Author: Ki McGraw

My old friends and I went to the One and Only Hippie Memorial in Arcola, Illinois yesterday. It is situated in the midst of Amish country. I love the contrast between those two social groups, and yet the way that they happily share the same small town.

The friends I traveled with also have conflicting beliefs systems and yet they both resonated with the memorial. With the new moon, I’m walking the path of integrating the past with the present. My direction is ever toward the future where we all live in peace as one family.

How do you relate to the hippies? Can you overcome the political divides and move toward peace? Ki to Happiness keeps walking in peace toward harmony.

As I looked at my schedule for this part of my trip, I felt conflicted. I organized things in advance to accommodate the various peoples and activities only for all to shift. At first I felt resistance to the required changes.

On this day of the new moon in Cancer, I recognize the need to be fluid. I choose to flow with the forces upon me. The feeling of conflict has resolved itself so I can set my intentions for this day which will influence my whole next month.

What do you need to resolve for your next month? Can you choose in alignment with that intention? Ki to Happiness intends to fluidly flow.

Traveling often brings up stressful situations. My effort is to use them toward building my resilience. Slow and steady breathing, keeping my head held high, taking things one step at a time, and focusing on my truest intention helps.

When my phone died in my rental car, instead of freaking out about not having directions to my destination, or any way to access information, I simply changed plans. As my phone resurrected, I changed them back and arrived safely, even a bit earlier than necessary. Overall, I passed the test of that stress in a way that will build confidence in my ability to do so again in the future.

What stress is testing you? How can you pass that test? Ki to Happiness meets the stress tests with a long tall spine, free and deep breathing and my heart set on the Everlasting, like the Yoga Sutras say.

My stepbrother called his dad yesterday and asked him to put me on the phone. That’s a family first in nearly 50 years. My mom and brother witnessed the simple blending of our families with ease.

Later, my brother asked me what it was like. In sharing with him my simple delight, he started considering plans for our next visits. Another first… looking forward to future firsts.

How blended is your family? What firsts would it take to invite such blessings into your life? Ki to Happiness blends the blessings toward One Human Family with time and space for firsts.

My brother arrived safely with my good friend driving him here. After his retinal reattachment, his eyes are healthy enough for daily activities and work, however long distance driving is too much. Thanks to Jill we are all together now for the first time since his surgeries.

Jill and I met it freshman year of High School. She is an honorary family member, who’s had my folks in her life longer than her own. My brother and I are fortunate to have this sister.

Who do you consider family? What’s it like when you are all together? Ki to Happiness feels the union of our soul family.

Deep rumbling in the night stirred me into wakefulness. Loud crashing thunder and lightning displayed the powers of nature as I witnessed with sleepy eyes from my yurt. This morning, gentle rains continue to wash away the dirt and grime of the heat, all flowing back toward the streams, rivers and oceans.

This mirrors the political environment. Last night was to be the “night of rage” as some referred to the predicted reaction to the results of the Supreme Court’s decisions. May the rage, once safely expressed, become a natural cleansing ever toward the One.

How are the storms in your life? Can you behold natural processes and allow yourself to become one with these cycles? Ki to Happiness flows through each storm.

Among the ways I like to assist my folks when I am visiting, tech-support is not on the list. Gardening, massaging, transmitting Reiki, schlepping, cooking, cleaning out old cabinets, sure. But IT support is my brother’s domain, although he does come to visit much anymore due to his eye issues.

So when mom needed help syncing her hearing aids through her Bluetooth to her Cadillac after having had them adjusted, I recoiled. Yet with her ability to communicate at the center of their survival needs, I took the little bit that I know and my yoga practice with me into her vehicle as she sat in the driver seat. After about three tries, she is all Synced up.

What helps you when you are out of your comfort zone? When faced with sink or swim, which do you choose? Ki to Happiness syncs with yoga.

While I travel, I continue to be available to my clients, students and Hatha Yoga Center. I heard from one whose cat went missing the good news of his return! Immediately my breath dropped into relief.

Decades of yoga have integrated my awareness with these subtle and profound shifts. Her missing cat, as if it were mine, lead me to prayers of petition and shallow breathing until he returned, as if mine did, which lead me into prayers of gratitude and deep breathing. The result is a greater sense of Oneness, feeling how we are all connected.

What helps you feel that we are all connected? How does that feeling affect your present circumstances? Ki to Happiness deepens her commitment to all that connects us to the One.

I was standing in that line to board my flight when I blogged yesterday due to having left an item behind at the kiosk. I retrieved it or I would not have made it on the plane. The rest of the trip safely here has given me a chance to be grateful.

I’m grateful I still have a mom and dad to visit and my sweet little yurt to stay in while I’m here so I can continue my practices without bothering them with my incense, chanting or schedule. I’m grateful for the airport folks for having my item, returning it to me and letting me on the plane just as doors were closing. I’m grateful for my yoga practices keeping me strong, fast and centered enough to run back and forth from the satellite concourse to TSA in time to board.

What has your yoga practice prepared you for without you even knowing? How can you best express your gratitude? Ki to Happiness shares it with you as an expression of the many ways yoga helps me.

I’m standing in line to board my flight. The sun is bright. The mountain was out!

We welcome summer in the shoulder season. Keep yourself right and I will be with you at length later. But first out to see my dad!

How will you welcome summer? Maybe with a sweater over your shoulder?Ki to Happiness Loves all kind of weather!