Everything I think I'm Missing

I am struggling. There's who I
believe I ought to be, and who
I really am. It's humbling, isn't
it? This being, this mystery, this
me sits here radiating energy, yet
I'm gripped by a nameless fear
that I'm missing exactly what
I came to experience.

I am suffering, telling myself
stories of what life should look
like. And then I get the message
like a meteor, like the power
coming back on after hours
in a storm.

This life, this extraordinary
imperfection, this moment
just as it is, this is all I'm
here to receive. The infuriating,
limitless simplicity of day-to-
day living holds everything
I think I'm missing.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 33

Beneath the Surface

What will I know if I go
below the choppy surface
of the mind? Focus flow,
and there are no fixed points.
Slow currents swirl, and slip
still deeper. I grow very quiet.
The mind attends the subtlest
sensations. It is a different
world and I am an explorer
of these inner realms, where
nothing stays the same for
very long. Energy shifts and
changes. I find peace beneath
the surface, bring it back with
me, hold it in my hands like a
small, white bird and then
release it, that peace might
fly where it's most needed.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 32

Desire

Buddhists say desire is a
hindrance, but I see it as
an invitation. It opens
doors, draws me outside
my smaller self, inspires
me to be creative. Desire
is the proof that I'm alive.

The lesson lies in whether
I can value emptiness as
much as being filled. If I
can live with wants and let
them go, if I can know that
I don't know, then desire
is one among the many
paths to freedom.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 25

Let go of Something

Let go of something,
somewhere. Use yoga
to become aware, to
touch what lies beneath
the surface of the skin.
Is there tension longing
for release; a knot of
fear so deep and familiar
that you believe its
part of who you are?

Ease into dark corners,
locked rooms, unexplored
hallways. Gain entry
not by force of will
but only by softness.
Enter on the wings of
breath, and turn the
key of self-acceptance
to let go of something,
somewhere.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 24

Intimate with All Things

The Buddha said, "I am
intimate with all things."
Imagine that. To be on
the same close terms with
suffering and panic as bliss
and rapture; to know the
souls of water buffalo as
surely as my own; to push
away nothing; to let the
sweet or bitter taste of
life linger; to see the
Beloved in everything -
and when that isn't my
experience, to be intimate
with self-hatred, unmet
preferences and the many
ways I don't show up as
saintly. Imagine that.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 18

The Practice of Being Present

Attend the breath.
Let the rhythm
slow and settle.
Filling, emptying,
draw the outside
in, and then release.
Simplicity and ease.
Nothing to do but
breathe, relax and
feel the free
movement of air
and life force,
watch the play
of energy and
sensation, allow
everything to be,
without the need
to change or fix or
make it different.
This moment, you
can listen to your
soul. This breath,
you can have no
goal but being.You
are already complete.
This, just this, is
what it means
to be whole.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 16

Self-Observation Without Judgement

Release the harsh and pointed inner
voice. It's just a throwback to the past,
and holds no truth about this moment.

Let go of self-judgment, the old,
learned ways of beating yourself up
for each imagined inadequacy.

Allow the dialogue within the mind
to grow friendlier, and quiet. Shift
out of inner criticism and life
suddenly looks very different.

I can say this is only because I make
the choice a hundred times a day
to release the voice that refuses to
acknowledge the real me.

What's needed here isn't more
prodding toward perfection, but
intimacy - seeing clearly, and
embracing what I see.

Love, not judgment, sows the
seeds of tranquility and change.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 14

Breath by Breath

Life proceeds breath by breath.
Deep, full and easy, shallow or
uneven, breathing is the key to
cultivating peace.

Breath by breath, choose to
stay present. It isn't success
you are seeking, but surrender
to the flow of energy.

It's not control that matters,
but letting go, allowing life
exactly as it is this moment
to touch and change and
breathe through you.

One Soul: More poems from the heart of yoga, Danna Faulds, pg 9

Peaceful Landing Meditation

 Close your eyes and place one hand on your belly

Let your shoulders drop

Breathe slowly and deeply

Feel your hand rise and fall

Allow a gentle feeling of relaxation to flow through your body

Repeat this mantra: "I am calm and patient."

Travel Yoga: Stretches for Planes, Trains, Automobiles and more!, Darrin Zeer, pg 54

Turbulence Tension Tamer

When turbulence hits, let your shoulders drop, relax tight muscles, and release facial tension. Remind yourself to breathe slowly, and focus your attention on your beath. Make the out-breath two times longer than the in-breath. This will immediately calm you. Repeat this mantra: "I am calm."

Travel Yoga: Stretches for Planes, Trains, Automobiles and more!, Darrin Zeer, pg 50

What Happened to Downtime? The extinction of deep thinking and sacred space

Wonderful article!

What happened to downtime?

Quitting Time, Breathing Meditation

Place one hand on your belly.

Breathe slow and deep.

Feel your hand rise and fall.

Let your shoulders drop.

Feel your body relax and renew.

Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People. Darrin Zeer, pg 85