Author: Ki McGraw

This full moon brings to light energies set in place a couple of weeks ago when the moon was new. Reflecting on our unconscious issues, now we can do something conscious with the innermost material that the full moon brings up. While this can be a challenging process, it’s well worth it as we view it as a growth opportunity.

Growing beyond our previous reactivity, we choose to respond in accordance with our truest intention. Utilizing yoga practices helps me avoid escalating problems into crisis so I can find calm solutions. Each lunar cycle gives us a chance to improve this natural process.

What has this full moon brought to light from your unconscious? What can you consciously do with that now, in alignment with your truest intention? Ki to Happiness consciously practices yoga to respond with peace to the challenges this moon has brought up.

With tomorrow’s full moon approaching, I feel the effects today. My sleep was filled with dreams. My awakening brings me to my unopened birthday gifts and bereavement over my dad’s approaching 1 year anniversary of his passing.

It’s a good day for alternate nostril breathing. The practice of anuloma viloma pranayama joins together the different energy channels for balance. Birthday/death anniversary, wakefulness/sleep, right/left nostrils and brain hemispheres unite with the practice.

Can you feel the moon filling? What helps you stay balanced? Ki to Happiness practices full moon salutations, one legged balances and alternate nostril breathing to stay balanced as the moon fills.

It’s been 15 months since our ceiling began to leak. We’ve had five different property managers in that time who kept passing the job on. Finally yesterday, the cosmetic improvements of sanding the puttied holes and painting finished the job.

That coincides with the cosmetic improvement of my healing wrist looking more like itself again. both my inner world and outer world are looking better. The yoga path addresses this mirroring in sublime poetic verse in the Chandogya Upanishad.

How is your inner world? Can you see it reflected in your outer world? Ki to Happiness delights in cosmetic improvements as they reflect deeper changes.

My girlfriend shared with me her early morning awakening to a tremendous Light that had no external source. Without fear, she stayed present as there appeared an energy body shaped like a person ascending into that Light. She reported a great wave of comfort as she interpreted this inner vision as indication that her dearly beloved recently deceased friend has made the journey to the other realm of Light.

No practices or beliefs, rituals, or observations were required of her. “All are forever welcome” is the way one mystic stated it. This awareness reinforces my practices, beliefs, rituals and observations so as to kindly allow my soul to bask in the presence of the All Pervading, All Forgiving, All Welcoming Light.

If all is forever forgiven, how does your life change? How do you honor the One who welcomes all? Ki to Happiness starts each day welcoming the Light of forgiveness into the soul.

My tenure as a yoga teacher is based on my daily practice. When someone teaches, and they don’t practice, it seems out of integrity to me. As a yoga teacher trainer, accepting students into our program requires them to have a two-year history of daily practice.

During this month since my wrist injury, I have continued to practice daily, albeit modified. As I gently return to teaching more, I will continue to modify my approach to teaching as well. Practicing and teaching brings integrity to body-mind-spirit which I have to share with the world through classes and private sessions.

What do you practice daily? How do you share it with the world? Ki to Happiness practices what she teaches.

Dr. Lee and I are very happy with my wrist’s progress. Reduced swelling and increased range of motion gives encouragement to this patient and increases my patience. Yesterday’s 4th treatment reminds me it hasn’t been very long since we started working together and I’m doing much better.

During times of shock, like trauma, sudden injury, or my girlfriend’s loss of her other best friend, distorts time. One day can feel like it’s a week long. Yoga practice, albeit modified, helps me to reconnect to the present moment, one breath at a time.

Do you have enough patience to be a good patient? Can you slow down enough to witness the miracle of healing? Ki to Happiness slows down with breath.

As my dear friend processes the loss of her other best friend, I reminded her of the Balinese approach which we are familiar with. Grief wants love to have a place to go. Taking that love to one’s altar for three days gives an opportunity to communicate with the soul of the dearly departed.

When we lost our son’s best friend who we treated like family to drowning, we all took turns at his altar. We gathered all of his favorite things and put them on the altar with a safe candle burning so we could regularly visit him. Each of us expressed our love for him as the shocking loss gave way to healthy grieving.

What do you do with your love when you have lost someone? Can you allow yourself to continue to express it? Ki to Happiness loves and looses and loves again and again, anyway.

As a child raised in the Catholic faith, I was especially drawn to the rituals and the veneration of saints. Recovering from my early years of Catholic indoctrination, I returned to my appreciation of those aspects of the tradition. My life is full of sacred rituals and celebrating the miraculous lives of those who have gone before us.

Some saints seem to have been chosen for other than sacred purposes whereas other saints walk among us, unknown. Mystics, prophets and visionaries also inspire my path. Together with the saints, they go before us as mentors and way-showers of inspirational possibilities.

What spiritual tradition were you raised in? Which parts do you continue to observe? Ki to Happiness observes rituals and follows guides which inspire.

The wintry mix of sleet, ice and snow gave us pause before we went out on our constitutional walk. Bob on his cane, and my left wrist still in a brace, neither of us can afford another fall. With good footwear, we gently stepped out, ready to turn back at any moment.

Mostly, we enjoyed the safe snow with big flakes falling and sticking to lawns in our neighborhood. We navigated dangerous slippery areas on irregular hilly terrain. Slowly and attentively we walked our entire route in awe of the beauty, the hummingbirds at kind feeders and the hush of snowfall.

Are you staying safe during this wintry weather? Can you still venture out to appreciate the blessings of this time of year?Ki to Happiness adapts yoga and walking practices to safely experience the blessings available in every season of life.

My mom and I shared a cheery chat on the phone yesterday. She is healing up from a lengthy bout of some kind of crud as I am healing up from my wrist injury. As we shared our maladies and memories, both of us improved our attitudes.

We aligned with gratitude and generosity toward each other. In sharing our recent health issues, we grew in understanding and compassion. We have a abundance of support and love for each other with which to offer to the world.

What cheery chat could improve your attitude? How could you share that improvement with your world? Ki to Happiness shares the abundance of love with students, clients, family, friends, neighbors, pets and community.