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Issue 36
Los Angeles Edition
October 2005

all one music
Inside Yogi Times

editor's word

cover story

ALL ONE MUSIC

health

Aromatherapy The Cymbopogons 30
Healthy Yogi
The Pulse of Life 56
Ayurveda Elememtal Wisdom
Ayurvedic Primordial Sound Healing 60

yogi lifestyle

YT About Town
State Street Santa Barbara 16
Yogi Yummies
Gourmet Oils 18
Yogi Yummies
Eggplant and Potato Stew 22
Yogi’s Om
Broadway Baby 24
Yogi's Om At Home Among
the Leaves 26
Behind The Scenes
Visions of music and
laughter 32
Spiritual Arts
Michael Franti 34
Yogi Fashion Wear Your Words 46
Retail Bliss
Good Vibes 53
Yogi Beauty
Luscious Locks 54
A Little Humor
Yoga Yenta 72

yoga

Series Pelvis 50
Special Feature Poetry and Motion 62
The Asana Page
Reverse Warrior 66

kids on the mat

The Dancing Forest 74

community

Karma Yoga
A Time of Need 12
Teacher Profile Michael Kronenberg 14
Restaurant Review
The Flowering Tree 20
Community Feel
Greg Ellis 76
Spa Review
The Raven 78
In The Spotlight
Liberation Yoga 82
In Your Neighborhood 95

yogi times recommends

Listening/Reading/
Viewing
70

for the soul

Deepak and David
Sound as Awakening 68
Finding Your Center
Responsibility 81
Special Guest Interview Krishna Das 96
Chakra Astrology 98

for the mind

Indian Philosophy Corner Accessing Shakti 38
Meditate on This
From Stress to Strength 64

responsibility

by hermas lassalle

finding alignment with our true inner nature

Perhaps our greatest responsibility as human beings on this planet is being true to our deepest inner selves. When we get in touch with our ability to respond, or our “respond ability,” we can become brutally honest about what is in line with our true nature and what is not.

Through this awareness, we can begin to uncover our true inner calling--the life that brings us peace through the clarity that we are fulfilling our purpose. We only need look at our personal health and the health of the planet to get an indication of how far off track we may have gone and how important it is that we acknowledge this responsibility.

Becoming accountable for our lives first means reclaiming our responsibilities. We may have dished out these responsibilities to others in the form of blame or because of fear. In blaming others for how our lives have turned out, or in being fearful of what may come, we hand the responsibility over, subjecting ourselves to external forces out of our control, which make us passive and disempowered witnesses rather than active participants in our own lives.

There is a consequence to our actions weather they are passive or active. We cause life to happen through our actions or inactions. Taking responsibility for our actions allows us to choose a powerful, specific outcome for our lives and steer us toward our true path.

If we take a look at our lives today, we can begin to see that we are responsible for the reactions and stories that shape our lives. Within this perspective we empower ourselves toward choice and transformation with the notion that we are the creators of our lives. If we are the creators of our lives, then we will have no issue with being responsible for them because the results stem directly from our conscious choosing.

Reclaiming responsibility

Individual responsibility asks for an attitude of self-reflection. Instead of blaming others for your discomforts in life, learn to look within for the causes behind the state of your life.

1) Take some time in a quiet meditative space. Search within the areas of your life in which you give away responsibility for how your life is today. Who are you blaming? What are you fearful of? Feel how this state of holding others responsible is disempowering. Begin to feel yourself surrendering this blame. Let go of it with the understanding that we can only truly work through our own aspect of any situation.

2) Look at the issues that you moan about most–-there is a great amount of information there. Ask yourself, “what part do I play in these moments?” If you are honest with yourself, you will find that in most cases you have created the situation just as much, if not more, than the party whom you are blaming.
3) Stop moaning and start communicating. Express the responsibility and let the other person know that you want it back. Share the responsibility, recognize that it takes two to cause a reaction and choose a more empowering pastime, like...world peace.

If we are responsible for our true inner selves, we naturally become more involved with our families, communities and ultimately, Mother Earth as a whole. We affect the greater consciousness of the world when we become conscious of our own personal actions by first taking responsibility for who we really are.

Hermas Lassalle is a Life Coach empowering his clients to live their most purposeful and fulfilling lives.

To learn more, e-mail Hermas at hermas@lassallecoaching.com

For the next two months Hermas is offering Yogi Times readers a special 30% discount on a three month series.

Hermas Lassalle is a life coach empowering his clients to live fulfilled, meaningful lives. If you would like to explore your life purpose further, contact Hermas at 310 451 3646 or via email: hermas@lassallecoaching.com

© 2005 Yogi Times. All rights reserved.