Needing the New Moon

Summertime is upon us...well technically not for about another month, but the past few days it has arrived in Boston.  It's been a week of taking life slow, although now for me, not intentionally.  After last weekend of yogaliciousness, the week began full of inspiration as my sassy musical sistas (The Sass Factor-info and tunes coming to a site one day soon...) and I worked on new songs and gathered insights.  By Tuesday I was taking in the wind, dancing the orange (as Rilke would say), striking some asanas with the trees, and basking in the warm sun.  But by the end of Tuesday, my body was forcing me to take a step back.  

On Wednesday I had plans to head out to Amherst for the day (and first time ever) on a covert yoga mission with 2 fellow fabulous teacher ladies/friends of mine.  I knew as the day began that I didn't feel 100% but just couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit someplace new with amazing company and yoga inspiration awaiting.  Sure enough we had a glorious day of western Mass natural beauty, sunshine, yummy foods, scouring the salvation army & various other shops, and 2 lovely practices (one hatha, one intense ashtanga).  The practices took place at Yoga Center Amherst with Eric in the morning, and then Karen in the evening.  The studio is big and bright with windows all around, colorful props, local artist's work on the walls, antique ceilings/lights, and nice wood floors.  Nothing pretentious or fake about it.  Just pure radiant yoga-love energy all around.  When I open a studio one day, I imagine it will embody a vibe that is similar.  Anyway, I muscled and breathed through the day with the help of kombucha and my friends' conversation/positivity but by 11pm upon returning to Somerville, I knew I was spent.  Even after skipping half the chaturangas and taking balasana various times during the ashtanga class, I probably shouldn't have taken it in the first place.  Why do we push ourselves sometimes when we should have listened to our intuitions in the first place?  

My older brother down in Texas was diagnosed with a mild strain of swine flu last week (he's a schoolteacher and someone in his school passed it on). It worried me for a second, until he reassured me that he was fine and just needed to rest and battle it off.  Now this week I find myself feeling down and out...wait a minute?!?  No, I am fine.  But seriously there has been something going around.  I find that I don't get sick with colds or upset stomachs or anything often other than this same old run-down/flu-like crap, which tends to happen seasonally.  Not sure if it's because I come in contact with tons of different people as a yoga teacher and my body responds to germs in this way or what?  It's frustrating because I feel so good on the inside and just want to be out enjoying the sunshine like everyone else, but my muscles are fatigued, my head pounds, my eyes are sore.  As an active yogini I tell you, it's not easy for me to just lie here.  I want to be practicing, walking, tapping my foot to music, riding Ms. Rita around town.  I suppose my active energy tends to need a slap in the face at times to remind me to literally take it slow.  Not just mentally/spiritually, but physically, too.  

There is the Gemini New Moon occurring this Sunday, which has to do with feeling love for our brothers and sisters around us.  Being grateful for our friends and families and the people in our lives who are always there to support us and bring us love.  At times when we are not 100%, we especially take in their energy, and I can attest to that now.  Everyone in my yoga community in Cambridge/Somerville and beyond, are my sisters and brothers.  I feel that more and more each day, especially at times like now when you all send your healing vibes my way.  :)

This weekend, I hope to be putting some of that shakti energy back out there again.  And honoring my friendships with not just my blood brothers/sisters, but my sisters/brothers from everywhere I've been and from right here in my own backyard.  Cheers and gratitude to you all!