BloomLetter

We are MOVING!

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:55:26 PDT

Hello Lovely Followers of the BloomLetter....

I am excited to say that we are moving! You can find all archives and new blog entries for the BloomLetter at:

WWW.BRITTBSTEELE.COM

Click on the Blog once you get there.

See you soon!

Namaste,
Britt

Just a Little Bit of Love

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:30:17 PDT

Just a little bit of Love.... that's my motto this morning. I am sitting at my kitchen counter, drinking a cup of jo. Yes, JO. Getting ready for an iconic, wild and spiritually rich "first moment of the rest of my life". After 10 years of teaching at an amazing facility on the outskirts of Portland, I am moving IN. Not moving ON. Moving IN... This is my last weekend at ClubSport, and the beginning of whatever JUICE is to move through me next....

Sometimes there is the greatest EXPANSION when we let go. I am feeling that in a big way!

I will continue to teach at YogaPearl in NW Portland, pearl district: M and F at 5 pm: Vinyasa Yoga. I am also expanding my offerings online and in retreats and events... there is some DELISH stuff coming your way.

Please stay tuned. Please stay in touch. Visit me in Vernonia often and frequently (seriously).... And be sure to email me if you want to be on my mailing list if you aren't sure if you are currently subscribed.

There is a party coming out in Vernonia for YOU as soon as we are at a place where our beautiful new home and retreat center is ready for guests.... So, be sure to be on my email list so you don't miss the invite.

And, so I will leave you / begin with this:
I came to my email this morning, with a BE-YOU-TIFTUL message from my lovely friend, Gordon... He shared this:

There is ONE great truth on this planet.
Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do.
When you really want something.
It is because that desire originated in the Soul.
The SOUL of the universe.
It is your mission on Earth.

When you want something.
All the Universe conspires.
In helping you achieve IT.

~ Paulo Coelho

Namaste,
Britt

Taking it ALL In

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:31:31 PDT

Om.
Leela, one of the yoga retreat Devis, takes in the long lost sunshine during a break after lunch at the weekend yoga retreat.

Om....
I am just coming off a beautiful yoga retreat with 30+ Devatas (brilliant lights).... and I am reminded of all of the ways that we can "take it all in" even when we are NOT on retreat.

Each time I offer a retreat, we all arrive "buzzing" from the rajas of life. Running here and there, doing this, finishing this, getting that, and so on and so forth. We arrive, and slowly.... but surely.... the "buzz" starts to leave us... We meditate, walk and rest in nature, read, laugh, laugh, and laugh... cry, purge, release. We dance, spin, and gorgeously... we build up a NEW kind of buzz. One that is rich with prana, light, and the nectar of who we really are.

Curious, isn't it? We are searching.... seeking.... longing for "the buzz". But, oh, how we settle for less than the highest vibration. So, how DO we get back to the highest, richest, vibration?

Here are some thoughts:

1. Practice 9 complete rounds of Surya Namaskar every day
2. Eat LIVE, high vibrational foods... no need to overthink it: colorful, fresh, no can openers, no freezers, no additives
3. Sprawl your beautiful self out on the grass whenever possible
4. Average yourself "up"... spend as much time with people who bring your vibration UP UP and AWAY!
5. Love. Love. and when in doubt, Love some more

Take it ALL in.... bring it on, and TRUST that "this too shall pass" and that beneath all the hubbub.... there you shall find yourself... radiant, full of light and life and joy and eternal bliss.

I am light. I am eternal bliss and happiness. I am transformation itself. I am Shiva.

Om Namah....

Namaste,
Britt

April 2011 Events

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:33:43 PDT

Reclaiming Your Life

Life places so many responsibilities on us we sometimes go numb, unable to remember who we truly are and how important it is for us to take care of ourselves. If you've hit a plateau, or are hankering to amp u p the "juice" in your life, give yourself a gift and join Britt Bensen Steele for a seven week course designed specifically for women. Re-ignite your creativity, passion, and purpose for life. Gather your sisters, mother, friends, and neighbors... and join in a movement that is sweeping the soul: The journey to reclaim what is yours: your wholeness. It's in everyone of us!

Seven Week Course
Every Wednesday from 10am - 12n
April 27th through June 8th
ClubSport Oregon
$129 members
$139 non-members
Course materials included

Come explore these questions and more:
* How can awaken a more purposeful life?
* How can I increase my zest and pizazz for life??
* How can I live day-to-day with my best qualities in the driver seat?
* How can I hone in on my intuition?
* What is the next step for me to live my life from my most empowered place?

10% discount if purchased with Yoga: Walking the Ancient Path to Wholeness

Meet incredible, like-minded women seeking connection, meaning, support and friendship for living a life that we can all be proud of and thrilled to be living. Life is meant to be lived JUICY!

What people have said about the "Reclaiming Your Life" program:

"This class changed my life! I am amazed by how much I learned!!!"

"... life altering, safe place for meaningful deep growth!"

"We were all freaking out about the class ending.... never would've known what I was missing.... SOOOO glad I took this course!"

"... these women are all friends for life... people I have known for years, I now feel like I have known for lifetimes..."

"She says it ALL! Raw and uncensored--but with such lightness! I LOVE this class!!"

"Britt is a wonderful, kind, and amazing teacher. Her knowledge encompasses not only health, but also wisdom and healing. I am, literally, a different woman."

I will not die an unlived life
I will not live in fear
Of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
To allow my living to open me,
To make me less afraid,
More accessible.
To loosen my heart
Until it becomes a wing,
A Torch, a promise.
I choose to risk my significance,
To live so that which came to me as seed
Goes to the next as blossom,
And that which came to me as blossom,
Goes on as fruit

~Dawna Markova

****************************

Yoga: Walking the Ancient Path to Wholeness

Join Britt Bensen Steele for a seven-week, mat practice, exploring the depths of ancient tantric techniques of Yoga and Kriya as taught by Satyananda Saraswati. Go deep in a small group setting, with personalized attention and instruction. Focus on awakening and directing the energy body, relaxation as a key tool for enhancing health, pranayama, and tapping into the richness of the ancient, and often hidden, practices of yoga.

Seven Week Course
All levels welcome
Every Wednesday from 8:30am - 9:45am
April 27th through June 8th
ClubSport
$79 members
$89 non-members

10% discount if purchased with Reclaiming Your Life

Namaste,
Britt

Planting Seeds of Wonder

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:36:36 PDT

This photo was taken almost 1 year ago at my annual June Yoga Retreat at Cedar Ridge. Hope to see you there! June 9-12th, 2011. Early Registration is open... a great way to plant seeds of intention that will help you bloom into your fullness this spring.

I remember driving out to have a picnic last summer, on the twisty-turny, sun-kissed road to our property. My friend Heather was in the passenger seat.

She said something that day that stuck with me. She said, "sometimes you plant seeds that are annuals and they come up just once. Sometimes you plant seeds that are perennials and they come up again and again, year after year. But other times, you plant seeds that are bi-annual.. and even though the seeds are planted, and the gestation has begun, you don't get to see the flowers grow for a couple of years. In fact, you have no way of knowing whether they will ever break ground." This stuck with me. Just because I can't observe the fruits of my labor doesn't mean the seeds didn't take... it just means the latency period is longer than... in my case... the season of my patience.

Every seed matters. Every breath. Every thought. Every intentional act of kindness or otherwise. And when we see a little sign along the way reminding us that what we planted is coming to fruition, we best pay attention. This goes for both the beautiful gardens of delight that we plant, if that is the case... and for the weeds of poor lifestyle choices, negativity or complacency that sprout so vigorously that it seems their roots are bound to the belly of the earth.

Look closely at what is evolving in your life. Notice what aligns with who you KNOW yourself to be in the truth of your existence... and look for the little signs along the way, and follow them home. Home to your heart. Home to the vision of what you choose to leave as your mark on this journey. And home to your true nature....

Namaste,
Britt

Retreat Yourself to a Yoga Weekend with Britt

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:06:48 PDT

It's that time again! Spring is in the air, and registration is open for the June Yoga Retreat with Britt.

Hope to see you there!

I Feel the Earth Move....

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:22:10 PDT

Here's my lovely hunk-a-hunk-a-horse! WHO is your mirror? Or maybe more accurately, who isn't?

So, this morning I had the lyrics "I feel the earth move under my feet... I feel the sky tumblin' down... a tumblin' down" running through my head. Makes sense--considering it is officially springtime. Officially. Not literally, however. But, cellularly? It's true.

My practice this morning undeniably brought with it the "vata" of the season... dry, windy joints. Stiffness and a sense impending change. I love the spring. I love the seasons, actually. They remind me of who I am... part and parcel of nature. Connected to the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space... and the ways in which these elements manifest in my body, and in my life.

Example:
Like most days, I went to the barn yesterday, to clean stalls and groom my most handsome, and only, horse, Indio. He is one hot hunk, that horse. And he feels me... and I love that.

He feels you?

Yep. He feels me.

When I am in a hurry... rushing to get in and get out, take him for a spin, and then launch him back out in to the pasture with the other horses, HIS breath shortens. HE appears agitated. HE even worries more (albeit about whether or not he's on the menu).

So, what does that have to do with the tattvas? The elements of nature?

Well, it's like this: my "wind"... throws him off course. My "air" leads him to feel unsafe, ungrounded, and nervous. My "fire", if I get impatient, awakens his rigidity, and his feet are rigid as if cemented to the ground beneath.

BUT if I am relaxed, breathing deeply and taking grounded, "earthy" steps, he does the same. If I am walking slowly--giving him "space" to breath... Loving on him and just being present, he breathes long and deep and his big, brown eyes open and close soooo sllllowwwwly. He relaxes, softens, and loves me back. Just like that.

I LOVE this! He literally is a mirror. All animals are. In fact, all BEINGS are... reflecting... shining back at us, what we are illuminating, and radiating forth, and whatever we are gripping and holding, we see in those closest to us. Truth is, it is never about them.

So, I like what I learn when he is not relaxed, bent out of shape, and all stiff-throated. I like that he is telling me that I need to relax each time I think he needs to relax.

And the best part of all?

I find myself take pause. And I realize that it isn't an isolated phenomena I experience with my horse. I also experience it with my loved ones. ALL of them.

Example:
When I am with my husband, I'll be darned if the same thing doesn't happens... If he is "stuck", tense, agitated, and stiff? I just better look to myself. Maybe he needs more space and room to breathe... If he is uncertain or weary, I just better look to myself. Maybe he needs to feel my solidity, my "earthiness".

Ahhh, but if he is relaxed, and present, and his big brown eyes open and close slowly... I, too, can look to myself. And HERE is where we become ONE... All of us. Where we connect... breathe... soften... and feel the balance of earth, water, fire, air and space. It is just that simple.

So try this...
Inhale: I am the world.
Exhale: And the world is me.
Inhale: I am the world.
Exhale: And the world is me.

Who's your mirror, Baby? Or more accurately, who isn't?

Happy Springtime!

Namaste,
Britt

Doin' What Comes Naturally: February 19: 1-4 PM

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:47:33 PDT

Join me for a small group workshop this Saturday at ClubSport Oregon.

It will include:
* Nutrition from a yogic / "eating with the seasons" perspective
* Focus on use of herbs (that you can buy at the market) for winter challenges such as achey bones, dry skin/hair, digestive challenges, lethargy, winter flu & cold
* The top 12 yoga postures for health/healing
* Breathing practices for insomnia, digestive health
* I will also be doing tongue and pulse evaluation on all students who are present... generally this occurs when I do 1:1 sessions and included as a fundamental component of a $200 package
* There will also be a variety of "show & tell" related products for living a more balanced life, in alignment with nature and the seasons

Hope to see you there!

Namaste,
Britt

Here it is!!!!

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 08:43:19 PST

The infamous ELK FENCE!.... I've talked about it, blogged about it, cooed over it, and expressed my love and devotion to the one who built it (that'd be my hubby)... so here it is! Not really about yoga or ayurveda, but the practice of both most certainly made the project go more smoothly! Enjoy!!!

Namaste,
Britt

Winter 2011

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:57:35 PST

Find this card and more at curlygirldesign.com

Join me Off the Mat as we explore together Ayurveda and its natural healing wisdom. If you have already attended What's Yer Dosha, content is "ancient and improved", having spent 8 weeks with Dr. Lad in India, immersed in Ayurveda. If you are looking to enhance your digestion, your skin health, your mood, or your practice on the mat... join me for a workshop this Winter / Spring.

Trust me when I say that my yoga practice will never be the same having steeped myself in this ancient, magnificent healing modality. If you practice yoga, are interested in self-healing, food as medicine, or natural healthcare, Ayurveda is worth your time and is waiting to bless you profoundly!

*****************************

Sunday, January 16th

What's Yer Dosha?
An Introduction to Ayurveda
We all know there is more to yoga and that how we live our lives, manage our stress, and what we put into our bodies shows up in our attitude and performance, both on and off the mat. Ayurveda, the sister medicine to Yoga, literally means “the science of life”, and teaches us how we can understand our unique differences as they apply to our yoga practice, our lifestyle and our nutritional practices.
http://yogapearl.com/a-workshops/011-britt-dosha.pdf

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Yoga Pearl, NW Portland
$30

************************

Saturday, February 19

Doing What Comes Naturally: An ancient perspective on living in balance
When we align with the rhythms of nature, the need for discipline and effort fall away, leaving us with a sense of vitality, invigoration and light. In this workshop, take a deeper look within at what brings your life into optimal health and balance. Join Britt Bensen Steele, MPH, celebrated Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselor and Yoga Instructor, in this practical and personal journey into what it takes to live an extraordinarily harmonious life by looking to Ayurveda, Yoga, and the wisdom of nature as your guides.

1:00 - 4:00pm
ClubSport Oregon, Studio 2
$30 Member of ClubSport / $35 Non-Member of ClubSport

Namaste,
Britt

Little Signs Along the Way....

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:38:00 PST

I "visioned" having a horse again... a Paint.... and then this guy showed up, without warning... I even named my Paint in my vision... I called him Indigo. And then when this lovely horse arrived, named Indio, having just returned from India... I paid attention....

It has been nearly five years since my husband and I began "visioning" our home and retreat center. The process is unfolding, one step at a time. Plans have been submitted to the county, and we will break ground this spring. We designed (with the help of the most amazing architect, Andy) a sustainable, late 1800's farmhouse replica, with Vastu Shastra as our guide. The elk fence is beautiful (I know, sounds absurd but I promise). And yet, it is sloooow going. Everything seems to take longer than we expect, and there are road bumps, and challenges, and plenty of moments of feeling discouraged.

But there are also little signs along the way...
I've shared with some of you, that in my visioning process, I fully stocked the barn yard, with a milk cow (Betsy), three goats (LuLu, Mr. Wiggles, and Agnes), chickens (Zelda, Beatrice, and Gertrude), a rooster (Dick) ... sorry about that one, a mule (Beezus), a gray barncat (Lucy), a golden retriever (Surya), a Rhodesian Ridgeback (Shumba), and two horses: one named Tejas (of the firey red/brown variety--probably a tall, tennessee walker), and another... my favorite... a Paint, mountainous beauty named Indigo. For nearly a year, we hung these photos of retreat center, animal guardians, and other detailed visions, above our bed as we slept... The following spring, when we put our house on the market, we opted to take them down to avoid being thought crazy by potential buyers touring our house. But, whether the photos hung on the wall or not, the seeds were planted. And, let's just say, they are most definitely germinating.

So, it has been almost four years since I named the animals... scouring the internet in search of the perfect barn animals to fit the names I had selected, carefully copying and pasting them, printing and posting them. And they hung for about six months before I took them down and filed them away. Occasionally I think about them, recalling their names and photographs, and recognizing them as our animals and land stewards.

About two weeks ago, I was online, somehow surfing Craigslist for a classic airstream trailer (that's a whole/another story). I found myself search "horse" in farm and garden (no idea how that happened), and up came this horse. I saw his photo, read his gig, and then saw his name. Indigo. No, Indio. It seemed to put my dream of Indigo, the wonder Paint, and my recent journey to India together in a perfect union.

So, what to do? We went to see him. We went to see him again. We went to see him again... and now he lives 2 minutes from my house. We are boarding him across the road until we can build him his own barn, to share with Beezus, Gertrude, Mr. Wiggles, and the rest of the clan.

Someday, he will be on our farm, at our retreat center, Deva Darru, at the end of Keasey Road... where we share the yoga of life with anyone who wants to visit our country club... But for now, I just keep noticing the little signs along the way... the synchronicities, as I see them, are really little light posts. When things feel slow, and stuck, and so close to quiet that I wonder if there is even any life left... if I look closely, listen intently, soften my heart and open my mind... I can't help but know I am right where I belong, chasing the dream that is meant to be mine, and shining my little light wherever it can be seen.

May you shine brightly, my brilliant, divine journeyers. May you slow down, and hear, see, smell and taste what signals you toward your dreams. And may you feel the indigenous roots of your soul.

Pay close attention to these little signs. They are indicators that God is listening to you... and that whatever you want in this life is yours if you ask for it... Be careful what you wish for, and follow the signs that lead to your heart... follow the signs that lead to yoga--the simple place where your heart, mind, body, and spirit collide and illuminate this place you call your life.

See you on the mat...

Namaste,
Britt

Ayurveda Workshop.... Come One, Come All..

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:49:12 PST

Fresh off the turnip truck from India.... join Britt as she shares her experience of spending 2 months with Dr. Vasant Lad, international leader in Ayurvedic Medicine. Deepen your understanding of Ayurveda or introduce yourself to this worldly healing modality. Ayurveda can balance your life, cleanse your heart and open your life up to possibilities beyond your current reality.

This is a great "primer" for upcoming workshops and classes, and an introduction to what your tongue and pulse can tell you about your health.

Explore this ancient wisdom and the multitude of ways Ayurveda can re-awaken the self-healer living in each of us...

Hope to see you there! (Even if you've been before, you won't be disappointed!)... Limited space available.

Register at www.yogapearl.com

Namaste,
Britt

Simplicity "Rains"

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:37:47 PST

A simple act of sharing... we are all healers in our own way -- sharing our sweetness however that nectar manifests within...

It is January 3rd and I am sitting in a little coffee shop in Vernonia. Our internet is down at Cedar Ridge, so I have set up office here. It is cold and raining outside. I am sporting some handmade arm warmers (thanks Nan! Love these forever!), and I have just finished a warm, creamy beverage of choice. The only thing I might change is the music selection… but Bobby McFerrin’s quote soothes me, “spending your whole life listening to one kind of music is like living your whole life in a beautiful mansion and spending all of your time in the bathroom.” Time to get out of the bathroom, girlfriend…. I guess twang aint so bad.

2011. Wow. Truth is, I don’t know exactly where to start. I am satiated with herbal recipes, cordials, treatment plans, diagnostic techniques, and a newfound love for the magical wisdom of the tongue and pulse. What I do know about this year is that I am dedicated to living my “simple little life”. The word “sweetness” permeates my consciousness. Amrita… nectar… the stuff a “juicy life” is made of… pure sweetness.

So, what is so sweet in my life lately? Why, thanks for asking… ☺

Loving my “wife-ness”… lighting a candle for my husband when he arrives home after working out in the cold all day… having his slippers ready for him… having dinner started, with candles and smells of yum wafting through the air… taking a bath together… and laughing about our mama and daddy long-leggedness, drizzled into a bathtub made for one (reminds me of setting off a can of silly string in an empty Altoids tin).

Dancing again… I danced a total of…. Let me think… ONCE…. During the months of November and December. Coming back and dancing my heart IN with my friends, brothers, and sisters again is soooo SUHweet.

Yoga… Really. Yoga in the big sense… not just what happens on the mat, but opening my eyes intermittently amidst asana and pranayama and seeing the sun rising, radiating pink across the sky… and then just being a cat, a dog, a horse, a child, a woman of 40… throughout my practice. THAT is sweet. ☺

Feeling GRATITUDE… for the brilliance of friends and “shareholders” in my life… Angela… my hair goddess. Molly and Marla… my “resident” artists (your art hangs in MY residence ☺), Annie and Patty… the ones I find to be brilliant mothers and women of grandiosity… Michael F… and his highness, Jolene… J with the contagious smile, Steve Gold, Shimshai, Jana, David Roth, and Tina Malia… my friends and sweet, soulful voices of light that share this journey and inspire me vibrationally… as I dance and share my gifts… for you… (and so many others… I am so, very grateful).

Ahhh…. The light is fading… time to leave this office and head home to our 600 sf apartment at Cedar Ridge. Time to think about dinner and how I can share this sweetness I taste in my bones.

May you taste your life like chocolate. It’s there for the savoring. Sweetness and simplicity rains… especially in this Pacific Northwest Winter.

Namaste,
Britt

A Clinic Like No Other

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:52:20 PST

The "waiting room" outside of the screen door leading into the clinic. Most of these patients are farm workers.

We have completed two weeks of clinical training and suffice it to say it has been overwhelmingly satiating. We spend 10-14 hours per day split between classroom studies, clinical observations, and assisting the physician. We navigate this ancient land, in search of food that we can stomach, admiring the people, keeping our sunglasses on our bright western faces, with ankles and arms covered. There are 8 students, 1 administrator, and 1 physician.

Clinic is the most graceful of the experiences. As we sit and observe vast socio-economic strata coming and going, their purpose for visiting Dr. Vasant Lad, reminds me of our sameness. There are physicians from across the globe accompanying their patients with perplexing symptoms to the most impoverished farm workers exhibiting signs of malnutrition. We have seen typhoid fever, scorosis of the liver, kidney failure, cancer, schizophrenia, depression, servere anorexia (not the psychological type, but cause by internal mal-absorption), and the rarest of skin conditions.

We sit, in a small clinic, around physician and patient, as they speak any variety of Indian dialect and then, as if narrating, the Vaidya (ayurvedic physician), translates the health concerns of patient to us, without affect, and then proceeds to share his findings. We are taking pulse (the seven layers... not just the lub dub), assessing organ strength, dosha, and relationship between what is happening in one's psychology and one's physiology. We assist with basic treatments, including nasya (nasal oil treatments), netri-bindu (stinging, clearing eye drops), and marma therapy (like acupressure). Already, in these two weeks, I have witnessed the nonsensical. He integrates allopathy and ayurveda with clinical finesse. We observe the uncanny, yet unfaltering correlation between physical trait and disease. We witness how eye characteristics, nail shape, tongue color & landscape, skin tags, and pulse presentation clearly express the honest and innocent truth of what is happening within one's body and mind. These diagnostic processes, although dissimilar in many ways to our western medical approach reveal a direct correlation to mineral deficiency, presence of intestinal parasite, blood lipid profiling, history of thumb sucking and its impact on physiology, and so much more.

Probably the most profound, we are realizing how our mind is a valuable tool, especially when partnered with the intuition. There is a sensory skill that is developed through the practice of ayurveda. A way that we exhale, let go of what we think we know, and allow that which is true, in this moment, to reveal itself through pulse, intellect, tongue, and manifestation within body, mind, heart, and soul.

Until next time...

Namste,
Britt

This is INDIA!

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:47:40 PST

This small tribe greeted us as we arrived at the farm for clinic... we traveled 2 hours each way twice a week to offer free healthcare services to the villagers who live near the doctor's farmhouse in the country.

No rules apply here. Last night, my roommate Madhuri (translates to Sweetness), was taking a shower, when there was a knock at our door... I openened the door to find a hotel attendant, who could only say, "Excuse me, maam... Balloon?"... I was stumped. We exchanged gestures, and he repeated "balloon?" a few more times, when I finally opened the door and said, "you need to come in?" He wobbled his head like a bobble doll (which is what they do here.... I still haven't figured out if it means yes or no). My roommate, now wrapped in a towel, quickly sequestered herself in the bathroom,w ith just her head sticking out to bear witness. I watched him walk, barefoot, between our two skinny beds, to the window which overlooks a five story drop to the patio below. Just outside the window we have a coconut tree, and as he whooshed open the curtains, it all made sense. There, tangled in the fronds of the coconut tree, were two stringed balloons: one purple, one red. He pushed our personal items on our nightstand aside, and put one bare foot on the table, and one on my bedsheets, next to my pillow. He then balanced on his knee, teetering out the window, as he grasped the balloon strings, jumped back inside our room, pointed below and out the window and said, "small child". I nodded, and said, "ho", which is sort of a cross between "I see and hhhmmm.". He wobbled his head and sort of smiled. Madhuri retreated once again into the bathroom, and he exited. We shook our heads and laughed... THIS is India.

Namaste,
Britt

Turn Off Your Mind

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 03:08:10 PST

Om. I write this message from a crowded internet cafe in Pune, India. I have completed the first of six weeks of rigorous study with Vaidya, Dr. Vasant Lad, in a
guru kula--a small study program of eight students and two teachers. Each day we learn, first hand, the blessings of Ayurvedic Medicine, and how wise the body is... how the patient is the greatest teacher.... and how the body never lies.

Ayurveda offers herbs, marma therapy (like accupressure), jyotish, compassion, and the most comprehensive methodology in symptom diagnosis, patient understanding and treatment. This work never ceases to amaze me, and I feel so deeply blessed to be here with one of the leading ayurvedic physicians on the planet.

I will share with you more details soon. As for now, all I can say is that I am so grateful to be here, and to study in this manner. Of our eight students, we have two physicians, and their commentary only reinforces that this medicine is not only western medicine, but it is holy medicine... honoring the patient deeply, and focusing on what we don't know, instead of only on what we do know.

I am touched deeply each time Dr. Lad tells us, "The mind can get in the way of your understanding... quiet your mind, open your mind.... turn off your mind... When your mind is off, you are quiet. When you are quiet, you are open. When you are open, there is space, and where there is space, there is love. And where there is love, there is healing."

More to come soon.

Namaste,
Britt

Building Jurassic Park -- for Yogis!

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:46:04 PDT

We are building our home (and preliminary elk fence... a.k.a. Jurassic Park) with the ancient practices of Vastu Shastra, or Vedic Astrology (a form of energetic building that predates Feng Shui). This is Padma Devi, the Lotus Goddess... We offered a Puja on a new moon, the day we drilled the well, to invoke Grace and to bless our land. She is our symbol of asking permission to build on the land, to apologize for displacing animals and plants, and offer our humble service to all that is good in the world. She looks east, welcoming each morning, and greeting the day on our behalf... Note: her mala beads have been taken by a local resident... I envision a racoon or beaver, sporting a great sandalwood mal around his neck!

“I’ve learned to trust what I call the Braille method of living – relinquishing grand plans and schemes in favor of an intuitive approach, feeling my way from tree to tree, relinquishing my attempts to control the world and learning, instead, to trust a discerning surrender.” ~ Stephen Cope

Gosh, where do I start? . . .

1. My husband is building an elk fence, literally as I write this... split-rail cedar posts are 12 - 14 feet long.... and the fence is 8 feet high... If elk get into this fence, I think I better stay in the house and pray. Suffice it to say the laborers-of-love who are helping him build it have named it "Jurassic Park"... just in case the magnitude of this puppy wasn't sinking in...
2. I am off to India -- for seven weeks... November 3rd - December 19th, 2011. I am excited to study ayurveda in a formal and regimented way... I am sad sad sad to leave my husband... the beauty is that I know how deeply I love him when I think of being without him for seven whole weeks.
3. I will be back teaching and practicing ayurveda on January 1st, 2011. (No big trip away this year -- just missing 8 weekends of teaching and then I am back with you....)
4. We are building our home -- taking the plunge, pulling permits, and breaking ground on our eco-home /slash/ yoga haven / slash / farm / slash / retreat... and hope to begin sharing yoga and light and love via this forested, pranic-rich sanctuary come next fall 2011.... Retreats will be small, quaint, and deep. Yummy.
5. I am joining the local Grange -- a paternal organization that supports agriculture, community, leadership, and sustainability. One of our first visioning projects is to collect local apples, together... go to one of our members' homes to press the apples, and lightly ferment it until the first part of December, where we serve it at the Christmas Bizarre... Baby, this is Yoga. This is what your local Grange can do for you... I'll keep you posted, as I also am dreaming of goat cheese making, basket weaving, wine-making, and many more nostalgic practicalities that I believe can serve our communities and our health.

And so it is..., Life is Yoga.... as I practice, and teach, and dream, and put the puzzle pieces of my life into a collage of colorful experiences, I realize with each breath, that Yoga is how I walk. It isn't the path I walk, necessarily, but it is HOW I walk.... With breath, with length and conscious stride... with expanded lung, open heart, fingers spread, and eyes and teeth-sockets relaxed, with a deep reverence for my relationships, even those that challenge me. With a rooted respect for my body, however it shows up each day, however it ages, shifts, changes, grows, evolves, and presents me with sensation. And with my eyes reaching upward, growing toward my highest potential, realizing the highest potential that exists already in fullness within each of us.

“I did not come to yoga to stretch. I came to live.” Maya Breuer

Namaste,
Britt

p.s. I will be back teaching at ClubSport & practicing at YogaPearl January 1, 2011... come dance with me, however you come, just come... Om.

Kitchen Table Yoga

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:46:38 PDT

KITCHEN TABLE YOGA
An Introduction to Ayurvedic Cooking

Saturday, October 23rd, 2-4:30 PM
$45
Register at www.yogapearl.com or call 503.525.YOGA

Enjoy a full-fledged ayurvedic cooking class... and a sampling of autumn's perfect vata balancing foods, each loaded with healing qualities to balance your body -- both on and off the mat.

Yoga begins within, and what we eat inevitably affects the form and function of our bodies. Yoga’s sister science, Ayurvedic Medicine, teaches us how we can address stress, digestive ailments, headaches, sleep issues, achy joints, and much more, simply and inexpensively. Discover the hidden treasures of ancient medicine in your kitchen cabinets…before reaching into the medicine cabinet.

Learn about common herbs such as basil, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, garlic and turmeric and their scientifically sound healing qualities. And taste some simple and delicious ayurvedic recipes prepared right before your eyes. Practicing yoga never tasted so good!

Namaste,
Britt

Shiva Shakti

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:20:16 PDT

Shiva Shakti...

Om, and welcome to the briskness of Autumn... be sure to manage your Vata (search Vata in topics) as the seasons change so you may be present to not only the weather outside, but also to your internal climate. It is only when we are present and connected to our breath that we can experience the full spectrum of joy that comes from the season change. Quite beautiful

FALL YOGA RETREAT UPDATE:
I am honored that so many of you have inquired about the fall yoga retreat... I have made a decision to reschedule the October retreat and hope that you will be able to join me when new dates are set. It will likely be mid/late spring.

The reason I have opted to reschedule is because my husband and I are being called to attend a training in Hawaii. The title of this blog, Shiva Shakti, is the essential union of the masculine and the feminine, It is what happens our power embraces our peacefulness. The week that Larry and I will be spending in Hawaii is not only my devotion to my marriage, and my husband, but also to the greater sacredness of gender relations, communing of one's life with another, and the need we have on our planet to balance the energies of masculine and feminine.

I have written about this before, this deep desire I have to find my own balance between surrendering into my softness and standing tall in my power. It is a struggle for me, this I freely admit. And so, off to Hawaii I journey, hand in hand with my favorite yogi, Larry.

I hope your hearts are open, wildly curious about life and willing to step into your warriorness of the unknown.

After all, what else is there, really?

Namaste,
Britt

All Day I Think About It

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:03:33 PDT

Om. Dancing this morning... Stepping into devotion in motion, to borrow the words of MC Yogi, brings me laughter and joy and purpose and meaning. I have been sitting here, listening to Rumi for nearly two hours.... bringing my inspiration to form. To word.

This is who we are... Sometimes holding back, so as not to exclude. Which is ironic, because there is no exclusion. Only Inclusion. Divinity is only One.

As my teacher in Bali says, "There is not one god. There are not many gods. There is only God." We have danced beautifully. We have breathed and we have been Breathed.

To Dance. To Burn. To Yearn... To burn through all that we have collected, all that holds us hostage. This is a dance Puja... This life, if we choose the conscious path. This is a a purification that awakens the breath, limbs, heart, and Soul. I love this giving of my Life... to You or to anyone who knows You.....

May you feel my inspiration.... as this one of me turns into you into me... Burning with the fire of longing.....

Who Says Words With My Mouth?

All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing?
I have no idea.
My soul is from elsewhere, I'm sure of that,
and I intend to end up there.

This drunkenness began in some other tavern.
When I get back around to that place,
I'll be completely sober. Meanwhile,
I'm like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary.
The day is coming when I fly off,
but who is it now in my ear who hears my voice?
Who says words with my mouth?

Who looks out with my eyes? What is the soul?
I cannot stop asking.
If I could taste one sip of an answer,
I could break out of this prison for drunks.
I didn't come here of my own accord, and I can't leave that way.
Whoever brought me here will have to take me home.

This poetry, I never know what I'm going to say.
I don't plan it.
When I'm outside the saying of it,
I get very quiet and rarely speak at all.

~Rumi

Will You Dance With Me?

Namaste,
Britt

Upcoming Yoga & Ayurveda Opportunities

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:45:00 PDT

Upcoming Events:

It is such an honor to be sharing yoga and ayurveda throughout the valley. I am teaching additional classes at ClubSport, as well as preparing to launch a private practice at YogaPearl in September. I am also scheduled to conduct a variety of workshops and classes throughout the Portland area.

Here's a sampler:

Kitchen Table Yoga: An Intro to Ayurvedic Medicine and the Healing Power of Food
August 10 (that's this Tuesday!)
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Yoga begins within, and what we eat inevitably affects the form and function of our bodies. Yoga's sister science, Ayurvedic Medicine, teaches us how we can address stress, digestive ailments, headaches, sleep issue and much more, simply and inexpensively. Discover the hidden treasures of ancient medicine in your kitchen cabinets. Common herbs such as basil, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, garlic and turmeric all have scientifically sound healing qualities. Learn how to prepare some basic Ayurvedic healing foods and taste for yourself. Food samples will be provided.
ClubSport Member: $20
Guest: $25
Participation is limited. Register at 503.968.4555

**********************************
SATURDAY MORNINGS:

10AM-11AM
Nia
Get fit the body's way. Nia classes offer total-body cardiovascular, mind/body conditioning. All Nia movements are adaptable and can be personalized for any level of fitness and agility. Come remember how great your life is and how much fun it is living in YOUR body!

11AM-12:30 PM
Hatha Yoga
This class integrates the timeless teaching of yoga, both on and off the mat. Synchronized breath (pranayama) while progressing through a variety of asanas (postures) to reveal your mental and physical strength, flexibility and vitality.

************************
SUNDAY MORNINGS:

9AM-10AM
YogaDance
The best of both worlds! Blend the ancient teachings of yoga with the wisdom of your body. Move. Detox. Strengthen. Harmonize and groove! Be guided by your breath, your spirit, and the pulsating power of music.

10AM-11:30AM
Hatha Yoga
This class integrates the timeless teaching of yoga, both on and off the mat. Synchronized breath (pranayama) while progressing through a variety of asanas (postures) to reveal your mental and physical strength, flexibility and vitality.

************************

YOGA RETREAT: Save the date of October 7-10 for our annual yoga retreat... This year we will be advancing the practice during our time together. Stay tuned for a retreat for beginners coming this fall

Namaste,
Britt

Living JUICY! How COOL!

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:10:09 PDT

I find that there isn't a better way for me to live my yoga than by choosing to consciously live in integrity. I can feel it when my life begins to become a little "divided". I find myself engaging in projects that I don't fully support. I say things that I sort of mean, versus taking the time to say what I really want to say. I eat foods that are not in my body's best interest. The list could go on. But you get the picture.

Last week, my husband had a very busy week at our retreat center. As we were getting ready to go to work for the week, I found myself feeling a pull to stay behind. I felt torn: I wanted to support him, to go with him and stand beside him... and I also felt this small voice that never roars, but whispers quietly and regularly.

That voice said, "just stay. Be still. Listen." After a few internal gymnastic routines, I decided to stay home... for. the. whole. week. This is the longest I have been apart from my husband, and I also had to make peace with the fact that he would be working a lot and I would be, um. listening. But it was needed... and I realized it even moreso as the days went on.

Once I settled into my aloneness, I did some things I don't usually do. For example, one night my friend, Leela, came over and slumber-partied. At first it was hard to just "be". I felt a need to answer my phone and "do stuff", but then I settled down, and we juiced, made great food together, laughed until it hurt, shared openly about our hearts' calling and our hearts' struggles, and sat on the deck watching the birds and the boats go by... And then, just like that, it was time for her to return to her life.

Another night, I sat with the full moon. Just sat.

One morning, I awakened with the two bald eagles living outside my kitchen window and did yoga on my rooftop with them soaring above me. Another morning, I consciously watched the sunrise... not meditated, but just watched and felt the sun rise over the mountain. I filled my days with mindmapping, journaling, drawing with my crayola markers, practicing yoga, listening to music, and exploring every possible way that I could get closer to that quiet voice that said, "just stay. Be still. Listen."

It is an important part of the practice. The being still part.

Taking care of ourselves will not alway result in a standing ovation or a level of understanding that would make it easy to do, especially if you are used to responding to every call. But taking care of ourselves is necessary in order for each of us to be clear about what our heart longs to express. So we are able to go where we are inspired to go... when we do this, we don't have to push ourselves, prod ourselves, or convince ourselves of the merit of anything. Instead, we wake up in the morning and say, "WOW! I get to [fill in the blank] today! That is soooo cool!"

So, if you've got a juicer, or a blender, or a Vitamix.... crack that baby out. And whip up some "listening tonic". It's simple: A little veggie--like romaine, chard, cucumber, tomato, lotsa carrots, and then I like a couple apples, and a chunk of ginger, and some fennel seed... if you are blending, or vitamixing, you can also add avocado and flax meal. Super omega-goodness....

And while you're at it... sprout some mung beans, or sunflower seeds... or almonds.... for your salad.

I don't suggest this because it is "good for you". I suggest it because it is the only way you can SEE YOU. It's pretty easy to numb out these days. And if we live numb, life slips by and we starve to death for lack of meaning. When you take time to clean out in this way, your life calling will rise to the surface and you won't be able to stuff what you came here to do... you'll just have to hurry up and go to bed so you can wake up tomorrow and say, "WOW! I get to [fill in the blank] today!" That is sooo cool"

Enjoy the juice... and you will clearly be able to hear the juicy things you've been trying to say to yourself... now that you've stopped to listen...

Namaste,
Britt

Oh, Lord... Forgive Me for I have Plagiarized....

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:05:13 PDT

Om.... I must first own up to the fact that I am completely plagiarizing, and that I am doing so in the hopes that if I send you to the amazing source of this tongue in cheek article, that I will not acquire any unnecessarily bad karma :) The article is by Alex Smith, a writer for www.elephantjournal.com

A little side note.... I have been retreating a lot lately... amidst green juicing, macha, arm balances, and bhakti.... and then I came across this, and am reminded why I do yoga in the first place. More on the cleanse, the joy, and the lightness of being coming soon...

UPCOMING EVENT:
Kitchen Table Yoga next week, August 10th at ClubSport. Open to everyone: Call 503-968-4500 and ask for the activities desk for more details and to register. Super special recipes for the summer, and a yummy raw chocolate dessert. Super Food here we come! In Ayurvedic style :) Space is limited.

Now, on with the truth about being a Yogini. I can't wait to share this article with my husband. I am not sure if he will laugh or cry :)

OM....

Ok, boys, gentleman, not so gentle men, knights in shining armor, pimps and playas.

You’ve see us in the gym, in yoga studios or magazines or on TV. Maybe you’ve even taken our classes–we yoginis, the flexible dare-devils on a spiritual mission who seem to float around the world so freely. We’re a different breed. Most of us are born travelers, nomads even. Most of us don’t like societal rules and conventions. And most of us don’t adhere to them and have dedicated our lives to living outside boxes in some way or another.

This is a beautiful thing that many men find intoxicating and exhilarating— until they realize that it also scares the shit out of them. This is true especially for the kind who look good in ties.

For the multi-talented beautiful Yoga Goddess, finding a life partner who is traveling down the same road or wants to walk hand-in-hand with a Yoga Goddess on her journey is much more difficult for her than any forearm balance.Yoga Goddess, more specifically, a woman from a Western civilization who teaches yoga for a living, especially in a metropolis of some kind, is a complicated creature who has elected to remove her Western goggles and instead apply and be guided by Eastern philosophies and practices of self-actualization.

This makes her an intriguing and complicated creature to most men, but I assure you, she is not entirely inscrutable. You have only to understand that underneath her yogi persona, your Yoga Goddess was probably fed fairy tales for most of her life, where damsels in distress waited to be rescued by the Prince. Now she is grown up and she is a Yoga Goddess, a yogi who has discovered her dharma ( this is the Sanskrit word for one’s “virtuous path”)and a devotion to God which has eased her existential distress but probably not completely relieved her of the distress of the romantic variety.

A Yoga Goddess can appear to many like an untouchable, statuesque, ephemeral, mystical, zany, Aphrodite-esque theatrical mess on wheels. To many men, she is bewitching and beguiling, she can unsettle you with her eyes and bring you to tears when you least expect it. A Yoga Goddess can see souls. She knows how to make you feel things you may not want to feel, which leaves many men feeling too vulnerable in her presence to ever feel good enough. Know that the Yoga Goddess of your dreams is not out to emasculate you but that it is her wish and it is within her power simply to help you open your heart. Sometimes, a Yoga Goddess forgets her own power and forgets too that a man might not want the woman he is pursing to have that effect on him. Know that she knows this but can’t always help it. Her soul work goes deep. The tricky part is, as a highly sensitive healer and woman with deep compassion for human suffering, she no doubt has walls of her own that you will have to be willing to tear down for her to feel safe enough to let you in. Therein lies her beautiful complexity.

So, here are some essential things you should know before you set out to win the heart of a Yoga Goddess of your dreams:

1) Get over the fact that a Yoga Goddess is probably someone who is a little bit dangerous to take home to meet your mother.

It occurred to me recently that this picture alone might actually have been why my last relationship didn’t work. If you want your Yoga Goddess for your very own, you must grow up and get over needing your mother’s approval. Yoginis are sparkling, creative, charming, intelligent, beautiful, sexy, highly intuitive and charismatic women who your mother might not love at first and will come to love eventually. But we’re also wild and free-spirited, with a lotta bit of hippie hell raiser on the inside, which has the potential to feel threatening to many mothers who just want their son to settle down with a nice girl who won’t make too many waves. The good thing is that these qualities are usually countered with equal parts compassion, faith, and altruism. Yoginis also have chameleon qualities, so it is possible that your Yoga Goddess might be willing to dim her light for a meeting with the parents, but do not be surprised if your beloved Mumsy gives her the snake eye for reasons you cannot and will not ever understand. It’s a witchy woman thing.

2) Yoga Goddesses don’t do small talk.

Yoga goddesses usually cut the shit and get to the stuff that matters. Questions like, “What do you feel? Where do you feel it? What do you believe? Have you surrendered?” are a Yogi Goddess’s version of small talk. A woman who has chosen a spiritual path and dedicates her life’s work to helping people unify their mind, body, and spirit in profound and transformative ways is just not very good at shooting the shit with strangers and will tend to fire away questions that get right to the heart of the matter. If you need her to tone down the yoga talk, simply brief her before dinner with your boss. You can take her to work functions and she will do just fine for a while, but you might hear her take very deep loud audible breaths throughout the course of the night to manage her sensitivity to the noise and heavy lifting of bullshitting. Keep in mind, in her line of work, she meets people for the first time on the floor in sweatpants and spends her days reading about God and breathing. So, don’t be surprised if she might need to go and do a headstand in the corner after a few vodka tonics to handle the change of scenery and relax her face from all the fake smiling.

3) Yoga Goddesses consistently crave and create adventure for themselves and others.

Yogis by nature are adventurous so if you’re not willing to be adventurous, in all kinds of ways, if you need to play it safe because you’re afraid of what people will think, then the Yoga Goddess is not for you and she probably won’t date you anyway. For the Yoga Goddess, it is not enough to simply like the idea of adventure. She will test your strength, she will keep you on your toes, she will love it if you surprise her just as much as she surprises you. If you’re a stable, steady kind of man, she will love you for your groundedness but ask you to abandon it on occasion in the name of faith, courage, and wisdom. That’s just how it goes. One of the most romantic things you can do for a Yoga Goddess is to plan a trip for the two of you and surprise her with it. She is used to taking the lead with plans and orchestrating events. To be cared for in this way is a Yogi Goddesses’s dream. And yes, the adventure extends to the bedroom, naturally. Don’t be scared. Yoga Goddesses are very gifted and patient teachers and healers.

4) A Yoga Goddesses will turn your world upside down.

If you fall for a Yoga Goddess, it is very likely that she will very gracefully turn your buttoned-up world upside down. Afterall, she has been called to teach people to see things from another perspective, to look at things differently, to encourage people to challenge their ideas about who they are and what their lives should look like. This is probably why many men will date Yoga Goddesses for a time but never marry them. The potential for change is too great for many men who are intrigued by the possibility of being with someone so free-spirited but who are ultimately uncomfortable with what life might look like with someone who is so comfortable with uncertainly, so in tune with and guided by spirit. Someone who possesses an ardent faith in things unseen can feel too intense for someone who is not prepared or interested in a spiritual journey. So, while your Yoga Goddess can be playful and fun-loving, she takes her life, her vocation and her spiritual path very seriously. A man who earns a Yoga Goddess’s love must respect and admire her work, understand its value to humanity.

5) Yoga Goddesses are mysterious.

Yoga Goddesses do not go out of their way to be mysterious, they just are, simply because they have surrendered to the mysteries of life, have given up searching for answers for why things are and very comfortable living the the gray areas of life. If you are a rigid thinker, the Yoga Goddess is not for you. She is a free-thinker, open-minded and open-hearted. She prizes authenticity over knowledge and accomplishment and leans into the mystery of life at every turn. In my experience, this terrifies and confuses many men. Yoga Goddesses are not good planners since they are usually out doing God’s work, will entertain detours if led by spirit to go left instead of right or to be late for an appointment because of a chance encounter with a mystical stranger who seems to have an important message for her. She will require your trust and patience and she will return the favor tenfold. If she keeps you waiting, chances are she will have a magical reason for it, a wonderful story that keeps your faith in things unseen alive. She’ll tell you about it while giving you some kind of exotic massage. She cannot be rushed. And she will not let anyone else set her pace for her.

6) A Yoga Goddess is the hostess with the mostess.

She will cook you things to balance your doshas and if you don’t know what those are, she will help you identify them. She will play amazing music from all over the world that will transport you into other galaxies. She will know what to do with your body in many situations as well as what kind of oils to rub on it and where to make you feel like the God you are. She will create a house of harmony, health, balance. She will want to care for your mind, body, and spirit. She can’t help it. It’s her job.

7) A Yoga Goddess is still a material girl.

A Yoga Goddess is not immune to desires of the flesh. Though she has probably made the decision, at certain points in her life to disengage from the material world as part of her spiritual training, she does still enjoy earthly comforts like jewels and fancy dinners and unexpected trips to exotic locales. And she is still a girl looking for a boy to love her, honor her, and ravish her

8 ) A Yoga Goddess cherishes her freedom and yours.

The yogic path is often called the quest for the jivan mukti, or the soul’s liberation. A woman who is on a yogic path understands that souls want what souls want and that a relationship is meant to be a place where those desires can be expressed without shame or guilt. This can make her seem like she has the potential to be so free-spirited that she just wants to be free-wheelin, free-loadin and free-lovin’ her way around the world. Not so. A yogic-minded woman simply understands for herself that we are all here to be each other’s teachers and students and that there is no better place for the expression of that dynamic than in a loving partnership.

9) A Yoga Goddess probably won’t ask you for help when she needs it most. This is her weakness.

A Yoga Goddess forgets that her man is not always as intuitive as she is and might not feel comfortable asking for help when she needs it most. As a Goddess, she might have a great deal of pride in her power and might find it hard to make herself vulnerable to a man since she is so used to doing things for herself, by herself, and for others. To win a Yoga Goddess’s heart, pay attention to what she needs to do her job and live her life. To win her heart, try to support her lifestyle in any way you can. She is a giver and has been trained to do and give the same to you. She is the ultimate nurturer and caretaker so while her standards for being taken care of well are high, simple gestures of kindness, appreciation, and thoughtfulness go a long way. Massages at beautiful spas don’t hurt either.

10) A Yoga Goddess will worship God first, then you, if you’re lucky.

A Yoga Goddess is comfortable being alone. The spiritual journey is a lonely path since the road less traveled is never crowded. She is used to solitude, comfortable with its pleasures and pains and has used time alone to contemplate and commune with God. A Yoga Goddess has taken the time to know and understand herself and her relationship to the divine and it will be nearly impossible to share a meaningful life with her if you are not inclined to do the same. Don’t waste her time and don’t lead her to think that you have more spiritual depth than you actually do. A Yoga Goddess prizes authenticity in spiritual searching. A Yoga Goddess has a connection to the divine that preceded you and God is the center of her universe, not you. Chances are, if you are even considering a relationship with a Yoga Goddess, you are most likely already on a spiritual path, even if you don’t know it yet. She does not attract many people into her world who aren’t.

I hope this has given you a lens into the heart and soul of the Yoga Goddess. Do not be discouraged by these truths. A relationship with a Yoga Goddess can be one of the most thrilling, heart and mind-bending adventures of your life if you are ready for the ride.

And another thing, truth be told, a lot of Yoga Goddesses were also at one time good (or bad) Catholic girls. So, you’ve got that imagery to work with too, gentleman.

The mac daddy of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius said, “Go forth and set the world on fire.” I don’t think Ignatius got any hot yoga booty, though. He probably could have used a light from a smokin’ Yoga Goddess. Just sayin’.

It’s all about balance. This article was written by Alex Smith, and totally stolen and reprinted here, by me. You can find it and other cool articles at elephantjournal.com

More coming soon... love you all!

Namaste,
Britt

Don't Stop the Urge!

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:14:50 PDT

In our many discussions over the course of a lovely retreat weekend together, one topic that impressed many was that there were actually 13 urges that are encouraged to be released.... Here is an exerpt from Dr. Vikram Chauhan, a traditional ayurvedic physician and his comments.

These 13 natural non-suppressible urges are described by Charaka, an authority on Ayurveda in his book, Charaka Samhita, Strasthana.

“That the wise should not suppress the impending urges of urine, feces, semen, flatulation, vomiting, sneezing, eructation (belching), yawning, hunger, thirst, crying, sleeping and breathing after exertion.”

Suppression of urge to defecate can cause colic pain, headache, retention of flatus and feces, cramps in calf muscles and flatulence. Irregular and undisciplined lifestyle and diet have the danger of making this a habit which in turn can lead to constipation which is the root cause of all diseases according to Ayurveda. Passing the stool is the most important of all natural urges. Faeces are full of toxins and if it stays in body for long, the fermentation process starts leading to many more problems.

People often ignore or suppress this important part of their routine citing lack of time, not realizing how it will affect their overall health. Defecating regularly also helps to keep the weight also under control.

Ignoring it leads to constipation. Large intestine is the place of 'vata' or air element as per Ayurveda. Imbalance of vata in body is the cause behind 80 % of all diseases. Major diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, low eye sight among children, skin problems, piles, acid reflux, migraine, headache, back pain, fatigue and restlessness, indigestion are all caused due to imbalance of air element in the body i.e. Vata vitiation. Constant suppression can also cause one to age faster due to the destruction caused by imbalanced Vata.

The bottom line is if the natural urge is felt by the body, it is energy that needs to be moved, released, and set free... and this is an important part of remaining an open channel. All part of your daily practice, or dinacharya.

Namaste,
Britt

I'll have what SHE's Having!

bbensensteele@gmail.com (Britt Bensen Steele) — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:23:59 PDT

I am almost surprised, but not quite... at the magnitude of rain we are experiencing, and then I saw this sunshine on an ayurvedic blog I was reading. RAIN? GLOOM? ARE YOU KIDDING? That's not possible with an attitude like this! Watch this YouTube video by clicking on the title above, "I'll have what SHE's Having!!!! What a PERFECT way to start my day... and YOUR day too!

Click on the TITLE above to go to the YouTube video. :)

I can do ANYTHING GOOD! So. Can. You.

Enjoy the Rain. Namaste,
Britt