The Action That is Faith

I see living a spiritual life as being an active one. Living is action. It requires discipline.

There is the discipline of returning to my ethics and values and connection with my universal spirit. These are actual steps I must take, things I must (or must not) do to maintain these. they won't come chasing me down, They wont remind me like a patient parent; "now don't forget to brush your teeth!"  I won't suffer a direct consequence such as getting a bad grade if I don't hand in my homework.  I DO get messages from my heart and my gut- but my historical habits have been to over look these- listening to them is, again, a discipline.

There is the discipline of being my values out in the world- to take it to the mat, to the meeting and to my meanderings in life. There is not location nor event that is so insignificant that I may forget living my as my best self.

In both these cases I, personally, make the choice to follow the path. I don't turn the choice or the effort over to another person. Nor I do I make the choice to gain someone's favor. This is how I build "self esteem, and how I am able to be responsible.

I am responsible for living my faith and turning the results over to my H.P.

We should never lose sight of the fact that, however difficult the going may be at times, the living of the spiritual life is ultimately our own responsibility. It should never be abdicated to another, however venerable.-John Snelling, Beware the Charismatic Guru

Kyczy Hawk RYT E-500

Author “Yoga and the Twelve Step Path” and “Life in Bite-Sized Morsels” and “From Burnout to Balance” among others. She is the founder of S.O.A.R.(™) Success Over Addiction and Relapse

Kyczy has been teaching recovery focused yoga classes since 2008.  Taking the foundation of a traditional yoga training she received from the Lotus Yoga Teacher Association (of the Himalayan Yoga Institute), she has combined the wisdom and inspiration from other teachers along the way.  A leader of Y12SR (Yoga of 12 Step Recovery) classes for nearly five years and a devoted teacher to people in treatment centers and in jail- Kyczy created a teacher training program for others who wish to work in this field.

You can join Kyczy and a host of other people in recovery every Sunday morning at 7am PT (10 am ET) on In The Rooms for the Yoga Recovery meeting. More about her work can be found at www.yogarecovery.com.

Opportunity and Ego

Lets get one thing straight. I didn't get this fabulous life alone. And I do have a wonderful life. I may not always acknowledge or appreciate it; like a good meal I may over consume, as with fun I may over do and become fatigued, but I have a wonderful life with many opportunities. I may, at times, think "Oh this great life! Look what I have created for myself!" It is at just those times that I slip, fall, crash in some way. 

I did not make this wonderful life. I have had so many mentors, known and unknown. Those who were aware of showing me the way and those who had no idea that their words or actions could have such influence. I DID show up for it, I DID make choices, I DID work in large and small ways; but the opportunities and the challenges were laid before me.

I walk through life with open eyes and an open heart. I do this not only so that I don't miss that lesson, that challenge, that opportunity to learn and grow, but to find a way to actively "value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect."

We learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean… and we were taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect. –Michelle Obama

Kyczy Hawk RYT E-500 is a yoga teacher and author. She teaches in treatment centers as well as yoga studios in her hometown of San Jose, CA.  Her volunteer time includes teaching yoga in Elmwood Women’s jail and The Recovery Cafe San Jose. She has been a space holder for the internationally known Y12SR (Yoga of Twelve Step Recovery) for over five years. 

Her books: "Yoga and The Twelve Step Path" and "Life in Bite Sized Morsels" are available online.