From “One Soul” Let Go of Something (Danna Faulds)

Let go of something, somewhere. Use yoga to become aware, to touch what lies beneath the surface of the skin. Is there tension longing for release; a knot of fear so deep and familiar that you believe it’s part of who you are?

Ease into dark corners, locked rooms, and unexplored hallways. Gain entry not by force or will but only by softness. Enter on the wings of breath, and turn the key of self-acceptance to let go of something, somewhere.

The Haste – A young but earnest Zen student approached his teacher, and asked the Zen Master, “If I work very hard and diligent how long will it take for me to find Zen?”

The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years.”

The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast, how long then?”

The Master replied, “Well, twenty years.”

“But, if I really, really work at it. How long then ?” asked the student.

“Thirty years,” replied the Master.

“But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that ?”

The Master replied,” When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”

“Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior. You are beneath the thinker. You are the stillness beneath the mental noise. You are the love and joy beneath the pain.” – Eckhart Tolle

“Yoga gives us a safe place to reflect and contemplate on our true nature. Yoga helps us get good again at just being ourselves.” – David Scott

“Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.” – Ramana Maharshi

“Every step taken in mindfulness brings us one step closer to healing ourselves and the planet.” – Nhat Hanh

“The most important part that happens during a yoga class, is not what happens outside the body, but what happens inside the body.” David Scott

“Retire to the center of your being, which is calmness.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

“It is the possibility of a dream coming true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Do the best you can with what you know. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good in your life and reach for great.” – David Scott

“Our true nature is like a precious jewel: although it may be temporarily buried in mud, it remains completely brilliant and unaffected. We simply have to uncover it.” – Pema Chödrön

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”

“Breath, the universe is taking care of everything else.”

“Remember the entrance to the sanctuary is inside you.” – Rumi

Be someone you would enjoy being around.

Lie is a balance of holding and letting go.

“I am at that awkward age, between birth and death.”

“Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.” – Rumi

“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.” – Nhat Hanh

“Sunshine is a great disinfectant. Shine that light of awareness into the darkest parts of our soul.” – David Scott

Self-Observation Without Judgment (Danna Faulds)

Release the harsh and pointed inner voice. it’s just a throwback to the past, and holds no truth about this moment. Let go of self-judgment, the old, learned ways of beating yourself up for each imagined inadequacy. Allow the dialogue within the mind to grow friendlier, and quiet. Shift out of inner criticism and life suddenly looks very different. I can say this only because I make the choice a hundred times a day to release the voice that refuses to acknowledge the real me. What’s needed here isn’t more prodding toward perfection, but intimacy – seeing clearly, and embracing what I see. Love, not judgment, sows the seeds of tranquility and change.

Who You Are (Danna Faulds)

Who you are is so much more than what you do. The essence, shining through the heart, soul, and center, the bare and bold truth of you does not lie in your to-do list. You are not just at the surface of your skin, not just the impulse to arrange the muscles of your face into a smile or a frown, not just boundless energy, or bone wearying fatigue. Delve deeper. You are divinity; the vast and open sky of spirit. It’s the light of God, the ember at your core, the passion and the presence, the timeless, deathless essence of you that reaches out and touches me. Who you are transcends fear and turns suffering into liberation. Who you are is love.

“May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know it’s beauty all the days of your life.” – Apache Blessing