Finding Balance in a Season of Change

The month of October is presenting so many opportunities for our community to unite in a peaceful shared space. Today, as I write this, we are entering the Fall Equinox. It is also a New Moon. How auspicious an opportunity to come inward and set a fresh intention for the season.

Autumn invites reflection and a shift in energy. It asks us to pause and consider: What does balance feel like when the entire world seems to spin in cycles of vast confusion?

The Power of Words

How do I use my words to inspire and nourish when so much is heard in the wrong way? Our state of mind is deeply tied to how we speak and listen. Language is a sacred gift—we are the only beings able to use words to heal, inspire, and bring peace. Misused, our words can create fear and division. The fragile state of being vulnerable to fear which only produces the heated agitation of defending identity.

This season, I am setting my intention to speak with clarity, so that my words may comfort, uplift, and reframe what no longer serves. I want to listen more deeply—to intuition, to the wisdom of the body, to the heart’s quiet voice—and to welcome uncertainty as the beginning of true transformation.

A Practice of Balance

Of course, these are lofty ideals. All I can truly do is return to practice: noticing my own thoughts, shifting the negative vibration of doubt. May my inner fire shine through my heart and listen to what my higher self is speaking, and raise the density of darkness into the light of self-compassion.

Balance begins within, but it grows stronger when we share it together. I long for dialogue, for listening, and for spaces where our community can explore new perspectives in these uncertain times.

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“In these uncertain times, what wisdom or practice helps you return to balance? Let’s begin the dialogue together—share your reflections in the comments below or in class.”

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Set Your Intention and Join Us in Downers Grove

This month is an invitation to gather, to listen, and to practice balance—both within ourselves and in community. At Yoga Among Friends, October is filled with opportunities to connect through yoga, meditation, and shared presence.

🌟 Featured Workshop: Bhakti + Breath with Girish – Thursday, October 23

Join musician and former monk Girish for an extraordinary evening of Breathwork, Chanting, and Vocal Yoga. This transformative workshop blends sacred sound and mindful practice, guiding you into deep restoration and joy.

And that’s just the beginning. From candlelit restorative practices to women’s circles, sound baths, and self-care gatherings, October offers many ways to nurture your body, mind, and spirit.

Many blessings,
—Laura Jane

Free Fall into Grace: What Humility Teaches Us

Each of us walks into life with only a limited understanding of who we are. We spend a lifetime staying inside our familiar comfort zones. Often, we define ourselves by what we do, rather than by who we are, or by the grace that comes from continually learning and unlearning, touching the deeper spiritual core of the soul.

For me, the spiritual path has always been more than a refuge in times of struggle. It is a companion. It helps me open my eyes to the complexity of life, the paradox of mystery, and the gift of not knowing. It invites me to meet those vulnerable moments of uncertainty and doubt—especially in times of social unrest or personal upheaval, when loss and fear feel near.

During those difficult times, I can slip into blaming, complaining, or rigid thinking. But sometimes there is a small opening, a flash of insight into my own beliefs. And that opening begins the journey of questioning what I’ve held as reality. It is like one is stepping into the dark night of the soul. Sometimes the doorway begins with a free fall—just asking for help. Sometimes it is as simple as realizing that my thoughts are getting in the way of loving, and my heart wants to feel less worry in the endless chatter of the mind.

“Sometimes the doorway begins with a free fall—just asking for help.”

I have whispered to myself more than once: “Laura Jane, you don’t see clearly, and you don’t hear clearly.” What I called “taking care of myself” was often just living with my attachments, clinging to a rigid identity of being right. I see how I keep myself in a bubble of my own making, craving sustained comfort.

In recent years, I’ve had to face that I isolated myself from the differences in our political landscape. My anger at those with whom I disagreed hardened into judgment, and my opinions became walls that excluded rather than embraced. I thought I was protecting myself, but those invisible borders were squeezing the life out of me. The pain of judgment leads to resentment, and resentment constricts the heart.

Patajali, in the Yoga Sutra, reminds us: practice non-attachment help us step out of the push and pull of likes and dislikes. We can remain captives, or we can choose to open. This takes practice—and the deep desire to love more freely, letting go of what I think I know, and remembering that everyone sees through their own lens.

Just weeks ago, I was humbled again. A dear friend was recovering from an injury, and I thought my job was to help—lining up rehab, arranging care, trying to make her better. But my “help” was not what she wanted. In my zeal, I became the bully. I wasn’t sitting with her fear, only with my own fear of watching her decline with age. What I thought was compassion was really my ego, needing to feel useful. And when I wasn’t heard, I got angry. It was not my best moment.

Grace blossoms when we soften, release, and return to love.

And so I return, again, to my breath. To remember that even these stumbles are teachers. To surrendering—gently, imperfectly—into growth.

I ask for help to stay steady and calm in the face of change, whether in myself, in my relationships, or in the world. My practice prepares me for the next right action: knowing when to speak, when to act, and when to rest. Every experience gives me a chance: to be entangled in reactivity, or to pause, listen, and choose compassion.

“Every day brings the chance to be entangled in reactivity, or to pause, to listen, to respond with compassion.”

We are all human. Life is all learning.

As my dear friend and teacher Deborah Adele says:
“It is not a weakness to see our attachments and resistance; if these are the cause of our bondage, then it seems like a gift to see the things that stand between ourselves and our freedom.”

With Love and Light,

Laura Jane

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As always, these words are part of my own learning. We walk this path together, each with our questions, our stumbles, and our openings. I would love to hear how this reflection touches your own journey:

• What part of this reflection resonated most deeply with you today?

• And if you’ve walked through a “free fall” moment, what helped you discover grace on the other side?

Please feel free to share your reflections below in the comments—I would be honored to read them.

Stay in the Focus of the Present

I can choose to return to my mat and practice being here.
I can draw my attention inward and become aware of my breath, linked to movement.
I can soften the grip of worry and the habit of constant doing.

My roaming tendencies often carry me into future stories shaped by past memories. I fall into the illusion that safety lies in fixing. But this only leads to spinning—into exhaustion, confusion, and anxiety. My nervous system becomes overwhelmed, even as my mind insists it's protecting me.

But true protection is counterintuitive to the learned mind.

And yet—I am grateful.
Grateful that I know I can return to yoga.
Grateful for the trust that arises in the presence of prana.
This life force flows through me, and I begin to experience a deep, mental relaxation. I fall into the spaciousness of the moment. My mind softens into ease, and my only intention becomes: simply enjoy.

Today, more than ever, we must raise the vibration of consciousness if we are to live with radiant hearts. The weight of the outer world is heavy—layered with judgment, division, and endless spinning stories. I choose not to waste my energy there. We don’t have to agree on everything to hold one another with compassion.

July has been a month of deep uncertainty.
From flash floods and fierce storms to the threat of a tsunami after the devastating earthquake in Russia, we’ve been reminded how unpredictable and fragile life is. With record-breaking heat and extreme weather, the only thing we can truly hold onto is the present moment.

This moment is an invitation.
To pause.
To see.
To listen.
To move inward with intention.

Yoga Among Friends is a safe harbor for the soul—a space to rest, be nourished, and held as we navigate uncertainty. Together, we create a collective force to uplift humanity and shine our individual lights.

As we move into August, let us recommit to our practice.
Let’s make a commitment to come inward and appreciate all the wonderful classes and workshops (including our new Mindful Yoga class starting August 4, 2025) that reconnect us with what matters most. Come reset your mind to rest and may your light to stay radiant in these confusing times.

With love and presence,
Laura Jane

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Let’s reflect together...
What helps you return to the present moment when life feels overwhelming?
Share in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you.