When I first began my yoga practice, I don't even think I had any strength in my core. I didn't even know what it meant when the teacher said something like, "Use your core to....". I had pretty much accepted that I would always have a little belly and thought I was just built that way. Thank God a dedicated yoga practice has proven me wrong!
Once I figured out how to align my body from the center (core) outward, my whole life changed! The way I do asanas (yoga poses), the way I walk, breathe and even talk. Living life from the core not only changes the way things happen physically, but also mentally and emotionally. We say in yoga that if we can find the outer alignment, the inner alignment all starts to fall into place. Sooooo true.
I recently took a class from this dude that came to town, Wade Morrisette. (Thanks to Yoga Shala for having him!!) It was 3 hours of strong flow, breath direction, dancing and a visualization that was as powerful for me as a triple espresso for coffee lovers. I believe it allowed me to move forward in my life from a stuck, stagnant, at-a-crossroads type of place to one of more freedom and understanding of what I REALLY TRULY need and want. Here it is, the energetic elevator:
(Read it first, and if it sounds cool, try it. If it doesn't sound cool, try it. You might be surprised.)
Sit quietly and comfortably.
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your third eye- between the brows.
Imagine an elevator at your third eye. It opens, you walk in, it closes, you press the down button.
The elevator travels down slowly passing through the throat, heart, ribs. It stops right behind your belly button- the third chakra- the place of the will, of your power, of your truth.
The elevator doors open. There you are.
Be still. Listen. Ask yourself at the very core of your being- Who are you? Innately. Take time to find the answer that calls out to you the strongest. Got it? Cool.
Now, question #2. What actions support you being you? How does that part of you manifest in the physical world? Got it? Cool.
Get back in the elevator. Press the UP button. Go up through the ribs, heart, throat, third eye. Doors open. Here you are. Open your eyes.
We're not done. Now for the follow through. So many ideas come and go without any commitment to them. So, let's commit. Email me. Call me. Call someone else. Anyone. Tell me, or them what you found. Who are you? Tell me/them in the form of, "I am _____. Today I am going to be ______ by doing _______."
Need examples? Ok. When I did this with Wade, I said, "I am healing. Today I am going to get my boyfriend flowers and a card to show him I care and love him and want to heal any wounds."
When I did this today I said, "I am love. Today I am going be loving by being soft-hearted at work especially when things go wrong or people are grumpy."
Get specific. Follow through. I have started my healing process and today I am love. What are you? Take the elevator down, find out. Oh yes, don't forget your ab work. :)
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Time and time again...
Have you ever had those moments when you said to yourself, "I wish I would have wrote that down!" Or, "I could write a freaking book about this!" All of those little life experiences that you just knew were full of bursts of insight that in no time you would forget like leaves in the fall wind. Today, I figured I would put a stop to the nonsense and actually do something about it rather than pushing forward with wordless regret and forgotten moments of channelling God.
Trust. Soften. Breathe.
Three words of great inspiration and direction as my life, once again, takes an exciting turn toward the unknown. Once again saying, "Ok God. I get it. I'm not supposed to be in the driver's seat-- Even though i REALLY REALLY like driving REALLY REALLY fast." At some point, the brakes always give out or the oil always needs to be changed.
This time, I'm choosing to give up the wheel and trade it for a good clean pair of spiritual ears and eyes. Ones that will soak up the sounds of the ocean waves and the stunning sunsets. (Not going to be hard living in Maui for a few months). Ones that will listen any try their damned hardest not to interrupt and see which door is opened wide enough to walk through.
Trust. Soften. Breathe.
Try it. Its not easy. No one ever said the righteous path was going to be. Trust. Trust the universe is providing opened and closed doors for you to recognize when you are ready to recognize them. This doesn't mean, "Everything happens for a reason." That's too easy. Cop-out if you ask me. It means open your eyes wide enough to see what's good for you and what is not!! Trust the right doors are open and the right doors are closed. Open eyes will help to distinguish that for you. Yoga helps to open the eyes.
Soften. I was walking Bo Jangles the other day with Patrick and we did a cool experiment. I realized that when its cold outside, we tense up as if we were conserving heat within the body by contracting our muscles. Does it work?? If someone proved me wrong, that would be great. But for the time being, I softened, asked P to soften, and took some time to notice if we were colder than we were when we were tense. We both said "No." We both also said that when we softened, we didn't hate the cold as much. Our temperature was the same, surroundings were the same, but much kinder and less stressed! Fantastic! Just by softening, our experience of the SAME THING changed completely. Softening has taught me how to love during a time where love seems nearly impossible.
Breathe. If you have ever spent any amount of time in a yoga class or have given birth (not that I have) or have had a near-death experience, I'm sure you have been coached on your breath-by someone else or by divine intervention. The breathe is like the icing on the cake! When we learn to live each moment breath by breath we learn how to travel with God, in the passenger seat with the map in our hands rather than the driver's seat with the foot on the pedal. The ride is sooo much more smooth, full of excitement. Try it. Trust me. :)
I'm excited. I will be checking in from time to time with moments of trusting, softening and breathing. With bursts of insight- And with the occasional pictures of stunning sunsets.
Trust. Soften. Breathe.
Three words of great inspiration and direction as my life, once again, takes an exciting turn toward the unknown. Once again saying, "Ok God. I get it. I'm not supposed to be in the driver's seat-- Even though i REALLY REALLY like driving REALLY REALLY fast." At some point, the brakes always give out or the oil always needs to be changed.
This time, I'm choosing to give up the wheel and trade it for a good clean pair of spiritual ears and eyes. Ones that will soak up the sounds of the ocean waves and the stunning sunsets. (Not going to be hard living in Maui for a few months). Ones that will listen any try their damned hardest not to interrupt and see which door is opened wide enough to walk through.
Trust. Soften. Breathe.
Try it. Its not easy. No one ever said the righteous path was going to be. Trust. Trust the universe is providing opened and closed doors for you to recognize when you are ready to recognize them. This doesn't mean, "Everything happens for a reason." That's too easy. Cop-out if you ask me. It means open your eyes wide enough to see what's good for you and what is not!! Trust the right doors are open and the right doors are closed. Open eyes will help to distinguish that for you. Yoga helps to open the eyes.
Soften. I was walking Bo Jangles the other day with Patrick and we did a cool experiment. I realized that when its cold outside, we tense up as if we were conserving heat within the body by contracting our muscles. Does it work?? If someone proved me wrong, that would be great. But for the time being, I softened, asked P to soften, and took some time to notice if we were colder than we were when we were tense. We both said "No." We both also said that when we softened, we didn't hate the cold as much. Our temperature was the same, surroundings were the same, but much kinder and less stressed! Fantastic! Just by softening, our experience of the SAME THING changed completely. Softening has taught me how to love during a time where love seems nearly impossible.
Breathe. If you have ever spent any amount of time in a yoga class or have given birth (not that I have) or have had a near-death experience, I'm sure you have been coached on your breath-by someone else or by divine intervention. The breathe is like the icing on the cake! When we learn to live each moment breath by breath we learn how to travel with God, in the passenger seat with the map in our hands rather than the driver's seat with the foot on the pedal. The ride is sooo much more smooth, full of excitement. Try it. Trust me. :)
I'm excited. I will be checking in from time to time with moments of trusting, softening and breathing. With bursts of insight- And with the occasional pictures of stunning sunsets.
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