Nomad versus disciple

I have been traveling around the world for years, leaving footprints behind wherever I went, wherever I go & it somehow seems hard for me somehow to put my feet onto solid ground, to “settle” but the thing is and I see this so crystal clear now (thank you Sharonji, thank you Ruthji, thank you Davidji, thank you Tinaji) We have to find a solid connection to the earth and be the mountain (tadasana) be the tree and settle there, then from there our roots will grow and grow and grow and then by standing solidly & strong you will grow. Because the tree stands steady, so people can lean against it, so people can find support & refuge when needed, they can and they should, these people also provide the tree with as much water/juice to grow, to breathe, to exist. I am the tree, I am finding my connection to the earth, I am creating a space for myself and others, I inspire and get inspired, I serve and get served, I love and am loved. So I no longer feel I want to have a nomadic existence, but the life of a disciple, because I have lived the nomad life for years I have the experience, I have tools under my belt, I will use them being a disciple, an instrument. I have a place to call home, a place to ground, to connect with the earth and then from that entry point magic will arise, from that point I can travel, teach, inspire, spread my love and devotion all over the world, bring the teachings I sacredly received in the last month everywhere, because I owe it to the people (human people, animal people, tree people, beings of any kind) I owe it to the lineage, to my humble, devoted teachers and I will as a happy, uplifting, elevating, radical, shape-shifting disciple, someone who knows where to go, who has direction in her action, not like the nomad who is running away from something, but a jiva-disciple who is running TOWARDS something, towards enlightenment, toward the beings who need to be served, loved and honored, so I will be back at base soon, anchored by my gorgeous Sparky (my Jack Russell) & Charlie (godson) and then I will manifest the magic, I will start growing those roots & spread this love I have for Jivamukti, my teachers and for all beings on this beautiful planet.

NAMASTE

Love & Inspiration to all!

Karo,

Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York

17-05-2013

Davidji, Lady Ruthji and Sharonji & me at TT Graduation 2013

I HAVE ARRIVED.

You can’t arrive by not looking back by not looking forward. When I look back now at the last sequences of my life that brought me here, right where I am now, I see a pattern, I see a flow, a wave, like an ocean, an ocean of a sequences that’s how I would like to see my life. Before coming to Teacher Training I thought life was more like a test, how we continuously get tested in life, but “test” to me has a negative feel to it and a sequence is not a test, a sequence is a natural reaction, a natural flow which has naturally come from the sequence before the sequence, like a wave that comes up and then rests in the water, you got to embrace the wave, feel it’s rhythm and then just go with it, have a plan but be flexible in life, that’s what the sequences are there for.

To recognize the flow and rhythm of the sequences of your life, you need to look back, think back a year, two years, 10 years, 20 years and then set your intention for the future, the choice is yours, but be clear, where do you want to go, open your heart and plant a few seeds in there and then just devote yourself completely to just that. My biggest struggle here especially in the first week has been questioning my arrival, questioning my own abilities, but I am here because I am meant to be here, I can’t deny or question that, we should never question our destiny, we should never question our sequences, instead we need to go with the flow of the sequence, devote ourselves to every moment, go with the stream, the flow, the rhythm, the breathe of the sequence, don’t be a victim, don’t let “your story” effect your own growth, your abilities, your dreams, I am here, I have arrived and I can do this, as long as I flow with it and not fight against it, that’s useless and a waste of energy.

When I look back at this year for example, it’s all so clear, (thank you Universe for always having my back) just before “arriving” I had this thought exactly when I was getting ready for this amazing journey, how obvious and clear the pattern of the sequence was, the process was intense, painful and hard at times, but there was a teaching in all of it, I found a lot of freedom, enlightenment and liberation in all the feelings and thoughts that came with the process, as a vegan, a conscious being, a strong, spiritual warrior all I could do was give over to the process, whole heartedly. I feared not, so I broke off my relationship because it had become toxic and unhealthy, because it was messy and most of all putting me against all my ethics, values and beliefs, by doing so I found myself back completely, I learned that no matter what it’s my love and lust for life, my love and devotion to all beings on this planet which will always rescue me, save me, protect me from harm, love is all you need, I just got challenged that was all and I never lost sight of who I am, what I believe in, what I stand for, where the sequence wanted me to go, so it took me to where I am now, there was a red dessert in between, where I was enabled to meet amazing, beautiful people, where I was enabled to cook vegan food from the heart, where I was enabled to meditate on the thought of moving on, to the next sequence, I feel so blessed, so honored, so grateful for all of it, every morning I wake up and every night I go to bed I thank the Universe, I thank God for the blessings & blossoms of my life, for where the sequences have taken me so far and where I am going, ready and steady for what comes next, bring it on.

Every moment is a moment that will bring and guide you to the next moment, so no matter what life the moments fully, every moment, that’s the only way to grow, the only way to “become” and then to BE.

Karo

05/05/13, Omega Institute/ Rhinebeck New York

Teacher Training Mid Way Report

Sunday the 5^th of May

Well here I am, half way into Jivamukti Teacher Training. WOW, what an adventure, to describe this experience as a whole is tricky, it really is EVERYTHING, it’s challenging, confronting, hard, amazing, incredible, sensational, transforming, liberating, it really is all of that, I personally have been through SO MUCH in these two weeks, my humble and amazing teachers at Jivamukti Yoga Sydney all told me this experience was going to change me for the rest of my life, it was going to be “transforming” and oh my god, it IS. I can’t describe in words how much it means to be in the presence and company of our amazing teachers and guru’s Sharon Gannon, David Life and Lady Ruth; it means the world to me. Their existence, their presence has awaken me, has touched me in a way I have never been touched and everyday, every moment, every minute, every second, every breathe I embrace just that.

What has been amazing really is the particular struggles I have been battling and then the particular sutras we were taught on the day, as if the Universe knew, when battling with self doubt and “oh I am so not ready for this” thought was trying to get me down, we got taught the mantra: YOGAS CITTA VRITTI NIRODHAH. Which is all about ceasing the fluctuations of the mind so there can be Self Identity, it’s so liberating to purify your heart and mind through chanting and meditation and realization. When in doubt I think of my humble teachers, my supporters, my dear friends, I owe it to them to LET GO, Nirodhah, to completely and utterly surrender to the amazing teachings of my guru’s and their guru’s and bring those teaching to my wide audience back home, when self doubt creeps in I go back to that room, on the 16^th of February, that room full of people, that room full of love and support and I remember again why I am here, I am here because I was meant to be here, I am here because I need to be here and I need to be here NOW, so I breathe, so I stand strong and steady (stihra) like a mountain (tadasana) and I devote myself to listening, to learning, to knowing, to being, to BECOMING.  There is a teaching in everything, the love I am surrounded with is overwhelming, ever flowing and energizing, it just gives me SO much. We are all in this together, we get together every night for a satsang to remember and honour just that, this brother and sisterhood, it’s just so amazing, Lady Ruth my humble, beautiful amazing teacher and guru has given me the opportunity twice to give a short dharma talk to my fellow Jiva brothers and sisters and I can’t tell you what an HONOUR that has been, how blessed I feel, all I want to do is inspire and encourage others and to be given that opportunity within this amazing Teacher Training Program with my incredible teachers, mentors and fellow students, well that’s just ecstatic, beautiful, wonderful, it’s hard to describe in words really, I wish you would have all been there for it, it was amazing!

Days are long, I get up at 5.30 every morning, do some home-work, write in my diary then I meet my Jiva brother and sister Adam and Victoria for our morning ritual, outside meditation and outside yoga session (The Magic 10) We have breakfast at 7, start class at 8am and finish 10pm at night, every day. The asana practices are intense, dynamic, sensational, last Friday we have given each other assists and sat a Mid Term Exam, too much to learn, too little time, seeds are planted and huge trees will grown from it and all the roots of these trees are connecting all over the world, it’s a beautiful thing. I am so blessed to be surrounded by some AMAZING people really, Victoria Lopez such a beautiful young woman, such an inspiration, Yutta who has her own Yoga Studio in Germany: Shivas Yoga Lounge, my mentor is an angel, a warrior, a saint all in one, her love and wisdom is inspiring & being under her wings feels so safe, so secure, so steady, it’s like coming HOME, Tina James, she runs her own studio in Canada and I know we are planting something pretty huge here, something amazing a connecting for life is made and I am forever grateful I have met her, she is a FORCE that woman, don’t worry Australia, we will get her there…. One day and Sydney I hope you’re ready for that We are having an amazing weekend, after an incredible CHAKRA CLASS by Sharon G we all got a special visit from Radhanath Swami, author of The Journey Home which was incredibly moving, touching, emotional and inspiring and then we have chanted and danced our asses of in the Spring Chanting Weekend here at Omega…. incredible.

We are all blossoming into these amazing beings, like we are becoming bigger versions of ourselves, we are all becoming ONE and everything around is is blossoming and growing with it, the trees, the flowers, the life around us, it’s pretty amazing.

Together we stand, together we strive, together we derive SO MUCH from this amazing adventure, us yogi’s we are radicals, we are shape shifters and that’s exactly what we are, I am becoming even more the Spiritual Warrior even more the Veganator I already was. Kicking asana over here & can’t wait to bring back the “BHAV to Sydney! For those of you who are a little confused and don’t know what that means, don’t worry i will show you the “BHAV”

Hell yeah people, stay TUNED! More to come!

Love & Inspiration to you all!

Check photo-album HERE:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151393396252097.1073741828.697807096&type=1

I haven’t blogged/posted for AGES, just been so CRAZY busy to get here…. and now i AM here!

TUESDAY 16th of April

NEW YORK!

It is amazing how i feel so instantly at home in this place, walking around the streets, getting some groceries at the co-op (all vegan) and checking out books at the ZEN BOOK STORE, after being up for 36 hours (!) i couldn’t get to sleep straight away, just had to do a little stroll and check out the surroundings and i just got reminded straight away how much i love this town! I have been in NYC lots of times before but hadn’t been here for about 12 years, time flies! It’s so GOOD to be back! I am staying in this beautiful, cozy hotel called the Larchmont.  Just about to have some food, read a book and go to bed. Love & Inspiration to you ALL!

WEDNESDAY 17th of April

After a very LONG and amazing sleep i am wide awake at 8 am today, just about to have some breakfast and start my explore some more day today, it is SO exciting to be here, as weird (and a little sad) as it felt to wake up without a Jack Russell at my feet it’s so incredible to wake up in this city, the city that never sleeps, the city that i LOVE so MUCH! Travel reminds us on how we should always stay open for all, how everything is POSSIBLE, how lucky and blessed we are that we are enabled to do this. I worked my guts of the last 7 months to get here and now i am here and straight away i feel that it has been worth every effort, every step of the way, because i am HERE and before Teacher Training starts i have a few days to get amongst it all here in NYC, so i am looking forward to many many walks around town, park picnic’s, co-op visits, checking out many many vegan cafe’s and focusing on my practice. Just being here reminds me that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, ANYTHING CAN BE with love, devotion, determination, effort. So i would like to leave you all with a poem by Shel Silverstein and i will keep you all posted on my travels here on this blog. STAY TUNED!

Listen to the Mustn’ts,child,

Listen to the Don’ts

Listen to the Shouldn’ts

The Impossibles, the Won’ts

Listen to the Never Haves,

Then listen close to me –

Anything can happen, child,

Anything can be.

I did a 10 am OPEN class this morning at the Jivamukti Studio here in New York, INCREDIBLE! The studio here is so amazing, with a gorgeous shop and a lovely cafe attached and the best thing is it’s walking distance from my hotel. After class i had a beautiful vegan soup at the Jivamuktea cafe.  I bought a copy of the New York vegan guide, a MUST HAVE for me of course, this afternoon i visited the Green Farmers Markets & Union Square, amazing produce, it’s a real sunny day today so just perfect stroll and markets weather, i watched chess players, an african drums &rap duo and some more buskers at Union Square Park, i am falling all over in love with this city again, i left a piece of my heart here years ago and i am certain that will happen again, there is just something so magical & special about this place, the streets, the vibe, the people! Back to the studio tomorrow for an 8 am, after that i will pack and continue my travels, i am going to stay in Brooklyn for a few days and Sunday i will catch a train to Rhinebeck, Teacher Training will start then, so a few more days of just me and you New York, just you and me baby……

THURSDAY 18th of April

I did a 8.10 am: Spiritual Warrior with Kristin this morning, such a great way to start the day! I had some breakfast in my hotel and continued my travels in this awesome awesome city which feels like HOME. I arrived in Brooklyn around 11, Jess has the best place EVER, on Starr Street in Buswick, Brooklyn, it is soooooo awesome to be here! I absolutely love this place, it’s fantastic to be reunited with this woman i admire, love and adore, such power and inspiration she gives me, i studied all day and had a lovely dinner and chat with Jess at night, i befriended the cat they are fostering: Annie straight away, which is interesting as i am so a dog human, but according to this cat, i am so a cat human too, and she might have a point Much love to you all!

FRIDAY 19th of April

I woke up at 730 and played with Annie, oh how much i love this cat, she plays dog games, she can play catch forever and not get bored, so funny! I did another day of study today, done a bit at home and went to the JIvamuktea Cafe this afternoon to continue my studies, i met up with Jess at this AMAZING Sushi place: BEYOND SUSHI and after that i went to the studio to do Jess’s live music class, AMAZING! The musical experience was provided by a young man called AJ check out his website HERE his face is as beautiful as his music, his spirit, his energy and excitement contagious and Jessica Stickler OMG, so good to be back on the mat with her, if i ever become half the teacher she is i know i’ve succeeded. She is vibrant, passionate, confident, funny, a fantastic assist, just really knows her audience and her knowledge and spiritual activism is a gift to us all. I feel so blessed and so honoured to be in her presence and it’s been amazing staying with her, it’s a privilege really to stay with a teacher this experienced and advanced before starting TT and besides the “teacher” she is the most amazing and inspiring woman i’ve met, we just get along so well, two power chicks, who live in big cities, travel the world and are devoted jivanmukta’s, you can’t really go wrong there, tomorrow me and Alison (Jess’s housemate) and i are going to the co-op and i am cooking this household a feast, can’t wait

SATURDAY 20th of April

Woke up early again, done a little bit of study and then Alison and i left to got the Parkslope Co-op, OMG! This co-op is HUGE, with about 7 aisles, 20 registers, a MASSIVE fresh produce section and just anything you can think of, unfortunately meat too, but nobody is perfect….. i couldn’t believe my eyes, it really felt like an excursion, i proudly wore my ALFALFA HOUSE t-shirt and told everyone with excitement how amazed i was with this co-op, did a huge shop and gonna be cooking a lovely kale-broccolli pasta in raw cheese sauce tonight…. i wondered around the area a bit, such a lovely place! I had a chat with Richard in one of the community gardens and had this incredible brunch at V-SPOT. Alison took me to this screening of a documentary

Check album here: 

So as a vegan i always and by that i mean ALWAYS get asked the same old question, why am i vegan? Now i have many answers to that but here is a really simple one, click on this link and you know why, look at the picture attached to this blog and you know why, because us humans think we need to make this separation between humans and animals, as if what they feel, need, love and experience is so much different, it is not, have a look at this amazing lion called Christian, see what a heart he has and how much love he has for the men who raised him, for the men who decided to get him out of captivity and into the wild.

Christian the Lion, you are an inspiration to us all!

LOVE KNOWS NO LIMITS

Christian the Lion Short clip CLICK HERE:

Christian the Lion FULL DOCO HERE:

LOVE IS ALL

Love is everything, love is all, love is what connects us all, love is what keeps us together, love is the ultimate drive of life. Love is something so whole, so pure, so healing, we underestimate the importance of love, that love really is the Higher Self, love really is the core of being. Love to me is sacred, love to me is why I get out of bed everyday, love for my life, for my partner, for my gorgeous dog, for my beautiful friends and the people around me, love for my godson, love for all beings, love for what I do, for who I am, it’s love that has taken me to places I never thought I’d end up in, love opened and closed doors for me, this year which is ending very soon, love has showed me the way, it was love that got me on that ship, it was love that got me off that ship, it was love that got me back on track and on the mat, it was a love so pure & divine I found through my spiritual practice (thank you Jivamukti) it was love I found with my beautiful boyfriend, who really showed me what love really means, he is such a brave, courageous, wonderful being. Love comes in so many different shapes & forms, to recognize love and the power it can have is to find the answers to everything. 2013 is a celebration of the love, 2013 to me is all about honoring that love & follow through, my mission being to bring love to all.

My first step on that mission is my fundraiser FOR THE LOVE  on the 16^th of February, to celebrate the love I have for life, for Jivamukti & becoming a Jiva Teacher, the love I have for other beings, for vegan food & sharing food, love for community and love for bringing people together.

My wish for 2013 is for everyone to find love within & spread it around, I dare you!

Translation: i am letting love into my life, i am open to all the gifts i receive from the universe

Love & Inspiration to all!

xxxx

COOKING UP A STORM FOR THE LOVE!

FOR THE LOVE & total dedication to my Jivamukti practice

FOR THE LOVE I have for ALL and for the LOVE I will gain in my Jivamukti Teacher Training to bring love, freedom & happiness to all beings on this planet. (Karo)

HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE, SEE YOU IN FEBRUARY!

My 2013 wish for all: LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINO BHAVANTU! May all being everywhere be happy & free and may the thoughts, words & actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all!

Check the flyer here: ForTheLove

FOR THE LOVE FUNDRAISER

Saturday the 16^th of February 2013 @ JIVAMUKTI YOGA SYDNEY

(76 Wilford Street, Newtown)

As for the menu we are putting together just for YOU, think abundant vibrant salads, decadent entrees, deluxe lentil love burgers& sumptuous chocolate mousse for dessert and MUCH MORE, of course all made with LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and more LOVE.

PLUS: live music, a raffle with fantastic prices & burlesque waitresses

Join Karo & friends at JIVAMUKTI YOGA SYDNEY & help Karo fund her Jivamukti Teacher Training in April/May 2013 in New York.

COST:

3 Course Vegan Dinner: 60 dollars

Dinner & Karo’s Cookbook 80 dollars (take home 80 plus amazing vegan recipes, vegan nutritional information and inspiring vegan stories)

BYO WINE ONLY

BOOK NOW, LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE!

To book your spot email: karo@karotak.com

www.karotak.com

www.jivamuktiyoga.com.au

Well, it has been a while since my last blog and so much happened in such little time (as per usual)

It was a hard decision but about a month ago i decided to leave the ship and focus on other projects (like SOI DOG) promoting my vegan cookbook and my vegan educational programs. I also got offered a scholarship for Jivamukti Teacher Training in New York next year which was such an amazing offer i could not refuse, i feel my journeys and adventures just organically evolve, from one adventure i fell into the other, it’s amazing how life works like that, so i feel very blessed at the moment, my spirit still lives on the ship but here i am in the world, to create and manifest CHANGE, i practice and study Jivamukti Yoga on a daily basis (on and off the mat) i started working at Alfalfa Food Coop and have been very busy with my vegan cookbook & related vegan projects, i will be teaching a cooking workshop on the 3rd of October (see PROJECTS) and will be talking at The Animal Liberation Public Meeting Tuesday the 9th of October, i am also working on a few fundraising ideas for SOI DOG who i will be representing at the Cruelty Free Festival on Sunday the 28th of October, a busy bee as per usual, loving life!

PLEASE BUY MY COOKBOOK!!!!! I am donating money made with the book to both SOI DOG and the Sea Shepherds, just click on the book on the right side of this page for more info

Love & Inspiration to you all!

People, please do NOT miss this opportunity!
Friday the 7th of September (in 3 weeks that is) at JIVAMUKTI YOGA SYDNEY come buy my vegan cook-book, get it signed and even more important get a chance to ask me as many questions as you like & get handy tips on all things VEGAN!

Check it out:
SEE YOU THERE!

THANK YOU TO MICHAEL BEASLEY for designing the flyer & KATIE MANITSAS for making this happen

MAY ALL BEINGS EVERYWHERE BE HAPPY AND FREE and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.

Something I live by, my ongoing mission in life, as a Sea Shepherd, an artist & a being.

JIVAMUKTI YOGA

I have been blessed with the wonderful gift of JIVAMUKTI YOGA: which is the best yoga form I have ever come across, I have seen and practiced many but this specific yoga form, which to me is as much restorative as it is energizing and their incredible teachers here in Sydney is just so fascinating. It has made a significant change in my life and I feel like a new person really, reborn and recharged, rejuvenated and empowered, the timing and place of meeting this form and starting my practice could not be more perfect, at a time in my life where I am going through a bit of soul searching, not really knowing what’s up next, Jivamukti Yoga has given me the opportunity to reinvent myself, to restore my energy, soul, heart and mind it’s just given me the space and practice to go through all that, this is the solid ground, the anchor that I need right now, I feel I am opening up my heart, my soul, my being, I feel like I can be free now and it has changed me in many other ways, I take time to think, to breathe, to relax, it has changed the way I think, the way I move, the way I act, the way I eat (I now eat even healthier then I already did) I feel so much lighter, happier and most of all in my body, I am in such a great headspace because of it & for that I am forever grateful.

I would like to express my ongoing gratitude and absolute gratefulness to Katie from Jivamukti Yoga Sydney for this amazing gift she has given me and all of us on the Bob Barker. I will certainly take Jivamukti with me on my many journeys to come, I promise wherever I am I will keep my practice up & I will always stay (inner)connected.

THANK YOU!

For those interested and curious, go check out this amazing yoga place and wonderful vegan café on Wilford Street, Newtown. CHECK: www.jivamuktiyoga.com.au

ALSO COME CHECK MY EVENT AT JIVAMUKTI YOGA SYDNEY NEXT MONTH!!!!!!