In the last week of my yoga teacher training I was given the gift of Dharma. We had a whole lecture on this idea of Dharma, this belief that each person has a divine purpose on this earth. That in order to achieve ones Dharma they must be willing to listen. To pay attention to the small details in life, and follow the path of bread crumbs that the universe has left for you. This does not mean that things will be easy. Because comfort does induce a state growth and development, rather that amidst the turmoil that is being a human being on this earth you can be gifted with a path. When you are on that divine path things will be provided to aid you on the journey. Like the universe gifting us with the things that we need to be successful on our path, not that it is going to obliterate all obstacles between us and our dharma.

We must be an active participant in the process. Then once doing everything you can you must surrender with trust that what will be, will be.

I think my being able to attend a yoga teacher training is a great example of dharma. When I first went to Kripalu for a seminar on forgiveness I had an innate sense that it was where I was supposed to be. Having wanted to have taken a yoga teacher training for sometime, I soon realized Kripalu was where I was supposed to take my training. It was $5000 which to be honest is $5000 more than I had and so I applied not knowing how I would cover my responsibilities in my home, or the care of my children, or pay for it, but I knew that if this was the right path for me it would happen. And so I started applying for scholarships and grants and talking to people and reaching out. Finding people that would come and help support in my house, finding people that would scoop of time with my children. At which point I should mention that I have an exceptionally supportive husband, partner and coparent, because he never once for a moment discouraged me in this process.

Then I let it go. I resided in the fact that it either would happen or not, and their way i would be OK.

Slowly the people responded about the help I needed and slowly the money started coming in and slowly a process unfold in which I was enabled to fulfill my Dharma. As you can tell from this example I was no bystandard in the process, I was engaged, I was trusting, and then I let it go.

Now graduating from a yoga teacher training program is just one step in the lineage of my own Dharma. Dharma is not a one time gig in your life it’s a natural unfolding to a life long progression. I have spent my whole life intuitively following signals. I have made many of my life decisions based off a gut feeling and when people have asked me why I was doing something I would merely shrug and say ”I just think of things and do them”.

There is a distinct difference between impulsive behavior and following intuition and I just wanna be very clear about that. Deciding to eat a dozen donuts is not your dharma. Realizing that you find the creating of doughnuts to be an expression of your soul might be your dharma.

And so this word has given me something, justification to a whole life lived. I was not just merely bumbling along the world living through the pains of human existence trying and failing and trying again, I was living out my Dharma. And all of it brought me to where I am now. My Dharma is teaching people to play the ukulele, my Dharma is hosting womens sauna night under the full moon, my Dharma is creating safe space for people to come to when they need time to think and someone to reflect with, my Dharma is making snow chickens in the front yard with my children, my Dharma is advocating for those who otherwise have a voice, my Dharma the sharing my light in love with the world. I think my Dharma always has been about being in service to others but what I was so blissfully unaware of up until a week ago, the piece of my Dharma that had been undisclosed to myself for so long is that I am also meant to be in service to myself.