The Gift of Change

First and foremost, may you and your family be safe and healthy.
The way for me to best describe the past year is change, from the change I learned acceptance, from the acceptance, permission to release what was, from relinquishing my expectations of life to trust and believe in this moment, the future, the unknown.

I imagine something has changed in your life over the past year, working from home, losing a job, selling your home, living in a new home, losing a loved one, closing a business, opening a business, being surrounded by your loved ones, being separated from loved ones, not traveling, adopting a pet, changing relationships, ending relationships, being more active, being sedentary, never knowing about zoom, now doing everything on zoom from yoga classes, working out, to cocktail hours with friends, playing games, family gatherings, and the list is limitless.

There has been so much change in my life for over a year. Is change good or helpful? It can be depending on how one accepts the difference, learns from it or notices it as an opportunity. As for me, I have learned to accept all the reconstruction in my life with trust and belief. I am exactly where I am meant to be at this time. Has it been easy? Absolutely not, the sacred studio Ed and I built was destroyed, rebuilt and now closed. The plan to expand the studio hammered shut by the pandemic prior to even a chance to begin. No longer teaching my passion of sharing Purna Yoga in a class environment with the community of people who I love dearly. The loss of a brother-in-law and sister-in-law as I witness the sadness in my sister's and brother's eyes and life. The upcoming sale of the home, Ed and I established for the past 12 years.

This all reminded me of grief, loss, change. With the many times I have been through grief, I have learned to respect, feel the loss and the change. As I sit daily, I turn to what drew me to yoga over 17 years ago, in the depths of severe grief, and asked myself similar questions during this current situation:

Who am I?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?

I am not in the deep darkness of grief when I lost John on 9/11/01. However, grief appears throughout many aspects of our lives, what one expects or vision does not transpire.

I opened my toolbox, cleared the cobwebs, doubts, untruths, confusion, judgement from my mind with the use of the Heartfull Meditation, moved my body via asana/poses to keep my heart open. I listened, processed and trusted my soul to guide me on this path we call life. Through this process, I arrived at the solution I am exactly where I am intended to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing at this time, confiding and believing is anchoring me to my soul. For now, I will end with my spirit gracefully acknowledging gratitude.

I received this horoscope from Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology on November 30, 2020 when I began writing this newsletter.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Home is not where you were born," writes
Naguib Mahfouz. "Home is where all your attempts to escape cease." I
propose we make that one of your mottos for the next 12 months,
Scorpio. According to my astrological analysis, you will receive all the
inspiration and support you need as you strive to be at peace with exactly
who you are. You'll feel an ever-diminishing urge to wish you were doing
something else besides what you're actually doing. You'll be less and less
tempted to believe your destiny lies elsewhere, with different companions
and different adventures. To your growing satisfaction, you will refrain
from trying to flee from the gifts that have been given you, and you will
instead accept the gifts just as they are. And it all starts now.

Thank you all for being a part of my life. I am blessed, filled with gratitude, content, and peacefulness. Thank you for your precious time. May your life be filled with blessings, laughter, kindness, gratitude, love with family and friends.

With love and a smile,

Jude