December Newsletter

Dear Friends in Yoga,

The holidays are upon us!  There are many things that I love about this time of year, but by the end of December, I often feel stressed by my busier schedule.  I'm going to do my best to curb stress this month by sticking to my regular routine.  I've recently started running and notice my ego creeping in, saying, "It's the holiday season!  You don't have to run.  Pick it back up in the New Year..."  That perspective is very tempting, but definitely not what's best for me.  My yoga practice reminds me to let go of what no longer serves me (my ego) to make space for what's best for me (healthy choices!).  I commit to keeping up with my yoga practice, running, and especially commit to celebrating old and new holiday traditions to the fullest.

I hope to see you on the mat!

With gratitude,

Megan Ridge Morris

November Newsletter

Dear Friends In Yoga,

This year has brought much joy and pain. It's only November, and I already find myself wishing away 2013.  I realize I need a shift in perspective!

I find it interesting that many of us associate the upcoming holidays with an opportunity to practice more gratitude, giving, and transformation.  What if, instead of celebrating these acts on selective dates, we engaged in loving ourselves and the world every day?  Daily gratitude can lead to daily giving, which often leads to transformation on scales both large and small.

This month, I commit to treating every day as though it were Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years combined!  Instead of looking to the unknown future for happiness, I will use present time to "just be" with family and friends, giving a receiving love for the sake of it, and remain open to whatever a new day may bring.  It is always within our power to choose how we feel and when we feel like our power is slipping away, getting on the mat can help us restore it.  Are you itching for a shift?  If so, I hope to see you on the mat this month!

With gratitude,
Megan

6 Months Ago

Six months ago today, my mom died of brain cancer.  Sometimes it feels like yesterday.  Usually it feels like it's been years.  I am still occasionally surprised by a myriad of raw emotions at any random moment.  These moments remind me that nothing is permanent.  

Before mom died, I had become comfortable with looking at my life from an orderly lens. It was easier for me to give my loved ones labels and define my worth in certain terms.  My system kept things manageable and under the illusion of control.  Today, without compartmentalizing, I am more susceptible to vulnerability.  I am grateful for the opportunity to explore this aspect of myself.  These days, when I have a hurricane in my belly or my heart starts thumping out of my chest, I know it's time to go through my fear instead of around it. 

My mom's life and death taught me that my true path is before me and it is also within me.  I need to stay quiet and open so that I can listen to my heart better.  Then I can walk the path with clarity and trust that the rest is unfolding as it will for my soul's evolution.  Mom taught me long ago that choosing gratitude would never fail me.  Her destiny woke me up and I will be forever grateful.

Tattoo

Dear Friends In Yoga,

I recently got a tattoo on my left forearm in honor of my mother.  It's a beautiful sun that reminds me of all of the suns mom collected over the years, along with the words, "como el río."  It means "like the river" or "as the river," in Spanish, a language that I am quickly falling in love with.

Paulo Coehlo wrote, "Como el Río que Fluye."  In the book, he compares the flowing of a river to a human life.  There are areas of a river (or times in our lives) that are stuck & still and areas that are moving rapidly.  Rivers support growth, provide shelter, and absorb warm sunlight.  Some rivers join oceans, some dry up for centuries.  The river chooses it's path as often as possible, but there are also uncontrollable forces that shift our path-- natural and personal disasters.  All things must eventually die in order for our planet to evolve, and some of us fearfully and fiercely resist this truth.  For myself, I aspire to always be "like the river"~ content with change, yet never surrendering my power of choice.

Mom is with me in my memory.  And my most vivid memories of her will help influence my future choices.  Her light, the sun, will always shine on me, the flowing river.  And the image on my arm is a nice reminder of all that.

Pray for Magic

Dear Friends In Yoga,

When I truly accept that certain patterns in my life are no longer working, and I can't see a solution for the problems at hand, I pray for transformation and guidance.  I pray for magic.  I usually don't know who I'm praying to, but I know that the act of praying can bring some relief; quieting the body and mind for a moment.  In those connected moments, when I give myself just enough time to turn inward, magic happens. Sometimes the shift is immediate, sometimes it takes a few days, weeks, even years, but these magical moments make me feel like the universe must have been listening to my prayer because the answer can be so coincidental or meaningful that there's no other explanation for it.

In reality, when we pray for magic, we are asking for the power to shift something at will. That's all "magic" is and we do it every day. We have the power to shift our perspective at will, whenever we choose. Then we can start to see our past stories as little allegories of gratitude and view our current fears and disconnected places as opportunities for growth. It is our own soul that shines differently because we decided to make a change. 

Magic isn't easy work, but it's worth it.  When we can finally recognize that a "problem" is a gift in disguise or that a feeling is "just a feeling," we are free.  And free to start the process all over again, at any moment. 

See you on the mat,

Megan Morris :-)

Summer Lovin'

Dear Friends in Yoga,

I have returned from my Italian honeymoon!  It was an illuminating, healing, rejuvenating trip.  My husband, Christopher, and I have been together for almost 10 years (married last October), but we had never before taken a long trip like this, just the two of us.  I think we communicated very well and we both truly cherished the many opportunities for deep connection.  Italy is a romantic place, for sure!  We stayed in Chianti and visited the surrounding Tuscan towns, spent a few nights in Cinque Terre, Florence and Venice.  The most challenging moments involved getting from one place to another.  More than once, I needed to practice some yogic breathing techniques to stay calm on the winding, narrow roads that hugged steep cliffs.  There was one particularly challenging day on the way to Cinque Terre.  We spent about 1.5 hours driving on a very scary road, only to find out that there was a landslide in October of 2011 that destroyed the part of the road that would allow us to reach our village.  We had to turn around, drive the 1.5 hours back, get on the highway, and enter from the other side of the mountain.  What should have been a 3 hour car ride turned into 6 hours.  There was a point in the drive where I became emotional (a combination of exhaustion, fear of falling off a cliff in a 2 ton vehicle and the extreme need to pee!) and Christopher immediately stepped up in my moment of panic.  I think that's something we've gotten better at over the years.  When one of us freaks out, the other calms down considerably, maintaining balance in chaos.  He did that for me beautifully in Italy, and I know I do it for him regularly.  I like to think of these moments as "Partner Yoga" at it's finest.  :-)

I am back to my regular teaching schedule today!  I hope to see you all in class.  The air conditioning at the Yoga Loft is working perfectly, so don't fear the heat!!!

Videos!

I've created a new page on my website called "Videos."  Included you'll find a chant to help you remember the 8 limbs of yoga in order, stages to pincha myrasasana, a sequence building up to Sun Salutation A, a seva fundraising video, and my lastest video: variations of tree pose!  CLICK HERE to check it out!

Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Friends In Yoga,

Last May, I didn't think it would be my last Mother's Day with mom around.  I have joined the ranks of people that must find a way to move through a day that would be much better spent with a talking, breathing, human mom but no longer have that privilege.  I always enjoyed Mother's Day growing up, and of course, now I feel like I could have done even more to honor mom's beauty every day of my life.  So what to do to honor her this year?  I thought about buying a star in her name, being that she loved observing light and especially marveled at a brilliant night sky.  But after further investigation, I have a feeling mom would prefer that my money, time and effort be put towards a worthy cause instead.  So on this Mother's Day, I'm going to honor mom by "symbolically adopting a bird" from the National Aviary.  And after that, I'm going to take a long walk and enjoy the beauty of nature.  At dusk, I'm going to sit in my living room with the windows open, a glass of Fetzer Chardonnay in hand, a plate of sliced extra sharp cheddar cheese by my side, and listen to some Elton John with the volume up high.  Because that seems authentic to who mom was and represents the kind of things we enjoyed doing together as mother and daughter.  I encourage you, no matter what your story may be, to celebrate Mother's Day the best way that you know how to this year, whether mom's been gone a long time, or she's still able to physically be with you today.  No matter what, you can celebrate her spirit, because she lives in you.  

Happy Mother's Day!

XO

Megan

Spirit

My beautiful mother became an angel on April 9th. Thank you all for your outpouring of support, kindness and love over the past 13 months. It was the hardest year of my life, and I am thankful for all of it. At one of the last classes I taught in March, a student I have known well for the past 5 years came up to me and said, "You know that all of the energy your mom is losing is going directly into you, right?" I instantly knew what she meant. I am so thankful for the numerous gifts mom gave me throughout my life and find that this new gift of a clear, strong connection to her Spirit feels both magical and overwhelming at times. My mom's journey with brain cancer has influenced my teaching and the way that I approach my own yoga practice in ways I never could have imagined. Ultimately, I now know with certainty that mom will be with me forever, and that brings me some genuine peace.

I took a break from everything to be with my family for almost three weeks and am looking forward to resuming my regular teaching schedule this Friday, April 19th. I hope to see you soon! Also, my next Learn to Breathe workshop is THIS SUNDAY, 4-6pm at the Loft. Click here to register.

With so much gratitude,

Megan

Dreams...

Dear Friends in Yoga,

I've been thinking a lot lately about a dream I had about six years ago, around the time that I graduated from college.  I'm standing in the middle of the parking lot across the street from my parents' house. It's dark outside and all of the first floor lights are on. The front door is wide open. A young girl, maybe ten, is standing outside. I start to head for the front door and, without speaking, the girl indicates that I shouldn't enter from the front, but that I should follow her around to the back. I feel a sense of danger, and know it would be smart to follow the girl. By the time I get around back, the girl has vanished. I go through the back door and my dad is standing inside, crying, and I instantly know he's crying because my mother just died. He looks terrible, lost, defeated and withering away. I turn to my left to see that the coat closet is completely empty except for a little boy that's sitting on the floor, maybe six years old. A bare bulb bathes the closet with light. The boy looks up and says to me, "Everyone must try to lick the spoon." And I wake up.


I've always interpreted the dream as "growing pains," letting go of dependence and trying my chance at life.  Now, six years later, I'm seeing it in a whole new way. One day soon, my dad will move out of the home he shared with his wife of 37 years, and the coat closet will be empty. A new family will inhabit the space and their kids will soon call it their "childhood home," just as I do. My dad may weep in that very same spot in the back of the house. He probably already has.  I'll stand bewildered, not knowing what to do, not able to understand the messages being sent to me.  Was my mom in that brightly lit living room?  Was the girl me?  If I fell asleep tonight and could have that dream all over again, I would thank that sweet little girl for trying to shield me from my pain, and then I would walk straight through the front door and see whatever it is I'm supposed to witness.

Yoga is getting me through this.  I see how my practice has allowed me the space to handle the hardest moments with grace and compassion.  Yoga is why I will eventually accept whatever will come because I know it's necessary for my soul's evolution.  I don't need an unhealthy coping mechanism to keep me safe right now because I want to use this time of family crisis and tragedy to grow in ways unimaginable to my human mind.  I'm the lucky one that gets to keep living and I owe it to my mother and to myself to live and love on a new level.  I want to dive in and be connected at all times, even if it means I will feel pain.  Imagine the possibilities that come from staying present at the most difficult time in your life.  Imagine not being afraid to feel, not afraid to stand in the presence of great change and say, "YES!"  Simply, yes. We are open, ready and willing. That is powerful.  We just have to stay connected.

With so much gratitude,

Megan

Love

Dear Friends in Yoga,

Extraordinary transformation is available to us all.  All we have to do is ask for it.  For me, change is possible when I apply what I've learned from my yoga practice to life's most challenging moments.  There are a lot of things I've done that I'm proud of, and many times that I absolutely succumbed to impulsive action.  I know that every experience was necessary for the purpose of growth and transformation.

In the past, I felt comfortable and in control because nothing in my life was that uncomfortable or out-of-control.  Now, I'm in the midst of a true test.  I'm up against my deepest fears, and see that fear is the only thing that holds me back from complete self-love and love of others.  These days I'm willing to test the boundaries of my fear and see what's possible because I realize that every moment holds the opportunity to make a loving choice.  That is the privilege and the burden of being human.  We are granted these amazing minds and bodies that make living in the world both a blessing and a curse.  We flip between feelings of lightness & darkness all the time, so perhaps the best place to land is in the blended gray of acceptance.  We're here.  We're together.  We're all just doing the best we can on our own, unique, transformational paths.  It's what makes us the same.

The decision to love in all moments isn't an easy one.  It takes consistent consciousness and commitment.  We must experience genuine authenticity as individuals before we can begin to heal as a global collective.  We must search our own hearts before we can sincerely share time and space with another's.  The trick is in remembering that this journey of self-inquiry and self-improvement will last a lifetime.  We may forgive today and find we must forgive again tomorrow.  And every time we choose freedom from fear, all that remains is love.

With gratitude,

Megan Ridge Morris

Yogathon & Silent Auction!

To Do List

I can sense that I'm playing on the edge of burn out, and it's only as I write this message that I remember how dangerous this game can be.  When we have too many things going on, it's easy to become ruled by our "tasks."  The overwhelming need to complete these tasks usually becomes stressful, which translates into the body as tension. I know from personal experience and from the multitude of reports that I get from my students daily, that once we are accustomed to "busyness," it's nearly impossible to pull ourselves away from it.  We essentially become addicted to the things that make us feel useful and progressive in a culture that constantly rewards productivity.  We become addicted to our tension.  The scary question I try pose to myself every day is, "Who am I without my to-do list?"  If I strip myself of all responsibilities and abandon all of my labels- daughter, fiance, teacher, friend- what is left?  What if I surrender all of my stress, tension, fear, guilt and shame so I can truly sit in the seat of my heart?  The authentic essence of who we are is always within us- it is the light we talk about in the yoga practice and the light that we strive to recognize in each other, even in our darkest moments.  When we are living in our own truth and light, it's much easier to see other people's light.  It may come in glimpses, minutes, hours... whoa, sometimes it even lasts the whole morning!  And when we are in these moments of clarity, there is love and compassion towards our own souls and all beings.  We officially let go of judgment, ego, and all of the labels that hold us back from what we all truly are- children of this incredible World.  I sit in awe of the exquisite beauty that we share.  I am honored to witness our yoga community come together and support each other in the ultimate quest to set aside our tasks and come back home to source.  If you're ever feeling lost in the busyness, remember you've got friends in yoga!

Thank You

May is an extra special month because it marks my 4th year of teaching yoga.  Some of you have been taking classes with me for all four years.  Some of you are newer students, but instantly took to the practice, just as I did, and I see you 2+ times a week!  It's so rewarding to see your progress.  I appreciate your openness and willingness to share your lives with me.  It makes what I do so rewarding.  Your friendship and fierce honesty touches my heart more than you know.  I am constantly inspired by all of you and it fuels me to live truthfully and authentically.  May 2nd will mark my 200th day of practicing hatha yoga every day.  I know that some of you have taken on the same goal of practicing daily and am so proud of all your accomplishments in yoga and beyond.  As you know, yoga is not just a physical practice.  It's a lifestyle that affects your habits, relationships and daily choices.  With the knowing that we are all one, we either contribute to the healing of our planet or it's destruction.  Living well is not necessarily easy, but the feeling that coincides with making mindful choices is priceless.  We have a great community of dedicated yogis here in the Lehigh Valley.  Remember that you are not alone.  Thank your for inspiring me to be a better practitioner and teacher.  

Love & Playfulness!

I played an April Fool’s joke on our teacher trainees at the Yoga Loft today! I have never been the one to play the joke on April 1st and I was reminded today of how fun it is to be silly and spontaneous. I think many of us feel safe being in control, so whenever I adapt a sense of play, it feels like letting go, which is what we’re always talking about doing in yoga! And strangely, it’s the brief moments when I accept how little I actually have control over that I feel the greatest sense of relief. Life presents a series of twists and turns that we can’t foresee and it’s certainly not convenient, but the blessing in disguise is our inevitable growth. What if every single thing that's happened in our lives was a necessary occurrence to assist in our soul's transformation? I whole-heartedly believe this because it reflects who we are today. And who we are today is beautiful! Every second we have on this Earth is an opportunity to let go of fear, shame, guilt, and the need to control so that we can welcome love & playfulness. Trust that all is unfolding as it will & enjoy your sacred life!

Asking for Transformation

When we make the conscious decision to commit ourselves to a consistent yoga practice, many of us are asking for one thing: Transformation. We are asking for the opportunity to rediscover the magnificent beauty that already exists within us so we may live our highest truths. Transformation cannot occur without some heartache or suffering somewhere along the path. It's precisely how we deal with conflict that determines our ability to evolve. My entire family was put to the test last week. My mom was diagnosed with Viral Encephalitis, an infection in the brain. The inflammation caused her brain waves to slow down dramatically, which resulted in severe cognitive issues- memory loss, a difficult time finding words, etc. The beginning of this journey was very scary, but she is now expected to make a full recovery. Last week, when so much was still unknown, the only thing that brought me any peace was my yoga practice. Every movement and breath was dedicated to the healing of my mother.

When we set an intention and give our yoga practice purpose, we may choose to extend positivity to one person, but that unique expression of love spreads outward to everyone that needs to heal. Directing energy is a form of service. I know that all of your positive thoughts have and will contribute to the speedy recovery of my mother and the ultimate healing of our family. This experience empowered my father and I to re-examine our priorities, tell major truths, and allowed my mother the time and space for an emotional awakening! My family is now stronger than ever before and we are all overflowing with gratitude. I asked for transformation and received an amazing blessing in disguise. Never take this life or the ones you love for granted. It can all change in an instant, and change is a sure thing.

"Practice and all will come."

108 is a sacred number in yoga and today is my 108th day of practicing yoga every day! I practiced through vacations, holidays, and even extreme sickness- no matter what, I got on my mat. Whether it was for 15 minutes or 2 hours, I made it a priority to reconnect to my Self & my breath, and every time it made a positive difference in my day. Now my practice is truly non-negotiable. Because of this commitment I am a better student, teacher, partner & friend. I welcome every challenging sensation in service to my transformation, and today I'm so grateful you are all on this journey with me!

Happy Holidays!

I am currently writing to you from my living room, where the Christmas tree is lit all day and night, as long as someone is here to stare at it. Most of me absolutely loves this time of year- the decorations, the parties, the gifts and good will. The other part of me sees how stressful this time of year can be- the decorations, the parties, the gifts... ha! Yoga has definitely helped me develop a positive perspective so that I can enjoy the holidays as much as possible. I've been practicing yoga every day for 60 days- my goal is to practice for 90 days straight, and I imagine by then, I simply won't want to stop. Through this process, I've discovered that we all have the same amount of time in the day- we just choose to spend it different ways. During this busy time of year, many of us feel we must sacrifice our routine and the things that make us happy in order to prepare for the festivities, whether it's buying gifts, entertaining guests, etc. Remember that your holidays will only be more enjoyable if you're doing something for yourself in the midst of everything else.

Yoga & Running

People have often told me, "Running is 90% mental." I was frustrated by that statement because I didn't understand what it meant. I think I now have an inkling of what it could mean.

Throughout my entire life, my mind has dictated what my body can and cannot do. It many ways, it acted as my ego, and my ego was in poor shape. When faced with a physical challenge, my mind immediately let my body know that this was not going to be possible or practical, and I completely trusted that my mind was correct. This lead to a rather sedentary lifestyle, which attributes to my struggles with weight throughout adolescence and well into adulthood. It wasn't until I discovered yoga that my body tricked my mind into thinking, "We can do this!" And thank the Universe it was yoga. Yoga is the very practice that helped me to better understand the intricate relationships of the mind, body and ego, and that my thoughts are not always accurate.

In a pose, we're encouraged to observe and consider how we feel. We're doing this to get in touch with ourselves, get to know ourselves better. It's so easy to become disconnected from our bodies as we move through our daily lives, and yoga helps us come back home. I realized that I CAN be in a challenging pose and NOT die! I DO have the ability to go deeper into a pose and stay just a little longer than my mind allows. My body is perfectly healthy and free of injury. I have so much to be thankful for and I should be honoring my temple with daily movement and exercise- doing things that challenge this incredible specimen on a regular basis, because I can!! And in this sense, yoga is interchangeable with running. If I tell myself I can finish the mile, I can. If I tell myself I can't, I won't. So instead of playing head games, I simply breathe and observe how I feel. Does anything hurt? Can I smooth my breath? These questions allow me to calm down and come back to my "practice." I see running in a whole new light today, and I am so grateful for this profound awakening.

Birthdays

Yesterday, I celebrated my 27th birthday. I did 27 Sun Salutations as a way to express my gratitude for 27 years on this beautiful planet. With each passing year, I become more aware of how quickly life is flying by. Birthdays often call a few things into question- Am I living my best life? Am I accomplishing enough for my age? Am I on track with my goals? Do I have clear goals? Ack! Then, I think back on the past 27 years of my life and am quite pleased with those years. During my Sun Salute practice yesterday, around number 13, I started to think about some great things that happened when I was 13 years old- my Dad quit drinking and I fell in love with my first boyfriend. With each Sun Salute, I thought of something remarkable that happened during each year of my life. Once I hit 22, the year I started practicing yoga, the Sun Salutes slowed down significantly. I started to move with greater care and precision. The past 5 years of my life have been so significantly transformative because of the yoga practice. In the past 3 years alone I've made incredible progress in my physical practice, started a yoga teaching business from scratch that is now close to thriving, raised $20,000 and traveled to Africa, bought a house with my partner of 7 years, trained a wonderful puppy, I lost 20 pounds and really started taking care of myself in a new and compassionate way. Imagine what's possible in the next 3 years, the next 30 years! Sandy, one of my lovely students, said, "Trust me. It only gets better. Enjoy." She's one of the incredible women in my life who has reinforced that philosophy. I really, really appreciate that she said that because I look up to her and trust that she's right. I want to see all of the women in my life age with grace, beauty and confidence. And that's what I want for myself as well. I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for all of the years that I've lived. And I love myself now more than I ever have before. Like I end up saying at the end of every year, 26 was a good year. :)