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How do you end that sentence? What is it YOU find when you hold yourself in stillness? Recently, when holding my own self in stillness, I found the following......... fear, vulnerability, compassion, courage, strength and most importantly truth. When you stop and actually take time to face the raw YOU, it is amazing of what you discover. Yes, I am a yogi and yes, we spend hours and hours on studying and understanding our own internal selves but just like you, I am human. The past year and few months, I have fallen and stumbled, I have laughed, cried, experienced disappointment of others and of myself. I was dealt with a loss of a beautiful soul that entered my journey and another soul that while still here in the flesh, are sadly cognitively gone. With each goodbye that I was faced with, have forever changed me. While tuning into my truth, I brought to my own light how I used distractions to limit how much I sat with who I was. I am sure that we can all attest in our lives to being so "caught up" in the hamster wheel that we too often don't realize all that surrounds us. You know those Kodak moments, that somehow we miss, the moments that we should be letting saturate our souls, instead become quick captures and then we move to the next item on our to do list, accomplishment list etc..... We could blame social media which makes us all run on 24 x 7 but in reality, it is YOU who holds the key to your driver seat. You decide what to let in, what to let out and most importantly what fills your cup. It is you who determines what you want in life and not what others want or expect for your life. Forcing myself to look inward and practice my own proprioception has allowed me to take back the driver seat and ease up on the gas pedal of me. This summer I will be practicing my own cruise control so that I take the time needed to work on things for me, about me and of me. I will still hold the workshops near and dear to my heart as those are my outlets where together, we all hold stillness and space. My friends and beautiful souls, this journey in life is short and I want to make the most of my moments with myself, my loved ones and with you, my loving and beautiful yoga community. I look forward and hope you do to with sharing and taking in the landscape together through this next chapter of life's journey. I like the sunroof open, hope you do too! Love, light & always sparkle, KerriYoga Upcoming Summer Class/Workshops Sunset Sunday* $5.00 @Lake Quannapowitt 6-7PM (North Ave Side) *This year class will be pop up style held on various days thru the summer,be sure to get on our mailing list! Mobility & Movement Workshop Sunday, June 23 9:30-10:45AM @Durbrow Performance Training Somerville, MA $20.00 Click here to sign up Monthly Summer Restorative & Essential Oil Workshop Wakefield, MA June 21st SOLD OUT July 26th SOLD OUT August 23rd Tickets go on Sale, June 28th on Eventbrite Email me if interested and will send link when live :)
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 Photo Credit: National Geographic and MA BELLE for sharing !! :) Thank you As the fall equinox arrives, now are the perfect moments of reflection & taking time to slow down….. Today I did just that……
As I walked through a reservation near my home, I took time to take in natures landscape laid out in front of me. My focus settled upon the amazing trees that surrounded me on my walk. I have always been fascinated with trees since a young age. I love talking about trees, setting intentions around them and most of all I enjoy teaching students to root rise and radiate as a tree in their yoga practice. Tree pose is my absolute favorite; they teach us how to grow into ourselves along with teaching us how to unfold. They expose you…… but also free you. The changes a tree goes through reminds me of the changes and chapters we go through in our lives. The older the tree, the more amazing the story…. Every branch a tree grows and loses are the ebbs and flows of the life journeys they have been on. They are strong but also fragile, they carry stories of strength. They proudly display their laugh lines, their scars and cracks. They have been through the good and the bad but in the end always stand proud and strong. They bloom beautifully but are also not afraid to let go of the things that no longer serve them. Trees teach us that we can all be different but still come together as a community. So as you start to unfold and transition into fall, take a moment to take in your landscape, be proud of where you are at and stay strong through challenges that can come your way. Like a tree stay rooted to your earth, grow strong and vibrant and most of all let go of what no longer serves you…… Xo Kerri  Guatemala 2015 July was an amazing month for me. I made a journey out to Guatemala for Habitat for Humanity. I participated in a build for a family in need of a home. I knew my journey would be amazing but I had no idea how life changing it would be until I experienced it. Upon arriving, I got to meet my host family that I would build for, the moment I met them we went from strangers to family. Together we all worked our fair share of sweat to build a suitable home that they would raise their son in. Together we worked daily on making cement, building rebar and shoveling dirt into sections of the home to level. Every block I lifted brought a smile to my face as I knew this was creating a beautiful home where many many memories will be shared.
What amazed me most was how much love everyone had that contributed to the build. From the masons, family and the habitat volunteers, we all shared one common thing....love for the greater common good! Yes, the work was hard, but the smiles, tears and belly laughter were worth everything. I was surrounded by amazing good energy every moment of every day. One thing I especially admired with the families was the tight bond they all had. Mayan culture believe that all you need is love of your family and faith. The other things are nice to have as in the end it all comes down to support for each other. Together everyone works to provide for each other. Made me think of how we stress of things that in the grand scheme of things really are petty. My host family taught me that your riches are the strong relationships you have with your family and friends. Here is a family that barely have enough to get by but when I experienced life with them, shared tasks, food, and traditions, you really felt rich with love and happiness. Love was the common denominator and I was blown away. I spent one day learning about how to make corn tortillas. Mayan's use three basic corns to cook daily, they are the red, blue and yellow corn. These are the staples that they use to make all meals for the family. When special times arise such as weddings, quinceneras etc... they use a very special corn called "blanco" which equals to white corn. This is special as the price is very high for this corn and therefore they savor each kernel and only save for special times. When I arrived back home last week and was food shopping, I couldn't help but notice being surrounded by numerous "blanco" corn at my reach. I stopped and immediately thought about my experience with learning that "blanco" corn is a treat for my family in Guatemala. Here in the USA we can simply buy our white corn and eat it as freely as we want. Knowing now first hand that this is a treat, made me stop and reflect on my purchases that day to feed my family. My meals have now gone from being interpreted as a "meal" to now being moments of celebration as I am blessed and thankful. I look at my plate, my surroundings etc.. so differently from my trip. I knew I was blessed but now after seeing life in a full lense, I am even more appreciative and thankful to how blessed I really am. "This above all:to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." - William Shakespeare While on holiday, a lot of inner reflection has been done. Taking time to look into my own inner lense and understand who I am. As layers are peeled, I am learning more and more every day of who I am along with who I am destined to be. My.... This life....what a journey....the highs, the lows, the amazing moments and the utter disappointments... I wouldn't change any of it as this is what is called our lifes's experience... These events have made me who and what I am today. Being out of routine has taught me to take a step back and see my life in front of me. Making myself actually pause and reflect... How many times are we living in auto-pilot and don't take time to "see" what we have been blessed with. From the amazing abundance of beauty that surrounds us everyday like the picturesque landscapes, the sweet soothing sounds of an ocean, the giggles of a child, the precious stories of a loved one, the strangers that cross our paths and often times become a part of our life chapters whether is be for a season, a reason or a lifetime. I took in many beautiful life moments while on holiday.....such as the sun setting on the horizon leaving a beautiful silhouette hitting the water that simmered quietly as the waves brushed along the shore.. Natures natural Picasso resonated with me and made me take a step back to see how precious our time on earth is. As I sat observing and sipping and savouring my moment, I took time also to listen to my own symphony of sounds that played part in the nature around me. I listened to by breathe and felt my heartbeat. I know I often say this when I teach but our breathe and our heartbeat create beautiful symphonic sounds to ourselves and those around us. Your heart is a beautiful masterpiece- it allows us to feel and shift energy within us. Sometimes our hearts can close up when life gets a bit off course to what we were expecting. This shift of energy to our heart is a pattern called Samskara which in Sanskrit means "impression". Samskara is a blockage, an impression from the past of some unfinished energy that is still running our lives. My goal over holiday was to come face to face with my own inner Samskara's that I have been dealing with. No, a holiday didn't cure it all but it did allow me to journal what I need to work on over the next few months. By facing my Samskara's that were causing my heart to close up in some situations, made me realize that holding onto blockage only limits my ability to enjoy life. So lesson learned for me is that I will enjoy life and the experiences brought to me. I am allowing myself to open and relax my heart and live in love. Be present and experience each moment that is passing through me. Live life fully awakened! Isn't that how we all should be living? If we all can relax and release, my what a wonderful purification of our heart will be experienced. Think about what is blocking you in your life and begin to work on letting go of what no longer serves you, I did and my.... I feel more vibrant and ALIVE!! xoxo   I continue to practice being present everyday in all of my moments. This morning while on holiday I let myself wake up naturally which happened to be right as the sun was rising for a new day. I made a coffee and sat out on our balcony and looked out into the vast ocean in front of me and listened to the crash of the waves. As I closed my eyes, I tapped into my senses and began practicing my pratyahara one of the 8 limb paths. I took in the smells, sounds, feelings and touches. Immediately, I was brought back to my youth and my love for the ocean. When growing up in Maine every summer I always gravitated to the ocean when life threw curve balls. The sea was my bff...and the clouds were my protectors. I used to think of them as hugs when I would raise my toes to tickle them. I always would close my eyes and picture them wrapping me up and keeping me safe. ☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️ As I would lie on the beach I would listen to the crash of the waves...... It always felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders .....and now as an adult I continue to reflect in my practice and to my students that the sounds of a crashing wave can sometimes feel as if we are beginning to let go of any and all burdens we carry. So as you begin your day which I love to call as " lifes new chapter", wake up and take things in that surround your morning/afternoon & night. Sip and savor the sunrises, sunsets, the hellos, the conversations and the smiles... These are all precious precious moments of time. Practice your own pratyahara. Take in life through a whole new lens, you would be amazed at what you will capture when you tune in more.... Enjoy the journey........I know I am ...starting with tickling some clouds this morning- Love & Light- -kerri- **stay sparkly**  York Maine- Nubble Light Yesterday I spent the day with my mom not only in celebration of Mothers Day but also to spend time with her. It was a wonderful day of talking, laughing and simply being silly. It became a moment of time that I froze in my mind as time simply flies by to fast and life really is about living and absorbing your moments. I share above a picture of my mom and I years ago at my favorite place growing up, York Beach Maine. I have many fond memories of growing up there in my youth. This moment captured has so many meanings to me and I treasure each and everyone.
Yesterday in class I focused with my students on taking in life as if you would a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Really tap into the moment and the senses, let it absorb like a sponge. Even if you heard that same story from a loved one over and over, treasure that as there will come a time that we won't hear those same stories and we will find that we will once again be yearning for them. I shared in class my freeze frame moment with my YiaYia's (grandmother). She had an amazing love for pastry specifically the "bismark". I always brought over goodies for her when I was at the house. One particular day I brought over 5 Bismarks for her to enjoy . I went into another room to work on some things in the house for her and when I returned....(drum roll pls)... all 5 Bismarks were gone!!! Yup! her answer.... the cream would go bad and she couldn't waste them!! lol!!! To this day I still giggle at that story. As I stood in the bakery yesterday before teaching, low and behold, they had bismarks. That story came to mind, I giggled in line and along with buying my bread guess what... I bought a Bismark. ;) So remember as you celebrate not only Mother's Day but life daily, to take in your moments with everyone you encounter in your life as they really are special and unforgettable. - May your day be happy, loving and sparkly- xo Kerri |
AuthorJust me, sharing, peeling layers..coming undone. Archives
June 2019
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