A Reminder: The Beautiful Benefits of Your Yoga Practice

With swimsuit season officially here, it’s no wonder that women everywhere are on the prowl for the hottest new tips in creating a bikini-ready body.  As a yoga instructor I am frequently asked, “Will yoga get me in shape?”  Followed with, “Can yoga flatten my stomach? Can it tone my arms and legs? Will I jiggle less?”  The answers are yes, yes, yes, and yes.

As many yoginis know, yoga is great for keeping the body in shape.  In fact, a new book was just released highlighting some of the best yoga poses and workouts for boosting your confidence in string bikinis.  The author, a former swimsuit model herself, also discusses yoga’s benefits for breaking bad habits, learning to eat properly, and cultivating a positive and grateful attitude.  It’s a highly-recommended book, especially for any yoga gal wanting to reap the powerful physical benefits of yoga.

However, in a world that is constantly inundating women with images and ideas on what the “perfect” body is, it’s nice to know that our yoga practice does more than just tone and tighten muscles.  Here are five beautiful benefits of your yoga practice:

1. Patience. You aren’t going to be able to do every single pose as soon as you start showing up to class; it takes persistence and self-confidence. Understanding that is the key to unlocking this benefit of yoga. Don’t get mad at yourself if you fall out of crow pose or can’t hold yourself up in headstand. Tell yourself that you have the ability to do whatever pose that you find difficult.

2. Acceptance. Accepting your level in class enables you to accept your place in the world. The power of yoga? It reminds you—in both—that if you don’t like where you are, you have to work to make a change.

3. Dedication. You’re not going to get stronger, be able to do more advanced poses, or reap the benefits of yoga unless you show up to class regularly. Once you make a commitment, you’ll notice how you’re following through with your plans and your goals—you know, all the things you said you’d do but never got around to.

4. Kindness. By listening to yourself and knowing your limitations, you’re doing your body good. Your ego is the villain that tells you that you should feel embarrassed for your shortcomings. But if you’re not strong enough to do a handstand, don’t do one. Instead, work on building your arm strength so that you’ll be able to do one in the future. By being nicer to yourself in class, you may find that you won’t be so hard on yourself in the real world when you slip up. Plus, you’ll be likely to interact with others more often with a smile on your face, and that’s contagious.

5. Focus. Yoga is all about turning off your intrusive thoughts. To be in tune with your body, you can’t be thinking about that email you have to write, that friend you have to call, or what you’re going to have for dinner. You won’t be able to reap the full benefits of yoga unless you’re completely focused and aware of every muscle in your body. Once you are able to free yourself from your thoughts in class, you’ll find yourself more focused on that project you’ve been working on, because you’ve learned to avoid the distractions your thoughts tempt you with.

(Read Full Article)

In all honesty, the benefits of yoga are too numerous to count.  They vary from person to person, adapting to the intentions that the yogi brings to the mat.  The wonderful thing about yoga is that it will always give you what you need, plus a little something extra for the road.

What is your favorite benefit of yoga practice?

Love!

On How To Be Happy

There are some days, no matter how wonderful and amazing they might be, that just get you down in the dumps.  Sometimes you know why you are not feeling like yourself, and other times it’s just an overwhelming feeling of blues, like a blanket of gray clouds that comes out of nowhere and lingers just a tad too long.

Today has definitely been a grayish-blue day for me.  I am feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and anxious.  I am worrying about things that are not in my control and forgetting about how gracious life really is – how it will provide for you always, just like all of the critters on this beautiful planet.

Here are 15 amazing reminders for how to turn that frown upside-down:

1. LOVE vs. FEAR. Well, I can tell you for sure that those people, who are really happy, FEAR less and LOVE a lot more. They see each moment, each challenge, each person as an opportunity to discover more about themselves and the world around them.

2. ACCEPTANCE vs. RESISTANCE. Happy people understand that you can’t really change a situation by resisting it, but you can definitely change it by accepting that it is there and by understanding that there might be a reason for its existence. When something unpleasant happens to them, they don’t try to fight it, knowing that this will make the situation even worse, but rather, they ask themselves questions like: What can I learn from this? How can I make this better? And they go from there, focusing on the positive rather than on the negative. They always seem to see the glass half full no matter what happens to them.

3. FORGIVENESS vs. UNFORGIVENESS. Really happy people know that it’s not healthy to hold on to anger. They choose to FORGIVE and FORGET, understanding that FORGIVENESS is a gift they give to themselves first and foremost.

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” –Buddha

4. TRUST vs. DOUBT. They trust themselves and they trust the people around them. No matter if they talk to the cleaning lady or the C.E.O. of a multi-billion company, somehow they always seem make the person they are interacting with feel like there is something unique and special about them.

They understand that beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies, and because of that, they make sure to treat everybody with love, dignity and respect, making no distinctions between age, sex, social status, color, religion or race. These are the great men that Mark Twain was talking about: “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

5. MEANING vs. AMBITION. They do the things they do because of the meaning it brings into their lives and because they get a sense of purpose by doing so. They understand that “Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life” like Wayne Dyer puts it, and they care more about living a life full of meaning rather than, what in our modern society we would call, living a successful life.

The irony here is that most of the time they get both, success and meaning, just because they choose to focus on doing the things they love the most and they always pursue their heart desires. They are not motivated by money; they want to make a difference in the lives of those around them and in the world.

6. PRAISING vs. CRITICIZING. Happy people would probably agree with Carl’s Jung theory on resistance: “What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size”. They don’t criticize the absence of the behavior they want to reinforce, but rather, every time the behavior is present, even if it’s not that often, they know that by praising the person and the behavior, they will actually reinforce the positive behavior.

When a parent wants to make sure that his 7 years old boy will learn to always put the toys back in the box after he’s done playing with them, he will make sure not to focus on the many times the child won’t do it, criticizing him and his behavior, but rather, every time the little boy does put the toys back, the parent will praise him and his behavior and that is exactly how he will reinforce the positive behavior, and in the end getting the wanted results.

7. CHALLENGES vs. PROBLEMS. Happy people will see PROBLEMS as CHALLENGES, as opportunities to explore new ways of doing things, expressing their gratitude for them, understanding that underneath them all lies many opportunities that will allow them to expand and to grow.

8. SELFLESSNESS vs. SELFISHNESS. They do what they do not for themselves, but for the good of others, making sure that they bring meaning, empowerment and happiness in the lives of many. They look for ways to give and to share the best of them with the world and to make other people happy.

”Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted.”—Buddha

9. ABUNDANCE vs. LACK/POVERTY. They have an abundant mindset living a balanced life, achieving abundance in all areas of life.

10. DREAMING BIG vs. BEING REALISTIC. These people don’t really care about being realistic. They love and dare to dream big, they always listen to their heart and intuition and the greatness of their accomplishments scares many of us.

“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” –Goethe

11. KINDNESS vs. CRUELTY. They are kind to themselves and others and they understand the power of self-love, self-forgiveness and self-acceptance.

12. GRATITUDE vs. INGRATITUDE. No matter where they look, no matter where they are or with who, they have this capacity of seeing beauty where most of us would only see ugliness, opportunities, where most of us would only see struggles, abundance where most of us would only see lack and they express their gratitude for them all.

13. PRESENCE/ ENGAGEMENT vs. DISENGAGEMENT. They know how to live in the present moment, appreciating what they have and where they are, while still having big dreams about the future.

“When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. The mind in itself is a wonderful tool. Dysfunction sets in when you seek your self in it and mistake it for who you are.” – Eckhart Tolle

14. POSITIVITY vs. NEGATIVITY. No matter what happens to them, they always seem to keep a positive perspective on everything and by doing so, they tend irritate a lot of negative and “realistic” people.

15. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY vs. BLAMING. They take full ownership over their lives and they rarely use excuses. Happy people understand that the moment you choose to blame some outside forces for whatever it is that happens to you, you are in fact giving all your power away, and they choose to keep the power for themselves and taking responsibility for everything that happens to them.

(See Full Article)

As I start to shift my mindset and bring myself back to the present, I feel like the clouds are lifting.

Share this with a friend – everyone can benefit from a little pick-me-up!

Much Love Yoginis!

Live A Little Longer By Acting A Little Older

There is one thing I never pass up, the opportunity to listen to someone wiser than me talk.  Nine times out of ten, that wise person is over the age of seventy.  It’s no wonder that elderly people, after making countless mistakes and learning what life is all about, are the wisest people.  When I lived in Argentina, I spent many afternoons talking to the nuns at a nearby church or playing chess with widowers in the park.  I loved hearing them talk about their experiences and listening to their advice for me advice about living.  “Don’t run through parks and miss the smell of fresh-cut grass and trees in bloom.”  “Don’t wave, blow kisses instead.”  “Hold hands with your husband, your children, and anyone else who will let you.”

I think we can all know that we can learn a lot from listening, but are we willing to change our lives by actually doing?  Here’s some timeless advice for your consideration written by a wonderful 95-year old man –

(From Elephant Journal)

I challenge you today to not only enjoy this advice, but to choose a few that you will actually start doing regularly.  Let’s start acting a little older (a few several decades at least) yoginis!  I choose taking responsibility for my own life, rekindling old friendships, and being forgiving to others and myself.  Which will you pick?

Much Love and Many Blessings!

Tadasana Festival: “The Earth Danced A Fluid Expression of Myself”

The Tadasana Festival is an annual event held on the beautiful beach of Santa Monica, California.  Lasting three days, Tadasana’s goal is to unite the power of yoga, music, and community.  Why?  Because “yoga supports your ability to be awesome, music makes the impossible possible, and community makes everything worthwhile.  With over 60 of the world’s most popular yoga instructors, including Kathryn Budig, Elena Brower, Baron Baptiste, Seane Corn, and Shiva Rea, 40 transformative speakers, and 32 spectacular musical groups, Tadasana Festival is definitely not something to be missed.

The following piece is written by Julie Nail, a yoga instructor and attendee of the Tadasana Festival, about her experience during this incredible event…

I didn’t turn a corner. I was at a place where I could look back; where I could look back and see the trail I had carved with my footprints. I could see all the ripples in the path, along with the places in which my feet had never hit the ground. There were just spaces of light footprints…until there weren’t. And over the earth danced a fluid expression of myself.

I wasn’t upset. I wasn’t filled with anger or confusion nor did I have any sort or yearning for a deeper explanation. I simply saw. I saw the places in which I’d detoured and the places in which I had just laid myself down in deep and heavy despair – crying and blind, scared and frozen.

Here I was just where I was- not in some fantasized wonder of what I thought heaven looked like. I was here. I was standing on this earth with my heart resting over my legs. I had nothing in my pockets. I had no shoes; no phone. I had my breath. I had my heart.

I turned back to face forward and all I saw was light.

I could sense the stories of when skin at times had touched mine. I could feel the presence of human love in my heart. I stood facing a warm welcome to all that was- to all the peace that could possibly exist. My feet rooted and my body long.

I stood. I just stood. My heart bursting wide – WIDE open. My eyes – at a soft gaze into bliss. I stood with a smile so permanent it melted all my minds confusion. Nothing, but light and love ahead.  That was the day I began again in Tadasana…

Beautiful. Life-Changing. A Blessing.  That is yoga.  And that is worth sharing.

Love Yoginis!

(P.S. Tickets for Tadasana are available now, but time is running out!)

Live Your Life, Love Your Life

While spending an afternoon with my husband today, running errands and driving around town to enjoy the sounds and smells of spring, I noticed something thoroughly depressing – why are so many people so unhappy?  Why do so many people spend each day wrapped up in negativity and oblivious to the miracles taking place not only around them, but right there in them?

As a teacher, one of the many nice things I hear again and again from my students is, “How are you always so positive?”  Rewind four or five years ago and the most frequent thing I heard was, “Why are you so unhappy?  You should try smiling more.”  My boyfriend (now my husband) even came up with a code word (“pomegranate”) to remind me to smile so I wouldn’t scare people away.  Looking at how my life has changed over the years, I can credit my transformation from a solemn, worried individual to someone who is incredibly optimistic and grateful to five things: yoga, meditation, juicing, my husband, and my son who will be joining this world in July.

If I dig a little deeper to the root of my gratitude, it really grows from my ability to be present in each moment, to my acceptance of who I am and the life that I have.  So how do you get to the point in your life where you can truly pause and say to your self, “I absolutely love my life”?  Here are six tips:

Tip 1: Know Your Truth

This requires unlearning all of the ways you have been taught to deny personal truth. Many of you were taught that speaking your truth was rude if it in some way offended another person, thus you developed the Disease to Please. To get back to your truth, you need to tap into your body’s wisdom. In order to hear what your body (intuition) is saying, you must become still and silent for a dedicated period of time on a daily basis. So, start meditating and journaling about how your truth was received as a child to connect the dots forward to issues you may have today with speaking your truth.

Tip 2: Speak Your Truth

Once you have systems in place to help you recognize your truth, the next step is to be able to effectively honor and communicate it. This includes learning to say “NO” and to clearly ask for what you need (“Nonviolent Communication” by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., is an excellent book on how to communicate effectively in business and personal relationships). In addition to verbal expression, expressing your authentic self through clothing, decorating your personal space and creating something from nothing (art, writing, etc.) are all fun and liberating ways to mirror your authenticity back to you.

Tip 3: F*CK Your Mafia (FEAR) Mind

If your fear mind is running your life’s show, it is also extorting the joy from it. Learning that most fear is just a feeling, not a fact, frees you to change your response. This requires present moment awareness to stop the fearful thought from becoming reality. Fear is part of the human condition and informative, but you do have control over how much it controls you. To be authentic, you must be willing to stretch out of your comfort zone. Have faith that you will survive, thrive and learn what it is you are meant to know when you do what you are called to do. Fear can be your biggest teacher or the roadblock to where you want to go. You decide.

Tip 4: You = The Only One

“Comparison is the thief of joy” -Dwight Edwards

Since you are the only you now and evermore, trying to live another’s life is simply impossible. Focus on the qualities that set you apart, honor your integrity in all you do and accept your shadow self with kindness. No one else has your unique gifts and talents.

Tip 5: Downloaded Blueprints

Any area of your life that is not working is most likely built on a faulty blueprint designed by others. Revealing your limiting, inherited beliefs is the beginning of re-drawing your blueprint to actually fit what you want to create. This requires reflection and a willingness to do the work to change your mind about what you were taught about “the way it is.”

Tip 6: Revealing & Building Core Self with Balance

The foundation for authentic living is having balance in all areas. This includes health, relationships, career, spirituality and finances. As you identify where you are out of balance, you can start to make concrete changes to come back to center. Small changes will add up to big shifts, so ditch the “all or nothing” mentality and start today!

(Tips from Terri Cole’s Great Post)

Isn’t it time you start living and loving your own life?  There is no reason why anyone should feel stuck in the cycle of negativity when all it takes to find happiness is opening your eyes to your truth.  Do yourself and the world a favor and bloom where you have been planted!  A dead twig does nothing to contribute to a blooming garden of flowers.

Pass these six tips along and help a friend start loving their life!

Much Love Yoginis!

A Yogini Left Out: When Is Hot Too Hot?

For years, Bikram and hot yoga were my obsession.  There were many days where I would attend not just one, but two classes a day, never seeming to get enough of that amazing yoga high.  Not only did hot yoga help to heal my back from serious injuries when nothing else could, it introduced me to the world of yoga.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

However, when I discovered that I was pregnant in October, I immediately stopped attending classes.  I had heard from several credible sources, including instructors and midwives, that the heat could be potentially dangerous for an unborn baby.  I, on the other hand, was worried about not being able to participate in all of the poses, fearing that Locust or Floor Bow may indeed squish my baby.

My husband has continued to go to his hot yoga classes and just recently he reported seeing a very pregnant and very happy woman in one of his classes.  Jealousy ensued and my desire to want to practice hot yoga again re-emerged.  But is it safe, for everyone not just pregnant women?

Patanjali defines the Asana as “Steady and comfortable posture or position”. So Asana is a position of body and mind, which is steady and comfortable. Any body posture is comfortable when it is attained in natural environmental conditions.

Life is very difficult in regions where temperatures are as high as 48 degrees Celsius, so why create such difficult condition around and practice yoga there? Isn’t it a common sense not to create worse situations for body?

(Full Article)

Apparently the controversy in the yoga world about hot yoga rages on.  For me, although I have ultimately decided not to practice hot yoga until after my baby is born, I will definitely return to the practice.  Yoga is a personal practice and is manifested differently by each yogi and yogini.  I think it’s best not to judge what works for another.  Most importantly, you need to know what works for yourself.  Which style helps to bring peace to the body, to unite body and mind?  This is for you to discover and you alone.

Which styles of yoga are your favorites?  Why do those appeal to you more than others? Comment below!

Love!!

P.S. If hot yoga is your thing, I just found a great pair of Bikram shorts at Anthropologie!

Learn How To Live Your Best Life Possible With The Power Of Chakra Meditation

Buy This Book Now on Amazon

Julie Schoen, author of How To Meditate Like Buddha: A Beginner’s Meditation Guide, has released a new book revealing the secrets and techniques of chakra meditation.  A complex and ancient science, the system of chakras is believed to control the well being of an individual’s life.  In balance, a person is successful and happy.  Out of balance, however, a person can be plagued with numerous negative effects, including illness, disease, depression, infertility, and pain.  Schoen’s new book, Chakra Meditation: A Down To Earth Guide For Healing Chakras and Rebalancing Chakras, is a compilation of her knowledge and teaching, including effective techniques that have been passed down for centuries.

Literally translated as “wheels”, chakras reside along the spine of each individual, starting from the base and moving up to the crown of the head.  As people live their lives, the chakras become imbalanced, forcing a few chakras to compensate for others that are blocked or no longer functioning properly.  The imbalance of chakras leads to an imbalanced life.  If not addressed, this imbalance can lead to serious issues that often force people to take a backseat to life and even resort to drugs and alcohol.  Because many people do not understand chakras, they do not view rebalancing them as a viable option for healing their lives.  By simply learning about the seven different chakras that create the chakra system and using powerful meditation techniques, people can reclaim their lives with a completely holistic and long-term solution.

Whether you have never heard of chakras before or have a seasoned meditation practice, this book will help you master over a dozen different techniques that specifically target the various chakras in the body.  Do not underestimate the chakras’ ability to heal and transform your life.  Learn to harness their energy and clear a path in your body for success and happiness to flow.

Love!

P.S. Share this book with a friend on Facebook and Twitter

Getting to Know Your Chakras For The Sake of Love, Money, and Confidence

The ancient science of chakras becomes intimidating as you start to delve into it.  An intricate explanation of how our bodies work, the chakra system describes seven chakras (energy centers) that every person has.  These chakras, as we live our day-to-day lives, become out of balance, causing disease, pain, suffering, and an extensive list of just about everything negative under the sun.

However, by getting to know your chakras and learning which ones are out of balance, you can remedy all of these horrible things.  Many yogis believe that healing and balancing chakras is the key to a healthy, happy, successful life.  The wonderful news is that if you already have a consistent yoga and meditation practice, you’re most likely fixing your chakras.  This may be the reason why you feel so good after practicing, but have a hard time explaining why.  It’s the magic of chakras!

Below is a great article about the connection between love, money, confidence, and chakras.  If you’d like to learn more about chakras and how you can use meditation to refocus your energy centers, I highly recommend the newly released book, Chakra Meditation: A Down To Earth Guide For Healing Chakras and Balancing Chakras, by Julie Schoen available on Amazon.

Does the word “chakras” sound at all familiar to you? What if I said this post was about love, money, and confidence – and how you can experience more of all of the above? Yep, that’s right. Get to know your chakra system and you will. Our chakra energy system is where energy flows through our body, and when any one of our seven chakras are blocked – well, it’s not good. But learn more about your chakras and how to keep that energy flowing freely, and you’ll bring love, money, confidence, and much, much more into your life.

Love. “Get rid of the old to make room for the new” or “You must love yourself before you can love another” are just a few of the very true clichés we have all heard. Though these sayings are both very true, sometimes we need a bit of help in the way of making those statements truly come to fruition in our lives. This is where your heart chakra comes in (located at the heart). Your heart chakra represents your past, present and future loves – and if it’s not open, then you’re probably not going to be experiencing the abundance of love that is available to you. So, what to do? Well, an easy food fix for this chakra is eating green-colored foods. (Yay for green juice! Maybe this is why we all love Kris!) The other fix for this chakra is opening your heart—whether that means using yoga to open that chest of yours, or literally forcing yourself to say “I love you” to those you love; either will do just fine. My grandfather’s 1950s version of opening his heart chakra (whether he knew it or not) was silently blessing the first 100 people he saw every morning. You know what, it worked. That man was probably the most popular man in our town.

Money. Have you ever had a lower back issue? Perhaps it’s just reoccurring pain, or maybe it’s even a case of sciatica. If you were more familiar with your chakras you’d know that lower back pain (root chakra) can be traced to concerns over money. Yep, money worries = lower back pain. Famous financier George Soros used to say he’d always get out of an investment when his lower back would bother him. The good news for George and for us is that by doing some light yoga (like bridge pose) and eating red-colored foods, we can help open up our root chakra. I remember a time a few years ago, when I was on the road raising capital for a start-up during one of the toughest financial environments ever, and guess what body part began to hurt? Yep, that’s right, my lower back. But the good news was that a friend in San Francisco had introduced me to the chakra system, and after some hard core lower back work, including a lot of restorative yoga, my lower back was back on track. And we ended up raising the capital we needed, too.

Confidence. Self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem–call them what you want–we’ve all dealt with these at one time or another. When we’re not feeling as confident as we should be feeling, we can perpetually sink ourselves into feeling worse. There are loads of great books and self-esteem boosters like affirmations to help get us back on our confidence track. There’s also our solar plexus chakra (located above the navel) as well. By indulging in corn, some yoga that is ab-centric, and by even shaking that booty of ours (yes, dancing helps), we can open up our solar plexus chakra and get our confidence back where it should be. I particularly love this chakra because of its location within our abdominal muscles. The healing of our solar plexus chakra, more so than any other chakra, is directly related to working out and moving our bodies, particularly our abs. This really illustrates the important connection between our physical and spiritual health as an ever-expanding waistline can affect our health and our spiritual energy.

(Check out the full article on CrazySexyLife)

Even though chakras are part of a complex and complicated science, just knowing the basics can be enough when it comes to feeling the benefits of rebalancing your body’s energy centers.  Don’t forget to check out the book Chakra Meditation: A Down To Earth Guide For Healing Chakras and Rebalancing Chakras available on Amazon for a more in-depth look at how meditation can be a powerful tool for healing.

Love!

Lesson in Vairagya: “Holding It Lightly”

Vairagya, a core principle in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, is one of those life lessons that are easy to comprehend, but extremely difficult to integrate into daily life.  Literally meaning “non-attachment”, vairagya is the key to learning how to genuinely appreciate each moment while coping with life’s constant bombardment of changes.  A wonderful mentor and fellow yogini of mine once explained a concept similar to vairagya as learning to “hold lightly” the outcomes of day-to-day experiences.  Meaning, one shouldn’t cling to expectations; wanting to change the truth will bring suffering.

As I experience the incredible ups and downs of my first pregnancy, I am constantly struggling with this practice of “holding it lightly”.  My body and skin are changing along with the day-to-day routines I have become so comfortable with.  My expectations, from what I am going to accomplish each day to how I want to look, are rarely fulfilled these days, leaving me feeling disappointed instead of content like I should be.

What I need is a refresher course in vairagya, and who better to get one from than the incredible Johanna Sawalha.  Here are her words of wisdom for practicing vairagya:

“Vairagya” is the term in yoga philosophy that describes non-attachment. The term “yoga” itself comes from the verb “to yoke,” to be steadfast with something. This is different from clinging to things out of fear. Vairagya refers to our ability to let go of things, to leave them be, as well as to go for a challenge while renouncing the fruits of our labor. We need both action and inaction in our lives to remain balanced, and the practice of vairagya has us abstain from getting too attached. To play it cool, as it were.

Clinging to thought patterns, people or things, is the closest to what could be considered a sin in yoga philosophy. Basically, it shows lack of faith in that we are eternally provided for. “How is that?” you ask. There is no proof that a heavenly handout will materialize as soon as we let go of our attachments. But that is the definition of faith, isn’t it – the fact that we must believe without any assurance of desired outcome?

We can all agree that being flexible and having an ability to let go of an issue, a regret or an obsession, is a good thing. We are so much happier when we don’t stare ourselves blind over something we want, or a problem we can’t immediately solve. What I’d like to do here is explore a little further the lesser-discussed virtue of vairagya, which is what it does to us as people.

Loosening your grip on things makes you a less fearful person. Letting go reminds you that life is temporal and that being able to hold on to anything is an illusion. Enjoyment of the moment is all you have until that moment is gone – so that you may enjoy the next one. Non-attachment lets you love people without glomming on to them, expecting them to love you in return. In this mental place, fear loosens its grip on you because you enter situations without either anticipation of what will happen or bracing yourself for the worst. Your actions become a true expression of who you are, over being directed by your thoughts of what those actions will give you.

Sometimes I have trouble sleeping. Attaching myself to the idea that I should sleep only makes it worse. I’m attached to my sleep (as well as attached to the beauty that will surely vanish quickly if I don’t get my sleep). Below are the practices I do to open up and change my perspective in those moments, and I find that they can be applied to anything that I am attached to. Feel free to try this self-talk – I hope it will work for you too.

• First, use your breath to help you. Say, “let go” to yourself. “Let” on the inhale, and “go” on the “exhale.” If you, like me, use it for sleep, know that it’s also OK just to be resting and not sleeping. When you are tired enough, you will sleep (and maybe you are just someone who has a lot of energy, and that’s why you are still up).
• Second, there is a gift housed in each situation where you think you are about to lose something. The gift differs depending on the situation, but the gift of learning is universal to most of them. Ask yourself, “What am I learning now?”
• Lastly, clinging prevents you from expanding. Holding on so tightly to what you already have or hope to gain, blinds you to what else is available to you.
  Say to yourself, “Although uncomfortable, I’m expanding now.”

In conclusion, I quote the great Swami Muktananda when he said, “Don’t be addicted to anything, but if you have to be addicted to something, be addicted to yoga.” Perhaps in our glorious humanity, we will always have to fight our urge to control circumstances. Muktananda’s advice to cling to the yogic way of non-attachment may be our best bet in directing our fear and letting go. Either way, when you feel clingy, vairagya will free you up any time you are willing to practice it.

(See Johanna’s Blog Post)

For the last week I have been practicing the self-talk Johanna prescribed above and it’s working.  As I learn to enjoy each of the magical changes that are taking place in my body and life, I know that this lesson is one that I will continue to return to, practicing and perfecting.

Love!

New and Noteworthy Book: How To Meditate Like Buddha

Get Your Copy of How To Meditate Like Buddha Today! Click Here

As yoginis, we all (hopefully) know the importance of a great meditation practice.  We also know that, like anything in yoga and life, it takes years (and years) and lots of patience to develop a consistent practice.  I’ve heard a lot of people acknowledge the benefits meditation, but very few who actually try it let alone practice regularly.  The reason for that, I believe, is that meditation is intimidating.  We all have images of the monk or some enlightened yogi in our head who can site for hours peacefully enjoying a blissful meditation… but how in the world are we, as normal, everyday human beings, supposed to be able to do that?

So many people set the bar too high when they come to their very first meditation and give up entirely when they don’t meet their lofty ideal.  What the yoga community needs to do is spread the truth about meditation.  No, it isn’t easy.  Yes, it gets easier with practice.  No, chances are you won’t start to levitate.  Yes, your body, mind, and spirit will all be better off for it.

Thankfully, an amazing yogini friend of mine has written an awesome new book that serves as an introduction into the world of meditation.  How To Meditate Like Buddha provides the tools, techniques, and wisdom that only an experienced practitioner could create, allowing you to start (or maybe re-start) your meditation journey today!

Check out the press release for her new book and then get your copy today on Amazon!

How To Meditate Like Buddha is a beginner’s guide to learning the fundamentals of meditation.  Written by a yoga and meditation instructor who has fielded questions on the subject for years, this guide will provide you with all of the necessary information needed to begin exploring the profound benefits of meditation and developing your own practice.  Many people who are interested in meditation never begin, or stop shortly after starting, because they are frustrated with their results.  Mastering meditation is not easy, but, with a deeper understanding and proven techniques, you will begin enjoying the time you spend in meditation and receiving the numerous benefits that will transform your life.

How To Meditate Like Buddha is not an overwhelming guide filled with every possible technique and complex instructions and descriptions.  This guide is meant to serve you by providing you with the tools needed to start meditating today.  Every technique and piece of advice offered has been proven effective by the numerous beginners that the author has taught.  Instead of spending weeks reading about meditation and sifting through hundreds of pages of complex information, learn how to meditate by doing!

After completing this guide you will be confident in starting your own meditation practice, one you can actually stick with and finally begin to enjoy the benefits of meditating.  Expertly written, concise, and filled with proven techniques just for beginners, this guide is the only thing you’ll need to learn how to meditate like Buddha!

Experienced and beginner yoginis alike can find inspiration and guidance in this guide to meditation book!  Be sure to share it with a friend and the world!  Check out this book and other books like it in the Kindle Store on Amazon and at Little Pearl Publishing!

Love!