Amanda May

Sat nam November!

The shaman report says the theme for November is “Pressure”.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely been feeling it lately.  Wow.

Pressure can come from outside of us, in the form of external demands and challenges / crises, as well as from within us.  In order to cope successfully, we must meet external pressure with equal amounts of internal strength.  Internal grit is all about finding your center and staying grounded there.  The more we return to this inner still point, the easier it is to find when the going gets tough.

Stress is not always metered out in what feels like manageable doses.  Life often throws us a bunch of curve balls all at once, or we experience a series of stressful and pressure-filled events simultaneously…and this is where the rubber meets the road.  This is actually the point of a practice.

Stress and pressure take us off-center, and unfortunately, they are part of being alive.  But we can take care of ourselves in ways that help us get back to neutral mind quickly.  We can use the tools of yoga, meditation and mindfulness to benefit us ALL of the time.  They are meant to help us handle pressure and thrive.  These methodologies provide a road map to return us to our center, regardless of whether we are sitting on calmly on a beach on vacation or struggling to cope amidst the territory of grief and worry.  Sometimes this is such a quiet process that it may look invisible from an outsider’s perspective.

The million-dollar question is, how well do you cope?  I encourage you to take a few minutes each day to breathe quietly and return to your inner still point.  Take care of yourself this month.  Be kind to yourself.  You matter.  And remember, you’re not alone.

As always, I love to hear from you if you have any questions or comments.

With love,

Amanda

Happy Fall!

Have you ever wondered about the power in the number "11"? Or the mystery and strength in certain numbers?

The number 11 is associated with mastery, illumination, enlightenment, and inspiration.  In Kundalini yoga, the number 11 relates to the understanding that we are connected in oneness with all others.  A quality associated with this is Sat Nam, the Divine wisdom that exists within all of us.  

Sat Nam is truth that is absolute, beyond duality.  What is good for one is good for all.  When we live in this state of consciousness, our individual ego stops running the show. This is when the magic begins.  Once this happens we begin to live from the heart.  We approach life from a place of greater harmony.  We see the bigger picture beyond our individual dramas.

Life isn’t free of challenges.  It isn’t supposed to be.  But challenges aren’t meant to break us; we are meant to learn from them and transform ourselves to something greater.  To expand beyond our limits into something wiser.  

Most of us experience ourselves through just our mind and body.  In reality, we are much more.  “The Basics of Yogic Numerology” describes each one of us as rich, multifaceted beings with complex energy systems.  We each have individual strengths and a unique destiny to fulfill in life.  Tantric numerology is a tool available to better understand ourselves and live in health and balance.  Want to know more about your numerology?  

Mastery does not require us to live mistake-free lives.  Rather, it’s quite the opposite; each time we stumble, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, learn the lesson and begin again.  It is humility and diligence that bring us to a deeper level of understanding. That is mastery.

Our country holds a collective broken heart on this particular day.  I ask that we honor both the past and the future by shining our individual light forward.  The number 11 is associated with inspiration, idealism and dreams.  Let the energy of this day serve as the catalyst for hope.  Join me in drawing upon these qualities and wishing for a brighter, better future for the planet.  

Allow yourself to dream big.  I know I will.

Sat nam,

Amanda