For the love of yoga

FOR THE LOVE OF YOGA 

I just wanted to share how incredible yoga is. I'm not, by any means, the Instagram/ bulletin board, "skinny" yogi, I'm not calm, cool, collected, don't have great yoga attire, and run barefoot far more than is normal. I can't do all the poses and my boobs suffocate me in some of the inverted poses... (yes, that's a thing when you're chunky!) I'm not always level-headed or upbeat, I'm definitely not free of "baggage" or even easy to be around. In fact, I'm the very opposite... (and a big shout out to those in my circle who love me regardless). I have very weird personality quirks, and opinions, and am known for being passionate, overzealous, and "intense"! Moreover, I ramble far too often to anyone who will hear me. 

Yes! I AM a very passionate person, nearing 40 yrs old, divorced, and am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I have an oversized lifted truck and ride motorcycles way too fast. I forget to recycle things like the fabric softener bottle. I drink wine, eat ice cream and stare at my bubble butt in the mirror with more judgment than is necessary. (Don't people pay top dollar for butt implants?)

Until recently pretty much my entire wardrobe was black (because who doesn't like black?), I talk to trees, water, plants, animals and myself waaay too much. I see "signs" and "wonders" in everything. I geek out on quantum theories, holistic health, energy healing, psychic phenomena and mythical stories for days. I am gifted with visions, clairvoyance, empathic and intuitive knowing that sometimes scare me. I howl at the moon and dance around fires. I play the guitar, the piano, singing bowls and a native hand drum. I honor the Lakota ways, language, and heritage (yes, I'm a white girl-I just took a DNA test). I pray with tears, paint my face like a Lakota warrior, talk to nature and the 7 nations, and worship God, the water, the stars, and Mother Gaia in more tears and songs than I could ever write. My BFF has always been the Moon and I am certain that I am meant to be a voice for the voiceless and somehow help to end the suffering here on this planet. Sometimes I'm certain I'm in a holodeck, the matrix or some cosmic alien experiment. I have lots of stories, pain, and shadows to share, and have lived through things unspeakable.

But none of that mattered when I committed to my love of yoga. When the universe made its proposal with the beautiful posture of warrior 2 in a Yoga book and I said YES! That's when everything changed... I even had a Bbq to "announce" to my friends my coming commitment and adventure into my love affair with Yoga. My friends applauded me yet a few stuck around...

Like a new relationship, I have been swept away from my previous social gatherings. Suddenly, my wants, my habits, my needs, and my desires changed. My stories became visible as the truly open-heart wounds they were and with the words and teachings of my teachers, I found salve in Bhakti and Akhanda Shakti Yoga... I cried on my mat, I broke, and I faced fears and truths that I never wanted to see. (They say the first year of a relationship is the hardest) I talked too much, overdid my practice, pushed my body beyond its limits, and injured myself over and over again... As my physical injuries occurred, my inner wounds began to heal, (which at times felt worse than the pain itself). My vision was restored to see the true beauty in the breath, the stillness of the mind, and the magical love affair I now have with the very present moment and myself.

Loving me, (what a concept). It's a concept my young adult church told me was sinful and would cause me to go to hell. (Chuckling) Boy, if I could show that pastor what my soul knows now. Oh, how I imagine the look on that pastor's face if I could tell him about my nights at standing rock, inipi, the ceremonies, prayer, feathers, and the white wolf in my dreams. Or channeling prophetic messages, the premonition dreams, the depth of devotion and LOVE I feel when singing kirtan in Sanskrit mantras that speak of lords and deities. (There I go again) I'm sorry, please forgive me, I love you. Thank you.

Yoga helps all races, all faiths, all religious zealots, and doubters. It transcends spiritual beliefs and especially heals the broken. For the love of Yoga has shown me a healing doorway akin to the elven door Gandolph walked through in the tales of the "Lord of the Rings". To speak "friend" and enter... Yoga has become my friend, my partner, my desire when nothing makes sense, and my need when my stories roll off my tongue like an action movie trailer. Yoga is faithful, resilient, deep, strong, giving, and truthful. For the love of Yoga, has opened my eyes to my gifts, helped me chase dreams, and provided me the safety to worship freely, and a tribe of people that are far more incredible and full of depth than I give them credit. Yoga helped me heal wounds far larger than those of the sacred black hills, and deeper than the ocean. I will forever bow in gratitude to all my teachers who have made it possible for me to walk in the doors of a studio and practice a Warrior 2 on my mat in an expression of "I LOVE YOU back"!

~For the love of Yoga~
>>---awaken-heal-rise---> 
Psychic Medium, Keia Lavine, HHP. "Medicine Woman"  (and yoga teacher)