Author: Ki McGraw

I overheard Bob talking with one of the students before class last evening. I joined them so I could stay privy to her statements about her dad’s recent stroke, and the effect on her life. Bob shared with her his process of having had a stroke nearly 2 years ago, in support of what her dad is facing.

As she described his month in the hospital and the resulting flat affect, Bob said “it sounds like he’s depressed. I went through that. It’s a natural part of the process.” It’s the first time I’ve heard him utter such words which delighted me in his telling the truth in his right timing.

What truth have you not told? When’s the right timing for you to tell your truth? Ki to Happiness celebrates truth being told in right timing for right purposes.

When one of my beginning students started having severe neck pain, I became alarmed. He’s been regularly practicing with us without pain in the same gentle postures for months. I didn’t want to scare him or any of the others in attendance with my knowledge that pain in the left side of the neck up to the jaw could relate to potential heart attack.

Regularly checking in with him during class to ensure that he was not in an emergency situation, and giving him alternative postures worked well enough. He concluded class with us, reporting some general improvements from his experience. I share this now in gratitude that all ended well this time and with a desire to remind us that left side arm/neck/jaw pain can indicate a need for medical attention.

Are you aware of many signs of heart attack? Do you know how to navigate those symptoms without becoming an alarmist? Ki to Happiness knows her limitations as a non medical holistic counselor and yoga teacher.

I faced the chilly day on my bike ride to see the dentist. Unlike the majority of adult Americans who have two untreated cavities in their mouth, I had a great checkup and cleaning. I do have two new chipped teeth from being kicked in the head unintentionally on Saturday by a beloved student.

Neither require any further attention, as they are not visible nor compromising my dental health. As I told my student after the incident, it’s an occupational hazard, as is peaceful energy, a strong and flexible body and a clear and focused mind. Overall, teaching is worth the drawbacks.

Is your job worth it’s drawbacks? Can you take time off to get your teeth cleaned and checked? Ki to Happiness smiles with clean healthy teeth as she works.

My mom’s voice message started with the old song, “Hi ho, Hi ho, it off to work I go.” She has tempered her grief over dad’s passing into a renewed commitment towards serving others. At her advanced age, she inspires many as she explores options for where to best serve.

It brings joy to my heart to hear her doing well, especially at this time of year while the holidays loom. Enjoying my experience, I’m having my own private Thanksgiving this morning. In gratitude, I further recommit to serving others as is part of my family’s tradition.

If you’re fortunate enough to live to an advanced age, what do you foresee doing with yourself? How may you serve best? Ki to Happiness foresees herself serving others in ways that will become clear at as the time arrives, based on skills and lessons learned along the way.

Today’s Scorpio new moon concludes the three day energy portal of great manifestation. We are given another opportunity to meditate on the energies we wish to transmute. Generally moving from fearful fragmentation, to peace and wholeness is my intention.

Gathering together our disparate aspects of self, we each become more effective in our intention. Aligning our actions with those intentions, we integrate our energies for manifestation. Holding a clear, unified vision of what you’d most like to create for the upcoming holidays is a good use of today’s new moon.

How peaceful would you like your holidays to be? What disparate energies do you need to transmute to align with that desire? Ki to Happiness shifts away from fears ever toward the safety of the Higher Self.

We observe Veterans Day weekend at the time of the energy portal, 11/11. Today and tomorrow the portal continues to stay wide open as we approach the new Moon. This gives us an opportunity to continue to transmute warring conflictual energies ever toward peaceful resolution.

Every veteran I’ve ever interacted with, including several family members, all want peace. I honor each and every act in the direction of peace. I thank those who serve as instruments of peace in every walk of life.

What kind of veteran are you? When and where have you served as an instrument of peacekeeping? Ki to Happiness thanks you all for your efforts toward peace.

Today’s date represents a portal. Energy is amply available for manifesting one’s truest desire. Like every other day, my desire is to manifest peace in my heart, in my home, with my family and community, and in the world at large.

This means digging at the root of anything, not peaceful. Removing participation in conflict and drama, energy can be directed toward resolution. While there are those who benefit from conflict, I choose to “put my weight on the other side”, as stated in the Yoga Sutras, through meditation and prayers for peace.

What do you wish to manifest? How can you best participate in that today? Ki to Happiness prays for peace to manifest today and every day.

The present global, cultural and societal issues bring me to my practices. I remember to “take the trash out” referring to removing thoughts and emotions that don’t serve my desire for peace and happiness. Yesterday, I needed to make that a literal reality.

Next door, there is an ignored trashcan that is stored under a set of steps to that building’s maintenance room. I dumped it over to drain the standing water so I could sort the trash, recyclables and compostable materials and carry them to their respective containers for proper disposal. In doing so, I released my emotions and transmuted them in alignment with my truest desire.

What “trash” do you need to take out? Can you transmute it into something valuable? Ki to Happiness practices repurposing emotions as energy that wants motion.

Bob and I took our lunch smoothies outside on our sunny deck. We sat bundled up in the cold brightness. Red, orange and pink maple leaves fell all around us in the gentle breeze.

Exposing as much skin as possible, we took in the vitamin D. Blessed with dry weather, we may have few opportunities to do so during these next dark months. We are fortunate to be able to adapt our activities to the natural rhythms.

Are you getting enough sunshine? Do you know how important vitamin D is for your immune system? Ki to Happiness recognizes the good fortune of being free to attune activities to nature.

On my way back from my walk, I saw dark smoke rising above my neighbor’s house. A terrible chemical smell permeated the area. As another neighbor left her house to enter her car, she expressed her concern about it to me.

I told her I would look into it, so she could continue on her way. Just then, yet another neighbor came up from the woods, demonstrating her concern. She and I went together, knocked on the door and found that all was well, as we learned that new wood burning safely in their stove for the first time this season was the culprit.

Do you know your neighbors? Whether or not you do, can you help each other? Ki to Happiness appreciates neighbors helping neighbors.