Author: Ki McGraw

With all the stored material removed from our new studio, I taught my 2nd class here. Students arrived and set up their double mats on the bamboo floor. We practiced together inside until shifting out onto our deck to use the railing as a barre.

We are all delighted to practice under the pine trees. Our district is called Pinehurst, which begged up the meaning of the word, hurst. Long-term student and community member shared with me that she discovered it means pine woods, which describes our view from the barre.

What is the view from your practice space? Does it inspire you? Ki to Happiness holds the view that all safe and clean practice spaces are sacred.

Our six day heat wave has ended. We moved during each of the blistering days into our new space which has no air conditioning. After unpacking another box or six, I took my fresh cantaloupe chunks out on our deck for a lunch break.

First I smelled it, then I heard the wind through the pines, then the first raindrop. Our first day with Hatha Yoga Center classes received such a blessing. We were even inspired to take our evening class out onto the deck to use the railing as a barre since ours hasn’t yet been reinstalled indoors.

Do you receive the rain as a blessing or is someone raining on your parade? In times of newness, can you spontaneously improvise with what you’ve got? Ki to Happiness receives the blessed rain like the parched earth and is inspired.

We have moved in to our new place. The cats are safe and singing. Bob slumbers on.

Before bed I tended to my bruises and scratches, including a couple of new deep gouges from my helpful neighbor’s dog, Meryl. In her exuberance, she jumped up and scratched me, handily delivering the karma from the day before’s mishap which resulted several bloody head bangs, including one trip to the hospital to make sure there was no concussion for Meryl’s moma. Now we are blood sisters.

How well do you handle karma? Can you see how all is related? Ki to Happiness is forever grateful to all who’ve helped us move and looks forward to more gently balancing karma.

While I was teaching my last class in this building, I looked out the window and I saw Jai’s white van, with it’s doors open, as he and his roommate together with Bob were loading up our stuff. All my efforts of sorting and boxing and packing led to this moment. It felt miraculous, even though it had been planned and much awaited.

One of the students suggested we open the windows and shout ”Thank You”! The other students joined in to the great smiles of our helpful movers. Through the eyes of miracle, all is moving in the right direction.

What movements are you witnessing? Can you see the miracles within each? Ki to Happiness is moved by the miracles forward, one step at a time.

In the midst of packing while still teaching and conducting private sessions, I hit a speed bump. My belly ache and heat exhaustion necessitated that I slow down. So I gave myself the day to rest.

The reward for doing so includes physical improvement, but perhaps more significant is the perspective shift. I am able to see benefit from resting in the midst of chaos, change, and upheaval. Slowing down just when I wanted to speed up gives me pause to recognize I don’t have to do all this alone.

How do you handle the speed bumps in your life? Can you find value in slowing down? Ki to Happiness keeps pace with her Higher Self.

In the thick of this big move, Bob hit a wall and took the day off to cool down and recover from the stress. I hesitated and then proceeded without him, once I was sure he was doing OK. I loaded the truck with all of our plants and hauled them up to their new home.

On my way, I anticipated returning to the problematic security issue we discovered much to our distress the night before. Quieting my anxiety, I rehearsed my possible responses. My warm heart reminded me It’s Presence would be with me and we would together face whatever may be.

Have you felt the Presence in your heart? Can you count on it when facing fear? Ki to Happiness here with the Presence in her warm heart.

Today’s new moon is in the sign of Leo. This is an indication that it is time for us to manifest our heart’s desire. All hearts have one desire from which all other desires spring, namely, to love.

Having found our new location, we are in the process of moving all that we love with us. All else we release. There’s no room in our boxes for anything else.

What would you like to manifest? Can you let go of everything but love so it does the manifesting for you? Ki to Happiness’ truest desire manifests here as I share my love of yoga with you.

I awaken on this hot morning with my cats. They don’t know it’s their fourth birthday. They also don’t know that for their birthday, they get a new home.

I got the keys yesterday. With Bob and Lynn’s help, we got two truck loads move in. The garland of marigolds, the first of our objects to enter.

What do you have that’s 4 years old? How can you celebrate, even if it’s not understood? Ki to Happiness celebrates great movement of energy, thanks to our cats, yoga and the Hatha Yoga Center community.

I awaken to our new reality: we have signed the new lease, sent the proper funds to the landlords, and await our final walkthrough today when we will receive our keys. I sit here with my cats, boxes all around us, listening to the sounds amplified in our hallowed out space. Monday we will teach from our new location.

At the end of the day, we received the most welcoming email from our new landlords. They sent it out to all the other tenants in the Vista Apartments building, the first floor of which will be our new live work for the Hatha Yoga Center, informing them all and inviting them to participate with a discount for their first month. This enables me to see the end of this tumultuous and dark time coming soon with light shining through.

What would be the perfect ending to your tumultuous and dark times? Can you imagine the possibilities of Grace’s Light shining through? Ki to Happiness embodies “ all is well that ends well“.

Before teaching this morning, we meet together with our lawyer and our landlords to sign the lease, provided that all is in agreement. I have prepared as much as possible for this day as I truly desire a smooth transition. Nearly all of our possessions and personal effects are accounted for, boxed and ready to move.

I discovered 8 garlands of marigolds at the local farmers market. Now they grace our otherwise empty space in gratitude for the many blessings that have occurred here during our decade at this location. They will go with us to be the first items placed in the new studio, carrying with them all the good from this space as we intend to continue Hatha Yoga Center classes, private session and community gatherings.

What helps you with the challenges of change? How can you ritualize keeping the best and leaving the rest? Ki to Happiness hangs garlands of marigolds.