Tag: meditation

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Happy New Year?

Why wasn’t I this inquisitive when I was in high school?

Woman on settee offering a small singing bowl.
AKERA Experience in the Sanctuary


Join me January 30-February 2, 2025 in Woodbourne, NY to cultivate optimism, find balance and plant the seeds for kindness.

Learn more here:
https://primulacerebri.com/

Contact me here:
https://primulacerebri.com/contact/

Space is limited.
Contact me for discounted rates.

“Happy New Year!” we’re encouraged to say. Do we mean it? Sometimes. There is much we say because it is what’s expected of us and not because it’s what’s really on our minds. I know I sound like a killjoy but really I want to feel honest about the sentiments I convey. Just like so many things, the new year is a human construct developed to help us make collective sense of our existence and it certainly isn’t always happy.

I was curious about the celebration of the new year and so I did some perfunctory internet research. I wanted to know why we didn’t recognize the shift in time during a solstice or equinox, or why not during one of the full or new moons. There are other celestial and seasonal events like harvests to consider. How did the notion of the sun rotating around the earth or that of a flat earth impact our recognition of the passage of time? I also ask myself why I wasn’t this inquisitive when I was in high school.

I learned that much of what I mention above was, at one point, considered to be the culmination or initiation of the year. After mathematicians, the Catholic Church and others got a hold of it though, and in an effort to standardize, our current Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1582 replacing the Julian calendar.

This is all likely more than you wanted to know. Regardless, I have found myself increasingly nonplussed by the relentless marking of time but not the passing of time. I am increasingly excited by seasons, the phases of the moon, the changing geometry of the angle at which the sun hits the earth and when things grow and die. The numbers on the calendar are helpful, as maps are, but there is so much more to make note of.

My New Year’s message is to not take the gifts of this life for granted. Stay observant and see what you notice. Enjoy asparagus in the spring and apples in the autumn. If you’re lucky you will age. If you’re lucky you will not but you will have taken the time to bask in what your time on this earth, in this vessel, your body, had to offer. If you’re motivated you will continue to learn and stay curious.

As difficult as it is to cultivate optimism in the face of the current political and global climate I feel the need to try. The practice of Yoga recognizes that we all have the potential to uplift the human condition and not just our own conditions.

Woman looking out the window onto a winter scene.
AKERA Experience in The Grand Chalet

This is not lost on me and yet I’d be lying if I said that this is not a challenge. At the same time the notion of my own state of mind, the power of meditation and the individual contributions of so many having the ability to make the world a kinder, more gentle place fills me with hope.

And now…. Happy New Year!

Join me January 30-February 2, 2025 in Woodbourne, NY to cultivate optimism, find balance and plant the seeds for kindness.

Learn more here: https://primulacerebri.com/
Contact me here: https://primulacerebri.com/contact/

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Retreat! Finally… 👏

Join Primula/Cerebri for a Winter Renewal weekend in the Catskills January 30-February 2, 2025

Woman in a hot tub in the snow.

AKERA retreat center, Woodbourne, New York
https://akera.us/

I am proud to announce my often requested Catskills retreat. This four day, three night event will center around Balance (Sattva) and intention (Sankalpa) and all are welcome.

While the idea of the new year is one of human construct, the rotations of the sun and seasons on which our calendars are based are natural constants. At this retreat, we will harness the restorative power of winter to prepare for spring’s awakening. We will together honor the energetic quality of Sattva or balance and the promise of Sankalpa, structuring personal affirmations for achieving your potential.

This event will be ideal for:

  • Anyone wanting to explore relationships between asana, yoga’s physical practice, and how it evolves when partnered with energy practices
  • People interested in yogic practices for energy manipulation
  • Anyone wanting to initiate a shift in their existence (spoiler alert, we will not be goal setting nor making resolutions unless of course you want to)
  • Anyone needing a change of scenery and desiring peace

What you can expect:

  1. Twice daily yoga practices incorporating yoga Nidra, directed slow flow, restorative asana and meditation
  2. All meals – 3 plant-based breakfasts, 3 plant based lunches, 3 plant based dinners
  3. Cozy accommodations 
  4. A silent space for contemplation
  5. Time and space to explore your own creativity
  6. Available massage
  7. Focused exploration of yoga’s philosophy surrounding limiting beliefs, the Gunas and energy bodies
  8. Personal time for reflection or whatever you want
  9. A sound healing experience and cacao ceremony
  10. Unlimited access to two hot tubs and a sauna
  11. A beautiful, natural environment to be enjoyed as the weather permits

For information about the Gunas follow this link.

http://primulacerebri.com/uncategorized/searching-for-sattva/

A post focusing on Sankalpa will be available soon.

Pricing (Early Bird pricing remains in effect). Payment plans are available. Space is limited.

Triple room      EB $1150        Reg $1250

Double room   EB $1250        Reg $1350

Single room     EB $1500        Reg $1600

Day passes available for Friday and Saturday will be $250 per day.  Day passes will include all meals for the day registered, practices and use of the facility.

There are some rooms that will accommodate couples at a double room rate.

Contact tracy@primulacerebri.com for more information.

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The Heart is Just a Muscle

Self Portrait, 2017 by Daniel Genova (used with permission) https://danielgenova.com/home.html

I remember, in high school I was at a friend’s house and her father (I’ll call him Bruce) was watching some news show. They were reporting about a doctor who was doing research on heart disease, meditation and the body/mind connection. The doctor called the heart an organ of acceptance… or maybe something similar.

The conversation that ensued focused on the fact that the heart is a muscle and the belief that it is nothing more. My friend’s father was convinced that the story was a bunch of hooey, railed that the whole thing was beyond silly, called the doctor a quack and lit a joint.

This was around the time that I took my first yoga class in the auditorium at my school. I wasn’t much for competitive sports and I needed to earn my PE credits somehow. I didn’t know at the time that it would be the beginning of a journey. It took a long time, but I now know that when we take the time to notice deeply, what you can discover about these bodies that we inhabit will inspire awe. Nothing of which we are made is just an anything.

Our hearts, guts, brains, nerves and everything else are subject not only to their own intelligent functions but to the symphony of our bodies and minds. If you have ever placed your hand to your heart as a gesture of gratitude, had a sudden need to evacuate your bowels (or vomit) when presented with sudden anxiety or reacted to an event with a response more dramatic than the situation called for, you have been intimate with that symphony. 

While these reactions are responses to stimuli, the real noticing comes when we consciously focus our awareness inside. Many long haul COVID patients are finding relief from pranayama. This is not only because it inspires focus on the breath, it also engages that focusing to inspire insight into the workings of the entire body and the relationships: physical, emotional, energetic and spiritual, that reside there. 

So, do I believe the heart is more than just a muscle? Absolutely. The fullness of mine when I’m with my loved ones and emptiness I’ve felt when betrayed confirm it. Also, I continue to be bolstered by sensations within my structure and what they tell me about my overall well being. Those sensations are gifts.

A lot can happen in 40 years and I don’t know what Bruce thinks now. I like to think of him at 90 something attending mindfulness conferences in Palo Alto or the Berkshires. I imagine though that he has not embraced the heart as an organ of acceptance even if I hope he has.

Teaching Schedule
http://primulacerebri.com/about/

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Inner Forest Meditation for Self Reflection

Over the last two weeks I have struggled with my personal reaction to the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, now Rayshard Brooks, all the innocents who came before and unfortunately all who will come after. I have watched in horror as looting in response to some of these events targeted hard working Blacks who put their hearts and souls into their businesses only to see them turn to rubble in a heartbeat. I have listened to mostly Brown man after Brown man recount their tales of terror as the police and others have demonstrated to them who holds the power. I experienced that moment when the realization sets in that the reason hypertension is so prevalent among Black males is precisely because they are Black males, targeted and living in states of fear and hyper vigilance as their bodies internalize being constantly threatened. I received at least a dozen emails from companies with whom I’ve done business pledging their allegiance with Black Lives Matter and promising to do better in their recruiting and representation efforts. These are the same companies from whom I’ve received the same emails on occasion when there is a reason for White Guilt to be present. I also started to think about myself as a mixed-race and outwardly appearing Black woman and my own role in this drama. 

The more I turned inward and examined my reactions the more I started to consider my response and so I offer this. 

This Friday, June 19, 2020 at 9:00 EDT, I will host a public meditation, via Zoom, designed for inner reflection. During this guided meditation participants will identify different aspects of themselves and maybe even generational aspects of their existence before settling into silence, being with what was revealed, clearing energy and focusing on the future. Pre-registration will be required and donations of any amount will be collected via Venmo to benefit the Equal Justice Initiative. Donations will not be required for participation.

Please join me.

Zoom Meeting ID: 793 5055 4326

Password and Venmo information will be provided upon registration.

Learn more about the Equal Justice Initiative here