“Relax your breath…more…”

We are on our backs in shavasana, the final ‘corpse pose’ that closes a yoga session. The deep and gentle voice guiding our bodies and minds through this belongs to Max Strom, a renowned yogi traveling the world teaching yoga. The voice continues,

“Relax your entire life…more…”

Now this was a new one. After my initial surprise, I gave relaxing my entire life a try. Strangely enough, it was a completely easy and natural thing to do. In a split second, I realized that ‘my entire life’ wasn’t like a building that I put together brick by brick, year by year, that I now have to live in. I could just relax my whole life since my life is played out from the inside. Or at least the way I live it. So there I was, relaxing my entire life just like that, laying between 25-some other people that, I hope, were doing the same.

Last weekend I had the pleasure to be one of Max Strom’s grateful yoga students three mornings in a row at the beautiful rebuild yoga studio of Yoga Moves in Utrecht, Holland, where he drops by almost every year. His style of teaching feels like a relief. As he says on his website, “The goal (of yoga) is not to tie ourselves into knots –we’re already tied in knots. The aim is to untie the knots in our heart.” The knots in my heart indeed became untied when Max guided us into a visual meditation after shavasana:

“Sit up tall and easy, close your eyes. Now imagine the person who in this life has taught you what love is…”

-I was attending the workshop with my fabulous mom –

“Visualize this person sitting right in front of you…”

-My mom was-

“and radiate out all the gratitude you feel towards this person.”
 
It’s so simple yet so profound. Maybe this is a good thing to do right now at the beginning of your week. Who was the person that taught you what love is?

If you ever get a chance to practice with Max Strom, I would recommend you do. His teaching schedule can be found on his website:


Wishing you untied knots and free hearts,

Geertje

As we all know, this first November week of 2008 has been a historical one. It’s an unoriginal statement but what else can you say when America has elected their first African American president? I personally was bouncing up and down all day last Wednesday, from six in the morning well into the night at an ‘Obama celebration party’ at one of my American friends’ house.
 
Yes we can. These words have been flowing through our media and our minds like a mantra. Imagine the impact that this affirmation has on the global collected consciousness; waves of hope and change but also of sheer possibility and potential. It’s the American Dream at its best. You could even connect it with Buddha potential, which is nothing other than realizing that indeed, yes, we can.

I imagine all the spirits that have been sacrificed for the same American Dream, especially the African souls and their descendants, resting a little bit more peacefully after this week. Karmically speaking, this has been a very good week and you don’t have to be a ‘believer’ to feel it.

As always, our inner critic may be busy shining its morning-after light on all of this. The American Dream is as much scrutinized as it has been cherished; especially here in Europe, where America is often associated with some kind of naivety. But this week I want to celebrate the side of America which believes so much in human potential. Let’s not take for granted or deny that a large amount of people at least feel that, yes, they can.

What happens next has yet to be seen. Obama, being one of those leaders that we so desperately need in this world, has pointed out very clearly that it won’t be easy and that individual involvement is essential. I share his conviction that, even though it may be difficult, not much is impossible as long as we each put our minds and hearts to it. Yes we can.

Enjoy your weekend,

Geertje

Everyone knows that cleaning up your house can be as spiritually effective as a yoga workshop. You feel fresh, clean and uplifted afterwards. This last week I felt the irresistible urge to transform my entire house. It was a small revolution, but it was worth it.
 
There’s a strong connection between cleaning and spiritual traditions. I love the way the physical environment becomes a reflection of your spiritual hygiene, although I’m not the best role model for it. I usually am quite inattentive on a practical level, not the type of person that instinctively takes the cups out of your hands at a party and starts cleaning them. I admire those people very much. I don’t have that by nature, so I have to learn that. Luckily, auspiciously, I ended up in a spiritual tradition that very much emphasizes the importance of taking care of the appearance of things.
 
In Shambhala traditions, a Tibetan form of Buddhism, you are encouraged to keep your space, house, meditation room clean, but also to pimp it where you can. Therefore you can always find fresh, artfully arranged flowers in their meditation centers.  Likewise, when we serve food, we try to serve it as lovely as we can, with eyes for detail, a little decoration where you can. It also accounts for the way you dress yourself. When a teacher is given a lecture for example, people dress up. It took a while before I got that, and it took some understanding from my part to finally not appear in my jogging suit to a meditation program.

I’m starting to get the importance of your appearance more and more. The way you do anything is the way you do everything.  People that look nice, take care of themselves, have a different energy than those who take to the streets in that same jogging suit. Although I am pretty much on both ends of the spectrum, I do enjoy the way my energy changes when I do decide to dress up, look nice, put fresh flowers in my house, vacuum clean. It really does go a long way.

I am sending you the feeling of a cleaned house, fresh flowers and a stylish outfit!

Namaste,
Geertje