Fire.

Alicia Keys has an amazing song right now called "Girl on Fire". I have been LOVING all of these AMAZING songs coming out that are about women owning their worth. If you have spotify, check out the running playlist that I started called I AM A GODDESS...it's chock full o' fabulous, inspiring tunes. A lot of what I talked about in yesterday's Self Love workshop is moving past this idea that society has put on us to be apologetic, overly modest, or insecure. Overall we are embracing a shift in consciousness that embraces self-love. Step into your worth, and share it with the world.

Be the light.
Share the light.
Shine the light.

Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire
"Ohhhh oh oh oh oh
She got both feet on the ground
And she's burning it down
Ohhhh oh oh oh oh
She got her head in the clouds
And she's not backing down

This girl is on fire...
This girl is on fire...
She's walking on fire...
This girl is on fire...

Looks like a girl, but she's a flame
So bright, she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try but you'll never forget her name
She's on top of the world
Hottest of the hottest girls say

Ohhhh oh oh oh
We got our feet on the ground
And we're burning it down
Ohhhh oh oh oh oh
Got our head in the clouds
And we're not coming down

This girl is on fire...
This girl is on fire...
She's walking on fire...
This girl is on fire..."

THIS IS GODDESS IN A BOWL!

My Uncle might very well be one of the most animated and down-right-pee-your-pants-funny guys that I've ever met. He reminds me SO much of my Dad...not just the way he looks (the blue eyes, the beard, the eyebrows, the hair, the nose, etcetc) but he also has the same mannerisms, gestures, dance moves and impatience. I love this man to the moon and back and we have had more fun than a barrel of monkeys these past few days. I nearly killed him with all of the yoga, bike riding, swimming and healthy eating-- he swore to me twice that he was having a stroke, but alas- he prevailed and not only survived, but actually really enjoyed himself!! We have laughed so much these past few days, but the most magical moments were the afternoons when we would just float in the sea next to each other, watching the fishes swim around us. I think we both could feel my Dad around us, and moving through each of us. His company has brought me so much joy this week and I am grateful for every moment that we were able to spend together. I plan to be back in Key West late February, and hopefully will be doing some collaboration work with this special man.....!

Self Love at Shakti

Today's workshop was full...and that was completely by word of mouth (which is the best type of advertising!). The community down here is INCREDIBLE. I have felt that I am already a lifelong part of the Tribe that lives here, and each and every person makes me feel loved and appreciated. I felt right at home with this community at Shakti, and I was blown away at everyone's excitement and willingness to step out of their comfort zones and open to growth. This ECSTATIC SELF LOVE workshop was SO MUCH FUN to lead, and Im still smiling from ear to ear as I reminisce and write this blog.

There is no love like self-love, so on that note, I'll end with today's mantra....I LOVE MYSELF.

See you in February Key West!

Posted with Love.

There is something incredible heart-warming about receiving a hand-written letter in the mail. But what's even better is when your friends send you photos of themselves with the postcard that you sent them! Yanai sent me this from Israel, and Fredrik his from Sweden. Stop with the email for a minute and go write a card, slap a stamp on it, and make someone's day.

Purnatva.

There are 6 qualities of consciousness (base principles of life). The third is PURNATVA, which translates as "fullness" or "perfection". We are born in perfection and fullness. It is our truth, our essence. And not only are we perfect and full, but there is always more- because as we grow and expand, so do our boundaries-- we are NOT limited. The only thing that keeps us from our innate perfection and fullness are OUR OWN limiting beliefs. The 6th stage is RAHASYA, which is the concept that only 1/4 of existence is revealed to us, the other 3/4 is concealed. Think of an iceberg, though only a small bit of the tip is available for us to see, there is SO much more beneath it. Rahasya supports Purnatva in that we are full and complete but there is always opportunity for growth and expansion. Are you with me still? Rahasya demonstrates that we live in a layered existence. So the blindfolded practice today was about honoring the process of continual revelation and stepping into your worth. By removing our sight we must listen to our inner voice which guides us to our inner essence, which reaffirms that we ARE complete and perfect-- and it reveals so much to us that is unavailable when we are moving from an ego-state. Ya dig?

The practice was AMMMMAZING. Everyone that showed up SHOWED *UP*, and the class ended with everyone crying tears of openness and compassion. It was such a treat to guide people in this journey and I'm over-the-moon-excited for tomorrow's ECSTATIC SELF-LOVE workshop. I started the day with coffee with Jamie, and then finished the day cruising the town on bikes with my Uncle. We swam, lunched, biked, swam, explored, socialized, biked, and hit up an art gallery. The highlight though was stopping in my uncles gallery and seeing the beautiful painting that he did of my fathers hands holding some key limes. The photo had been taken a few months before my dad died, and to see the painting in person was incredibly special. So grateful for this abundant day!

Shakti Saturday + Sunday!

Leyla McCalla

I cannot stop listening to Leyla McCalla's album "Vari-Colored Songs", which is a bluegrass-New Orleans-esque ode to poet Langston Hughes. It is sad, happy, funky, fresh, and something that will make you want to rock on grandmas rocking chair on the porch, or boogie down around the house. I love love love her unique voice and totally authentic style. Check her out. 

About Leyla McCalla:

Leyla McCalla finds inspiration from a variety of sources, whether it is her Haitian heritage, living in New Orleans or dancing at Cajun Mardi Gras. Leyla, a multi-instrumentalist, is a cellist and singer whose distinctive sound is impossible to replicate.

Leyla's music reflects her eclectic and diverse life experiences, projecting a respect for eloquent simplicity that is rarely achieved.  Born in New York City to Haitian emigrant parents, Leyla was raised in suburban New Jersey. As a teenager, she relocated to Accra, Ghana for two years. Upon her return, she attended Smith College for a year before transferring to New York University where she studied cello performance and chamber music. Armed with Bach's Cello Suites, Leyla moved to New Orleans to play cello on the streets of the French Quarter.

It is the move to New Orleans that signaled a journey of musical and cultural discovery for Leyla. "New Orleans always felt like home to me," she recalls. "The more I learned about the history of Louisiana, its ties to Haiti and French speaking culture, the more sense of belonging I felt and continue to feel." Most recently, Leyla has fallen in love with the late Louisiana Creole fiddlers Canray Fontenot and Bébé Carrière and has explored their fiddling styles on the cello.

Leyla's move to New Orleans also signaled a new stage in her career. It was while playing on the street that she caught the attention of Tim Duffy, the founder and director of the Music Maker Relief Foundation. He invited Leyla to join the Music Maker Relief Foundation family and introduced her to the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a renowned African-American string band. After appearing on the band's GRAMMY-nominated album Leaving Eden and touring extensively with the group, she now focuses on her solo career.

Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes, Leyla's debut album, is set for a February 2014 release. The album, which has been years in the making for Leyla, was given a push after a successful Kickstarter campaign in which she surpassed her $5,000 goal by four times to ultimately raise over $20,000. Vari-Colored Songs consists of compositions she has written to Langston Hughes poetry, Haitian folk songs and original pieces. The album features musicians including Rhiannon Giddens and Hubby Jenkins of the Carolina Chocolate Drops as well as New Orleans' own Don Vappie on tenor banjo and Luke Winslow King on guitar.

Cailin Callahan

www.goldenbuddhayoga.com

Radiance Sutra #102

Radiance Sutra #102:

"It's always the same,
Barbarians and blockheads,
Rival queens and kings,
The drama rolls on and on.
When people honor you,
You are supposed to feel honored.
When you don't get respect, they expect
You to sulk in indignation.
One minute you are cruising on a throne in the sky,
The best you are standing on some bleak patch of dirt.

I say, the Sun regards all with a steady eye.
The force sustaining Earth and Sky
Calls everyone to awaken from this trance.
This whole world revolves around an axis, and I am that.
When you are friends with the Friend to All Beings
Nothing is the same.
Rich beyond measure, abundant beyond counting,
You can move through this life laughing.
Opinions of others have no rulership over you."

Peace.

Dearest "Anonymous",

I just read a blog comment on my "corepower"post and am feeling super disheartened. Or I should say that I 'did' feel that way, but no longer do. It has passed, because I know that I am on a high path- one of healing, growth and compassion. So to address my blog reader who has accused me of being less than that, I hope that by sharing this with you you are able to change your perspective and understanding. And if not, so it is.

Countless people have cried in my arms...truly more than I can count or care to recall. But that was their experience, and not mine to share. Just as a therapist wouldn't go writing about their clients on a personal blog, I choose to keep those experiences sacred and private- maintaining a safe environment for people to express their truth. If you find my ramblings about my emotional experiences then please, read no more. I share these because I feel that it's not something to be ashamed of or to "hide". Of course I'm branding myself- as a comic in the New York Times read-- "my landlord doesn't accept karma". Yes, I teach international retreats that are quite costly- but someone could spend the same to do a luxury retreat where they did nothing but eat and drink. This is an opportunity to reward yourself...body, mind and spirit. And if a retreat like that isn't within your financial allowance, I also teach donation-based classes around the world, have given many free events, and have given endless massages and classes for free simply asking that people "pay it forward" by helping another. I understand the image that you are projecting on me, but not only do I not accept it, I completely release it. I've done nothing but share love and compassion on this path, and any mistakes I've made are forgiven because I'm a human being. As Ben Harper says, "if you don't like my fire, then don't come around- cause I'm gonna burn one down". (He may have been talking about ganja hahaha but you get the jist). This blog is a space for positivity, love and empowerment...so please honor that by either diving in and sharing that, or honoring the age old saying of "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." And as per the attack on yoga-- through endless study I have discovered that "yoga" is too broad, too vast to define-- hence the reason there are countless styles. No one is right, and no one is wrong. Yoga is simply something that helps us to tune in and feel a deeper connection to our highest self. I practiced yoga for years before I was introduced to asana. Surfing was my yoga. For some it is walking, for others it is knitting-- and who are we to say that by adding a weight into a vinyasa class that it is no longer "yoga"? After all, the end result of yoga is samadhi- bliss- no? So if that class brings someone joy (which it did-- the most fun I've had in a long time!!) who are we to deny that? ****Isn't the goal of yoga peace, love, happiness, and understanding? This is what we might all start practicing instead of worrying about perfect alignment in down dog.**** God Bless.

Uncle Duke.

I'm in Key West, hanging with my Uncle 'Duke'. Sean is my Dads baby brother - and it's so so so wonderful to be able to spend time with him. We lit up the town last night, perhaps having a bit too much to drink, but a spectacular time (as always).