My Own Unique Expression

My own unique expression:

I'm not the most creative person on YouTube, having just a small channel and producing mostly nature shorts, sharing my workouts, and doing a live stream session several times a day where I talk about the things I'm most passionate about - meditation, yoga, breathwork, writing and all things related to these topics. It's fun, and I don't give much thought into being a content creator, there's no editing involved, not a lot of forethought into the process. 

I simply show up each day and share aspects of my life. 

that's the creative process, the true content, 

being alive, everything happening spontaneously, 

including my wish to share. 

and so I do.

in this way it's been really freeing, my life handles the details and I give myself freely to the process, easily so, and with little concern as to how others might view the content I share. YouTube is a means for me to communicate my passion for the things I love, a social media venue that allows a creative platform to whoever wishes to offer their own unique expression to the world. And this really appeals to me, that in my attempt to live a quiet, creative, and contemplative life - I can simply share it, maybe even creatively so, my own unique expression too...

offered to the world.

~

Peace, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Earliest

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Earliest

Earliest: 

sunrise is earliest of the year now, growing earlier still for another few weeks before the trend reverses in its order. So I have just a little time to bask within this morning light, capturing moments of its subtle beauty with a photograph or two, but mostly, simply appreciative for the warmer reach of sun and the opportunity to be witness to the dawn. 

of course this happens all through the year, sunrise is never absent.

but seeking solitude, a more quiet time in nature, my morning walks are usually cloaked in the dark, with only the briefest stretch through a certain time of year do I actually find myself in early light. So this is a cherished time of year for me, and I greet the sunrise as a participant, feeling as if the months of walking in the dark have prepared for this show of morning colors and a brighter world. 

and then slowly,

 the curve of time again begins to offer darkness. 

and it feels like the morning light has readied for this as well, that fully charged by the display of dawn it's now time to retreat to the trend of nature and continue walking through the coming seasons, whatever it is they might hold for me each morning.

yet, from the briefest stretch of earliest dawn...

I carry this light within. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Rhizomatic Path of Yoga

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Rhizomatic Path of Yoga

Rhizomatic path of yoga: 

yoga asks for only a little faith, just enough to cause a stir of hope that we could live a more fulfilling life, an easier way to navigate through an often troubled world. What's amazing is that it's an rhizomatic path, that we may enter at any one point of its eight-fold structure and later emerge in the exact place we need to be in order to reach that fulfillment. It's a path of true connection, at least if we stick with it, perhaps believing that we're simply focusing on a healthy body, stretching and becoming limber, and yet the reality is that we're opening to a more subtle energy, life altering, and that this will lead us to the next step along the way - whatever that might be. 

yoga, at it's best, is spontaneous in its flow.

and that's how it was for me, circular really, entering the rhizomatic path of yoga as a curious child, teaching myself postures from a book and only glancing at the ethics and breathing methods that were offered. A few years later it was meditation and one-pointed focus that captured my attention. My life became centered on my inner-world, breathing techniques and asanas were employed to deepen my concentration, allowing me to sit for longer periods of time. 

eventually, rhizomatically, I eventually found myself at the very beginning of the path, discovering how the principles of an ethical life not only lead to a greater sense of fulfillment, but also increases my capacity to follow the entirety of yoga. 

this is just how the path of yoga has unfolded for me. 

a lifetime of practice.

there's no wrong way, rhizomatically, we'll all enter at a certain point that calls to us the most, perhaps with a focus on asanas and breathing, or we wish to gain the peace that's offered through the means of meditation. It doesn't matter, not really, as a rhizomatic pattern is one where every point is open-ended, connected to the very next we need to be - and that is where our faith places in, just a little, to know that right now, at whatever point we find ourselves...

it's connected to the entirety of yoga.

rhizomatically.

whole. 

~

Peace, Eric

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Softest of Awakenings

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Softest of Awakenings

Softest of awakenings;

it's enough for me that life has given cause for these softest of awakenings to occur, no grand enlightening experience, only a sense of brokenness, of having been on the keen edge of loss and sorrow, and that this has allowed insights to appear through my own spacious nature. That's it really, that life has broken me open and nothing of certainty was found within, no true and lasting self that had a permanent grasp on anything at all. 

just an openness for the entirety of life to flow through.

it's not enlightenment, but it's an enduring love that's been present to me all along, unconditional in its hold, compassionate, and it's through these softest of awakenings that I'm able to find myself here, having never strayed from this truest sense of home. 

the truth is, I don't need to be enlightened, it's enough for me to softly awakened to this love, knowing that it's always present, and that life has brought me to this awareness through my every greatest loss, through my sense of brokenness and sorrow. 

in this softest of awakenings...

I find myself at home. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Transitory Shade of Green

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Transitory Shade of Green

Transitory shade of Green:

as I was out with my camera yesterday, looking for a daylight spotting of an owl that I knew was nesting nearby, and I suddenly found myself awash in the greenness of the the world right now, being nearly overcome by the intensity of color and fragrance of the season. I love this time of year, above all other times I adore the richness of this shade of green that's soon to reach its peak. What immediately struck me was that this season of green is even now changing, that at this exact moment autumn is already present in these leaves -

so I find myself as witness to the transitory shade of green.

and recall the lesson on suffering offered from  the Buddha,

urging me not to cling to any season.

as everything is in motion.

always.

and my world is never settled.

at this moment, in the depth and thickness of greenness, it's an illusion - what I'm truly seeing is the wavelengths of red and blue, absorbed by the chlorophyll within leaves and then reflected to me as my favorite shade of green, a gift really, received by eyes and soul. In the fall, chlorophyll breaks down and exposes this illusion, showing the brilliance of autumn colors already present in the leaves. Change, motion, is the only reality of every season. 

it's the lesson from the Buddha.

and so as witness to this transitory shade of green, I embrace the moment, loving it's illusory nature through the very richness of its color,

 and knowing that even now reality is offering me its reflection.

 refusing to cling, 

my love only deepens.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Tested

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Tested

 Tested: 

what I love most about yoga is the honesty of its path, that I'm not asked to believe anything on faith alone but to explore what each step offers and see if it holds true for me. After spending my formative years in a religious school and taught that I must believe certain things (and disbelieve other things without question) only because it was written in a book long ago, or an authority figure told me it was so. Yoga provided a path that wasn't meant for me blindly follow, no, it was to be tested all along the way. 

decades later from that first step on the path of yoga...

and it remains the same. 

everything is tested to see if it still holds true. 

and life provides me with the answers.

mainly, it's the psychology of yoga that's tested, specifically the kleshas, or the five causes of suffering that I'm so often asked to examine. And it's not a teacher or guru that has me considering these principles, it's my own life giving cause for me to investigate the nature of my suffering. The kleshas don't make any demands for me to change anything, there's no denying any experience, nor measuring its validity. What's asked is that I bring a situation, beliefs and opinions, or even a mere thought to the light of awareness and simply see if it remains true through the lens of my inquiry. 

that's all. 

yoga is the path of mindful inquiry. 

it's to be tested.

all along the way,

~

Peace Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Beavers Have Returned

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Beavers Have Returned

Beavers have returned: 

yesterday morning, just as first light softly begins to shows my local pond, and finally I catch a clear sight of my neighborhood beaver, or one of them at least, as I don't actually know how many there might be. It was enough to see one, thrilling me to the core, as after a long wait, decades really, it seems beavers have returned. 

I've written of this before, how beavers had made their way here by following a local stream, establishing a home, only to be removed by neighbors concerned about damage to the trees surrounding the pond, and possible issues concerning their property. Valid concerns, although studies suggest, as well as actual practice, that we're capable of controlling many of these problems and that a small, but thriving beaver community only adds value to the ecosystem if their activity is kept in check. Yet still they removed and we haven't seen them here since. 

until now. 

beavers have returned.

we saw signs for many months, gnawed trees, branches and larger limbs gathered along streams, and my hope began to rise. There are larger lakes nearby that support a thriving beaver population, and my small pond is connected by many streams that would provide a viable path for their return. And that's just what they did, a few at least, taking their time, and eventually reestablishing themselves here. We saw the signs, the story they told of their travel and presence, and now my local pond is a home for beavers. Again, and maybe this time they'll be allowed to stay. 

and this seems to be likely, as we see wildlife management teams working with controlling the damage of a beavers work, protecting many trees with wired fences, and many neighbors are happy to have them here, trusting that nature and wildlife officials will keep a healthy balance. So far that's the plan, and I really hope that we continue to welcome their presence. 

as they're magical to behold. 

last winter a caught just the briefest glimpse of one swimming near the edge of the pond. I wasn't even sure that it was a beaver as they're presence here wasn't yet confirmed and winter mornings are still quite dark on my earliest walks. But I was pretty sure it was and neighbors began to share their own sightings and encounters. So my morning walks throughout the winter kept me watchful for beavers, as well as my always hopeful search for owls, foxes, and the always elusive coyote. 

and yesterday morning, 

finally, 

another beaver sighting. 

this time on land, a small island, and I just missed being able to capture it on film. But I will, as each morning holds a but more sunlight, and I'm vigilant, approaching each walk as a possibility for magic to appear. And of course it always does, even without the sighting a beaver, there's a mystery to the morning, always a hint of possibilities. That's what draws me from my bed so early, an excitement that this day will reveal just a bit more of life's mystery's. 

and it does...

sometimes, 

even in the form of a beaver.

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: It's Ours 

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It's Ours

It's ours: 

my morning walks have become something to share, a unique expression offered through my camera lens, filmed for a nature short that's shown on my YouTube channel. Just several months ago I wouldn't have thought that I'd enjoy this, or even wish to share this sacred time with others. But holding a camera has brought a different perspective to me, an expensiveness really, showing me that this particular view, whatever it is I'm filming at the moment and discovered through my own curiosity and patience, is meant for others to discover as well. 

these walks don't belong to me alone.

the entire universe is involved.

this is actually truly humbling to consider, for all of us really, knowing that we each have to be in perfect arrangement to capture what is shown right now. For me, this brings me in as a participant, convincing me that I'm not merely an observer to what unfolds, but that I belong to the scenery as well, part of the integral order of things, implicit, and that even though I might be alone in filming, everyone else belongs here too, the entire universe conspiring for this exact moment to appear. 

so there's little choice but to share it.

whatever is seen, any small and new discovery, 

doesn't belong to me alone.

it's ours.

~

Peace, Eric 

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An Important Insight on Perspective

An important insight on perspective: 

this is a cautious time of year for me during my early morning walks, it's still dark, dawn not quite light not quite touching the eastern sky, and the geese that live on my nearby pond are now fully aggressive in protecting their newly hatched young. I've already had a few encounters with them this season, all of which ended with my full retreat from a hissing mother and finding a new route to complete my circuit around the pond. My goal, as I approach them, is to allow as much distance between us as possible, but sometimes the landscape narrows my choices and I'm forced  to quickly, ease my way around them. 

often they are most gracious in letting me pass through. 

while at other times, 

an aggressive stance is taken. 

I do my best to avoid this, not only because of a sincere wish to not be goose pecked and wing beaten, but mostly with deep respect for the geese, both male and female in full protective mode and willing to attack anything they perceive as being threatening. That's an important love they have, instinctive, an evolutionary response to keep their brood from harm. In comparison, my walk means far less to me, or at least the direction that I've chosen, a course that's easily altered with only a minor inconvenience. It just doesn't seem so important, and I would hate to waste a goose's precious energy on the false threat of my presence. 

it's easier more compassionate, to simply give them all the distance they deserve. 

and not force my way on nature. 

there's room for us all. 

this seems a keen to consider, that what might be taken lightly by me is an all important, indeed life altering to another creature, goose, human, or otherwise. A protective goose teachers me to see the world from the eyes of another, lessening my self-importance, and not insisting that every goes my way. Imaging having such devotion for your care that you would readily put your life on the line, confronting any perceived threat, no matter its size, and someone taking this instinctual love so lightly, being unwilling to even give an inch in your direction. Seen in this light, from the perspective of a protector - the most compassionate thing is to simply go around, providing them the comfort of space, and wishing every gosling a long and healthy life. 

it's an easy enough thing for me to do. 

and an important insight on perspective. 

~

Peace, Eric 

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Immediately Yoga

Immediately yoga: 

my day is almost immediately yoga, right from my initial smile of greeting a new morning, thankful for having awakened, I am then sitting in sukhasana, an easy pose for breathwork and meditation and the first asana of my practice. This is a gentle pose, a slight stretch of knees and hips while lengthening the spine for the rise of morning energy. Often, I feel like I could sit in this asana forever, as if Lord Shiva in full lotus, deep in meditation as the day begins to unfold around me. 

of course it's usually for only 30 minutes, and towards the end my knees are just then reminding me of age and a lifetime of many miles behind them. But I love this posture and how it's a reminder that my day is almost immediately yoga, an asana of instant transformation from a sleep-filled mind to the awakening of a brand new day. 

it's an asana of promise. 

an easy pose.

yet the posture itself is less important than the intent that urges me to sit in meditation - and with this in mind even the edge of my bed will do, or a straight back chair for greater comfort. There's no magical posture for awakening, although, yes, sukhasana certainly holds an energetic spell on me. But honestly, I think it's that initial smile that plays across my lips that is the true essence of yoga, it signifies a grateful shift from darkness to the morning light. This smile is the essence of yoga, most truly my first asana of the day, an easy pose too, spontaneous, and arriving instantly to my lips each morning.

immediately...

yoga. 

~

Peace, Eric 

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Silence, and a Smile

Silence, and a smile: 

a few days ago I was asked a curios question that's still playing through my mind, with new answers even now arriving as my thoughts expands long after it was initially posed. Those are the most important questions it seems, not being able to settle on a particular answer but having it as an inquiry that has us considering the infinite possibilities of the mysteries involved. There really are no answers to such opened ended questions, that's the nature of any inquiry, how we're always expanding through the profound implications of simply asking - and letting go of any need to really know an answer. 

and the question itself was fairly straight forward to consider - asking if I were able to communicate with my 25 year old self, is there any advice that I would offer, or message to deliver. Of course my mind immediately sought wisdom, what have I learned through the last several decades that might possibly make life any easier, or more successful. Reflecting more deeply, I began to dismiss every bit of advice I might give myself, no amount of information would enhance my life any further than it is right now, and there's little comfort in knowing what the future holds, even if it might seem brighter than where we are at this present moment. Why would I deny myself any of the experiences that have brought me here? They would only be replaced by other events, different tragedies, there would still be loss and sorrow, as well as all the joys and success that life delivers.

Here's what I would offer my former youthful self...

silence,

and a smile.

knowing that one day - 

he'll begin to understand this mystery. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: My Soul Expands 

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My Soul Expands

My Soul Expands:

it's a theory, not yet shown to be absolutely true, but I love to consider it just the same - that the earliest sounds that greet on my earliest morning walk, the dawn chorus of multiple songbirds, serve at a frequency that cause plants to expand their stomata - a mouth like opening - in order to receive the micro-nutrients that have settled on their leaves. It's a beautiful symphony of notes played at a specific vibration that brings the full ovation of a flowers bloom. There doesn't seem to be a consensus with any proof of this theory, and it matters little to me if the scientific community shows this to be true.

as my world expands each morning to their song.

this too is my cause to bloom.

what we know is that we're aligned to the fractal patterns of nature, our eyes instantly adjusting to these self-replicating designs and the brain producing an alpha-wave awareness that settles us in a peaceful state of mind. Stress has been shown to be measurably reduced as significantly as 60% within moments of our exposure to these patterns. So why not sounds as well? We're not removed from the dawn-chorus offered by songbirds, our own frequency shifting in delight with even the first few notes that our ears receive. My own observation seems to show that the entirety of my being anticipates this song, already expanding in a state of curiosity and wonder.

so,

what I know for certain is that the dawn-chorus offers me its song...

and in this certainty,

my soul expands in a joyful blossom.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Vulnerable 

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Vulnerable

Vulnerable: 

there's only a few ducks at my neighborhood pond, a small population that seem quite fragile to me and giving me concern for their well-being. Once they were thriving in numbers here, staying through all seasons and always the arrival of the newly hatched in spring. Yet now there's less than a dozen and I often find them retreated further up the streams into woods, spending less time in the pond which is now dominated by geese. I certainly don't mind geese, they're beautiful birds, strong in flight and water, but ducks always seem so vulnerable in comparison. 

ducks stir my deepest compassion and concern.

they always have.

Canadian geese are quiet aggressive this time of year, rightly fully so as they protect their young, within even the smallest infraction of distance giving cause for alarm and sometimes a confrontation. My entire walks are often rerouted to avoid these issues, it's just easier than upsetting an entire gaggle, especially when they're happily feeding along the pond's shore and it's only a few extra steps along my way. I have no issue ceding space to a protective mother and her mate. 

but ducks seem to lack this aggression, although I'm sure they're quite protective of their brood as well. To me, ducks are a shyer species, seeking a more peaceful area to raise they're young and avoiding any confrontations. It's that vulnerability that stirs my concern, seeing just a few further up a stream, surrounded by any number of predators from air and land, as well as water. 

but of course ducks are perfectly suited to their environment, being able to take care of themselves and not really needing my concern. Yes, they're vulnerable, often exposed to great risk, and yet mostly they thrive in these conditions, having developed a predation-avoidance system of sleeping with one eye open, half of their brain hemisphere being watchful for any danger, while  the other remains completely at rest. And I think this what ducks show me, a spirituality of being watchful and at ease, mindful of every aspect of life but without adding any added tension. 

ducks teach me that it's okay to me vulnerable.

more so, 

that I am perfectly at home within my own environment.

watchful, 

and at ease. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Briefly, a Tree 

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~

Peace, Eric 

Briefly, a Tree

Briefly, a tree: 

perhaps the asana that calls for my most complete surrender, vrksasana, tree pose, literally pulls me skyward and roots me solid to the earth at the very same time, creating a true moment of poise that allows for me to give myself so fully to the pose. There are other postures that come close to this, mostly in my standing series, poses that require quite a bit of balance and concentration. It's though that combination of effort and relaxing, dynamic, that a unique magic arises, again I can only liken it to a pure moment of poise, recognizing it only after it's achievement. 

but the truth is...I didn't really achieve anything at all.

it happened though my letting go.

being a yoga of my complete surrender. 

it's the solid connection to earth, rooted, and the feeling that I'm truly branching through the air that vrksasana offers that brings me to this joy, there's less strength involved, and more of a search for the sweet spot where everything comes together and this tree energy is revealed and urges me to let go, trusting earth and sky for the flourish of my branching. 

it's a beautiful experience, a shamanic transformation, and not one that I can make happen. It occurs only when the energy is certain, everything locked in place, yet remaining fluid just the same. Really, I'm a participant here, a conduit between the solidness of earth and the ethereal quality of air, being perfect in my position, disappearing completely in the pose.

and then the magic happens.

briefly, 

if only in the moment of my surrender. 

a tree.

~

Peace, Eric 

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What am I Grateful For?

What am I grateful for: 

each morning my inquiry always ends with the final question of what am I truly grateful for, and with this I slide seamlessly into the easy thought of my mantra, softly, effortlessly settling into a quiet mind. Yet this inquiry isn't left unanswered, it's just later revealed in more subtle ways, less obvious than surveying my life and taking stock of my health or material possessions, although, of course, there's deep appreciation for all this as well. 

it's just not the final revelation to be shown. 

the answer always seems to come to as this, truly right now, that this is what I'm grateful for, everything and absolutely nothing at all - I'm thankful for what each exact moment offers and how my life unfolds through curiosity and wonder. 

and it sneaks up on my, quietly so, a gratefulness that catches me completely by surprise with an easy force that overwhelms me. I am truly happy to be alive, to exist, having arrived to this point in life and no longer in need of any answers to the mysteries of the world. 

it's enough to simply be,

and for that...

I'm truly grateful. 

~

Peace, Eric 

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Ever Closer

Ever closer:

slowly, slowly, I make my way towards sunlight, or really, it's the dawn that travels ever closer to me, with each morning a slight increment of light gained. Throughout winter I've walked in near darkeness, being several hours before the first hint of dawn. As spring approached the cycle of light began to lean in my direction, barely noticable at first, but eventually gaining momentum to reach me. I'm now walking in a lighter shade of morning, not yet true dawn, but ever closer to its arrival. 

my morning hours just a bit brighter. 

most truly though, I love every expression of early morning, darkness and light both belonging to the start of my day. In yogic terms this the hour of Brahma, not really a measure of time, but a quality of light that has a certain magic to it, the quietness of a new beginning, a time of prayer and self-reflection. In winter I bundle up and brace myself for the cold, almost always a sharp wind cuutting through each layer. This is the season of endurance, bearing whatever the weather offers and accepting myself in darkness. There's a price to be paid for walking in winter and I'm willing to endure it. 

eventually, I know...

the light of dawn comes ever closer.

It's almost here now, arrivning in first hint midway through my walk and coming into full display just as I near home. Soon, I'll step outside to true dawn, greeted by light as I begin walking. That promise is still some time away right now, perhaps a month or so, and then after, ever closer, darkness gains in its advantage. It's how things world. 

being the lesson of these early hours.

~

Peace, Eric 

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Heart-Center

Heart-center: 

can I live my life from heart-center, expanding past the borders of my own lines drawn from a lifetime of restraint? That's the question I find myself asking now, sensing that a time has come to let go of past pursuits and enter fully into a wide open heart that holds the entire world. The answer that comes to me is that I really don't know, more so, it's beyond my ability to even understand...

it simply calls for my surrender.

and live my life from there. 

this is the spiritual heart, Hridaya, the true center of existence, recognized within the body but actually being more the universe itself, without boundries, and it's only point is unconditioanl love. It's where I'm called to live from, all of us are really, yet it seems to takes a certain amount of time to recognize this inner urge of returning home, life repeatedly breaking us open until we're ready to live within its spacious hold. The truth is, of course, that we always present in this embrace, it's our reality, but the busyness of everyday life keeps us in a constant state for forgetfulness, and we come to believe ourselves to be more limted than we actually are. 

life continuously breaks us open to a larger reality.

and we then live our lives from here.

and this is where I find myself now, broken up, spacious, and willing to embrace the largeness of the world. It feels as if my entire life was a practice to simply return to its beginning, to what's always been present but missed for so long. 

can I live my life from heart-center?

the question itself is rhetorical in asking.

I've been all along.

and finally recognive the nature of my home. 

~

Peace, Eric 

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Constant

Constant: 

it's constant, at least in my own beautiful neighborhood, that even surrounded by a verdant landscape, songbirds, and wildlife, there remains an underlying din of busyness, a world that's always rushing towards a sense of completeness yet never truly ever arriving - just staying always in motion and producing the soundtrack of a stress-filled lifestyle. 

there never seems to be a moment of true rest. 

and the effects are startling to consider.

our pursuit of always being in motion, cars in constant commute, flight patterns filling airspace, and lawns in need of maintaining their perfect look - it's literally the sound of stress and a way of life that disrupts the very nature of our support system. We're in need quietness and a sense of solitude, a landscape that cultivates emotional health and allows for restoration. Instead, we have the whirl of turmoil that fills every bit of silence throughout the day and even into what should be the deep silence of the night. 

there's never the sound of complete rest.

society it seems, is now in the business of noise production, and it's constant and disruptive. Studies show that human noise is the cause of the decline of mating behavior in our animal neighbors, making communication near impossible for many of our most treasured songbirds, altering how many species forage, and disturbing their spatial orientation on land and aquatic ecosystems. This is also to our detriment, as well, for we thrive only so long as nature does, and it's decline only foreshadows our own.

and it's already showing this effect.

in essence, we are vibratory, being at ease within a landscape that supports frequencies of balance and well-being. Yet the soundtrack we're now producing is one that wears us down, increasing stress and causing a rise in certain hormonal levels that lead to dis-ease of spirit, mind, and body. We suffer from the lack of any length of silence, as even our nights are filled with just a slightly quieter hum of busyness. 

we're in need of true downtime.

restoration.

an escape from constant sound.

perhaps the only way to reach this is to cultivate those quite moments found between the world's noisiness, sinking into the briefest silence with deep joy and appreciation. As we begin restoring ourselves we can offer this comfort to our neighbors, humans and animals alike, having a true sabbath even if for only for a few moments through the day. 

from our own sense of peace, 

through cultivating a quietness of soul, body and mind...

we heal ourselves, as well as nature.

restoring truest, deepest silence to the world. 

~

Peace, Eric 

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Spontaneous Inspiration

Spontaneous inspiration: 

if there's a struggle, it's always for the first words, the opening phrase that sets the tone for everything that follows. The reason it might seem more difficult is that I often approach the page without a clear idea of what's to be written, relying on spontaneous inspiration to guide me. And it always does, without fail, but sometimes there's still those first few moments of doubt, even after all these years, a presence of fear that whispers to me that this morning might be the point when inspiration fails to show -

and the page stays empty for the day.

of course this doesn't happen, inspiration is always present and only needs to be courted through faith and a patient wait. So it's easier for me now, I have my ritual of coffee and calm abiding sips that fill those moments with a peaceful curiosity, knowing that I can easily wait here through the course of morning, yet eager to hear those first words that inspiration might whisper. 

they never fail to cause a smile...

as even if it's a familiar theme I know that every word will be freshly delivered in a way I've never heard before, bringing a brand new arrangement that offers deeper insights and meaning. That's the magic of spontaneous inspiration, it bypasses my intellectual understanding of any topic that I've been considering writing of, and leaps directly to my intuitive sense of creatively knowing exactly what's to be written. In a way, it's channeled writing, a gift received by the spirit of whatever it is that demands these early morning hours of my attention, urging me to write directly from my heart. 

and through the years I've learned to listen, 

relying on this spontaneous inspiration,

letting of any sense of struggle- 

writing only what is hears.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Each Asana 

Also, please visit to buy: The Bhagavad Gita 

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Each Asana

Each asana: 

each asana holds a true moment of poise, pure yoga, an opportunity for breath and body to extend themselves to a quiet mind. I feel most open to this in the early morning hours, everything already hushed in awakening and there's less struggle in my surrender to each pose. At this time yoga feel more like a revelation to me, a moving form of self-inquiry that tells me exactly who am I through this easy motion, a whisper going through my body that contains the secret of the breath...

a silent voice that tells me that I am. 

 and with each asana revealing my existence.

a pure moment of is yoga discovered. 

the sage Patanjali defined yoga as the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind, yogas citta vritta nirodhah, and that's the essence of each posture. That's what I love about my asana practice, that the entirety of yoga is found within a single pose, or even subtler still, contained within a breath. So every practice becomes an opportunity to know myself a bit more deeply, a soft inquiry that doesn't strain towards an answer but simply allows me to reach that true moment of poise that revels itself to me.. 

I am witnessing my essence through the grace of breath,

 body, 

and the blessings of a quiet mind.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: At Once 

Also, please visit to buy: The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 

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My Entire Day

My entire day: 

it's all yoga now, my entire day unfolding as a display of union, seamless, and even the disruptions that seem to throw me from the path belong completely to my practice. The truth is, this was always the case, but I just wasn't able to see it so clearly. There's never not been yoga, life itself is the path and it flows easily as a thread between the sacred and mundane, one thing really, yet divided by my own beliefs of isolation. Yoga simply bridged this gap for me, a lifetime of practice allowing me to finally come to the realization that the reality of this union was here all along. 

my entire day now shows me this.

everything is yoga. 

of course the term union, as well as the words sacred and mundane are just descriptions. Yoga too isn't really an actuality, it's a story of a practice that brings great joy and meaning to my life, but still only a story, no matter how deeply my devotion is shown. I remind myself of this whenever I find myself taking my practice too seriously, getting caught up in the story of yoga as if I'm doing anything of any great importance. 

it's just yoga.

life.

happening on it's own without any need of practice.

and my entire day reminds me of this, that it all unfolds naturally and without effort, a rhythm to it that calls for me to simply note it in curiosity and wonder, surrendering to its easy flow. That's yoga, a complete path presented in a moment's notice. 

and my entire day unfolds in this awareness. 

not a practice at all.

just the life I'm now living. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: At Once 

Also, please visit to buy: The Hidden Gospel: Games for the Kingdom 

Thank you. 

At Once

At once:

it can't be anymore direct than this, simply looking for our own head, not in a mirror, nor photo, but just relying on our own line of vision and then regarding what is found. This is meant to be an experiment, approaching it with curiosity and innocence, playful, yet taking seriously the results. I like to do this as a more formal inquiry, asking the question "where am I?" and then giving a serious search for self, dismissing object after object until at last my own headlessness is revealed. 

and then I just live myself from there.

there's no need to make a big deal over it.

reality is always present.

and if I ever need to remind myself...

I only need to look again.

I'm equally fascinated by the emptiness found here as I am with the rich texture of the world that immediately fills this newly discovered void. It all happens at once, everything, my disappearance and then rebirth as the appearance of every single detail of the world. And this occurs beyond the realm of time, quicker than instantaneous, already present and available for me to explore. 

I am everything at once.

 and nothingness as well. 

newly discovered,

yet ancient and ever present too.

I am reality, life...

revealing myself in small details of a personal world.

and seen from my own headlessness,

an entire universe shines through.

everything, nothing, 

at once.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: My Greatest Small Surrender 

Also, please visit to buy: Zen Experience

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My Greatest Small Surrender

My greatest small surrender: 

as for me, perhaps my greatest small surrender is in approaching the page each morning without a clear idea in mind to write of, my own emptiness of words matched to the screen, and simply having faith that inspiration will soon arrive with exactly what I need. My only plan is patience, writing is never guaranteed, and yet it always seems to happen. Waiting for just the right word or phrase is part of writing, it can't be rushed as then the words are mine and not a true gift of inspiration. And the difference is amazing in contrast, if I rush for words, reaching beyond my present silence just to fill the page, there's the absence of an easy flow, a struggle, and a sense that whatever's written isn't truly mine. They weren't gifted to me, not given as a reward for my patience and surrender...

but words without a touch of inspiration.

and not truly belong to the page.

the thing is, it's not really my surrender, it's a process that now mostly happens on its own, and it begins with the clear recognition that I'm not the author, more of an arranger of words, and even that is based on an intuitive sense of rhythm. All of this has been gifted to me, and in no way can it be seen as an achievement, I'm an author in name alone. 

my attachment to the process has been surrendered.

and even that happened on its own.

each morning, my greatest small surrender...

yet no one there to claim it.

until I sign my name below. 

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Just...Wow 

Also, please visit to buy: Stillness Speaks 

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Just...Wow

Just...wow:

I think the definition I'm looking for here is interjection, meaning an exclamation that occurs in spontaneous fashion and doesn't pertain to an object in regard to a name or actual description. These are words that are invoked from within through a sudden burst of awe, or perhaps an intense moment of fear, anything that might overwhelm us to the point of returning to our natural states of astonishment or wonder. Really, these seem less than words and more of a frequency, a vibrational expression that somehow matches what's being experienced within the actual moment. 

my favorite is wow.

a natural expression of astonishment, curiosity, and wonder.

it just comes to the lips unbidden,

summing up my heart and mind. 

spontaneously.

it's said that the word is of Scottish origin, dating back to the 1500's, probably further, and perhaps all the way back to the first exclamations of our species. Wow is natural astonishment, with the actual origin being of the soul. It's a heart felt exclamation, and probably defies borders and language. If our vocabulary was suddenly wiped out in a moment - the interjection wow would survive and resurface in our first witness of a sunrise, or flower, any site that invokes the need to verbalize our astonishment. 

it's not a word at all, not really,

but an invocation of soul called to surface.

escaping from our lips in a rush of emotions...

just...wow.

with nothing else to possibly say.

and nothing more needed.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: Finally, Truly Learning Yoga 

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Finally, Truly Learning Yoga

Finally, truly learning yoga: 

as my recent back injury improves and my yoga asana practice begins to reshape itself again, I find that I'm recommitting myself to the basics poses that brought me here. These are the postures that helped ease my pain and slowly rebuild my mobility, allowing me to continue my practice each morning while feeling firmly connected to my roots in yoga. 

it's not surprising that Vrksasana, tree pose, plays such a large role in my ongoing recovery, establishing a firm base, root deep, spine long and opening to the branching of my arms. I can feel my back healing in this pose, each vertebra settling into place properly aligned. Mountain pose is another, standing in Tadasana, strong and enduring as any mountain, committed to this position through the length of several breaths, mindful, an unwavering base of existence. 

there are several more asanas that made my practice so healing, some with gentleness and ease for my injured area, while others brought just bit of challenge for me to hold. It's exactly what I needed, a balance that helped maintain my strength and kept me engaged mentally, while also providing a safe balm of comfort that allowed for me to heal. So it's important for me to stay connected to these postures, to not gloss over them in my rush to be an advanced yogi again. The truth is, my mind settled more deeply into stillness with only a few committed postures, my focus sharper, and I rediscovered the value of each pose through the limits of my practice, an ongoing lesson of healing and surrender. 

after decades of practice...

I'm finally truly learning yoga.

deeper now than ever before.

 recommitting myself with each breath and every asana.

~

Peace, Eric 

To read more from Headless Now, please visit: My Hours With God

Also, please visit to buy: How to Practice Self Inquiry

Thank you.