Sunshine On My Shoulder: Teaching Flow and Restore at 808 Wellness: Kihei, Maui, HI: May 1, 2019

This photo was taken before I hurt my shoulder. Who knows what life has in store for us so I’m learning to drink in the joy and sunshine whenever I can remember. photo: Michael Hannig

I injured my shoulder when I rolled into chakrasana from side plank. My foot hit a slippery spot on the wood floor; my shoulder caught me. A day later it got sore and it hurts a little. What's really interesting is that it doesn't hurt at all when I'm in yoga. I'm practicing awareness at a heightened level though. But the lesson is clear, pain goes away when we are connected.

I've been in a lot of physic pain lately since the death of my cousin. And I almost hate to mention it in the same space but here goes. I"m upset we lost a bid on a dream house. It’s not as surface and unrelated as it seems though because it all brings up living and dying, in particular living well, because Haley's death inspires me more than ever to do that. I had my life all worked out to live in that upcountry Maui house, podcasting from her deck, travelling to teach, doing a little touring and living a quiet but connected life with friends and family as David begins to wind down his tour schedule over the next few years.

I have to remind myself this can still happen, it just won't be in that house (although part of me is holding out that the new bidder will fall out). But I've been down and blue and feeling like life is an uphill battle. I was so uptight I didn't even get the download on my class until 2AM last night. I woke up and what was clear was to share about yoga sutra 1.36 --to bring the mind to "inner radiance free from sorrow" (trans. Ravi Ravindra). I also like Nischala Devi's translation, "cultivate the ever blissful light within"

Things don’t always go our way and it’s not about being fake happy. It’s rather a deep surrender to the unseen Divine force in the world and in our lives. And trusting that everything is going to be OK.

My cousin Haley had brain cancer for over two years. He knew he was dying but he chose to focus on the joy every day. When asked what he wanted to leave as a message to the world he said, “In all things don’t be anxious, be at peace, trust that God’s got this.” (from Philippians 4:6-7).

Here’s our sequence today:

Sit
Chin Mudra
OM

Green Tara with twist and side stretch
Sit

Cat and Cow
Balasana

Downdog

Uttanasana
Tadasana
Criss Cross Apple Sauce Half Moon
Tadasana

Low lunge Salutes

Tadasana
1/4 salutes
!/2 salutes
lunge
Twist
Tippie toe warrior
lunge
twist
Warrior II
peaceful warrior
Trikonasana

Tadasana
3 part OM

Uttanasana
Malasana

Eye of the Needle

Savasana

Sit
OMMMMMMMMM
Namaste