Life's little treats- open up to them

Shall we begin with a little treat?

Click it, you know you want to. Close your eyes, tap your foot, sway side to side.

Oh my, this song. So delicious. Enjoy, and read on dear friend.

Yesterday (October 20, 2013...in the middle of FALL) I went for a run barefoot on the beach with wonderful company in only a sports bra and shorts. I played in the ocean at the end of October and didn't need a wetsuit. I soaked up some sweet Vitamin D, played frisbee and corn-hole with family, and I held the hand and looked into the eyes of the one I love. This tasty menu is a recipe for HAPPINESS. Nature, smiles, laughter, family, yoga, exercise, music (..and so on) can all access the vulnerability we may be feeling and help us build trust and movement towards opening ourselves up to a love we never even knew existed.

I feel refreshed and renewed with a clear mind and open heart. It's almost like there is an EASY button for my mind, body, and soul..except instead of office supplies appearing out of thin air I have a renewed clarity of mind to get work done more efficiently. I feel my sense of determination strengthened to continue challenging myself. I feel ready to charge ahead into the unknown.  All of this after three short days of sunshine and family.

I also feel an overwhelming desire to help others experience and accept the all encompassing love that I have found myself in at this stage of my life. Because you are worth it. You are worth all the love in the world.

What helps you feel centered, loved, supported?

Go do that right now (or this weekend). Don't have time? That's not an excuse, make time. How can you expect yourself to keep going if you don't let yourself do something you truly love every now and again. Slow down, close your eyes, and take a deep restorative breath.

I'm sure you have experienced at some point in your life music speaking to you at a deeper level than you anticipated. This song is almost like a miniature guided meditation for me and I invite you to follow along with it in that way. Allow yourself to feel any emotions that it may bring up if that is the case. When you close your eyes, let your mind paint pictures and take you to a brighter, simpler place.

 Follow the sun, the direction of the birds, the direction of love. Breathe in the air. Set your intentions. Dream with care. 

Particularly this line: 

Take a stroll to the nearest waters edge and remember your place. Many moons have risen and fallen here, long before you came. Oh my goodness what power those words hold. This is a gentle reminder that we are such small creatures in an extremely large framework. Whatever turmoil, stress or weight you are carrying with you..that too shall pass. Do not dwell on it. Acknowledge it then let it go. Infinite amounts of love can fill the space that you are wasting with negative thoughts or emotions. 

So..which way is the wind blowing? What does your heart say?

Listen to your body, or it will force you to

It sounds so simple and yet many people don't even think twice about it. That includes myself..as I sit here with a virus that is forcing me to 'take it easy', my fiance is trying to convince me not to run the half marathon I already registered and paid for tomorrow. Excuse me but no way in hell will I waste the $75 I paid for a bib, t-shirt and excuse to go visit my beautiful sister in Charlotte, NC. 

It took me two weeks of feeling relatively awful before I actually even went to the doctor to make sure nothing was seriously wrong. Exhausted with a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes the most energy I exerted all day today was leaving the house for lunch. 

As I have begun teaching, I have realized that I have experienced few things more fulfilling than guided a group of people through their practice. I leave the studio after teaching a class with a greater yoga high than I have ever felt from my own personal practice. I feel so light, overflowing with love and gratitude that I may actually levitate. While the experience has been life changing and exhilarating, it has also challenged me and led me to many eye opening conclusions about myself. 

Fact: While it is important to challenge yourself, it is more important to surround yourself with love and support. If someone is subtracting from the confidence you have in yourself, whether that be the direction in which you have chosen to take your life or a general lack of support-you do not need to be around them. If they truly love you they will believe in your dreams. Listen to your heart. 'Set your life on fire' then allow those who gravitate towards support in the direction of your dreams to be the ones you hold most dear.

Let yourself slow down. Meditate on this: Your body sends you subtle messages all the time. You know what is best for yourself but people rarely let go of their ego long enough to suppress the little voice inside that guides us. Your knee hurts? Maybe you shouldn't go for that 10 mile run today. Have a headache? Perhaps you shouldn't stare at your computer screen for three hours tonight. Exhausted because you have only slept four hours per night the last week? Turn off the television, phone, computer and other stimulating devices, read a book instead and let yourself rest. Are you guilty of this? Because I certainly am. What with the changing season, midterms at school, training for running races, and whatever else it is going on in life it is easy to miss the subtle signs. They get pushed aside until BAM, you are sick for two weeks, and illness or injury occur. Your body says, 'not going to listen to me? Fine! Take THAT!' 

I like to think that I have gotten better at listening to my body. When I feel like going for a run, I do. If my feet hurt, I put down my mat and have 60-90 minutes of yoga. If the thought of doing either of these things stresses me out at all, I go for a long walk. Due in large part to swimming my entire life I feel that I grew up with much more body awareness than the average person (thanks mom and dad). But I also have highly competitive siblings from whom I learned that you cannot reach your athletic goals unless you push yourself past your comfort zone (thanks Danny and Jackie). 

There is a happy medium here folks. Care for yourself because nobody else will. Take time to reconnect with your body or it will force you to. Love yourself, or you'll end up like me..two weeks into a virus still feeling tired with a sore throat sitting inside all day because my body said 'enough is enough'. 

I hear you body..message received.

Will I be running that half marathon tomorrow you ask..? We'll see how I feel in the morning ;)

What helps you feel grounded?

MindBodyGreen: signs-your-grounding-chakra-is-out-of-whack-what-to-do-about-it

This got me thinking..

Funny! Yoga teachers (myself included) use visualizations referencing trees when trying to help students become more grounded in class. Being grounded is remarkably important in your life and on your mat and can be extremely difficult to access at times. Have you ever been well into a yoga practice and get to a balancing sequence to find that you cannot for the life of you stay balanced (cue frustration, cursing under your breath, rolling eyes, looking at others)?

The arch nemesis of your first chakra is FEAR, so it makes sense that anxiety, stress, restlessness, worry, and exhaustion are directly associated with a faulty first chakra. It's easy once we taste that fear to get stuck in the vicious cycle that can take you to emotional, inconsistent and unreliable places. 

Fun facts about the first chakra (courtesy of Shannon Harty):

(the colors of the chakras are the same as those of the rainbow from bottom to top!) so...

Color: Red

Sense: Smell

Location: Base of the Spine

Element: Earth

Animal: Elephant

Physical dysfunctions associated with the first chakra:

Chronic back pain

Sciatica

Varicose veins

Cancer

Depression

Immune related disorders

The first chakra is the energy center where you find connection to the Earth, things greater than yourself, friends, family, and where your sense of home is. If you are experiencing some kind of turmoil, or your world has been turned upside down, it's quite possible that will translate into your yoga practice and largely the way you relate to others. Finding your connection with family and the unit of support physically and emotionally can help you open yourself up to a world of possibilities you didn't know existed. It is much easier to balance on one leg, your big toes, or the top of your head if you are wholeheartedly confident that you are loved, supported, and connected to the Earth and your friends and family.

I've been in a place where I felt I was missing my 'tribe'. I made some not so advisable decisions and in turn had very little communication with my family for many months. I literally did not speak to the people who love me most in this world for months. I wondered when I practiced yoga during this time if I was ever going to find stability in my balancing postures. I swayed at the very thought of closing my eyes in Tadasana, as if the ground would literally drop from beneath me if I let my guard down for a single moment. I had constant back pain, migraines, sleepless nights, bouts of depression, and very upsetting thoughts about myself (I was a hot mess). My father was diagnosed with cancer during that time and that shook the ground beneath my feet even further. Every bone in my body told me 'enough' and I forced myself to take a step. ONE step is all it takes to start to find lightness and connection again. I am not a tree..I moved, I changed where I was in my life and through those changes I began to heal and find what I was missing. 

Experiencing any of these physical dysfunctions? What to do, what to do..?

Go for a walk..or run..a skip..go to a park..just go outside. Leave your phone in your house while you're at it. Let yourself disconnect from whatever text you are waiting to receive, phone call you feel you need to make, or email you need to check. There is unending beauty surrounding you at every turn. Just allow yourself to acknowledge that beauty and let it surround your mind, body, and soul. Breathe it in. Breathe it all in. Breathe in all of the fresh air and new energy that you possibly can. Exhale out the negative thoughts, frustration, and worry. Nature, love, and gratitude can be humbling, and it can bring you back from very dark places. Opening yourself to these things can help you feel grounded and supported. Think very hard, find at least one thing that makes you feel calm, supported, truly loved and build from there.

And/Or...

I challenge you someday soon to do a short yoga practice (maybe a few sun salutations to connect movement with breath and warm up your body..and throw a few balancing postures in there). Then stop. Take a break..and roll the arches of your feet out on a tennis ball. Then use your hands, press into all corners of your feet with your thumbs and really give your feet a little love. Return to your mat and do the same practice again and focus in on the changes. You will FEEL the difference physically, but you can find that same connection without the physical stimulation. Standing tall and proud in Tadasana close your eyes. Imagine you are a tree and roots are growing from your feet deep into the Earth.  Growing, extending, spreading out these roots build in strength and size until you are firmly planted in the ground. You are one with nature. One with the world around you.

Family, tribe, clan, kinship..whatever you want to call it you need it and it is the most important thing in your life. Cherish your friends and family because everything else is built upon that and nothing matters without it. The chakras begin at the base of the spine extending down through your legs and into your feet. Energy flow begins in your physical body with grounding. 

Studying yoga and my journey through teacher training has helped me come to terms with the struggle I had with myself. I have never felt more supported and loved in my life and that begins with the love and appreciation I have for myself and others. 

Find your stillness, security, and stability. 

You have everything you need, use it to find your greater connection.

Breathe. Love. Breathe again.

What helps you feel grounded? Go get more of it!