Erin – Page 8 – Frozen Spaghetti

Listening to the Bod

May 19, 2023May 19, 2023by ErinLeave a Comment

I am teaching a ton lately. The main studio I teach from has a few teachers traveling or out for personal reasons so I picked up quite a few classes to help out. At 4:30pm yesterday, I was teaching my 3rd class of the day and found my body resisting any and all plans I had for class.

The only thing I made a note of that my body agreed would for sure be a part of class was a traditional flow through the 6 directions of the spine. (Which a human should do daily for optimal health, so not a lot of room for debate there, anyhow..)

When I teach yoga, I am continually relaying invitations to my students’ practices based on what I am noticing in my own body. I call it cueing “acute yoga” – sharing felt sensations – moving awareness around and inviting breath to coordinate with one’s inner gaze.

The yoga I teach is a direct reflection of my personal practice so if I don’t do it? I don’t teach it.

As the class of 5 settled in, I shared with them about how much I have been teaching and – as such – have noticed the increase of dedicated time tuning into my bod has me in more fluid communication with my body. They chuckled when I shared the very true story about how, when eating a caprese salad before meeting my daughter (knowing I would take her out for a burger) my body said, “thank you – I really like this.”

“You’re welcome.” I replied :)

I mentioned earlier I don’t teach what I don’t do so, I thought in this inaugural journal On Teaching Yoga, I would share some foundational parts of my yoga & belief system.

1) I see the body as the first gift given in this life making it miraculous, spiritual, communicative

2) I pay attention to inner voice and inner dialogue and talk back, using breath & inner gaze as buffers between thoughts

3) I notice what I feel in my belly / chest / etc related to the thoughts I have and when images come to mind

4) I practice revolving consciousness and ascending breath as meditation 3 – 5 times weekly

It has been almost a year that I have been back in the studio after a COVID induced hiatus, teaching from my personal practice which has evolved immensely from when I graduated YTT in 2016.

Not only do I LOVE teaching yoga more than I ever have before, but that the way I am teaching these days has me talking more about the practice before and after class with others. AND I LOVE THIS EVEN MORE THAN TEACHING YOGA! :)

I am hearing from students on how the tone of the teacher’s voice and the presence of self displayed by the instructor impacts the practice.

I am learning how invitations to notice felt sensation ushers in a deeper flavor of being human.

I am learning about when they feel connected or disconnected from their bodies.

And in the studio – I am noticing how truly humbling it is to watch bodies move when I teach because they are teaching me. It’s so freaking cool.

In all of this, I am paying attention, big time, to how it all comes together because of that #1 foundational part of my yoga: the body is a miraculous communicative device. The body is so amazing: every cell, every memory.

There is a scripture I love love love love love (1 Corinthians 2:11) that emphasizes how nobody can know us – our body – our experience better than we know it and, likewise, we cannot know our body and our experience better than the Spirit of God.

When you look at what neuroscience tells us about how the left brain only ever registers roughly 4% max of the body’s sensory experience in a given moment, that scripture makes more sense than ever. Think about it. I sure am.

There are at least a half of a dozen other things I could say right now but I think I’ll wrap it up as listening to the body is a big huge wide topic and I am so curious where people are with this.

What do you guys think? What is the last thing your body said to you other than “I’m tired!” or “I’m hungry!” ???

This is totally a favorite thing for me to talk about!! I would love to know :)

PS – anybody have a trustworthy resource on somatic spirituality?

Words in Sentences

On Creative Commitment

May 5, 2023May 5, 2023by ErinLeave a Comment

There have been a lot of sparks in my creative life – which seems promising and good. Yet, the way the landscape of my creative life looks has me curious for opportunity, wondering what is the right thing to spend my time on and curious – always – if “this is really going to work”.

I mentioned in a recent post about the comfort of talking about Spirit. Both @laughwithspirit and Fawn bring this comfortable reference to Spirit that serves my heart well – it feels like home right now more than any other word for God. But it is not complete. And I have been wrestling with that….

My friend Milta shared a post with me about the name of God, “Yahweh” and how the vowels were added for us to be able to pronounce however the name itself is “YH” and “WH”, which (get excited, yogis) are the sounds of breath… this idea of every inhale and exhale being the name of God is very powerful. And feeds what I teach in my Monday Night – prayer based yoga – where the sounds we make, as we exist as we move as we breathe – are the sounds from which the Spirit intercedes on our behalf. (Romans 8:26-27)

No more thinking about what to pray for, sigh – breathe – out from your shoulders and hips, etc.

This morning I started day three of a practice using graph paper to plot, note how I am doing in my healing journey and sit with the energy of the things before me: meetings with bookstores and arts organizations, serving my community, feeding my family, organizing big piles of shit somewhere, etc…

In this practice, I flip open scripture… First day was a fan favorite “Keep the heart with diligence” (Proverb 4:23), day two was a reminder that depression and anxiety settle in with an absence of the Spirit of God (thank you, 1 Samuel). Day two’s had me thinking – how do I nourish, invite, how do I charge and restore that spiritual alignment I long for – that feeling that makes me write? That makes me move?

How do I get back to times that have me soaking in hot water for 15 minutes to recharge my bones in between hosting family and leading workshops. I miss being used by God in that way, I guess.

Today’s practice flipped open to Haggai – never have read Haggai, tbh – and right away, I see this prophet as a prophet speaking to creatives, to the starving artists out there. The premise of the book is pretty simple: the temple was in ruins and the “Lord of hosts” (which translates as the Lord of angels, of stars – love it) is like “Hey, people, I see your houses look good and I hear you complaining that there is not more fruit in your life and let me just point out real quick that it’s because I don’t have a house and you aren’t giving me a place to dwell and so why don’t you go ahead and help a God out for a minute – build that temple – so that I can dwell and restore you.”

I sat in my bed with my graph paper, remembering my dad’s teaching to me of the Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit is the God in you.

The Holy Spirit is the God in you.

Spirit – the Lord of Hosts – the breath of heaven – the patterns of nature – the stars and the sky, the oceans and the whales – exists with or without us. But believers in God, the believers in Spirit, we are the temples of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit exists because we do and bears the fruit of goodness, joy, love… of peace, patience and kindness… gentleness…. self control… faithfulness.

This practice in Haggai has me thinking about my own obedience in my creative life.

Today, I consider what needs to be built (written, drawn, etc) in commitment as a person within whom glory can dwell.

I intend on looking at my projects and really listening for the art that has been stirred… (“ur” in Hebrew… Haggai 1:14… as in how a eagle stirs up its nest or an instrument is stirred awake when it is tuned.)

I share all this for my artists out there – for my creatives out there – who may be feeling the starving artist part of life.

Or for the healers, lovers, mothers and friends out there – who may be feeling empty regardless of all the cups they fill in front of them.

I ask us – are we caring for our bodies / our personhood as a temple the Lord of the stars is eager to call home?

Are the molds we make in our art, in our relationships – are they made in a commitment for the Spirit to move within and throughout?

It is obvious, at least to me, the world needs us to be committed to seeing our making in this way.

For me, this surely has been a helpful reflection – nourishing and encouraging.

Happy Friday. (Happy Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio if that is your thing. )

<inahle> YH

<exhale> WH

erin

PS: None of this Biblical study could be done this fast and effectively without my Spirit Life Bible and I cannot stress enough, if you need a good Bible, this is one will be your jam – all of the content was written by leaders from all denominations.

From my fire last week, I burned the dozens of colorful flowers given to my daughter as I prayed for her on the day after her 18th birthday.

Words in Sentences

Soli Deo Gloria – Where is the stone?

April 9, 2023April 9, 2023by ErinLeave a Comment

Where is the stone?

An Easter Reflection from a woman without a church.

As I made my way through my home this morning, the quiet of the neighborhood streets allowing the birds their sweet morning – the light of spring, the shift in the green, the more fullness of the irises and the tulips and the early hostas… beginning of milkweed… the question of what survived 2022 arrived. The year I stopped gardening after one weekend of planting. I didn’t water. I didn’t try.

And now in the current year?

Now I am curious.

In Palm Springs, I began to study Feng Shui for the outside of the home… How to use the elements, the directions, the idea of protection and allowance – invitation and slowness – to gather good energy for the inside of the home & those who dwell within it.

So my time outside runs along key areas. Always walking – shifting – lining up – considering. I’m into it. And the time already is serving me in both the feeling of accomplishment (why I started gardening to begin with) and the new found feeling of maturity – freedom – and how those both things together calm you down.

My last round in the garden brought me down to my native plant plot… to a closer look to see… and I noticed in my shuffling through the dirt and the dead, I moved a stone. I saw a stone had moved. And it brought to awareness a ricochet of not just all the other stones I had moved about in my morning time outside today, but to the fact today is Easter. A memorial holiday of one key stone having been moved away.

I stood up in the green yard in front of my home, I took in the sunshine – again the perfect calm – and the creative energy within me stirred me to write.

I listened to the birds.

I came in and made a meal.

And now, I finish this post before I head back out to see about a fire.

Here I am – in 2023, with the rest of my life in front of me. A husband and two dogs in my home with the back door open, the smell of popcorn & sound of Premier League next to the dishwasher, the rearranged family photos next to the things placed in my home as prayers, for our future – for my family – for our earth.

Our stars.

And all the things in it.

Easter?

Easter is about life. And not as in the whole “a life worth living” thing, at least – for me…

Life are blues (like the perfect blue) and greens.

Air and water, warmth and change.

Heat and transformation.

And being an Easter Person?

Is about being alive in life.

On that note… a big glass of water and the perfect sunshine await.

How is Easter showing you new?

How are you feeling?

May the sun radiate hope and warmth for you.

Looking down, clearing out old, I see the new.
Next to last year’s main garden event (the establishment of our mailbox), the tulips and beginning of iris plot emerge.
Gal time with my dog in the sun? Yes please!
Baby Bel bites buried in browned hashbrowns with some soulard grill spice & organic happy chicken brown eggs. Ginger Peaches in syrup, thai spice and honey with thawed out Target shrimp.