Autumn Meditation: Letting Go

Today let's take a lesson from the changing trees: Embrace life deeply rooted with faith in the ground below us, with the ability to easily let go of the things that no longer serve us.

Begin meditation 

Find a comfortable seat. Connect your sitting bones + tailbone to the earth, while keeping lifted in the upper body with a tall spine. Relax your eyes, jaw, and neck. Close your eyes and take your breath a hundred times deeper. Focus on the breath expanding the body softly as your breathe in, and relaxing, releasing everything as you breathe out. Imagine sending your breath down through your body, then allow the exhale to rise up and out. Feel your breath move down your back, hips and legs like roots growing into the Earth. Allow it to move back upward, up through the back and the top of the head, as if branches begin to sprout upward toward the sun. Focus only on your breath.

Imagine a tree outside right now, leaves changing with the season. From golden yellow to candy apple red, fiery orange and deep brown.

Beside the tree is a stream of water, reflecting the warm autumn sun. Something that worries you, pick up a leaf, any color you want, and set it on the stream. Let it go and watch it float away.
Someone who angers you. Something that keeps you up at night. Continue setting your troubles downstream.

Picture yourself as this tree. Deeply rooted to the earth beneath you, free of dead weight, able to let go of what no longer serves you so effortlessly. Breathe in feeling grounded and secure. Let your breath go. Breathe in with balance and ease. Release again.

Move forward with the wisdom of the trees--how beautiful it can be to let the dead things go.

Finding Peace on the Road: 5 Minute Meditation Free Download

Life can feel stressful sometimes, but only when we allow it. External circumstances will always be out of our control -- rain will never stop cancelling soccer games, your favorite jeans will eventually wear a hole, and many cars on the road will not seem to want to cooperate so that you can get to work on time. Until you find deep, internal peace, life will always seem stressful.

Easier said than done, right? All it takes is a little practice.

This 5 minute meditation is great for sitting in traffic or just when you need a break from work, people, or life in general.

Download "Finding Peace on the Road" 5 Minute Meditation for Free

Our mantra is as follows:

I am peaceful so that I can live in peace with others. 

Enjoy & share with everyone that you think could use this reminder.

PS ~~

Check out an expanded version of this post published on Elephant Journal! 

Slow Down & Simplify: 5 Minute Meditation

Have you ever noticed that in times of anxiety & stress, your breathing tends to be staggered, shallow, and high up in the chest? Pay attention next time you are feeling this way and you'll likely find this to be the case.

The reason we can feel so closed off, overwhelmed, and drained sometimes is that we've stopped the energy from flowing within our bodies.

Anxiety is usually caused by the brain working too hard by cultivating unnecessary thoughts, imaginary paths, worst-case scenario stories and illusions that often tend to consume our energy.

The brain requires more oxygen than any other organ in the body. When the oxygen intake is low, the brain is fed first and the body gets whatever is left... most likely, not enough to be aware of what's happening in the rest of the body.

It's a simple fix, really. Don't let the energy stop flowing. 

Meditation helps to calm the mind & relax the body, bringing you into the present moment -- the only moment where life truly exists.

5 Minute Simple Meditation

Find a comfortable seat that allows the breath to flow freely, a seat that feels balanced and can be easily maintained for a few minutes. If necessary, sit on a blanket or pillow so the knees naturally descend from the hips. Rest your hands on your thighs so that the elbows hang from the shoulders, removing any effort from there.

Allow your eyes to softly close and begin to shift into a state of mindful present awareness. Relax the base of your tongue,  soften the hinge of your jaw, and smooth out your forehead.

Find comfort in knowing that this place right here, right now, is exactly where you need to be. Nothing else matters. Let go of the pressure that attempts to take you away from this moment.

Listen to the sounds around you. Sounds that are far away, sounds that are close.

Now allow those sounds to fall silent and only listen to the sound of your breath. Find a gentle, calming rhythm to relax into.

Notice the thoughts in your mind, the sensations in your body, the rhythm of your breath. Don't try to silence your thoughts, you will find it to be a useless and frustrating task. Just notice them, be aware of them, but remain an observer without attaching any feelings. Start to peel away the layers of problems that cannot be solved at this moment, of thoughts that drain your energy, and things that make you feel anxious. Feel your shoulders and neck become lighter as the weight rolls off your back.

Now bring your awareness to the tip of your nose and feel your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Begin to deepen your inhalation and lengthen your exhalation, drawing out each breath as long as comfortably possible. As you inhale, feel your belly rise and chest expand, and as you exhale, feel the belly softly fall back toward your spine.

Allow any thoughts that come to mind play out like a movie on a screen, not fixating on one image for too long.

Bring your attention back to your body as a whole. Feel the energy pulsating within you, the vibratory quality of aliveness in your body.

Notice the path that energy flows through your body, and begin to notice any areas where the energy may seem blocked, heavy, or simply in need of attention.

Imagine you are able to change the route of your breath to send it to those areas that need your attention. Each inhale draws in fresh energy to cleanse and heal, and each exhale creates a pathway for heavy feelings or dead energy to exit the body.

Breathe here for as long as you feel necessary.

When you are ready, bring your attention back to your body. Take a few breaths to ground yourself and arrive back into your space. Notice the thoughts, feelings, and sensations in your body. Slowly open your eyes and take in the brilliance that is the world around you. Try to maintain this feeling of mindful present awareness for the rest of the day. 

In Light of the World's Loss: Robin Williams

I have been trying to convert my feelings into words over the loss of Robin Williams over the past day, but continue to be at a loss. Tonight after the kids had fallen asleep, My partner Joe mentioned to me that he saw an outcry of ISIS members on Twitter mourning over the death of Mr. Robin Williams. (this man knows everything that happens on the internet, please do not confuse with a terrorist :-) ) Literal terrorists expressing mourn over any living soul... what?

I had a student write to me tonight expressing gratitude for the help and love I'd provided on their journey after reading of Robin's passing. Life becomes so precious once we realize how delicate and REAL it is.



So, here we go. In my personal life, I have never experienced severe depression. I've been sad, yes, and even classified myself as depressed, but never could I place myself on the level of clinical depression that I have witnessed firsthand. Depression runs in my family, very closely, as well as mental illness and suicidal tendencies. I have felt the pain of this from a distance, and empathised for quite some time. All I can feel right now is sadness for how alone he must have felt.

Depression is real. It can get easier with help. 

Depression makes you not want to get out of bed. Ironically, it doesn't want to you sleep, either.

Depression leaves you drained, with no energy for anything. When you want to rest, depression keeps your mind rolling.

Facing depression is no easy task, and quite often requires more strength than a body builder to ensure those in your life that you're just fine... which is a lie. But their disappointment would only add more pressure.

As a public figure and a father, I cannot imagine the pressure that Robin felt.

I cannot fathom the amount of strength it took to get out of bed sometimes. To face the world not only with a smile, but with the desire to spread the light of laughter and happiness across the world.

I have felt the overpowering strength it takes to fight tears in front of your child, to protect their spirit and to shield them from the hurt, even just for another day.

I pray that Robin's spirit finds the comfort and safety that it so desired here on Earth.

If you are feeling depression, please seek the help of a trusted friend or medical professional. 

Let's all take some time to meditate on this tonight:

I am not alone. I am surrounded by love. My journey will continue. 

Stop Letting Doubt Hold You Back

For those that think the job of a yoga teacher is to show up for an hour and bust out some cool moves to some cool music, I wish I could say you were right. Teaching yoga means lots of planning, preparation, and research before each and every class. Personally, each time I plan for my classes, I make sure to review the anatomy of any new or spotlight poses that we may cover in the class in case any questions arise.

A couple weeks ago in the middle of a hip-intensive class, I set the class up in Pigeon pose and glanced around the room to look for any signs of struggle. Looked pretty good, considering there's usually at least one student in every class that struggles with this big hip stretch.

Then the silence finally broke right beneath me.

Here was this student in full Sleeping Swan, anatomically perfectly in line and saying, "I don't feel this."
"Try flexing your foot," I answered as I squatted down next to her and observed her form. Yep, hips square and all.
"Still nothing," she replied.
"Alright, scoot the foot a little further away from you, bringing the shin closer to parallel with the front of the mat." And she did. Foot flexed and all.
"Nope," she returned.

I walked her through a twisting version and even a King Pigeon... after a couple different suggestions to no avail, it was time to move on and I couldn't help but feel like I hadn't done my job. I let her down, and I let everyone else down who was there to witness it.

I'd told the class in the beginning, as I do every class, "Yoga should feel good. If it doesn't, or you don't feel it, let me know. There is a variation of a pose for everyone." I thought to myself,

Maybe she was just really flexible. 
Maybe I'd forgotten a variation.
Maybe I should have passed out blankets.
Maybe I'm not as good of a teacher as I thought I was...

Sound familiar?

Why do we go down this road?
Why do we beat ourselves up and bring ourselves down when we are presented with a challenge that we can't automatically tackle?
We're so quick to place blame wherever we see fit--and all too often on ourselves. But why? What has placing blame every solved, or even made any matter better?

My story continues at the end of class, when it was revealed that this particular student had given birth just 6 weeks ago. The relaxin was likely still flowing through her body making her extra flexy, and let's face it--a pigeon pose is far less intense than pushing a human being out of your body. To be honest, I felt a lot better about myself after speaking with her, but then I felt even worse for myself about how I was so quick to doubt my abilities.

So the lesson here is this: STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF.

Does anyone expect you to be perfect? NO.
Have you given it your best shot, coming from a place of love? THEN STOP WORRYING.

Stop worrying about how your efforts might not be good enough.
Stop letting others' criticisms and doubts change how you feel about yourself.
Do all things from a place of love & kindness and you will never need to feel inadequate.
Find comfort and peace knowing that your best is enough.

Acceptance

Life is full of critics. Some even get paid to criticize work that others may have poured their entire life into; scrutinizing every single detail of their work, and often times attacking their character for no reason whatsoever. Some just walk among us, claiming that they're "not going to sugar coat" their opinions which, in my opinion, are usually better left unsaid. Sometimes it comes to you through a filter--he said, she said--which is equally as unnerving.

While criticism can certainly be constructive and helpful, it is quite often not the case.

And honestly, sometimes it hurts.

They say you should toughen up, don't take it too seriously--but in all honesty, it's hard not to take it personally.

I've been described as a sensitive person, which I'm okay with. Sometimes I take things too personally, read too much into situations, or take dialogue too literally. I know I can't make everyone happy, but it has never stopped me from trying.

This comes into my life more personally in my line of work. I see so many faces come and go in my classes and I want to make each and every one of them smile & feel good. The way I see it, that's my job. But the truth is, it is not possible to make some people happy.

"Share as much love as you can, but be okay when people can't return it. Others' opinions don't need to alter your mission, so stay strong to what makes your heart beat."
-Kathryn Budig

I had a student get up and walk out of my class during savasana a few months ago. No words were spoken, no eye contact, she simply left. Maybe she had somewhere to go, maybe she didn't feel well, a hundred things could have happened--but she hasn't been back.

I had one particular instance where a student's favorite teacher was out of town that particular weekend, so she reluctantly came to my class instead. From the moment she entered the room, I could tell that there was no way I was going to please her. She slumped on her mat, frowning and sighing, as if she in the waiting room of a doctor's office instead of a relaxing yoga class.

Bottom line: she wanted her teacher, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't give her that. Sure, I could have tried to accommodate to her regular teacher's style to MAYBE take a chance at pleasing her, but I didn't. That wouldn't be fair to my regular students, and more importantly it wouldn't be fair to me. I stayed true to myself, to my teaching, and to my students.

One of the hardest lessons that I've had to learn in life is if someone has a problem with you, let it be just that--THEIR problem, not yours.

While it may be easier said than done, just know that when this criticism reaches you; try not to immediately blame yourself.

Do not be discouraged. 

Do not change yourself. 

Do not let it slow you down.

If a person wants to be upset with you because of a certain character trait that you exhibit (or lack), allow them to do so. Most of the time, it won't matter what you say or do anyhow, so let it go. Instead of trying to make others happy and gain their acceptance, focus on yourself. 

Do what makes YOU happy. Because there's nothing more beautiful than that.

"To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself."
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Today's Mantra: This is JUST for Me

We spend so much of our day, so much of our lives thinking about other people, worrying about people or things that are beyond our control. Parents worry about their kids; adults worry about their jobs; even kids nowadays are more stressed than ever with the rise of social media. We've got so many things on our mind all the time that we seem to have become a multitasking society.

Lists to check off, events to attend... add to that the fact that we often spread ourselves too thin and get discouraged when we feel like we let ourselves (or others) down. It's no wonder we have trouble sleeping, we have anxiety and maybe some other health problems that we'd rather do without.

When we are pulled in all of these different directions we can't appreciate the present moment. Worries of the future, regrets of the past cloud our mind and too often we miss out on what's in front of us, or better yet ignore what's going on inside of us.

So make that choice right now. Visit your mat for a stretch, or just take some quiet time to yourself to meditate and leave the outside world at the door, and repeat this mantra with every breath:

THIS IS JUST FOR ME. 

I am the only one who matters right now.
I deserve to feel good.

Take long, full deep breaths, noticing the subtle movements in the body as you breathe. With your eyes closed, seek out any tension in your body and send your inhale to that area. Use your exhale to release that tension. And as you repeat this in your head, feel the softness begin to wash over you. Notice how good it feels to have this moment all to yourself. Keep breathing, and try to draw out every breath as long as comfortably possible, releasing negativity and tension on every exhale.

If you can't bring yourself to believe it, just keep repeating it anyway. Sometimes we have to fake it till we make it, and if we try hard enough we may just start to believe it.

Turning Inside: When Yoga isn't Asana

My favorite part of every day is when I get an hour of silence as the kids nap and I am able to practice my yoga asana (physical pratice). Don't get me wrong, I love my babies to death and feel like the luckiest mom in the world to have them in my life--but with 2 toddlers, Mom sure loves a break.

I've carried the tension of flat feet and scoliosis for my entire life, so once I discovered the relief that the physical aspect of yoga brought me, I mentally wrote myself a prescription to practice every single day.

Nap time could not have come sooner yesterday. I had been collecting thoughts all morning about what I'd bring to my mat today--things to introduce to my students and things to explore on my own.

12:30 finally came and I laid out my mat. And that was it. I kept looking at my mat, trying to find a place to begin, and it just wasn't happening.

So there I sat, staring at my mat, wanting so badly to practice--wanting to want to practice--but I simply couldn't bring myself to it. I sat there for about 10 minutes until I finally grunted and left the room.

I sank my seat right in the middle of my comfy bed and wrapped myself in blankets. I couldn't help but feel discouraged and a bit angry with myself. Why couldn't I bring myself to practice my asana today?

I decided to sit there in silence, shut my eyes to the world, and review all of the feelings that surged through my body (there just happened to be a lot that particular day).

Breathing deeply, I began asking myself What's wrong? What hurts? What do you need? 

I felt an unusual amount of tension in my shoulders, lower back, feet, and forehead. So I just kept breathing, attempting to send some softness to those areas, but all I kept feeling was pain.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me and decided to ride the wave instead of fight it... and then I cried. A lot... and then it finally came to me--the clarity I was looking for. Riding this wave of intense feelings instead of sulking my way through the day was exactly what I needed. I came to the realization that I needed and made peace with my sadness.

I felt far from happy afterwards, but those feelings of anger & frustration were gone. The truth that I desperately was searching for was revealed, and instead of displacing those feelings of discouragement and hopelessness, I found peace in my sadness.

Even though we tend to place such a huge emphasis on the physical aspect of yoga (because it just feels good), it is just the tip of the iceberg. Yoga is about turning inwards to find out what is really ailing us. My lower back hurts, and it sure could use a nice supported bridge right now, but why? Maybe we won't always find the answers we're looking for, but finding acceptance with ourselves--body and mind--is the biggest takeaway of my yoga practice today.

How to Start Fresh when Practice Gets Stale

Ever feel like life is on auto-pilot? Just going through the motions, simply existing instead of living in every moment?

Ever feel like that same routine feeling shows up in your yoga practice? Starting to feel forced or repetitive? Don't worry, you're not alone. It happens to many experienced yogis; we feel as though we've come to a place in our practice where we are simply going through the motions to give our bodies what they need.

This is when it's time to shift your perspective. Maybe your Surya Namaskara has gotten stale, but in your next practice, try your hardest to bring something new to your practice. Bring yourself back to that beginner mindset.

In yoga, beginner is a great place to be because everything is new. You have yet to develop any naughty habits and every movement is a new exploration into your body.

Next time you practice, arrive on your mat and set aside any expectations you may have set for yourself. Shift your mindset to a place where you're ready to learn something new. Even if you are a well-practiced yogi, explore every pose as if was your first time. Find something in this pose that you may not have before.

If a simple shift of perspective doesn't work, here's a few tips to add some excitement to your practice:

• Practice with your eyes closed -- heighten the sensations in your body
• Explore different surfaces to practice on -- outside on the grass or in the sand
• Incorporate props into poses that feel stagnant -- practice a standing balance on a block 

How do you bring a sense of freshness into your practice and feel every pose become alive once again?

Nothing is Forever

Some things in life can feel like they last forever. Mondays for example, or other work related projects, challenges that we dread, maybe that certain pose in your yoga practice that you cringe at the name, and every breath feels like an eternity. Things always tend to become even worse once the mind gets a hold of them.

Coming into your practice, keep this in mind: nothing is forever. Your Monday will come to an end. We will not be holding chair pose for the entire class. So instead of looking at holding challenging poses for what seems like an eternity as an internal countdown of the closest escape route, look at them as a place to become more alive. A place to learn something new about yourself, a place of growth. When your mind wants to come to this place, actively bring yourself back to your breath, onto your mat, and inside your body.

Slow Down to Find Balance

Sometimes we get so out of balance that we stop trying to regain it; because sometimes it's just easier to ride the wave than to try and fight it.

Things start to feel out of control, lost, even heavy; and you may literally feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. It's easy to get overwhelmed and exhausted when you're already feeling down.

Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths into your belly. Just take a moment to distance yourself from what can feel like a movie screen replaying scenes from the past or worries of the future.

Don't try to stop your thoughts, just notice each one arise and set it aside for now. Keep breathing. Use your breath to begin to detach yourself from regrets of the past and worries of the future.

Wherever you are, allow yourself to arrive there.

Allow your mind to arrive in a place of clarity and of consciousness, and allow your body to arrive in a state of strength but also calmness.

Open your eyes and find something that makes you smile. Notice how this genuine smile makes you feel.

Keep this feeling close to your heart and right in the front of your mind throughout the remainder of the day.

Allow yourself time to pause frequently and remember this feeling, and make sure to smile as often as possible.

Out of Control

Sometimes life can seem out of sorts, out of control, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and lost. It happens. This life thing isn't predictable, and many things are out of our control. Natural disasters, illnesses & diseases, and many other factors play into life keeping us on our toes.

Sometimes even the thought of losing control over something is enough to bring on the anxiety.

This is where we need to shift the focus from what we cannot control to what we can. When you feel like life is taking you for a loop, stop and take a look inside.

Control your breath.

Equalize the volume and duration of each inhale and exhale for at least 5 minutes. Inhale for 4 counts, and exhale for 4 counts. Set an alarm if you can.

Control your thoughts.

Allow every thought that passes by during this time to float by like a cloud in the sky. Your thoughts create your reality. You have control over what you choose to focus on.

Control your life.

If you are sad, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. Take a look around you and live every moment of life for all its worth.

I hope your new year is starting out with some clarity, joy, and renewal.

Love

Intentions for the New Year

With this amazingly eventful year coming to a close, instead of making a silly resolution I've made a list of intentions to embrace and  feelings to let go of. Here goes...

Let go of negative thoughts. Embrace thoughts that make you feel empowered. 

Let go of guilt. Embrace honor. 
Let go of the fear of the unknown. Embrace the excitement of the journey ahead.
Let go of regrets. Embrace relief.
Let go of worry. Embrace trust.

Let go of blame. Embrace peace.
Let go of anger. Embrace calmness.
Let go to self-doubt. Embrace self-respect.

Let go of sacrificing your happiness for others. Embrace loving yourself.
Let go of comparing yourself to others. Embrace your individuality. 

In this coming year, let's try our best to shift our focus away from fighting the old, and more toward building the new. 

Happy New Year everyone! May this last day of 2013 bring about positive memories, closure, lessons learned, and excitement for the journey ahead.

LOVE.