I let go

I let go.  I let go. Without a thought or a word, I let go.

I let go of the fear. I let go of the judgments. I let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around my head.

I let go of the committee of indecision within me.

I let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.

Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, I just let go.

I didn’t ask anyone for advice. I didn’t read a book on how to let go.

I didn’t search the scriptures. I just let go.

I let go of all of the memories that held me back. I let go of all of the anxiety that kept me from moving forward.

I let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.

I didn’t promise to let go. I didn’t journal about it. I didn’t write the projected date in me Day-Timer. I made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper.

I didn’t check the weather report or read me daily horoscope. I just let go. I didn’t analyze whether i should let go. I didn’t call me friends to discuss the matter. I didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment.

I didn’t call the prayer line. I didn’t utter one word. I just let go.

No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked me or praised me. No one noticed a thing.

Like a leaf falling from a tree, I just let go. There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn’t good and it wasn’t bad. It was what it was, and it is just that. In the space of letting go, I let it all be. A small smile came over me face.

A light breeze blew through me. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore… ~ “

BY RETURNING TO MYSELF I WILL SET MYSELF FREE (Rev Safire Rose via Devi Moksha)

Five teachers Five intentions

Aram Raffy

You get more of what you focus on. May as well focus on something nice then.

Becky Farbstein

My intention is actually intentionality. I notice that even when I am fully mindful and practice intentionality on my yoga mat, transferring this focus off the mat remains a challenge in the hectic urban environment. There is so much that competes for my attention and sometimes I lose sight of my priorities. I am working on practicing intentional gratitude: I am trying to do a better job of directly thanking friends, family, students, and colleagues and telling people that I appreciate them. More generally, the distractions of modern life (buzzing Twitter alerts, Facebook friend requests, a full inbox) sometimes keep me from the focus and mindfulness that I seek off the mat. My husband and I are trying to institute “screen sabbaticals” this year. By turning off our phones and laptops for a set period of time (an afternoon, an evening, maybe even a whole weekend) we are able to step away from these persistent distractions and refocus on each other and the real priorities in our lives.

Catia Leite

My intention is to keep my open heart active and to continue to share my love and to offer my services. to inspire and to be inspired by my teachers, family, students, friends and my beautiful children. To just simply be happy and live in shanti.

Julie Montagu

My intention is to find THREE GREAT things about my day, every day.  Even simple things like having a green juice or doing a 5 minute meditation – I want to remember that the small things in life can create an amazing day too.

Marcus Veda

My intention is: to take a moment; enjoy that moment, wherever, however and whoever that moment is with. And then take more moments…

 

108 Asanas of 2013

Have a look at this beautiful gallery of 108 Asanas of 2013

From the streets of our home town, London to Kenya to the pacific shores, the wonderful and celebrated yoga photographer Robert Sturman takes us on a journey through his 108 Asanas of 2013…. we love you Robert xo

About Robert … (www.robertsturmansstudio.com)

The subject of two New York Times articles, Robert Sturman’s art captures the timeless grace and embodied mindfulness of asana. A dedicated yoga practitioner himself, Sturman’s work has increasingly gestured at something beyond the physical, something transcendent. His stunning repertoire runs the gamut from yogis perched on rocks surrounded by the Pacific ocean, to African orphans practicing yoga in Kenya, to breast cancer survivors, bare-chested and scarred.

Sturman’s portraits, whether set in the lively streets of Manhattan, the expansiveness of Malibu’s beaches and canyons, the timeless elegance of Walden’s New England, or the bleakness of San Quentin Prison, remind us that there is beauty everywhere.

In his own words “I often think of Rumi: ‘I can’t stop pointing to the beauty.’ That feels right to me.”

A native Southern Californian, Robert Sturman lives in Santa Monica with his dog, Chai.

Credentials: Official Artist 47th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS, 2010 FIFA World Cup Artist Representing the U.S.A., Official Artist 2007 United States Olympics.

The Eyes of a Child

“Do you still gaze in wonder at the stars in the sky?
Do you still dream of soaring as you watch the eagle fly?
Can you still see the world for all the good it has to give?
When you look at life through the eyes of a child,
that’s when you truly live.” 

(excerpt from Through the Eyes of a Child by Mark Burrows & Greg Gilpin)

Wear gratitude like a cloak…

“Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” (Rumi) 

Kim Parsons from Retreat Cafe

What sparked your passion for nutrition and healthy living?

I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones! I was one of those children who were brought up searching for the freshly laid eggs under the hens’ warm belly. At age five I could tell you exactly what was growing in the vegetable garden, I knew when the raspberries were ready to be picked for making jam. I tasted the sweetness of a fresh fig from the tree and looked forward to the autumn bringing the prickly chestnuts to roast over an open fire. This was all common knowledge to me because I was exposed to it. That was the landscape of food I was taught and I grew up being surrounded by. So, I guess a passion for food, nutrition and healthy living has stemmed from my early years. I decided to become a naturopath because I loved being able to treat people with natural substances for health, I loved the idea that I could take what grew in our surroundings and help people make connections with there health through it.

What inspired you to open the Retreat Cafe?

A real desire to bring together my love of food, conviviality, health & people.

What are you most enjoying at the Retreat Cafe so far?

I really love the connections I make with people at the cafe. How it brings people together from all walks of life. I enjoy knowing that I have created a little haven of health, conviviality and nourishment.

What is the number one nutritional addition we could add to our every day routine?

Drink more water! Also take an E3LIVE supplement everyday and dose up on Vitamin D for the winter! (Essential for all of us who live under UK skies!)

What’s your top tip for staying healthy during the festive season?

Eat and drink everything in moderation. Be happy, give & enjoy the people around you.

Join Kim at the Retreat Cafe, 11-12 Glasshouse, Fulham, SW6 4EH

http://www.retreatcafe.com