Author: Ki McGraw

Morning practices have brought me into stillness. Soul presence expands into this gorgeous dawn. Crows caw, trucks thrum, cars whiz as dumpsters release their contents into service trucks. I witness all in silent awe.

I am loving the slow progress of re-opening, as if society itself is experiencing a dawning. New possibilities and challenges await each of us to face with and without masks. Silent awe holds me in its embrace.

What do your practices bring you to? Can you feel the embrace of all possibilities within silence and stillness? Ki to Happiness sends you a moment to open up to awe.

As I was healing up yesterday, all the yoga practices supported me in rising to meet my responsibilities. I felt carried through my schedule by the supportive energies invoked. My grateful heart grows in compassion for others similarly go through trials and tribulations.

I turned to a simple early dinner for comfort. Tomato soup brought tears to my eyes in appreciation for its creamy goodness. When I was a kid, we would serve it with cottage cheese. As a vegan, I substitute nutritional yeast.

What’s your comfort food? How has it changed in as you have evolved? Ki to Happiness thanks those energies that carried me.

I had such great results helping myself with one small tool. I felt inspired to use the tool as an experiment to help with a different need. The result was disastrous. I hurt myself instead.

Learning the hard way, I integrate the lesson. I am healing, and I am ok already enough to proceed with my day. I am humbled. And so human!

When’s the last time you hurt something when you were trying to help? Were you able to take responsibility for it? Ki to Happiness is learning, healing and evolving.

I picked up my first hundred copies of Whomp, my vegan cookbook, yesterday. I whomped up the cookbook with help from several others just like I whomp up tasty nutritious food. My mom taught me that if you can read (a recipe) you can cook.

Together with the new stove, I look forward to whomping up some treats for us to celebrate the reopening on July 1. We are planning to whomp up a small re-opening party over the Fourth of July weekend.

How are you in the kitchen? Would you like some tips on healthy vegan food? Ki to Happiness has whomped up a great little cookbook for you to nourish your body mind soul on the Hatha Yoga path.

I awaken to the cool cloudy dark morning. The cats insist on being fed. I rise and tend to them. Then it begins… breathing practices and chanting, meditation and prayer, spiritual reading and writing. Like everyday.

Another chance to get it right. A fresh start to open my heart. The cats and the cool make it a delight. Both add freshness. I welcome it and my energy body stirs, refreshed. New day awaits.

How do you awaken? What refreshes? Ki to Happiness loves the morning.

After 20 years and thousands of meals for our family, friends, and community members, I cleaned our old stove one last time. Reflecting back on its purchase, I remembered our president at the time encouraging Americans to spend money as a way to offset the economic disaster brought on by 9/11. Much has changed politically and in nearly every way since then. I thanked it for its loyal service as the delivery of the new stove replaced it.

I look forward to whomping up some excellent nutritious vegan meals for us as we reopen July 1! You might be interested in my cookbook. I call it Whomp. It’s available digitally at kitohappiness.com. I pick up the hardcopies today!

What needs to be replaced for your reopening? Are you getting ready? Ki to Happiness is getting ready for another 20 years of Whomping up great meals for all of us at Hatha Yoga Center.

We open our windows in the heat. Without screens, a few flies entered. Our 3 cats were enjoying hunting them. Paca jumped up on the counter to capture the insect and knocked a lamp over.

I was standing right in the doorway and happened to catch the lamp before it hit the ground. My husband was there and witnessed my reflexive action. We were both amazed. All the years contemplating cats, meditating with them, and caring for them has rubbed off. My own cat reflexes kicked in or we would’ve had a broken Tiffany lamp and a mess to clean.

What have you been contemplating? Who do you meditate with? Ki to Happiness knows we become what we attend to.

I read the wrong day’s offering on one of the tools I work with. It sent chills up and down my spine with the synchronicity of its words and my experience this morning: All my pens ran dry so I reached for a treasured keepsake from our son’s Alma Mater. I’ve held onto it for him as a reminder of all our years together and the efforts required.

The tool I was working with referred specifically to holding an object that seems worth saving in order to meditate on the gift I carry from what is gone. I set the pen down and felt the energy moving throughout my body, connecting me to the writer and now to you, dear reader. Then I saw I was a day off in using my tool. Or not… Perfect mistake!

Can you see the perfection in your mistakes? Are you willing to extract the good from what appears bad? Ki to Happiness is made of composting the past experiences, nourishing the present soul soil for future sustenance.

We enter into the month of June! Here in Seattle we think of it is Junuary. Any given day could be cold, dark, windy, and rainy. I arrived here in ‘99 in such weather. I moved here from Guam, and felt like a tropical bird far from of paradise. I bundled up in a vintage pea coat and a long sweater dress with gloves and boots to warm up.

Instead, today dawns clear, with a promise of nearly 80°! You know I’ll be saluting that sun and teaching later! Thrilled to be here, safely reopening, delighted by fresh air entering in through the open windows after a resourcing morning practice.

How will you welcome June? Can you enjoy the beauty of this day? Ki to Happiness welcomes June with yoga and gratitude.

Today we remember those fallen who have served our country. Without them we have no idea what our country would be like. While I am a hippie peace-nic, I am also the sister and daughter of men who served. I appreciate how we are all connected.

I like remembering that. I am fortunate to not have had to serve in that way. My blessings come on the back of those who have. I continue to feel the privilege of being born at a time and place in which I have been able to choose.

Who do you remember yourself to today? How can you best memorialize those whose sacrifice resulted in your privilege? Ki to Happiness wishes you all a Happy Memorial Day.