True Hearts Yoga

I love piano. The velvety sound of this instrument takes me to another place- one that is full of emotional expression and power.  It truly uplifts me. Why is the instrument so relaxing? It has such a pure, calming sound. Piano has the ability to soothe, to inspire, or to coax out emotions that have been dormant. For these reasons, I love to play piano music in my yoga classes. It just feels like the right venue. These are two of the artists I use in some of my yoga classes. I have also peppered in a song or two from Liz Story. Check them out, preview them on itunes, buy their cd's. Enjoy!

Sometimes it feels good to be surrounded by people. Sometimes we need to be alone in nature. This week I definitely needed to be away from the world. Away from job, money, family, bills... the usual stressors. It was all gettin' to me. The Olympic Peninsula is where I wound up. I skipped town for a few days, staying at the lovely Lake Quinault Lodge. And although I was in the midst of a rainforest, I didn't get wet once- it was sunny and mild the whole time. I spent my time walking around the lake, hiking along lush trails, eating, napping, and swimming in a super warm indoor pool. Ahhhhh... It felt wonderful to reconnect with the softer side of life. The hikes were the best. Being among trees that are ages old is a humbling thing. Imagine the strength and flexibility one would need to live for that long. We could stand to learn a thing or two from the ancient forest. The first morning I woke up and walked out to the gazebo on the lawn. I was inspired to write

Why is it that when someone around us has good luck, or something great happens to them the first emotion we feel is envy? Then, after that sloshes around in us a while, we start to feel inadequate, lame, boring. "Why can't I take vacations like that?" "Why can't I afford a house like theirs?" "I'm just as qualified, why don't I have that job?" "I should have had kids by now. Why didn't I start 5 years ago??" I don't think of myself as a jealous person. Maybe most of us don't. But it's the little resentments inside us that have the ability to turn against us. The tiny envies which, when left unchecked, can spiral us down into a bad mental space- quick. Perhaps it is a fleeting thing, and we hardly notice the ill-feelings we have when someone around us is happy. Is there not enough happiness to go around? Are we afraid they are taking more than their share? Most people are unaware of