Last month's eclipses were anything but uneventful for me, and I'm thinking possibly for you too. These cosmically charged times are all about things coming to light that have been brewing beneath the surface for some time. I wonder how they impacted you?! The wisdom of Nature and its cycles are always opportunities for awakening to a greater part of ourselves and reality, if we choose to pay attention and to skillfully navigate them. I found this past month to be one of profound revelation for those who were effected, and those who chose the option of opening.

The past couple of years and my transition to Canada have been anything but smooth. From the initial nonstop travel and dealing with the border on a regular basis, to not being able to share my passion for yoga with the community here (I'm American and thus am unable to work here until the LONG process of paperwork goes through), I honestly had the realization that I had been drowning a bit more than I wanted to admit. Even living in Nicaragua for 5 months, which seemed like a perfect option at the time, was more arduous than anticipated. And getting chikungunya puts a complete damper on any situation.

Yet a deeper part of me knew my decisions were the right ones...that what I was learning was truly beneficial in a way that I couldn't articulate at the time. What I didn't know was how to handle the challenges as skillfully and gracefully as I would have liked, using the tools I've been cultivating for years through practice and its application. Thankfully the stirring of the energy during the eclipses provided the perfect opportunity for a profound perspective shift. What I came to realize was that even after teaching yoga for over 13 years, there was still some part of me that had been operating under the impression that my voice wasn't valuable...that what I had to offer wasn't "good" enough to be shared. The realization hit me suddenly and came as a complete surprise. This unconscious pattern that I'd been carrying had, in a way, been ruling my life. And after a decade and a half of inner work, I was unaware of this part of the old pattern that was still there! Yet through the hardships and the epiphany, I was able to gain a renewed value for my practice and my path, and what I have to offer through sharing of yoga and astrology.

Let's face it: our egos always want things to go their way...they prefer what's comfortable, and they'll do anything to maintain this comfort. Yet if we're willing to be vulnerable and honest, and to courageously meet ourselves exactly where we are, as we are, we become ready for the Truth. And Nature is quite intelligent in its working to support this process...we can learn to go with the bigger process of life, trusting it and the unknown, or we can resist it (futilely!), and suffer as a result. Yet our Nature is not one of suffering. It's one of aliveness, vitality, brightness, and radiance. And it's constantly beckoning each one of us to open to its wisdom, truth, and love, amidst the challenge that we inevitably face as humans. With a supportive practice, community, partner, and life, we become ready to open even when our egos want to close. Even when it seems like the hardest thing to do. And when we do, we realize there's a part of us that's been open and awake the entire time.

This Autumn, I invite you to radically open to life, even as it "closes" and turns to Winter. I invite you to meet yourself exactly as you are, with a willingness to truly see what is. And don't worry...if you feel like you missed out on the September eclipses, we've another few coming next year...March 9 & 23 being the first set. So you're definitely not out of luck!

And remember: The Force is always with you. In fact, it IS you! Have fun.