After all the running … all the stress … is there anything left for your holidays? Having seen so many people — at yoga class and at their massage appointments — recently, it seems that very few people have had a moment’s peace these past many holiday weeks. No time to sniff a fragrant wreath. No time to sit with a cup of tea. No time for quiet, meditation, or prayerfulness. No time to reflect on the beauty of this season.

In my classes and in my massages, I make a very small intention for those I serve — “I wish you peace. I wish you joy.”

In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a piece titled “What I Hope to Leave Behind.” She wrote:

“As I grow older I realize that the only pleasure I have in anything is to share it with someone else. That is true of memories, and it is true of all you do after you reach a certain age. The real joy in things, or in the doing of things, just for the sake of doing or possessing, is gone; but to me the joy in sharing something that you like with someone else is doubly enhanced. …

“With advancing years I feel I must give this question of what I want to leave behind me greater thought, for before long I shall be moving on to fields unknown, and perhaps it may make a difference if I actually know what I would like to bequeath to a new generation. Perhaps the best I can do is to pray that the youth of today will have the ability to live simply and to get joy out of living, the desire to give of themselves and to make themselves worthy of giving, and the strength to do without anything which does not serve the interests of the brotherhood of man. If I can bequeath these desires to my own children, it seems to me I will not have lived in vain.”

And, so, my Christmas wish for you is a simple one:

I wish you peace. I wish you joy. May you live simply and get great joy out of living.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. May the season shine brightly in your heart.

Namasté
Jackie

Ahh … November! This is my annual reminder that voting is part of our yogic duty.

It may seem strange because much of the time our yoga seems like solely an inward journey … a journey to expand and enlighten our own body, mind, and spirit. After all, when we step on the mat — it is just your two feet planting, your two arms reaching, your one heart beating, your one spirit shining. But, as we respect and foster our own inward growth through yoga, we must also remember — as the word Namasté reminds us — that we are all one.

Our actions, our efforts, our yoga are for the “all one” … not the “just me”.

And, so, we must respect and honor … and take responsibility for … our journey as a society.

Yoga is not about isolating ourselves from the world. It is about non-attachment to the things of the world, true. But, that’s something altogether different.

We seek our inner growth as a means not only to help ourselves, but also to be of benefit to others.

Voting is a very easy way to do that. It shows your support and concern for the wellbeing of your neighbors, friends, and your community. It shows that on your yoga journey you seek the highest good for all.

How lucky we are to have some say in how our society operates.

And, as always, there is someone who says it far better than I ever could. Dorothy Day, a Catholic leader and social activist of the early 20th century, has inspired me in so many ways. She once said:

“No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There’s too much work to do.”

Let your yoga light serve all of us on November 7. Please vote.

Namasté

As the season begins its change from summer to fall this week, I thought about this little quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.”

Recently, I discovered the context for this Emerson quote. In fact, it is part of a longer piece on education. In it, Emerson urges teachers to have patience. Rather than resort to punishment, he encourages teachers to give their young students both the time and opportunity to bloom into adulthood on their own.

I think it’s good advice for us, too. Why hurry toward every goal we set for ourselves? Instead, we should take time to explore and enjoy the journey itself. What a nice gift to give oneself — the gift of a bit of time and a bit of space where you can enjoy this moment, without hurrying off somewhere. (Easy to say, I know. Much more challenging to actually do!)

In the spirit of the quiet rhythm of nature, be mindful of this moment now – try not to stretch your neck into a future you can’t control (you won’t get there any quicker and you’ll only hurt your neck). Be patient with your journey and kind with your self. Take the time in the days ahead to watch and enjoy the change of the season … the changes in the trees, in the plants, in the wildlife, in you.

And, breathe.

Namasté

“Who knows where the time goes?” Sandy Denny sang so sweetly back in the 1960s.

A revealing story in The New York Times on Sunday (8/20) reports that this summer “American workers, who already take fewer vacations than people in nearly all industrial nations, have pruned back their leisure days even more.”

When we cram our days full of chores and give up our free time, we lose so much. Time we need for our body to rejuvenate itself … to heal. Time we need for our mind to unclutter, to rest and restore. Time we need for our spirit to blossom and play.

The Times cites one recent survey that found that 40 percent of consumers had no plans to take a vacation over the next six months — the lowest percentage recorded by the polling group in 28 years.

I firmly believe if you allow yourself just an hour a day … for yoga … for a massage … or any other soothing, mindful activity you enjoy … you will more than make up that hour with increased productivity. You will return to your daily tasks rejuvenated, revived, and with increased, and more efficient, decision-making abilities. You will be taking care of yourself. And, that can do much long-term good.

Won’t you take a moment today, to give yourself a tiny gift of leisure?

Indulge yourself, if only for 15 minutes. Unroll your yoga mat. Sit in your garden (and let the weeds go just this once). Take a walk. Soak in a bath. Or plan a weekend getaway or a retreat that will allow you to rest, revive, and blossom with new energy.

And, now, for my play time! I’m off to dig out that wonderful old Sandy Denny album … unroll my yoga mat … and take a little time for leisure. I hope you’ll have some playtime, too.

Namasté

step.

Welcome to the present moment. I have no grand notions for this blog. Primarily I hope that it serves as a helpful tool for yoga students who attend my Madison (and Culpeper) classes, Reiki students and practitioners, and massage clients (both current, former, and future).

(If there’s something on here of interest to anyone else, then I’ve greatly exceeded my teeny expectations.)

On this site, I’ll try to …

• Keep you up-to-date on yoga classes in Madison & Culpeper … alert you to the start of new sessions … answer or expand on questions that were raised in class … and chatter on about, or expand on, themes in recent classes;

• Provide the latest info on my massage schedule in both Madison & Orange … further describe my practice, specialties, & techniques … offer online only “specials” … and make it easy for you to make an appointment or order gift certificates with just the click of a mouse;

• Let you know about my upcoming workshops and retreats;

• Give special info and news on the world of Reiki to help support the practice of those practitioners who have attended my trainings and workshops; and

• Share a peaceful journey with you … by offering inspirational quotes, news, and other bits of info that I come upon that inspire my journey … and, perhaps, yours as well.

I’ll be back to you soon with some of all of that. In the meantime, don’t forget to breathe!

Namasté,

Jackie