Your BE-YOU-tiful New Year!

I am back!

I returned back to Canada just before Christmas and began embodying and honoring the season by nesting. 

I have spent last week reading, writing, practicing, watching movies, snuggling, napping, and resting in order to support my body in syncing with the rhythms back here in the cold Canadian weather. 

But there was one thing I couldn't wait to do, and that was teach!

I missed guiding others through transformational practices while I was away, and this was exactly what I was hoping for!

Just over a week ago I led my most favorite sadhana of the year ~ Sankalpa Vinyasa. 

The intention behind this practice and my teaching of it were very different than last year.

This is because I had a big 'AHA' moment while travelling. 

I was on a ferry from mainland Thailand to the island of Koh Chang and just as we left the port the ferry turned and I just happened to look up from my book to a sign that read 

"LIVE LIKE YOU MEAN IT".

Have you ever had that moment, when you know something was meant for you to see, read, feel, in order to support your continued growth and evolution?

Well this was one of those moments for me. 

This sentence could not have come at a better time. 

You see part of my trip for me was about clearing out 2013, which meant making some big (not always easy) decisions, letting go of things that were weighing heavily on my shoulders, and rest in order to clear space for opportunities and growth for the coming year, let my creative juices flow, and listen for my own sankalpa this year. 

As most of you know, letting go and clearing out can be challenging!

I, gratefully, had the space to make this happen and with that space I became clear about two things...

The first was that if I didn't make these decisions and let go of some people and experiences, I would be living for others. Meaning that my decisions would be based on not hurting others feelings, not saying what I feel, holding back on myself, and putting others before myself. 

But I want to 'live like I mean it', which to me means living on purpose and with purpose, each and every day. 

The other was the one poignant moment in my training, which has formed my manifesto for this year to come, and one which I have made a vow to live by ~ 'I am who I am because that's who I am'.

You see a lot of the discussion around self-help, and even in the Yoga world, is around 'fixing', 'changing', or 'eradicating' those parts of ourselves that form the shadow aspects of our being. 

You might have heard it before, something like "be the Light", "embrace the Light within", "Shine bright".

Not wrong or bad, but what about the shadow that is cast because of this bright light, because there is no possible way to shine without casting a shadow.

Now what if those shadow aspects of ourselves are all actually part of our soul's journey?

What if each part of your being, even the jealousy/anger/fear/hurt, were all part of the process supporting your growth, evolution, and unfolding of your story?

Yoga teaches us about non-duality. 

That each piece of us is part of the whole, part of the soul's story, a thread being woven in to the rich tapestry of our life here and now. 

Those shadow aspects are to felt like everything else, and our training is that deeply uncomfortable, long held Warrior 2 or Frog pose, or the fear we might feel flipping upside down in an inversion for example. 

Yoga asana is the theory, life is the practice. 

Now maybe it's just because I am noticing more (but really want to think it's because others are feeling the same), but I have noticed a lot of people posting through social media about this concept of stopping the madness of trying to change who we are to fit social norms, please others, or out of guilt (you know, the I 'should' eat that way, I 'should' do more of this). 

Here is my favorite post that I thought I would share:

"In a time that would have us believe there is always more to strive for, more to accumulate, more enlightenment to reach - the most radical stance we can take is enoughness.

What if we quit trying to be spiritual and aspired to be human instead? 

What if there is nothing to fix because we are already whole? 
What if there was no time to prove ourselves, because we're consumed with marveling at life? 
What if there is no reason to hold back our gifts, because they are meant to be given?

What if every morsel, every glance, every moment and every breath is a miracle of enough?"

~Dreamwork with Toko-pa

What if in 2014 you are enough, you are human, you are whole, and are who you are because that's who you are.....

Welcome to the year of being BE YOU tiful!

My deepest wishes to each & everyone of you for this year to come. 

Blessings X

P.S. If you know someone who needs to read this or you really enjoyed please share!

* If would like to find out more about Megan and her trainings, workshops, classes visit www.megancampbell.ca