January 2026 Week 3

This week in class and during our meditation you will notice a focus on our Sutra for the month - Sutra 1.28:
When you repeat Om—silently or out loud—and gently reflect on what it represents (the presence of the divine, wholeness, or higher awareness), your mind becomes calmer and more connected. Over time, this practice helps you feel supported, focused, and less caught in mental noise.
Once again we are brought back as we have for the last 27 months of studying the sutras, that the reason for yoga is to quiet the fluctuations in the mind - “less caught in mental noise.”
This also lines up beautifully with our intention: I am perfectly, imperfect. As I am a tangible, visual learner I once again prompted us in our classes to envision ourselves as the blue ceramic bowl made much more beautiful and interesting with the gold accents highlighting its cracks - aka - our flaws. Let’s focus on the “wholeness” that Om offers us - the wholeness of ourselves, cracks and all - cracks in our personalities, our relationships, our way of handling life, etc.
This week I spent with my husband, his brothers and our sister in-laws with his mother for her final days, right down to us all being there for her final breath. I am so grateful for my dedication to these practices that I believe in and that I continued to start my day in prayer and meditation and even on the day she passed I was able to teach this weeks class in the morning outside in the fresh air, very healing for me. There are definitely cracks in our families relationships and for sure in my personality but wow did we all come together as a perfectly, imperfect team! I judge myself so harshly, but for a change I gave myself grace during this sad and stressful time. There were many “cracks” in the process of bringing my mother in law to her final moments, but again WOW! my husband’s family showed compassion, kindness and consideration for each other.
The cracks can also be viewed as sadness for the loss this week, but again it was important to be in the crack of sadness and be present to it. As Brene Brown has pointed out, we cannot selectively numb our emotions. So if we don’t want to feel the sadness, the loss, the discomfort then without even knowing it we are diminishing our joys, anticipations and other positive emotions. I am so grateful that I have done the work so that I get to experience and feel all of my perfectly imperfect life. How are you doing with this? Are you avoiding or “numbing” a crack? If so, I promise there is a dimness to your shine - lets get rid of that!

"Dear God, please help me recognize that I am moving at exactly the right pace, that I am right where I need to be, and that I will move on with your help and guidance when I’m ready. Amen.” Maria Shriver