The Gift of Acceptance

ACCEPTING OUR EMOTIONS

We may contemplate balance and harmony and living like "our lives depended on it" , as if this moment could be our last.  Living in the present as if nothing were to come after this moment.  This does not mean living a hedonistic life: that is not in alignment with our true values.  It does not mean repressing our feelings, that could be dishonest.  What it can mean is feeling what we are feeling without the "second arrow" of negative self judgement.  It can mean feeling what ever we are feeling -- to the fullest.

Living life of being in the present is neither "good" nor "bad";  it is conscious and present.  Be who you are , right now, in this moment.  And breathe.

Not Judging our Emotions

There isn’t any such thing as a negative emotion. There are negative things that we do with our emotions, but our emotions themselves are neither negative nor positive.

- Robert Augustus Masters, "From Spiritual Bypassing"


Kyczy Hawk is the author of Yoga and the Twelve Step Path and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.


www.yogarecovery.com

Where Does Willingness Come From and Where Does It Go?

Where Does Willingness Come From and Where Does It Go?

Some days there is nothing to it: I remain open and willing; neither expecting things to do one way or the other. Other days I am devastated by the capriciousness of life - that events would unfold such as they do, that people would behave in that way.  I come back to the idea of willingness - to meet life on life’s terms.  And I know I can start my day again at anytime; if I am willing. For today I will stay in the willingness - neither force nor resist my "willingness to grow".

For Today:

“You are asking yourself, as all of us must: ‘Who

am I?’ . . . .’Where am I?’ . . . . ‘Whence do I Go?’

The process of enlightenment is usually slow.

But, in the end, our seeking always brings a finding.

These great mysteries are, after all, enshrined in

complete simplicity. The willingness to grow is the

essence of all spiritual development.”

As Bill Sees It, pg. 171

What is That Space Between My Will and That of My HP?

What Is That Space Between My Will And My Higher Power’s Will?

Discussions have been held in the past about the gap - stepping into the gap between old and new behavior, the gap between knowing and not knowing. We also observe the gap between reality and our own will (ego). We discern the gap between our will and how following (not resisting) the will of our HP feels. One can note the challenge and the discomfort that can occur with the widening of that gap.  Growth comes from looking again into the gap, seeing the gap and facing it. Don’t turn away. Look, listen and learn.

Where the Mischief Comes From

“When attention to the present moment falters and we drift into some version of 'I have to have it my way,' a gap is created in our awareness of reality as it is, right now. Into that gap pours all the mischief of our life. We create gap after gap after gap, all day long. The point of practice is to close those gaps, to reduce the amount of time that we spend being absent, caught in our self-centered dream.”

- Charlotte Joko Beck, "Attention Means Attention"

Kyczy Hawk is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

Relationship with Yourself - Love Can Be Difficult

IN RELATIONSHIPS; WITH OTHERS AND WITH YOURSELF

Remember... you are in relationship with yourself - so the best you bring to ANY relationship - you also bring to yourself. Do be kind, and loving and patient, forgiving and disciplined with yourself.  With permission and with guidance - grow in the direction of your sun; your internal goodness and your higher power.

Love Can be Hard

“Love can be hard. Love requires you to be kind when you are angry, patient when you feel anxious, compassionate when you judge others, caring when you feel apathetic, trust when you've been wronged, let go when you want to hold on, know that the other person is you, take risks when you're scared, to always see the lesson and never look back once you've decided."

- Jackson Kiddard

Kyczy Hawk is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.
www.yogarecovery.com

Breathe In Your Dignity

Breathe In Your Dignity

Dignity is such a powerful word.  In our yoga practice aligning ourselves in tadasana - standing mountain- I conclude the description of finding alignment, righting our stature, with the words "balancing your head with dignity".   I use those words purposefully - to bring the ideas of the head (the mind) in alignment with our physical body and our feeling body - to bring them all together -  in a way that opens us up to our own wonderful be-ing.  

Standing tall with foundation, integration and dignity we can feel our self ESTEEM, our own self regard and self respect.  It is in finding those qualities in ourselves that we can be authentically familiar with them and offer them to others.

My own practice of lovingkindness has opened me to the power of compassion and to the fact that all beings want to be happy. Everybody wants to have their innate dignity recognized and to recognize the innate dignity of others.

- Sharon Salzberg, "Why I Support Fast Food Workers"

Kyczy Hawk is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

NOTHING IS WASTED - NOT EVEN OUR EXPERIENCES

NOTHING IS WASTED - NOT EVEN OUR EXPERIENCES

Yes, we will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We do, however, work hard, day after day, and year after year, to remove the sting of guilt and the heat of shame.  Those must be dropped to give room to you, and the growth of your fabulous being.

For Today:

“We did not always come closer to wisdom by

reason of our virtues; our better understanding

is often rooted in the pains of our former follies.

Because this has been the essence of our individual

experience, it is also the essence of our experience

as a fellowship.”

As Bill Sees It, pg. 31

Kyczy Hawk is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

Lego the Ego

LISTENING TO THE TRUE SELF, AND LEGO THE EGO

The EGO that must be toppled, not sense of true Self, not the innermost kernel of our being, but "his [sic] majesty the baby" who has no place in our growth and path of enlightenment.

Be well

Toppling the "I" Throne

“The ego must be dethroned, its arrogance must be dismantled, and we must begin, before it is too late, to listen to the ensuing silence. All of this is about becoming who we are in the deepest sense and about surrendering to what creation is asking of us and needing from us just now.”

- Reginald Ray, "Looking Inward, Seeing Outward"

Kyczy Hawk is the author of "Yoga and the Twelve Step Path" and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

Nothing Lacking and Feelings of Abundance

GRATITUDE

With the feeling that I have enough, that life presents me with sufficient, and that I, myself, lack nothing; I am in grace. I am in that field of gratitude with sunshine, wildflowers and a gentle breeze. Alone or with others, I am complete.

Nothing Lacking

“What is this? This is just your life. So you do your part, and the rest is clear. It is clear because there has never been anything lacking, despite any beliefs you might have, despite any ideas you might have. There has never been anything lacking.”

- Elihu Genmyo Smith, "Do Your Best"

Kyczy Hawk is the author of Yoga and the Twelve Step Path and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

FIND THE GAP THAT FILLS WITH PEACE

FIND THE GAP THAT FILLS WITH PEACE

Pema Chodron is so wise and articulate.  She guides us so beautifully into accepting life as it is, as it comes to us.  We then can find the gap: between fear and security, doubt and faith.  It is that space wherein peace can be found and then drawn into the other places; the spaces that are not as lovely and the spaces that are.

Building Unconditional Openness

“Whether we’re seeking inner peace or global peace or a combination of the two, the way to experience it is to build on the foundation of unconditional openness to all that arises. Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth—it’s an experience that’s expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened.”

- Pema Chodron, "Unlimited Friendliness"  

Kyczy Hawk is the author of Yoga and the Twelve Step Path and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

How can I tell if I am "getting better"?

HOW CAN I TELL IF I AM “GETTING BETTER”?

Look back, not forward, to see growth. Whatever the skill (knitting, baseball, baking) or practice (yoga, meditation, recovery) we may not see improvement bit by bit, day by day. But by contemplating where we were when we started we can see the progress.  

A daily practice grows at its own pace; no amount of emotional, verbal or energetic encouragement (or force) will increase its rate of growth.   You only practice and let go. 

The Patience of Cultivation

“When you plant seeds in the garden, you don’t dig them up every day to see if they have sprouted yet. You simply water them and clear away the weeds; you know that the seeds will grow in time. Similarly, just do your daily practice and cultivate a kind heart. Abandon impatience and instead be content creating the causes for goodness; the results will come when they’re ready.”

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron, "Meditator's Toolbox"

Kyczy Hawk is the author of Yoga and the Twelve Step Path and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

Wake up this morning and awaken to your thoughts

GOOD MORNING, WAKE UP AND AWAKEN TO YOUR THOUGHTS.

With the busy-ness of the season and the changeability of the weather - our bodies react and our minds respond. Take a moment to feel your body; to become aware of the feeling tones and emotions. Then take some time to sit and watch. Watch the movement of your mind as you note the feelings in your body. Not to judge, but to know. Then, be kind, accept and go on.  

Know Your Mind

“As long as we exist, our mind is an inseparable part of us. As a result, we are always up and down. It is not our body that goes up and down, it's our mind—this mind whose way of functioning we do not understand—not just our body, but our mind. Therefore, sometimes we have to examine ourselves—not just our body, but our mind. After all, it is our mind that is always telling us what to do. We have to know our own psychology, or, in religious terminology, perhaps, our inner nature. Anyway, no matter what we call it, we have to know our own mind.”

- Lama Yeshe, "Your Mind is Your Religion"


Kyczy Hawk is the author of Yoga and the Twelve Step Path and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.

www.yogarecovery.com

When being productive ISN'T

When being "productive" ISN'T productive - produces activity but no heart purpose.

Starting a new week can begin with a long list of "things to do" - a list of duties, of obligations as well as things of pleasure and recreation.  Sometimes this list can include activities that are not so necessary but come from "should"  or from "must". 

See where THOSE items stem from and and check them out.  Let go (kindly, gently, with care) of those things or reframe them in a healthier way.  

Some items on the list aren't mine to do, some are not pressing but are busy, and some are there out of ego or fear.  How can I add space to my day? I check my list and start anew.

"We are born with all the wisdom, playfulness, and imagination we need; we just sometimes need a reminder to return to our senses and get out of our own way. Let go of whatever fears, assumptions, distractions, resistance, and busyness may be hampering you. Allow yourself to think and feel and live that way". - Marc Lesser "Do Less Accomplish More" 

Kyczy Hawk is the author of Yoga and the Twelve Step Path and founder of S.O.A.R.(tm) Success Over Addiction and Relapse. She offers training on line and teaches in person in Treatment Centers, and Jail. She also leads Y12SR classes at Willow Glen Yoga in the Silicon Valley area of California.
www.yogarecovery.com