Beginning to Simplify...

My work desk is clear. I have one pending item left (a last minute request from one of my favorite mentors). I am on to the last few hours with my BlackBerry.  I've been nurturing the beginnings of a flu and this colds for 5 days now. This must be some kind of withdrawal symptom. My "terminal leave" begins.

I have been in the jungle for 13 years and I finally mustered enough courage to take that leap of faith. I am taking an indefinite leave to pursue love and simplicity. My routine is undergoing a sweet transition. This week, I will be joining Govinda Kai for a retreat. Next week, Jessica Blanchard is in town. The following week, I will continue practice and wrap up my clearance. All this time, I will continue to take on my Monday, Tuesday and Thursday classes. Then off to Samahita Yoga Thailand I go.

Come September, I will be teaching more classes every week and working on happy new things. Exciting, blessed times ahead! So now, I am beginning to declutter and simplify my life.

Here are some ideas in bold from Inner Simplicity (Elaine St. James' 100 ways to regain peace and nourish your soul). I've taken the liberty to just share my own musings...

Spend time each day in nature. When we moved into our small home, we did so because the community had a jogging trail by the river, lots of trees and open space. We have a small balcony overlooking a large expanse of sky, trees (okay, also rooftops and the water tank) but also the antipolo hills. Depending on the time of day, the hills are golden. At night, they are lit like Christmas trees. Ynigo and I began to take walks around the village. I would like to sit in the balcony more often in meditation, smelling the basil, rosemary and sampaguita I've planted.

Create beauty in your life. I would like to go corner by corner in our home and begin to think of ways to create space and beauty around us. My extra challenge - I will achieve this without any additional purchases. The first step is to let go of the things we no longer need to make space for more beautiful things to take their place.

Get in touch with your creativity. Writing, photography, painting with the kids, injecting more creativity into teaching, opening to the projects that will come my way.  It is time to use the gifts we are given.

Latch on to synchronicity. When I finally declared my decision to pursue my mission to travel, teach and write (after years of knowing and resisting and mutating my purpose), I felt like bursts of light shone through and the path became clearer. All the wonderful opportunities opened, and I was given enough (no more, no less) to sustain what was needed. Whatever the future brings, it will bring but I am savoring these times, moment by moment, just trusting the unfolding and the gifts along the way.

And finally, for this post, here's something to think about, straight from the small book:

Create simplicity, not austerity.  "... living fully doesn't mean having it all, going everywhere, doing everything, and being all things to all people. Many of us are beginning to see that too much is too much. Doing too much and having too much get in the way of being able to enjoy the things we do want in our lives, and to simply be who we are.

Achieving a level of inner simplicity makes it possible to choose intelligently the things that are meanigful in our lives and that contribute to our happiness and our peace of mind."