It's Time: Reclaiming the Wise and Wild Woman

It's not that she isn't there- in fact, she is right here and always has been. However, she may be buried deep, silenced, or asleep due to the patriarchal society telling us to be small, polite, and quiet. Don't move too much, don't speak too loudly, and don't make a scene.

Well... NO!

She has had enough- we have had enough- and it's time to AWAKEN the WISE and WILD Woman. You know who she is. Maybe you remember her freedom and imagination from childhood or maybe you catch glimpses of her in moments of creativity or on the dance floor. You probably hear her whispering in your bones and in your soul- to move freely, express fiercely, and create beautifully.

Now is the time. It's time to listen, trust, and unleash the Wise and Wild Woman within and it's time to gather and do it together!

The wise and "wild" woman is not some crazed, irrational, or over-emotional being. Rather, she is our natural, raw, and true state. Our wildness is our intuition, our emotions, our sexuality, and our creativity. Our wildness is our knowing and our connection to living our most honest and fulfilled lives. Our wildness is our birthright.

On October 27th, 2018 we will gather for a week in the nourishing land of Sayulita, Mexico to explore, heal, and inspire the feminine. Energetically, the feminine is the "Maha" or Great Creator. It is She that has the power to bring new life in the world- whether this be in the form children, art, or relationships. She has the graceful ability to influence families, communities, and societies in her own subtle and yet fiery way-  through words or dance or painting AND by her strong and loving presence.

The Wise and Wild Women's retreat will be an intentional gathering of women of all ages and abilities. Together, we will dialogue around and support each other through some of the most powerful cycles that are entry points to the creative- the menstrual cycle, sexuality, pregnancy and birth, and menopause. Together, we will build a strong community to be seen for the wise women we are and together we will lift each other up.

There will be individual and collective space to contemplate emotionally, express intuitively, and move, breathe, and create freely. This exploration, remembering, and owning of the feminine will not only heal and empower ourselves but also contribute to the well-being of all life on Earth.

Introducing Chelsea Owens, MFT and Co-Host of Wise and Wild Women's Retreat

I'm over the moon excited to announce that dear friend and magical art therapist, Chelsea Owens will be co-leading this year's Wise and Wild Women's Retreat in Sayulita, Mexico. Chelsea is a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified art therapist committed to restoring balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Based in San Francisco, CA, Chelsea uses creativity, reflection, and expression with her clients to help illuminate communication from the inside out. Through joyful, light energy and her passion to empower retreat participants to access their true potential, Chelsea is the perfect co-host to inspire creative flow at the Wise and Wild Women's retreat. I have no doubt that, with her guidance, there will be powerful moments of healing, self-discovery, and expression.

“Art can illuminate your inner world.”

— Chelsea Owens

The feminine energy is all about creativity, intuition, and fierce compassion. It's about discerning and trusting a strong wisdom within to own the way we move and interact in our communities and through the world. I am thrilled to offer my skills to explore the feminine through movement and meditation, and know Chelsea's creative art teachings and guidance will add more color, texture, and beauty to our intimate gathering.

Along with twice daily yoga and mediation sessions, there will be afternoon Wise and Wild Workshops. We will use this time to gather, explore, and dialogue around topics such as menstruation, sexuality, labour and birth, and menopause and how these female cycles are powerful sources of wisdom and creativity. Chelsea will then open the space for creative discovery and expression, guiding us along the way. She will also be available for optional, one-on-one art therapy sessions throughout the week.

So please, welcome Chelsea, learn more at www.chelseaowenstherapy.com, and join us this fall for our Wise and Wild Women's retreat!

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Typical Retreat Day:

- Morning yoga and meditation

- Light breakfast

- Wise and Wild/Creative Art Workshops: exploring and dialoguing around topics such as menstruation, sexuality, labour and birth, menopause and how these female cycles are powerful sources of wisdom and creativity.

- Lunch

- Optional art studio time, adventuring, or resting

- Evening yoga and meditation

- Dinner

Empower: A Strong Vinyasa Flow

Dearest Friends,

I have had this practice filmed and ready to go since November and yet have been putting it off. In an act of kindness to myself, I gently observed this hesitancy with a curiosity and patience. Why wouldn't I publish this video? It's a beautiful and powerful practice and one that I am really, truly proud of. I hired my good friend Kitty to do what she does best and the quality and production is absolutely amazing. So why? Why the hesitation?

I've come to realize that this video captured me during a vulnerable period in my life. I intentionally share that I made the decision to end a long-term relationship and therefore, move out and into a new home, with a new roommate. This conscious shift created space for me to see and engage with new friends, work, activities, and the most unexpected... a new partner. I share the grace and ease of the transition in this Spirit Wellness Journal piece that I wrote back in December. The unfolding of the transition was smoother than I could have planned and yet STILL, I am realizing now that there was (and is) simply a lot to awaken to.

I have found myself more social than I have ever been, having more work than I have ever had, and exploring my wildest adventures yet. I've gone camping more in the last few months than I have been since the six years I've lived in the Bay Area and just bought my first surfboard! I feel confident in who I am and how I'm choosing to engage in the world AND I feel tired some days. I live in Berkeley and drive in and out of San Francisco every day and sometimes twice a day. So while I've been experiencing abundance socially, professionally, and romantically, I also feel full at the end of the day- sometimes exhausted.

Hence, the lack of content and activity on social platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook.

I am realizing that vulnerability is one entry point to the present moment. My openness to share my story in real-time and with my close community has given me the opportunity to make deeper and more meaningful connections. My vulnerability has challenged me to have honest conversations with people, places, and myself, which has added a vibrant color and satisfying texture to my life. My vulnerability has fueled a drive to be active in the moment- it has been life-giving and fulfilling and it is my intention to continue being vulnerable and awake in the world.

It's now March and my circumstances have stabilized a bit. I've settled into a routine and so have a bit more energy to create and publish content here and on some other platforms. However, I have really enjoyed being present and letting the days unfold without the attachment to technology and so I'm wanting to find a balance that I feel good about. I love writing for the Spirit Wellness Journal and sharing bits and pieces of the yoga practice that I have found meaningful in my own life. I want to continue to offer in this way and to use technology and social media to connect authentically and to support and inspire the community that we have built.

And so... without further ado, I am happy and proud to share Empower: A Strong Vinyasa Flow. It is steeped in the Earth AND initiates the fire within. There are some core elements and an invitation to play with forearm stand! It is my hope that you find this practice as grounding and empowering as I do.

OM NAMASTE

Meredith

Sadhana: Awaken and Energize Your Home Practice

Hi and Happy New Year!

I'm very excited to whole-heartedly invite you to my first offering of the year, Sadhana: Awaken and Energize Your Home Practice. This workshop will be offered four times in 2018 and is designed to be a year-long investigation of YOGA as a living and practical practice.

Together, we will explore and cultivate a home practice that feels alive, nourishing, and sustainable for YOU. This will include movement, breath work, and meditation. All of this will be steeped in the teachings of the Yoga-Sutra and there will be a special interest in the yamas and niyamas, the first two limbs of the 8-limbed path described by Pantanjali. We will use the yamas and niyamas as launching points for contemplation, awakening, and integration. They will be our inspiration to fold into our essence or spirit wisdom IN ORDER TO unfold back out into the world with more clarity, attention, and intention.

May this practice be an offering to all beings everywhere. May our thoughts, words, and actions contribute to the well-being and freedom from suffering for all.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Suggested Reading:
Yoga For a World Out of Balance by Michael Stone

Schedule & Structure:
This training will be offered four times in 2018 (1/14, 3/17, 8/12, 12/9). Students can either attend a single session OR commit to a year-long investigation in philosophy and life practice.*

*Meredith’s Tues/Thurs morning classes FOLLOWING the session are included in this program.

This course provides 3 Elective Contact Hours for YGSF’s 300 Hour Program [3 Yoga Alliance® CEUs].

Tuition is $75, or $55 if you enroll by 12/31.

YGSF Members receive 10% off the regular price of this workshop. Alumni receive 15% off the regular price of this workshop.

Sit With Meditation: Sankalpa, the Heart's Longing

Welcome to another episode of Sit With, A Meditation and Contemplation Podcast. In this practice, we start by calling Ganesh, the Remover of obstacles and the Lord of new beginnings. We come through 108 rounds of the mantra and deep seeded vibration, "OM GAM GANAPATAYE NAMAHA." From this initiation, we remember sankalpa. In yoga sankalpa is the heart's longing of how we want to feel and BE in this life.

Let an emotion, a word, or maybe a phrase arise in the body, around the heart, and in the mind and from this remembrance welcome a devotion. It's from this place that we have the opportunity to align our thoughts, words, and actions to this sankalpa, or heart-filled intention.

Yoga, NOW, is an offering to the well-being, the freedom, and the sweet joy for all beings everywhere. Yoga, NOW, is a living and practical practice to be awake, compassionate, and loving in the world. Yoga, NOW, is a way of being in this new year and in each moment.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhanvantu

OM NAMASTE

Sit With Meditation: From the End, It Simply Starts Again

If you need a reminder of the magical land and life we live in and all the nourishment she provides, head to Big Sur, California, stand on the Earth, listen to the waves, and watch the sun rise and set. It will inspire, energize, and connect you to all the good feels and may even help clarify some matters of the mind. 

I recently made a big life decision that has had some significant and moving effects. After a year of wishy-washy thoughts, wobbling back and forth trying to make it work, I finally got clear and brave enough to end a relationship that deep down I knew wasn't right for either us. Within a week of that decision, I found a new place to call home and moved in with a sweet friend from college. The timing was incredible. The day before the break up, my friend emailed me asking if she knew of any apartment openings. She got a job in Oakland and was moving back to the Bay Area. I didn't know of any off the top of my head but I threw out the idea of us potentially finding a place together. A quick Craigslist search led me to a fully furnished and recently remodeled flat with a beautiful backyard and yoga deck (pictures and practice videos to come!)! Things were in movement and I met with the owners who were lovely and kind and passionate about life. They were looking for someone to take good care of their home while they took some time off to travel the world.

Done and done. We got the place, signed the lease, and moved in the next week. My friend had already had her flight booked from Korea to SFO, landing on November 20th. The apartment happened to be available November 19th. The process moved swiftly and effortlessly, and I seriously couldn't have crafted a better plan or executed it more efficiently.

But that's how life is sometimes, especially when you make a decision based on some solid intuition. I'm certainly still digesting and processing all that has happened and all that is still evolving but one thing is for sure- the universe is full of energy. There are flows, tides, and rhythms that are strong and fierce and awe-inspiring. As humans we are a PART of nature and have the potential to be swept up by the flow. I made a choice that I knew was going to put me in a period of transition; however, the experience has been nothing but gentle and graceful and that is something I am utterly thankful for. I felt like I was in a strong current getting pulled tenderly through the vast and mysterious ocean, all wide-eyed and curious as to what the present moment had to offer. 

Which brings me to this week's mediation and contemplation...

In this mediation I guide you to the bottom of the exhale and encourage you to linger in the emptiness, only to observe and experience the new and life-giving inhale. The teachings of yoga suggest a life-death-life again cycle and the breath teaches us that everything exists in one breath. It's from the bottom or the death of the exhale that we begin again and feel into the fullness and richness of this life. Yoga teaches us that everything arises, unfolds, and then passes away. This body, our work, and our relationships are all impermanent and ever-changing and evolving. It's when we live in the illusion of permanence that we tend to get stuck or experience suffering in some way. It's when we cling or grip too tightly to an idea that we often lose sight of what is actually happening in this moment. In yoga, this is avidya, or the inability to see things or be with things as they are. It arises from the notion of wanting this moment to be different in some way. We think if only this relationship was like... or if only I had that job... or if only I had more experience... THEN I would be more satisfied, happier, or more content. This is a dangerous illusion and only causes dukkha, or suffering, pain, or dissatisfaction. 

Yoga is a way of being and meditation is a practice of returning, over and over again, to the present moment. Everything exists in this moment. All the love, magic, and life we long for exists in THIS moment because all we really have is the present. Even when the shit hits the fan and we lose a job, end a relationship, or watch a loved one pass away, we still have this moment and this life. And even though we can't control very much, we can control where and how we place our attention. Meditation is the art of attention, a gathering back to and a remembrance of all that we do have in this moment. This moment is the home of great potential, serendipitous interactions, and beautiful relationships with the world. 

So whether you are going through your own transition or you simply want to hone your sense of attention, this practice is for you. I hope you find it as rich and life-giving as I do.

Lots of Love,

M

Yoga Therapy Magic

I recently met up with my good friend Elaine Oyang, a yoga therapist and whole foods nutrition consult here in San Francisco. I have been hearing a lot about "yoga therapy" and wanted to know what separated it from my understanding of yoga.

You may already know that the yoga teacher to student relationship was once, and still is in some places, an intentional commitment. The student would formally ask the teacher to guide him or her through the practices of yoga and the teacher would formally agree or disagree to take on that student. It was through this purposeful and steadfast one-on-one relationship that one learned the powerful practices and explored the union of body, mind, and spirit. 

Elaine told me that yoga therapy is similar in that her students or clients ask for her guidance. During the initial consultation they commit to a healing and integrative health care plan. Yoga therapists use a variety of techniques including yoga, meditation, and breath work in order to guide their client's unique body and mind to it's natural state of vitality, balance, and ease. Yoga therapy can be energizing and nourishing for anyone and is ideal for someone living with chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, or depression. 

During our time together, Elaine guided me through a deep sacral release sequence. This was my first experience with yoga therapy and I didn't really know what to expect. The whole session took place with me lying on my back with my legs up on a chair. After a few opening assists, Elaine talked me through a simple practice of grounding my femur bones deep into my hip sockets so that the surrounding muscles could soften. Her calming and compassionate nature made it easy for me to relax my body and connect to my breath. I felt immediate release around my sacrum, low back, and hip joints, as well as a sweet peace throughout my whole being. From beginning to end, I felt held and nourished by Elaine's presence- something not so readily available in a public class. 

If you or someone you know is currently living with some health challenge, consider yoga therapy! If you are in the bay area, I would highly recommend Elaine. You can learn more about her and her work here. 

Also, the sequence below is easily done with or without a yoga therapist. All you need is a soft surface to lie down on and a chair to rest your calves and ankles on. Try it out and let me know how it feels!

Honoring the Practice, My Teacher Janet Stone, and this LIFE

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“This is why I love spring. It is full of hope.”

— someone in Cliff's Variety

Two weeks ago I overheard someone in San Francisco's Cliff's Variety store say, "This is why I love spring. It's full of hope." I was shopping for a few kitchen items for my new cosy home before heading to yoga class at Yoga Tree Castro. I paused briefly to put the statement in my back pocket before quickly finishing my errands and heading to the studio.

On my mat, next to one hundred other mats, I heard my teacher Janet Stone talk with clarity and insight. She has a way of not saying much while speaking to the depths of my soul. That night she spoke of our internal rhythms- the in breath and the out breath, the expansion and the contraction, the rise and the fall- and how it matches the universal rhythms of night and day, light and dark, heaven and earth, life and death. She has that secret way of making you feel like you are actually a part of this world.

She then had us connect to the space in-between- the movement, time, and space in-between the inhale and exhale. Although she has spoken of this before and I have practiced and taught this idea many times over, this night it felt real in a way I had never understood it before. 

I realized that spring is full of hope because it is that time in-between... in-between winter and summer. It is a season where we celebrate the magic and the potential that exists in the in-between moments. AHA! EACH moment is an in-between moment! Each moment has the magic and potential for growth, healing, joy, and love.

Despite the epiphany that night, the polarities continue to show up in my life. I teach kindergarten at an all girls school and there is conversation about girl and boy, masculine and feminine. I heard the inspiring Bryan Stevenson, lawyer and social activist, publicly talk about black and white, justice and injustice, hope and despair. And all around me I catch myself labeling people, situations, and things as good or bad, right or wrong.

Then I remember that this is the practice! When I do have the awareness of my own binary thinking, I practice coming back to the teaching of the space in-between. I practice being fully awake to what is and simply being present for the magical spectrum of this life.

“I practice being fully awake to what is and simply being present for the magical spectrum of this life.”

Water and Light by Holly Anderson

As my teacher travels here, there and everywhere (maybe she is in Singapore or Bali, I can't quite keep track), may she know that her teachings continue to evolve and be understood in deeper ways. May we all take a moment to honor our own teachers. May we take a moment to honor our teacher's teacher and their teacher's teacher. May we take a moment to honor the lineage of this practice of yoga and may we honor this thing we call life.

To learn more about Janet Stone, visit her website.

OM NAMASTE,

Meredith

Yoga and Meditation: What It Is All About and How It Can Upgrade Your Life

For the past few months I have been teaching a 6:15 am Yoga and Meditation class at Yoga Garden SF and I am finding that it has a tender spot in my heart. I believe the class honors the practice of yoga and the teachers who have passed the dharma, or teachings, along the lineage. It also represents the way I personally practice and feels vulnerable and meaningful to share bits and pieces of that with you.

The physical practice, or asana, was created to strengthen, cleanse, and open the body to prepare for meditation- a practice of cultivating more awareness of the movement of the mind and of training the mind to be one-pointed.

This class is a morning ritual- a practice of vinyasa, breath work, and meditation to leave you feeling more awake, present, and productive. We first energize and open the body through movement and breath to then prepare for the seated practice of stilling the mind. Together we are creating a sangha, a community, of awareness and compassionate hearts and it's open to EVERYONE!

This class is authentic and genuine and you will feel fiercely supported by the community we have, and continue to build. And yet there is MORE! As more people study mindfulness and meditation, we are seeing that a morning practice has wonderful benefits that will certainly upgrade your life!

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Five (of many) Benefits of Morning Yoga and Meditation

1. Energy

   Practicing yoga stimulates the mind and body, giving you more energy to take into your day. You may even ditch the coffee... though maybe not... and that's ok too. I personally love the taste of coffee and drink a cup most days.

2. Productivity

   Meditation trains the mind to be one-pointed. As you begin to notice the movement of the mind, you can choose to let go of thoughts, worries, and expectations, and focus fully on what is in front of you in each moment. People who meditate tend to focus easier and get more done.

3. Clarity

   Meditation builds awareness of all the storylines or narratives we have created and are pulled into. The practice is noticing the drama, dropping it, and observing what is true and real in each moment. As we begin to drop the thoughts, we can think and see more clearly. We can also be more open to all that is being offered right now.

4. Peace

   As we allow ourselves to slow down and connect to the breath, we are reminded of the essence of who we are. We are light and love, and we know that this is not dependent on what we have done or might do. People who meditate have a stronger sense of self, belonging, contentment and equanimity of mind.

5. Flexibility

   We begin to let go of the grip that we have on life. We learn to let go of what we have experienced in the past and how it might be holding us back, and we learn to let go of what we THINK might or should happen. With the practice of meditation, we are more flexible in the way we think and experience each day. There is more magic, creativity, and joy!

If this sparks your curiosity, please join us on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6:15 am. No experience is necessary and we would LOVE to welcome you.

Love,
M

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What the Sangha is saying...

“Practicing yoga and meditation has impacted my life for the better. It’s a simple practice but a very challenging one. To be able to control the thoughts that are constantly moving in my mind is hard. I never was able to turn it down. Before practicing yoga and meditation, my mind would start racing the minute I woke up in the morning. It was a terrible feeling and I couldn’t even enjoy the present moment. I was so caught up on the past and future and was missing out on what’s real. I’ve been taking Meredith’s class for almost two months and I can already see the huge impact it has had on me. I enjoy taking the morning classes because I feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the day. I live each day like it’s my last. I have to thank my instructor Meredith for that because she focuses on the moment and training our minds to let go of all the narratives we’ve created. She’s very inspiring and has really helped me deal with anxiety. I’m in a better place due to this amazing practice. I recommend this class to anybody who wants to take a moment and quiet the mind. It’s extremely important and will only better you in the long run. Thank you to the amazing yoga instructors who embrace every moment! Namaste.”

— Alissa N.

“Practicing in the morning is probably the best way to start the day. As long as you make sure you get a good night’s rest, waking up just before 6 to make Meditation and Yoga is worth your while to find some serious focus first thing. Undeniably, some mornings my alarm goes off and I curse at it, but an hour later I feel more awake and aware than if I mainlined two cups of coffee. Plus, once you make it a regular part of your schedule, it becomes routine!”

— Meghan A.

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Cultivating A Morning Ritual

Mornings have always been a magical time for me- the peace and quiet that is available is unlike anything I can find amongst the busy day. I have found, for me, it is the perfect time to nourish and cleanse the body, mind and spirit, and to clearly set the path for an open and energized day. Below are my recommendations for a morning ritual. Start with one or try them all! Try it for TWO weeks and see if it makes a difference in your life.

1. Wake before the sunrise- I have found that there is a deep and calming energy to be felt right before the sun rises. I feel rooted in the Earth and a part of the universal rhythm of day and night, rise and fall, open and close.

2. Drink a glass of hot lemon water- Simply squeeze a bit of lemon juice in a hot glass of water. This will hydrate the body and cleanse toxins from the day before. I DO still drink coffee because what can I say... I LOVE the smell and taste. But I usually have my coffee after a few hours of waking and moving.

3. Wash your face- Abhyanga is a form of ayurvedic medicine that involves massaging the WHOLE body with warm coconut oil. Traditionally it is done before the day starts, before you shower and practice yoga. During the week, I tend to simply wash my face with COLD water and apply coconut oil on after. It leave my skin feeling hydrated and smooth. I usually hold the full Abhyanga practice for the weekend mornings. 

4. Practice pranayama- I say this in my class ALL the time but the word, "yama" means the creation or the maintance of breath and "prana" is life force or energy. By moving the breath, we can begin to shift the energy in the body. There are all types of breathwork in the practice of yoga but I particularly like to practice KAPALBHATI breath in the winter season. It is short exhales through the nose with a contraction of the belly in toward the spine. It acts as a furnace, heating the body, and is also very energizing and cleansing. A set is 20, 50, or a 100 exhales. Come through two or three sets.

5. Move- Come through nine simple sun salutations- any variation that will leave you feeling good and energized. Move SLOWLY- one breath, one movement, one thought at a time.

6. Meditate- Sit in meditation for 5-10 minutes. The attention can be set on the sensation of moving the breath in and out. You will notice that the mind will begin to wander- either to the past or the future- and this practice is choosing to bring the attention back to the present moment. Don't be discouraged if the mind moves A LOT! The nature of the mind is to move, so see and welcome the wandering as an opportunity to PRACTICE meditation. That is all it is- a PRACTICE.

If you want some guidance, a community or support- come practice with me at Yoga Garden SF. I teach a vinyasa class M/W/F mornings at 6 am and a yoga and meditation class T/Th mornings at 6:15 am. And as I said earlier- keep it simple and attainable in the beginning. Maybe wake 10 minutes early and try one of these practices until it becomes a habit. Then add on. Be curious, stay open and observe the difference it makes in your daily life. 

Light and Love,

M

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