SANKALPA: New Year's Intention

A new year's resolution is a noteworthy concept—start off the year with a change for the better. So how come many of us never follow through or we start and then stop? Many resolutions end up as a subconscious exercise in self-loathing.  For instance:

• Lose 10 pounds! (Message to self: You're fat.) 
• Stop drinking caffeine! (You're unhealthy.) 
• Call Mom and Dad once a week! (You're ungrateful.)

Why not celebrate the 2014 new year by trading in your tired (and probably familiar) resolutions for a sankalpa instead?

POSITIVE POWER A Sanskrit word, sankalpa means "will, purpose, or determination." To make a sankalpa is to set an intention; a New Year's resolution with a yogic twist. While a resolution often zeros in on a perceived negative aspect of ourselves (as in, "I want to lose weight, so no more chips, ice cream and cheese"), a sankalpa explores what's behind the thought or feeling ("I crave chocolate chips, ice cream or cheese when I'm feeling stressed or sad. I will set an intention to become conscious of this craving and allow my feelings to arise and pass, rather than fill up on fats"). We need to be mindful through our daily moments so that we can identify, understand, embrace, and overcome these types of compensatory and self-defeating patterns.

EFFORT COUNTS A sankalpa also praises the nobility of the effort rather than focusing on what you are doing wrong. It is a reframing to the positive. I don't know about you, but New Year's resolutions leave me feeling guilty and mad at myself for not keeping them. With a sankalpa, the self-loathing that comes from dwelling on our resoltuion transgressions can begin to dissolve. In its place is an exercise in effort and surrender—create an intention and open yourself to the universe. An intention has much more of a global sense than a resolution and allows us to be softer with ourselves.

SANKALPA SETTING FOR THE NEW YEAR: YOUR PROCESS

WRITE YOUR TYPICAL RESOLUTIONS Take time to prayerfully and thoughtfully choose your resolutions. Make sure they are realistic. Also take note of anything that will need to change, be given up, and any preparation you will need to do in order for you to be successful.  Contemplate how willing you are to do these things.  How willing are you to take ownership of them? 

LOOK INWARD For several days, set aside time to write in a journal and meditate. Mull over your typical resolutions. How do they make you feel? Anxious? Unsettled? Incomplete? Now contemplate how you would like to feel during the coming year. Is there any way you can re-frame your results-oriented resolutions into something that will make this year's journey more joyful and worthwhile?

REPHRASE IT Create a short sentence or phrase for your sankalpa. Be careful not to set limitations based on fear. For example, instead of "May life bring me only happiness and joy this year" consider "May I be happy and open to what life brings me."

BE FIRM BUT FAIR Change doesn't happen overnight. When you stray from the essence of your sankalpa, don't berate yourself. Instead, gently remind yourself of your intention. But be firm in your resolve—it's a good idea to incorporate your sankalpa into your daily routine. Use it as a mantra during Pranayama, yoga or mediation practice; post it on your computer, phone, or mirror; or simply say it to yourself quietly before going to sleep.

REMEMBER You are strong enough inside to no only endure anything you have to deal with but to tally rock it from the inside out! Take the space you need to listen inside until you are ready to talk, speak, and take right action.  Knowing that.....inhale here.......exhale and bow to that awesomeness in you! 

Let Sankalpa Create a Routine in 2014!

NAMASTE!!

Namaste

 

For whatever reason my end of year thoughts draw me to the gesture of Namaste.  We see it in our yoga classes and it IS a great ending, but I think understanding the true nature of Namaste will help us connect deeper to ourselves, others, and our experiences.

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. Therefore, namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." In a more eloquent way it means "the light of the Divine that exists within me honors and acknowledges that within you and when we acknowledge this, we are one."

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.  

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to God's Holy spirit that resides in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation. So see, you have already been meditating and didn't even know it!!

For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom. 

Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart. 

Or challenge now becomes living our yoga off the mat.  How can we take our ‘namaste’ into our life outside of the yoga studio? As we approach the end of the year I have been thinking of all that we have experienced through the year that is coming to an end.  Whether good or bad, an experience can only be positive and strengthen you. It is all how we take it in and how we see the world. It is how we interact with one another.  It is how we view ourselves.  Can we keep that peaceful and centered place within that that we find at the end of our practice—can we take that into everything we do? In everything we experience?

Exhale 2013 and Inhale 2014!

Namaste Yogis.....NAMASTE!! 

 

Loving Lavishly

There’s a little “25 Things About Me” exercise going around on one of the social networks of which I’m a part. The idea is that you write 25 things about you, and “tag” 19 others, as well as the person who originally tagged you. The lists have been neat, and I’ve learned many things about my social network friends who have done lists. A few weeks ago though, was breathtaking.

#10. When my mom died I held her and touched her till she went cold. I could not stop sniffing her. I never want to forget her smell and her smooth skin."

I quickly read through the rest of the list, and then went back to #10. I re-read #10. And re-read it again.  I was speechless, stunned, a puddle of tears, and grateful for being allowed to be included in such a deep, intimate, personal detail.

Twenty four hours later, seventy-two hours later, and even today I am still pondering the depths of #10. Instant tears I have flowing freely down my cheeks every time I read #10.  I too, have lost someone close to me, my brother, Ryan. The loss is still great, even after twenty-one years. Why am I so moved? Why the depths of emotion?

Lavish love. I read #10 and it is what a life lived being lavishly loved, looks like. A daughter, showing one last act of deep love to her mom.  After reading #10, I found myself in a state of deep inner contemplation.  Do I lavishly love? I did until my brother was killed. After that, something has held me back. I can't quite put a finger on it yet, but the gist is that I am afraid to let myself lavishly love--completely, with abandonment, free-falling full of faith kind of love because I am afraid to lose that someone and hurt like that again. This concept actually leveled me--took me down to my knees, air out of lungs, pain in the gut leveled me.

The image of my husband, my amazing children, my parents, and my closest of friends all were brought to my mind.  God asked me 'What about them? Aren't they deserving of your lavish love the same way you are of mine?'  Well, I was speechless.  Yes, of course they are and WHY exactly do I fear losing them?  I mean, I cherish every second these people are in my life BECAUSE I lost Ryan. Why do I hold back if I KNOW this? The pain of NOT LOVING them as I fully want to would be just as drastic as the pain of losing them if I loved them lavishly……so really what is the difference, Trish? Can I trust God to hold my heart? Can I be bold enough to love His way? Ahhhhh the epiphany and the arrow to the bulls eyes of my heart…..quite convicting!

I began praying to God that He give me a heart that loved freely, wholly, and completely. I prayed to Him that I’d love the way Jesus loves—no strings attached. I knew I needed Him for that kind of love, since, being human, I’m selfish, self-centered, and demand my own way. Self-protecting.

I began to meditate on God's love for me and all the pointed questions that struck me down. It is so interesting when we intentionally go down our own rabbit hole, isn't it? I mean, really slow down and take notice of why we do the things we do.  Learning the path of the slow fade that brought us to the compensatory pattern we are in.  My subsequent yoga practices allowed me to get into the inner sanctum of my being and my meditations allowed me to plug so deep into God that His presence was THICK. His presence was safe and He held my heart as tenderly and very slowly began to mend it back together.  I thought it was mended, but He showed me where it wasn't, where I still held on, and where I still needed to let go.  You see, part of me thinks that if the hurt is all gone then Ryan's memory will no longer be--that he did not exist.  How crazy is that?  My memories are fond and bring about a deep inner smile and a love so wild and crazy that it expands my entire self, inside and out. With that though comes the dark--the missing of that love….the longing for it to still be, wondering what he would be now--what kind of man, husband, father? My reality says though, he will always be 17 and will always remain the person who knew me the best and I loved the most. Limiting me to the past. 

The definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is beautiful, magnificent, and awe-inspiring.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

I want to love like that....now and always until the end of time.

As my relationship with God grows, as I am humbled by His grace and His love for me, and as I remain focused on Him, it’s easier to love God’s way— agape love. Baby steps leading to a better place. He is also teaching me to RECEIVE love; His love and the love of others.  He is showing me how to let the armor surrounding my heart melt away so I can accept love fully and completely. Funny how I thought I received it just fine before.....

Lavish love.

#10 is lavish love, and a sobering reminder of just how fleeting all of our lives on Earth really are.

While I'm here, whether it is for a day, a decade, or several decades, I choose to love lavishly. God has my heart no matter what.

Lavishly love yours. Go. Do. Now.

The Things That Get In The Way

The Things That Get In The Way

Loving and accepting ourselves are the ultimate acts of courage.  In a society that says, "Put yourself last," self-love and self-acceptance are almost revolutionary.   If we want to take part in this revolution, we have to understand the anatomy of love and belonging.  We need to understand when and why we bustle for worthiness rather than claim it.  Most importantly, we have to understand 'the things that get in the way'.  

We encounter obstacles on every journey we make, especially the journey on our yoga mats.  If we want to live and love with our whole hearts, and if we want to engage with the world from a place of worthiness, we have to talk about 'the things that get in the way'..... 

• Guilt (I did something bad, it is about our behaviors)
• Shame (I am bad, it is about who we are)
• Fear of being unworthy of love and belonging
• Sharing our vulnerability

We all have had experiences that have happened in our lives that illicit one or many of those listed.  We know that each experience we have has ties and entanglements that wind up becoming our biology.  Each experience has a physical component, a mental/emotional component, and a chemical component.  All three components exist in each and every experience.  For instance, if I get a physical injury, I will have a chemical response as well as a mental/emotional response.  If I have an emotional trauma, I will also have chemical and physical issues manifest themselves as a result.  We need to become aware of this, of who we are, and of what is happening to us as we interact with the world around us.  In one word, we need to become PRESENT. 

These 'things that get in the way' need three things in order to grow out of control in our lives: secrecy, silence, and judgment.  When these things happen we keep it all locked up, it festers and grows.  It consumes us.  We need to share our experience.  If we find someone who has earned the right to hear our story, we need to tell it.  It can heal ourselves as well as heal them or others. The things that get in the way lose their power when they are spoken; when they are identified.  We hear from our mats that we are to sidle up to our fears in our postures rather than pushing them down.  We are to breathe into them and get curious as to what exists underneath the physical sensation; to hunt for the treasure of the experience that is looking to be released. We are called to tame the rabid monkeys of our mind by becoming still and PRESENT in order to understand the reactive pattern that is rearing its ugly head. Once we give voice to those things, they lose their power and are no longer scary.  We are able to manage them and undo the compensatory pattern (physical, mental, and/or emotional) we have developed.

This does not mean that all things are released immediately and completely.  This is a journey just like our yoga.  We need to be able to take care of our soul; of that inner manifestation of God.  We are called to love and accept others by God himself.  Some of us find this easy and others find it quite difficult.  The majority of us, however, do not love or accept ourselves.  How can we honestly love and accept others when we can not do it ourselves?  Would we take advice to quit smoking from our doctor who smokes?

Yoga is about connecting to God, accepting who we are, and slowly through our daily practice, get rid of the things that get in the way so that we may shine brightly in who we were authentically created to be.  Why then do we hold all the shadows so close and not let them be revealed? Light destroys the shadows.  Our facades will eventually break down and is the exhaustion to upkeep them worth it?  I am not sure about you, but for me there is freedom in being transparent, honest and being vulnerable. 

Everyone has their stories, their screw-ups (mine are typically epic) and their triumphs.  I am a disciple of Christ who fails  and flounders each and every day, but I also have wins.  What you see is what you get.  It is all that I am.....I am what I am. I love my journey.  Sure I wish that certain things had not happened and I have experiences that I consider 'gifts that keep on giving', but I am wiser, gentler, and kinder as the result of the treacherous road they threw me down. It is refreshing to say I don't have it together, I am losing it, I screwed up, and I am sorry.  Why is it so hard to ASK for help but we are willing to GIVE help........what is up with that???!!

The best growth happens in the darkest places and remember.....we all have the things that get in the way. We are all in same boat.

Grab your cape and get courageous!   Love yourself and then .......love others!
Onward
Whole Hearted
Om
Trish

Transitions

TRANSITIONS

William Bridges, in Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, lists three stages of transition. His three stages are named father the seasons of fall, winter and spring. The first stage is fall and what better time to dig deeper into transitions than when our autumn is underway?? We see grass turn brown and leaves fall, which means another year is coming to a close. The second stage, winter, comes when the soil lies fallow and uncultivated. This is a time for quiet and waiting. The world around us appears lifeless, dead, or in hibernation. When spring -- the third stage -- arrives, green leaves re-emerge from the dry brown twigs of winter. The earth bursts forth again with life. If we view changes in our lives like the changing seasons, we can feel more comfortable with transitions.

As seasons seldom change overnight, rarely does a person move smoothly from one phase to another. Some transitions, like puberty and aging, happen gradually. Other transitions, like passing the test for a driver's license, occur in an instant. However, there usually is considerable overlap and see-sawing back and forth between the new and the old. We need to take time to adjust to the new identity offered by change. Each person's progression is unique to individual circumstances and abilities.

Every transition begins with an ending. Even positive life changes can be difficult without proper endings. Before we embrace the new, we must let go of the old. "Endings are the first, not the last, act of the play" (Bridges, 2004, p. 132). Once we say goodbye and let go, we may experience a winter-like time. We feel lost, empty or numb-as seemingly lifeless as winter. When we allow ourselves to experience our new feelings fully, we move into the springtime of our transition and make a new beginning.

Fall transition is a time to break old patterns. At this stage we say farewell to familiar people, places and routines.

• When you face a particularly difficult transition, experiment with participating in a ritual that helps you close the door on the past and open the door to your future. One in seven American households moved in 1999 (U.S. Census Bureau). When you're faced with a move from a long-time dwelling, have a going away party.
• Ask yourself, "How do I want to say goodbye to each person, situation, place, or event that has been important to me?" Then say goodbye and let go.
• Surrender: Give in to your feelings of loss. Stop striving to avoid them. Frequently, it is only through death that rebirth can occur.
• What is it time to let go of in my life now?

Winter transition brings feelings of emptiness, numbness, and confusion. At this stage we often aren't connected yet to the new and aren't yet disconnected from the past.

• Increase your self-awareness. Learn about yourself. Spend time alone. Read inspirational books. Participate in a support, therapy, or special interest group.
• Make regular time to be alone. Use your time constructively. Allow yourself to experience what you feel (loneliness, anger, depression, sadness, peace, strength). If possible, share your feelings with a trusted friend or counselor. Start a log, journal or autobiography. Avoid "keeping busy" to run away from emotional pain. Pain can show us what we need to do to grow.
• Retreat to a neutral zone for a few days. Pick a place free from interruptions. Eat simply. Jot down your thoughts in a notebook. Consider what in your life is currently unlived.
• Take advantage of the winter period. Something good comes from everything that happens. Often, seeing the good takes time. Learn to look at life's transitions as a loss and a gain. For example, a new move means leaving friends and the familiar -- a loss for anyone. The gain is the opportunity to make new friends, see new places, have a yard sale, let go of unnecessary things, reorganize closets and drawers, etc. The winter period is a time of searching for these gains.

Spring transition means letting go of the old relationship, situation or event and making a new beginning. As spring leaves bud and flowers bloom, you, too, will find new energy to make a new beginning.

• Give yourself time alone. What do you need now? Think about what you want right now. What is waiting in the back of your mind to begin? Who would you like to be? What would you like to do in the time you have remaining? Visualize your future unfolding the way you want.
• Accept that past achievements can no longer be the standard for satisfaction in the present. Don't cling to old identities, roles and routines if they no longer meet your needs. Focus on today and all that you can enjoy and accomplish before tomorrow.
• Set realistic short- and long-term goals for yourself. When you know what kind of changes to expect and what you cannot predict, you are more likely to set realistic yet flexible goals. Start today to realize your dreams of who you want to be and what you want to do.
• Reward yourself for your progress. Give yourself healthy treats and pats on the back. Seek supportive, positive companionship. Compliments and encouragement are invaluable for avoiding past ruts and for making new beginnings.

Learn to notice and experience the changing seasons of your life from fall (making endings) to winter (experiencing your pain) to spring (making new beginnings). You will feel a renewed energy, a renewed hope, and a renewed desire to grow and give to others.

Onward
Trish

Balance

Balance

Finding balance is one of life's great goals, but it can be as elusive as it is desirable. Change your approach and its true nature will emerge. When you're balanced, you can feel it. You get the sense that your life is moving along steadily. You take things in stride. You feel healthy and vibrant, challenged by your life, but relaxed enough to enjoy it; protected by the familiar, but excited by the possibilities ahead. So why does achieving it -- and maintaining it -- seem so difficult to do for so many of us?

Study balance a little closer, and you realize that what many of us perceive to be the ideal balance is in fact not balance at all. Unlike, say, a balanced scale, a balanced life is not symmetrical, still, or neutral. Like riding a bike, living a balanced life comes easier to you as you gain momentum. From that perspective, the myths and truths that follow can help you find a new understanding of balance -- and, finally, a way to get there yourself.

Balance is what many of us seek and is what has brought a lot of us to yoga.  So…….WHAT is balance exactly? Many of us give it lip service, but how many of us have ever stopped, secluded ourselves, and really pondered what this concept actually means. For some of us balance may be something strictly between work and family life.  For others it may be health related or be something that is related to our physical form. For me, it is holistic.  It is when homeostasis is achieved in mind, body, and spirit. My balance is having:

• Faith and continually growing my faith relationship with God
• Quality relationships with family and friends
• A purpose or profession you love
• A clean and well balanced diet of whole foods (unprocessed and unrefined) along with exercising regularly
• Relaxation time along with knowing how to and be able to unwind
• Deep peace/contentment within so when times of duress arise, the center of my storm is still, calm, and nurturing

May of us impose new and improved ways of doing things in order to achieve whatever our definition of balance entails.  For instance, it may be better time management, removing or imposing boundaries, eating clean, change of career, paying off debt, or anything else that will bring our lives more into a peaceful state.

You know what I find funny?  Many of the habits and/or lifestyles I have chosen to impose over the years have ended up holding me back.  When I initially integrated them into my life, the intention was for my life to be more simple…..better……freer…..healthier....and yes, ultimately….balanced. Instead, many of these 'changes for the better' have ended up having the opposite effect! What about with you?  Have you started something with good intentions and great expectations only to find it becomes burdensome and overwhelming?  Have you taken the time to stop and think about exactly what was the motivator behind the new change being implanted?  When I look at things that have failed me and left me feeling burdensome, I realize that those were motivated by wanting to achieve X--something unrealistic or in an absurd self-imposed timeline. They were quick fix attempts (and most often HUGE, abrupt changes) rather than something implemented for the long haul.

Look at your definition of balance and then look at your everyday life.  How can you employ and achieve your definition of balance each day and in each moment?  I have found that successful movement toward my 'balance' has been in small moments rather than in grandiose life changes.  Sometimes huge life change is NEEDED and should be done!  I will be the first to attest to that! For most of us, we can shift in small moments and in small decisions we make throughout our everyday life.  Here are some suggestions: Not multi-tasking when talking to someone, turning off phones when we are with our family/friends, eating unprocessed/unrefined foods so that our bodies function better, taking the vacation time earned. Other suggestions: Keeping the things that fill your cup in tact when going through times of stress.  (Why is it these are the things we push aside first??!!) Taking 5 slow, deep breaths before we react to something.

There are too many things that pull us out of balance--obvious and inconspicuous.  Technology makes us a 24/7 epicenter of information. Our fast paced, American life can leave us feeling that we are not working hard enough, long enough, or fast enough. TV, cell phones, and computers suck the life out of all of us. Especially things like Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube and Netflix as they consume hours upon hours of our time wen we could be interfacing with a real people  or do the things that set our soul on fire!  Have you stopped to think how many hours you (and your family) can reclaim by simply taking a technology fast for a day, a week, or setting a technology curfew?  If want to see how addicted you are, watch your emotional reaction when they are taken away! So how may hours is it for you (and for your family) and what can these additional hours do to your sense of feeling balanced?  Do they help?  In our family, they most certainly have!

Balance is a state of surrender and effort at the same time.  When we are in our balance poses on our mats, we often fight to stay upright and 'in the pose'.  Isn't this how most of us react in life? When something is not going our way or the rug has been pulled out from under us, we fight or bulldoze our way through so that our way becomes the highway.  We try to take control so that our selfish wants and desires are achieved and when it doesn't look like they will be, we get frustrated and try even harder to redirect the situation to our benefit. This often is unsuccessful and leaves us feeling exhausted not to mention,  a tad beat up! What if we surrendered to the situation and allowed the current of it to guide us and teach us along the way?  This does not mean we roll over and give up, but we simply allow the situation to traverse its natural course rather than trying to swim upstream all the time. We put forth effort yet yield to the direction, so a bit of surrender.


At the circus, all eyes are on the tightrope walker. Why? Because where there's balance, there's also tension and risk. The tightrope walker's talent and skill resides not in his/her ability to defy gravity, but in making the hundreds of subtle, incremental readjustments to account for imbalance. In the same way, our ability to achieve balance is in learning to reestablish it when forces put it to the test.
This is why stability alone is not balance. The more we cling to things (circumstances, people, possessions) to hold us in balance, the less we rely on our internal strength and flexibility to adapt. And because balance is not a fixed point, but always moving forward, we need to move forward, too. This can mean embracing change and allowing ourselves to evolve.

“He showed me a sketch he'd drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was only a wild foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small, smiling face drawn over the heart.  'To find the balance you want,' Ketut spoke through his translator, 'this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God.”
                                                                                                       ~Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love  

Moving to a new city, letting go of an old relationship, or losing a job are potential triggers for imbalance, and any one of them has the potential to throw you off your axis, causing stress, exhaustion, or anxiety. Balance comes when we adapt to change, rather than try to resist it. But you can start small: Encourage and practice smaller-scale changes in your life so that you're better prepared to handle the bigger ones.

Think about what is most important for you to accomplish, and why. How can you make the most of your talent and energy in order to reach your goals? What is the benefit of focusing on these few things? Does it give you more time with your family, open up more opportunities, provide additional income? Weigh in with yourself about each action you want to take and why; that way you will be less likely to spread yourself too thin and sabotage your best efforts.


Maybe you sense that your balance is slipping. Put those moments in perspective. We have to occasionally lose our balance in order to regain it. The mistake we often make is accepting our imbalances as part of who we are -- giving up instead of trying to recover balance.

You may not want to believe you've taken on too much, for instance, because you want to do it all and are hesitant to let anything go -- whether it's a job, obligation, or opportunity. Consider what kinds of imbalances have been affecting you, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually; pay attention to when and how you experience it.

When one area of your life is imbalanced, it can affect the others. Rather than view your imbalance as a mistake to fix, see it for what it is: an opportunity to rediscover balance in a new way. Stop spending time on things you don't need to do. A balanced life is really imbalanced. Spend more time doing what you love.

 In reality, balance is ultimately achieved when we are abiding by the plumb line of God, not our own.  We can all have our definition of balance, but if it is not in align with the Divine we will have perpetual unrest.  Remember balance is a state of tension and risk and in balance there is imbalance.

When my family was driving home from vacation, we passed a sign that made me chuckle and think : EXACTLY.  It was a huge billboard with a black background and simple white lettering and it read:
                                        My way is the highway.
                                                                              ~God.

Remember there is no secret to balance, you just have to feel the waves :)

Onward~

Transported by Scent

Summer has arrived (we hope), the flowers are blooming and I love the smell of fresh cut grass and rain on hot pavement. Seasonal scents evoke a mood that transports you to a sunny beach or cozy log cabin with just a whiff.  Scents change with the seasons just like a wardrobe does. I don't wear a parka to the swimming pool and I don't want to inhale the scent of pine cones and heavy spices at the height of the summer season.  What is unique though, is how each scent lingers in the nose, in the soul, and invokes a memory--just like music; specific to a time and a place.

Scent is a powerful memory trigger. Like Proust, who bit into a madeleine only to be flooded with memories of his aunt Léonie, the smells that remind me of summer go far beyond a function of the nose. I forget exactly where I was the first time I smelled freshly cut grass, but the smell itself reminds me of the jubilance of childhood, of cartwheels, of picnics, of rolling down hills and catching lightening bugs.  It’s these little things — the intoxicating aroma of the salt air carried on the breeze, a sun-warmed tomato plucked off the vine, the scent of the community pool, the smell of the lake in my hair — that form my favorite cranial keepsakes, pieces of a life tethered to the summer sun. We’ve all had the experience of being transported back in time from a simple whiff of something.  We know instinctively that nothing will bring the same subtle (or strong) rush of emotion in memory. It’s a way to not be forgotten.

Researchers know that odors don’t trigger memories that are any more accurate than the memories triggered by other stimuli, but odors do trigger memories that are more emotional, according to psychologist Rachel Herz, a Brown University professor who studies the psychology of smell. “A person may have no emotional reaction to seeing a photo of a loved one who died,” says Herz, “but that person may unexpectedly encounter the same smell particular to the loved one’s study–a combination of cigarettes and books, for instance–and feel like weeping.” She notes that “those who lose their sense of smell because of accident or illness also report a loss of emotional richness and, over time, a loss of emotional intensity toward life. Experiences are flatter, they report.”

When we think about scent, there are two basic categories: Those which we use to enhance our bodies or our environment, and those that occur naturally. The intentional use of fragrance has been practiced since antiquity, and has evolved into a mind-bogglingly huge business. For ages fragrance was made from natural materials and was exclusively expensive. In the late 19th century when synthetic fragrance was created (from coal-tar) in a laboratory, the perfumer’s repertory of scents to work with was expanded–and made creating fragrance much cheaper. Now, as anyone with sensitivity to synthetic fragrance can attest, it’s everywhere–most cleaning products, air fresheners, candles, personal care products, perfume…you name it. The emotional connection to scent is so strong–no way manufacturers are going to pass up on that hook!

Although memory can be sparked by both synthetic and natural fragrance, the synthetic ones go beyond provoking memory–they provide an array of potential adverse health affects. They are, after all, made from petroleum by-products and are widely considered toxic. With the advance of technology and production, fragrance derived from natural ingredients is no longer out of reach to all but the aristocracy! If we want to scent our environment or ourselves, we can do so with essential oils–beyond making things smell nice, essential oils support wellness too.

In Blissful Bathtimes (Storey, 2000), Margo Valentine Lazzara describes the healing effect of scent like this: essential oils give herbs, spices, fruits, and flowers their specific scents, aromas, and flavors. Each oil has individual benefits to which the mind, body, and the spirit respond. Almost everybody can benefit form the use of essential oils. Pure plant oils can improve your state of mind and generally enhance the quality of your life. What makes them beneficial is that they work in harmony with your body. Each oil has the ability to evoke different memories that can affect a person’s physical, emotional, and psychological levels.

Lazzara writes that scents “trigger memories because of their quick access to the limbic system in the brain. It is here that scents will evoke an emotional response, such as hunger or sexual appetite. They can help you recall long- and short-term memories. If a particular scent stirs up past or painful emotions and memories and causes you suffering, then you might want to avoid this specific scent. But I believe that it is good to be able to release this kind of hurt and pain rather than avoid it. Think about the scents that can bring about recollection of your experiences.”

We can use natural fragrance therapeutically to deal with important memories–pleasant as well as painful–and we can use specific scents to work with our moods.  But on a more practical level, we can make scent healthy by deciding not to use cleaning and personal care products that contain synthetic fragrance. We can make future memories that won’t make us sick!

Aromatherapy, the use of scents from the essential oils of plants to alter mood and promote healing, is an ancient art currently enjoying a resounding revival. While many common garden plants are used in essential oils—peppermint, basil, and lavender, to name just a few—the quantities of flowers or leaves needed to produce the oil  are huge! For example, 1,000 pounds of jasmine flowers are needed for one pound of oil!  Most commonly the oils are used in the bath (put in at the very end; the water should be no more than l00°F), or in a diffuser, or on or yoga mats,  or placed on a handkerchief and inhaled when you need a lift.

At the yoga studio, we can all attest to the wonderful aroma that meets us as we walk in the door!  Just a simple inhale seems to transport us to another, more sacred space.  So how can we incorporate yoga with scents transporting us into our catalog of memories?  Take your sweet time lingering in the smell, close your eyes to feel what it feels like to be in that memory's moment (good or bad) and notice the breath--Has it changed? Notice your physical response--Are your tightening or gripping or has your body suddenly released? Are you more relaxed? Notice the emotional response--How are you reacting? Is it positive or negative? Who or what is your memory of--the time and place?Yoga is about being in the moment and so what is your scent moment?  Within your lifestyle, how do you use scent?

In case you are curious, here are some of the most common essential oils and their qualities.  Put them on your yoga mat and see what happens! 

Basil: Uplifting, clarifies thought processes.

Bergamot: Uplifting, yet calming.

Cedarwood: Relaxing; stress reducing.

Chamomile: Soothing and calming, excellent to use after an argument.

Fennel: Relaxing, warming, calming.

Fir needle: Refreshing, cleansing.

Frankincense: Calming, helps release fear.

Geranium: Balancing mood swings, harmonizing.

Juniper: Purifying, stimulating.

Lavender: Calming, soothing, relaxing

Lemon: Uplifting, refreshing, mental alertness.

Lemongrass: Stimulating, cleansing, tonifying.

Lime: Invigorating, refreshing.

Mandarin orange: Uplifting, refreshing.

Marjoram: Very relaxing, anxiety reducing.

Myrrh: Strengthening, inspiring.

Orange: Uplifting, refreshing.

Patchouli: Inspiring, sensuous.

Peppermint: Stimulating, cleansing, refreshing, invigorating.

Pine: Refreshing, cleansing, stimulating.

Rose: Emotionally soothing.

Rosemary: Stimulating, cleansing, good for studying, invigorating.

Sage: Cleansing, purifying.

Sandalwood: Stress reducing, sensuous, soothing, helps release fear.

Spearmint: Refreshing, stimulating.

Ylang-ylang: Uplifting, sensuous.

Summer Exuberance

So here we are on the precipice of summer….a long awaited one at that! Soooooo how about starting to pay attention to what makes us happy? I know, I know it is a fairly large topic to grapple with. But again, we learn to be patient and observant in our yoga practices so......
I heard a reading from a book called The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown. (Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past decade studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame.) This book, as its title suggests, is a great accumulation of research on a movement of letting go, on becoming more mindful about what is truly important in our lives, what is worth working towards. Sounds familiar? Yep, we hear these messages in our yoga classes.

The chapter read was about Play and Rest (Chapter 7). It was about letting go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self worth. Which is hard. In our circles,  the first questions people ask are, "Who do you work for? How many degrees do you have? How many weekends a month do you work?"  We seem to think that the more overtime hours we put in, the more exhausted we sound, the more important we are. Why is that anyway? When did this become a badge of pride? There are times in our lives when overworking is inevitable. When times are calmer,  Dr. Brown suggests taking a good look at ourselves by making two lists: one of things that bring us joy and meaning and another list of dreams. Making a list of "joy and meaning" - when things go well in your life, when you feel happy what does it look like? Dr. Brown and her family's answers included: "sleep, working out, healthy food, cooking, time off, weekends away, going to church, being present with the kids, a sense of control over our money, meaningful work that does not consume us, time to piddle, time with family/close friends, and time to just hang out". Comparing this list with their dream list - accomplishments and acquisitions mainly--bigger house, cars, large salary goals - on this list everything requires making and spending more money.

They realized that by letting go of the items on the second list, the things they wanted to acquire and accomplish, they would be living fulfilled NOW!! Not in the future, but RIGHT NOW!! Just as any changes in our habits, our outlook, our routine, this is yet another not-so-easy process. It does not mean that you will not move into that bigger house, have that car, get the degree, but it helps put things in perspective. It will make you realize if you really need it, or you want it because that is what you think you are supposed to want or have. Allow yourself more time and clarity of what is truly important and time to reflect on what makes you happy NOW.

Well, I went home and made my list. There were some surprises, some question marks, and some stuff to work through. It was a great exercise! It will take some time to live by it and I am aware that the list will change as my life circumstances change. One thing that I came away with was that meaningful work does make me happy. I am so happy every time I step on the mat. I am happy when I am teaching yoga. I am happy when I am writing. If I can be lucky enough to do those for the rest of my life...

I wish you good soul-searching, finding things that truly make you happy and enjoying them…..NOW!!!  'One of these days" is exactly now! Make this summer a SUMMER TO REMEMBER--the SUMMER OF NOW.  Embrace the important things and live your dream TODAY.  Discuss your list with your spouse/significant other/family/children/best friend and have them make theirs.  Create a list together and STICK TO IT! Keep each other accountable!! Toss out the stuff that no longer serves you. Embrace the stuff that sets your soul on fire!  Why is it when our schedules get hectic, our bucket-fillers get ditched?  Now how crazy is that??!!

Yoga teaches us to be present so let's take that off our mats and into our daily walk.  Look at your schedule and make yoga your sanctuary time on a regular basis so that your reflections on what's truly meaningful is cultivated each and every day…hopefully on your mat and off… Let us embrace the sunshine, the warm weather, the outdoors, each other and ENJOY our present moments!!

Yoga On!
Trish

Yoga is like organic farming for the body and soul

-->

Yoga is like organic farming for the body and soul

 

 We all have different reasons for coming to our mats.  We all have our own transformational journey that yoga has allowed opportunity for; for some a physical transformation, others a mental or emotional metamorphosis, and still others a spiritual awakening or deepening.  Let us remember how unique a gift yoga can be not only for ourselves but also those around us.  One of our yoga students came to their mat through a struggle.  With their permission, I am sharing their words with all of you. They are transparent, authentic, grateful, and everything that yoga embodies.  Take a moment to not rush through this tale.  Let this yoga journey speak to you as all of us can relate because we all have things that entangle who we were authentically made to be. We all struggle with false ideas.  I promise this shall resonate deep within your soul!

Like millions of Americans, I struggle with chronic emotional and mental health issues. I am no stranger to anxiety, insomnia, and mood swings. They’ve led me to self medicate with everything from alcohol to marijuana to nightly doses of Benadryl. I am no stranger to addiction. I’ve fought and won hard battles with prescription painkillers, benzodiazapines, muscle relaxants, and sleeping pills. For years I have relied heavily upon substances to alleviate everything from frequent headaches to chronic infections, from acute muscle spasms to panic attacks. If there were a pill for it, I would take it. I would take it desperate for a quick solution. It wasn’t for lack of awareness. I simply told myself that I didn’t have the time for the kind of self-care and preventative measures required for true health. I am a single parent with too many bills, too many PTA meetings, too many part-time jobs, too much housework, and too many college courses. I have too many people vying for my time, energy and support. Who has time for silly things like breathing and stretching?

I wish it hadn’t taken me this long to get real with myself. To accept and understand that it is me and only me who is responsible for my health and well-being. That self-love requires far more action and way less excuses. And that yoga could offer me the long-term solution to my anxieties and addictions great and small. Does it sound like an exaggeration? If I were the reader, I sure would think so. Yoga seems so passive. It seems so simple. So optional. Well, I certainly cannot speak for all humans, although I would like to believe that there are humans much like myself in dire need of real strength and healing that would benefit from its powers. So, I wanted to share with you just how profoundly my life has shifted since I made yoga a part of my daily life, thanks to my yoga community. I want to share with great enthusiasm and amazement that not only has it improved my posture and self-confidence, strengthened my back and core, and provided relief from physical and emotional pain and stress, it has provided me with a daily dose of spiritual inspiration. While I have yet to delve deep into the ancient spiritual practice of yoga, I can say with great certainty that connecting with the breath and with the present moment are profoundly powerful practices with a wealth of health benefits. When you really start to care for yourself, you begin to feel better in general. And the better you feel, the more likely you are to care. It’s a beautiful cycle, a positive cycle.

It’s been easier for me to choose healthy, alkaline foods. After a practice, after I have had the time to feel my own strengths and weaknesses, search for balance, and tap into emotional pain deeply in need of release, the last thing I want to do is eat processed food, or have a drink. I feel good. And I worked for that feeling. I made the time to maintain my body, and in the process I managed to nurture my spirit and mind. What resulted are baby steps in all the right directions. By taking pause, I’ve come to realize that my way of living was unsustainable. I couldn’t go on that way and expect to thrive. My needs were legitimate. I do need something to take the edge off, to sleep better at night, to help me stay in the moment, and to help combat chronic disease. Yoga, for me, is a part of a very real, very potent path to holistic healing. It has made the impossible, possible. I’m writing to you as an addict who continues to struggle on the daily. But I am writing to you 100% sober, 100% capable, and 100% inspired to be my healthiest and to own my own healing. Yoga is like organic farming for the body and soul. Sustainable and nurturing, possible and vital. I give thanks for our yoga community and all the knowledge and support I have received here. I wish you all Happiness and Wellness. 

With a joyful heart, Namaste.

A Soleil Lune Student

One of my fondest memories growing up involves springtime and our crab apple tree.  This tree had really unique, twisting branches.  In the spring this tree was COVERED in pink blossoms and it created a magical canopy that we (my brother, myself, and all the kids in the neighborhood) would climb up into.  It was a fantastic hiding place for hide-and-go-seek!  You would be buried in the blossoms and no one could see you!!  Being embraced by thousands of these blossoms made us feel so safe....so content....the silence within them was deafening. The aroma these tiny flowers gave was intoxicating and being enveloped within their hold created such sense of a deep, inner peace and quiet. We never wanted to climb down.  We just wanted to sit....and BE.

As we all 'patiently' wait for spring this year, this memory got me thinking.  How often do we retreat to a place that gives us that intoxicating feeling of peace and rest? It can be extravagant like an island vacation, but what I am talking about is more of a place that is available to us at any time.  How often do we seek solitude?  Many of us talk about it, but how many of us ACTUALLY SEEK it out?

The clutter of our daily lives and technology seems to keep us from ourselves as well as from others--whether that be our families or our friends.  Perhaps this spring our 'spring cleaning' should include a look at our schedules....de-clutter them!  Our minds--find solitude and learn to sit down on the inside!  We see spring cleaning as getting rid of things, making things clean or fresh, and creating space.  We should also do this on the INSIDE!

Creating space is what yoga helps us do each and every time we are on our mats.  We can be having a rock star practice where everything comes with ease or we can have a practice where we are butting heads with each posture, ourselves and our classmates.  The cool thing is that either way, no matter how our practice comes about, we create space; space within our bodies, our minds, and our hearts.  We learn to clear the space within in order to cultivate our very own space where we can just BE.  That means be alone with ourselves and with God.  No one else. Just us....and SIT. No monkey brain jumping around, no to-do list screaming at us that we behind, no schedule that creates chaos.....just the simple art of being.  It is simple yet SO VERY HARD to do.

Once we learn this art form, we will find ourselves in a very different state of being.  Things no longer seem overwhelming and when they get hectic, well, we realize it and gradually cultivate change. We no longer seek crazy schedules.  We let go of things that no longer serve us--relationships, tasks, or things that once ignited us, but are now an energy-sucker. We learn to be patient and do errands when they make sense and we group them according to geographic location.  We let go of the need-it-now mentality and embrace waiting. We learn to see people soul-to-soul and once we capture that we will never be the same; ourselves as well as those we encounter.  Technology screams at us to be busy and get going....let's all stop...breathe....and remember what life was like when cell phones and iPads were not even around. It seems that it was a slow fade to the busy-ness of life.  Let's all take the small steps back toward a calmer, more present state of being.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  ~Walt Disney

Even though we keep moving forward, let's make sure we are checking and aware of what paths we are moving down!! Are you with me? The Yoga Sutras teach us about planting seeds....seeds that blossom and come to fruition within each and every moment we are given as well as those we are PLANTING in each and every moment.  What seeds are you planting?  The Bible tells us we reap what we sow.  What are you reaping and what, exactly, are you sowing in each moment?

It's spring so let's get to it!   Clean by de-cluttering inside and out to create space. Plant new seeds so your inner peace and inner space keeps expanding as do your conversations with God! It sure is sweeter when you get to experience the blossoms of inner peace! Who's climbing up into my crab apple tree? 
 
Namaste &Yoga-on
Trish

Henry Nouwen says in The Return of he Prodigal Son, 'We don’t have to go far to find the treasure we are seeking. There is beauty and goodness right where we are. And only when we can see the beauty and goodness that are close by can we recognize beauty and goodness on our travels far and wide. There are trees and flowers to enjoy, paintings and sculptures to admire; most of all there are people who smile, play, and show kindness and gentleness. They are all around us, to be recognized as free gifts to receive in gratitude.'

Spring seems to be a time we often devote to cleaning; mainly our homes and the proverbial SPRING CLEANING. I propose we use this analogy to clean the dirty windows we see ourselves through, we see others through, and we see the world through. When was the last time you examined the rooms of your heart and the lens through which we view the world and those around through?  On our mats we are encouraged to do this--to look deep within and seek transformation into something better......something greater.....something more like God created us to be! It is time to take our mats our into this world.  The weather is changing and encouraging us to break free from the cocoon of winter, to break free of the habitat of our homes and begin to seek the outside!

As a collective community let us strive to become an intentional community; friends on mission together!  Let us see with new eyes each person we encounter as a family member rather than a stranger, acquaintance or some other label we give them. And by this family-mentality let the world see what LOVE actually IS.  Let the world see that we are the change, that each person matters and has a story.  Let us take the time to listen, let our schedules be interrupted, and see people soul to soul rather than just brush by in quick conversation.  Let us INVEST in one another.  Do life together!

Spring challenge: get connected and invest in 2-3 people that you can do life together with. 

What does that look like?  You know each others' story.  you know what ignites each others' souls and you hold each other accountable.  You admit your shortcomings. You call it for what it is rather than what the other wants to hear.  You spend time with each others' families.  You meet socially.  You do yoga together.  You read a book together or anything else you enjoy doing! You meet to pray together, to encourage one another, and to share struggles, highlights, pitfalls, mountain tops, dreams, tears, and everything else in between.  You DO life together!

Life is too short to become consumed by your already too hectic schedule.  Reward yourself and settle down into the person God created each of us to be realizing He created us for community!  God lives in community with His Son and Holy Spirit so why do we feel we can go it alone?  We can't!  Life is too short! It is a GIFT.  It is time to go off your mat yogis!!! Take hold.  Connect. Invest. Do Life......together. 

ONE LOVE

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, the topic is love…..February seems to do that to us or at least we take a deeper notice of this concept of L-O-V-E. Our yoga practice helps us to embrace ourselves, to love ourselves more and in return we can love others more deeply and more compassionately.

There are few situations in life that instantly bring everything into sharp focus. It’s usually a birth, death, celebration, tragedy – an unexpected or impossible event. Something so big that it causes you to re-calibrate everything you know to be true. The bright flood lights that show you what matters most: who you wish you told you were sorry, who you wish you would have said 'I love you' to more often, who you wish you spent time with, and what you wish you could change.

It shouldn’t be just these events that bring out this awareness. It should be something we can access when we take life for granted. When we are annoyed, dissatisfied, petty. The times we are hurtful and punishing. When we get mad at traffic. When we complain about a wrong order. Nothing matters more in life than having health and happiness, and the health and happiness of those you love. If you have those things, you are the luckiest person in the world. Money means nothing in the face of that. It has no value except for its value as it relates to those things.

It’s hard to feel that way when your having a crappy day or month or year or five years. BUT….. wherever you are in life, you have things to be grateful for. Sometimes I write a list of those things so that I can be truly aware of the good in my life. Even the small or seemingly frivolous things en masse add up to be great. The majority of my list is always the people I have in my life. I am so, so grateful to have them all and I hope to never waste a second with them that could be savored. I hope they always know what they mean to me, and that I love them, and how much.

It is scary to put your innermost feelings out there sometimes, but when we do we can free fall, full of grace, into the love of our God and trust that those we love….who truly love us….will catch us and love us, perfect in our own mess, just as God loves them: Perfectly and honestly. Reaching out may the hardest thing to do so I challenge all of us to reach out, say I LOVE YOU, and capture the benefits it promises.  We are created for relationships and so much of today's pace and technology takes us away from that--it cocoons us--so we don't have to interact, we don't have to be face to face.  We text when we could talk. We Facebook and email when we could meet face to face.  Reach out and TOUCH someone when you are talking to them: physically, emotionally, and soulfully connect!  We thrived on it as children so what makes us think we don't now?

Today I invite you to ponder this piece of your life and let it make you happy for all that is good. Celebrate your friends, your spouse, your parents, your children, your neighbor, your boss, your sister, niece, grandfather, the checker you see every week at the grocery store. If there’s a person you’ve been thinking about, but haven’t talked to in a while or a person you talk to all the time, but you just haven’t told them how you feel-- reach out today!!

Life is precious and fragile, and it is a gift that we have all been given. Let us remember that today.  Let us also remember that love is a gift from God and we are called to pass that on to ALL others. Not just the ones WE love, but ALL others….yes, even those we don't like very much--it is the taking and giving of our yoga practice!


Let's get to it!  ONE LOVE….pass it on!