A Tribute to My Yoga Teacher :: 2012 Retrospective Vignettes.

After I began studying piano again this past year, my love for the instrument was renewed and I enthusiastically grew in my practice. But I had an unusual amount of physical pain, pain that I intuitively sensed was deeper than physical pain and more than my muscles simply adjusting to the new practice regimen.

The body hurting as it was, was a manifestation of painful memories attached to this instrument. They were surfacing -- ready to be healed and released. I wondered what my next step would be.

One morning, direction came unexpectedly through an On Being podcast which suddenly and accidentally began playing on my laptop. Krista Tippet was interviewing a yoga instructor and I was drawn in by her story and her work with women who have been traumatized. She said something about how the effectiveness of yoga is in it's invitation to breath into the places that carry tension and to *move*through painful emotions and memories. There was such resonance for me in what she shared that I knew it was my time to begin my own yoga practice, as I had suspected I would at some point in my life.

I had been acquainted with Shelley for some time and had been aware of her launching and curate-ing the Yoga Sanctuary in Minneapolis. It finally clicked for me. I knew I had to check out what's happening there and I've been practicing ever since.

I'm so grateful for my caring community at the Sanctuary and I'm grateful for the expressions of yogi thought that Shelley has shared with us: reminders of compassion, non-judgment and vital breath, for example. She emanates these principles in her presence and guiding reflections. I'm grateful for the affirmation of these values within my whole being and their cultivation in practice. Compassion and non-judgment are so what my healing journey requires. The intentional breathe and movement ease, soothe and strengthen my body; releasing strain and stress as the simultaneous mental focus helps me to release the mental, psychological and spiritual pain as well - opening my heart to wholeness.

Shelley has invited me to consider putting together some music for yoga and eventually play LIVE during a class at the Sanctuary. She's planted a seed and inspired me with some of the poetry she's read at the end of our sessions together. I'm excited about the possibilities! As I continue to grow in my own yoga practice, I have begun to write songs for prayer and meditation and I'm so looking forward to sharing those songs with you all in the coming year!

With gratitude for a gracious teacher with an open heart and for the whole community as we care for and teach each other...

Love, 

Heatherlyn

 

Our Memphis Pilgrimage :: The Lorraine Motel + St. Mary's Cathedral

Many of you know Put On Your Climbing Shoes [PLAY SONG] was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King's Mountaintop speech which he delivered in Memphis the day before he was assassinated. Our last day in town, we visited The Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel where that tragedy occured on April 4, 1968. Upon entering, we began by following a timeline with a summary of events along the age-old struggle for freedom, human dignity and equality, beginning with the 1600s, slavery, the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation...

In 1968, Dr. King was in Memphis to demonstrate with and stand in solidary with sanitation workers (garbage truck workers, who were all black at the time and were paid so poorly that they could faithfully work hard all month and still qualify for welfare assistance) and their noble, non-violent demand to simply be treated with dignity and decency as men. Their simple assertion: "I AM A MAN." 

We peered into room 306, where Dr. King stayed. We stood where he was simply leaning over the balcony (about where the wreath is hung above) talking with friends, when a sniper shot him from the building across the way. We watched a film called The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306, which is from the perspective of his friend and compatriate Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kiles. In the film, Kiles describes what it was like to spend King's last hour with him and to be there in the moment of the shooting.

We learned from Kiles that the Mountaintop speech almost didn't happen. The night was stormy and Dr. King wasn't even going to go to the temple for the rally. But when Abernathy and Kiles entered and the packed crowd cheered, they knew the people were expecting King. They called him over and admist the banging of shudders from the great gusty winds, he delivered his impassioned, assuring call toward the "promised land" together. He talked quite a lot about death that night. Though he said "I *may* not get there with you...", he seemed to have a deep knowing that his time was nearing. So many death threats had been coming against him that he began to ask his friends to stop telling him about them.

I shook the shivers out as we stood in the room and nearly the spot where the sniper is suspected to have taken the shot. The weirdest part is that the evidence seems to show that the motivation was money - nothing more than cold, hard cash - not a personal desire to silence this powerful prophet who inspired masses to stand tall and move; not an interest in subverting the movement toward human dignity and economic equality; just personal gain for bounty in the pockets. To live out of such a cold and lonely isolation sounds like such a wretched existance to me. Lord, have mercy.

We also spent time in this gorgeous space with quite a story of it's own. It's incredible to hear how a grave and tragic death animated and stirred new life, fervent action, even change:

It was pretty cool to have the chance to share Put On Your Climbing Shoes here with a few hundred folks who all, in some way or another, care about the connection and intersection of peoples, who are interested in being a part of the movements of reconciliation, restoration, justice, mercy and humility. 

The dream Dr. King articulated so well continues on and is surely fully alive. Yes, we celebrate the measures taken, the battles fought and won, but wow, it's evident to me even in the very city of Memphis, that there is much work to be done to bring us together, to truly live as One, to see decency as commonplace as dust in everyday life; for us all - in our words, choices and relationships - to co-create that space where each and every child of God has all they need - in nourishment and education and environment - to not only survive, but thrive and blossom and shine their light brightly for the benefit and blessings of all of us, for all the world.

 "When stormy clouds are covering the summit view, remember how rainbows come in bloom: storm clounds, showers, thunder and drenching rain collide with sunshine rays of light to ribbons of colorful *change*. Put on your climbing shoes...take me with you to the mountaintop. Keep on climbing. We'll never stop...."

Love,

Heatherlyn

Even Road Warriors Get Weary

We've been on the road since Decemeber 20th and a twindge of homesickness came over me just as we began this last leg of the trip. After culminating two beautifully rich and full weeks in the region of my origin, giving emotional farewells and then after sleeping (sort of) in our little vehicle and driving who-knows-how-many hours toward our next destination south, I began to feel weary.

I miss my cats and my kitchen and our bed. Everywhere we've stayed so far with wonderfully hospitable family and friends who've had sweet, adorable pets, either fluffy cats or friendly-giant-type dogs and comfy places for us to sleep. One of my favorite parts of this trip was having the chance to cook delicious and nourishing meals for and with my mom who wants to find more tasty ways to eat healthy. Everywhere we go, I always bring my favorite spices for those chances I get to cook our favorite meals and so I can add cinnamon to my coffee in the morning for that sip of home. My laptop desktop has an image of Sammy, my cat at home who sits at my desk with me every morning to write morning pages.

We've slept in our vehicle a coupletimes (even though we don't have the van with the futon this trip) because sometimes it's too much of a hassle and too time-consuming to check into a hotel when you're making a 20+ hour drive. Occassionally, I can get comfortable and sleep plenty, but two night's ago, I think I slept maybe 3 hours. So last night, we stayed in a hotel to get a good night's sleep, workout and wash up. This was very good choice and I'm grateful we had the option.

For meals, it's a combination of Larabars, baby carrots, banans, nuts and so on; occassionally oatmeal from Starbucks and last night I was able to put a huge Subway veggie salad in a good sprouted whole grain Ezekiel wrap along with some Whole Foods hummus - something you can do when you take the salad to go and eat it in your vehicle. A decent meal for one on the road and I felt super grateful.

We're looking forward to our time in Memphis. I'll be sharing music at a conference that I trust will be full of people who care about meaningful community building and the movement of Love in our world. They think about things like the intersection of art, spiritual life and genuine human connection in the midst of our fractured culture and other things that are also important to me and to our work. I'm excited to connectwith people from around to country who'll resonate with the heartbeat of the music and perhaps we'll meet up with potential partners in co-creating meaningful connection and together share the enlivening gift of music.

We're also planning to visit The Civil Rights Museum and with Dr. King as a key influencer in my writing, I couldn't be more thrilled to do this. I plan to go with eyes, mind and heart wide open, ready to write more songs inspired by the story of this great struggle for equality and peace.

I do feel tired this morning as I type at a hotel desk, but I intend to continue on well for these few more days on the road I'll breath a little deeper and express gratitude for all the goodness I can possibly see. Yes, I'll drink coffee but I'll also get in some exercise and personal space to write so I'm not wasting energy on the clutter in my head. I'll look forward to stimulating conversation and new connections. And when we do finally get home, I'll be just as grateful as we begin to further engage and fulfill visions for an abundant 2013!

Thank you for sharing in this road of both bliss and sweat, a little weariness and a lots of wonder! Bests to you and yours this day.

Love,

Heatherlyn

A Poem. Open Spaces. Healing. The Road.

Today, we have set off from Massachusetts to Memphis. As my last act of liberty and in an effort to get some healthy body movement in before being confined to a couple square feet for two days solid, I visited the beach nearby our friends' place in Cape Cod. I walked and hopped and skipped. I collected rocks and pebbles for jewelry making. I snapped photos and wrote a poem. I listened to the rhythm and song of the Atlantic and I leaned backed into the wind as it hugged me toward the water. It was a wide open space for my spirit and a larger-than-life embrace from this gorgeous part of the world where I was born.

This whole trip has been so significant in my life journey. As I received the delight offered to me in the waves, the wind and the sun today; healing and wholeness seemed to also be present, warming my soul. I felt an ache in my heart to say "farewell" and yet I have hope for more frequent and quality visits. Are there new openings for me here? I guess we'll see what unfolds down the road.

Peace & Gratitude,
Heatherlyn

A Poem. Open Spaces. Healing. The Road.

Today, we have set off from Massachusetts to Memphis. As my last act of liberty and in an effort to get some healthy body movement in before being confined to a couple square feet for two days solid, I visited the beach nearby our friends' place in Cape Cod. I walked and hopped and skipped. I collected rocks and pebbles for jewelry making. I snapped photos and wrote a poem. I listened to the rhythm and song of the Atlantic and I leaned backed into the wind as it hugged me toward the water. It was a wide open space for my spirit and a larger-than-life embrace from this gorgeous part of the world where I was born.

This whole trip has been so significant in my life journey. As I received the delight offered to me in the waves, the wind and the sun today; healing and wholeness seemed to also be present, warming my soul. I felt an ache in my heart to say "farewell" and yet I have hope for more frequent and quality visits. Are there new openings for me here? I guess we'll see what unfolds down the road.

Peace & Gratitude,
Heatherlyn

A Tribute to My Piano Teacher :: 2012 in Vignettes

In 2012, I began studying piano again after 10 years! Though I'm very grateful for all teachers along the journey, my current piano teacher gets me like none other I've had. She connects to my style of learning and appreciates my insatiable curiosity about music.

The first time we met for a session, I was telling her a little of my experience to give her a sense of my background. I shared with her matter-of-factly: "I had 2 semesters of Music Theory in College and I just sucked at it." Without a moment's hesitation, she compassionately said, "Awh, that probably just means your teacher didn't understand the best way to teach you."

Suddenly, I realized, all this time, I'd thought I did poorly in those courses because there was something wrong with me.  Now, there was nothing wrong with my teacher either. He was fine. We simply just didn't get each other and I was often made to feel that my background was less than sufficient. Naturally, I thought I wasn't working for the course rather than that the course wasn't working for me because I was the one being evaluated and graded and not measuring up.

When my piano teacher said those words, I literally thought: "You mean it's not because I was stupid [about music]!?!" I had know idea I even needed compassion; but she gently interrupted my train of thought and shook up a belief I've had about myself for years, a frame of mind that has held me back and made me feel inferior to other musicians for far too long.

 

We'll continue to work together - not to mention, have a whole lot of fun - in 2013 with her incredible, integrative style: the basis of piano alongside some guided listening, theory, music history and connection to other arts. She enriches my life wonderfully and has been a conduit of healing and grace. I feel liberated to learn and not stop just because of my age or whatever silly reason. I'm so excited to keep learning more and share with you all what I'll write because of this wonderful instrument now becoming a more regular part of my life.

With gratitude and joy,

Heatherlyn

A Year in Vignettes :: A Tribute to My Teachers [Blog Series Intro]

As we all begin doing our 2012 recaps, I will likely get to the typical highlights at some point but what I really want to do is share with you some of my journey and the kind, generous, gracious teachers along the way who've shared their presence, their open hearts and their wisdom with me during this past year.

Many of you know that at the end of 2011, I lost my voice and it was pretty serious; actually, it was terrifying, and for a bit, looking to potentially cause a major shift in our lives.

Ultimately, it was a physical manifestation of some deeper pain and life issues. So 2012 has been quite a journey of intense healing and intentional growth (as a human being and as a musician). I knew this year would be very much about rediscovering and redefining my voice - literally, musically, rhetorically. It has and I feel we've only just begun.

This is the stuff that makes up real life, so over the next few weeks, you can expect to see blog posts that will be personal vignettes of 2012 and tributes, with a heart full of gratitude, to my teachers.

As always, my hope is that you might find some part of our story inspiring and that you might receive some good gift as you continue to travel with us on this road of both bliss and sweat. Thank you!!

LoveJoyPeaceHope,

Heatherlyn

A Tribute to My Piano Teacher :: 2012 Retrospective Vignettes

In 2012, I began studying piano again after 10 years! My current piano teacher gets me in an especially fitting way. She connects to my style of learning and appreciates my insatiable curiosity for music.

The first time we met for a session, I was telling her some of my experience to give her a sense of my background. I shared with her matter-of-factly: "I had 2 semesters of Music Theory in College and I just sucked at it." Without a moment's hesitation, she compassionately said, "Awh, that probably just means your teacher didn't understand the best way to teach you." Suddenly, I realized, all this time, I'd thought I did poorly in those courses because there was something wrong with me. Now, there was nothing wrong with my teacher. He was fine. We simply just didn't get each other and I was often made to feel that what I brought to class was less than sufficient. He wasn't the only one, over the years, positioned above me who didn't seem to believe in me. Naturally, I thought I wasn't working for the course rather than that the course wasn't working for me because I was the one being evaluated and graded and not measuring up.

Back to summer of 2012: when my piano teacher said those words, I literally thought: "You mean it's not because I'm stupid [about music]!?!" I had no idea I even needed compassion; but she gently interrupted my train of thought and shook up a belief I've had about myself for years, a frame of mind that has held me back and made me feel inferior to other musicians for far too long.

In the coming year, we'll continue to work together - not to mention, have a whole lot of fun - with her incredible, integrative style: the basis of piano alongside some guided listening, theory, music history and connection to other arts. This dear teacher of mine generously and colorfully enriches my life and has been a conduit of healing and grace. I feel liberated to learn and not stop just because of my age or whatever silly reason. I'm so excited to keep learning more and share with you all the new songs that will come to life because of this wonderful instrument now becoming a more regular part of my life.

Here's to good teachers and here's to a vibrant 2013!

With gratitude and joy,
Heatherlyn

aNew

Here's a snapshot of a sunrise we saw on our most recent travel days. Along every road you travel this year, may peace, harmony, love and laughter find you and fill you. And may you overflow that abundance to who encounter you. All the best to you an yours in 2013!