Author: Ki McGraw

Yesterday I was all ready for my scheduled activities when a couple challenging phone calls came in. Initially, the difficulties meant stress and delay. Practicing a simple posture, breathing consciously and applying the Serenity prayer helped me let go of what I couldn’t change and change myself instead.

I shifted into damage control. I wanted to let go of the stress as soon as possible. My resilience kicked in and with it, my serenity.

How do you handle stress? How ready are your yogic tools? Ki to Happiness bounces back.

Last night as I exited my mom‘s house, I walked down to my yurt and felt eyes on me. I stopped and looked around and spotted two deer looking at me. Usually they runoff into the nearby woods.

I’ve learned that their ears are highly sensitive. So I spoke gently and quietly to them with a calm voice as I crossed their path. I entered my yurt’s door silently and looked back out to see them still watching me.

Can you feel when there are eyes on you? Do you know how to participate with nature so as not to disturb it? Ki to Happiness walks without disturbing nature by becoming one with It.

My brother, mother, and I spent one full day together yesterday. We celebrated each another’s progress and healing since our last visit. During this year of loosing Dad, we have all processed in our own way, in our separate states and states of consciousness.

Sometimes, when we are together, it feels like we represent the past, present and the future. Other times, the red, white and blue. Our threesome has been the base of my personal trinity, mother, brother and sister.

What’s your personal Trinity? What would it be like if you could spend one full day immersed in it? Ki to Happiness cherishes one full day.

My brother and I drove during the eclipse from St. Louis to see our mom. We had a riotous exit of six detours and misinformation from Siri. Both of us laughed at how that gave us a longer time for a road trip as we listened to some more bootleg dead.

We arrived safely to Mom’s patient and open arms. After a half an hour, Mom’s hair stylist texted her to see if I wanted to sneak in for a quick haircut before we had dinner with her Besty. Thrilled to get the invitation on his busy Saturday, we jumped back in the car and went over for a haircut party before dinner.

How did you spend the time of the eclipse? Were you able to make use of the energy so you can have fresh new beginnings in this new lunar month? Ki to Happiness reminds us we can still align with the new moon and set intentions even if the eclipse pattern derailed you with its intensity.

Today there will be a solar eclipse partially visible in North America. This occurs at the time of the new moon in libra. There may be a sense of some thing obscuring beauty, or one’s ability to find balance.

Being informed about the potential challenge empowers us. It’s a good day to set intentions for a beautiful and balanced month ahead. If we can harness the challenges we face today and redirect the energies forward consciously we have nothing to fear.

Can you consciously face your fears today? what beauty and balance might you extract from these challenges? Ki to Happiness faces fears with the beautiful balance of safety found with the Higher Self.

Our plane departed late in the Pea soup dense fog in Seattle. Heavy turbulence intermittently on the flight, gave me a feeling of surfing in the air as I returned from the restroom to my seat. In-flight entertainment, and chummy seatmates made the trip easy and enjoyable.

Upon landing, I opened my window shade and looked out to the city of my birthplace. The streets, alleys, buildings, and their architecture all immediately anchored me here. My girlfriend with whom I share nearly 50 years of life gave me gave me a warm welcome in the sunny 80 degree day.

How far do you live from your birthplace? How often do you get back there? Ki to Happiness shares her homecoming from her travel altar after a soft morning practice.

I’m up super early on this foggy fall morning. I asked my higher self to wake me at 3:30. That’s what the clock said when I opened my eyes.

I travel today to the Midwest. I’ll be picked up soon on the curb to make my early flight. I pray that Sts. Christopher, Anthony and Raphael protect me on my journey to visit my family and return me back safely here when that day arrives as well.

What would you like to ask your higher self to do for you? To whom do you pray when you are in need. Ki to Happiness gets up early to meditate and pray.

Several of our students have participated in our yoga teacher training program over the years. One of the many who continues to teach, referred one of her students to us while he was in our area. He attended my 530 class last night with his aunt as part of his training program with our graduate.

It’s an honor and a privilege to represent yogic lineage, which is called a parampara in Sanskrit. I give thanks to my many teachers who shaped my approach to teaching. Through me, they have affected others, who teach others to prepare to teach others…

What lineage are you part of? Who is your downstream? Ki to Happiness lets the yogic lineage flow through to all who open to it.

Today, my yurt is 13 years old! The original yurt meister, my dad, is no longer here with me to celebrate. Yet his legacy and generosity live on as I prepare to go stay in it as I visit my mom.

He had never heard of yurts, yoga or yogurt and confabulated the three to our joy. I smile as I remember our many times together there, taking care of the “temporary shelter”. Dad’s care will still shelter me as I celebrate Raven, as Mom and I reminisce.

What did you build 13 years ago? Does it still exist? Ki to Happiness still stays in her yurt so yoga practice continues as she visits mom at her home of 50 years.

Last night our area experienced a 4.2 earthquake. Bob and I were watching a movie together at home on the first floor of the Vista apartment building with three floors above us and a garage below us. The whole building shifted to the west, and then the east.

We’ve been through other earthquakes together and had a sense that all was well. We felt no aftershocks. I was glad to see posts about it this morning, validating our experience.

Did you feel it? Have you been through other earthquakes? Ki to Happiness has been through much worse, and is grateful that all is well.