Erika F. Hattingh is one of my most influencial mentors, spiritual guide, soul sister, and friend. She is the director and founder of Cloud Nine Yoga School (where I trained and became a certified teacher), and she currently teaches at Yoga Works Costa Mesa. Her wisdom have and continue to inspire me... her friendship is prescious! She is also featured in the cover of YogiTimes this month.


To listen to Erika's recent interview on Yoga Peeps and learn more about her teachings please visit:

http://yogapeeps.com/main/2008/episode-45-erika-faith-hattingh-2/297


Her series of guided yoga classes shot in Costa Rica are also available for download on video and audio at:

http://www.beinyoga.com


For more info. and contact visit:

www.cloudnineyoga.com





Namaste!

What is fear and why does one live in fear? All human beings live in fear. Fear of not being loved and accepted, fear of failing, fear of death and sickness, fear of making wrong choices, fear of loss, and the list goes on... Now what is fear, really? What is the source of fear? What effect does fear have on one's ability to live life to it's fullness? Fear arises from a sense of lack. It has to do with our desire to replace this sense of lack with a sense of fulfillment... Fear is present in ones consciousness even with all the effort to get rid off it, control it, and live free from it. Fear arises from thought... thought is an object of consciousness, therefore fear is an object of consciousness. One has a thought that leads to fear. Fear is a sense of lack. Lack of life, lack of love, lack of money, lack of power, lack of health, etc... In a deeper sense, a lack of connection with our essence, our source, the ultimate ever present truth, the witness, the pure spirit itself... A disconnection of the consciousness with the unconsciousness. Fear brings about pain and discomfort. No one likes the feelings and sensations that accompany fear. So one tries to repress it, control it, and escape from it. I believe we have also been programed to run away from fear. People are ashamed to admit and be open about their fears...Society considers it a burden...not something good to have...a sign of weakness. The fearful part of us is often considers the "bad" part of us. One often sees it as something separate from them. According to Krishnamurti, we are the fear. Fear is part of us. He suggests that resisting, escaping, denying, and trying to do something about it creates an inner battle... Creates more inner chaos and crisis. What if we could simply be with our fears, without trying to do something about it? What if we could just be fully aware and present with our fears without making any effort to change anything? If we just stayed with the fear, as we stay with joy, it would too pass. It goes through a transformation. If fear is there, then be with it!

Krishnamurti speaks on fear in the following video. It's worth checking it out and contemplating...