Category Archives: Physical, Mental and Spiritual

Think You Can’t Do Yoga? Think Again!

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To all my friends out there that think they can’t do yoga, please think again!

If you’ve never seen the popular video of the guy who couldn’t even walk and started doing yoga and all of the amazing progress that he made, check it out here:

Never, Ever Give Up.

And for any of you that aren’t quite to the point of checking out a class and have hesitations about whether you could do it or not, here is a very beginner 30 minute video below that I made for my uncle last week to help with his balance.  Maybe it could help you see that you too can do yoga!

As I always tell my students, if you literally just sat on your mat the entire class and paid attention to your breathing, you’d be doing a great service to your body and mind.

When is the last time you just sat quietly and took deep, healing breaths?  Your body and mind deserve it!

30 Minute Beginner Yoga Balance Video

Do You Know When Enough Is Enough?

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medieval

Do you know when enough is enough?  I’ve been asking myself this question all week long.

I won’t bore you by going into how busy I am right now.  But, just so you know I’ve been juggling working on a project the past few months through the end of this month that has led me to almost need help having someone run to the store to buy toilet paper for me if that gives you any idea. And the other day it occurred to me that sometimes enough is enough.

I’m not saying that caused me to stop working on the project by any means, but it just made me realize that sometimes it is mandatory to stop and take a break.

I had a meeting scheduled at a coffee shop and got notice that the woman I was meeting wasn’t going to be able to make it.  I decided to go sit in my car and make a phone call. Before I made the call, I had a chance to just sit and be by myself for a few minutes in complete silence and feel the sun beating down on my arms through the sunroof in my car.  I felt like I was on vacation.

Did I mention that earlier that morning I had interviewed the mayor of Dallas, a pastor and one of the heads of the Dallas Police Department?  What?!?!  My head was spinning a little bit to say the least…

Amazing that being able to sit alone in silence for a few minutes can seem like being on vacation. But, it really can.  And I was so grateful for those few minutes that I had just to sit. Taking time to breathe and be silent is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves for our mind, body and soul.

I also had a chance last week to escape the hustle and bustle of the project for a bit and go have some fun with a few people that I’m working with (see photo above) and was so grateful for that opportunity as well.

When you’ve reached a point where you are maxed out after going 100% for so many days at a time, you must stop at some point and breathe, do something fun, do something that you love to do or that you enjoy doing.

Thank you Hal and Alisa for treating me to a break to go have some random fun!  I am so lucky to be working with such talented artists right now and am grateful for the experiences that we are having together.  You two inspire me more than you could ever possibly imagine.  (To see more about their awesome work, you can visit http://www.halsamples.com and http://www.alisalevy.com)

I hope you find a way to stop and breathe along the way of your journey and hopefully have some fun too.  Here’s to an awesome weekend…

Cheers!

Taking A Break Is A Choice

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school_choice

A few months ago, I wrote a blog about knowing when to take a break and that I’m not always that great at knowing when I need one or allowing myself to do so.  I also made a commitment that I would be willing to do this in the future and that is what I am doing today and have been doing the past few days.

Taking a break is a choice and not always an easy one to make, but sometimes it’s the best one for us.

I haven’t been feeling well the past few days and have allowed myself to take a break and stay in bed and do nothing.  Knowing today is the day I typically post a blog, it has been hard for me to let it go and decide that I am choosing to take a break instead.  My body, mind and spirit all are calling for rest and relaxation.

So, yes, I still posted something and didn’t completely stay off the computer, but I’m taking baby steps here and this is still taking a lot less time and energy than it normally would.

Hoping you all had a safe and Happy New Year and I hope that you all can see when you need to take a break and will be willing to give yourself that gift as well in the future.

I Guess I Get Embarrassed When I Cry Sometimes…

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I guess I get embarrassed when I cry sometimes.  At least I did this morning.

I’ve been thinking alot about the way that we can judge ourselves in certain situations.  And sometimes we can be our own worst critic.  We’re not good enough, we could have done something better, we’re not in good enough shape, we’re weak, we’re not smart enough…and the list could go on and on.

I read an article last week about how meditating and yoga can be opportunities to observe ourselves without judgment.  We have an opportunity in a yoga class or while meditating to pay attention to our thoughts and not judge them.

What if when you are in a yoga class and your body starts shaking uncontrollably for no reason that you could just be with it vs. thinking about how weak you might be in that moment or how out of shape you think you are?

I was meditating tonight and purposely didn’t judge myself when my mind wandered.  I just went back to thinking about my breath and didn’t allow myself to go to the judgments of thinking that I could be a better meditator if my mind didn’t wander so much.

I typically don’t get embarrassed when I cry.  I think crying can be a beautiful release and for me it usually seems like I’m one step closer to getting to where I want to be after it happens.  It’s a way to see areas that might need our focus and possible changes we need to make or things we can choose to work on if we think they are important enough.

I cried this morning and I was very aware at how embarrassed I was and how stupid I felt about why I was crying.  Part of it was because I was crying in front of someone that I care deeply about and that I care what they think about me.

The more embarrassed that I got, the more frustrated I became and I even started to become angry at myself.

This afternoon when I had time to sit and be quiet and still with myself and my thoughts, I decided to cut myself some slack and just realize that I was feeling exactly what I was feeling and that was exactly what I needed to feel at that moment and that is totally fine.

The more I judged myself this morning, the more frustrated I became and I began to dwell on something that wasn’t even actually reality.  Had I allowed myself to just feel what I was feeling and express it without judgment, the tears would have stopped sooner and I would have been alot more loving towards myself and the other person involved in the conversation.

What is judging yourself costing you?  Communication?  Honesty?  Joy?  Peace?  Love?  Living your life to your fullest potential?

I encourage you to challenge yourself and try and listen to and observe yourself without judgment and be ok with what you are feeling as you feel it.  Observe it, take action or decide not take action based on that information and then let it pass.  I think you will be surprised at what can open up for you.

I hope you all experience some form of joy, peace and love in the next few days to come.

“The highest form of human intelligence is to observe yourself without judgment.”              – Krishnamurti

Could this be the Ultimate State of Relaxation?

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This week, as a birthday present to myself, I decided to go and do what I thought would be putting myself into the ultimate state of relaxation.

I went and did a 60 minute float in an i-sopod flotation tank full of 1,100 pounds of epsom salt, which causes you to stay on the surface of the water and float the entire time.  The buoyancy is greater than the Dead Sea, so you cannot sink.  Prior to the float you are given detailed instructions, which include a button to turn the light back on if you need it and a panic button.

As I climbed in the tank and was getting ready to close the lid down, I thought “what have I gotten myself into!?!?”  The first 10 minutes I was just getting settled in to the idea of being in the capsule for an hour.  And after 10 minutes, the lights and soothing ocean sounds shut off and you are in complete darkness and dead silence (if you choose that option, which I did).

At first, I was realizing that I now believe I know what it would be like to be trapped alive in a casket.  Then, I started to tell myself that “I’ve got this” and that I know I can go for the next 40 minutes until the blue light comes back on when I have 10 minutes left.

It was a silence like nothing that I’ve ever experienced.  All you can hear is the sound of your own breathing.  And the occasional water drop if you move your hand that instantly had me go to a vision of “Silence of the Lambs” and being trapped at the bottom of a well (amazing where our minds can go sometimes).

I learned alot about trust and surrender that day.  I had to trust that I was not going to fall asleep, roll over and drown in the water somehow.  I had to trust that there wasn’t some creepy creeperson secretly checking me out in my “birthday suit” in my private room somehow and that this was a classy facility (which it absolutely was, it’s incredible :)).  I had to trust that I could work through any claustrophobic feelings that would arise and that this capsule wouldn’t somehow lock behind me and I would definitely be able to get out when I was ready.

If you think you like to spend time alone, go float.  It will be alone time like you’ve never had before.  My friend that went with me and was floating in a different room at the same time and I were talking afterwards about how we became more aware of our thoughts and the things we tell ourselves than ever before while we were floating.

It was interesting to see how truly at every moment in our lives we are either telling ourselves something positive or something negative.  Something encouraging or something that could be detrimental.

I was very aware of my thoughts and instantly realized that I could either make or break this whole experience for myself.  I turned my thoughts into positive ones and told myself beautiful things about myself and the experience.  I ran my fingers over my skin and felt a silkiness like no other and appreciated the benefits I was giving my mind, body and spirit.  I prayed.

And then I feel like I learned the definition of surrender like never before, which is something I needed to keep learning for myself in my life.  I need to trust in the perfect unfolding of my life and continue to stop trying to control things so much and just surrender and trust all that is to come.

Once I was able to surrender, I was able to relax and completely enjoy myself.  I made it through until the blue light came back on.  Then, at that point I thought “oh that was totally easy, I could stay in here all day now” since I could now see again.

Would I do it again?  Absolutely!  And anyone in the DFW area, I recommend you check out The Float Spot in Frisco because it’s amazing!  And anyone in other areas, you could search for these types of floatation facilities.  I’ve heard the more you do it, the more relaxed you become and that’s when you can really start to reap even more benefits of what all floating can do for you.  It can help with injuries, expand your creativity, improve circulation, promote sleep, boost your immune system, reduce stress and provide the ultimate state of relaxation…just to name a few things.

We spent time before and after in a massage machine as well, which was another incredible experience that I would highly recommend.  You can read more about that on the link below.

What is your ultimate state of relaxation and have you given yourself the gift of getting to experience it lately?  If not, would you consider doing it soon?  Birthday or not, we all deserve to give ourselves a break every once in a while and relax.  To step away from the computer and put the phone away, even if it’s only for an hour.  The results can be astounding and are so well-deserved for each and every one of us.

http://www.thefloatspot.com/index.html

I Used to be Absolutely Paralyzed by Fear

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ontheothersideoffear

I used to be absolutely paralyzed by fear.  I did nothing that deep down inside I was yearning to do.

Had you told me I was insecure, I would have laughed at you and told you that you were crazy.

And then I learned that I was so incredibly insecure and absolutely paralyzed by fear.  Like possibly one of the most insecure and terrified people out there.

My worst nightmare would have been for you to put me in front of a room or at a “club” and ask me to dance.  I felt so stupid because I grew up performing all of my life.  Therefore, it would have had to have been perfect.  I couldn’t play music or sing because it would have to be good enough to be on stage.

I couldn’t be a yoga teacher because I would never be good enough and besides, “I had no idea what I was doing” anyway.  I couldn’t be a life coach because I was too afraid that I wouldn’t be able to help anyone and I certainly couldn’t start my own business because it could fail.

I was afraid of truly giving myself 100% in a relationship and being vulnerable, open and honest and loving someone completely and allowing someone to love me because I was afraid of getting hurt.  That fear had me walk all over people and end up hurting them instead.

Once I knew the truth, it literally set me free.  It became a challenge for me to face each one head on and you know what?!?!  While some have been harder than others, most have been so much fun and freeing that they bring so much joy in my life.

As of today, I am a business owner.  I am a life coach.  I am a yoga instructor.  I am a dance teacher.  I am taking guitar lessons.  I am writing.  I am happy.  I have so much joy in my life.  I am vulnerable.  My heart is open and full of love to be shared.

When I’m taking guitar lessons and my instructor asks me to sing along at the same time to take my mind off what I’m doing with the guitar, I’m absolutely petrified and my voice shakes, but I choose to do it anyway.

As a recovering perfectionist, I am able to laugh at myself when I mess up in a dance class, when I pause in a yoga class because I have no idea where I want to take my students next or say something that sounds completely ridiculous (to me) or I get tongue tied.

And I’ll tell you one thing I do know for certain…it’s a much more enjoyable, joyful life than the one I lived before.  I’d rather sound and look like a total moron and be having the time of my life than be absolutely paralyzed by fear and doing nothing.  A paralyzed life is one based in misery.  Trust me, I’ve been there.

When I feel the fear come up now I am able to catch it and make a decision to shift into knowing that I can do anything I set my mind to and enjoy the ride along the way.

You can do absolutely anything you want to do if you make a decision to face the fear and take the first step.  Then the second.  And then the third.  Each step along the way shows you that you can take the other.  You really do just have to take the first step.

The fact that I’m writing a blog is a miracle in itself.  I’ve always said that I write like a 5th grader.  But, you know what, who cares, I will continue to write from my heart and whether or not I’m writing it just for myself or something may strike a chord for one person and speak to you, then for that I am so grateful.

I’d like to challenge you to start doing something you’ve been talking about doing that you might be afraid to do.  Pick up an instrument, write the book, get a new job, start dating, start working out or have that difficult conversation you’ve been needing to have.

Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Have the courage to say “I’m sorry” or the courage to say “I love you” even if you cry a little or your voice shakes.  And trust me, mine shakes ALOT.  And then peace and joy quickly follow for myself and hopefully others.

You too have something to say or share with others and beauty inside of you that is just dying to get out and shine.  Let your beautiful light shine.  As Kyle Bidlack (one of the most beautiful friends that I have) always signs off saying and I wish this to each and every one of you beautiful souls…  Shine On… (actually for you Mr. Bidlack, that’s shine on… 😉 thank you my amazing friend)

Everything you want is on the other side of fear.
– George Addair

25 Habits Of People Who Are Happy, Healthy & Successful

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Love this article on 25 Habits of People Who Are Happy, Healthy & Successful!

Would you be willing to be honest with yourself and see how many of these things you are sincerely currently incorporating in your life today?  Would you be willing to commit to reading these daily for the next week and then picking three that are currently missing for you and add them consistently in your life for the next three months?  I think you’d be amazed at the impact it could have on your life.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9985/25-habits-of-people-who-are-happy-healthy-successful.html