Author: Ki McGraw

My body wakes me up in the morning. It wants me to get up and practice yoga. If I don’t get up at its initial urging, I start to witness the practices happening within anyway.

I start to hear my inner voice chanting mantra. If I lounge with my cats, my breath becomes balanced and rhythmic like when I practice pranayama. My hands start making spontaneous mudras all due to the consistent practices over all these years. 

What wakes you up in the morning? How consistent is your yoga practice? Ki to Happiness choose consistent practices for stability on all levels of consciousness.

Riding my e-bike on busy streets, I got a warning. Slow Down, my inner guidance said. I parked inside my acupuncture clinic and laid down for treatment, deeply integrating the warning.

As I exited, I rerouted myself directly back to HYC, forgoing the additional errand I had planned. Taking heed of Guidance resulted in my arriving safely, on time for my next scheduled event without rushing. I’m learning through repeated lessons to listen to that “still small voice within”. 

What lessons are you repeating? What helps you integrate the learning? Ki to Happiness listens and learns best through repetition.

We are fortunate in our area to have reasonable air quality, especially considering all the fires occurring this season. I saw the evidence of it hazing the sun as it rose yesterday. That alerted me to keep the windows closed and two air filtration devices on for classes.

At the end of the morning class, I could taste the metallic residue in my mouth and feel it drying the mucous membranes. I dreamt of smoke in our neighborhood wafting about at this altitude but found none upon awakening. Others in our extended community are less fortunate so my prayers go out to them for their safety.

How are you dealing with this fire season? What can you do to protect yourself? Ki to Happiness prays St. Medard sends rain to those in need.

In attempting to fill out forms digitally, I made a mistake. I needed help to fix my error so I reached out for assistance. My helper also made a mistake in filling out the digital forms so we will repeat our efforts with corrections.

This has occurred just as mercury has gone retrograde. During such astrological phenomenon, it is quite common to have issues with communication, transportation, and electronics requiring that we slow down and redo, revise and repeat (anything “re-“.This awareness empowers to witness the karmic validation that we all make mistakes, and together we can find a remedy.

What errors do you need to fix? Can you slow down and get help to find a remedy? Ki to Happiness remembers that we all make mistakes and together, can correct them.

Hatha Yoga Center yoga teacher training program has required 2 years experience of daily practice. We believe that sets prospective yoga teachers up for success, integrity and authenticity. Our approach has weeded out those less committed to the path. 

We have shifted our program to independent study. This reinforces the importance of prospective teachers demonstrating their maturity in this way.  Graduates of our program are encouraged to continue with daily practice as they teach just like we do. 

What have you done daily for two years that you could teach? How committed are you? Ki to Happiness recommits daily to integrative health practices including Hatha Yoga.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked down on the ground and saw a red leaf. It seems too early in the season for the green to be leaving, revealing the true color of the Red Maple. Looking up on the limbs, I saw a few other leaves have also begun changing.

These first signs the seasonal shift respond to the decreasing amount of sunlight. The cooler temperatures also signal our animal nature. Soon it will be time to gather our nuts if not get back-to-school supplies in preparation for what is coming. 

Can you feel the subtle changes? Do you resist or welcome them? Ki to Happiness delights in observing the constant changes revealing our true colors like the Red Maple.



After Bob’s morning yoga classes, we took a bike ride up to our nearby park. We saw a large gathering of folks looking south. We heard the Blue Angels before we saw them. 

The crowd cheered with delight as the planes flew in formation. We enjoyed the precision and expertise, if not the expense of the military display or the noise. We would not have gone out of our way to see them, however, we were glad to witness the spectacle.

What can you appreciate about the Blue Angels? What does their display inspire? Ki to Happiness is inspired by excellence in all its manifestations.



At the height of summer, today’s new moon gives us a chance to set intentions for making the best of our bounty. Counting our many blessings of summer is a good start. Aligning with the attitude of gratitude draws more to be grateful for toward us.

To prepare for this day, I finished up a couple of projects from my family vacation. Now that the laundry is done, the garden is weeded and leftovers have been consumed, I’m ready. New intentions for the next month are set with my offerings on this morning’s altar.

For what are you grateful this summer? What would you like to draw toward you in the next month? Ki to Happiness attracts abundant blessings by expressing appreciation for all that has occurred so far.

I planted bulbs in the spring for summer bloom. Hungry squirrels ate most of them. The survivors are gracing our deck with tall Gladius and enormous Dahlias.

Our Hatha Yoga community members express their delight over their blooming colors: vibrant scarlet and deep crimson. Neighbors both in the building, as well as on our street have shared their appreciation for the beautification. No one loves it more than we do, as we sit among them during this warm summer enjoying our smoothies. 

What did you plant while the weather was still cool and damp?  Did any of your efforts succeed? Ki to Happiness sits and sips among the successful survivors.

Returning to Seattle, I immediately resumed my health care treatments for my wrist. Working with my acupuncturist as well as my Ayurvedic physician, soft tissue is healing. Long after the bones have mended, connective tissues are being supported with the ancient techniques of complementary medicine. 

Herbs, oils, needles and massage are working on my subtle bodies as well as my physical form. Consultation reinforces my lifelong efforts to integrate body issues with mental, emotional and spiritual issues. Overall, my inherent light is allowed to shine through this healing without need for my personality to compensate.

Are you open to ancient and complementary approaches to healing? What has your experience been with acupuncture or Ayurveda? Ki to Happiness receives the support needed to let Light shine.