Tag Archives: yoga

optimism

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optimism

 

 

 

 

Are you an optimist, a pessimist or a realist today?

My Teacher always speaks to me about surrender. In Yoga terminology, this is called:

ISHVARAPRANIDHANA (Celebration of spiritual) Surrender to a higher power, and knowing that this omnipresent force lies within each of us.
Sometimes we just have to choose trust over fear!

exhale

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deep breath

by their very nature, an exhale is a release…you may not notice the effects until you start to consciously lengthen them…

P.S. Save the date – I will be presenting a workshop at YOCOMO : Breathe With Purpose  Sunday, June 2nd at 13:30-15:30 .. stay tuned

limits

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there are no limits

 

 

 

 

 

There are only limits in your mind… above all else, Hatha Yoga is a discipline that trains the mind to overcome its limitations; I invite you today to focus not on what you cannot ‘do’ ~ a few moments just to breathe and connect with yourself at a deeper level will help you uncover possibility and joy…

yogah citta-vritti-nirodhah ~ Patanjali sutra 1.2 ~ Yoga is the ability to direct and focus mental activity

Yoga and the Art of Listening To Your Body

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Yoga and the Art of Listening To Your Body

published on MindBodyGreen
Yoga and the Art of Listening to Your BodyLearning to listen to your body is a process that requires patience and compassion.

I taught yoga to a marathoner recently and explained that the physical practice of yoga is not mind over matter, like pushing yourself to excruciating lengths to cross a finish line. Yoga is mind in matter, the focus on synchronicity between breath and movement. It’s a holistic process.
If our hamstrings say, “this feels too tight, this is my edge,” we learn self-respect by listening to them, and back away a bit. We learn to distinguish from an array of sensations as we decipher pain from discomfort, which is not always straightforward.
Pain can be sharp or dull, an ache, a NO and it can be quite uncomfortable. It can be a symptom of a health concern you should get checked by a doctor, and it can be psychological and emotional, stored in the body and masquerading in your neck, lumbar spine, hips…
Discomfort can feel like tightness with possibility. With a bit of stretching, focused breathing, an intention to move into comfort, some discomfort can shift. It is really personal as well. You may see glimpses until you get the full picture, as it is a process.
People initially confuse listening to the body with listening to the mind with all its frenetic I shoulds… With time, you become inwardly sensitive, a connoisseur of sensations. How deep you go is relative to what you feel, and to what you know.
How to hear the messages from your inner guidance system can be a practice on its own, with rewards that spill over into daily life, as instincts are key to positive, nurturing choices, to our health and to our safety.
Here are some tips to start listening to your internal guidance system:
1. Make notes of anything in your life that is difficult, painful, joyful, and notice how your breathing, heart rate and other bodily sensations respond to each of these.
2. Pay attention to what your body feels like. For example, do you feel fluid, numb, or stuck? These feelings are your body’s wisdom; clues in your inner guidance system.
3. When you experience a bodily sensation such as “gut reaction,” back pain, a headache, a stomach ache, pay attention to it. Are emotions such as anger or fear connected with any areas of your body? When a sensation arises, stop, lie down, breathe and wait with the emotion or sensation – what insights come up through this process?
4. Notice how you routinely talk to yourself. Do you chastise or appreciate when you look in the mirror? Are you hyper critical or do you give your body positive messages, and gratitude. Your body digests meals, breathes in and out, and your heart beats 24/7… Cultivate a positive chain between your inner mental dialogue and the rest of you.
5. Understand that you risk your health when you consistently undermine your body. Burning the candle at both ends, worrying incessantly, food choices, activity choices, friendship choices…it all affects our system as a whole.
Here are my top three tips to begin to accept and love yourself unconditionally:
1. Standing in front of the mirror, affirm:  “I accept myself unconditionally right now.  I love my body and I love myself just as I am”.  Try this mantra two times a day for 21 days.
2. Learn how to breathe to create inner calm. A simple practice is to inhale to a slow count of  3 or 4, exhale to a slow count of 6 or 8 (adjust as needed). Try this minimum 5 minutes per day for 21 days.
3. Remember that the “attitude of gratitude” is what brings an inner and outer smile. About 90% of our bodily functions take place without you the personality telling it how to do the job. Acknowledge that your body today grew from a glint in your parents eyes, and is quite a miracle.
You are beautiful inside and out, let me know how you progress!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Published February 18, 2013 at 6:22 AM
About Rana WaxmanRana Waxman is a Yoga Therapist, who has taught in Montreal for over 17 years. Her background in the healing arts of massage have earned her the nickname ‘the muscle whisperer.”  Often called, the “modern yogini,” Rana likes to empower students to take their practice home with them so their yoga becomes a tool for transformation. Her inspired style is a blend between alignment, vinyasa and restorative yoga to promote healthy posture, peace and positivity. Follow Rana on Facebook and Twitter.Connect with Rana Waxman:
ranawaxman.com
@yoginiqueen on Twitter
FacebookMore from Rana Waxman on MindBodyGreen

How To Make Self-Reflection Fun
Use Mantras to Focus Your Mind and Change Your Life
Why You Need to Carve Out Time for Silence
How to Handle Major Life Changes Like a Spiritual Warrior
If You’re Getting Injured In Yoga, Something Isn’t Right

happiness..

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happiness quoteHappiness is calling your name! yes you!

We all have moments of extreme happiness.  The feeling you get when you land the new job you always wanted, or when she says “yes” to the engagement.  Yet, happiness is just one thought away.

Listen to your own thoughts

We react to our own thoughts.  By listening to ourselves we can gently shift our thoughts and with intention select things that do make us happy.  Start off your day with some happy thoughts!

grateful heart

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grateful heart
How do you start your day? Do you start with a grateful heart?

We suggest that you start each day reflecting on what and who you are grateful for. Focus with intent on gratitude. Do not allow “what if” to come into play. We all have things to be grateful for, the smile of a child, the sight of a cloud against the blue sky, or even just the ability to wake up and draw breath.

 

 
 

Start your day with a grateful heart and see what a difference it makes in your day and in your life.

A Valentine’s day meditation

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Meditation

A Valentine’s Day Meditation

 

A Valentine’s day meditation which focuses on directing loving kindness inwardly first;

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance” ~ Oscar Wilde

In yoga, we talk about ahimsa, which translates as “not to injure” but has deeper intentions to it. Loving kindness can be expressed in small gestures to others but also to oneself, as you learn to listen to your instincts and respect yourself

Celebrate love today; be kind to yourself !
The quality of this loving-kindness meditation is like a fertile garden, out of which an integrated spiritual life can blossom. Set your intention to begin this practice today, and then again at least once this coming week, twice the following week and continue to add on as the coming weeks progress. Practice just to practice, without expectation.

Loving Kindness Meditation, adapted from A Path With Heart

Today, sit comfortably. Let your mind and body be at rest.
Repeat silently to yourself:

“May I be filled with loving-kindness.

May I be well.

May I be Peaceful and at ease.

May I be happy.”

Feel this energy radiate from your heart to every cell of your body and from your being outward.  We can wish for others this same feeling we have cultivated inside our self.

Happy Valentine’s Day !!