Jan 2011 The Practice celebrates three years.   The celebration included Meg's fruit crumble. Meg and Michael / The Practice   Oct 2010 Community of the Heart by Meg G Byerlein   Community, simply and clearly, reminds us that we are connected to one another. Yoga’s invitation is deeper and more comprehensive. Recognizing the gift of our interconnectedness can become a primary building block for the deepening and the expansion of the yoga of relationship. A community of the heart! In this context, diversity and difference are both respected and celebrated for the life-enhancing potentiality they offer, both individually and collectively. It is a great blessing that through the spiritual community of our yoga we have the privilege to share the path of our lives and the living experiences of our practices. Dec 2009 Yoga in Community   Meg, along with friends, closed out the year by celebrating YOGA, MUSIC, and ART in COMMUNITY. The event organized for a Sunday afternoon included a yoga practice led by Meg Byerlein. The practice was accompanied by live music from saxophonist Mary Petrich. Monica Aissa Martinez’s art work hung in the space. The day ended with a community reception of live Jazz, art, cookies, and chai. The Venue was the PHX ART LAB, in Phoenix, AZ *Click play button, second one on the left, to begin video.

March 2009

The Yoga of Integrity
by Meg G Byerlein

When first asked to write about this subject, I thought “of course… great… that would be an honor.” This topic is paramount to the living practices of yoga. Then, I began my research, my contemplations, my drafts and came to the poignant realization that any dialogue or discussion on integrity would be exceedingly vast.

Integrity is a central theme in all religious philosophies, in politics (rather surprisingly) and government, in branches of the armed services, and in our educational and healthcare systems. Whether or not we’ve been consciously aware of it, the presence of integrity or the lack thereof, touches many aspects of our lives and our heritage. If we accept this premise, we could choose to move from a general discussion about integrity to personalizing our knowledge and understanding of the matter. Then, we could each allow the principles of integrity to become a true guiding presence in our lives moment to moment. Some reflections for personal exploration might include...

What is our own unique relationship with the term integrity and with the meanings and concepts which surrounds it? How does integrity touch us, affect us as individuals? Why do we choose (or not) to live with integrity? Who ultimately benefits if we make the choice to live from this perspective?

Taking the time and energy to answer these questions can offer us a number of valuable personal insights and could also serve to expand our self awareness. In addition, the practice and process of self inquiry deepens and clarifies our relationship with the variety of groups we each participate in, including our yoga community.

When it comes to an exploration of esoteric concepts like integrity, I often find that there are more questions than answers. Yet, the process of questioning, sustains our curiosity and our curiosity evolves our yoga. As yogis, what we ultimately seek is to create a living experience of our practices.

In essence, yoga is about relationship and integrity is fundamental to our yoga. Viewed this way it becomes clear that integrity is about both, being and doing. In other words, integrity is a way to ‘be’: in the world, with each other and with ourselves. It is also the way we can choose to ‘do’: our practices, our communication, our housework.

Integrity is present within the very fabric of our existence and can be intricately woven into every single aspect of our lives. As a quality or state of being, integrity is fully alive; it is not a fixed stance; and it is certainly not embedded in multiple rules and regulations.

There is a wonderful correlation between the definition of yoga as “union” and definitions of integrity as “completeness, unified.” Both concepts invite wholeness (non-separateness) and a recognition of and appreciation for unity (a bringing together of the parts and an honoring of diversity). Our practices can be consciously deepened and expanded as we learn to incorporate a genuine awareness of unity and learn to physically embody an understanding of our wholeness.

In yoga and in life, our inner asana (or postures) are as significant as our outer ones. Often the inner poses we’ve assumed in the form of attitudes and beliefs are the more challenging ones to adjust or realign. With this recognition, our truest work is identified. How does what happens on our mats inform us in terms of integrity regarding: ourselves, the challenges we encounter, our personal strengths, and our approach to life and practice?

Several years ago I was shopping with a new friend. We were having a great time together, trying things on, visiting, laughing - what I perceived was a sense of true shared experience. Eventually, I made a purchase, excited with the prospect of wearing something new. As we left that store, and walked up the street together, my companion rolled up her sleeve to proudly reveal a shoplifted shirt under the one she was wearing. Initially, I was shocked and temporarily speechless. This situation was completely unanticipated. In recounting it now, I thoroughly appreciate the simple and timeless wisdom of the anonymous quotation “Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching.”

As a virtue of the heart, integrity would invite us to:
Be honest and truthful.
Be consistent.
Be open.
Be personally responsible.
Be discerning.
Be courageous.
Be inclusive.
Be an expression of wholeness.
Be humble.

May we wisely and skillfully choose to utilize all that presents in our lives to enhance the integrity of who we are, what we do, and how we live.

Namaste Meg