Tag: creativity

Ocean Waves

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The ebb and flow of change is sometimes hard to cope with. When the story doesn’t go as you imagined and it doesnt seem to be in your favor. It sure is hard to see the light sometimes, collecting our blessings and lessons gathered from realizations of experiences with positive or negative outcomes.

If you are currently unhappy or upset about a thought, feeling, or consequence

Change it.

Easier said then done. Although, different perspectives can drastically shift the emotion attached to particular thoughts. For instance, a lover’s quarrel seems miniscule in comparison to a friend being diagnosed with cancer. Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to secure a different outlook on your current situation. Sometimes I look at pictures of puppies and kitties for sale on craigslist – it always seems to make me smile. Perhaps I will sit down and watch a comedy or a documentary or a guided meditation. Today I decided to try something new….

It was both terrifying and magical to walk through the tropical forest at The Butterfly Pavilion. So scared I may step on one, yet watching them flutter around and zip past my head was breathtaking. They freaked me out when they came zooming for my head, of course it always resulted in a soft giggle to myself for being frightened of something so silly.

One of these delicate creatures landed on my journal this afternoon, while staring up at me with its glossy eyes, it smiled and reminded me to see the bigger picture. Change can be complicated, terrifying, magical, breathtaking, humbling, fast, silly, and simple all at the same time.

Butterflies are not afraid of the unknown and whimsically dance through the forecast of fear to fully live in the now. There is an innate beauty in the finishing of a process, a completion of a step, and the excitement of the unknown future. To go boldly, genuinely, and with love is the greatest gift one can give. Always keeping in mind “Everything is going to be OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.

❤

Mercury Retrograde – Is it all that bad?

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Mercury goes retrograde this Sunday, the 3rd … Sure, you shouldn’t travel, communication with others will be a little off, and your electronics may go on the brink a few times. Yet within this phase there are also some benefits that shouldn’t be overlooked.
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1.It’s easier to change your habits
In conjunction with the full moon on Tuesday letting go of any unpleasant habits will be twice as strong. The universe is empowering you to let go of what no longer serves you to make room for situations that compliment your goals. Not sure where to start? Choose a substitute for your bad habit, cut out as many triggers as possible, join forces with somebody, surround yourself with people who are living the life you want, visualize yourself succeeding, use positive affirmations daily.

2.A little introspection goes a long way to getting clarity
Take a little time for yourself; take a bath, read a book, journal, meditate. In today’s world, there are so many distractions and ideas coming at us from all angles. Every time I check my phone there are at least 5 new notifications for 3 different apps. Take some time for you. When is the last time you stepped away from distractions and just contemplated and self-assessed? Besides – electronics will be whack today anyway – so do yourself a favor and enjoy a little nature time.

3.New mantras adopted during mercury retrograde are super-powered
Mantras, affirmations, declarations, oh my! Whatever route you decide to go, now is the time. Super-power that self talk in a positive direction. My favorite mantra is “Aham Prema” I am divine love. This mantra affirms one’s divine love energy within, creating the highest essence of love. Help up your self-worth by repeating this mantra 108 times daily for the next 40 days. You can also use other mantras or positive affirmations, do what feels right for you. Shoot, by time you’re done Mercury will be out of retrograde!

4.Your creativity is off the charts
How do express your creativity? Do you paint, draw, doodle, journal, write a poem, write a book, scrapbook, take photos, dance, sing, sculpting, build something, design jewelry, crafts, make a candle or soap, garden, cook, make music, sew, knit, quilting, crocheting, and the list goes on. There are many ways to be creative and pick up hobbies. Find one that calls to you and simply begin.

5.You’re more intuitive
Your intuition will be firing on all cylinders during this phase. Test it out and nourish it. Here are a few ideas to do so.

  • Work directly with intuition – Find a comfortable seat. Follow your breath counting 1 on the inhale and 2 on the exhale. When you are relaxed identify an event or situation you’d like more insight about. Focus on that intently for a few minutes. Ask for a direct intuitive experience about it in the near future. -be in this moment – Let it go.
  • Work with indirect intuition – Get a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Ask yourself, “what does my life need right now?” three times in a row, pausing between each question. Imagine you are going toward a more meaningful answer each time you ask. When you have finished asking, pick up your pen and draw one symbol on your paper. Interpret this symbol. What does it suggest you add, subtract, or enjoy from your life?
  • Learn to look for and pay attention to intuition’s subtly messages – Invest in your sixth sense. Imagine that your eyes, ears, hands, skin, emotions, and intellect could stretch out into the invisible world and captures sensations, information, inspiration, knowledge, and wisdom like a cable or cellphone captures invisible waves of sound and images. Let yourself walk through your day sensitive to other dimensions.
  • Choose a sense to work with – Make a date with yourself on your calendar and allow 2-3 hours. When the time comes, get in your car or other mode of transportation without knowing where you are going. Resist the first few ‘ideas’ you have about where you are going. Wait for the idea that makes your body very relaxed. Your body is the best barometer of what is right – if your choice arises from intuition, you will experience inner stillness, silence, and knowing it is right.

So Mercury Retrograde isn’t so bad – yet to be on the safe side here are some crystals to help ease the transition.

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Nataranjasana

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Natarajasana, Lord of the Dance Pose.
Nata means “dancer”, raja means “king”, and asana means “posture”. Nataraja was a name given to the Hindu God Shiva, the great destroyer, in his form as the cosmic dancer.

I have always been in love with dance and utilizing different ways of movement to express myself. Breathing in this pose feels so right. Natarajasana stretches the shoulders, chest, thigh, groins, and abdomen. It strengthens the legs and ankles while improving balance.  This pose is an opportunity to cultivate an ability to shift out of the multi-tasking mentality the world seems to demand and move into this essential, centralized energy and space.

Looking to open and balance some of your chakras? This pose is great for encouraging love, personal power, and creativity by activating the heart, solar plexus, and sacral chakras.

Natarajasana is metaphorically dancing through our samsaras. Why is it that we refuse at times to see ourselves as divine beings?

This pose requires and builds full-body strength, flexibility, and coordination. Do not do this pose if you have an ankle, knee or low back injury, are currently experiencing low blood pressure, dizziness, migraines, or insomnia. So how do you get into it?

1. Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
2. Shift your weight to your left foot
3. Bend right leg to bring right heel toward sit bone
4. Draw the knees together and scoop the tailbone down while hugging the mid-line with both thighs
5. Raise your right arm up overhead while simultaneously kicking the right foot high to the sky connecting the right hand to the inside of your foot. If it’s available raise your left hand to meet your right foot as well, otherwise let it float, palms up in front of you.
6. Pull right ribs and hip forward while drawing in your right shoulder socket – working to square off the torso to the front
7. Lift through your heart, draw your belly in, and continue to hug towards the mid-line
8. Allow your drishti to be at the middle finger of your left hand (about third eye level)
… And now just breath. (Don’t forget to do the other side!)

Modifications:

  • Bow a the waist reaching heart forward
  • Holding toe of back foot pull elbow up with arm now reaching back over side of head
  • Use a strap wrapped around top of foot of lifted leg
  • For gentle variation stand with a wall 2 feet in front of you to balance

Utilize this pose to dance through your own samsaras, recognize what kleshas you fall in to and how to move through them. Not sure what a klesha is? Stay tuned … 🙂

Why Yoga Nidra?

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“Relaxation means to be blissfully happy, It has no end.” 
-Swami Satyananda Saraswati

When you hear the word “Yoga” you often imagine a body contorting into different positions. While yoga is so much more than that. There are seven limbs of yoga that aren’t physical movement at all.

Yoga Nidra is a practice of healing on the physical, mental, and emotional levels without ‘physical’ movement. It is using this technique that teaches one to relax consciously. True relaxation is an experience you have never felt until you’ve tried Yoga Nidra. It opens deeper phases of your mind, unloading the subconscious and unconscious mind, the most powerful forces in the human being.

brain-waves-the-one_origHarvesting a witness awareness helps one become less reactive to situational experiences. This is practiced by the practitioner guiding you from alpha to beta to theta to delta brain waves. Delta is generally defined as the brain wave you experience while sleeping, however, with Yoga Nidra the delta waves are responding in a conscious sleep. Once you are consciously sleeping you can program your mind with a sankalpa or resolve. A sankalpa is a present tense affirmation or saying such as “I healthy and happy” or “I participate in activities that nourish my mind and strengthen my will”.  Yoga Nidra is a process to manifest your wants or needs into fruition at an exponential rate.

Benefits?

  • Lowers Stress
  • Lowers Anxiety
  • Lowers Blood Pressure
  • Lowers risk of Heart Disease
  • Lowers asthma symptoms
  • Enhances memory and learning ability
  • Awakens creativity
  • Manages psychological disorders
  • Manages psychosomatic diseases
  • Helps with addiction
  • Helps with PTSD
  • 1 hour of Yoga Nidra is equal to 3 hours of sleep