Going Down My Yellow Brick Road in Warrior 1

As the summer comes to an end, the green lush leaves seen here on this lovely walking path will slowly turn to gold.  I'm wearing bright yellow as I hold onto the last days of summer mixed with an aqua multi color print skirt.

Here I go again. Taking another big step on my path. Today is moving day into our new apartment. Back to New York City we go.

Gold Trojan sandals http://www.forever21.com/

Besides my personal life I've been sensing change is in the air. The sun in the Northern Hemisphere during late August and into early September approaches us from a slant in the sky. My newly fashionable 13 year old son Ryan has let me know the hip sneakers he'd like to get before school starts while the sun has moved out of Leo and now shines on Virgo, the virgin.

I feel it is important to note the word virgin originally didn't mean without sexual experience rather it refers to being independent and complete within oneself. Now I understand the answer to how the Virgin Mary birthed Jesus. The nuns surely didn't fill me in on the true meaning of virgin at the all girl High School I attended years back. We were taught that Mary didn't have sex, Jesus simply appeared. The truth, Mary was a realized soul, a virgin who was able to mother Jesus' profound and expansive energy.

As the heavens shift it is important to feel your feet root into the earth and ground. Soften your knees a little and feel Mother Earth support you. She's always there for us to rest upon if we allow ourselves to.

Raising my prayer hands up to the sky, I soften my shoulders away from my earrings.

My girlfriend reminded me today after yoga class that moving from one home to another is a milestone human experience similar to getting divorced, married, mourning a death, having a baby and starting a new career.  Being a New Yorker I would say it is very common to move. Especially after 2008, the financial crisis' days of doom and despair. If you haven't physically moved and downsized on some level I'm sure something significant has changed for you since 2008. If not, I'm sure some big shift is coming for you to transition into. Whatever it is, a good, bad or a neutral experience it is movement... and that's a good thing.

Prayer hands pointing towards the earth open the back of my upper arms along with creating a subtle back bend.

When life flows beyond our ego's wishes there's always some big reason that's way beyond our comprehension that will make a lot of sense as time passes. My higher self knowing this, keeps me flowing as my ego kicks and screams down my yellow brick road.

Opening my elbows away from one another creates space in my neck and shoulders.  I  lengthen the back of my neck and deepen my back bend by gently pulling the base of my hairline upwards.

As I move through my life's current transition I have been reflecting on my path thus far. At this point in time I've done a lot of what I've wanted to do but definitely not in the order or way my ego would have liked it to happen. I thought I would marry my prince in my twenties, have babies, a great career and a house with a wrap around porch. I dreamed each season I would make a wreath either of flowers, dried corn and white birch branches to adorn my front door.

Preparing for a back bending variation of  Warrior 1, I align my roots, my feet. Vintage Moonson skirt http://www.monsoon.co.uk/

Yes, this all happened but my prince became one of my greatest lessons which ended in divorce and the ex husband with whom I share my 13 year old son. My thirties were my twenties where I learned to grow my yoga career and meet the most interesting and ruthless people of Manhattan. Months before my 40th year I met my 2nd husband, an Indian prince. Who not only is my best friend, teacher and manages my ego, he also is the link that reconnected my son Ryan and I to our Indian with a dot life. Yes, we had a great old Bollywood wedding filled with glitter, gold and tons of colorful people. Yet my husband and I stomached much pain and suffering to make this East meets West union come to life.

As my feet ground, light and airy energy runs up my spine through the crown of my head. I center myself  between heaven and earth by placing my hands in prayer position along the center of my chest. Bright sun yellow shelf bra tank with foam cups I inserted from Strawberry Shop New York City/no website $4.99

People often say to my husband Amit and I that we are brave, crazy and at the same time look so happy. I wouldn't describe myself as brave and crazy instead gutsy rings more appropriate for me. Embodying what I have learned from yoga's Warrior Path has absolutely strengthened my personal get out there and charge energy. If you're interested in reading more about the Warrior's Path please visit my archive blogs from June and July. Here you can read about the 4 part Warrior's Path of applying precision, gentleness, being open and intuitive into your life.

As for happy...yes, we're happy more than half of the time because we have committed to live authentically regardless of other's projections on us. This sounds so lovely but it takes plenty of deep emotional work to do so. It is so much easier to play by the rules, be quiet, numb to what is true and do the same thing over the next day.

Inhale prayer hands up towards the heavens

Exhale and lunge into Warrior 1.



Integration ain't easy. Discrimination comes in so many forms from a women not being hired because she maybe be too provocative for the other male employees to concentrate and work to a young dark haired and dark skinned man not shaving before boarding an airplane being stopped, searched and questioned.

Take and deep inhale, exhale as prayer hands points down towards the earth.

The last vestiges of racism, discrimination or whatever you want to call it need to be burned from our consciousness. I believe we can do it. After all, yoga the practice of unifying everything from your right side to your left side, your inhale to your next exhale and merging your mind into your heart emerged from India, a culture who's ancient roots teach separatism by way of a class system. The rich only mix with the rich, the poor with the poor, the elders with the elders, the youth with the youth, people from the south partner with southern people, east with the east, west with the west, north with the north and so on.

Let the last rays of summer's sun shine in. Gold bangles gifted from India, sunglasses http://www.forever21.com/

You maybe be thinking separatism is the way of the world. What more can I do? I disagree. Living in New York City I see a lot of social mixing of various economic groups, different ages socializing as well as plenty of inter racial loving however when I hang out with old world people of different ancient cultures I seem to see the same faces coming through the doors, the same rituals being performed, the same faces smiling at me as well as the same faces ignoring me. The feelings that resonate between these words makes me want to personally initiate more change for my children and generations to come.


You and I have it in us to do so if we're willing to look at our thoughts, words and actions and shift them into a non dual way of seeing he world. It is as simple as having lunch with someone new. Specifically someone who can't help you in your mind climb up the social and economic ladder. How about spending some quality time with an elder member of your family? If there's no one like that nearby then socialize a bit with someone older or how about much younger than you. Maybe they make more or less money than you or they come from a completely different culture. It doesn't matter simply listen to them and engage in their life.

Open out of Warrior 1's back bending variation and transition into the beginnings of triangle pose.

Be sure not to do this with the obligation of being a saint and changing the world. If you do that then you're simply being fake. Similar to when someone asks you how you're doing and you give them a good old plastic smile and say "I'm just fine." when in reality you feel miserable.

It takes courage and patience to be real. I say courage because when you're real and give truthful answers or comments people just might reject you when in reality they are rejecting your truth. They'll say "Be positive." Maybe they'll try to solve your problem when your not looking for one or argue with you because they don't want to hear it and walk out of the room. This is where your patience comes in, don't sit in judgement of them rather just be with it. Feel what comes up for you, breathe it in and let it go. Notice how everything that comes up mutates into the next feeling and moment.

This is one big way Amit, my husband and I managed and still do as an integrated couple.

The hand on the front leg's shin is gently lifting an imaginary sock up.

I hate the word integrated. Why? Because it's so hard to do. As hard as integrating my arm bones into my shoulder joints as I practice yoga postures. As hard as earning my independence from anyone financially for many years to moving into my in laws for a short bit.

Exhale, bend the front knee and gently finger tip touch the ground. Beaded necklace New York City street vendor

Inhale and fly into 1/2 moon pose as your exhale grounds you. Don't think this pose out focus on your breath moving in and out.

Catch the air by expanding the top arm to the sky.

I guess this is what the masters suggest when they say to go inside of yourself, be one with yourself, whole like the virgin and then remember that you're not alone and living on an island. In other words once you've come to a place of self realization that "Aha!" moment that makes you a virgin, in this case meaning complete with oneself. Leave your inner retreat, open your home's gates and commune with the world. Aaaggghhhh! Integration.

Spin your heart center to the sky and take hold of your bent knee's ankle.

Soften your supporting hand's fingertips.

Truth seekers do count on anything that is worthwhile and spirit driven as being hard to do. I've come to notice that when things come in too easily and at the same time feel repetitive and boring it is a sure sign that I'm living from my ego's cue and not my heart's truth.

Fingertip your hands under your shoulders. As you gaze forward free your leg up to the sky with an open hip.

So, with that being said...

Bring it all back to the earth in a low lunge. Feel Mother Earth's support.

I'm moving today and taking fresh new steps on my path. As much as I try to run away from my truth and complain to Amit, wishing I could get what I want, the way I want it and when I want it... I'm feeling my pain, taking deep breaths and healing instead. I'm walking forward as a Warrior with a spacious heart, strong legs, a quieter mind and open to the possibilities of new and improved things to come.

Moving on to the next moment in time.

I'll leave you with pop art's visionary icon, Andy Warhol's words "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

Andy Warhol was not only an artist but a philosopher and visionary. He left his body in 1987. Prior to this time he achieved artistic recognition during his lifetime during the 60's, 70's and 80's. Being recognized while being alive is huge for a fine artist.

He was a gay man in a time of our history when dark skinned people, women and same sex relationships were experiencing far more discrimination than they are now. He was often described as being quirky and quiet. I believe he was a genius who watched people, observed their behavior, accepted them as is and then created his artistic interpretation.

Andy's art varied from painting Hollywood icon's like Marilyn Monroe, to filming men dressed as women crossing a street as well as glorifying an everyday object like a kitchen knife and Campbell's soup can on canvas.

There's no guessing what this piece of art is.

In most cases Andy kept his artwork simple. He chose subjects people could relate to. Whether your poor, rich, old, young, grew up in Asia or Kansas City, USA there would be a way your consciousness would recognize and remember his art work.

I personally call his style of art "Art with no boundaries."

See Marilyn Monroe's image transform from picture to picture. Using different tones and colors from one picture to the next symbolizes our shifts in perception from one moment to the next. When you spend the time and really look into this piece of art ultimately you see one image. Your perspective is no longer coming from a dual reality. This series is a nice integration exercise.

When Andy became popular he made sure to have plenty of parties where he would introduce his rich friends with his struggling art friends, gay friends and so on. He was renowned to have an eclectic group of friends.

By the looks of this shot I feel like Andy would understand the Glamorous Yogini

Andy kept a diary of his life by recording his voice, taking pictures of nearly everywhere he went and filming a bit of his everyday life too. If he was alive now I'm sure he would be a big fan of Facebook and personal lifestyle blogging as I am now.

Thank you Sir Andy Warhol for downloading so much wisdom, beauty and assisting us in the integration process.