Shared Breath

From my dear friend, I see the text, "Breathe with me." It's how we extend the comfort of a hug over the miles that separate. The request may come in an effort to be with her or that she is with me during a time of need or celebration. Our shared breath unites us.

I begin yoga classes and workshops with shared breath creating an opportunity for all to embrace the present moment and to support one another energetically.  Pranayama or breath control exercises have been found to be effective in reducing irritability, muscle tension, headaches, poor concentration, stress and fatigue.  Why is it in our most challenging moments we find our breath is held?  This healing gift suppressed by our own doing.

I invite you to breathe with me.  Right now, right here... join me in breath.  Now deeper... let's breathe together. In... out... in.... out... our breath flows.  Breath unites us and brings us more fully in the present.  In its simplest of definitions, yoga means to unite.

As my friend reminds me to breath, I am refreshed and feel supported.  I invite you to enjoy your breath today.  May it nourish you from the inside out.

A little inspiration may be found on my Pinterest Board Breathe as you play with the beauty of your breath.

Good Words

You know those comments that build you up and inspire you to be your best self.  I call them Good Words.  From compliments to quotes to affirmations to prayers to notes about beautiful memories, we can find Good Words all around us.

My heart warms with thoughts of a wedding reception I attended last year.  The reception began with guests sharing Good Words with the newlyweds.  Fifteen or so individuals stood and extended gratitude, memories, and support from the heart.  All in the room beamed with joy and agreement.

I believe there is a strong power of Good Words. The language we surround ourselves can heal, share love, express peace and so much more. Words are energy. When we choose Good Words we are also choosing not to add negativity to our space.  Good Words heal and shift attitudes.  There's that saying, "People will forget what you said but not how you made them feel."  Good Words show others and ourselves, we care and believe in the good within.

I bet you already know this... a compliment never expires.  I've caught myself with a positive comment that I didn't share right away and the opportunity seems to have past.  Then I remind myself, "it's never too late to share Good Words."  Giving Good Words has a way of lifting my spirit as well as the recipient.

I treasure the Good Words I receive.  Really... I treasure them.  I have a couple email folders appropriately named A Beautiful Note, Gratitude, Happy, etc.  My sweater chest houses letters and cards I've received over the years.  I even email beautiful text messages to myself so that I may savor those sweet words.  There are times I find myself in need of Good Words and those times can be inconvenient to request from a friend or family member.  This is when I pull those Good Words out.

Who can you share Good Words with today?  What if you shared your good thoughts with your spouse, child, store clerk, colleague, friend or stranger?  What Good Words can you share with yourself?

As a Pinterest fanatic, I of course have a Pinterest board with Good Words.  Let it be a treasure you can refer to when you need a pick me up, motivation, reminder of your goodness, or support.  One last thought resides in this article from Intent Blog; it shares a beautiful example of Good Words shared.

May your voice be strong as you extend support to others.
May your ears be open to hear the Good Words shared with you.
May your heart be open to receive the goodness.

Peace Not Perfection

I had a dream the Dalai Lama was performing a ritual similar to a foot washing ceremony. He said to me, “You did very well on tests in school?” To which I replied, “Yes.” He then said, “Life isn’t a test to perfect.”

My dream reminds me to be ok with mistakes, let go of control, and to stop over-analyzing everything and everyone. With that story in mind,

• What are you trying to perfect or control in your life?  How can you loosen the grip? 
• Is there a pose or sequence in your asana or physical yoga practice that you can enjoy for what it is today?

I think life is better experienced lightly. Taking things too seriously or making things personal blocks my view reducing joy and peace in my life.

May we lighten up and enjoy this moment for all that is, as is.

Fuel Level

The other day my car let me know its fuel level was low.  I began to wonder...

• What are the signs my fuel level is low?
• What happens if I ignore them?
• What do I do to refuel, recharge and restore myself?

For my car, the first flash of this warning means 48 miles to empty and the second less than 30.  I go to the gas station before it reaches zero and there is no problem.  If I ignore the the signals from my car, it's toast.

My body and emotions warn me with sugar cravings, lethargy, irritability, aches, extra emotional responses, lack of patience, pains, etc.  Of course, I can blame these things on a number of things like stress from work, family or lack of sleep; however, blame does not fix my low fuel level.  Instead I turn to my yoga practice, music, book, or a friend.  Oftentimes a walk outside lifts my spirit and calms my nerves; however, when time or location do not allow I use my mind's eye and within a few deep breaths I'm there.

What will you do today to recharge?  Will you take a couple deep breaths right now?

Almond Milkshake [Dairy & Sugar Free]

Summer begs for us to satiate our sweet tooth with a cold treat. This milkshake is easy to make, full of flavor and filling. The vitamins, minerals and other nutrients come from their root source which allows the synergistic effects to help your body absorb and embrace the benefits.

I don’t follow a diet but rather make choices in what I eat to best support my mind, body and spirit. Sounds like it could be called a holistic diet then. Anyway for me, eating foods free from dairy, gluten, sugar, chicken and rice keeps me strong and full of life. I’m hoping you’ll love this treat too!

Almond Milkshake

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds (soaked)
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup (wet measure) medjool dates [about 15 medium sized dates]
• 3 Tbs. almond butter 
• 3 Tbs. raw cacao powder
• 2-3 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1 Tbs. coconut butter
• Pinch sea salt

Directions:

1. Make almond milk by blending 1 cup soaked almonds with 3 cups of water and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
2. Pour 1 cup of the almond milk in ice cube tray.  2 cups of almond milk should remain.
3. Add 1/2 cup medjool dates as a wet measure.  To do a wet measure add the dates into the milk and measure by how much the liquid rises. With 2 cups of almond milk, you will add the dates until the milk rises to 2 1/2 cups. Make sure the dates are fully immersed in the liquid.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients (almond butter, cacao powder, vanilla, coconut butter & sea salt) to the blender of milk and dates.  
5. Blend well to emulsify the dates.
6. Chill the milkshake.
7. Add 1 tray of the creamy almond milk ice cubes 
8. Blend on low to break up ice cubes.
9. Pour & enjoy =)

Recipe inspired by Chaya-Ryvka.

Opening Our Hearts

How are you sitting?  Is your spine round or tall?  Is your chest open or closed?  We reverse this slouch with yoga by arching the back in back bend poses like cow or cobra.  In our asana or physical yoga practice, heart-opening has become synonymous with back bends.  My Holistic Approach to Wellness, embraces the triangular factors that influence each other in creating balance or imbalance; meaning when we work with the physical body in our asana practice, we also work with the emotional and chemical body.

Not only do we sit slumped over our keyboards but also when we stand, walk and eat.  Is it any wonder that a majority of us are hunched over physically guarding our hearts?  Are we afraid others will hurt us or that they may be disappointed to see who we really are?  I wrote about my experience in opening myself after experiencing hardship in the article Trusting to Bend Back.  Back bends or heart openers have a way of showing us the courage that lives within while exposing our vulnerabilities.

Those often strong poses that build heat and energize also have the potential to give us feelings of hope and strength.  What does it mean to open our hearts?  My cues in practice usually include, "Tuck your tailbone.  Lift the shoulders and glide the heads of the arm bones back.  Lift your heart by squeezing the bottoms tips of your shoulder blades together.  Strengthen your back body to open the front."  I may even add, "Soften your heart.  Feel the warm space in your chest."

Yoga begs us to take the practice off the mat.  In a Ted Talk, Brene Brown suggests we honor what is ordinary in our lives as an idea to open our hearts.  Her work dives into individuals' willingness to numb themselves to avoid vulnerability suggesting that it comes at the cost of experiencing happiness.  The cues that guide us to opening our heart continue with practicing gratitude and awareness of the present moment.  By expressing ourselves, we accept the ultimate invitation to vulnerability and open our hearts to ourselves as well as those around us.

What is your asana or physical yoga practice making you aware of emotionally?  Are you protecting your heart?  What from?  How can you embrace vulnerability?

I leave you with this final tip... hug your friend, spouse or child to the right to align your hearts creating a physical and emotional connection.

What I Mean

I am continually asked, "How often do you practice yoga?"  To which they get an answer much longer than expected.  Most people define yoga as the physical practice or asana.  I practice yoga everyday; however, to me yoga is much bigger than a physical on my mat practice.  I love taking advantage of a teaching opportunity, so I explain the difference between yoga and asana then circle back to their intended question which I will elaborate on more in a later entry.

Here I have defined a few words I use often in class and writing:

• Yoga - to yoke or union of mind, body, & spirit; to put to active and purposeful use; to hitch up. Essentially, yoga has come to describe a means of uniting, or a method of discipline. 
• Sanskrit - an ancient Indic language 
• Hatha - describes a type of yoga which encompasses meditation, pranayama and asana 
• Meditation - the observance of life 
• Pranayama - breath control exercises 
• Asana - physical poses of yoga 
• Spirit - mind, consciousness, essence, divine, or other definition you find applicable 
• Savasana - deep relaxation that typically occurs at the end of class 

I thought you might also like this nice resource of 200 Key Sanskrit Terms as defined by Yoga Journal.

May you find your practice of yoga more frequent than your time on the mat.