Thursday, April 7, 2011
One of the things that I love about being self employed is that my job is always changing and expanding and growing. Some ideas take a long time to get going, and others happen quickly. I can remember going to my first meditation retreat at the Guelph Centre for Spirituality in about 1990. I did a 2 day silent retreat and at the end of it I had learned a couple of things. First, that although I was about 29 at the time, my body felt really old and tired. The sitting and the yoga and the quiet time with my mind was very challenging for me and I knew that I needed to make some changes in my lifestyle (little did I know that my future would change in 1995 when I would go on to study yoga and become a teacher). The second thing that I knew in my heart is that I loved the weekend, and that we should be having these kinds of yoga and meditation experiences in Haliburton County. Guelph is a beautiful area and the monastery was beautiful, but I knew that Haliburton had lots to offer as well! Over the past 20 years I have attended many different retreats and workshops - always effort in service of more self knowledge and expertise. Several years ago I did a day long workshop at the Gaia Centre, in West Guilford, with Abbess
Khenmo Drolma. The day was about "cultivating a big heart in a troubled world." I found Khenmo to be very down to earth, funny, very wise and a great teacher. I left the day with some new perspectives on myself and how I could continue to cultivate being a more loving person in the world. In January of this year, Carol Kilby asked me to teach and be part of another day with Khenmo at the Gaia Centre. This time the day is about "Becoming Radiant Compassion" in the world. I am so thrilled to be leading a short 20 minute gentle yoga/ qigong stretch at the start of the day. It is an honour to work with someone who brings so much experience and wisdom to her students. The day is a good fit for me also, because in the practices of yoga and qigong and I am always encouraging people to become full and big and bright and expansive and radiant as they inhale in every stretch. Expand our inner goodness every time we breathe.
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