As some of you may already know…I love trees.  When I have a moment to stop and stare, I am usually in such utter awe at their beauty.  This tree took my breath away in Harvard Yard the other day as I was walking to teach my yoga classes.  Its woven beauty and mystery made me stop and stare.  It was almost hard to tear my eyes away from it but I knew time was a tickin and my students would be convening waiting for me to come guide them.  Recently we discussed the concept of finding home wherever you are in our chat Coming Home.  Life continues to be a whirlwind and this week was no piece of cake.  As the week came to an end I was guided back to our discussion and this concept of finding home within.  Staying rooted in life’s storms has got to be one of the biggest challenges life can throw you when things happen in a way that moves you off balance.  I sometimes feel like a weeble wobble toy from the 70s.  The cool thing those toys possessed was that they didn’t fall down!!  While certain situations definitely had me wobbly I was somehow able to stand tall despite my jitters.

This time in my life has brought up a whole lot of feelings of gratitude for the people in my life who love me, whom I love and who are consistently there for me despite my weebling (word? no but oh well:) Gratitude has been the one thing lately, besides herbal tea, chilling on my cozy couch and meditating, that has kept me rooted throughout the storms.  I think it may be that old adage you can’t see the light fully unless you see the dark.  Or something like that.  Having stark differences between the energies around me lately has been helping on some odd level.  As I move into clarity about what I want and I move towards it a lot has become apparent.  As I more or less just go for it in all areas of my life, I am coming into some of the aspects of the big bad world I was probably trying to avoid when I was playing small.  The world can be a harsh, tough place at times.  When you decide to go into building your own business, not everyone will be happy about it and not everyone is going to be supportive.  Some people may even actively try to do things to dissuade you or get in your way.  People may be harsh with their words, tones or actions.  Being a Pieces, a person who is intuitive and an empath means that I feel energy around me a lot stronger than some.  This means that my inner storms sometimes can come more frequently and I have to work more diligently on not being blown around like a leaf in the wind.  One thing that has really been working for me is to remember that I love and that I am loved.   This means that when I get back to my physical home, while I live alone, I am not alone.  I am always and forever surrounded by loving energy.  The more I focus on this, the more I am capable of embodying that love rather than a variety of other emotions that arise in the moment.

Gratitude is an active practice of continuing to come back to the present moment and noticing the things that really matter in life.  The harsh energies of the world will be there.  Lately I am trying to actively thank them for giving me the opportunity to pause and reflect on the light.  Life isn’t fair; we all need to remember that.  But one thing that life is, is interesting and thought provoking and at times awe inspiring.  I am finding that my recent surge of gratitude is another layer of healing that is occurring.  I don’t think it would be rising to the surface if certain challenging situations or people weren’t also in my life at this time.  My practice these days is honoring the dark; not just those people or situations but the things that they are evoking in me.  They are helping bring up dark feelings and thoughts that are in need of clearing.  As Meredith Gray from Grey’s Anatomy calls it “the dark and twisty.”  (I am a huge Grey’s fan and psyched it’s back…sorry side note:)  Fully embracing the dark si is the only way that the light can shine through and glisten.  Challenging situations or people are not obstacles; instead they are opportunities for growth.  As I write this I feel an OMMMMMM coming up.  Deeeeep breath.  It’s hard to believe at times in my heart but my head knows this to be the truth.  Sometimes I am able to strike that sweet spot when the two are intertwined and my heart is capable of fully embracing the insights of the mind.  Taking deep breaths often allows for this to come more smoothly.  If I can’t be around those that I loveI can text, email, call or facebook message.   Connection and community is what heals the heart more than anything.  Love is the medicine that allows for deeper healing.  I may struggle with sharing love for those that are causing me struggle but when I can slow down I realize that they too have people who love them and they are also loving to others.  We are all doing the best we can with the skills we have and when we have more skills we may be able to do better.  What helps you stop and reflect on gratitude?  What helps you stay rooted in the storm?  Let a note below and let’s share stories of calming the storm within:)

Cheers!