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Hi there!
How are you? I truly hope this note finds you well.
Whenever the holidays roll around, in addition to all of the festivities and excitement, we can also be met with stress, complicated family dynamics, financial pressure, frustration, fears, and the occasional freak-out. 😂 Good times, right?
I want you to know you're not alone. Not even a little.
I'm currently in Irvine, knee-deep in everything involved in supporting my disabled brother and making sure he has a happy and healthy future. It’s an honor to help him manage his life, but it’s not easy. My to-do list is the size of California. 😵💫 And while I’m grateful I can be here for him, old resentments are bubbling up. I’m anxious, exhausted, still grieving our mom, feeling pressure from all sides, and trying not to beat myself up for not having everything figured out. But I’m working through it — and I will.
This is exactly why I wanted to write to you. One of the things I treasure most about our yoga community is how, when we share honestly, we discover how much we’re all navigating similar challenges. The details may differ, but underneath it all, most of us are simply trying to reset, reconnect, and remember what truly matters. Life gets hard — and it gets easier when we move through it together. 💖
So… how are you feeling right now?
If things aren’t exactly “hunky dory,” whatever you’re carrying may be dimming that holiday sparkle — keeping you from shining as brightly as you could.
What do I mean by "shine?"
It can look like so many things.
🕯️Shining compassion on those who need it this holiday season.
🕯️Shining forgiveness on the people who are testing your patience or the experiences that are challenging your faith.
🕯️Shining FAITH onto a situation, utterly transforming the perception of what you are enduring.
🕯️Shining your light onto the world, whether to a stranger you bump into at a grocery store, or via social media or some other kind of community platform.
🕯️Shining your gifts.
Speaking of gifts… I’m about to start recording my very first Chanting with Chaz album. Students have been encouraging me for years to create a chanting meditation they can download. So this is me shining my gift of singing — and I’ll be honest, I’m scared out of my mind. 😂
Why? Because I’ve always believed that kind of shining was egotistical. I’ve never been one for self-aggrandizement. But there’s a deeper voice in me that says I should shine — because I can, and because it might help someone.
And the only reason I CAN shine is because I'm finally listening to the voice within me that believes in my ability to shine.
Because the truth is:
We only shine to the degree that we believe we can.
Read that again.
In other words, the amount you shine is directly connected to how capable, worthy, and brave you believe yourself to be.
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