Tag: #happiness
8.20.18
During a yoga session this past Sunday, I taught a client that I have been teaching for about a year now. He expressed to me that he recently experienced the most effective at home yoga practice that he has ever had. He expressed that before this practice he was feeling imbalanced, insecure and anxious but after his practice he felt released, grounded and in a more relaxed state of mind than he ever had before after a usual at home practice. I questioned him as to why he believed this practice was more effective for him than other practices. He expressed that he allowed himself to freely flow through his practice without overthinking if he was doing poses or stretches “right” or “wrong” or creating any type of expectation or judgment on himself.
After hearing this, it was definitely a proud moment for me. Over the past year, as his teacher I have encouraged him to see yoga through this perception and to hear that he has reached it on his own put a smile on my face. I realize that this is a common thought when completing yoga (the fear of if you are practicing a pose “right”, “wrong”, “good” or bad”). It is also common that the ego likes to trick us into believing we are not good enough by allowing us to create comparison between the way you complete a pose and the way that someone else may complete a pose.
I was inspired to create this post as a reminder for the next time that you step on your yoga mat. Allow yourself to observe these thoughts and begin to leave the judgment behind so you can simply let go. The attitude that you bring to the mat will shape your poses. Rather than giving power to the pose to change you, focus on the power that you have yourself to change the pose. In yoga as well as in our everyday lives, our outcomes root from the attitudes that we carry. For instance, when I allow myself to go into my practice with an open mind and a positive attitude, I can tell the difference amongst my flow, poses, and my overall practice as a whole.
Take joy onto your mat or into your life and watch what happens.
6.11.18
When practicing yoga, it is not about becoming more flexible but rather becoming softer in each pose and as we go through our daily lives. When we become softer, we release our need to understand everything around us and go more with the flow of life.
For instance, there is many things we may not be able to understand. We may question: “what is the universe?”, “why is the universe?” Or “where is the universe?”. Even the wisest people cannot answer these questions. Although, we can choose to soften and allow ourselves to open our hearts to the universe and welcome it, even though our understanding is incomplete.
With this scenario, or any scenario, we can accept that we may be uncertain or have an incomplete understanding of something, but can choose to soften, accept and open our hearts to it anyways.
When you finish reading these words, take in this moment through your senses: sensations, sounds and thoughts. Soften to your life as you experience it in this moment, even if you have incomplete understanding.
2.1.18
The passage below is from the book “Come on, Inner Peace” by Sachin Garg. This book was given to me by a man who was working in a little store located in the markets of Jew Town in Kerala, India. I am grateful that I was given this book because it opened my eyes to a heart warming story filled with various strong messages about inner peace. I loved this passage from the book and so I figured that I would share it!
♦
From the chapter “The wind beneath my wings” on pg. 226-
“We are nothing but the mistakes we make. And everybody makes mistakes. That’s what makes us human. It’s important to forgive yourself for those mistakes and accept yourself with them instead of ruing yourself over it forever. We have a tendency to relapse into the mistakes we’ve once made, because we feel we have been there once, we could do it again. But that is where your inner strength, friends, family, passions, books, and love will play a role. Distract yourself to positivity and let life surprise you with its rewards.”
11.16.17
I have decided to write on the concept of intention because I have realized that it is exceptionally important in one’s life. For the past year, I have made a point to set intentions for my day, week or month. I enjoy setting intentions during my yoga practice or writing them down on my commute to work. This allows me to start my day with positivity and motivation towards a goal. It is also beneficial to revisit these intentions whenever I feel the need to throughout my day or week. I enjoy writing intentions down so I can stay mindful of them because it is easy to become lazy or busy with other things that you push your intentions to the side.
Along with setting intentions, I have also become mindful of the intentions that we have behind the way that we act, speak or treat others. We may not realize at the time what it is but I believe that there is usually an intention behind everything. It is helpful to become mindful of our intentions and understand why we act or think a certain way. I have recently made a point to check in with my intentions of my actions, what I say and how I act. For instance, when it comes to practicing yoga in the morning, my intention is to start my day off with yoga because I find it therapeutic and joyful. If my intention behind this was because I felt that I “should” practice yoga and if I don’t I am a failure, then I would look at this from a whole new perspective. I realize that it is so important to take the time to check in with our intentions behind our actions to become more mindful of if they are coming from a positive place.
Allow yourself to take the time to set intentions and become mindful of your intentions throughout your day. This may lead you to question yourself but it will help you to develop awareness and lead you towards more positive intentions.
What intention can you set for today?
9.7.17
“I am enough. I have enough. I do enough.”
This morning I revisited how incredible it feels to do absolutely nothing (might sound crazy but for me, so true!). I absolutely love finding a comfortable place to lay down and simply do nothing at all. I take this time to notice thoughts, feelings, and how my body is feeling physically. This enables me to become fully present and realize that I am “enough” in that very moment. It allows me to realize that I do not need to hustle for my worth or need someone else with me to fulfil a feeling of wholeness or worthiness. This is coming from someone who is extremely fast paced so I feel that it is exceptionally important for me to incorporate this into my schedule daily or weekly. I share this because once I learned to integrate this into my lifestyle, it has opened my eyes to an entirely new perspective. It is easy to feel that we are not “enough” without doing something or being with someone else.
Allow yourself to take 5, 10, 15 minutes out of your day and do nothing. YOU are enough.
♥
8.14.17
“Comparison kills creativity and joy” -quote from the book “Rising Strong” by Brene Brown
From experience, I can say that the quote above is most always a true statement. For instance, I consider my yoga practice as my happy place, my safe haven, my therapy, my meditation and my exercise. However, when I have my focus on someone else’s yoga practice, all of this is taken away from me. I begin to create comparison or competition. When I focus on someone else’s yoga practice it definitely does eliminate the joy of my own.
Along with yoga, this can apply to any situation in life when creating comparison between individuals. I have recently become aware of how important it is to spend time focusing on our own lives in order to become the best version of ourselves. This requires releasing the need to allow ourselves to feel “less than” by comparing ourselves to others. I continue to remind myself, what works for someone else, does not mean that it works for you.
Next time you catch yourself creating a comparison between you and someone else, turn that comparison into happiness for that person and focus your attention back to your own life. We can choose and create our own happiness so why choose the hard route?
♥
7.24.17
This past Friday was not like any ordinary Friday evening at work. My eyes were opened to various life threatening stories from a few of the patients in the rehabilitation unit. I decided to facilitate a group focused on uplifting and inspiring the patients as well as allowing them to create connectedness amongst one another. The group began with patients sharing a brief story of what their lives have consisted of “in a nutshell” and what has brought them to the rehabilitation unit today.
I was amazed at the stories told and how much I did not know about these patients. I began to feel selfish… but at the same time extremely lucky. I felt as if the problems in my life were so small compared to other circumstances I could be in. However, I felt lucky to be able to hear these stories to become aware at such a young age of how challenging life can get. From hearing a story of how one man has lost his leg, to a story of how one woman has raised a family all while facing cancer at the same time, I was inspired. Not only by these stories, but by how these patients were still able to carry the faith that they do and work with what life has given to them. Once again, my patients are inspiring me even at my own inspiration group.
From this experience, I realize that there is truly a story behind everything and everyone. I realize the importance of keeping an open mind and practicing acceptance of others.
A daily reminder to be mindful before making a judgment, we all have a story and are simply doing the best that we can right now.
♥
7.10.17
I have recently started reading the book “Rising Strong” by Brene Brown (I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, it has been exceptionally inspiring). Throughout the book so far, the author has opened my eyes to a valuable lesson- the importance of choosing courage over comfort. She states that “vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage”. I have kept this line in the back of my head ever since I read it.
This book has assisted me to understand how important it is to allow ourselves to feel our way through difficult times that we come across rather than trying to fight them (referring to the times that we feel we have hit rock bottom). We can honor our own struggle as a replacement for dawning on the moment. Instead of escaping the uncomfortable feelings, we can allow ourselves to feel the emotions as they arise. I am mindful that it is common and much easier to choose the comfortable road rather than pushing through the difficult, not so comfortable road. I am most definitely guilty at times of choosing the path I feel more comfortable with to avoid the discomfort of the more challenging path. Although, as I grow, I continue to realize choosing courage is more effective and creates less suffering in the long run.
I found myself thinking back on this concept in my Friday morning yoga class while in triangle pose. As we were flowing from peaceful warrior to triangle pose, I began to think of how uncomfortable this pose always makes me feel. I am usually counting down the seconds until I can finally get my body out of this awkward state and we can finally flow our way back into Warrior 2. As I started to rise my arm up and come into the pose, I related this situation to my life. When something becomes too uncomfortable, it is easy to avoid it, dawn on it or become impatient until it is over. As I held triangle pose, as it was extremely uncomfortable for me, I recognized that am also very capable of it (and I will admit this is one of my strongest poses). I began to allow myself to open up to this pose and feel it as is.
I realize that we come across difficult times each day and are left with uncomfortable emotions or feelings that we do not want to sit with. Although, I realize that each and every one of us are very capable in allowing ourselves to feel our way through difficult times. When we experience difficulty, we can either choose comfort or courage.
Today, choose courage.
♥
