New Year coming up.  What will you do with it?

Ah, the list.  The new year arriving and all of a sudden I get a craving for lists.

This morning in meditation I realized there is only one thing on my list this year...

Usually I ask for guidance in helping me let go of judgement and that has usually meant: judgement of others.  But this morning something clicked for me, when asking for help letting go of judgement a little voice said, "And that includes yourself."

Ah so true!  I want to let go of the judgement that arises in my brain that whispers to me often that I haven't done enough for my writing career, for my spiritual health, for my connection to my community, etc. etc.

Boy, that's a lot of judgement.

And so I hereby announce to the world that starting today (not even tomorrow on the Eve) I let the judges in my mind float away like the lanterns we will be lighting and sending into the universe on New Year's Eve.  (Can't wait to post pictures of that.)

The only other thing on my list is to see my play, A Blessed Unrest produced by an established theatre company this year.  It's for my cousin, Michael.  I wanted to produce this for you in your life, but I have a feeling that you'll help me now that you are free from your body and can go anywhere and do anything!

That's it.  Two things.  I can handle two things.

So yes there are many more nagging little things that want to jump on the list... but no, you shall stay on a post-it and not go on "The List."

What is on your "List" for this year?

And what would you like Swami Cat and I to do this coming year?

We have a book coming out, a calendar and I have a few short film ideas percolating.  Feel like acting in a short film in the Spring?  Let me know!

With so much love, light and laughter for your new year!

Yoga Girl

And now here's some happenings for the New Year...
 Princeton Center for Yoga & Health New Year's Celebration

Princeton IYI in Monmouth Junction's Special Event

ALSO I'm participating in a fundraiser for victims of Sandy two-legged and four-legged victims.
Please help me by donating just $15 -- I will be participating in as many of the Yoga classes as I can on Jan. 26th.  You too can sign up to participate and drive down there with me.
Here's the info:

Yoga Heals Fundraiser Benefitting Children and Pets Displaced by Hurricane Sandy

From 2pm - Midnight on Saturday, January 26th, 2013, The Center for Health and Healing will offer 16 all-level yoga classes taught by our wonderful teachers. The purpose of this fundraiser is to help local children and animals displaced by Hurricane Sandy. Ninety percent of money raised will be split between The Popcorn Park Zoo and helping to rebuild Boyd Elementary School of Seaside Heights and Lavallette Elementary School through the Back to School Fund@NJEA.org. There will also be a Wishing Well at the Center for donations of new school supplies or pet food. We are very excited about this event because it gives us the opportunity to directly help families affected by Hurricane Sandy while doing something we love - practicing yoga!

Good night sweet prince,
friend,
cousin,
lover of nature, of laughter, of soft-shelled crab (or did you just want to see me order it and struggle with how to eat it)
I'll always remember how you visited me in the bowels of South Central, worried for your life but happy to take me out to dinner,
I'll always remember the joy in your voice as you reminisced about your youth hitchhiking across the country and how you took a dance class one time and the teacher told everyone to be more like you-- brave and passionate (even if graceful wasn't your thing.)
I wish you much freedom now, now that you are out of the chains of non-movement.
17 years is too long for anyone to not move, except by contraptions and machines
So many people will miss you.
You and your advice.
You and your stubborn willfulness.
I hope you know how much we loved you.
Still love you.
Thank you for your inspiration, your stories, your heart.  I am so proud of what we created together.
My only wish now is that you can see it when it gets produced.  I'll make sure there's an open seat for you in the front row.
Sad for us, but not sad for you.
Much, much love to you and rest for your spirit.

Michael 

-- Lynne

Before the hustle
Slide into my silky natural awareness
One that comes with an ease of breath
Balance of mind
Calmness of thought
Like an old friend
I smile
Full happy stretching toward nothing in particular
Utter joy sinking deeper into everything
With a grateful nod to my teachers
and a prayer for all to find this peace
I do one last down dog and find my tallest self
before taking on the world


I shall rise at 4:30 everyday if it makes me feel like this.

Enjoy some Hatha and meditation today anytime.  It is yours to use.  Steal a few moments to remember your birth right of joy.

Be well.

Yoga Girl

Holiday Satsang coming this Friday (Join Jason and I as we lead a few sing-a-longs. Fun!)

HOLIDAY SATSANG

Friday, Dec. 14th 7:30 pm

Enjoy the wisdom of the ages as shared by Yoga Master Sri Rev. Jaganath Carrera. His candid humor and keen insights will delight and inspire you this holiday season. All are welcome.

Celebrate all of the holy-days including lighting of the menorah, singing some holiday favorites and do some holiday shopping at the YLS book store.  Also share with us special prasad (food). 

Akasha - "A Space to Heal"

265 Route 34 North - Rear Building

Colts Neck, New Jersey 07722

(732) 869-1591

$15

 7:30-9:30 pm

In the spirit of this Holy Season

PLEASE BRING A NEW, UNWRAPPED TOY for

Oasis: A Haven for Women and Children 

and monetary donations will be collected for

Adopt A Soldier Platoon, Inc

a non-profit organization working to improve the morale of our troops and their families.

YL Friday, 7:30 pm - 9:30pm

Also you won’t want to miss…

Having your photos taken with "Guruji as Santa"

$27 donation to YLS.

www.yogalifesociety.com

So many beautiful ways to give back (and feel great) this holiday season... join us for one or all of the following...

**YOGA-AID:  A Benefit for Those Affected by Hurricane Sandy**

Saturday, 8 December

1:00pm - 4:00pm

Freehold Yoga Center

3 West Main Street, Freehold, NJ

Program includes: Meditation, Pranayama, Asana - 

Kirtan with Acharya Krishnadas Sharma, talk by Reverend Jaganath Carrera

Proceeds to Benefit - Santa's Sandy Hands, Brahma Yoga Spa, and others.

RSVP to Dawn/Usha DeMarco

Suggested donation $35

_______________________________

**Talk at Kula Kamala Yoga**

Saturday, 8 December

6:00pm - 8:00pm

Kula Kamala Yoga

673 Batchelor Street, Toms RIver, NJ

(732) 333-3156

Please see their website for more details

_______________________________

**Special Holiday Satsang at Akasha - A Space to Heal**

Friday, 14 December

7:30pm - 9:30pm

Akasha - A Space to Heal

265 Route 34 North Rear Building, Colts Neck, NJ 

(732) 869-1591

$15

Enjoy satsang with Reverend Jaganath, a Hanukah Menorah lighting, 

some Holiday shopping at the YLS book store, special prasad (food).

Photos with "Guruji as Santa" - $27 donation.

Donations will be collected for Oasis: A Haven for Women and Children (please bring a new, unwrapped toy) and for Adopt a Soldier Platoon, Inc. 

_______________________________

**The Hidden Heart of Yoga - Unlock the Power of Transformation**

Saturday, 15 December

10am - 12pm

Integral Yoga Institute

227 West 13th Street

New York, NY 10011

(212) 929-0586

please check IYI's website for more info

______________________________

Holidays are coming and the one thing I'm dreading the gift-y part of the whole thing.  I wish it could be more about warm healthy food and singing songs surrounded by loved ones but it has become all about presents.  Why is that?  I'm not a good liar and I'm terrified of that moment when I open up a gift and it is totally wrong for me.

I guess what I'm thinking about mostly this year is those great smelling gift baskets of lotions.

I've said it before and I'm so happy I found it-- coconut oil has saved my life. Literally-- I use it on my skin, on my hair, in pill form everyday, as a cooking oil and I mix it with baking soda for a deodorant which works better than any store bought I've ever used.  My favorite of its magic properties is that it has literally stopped any (grossness alert) full-blown yeast infections.

I don't know why we're so brain washed into thinking that store bought is better.  And please-- all those chemicals we willingly put on our bodies, on our lips, and in our bodies... I can't help but see a correlation between the overdose of chemicals and why so many of us get seriously sick as we get older.

Yes I will be happy and thankful that someone thought of me and brought me a gift.  My parents taught me well.  (I do remember how horrible I was to my grandmother when she bought me the "wrong" record of The Hustle, I can vividly remember crying and breaking her heart.  My parents did teach me that day that it was the wrong response.)  Whomever gets me a gift that is thoughtful and sweet, but just not "me"-- I will hug them and thank them as if they gave $25 to a soup kitchen in my name or they bought me five containers of Trader Joe's Coconut Oil.

Going to go shopping now and hope, hope, hope I don't purchase any gifts that makes people want to cry or give me the fake, "I love it" while they secretly are already thinking of whom to regift it to.

Happy almost holidays,

Yoga Girl