"The moment of surrender is not when life is over.  It's when life begins."  Marianne Williamson

"Can we have a talk about letting go, surrender?" These words came from my ever so wise acupuncturist after I had a little mini type A meltdown and tearful moment.  She's said, "Are you one of those people holding onto stuff?  Grief, sadness, anger, fear? Because these things affect your heart health and that's what you are seeing.  Your light is being blocked by these things." 

Wait.  What?

Okay, I know that emotions and the physical body are directly related and fully intertwined but sometimes I bury stuff or pretend it's all okay when really, it's not.  Sometimes I hang on to stuff with the tiniest of threads.  Don't we all?

A few years ago I lost three beautiful beings from my life in rapid succession.  It almost broke me.  These beings were the lights in my life, the sunshine, the best friends I had.  All gone.  I grieved and processed and to be honest, thought I had it all worked through.  Until she said those words.  And then, then I realized that I needed to let those beautiful beings go.   

"Sometimes it's not the times you decide to fight, but the times you decide to surrender, that make all the difference."  Unknown

And then I began to realize all the other things I hadn't fully released.  Yes, I processed them and yes, I worked through them but I was hanging on by a thread to them (and maybe a few other things too!).   I meditated and imagined myself holding fast to balloons and with a smile and a wish I released them.  This felt good but not complete.

Harvest Full Moon - enter here.  What perfect timing.  I chose a letting go ritual and as I sat in the light of the moon outside (with a candle, paper, pen and some Palo Santo to burn), I said thank you to these beings, to these experiences, to these beautiful moments, and felt enormous gratitude for their effect on my life and then, with tears I said, "I release you."

An enormous weight dropped off of me.  I felt a smile inside and I felt I had done what they would have wanted me to do.  They deserved to be thanked and let go!

"The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow."  Unknown
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Yesterday as I drove, my mind fluttering over all the things to do, I spotted an enormous rainbow arcing across the sky.  I was mesmerized.  Dark ominous clouds hung back behind it as if afraid to enter its domain.  That rainbow OWNED the sky.

It is rare to see rainbows or maybe I just don't see them much but it imprinted on me as a message.  Thank you.  Thank you for letting us go.  Thank you for honoring us.  Thank you for practicing self love and choosing to LIVE fully in the present moment.  Shine bright and keep the clouds away!

Are you hanging on?  Are you honoring the experiences, people, beings of your life that have taught you pivotal lessons (good or bad)?  Are you choosing to move forward, fully present or are you, like me, hanging on by a thread to what was?

On this journey of life, I choose to honor all those beings/experiences/feelings in my life, all those who brought light into my world and all those who changed my life by choosing to live fully present in the moment.

How about you?

See you on the mat!
Aprille  

"Mirror, mirror here I stand.  Who is the fairest in the land?"
And the mirror replied, "You..."  From Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

Last week I took my about to turn a year older daughter out for a little dress shopping adventure and lunch.  We found the perfect dress for the upcoming Daddy/Daughter Dance in the first place we stopped and it only took about 20 minutes.  As we get back in the car I suggest lunch and then ask, "what else or where else do you want to go - anywhere you want!?"  As we sat there talking about options I kept asking over and over - where do YOU want to go, it's your birthday weekend.  

Her response will be emblazoned in my soul forever:  "Mom, I don't care what we do or where we go.  I just want to be with you."

"If you're searching for that one person that will change your life, take a look in the mirror."  Unknown

It stopped me in my tracks.  It stopped my breath.  It stopped my crazy monkey mind.

She just wants to be with me?  Really?  She's a teenager.  There must be a billion more exciting and fun things to do, really!  She wants to be with me.  I am important to her.  She likes spending time with me.  She LIKES ME!  It's me, not things, places, offers - it's genuinely me she wants to spend time with.

And suddenly, I could see myself through her eyes and I was filled with love.

"Be you.  Do you. Love you, for you."  Unknown

Dear Self,
I don't care where we go, what we do, or what happens...I just want to be with you.  That's all. 
Sincerely, Me

As we focus on self love, this week has been profound for me.  It's not about being wild, crazy, rich, busy, fun, perfect.  It's about BEING ME.  Being you.  Celebrating how special and perfect you are right now!  Why?  Because someone (and probably more than just one) in your life "just wants to be with you" because you are amazing.  Take a look in the mirror and repeat after me:

I am strong.  
I am brilliant.
I am beautiful.
I am resilient.
I am perfectly imperfect me.
And, I love all of my crazy, quirky, fun aspects!

See you on the mat!
Aprille  

Alice laughed.  "There's no use trying," she said: " one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen.  "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day.  Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."  Alice In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
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When you wake up, what are the first things you think?  Is it a to do list of your day, a recap of yesterday, a commentary on why and how you are going to handle today's events?  Or, do you imagine all the amazing things that could happen today, tomorrow or next year?  Do you wake up believing the impossible could happen today?

I will bet most of us don't do that last sentence much.  But why?  Are we so focused on achievement and accomplishment and survival that we never imagine impossible things?  
 
"Don't you dream impossible things?"  Unknown
 
I LOVE the idea of practicing imagining 6 impossible things before breakfast.  What a great way to start the day!  Some of the best moments and most fulfilling parts of our lives come from impossibility turned into possibility.  If we never dare to dream, dare to imagine, dare to be bold - we won't know now will we.  Yes, there's the potential for tons of pitfalls here and definitely the potential for disappointment but what if - what if it all could come true?  What if your dream, no matter how impossible it seems in this moment, were to come true?
 
"Things are only impossible until they are not." Jean Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart

This month we are focusing on self love and I think a very big part of self love is dreaming BIG, allowing ourselves time to imagine the impossible, to write it down, to ask the universe for it, to believe that just maybe it can happen.  So how about you join me for a little challenge - practice imagining just ONE impossible thing every day this month.  Believe that ONE impossible thing can happen.  See what happens when you start to practice believing the impossible?  It just takes practice.  

Now, give yourself a big hug and repeat after me...I believe in the impossible!

See you on the mat!
Aprille  

"The light in me sees and recognizes the light in you."  Traditional Yoga Greeting

Namaste.  It's the traditional greeting you will often hear in yoga classes at the end of practice.  But many people don't really understand what it means.  It's all about connecting, acknowledging, and respecting the beauty of another person.  It's about being present and saying I see you and you are beautiful!

It's profound and it's one of the things that really captured my attention when I first began yoga.  As my practice has developed, so has my understanding of this phrase and all that it encompasses.  When I say it - I mean it.  I see you for the beautiful and amazing being that is you!

"Nothing can dim the light that shines within."  Maya Angelou

This week I reached out to someone I knew and asked them to share why they chose to do yoga with me.  What is it about me and my teaching that really inspires them to keep coming back?  I wasn't looking for affirmation, I was genuinely curious!

Her response was from the heart, deep, and beautiful to read.  What she loves about my yoga and my teaching is my authenticity, my realness, my accessibility, my vulnerability.  I read it and cried.  All of us - and I can say that without hesitation - undervalue who we are and the effect we have on the world.  We often don't know who we really are and most of the time don't "feel" that way about ourselves.  I know I don't.  

This month is about changing that.  This month we are focusing on looking at ourselves with love, admiration, and respect the way we would look at another beloved friend or loved one.  This month we are all about giving ourselves the BIGGEST HUG and saying - You are AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, DIVINE and your light is BRILLIANT! 

"It only takes one spark to light a fire within you." Unknown

ILLUMINATE  Reconnect to the light inside.  Feed and nourish your light.  Help it grow and give it what it needs.  Illuminate.  Shine bright, shine your light, illuminate yourself and your world with your beauty!

Join me this month for our very first annual SELF LOVE SEPTEMBER celebration!  Connect, explore, shine.

See you on the mat!
Aprille  

P.S. If you are looking to dive deeper, we have a beautiful @ Home Illuminate Self Love Yoga Retreat available on https://theyogaranger.vhx.tv along with a lovely self love practice calendar + journal prompts!  I would love to have you join us!