Johnathon Livingston Seagull

The first spiritual book I remember reading, or rather, having read to me was, Johnathon Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach. It had a profound impact on me even at the age of 9. It opened my mind to the idea of infinite possibility and the idea that we are all creative in our own ways and that we should follow that creativity at all cost. My aunt was a huge influence concerning my spirituality. She took me to a Unity church when I was young and I loved what they were about. Unity is incredibly open minded and progressive. So much so that every service began with meditation. It was incredibly exotic to me and I remember feeling quite special when we would practice it. I remember clearly the pastors name, Linda Pendergrass. She was female, obviously, and was so moving in her sermons that my aunt would write out these ridiculously large amounts on her checks and then have to tear it up and rewrite one that would actually clear. I wanted to feel that. I was eager to feel passion about my existance and wanted, more than anything, to find the answers to the questions that all beings seek. "Why am I here?"
A few years later, I was introduced to Shirley Mclain in the movie, "Out On A Limb." It was as if everything I thought about life and the afterlife was being confirmed. I knew that what she was saying was the truth for me. It felt more familiar than my own skin. This was my real introduction to past lives. I grew up believing that we have all been here many times in many different bodies, both male and female, but 'Out On A Limb' gave me proof. From that moment on, my dream was to go to Peru, Manch Pichu in particular, to experience the kind of phenomenon that so many people were claiming to be experiencing. I began to look at my life with different eyes. Eyes that were as ancient as I was. And thus began my journey in to past lives, accountability, hypnosis, quantum mechanics, string theory and the like. Life was not random and meaningless, it was in fact, the opposite; perfectly orchestrated but intertwined with free will. I have been reading and studying and practicing ever since. One of the most profound experiences I have ever had happened a few days after seeing the movie, and was witnessed by my closest friend in high school. She was the perfect person to be with at that moment, but that is a story for another day.
Namste and Shanti.
Summer

Yoga In a Small Town

Sometimes I can't believe the following that has gathered here in my small town to learn about all things yoga. I understand that some people just want to try the latest trendy workout, but the truth is, yoga has been around for over 5000 years, so there's nothing new about it. And like my instructor told me, most people come to the mat in search of something. Usually, you are in some kind of pain. Typically emotional, but also physical. I have many students who want to be active but have been injured in some way and are in desperate need of rehab. What they soon discover, however, is that what they were really looking for was a community of like minded people. We are all searching for that in some form or another, and I find that yogis tend to have giving hearts and are willing put themselves out there for each other. When I first moved here, as is typical for me, I felt out of place. I am an incredibly spiritual person, which translates to 'nonreligious-free thinking-came up with my own faith' kind of thing. That doesn't bode well in a small town. After being ask repeatedly if I was 'plugged in' anywhere, and my many refusals over the years, most people accept that I am 'kind of different' and don't ask me to attend their churches anymore, but alas, I am thought of as lost or searching, someone who doesn't understand the power of accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The funny thing is, I am rarely ask what I do believe in, what my faith means to me, how I came to the conclusions I came to or if I even believe in God. It is assumed that I don't and that my quality of life is not quite what it could be because I don't attend church on a regular basis. The truth is, I have tried a couple of churches, but I cannot profess to believe in the doctrines and feel more like a hypocrite than anything, so I follow my own path, for lack of a better word. So this is what this blog is about, my spirituality, how I got here, what I read, and how it feels to be a good person who feels rejected for not being a member of the religious 'club'. I sincerely hope to find my community here, to feel a connection and to express my views as honestly as I can without feeling judged or pitied. Until tomorrow.
Namaste',
Swami Summer