Morning Practice

imagesEvery Tuesday I get up at 4am to head to the yoga studio for Sunrise Yoga.  I often wonder why we call it that since the sun is still in bed at this hour.   Sometimes I fight the knowing that I have to get up and make the chilly walk to the metro, and even as I walk in the studio I am shaking off the dreams and bits of sleep.  There is a beautiful silence this time of morning.  When our bones are beginning to wake up.  The psychic noise is still quiet and we can tune in a bit deeper to that voice that guides us.

When I my students come into the studio, we are sharing in a moment.  There is something powerful about answering the call to connect when others would rather stay in bed.  We open the day with our sun salutations, we begin to move our bodies and shake off the sleep.  We set intentions for the day, and fuel intention with the movement of our bodies.  My brain reaches for the asana, but like all my spiritual work, I allow spirit to guide us.  We flow through postures that are difficult, we laugh, we breathe, and we share in a moment.

There is a moment in practice, right before the end when you finally notice that the sky has shifted from darkness to light.  I like to think that on these Tuesdays we are the reason the sun comes up.  The rustling of our souls inspires creation.  Starting off the day a bit more connected, maybe a bit more sleepy, but worth it.

When do you feel most connected to spirit?   When do you create time to connect to the breathe?  My challenge to all if you is try a early morning practice.  Rise before the sun (just for a day).   Sit in the silence, the stillness, and the quiet knowing that YOU are the reason the sun is rising that day.

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine.

Michael A. Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

www.michaelbrazell.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbrazell

www.soulinteraction.com

www.facebook.com/yogawitch

Re-aligning with Purpose

So, I took a bit of a break from working on blogs, writing and just about everything else.  When we engage spiritual work for a living we have to give ourselves space to take a step back, to re-examine our purpose and to decide what new directions we wish to explore.  Life is a dance and we sometimes need to take a break and wait for our favorite song to come on before we step back onto the dance floor.  One of the big things I know is that we have to give ourselves space to say no, to hold silence, and to rest.  So, I’ve been in hibernation.  Now, it is time to come out of the shell of my silence and bring into the work and world something new and engaging.  Life gets busy, and we forget to take time to reflect and align with the stuff that calls us.   My yoga practice has brought me a lot of balance (pun intended).  I find that with my yoga practice that regardless of how I feel emotionally that just moving my body helps the emotions to flow.   Some postures can be angry, some can be humble, others can open the valves of sadness, and others bring unconditional joy.   We hold a lot of who we are in the physical body.  It is often the piece of the puzzle that many of us forget to engage.  This body is the one living this beautiful experience.  Sometimes the beauty we live is a bit brutal, and the body remembers this.  It holds it, and we feel it.  I use my practice to move through this.  Over the past few weeks I’ve felt many emotions move through me and my practice.  The second action is journaling.  My journal helps to capture these moments for self reflection, so that I can sit with the narrative of my life experience and see the dance an its many parts.   

So, there is going to be more writing, more self-reflective posts and I am also going to be breathing life back into my other blogs.  Its time to move through the shell and to commit to this experience fully.   

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine.