The books are closed on a tumultuous 2012. My heart is saddened when I think of the suffering some beings must endure. While we have all been touched by loss, grief and pain this year, we are also each participants and witnesses to the birthing of something new. The wise ones tell us that it is only when the pain becomes unbearable that real and lasting change can take root.

Change is most certainly in the air. Nearly everywhere we look we see the dissolution of out-dated perceptions. When the ground beneath our feet begins to shift its only natural to lose our balance and spend some time in a place of fear. I am grateful that Life has given us the practice of yoga and meditation which helps us find our center. It offers us a connection to ourselves, to community, to nature, to spirit. We are ushering in a new era of understanding, one requiring each of us to look honestly at ourselves and the world we are creating. We are being offered an invitation to grow.

2013 is the time to let go of the stressful habits of worrying about the future and clinging to limited thinking. We are lucky to be alive at this time. It is the end of an era of division and the beginning of an era of unity. Open yourself to faith and creativity and be part of the solution. Look to the future through the eyes of the younger generation and you can already see glimpses of a more cooperative, connected future. Rapidly advancing technology, greener energy and ever changing ideas about how to live together are emerging daily. We humans are a resourceful bunch!

I look forward to my time with you all this year. I treasure the empowerment, self-reflection and renewal that happens at each gathering.

Thank you  Desiree Raumbaugh…

Patricia Becker