I feel that these last few classes have moved a lot of energy; a lot shifting has been happening, and a lot is being released. Yes, we are in the start of a new year and it's a good time to make changes, but we are also enter a new phase of humanity.

One of the key goals of yoga is expansion of consciousness. ("What?!! You mean, it's not to develop great abs, a firm butt, and sweat in a sticky, stinky room that's heated up to 100 degrees???"). Whatever beliefs we hold about ourselves and our place in the universe becomes our truth - a self-imposed, self-perceived reality. As you can imagine, this can be a good thing or it can be a very detrimental thing if the mind moves towards a negative state.

Each day I am convinced more and more that we are entering into a crucial stage of transition for not only human evolution but also the evolution of the earth. I am also convinced that the two, human beings and planet earth, are far more interconnected than most people realize, materially and spiritually. It is almost as if we are the heartbeat of the planet and, conversely, that the earth is our heart.

Have you ever noticed a school of fish or a flock of birds, how they seem to move together in perfect unison, either in air or in water, as if they were one mind?

All the trials that happen in one's life, the sorrow, the misery, the hopelessness, while they may hurt and seem so tangible at the time, are really just illusions. It is so hard to grasp this concept when one is in the midst of pain, but yet this understanding is so vital to attaining inner peace.

Chardi Kala is a term we use in yoga that indicates the mindset that a yogi, and indeed any person on a spiritual path, should espouse. In simple terms Chardi Kala means keeping your mind in an elevated and joyful state at all times and under all circumstances. In practical terms, it means greeting people with a smile, doing your work joyfully, and even when things appear to be going wrong keep a lighthearted and positive attitude.

How do you see yourself? How do you see the world around you? Do you see beauty each day when you arise or do you see conflict, destruction, chaos, helplessness and hopelessness? And what are the dominant feelings you live with each day: happiness, peace, contentment, or fear, anguish, despair, rage?

All good things in life take effort. Delicious ripe fruit on a tree doesn't just appear; it is a process that can take years starting with the seed first being planted in the earth, then splitting open takes root, and the momentous moment when the root breaks through the earth reaching for the light of the sun.

At this moment while I sit at my computer writing, the sun is peeking through the clouds and rays of golden light warm my hands. For the last few days it has been a consistent cycle of sun, cloud, rain, and then sunshine again. This is of course a small cycle within a bigger cycle which we call seasons. Summer transitions to Fall, which then transitions to Winter and then on to Spring.

If we wish to accomplish great things in our lives, one ingredient in the recipe of success is commitment. If we wish to have a successful relationship we need to be committed to doing those little special things that say "you are special to me and I value you". If we wish to have a successful career we need commitment to face the battles as they arise with a sense of grace and dignity. If we wish to be successful in being humane beings we need commitment to refine our way of thinking so that our way of life is in harmony with every other's way of life and our environment.

In yoga and many other spiritual disciplines we often refer to the concept of 'light' with regards to the attainment of higher consciousness and a more loving heart. Buddha once said "Be a light unto yourself," and we also hear other such phrases such as "the light of the soul" or "the light within you" and so forth. The familiar term "Guru" in fact means "that which transforms darkness to light" - "Gu" means darkness and "Ru" means light.