Serve Life: A Chit Chaturya-l

“What we fight with is so small, and when we win, it makes us small. What we want is to be defeated, decisively, by successively greater things.”

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Happy New Year Dear Ones or should I say Y’all.….if you wish to listen, click here. Otherwise, carry on 😉

It’s been a minute, and it would seem the universe has been having a time…a pandemonium 🙃actually…weeding my garden, practice, studio, relationships, music, life, instagram… even my writing. It's cut deep in some places....so I had to surrender, defeated. Now, I’m just be-sy pottering a-round.  😍. 

And despite all the weeding, (and it’s not that kind of weed nor pot y'all 🙃), I’ve found space and a place to learn something new…to throw pots.  It's a strange 'turn' of phrase ‘throwing pots’, because as an experience I find it quite chill; yet, it also makes me wanna shout ‘opa’, as I envision my pots hitting the ground and shattering into peaces😉. 'Throw’ in a bit of 😉 Kintsugi, the Japanese art of golden joinery to make something beautiful out of what has been broken ❤️...and Wham, jitterbug into my heart, we’ve gotten a gold-in start .⚡️ 

Have I thrown you? 😉 Cuz. I might have blinked and finished before we’ve gotten out of the blocks.

I’m turning… round and round. 💃🏽

Caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new….time after time…

Begin as you would like to go-go.

So they say.  Who are they, anyway? 

Endings make great beginnings to a circle that has no beginning or end. Opa. The oura- bore(d) us…so ‘we’ be getting a new ‘knows’ ring made from ethically responsible, no blood shed bling… precious, in deed. I’m back to making mosaics again. Cliche? Or a tad too prose-A-ick? It’s from the Greek of 'chorus'😉😂, and means ‘from a muse’  💝 Is it Horus? Can you find the core-us? Or is it…… the sun is in your eyes? 

In the yogic tradition, the Trimurti, the three aspects of the universe: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu or Saraswati, Kali, and Lakshmi (depending on your universal gender bender) each represent one aspect of the universe: creation, destruction and preservation. Respectfully. To create something, we must destroy something; 'tis the universal accounting.   Preservation, try as it might to stand alone, is like the middle child, always trying somewhat unsuccessfully to make peace with its rowdier siblings, only to find the wheel of time eventually turns it also brittle, inflexible, and outdated; and any efforts to preserve, shatter, crumble or succumb to a bigger creative family picture: the unstoppable movement of earth, sun and stars. Orbits. Circles of life. Shiva Shakti. Lovers. Neo and Trinity …life, death and the Matrix: Resurrections. The successful couple is always a thruple. You, me, us. In deed.

We begin by kneading the clay.  I make bread; I've got this covered, or so I think, 😉.  My teacher points out I am too strong with my clay.  Yes, sensei. Where have I heard this before?  Each discipline has its nuances. Apparently though, they all require me to relax my shoulders.  Gentle, less effort. Yes, sensei. Feel the clay move beneath you. Life is MMA … mixed media arts. Oh, maybe you thought life didn’t need a second M? Jai MA! Or, M stood for martial, or even marital....oo, they are so close. And picture just like Andy did …that little ole’ soup can that could…MMA: life and death, and everything in between becomes mm mm g—d 😂  In deed. 

Working in more than one medium helps us to see things anew.  Cross training potentiates new orbits: beginners eyes, minds and possibly even the holy grail, a challis, the open flexible and strong fear(less) heart. Jai Hanuman Chalisa. Relax the shoulders when you throw. Yes Sensei. Breathe. Find your feet. Use the whole body to shape the clay. It must be well rounded; all my teachers have reminded. 😍

Asana, philosophy, chanting, service, devotion. All branches of a practice to become well rounded, to soften our edges, we need a bit of emotion. The state of yoga is rarely achieved by hanging onto one branch of the tree. Hanuman, the monkey g-d of devotion, invites you to split yourself open; swing free; set yourself apart. The only true mind is heart.  In deed.  

We knead the clay, and we need the clay. Needing humbles, gets us in touch with ground and community. Tis the solar opposite of the selfie I’m the one sour dough Insta- grammy culture. Aldus, Huxley that is, knew no-‘One’ 😉 is an Island. Not even Neo. Tantra, it’s always best when we acknowledge, the weave, the loom of you, me and us, Utopia is Usland. Eventually, with the right cuts, sometimes sharp, for sparkle…and swift, for clarity… we might become jewels on Indra’s net, glittering and reflecting grace, peace and love back to one and other, (is there another😉?) if we can with-stand, and stand-with under pressure. Isolation brings us home. Reflections. In deed. 

Kneading removes air, allows clay to become uniform, oriented, and elastic. Up dog. Down dog. Plank. Mountain. Sequences. Over and over, the body eventually moves with a mind of its own 🥰.  Bliss. Nataraja … dancing Shiva. Under pressure the clay moves up, the clay moves down. My hands wake to the molecules of clay aligning under my palms. Am I the mover or the movie? In deed. 

Use a proper amount of water, not too much, you’ll waste clay, not too little, the clay will be brittle. Pleasure, passion, laughter, anger, joy, pain: the waters of emotion get us out of our brain and bring the body, sharply into focus. So hum and drink the soma.  In deed. 

Clear the air, the teacher repeats over and over. Twist and shout. Opa.  It will allow the clay to centre well 😉 on the wheel. No more talking, there is only now….silence in the studio. I can feel the stillness in the clay accumulating around me and under my fingers. This is love. We are One. In deed.  

Centred-ness and stillness are signs the air has gone out of the clay and allows it to be led into useful, balanced and beautiful shapes. Without centring, clay will fly off the wheel, hit a wall or the floor and land in the slop bucket, reincarnated into … is this why they call it slip? because it fell? 😱 pottery glue, decoration, the potter's samsara.  Air trapped in a pot destined for the kiln can also be disastrous; the heat causes bubbles to expand perhaps shattering the vessel, and any other pots in the kiln around it. Clean up on aisle ‘One’. Opa indeed. 

Clay becomes a pot, a cup, a bowl, a vase, a plate, a chalise: some hold water, flowers; some serve food…olives …life…so many performances, most beyond imagination.  It is and will always be clay, but once a vessel, it’s useful in so many other ways, perhaps, even if only in its new found beauty. It’s a truly cosmic after flow glow. One that rarely goes, and with care ‘full’ (anna-poorna in deed) tending might even grow.  We become vessels to do dharma, the sacred work of our soul’s choosing in this world and lifetime. What will you do with your one wild and precious life?**  The world is shattering.  Can we peace it back together?  Advanced Kintsugi in deed. 

Next, we shape the form. Shaping is negotiating curves and edges. Gently pulling, for the clay must understand who is in charge. We are One.  Use a bolster between your shoulder blades. Drape the body gently on top. Close your eyes. Relax. Feel. Allow gravity and yoga nidra, the sleep of the yogi, to do the work. Receive. Definitely a divine feminine…wait for it🙃…  In deed

Ground is necessity 😍 in any practice: pottery, yoga, massage, music, acting, therapy. The potter (the teacher, the therapist, the student, the musician, the actor) works better still. ‘Push more clay up from the bottom’ the teacher helps me make my edges rise higher yet stay strong and flexible. Flexible boundaries are strong ...and porous. It’s a beautiful thing to learn through the transmission of someone’s gentle touch, beyond words. Definitely an ‘In’ deed. Wham.  ⚡️I am. In deed.

Use the tools, I like to work with knives, shiva shiva shambo….some things gotta go…shape the curves, lean away from the bend. Backbends come from the legs; root, and lengthen then extend. Otherwise, the clay will break where it has too much bend, and you might end up on my table again and again.Accelerate.  Don’t brake.  Feel the forces around and on you. Avoid the crash.

And never ever touch the clay before the wheel is spinning.  You don’t want to introduce tensions into the clay. Ground yourself, find your inner space before you teach, throw, practice, listen, touch, act.  Use a strap, lift from the base of the spine, relax the legs. Twist. Would you like an adjustment? Many similarities, many differences. Vistas open. Simple forms. Nothing fancy. Every good coach knows …a ’Pro’ found 😉 beauty is in the basics. Mosaics.  Beautiful pots in deed. 

Tik tok. It's getting late. I could watch trimming all day long. We make the pot with extra heft. Trimming is my favourite part. The clock is ticking and the wheel is spinning. Use the tools to sculpt away what is not necessary, cut deep, and confidently. Relax the shoulders. Yes. Sensei.  Mesmer-rising. 😵‍💫 in deed. 😂

We create the foot of the vessel last. There must be enough clay, more than you might think necessary, at the bottom to do so. Guess you gotta become a grown ass person, comes from learning to sit in it, if you want it… y’all. There is an art to making a beautiful foot. 26 bones, 30 joints and over 100 muscles in each foot support one body.  And generally they come in pairs.  All working in harmony. Are we aware?  They look so …spare.   Have you ever looked at the feet of a yogi. They are exquisite. (Teacher selection tip 💝) In deed. 

A deeply embodied person, one who feels themselves to the tips of their toes is someone who may have access to the Trimurti of relationship: their whole self: to fight, flee and stay; and not just in freeze or appease, but in a will you meet me while we sort this please?   In a true marriage to the Self we cannot abandon our own needs for the needs of other, they must align.  It requires flow, boundaries, a lot of I love you’s and the occasional snap F^*@ out of it . 😐 

What purpose is the yoga of the body if it doesn’t translate into better relationship with self, friends, colleagues, and community including the ability to respectfully disagree,  Smart devices have evolved and content is king. Have become ‘smarter from all the talking? Sparring spikes ratings, but rarely ‘understanding’ : that deep knowing we feel supports us.  Few of us have ever really learned to listen.  And make no mistake, it’s an advanced yoga pose, listening requires staying, without ‘butting’ in-deed. 

Everyone has a podcast now.  We are all talking….Is anyone listening?  Would you listen to me, who am I? after y’all 😉?

I used to be surprised by how many people interrupt in conversation and not the ‘hey I’m nodding’ that I’m following you or the encouraging ‘yup yup keep going’  but rather the let me cut you off before you even finish what you are saying.  Do they even notice you haven’t finished speaking, that you are in mid-stream. Is it  because what they have to say is so important? Or, is it like a small child who can’t hold it in; no ability to delay gratification.  Can’t hold water, maybe not a vessel.  Is this a nervous system in both fight and flight? Fleeing from the thoughts of the speaker by inhabiting its own thoughts at the same time thrusting its words into the words of the speaker.  Disordered ear-rings. In Deed.  

Is a paucity of space or earth? No means to simply stay, quietly, and wait for the energy, thought, sentence of another to unspool.  In the interruption, there is no awareness of awareness of the other person and the ‘lost ussie’ of that moment, the nervous system of the interrupter has hijacked the conversation; where will this land? This need to go, and piss on another’s flow.  As the interrupted, I hear you… are wounded. 

Let’s practice listening.  Can you really take it in?  Or do you reject input when it’s labelled as my opinion? Can we hear anything from someone else if we can’t hear our Self? Is it only by listening to all our voices that they become sated, trusting enough to… pipe down 😉 …Am I talking out my A^^ again? Yes, ma’am Wham …S/he’s hear for you. ⚡️  In deed.  

To preserve the balance and create anew: we must destroy:  A-men. De-feeted.  Adeus. No x machina In deed

Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodhaha….

The cessation of the fluctuations of the mind stuff is yoga. 

Up, down, centre. The median, even the mean and certainly the medium space is heart, statistically speaking it’s ear.  Be hear 😉, now. It’s all in the mystery, yoga, stillness, peace, and a deep silence where the voice that has no words, speaks.  Go-on. It’s a Koan,  Zen.  Definitely, In-deed. 

Does the pot feel the wire as it slides quickly underneath its base to sever it from the wheel? Oh dears, It’s late and it appears I’ve taken quite the long me-and her way round…to get back down to ground and c level.

And Wow …turns out 😉 our love is hear 👂 to stay…those mountains after all were only made of clay. Opa,

Time to make a  wish…..click click click.

To y’all and yours….a happy and healthy 2022 dish 😉.  And may we all find new level 😉 footing, Cuz that’s how we’ll heal ❤️

I do believe I’ve found mine; new footing that is: a pair of white pumas. Am I kidding?  😉 the tigers, certainly attractive and loud,  were a bit too tight… the cheetas, laid back London for sure, a bit too roomy… the white mountain lions, though seem really quite fitting to go with my new… kitting… cuz once you’ve got golden joinery you don’t need goldie-locks 🔐  You’re free as Neo, is there even a choice: to liberate minds from their starting blocks….and if tended correctly they’ll fruit 😉 easily into apple trees and honey bees.

A gentle re-minder for those of you still out in the woods….relax your shoulders; and breathe; inhale, let all your cells receive cuz…forest bathing, exhale, is mm mm g—d.  Let it set your fires, not the trees, A-blazing. Don’t matter if you shatter, transform, Rise from the ashes, as the whol-e damn, I am. S-warm. Definitely not a lyre, but you can pluck my heart strings. Indeed.  We needed another M for M-Orpheous. (More free us). Jai MAA, Shri MAA,

As for teaching y'all…I’m still... 😉 tutoring on some trainings and looking to dot my Ayurvedic i's and cross my t's this year with a certification 'course...so I will be looking for guinea figs who would like to receive practice massage(s), for free 😉 and yes, you heard me correctly; gotta be willing to get naked though, cuz no fig leaves….  ya gotta be baby ‘bare’-in mind…to make sensei with the fourth 😍 matrix.

Chit ‘Chaturiya’ …In-deed.

It’s a New Year Y’all 🙏🏽 ….Jai MMA. Shri MMA

Om …Shanti Shanti Shanti …Om

Oodles of love  

Bienvenue…. And Cheers 

À nous

Serve Life…Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu… and let peace vibe the tribe.   In deed.  

These emails are sent for the purposes of change, paradox and humour and in no way reflect the state of or should can be construed as any recommendations by its author. No guarantees, re-puns, or re-turns 🏄🏾‍♀️🎁🎉

* Winning Hearts And Minds

**Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

Did you catch my play list, it’s A matrix, ? G0 on. I gave you another koan. Solve for Y. And you’ll turn that wall into a door. Remember what the dormouse said…feed your head…

The Sun is in Your Eyes…Jacob Collier

Time After Time ….Everything but the Girl

Under Pressure…David Bowie, and Queen

The Middle… Jimmy Eat World

The Matrix: Resurrections

The Island, Aldus Huxley

Reflections… The Neighborhood

Shiva Shambo…. Devi Sri Prasad

The Wheel of Time, Netflix

Mystery …Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band

Our Love is Here to Stay. Dinah Washington