My core story.

My core story is:
Never give up. I live this
and say this with breath.




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Eschewing pretend perfection.

I am reluctant to share with you that my so-called Discipline December has taken a bit of a nosedive around the holidays. I guess it's reasonable. "It's the holidays," after all. But I haven't given up. I've experienced a bit of trial-and-error on my way to Jammin' January!

And I was hesitant to share this less-than-totally-happy report on this blog. I could have kept this boring news to myself, but somehow I wanted to share this unsavory bit of my humanity. In some ways I think that it must make me more savory. But I'm sure that it's not true for some people. I know people who jealously guard their headspace against anything that's not totally love-and-light-y. Maybe I don't blame them. But I need to be a whole-package-Brooks, not an artificial yoga-fairy. For me it would be artificial to pretend perfection.

One thing that I've done well, discipline-wise, is posting a haiku response to the prompts for #reverb10 every morning in December (of course there is still tomorrow!). (Yay! I added this last sentence after the initial publishing of the post when I remembered that it's important to honor the things I am doing well.)

Try it now.

My favorite gift
is an in-breath. I am blessed
to breathe. Try it now.




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Moments inform me.

Moments can inform
but never define me. I
must give permission.




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Surging potency.

Surging potency:
the effect and cause of what
I want to achieve.




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Common Joy.

My most common joy
is found in my daily dose
of triangle pose.




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Recognizing different choices.

My mind keeps going to that directive on the Lululemon bag, “Do one thing a day that scares you.”

Um. Okay.

And at the same time I am berating myself for buying into a part of a marketing message…

(I also think that I probably need to question my assumption that marketing messages should always be mistrusted. I understand that these messages are describing whom Lululemon sees as their customer base, but might these messages also be helpful? Is it possible, or do words necessarily loose integrity when they are harnessed to the marketing machine of a big company?)

But I’ve been realizing how much I seem to be drawn to activities and situations that make me feel “safe”. Perhaps making choices based on a promise of safety isn’t the best way to choose…

A part of me says, “Duhh,” here.

The safe choice I am talking about is a situation where I can predict a comfortable experience for myself.

Time to get uncomfortable, I think.

I'm not talking about real physical safety. I promise to do my best to maintain my health and needs for safety in life.

But, if I can predict a comfortable and easy experience, I’m probably not really going anywhere…

It’s like the promise of, “Again!” which I love, and think it feels so good… What’s better than having a pleasant experience repeated? Yeah, again!

And again, and again! (Gettin' tired…)

Suddenly, I find I am “again”-ing myself onto a beaten-down path. Nothing can even grow there. It’s become muddy…

So I am telling myself:

I am taking fresh steps toward my future, and it might mean doing more things that scare me (that I might have been overlooking in my recent daily choices…). I am choosing differently in a situation that might seem the same as an earlier moment, perhaps leading to a new outcome.

And I really anticipate much more than, "telling myself" this. I see myself doing it.

(I know… The Nike company said 'Just do it' in a old marketing message…)

Cheers! Happy holiday week to you! May your dreams come true! Do what you wanna' do!

Feeding the Soul…

Nourishing, good food…
I make a yummy salad.
Eat, enjoy and love…




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Wired to Inspire.

I love my new shirt.

Wired to inspire, I

am your Yogic Muse.

Everything.

Everything's okay,
until it's not. I know. My
breath goes in and out.




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Haiku Heaven

For this month of December, I have been posting a haiku, or 17 syllable poem, on this blog every day. The inspiration has been an online community project called #reverb10.

A selection of my haikus are also posted at Elephant Journal:

I am in haiku heaven with #reverb10


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Say my name.

Called, "Brooks" child of two…
Magical experience.
Born of earth and sky…




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I have traveled.

…have traveled in and
out of self-doubt. Confidence
is my residence.




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A joyous house!

Future self says: My…
Joy will call the house you are
building now 'my home'

Can it be simple?

Sometimes I avoid
important things. Some would say
I procrastinate.

Remove middleman:
The avoiding one in me,
reveal your secret.

Can I manage to
avoid avoiding? I think
I can put that off.

Direct contact with
that which frightens me could be
the way to let go.

I want to let go
of the shame of things undone.
Can it be simple?




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What are you doin’ New Year’s?

Well…

…just writing to let you know that I’ll be teaching two special New Year’s classes on December 31st, and January 1st at noon at Yogaview on Division. Please join us. It’ll be fun!

New ships, old ships, friendships, blue ships…

Yes, I’m in an introspective mode this morning. (Is introspection helpful or solipsistic?) And I’m thinkin’ about the Winter Solstice arriving soon—December 21st. It’s the darkest day of the year. And after that everyday gains a little more light, at least until the days start to get shorter again.

…was thinking of myself like a boat. And maybe I was treating myself like a sinking ship at some point in the past, and requiring help to stay afloat. And, at the same time if I want to be a victorious vessel a person needs a crew. So success doesn’t necessarily mean doing things on one’s own. But to be the captain of a successful ship one certainly must pass muster.

This Winter Solstice is especially cool because it coincides with a full lunar eclipse for the first time in 456 years. Wow! So this is sure to be the darkest, darkest night even though it is also a full moon! I would imagine that astrologers are also marveling about this amazing event.

Here’s one snippet from astrology-classes.com:

“Something has matured and is no longer needed. It is time to transform something or to end it and to build something new.”

Gee, I’m already thinkin’ about what I can let go of at this time. It’s that old sinkin’ ship self-perception. Bu-bye, old friend! It was a comfort to believe that I lived in a world where people would be there to pull me out of the dark waters. And at the same time it was a real stress to feel like I was goin’ down…

They follow that astrological insight with another one:

“However, it is wise to be aware that a planet at 29 degrees can cause a person to waiver, to go back and forth and to evaluate and re-evaluate endlessly, until finally, exhausted with the decision making process, that person may just make a rash and hasty decision to change things without using rational thought.”

What, me waiver?? (Yes, I can have a tendency to evaluate a choice to death!)

A captain goddess queen ponders, but then acts decisively…

And the entry ends rather nicely:

“Many blessings to each of you who read this and take up the challenge of this eclipse—to give away those things that are no longer needed or helpful, and to bring to the world a spirit of loving, truthful compassion for all beings.”

Okay…

It’s time to build something new. And this is where my Discipline December project comes in. Through discipline and recruiting help where it is helpful to achieve my goals I can build a most satisfactory future. I can do it!

To you, precious reader:
You can do it! Blessings for any letting go and new building you are doing at this time. And blessings for building a world that is helpful for a happy shared future together. We can do it!

Renewable.

Renewable. My
mind and body offer their
ongoing healing.




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Attempting and trying.

Attempting to be
organized is like trying
to smile. Yes, I can!




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Compassion comes.

Compassion comes when
I see that I made mistakes
from a blind viewpoint.




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Opening heart.

Friendship. Opening
heart to another way of
life. Live it fully.




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Peace, Happiness, Potatoes... And Elephants!

I received this lovely and thoughtful gift from a friend and yoga student: the promise of an elephant pillow! ...in honor of my writing at Elephant Journal. How sweet and cool, and telling of how excited I have been about writing at elephant this year! Thanks, (maybe I shouldn't put your name here)! You rock!

And here's my latest:

How about some peace and happiness with a side of potatoes for the holidays?

Thanks, everybody! Best wishes!

Sweet teeth.

Your teeth make me smile.
The little gap for sweetness
lets me know I'm home.




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I appreciate.

I appreciate
seeing beyond the first thought
to the second one…




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Do a little bit.

Action obstacle:
Avoidance. Look in the eye.
Do a little bit.




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Body infusion.

Whole body involved,
infused with keen perception.
Natural movement.




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Elimination.

Elimination.
There are things I do not need.
Plan to let them go.




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I am wise when…

I am wise when I
am inclusive with vision.
Can I see you, too?




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