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Our fabulous OMbassador, Shakti Sunfire, teaches yoga and hooping around the world. Many of our followers are teachers of dance, yoga and other movement arts. Shakti wrote this just for you, as a few tips on what to avoid when teaching.

To take the seat of the teacher is to self-own and self-resource FIRST. Before anyone else can believe in you and will want to learn from you, you have to believe in yourself. In that way it is a fundamental giving of PERMISSION for you to occupy the role of teacher completely, unapologetically and wholeheartedly. 

When I first began to teach - scratch that - for YEARS after I began teaching I struggled with nerves. I would shake and tremble when speaking, I would spend hours that day prepping what I wanted to say, and it’d all go out the window anyway. I wouldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep well. i’d have dreams about flopping, disappointing the promoters and my students, loosing the opportunity. Letting myself down. I was all over the map. 

I would regularly say to my teachers and friends who encouraged me relentlessly;

“whatever you see in me, I don’t see it in myself.”

I felt uncoordinated, unworthy, small... and what I didn’t know then, but I certainly know now is that what I was really focused on and concerned about was being judged. What I was really concerned about was the chance that this offering - this HEART craft - be minimized, belittled and laughed at.

What I didn’t know then, but I know now is that I was really good at giving my power away and believing myself less-than, like an impostor in my own skin.

Nine years later and I look back on those times and sorely wish that someone had told me what I’m about to tell you...

To teach masterfully requires you to have a deep-seated knowing that your visions, ambitions and offerings as a teacher have a place in the world...and a purpose. That is what fuels you. That is the power behind your words that exudes charisma and clarity. It will keep you living, breathing, speaking, acting and dancing YOUR truth in a way that serves the whole.

To teach masterfully is to meet your students in service of them - that really it’s not about you and whether or not you’re perfect, or whether or not you look good up there, nor how deep your words are. In fact, what self-owning is NOT is to think yourself perfect, the best, or without shortages and to reprimand yourself when your humanity shows through.

Only YOU can give yourself permission to fully and completely take the seat of the teacher. It is a glorious seat - one of deep fulfillment and a real sense of purpose, AND it is also a seat full of personal and collective responsibility, humility and exposure to high wind and weather. 

As a Master Teacher You Will Need:

• magnetic appeal/charisma
• self-confidence
• powerful voice projection
• to command an audience
• to inspire respect

Sometimes As a Teacher You Will Get:

• pulled in many directions
• projected upon with energy and emotion that isn’t yours!
• push-back
• placed in uncomfortable positions for you
• less than ideal classroom settings
• surprises!

All of these things are solved or resourced from the seat of the teacher in your heart. You can think of it like the deep roots that can weather any storm and that are constantly drawing energy, nutrition, life-sustenance and insight from an unseen source. If you cultivate the capacity to access this source you will be able to compost ANY ENERGY that comes your way - good or bad, and alchemize it into food and fuel for your work in the world.

5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Begin to Cultivate This Capacity:

1. Hold SPACE for yourself at the beginning and end of class. 

Give yourself time at the beginning and ending of your class that prepares you psycho-spiritually for teaching. Take what ‘you’ time you need, so that the time you spend in front of others can truly be about them.

2. Connect with your BODY (physical intelligence).

As movement guides we know the body is gateway to the soul. Ground your energy in the here and now by connecting with your breath, the connection of your feet on the earth, and use physical sensation as anchor.

3. Practice, and listen for, sacred speech.

We are often taught to play small, that it’s safer not to be noticed, to not push others around, but active voicing is truly a compassionate way to speak if you are in the seat of the teacher. Using active voice will let your students relax into their role as student, into the arms of you, as teacher and leader. They want that. You want that. Everybody wins. Switching from the habit of using passive voice to active voice may take some time and dedication, but drawing awareness to the power of your word choice is a step into taking the seat as leader and teacher.

• Speak to the truth of the moment. Let that set you free.
• Passive vs. active voice
• Projection - say it like you mean it

4. Take a course that helps you connect with your soul purpose and essential self.

The best teachers are eternal students. One of the easiest ways we can stay connected in the seat of the teacher is to teach only what is truly ALIVE for us. Not a memorized recital of somebody else’s languaging. Be the student, embody your passions, and teach from that place.

5. Work with your inner critic or any other sub-personality work that may be “steering the ship”.

As guides it is our responsibility to identify and work with aspects of self that may be sabotaging our time in service to others. Read Bill Plotkin’s Wild Mind; a fantastic resource that will help you to speak and act from a place of wholeness.

And finally, surround yourself with people who believe in you and what you're doing. Ask for help when you need it. Ask for mirroring when you feel defeated, and know that by definition, the teacher leads the pack, and therefore is equally exposed to the refiner's fire. Learn to embrace that energy, and you will soar.

As much as we love our local yoga studios, sometimes a change of scenery can be just what's needed to achieve a breakthrough in our practice.

The Tahoe Wanderlust festival, from July 17-20 in Squaw Valley, California, may be one of the best changes of scenery around.

Wanderlust organizers say they look for stunning natural settings when choosing sites for their festivals. Squaw Valley is no exception. A popular spot for skiers in the winter, summertime visitors enjoy blue skies, clean mountain air and low humidity. Lake Tahoe’s crystalline waters are nearby.

Squaw Valley hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics, and some may still draw inspiration from the passion and dedication of the elite athletes who competed there.

Wanderlust offers a variety of experiences to suit a wide range of participants. Those who are serious about their yoga will want to check out the classes on yoga and meditation, taught by respected instructors from a number of disciplines. There is additional training for yoga instructors. Wanderlust is almost as well known for its live music as for its yoga - a diverse musical lineup keeps energy levels high.

Others might just be looking for a fun and healthy vacation, with yoga as a component. For foodies, the festival will have special farm-to-fork, vegan and wine-tasting dinners.

Outdoor expeditions have been organized, including mountain biking and river rafting.

Here at The OM Collection, we’d find it hard to resist the standup-paddleboard yoga session on Lake Tahoe!

Camping is available for Wanderlust festival-goers, as is a range of indoor lodging options. It’s also easy to find fun things to do on your own at Lake Tahoe.

We like that Wanderlust creates such a great sense of community. You’re just as likely to gain a new insight from a fellow participant as from one of the instructors.

Often times our perception of how we think things are 'going down' may not be what's really True, with a capital T.  Have you ever created a whole scenario in your mind of what you think someone has done, to later discover that your interpretation was completely wrong? 

Take a moment to watch your OT Coaching Tune-Up by clicking the picture below. Hear how a client started to go into a story about a situation that only left her feeling worse and more separated from herself and her friend. Through coaching, she learned that it was not only a lot of wasted energy, but how she can rise above it by simply shifting her perspective.

Home Play:

*First step, as always...Become aware: "Oh, I totally want to jump in and react.  Am I creating an entire scenario in my head, without even really knowing the whole picture?"

*In that awareness, practice being gentle and forgiving toward yourself for feeling those feelings.  You are human, after all, and have most likely experienced some pain and upset in your life.  Saying something to yourself like, "It makes sense you are reacting right now, because this feels like a past situation.  It's ok to feel upset, and it's ok to feel what you are feeling."

*Pause, go back to what you are feeling.  Begin to inquire, what are these feelings really about?  "How might what I am feeling be my own stuff, and am I now blaming this person for putting it on me?

*Look beyond the story: Ask yourself, "How might I look beyond the story of what I am creating in my mind and see this person as someone who has also experienced pain in their life?" 

Simple?  Yes.  Easy? Not necessarily.  The more we practice, we begin to strengthen our ability to respond instead of react, and not give our power to our old limiting beliefs.  This leaves us feeling not only more connected and compassionate towards self, it also leaves room for others to be human and have compassion for their wounds.

Feel stuck in shifting the story? You are not alone!  Shoot us an email to find out the myriad of ways you can get support with OT Coaching.  We would love to support you.

Until next time....expect GREAT things!

Live from your Spirit, love your life

Dearest sisters,

Are you an Initiate?

Do you feel the call to devote yourself to the adventure of awakening consciousness?

An Initiate is someone who has decided to let go of the mundane and dance in the sacred flames of alchemy.

She is on the path of integrating Spirit and Earth and balancing masculine and feminine. She is learning to hold the container for transformation, healing, and the birth of illumination.

Within her Body Temple, she intends to serve the cosmic dance of birth, death and rebirth. Her intention to be of service guides her on her own path of healing and understanding.

She knows she is an integral part of the unfolding and awakening of our time. She understands that how she shows up matters immensely. She knows that she is not alone, but is supported by, and in collaboration with, a pantheon of spiritual allies, both in bodies and in the invisible realms.

She perceives, deep in her heart, that she is exceptionally gifted, exceptionally powerful, and her soul-wisdom is deeply trustworthy.  She steps mindfully forward on her path, learning the profound art of humbleness in action.

Are you an Initiate, ready to infuse the sacred into the mundane and tend the fires of alchemy of everyday life?

If the answer is YES, welcome sister. Your choice is blessed by the Goddess.

New Moon Love & Gratitude ~
Dayna Seraye

By Jill Emich www.shineboulder.com
Community Leader, Truth Seeker, Proud OMbassador. 

Happy Summer Y’all!

Now is the time 

to EMERGE.

OUT of our caves….

STOKE the inner fire.  SMELL the flowers, STEP INTO the flowing stream and feel it wash away what once was, and what doesn’t anymore serve. Open your Heart full and wide.   Now is the moment to come into the light, into the sunshine, and to bask in the inner glow.  It is a time of community, passion, beauty, magic, and visions coming into actualization.

We need one another to coax us out.  It is amazing what a smile, heart communication and truth will do for yourself and for another.  To see the beauty in each of us on our individual paths, to feel the interconnectedness between all of our beautiful souls and to be able to support one another in that is THE DIVINE. Different archetypes yet similar souls all searching, reaching, digging and emerging, coming into view so we can REALLY see one another with love and acceptance. Light a path for someone, give a helping hand, smile, speak kindly, it does wonders for the soul and the collective soul.  And know too that you have all the support you need inside of you as well, to SHINE as bright as you can imagine.  You are magic, you are a miracle; you are unconditional love and that RADIATES though and from you.   Move forward with an open heart.  Feel into expansion and let your wings unfurl. 

Now is the time.

Inspired by a beautiful Boulder morning bike ride and some Nahko and Medicine for the people.  Feeling the love and gratitude….

Sisters, are you standing in your power?

Many of us define the feminine as soft, passive, sweet, gentle, nurturing, receptive…

But what about the Mama Lioness who fiercely protects her cubs? What role does She — the strong, bold, vivacious, wild, liberated, independent, passionate, creative feminine — have to play?

The last moon cycle of Beltane we explored the spectrum of masculine and feminine energies, and the integration and balance of these energies within us and in the world. Now, as we move towards the Solstice and the radiant expansive energy of the bright summer sun, from this foundation of balance, we turn towards the solar energies.

Just as the lunar energies have been designated as feminine, the solar energies have largely been defined as masculine.

But the Solar Feminine is as integral a part of us as is the Lunar Masculine, and we need access to the Mama Lioness to call upon in times of need.

She is Shakti, Sekhmet, Pele, Kali, Aine, Brigid, Bast… She has a thousand names in a thousand languages.

She is the force of nature that creates, sustains and protects that which she loves no holds barred.

With the new moon energy of rest and reflection, allow yourself to feel into your Solar Feminine.

• What aspects of your life are worth cultivating and protecting?
• How do you do that from a place of wholeness and balance so as not to burn out, but to instead sustainably fuel your passions and gifts to the world?
• In what ways can your Solar Feminine support your medicine path?

As the summer dawns on us and the heat builds, may the blessings of the Goddess shine radiantly in our hearts.

Aho!
Dayna Seraye

I would imagine everyone experiences anxiety from time to time.

But have you ever had full blown panic attacks or had to go on anti-depressants, because the symptoms were so bad your will wasn’t strong enough to handle them?

I have.

Yep, you heard me right. Upon graduating from college, I couldn’t have foreseen the heightened levels of anxiety and pressure I’d undergo trying to become a successful lawyer. I was so afraid of letting my parents down and not achieving the level of stature and recognition I thought I needed to achieve in order to be seen, respected, or looked at with any measure of pride.

It was awful.

I pushed myself like a slave owner charges his servants to submit to his will.

I wasn’t sleeping.  I couldn’t concentrate.  Any hope I had at holding a decent first year associate job was going down the drain.  And my emotional instability was the root of it’s disaster.

I couldn’t eat.  My weight got WAY too low.  So low that most people self-diagnosed me with an eating disorder.  Who knows – maybe I even had one.  I needed control in my life and I sure wasn’t getting it anywhere else. My life had become a living hell, with me at its center.

I went to doctors to help me ease my pain.  I begged for anti-anxiety meds.  What did I know at the time?  Apparently nothing.  Only that I needed to feel better.  Not that I needed to get to the root of my problems.

So Xanax and Prosac became my friends and yet I continued to push myself, still filled with the same fears.  Still doing the same old song and dance.

The meds just masked the truth of all these fears I have been housing inside. Fear of failure, disappointment, the pressure to succeed and be seen a certain way. It was like carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Anxiety is no joke.  It is the worst feeling in the world to feel like your world is spinning out of control.  And if you let external factors take over, you can literally let your life fall apart, masking the real issues.

It was years later that I turned to holistic healing.  I knew there had to be a better solution than synthetic medications that were destroying my gut and not healing the roots of my problems.

I turned to yoga, self-awareness, changing my attitude and natural medicine.  

But I have to tell you.  It took me awhile to become a believer.  As a daughter of a physician, I thought going inward and using holistic products like essential oils was kookoo for cocoa puffs.  Where was the science?

Come on. Connecting to our true nature and using products given to use from the earth were enough to heal?  For real?

YES!

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years to treat ailments, illnesses and emotional and hormonal imbalances.

Our sense of smell is connected to our limbic system, which is the seat of our emotions. Aromatherapy works at a cellular level to deal with all the emotional upheaval associated with anxiety. Essential oils can calm anxiety and even make it disappear before it arrives.

Here are five oils you can use to help calm your fears:

1). Ylang Ylang, pronounced (eeelang, eeelang), is notorious for balancing the solar and sacral plexus chakras, and can help alleviate stress and lower anxiety.

 2). Lavender relieves mental stress and is a great relaxant.  It can even help you sleep.

3). Geranium helps release negative memories and nervous tension. It is extraordinarily uplifting.

4). Bergamot is calming and uplifting. It is known for its anti-depressant properties.

5). Wild Orange is elevating for the mind and body and is known to bring joy and peace. It has been scientifically documented to combats depression and boost immunity.

The most effective way to use these oils is aromatically.  Put a few drops in a diffuser and let the aroma take over.  If you don’t have a diffuser and need a quick release, put a drop or two in the palm of your hands and deeply inhale several times.

I have given you some great essential oils to try to combat anxiety. Please try them and let me know what you think by leaving your comments in the box below.

If you liked this blog and know anyone who may benefit from this insight, please share it with them via Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

XO, Hayley

P.S. If you want to know where I get my essential oils, cause you know I only use the best, click: HERE

The OM Collection is thrilled to be a part of the 2014 Spring/Summer Women's Surf Style Magazine. Featured on their pages are our 3 Tier Pants in fuschia, our Tulip Capris in mediterranean blue and our Sadhu Backless Shirt in light turquoise.

“Rise women! Rise sacred feminine! I am not afraid. I welcome you. I am at your service.“

- the Divine Masculine

The healing of the masculine and the feminine is the work of our time.  

Last weekend, we embarked on our Medicine Path of the Priestess Women’s Beltane Retreat fully aware of the enormity of our undertaking. We knew the intentions we were working with would stir us deeply. As women, we have immense trauma from our experience with men, both from this lifetime, and in our collective memory of thousands of years of patriarchal persecution.

As a community of women, we told our stories, we held each other, and we wove a tapestry of our collective experience in a female body.

We knew that in order to truly heal with the masculine and open to the experience that we profoundly desire with men, we must first let go of the deep-rooted residues of fear and oppression that we hold within ourselves.

The great mystic Lucia Renee talks of the roles of women and men in these paradigm-shifting times: “At this moment, women are being asked to stand in their power. Not to stand against something, not even to stand for something, but to stand in the energy of the Divine Feminine, an alignment where the polarity of for and against comes to rest.”

We must unplug ourselves, energetically, from the grid of patriarchy that exists within us as a result of our social conditioning. We must emerge like grass, and stand in our feminine power.

And for the men Lucia says, “At this moment, men have a very different task: to reclaim the energy of the heart, to honor women while they do their sacred work, and to process their response to the crescendo of female power.”

With this intention, we welcomed a few sacred men on the final day of our retreat to hold our prayer with us. The men were given the task of preparing the land for our Beltane Maypole Ritual, as well as the invitation to make an offering to the women and our sacred work.

The Divine Masculine showed up with the radiance of the sun and met us beyond our wildest expectations.

They guided us into an experience of being completely held, honored and cherished as the powerful feminine. We began at the Beltane fire where we were invited to burn a root, representing the release of the roots of fear within us that were already dead and simply needed to be dug up and burned. Yes.

They held a safe space for us and spoke tender words, and the tears flowed from our eyes and our hearts opened wide as they led us on a journey of receiving. In these men, we experienced healthy, balanced masculine energy.

We gave back to them in song, dance, and abundant blessings. In our unconditional exchange, we wove threads of trust, healing and respect.

We danced together in joy and love, and our lives were forever changed. 

I am grateful beyond words for this past moon cycle and the deep study of the healing of the masculine and the feminine, both inside of us and in the world. And on this delicious Full Moon as we celebrate Lunar Beltane, may we honor all that we our healing and transforming in our own lives and for humanity as a whole.

May our hearts guide us and may we rejoice in the fruits of our devotion and love.

Blessings of the Goddess ~
Dayna Seraye

New Moon, Beltane 2014

On this deep dark moon, there are whispers of excitement all around. The flowers dance in anticipation. The green shoots rise up, alert and expectant. The water bubbles and the faeries delight in the joy of what is to come.

It is Beltane. It is the celebration of Life.

The Goddess opens to Her Consort. The fertile Earth jubilantly receives the warmth of the Sun. The Divine Feminine joins together with the Divine Masculine in the Spirit of Creation, and consciousness is born.

It is this union that creates the magic of new life.

It is this alchemical union that ensures the growth and abundance necessary to sustain life and makes the world go round.

And it is what we are all seeking, deep down: Alchemical Relationship. We want to experience the magic of creation unfolding with each blessed moment. We want to embody the Goddess and the God, together. 

Easier said than done? Perhaps. And so we look to Nature. We coax the Sun to shine boldly down onto the Earth withour songs, our laughter and our prayers. We lure Him with the generous expressions of our love. We welcome Him for all that He is, and we show up in our fullness to receive Him.

We can dear sisters. We will. We are.
It is time.

And so it is.

Wishing you a delicious Beltane full of sensual delight ~
Dayna Seraye

Full Moon Greetings!

Tonight we experience the Blood Moon. The Earth will align directly in between the Sun and the Moon, causing a total lunar eclipse.

The fiery Mars right next to the Moon will bring his fierce red glow to the night sky, adding his strong masculine energy to the picture.

And we journey into the season of Beltane – the celebration of love, fertility, and sexuality.

The Dance of the Masculine and Feminine.

Mmmmmm… Sounds fun, doesn’t it?!

In the Goddess traditions, the ritual of sacred sexuality blessed the fertility of the land and the health and life blood of the people. It represented the union of opposites that created harmony and balance on a energetic and spiritual level that then manifested into the physical realm. Goddess magic at its finest!

This Full Moon Eclipse in Libra heightens the focus on our relationships and the dynamics in our relationship. How do we find harmony and balance in ourselves, within our relationships? How do we restore balance and harmony between the masculine and the feminine on this Earth?

And again, we must first look within. Where is the balance of the masculine and feminine lacking in our own lives?

As a whole, our culture is dominated by the energies of the masculine. The feminine qualities of receptivity, surrender, mystery, wildness, intuition, the feelings, embodiment, love, fluidity… are valued much less than the masculine qualities of being goal-oriented, focused, disciplined, organized, structured, competitive go-getters. And while both are essential, it is the balance of the polarities that bring us peace and harmony – within and all around.

Many of us naturally lean to one polarity or the other, and we tend to look for the balance outside of ourselves. We look for and attract our ideal man or woman to complete us. We “need” him or her to round out the yin to our yang, or vice versa.

But the good news is that the masculine and the feminine are not a continuum. Having more of one does not mean you have to have less of the other. We can be abundant in both our juicy feminine and our potent masculine! In doing the work to cultivate the masculine and feminine within, we become the balance and harmony.

And then, from choice rather than need, we dance in relationship.

So let’s have some fun with ourselves and try out some self-talk…

Tune in to your feminine:

• How does She feel?
• What does She want?
• How does She need to be supported, cared for, and loved?

Tune into your masculine:

• What does he need?
• What will support him in his purpose?
• How can He let Spirit come through?

Then, take them on a date and let them get to know each other. What do they need and want from the other? After a while, be sure to dim the lights and turn up the music. Get romantic and welcome the dance.

Let me know how it goes!

With abundant love & gratitude,
Dayna Seraye