As we shift into Late Summer, we welcome the beginning of the Fall harvest and all that it provides. During this evening event, Kimberly will lead an intentional movement passage that invites us to acknowledge and bathe in all of the rewards of our summer activity. Inviting us to gather the wisdom and energy from these powerful, outward months, as we prepare for the turn inward with the shifting seasons.

Please note that this event is for women only – women of all ages and walks of life. This evening will encourage us to gather our collective feminine wisdom, to reap the insights of the summer season, to follow our trustworthy and guide through the seasonal cycles: Mother Nature.

This event is hostess-ed and supported by Boulder’s brilliant Serpent & the Honeybee, which lives and breathes the notion that beauty, practiced as ritual, can become a transformational experience in life, which selflessly heals others even as it heals and enriches us. Our evening of ritual will be anointed with Serpent & the Honeybee’s Elemental Serums. A 15% discount will be offered on products at the end of our time together. Space is limited for this event, so please contact us directly to hold your space!

If you are registered for this event, please note the following details about this location:

• Carpooling is encouraged, as the Starhouse is on private land and endeavors to make the smallest footprint possible
• Allow plenty of space in your schedule to get to the Starhouse on time, as there is a short walk from the parking lot to the Starhouse itself;
  approximately 30 minutes from Central Boulder

To learn more about this location, visit the Starhouse website.

Most of us are familiar with the notion of the Bell Curve: it starts low on one end, slowly rises to a higher point in the middle, and gradually decreases again toward its end. This curve acts as a guide for many body-centered practices: yoga, traditional fitness classes, weight training, massage, and so on. Our systems are built on this foundation of starting slowly, increasing to our peak potential, and then coming to a resting place – just as we rise from sleep in the morning, go about our day, and then end again with rest. A very worthy structure that I often follow in my classes, with the intention of paralleling this natural tendency in the body.

And yet, my mad scientist is often in the background, waiting to step in and challenge this status quo. To ponder and test the theory that we operate at our best when following the trusty Bell Curve. Over the years, through both witnessing and personal experience, I have come to be intrigued by the power of shaking things up beyond the norm. Pulling us out of our expected trajectories or preferred ruts of being to see what is possible. So, from this mischievous, giggling, hair-on-fire character was birthed the Double Wave.

The seed was first planted in me years ago when I was in a yoga class that did this very thing. We started slowly, ever-so-slowly. It was delicious. Time stopped. We moved gently and graciously into a more rigorous practice, and were sweating and breathing with intensity and intention before we knew it. At the point when my body was feeling just a little tired and a touch of strain, the instructor invited us back to the gooey, slow place where we started. It took a bit for my system to adjust. To slow my breathing, to allow the internal churning to speak through more stillness, rather than momentum, and to watch my tendency to want to stay in the heightened state of “more and faster.” Once my body settled into this rhythm again, we moved again into another round of more demanding postures and what I experienced was nothing short of miraculous: my body was able to find openings and new ways of approaching the postures that I had never experienced when in a class following the traditional Bell Curve.

And so my theory of the Double Wave was born and has been deepening now for a number of years. The theory being that a properly-varied somatic practice can invite us into layers of our being – both physical and spiritual – that would not otherwise be accessed if we were working within the predictable parameters of the Bell Curve. Now, certainly, we don’t want to constantly jar the body and pull it from one extreme to another. But rather construct a curious set of soundscapes that veer just enough off the traditional pathways to get our attention. Coaxing the body into unexpected places of discovery and revelation because we decided to take a different route on the map. By crafting a varying blend of higher-intensity experience – which allows the mind to quiet down and the body’s wisdom to take charge more easily – and slower, more still experience – which allows us to more carefully track what the body is learning through movement – we are creating the potential for moving beyond The Predictable and into The Possible.

It’s very much like taking an upward-spiraling staircase: we take a certain number of steps upward, pausing periodically to catch our breath and take stock of where we are on the journey. This luxury of stopping along the way allows us to fully appreciate how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go. And so it is in the dance. As we embrace multiple waves of experience, we support ourselves to listen amidst our unwinding, to reflect and access as-yet untapped body messages and awareness.

And so I offer the notion of the Double Wave as another lens through which to peer on your body journey. To consider how this format can bring you to places within yourself that you were unaware of and invite a fresh perspective. But don’t be surprised on the days when the grand ol’ Bell Curve blows gently through a BodyMantra class – she is still a worthy and welcome guide on our travels!

What struck me the most during this visit was what I term The Blessed Unexpected. The things that arise from seeming nothingness and evolve into something solid and of import. For me, the range of these blessed events this past week was wide and ended up weaving a tapestry that was rich and life-affirming: the unintended late night that resulted in a powerful connection with the waxing moon and an endless sea of stars; moving with a familiar old friend on the dance floor and being delighted by a new way of moving and connecting that opened my heart wide; meeting a new, kindred spirit that helped to illuminate and shape aspects of my on-going personal inquiry in unforeseen ways; turning back to grab a forgotten item in my room and subsequently crossing paths with one of my totem animals: a rabbit. The list goes on and on. The combination of all of these unexpected moments shifted my internal landscape dramatically. I walk away from these travels with an appreciation for all that I do not know and the limitations that are created solely by my own mind… and an inspiration to open more fully the doors of my still-learning soul.

What an opportunity! To be squarely invited to consider new perspectives and allow them to expand our field of self-awareness and curiosity. By opening our hearts and minds to the Unexpected, we welcome the shape-shifting potential of those experiences. As we pause, notice and give consideration to unanticipated events – rather than brushing them off as coincidence or unimportant passings – we are inherently saying Yes! to the possibility of new insights, learning, and enrichment that can stem from them. Hence the term… Blessed Unexpected.

I finished the book quickly and was pleased to finally understand tithing in a new way. What the book says and I believe is that the 10% of your income that you think you don’t have is actually going to go somewhere anyway. If you choose to tithe the money, it will go to where you want it rather than to a parking ticket.

There are some important things I have learned about tithing. Tithing is the acknowledgment that YOU are not responsible for all the good in your life. It physically gives back to the Universe, God, the Source of what we are all connected to. This payment is saying thank you for all the amazing things that come to me. Although we are attracting these things into our life, it is the Universe that is delivering. With my tithe I am tipping the delivery person/force!

Another thing I have learned is that tithing is not charity. Giving to charity is also discussed in the book but a totally separate experience. Tithing is a bit more specific. You give 10% of your income to the place/places from which you receive your spiritual fulfillment. For me right now that place is BodyMantra. It has become part of my practice and a place that I know I will receive my answers. So it was a no brainer for me to write my first tithing check to Kimberly. Another thing that made sense to me is that you do not have to give 10% right off the bat. This can be the goal but starting with 1 or 5% is still a powerful practice.

Although I am not Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams… yet… I feel fed by my tithing. I feel that as I travel through my journey of life, more and more I am led. I am led by something more powerful than my human experience. I see the pieces coming together and for now tithing is one of those pieces.

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Tara’s tithing will be used directly in support of BodyMantra – whether it be the extra yoga mats that we need right now or sound equipment to keep delivering music in just-the-right-way. Thank you, Tara, for sharing this profound perspective of your experience, and for setting an example within our powerful, nurturing and Beloved community.

Sunday | 10:00-5:00p

Presence is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and to others. As we attune more authentically and clearly to each passing moment, we consciously and graciously release ourselves from the fears, doubts, and stories of the mind, opening more completely to the potential for a life marked by ease and acceptance. Presence grants us the ability to stand in the face of whatever is happening in any given moment, to listen deeply for Right Action, and to develop ever-increasing levels of intimacy with Self and with others.

In a world that is marked by ever-increasing levels of diversion, connecting to our most present Self can be challenging not only to attain, but to sustain. We are often encouraged to move on to the next thing before we’ve completed the last. To multi-task to a degree that fractures the mind and taxes the body. Cultivating presence is nothing short of a practice, requiring attention and intention in order for it to become a natural, daily way of living.

Over the course of this weekend event, participants will be invited to consciously shed layers of distraction and interference in the body and mind that shroud their relationship to Presence. Using movement, stillness and guided visualization through the body’s subtle energy pathways, we will come to better understand how our human form acts as a finely-tuned barometer of where we stand in relationship to Presence. Enabling us to more readily and effortlessly unfurl into the fullness of each passing moment.

Add To Your Weekend Experience
Expand your weekend exploration with one or both of the following opportunities:

Work one-on-one with Kimberly before and after the weekend to bring more personalized understanding and integration to your inquiry. Sessions are offered at a discounted rate of $100/session when booked in tandem with the weekend event. Sessions must be scheduled during the two weeks on either side of the weekend.
« Read about private sessions with Kimberly

Join us on Saturday morning, August 28,  for 90 minutes of BodyMantra at the Starhouse.
« Details

The Starhouse – A Sacred Location
The Starhouse was created with the deepest of intentions to honor the land on which it is built and to provide a space for sacred work to unfold. Please take note of the following details:

• Carpooling is encouraged, as the Starhouse is on private land and endeavors to make the smallest footprint possible – registered participants will be e-mailed in advance of the weekend so that carpooling connections can be made
• Allow plenty of space in your schedule to get to the Starhouse on time, as there is a short walk from the parking lot to the Starhouse itself;
  approximately 30 minutes from Central Boulder

To learn more about this location, visit the Starhouse website.

And so what happens when we choose to step into risky territory? Territory in which outcomes are rarely known, and unpredictability is standard. This is when risk can be our greatest ally. When we say Yes! to the things that we fear the most, that seem like a stretch out of our comfort zone, that promise uncertainty – and that simultaneously hold the potential to be our greatest teachers, helping us to move forward and thrive.

From this viewpoint, life can be seen as a dance, a conversation, with risk. An ever-changing, moving landscape. Sometimes, we choose to step in fully, to open, face-forward, to a situation that has no certain outcome. And then there are the times when we decide to keep it safe, to remain in a place that allows us to feel fully nurtured because we have a better sense of the rules. This is the dance: finding the balance between these two things in a way that promotes the healthiest version of ourselves. The One of us that feels safe, resourced and strong, while continuing to push boundaries, play the edges, so that we get as big as we are meant to be.

This is the beauty of the dance. Nothing is certain. There is no assured outcome. However, if we don’t take risks from time-to-time, we are denying ourselves the possibility of expanding into a level of self-expression and -realization that we might never have imagined.

These words from Dawna Markova are a beautiful call to the Dance With Risk:

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.

Cheerleading efforts aside, there is another way in which I am rooting for Spring, taking cues from those curious bulbs that have spent the last few weeks sending roots down deep into the soil, preparing for their grand entrance and stretch for the sky. They serve as great teachers, asking me to note what behaviors and actions help me to feel rooted and supported so that I can take great leaps and bounds once Spring has fully announced herself.

However we experience the seasons – whatever weather they bring to your doorstep – they serve as markers of important cycles in our bodies and beings. In Colorado, Winter is an inward time, when low temperatures, snow, and short daylight hours invite us to retire inside, to rest more, to slow down. It is a time that supports us in solitude and self-reflection. When Spring starts to arrive, the itch to come out of hibernation, to burst forth so that the sun can warm our skin, is a natural turn of events. And with that transition comes the invitation to root. To ground ourselves fully in the wisdom gained during the Winter months so that we can expand fully into the rebirth of Springtime.

There is a reason that Spring comes slowly, that the trees have not yet sprouted and there are still days of Winter chill. These days present themselves so that we can slow down one more time and consciously acknowledge our Wintertime learning about what we require to feel fully rooted and centered. Perhaps it is something simple, such as a realization that you need to take a solo walk every day to help relax the mind. Or it might be the understanding that talking to your spouse about your busy day late at night makes for restless sleep and a day following that is scattered and ungrounded. The key is for us to pinpoint the behaviors and actions that help us to feel more grounded, more fully connected and present, so that we can expand upward and outward in a healthy and powerful way.

I often relate this notion to the image of an ancient tree. In order for a tree to grow and sustain itself for decades, it must drop deep, intentional roots to serve as its foundation and source of nourishment. From that place, the tree can then extend itself, bending and swaying with the changing seasonal patterns. With this image guiding us, it is up to us to be curious about how we root and create a foundation of nourishment and sure-footedness so that we can broaden into the grandest, most expansive version of ourselves.

Though this is a nice image, and we often get to take a ride into that world through moviescapes and novels, it does not genuinely and fully plumb the depths of possibility that exist for each of us. There is a reason why we live in a world marked by duality. Gray skies help us to appreciate sunny skies. Fitful nights remind us to embrace nights of good rest. Our pain is present in order to reflect the brilliance of our joy. And yet, even as the mirrors of duality remind us what might be on the other side our our experience in this moment, there is always a offering for us to stand naked in the place of Not Knowing.

When we stand in this place of Not Knowing – where all we have is the experience and expression of ourselves in the moment – we open to unknown possibility and astonishing outcome. This is not always a comfortable place. It can be accompanied by an oft-chided teacher: pain. Suffering. Created by and in our minds; our strong minds that want to know, down to the minute and second, what is going to happen, how, and when. So that we can get on with the business of living our lives. But is this really living? Having one thing all figured out (or so we think), so that we get onto figuring out the next?

I would venture to say no to that question. Our most profound opportunities for growth and joy often lie smack dab in the middle of our Not Knowing. If we embrace Not Knowing as a teacher – including the feelings of pain, discomfort and confusion that oftentimes accompany it – we open to a fullness of experience that the one-dimensionality of an I’ve-already-got-it-figured-out life does not offer.

How do we invite this dis-ease to move through our bodies, to inform us, without feeding into a downward spiral? Presence. We stay present to the sensation of pain – how it manifests in our bodies and what emotions arise as a result – rather than projecting stories about what it means and where it is going to lead. We drop into a trust, however elusive at times, that the waves of sorrow and confusion are guiding us to a safe harbor where the life we can’t even possibly imagine awaits us. Where our pain gives way to tremendous curiosity and joy as we melt into the organic, unplanned, unknown-ness of each moment.

From Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.

Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.

Well, yes. It is simultaneously a poignant and powerful time to take a look at this notion. Whether you are single or attached, the idea of loving and caring for yourself should never grow old or tiresome. To boot, the fact that the days of Winter are rather short gives us the extra nudge to stay inside, nurture ourselves, and take time to sink into the quiet contemplation that Winter invites.

Take time to create a list of things that you know will make you feel good – things that you don’t normally do. Taking concerted time to contemplate what will support you best in caring for yourself is part of the process. It can be easy for us to get into daily routine and then have the excuse that “I just don’t have enough time to think about or do anything for myself.”

So make the time. These don’t have to be extravagant things that take a lot of time or money. They can be simple things that recharge your batteries and remind you that to love thyself is a worthy endeavor.

My Love Thyself List:

• Create your own bath salts at Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary in Boulder
• Go to a hole-in-the-wall nail shop for an inexpensive, no-fuss pedicure
• Drive yourself to Westminster AMC 24 to see a romantic comedy that you’ve been dying to see (even though it gets panned by the critics); be sure to buy popcorn
• Curl up in a comfy chair and read your favorite Jane Austen title (purchased at your local bookstore, of course)
• Attend a restorative yoga class at Studio Be in Boulder