Saturday, August 6, 2011
New Blog Address!
Just wanted to let you all know that I will be deleting this blog very soon. My new blog can be found and followed at www.divinedanceyoga.wordpress.com or you can find and follow me and it on Facebook under Rosemary Brocco. Thank you for reading!! Blessings, Rosemary
Friday, August 5, 2011
What the flowers of VT taught me
Today while I was doing yoga and meditating I had the privilege of watching an Orange Lily, which was in a vase on my puja table, grow from bud to bloom. Right there before my eyes I watched this beautiful bit of nature crack open and fully express It’s beauty to the world. I was truly blown away and as it was happening I gained a greater understanding of our Divinity and our Divine connection to Nature. When buds bloom into flowers they grow and expand and become full of themselves on the inside until they quite literally explode from the inside out. They turn themselves inside-out and radiate their truest most vibrant selves out for all the world to see. In Sanskrit we call this Divine Beauty Shri and we too hold the light of Shri right at the center of our beings. This is the gift that the practice of Anusara Yoga and the practice of Meditation give us. These practices invite us to turn inside so that we may cultivate and expand the beautiful light that resides in the core of our being. And then, eventually, our insides becomes so big and so bright and so full that we too explode and our inner beauty, our Shri, shines out for all the world to see. That is when our insides turn out in the form of our bodies and our lives and our relationships. We are just as much a part of Nature as that amazing orange flower and we too are just as beautiful. I feel so blessed and so gifted to witness and participate in this miraculous Divine Dance.
As a side not: for those of you who are keeping up with the waves of the Mayan calendar, “coincidentally” on July 31st we entered the fifth day of the ninth wave, also known as the time of ”budding”. From July 31 – Sept 4 it is a time to go inside and expand our beautiful lights and then from Sept 4 – Oct 10 we too will be flowing. Blessings and love to you all ~ Rosemary
Monday, February 14, 2011
Love Day
Valentine's Day is here and with it love, for some and sadness for others. It's got me thinking about all of the teachings (or ideas) that are out there these days, particularly the one about being filled with love and joy and gratitude. This can be a very confusing teaching. What does this teaching mean exactly? Are we supposed to pretend to be happy about things that we're unhappy about? Are we supposed to love and appreciate everything in our lives just because someone out there has less? After all there are starving children in Ethiopia, right? Right. BUT, we are here experiencing OUR lives and OUR emotions and the most important thing we can practice is honoring that. "New Age" practices are never about hiding or ignoring our feelings, they are about honoring every facet of life, even the "bad" stuff. So how does one fill themselves with love and appreciation when they are feeling sad and lonely? How do we feel good when we're feeling bad?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Conscious Living
The mind is a beautiful thing when used to solve math problems, remember what we need at the grocery store and put our thoughts and feelings into a coherent language. However, the mind has a tendency to kick into overdrive labeling, judging and criticizing without us even being aware of it. It is this process of the mind that we call "the ego" and it is this ego that we need to clear up and clean out.
Our egos label things... mother, father, teacher, banker, Doctor etc. They also judge things as "good" or "bad" and "right" or "wrong". We not only place these labels on objects, we place them on everyone and everything including, ourselves and all of our experiences. Most of us aren't even aware of the fact that this process is taking place because it takes place in the subconscious mind. Even though these beliefs sit in the back of our minds they play an enormous roll in how we feel and how we live our lives. This is not to say that the ego or subconscious is "bad" it just goes to show how important it is for us to become more conscious of what is going on within us. Scientist state that only 5% of our lives are controlled using the conscious mind while 95% are controlled by the subconscious. This is a great reason to keep our egos clean and healthy.
Our hearts are immensely different than our minds and in our modern world it seems we have become so busy with that 5% of our minds we've forgotten all about our hearts. It is in our hearts that we feel, something most of us don't even do anymore. We tend to do a lot of "thinking" about our feeling rather than actually "feeling" our feelings. We think an awful lot about the situations that cause us upset or joy. We even talk to our friends and families about these situations but, how often do we just allow ourselves to actually feel the feelings, in our hearts and bodies rather than in our minds? We've become so accustomed to running on the hamster wheel in our minds that we've forgotten how to feel. How are we ever going to have happiness in our lives if we aren't even aware of what we are doing and feeling? How, without this awareness, can we possibly create a world in which we live and share peacefully?
So it seems that if we wish to become truly happy people we are going to have to become conscious people and we are going to have to find a balance between our minds and our hearts. There are many ways to begin the process of conscious living, one is to become more aware of what we are thinking. We can start by taking note of both our conscious and unconscious thoughts. All sorts of things are running through our minds while we are getting dressed, driving, working, taking care of the kids, shopping etc. These are the thoughts we need to become aware of. What are we thinking about ourselves and others? How are we judging and labeling the things we experience? Because maybe there aren't any "bad" people or "bad" situations. Maybe we are ALL just doing the best we can with what we have and what we've been taught and maybe every situation is actually a lesson, an opportunity to learn rather than a punishment to be dealt with. When someone rubs us the wrong way we have the opportunity to find out why. What is it about that person that annoys us so much? Could it be that they are in some way reminding us of ourselves? Noticing what we think, how we react and WHY we have those reactions is what being conscious is all about. Once we've become aware of our mental patterns we can choose to let go of the ones that no longer serve us and create new ones that do.
Another way to begin living consciously is to reconnect with our hearts. This can be very scary after years of using our minds to ease our emotions. Like anything new, the more we practice the easier it gets. Whenever a situation arises and emotions bubble up we make a choice, we can choose to jump on the hamster wheel and start running or we can allow ourselves to feel the feelings. To just sit and breathe and feel. Then we can begin to uncover why it is we feel the way we feel. This conscious decision can be made whether we are feeling upset or joyful. Whether the cause is something small like a mistake on our coffee or a life changing event like marriage or a loss. Whether these feelings are what we would consider "positive" or "negative" makes no difference, what's important is that we become conscious of their presence and allow ourselves to feel them. Even if, at first, we still choose to run our old programs, we've at least made this decision from a conscious place and that is the start of conscious living.
As we move through new ways of being it is important to remember that change never comes instantaneously. Above all else we need to practice kindness and patience toward ourselves. ~Rosemary
Our egos label things... mother, father, teacher, banker, Doctor etc. They also judge things as "good" or "bad" and "right" or "wrong". We not only place these labels on objects, we place them on everyone and everything including, ourselves and all of our experiences. Most of us aren't even aware of the fact that this process is taking place because it takes place in the subconscious mind. Even though these beliefs sit in the back of our minds they play an enormous roll in how we feel and how we live our lives. This is not to say that the ego or subconscious is "bad" it just goes to show how important it is for us to become more conscious of what is going on within us. Scientist state that only 5% of our lives are controlled using the conscious mind while 95% are controlled by the subconscious. This is a great reason to keep our egos clean and healthy.
Our hearts are immensely different than our minds and in our modern world it seems we have become so busy with that 5% of our minds we've forgotten all about our hearts. It is in our hearts that we feel, something most of us don't even do anymore. We tend to do a lot of "thinking" about our feeling rather than actually "feeling" our feelings. We think an awful lot about the situations that cause us upset or joy. We even talk to our friends and families about these situations but, how often do we just allow ourselves to actually feel the feelings, in our hearts and bodies rather than in our minds? We've become so accustomed to running on the hamster wheel in our minds that we've forgotten how to feel. How are we ever going to have happiness in our lives if we aren't even aware of what we are doing and feeling? How, without this awareness, can we possibly create a world in which we live and share peacefully?
So it seems that if we wish to become truly happy people we are going to have to become conscious people and we are going to have to find a balance between our minds and our hearts. There are many ways to begin the process of conscious living, one is to become more aware of what we are thinking. We can start by taking note of both our conscious and unconscious thoughts. All sorts of things are running through our minds while we are getting dressed, driving, working, taking care of the kids, shopping etc. These are the thoughts we need to become aware of. What are we thinking about ourselves and others? How are we judging and labeling the things we experience? Because maybe there aren't any "bad" people or "bad" situations. Maybe we are ALL just doing the best we can with what we have and what we've been taught and maybe every situation is actually a lesson, an opportunity to learn rather than a punishment to be dealt with. When someone rubs us the wrong way we have the opportunity to find out why. What is it about that person that annoys us so much? Could it be that they are in some way reminding us of ourselves? Noticing what we think, how we react and WHY we have those reactions is what being conscious is all about. Once we've become aware of our mental patterns we can choose to let go of the ones that no longer serve us and create new ones that do.
Another way to begin living consciously is to reconnect with our hearts. This can be very scary after years of using our minds to ease our emotions. Like anything new, the more we practice the easier it gets. Whenever a situation arises and emotions bubble up we make a choice, we can choose to jump on the hamster wheel and start running or we can allow ourselves to feel the feelings. To just sit and breathe and feel. Then we can begin to uncover why it is we feel the way we feel. This conscious decision can be made whether we are feeling upset or joyful. Whether the cause is something small like a mistake on our coffee or a life changing event like marriage or a loss. Whether these feelings are what we would consider "positive" or "negative" makes no difference, what's important is that we become conscious of their presence and allow ourselves to feel them. Even if, at first, we still choose to run our old programs, we've at least made this decision from a conscious place and that is the start of conscious living.
As we move through new ways of being it is important to remember that change never comes instantaneously. Above all else we need to practice kindness and patience toward ourselves. ~Rosemary
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Living Fearlessly
New age and "spiritual" terms are often heard in the mind where they float around just out of reach never to be fully grasped. So, what exactly does "living fearlessly" mean? Does it mean that we are never afraid? That we just blindly push forward no matter how scary things may seem? Do we just think positively and everything will be A-OK? Hell no. In fact it's quite the opposite.
We seem to be living in a time where all anyone wants is to chill. We are all sick of the fighting, sick of the pollution, sick of the economy, sick of our jobs, sick of politics, sick of our relationships, seems maybe we are just sick of ourselves. We humans seem to have a desperate need to stay in the warmth and safety of our neat little comfort zones but right now there isn't a comfort zone in sight. We are all sharing in some sort of global un-comfort zone and we just don't know what to do with ourselves. As soon as discomfort rears it's head we grab a drink, pop a pill, pick up the phone. We even watch the news desperately waiting for someone to tell us we can relax, everything has returned to that warm familiar place but, that announcement never comes. So, what if these old comfort zones have totally broken down and our grasping for them is only keeping us in a very unhappy place? Surly this isn't the first time we've experienced this, we've all done it at one time or another... that relationship we desperately hold onto for fear of being alone or the job that is no longer working for us but we just can't seem to find the courage to look for a new one. We ask ourselves things like "what if it's even worse than what I have now" or "what if I never meet another person like he/she again" but... what if the next job is better? What if the next lover is even more loving? How will we ever know that if we stand here like deer in headlights waiting for the blow to force us to move? What if the path to happiness is not paved with roses underfoot and lullabies in the sky but is the one where we have to walk right into... our own shit. It is on this path that we could make good use of an understanding of fearless living. It is on this path that we encounter that ever illusive idea of "true happiness". To practice living fearlessly means to go down deep into those places that do scare us. To make the decision to face our demons, to even befriend our demons no matter how scary they may be. In a culture were we've become obsessed with "the pursuit of happiness" this can seem counter productive. Yet all the great teachings tell us "happiness lies within". It's just that they've left out the little footnote stating "it's tucked away, in a castle, guarded by our demons". The only way to find true, lasting, inner happiness, the kind that is still there humming idly while we move through the ups and downs of life, is to battle those demons... the only way out it through.
This idea brings to mind the Mario Brothers video game. Remember that one? You went through a multitude of levels fighting off little turtles and fish and things that were more annoying than harmful but, in order to get to the castle, in order to save the princess, you had to fight the big guy. There was no way around it. So, did you ever just stop, right there at the castle claiming that it was just too scary to continue so, instead you were going to stand outside the castle and wait to see if someone else came by and just handed you the princess? Sounds ridiculous but this is what we do in our lives all the time. How many times have you passed up what you truly wanted because you weren't quite sure if you were good enough, if you were "ready"? How many times have you settled for less because you didn't think you could really have the best? How many times have you stayed where you were unhappy or uncomfortable for fear of the unknown? We all do it and these things we do, these thoughts we have are the demons we need to fight and that's not easy. To really look at the reasons we give in and settle takes courage. Sometimes it's not so pretty inside but you see the trick is that just under the mud and the dirt, just under our fear and our harsh measuring stick is the shining gem of happiness. All it really means to live fearlessly is to take a big courageous look at... ourselves. The good, the bad and the ugly just the same. When we look at ourselves in this way it becomes much easier to touch our hearts and our true desires and when we do that it becomes much easier to take risks in our lives. It is human nature to be willing to take risks for the things that matter most to us. So, maybe we need to do a little work on our self worth before we can look for that new job or that new relationship, that's ok. Better than sticking with things we don't like, indefinitely. Sometimes it takes courage to even admit that we aren't comfortable with our job, our relationship, ourselves and this is when we practice living fearlessly. Right there in the mist of our own dung piles. It's not about not being scared it's about being brave even when we are scared. The only way to broaden our comfort zones are to be willing to be uncomfortable for a little while and THAT is what truly fearless living is all about. ~Rosemary
We seem to be living in a time where all anyone wants is to chill. We are all sick of the fighting, sick of the pollution, sick of the economy, sick of our jobs, sick of politics, sick of our relationships, seems maybe we are just sick of ourselves. We humans seem to have a desperate need to stay in the warmth and safety of our neat little comfort zones but right now there isn't a comfort zone in sight. We are all sharing in some sort of global un-comfort zone and we just don't know what to do with ourselves. As soon as discomfort rears it's head we grab a drink, pop a pill, pick up the phone. We even watch the news desperately waiting for someone to tell us we can relax, everything has returned to that warm familiar place but, that announcement never comes. So, what if these old comfort zones have totally broken down and our grasping for them is only keeping us in a very unhappy place? Surly this isn't the first time we've experienced this, we've all done it at one time or another... that relationship we desperately hold onto for fear of being alone or the job that is no longer working for us but we just can't seem to find the courage to look for a new one. We ask ourselves things like "what if it's even worse than what I have now" or "what if I never meet another person like he/she again" but... what if the next job is better? What if the next lover is even more loving? How will we ever know that if we stand here like deer in headlights waiting for the blow to force us to move? What if the path to happiness is not paved with roses underfoot and lullabies in the sky but is the one where we have to walk right into... our own shit. It is on this path that we could make good use of an understanding of fearless living. It is on this path that we encounter that ever illusive idea of "true happiness". To practice living fearlessly means to go down deep into those places that do scare us. To make the decision to face our demons, to even befriend our demons no matter how scary they may be. In a culture were we've become obsessed with "the pursuit of happiness" this can seem counter productive. Yet all the great teachings tell us "happiness lies within". It's just that they've left out the little footnote stating "it's tucked away, in a castle, guarded by our demons". The only way to find true, lasting, inner happiness, the kind that is still there humming idly while we move through the ups and downs of life, is to battle those demons... the only way out it through.
This idea brings to mind the Mario Brothers video game. Remember that one? You went through a multitude of levels fighting off little turtles and fish and things that were more annoying than harmful but, in order to get to the castle, in order to save the princess, you had to fight the big guy. There was no way around it. So, did you ever just stop, right there at the castle claiming that it was just too scary to continue so, instead you were going to stand outside the castle and wait to see if someone else came by and just handed you the princess? Sounds ridiculous but this is what we do in our lives all the time. How many times have you passed up what you truly wanted because you weren't quite sure if you were good enough, if you were "ready"? How many times have you settled for less because you didn't think you could really have the best? How many times have you stayed where you were unhappy or uncomfortable for fear of the unknown? We all do it and these things we do, these thoughts we have are the demons we need to fight and that's not easy. To really look at the reasons we give in and settle takes courage. Sometimes it's not so pretty inside but you see the trick is that just under the mud and the dirt, just under our fear and our harsh measuring stick is the shining gem of happiness. All it really means to live fearlessly is to take a big courageous look at... ourselves. The good, the bad and the ugly just the same. When we look at ourselves in this way it becomes much easier to touch our hearts and our true desires and when we do that it becomes much easier to take risks in our lives. It is human nature to be willing to take risks for the things that matter most to us. So, maybe we need to do a little work on our self worth before we can look for that new job or that new relationship, that's ok. Better than sticking with things we don't like, indefinitely. Sometimes it takes courage to even admit that we aren't comfortable with our job, our relationship, ourselves and this is when we practice living fearlessly. Right there in the mist of our own dung piles. It's not about not being scared it's about being brave even when we are scared. The only way to broaden our comfort zones are to be willing to be uncomfortable for a little while and THAT is what truly fearless living is all about. ~Rosemary
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Egypt... do you choose love or hate?
As I watch the news of the events in Egypt I cry for the Egyptian people and I think of all the anger and hatred these events are flooding into our world. Our vulnerable feelings of sadness and hopelessness for the Egyptian people quickly erupt into hatred for Mubarak and others like him. It makes me think of the saying "harboring resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die". It breaks my heart to think of the poisonous hatred that is currently bathing our planet and then I realize, it is during these challenging times that we are given the opportunity to decide what it is we really wish to contribute to this world. What it is we really want this world to be made of. People who act in the ways that Mubarak act are people who are filled with hatred and as we sit here filled with anger we only mirror back more of that same harsh energy. It is during these times in our lives that we have the opportunity to practice love... to find it in our heart to feel compassion and empathy, even for those who have hurt us. I sit here and think of how badly Mubarak must feel, inside, and how unhappy and hurt he must be. I think of how he must be in such a great state of pain that he knows of no other way to find relief but to hurt and control others. It is through this understanding that I realize, if Mubarak and others like him could feel love in their hearts and joy in their souls maybe we could actually have world peace??? I know that we are never going to see world peace if we are all just mirrors of the anger and hatred that is in the world. And so we have a choice, we can allow these events to bring us to a place of love and compassion for ALL who suffer or we can match the hatred with yet more hatred. I believe that it is through the feelings of love and compassion that we may find within our heart the desire for peace and the decision to mirror THAT back out to the world. This can certainly be challenging at times, as our first feelings may be of anger when someone hurts us but, isn't it better to make a practice of adding love and peace to the world rather than making one of adding anger and hatred? What is it that you would like to add to the world? What is it that you DO add to the world? Because no matter how powerless some events may make us feel, each and every one of us makes a difference. ~Rosemary
In the beginning
Thought it would be nice to have a place to share my thoughts, feelings and insight... hope you enjoy! ~Rosemary
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