Obstacles are Lauchpads

Fall is a time of year where we all seem to see the change of seasons as a new starting point.  School is starting, our wardrobes are changing,  and most of us seem to have a re-birth of the January resolutions....and so let us begin together this transformational journey of ourselves and the world through yoga! AS practitioners of yoga, we are called not only by our faith but also by yoga philosophy to TRANSFORM.  Look inside and change what we can so we can begin to tip the world into being a better place.  Off our mat and into the world we go!

Our life isn't something we should take for granted. Its something we all have to embrace, much like our yoga; the good and bad of it all. We will fail or succeed to our greatest expectations. We should all have great expectations for and of ourselves :)  I plan to thrive and to lead myself to the tiptop of the mountain! Care to join me? I will fall on the way up there, but I will snatch that rope and tow myself back up no matter how much it hurts to do so. Are you willing to do the same?

We will leave things behind. But the one thing we can't leave behind is our dreams and our hopes. Disappointments and failures will happen, but they can't stop us from going forward. We shall FAIL FORWARD!! Our failing forward shall not get us heavy and make us fall. We will get up and make our way through, remembering that obstacles are launchpads!  Our obstacles will make us stronger, wiser,  and more compassionate beings!

We will love with wild abandonment the ones that are in our lives. Let us care about others....all of them! But don't let them pull you behind. We hold our destiny in our hands. We have to find where to put it; A slot where it fits and can stay forever.  Let our faith guide us to the right decisions.

An old saying "I will take the one less traveled by" inspires me to make great things happen for the world. I plan to win and slaughter my goals. As easy as it sounds it won't be. But I will never lose faith in doing what I love. What I am passionate for. And what satisfies me. Even if it is against the grain and many in my sphere of influence won't and can't understand.....well, at least not yet.....

Let's begin to BE the change we want to see in the world...to SEE and be SEEN. Write down the following 5 steps over the next month:

1. Your passion, your dream, your goal
2. The steps we need to take to begin (remember it takes one step to start a journey!)
3. Acknowledge the stumbling blocks/obstacles that daunt us into considering staying as is.  Determine if they are mental, physical, or emotional obstacles.  We can conquer anything!
4. How will your obstacles become your launchpads?
5. Create a deadline for our obtainable goal.  Tell a friend.  Yep, out loud and IN PERSON!!

It's not about what it takes to get there. It's about what the outcome is and the road we have and will travel.  Let's get going!

Namaste,

Trish

Getting Healthy From The Inside Out!

Food is not who you are. It is a way you communicate with the world. You express things through food, through eating, like you do through any art form, but it nevertheless is not who you are at your deepest essence. Your eating habits are merely habits, not your life or your vitality, though they may seriously enhance your life, your energy levels and your overall health.
There is so much attention given to diet and exercise as the solution to every health worry. There are at least a dozen new diets promising to make you forever young, cancer-free, heart healthy, thin,vibrant and   closer to God. Yet what lies at the core of every extreme diet is a fundamental rejection of who you are in the present moment. While you might do well to work with the part of yourself that still hungers for a Supersize Big Mac, thinking that the epicurean in you is bad, evil or unworthy creates unhealthy thought patterns that last for lifetimes. What all crash dieting misses is that when you reject a part of yourself along the way, even when you finally arrive at the goal of skinny body with perfect blood sugar and cholesterol levels, you are not fully happy.

Health and happiness are part and parcel of a total life perspective that includes genuine gratitude for the gift of life. In order to be deeply happy in a lasting way, you will need to develop a high degree of tolerance for the multitude of selves that you are. There is a part of you that loves culinary indulgence and another part that enjoys living a very pure life. In a truly integrated existence, there is no separation between these apparent extremes. You as a being in fact already contain them within you. The work of creating a yogic diet begins with accepting who you, what your basic likes and dislikes are and working with yourself in a patient, persistent and kind-hearted manner.

Solutions to your health problems that have at their basis a fundamental rejection of your basic worthiness do not lead to long term success or sustainability. Extreme crash diets can only last so long before you fall off the wagon. The truth about food is that the only diet that instills lasting change is one that embraces both who you are and who you want to be in the same loving light.

Unless you address some of the basic beliefs you hold about yourself, merely changing what goes into your mouth won't make you happy for the long haul. The inner world of your mind directs the physical world of your body. You hold certain thought patterns about food, life and self-esteem. The thoughts you keep in the hidden realms of your subconscious mind play a crucial role in your overall level of health. All food choices are reflections about your level of self-love, self-acceptance and self-appreciation. If you do not work on loving and appreciating your life, then no diet will make a deep impact in your sense of joyful living. If you want to begin working of your health, then begin to address the silently held judgments you have about yourself.

Health in a word is balance; it is a dynamic equilibrium that holds food, health, emotions, thoughts, your body, work, love, relationships and fun in a teetering sphere. When all these aspects dangle in harmony, you are filled with an effortless happiness and peace of mind that emanates forth from you.  It's a magnetic glow that's unmistakable.
Namaste!


Trish

Soleil Lune Yoga Center
29B South Main Street,
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
262-206-1285
www.yogatrish.com

Trish@yogatrish.com

Changed Forever

I am completely filled with GRATITUDE for my experience this past weekend.  I underwent the first half of the Visual Yoga Certification with the Deaf Yoga Foundation's Lila Lolling.  There are no words to express what it is like to be connected with people who are viewing the world the same way, who love yoga, who love God, and are so willing.....so willing to be seen  for who and what they are; A perfect mess with their own path, their own aspirations, new opportunities, new friendships and having some dreams come into clarity.

Have you ever had an experience where someone sees you?  I mean, really SEES YOU.  Not the physical you, but sees  your SOUL; the energetic you, the authentic you, the You that God made you to be?

Have you ever wondered why sometimes a yoga class FEELS like it was specifically designed for YOU and YOU alone?  It was as if the teacher could see what was going on within you and encouraged you to explore it, resolve it, reconcile, let go of it?

Have you ever stopped to wonder what it would be like to actually SEE someone soul to soul? How would that look?  How would you feel?  How would they feel?  We often see things through our various filters and often times we are so wrong....judging without realizing, formulating opinions in an instant, jumping to conclusions, basing things on past experience rather than the present moment, or hurrying through rather than waiting for God's guidance. 

What does it feel like to be in a situation where you ARE the fish out of water? Where you have to be raw....and just be there and trust that the other person will love you anyway and come around you to help, to lead, to mentor or simply to just BE with you?

This past weekend was all of those things for me. To simply BE the fish out of water and trust that my love for yoga, my love for God, and my love for my students would simply just be seen.  There was nothing I could do to express the gratitude not only for the teachings I received, but also for the presence of fellow teachers, interpreters, and students.  My voice was never heard and my hands were clumsy, my brain was racing and then.....yoga.....Breathe...and simply BE.  Connected with God and trusting that He would unfold in and through me whatever was within His will.

It was amazing to connect with everyone present, to hear everyone's stories, to hear their path which brought them to the studio.....to yoga and drawn to help make yoga accessible to everyone. Since my voice would not be heard, it was simply me being me....soul to soul contact.  Soul to soul communication, intention, love, support, and encouragement.  Each person was a fish out of water: teachers teaching visually and using their hands to communicate in a foreign language, interpreters learning the ebb and low of a yoga class and where they can best be seen to relay meaning, love, and support, students undertaking a modality that is new (for some brand new) and to trust that others would navigate the process for them and not leave them behind.

It brought me back to why I love yoga so much and why being a fish out of water is one our greatest teachers. It brings us back to the basics of being one of God's magnificent children connected to all other beings regardless of background, heritage, language, or culture.  We are to create community, soul to soul community, to see others and let ourselves be seen.  Being raw is so hard, so scary, but also so freeing.  It frees us to let go of boundaries, labels, etc in order to trust that God has a bigger plan, a bigger kind of love that transcends all of our understanding.  We can actually catch a glimpse of this in each person we encounter.

So my challenge is this--can we as a community allow ourselves permission to SEE others and not just look at them? Can we allow ourselves to BE SEEN and not our mask? 

Let's try to be the change we want to see in the world, soul to soul, side by side, sharing in love and community with one another and those we have yet to meet.......Onward.

Namaste (Truly.....NAMASTE)

Trish