Dharma, Karma and feeling sparkly

This time of year seems to be a powerful time of year for me.

Thanks to Facebook bringing up memories of this day from years passed, its given me a glimpse into the MASSIVE shifts I’ve had in July/August over the past few years.

Come with me on a journey through some of the years:

2007 – Got blood poisoning from a mosquito bite, a week in hospital as my leg threatened to drop off, three weeks of bed rest and all a month out from my wedding in New York.

2008 – Separated from my husband (yes, it was a Britney-esq super short marriage). An epic journey of grief, guilt, strength and rediscovery began at this very moment.

2012 – Laughing Lotus TT in San Francisco literally changed the way I taught yoga forever. Found a couple of deep deep soul connections and drank too many margaritas.

2013 – Gave birth. Just a little bit momentous

2014 – Laughing Lotus advanced training in Bali. More shifts, more inspiration and realized I could be ME and a mother at the same time.

me during my lotus flow teacher training 2012

And here I sit today with a sense that something is shifting and happening again.

I watched a hilarious ‘yogi’ skit last night, taking the utter piss out of us yogis and our constant references to the universe and how it delivers what we need, the lessons, the gifts and synchronicity/serendipity/fate or whatever you’d like to label it.

I have probably been guilty of spouting some such blurb, as I have to admit, deep down I do believe fundamentally in the concepts of Dharma and Karma.

Or put simply, Dharma is the idea that we all have a specific journey ahead of us and it’s up to us to follow it or deny it but that when we are on our ‘path’, things start to fall into place and you get those moments or feelings as if the universe has delivered you an ah-ha moment. I think it’s actually you that’s delivered you that moment by following your dharma with tapas and dedication, which is not always easy.

Let’s make something clear though. Your Dharma is not your ‘job’. My Dharma is not being a marketing manager or running two yoga studios. That’s my job. My Dharma is to teach and share the teachings of yoga and I believe to be a nurturer, of my son and of my students.

And Karma. Karma is not ‘an eye for an eye’ type of bullshit. Karma is selfless service, giving back and standing up for those that can’t stand up for themselves. It’s taking action, not turning a blind eye to what’s happening around you and the action that you take should be the RIGHT action.

So if we put it together as the Gita and the Yoga Sutras tell us to do, it means that if we follow our path, and do so with passion and compassion, with kindness to all living things, then ‘the universe’ will start to deliver. Life will be/is already amazing.

So maybe July and August are my months of little lightening bolts from the universe, reminding me of my dharma, putting me right when I steer off track, delivering me a few ah-ha moments. And as I sit here typing, I feel like there is another one right around the corner. And I feel like it’s gonna be good.

Go the sparkly, twinkly, dance around the kitchen vibe that I have going on right now.