GNARLS/rumi

Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
~Rumi

You are the best. You are the worst. You are average. Your love is a part of you. You try to give it away because you cannot bear its radiance, but you cannot separate it from yourself. To understand your fellow humans, you must understand why you give them your love. You must realize that hate is but a crime-ridden subdivision of love. You must reclaim what you never lost. You must take leave of your sanity, and yet be fully responsible for your actions.
~Gnarls Barkley

QUEER/video

PORTLAND/oregon

Almost a year ago I moved to Easton Mountain.  I was just going to be there for a summer, but after having an amazing summer of love, revelation and frolic I wasn't quite ready to leave.  I extended my stay til October, then December, then finally decided to just make it a full year.  As the year mark approached I wondered where I would go.  Brooklyn? Kripalu?  But then...

...after much debate and carrying-on Doug and I threw a dart at the map, and it landed on Portland, Oregon, which is where we are right now for a visit.

It only took a few days before we found a very cute apartement in the NW District of Portland with views of snowcapped mountains!!  We signed the lease today. We head back to New York tomorrow and return to Portland full-time on March 22nd, which is right after my Anatomy of Movement Weekend workshop in Tampa.

Everyone who lives here or has been to Portland says the same thing: everyone here is laid back and friendly. I believed them, but also couldn't believe that such a place really exsisted.  That is, until now.  Wow.  This place really is as awesome as everyone says.

I have taken a couple of excellent yoga classes on this visit, and plan to resume teaching yoga full-time upon returning.

Come visit Portland. You already have a friend here.

BLOW/pony

I'm sitting in a coffeeshop on West Burnside St. in Portland, Oregon.  It's simply called The Coffeeshop Northwest.  I ordered a coffee in a ceramic mug, and was told that the beans are roasted here.  I asked the about the baguette sandwiches wrapped in wax paper and tied with a string.  Come to find out every part of the sandwich is local from the bread to the meat.  That's typical of Portland.  People are interested in local and sustainable foods and services, but without the snobbery and self-righeousness you might expect.  In fact, people here are downright friendly and laid back.  Maybe it's the rain although in the week that I've been here it's been more sunny than rainy.

Our 2nd night in Portland my friend took us out to a once-a-month event called Blow Pony.  I still haven't figured out where the name comes from.  It's not from the various implications you might associate with such a name.  Instead the mission statement reads:

Created due to a callout in our queer community for unity and a place where all our sisters, brothers, others and allies felt safe, welcomed and loved.  We've been riding strong since 2007!

Our concerns are earth liberation, animal liberation, queer liberation, women's liberation, trans liberation, indigenous peoples liberation and searching the dumpsters for more trash!!

There's a big sign at the entrance making it known that if you are racist, homophobic, sexist, or just generally do not like hard-partyin' weirdos, this is not the party for you.  And they mean it.  Not long after we arrived the DJ announced that "This is a queer party. It's not okay to be rude.  This is a safe space for everyone."

The music spanned every dance genre imaginable and everyone was dancing and having a blast.  People were jumping around and what was most impressive is that people were smiling and laughing.  Could this really be true?  People having a good time and being friendly to each other?  After a couple hours of dancing the DJ stopped the music for an announcement:

I was just near the bathroom and heard someone make a nasty comment about someone.  This is a safe space for everyone to be accepted and expressed.  If you want to be nasty go somewhere else.  We won't tolerate your nastiness here.

That was followed by an uproar of applause and acclamation!  The music and merriment continued.

Kindness, laughter and smiles are contagious.  Be as generous as you can with these qualities.  When enough people are self-expressed, passionate and kind the world will follow.  Be part of this movement to throw your arms open as wide as possible in acceptance.  Join this movement to awaken joy, generosity and kindness.  Practice daily.  There's no better time to start than right now.

BE/mine

Pucker up and kiss someone you love!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

ANATOMY/movement

Learn more!

YOGANESH/playlist

HOME/is

This is a wicked crazy live version of one of my new favorite songs!!
The original video is pretty cool, too.  Check it out: Home

DO/it

roll the dice
Charles Bukowski


if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.

go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.

if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.

do it, do it, do it.
do it.

all the way
all the way.

you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, its
the only good fight
there is.

ROGER WRITES | Get Outside

I woke from a nap this afternoon feeling sluggish, unmotivated and downright stuck.  Doug suggested a walk outside.  In my head I thought: I don't want to go for a walk.  I'm tired.  Leave me alone.  I just want to stay in bed and be lazy and sulk about nothing.  I said simply and reluctantly: sure.  I put on my coat, shoes and hat, and we hit the trail for a walk around the pond.

Literally 2 minutes on the trail and I felt amazing. It's been relatively mild here this winter.  There's no snow on the ground.  In fact, there's mostly just a whole lot of mud.  Still, the radiance of nature and the freshness in the air enlivened me.  There were mushrooms and moss, logs and trees, and the pond-- full of ripples and reflections.  There are a thousand things I could write about just from a walk around the pond.  I mean, there was the sky and the orange clouds that hung suspended over the mountain as if in disbelief that the sky could be so clear, and endless.

Get outside everyday.  Move your body.  Look around you and see things from a new perspective.  If you live in the city find a park.  If you live in a park take a trip to the city.  Make every attempt you can to get unstuck from the daily patterns that keep you from being fully, unabashedly alive.