when the federal government shuts down - perhaps its a sign, you should too.  a snowy invitation to spend time with a person who begs for your undivided attention . . . you.

as a counselor, i’ve spent much of my time getting to know others, helping others develop their own self awareness.  because through this self knowledge comes the capacity to inspire and the ability to change. 

but how about me?  all those years as a counselor - and it wasn’t until yoga that i turned my loving attention within.  

svadhyaya - self study - is one of the chief elements of yoga.  without svadhyaya, we remain a slave to our ignorance, confusing false for the true, and a constant prisoner to our own misconceptions.    

to quote my teacher, doug keller:  to know your own self is freedom.

you ever find yourself in the same toxic relationship - different partner, but same story?  how about a job or financial situation?  perhaps it is an injury that always seems to reoccur.  the first step in breaking these destructive patterns, is awareness.  to know your own self is freedom.

on the other hand, have you yet realized the gift that makes you special?  a dream you hold sacred, a passion that burns bright within, a higher purpose for you and you alone?  to know your own self is freedom - freedom to become the person you were always meant to be.

i often encourage my students to keep a journal handy during their self practice.  peronally, i find my practice liberates so much of me i otherwise keep tucked away and hidden.  thoughts emerge, some in the form of inspiration and some in the form of just observation.  some are pleasant and some are actually not.  but in writing them down, i allow myself the opportunity to recognize first, then reflect upon them later ...

... in solitude and quiet.  some might call that meditation.  i don’t know that i’ve mastered that art, but i do spend time each day, alone in thoughtful consideration. a time i suspend all judgment with the sole purpose of listening and learning me.  

and in knowledge - comes freedom.  freedom to become the person i am divinely intended to be - and a person whose company i can enjoy in the empty moments.

become a diligent student of you.  you won't be disappointed!

personal coach, carolyn butcher is offering a course,

every second sunday called self-study 101: exploring your inner life)

for fun:  take the yoga personality quiz and find out what your yoga says about YOU!