One of the things that yoga has taught me is to be nonreactive.  I’ve learned, and am still practicing, that if my body is in an uncomfortable or stressful position that I should take a deep breath and relax into the sensation rather than freak out!  I practice developing a calm, nonreactive mind, and in doing so I feel confident, strong & peaceful.  In this confident, strong & peaceful state I realize that I can handle anything.  I realize that I have more power in letting go, than in fighting.  I realize that my yoga practice is just as much mental as it is physical.  I can do this.

Nope...not me!

I’m sure we’ve all had thoughts like this:  “Yea, you better get out of that pose, you’re going to hurt yourself”.  “How much longer are we going to hold this, I’m about to die!”.  Or, “I can’t do this any longer.  Why is this crazy ass teacher making us hold so long?  She’s not doing this pose, so she has no idea what we’re going through.  I can’t do this”.

I’ve noticed that when thoughts like this go through my head it just makes the pose so much worse.  Taking a deep breath and just allowing the sensations to be there, without judgment, opens me up to a more peaceful world.  It takes me deeper within myself and I begin to feel a sense of calmness.  When I get to this calm state, then I find this intelligence and it guides me.  That’s what tells me if I really need to come out of the pose because I may injure myself, not my mind.  My mind will make up all kinds of things!

So I’ve learned this and continually practice it on my mat, but what’s really cool is that I can take what I’ve learned on my mat and use the same principals in my normal everyday life.  When life throws me an unexpected curve ball, how am I going to react?  What am I thinking?  Am I dwelling in how awful things are (or could get)?  Do I want to bail out or hide and ignore the situation?

When that curve ball first appears my immediate reaction might be to cuss, pout, be bitter, mad, or sad, but soon (if not immediately) I remember my yoga practice.  I remember that I have more power in my peace, than in my rage.  I remember that no matter what is going on around me, my strong, positive mind will make it all better.  I remember that if I can just connect to my inner intelligence, I’ll know what to do.  I shift my perspective and look for the bright side in the situation, or if I don’t see a bright side at that particular moment, I realize that regardless everything will be okay.   Just like on my mat, my hip isn’t going to fall off…Everything will be okay.

**Hell no, that’s not me in the photo!**

Related articles by Zemanta

• Yoga – It Does a Body Good (chris.pirillo.com)
• Reduce Anger by Lying Down (blissfulbodyyoga.blogspot.com)
• Healing Through Yoga in Estes Park, Colorado 2009 (blissfulbodyyoga.blogspot.com)

          

Day 21.

I can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks since I started this challenge.  Life goes by way too fast, which is why there’s no point in stressing, worrying, doubting, complaining, etc.  It’s all a complete waste of time.  Just think how different your life would be without doing all those things.  How different would your life be if you enjoyed every moment…if you took in all the little things that life offers you at that moment (good and “bad”) and were just totally grateful for it?  That’s what this challenge has helped me realize.

I’m understanding that what I consider problems or issues or stress or crazy situations is just my perspective of it.  When I shift my perspective to a more positive one, I get different results.  If I just shift my perspective to a grateful one, it changes the entire circumstance.

This challenge has made me feel better, and I’m so grateful for that because I know that feeling good is what it’s all about.  Don’t we all just want to feel good?  Doesn’t our life basically boil down to that one statement…I want to feel good!

When I would get irritated with toys strung all over the house, I would think how grateful we are to have all these toys.  When I want to honk & cuss at the car in front of me for not going fast enough, I would think how grateful I am for being safe and how grateful I am that I get to go wherever it is that I was headed.  When I had to make a choice, I was grateful that I get to make a choice and that I have options.  When I didn’t feel like making dinner, I was grateful that I had food to make, that I had a house to cook it in and clean dishes and gas to heat it.

This feels good!

This gratitude challenge has made me stop, take the time, and write about my gratitude.  I’m so thankful I did.  It puts things in perspective.  I realize more and more everyday just how great I have it, just how great my life is.  It has given me peace, and allows me to just relax and take it all in…to enjoy the now moment.

This feels good!

As you know (or maybe you don’t), I’m a HUGE believer in the Law of Attraction, where like attracts like.  When I have a feeling of appreciation it’s an energy that I radiate.  That energy is drawing to itself more energy of the same quality, so more things are coming into my experience for me to be appreciative of.

This feels good!

The challenge ends today, but I will never stop being grateful.  I will continue to write in my gratitude journal, and I will continue to be open to receive more good things in my life.

WOW – THIS FEELS GOOD!

(And thank you so, so much to everyone that reads my blog!)

Related articles by Zemanta

• Using Your Down Moments to Attract Your Desire (itakeoffthemask.com)
• Why Some People Are Better Manifesters Than Others (stevepavlina.com)
• Three Secrets to the Law of Attraction. (using-spiritual-energy.blogspot.com)
• How I overcame my fear of running out of money (freakrevolution.com)
• Yoga as a Spiritual Practice (bethstedman.com)

          

One of the things I’ve learned, and still practice, in yoga is to be nonreactive.  As I practice breathing, relaxing, and letting go while my shoulders are burning and my thigh is yelling at me, I become aware that my mind is more calm and I get a sense of ease, strength, and peace.  It can be so easy to have a negative reaction when the teacher calls out a pose I don’t like, or when a sub walks in that I wasn’t expecting, but all that does is make the situation worse.  If I change my reaction to these things and make them more positive, or don’t react at all then my outcome is way better.

You choose how you want to respond.

As I take what I’ve learned on my yoga mat and apply it to real life, I realize that everything we experience (good or bad) is because of our reaction or response to it.  This same nonreactive principal that I’ve learned in yoga can also be applied to our life.  Jack Canfield has a formula that he teaches:

E + R = O  (Events + Responses = Outcome)

The idea is that everything you experience is because of how you responded to an earlier event in your life.  If you aren’t enjoying the outcomes that you are experiencing right now, there are basically two choices you can make.

1.  You can blame the event for the outcome.

There’s a ton of external factors that we can blame.  We can blame the economy for not having a job.  We can blame our boss or our clients for having a bad day.  We can blame the rain for not working out.  We can blame our lack of money for not starting our dream business.  We can blame a lack of time for eating fast food.  Excuses.  Excuses.  Excuses.

We’ve all done this right?  I know I have.  Going back to yoga…I was in a workshop last week and I noticed I was making excuses for why I wasn’t getting into a pose.

There’s no doubt that these blame factors exist, but it’s up to us to overcome them.  There are tons of people who are still employed and very successful.  I see people out walking in the rain all the time.  For every impossible thought we have, there are many out there that think it is possible.

OR

2.  You can change your responses to the events until you get the outcomes you want.

Can we respond differently to the events that happen?  If we get fired, maybe we take the time to educate ourselves and learn a new skill.  If the boss is being a hard ass, maybe we have some compassion for him rather than gossiping with other coworkers about how awful he is.  He may be having a lot of personal issues at home, or had a father that was hard on him.

We can change our thinking, the way we communicate, and our behavior because really that’s all that we have control over anyway.  We don’t necessarily have control over any extremal event.  All we have control over is our responses to them!

We tend to get stuck in our habits and the way we respond  to our children, our spouses, the traffic, and our bosses.  So we must gain control of our thoughts, our behavior, the images we hold in our head, and our dreams.

We need to know what we want, and then everything we think, say, and do needs to align with our goals, our intentions, and our values.

In the words of Jack Canfield: If we all experience the same EVENT, the OUTCOME you get will be totally dependent upon your RESPONSE to the situation.

If you don’t like your outcomes, you must change your responses.  It’s that simple!

Related articles by Zemanta

• How to Become More Successful (stevepavlina.com)
• Mindfulness as Stability and Investigation (livemindfully.blogspot.com)

          

Through the greatness of Facebook I reconnected with a friend from high school.  In 2003, Peggy Hudson, wrote this beautiful note.  She just recently shared it with her FB friends and I was fortunate enough to be one of them.

I thought it would be great to share her writing with you.  Enjoy~

It’s a beautiful day! It’s inherent for me to notice the beauty all around
me. Sometimes my mind refuses to operate with my soul. That’s when I must
re-mind myself. It’s fascinating to me the control the mind can have over
the mind. Or is that some other aspect of myself that can execute authority
over mind? What is really operating here? And if we’re all connected to
each other & everything – universal energy – what is that driving force? We
categorize into “individuals” – & say I’m like you or I’m not like you -
when in “reality” we are all connected. I think most of us usually forget
this. We see each other as separate entities. Yet we all take up space on
this planet. We are like the cells of Mother Earth – moving about – part of
the life force. How come there is hate? Why would we want to hate what is
connected to us? If we remember the connection, will we learn to love one
another? My hope is that we would.

My heart becomes heavy when I hear of sadness in our world – when I hear the
hurt in my patients’ voices – when I feel disconnected from others. The connection is vital to my survival. Sure, one could exist without it – yet
a failure to thrive would be evident. We need each other. Most of us just want to be acknowledged – appreciated for who we are – & love seems rather simple. So … why is it so hard to give? Why is it sometimes difficult to receive? What blocks people from opening their hearts & being love?

I think most of it centers around fear … fear of being vulnerable … fear of
being hurt … fear of being rejected.

So … most people want to be loved & respected. & most people fear being
hurt & rejected.

What would happen if all of us loved & respected ourselves & others?

Peace! Joy! Love!

So simple: an open heart of love!

And FEAR gets in the way – creating chaos & havoc. Is fear really necessary? I mean, seriously? If we extended more love, don’t we think we could create a more beautiful world? Fear does not seem the way – love does.

It seems imperative to me that we all need love – the song was not amiss – what the world needs now is love.

One huge beating heart! Pumping life in all of us. Just like in our individual bodies. We must keep it healthy in order to live & survive & thrive. We will become sick & infected if we do not take care of ourselves. Fear is a toxin. Our immune system is becoming more & more depleted. We need to renew ourselves – replenish ourselves. & LOVE seems like the tonic.
That magical elixir that can restore our balance. We need the equilibrium restored. How can we move forward if we have become weakened? We need our strength. We cannot function if we have no genuine power. We will be deficient & unable to give our best. We will experience the feelings of illness because we are not tending to each other. Mother Earth needs our
nurture & we need to nurture her & each other.

And it can begin. It is possible. All we need to do is re-member (we are all members) that with love anything is possible. Anything! We can create a better world. A better place for all beings – a better place for our children.

I am willing to make my contribution to the whole. I am willing to be a part of the magic. I am willing to touch the divine. I am willing to extend the mysterious energy of love.

My eyes are open. & when I look through eyes of love with a hint of compassion, I see clearly. The light helps us to see. And the light is available to all of us every single day. We must take advantage of this light. It’s as simple as flipping a switch – or igniting a flame. The fire is a part of our system. Without the light, all becomes dark – we cannot see – & this can induce fear – fear of the unknown – the unseen. We just have to remember that night can befall us yet the sun will always rise – it never permanently sets – in reality, the sun never fades. It is always burning brightly. And even when we feel it is dark, Mother Moon lights Father Sky & reminds us we are never, ever alone. We can always see if we just open our eyes – open our hearts – open our minds to this marvelous universe.

The light is here – it is there – it is everywhere. Before life – after death. And now – if we remember.

~ by peggy hudson
(written april 28, 2003 after the start of the iraq war –
thought it was just as timely for today)

Wow…how we’ve grown up!

Thank you, Peggy.  You and your words are beautiful.

Peggy and I would love to hear your comments!

          

I have a lot of favorite yoga poses, but if I just had to pick one it would be Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II).  It appears fairly simple, but so much can be achieved in this pose (so much can be felt in this pose if you hold it long enough!!).

At first, it’s all about just trying to stay in the pose while your thigh and shoulders are screaming at you, but once you find proper alignment and connect with your breath, Warrior II is so peaceful.  It’s like a peaceful warrior; strong, focused, and courageous!

With practice, you begin to feel how strong the thigh is and come to appreciate it, and the shoulders are there, but you’re relaxed.  This feels good.  You keep holding.  Then maybe it’s not so good, but wait I’m thinking about my thigh.  Breathe!  Okay, feels better.

As thoughts like this go on in your head, you must remember to breathe.  It’s with the breath that this pose becomes meditative.  And, it’s the breath that allows you to relax when you’re in an uncomfortable position.  It’s the breath that allows you to just be in the pose, rather than doing the pose.

Here’s some alignment points (based on the picture above):

• The left leg is bent to a 90 degree angle.
• Weight is on the center of the left heel, and the toes relaxed (knee is stacked over the heel).
• Open the hip by taking the left knee towards the left “baby” toe.
• Lift the left hip crease off the left thigh (this will help get the spine vertical).
• Outside edge of the right foot is grounded down.
• The spine is extended upward in a vertical line.
• Arms are open out extending in both directions, feeling the arms strong and long (so to gain space in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints).
• Shoulders are relaxed down, away from the ears.
• Gaze is out over your left hand.
• Hold & BREATHE.
• Then hit the other side!

Physically, Warrior II will increase your stamina, and strengthen your legs, ankles, and arms.  It’s great for stretching and opening your chest, shoulders, hips, and groin.  It relieves backaches, great for flat feet, and get this…infertility!  It even helps with carpal tunnel and sciatica.

Practice Warrior II often…it’s a great spiritual teacher!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (naturalmedicine.suite101.com)
• Think of Your Workout as Active Meditation (fitsugar.com)
• Stop! Slow down to access faster vibration. (using-spiritual-energy.blogspot.com)
• Mindfulness Meditation: Reducing Anxiety by Focusing on the Present Moment (psychcentral.com)
• Win this beautiful amethyst and Czech glass necklace made by me! (dailygratitudeblog.blogspot.com)
• Fertility expert warns ‘don’t rush into treatment’ (telegraph.co.uk)

          

If you were to walk into my bathroom right now and look at yourself in the mirror, not only would you see your beautiful self but you’d also see this:

Gratitude

$$$

What is your relationship with the present  moment?

Abundance

Ease

All you have to do is feel good now!

Only good things come to me!

What do I want?

I wrote all this on the mirror with red lipstick so that while I’m brushing my teeth, my hair, or washing my face I can be reminded of these things.  I love starting & ending my day with the awareness of the present moment, the awareness of all I have to be grateful for, and the awareness of the things I want to manifest in my life.

It’s so easy to go throughout the day and never once be conscious of your breath.  For that matter, it’s so easy to let weeks, months, and years go by without ever getting out of your head.  We tend to live in our thoughts, and when we do that we’re either thinking about the past (I can’t believe he said that to me!) or worrying about the future (if I don’t get this job, how am I going to pay my bills?).  There’s such a peace when we get past all that head stuff!

Being a yoga teacher and a student to spirituality, I know to pay attention to my breath and get present, to notice how I react to things, and to be aware of how I am thinking and how I feel, but it takes more than just knowing these things.  It takes practice…and lots of it!  I’m not going for perfection, just that place where I’m in touch with my Being.  That place where my Being (true Self, Higher Self, Spirit) is leading me in all I do so that life is easy and I’m just going with the flow.  I want to be in a place where opportunities comes my way and I’m awake enough to see them.  I want my actions to be inspired by my Being, not a reaction out of fear or stress.  I want to always be learning.  And, I want to live in peace!

I say all that to say this:  I have created another way (besides my bathroom mirror) for me to remember to connect to my Being.  I started making charms that I call BE Charmed.  These charms can hang from just about anything.  I have one on my yoga bag, one on my diaper bag, and one on my handbag (they make great keychains too).  The idea is that when you see your charm you connect to your breath and find your stillness.  You’re not thinking, not judging, not doing, you just BE Charmed!

If you’d like to be reminded of the present moment, or even have a personal affirmation you’d like to repeat, then these are for you!  You can either order one, that I’ve already made, from my website or send me an email and I’ll custom one for you.

Until next time, Be well and BE Charmed!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Yoga Techniques Practices For Beginners (healthlifestyleforever.com)
• Why Show Gratitude When We Can Be Selfish? (healthmoneysuccess.com)
• Practice Awareness and Stress Less (the-secret-resource.com)
• The Use of Affirmations As Positive Brainwashing (the-secret-resource.com)
• Using Positive Affirmations Effectively (the-secret-resource.com)