“Surrender is faith that the power of love can accomplish anything… even when you cannot foresee the outcome” Deepak Chopra
My little boy has a new trick. However, his trick might not mean much if you don’t know him: so, here’s his back ground…
He is extremely speech delayed. At three and a half, he is regularly only speaking a handful of words, not putting words together, and not repeating very much. It’s been a hard and long journey…
But he is my sweet little green-eyed boy, who has a personality too big for words. He taught himself various gymnastics moves, he rides a two-wheeler at 10mph, he burns the street up on his scooter and he can climb ANYTHING. Not to mention, he is the life of the party, even without having to say a thing. But his energy is high. Let me rephrase that. His energy is OUT OF CONTROL. If I could bottle it, I would put Starbucks out of business.
So, when he slows down, relaxes, allows, and surrenders; I get out my pom-poms!
Getting back to his trick: every night he has a bath, and recently he likes to submerge himself under the water almost completely except for a little outline of his face. He just stares up at the ceiling with an expression of pure serenity and peace.
I’ve always lived by the water, in New York, in California, in New Zealand, and in my few months living on Kangaroo Island in Australia. It was always a bike ride away.
That said, I have heard EVERY story about kid’s drowning: from drowning at a beach party in a cooler of 2” of water, to big waves taking children out to sea. To put it bluntly, it FREAKS me out.
In fact, in my own life I had a near drowning experience on the cusp of 2000…
At the end of 1999, for New Year’s, a friend and I decided to go to Costa Rica for the Y2K scare. We figured if the world was going to end, we would rather be in a tropical paradise than anywhere else, with coconuts and bananas at our fingertips, and the ability to sleep -comfortably- anywhere outside.
Another good friend lived in San Jose and took us on a road trip to this absolutely gorgeous beach right outside of a small surfer town Dominical. We were the only ones on the beach and I felt so blessed and so lucky. It felt like we had journeyed back in time thousands of years. We could hear the monkeys and birds in the dense jungle behind us. Large white sun-drenched tree trunks spotted our landscape as we sat on the foot-print-less beach drinking lime filled coronas. Beautiful parrots flew overhead.
None of us were great swimmers and little did we know that you actually have to be a great swimmer in that part of the world because it’s the undertow capital of Costa Rica. Clueless, off we went for a swim in the seemingly perfect turquoise waters…
We were swimming peacefully for quite some time. In fact, the water was pretty shallow, so you had to go some distance to get to the deeper waters. At some point the tides strength quickly started to build, and we yelled to each other “Let’s go back in”. But it was too late. The strength of the tide was pulling us further and further from the shore…
We both started to panic. I was probably the weaker swimmer, but my friend was a bit further out then I. She started to yell for me,” Can you come and help me?!?” As I looked back, I realized I was using all my strength just to stay put, my heart started racing and I started to panic, as she clearly was as well.
I yelled to her to just go with the tide and I would try and get help… We both were literally in over our heads. My Costa Rican friend and her husband were on the shore and I knew if I could get to Juan, he might be able to help my friend. I was terrified I wouldn’t make it on time.
It was one of the scariest moments in my life and, believe me, I’ve had a lot of scary moments. It was scary because I absolutely couldn’t help my friend which is the only thing I wanted to do, and I knew to my core if I tried, I would die in the process.
I harder I swam the further the tide pulled me back. So, I surrendered. I just started to float. Then I would try and swim, but if it was too strong, I started to float again. I went back a little, then forward a lot, then back a little. I eventually made it to the shallow waters and by that point, my friend who was behind me had followed suit. We both were alive; shaking, breathless, shocked, but breathing.
Letting go saved our lives.
Yoga has what I call its own 10 commandments. They are called the Yamas and the Niyamas, and they are meant to be perfected BEFORE you even start practicing the poses. Coming in at number ten is – you guessed it! Surrender or Isvara-Pranidhana.
Yogapedia writes “Ishvara pranidhana is the practice of fully surrendering the self to God, chosen personal god, or Life Force.”
Surrendering requires discipline, trust and faith. It is the art of allowing but believing that the higher self, the source, God, Universal energy- whatever you want to call ‘It’- It has your back.
Jen Sincero talks about this in her book “You are a Bad Ass”. She writes about how it isn’t giving up, but rather doing your best and allowing the outcome to arrive without force. Her ‘to-do’ list is: “Showing up every day with an excellent attitude. Doing your best. Leaning back. Celebrating what is. And steadily working with the grateful expectation and belief that the universe is sending you a new more lucrative opportunity.” and “Surrender is not what you do, but how you’re being as you do it.” Jen Sincero
We can’t control everything. and when we try, we struggle. If I had swam back to my friend, I most likely would have drowned. I had to let go of control. I had to allow what would happen to happen. I had to do my best in that moment. I had to have faith.
“When we know love matters more than anything, and we know that nothing else REALLY matters, we move into the state of surrender. Surrender does not diminish our power, it enhances it.” Sara Paddison
Back to the bath tub…
Each night my little guy plays in his tub, and after a while, lays down deep in the water and looks up. I sit there, watching him intently, always there in case he needs me. I have gotten used to allowing him enjoyment in this moment. I watch as he embraces surrender and the feeling of weightlessness and the warmth of the waters that surround him. I watch as he does through some deprivation of sound and movement; as he is a highly sensitive child, and this calms him. And as I watch him, he teaches me how to surrender with joy and love.
“God can dream a bigger dream, for me, for you, then you can ever dream for yourself. When you’ve worked as hard, and done as much, and strive and tried and given. And pleaded and bargained. And hoped. Surrender. When you done all you can do, and there is nothing left for you to do, give it up. Give it up to that thing that is greater than yourself.” Oprah Winfrey
Be well, Be Strong, Be Love, and Be faith,
Shana Heatley
What a Little Moonlight Can Do
The full moon is a super-attractor: meaning- whatever you are feeling will be 200% accentuated during this moon phase. Feeling crazy? Well, get ready for more Cra-cray. Feeling amorous? Here comes more mojo! Feeling sad? You better grab those tissues! The full moon amplifies EVERYTHING.
You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
“Intimacy is being seen and known as the person you truly are.” Amy Bloom
Ever want that connection… but not THAT connection? And, doesn’t that sound so much more than sexy Victoria’s Secret lingerie? I mean, there’s nothing wrong with sexy, but sex and intimacy aren’t necessarily interdependent. And, for many people, it’s harder to be intimate WITHOUT the sexy part than WITH the sexy part. When the “private part” is one’s own vulnerability the stakes are higher than when the clothing comes off. It’s no wonder, then, that true intimacy is somewhat of a rarity.
After all, it’s hard to open up and allow someone else to see your tender underbelly. It’s frightening and creates anxiety; it brings up all kinds of stuff. However, if we can’t go “there”, the other stuff is just a roll in the hay which may be fun in the moment or a whole lot of regret down the road.
Love and Happiness
…and left me alone in our hotel room. That is when the anxiety got really strong. “Oh shit. What have I done? My world is caving in and I have LOST all control”… I felt my breath shrink and then quicken, and my heart pound…. I sat down on the bed and looked at the duffel bag that housed some of our clothes and toiletries. I noticed one of the books from that book club peering out of the open zipper as if to say, “Here I am, help is here”.
“Every Breath you Take” How to get the “ahh” in meditation….
The body makes us VERY aware of our present moment. These thoughts (or the mind chatter) are anchored in two places: either in the past (“ did I remember that?”, “ why didn’t so-and-so say hello to me at the grocery store”) or in the future (“if I don’t get this done I won’t have time for…”, “my 10,20, 30 year reunion is coming up, what should I wear? what will so and so look like, etc.”). In very VERY few moments of our day are we actually aware of the present moment; are we focused on the here-and-now to the exclusion of all else.
Ceremony & Ritual & Community~ Winter Solstice
December 2021 Greetings and well wishes to all! Can you feel winter coming??!? Burr! Here in the North East it’s been hitting us like a brick wall! I used to hate winter but now I see it as a part of my spirit’s journey. The quiet part. The renewing part. The...
Spring into Stillness
(Post from April 2017) https://unsplash.com/photos/k05w653yXQc?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink I don’t know about you, but I feel as if spring came three weeks ago. The weather, the green grass, the LACK of snow- my energy...
Those Achy Breaky Feet
https://unsplash.com/photos/qeuJczNo54w?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink Winter Tip# for Restoring Your Yin: FOOT SOAKS (even the words sound like "ahh") Snow boots, heavy socks, cold feet- winter months really add a toll...
A Good Day to Have Today.
( old blog post from October 2019) Today is the perfect autumn day. Sunny, cool but not cold, foliage filled with firey colors, a crispness to the air. Take it in. This moment. Stand barefoot outside for a few mins. Bask in the sun rays. Count your blessings. Enjoy...
What the Retrograde???
(Post From August 2018~ Retrograde coming Soon! 1/13/2022~ Get ready:) Some terms get thrown around a lot and Mercury retrograde is one of them. Mercury retrograde, you’ve probably heard of it, but what does it mean? All the planets in our solar system move across the...
Pumpkins and Spice and Everything Nice….
(My blog from October 2019- still great info!:) Pumpkins and spice and everything nice! Yes, that’s what the fall is made of!! That and… Cold season. Yes, cold season. Yuck. The dreaded, blowing nose, coughing, sneezing, sanitizing and “fluie” season. And anyone...
Did you know Meditation can reduce insomnia by 75%?
It can reduce anxiety by 60%?
It increases heart, hormonal and gut health!!
The problem is… whenever you’ve tried it, a voice goes off in your head and the laundry list of to-dos rattles off, or there’s the train you need to catch or the dog that has to go out or the kid that’s late for school.
Sound familiar?
That’s why I made this FREE Yoga Nidra recording.
To make meditation EASY, ENJOYABLE and DOABLE so that you can gain ALL those benefits by literally just lying there! An easy first step to ultimate health.
Start with an “ahh….”
Related posts…
Why Most Vision Boards Don’t Work (And What I Do Instead)
It starts with a slight itch. Like nothing quite feels right. Like when you have an itchy sweater on that you just NEED to take off. But once it’s off, that itch is still there.
That’s kind of what it feels like when you’re feeling ready for a new chapter… but unsure how to cross the threshold. Got the itch? Then keep reading ~ this is for you.
I write this from a place of lived experience… and then some. Many, many, MANY times I’ve changed directions (for my astrology peeps- that’s my intercepted MC hard at work!). And that “in-between” space? It’s a REAL place. Not only real, but a tender place where the old version of you is loosening(old routines, old roles, old identities) but the new version hasn’t fully been discovered yet. And if you’re an empath (or having a deeply ‘feely’ human moment), it can seem like: “Why can’t I just decide already?” “Why am I emotional for no reason?” “Why do I want change and also want to hide under a blanket forever?”
We burn out. We disconnect. And we convince ourselves that magic was never real to begin with.
But here’s what I know: you’re allowed to stop waiting for those dreams. You’re allowed to stop participating in the hustle culture. You’re allowed to pause and breathe. And most importantly? You’re allowed to start creating.
Got the Itch? How to Start a New Chapter When You Feel Stuck
It starts with a slight itch. Like nothing quite feels right. Like when you have an itchy sweater on that you just NEED to take off. But once it’s off, that itch is still there.
That’s kind of what it feels like when you’re feeling ready for a new chapter… but unsure how to cross the threshold. Got the itch? Then keep reading ~ this is for you.
I write this from a place of lived experience… and then some. Many, many, MANY times I’ve changed directions (for my astrology peeps- that’s my intercepted MC hard at work!). And that “in-between” space? It’s a REAL place. Not only real, but a tender place where the old version of you is loosening(old routines, old roles, old identities) but the new version hasn’t fully been discovered yet. And if you’re an empath (or having a deeply ‘feely’ human moment), it can seem like: “Why can’t I just decide already?” “Why am I emotional for no reason?” “Why do I want change and also want to hide under a blanket forever?”
We burn out. We disconnect. And we convince ourselves that magic was never real to begin with.
But here’s what I know: you’re allowed to stop waiting for those dreams. You’re allowed to stop participating in the hustle culture. You’re allowed to pause and breathe. And most importantly? You’re allowed to start creating.
A Moon That Remakes You: November’s Crossroads
You’re not imagining it—the magic really did disappear for a while. The world just takes from us, doesn’t it?
The bills. The to-do lists that never end. The constant pressure to keep up, show up, be more, do more. We’re so busy surviving the demands of modern life that we forget we ever had dreams. Forget what it feels like to be aligned with anything beyond just making it through the day.
And somewhere in all that noise and depletion, the sacred slips away. We lose touch with the part of us that used to believe in something bigger. That used to feel things deeply.
We burn out. We disconnect. And we convince ourselves that magic was never real to begin with.
But here’s what I know: you’re allowed to stop waiting for those dreams. You’re allowed to stop participating in the hustle culture. You’re allowed to pause and breathe. And most importantly? You’re allowed to start creating.
Shana is a New Yorker and a native to Long Island’s east end. A lifelong passion in food, health and wellness led her to become an advanced 500 hour registered Yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance, a Licensed Body Worker, a trained Herbalist, a Reiki and PEMF (Pulse Electro-Magnetic Field) Practitioner. She has studied abroad in India, as well as studying functional and integrative nutrition at IIN (Institute of Integrated Nutrition), is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), and Certified Hypno-counselor.
She is well versed in ancient theologies and eastern healing systems such as acupuncture and Ayurveda. Working with these philosophies, and integrating holistic nutrition, yoga and meditation is how she serves and supports her clients to heal and transform their lives. Shana currently lives in Northport, NY where she works as a Holistic Coach.