If you want to change the world… love a woman-really love her...

Find the one who calls to your soul, who doesn’t make sense. Throw away your check list and put your ear to her heart and listen. Hear the names, the prayers, the songs of every living thing-every winged one, every furry and scaled one, every underground and underwater one, every green and flowering one, every not yet born and dying one… 

Hear their melancholy praises back to the One who gave them life. If you haven’t heard your own name yet, you haven’t listened long enough. If your eyes aren’t filled with tears, if you aren’t bowing at her feet, you haven’t ever grieved having almost lost her.

If you want to change the world… love a woman-one woman beyond yourself, beyond desire and reason, beyond your male preferences for youth, beauty and variety and all your superficial concepts of freedom. We have given ourselves so many choices we have forgotten that true liberation comes from standing in the middle of the soul’s fire and burning through our resistance to Love.

There is only one Goddess.
Look into Her eyes and see-really see
if she is the one to bring the axe to your head.
If not, walk away. Right now.
Don’t waste time “trying.”

Know that your decision has nothing to do with her because ultimately it’s not with who, but when we choose to surrender.

If you want to change the world… love a woman. Love her for life-beyond your fear of death, beyond your fear of being manipulated by the Mother inside your head. Don’t tell her you’re willing to die for her. Say you’re willing to LIVE with her, plant trees with her and watch them grow. Be her hero by telling her how beautiful she is in her vulnerable majesty, by helping her to remember every day that she IS Goddess through your adoration and devotion.

If you want to change the world… love a woman in all her faces, through all her seasons and she will heal you of your schizophrenia- your double-mindedness and half-heartedness which keeps your Spirit and body separate - which keeps you alone and always looking outside your Self for something to make your life worth living.

There will always be another woman. Soon the new shiny one will become the old dull one and you’ll grow restless again, trading in women like cars, trading in the Goddess for the latest object of your desire. Man doesn’t need any more choices. What man needs is Woman, the Way of the Feminine, of Patience and Compassion, non-seeking, non-doing, of breathing in one place and sinking deep intertwining roots strong enough to hold the Earth together while she shakes off the cement and steel from her skin.

If you want to change the world… love a woman, just one woman. Love and protect her as if she is the last holy vessel. Love her through her fear of abandonment which she has been holding for all of humanity. No, the wound is not hers to heal alone. No, she is not weak in her co-dependence. 

If you want to change the world... love a woman all the way through until she believes you, until her instincts, her visions, her voice, her art, her passion, her wildness have returned to her- until she is a force of love more powerful than all the political media demons who seek to devalue and destroy her. 

If you want to change the world... lay down your causes, your guns and protest signs. Lay down your inner war, your righteous anger and love a woman… beyond all of your striving for greatness, beyond your tenacious quest for enlightenment. The holy grail stands before you if you would only take her in your arms and let go of searching for something beyond this intimacy. 

What if peace is a dream which can only be remembered through the heart of  Woman? What if a man’s love for Woman, the Way of the Feminine is the key to opening Her heart? 

If you want to change the world… love a woman to the depths of your shadow, to the highest reaches of your Being, back to the Garden where you first met her, to the gateway of the rainbow realm where you walk through together as Light as One, to the point of no return, to the ends and the beginning of a new Earth.

written by Lisa Citore - a teacher of Hatha and Tantra yoga, 
a poet and storyteller of the feminine mysteries...

1. Uncover what matters most to you 

This can be tough, really tough. From the moment we are born we are subjected to the views and ideals of others. Our parents, peers, teachers, and society as a whole shape our ideas of what constitutes a happy and successful life. We get so caught up in what life should look like, the house, the kids, the dog, the perfect body etc. that we mistake these values for our own. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these aspirations, however, all too often they fail to fulfill our truest desires. Get real on what matters to you in this life.

2. Start your day with your top priorities

The first hours of the morning are a sacred time, when the day is new and possibilities are endless. In every ancient tradition dawn is a time to focus on what is most important and set an intention for the day to come. When you get clear on what your priorities are, the next step is to act on them. The rest of the world is still asleep so there are far fewer distractions and obligations that can cause you to falter on attaining the life you desire. For example, if one of your top priorities is to develop or maintain your physical health, go for a walk each morning. By the time you have breakfast you will have already made progress toward becoming who you were truly meant to be. You might have to set the alarm a little earlier but the following poem inspires me when I feel like hitting the snooze button for the second or third time:

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across
The doorsill where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.
~Rumi

3. Meditate

If you had trouble identifying what really matters to you meditation will help. The daily drama of our lives often muffles our own inner guidance. Mediation is a tool to help you reconnect with yourself on the deepest level. Meditation can be incredibly simple. Find a quite place where you wont be disturbed, sit comfortably on a cushion or chair. Set a timer for your desired amount of time, close your eyes, and focus on the sound of your breath. Every time you notice your mind has drifted to other thoughts gently bring your attention back to your inhale and exhale. It’s simple, but you might be surprised at how often your mind strays off track. Don’t be discouraged, it happens to everyone. Meditation is the process of becoming aware of your thoughts, and the spaces in between them. Gradually these spaces will increase, and you will begin to connect to your true nature.

4. Create an action plan 

Once you are clear about the prioroties in your life, you need to set goals that reflect your values. Goals turn your dreams into reality. Use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym when setting goals. They need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Keep your goals somewhere visible, so you can reflect and revise them often. Goals are not meant to be set in stone, they will change and adapt to your life as you grow.

5. Don’t procrastinate on your happiness 

It can be very easy to fall into the trap of the “ If, then” thought process. If I loose 10 lbs, then I will be happy, If I pay off my debt, then I will be happy. Goals and planning for the future are vital to getting where you want to go. Nevertheless, when you base your happiness on future achievements, you miss the most precious gift the universe has to offer…the present moment. Don’t wait to be happy, do it now. If you constantly procrastinate on happiness, you might forgo it altogether. Happiness is a skill that you can cultivate just like driving a car, or chopping an onion. If you need some guidance in this area I recommend you read “The art of happiness” by Matthieu Richard.

6. Believe in yourself 

Giving in to fear, self-doubt and anxiety are equivalent to taking poison when it comes to leading an extraordinary life. However, when you pursue your dreams in spite of these fears, magic happens. The moment you step out side of your comfort zone, and take risks you open yourself up to new possibilities. If you notice the “I can’t” thoughts start to creep in, pause, take a breath and reassess the situation. Everyone fails at some point, but those that succeed learn how to overcome those setbacks.

7. Express yourself 

We all have unique gifts to give in our lifetime, find out what they are and cultivate them. Taking time out for creativity can be like recharging your batteries. Dance naked in your living room, cook an amazing meal, write poetry, etc. By expressing yourself, for the simple sake of expression, you tap into your authentic self in an uncensored way. If you can share the fruits of your expression with others, all the better.

8. Align your desire with the intentions of the universe 

If you have read this far, I am going to go out on a limb and assume that you have some belief in spirit, god, or a universal intelligence. It doesn’t matter what you call this ‘force’, or even if you believe in it at all. If your intentions are full of love, kindness and compassion for yourself and others attaining your desires will be unfold naturally and be met with much less struggle than those motivated by greed or selfishness.

9. Acknowledge your own mortality 

You can’t get around it, our time in this body is limited. I once heard a story about Buddhist monks that kept a human skull on the main table in the dining hall. The skull served as a constant reminder that we are all mortal, and life is precious. Use this fact as a constant source of motivation to make each moment count.

10. Practice gratitude 

It has been scientifically proven that practicing gratitude is beneficial for our health, happiness and relationships. By expressing gratitude on a regular basis you show your appreciation for the gifts you have already been given. Gratitude can shift your focus from craving and hopelessness to abundance and joy. Try keeping a daily gratitude journal and watch the effect on your mood and daily outlook. 


***Taken from YYoga's Website***