants to move. Finding safe and creative outlets for that movement to occur will relieve the sense of pressure. In order to best use this energy, we must direct it consciously.

How are you feeling? What outlet will make good use of these feelings? Ki to Happiness flows toward the Ocean of Oneness.

In the summertime, practicing yoga in the heat facilitates our flexibility, and detoxification. In my previous studios on Kauai, Guam and Bali we enjoyed natural heat year round. Here in Seattle, we’re blessed with it for just these couple of months.

I prefer the approach of opening windows and turning fans to using air conditioning. I call this “my fan club”. Always room for more in my fan club, even as I encourage you to start your own.

Do you love the heat? Can you regulate your environment or yourself for comfort? Ki to Happiness sends you love from her fan club.

I had a small window of time yesterday during which I resumed editing my manuscript with my assistant. My initial efforts 30 years ago left out significant others in my story. Putting them in spices up the tale, and confuses my timeline.

It’s as if parallel universes collide when I introduce others into my narrative. We each effect one another greatly and throw kinks into an otherwise tidy and linear progression. The process of editing highlights this truth.

How have significant others effected your story? Can you keep your timeline tidy and linear? Ki to Happiness looks from one window of time into parallel universes.