Wendy's Blog |
Our hands fold together at the end of yoga class as our soft gaze looks up into the mystery of the world. The energy is pulsating through the room as we collectivity have shifted it to being a sacred place of utter acceptance and honor. We then silently bow our heads saying to each other “namaste”. This is the scene at the end of every yoga class I guide. But even off of the yoga mat, when that sacred word is spoken or written, I instantly feel a calm peace wash over me. For the depth of its meaning is forever etched into the sweet memory of my mind, body, & spirit. “The light & love in me honors the light & love in you” How can it get any more real than light and love? For some though, seeing themselves as pure light and love may be hard to grasp. I have guided so many yoga newbies on their journey in the midst of conservative small towns and have many times witnessed people sit in silence when the word namaste is spoken. Maybe the silence is the fear of the unknown; “what am I really saying?” Maybe someone has a soar throat. Or maybe, the cat got their tongue. When I started to fully embrace the beauty of sharing namaste with others, this is what I knew I was truly saying to them from the depths of my soul. I see you. I feel you. Who I am honors who you are. You are pure beauty. I hold sacred space as you speak your truth. I see your light through the darkness We ALL want to be loved. We ALL want to be accepted. We ALL want judgement to leave this world forever. So my dear friends, let NAMASTE ring from your lips and be typed in your texts.
Until our paths cross again. In love & sparkly light, Wendy
1 Comment
The Billie extended family was all together on Thanksgiving. It is during those packed house family gatherings that the wooden sign I gifted my parents rings true: “as far as anyone knows, we are a nice normal family”. Ahh the irony in the gift. While I would say that we are all nice (well almost all of us), all normal? …that would be difficult to sell the most liberal of jurors. But, the uniqueness that we each possess is what makes me love them even more. For if the household was full of a bunch of Wendy’s …oh my…you wouldn’t know what to think as you saw the house floating away by the guidance of magical unicorns. And suffice to say, one of my brother-in-law’s isn’t a firm unicorn believer. The morning after games ensued into the wee hours, my sis and I slid sleepily into the kitchen wearing the same shirt with these words boldly plastered across our chests: Wake Up and Be Awesome Well, my sis wasn’t looking sleepy as she had already donned her makeup and looked glorious like she always does but yes, I was the one with the hair reaching the heights of the ceiling thanks to the curly hair war with the pillow (hence the cropping of the photo in this blog post).
But I digress. Back to the story. The unicorn non-believer brother-in-law takes one look at us as he sips his coffee and emphatically states “I could never wear that shirt. I’m not a morning person”. I just smiled and said it means a lot more than being a morning person. And I love him for the confused look on his face, yet a spark of interest sparkled in his eyes, for we all wake up a little more each day. Are you ready to Wake Up! and Be awesome? Yoga and meditation are gateways to help you Wake Up! and Be Awesome. I’ll see you on your mat and if you are brave enough to wear the cool shirt…send me a message as I have a couple left For Sale. In love and sparkly unicorn light, wendy This is the stillness of winter that my soul longs for. The type of day where I give myself the utmost permission to listen. The sun is brilliant on my face as I sit in the coziest of leather chairs wrapped in the softest of blankets.
My love just left the warm house to face the Minnesota cold after we talked about all the amazing dreams that have flooded me over the past couple nights. There has been an incessant beckoning for me to receive the messages that the great universe has been sending me. I have been in creative overdrive…what do I write, do, say, act on next? But, I know the answers are not hard to discover if I open the windows of reception to the messages all around me… …not literally today with the thermometer reading 5 below…but you know what I mean. I ask & allow the messages to enter my dreams. The wisdom also floats my way from books, movies, nature, animals, and even conversations overheard standing in line at Target. As I receive all of this guidance, there is still at times a cognitive volleyball game of “I can do this myself” to “I welcome and need your help”. To “I got this one” to “I allow myself to receive guidance”. You see I am a redhead power pitta chick who has been in successful life training for many years. But on days like this my soul reminds me that it is not about success or outcome, it is about creating what my soul wants to express. For when I create from that place, I feel comfort even at 5 below.
I am dating a recovering adrenaline junky. Well, maybe he isn’t in full recovery as he screams down the street in any fast car he can get his hands on but he has stopped shirtless motorcycle wheelies. Baby steps.
Is driving fast a big deal? Heck no as my mini cooper corners like she is on rails. But when we surround ourselves with incessant intensity (& noise) that is what we are nurturing inside as well. Because… Everything is energy. Our precious aura’s pick up on everything. And then we wonder why we can’t slow down the monkey mind or get rid of the anxiety. Re-insert the boyfriend who says he would never be able to meditate because his mind goes non-stop. Ahh…the immediate gratification & instant results society we live in. Meditation takes a slow dedicated practice (probably the same as he needed to learn to hold a motorcycle wheelie for 2 city blocks). If he only knew how I was picking on him…sshhhh. Let’s take this one step deeper and hop off the pavement onto a different path; a spiritual path. If you are on one, do you wonder why you aren’t receiving the intuitive wisdom to help you make decisions everyday that are in your highest and best purpose? Your inner knowing and your spiritual posey are ALWAYS there waiting for you to slow down and listen. Slowing down for you may mean sipping a cup of tea as you silently watch the lake freeze over, or cultivating inner stillness on your meditation cushion, or melting onto your mat in a yoga class…whatever speaks to you…just be sure to…give it a second. Enjoy my all time favorite Louis CK interviews as he hilariously brings the point home.
Until our paths cross again…wrapping you in love & light,
Wendy I caught myself in a little white lie (again). It was super small. Insignificant really. But, the words just found their way out of my mouth.
Do you do it? Of course you do! Well maybe if you have reached a state of pure self love & unwavering acceptance of your authentic soul all the time…maybe then you don’t ever speak them. But, I know I am talking to a human on the other side of this technology device and we all have a tendency to fall into our shadow selves. We see ourselves as somehow less than and not enough. We are conflict avoiders. We are afraid to let our true colors be known. We are out to prove something. And the fib reasons can go on. I am here to confess the ones I occasionally fall victim to: 3 little white lies:
Yet just another reason I love my yoga practice. Since the body never lies, yoga helps to uncover the truth and shed the old lies that have unconsciously been shoved deep into the fascia, cells, nerves, etc. When you harness the breath & melt into yoga postures, you get the old inauthentic energetic kinks out and you shed light onto your true self. You will know what it feels like to truly heal from the inside out. If you can feel it, you can heal it. As you feel the tensions release, know that you are tapping into your spiritual self where you have the realization that truth will always set you free. And insert one of my favorite Dr Wayne Dyer messages: First remember that you are a spirit in a human body rather than a body with a spirit. We are here to spiritually grow, love, co-create, and above all else to forgive ourselves and others (from all those lies). So embrace this human experience and live it from a point of truth; your growth will accelerate and others will want to join your party since true authenticity is contagiously sexy. Before I close today’s chat, try on this cool mantra outfit (one size fits all): I am real. I am honest with compassion. I am a truth vibe trend setter. Trust me when I say; when you wear that outfit it will feel like you are giving yourself a big hug (and I’m not exaggerating). Plus, you will get the most compliments EVER when you wear that outfit! Until our paths cross again. In love & light, Wendy The jaguar was roaming through tall grass perpetually searching. She was a mirror reflection of my questioning mental energy looking for the right place to call home. And then, her feline gentle eyes looked at me and said “wherever you go ~ your home is always inside yourself”. My journey as a shamanic practitioner has been humbling and awakening. The simplistic yet powerful truth is revealed to me again and again, and as I grow, I am inspired to share the energetic wisdom with others. I’ve always known myself to be a seeker of truth and since I landed in a small lake town of Minnesota mother earth provides the nourishment to ground me in the now. The earth element helps us to feel at home within ourselves. But so often, we loose our stable footing in our quest to be it all and do it all. Life moves fast and we try to move faster which can easily spin us into searching mode away from the knowing within. I welcome you now to slow down your quest for just 8 minutes of yoga. Feel the earth and ignite the meridian energetic pathways that help connect you to the home within; making your connection with the outside world a smooth voyage. 1. Come to your hands and knees and separate your legs wide. Setting your ankles on the floor, slide your butt back to rest between and as close to your heals as your body allows. Extend your arms outstretched in front. Now, melt your stomach & chest towards the earth and bow your head down. (If your head doesn’t touch the ground, rest it on a soft pillow or folded blanket.) Feel your breath rise and fall; paying particular attention to the breath as you exhale. Be still for 5 minutes. ** Tip: Set your phone timer to a soothing quiet chime to notify you of time completion. Being startled by a loud alarm will erase some of the calm earthy opening ** I am at home with myself. I am grounded. I am connected to my current world.
Be sure to float gratitude out to the wisdom of your energetic body and the spirit world that is always by your side; particularly mother earth with this exercise. Until our paths cross again. Shining love and light on you, Wendy Billie As I sit here typing, I am at the tail-end of leading (& partaking) in a Fall Yoga Detox 3-week series. I am not a rookie at seasonal detoxes but this time it seemed different. Not seemed different – it was different. I didn’t feel hungry or deprived as some of you may think pertains to a detox (ok, there was one emotional day where I really wanted a glass of wine), but I realize that was only because I wanted to be comforted. That want was fleeting because I found the comfort elsewhere. I was comforted in the realization that I am my own best friend. Big bold realization, right?! How about you? Do you feel all comfy cozy at home with your true self? If not, where are you seeking the external comfort? When you cleanse out all the “false sense of security junk”, you can see clearly through the door. The door that reveals the light of your soul’s truth & in that place there will be no turning back. Because you will realize this is the happiest of all places. If you have been feeling the desire lately to rid your life of unwanted, mind cluttering toxins, and to step into your true joy, maybe you picked up on some of our collective energetic vibrations. For when one person does the work to heal & become their radical self, that energy helps everyone step into their unique truth. My unique freak flag is up in the air, what about you? Little BONUS: I’m happy to share a fun yoga detox music playlist with all of you. It is more than fun. It is powerful! Each woman who participated in the yoga detox shared a favorite song which is the compilation of the yoga playlist below. It is their way of flying their unique flag…enjoy! ************** Knowing – Lucinda Williams Dream – Priscilla Ahn Magic – Coldplay Listen to the Lion – Van Morrison Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones A Case of You – Joni Mitchell Fool In the Rain – Led Zeppelin Night Moves – Bob Seger Every Rose Has It’s Thorn – Poison You Are for Me – Kari Jobe The Story – Brandi Carlisle By the Grace of God – Katy Perry (Everything I Do) I Do for You – Bryan Adams Hey Jude – The Beattles 1000 years – Christina Perri How Can I Keep From Singing – Enya Put a Little Love in Your Heart – Mary Mary *************** Keep the music rolling and feel free to reply to this blog with your favorite song. Your unique addition will help the authentic collective conscious flow.
Until our unique journey paths cross again, Wendy As I walked along the wooded trails of The Christine Center in Wisconsin, I knew I had stepped into a magical wonder. Acorns were audibly falling all around, little creatures were dashing amongst the fallen leaves, birds were calling and I felt compelled to sit and absorb the palpable energy surrounding me. Of course, a wooded bench appeared before my eyes just as I had cast the desire into the air. I sat and found inner stillness. I was in a state of connectedness with my nature family. I began to drum. The beats came from a deep indigenous knowing and the drum’s vibrations fell in tune with All.
I became one with the whispers through the trees. Feeling compelled to continue my trodden journey I ‘thought’ that the trail to the right looked inviting yet I was ‘intuitively’ drawn to the more rustic trail to the left. The trail started with crackling leaves beneath my feet and the terrain quickly shifted to a muddy earth. I was sinking into the now and felt the inner stillness return to me. At that moment, I looked up and saw a deer staring at me with a curious wonderment. We locked eyes and I then noticed two young deer near her. The stillness permeated them as well and we shared a hidden language understood by all because: Fear was not invited to the conversation. I left my new friends and took the experience into my dreams that night. Waking before sunrise the next day, I again headed to the woods. The darkness was calming and soon the rising sun would help light my way. I easily & quickly sunk into the peace of inner stillness and I felt pulled to look up. There stood the deer family waiting for me. They had something to share and in that moment so did I. I felt a mantra fill my heartfelt thoughts “We are One. We are One.” The deer heard my collective calling and with an understanding moved closer to me. I kept the mantra repeating silently “We are One. We are One.” Soon they were within 5 feet of me. Momma deer stomped her hoof into the ground ~ “We live here. You live here. We live in peace. We are One.” After several more minutes together, I said good-bye and ventured into the chapel for early morning meditation. We were soon closing the ritualistic time together and the Sister leading the group asked everyone to form a circle. As we all hugged each other, the words that rang from the Sister’s mouth “We are One.” Until our paths cross again my friends, Wendy It is Wednesday, September 23rd and the Fall Equinox is upon us. The sun revved up his power to shine directly on the equator making the length of day & night equal…or almost equal.
The importance of both light & dark is brought into our awareness this time of year. But who likes to go into the dark? I do! As a kid, my parents often found me sleeping in my closet with a blankie over my head as I had snuck into the sweet darkness of quiet alone time. Fast forward into my adulthood, and I still curl up with a blankie (uh hum; I mean blanket) in the dark as I watch a drama filled movie on Netflix. And sans blanket, I cruise around the halls of my home navigating the darkness…driving my boyfriend a wee bit crazy as he would prefer lights a blazing. As a yoga teacher & spiritual guide, I use my gifts naturally to help people realize the beauty of their light. To truly know your light of truth; it helps to embrace your dark side. For when we go into the darkness, we are not blinded by the light and rather we sit in our own truth of what needs to be cleansed and balanced so we can heal and evolve. We must bring our light to the darkness. And just because nature likes to help out when she can, after today the days get shorter so you have plenty of opportunities to embrace the darkness. Feel free to turn off the lights in your home or sneak out into the cool nights and soak up the stars and moon. Don’t they shine so much brighter when the sky is pitch black or is it because you are bringing your light to the darkness? As you take on a new appreciation of darkness, you may just find the images of Fall’s colorful trees, pumpkins, & the taste of apple cider to be that much brighter & sweeter this year. Until our paths cross again ~ Wendy Billie I can still feel the wind blowing through my hair. I grew up riding my silver bullet moped all over the town of Minot, ND where I had the pleasure of open roads and wide lanes (Kramer would have loved it; insert Seinfeld episode reference). The gas friendly mobile took me so many places and instilled a freedom at a young age my memory loves to recall.
But right next to the freedom memories, I have scars on the knees that remind me of the many gravel road crashes. The tears. The pain. The sadness of spending what little babysitting money I had saved to mend the blinkers lost in the moments where the magic bullet hit the ground and left me on bended knee. We have all skinned up our knees a time or two in our lives but when we let the emotional pain of the injury linger on …and on …it etches a scar deep within well below the surface of the obvious. In yoga, we call these etched in mental or psychological impressions; samskaras. They become embedded so deep within us that they can create emotional patterns that cause pain and discomfort or conversely; joy and freedom! Enjoy this short 12 minute audio where I was interviewed on Health Matters radio talk show. I explore the body & energy connection: The Body & Energy Connection with Wendy Billie on Health Matters Talk Radio Yoga. Breath. Awareness. All amazing tools to break through the old samskaras. Until our paths cross again, Wendy Billie Do you know how to relax? I mean really relax. Shutting it ALL off and letting the worries, fears, and doubts completely leave the building.
If you are reading this, I am sure you are on the path (or are very interested) in bringing the path of relaxation into your life. And kudos to you because it is a really BIG deal to bring utter serenity into moments of your day because if you don’t … well let’s just say the brain takes major ‘blows’ when we keep it in perpetual analyze & do mode. A quick overview of the brain: Left side is the control master of analytical reasoning & is very reality based. Right side of the brain is master of creativity ~ the place of imagination, dreams, & intuition. Ok, I said quick overview so now onto how easily we can destroy our precious brain with only our thoughts. When we dive into the old song and dance of negative thoughts perpetuated by imagining the worst case scenarios happening in our life; worries, fears, and doubts shut down part of our brain. In essence, we lose our awareness or consciousness. Hmmm–do you ever find yourself saying “I can’t remember this or that?” Well, maybe you are shutting down the old thinker by worrying too much. Just a thought – pun intended. Well, I wish a poor memory was the only brainy thing that could go wrong. But, because our body steps up and produces oober amounts of cortisol with all our negative thoughts we can actually ‘blow up’ neurons. Yes, our sweet body thinks we are in distress and thus steps up to the plate and makes cortisol to combat the stress. Excess cortisol is the killer. Your Brain on Stress. I watched a video demonstrating the destruction of our precious brain cells due to high levels of cortisol (sorry video wasn’t available for upload) but let me describe what went down. Envision a mass of neurons and their dangling arms of synapses lit up like Christmas trees (similar to our cool braintree picture above). Looks all pretty and then…bam…or kaboom is better to capture the moment. A neuron exploded. Gone forever! Maybe you remember the old commercial scaring us away from using drugs “this is your brain on drugs”. This may need a little edit to include ” this is your brain on stress”. Never fear. Put the frying pan away. Yoga Brain to the rescue! Go ahead and insert a new visual. It is the end of yoga class and you feel completely relaxed. You slide into the bliss of savasana (the pose of complete relaxation) and your happy brain takes over. It starts to activate parts of your brain ~ igniting creativity & dreams, & fantasies; igniting our intuitive nature. This happens because instead of stress protecting cortisol being produced our bodies begin to release dopamine; our pleasure neurochemicals. ahhh…. You may think that based on your busy life that you need to have the left analytical side of your brain on high 24/7. But, introducing relaxation will activate the “right” and help you make decisions using the wisdom of your intuition. And this is why I highly recommend that you wait to balance the checkbook for at least 20 minutes after yoga class. Let the fantasies and daydreams guide you and enjoy the sweet bliss of Yoga Brain. Until our paths cross again, Wendy Billie I was living smack in the middle of the busy-business of Washington DC. The energetic buzz was palpable yet on one particular evening I was being comforted by my quiet fireplace lit condo in Dupont; soothed by the stillness of the night. I felt grounded. I felt calm. I felt ready. I had decided to take my 15 years of yoga practice & study up a notch and head to where the roots of yoga’s amazingness originated. India here I come! And like many major life decisions, I turned over my fate to Google to find the ideal training institute. Well, I didn’t completely let an inanimate piece of technology be my only magic worker. I also employed an intuitive tool I had been using to help me select web pages to click on. I used the energy I could feel in my hands as I scrolled through the myriad of selections and voila. There she was; The Sattvik Sedan. I had no idea what”Sattvik” meant which was even further validation for me to learn more. And here I am several years later sharing with you the blissful meaning of Sattvik. It means living in harmony with a dynamic stillness. Sattvik is exactly what I needed to learn then and now. Here is a huge life lesson pulled from the ancient teachings of Yoga (& Ayurveda) philosophy: The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude. ~ Voltaire Go ahead…enjoy the vibrant feeling of “getting things done”- be dynamic. But notice at the same moment busy-ness is happening so is stillness. When those two forces find a happy marriage; that is when radiant bliss comes out of hiding and smack into the middle of your life. Here is powerful intention statement just for you: I choose to live in dynamic stillness.
Until our paths cross again. In love & light, Wendy Not for the flexible? But wait. When I see people on their yoga mats, they seem to be in all sorts of bendy poses. Their heads can reach places I hadn’t before thought of exploring and their backs twist into shapes that I had only seen at a Cirque du Soleil performance in Vegas. Yoga seems to only be about the flexible. Those words are a flavorful version of conversations I’ve had over the years with people who are afraid of yoga. The list of fears is not limited to the misunderstanding of our bodies abilities, but an obligatory comment tends to be “I’m not flexible”. As a yoga teacher, I see fears as an opportunity to realize what part of our true nature is screaming to come out and play. So if you are one of the yoga-wanna-be-newbies that has tons of red fear flags waving — stiff non-flexible ‘ol body being one of them — here is what I lovingly share with you. Yoga is not for the flexible. It is for the willing. Go ahead. Roll out a yoga mat, breathe, move, and just show up. You may just have the best performance of your life —without the flashing lights of Las Vegas.
In love & light, Wend You alone are enough- you have nothing to prove to anybody. ~Maya Angelou
Four years ago I was sitting at an outdoor cafe with a friend in Washington DC sipping on red wine and talking about life. He casually asked “What is it you really want to do with all this passion you possess?” I went on a wine and sun induced rant of how I wanted to help people access their power while also feeling peaceful. I had fought with myself for years; pushing my agenda and voicing my opinions and I had finally realized that the constant ‘in your face’ approach wasn’t necessary; and actually power limiting. In stillness and trusting in the moment is where I felt true power; that pure self knowing. Our chat ended with, “You know Phil, it is like getting a rush of adrenaline but also feeling zen embrace you at the same moment”. And thus my business name was realized: adrenazen. I jumped in with both feet creating adrenazen classes that fused the grace and power of boxing with yoga. I know. I know. Really? Boxing and yoga? Well, it worked and the message was pervasive. There was a waiting list of students seeking this powerful zen experience. I was relishing in my own adrenaline and was taking less and less time for quiet zen Wendy moments; oh the irony. But in one particular silent time, I remembered clearly a conversation with another yoga friend “Why are you trying so hard to build a brand? Wendy Billie is your brand.” I shrugged it off because I loved the cool business name. But I know now my friend was meant to say those words to me and thank goodness the voice within was loud enough so that when my graphic designer was creating my adrenazen logo I also had him create a Wendy Billie logo to compliment. I felt a tug in my heart saying one day I would shift to “Wendy Billie” my true essence and spirit. I would lead yoga healing retreats and seminars all over the world. And just as the universe is in a constant state of change and evolution, as am I. And now is the time to shift from just pure “yoga boxing” to my heart; a diverse wild eclectic nature loving peaceful spiritual being. So for those who have been adrenazen followers, it is still me. It’s just that now I absorb in the brand that has always been with me. I use my given talents in ways to help people heal and step into their true authentic lives. Do you find yourself pushing your agenda? Just maybe it is time to step back and see if you are flowing with YOU. Namaste my dear friends and see you at wendybilli Self knowledge is the beginning of self improvement. ~ Spanish Proverb
I was in the 2nd grade when I first started journaling. Little did I know how therapeutic it was or that as an adult I would be guiding people to find the words to express so they can be authentically happy. Do you ever wonder what happens to the words we hide from ourself or others? Where do those masked emotions (you know the ones: anger, hurt, worry, sadness) and repressed thoughts go? Well, if you have ever had the urge to cry while in a deep lunge on your yoga mat–it becomes apparent that those emotions stay close to home. Yes, they become buried in our bodies. And, as much as we would like to forget- our bodies remember everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You are beginning to know what I am talking about. As you sit and read, you may move slightly and feel the stiffness. Guess what? A major part of that uncomfortableness has to do with words that fell to silence. So yes, rolling out your yoga mat and sliding back into child’s pose or doing a round of sun salutation will do wonders…but the more you open up your body…the more you will realize you have something to say. Personally, I resort back to my practice as a 2nd grader and journal to prepare me for the words I want to say to myself or to a loved one. The main difference is that I switched from the pencil to notebook to an online journal. Whatever works for you, start capturing your words and soon you will be ready to say what really needs to be said. Try filling in the dots to get your journal started: “I am most afraid of…” “I am most myself when…” Namaste. |
Wendy BillieInternational yoga instructor, Shamanic Practitioner, life coach, and more! SubscribeCategories
All
|