MUSIC | Bassnectar : When I Grow Up Remix

ROGER WRITES | Part Two; The Turn Around

The following is the second part to my last posting re: my pledge of three days of love and the two women who provoked all my judgements.  Please read Part 1, as there is a real turn-around below in Part 2.

It was Friday, Winter Solstice, late morning.  I had just stepped off the bus and was heading to teach a yoga class at noon.  I was dressed in my rainy, winter Portland garb: hat, hoodie, coat, and striped scarf. Yoga Boogie was that night, Christmas was in a few days, and the world was engulfed in a maelstrom of chaos, which swirled and vibrated around me.   However, I had my headphones on listening to music preparing for the Yoga Boogie Winter Stolstice Shake Down, and I was texting with several people co-ordinating rides and directions.  I crossed the busy street only half paying attention (read: not really pay attention, at all).  As I neared the other side of the street I looked up and I was startled to see a stopped van waiting for me to cross. I scuttled quickly to the sidewalk recognizing the nearly potential distaster that I had just avoided.  I got dressed for class, and went upstairs to teach my class.

My theme for class that day was "three days of love," and I told the story that I wrote last week about how quickly my mood of love quickly turned to scowling judgements of the women who weren't paying attention in front of me at the coffeeshop.  After class, I was talking to a man who just recently started coming to my class.  He thanked me for class and then said, "Your story was perfect for me today because as I was driving to class there was this idiot talking on his phone and texting and not paying attention as he crossed the street and I had to stop in the middle of the road.  I almost ran him over."  I looked at him for a moment before I asked, "Were you driving a gray van?"

We both paused before we totally cracked up.

MUSIC | Battleme : Hey Hey, My My

PLAYLIST | YoYoYogi

PLAYLIST | YoYoYogi : Bad Ass Yoga

POETRY | Mary Oliver : The Snowshoe Hare

The Snowshoe Hare
-Mary Oliver

The fox
is so quiet—
he moves like a red rain—
even when his
shoulders tense and then
snuggle down for an instant
against the ground
and the perfect
gate of his teeth
slams shut
there is nothing
you can hear
but the cold creek moving
over the dark pebbles
and across the field
and into the rest of the world—
and even when you find
in the morning
the feathery
scuffs of fur
of the vanished
snowshoe hare
tangled
on the pale spires
of the broken flowers
of the lost summer—
fluttering a little
but only
like the lapping threads
of the wind itself—
there is still
nothing that you can hear
but the cold creek moving
over the old pebbles
and across the field and into
another year.

MUSIC | Glass Candy : Warm in the Winter

INSPIRATION | Anis Mogjani : Shake The Dust

MUSIC | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis : Thrift Store

MUSIC | Mac Lethal : Ode to the World

ROGER WRITES | Pledge of Love

An invitation to a world-wide event has come across my radar. It is called: Three Days of Love; A Global Celebration of Love and Kindness. The pledge is simple, I commit to share words and actions of love on December 20, 21 and 22, 2012. I pledged my devotion to the cause. I made the commitment partly because I believe in putting more love out in the world, and partly cause it sounded sweet.

The pledge triggered something in me, though, and as the day went on I became aware of the ways in which I harbor negative thoughts, criticisms and judgements, and how they affect my interactions with the world. I noticed it looking at Facebook, at the grocery store, and just simply walking down the street. I even noticed it in yoga class.

So. I decided to give it a test run. What would it be like if I looked at people and the world at large with love and compassion, and then interacted from that place? No fake, new age bullshit. A real, honest love and compassion. First, I had to pay real attention to my thoughts, which is where our words and actions derive from. I had to decipher what was a negative thought and what was a real, healthy emotion.

This is a true story: As I was mulling all this over I was standing in line to buy a coffee. The two women in front of me were both debating about what kind of short fat tall skinny double edged latte they wanted. The one was on her phone and the other was asking lots of questions. I just wanted a small coffee to go. I was on my way to a yoga class. My impatience grew. A line formed behind me, and very quickly my exploration of love and compassion went out the window and got soaked in the rain. I think I thought of every judgement possible, and I started to create bad scenarios. Then I remembered my practice. I literally laughed out loud a little at myself. I consciously softened my face, which had grown tense, and I unclenched my jaw. I looked at them-- really looked at them, and I saw their humanity.

I'm not sure why, but she suddenly turned and looked at me. I had sweetness and honesty in my eyes. She said to me, "Oh my God. Look at us. We're holding up the line. Go ahead of us." Then she said to her friend, "Tell her you'll call her back."

Wishing everyone one a safe and love-filled holiday season. Remember to take a breathe, get to a yoga class-- you probably need it, and, by jove, DANCE!!

INSPIRATION | Recycled Instrument Orchestra

This is the story of an orchestra that uses instruments made with recycled materials excavated from landfills in Cateura, Paraguay.

INSPIRATION | Terry Jones vs. the Beatles

Let your commitment to love be stronger than their words of hate. Seriously, this is the time to be more authentic, more intentional, and more loving. Hug the person next to you and tell them you love them just the way they are-- and mean it!!

EVENT | Yoga Boogie; Solstice Shake Down

Yoga Boogie; Solstice Shake Down
Friday, December 21st 8pm 
$15 advanced | $20 door 

Although it's the end of the world as we know it, let it all begin at Shakti House for an event like no other -- Yoga Boogie! This two hour blast of meditation-in-motion, pranayama, asana, and trance dance will guide you into the wise and powerful arms of these ancient truths. You are invited to allow world beats, psychedelic rhythms, and electronic grooves to unleash your hunger to move and to make your tribal spirit flourish!

Pre-registration at http://shaktihousepdx.com/

PLAYLIST | Detox