Mother Nature is My Guru

 

Don’t wait for a perfect wave or a perfect moment, take a moment and make it perfect!

The waves were 4 – 7 feet today and I was so grateful and thankful for my new Album Surfboard that allowed me to duck-dive seamlessly through the never-ending waves and whitewash that just kept coming relentlessly. While I was out there, duck dive after duck dive I went through all the life lessons that surfing has taught me. After returning home from the beach, here is what I came up with.

These days, life seems to be a bit of a paradox and the more I know, the more I know I don’t know. I’ve been on this quest to unlock the hidden dimensions of my life and surfing is the key to the answers needed for a constant involution.

Being a Child of Nature, surfing has taught me some very valuable lesson’s that I apply in my every day life. There’s no better way to be a genuine seeker than to apply the lessons learned by Mother Nature herself.  She is my Guru.

The sea is where I see no boundaries between my energy and yours, between my energy and the waves. Consciousness is the potential for all creation. If you are connected to the source you will have unlimited resources to tap into it to create the life you truly want to live.  Like the ocean waves as they rise and fall, all energy comes from the source as the waves and us merge together, we return to it. Our awareness is all that changes in the journey from separation to the one reality.

Lesson 1:

Change is Constant

Each day in the ocean is different from the last. No two days and no two waves at a beach break are ever the same. Have you ever paid close attention to the seasons changing year to year and have you noticed with the global climate change it’s never the same? Nicaragua used to get rain in the beginning of May and it has yet to rain. It is the sudden expansion that counts when you meet your soul mate for the first time and can no longer deny that powerful connection and feeling, here we have tasted a hidden dimension beyond what our society deems reality. Things will change, it is only a matter of time. Don’t try to control it, just allow it.

“Surfing’s one of the few sports that you look ahead to see what’s behind.”

~Laird Hamilton

Lesson 2:

Know Where

You’re Going

Before you paddle out, set a course and get there safely staying out of people and harm’s way. The big sets that roll through are just obstacles that can come along unexpectedly but so do the small ones. Have an idea of where you’re going. Just as a single word can open your heart, a single wave can either make your day or break you. Set your course but remain open to changes, refer to Lesson 1. Mother Nature can change her mind at the last second so be prepared. When you are flung outside your boundaries, if only for a moment, you have tasted that hidden dimension.

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

~John Kabat-Zinn

Lesson 3:

Let it all Hang out!

Whether you like yourself or not is irrelevant. When you’re in the water, especially a female surfing in a bikini it might happen to hang out. I rode a wave in and went to paddle back out, the sets just kept coming and here I was paddling out with one boob out not giving a damn, only caring about survival. Say to yourself, “This situation may be shaking me, but I am more than any situation.” Don’t resist or react to what other people might think of you. They have their own issues to deal with. Whatever your ego thinks is probably inappropriate. You can follow the wave of the ego as far as it wants to go, but notice it grow fainter as it fills the whole universe with love. And just as this wave disappears into infinity, and you can adjust your swimsuit you will become connected with your real self. This is a sudden glimpse of freedom from the ego that unlocks the hidden dimension within your soul.

“Surfing is such an amazing concept. You’re taking on Nature with a little stick and saying, ‘I’m gonna ride you!’ And a lot of times Nature says, ‘No you’re not!’ and crashes you to the bottom.”

~Jolene Blalock

Lesson 4:

Fall down 8, Get

Back Up 9!

When you fall down, try to do it gracefully and then get back up quickly. When you can laugh at yourself you lose the need to take yourself so seriously. Like a young carefree child whose innocence can never be defeated. Fall down, look up to the sky to see the infinity beyond it and then get back up! Getting back up shows the world that you know who you are. From this tiny sensation a whole new pattern emerges, one of strength and courage and the Universe doesn’t know what to do about that. You have a momentary glimpse of awareness and that single thread leads into a complete garment of color and texture. To master pure awareness, you must learn how to live it by getting back up when you fall.

“It’s all about where your mind’s at.”

~Kelly Slater

Lesson 5:

When in doubt,

Paddle Out!

Determination. Roll with the punches. Give it your all. Life is all about the paddle. Keep pushing through. Just listen to your intuition and heart along the way!

“Eddie would go!”

~Unknown author

Lesson 6:

One More!

You paddle for a wave thinking, “If I catch this one I will ride it in,” but after you get off you tell yourself, “Just one more and paddle back out!” Go for it. Wanting more is good. It is the need of something that creates an imbalance. So keep going but also know when enough is enough.

“Out of water, I am nothing.”

~Duke Kahanamoku

Lesson 7:

Stand Up For

Yourself

If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything! Stand up for yourself. Today a local Nicaragua snaked several of my waves and would sit right on the inside just in front of me trying to intimidate me. Finally I told him off. Cursed at him in Spanish and the other locals had my back. Life and surfing calls for having a back bone. One must be strong when it’s necessary and don’t let people intimidate or bully you. Take a stand with integrity and grace and I promise, the right people will come to your rescue like a pack of wild dogs.

“One drop in is an accident, two is rude, three is a twatable offense.”

~Roger Sharp

Lesson 8:

Share. Don’t Be a

Wave Hog!

Take Turns. Just because you’re the best surfer out there doesn’t give you the right to hog all the waves. You don’t own this shit! Mother Nature created these waves for all of us to enjoy. Share, take turns and encourage others to enjoy the ride. Life is about sharing it with other like-minded people. If you see someone sitting on the shoulder for ages and they haven’t gotten a wave because you’re always in the peak, then back off, is it going to kill you to give up one wave? Sharing is caring. To love someone is subtler than to resent them and push them away. To accept someone is subtler than to gossip about them. To see someone without judgement is subtler than criticizing them. To share with someone is subtler than being selfish. Favor the subtler sides and these people in your life. Only if you value it, it will grow.

“It’s like the mafia. Once you’re in – you’re in. There’s no getting out.”

~Kelly Slater

Lesson 9:

Be Bigger Than

The Waves!

When you see someone else making big mistakes, be a good example and be the light house that will lead them safely out of the dark.

There are three kinds of waves that roll through during most days just as there are three kinds of friends in your life.

1.) Those who leave you alone, the smaller waves on the inside.

2.) Those who hurt you, the massive closeout sets that roll through and…

3.) Those who help you, those perfect waves that make you look like a rock-star and give you confidence to go back for more.

Determine who these friends and waves are and choose them wisely. The friends and waves that leave you alone are the ones that are just doing their own thing and staying out of your way. Nothing wrong with that. The waves and friends that can hurt you want your situation to stay the same because they do not have your well-being at heart. Those waves and friends that help you grow and make you look like a rock star have the strength and awareness of their own than you posses by yourself. Ask these friends, the ones who help you to join you in this paddle we call life. Let these people join you in your quest for growth, let them be a bigger part of your life.

“Surfing’s the source. Can change your life. Swear to God.”

~Patrick Swayze

Lesson 10:

Don’t Take Anything

Too Seriously!

Laugh and have fun out there. Have you ever seen those agro surfers out in the line up punching the water when they miss a wave, trying to pick a fight if someone gets in their way. They look like a bunch of jokers, give me a break. Let’s cheer each other on and have a laugh. I love to goof around out there on smaller days and even when it is bigger, paddle over to someone and strike up a brief conversation about how gnarly the waves are. Connection is key and we are all connected to each other and the innate oneness and having someone else to share that with makes it so much better!  Some people take life and surfing way to seriously. We need to have each others backs out there and I’m more inclined to try to save someone if they weren’t a jerk when I paddled out.

“I surf to get tan.” ~Shane Dorian

“The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun.” ~Duke Kahanamoku

Lesson 11:

Don’t Fight It!

If you struggle and resist, that’s when you get hurt. Learn to let go, timing is key! When a massive close out set rolls through and you can’t quite make the duck dive, don’t fight against the wave washing you to shore, just flow with it. Next time, just go deeper! Suffering is pain that we hold onto. Anywhere that life hurts mean we have locked ourselves into some kind of false identification.

“Waves are not measured in feet and inches, they are measured in increments of fear.”

~Buzzy Trent

Lesson 12:

Go Deeper!

Deeper is better in all areas of life, especially spirituality. Get your minds out of the gutter! When you nail a perfect duck dive, only a surfer knows the feeling, it feels better than sex!  So let’s go deeper into the link between suffering and unreality. Stop grasping and clinging to the unreal. Once you stop pretending to know what is real, things fall into place automatically. Life never stops demanding more and more, just as the waves won’t stop coming. So learn to surf and let’s quit protecting ourselves from what we fear is part of who we are and just go deeper. Waves have a way of stripping you from the illusion that you are untouchable.  Be humble. The whole purpose of life can change with just a flicker of awareness and as soon as you begin to accept this knowledge, the sooner you will have freedom to be yourself. Ooooohhhh that’s deep!

“Surfing is very much like making love. It always feels good, no matter how many times you’ve done it.”

~Paul Strauch

Lesson 13:

LOVE.GRATITUDE.

RESPECT.

We all want to find our soul mate, a connection to Mother Nature, our Life’s Purpose and a career that would be most fulfilling. Love is the answer to any question. Gratitude is what me must have for this life and one another and respect should be given to nature! Now go … surf the waves of Karma!

“I think when a surfer becomes a surfer, it’s almost like an obligation to be an environmentalist at the same time”

~Kelly Slater

I’m going to end the lessons with the number 13. Thirteen was my Father’s favorite number and he drowned a few years ago, bless his soul. I feel connected to him when I’m in the water as I’m certain this is where his beautiful spirit and energy spends most time, probably trying to keep me safe. You never know what experiences the person sitting next to you on the bus or paddling out beside you has gone through. Share a laugh, a smile and some love. Just like Kelly Slater said, “we are all in it together.”

Safety First, Always

First.

This applies to surfing and life. Have some self-respect. Be safe in ALL situations, including  sexual partners. haha. Be careful out there, don’t be a jackass and follow Surf Etiquette and Rules, if you don’t know them –that’s what friends and Google is for.

A Child of Nature

I’m always dreaming with my eyes wide open and the dreams I have create my daily reality. Not needing much to set me free, somewhere in nature is where you will most likely find me.

Ocean breezes blow open the window to my soul but it used to be mountain top breezes that did the same.  It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, GO OUTSIDE!  Since the day I can remember my parents couldn’t get me to come in before the sun set and I always smelled of the earth.

I am a child of nature.

Nowadays my favorite time of the day is watching the sun rise. Each day I feel the earth squish between my toes whether it is sand or jungle dirt. Staring into the sky is a daily occurrence for me as I’m always watching the moving clouds or the sunset paint the sky.  A shooting star is an opportunity to make a wish and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Just as I write this blog I’m sitting outdoors listening to the birds chirp, the monkeys howl and my cat Monti just ran by with a mouse squeaking in his mouth. Eeeew. Geckos are my noisy roommates, and are just as part of the house as the positive energy that surrounds it.

For me, I have to allow my body to love what it loves.

Whoever you are Mother Nature offers itself over to your imagination.

Amongst the simple beauty of nature is where I’m most happy. If you ever feel afraid, sad, lost, just go outside somewhere you can be alone with Mother Nature, she knows how to comfort the loneliest heart.  Remember, tears are only water and water nourishes the trees, the earth, your garden and anything you want to grow. It’s in the midst of Mother Nature’s simple beauty you will find peace within.

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” -Albert Einstein

 

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*All of the nature yoga images were taken by me on a 10 second timer. Come do a photo shoot with me! Let’s play!

There is No Other Pain Like Loosing a Soul Mate

Dear Soul Mate, my home is your home, the door is open and so are my arms to welcome you home when you arrive. I don’t want to think. I just want to feel. Let’s live in the moment resembling the life Mother Nature intended for our souls to unite.

Being happily single for three years has made me look at friendships and relationships in a way I had never thought of before.

Living in Nicaragua has it’s challenges and finding solid friendships, true love, soul mates, or twin flames has been one of them. Since love comes and goes as quickly as the airplanes fly in and out of Managua International Airport and as freely as the tide washes upon the beautiful sandy shores of the Pacific Coast I have been fortunate to have met many people in the midst of their seeking that could easily be my soul mate. Most travelers come for a week, some return year after year and some never leave like me. The ones that stay are equally seeking. Living a perpetual vacation is a lifestyle that every one dreams about but earning a living from a never-ending staycation isn’t easy nor is it attainable for most. Some of the most creative, talented, giving, loyal, loving, people have crossed my path and I feel so grateful for this life and them. Bless your souls.

Soul mates …

Recently I was driving to Managua, three hours from the town of San Juan del Sur where I live and me and a friend got onto a fun topic of soul mates. The topic of love came up during the long drive and the question was, “Do you believe in one life love partner, one soul mate or several?” As my friend and I debated back and forth we ended up agreeing to disagree. My friend believes that we only get one chance, one  opportunity to meet that one true love of our lives, he believes we have only one soul mate and he is searching for his day in and day out but also sitting back enjoying the daily moments trusting his soul mate will appear when the timing is right.

In my past life, life before my parents got divorced and my father died I too commonly believed that we were meant to only have one soul mate or life partner but the more I get to know my own soul the more I feel differently. Soul mates tend to find each other during their respective pursuits and seeking of their soul missions. Have you found your life purpose? Have you asked yourself in each difficult situation “what lesson is my soul trying to learn?” We recognize a soul mate by the supreme level of comfort and security we feel with the person. Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a connection? Only spending minutes, hours or a week together but it feels so natural as if you have known them in a past life. How else could it be this easy? Your energy feels so aligned with this person that if you get close enough to them physically you could feel the electric current that pulses through their bodies directly into yours without even touching? We are made of energy.

I’ve heard your soul mate is supposed to be someone who you have spent lifetime after lifetime with in an endless exchange of love and relationships and have finally found each other again. YAY! Such a beautiful thought. How else can we explain this type of freedom in a new relationship? It is said that with your soul mate it isn’t surprising if you experience a natural affinity, a deep deep friendship, maybe love, intimacy, compatibility and a shocking electrical current that could light up New York city for years. In honesty I never heard anyone say that but I just made it up as these are some of the most recent energy exchanges and connections that have lit up my soul. My recent twin flame has been someone who is most like me in every way as if I’m looking into a mirror. And because I love myself and my life I have the same love for them instantaneously allowing for a seamless transition into my life without any questions asked.

Don’t let fear or sorrow become your soul mate.

You will be able to recognize these people with just one look and the energy will travel into your heart like sun rays shining down from the heavens and the unexplainable instantaneous chemistry and love will be undeniable as the magnetic field attracts you to one another without explanation. These are special people who go with the grain of your soul or like how a puzzle fits together seamlessly creating a beautiful picture. Pay attention to this energy and allow these people into your life so you may receive the gifts they have been sent to generously share with you. They are here for a purpose, a reason.

The Law of Attraction states that you will draw into your life whatever it is you think about. Be careful about what seeds of intentions you are planting and watering daily because over time you grow these thoughts negative or positive into your reality over time. If you have positive thoughts your intentions will grow into a beautiful plentiful garden producing abundance and love in your life. If you are thinking negative thoughts, even a negative thought as simple as “I really don’t like this car, I want a new one,” soon over time the car will break down and show you how much you really don’t like it and then you will have to replace it even if you don’t have the money to do so. Your wish has been granted! A voilà!

We manifest our thoughts into our currently reality just as an artist paints a canvas solely from imagination not even having to look at the physical scenery as it happens unconsciously.  Maintaining positive thoughts is the only way to live a happy life. Choose happiness just as you would choose a healthy salad for lunch off a menu in a restaurant. Order your emotions for the day just as you would your food. You have total control here. It is your life! Live in the moment, not in thoughts of the past or thoughts of the future but live here today in positive thought, love and intention. The past and future do not exist so why waste precious daylight hours on these thoughts. A soul mate will bring you into your own attentions so you can have the courage to change your life.

When you are with your soul mate you will feel pure freedom, pure joy, contentment (Santosha) and most importantly a great love for yourself allowing yourself to love them unconditionally. The job of our soul mates is to reflect back to us the areas in our lives that need the most healing so we may grow.  An equal exchange of energy comes from a place of love and truth. You should always be able to communicate openly and freely to your soul mate because the lessons of life will only help our souls to grow. Your soul mate has the introspection to help you become great! If you end up breaking up with your soul mate because you didn’t like something they may have said, take a good look within your soul and be honest with yourself. Are you going against the grain of your soul while trying to seek out your life purpose? Don’t deny this kind of connection as it is so powerful it could change your life into that endless summer or perpetual vacation you have been dreaming about with your eyes open for the majority of your life.

Learn how to control the ego, your mind and change negative thoughts into positive intentions that will manifest the life you’ve always wanted to live. Meditation, yoga, surfing, Pranayama (breath control) are ways to control the mind providing you clarity and power to live in the NOW.

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Hey Yoga Teacher, You won’t eat meat but you’ll snort a line of cocaine up your nose?

Ohhhh this blog is going to be a doozy but you know that I love writing about controversial topics because that is what you love to read! One of our guilty pleasures is being able to relate to another person’s dirty dark shadow so we don’t feel so lonely in our quest for change or staying comfortably in the dark. And that is the intention of this blog. The title means nothing, it is just to grab your attention and it worked!

SHIT. MUST. CHANGE! Turn on the light!

Are you living in balance? Are you doing your best? Can you do better?

After I did my yoga teacher training in 2010 my life changed. Thank you Julia McCabe you rocked my world. From this point, life was no longer as I knew it. I had to work on changing old habits and patterns. Yes, I had to do the dirty work, I’m still doing it and isn’t easy! I could not go back into the world and live the same way physically and consciously after an involution like that had taken place. I was awake. I was alive. I was present. I had all the tools I needed. I was ready to do shit!

I will admit, each new step taken since has not been an act of skipping down the yellow brick road under a blue sky with a shit eating grin totally oblivious. I have been driving dusty dirt roads in an undeveloped country in a beat up truck without a road map or a sign to point me in the right direction and when I’ve gotten lost I stopped to ask for directions, totally lost in translation! Unfortunately life does not come with a GPS with an automated voice in your first language to say, “Hey loser, you’ve did it again, you’re lost, you’ve gone the wrong way!”

I recently attended my second Yoga Teacher Training, don’t ask why I would torture myself again because doing my Yoga Teacher Training the first time around broke me wide open physically, emotionally and mentally but then like a Phoenix I came soaring out of the ashes with courage ready to create a new life and that is what I did. Because the most valuable lesson that I have learned in life to date is that difficult times help us grow and the only thing we need to know is the answer to this question, “what is the lesson my soul is trying to learn?”

So, I thought doing the training twice, essentially, being broken open a second time would only be an even greater transformation. I was ready, bring it! WHOMP. Not the case. I quickly found out not all Yoga Teacher Trainings are created equally. This particular training lacked a spiritual component, little meditation was taught or required, only an hour and a half of yoga practice was provided after a morning sleep-in, little yoga history was taught or discussed, no chanting WHAT?!? I love chanting, very little Pranayama was practiced or taught and one of the teachers was more interested in banging the owner of the resort than spending time mentoring the students. This was no secret nor was it kept behind closed doors, I’m not revealing anything that 30 other people can’t confirm. Surfers in the lineup had heard the tales and asked me each time I paddled out when the next Yoga party was. This snapped me back to reality and I thought, SHIT, something must change! Yes, I had time to surf and this is where I would escape. My priority at this training became learning to surf and spending time in the ocean because I knew the lesson my soul needed to learn at this point in my life would be best learned from Mother Nature herself. “What lesson does my soul need to learn from this?” I needed to learn that we have a responsibility as teachers and not turning a blind eye or feeling guilty for speaking the truth is necessary!!!! The ocean taught me that change is inevitable. Change is the only constant that exists in this world. Water cannot be stopped because when it runs into an obstacle, it just goes around it with courage flowing and nurturing constantly.

During my first training we had no time off and during the short breaks we did have we quickly cleansed ourselves in the ocean then studied out of fear of passing at the end. Yes we had a practical and written exam that took me 6 hours to hand write out the answers to 25 questions. This is the way all certified courses SHOULD BE! In my second training their was no written exam and several half-days and full days were given which left lots of time for gossip, sexual activity, planned and unplanned parties as the resort restaurant and bar was still open to the public. And lots of time for surfing, yippee!

Now, what we do in our own time is no ones business, right? Right! But I’m here today, not to reveal all the dirty dark secrets that happened at this training, or to tattle tale on myself or all the other naughty yoga teachers out there but to just openly say it and to serve as a reminder of some necessary changes needed within the Yoga Industry.  Look in the mirror, look at each other. I’m doing this too! THINGS MUST CHANGE! We must change! Mother Nature told me to share her wisdom and so I’m her voice today. “Change is good. Change is constant.” If you struggle against change like fighting against a breaking wave in the ocean, you will get hurt. If you go with the flow of nature you are more likely to survive the changes that will happen inevitably. We must learn the lessons our souls need to learn and then make a conscious choice to change.

A Teacher is a Teacher regardless of the material being taught. Students turn to us to learn something. Human nature is judgmental. We have egos. As Yoga Teachers we speak to this. Students are watching us even when we are not in a studio teaching, other Yoga Teachers are watching too! They watch you when you walk down the street thinking you may know more about yoga, life, the universe and the real meaning behind the Bhagavad Gita and probably think your buddy-buddy with Patanjali himself. It doesn’t matter if you are miles away from the studio or your mat, you are still a Teacher in everyday life. We need to take our practice out of the studio and off the mat into our world, our lives should be a mindful moving meditation.  Otherwise it’s just smoke and mirrors. It’s like the little guy behind the curtain in the movie Wizard of Oz scaring the crap out of people, instilling unnecessary fear but if you pull the curtain back and reveal what’s really going on here,  a poser is revealed. A small bald man with no self-confidence, grace or integrity. Don’t be this guy!

Yes, Yoga Teachers get you to pose but you pose for yourself because no one else is watching in class because students are all focused on themselves. Yoga is hard. No one said it was going to be easy, life isn’t easy, surfing isn’t easy! Yoga is a lifestyle. But yoga helps to make life easier! Yoga is an internal practice to evolve the self and it is a tool to help control the mind not just for the purpose of an hour in a studio but so you can take this out and apply it in your life and the world.

Teachers, no matter what kind (Moms, Dads, Yoga Teachers, University Professors, Kindergarten Teachers, Life Coaches, Counselors, Mentors) are leaders in our society. How do you lead others?

Who do you want to be? What matters most to you? What do you want to teach people? How will you share your light? How will you walk the walk and talk the talk? What do you want to create? How will you love? How will you forgive? How will you teach?

Students of Yoga come to our Yoga class not only because they want a physical practice but once an involution sparks their curiosity it sets them down a path seeking much more. Essentially we teach them Yoga Postures (Asana) on a mat, Meditation, hopefully some Pranayama, some Chanting, throw in a few words related to the History of Yoga to carry on the tradition or to feed our own egos so we sound smart, speak of energy and the Chakras because that shit is super cool but that IS the match that lights the fuse and sets off a bomb in that student’s head that starts to disassemble the ego! BOOM!

Yoga Teachers do not just teach Asana on a mat, any monkey can do that! Might as well go to cross-fit! It is the deeper teachings that most students seek out. Students are seeking a leader, a guru, an awake present person that shares light. Or should we just call it Stretching Class? Maybe more guys would come!!! haha. Joke. As Teachers we must embody this responsibility and start walking the walk and talking the talk. We live in a spot light. Be Transparent. Be authentic!

No, personally I’m not perfect, this is also a reminder to myself.  Each day I strive to live a simple life by sharing my home and teaching others how to make small changes in all aspects of their life. Sure, I get caught up too but I make small changes day by day. My home is open, come see for yourself. It doesn’t mean we have to be perfect, but always remember, someone is always watching, people are always talking and at the end of the day, we are all connected and this is our opportunity to share our gifts and our light.

We need to teach each other that love is necessary, compassion is necessary, kindness is necessary, forgiveness for each other and ourselves is necessary and after finding our purpose we need to help others find theirs. Give as much as you can. Everyone deserves to be happy! Find your purpose because it is your gift and then it is your responsibility to share it with the world.

Teach from your heart. Learn from your mistakes and teach that to your students too so we can grow ourselves and grow one another. Consciousness. Oneness. We are in this together. We know right from wrong, let’s not complicate things.

 1love.

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Living Santosha! Yoga isn’t the answer, Stop the bullshit! Rethink your Life.

The best day of my life was when I woke up! I had discovered beyond any doubt that my thoughts and feelings were creating my life. Learning to love my life with my whole heart (Santosha) helped me to attain more.

Today,  I woke up on the right side of the bed. Well, every day I do that, because I love the life I’m living. As I rolled out of bed I  stepped over a cockroach on my way to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, washed my face then gracefully stumbled into the kitchen. Made a pot of chai tea excited to try the brown rice milk my bestie made the night before.

While waiting for the water to boil, I took a peek at the seeds we are sprouting in recycled jars, looked out the window and felt a cool breeze come through the screen, brrrrr. Now, with a steaming cuppa tea, I’ve gone back to bed to take advantage of this cool weather not often the case in Nicaragua. No longer needing the fan because the sheets are still warm from the night before. I cozy in, enjoying the aroma of clove and cinnamon feeling the rhythm of my beating heart, a gentle reminder of this miracle to have another chance to make this day better than the previous.  

Feeling grateful for all the wonderful things in my life I consciously quiet my thoughts and direct this energy into a constructive channel and start to write this blog, enjoying a few more days of pure solitude before new guests arrive and appreciating that my time in the ocean this afternoon will be spent paddling out beside my soul mate, connecting to nature, catching some waves and meditating on my surfboard. This is my life.

Listening to the sound of the wind as it whips through the trees I’m reminded of a busy mind I was once unable to control. My thoughts would race from one memory of the past like a sprinter running a fifty meter dash, then quickly to the next memory like tagging a relay race runner onto the next memory and then jumping ahead to a future thought that didn’t yet exist and like always it skipped the present moment. The present, without thought is where all the good stuff can be felt, heard, contented, tasted and appreciated. I hear a meow, reminding me to be present even with these passing thoughts as I write them down.

The rising sun starts to peek through the transparent curtain creating a beautiful green glow as it dances with the breath of mother nature. I sigh and take a deep breath of clean Nicaragua air and start to match my inhales to my exhales. Ahhhhh, yes, yes, finally….I have found Santosha! Truly, living Santosah (contentment) on all levels has led me to real happiness.

What is the best way to put forth the most positive energy?

Yoga isn’t the answer to a happy life but yoga and my many teachers including the teacher within taught me how to quiet and control my thoughts and breath so I can live in the moment and appreciate all the beauty that surrounds me in a crazy confused world. Some days it can be a real challenge.

How do I do it? Do the things you enjoy!

“Only do things that you enjoy, do what you want to do! What the fuck do you really want to do?” ~Joe Rogan

The conception of my company Seeking Santosha did not come from living Santosha but the name came to me at a time in my life where so much chaos and suffering was thriving due to my own unnecessary thoughts. Stop HERE. Appreciate this moment if it is happening to you right now because it is here in this moment we can learn and grow so much.

I was seeking Santosha. I had planted a seed with an unconscious intention to grow a garden of creativity, love, compassion and contentment from that day forward. I knew I needed to find my life purpose and nurture my soul where my restless mind could find some peace from the endless dance party dirtying up the dance floor of my mind. It’s like banging on a closed-door but through the window you can see your annoying neighbors throwing a big wild party you weren’t invited to and all you want is some peace and quiet so you can sleep.

I knew if I could quiet my thoughts and the words of others trying to tell me how to live my life I would finally be able hear the whispers of my soul and in this stillness my heart would be a compass and a true guide so my feet could start walking in the right direction down a path towards purpose and a life I really wanted to be creating. Each conscious step took courage but with each passing day and each focused breath I knew I was getting closer and my actions became unconscious. I stopped living and started creating.

Easier said than done, right? True, that’s why I’m saying it!

But with patience and compassion for yourself you have to start somewhere, so I did.

I started by doing yoga poses on a mat in a studio with a select group of close friends and spiritual teachers. I was guided through meditation and pranayama and while the physical practice made my body a strong vehicle for my spirit an internal transformation started here unconsciously. Nowadays I don’t go to a studio because I live in the jungle and have my own quiet space and after completing my yoga teacher training I do my own practice, meditation and pranayama. Yoga is not the answer to my happiness or my life. I do some form of yoga every day, I live a healthy lifestyle by controlling my breath, my thoughts, through meditation in my home studio, bedroom or on my surf board while connecting to nature. I connect with nature daily to keep in harmony with the oneness of all things and beings including my myself and the universe, or call it God if you must, a higher power, our maker.

Yoga is the method by which the restless mind is calmed and the energy is directed into constructive channels. Imagine a river that has been controlled and properly harnessed, this creates a vast revision of water, it prevents famine and provides an abundant resource. So, the mind, when controlled provides a reservoir of peace and generates abundant energy for our uplift. Meditation ignites the sleeping artist within and sparks my creativity, it is here in the silence that new ideas emerge.

Religion and yoga can give you inspiration but it isn’t the answer because it puts you on a single one lane road. Trust me, you don’t want to be stuck here. Don’t get attached to ideologies.

Santosha is not needing more, buying more, consuming more – it is not what North American society is teaching -MORE MORE MORE but merely being content with what you have. Unless we change this we will not evolve. When you live in the moment you appreciate what you have.  Once you are happy in this place, your energy and dreams will start to attract other opportunities to you that will provide you with adventures, money, abundance, love and give you more because your soul is a magnet. You can’t fool the universe so take care of your self and be the most evolved version of yourself that you can be then you will be living Santosha, contentment which will attract even more beauty.

It is okay to seek …go ON just be aware of what you invest in, partake in and consume along the way. Balance and devotion are key because if “You’re in the midst of a war, a battle between the limits of a crowd seeking the surrender of your dreams, and the powers of your true vision to create and contribute to all that is good. It is a fight between those who tell you what you cannot do, and that part of you that knows and has always known, that we are more than our environment; and that a dream backed by and unrelenting will to attain it, is truly a reality with an imminent arrival.” ~Anthony Robins

I wake up each day excited to CREATE my day. You’ll love what you’ve got with all your heart today, and you will be ready for more tomorrow. And the next day.

Watch this video by Joe Rogan and be inspired.

http://youtu.be/YaxrQAv1S38

Be the most evolved version of you that you can be. In the words of Joe Rogan …

1.) Put healthy foods in your body, eat many vegetables and the right amount of protein, a lot of water. Stop drinking soda.
2.) Stop the bullshit!
3.) Get a better idea of how your body feels when you treat it healthy. When it’s moving it’s flowing. Meditate.
4.) Be nice. Be cool to people. Smile. Tip well. Do the most you can. So what you want to do with your life. Do what you really want to do. If someone else is doing it, you can do it too! Follow the path you really feel pulled to.

Follow me on Instagram for a Sneak Peak into my Life: Seeking Santosha

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Stay at my Home, be Inspired to Change your Patterns:

https://www.facebook.com/CasaSantosha

One Love

One Love doesn’t mean love one person, One Love means love everyOne.

When I think about love I think about the love I have for mother nature and the connectedness I share with everyone and everything on this planet. Love should be celebrated every day.

Love.  Bigger than any wave.

Love. More powerful than fear.

Love is like an ocean.

Love can be impermanent as a wave rising.

Love can come and go like the tides rise and fall.

Love is free like a sunrise and a sunset.

Love should be unconditional not conditional.

Mother Nature shows us the rising sun and the setting sun each day.

Do you tell the people you love as often as the sun rises and sets?

Love is free to give. Love is free to receive.

Love requires courage. Being loved gives one strength.

Love is a risk but well worth it.

Love is meant for everyONE.

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Photography by: Heidi Parker of Seeking Santosha

Please do not borrow these photos without my permission. Thank you for supporting my dreams and SHARING the love!

View more of my photography, click here.

Peace, love, happiness and all that hippie sh*t!!

I woke up this morning eager to write. Well, actually I woke up this morning because it was impossible to sleep, who am I kidding. Oh the simple troubles in paradise and trying to figure out a way to find balance, love, peace and happiness even when things are not perfect takes practice itself. This time of year in Nicaragua brings some crazy wind and all this energy gets things stirring inside of me. Normally I feel so at peace here in the jungle with a light breeze keeping the constant sweat slightly cooled but when the wind picks up intensely my sleeping patterns are disrupted and my thoughts are restless. My mind resembles a wind turbine at high-speed. It is very challenging to meditate when it sounds like the jungle is about to crash down on my roof and surf boards and gardening tools are getting thrown across the landscape.

On a positive note, the wind farm in Nicaragua located only 20 km from my home generates electricity at a 39.9 MW. It is a renewable power plant to meet energy deficit with clean energy. Here, Nicaragua is replacing fossil fuels with wind energy. It has reduced the dependency on oil imports and pollution -hooray! AND it has created 145 jobs for several local Nicaraguans during the construction and has led to 18 permanent jobs. So proud to call Nicaragua my home.

Before waking I was dreaming about nature, about surfing and when I opened my eyes and remembered my dream I reminded myself that being connected to each other and nature is to live in oneness and anything separate is an illusion and a choice. In order to evolve we need to dissolve boundaries. Boundaries being our beliefs in thinking we are different from one another and special as individuals because we were told that by our parents when we were children. In actuality we are the same because every person’s needs, wants and desires are the same. We are here on this earth to experience with our five senses and to figure out our dharma, our purpose. I’m going to write anther blog about that but first let’s just speak about peace, love and happiness.

Peace, love and happiness are not things we can wish or hope for. These are things that we can make and cultivate within our own self and our own life. Peace, love and happiness are things we can do, things we can make, and are things we can give away that won’t cost us a cent. We all possess this. Do you see the similarity now?

We all have eyes so we can see the best in people. We all have a heart that is able to forgive the worst, can heal and love again. We all have a mind that can be trained to be silent and to forget the bad. We all have a soul that can live on forever and never lose faith in the oneness, the Universe or if you want to call it God.

Each day that we wake begins a new and having another day is like a second chance to make this one better than the last. Today is a new day of energy, love, peace, happiness and ideas just waiting to be created!

We all have been gifted this choice. Like the wind farm in Nicaragua that generates clean energy, so can you! Let your wind energy generate peace, love and happiness!

Come Seeking, you might just learn something

Want to visit Nicaragua? Good choice! Nicaragua just made #3 on The 46 Places to Go in 2013 by the New York Times. Click here to read the article. 

Need a place to stay, mi casa es su casa. Click here to rent a room in the jungle. $40 USD per night.