Author: Ki McGraw

As we continue staying home and staying healthy, some begin to reopen and venture out. Masked, social distancing, and sometimes afraid of other people’s judgments, some businesses are opening in my area. The nearby copy shop attempted to remain open, was forced to close and found it was robbed when returning. I gave him some business and lots of compassion.

In our otherwise empty large commercial building, one bold tenant returned yesterday. Resuming what her clients experience as essential service, while masked, and practicing social distance, she was afraid when I came to congratulate her. When she saw the dozen red roses I offered as a gift, she came out to receive, letting go of her avoidance strategy.

What are you afraid of as we transition towards reopening? What gift might you give, and in doing so, energetically receive?Ki to Happiness recognizes that what I give, I receive.

Today is the birthday of a very dear friend. I love celebrating her on this day of honoring freedom and independence. We danced together in her small company. She insisted I teach yoga when I returned from my first trips to India, as there was a need to cover a class at the Athletic club that hosted our dance company rehearsals. She knew I had done some substitute teaching before, beginning in 1985. And that I had initially taught dance in 1979. I agreed to stay with her as I gave myself a personal retreat to focus and organize my understanding of yoga. Immediately, one class became three.

Within my first year, I was teaching full-time in three different locations, including my own studio.

Decades later, she continues to support me from afar, with many of the lovely handmade gemstone earrings I wear when I instruct. Her love goes with me into every class I teach.

How might you celebrate this day of independence and freedom? Who’s love goes with you? Ki to Happiness dries tears of love from eyes smiling with memories of one who opened the way for my freedom and independence to be expressed this way!

Today, Star Wars Day has fans celebrating. As we stay home and stay healthy, we might be able to deepen in our awareness of this Force that connects us. We may notice that there’s a greater sense of community recognizing we’re all going through this together, if at a distance. We value our deep bonds more than ever, with uplifting phone calls, sometimes with video, and easy access to each other through social media. Hope is alive, the human spirit, undaunted.

Let us move forward, safely, slowly into the future which we are helping to co create.

How is your connection to The Force? What might help uplift your hopeful spirit?Ki to Happiness is in this with you, offering the deep bond of togetherness, here and now.

It is national garden meditation day. As an urban dweller, I have no garden. So I’ve painted my whole room green. I have no plants in it, as it has only a north facing window, with minimal light and usually I’m gone for the sunny months every year. So I have a lovely painting of beautiful flowers. My blanket is soft and green, with tangled vines on it.

My view is of brick buildings and cars. Yet my inner vision, it’s full of the Green. There is one tree across the street and out of my line of sight from here, which I often go to. I simply sit in one of its many generous limbs. Then, gazing up from under the boughs of this 100+ year old cedar tree I can see the sky. It’s enough.

What is your view? Where can you experience a meditation in a garden?Ki to Happiness loves to sit in the Innermost Garden.

Those of us who are loving staying home and staying healthy you got some good news yesterday. In the state of Washington, we have another month to do so. Many of my readers are also participating in the meditations and yoga classes that we offer through the Hatha Yoga Center live streaming group page. I am also extending my commitment to continue in just this way.

This is certainly not how any of us expected to spend our May, 2020. And yet, adapting and adjusting to the present circumstances requires that we utilize our strength, flexibility and balance that we gain through our yoga practices, so that we can follow the highest guidance.

What is your highest guidelines? Is it time to deepen your commitment to your practices so this next month turns into a sweet retreat? Ki to Happiness is!

Welcome May! The merriest of months. As we stay home and stay healthy, we are able to make use of this ancient ritual. Plenty of our reserves of good cheer have been already utilized during this time of sequestration. As such any emotional material that you are no longer wanting to hold onto could be easily released.

Beltane invites us to dance around the fire. Celebrate the warmth and the light that are returning. This may require release of any emotional baggage or problems. Simply safely build a small fire. (In a fire pit, cauldron or fireplace). While it is burning, write down all that you are ready to release, especially anything that has come up during this time of staying home. Watch as the flames consume the paper, smoke rising, with your written words. When all has turned to cool ash, offer it to the Good Mother Earth.

What can you release? Now do you feel like dancing? Ki to Happiness does!

Continuing to stay home and stay healthy for a while longer, I have been inspired to make little altars everywhere. Daily, I make offerings as I petition for support. And yet as we continue through this unusual time, I have been moved towards making specific offerings to each and every anthropomorphic principle that I have turned to. Incense, flowers, tea, jewelry and gemstones now grace my statues of Brahma, Vishnu and his Avataric manifestations (Rama, Krishna, and Buddha) and Shiva as well as their Consorts and Helpers, Mahalakshmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Sita, Radha, Ganesha, Kwan Yin.

I do so in gratitude for all that has been destroyed, making room for new creation, even as we sustain the best of the old way, and shift into what will be next.

Who have you been turning to? How would you like to thank them? Ki to Happiness thanks all Helpful Beings, turning to them, and turning into them.

As we continue staying and staying healthy, utilizing many tools and skills, we had an opportunity to convert this challenging time into a personal retreat. With practice balancing our emotions through the breath, yoga practices strengthen and open the body, and contemplation and meditation the connection to Divinity deepens.

Without attaching to the outcome, in time, with persistence, the results materialize. Consciously overcoming over reactivity, accepting life on life’s terms and surrendering to the Highest, we wisely evolve. Sometimes the evidence shows up in dreams.

How well have you been sleeping? What symbols are arriving in dreams? Ki to Happiness witnesses deep healing dreams.

Thankful for the US government including me and sending the stimulus check. Surprised to find it. While it does not begin to offset the amount of financial loss that I have experienced in the past six or seven weeks, I am very grateful for it.

I am grateful for the US postal service for delivering it. And that my bank allowed me in it’s locked doors so that the masked and gloved teller could receive it from me.

Have you received your stimulus check yet? What will you do with it? Ki to Happiness Will be using mine so I can continue serving… Here, in my meditations at 8 AM, and at Hatha Yoga Center as I continue live streaming…

As we continue staying home and staying healthy, I am remembering the social changes that occurred during the auto immune deficiency syndrome epidemic. Initially denied as a problem, it was blamed on a marginalized section of our communities. Ultimately, the sexual freedom of the 60s and 70s stopped. In its place were condoms, tests and ID cards.

Safe sex has become a part of our cultural norm now. And people are now able to live with HIV, enjoying a full life span. Perhaps as we move forward, we will similarly adjust.

Where were you during the AIDS epidemic? How willingly do you participate in safe sex now? Ki to Happiness adjusts and adapts to this ever changing world.