Spring, the Season of Awakening

The greatest work you can do in this world begins inside you.
Do you wish to change the world? Then change the inner condition inside yourself.
Do you wish to change the culture? Change your ways.
Want a healthier society? Change your mind.
World peace? Peace your inner world. Action arising from right thought.
If you want more kindness, practice being kind to yourself.

The path of yoga is a journey inward. If you pause, listen to the sounds around you, not the noise in your head, but the actual living sounds around you. Take in a breath, inhale, pause, exhale, pause. Observe the effects of just being aware of the breath. Notice the sounds and the sensations that are your actual aliveness.

It’s not so easy to let go of fixing or doing. Witness the awkward experience of being present. Life is movement, and the mind roams, looking for itself to be seen. It will never find itself until it moves inwards and rests in the space of the heart. Feel the willingness to let go of tension in gripping onto identity. Be invisible and trust the expanded feeling of aliveness just to be enough. This commitment to life is different than the desire to get life.

How can you get love, do love when you are love? The little mind will never let us feel this thought. It is not the intellect that knows this sacred path to actually being loved. Our intrinsic nature is this love, compassion and kindness. It is not until the mind can rest in its nature and let go of the need to attach to its identity. In a space of profound protection, we fall in love with our soul’s divine light of love. This must be experienced, and each of us will experience it in our own unique way of expression. We are all originals, unique souls within the ocean of humanity.

My passion arises in being the inspiration for healing the pain of being hostage to the wrong thought. The thought of self-loathing is taught so well. The coping mechanism to numb and distract only adds to the frustration of loneliness from the separation of listening to the inner voice. Hate is so easy to learn.

Purify the waters of your inner landscape and drink in the pure sweetness of this flowing river. This path is the way to the heart of loving. Clear the ocean that is your soul and allow the beauty of living in the world to be your legacy. If just for today, choose to come inward and breathe into your heart and exhale the light of love through the heart. If you want to change the world, as Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

March is the month of great change as we move into the season of Spring. The light changes, nature blooms, and the animal kingdom awakens. I am being inspired to listen deeply, and my invisible work is to continue to go deeper into my soul. Life presents new opportunities to learn. Celebrating new beginnings as the spring opens to possibilities.

Let us continue our commitment to the journey inward and shine brightly as collective humanity demands our peaceful contribution.

In light and love,

Laura Jane

Spinning at the Pace of Grace

Another spin around the sun and the beginning of a new year. I am never a fan of any resolutions, which is just another “to-do list“ for expectations to disappoint. It’s just another way to set up the mind to try and reach an outcome that implies where I am is “NOT good enough.” This is my little mind’s constant longing and thinking that when I get there, I might love myself.

Starting now, starting at this moment, I am enough. What if, at this moment, all is good and all is right and enough? Well, my little voice will never believe that and answer in its critical way, ”It's horrible out there! Look at all the fighting; look at all the pain, suffering, and grief. How can you just sit and breathe into that mess?”

Yes, the outer world is spinning right now, but it has been spinning for millions of years. My chatter of getting caught up in thinking how terrible life is might not be the best choice of my precious time. What if I find a focus for one moment to just sit in the awkwardness of uncertainty and feel my heartbeat? What if I place my hands on my heart and say thank you?

I’m actually experiencing the present time. In this moment, I can focus on the rhythm of living in what I call “the Pace of Grace.” What if my intention this year is to BE the Pace of Grace and live in a way that I can share this quality of consciousness? To slow down and say “hello” to my true self. To be kinder by simply observing my heart is vulnerable and hurting at times.

I want to share my not knowing with confidence and accept that I am enough at this moment. I am enough in my confusion, in my messiness, in my aging body, in my grief, and at the same time, in my profound sense of joy for being alive through it all. I want to celebrate this life and share whatever wisdom of words will heal another broken heart.

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is embracing the fear. Choosing not to feed it but to inspire the possibility of another way. Anger is my reactive path to defend or protect my need to be safe. What if, this year, I choose to embrace the true protection that is always with me? The light. The love.

Embarking on this new year offers me each day a choice. I choose to practice healing and to speak with kindness to myself. What if I choose not to steal from myself with distractions and noise but to listen and become fit for the right action when it arises from my heart? I am going to practice and continue to live my yoga on and off the mat. I am content in this moment to just be grateful, and once again, I am excited for the journey. Let us all be willing to share our inner light as we celebrate this new beginning. Loving this path and not the destination!

With light and Love,

Laura Jane

The Light of Clarity

Sometimes I feel so much doubt. I catch myself swimming in a mind of confusion, questioning my choices and fearing that I’m wasting my energy on running a small business and maintaining a space where so few people enter.

After Covid, we have struggled to maintain our existence, and there has been so much loss. Students have gone, teachers have left with health issues, and I miss my sweet Michael as the first anniversary of his passing last Friday, Dec. 1.

It’s been a challenging year for so many, and inspiring new students to enter has been nothing short of frustrating. Am I wasting my vital energy when the rent has gone up, and the inflation of life has taken a toll on our costs? Do I have the enthusiasm to inspire healing during this dark season? These are the deeper doubts that haunt me when I am not seeing clearly.

Darkness is not evil; only confusion leads to poor choices. When the light is on and the clarity is revealed, there becomes a solid knowing of what is the right action.

Yesterday, I had the most extraordinary gifts presented by a student. When I least expected anything, I was humbled by a student's kindness. She walked in and gave me a special hug. I had not seen her in weeks, and her appreciation was medicine for my soul. She shared that my blog was a healing voice for her. When I think no one is ever reading another email, I am reminded that my words might just find a soft landing in someone’s open heart. She told me that she felt my words were the exact language of her soul.

In that moment, I was gifted with clarity. If something of my heart can help one other soul, then all is right with the world. I am reminded that I never need to reach masses, but to connect one-on-one is for me the blessing of being human. My deep desire in sharing these teachings is to experience the pulse of someone who is sharing their deepest fears by offering them a safety net in listening. This is my joy.

On this same day, I found a note on my desk. A student had taken the time to share her gratitude for YAF and honored me with the kindest of words. She acknowledged the hardships of maintaining a small business in these times of competition and rising costs. She herself maintains her own small business. The letter was so heartfelt and much needed. I love teaching. I love being of service, and yet, when in doubt, I am taken into confusion. Her letter reminded me that together, we can rise above the potholes of life and turn our light on to see clearly.

This season, we all must be gentle and kinder and try to turn our light on. When in darkness, we might experience feeling isolated and think we are invisible. We must remember that we are all doing the best we can and honor the small places in our hearts to keep shining. We just need to be reminded. And so I thank all the teachers at YAF; I thank the students who do keep coming back each day for their practice, and I thank the teachings of yoga that support me in awe and wonder about the miracle of the Divine in all of us.

Doubt is a wildfire and spreads to all areas of our lives. To feel the strength of a steady mind and a still mind, the light reveals a path of “knowing.” In gratitude for my practice, I can write these words, let go, and trust all is peaceful in my heart today.

This holiday season, here are some ways to spread the intention of healing our hearts with an act of kindness:

• As a practice of compassion, write a note of gratitude to someone in your life, or just give them the quality of your attention.

• Our sweet Joyce Owens, the most dedicated YAF teacher since we opened our door in 1998, has decided to pause her teaching. Her husband, Charlie, passed away on November 24. It has been an especially difficult year for her as she is also still navigating the obstacles of a broken leg. For those of you who are inspired to write her a note, we will happily deliver it to her.

• Embrace community service by dropping off food donations at our studio for our local food bank, Downers Grove Area FISH. We will be collecting through December 20.

Let us keep the light shining throughout the holidays and into the new year.

Blessings for all abundant health and happiness,

Laura Jane