Author: Ki McGraw

Continuing with our safe starting, there are new restrictions on the space required to join for physical practices. As such, many will continue to choose to safely stay home. The following information may be helpful to you and yours there, now. I thank my number one reader (you know who you are) for bringing this to my attention so I can share it.

Supporting oneself in squatting, as well coming up onto tiptoes activates the calf muscles. This helps our circulation, making it easier for blood flow to return from the extremities to the brain. With the increase in oxygen available, forgetfulness and brain fog diminish. These simple practices can be done on a regular basis. I like to do them to help with my ankles and my balance, as well as digestion.

Do you know squat? How good are you at tiptoeing around? Ki to Happiness utilizes these skills to benefit body-mind-spirit.

Continuing with our safe starting program, I have finished a wonderful book. The Time Traveler’s Wife was well worth the trees for its paper. Many wonderful lessons are woven into its most imaginative tale. I borrowed it. And I would lend it if it was mine.

Now, I’m inspired to work on several of my old books. I’ve been writing my whole life. It has been wonderful to have this blog post as an outlet. I’m coming up on my one year anniversary here! In celebration, I am beginning to work with a writing coach so I can edit and re-work my memoir, or scrap it and start again. Being reminded in the book I’ve just finished reading that “time is nothing”, encourages me to pick up this project from 30 years ago… When I was told I had nothing to say. It never stopped my writing. Only my willingness to share it with others…

What have you been reading? Writing? Ki to Happiness is enriched by both.

“Safely starting” as we experience the full moon in Aquarius. This is the sign of brotherly and sisterly love. The full moon brings to light our unconscious material about this astrological sign. It’s a good time to check in with one’s siblings. And to relate to one another as brothers and sisters of one human family.

I had a great phone call with my brother yesterday. He is navigating his life well enough. As an Aquarian, I relate well to others, and emotionally the moon blesses all my heartfelt relationships.

How well do you relate to others? Can you see us all from one human family? Ki to Happiness sends love and light to all.

I think this month is August. These days of safely restarting fold into one another. The heat wave has given away. The cooler temperatures take me back to our previous Phases in this most unusual time. June? April? Whoa, it August! Waugust.

In my decades of teaching yoga internationally, traveling would shift my sense of time and space as well as cultural appropriateness regarding dress and customs. All of that holds me in good standing, having developed skills and habits which sustain me now.

How did you greet August yesterday? What hidden skills are revealed to you now? Ki to Happiness is sustained by yogic practices.

Continuing with our safe start, today we may honor three sisters. Faith, Hope and Charity (sometimes known as Love) are often venerated with their mother, Sophia, also known as Wisdom.

These ancient females may be petitioned for assistance with their particular attributes. They assist with healing, especially as related to children, including our inner child.

Which children need healing in your life?How is your inner child? Ki to Happiness invokes these saints to heal all the kids, inner and outer, from the virus of fear.

Continuing on the safe start program, our attention may turn towards the future. When will it be over? What will it be like then? What do we need to do to be ready for that? These and more questions perhaps are coming up more and more for us.

Fear is a strong motivator. Troubleshooting can turn into self-fulfillment of the prophesy fear projects. Finding one’s way to safety, utilizing practices that stabilize, and then envisioning the future from that state may result in delight!

What practices shift you from fear to safety? Once safe, what delights you? Ki to Happiness evolves as fear is transformed into safety, and then into delight…

Continuing to safely restart in our area, there was a knock at the door. Opening up, A graduate from our yoga teacher training program 17 years ago was standing there. She came bearing flowers, a heartfelt thank you card, with tears streaming down her face.

We delightfully expressed our love and support for one another. She has been teaching all these years, and has been dedicated to her practice just as we would intend. This is one of the rare gifts of persevering, and continuing along this broad path, being available to others to return to their teacher/therapist/trainer. We all get to see how much we have grown.

What gifts do you receive from persevering on your path? How much have you grown in the last 17 years? Ki to Happiness has grown more patient in awaiting the gifts.

Today as we continue with our safe start, it’s a great day to get into the kitchen. Many of us have been re-discovering the joys of cooking, and baking. Gives us a chance to be creative and to serve, as well as to enjoy the bounties of the good earth. Saint Martha is remembered on this day. She helps make sure there’s plenty of food, which is nutritious, and beautifully presented.

I delight in the kitchen. Kitchen was one of my nicknames as a kid. I have even written a vegan cookbook. It is available on my website, kitohappiness.com. It’s called “Whomp”. May it inspire you on this day.

What’s cooking at your house? How do you relate to nourishing yourself and others? Ki to Happiness celebrates the banquet of life.

Continuing with our safe start, temperatures are rising. Summer is upon us. We all respond differently to the heat. Some have tempers boiling over while others thrive. It’s very helpful to know how to cool down when necessary, just like in the winter it helps to know how to heat yourself up.

Yoga offers all those tools. Breathing in and out of the mouth simply drops our core temperature. Avoiding bearing weight on the arms will diminish the engagement of the triple heater, keeping us cooler. Shoulder stands, rabbit posture, and plough all calm the nervous system. I love “fan club yoga”… which I developed while living in tropics.(practicing yoga in front of a fan, perhaps with an emphasis on floor postures)

Do you like the heat? How about the humidity? Ki to Happiness loves all kinds of weather.

As we continue safely starting to reopen, our home and yoga studio are blessed with the presence of three cats. Today is their birthday, as best as we could figure out with their vet, who was called to their rescue. These barn cats, abandoned by their mother who was likely killed to diminish the population of feral cats, have come to be a central part of our world.

They represent the 3 “ constituent qualities of nature“ called Gunas in Yogic theory. Paka, is a fiery (Pitta) long-haired orange tabby, with Maine coon traits. His brother, Padma, is a highly sensitive (Satva) buff tabby. Sister Pacha is a very chill (Kapha) calico. Together, this kindle are dynamic forces of life itself. This time of sequestration would not have been nearly as playful, conscious and relaxing without them.

Are you a cat person? Dog? Ki to Happiness loves all God’s creatures, great and small.