One

The most beautiful thing about life is that it changes so quickly. Nothing is permanent which is unarguably the most beautiful and also the most terrifying thing about it. 

I had an amazing experience a couple days ago, I had just finished the most difficult month of my life and although there were people all around me I still felt alone. When the month was officially over I went out for coffee at the Tibetan cafe across the street from the Hindu temple I used to visit frequently with my mom. That evening I met a woman there that knew my dad in Michigan, by chance she sat down beside me at the precise time I needed her most. I didn't even realize how much I needed a friend, someone to talk to that understood me and what I was going through but somehow I think God knew we both needed each other.

I am so thankful for the blessings of the Universe, gifts that are so unexpected and surreal I would never even think of asking for them but they're given anyway. It only takes One second, One person, One experience to change your life forever. Wait for it, look for it, expect it! It's coming...    

The Blessings of Mold

The sound of thunder rolls in and the clouds move over the mountains like a white blanket covering the Himalayas as far as the eye can see. It's 4pm on the dot and the rain begins as it does every day, washing the streets clean and forcing the rivers onward and upward. As the rain's fury dies down the rainbow shines brightly over the mountain tops and the clouds disperse leaving behind an array of slugs, warms and insects.

It has been a difficult task making sure the mold doesn't take over my life and attach itself to all of my belongings but I have also seen the blessings in the situation. I spent a month in a room that was infested with mold, before arriving I wasn't aware of the distinct smell mold brings with it but now I will never forget it. I'm in a well ventilated room now but the mold still finds a way into every dark space that has been forgotten for more than a couple of days. Mold has taught me a valuable lesson, however, less is more. Less possessions I have, the more peace I have because in this weather it's a must to clean and touch everything on a daily basis if I want to keep them.

Letting go has been a form of worship I have adapted since making peace with the weather here. I let go, clean my space and touch my things every day- I move them, wash them and put them in the sun to dry. Every day I let go, am aware of what is serving me and what's important in my life. There is a piece of me in each object in my room, in my space and I have a relationship with each of them. I take care of them, love them and let them go when our time together is through.

Hawan Ceremony

The first day of yoga we began with a Hawan ceremony, in the Hindu tradition the beginning of a new venture begins with this type of ceremony to ask for guidance and protection. 

Everyone was told to wear white which represented "purity". We sat in a circle inside the dining hall and a small fire was lit on the floor. They chanted in Sandskrit and threw different spices and oils into the fire. The women wore scarfs on their heads, the men had a piece of red string on their heads and they tied a piece of red and yellow string to each person’s wrist. I was told this was symbolic of giving blessings to each person. They we were all given some spices and herbs to throw into the fire and we chanted “OM” (The sound of the Universe) together. 

Soon the ceremony was over and we all met in to yoga room to meet our teachers and have a short introduction to the course and what would be expected of us. One thing I thought was interesting is that we were told sitting with feet straight out, pointing at the teacher is considered disrespectful so we could sit cross legged or with our knees up but never with our feet out in a relaxed position. 

Dharmshala

The plane ride here was easy, by the time we were landing we could look over the landscape and see how everything had changed drastically down below since leaving New Delhi.

Once we arrived we got in the taxi to drive up the mountain and I was pretty sure we weren't going to make it! The roads were small with tight turns, people were walking, cows were crossing, goats were eating by the side of the road, many times you could look out over the hills and valleys below without any barriers between the car and the steep plummet down. I was sure only one car could drive on the road at a time but the driver proved me wrong! At one point we fit two cars and a cow on this small path, I still have no idea how that was even possible!

Then, we were half way up the mountain and the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down. A police car had stopped in front of us and began backing down the mountain in front of us- our driver was angry but we had to obey. The tires were slipping and we were all backing down one bye one, keeping the windows open so the windshield wouldn't fog over, everyone was getting wet and with each passing minute I was more and more convinced we wouldn't make it or we would have to end up pushing the car up the rest of the way. Finally our driver got out of the car in the pouring rain, opened the car door in front of us and told him where to stick it. The car promptly moved over to the side and we passed.

It was quite the adventure. Then we got out of the car and the trek up the stairs to our rooms in the rain seemed more like swimming up a waterfall than walking up stairs but we did in fact survive the adventure up here and the view from up here is absolutely breath taking. The scenery is beautiful, the weather is perfect, it rains every day and we are able to watch from our yoga room as the clouds cover the mountains and uncover them, like a blanket protecting and keeping them warm.

New Delhi

It has been a wonderful adventure to India. It took three days to arrive in New Delhi. I had the opportunity to spend a day in Newark, where I lived in 2011, and see some dear friends again.

Once I arrived in New Delhi I waited for Emily outside of the international arrivals, and started to settle into my new environment. We got a taxi to our hostel and drove on the opposite side of the street than what we’re used to and weaved between motorcycles, buses, cows and people walking while all the cars on the road were honking simultaneously. The traffic here had no understanding of this idea of “Patience” I had been practicing.

The people here have been very nice and we’ve only been cheated or ripped off a few times. We were expecting rain, since it is monsoon season in India, but it didn’t rain while we were in New Delhi- I walked around with rain boots none-the-less since they didn’t fit in the backpack I was carrying but the trip was short and sweet. I sat out on the balcony of our hostel the next morning and watched the children be walked to the bus stop and the vendors selling fruit on the side of the streets. The streets were alive with color, people wearing traditional Indian clothing and I watched as the people walked across the streets, they maneuvered swiftly through the traffic, a well-timed dance serenaded by honking horns and busy city life.

Today I travel with patience

It will take me three days to get to India. 

I arrived in Newark last night at 3am. I looked out the window before settling in for the night and watched the cleaning crew preparing for morning.











Today was the first time I had the opportunity to use the meditation room in the airport. It was quiet and serene; a nice way to begin the day.

On my way out of here to spend the day in New York City- See you soon!













Patience is, as Browning said, is the courage to change the things you can, the willingness to accept the things you cannot and the wisdom to know the difference. 

What's Your Super Power?

I'm getting packed and ready to go to India, which means I've been writing a lot and making videos in advance for my book club, to make sure they're uploaded before I leave. I hope I will be able to continue to make videos and upload pictures to this blog once I get there but I honestly don't know what the internet will be like so I've been busy preparing.

Creating the videos for the Napoleon Hill's A Year of Growing Rich has been very rewarding. It has forced me to step out of my comfort zone, yet again, and teach what I most desire to learn. 

Each chapter has within it hidden gems of information that I'm surprised to find as I dig and read and dig some more. It's one thing to read a book, it's another to read it with the intention of sharing it with others. 

It took me a week to finally make the video for the chapter "Hopefulness". I understood it intellectually but I've never put it into practice in my life with fervor and zeal. After I began reading and studying these two simple pages Mr. Hill wrote on "Hopefulness" all of the difficult situations and people from my past started showing up in my life and my emotions, needless to say, were a mess. 

Then, teachers began to appear in the form of books, audio CDs, email newsletters and youtube videos. I dove head first into Abraham Hick's teachings on the Law of Attraction, Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now and Dr. Bruce Lipton's recordings that came to my email inbox every day. They were all saying the same thing but with different words, essentially, YOU (and only you) are in control of your emotions- no matter what the outer circumstances are. They even went one step further to say, YOU are attracting life's events to you through the law of attraction whether you are aware of it or not. Dr. Bruce Lipton really helped me to finally understand the power of the mind and the part it plays in creating the life I'm living. He gave the example of harmonic resonance, our emotions are like the frequency that we are emitting and the energetic universe then delivers to us, people, places, situations and things that are in energetic resonance with us. This explains why and how we are creating this life we are experiencing. Napoleon Hill nailed it when he titled his best selling book, "THINK and Grow Rich".

Mr. Hill says that "Hope is the raw material with which you build success." First we must dream of a better tomorrow, then we must live it. By living with hope we are moving our attention from what is to what could be and then we can begin to attract what we desire into our lives. 

However, as I've recently learned and understood very clearly, we can't allow people, situations or events to dictate our inner emotional state. Since reading Napoleon Hill's A Year Of Growing Rich, I've become aware that I've lived too much of my life dependent on outer circumstances to make me feel a certain way. Someone says or does something nice, I feel good. Someone insults or betrays me, I feel bad. This is no way to live life- especially if you're interested in creating a life of peace, love and success. No one has the power to affect the way you feel unless you give them permission to do so.

Osho says it this way, "You feel good, you feel bad, and these feeling are bubbling from your own unconsciousness, from your own pas. Nobody is responsible except you. Nobody can make you angry, and no body can make you happy."

Practice feeling good no matter the outer circumstance and you will begin to create the life of your dreams-  THIS is your superpower. YOU have the power to give your imagination free rein to create HOPE and live the life you desire.

Dear God, how should I live my life?

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"Dear God, how should I live my life?" This was the question I woke up with from a dream I had two nights ago. I wrote down my dream, as I do every morning and, like always, it revealed itself on paper in reverse. I remember the last thing that happened before I woke up, then as I begin to write I remember the previous thing that happened and the thing before that and so on. 

I don't completely understand dreams, why we have them, why we dream about one thing or another but I do have a tattoo on my left arm that is a quote from A Course in Miracles that reads, "The dreamer of the dream is not awake, but does not know she sleeps" which is the only thing about dreams that I know for sure. 

Dreams fascinate me because they speak in symbols and the world of a dream is all coming from within my own mind but still there are things within the dream I recognize as "myself" and things that are "outside of me". When I wake up and record the dream I am able to see how I reacted to a specific situation and question what I really would have done if I had been "awake" or at least "lucid" or "aware" within the dream that I AM the Dreamer and creating it all within my own mind.

In this dream I was tired, I couldn't tell if I was on drugs or just really tired, but I was backing up and saw a truck behind me; I couldn't get my foot to the break fast enough to stop it before hitting the truck. I wasn't going very fast but it still got him pretty good. I chose to drive away without getting out to talk to the man in the truck. Later on I met up with some people for pizza and I picked up the napkin on the table and there were centipedes crawling all over the table. The other people I was with didn't seem bothered by them at all, in fact, they picked one up and started taking pictures with it. 

To dream of a centipede represents beliefs or situations that you feel are unpleasant that you'll do anything to avoid them. It may also reflect feelings about enemies that annoy you or putting up with people you really don't like. Feeling bothered by someone or something that is imposing itself on  you. 

Negatively, it may also reflect a fear or annoyance of never getting to discuss something you like ever again. Fearing conditions that are completely out of touch with your wishes. Fearing permanent choices that are out of your control.

Since this dream I've made it priority to ask, "Dear God, how should I live my life?" 

There are things I've done in the past I wish I hadn't, but the present moment is all I have, now. And I have the choice, now, to ask for guidance. A Course in Miracles shares a prayer that asks, "What would you have me do? Where would you have me go? What would you have me say? And to whom?" 

Breathing helps to wake up to this present moment, to think clearly and to ask, "Dear God, how should I live my life?" Once you've asked, listen for the answer and live your truth, so years down the road you won't have to wish you had. The point I want to make is this; You can loose yourself in the dream of life and react to the physical world as if you are not actually the dreamer, the One creating it all, or you can return to this moment, through the breath and the body, to remember you are more than what you see with your physical eyes. 

You have the choice, now, to choose a new vibrational frequency through your thoughts and the emotions you are feeling- regardless of the physical situation you find yourself in; you are the creator of the life you are living. 

If this one simple idea is digested, understood and applied in the present moment, we truly can be conscious creators instead of victims in our lives. 

...just five more minutes

Death has been on my mind a lot lately. I woke up the morning of my first laughter yoga class in Michigan this summer thinking about dying. My alarm clock went off at 5:00am and I just wanted "five more minutes" but I got up anyway. I thought, "What if this is what happens when you're on your death bed- you want more time- just five more minutes- but don't have it?"  What will I do with the five minutes I've been given today while I'm still alive? Will I sleep through them or will I be grateful for these five minutes and live in them fully? Can I fully I appreciate their value now before they're gone?

That evening at Laughter Yoga class we were doing a "value" laughter exercise to practice laughing together in difficult times of life. The first man said, "driving" and the next woman said, "when people die"... I wasn't expecting her response and this wasn't a "stressful situation" we had practiced responding to in class during the teacher certification course I took; so I want to take a moment now to share an interesting experience and talk about how laughter yoga can go hand in hand with the topic of death.

There are some things in life that "just aren't funny" but they are a part of life anyway. We will all experience difficult times in life and we will all experience loss, the question isn't if but when. How can we learn to deal with these situations in a positive way? Can we turn these stumbling blocks into stepping stones in our lives?  

I had so much respect for this lady, she came to a Laughter Yoga class in the middle of her hurt and sadness, she was willing to laugh during a time of great pain in her life. This takes courage, it is not easy. 

When you are going through a hard time, like a death or a loss, you can still use laughter medicine. For example, you can send loving laughter up to the energy of the person, they're still with us but in a different form; Einstein said, "Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only change form". We can send them joy on their journey with our laughter, remembering the joy they've given and the joy we will bring with us because they were here. 

We can come together to celebrate life and hold each other in the energy of love and understanding during laughter yoga sessions. We're going through this human experience together, we're not alone. 
You're not alone.

Find a Laughter Yoga session near you at: http://www.laughteryoga.org/english/club/find_club 

Live Now

Ever wake up in the morning with the alarm and wish for "just a little more time"? Don't let this be how you feel at the end of your life; live in the moment you've been given Now.

Take a deep breath in and feel in this moment. 

How to connect to health and happiness

Your emotions affect the chemicals released in your body and so do your thoughts. The body is a visual representation of the internal state of your mind. Pain can be your messenger, if you allow it to be, pain forces you into the present moment and asks you to wake up and take responsibility for your mind.

"The Creator gave us the complete, unchallengeable right of prerogative over one thing, and only one thing- our own mind." Napoleon Hill (Week 2) A Year of Growing Rich

If we (humanity) can begin to see physical illness as a message to be heeded rather than a battle to be won, we can once again become friends with the body and learn to listen to the language it speaks. In this way we live in harmony with Mother Earth and with ourselves. 

I have had the desire to begin a book club for years but I travel so much my lifestyle doesn't allow me the luxury of creating this practice in a physical location. Recently, I came up with the idea to create a learning platform virtually and a book club online. I've had this idea for a week now and have been moving in the direction of it's creation but since I first decided a rash showed up on my throat. I had no 'real' explanation for why it was there but it was red and irritated. The throat is home of the fifth chakra, this energy center governs communication and personal expression. As long as I can remember, seers and teachers have told me to open my fifth chakra because it's closed. I should wear blue, eat blue (the color of the chakra) express myself, sing, speak- I do try, but all of those things are especially difficult for me. 

Yesterday I uploaded my first video and the moment it had been shared online the rash on my neck was gone. The body doesn't speak in words but in symbols. When you learn to listen and understand, you can heal your mind, open your heart to life, and health in the physical body will soon follow.

Anita Moorjani explains it best in her book 'Dying To Be Me' - it's a great book and an easy read! Dr. Wayne Dyer highly recommends it too. 

This Moment Awareness...

Everything can change in a moment, it will, it must, there is only this moment. One of these moments...

Someone will walk into your life and when they leave they will have changed you for the better. These coincidences and chance encounters, the ones that have no rhythm or rhyme, come as they will, even if you don't understand them, give thanks; in case there is someone listening to your prayers. Just in case.

That moment will come when you know and feel deep inside that  you're not alone. You do exist. It's all going to be okay.

As unsure of yourself as you are, there's someone out there that's worth it. It'll be better than you could have imagined before. You're going to make it. It's going to be ok.

"Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable." -Mary Oliver

La Lady Luna Me Inspira

The feminine presence of the full moon, in all her glory, reminds us to flow with the tides of life. 

The moon holds her power safely within herself. She shines her light today and tomorrow will return again to darkness. She reflects the light of the sun and controls the great waters of the earth, she is authentic power made manifest. 

Her feminine presence births the rhythm we all live and die by. She moves us, simply by being herself- unapologetically and without reservation.

Relax into the rhythm of the breath and allow all things, people, events, thoughts and situations to be as they are now- without trying to change or manipulate them in any way. 

It is safe to be powerful, like the moon, to be birthed anew with each cycle of life. She teaches us not to fear the darkness since we too have the power to reflect the Light of the Son in this world. 
Shine on.

Have Faith

The energy of gratitude can lift One up from any situation. When we feel grateful before healing occurs, our faith is revealed. 

Faith is the energy that allows for more to come into life; more love, more joy, more health, more peace, more friendship. Even if only a little faith is possible, the act of feeling grateful can open the heart, and in this vibrational frequency, healing can occur. 

Life gives us the divine gift to practice being grateful in our darkest hours so that we may become faithful. Being faithful in life is the ability to give thanks and trust that any obstacles that arise in life are divine encounters here to show us the way to our truth and light. Being faithful is trusting that we are being led in the right direction and that our highest truth will be given to us if and when we are an energetic match to it. 

So, breathe into the pain now, and be grateful for your healing because NOW is the time to have faith. 

Here comes the sun

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Today I am contemplating an idea presented by some of the most successful people to have ever lived; Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." and Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Always do what you're afraid to do."

I have recently started reaching out to some of the most inspiring people I know, people that are sharing messages of love, peace, unity and purpose. It has been a dream come true to have the opportunity to interview people I have known and admired for so many years but it requires me to step outside of my comfort zone. I want to create a platform for people who desire to learn and apply natural health principles and meditation to their own lives but speaking in public is a very difficult thing for me to do. Each teacher, doctor and mentor I interview on my podcast presents me with the opportunity to 'feel the fear and do it anyway'.

Growth is not comfortable, but it is necessary. Where in life have you not been willing to grow because of feelings of fear or discomfort? Make the choice today to take one step in the direction of your dreams and conquer your fears so you can live the life of your dreams.

What I've learned from Denise Iwaniw

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Yesterday I had the opportunity to interview Denise Iwaniw on Organic Living's podcast. I was so nervous and excited to talk to someone I've admired and learned from for so many years; it was truly a dream come true. The best part about talking with Denise, is that she's so comfortable in who she is and the message she has to share, that she is able to hold a space for understanding and healing to occur naturally in her presence. I was honored that she took time out of her day to pull cards with me and talk about ancient knowledge and the practical application of these truths for everyday people. 

I asked her about her own practice and what she does when she's confronted with uncomfortable emotions, difficult life events and vices; her answer was simple, "be quiet". We, as a society, often get caught up in the noise of the world and have been taught to numb the pain we feel with distractions. Denise suggests we also have the option to spend time in nature, ask for guidance from a higher power and be still enough to listen. Our connection with Mother Earth is like a reset button for mind, body and spirit and when we make the choice to breathe and surrender to this moment, we're inviting divine wisdom and messages to show up in our lives. 

The pain we feel is often a call for growth and we'll need to let go of what no longer serves us before we can move forward and grow. The seed in the soil, that she referred to in the podcast, already has within it everything it needs to grow and break free of the darkness. Is this not then true for humanity as well? When we stop frantically searching for something to numb the pain and escape the darkness, we might then realize the great potential for growth that is here for us, and the darkness, in fact, provides the perfect environment for us to grow and reach the light.

I am so grateful for all the wisdom Denise has shared, and I hope this has also encouraged you to look within and find refuge in Mother Earth the next time you're in pain and are asked to grow. 

Love & light, Jennifer An

How to save a life

Have you ever experienced kindness from a stranger, no strings attached, nothing expected or hoped for in return; simply kindness for the sake of kindness?

I had this experience recently when I met a young woman outside a tea shop downtown Chattanooga; we talked for a few minutes and exchanged numbers. On my way to Michigan she invited me to coffee and she had put together a travel bag with essentials for my trip to India in it. She wrote a letter to explain what was in the package and included a bracelet to pass on to another traveler after I returned.

I barely knew her but she touched my life and my heart in a way that she will never know. My perspective of love has been very limited, I believe in conditional love and kindness, the type I have to earn. This brief encounter encouraged me to reevaluate my beliefs; she gently reminded me of all the love available in this world and that I am not alone.

Be kind today, a smile could be all it takes to save a life.

When life gives you lemons, laugh!

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One of my favorite things about traveling is the people I meet along the way. One evening in Shi'an, Emily and I decided to spend our evening in the hostel and it was there I met our roommate Matt from England. He was going through what he called a "mid-life crisis" so he was spending a month in China to "find himself".

I remember feeling his hurt and sadness but also feeling excited for him and the opportunity he had to redefine who he was and create the life he truly wanted. His pain was forcing him to step outside of his normal routine, look inside himself and consciously decide what he desired to do and create in life. 

Some people think Laughter Yoga is a way of escaping life or pretending the pain isn't there, but it's not. Life happens, the human experience itself implies pain, loss and suffering but how we choose respond to each situation is where our freedom lies. The body doesn't know the difference between "real" and "fake" laughter, by choosing to laugh, you're making a conscious choice to rewire neural pathways and release "feel good" chemicals in the body. You are actually able to create an environment in the body conducive to healing by making the decision to laugh despite outer circumstances. 

One simple step to happiness

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How do you remember to be present in even the most mundane moments of life? Last night I went to bed and wondered where the day had gone. 

Children and pets are the best at living in the moment and milking the most out of life. My dog, for example, takes a great big down-dog yoga stretch each time she gets up, and she does it with joy. 

Imagine doing this yourself. Each time you get up from sitting or lying down, the first thing you do is take a big stretch and a long, deep breath with a smile on your face. 

How would your life change from this simple exercise? 

How much more comfortable would it be living in your body and how much more enjoyable?

Stretch. Breathe. Live.

Ask for the help you need

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A new day is a fresh start, every next now moment is an opportunity to step fully into your joy and authenticity in this life. 

Breathe, and be thankful that all you need is already here for you. Much like a seed already has all it requires to become a tree, you too have all you need within you.

Rely on the power that lights the sun and moves the planets; ask for guidance from this higher source. Feel gratitude for the relief faith brings, breathe and relax into a power far greater than yourself.

What are you searching for out in the world? Find it in your present. 

Take three deep breaths and return to the rhythm of your heart beat. 

Sacred Moment

The present moment is sacred because it is life itself. Breathe in this moment and fill yourself with life. This is called "conscious breathing".

How much life have you experienced today?

Take three simple breaths a day to deepen or begin a meditation practice  now. 

God IS (in) Our Present

I don't have a name for the energy that gave me this breath, I don't even remember how it came to be, yet here I am; breathing.

Receive your present

Create space within yourself for the present moment to reside.
Breathe

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Listen to today's meditation at http://www.teacherjenniferan.com/guided-meditations/

Here, now

Feel alive in this moment. 

Breathe

Free your mind meditation

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Meditation:

Drop into your body, down, into your core (area of belly button). Sink deeper into your Self, breathe.

Notice your body.

Notice noticing.

Can you feel.....?

Expand the confines of your body. Use your imagination to feel a radiant light starting in your belly button, radiating out and filling the whole body, the room, the town, the state, the country, the world, the universe. Breathe in this expansiveness and feel the freedom and lightness of breathing.

Take a moment to bask in this feeling, now. Breathe out until the air fills your lungs naturally with the next inhalation; when you're ready return your consciousness to this moment here. Notice what you see and feel. Does it seem lighter where you are now?

Breathe in this moment.

Yoga Love

Yoga has a practice called "cat cow" to keep the spine moving and healthy. This is a simple practice to add into your morning routine. Before getting out of bed, do four or five cat cows to cleanse the lungs and wake up the mind and body.

Remember to remember

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This puppy reminds me to return to the present moment and breathe. She is always so present, the cutest reminder. How do you remember to be present and take a couple deep breaths?

Wake up body, wake up mind

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You can continue to bring peace to the mind by finding peace in the body in this moment. Breathe and tilt your head back as the air flows in, breathe out and bring the head and neck back to neutral spine. Breathe again, this time moving the arms open and the head back to make room for the oxygen entering the body; breathe out and bring the arms back around to wrap around the front of your body, rounding the back and neck into the front of the body to squeeze out the rest of the exhalation. Breathe, moving the body open and closed in this way four or five times. Return to daily life.

Grab-a-Hold Your Lifeline, now

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A healthy spine means a healthy person. As you take in your five deep breaths today, move the spine back and forth in a seated position. Move the body and the spine back and forth while you breathe. Open the body to expand and take in more fresh air and closing the let go completely.

When you change the state of the body, you change the state of the mind. Five deep, conscious, full body breaths are all it takes.

Why practice?

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The purpose of having a practice is to become an artist and mold your life into a masterpiece of your own design. 

Sometimes, in the midst of changing a habit or practice, the road seems long and hard. Your vision could be as foggy as it is in the picture. When difficulties arise in your path, notice the feeling of your heart beat, remember you are breathing and return to the present moment, now, breathe five deep breaths. 

Your determination to succeed must be stronger than your fears in order to break through your blocks and self imposed limitations. 

Breathe, relax. Be here, now.  

Finding your happiness within

Move your body, move your face. Bring your attention here, can you touch your lips to your nose? Can you smile so big you can't open your eyes? Can you touch your ear with your tongue? No? What about the other side? Can you raise your eye brows so high they touch your hair line? Can you make a scary face that would make a baby cry? What about a face to make him laugh? 

Meditation: Sit
Breathe
Smile, shine for 5 or 10 minutes. Feel the radiant energy you allow to flow out as you breathe and smile. Send this Love energy out through your heart to your entire body and allow this energy to move out into the room around you. Feel it continue to grow brighter and feel better, take this feeling with you out into the world today. Share your joy.

India

It matters more what you think of you than what others think of you. Live your purpose and speak your truth. It is in this way that we will heal.

Getting ready for India is really exciting, I'm looking forward to being certified in Yoga and also participating in the ten day silent Vipassana Meditation. Vipassana was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a cure all for universal ills. There are so many rules that must be followed during the ten days, such as, no talking, reading, writing or communicating in any way with others. No decorating the body, no western beds, no killing (vegetarian diet only) and no distractions for yourself or others. The list goes on, but the purpose is to be in silence and "see things as they really are". It's sure to be one of the most intense things we've ever done but also one of the most insightful into the art of living a peaceful life and meditating. I'm really looking forward to facilitating yoga and meditation classes and sharing what we've learned along the way. Thanks for following our journey here. 

Practice

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A practice can be a daily yoga practice or meditation but your practice is what ever you do consistently, the good and the bad. Satori talked about being conscious of your actions so you can choose if they're serving you and if you wish to continue doing them, change them or stop them completely and make a different choice. 

The purpose of these daily blogs are to give you a resource to continue to build more positive, life affirming daily routines.

Take a moment to breathe deeply in this moment. Sit up straight and relax tension in your muscles and face. Be grateful for five deep breaths. 

Breathe in and feel gratitude

Breathe out and let go of what's not serving you now

Take off the weight

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Take off the "weight" that is on your body. Do you feel a "weight" on your shoulders? On an energetic level, pick it up off your shoulders and throw it up high into the air, watch it go up up up and evaporate as it's purified in the light of the sun. Let it go! You're the only one that can choose to hold onto it. Choose to be free. Let it go now.

Feel the body. What feels heavy now? Is it your physical body or is it a thought, feeling or emotion weighing you down? Picture this feeling as something you can take off, let this tension go. Let your body "off the hook" by simply making the decision to do you, then feel what you feel now, in this present moment. 

Breathe in and let the resistance go that is holding you back from living a fully satisfying, self proclaimed life.
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Enough

Here is a simple meditation for you to begin your day.

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Put hand on heart and breathe into it. 
Affirm, "I am enough for me now and here. I need not go anywhere." 

Feel the heart beat. Breath in this moment.

Sit up a little straighter, feel thanksgiving for the moment you have now and relax your face, smile. 

Let it go

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Lay down on the floor and relax the body completely. Allow the body to return to mother earth, let it "melt" into the ground beneath it. 

Notice now: Are you able to let it relax completely? Is there something that you are holding onto? Why? Is there something that is hard to let go of? Where? 

Breathe into it. 

Use the breath to help your mind and body let go of the stress and tension. 

You are worthy

Present moment awareness

Breathe.
Drop down into your heart space.

Presence

Look at what isn't here. 
How much space is there between you and any other object in the room? Look through the distance that is between you and the words you are reading. 


There is "spaciousness" here. Changing your perspective of this moment, by becoming more aware of what isn't here than what is, allows you to look at life differently. 

By creating space in your life through present moment awareness and meditation, you remember how to relax more often and in difficult situations. Think about the importance of the silence between the notes of a song or the space between the words on a page, this is how important meditation is to a busy life.

Rest your consciousness and awareness on the spaciousness and the silence available within the chaos now. 
Breathe in this moment

What is your purpose?

What is the force breathing you? Can you stop it from ebbing and flowing? What is this energy moving through you? What will you do with it today?

The Miracle Ingredient

Meditation is a great practice for clarity because the silent time you're creating for yourself cultivates peace of mind. 

Be grounded. Drink one more glass of water today than you typically would. Breathe

Practice your practice

Meditation is, "Present moment awareness" so creating time in your daily schedule to experience this moment through all of the senses is an easy way to begin a meditation practice. We can practice this now, as you're reading. Use your breath to breathe into the stomach, feel it expand and contract, hear the breath as it moves, see these words, bring your awareness "here". Allow your forehead to relax as you continue to breathe and bring your attention to any part of your body, spend a breath or two with it. This is a simple meditation you can do throughout the day to bring relaxation, attention and more awareness to your day.

Sick & Frustrated

Life brings up for you what is hidden within to forgive.

Each time a person or an event in life brings up a feeling inside of you, you're the One you need to heal. You're the only one in control of how you feel and meditation can help you understand this and do something constructive about it. 

Bringing yourself back to your five senses is a good way to begin your meditation practice. Notice what you hear, what you are seeing, continue through the senses, what are the hands touching right now, what do you taste, what can you smell? Give your attention over to your senses in order to return your consciousness to this present moment. Breathe and feel your heart beat, here, now.

Lesson 125
"A Course in Miracles"

W-pI.125.1.
Let this day be a day of stillness and of quiet listening. 
2 Your Father wills you hear His Word today.
3 He calls to you from deep within your mind where He abides.
4 Hear Him today.
5 No peace is possible until His Word is heard around the world; until your mind, in quiet listening, accepts the message that the world must hear to usher in the quiet time of peace.

Breathe Love

Falling Water, Signal Mtn, TN

Your meditation can be as simple as taking three deep breaths out of your day to put your hand on your heart and breathe into it. The mind can relax as you silently notice the rhythm of the heart beat.











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