Kim

Dharana | Dhyana | Samadhi

Let's take a moment to define meditation. Then let's expand that definition. Suddenly, meditation is accessible. When meditation is accessible, bliss is possible.

Hey Patrons -
Thanks for making my first almost full year on Patreon so lovely. I'm inspired by you, I'm amazed by your support, and I love learning from you.  I couldn't do this without you.

Thank you so much.
Kim
OM

Just practice Enlightenment - It's that easy

I'm kidding.. Sort of.
Do the things in life that bring you joy. Do them without referring to them as 'guilty pleasures', do them often, and never apologize for taking time for your own joy.

This month's practice is getting a little more into some daily Yoga & mobility practices. Opening up the body with daily movement is a way that we can open ourselves up to feeling more joy.

You can practice concentration & meditation in everything you do - and we can practice tha...

Let's Talk About Props!

A couple things about using props. Sometimes people are under the impression that using props is 'cheating' - THAT'S NOT TRUE. 

Do you ever feel that someone who reaches out for support generally is cheating in life?
I hope not. Because support is cool.

Use props to allow you to focus on alignment, breath, and being present.
Practicing with props, in my opinion, does two things for us:
1. Reminds us that we are capable of supporting ourselves with the tools we have...

Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi

We did it!

We've reached the final limbs of the eight-fold path of Yoga, and we're going to look at them in one go because of how closely related they are and because they often merge into each other.

The sixth limb is Dharana, meaning concentration is the process of holding or fixing the attention of the mind onto one object or place.

The object you focus on can be a physical object or a mantra. How do we practice Dharana?

1. Start with Pratyahara ...
   2023-12-02 15:12:45 +0000 UTC View Post

Announcing Kimmaginarium - A playful gathering place

Patrons!
You’re wonderful, and I appreciate you endlessly.

Over the last few months, I’ve been gently asked about, softly poked at, and loudly yelled at about having a Discord server. I was unconvinced at first. I was just starting my journey on Twitch with a learning curve so steep it felt like a vertical line. I wasn’t overly familiar with the platform and didn’t instantly see the point.

Also, it was summer and too hot to learn more new things.

Fast forward to ...

Pratyahara stuff

Hello friends!

Put on some jammies & cosy socks, hold a cup of tea, and let me fill up your earholes with some methods to help you train, and control your senses.  After that, I'll read to you the story of Mountain Pose (Tadasana).

Do you like stories? Do you want more?
Also - Next pod is KimBits & news of the future...

I'm grateful for your trust. Thank you so much for being here.
Kim
OM

Pratyahara

Hello Patrons!

I know the concept of withdrawing our senses is weird, and it's particularly weird to attempt to do so while listening to someone talk, or watching them in a video. I chose simple standing postures without a flow between them for this reason, but you can practice withdrawing the senses in any and every posture in your practice. I recommend that you close your eyes or find a drishti every time you come to your mat.

The very best Asana for this practice is Savasana....

The Fifth Limb of Yoga, Pratyahara

We've made it to the fifth limb of Yoga, and here is where we start getting into what might feel a little esoteric.  Pratayahara takes us from the outer to the inner aspects of Yoga.

The outer aspects, Yama, Niyama, Asana, and Pranayama are integral pieces to the foundations of our practice. We root ourselves in ethics and cleansing practices with Yama and Niyama. We develop strength and flexibility with Asana, and Pranayama boosts our vital energy (Prana).

Pratyahara, Withdr...

Patterns Old & New

Hello sweet Patrons,

Every fall (and sometimes spring) I feel a need for upheaval. A pattern that for many seasons of my life felt like a familiar friend calling me to take me out for a wild & unruly adventure. It felt like I was taking control of my life by uprooting everything and beginning again. In reality, I was running away. Running away from growth, from meaningful connections, and from myself.

I get emotional in this one.

Thank you so much for your trust. I...

Two Breathwork Practices

Hello, sweet patrons. Take a deep breath. 

In this short video, I share with you two Pranayamas that you can bring into your day that might help to calm your mind, release some anxiety, cool the body, and if paired with some other sleep hygiene habits, might even help you fall asleep.

Chandra Bhedana Pranayama:
Moon Piercing Breath is single nostril breathing. By always inhaling through the left nostril, and exhaling through the right, we focus our energy ...

Pranayama - Moving with the Breath

OM
Hello sweet Patrons! I'm so grateful that you're here. You mean so much to me & I think about you almost constantly (not obsessively - promise).

Moon Salutations is one of my absolute favourite sequences to explore every month. They don't need to be practiced during the full moon - they can be practiced at any time. We don't spend a heap of time during the video on alignment, and we also don't ignore alignment altogether. The focus for this is building an intimate connection w...

Take a breath, let's talk Pranayama

Hello friendly Patrons,

Before we get into Pranayama, you need to know something important: If you’re breathing - you’re doing it right.

Sometimes, people start talking about Pranayama (breath control) as if you must breathe in a specific way or else every breath you’ve taken has been incorrect. IT’S NOT TRUE. If you were breathing incorrectly, you’d probably not be reading this, walking around, or existing.

So relax - breathe - you’re doing it perfectly.

T...

Asana in your ear

Hello, Icons!

I hope Asana is going well for you. Have you noticed anything coming up?
Fear, attachment, and aversion can arise when we practice various asanas. Particularly when they're new and if we assign a hierarchy to them.

Here's the thing - there is no hierarchy of postures. Sure, we might call some the Queen or King of Asanas. That's because of the benefits they bring us and not due to being in need of doing them in a specific way. If we're doing our...

Asana Practice

You incredible Icons - Do you ever get tired of being so magnificent?

When I rolled out my mat to plan this month's physical practice, I thought that I might find myself feeling challenged. How would I decide what Asanas to suggest?

Whenever I feel like my mind is a basket full of unrolled & tangled balls of yarn, I turn to my practice for the answers. Finding stillness in the gentle movement of my breath, in the slowing of my heartbeat, in the sway of my body.
As I lift...

Asana

Hello sweet Patrons!

Let's keep exploring the eight limbs of Yoga as described by Patanjali. After the first and second limbs ground us in internal and external ethical practices, we continue our journey upward to enlightenment with physical postures or Asanas.

For the amount of attention Asanas receive in our social media feeds, particularly the asanas that look good in front of a waterfall, we can start to feel discouraged before we even begin our journey into Yoga, thinking tha...

Kimbits

You are incredible icons, and I appreciate you endlessly. 

In this quick Kimbits, I'm sharing with you the things I've been working to release, a couple of the books I'm reading (or about to read), and a short passage that is bringing me a heap of inspiration lately.

Keep up with your practice. Stay curious about what comes up, Practice compassion and kindness with yourself, so that you can carry that into the world in all that you do.
I'm here to support you & answer...

Getting into Letting Go

This space couldn't exist without you, sweet icons. Thank you for making this possible.

How's this month's practice going?
Is anything coming up that feels particularly good to release?
Has anything come up that has been challenging you?

In this podcast, the cat leaves me alone the entire time - CAN YOU IMAGINE?!

I share some final thoughts on Aparigraha, get into the fifth and final Niyama, Ishvara Pranidhana, and offer a simple practice with the breath as a way to ex...

Aparagraha Asana Sequence

Hello, sweet Icons,
Here's a twenty-minute asana practice to try this month as you explore the concept of non-attachment, non-gripping, and letting go.

Take your time through the practice. Make it your own, by trusting the signals your body shares with you. Find the balance between joyful effort and ease. Notice if you have patterns of always reaching to hit your physical edge or always staying away from pushing yourself.  

Please let me know if you have questions about ...

Final Yama: Aparigraha

Aparigraha is about non-attachment, non-possessiveness, non-gripping, and non-hoarding.

When we wander around town and notice how many storage facilities exist, we might believe that the concept of non-attachment no longer exists in our society. Accumulating belongings is a way to measure our value to humanity, but this hoarding of stuff isn’t adding value to humanity. And while we use a superficial metric to feel important, we add physical weight and burden to our lives. We might use...

A video-less podcast! Weird.

Hello Majestic Icons,

Here are some final thoughts on Brahmacharya, an introduction to Svadyaya (Self-Inquiry), and a couple of extra journaling prompts to consider. 

I’m so grateful that you are here. Be welcome to reach out if/when you have questions about your practice.

Kim

OM

Journaling Prompts:

1. Think of the last time you felt resistance to something. It could be from the past or the present. What was (or) ...
   2023-07-21 18:06:30 +0000 UTC View Post

It's a Podcast - with a video

Happy July Icons!

How are you digesting Brahmacharya?
It's a doozy & not always the most popular of the Yamas.

HEAD'S UP: There's a slight buzz in the audio at times. The sounds of the birds felt worth keeping anyway. It eventually mostly fixes itself.

CHANTING: You don't have to be a singer to chant. It's not about having the prettiest birdsong in the forest, it's about the vibration & the cultivation of the energy of the ch...

Practices for Anxiety

Incredible Icons! 

This video is a little longer than usual. We have a few different practices to explore when you're experiencing anxiety. 

Nadi Shodhana is also called alternate nostril breathing. This practice can be done for 3 -5 cycles of breath or several minutes. Count to 4 or 5 on your inhale, and when you exhale, double the count to 8 or maybe 10. Lengthening our exhales allows the nervous system to move from sympathetic to parasympathetic (figh...

The Fourth Yama, Brahmacharya

When Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras, there was a strict interpretation of Brahmacharya as total abstinence. At the time, many practitioners were renunciates who had already shunned the material world as part of their dedication to their spiritual life, so it was likely a bit-of-a no-brainer. In our own time, Yoga has evolved to include people from all over the world, in every conceivable walk of life, and celibacy isn’t conducive to many lifestyles.

Before we continue…

I’ve...

June KimBits!

You delightful, Yogic Icons!
I think about you all so often, and how incredibly grateful I am to have your support and your trust.

In this month’s kimbits - I took some rustic & satisfying vacations, I deepened my knowledge of Sanskrit, I did a Twitch thing.. 

I hope you enjoy the mind meanderings in this podcast. 

Thanks again for being here.

Kim
OM

Asteya & Tapas Pod

Iconic Patrons, you incredible beings of compassion & kindness. I’m so incredibly lucky to have you here. Thank you so much for your trust, and the opportunity to learn from you.

Today we’re talking about the importance of restorative Yoga & just being, and the third Niyama, Tapas. Meaning heat or fire, it’s that fire under our butts or in our bellies. It’s our drive and commitment to overcome ego and desire. 

Next podcast is coming soon - because this one was...

Restorative Yoga

You unbelievable humans - I am so deeply grateful for your presence here, and for your trust. Deep bows to each and every one of you.

How often do you take intentional rest - and I don't mean lying on the couch on your phone, in scroll-asana? Restorative Yoga is challenging because we often think that we need to be DOING all the time. In this practice, we stop Doing so that we can just BE. 

You'll want some props - if you have a couple of blocks, cushions, blankets, or bolste...

Asteya Meditation

Dearest wonderful Patrons,
Maybe you've already noticed that this month has been unfolding a little differently. Rather than post our practice video & the blog(?) (what do I call the words bit?) on the same day, I thought that I'd give the words some time to marinade. 

In addition to allowing the concept of our theme to be absorbed, fewer practices released at once can help to relieve any sense of overwhelm that you may feel. 

In this meditation, we hold a Mudra o...

Asteya - The Third Yama (Non-Stealing)

"For those who have no inclination to steal, the truly precious is at hand.” - Patanjali (Yoga Sutra)

As you might be able to tell, like all the Yamas, Asteya has a deeper meaning than don’t steal stuff.

When I think of Asteya, I think of the term FOMO or The Fear Of Missing Out. This fear of missing something is rooted in thinking that what you’re doing isn’t good enough, fun enough, or exciting enough. Your friends don’t like you enough, or you aren’t famous enough.<...