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I love you, but....
I really like your style, but....
I hear what you are saying, but.....
I want to continue this relationship, but....
But....
But... WHAT?! But what? I ask you this today because what is the word but?
Frankly I am over this word and its condescending purpose..... If you hear "I love you, but...." What does your mind hear? It hears the BUT!!!! Forget the I love you because all of the sudden there are stipulations to the Love or the Like of the sentence.
Another word to count out of my dictionary I suppose!
As I journey forth in this letting go of the word but I have noticed more and more my hearing it; as this would naturally happen when you place energy into something.
But (ha ha) why am I hearing this word so much? Is it my own sense f doubt that is being projected right back at me through those I love and appreciate as they tell me
"I think you have some really good points.... but... I think you could / need to use more punctuation"
Translation in my mind is "They really do not appreciate my writing if they put that BUT in there"
or there is this one
The other one I heard lately is a bit too personal too share at this moment in time but it runs along the same lines.
List of words I am doing my best to use minimally in my vocabulary:
Don't
Can't
Not
Bad
and most recently But
Here is my reasoning behind this.....
Everyone placed on this planet has a distinct path that THEY must follow.... rather than it being my duty to point out all they could or should be doing right I really want to just support them fully as they venture forth. All truth is different and all Trurh is correct. Love is what everything comes down too, it is the emotion or feeling that we are created by and I personally think and feel that these aboe words move people away from who they are.
I am ready to receive respect and I am prepared to give respect. And sometimes that means shutting your mouth off and just allowing someone to be on their path instead of speaking your opinion about where they should be.
To end allow yourself to take amoment and think about how often we "But" ourselves and see what resonates with you! Maybe I am looking at it from an area of currently being shut down to constructive criticism and maybe that is all that the "But" is. :)
Love and light! Bless your day and bless your life!
Three work outs today!!! One for the physical, one for the physical and mental, and one for the emotional!!
Let's get it started with the physical!!
Woot Woot! Put on some good upbeat motivational music! Get a stop watch or a timer, and get excited!
30 seconds Jumping Jacks
30 seconds Push ups
30 seconds Mountain Climbers
30 seconds Crab Walk
30 seconds Jumping Jacks
30 seconds Crunches with legs up towards te ceiling
30 seconds Mountain Climbers
30 seconds squat presses
60 seconds of rest
Repeat 4 or 5 times!!! You are going to feel so amazing!!!
Time for a little yoga!
If you are unfamiliar with yoga please skip this part and just do some light stretching with focus on your breath.
Basic rules to follow:
Inhale expand the body (example rising up to standing)
Exhale contract the body (example forward fold)
Hold the postures as long as you desire
Focus is on the breath, allow theposture to take the whole inhale or exhale
Body is engagaed and strong in postures
Begin in Childs Pose (Balasana)
Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svinasana)
Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Rise to standing arms toward the sky (Tadasana)
Uttanasana
Half lift
Uttanasana
Plank (Chataranga)
Adho Mukha Svinasana
Crescent Lunge (Anjaneyasana) right leg forward
Adho Mukha Svinasana
Anjaneyasana left leg forward
Step foward to uttanasana
Half way lift
Uttansana
Tadasana
Repeat this sequence until you feel satisfied, adding in any twists or variations with the crescent lunges!
End in balasana or sivasana taking time to feel the openess in the body!
Now to exercise the emotions!
With is being spring time it is a time of re-birth, a time to evaluate that which we are and that which we desire to become. So today take a few minutes to reflect on your winter, see the things that you once were and see the things you wish to become. Allow your ego to take a step back and recognize that this time of year is an amazing time to open up to new things and let go of the old.
Write down your 5 successes of your winter
and then
Write down your 5 goals for your summer
This will set your mind to succeed, allowing you to feel gratitude and love for everything that you have done.
Now these successes that I speak of can range from I spent time with loved ones to I graduated from classes... these successes have freedom to be "big" or "small". \
What we offer up to the universe the universe offers up to us! Live with gratitude and love, recognize the greatness that you are!
Have a blessed day!
I have been seeing a body worker for a little over 18 months now, on and off. recently much more on than off. This is due to the body "issues" that I have been experiencing. Such issues are as follows:
Low back pain
Middle back pain
Shoulder pain
Anxiety when I wake up and when I fall asleep, and sometiem even all day
Tight tight hips
and an Upset tummy
Now my thought when I review this list I think "Why am I experiencing my 80's or 90's in my 20's????!!!!"
So here is the reason for this post, rather than this being a sob story this is about transformation and the importance of a strength training and work outs. About 6 or 7 months ago I decided I was ready for the ultimate transformation, one that I knew was a long time coming.... so I got up anf left my job as well as what I had built, I stopped my yoga practice, left my eating of cooked foods behinds, and demanded of myself daily that I break everything down and re-do it!
By leaving begind the physical such as foods and work outs and yoga behind I abandoned everything my body knew. Now it is completely lost and with out and understanding of my physical self.
Though I am a belieer of transforma'tion I have greatly learned that it must come at a respectful pace. When you want transformation allow compassion for yourself and space for the transformation. Work out, practice yoga, eat foods that are healthy and make you happy.
I am now in the process of re-building and lookign for a place for my physical body to hang onto. Allow me to elaborate on this.... as we grow up we create patterns that are physical reactions to the things that happen to us. So some of my tendencies were to hold on for dear life on the right side of my body and I supported that because I worked out andpractice yoga which gave me the muscular structure to grip too. So when I stopped all these things my body lost its grip and everything went out of place...
Now, had I continued my work out and slowly begin to incorporate work outs that allowed me to alter my habits, rather than experiencing these thinsg I may feel a little more at peace as well as strength.
In a world that demands of us, to be at the top of our game all the time.... its is important that we remember that the journey there is the most important part. It is the little things that lead to the big things.
I encourage you to begin to get body work and get to know your body. As you do this you will see the perfecction it is as well as the things that you may want to see change.
Compassion compassion compassio! This may be resonating with you on a level other then just the body... maybe it is work, friendships, or relationships. honor and love yourself and others.
Love and light!!! Have the best day ever!
Today the Earth, our Mother has given us here in Fort Collins a day of rain, with a beautiful moment of sunshine. She is pouring down on us blessing us like holy water blesses many of religious faith. Washing away the old and the unserving and preparing the gorund for new seeds to take root. We are so lucky! This is the best day ever!
As I woke up this morning and checked my facebook as I often do I came across a post that implied that Earth day is a hoax and that we should less then honor the Earth. It implied doing donuts in a Cobra and turning on every light in the house in the name of American Liberty..... Now, I am unaware of the seriousness of this post. I can however tell you my emotional reaction upon reading it... I was sad, and on top of sadness there has been this underlying frustration that I have been holding onto about it.
This post made me cringe as I read the words. My ego and my mind desperately wanted to respond with resentment as well as a challenge as to why they felt that this was an appropriate thing to say. However, I feel as though wisdom held me back. I pondered this continually through out the day and as you can tell I still am. Here is my conclusion, and this conclusion roots into every area of life....
Every single person, being the intelligent beautiful, divine individuals that we are has a full right to their opinion. This applies for every single SOUL out there. Though my opinion is that we are made of the earth and that with out her we would be non existent that could be far from what anyone else thinks. For me to stomp my opinion all over everything can add hatred and anger into the world, especially when we carelessly do so in a setting in which there is no clarity about the mood of the statement.
These may be the downfalls to facebook, twitter, linkedin, texting, email, etc.
To tell someone else that their belief is invalid is a sign of disrespect. So in respect of Mother Earth, Jesus, Buddha, Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Atman, etc le us take Earth Day and recognize not only that this planet allows our lives to sustain but that the opinions of every single soul on it also affords us the ability to be here. If you believe that Mother Earth along with Earth Day is a hoax... I do ask you that you just take a moment to consider that to sustain life we need her! We need her soil and her water, we need her fires, and her rotation around the sun for sleep.
Take a moment tonight and respect what sustains your life, your belief systems and your morals, as well as the purpose you live by.
respect those around you and yourself. Practice non violence and be careful and wise with what you speak. Wisdom is empowerment!
I wish you all a beautiful day!! Thank you for taking the time to read the blog! Love and light!!!!
The ebbs and flows these days seem to be more so than usual. Yesterday I was so inspired and this morning I could barely keep my head attached I just wanted to burst out of my skin. And now I am feeling a bit of poverty mentality slipping in and dancing around telling me that I am less then enough and I have less then enough and all that blah blah blah that is less then true.
So I have to ask myself and all of you to define what is less then enough....
Does this less then anough haveto do with what it is that we grew up with? Is it that maybe my family grew up with less money then we needed..... and what defines it as less then what we needed. Because we all still are alive and we lways had clothes and food and love and shelter and water?! So what is enough?
I am abke and going on a 2 week road trip in less then 6 weeks that allows me to see many different areas and meet new people nd interview other yoga instructors and see ne w health food stores and be away. And somewhere in this ability is fear again that there is less then enough.....
It seems to be everywhere lately....and to be quite honest and truthful with you and with myself... it really sucks!!! It is uncomfortable and brings anxiety amd tension into te body and the mind. There is fear of failure and fear of loss, and the only reason that these fears exist is because I have "succeeded" and I have "gained" and with those feelings of greatness come feelings or yuckiness. What is this programming and what aee we teaching our children and our peers when we tell them what is good and what is bad?
If we can buy a house and pay cash does this make us better then the person who is more financially inclined to ride a bike, walk, or take public transportation?
If we can meditate and sit still for longer periods of time does this make us better then the person who is figgety and avoids meditation?
We are enough, and we are born enough, and as much as I have to know this within myself maybe today or tomorrow or whenever you read this post you will remember that you were born enough. This enough stays with you forever! It is the space behind the heart that reminds us that our infinity is permanent.
I hope this day brings you great news and great abundance! You are the light of the world and your perfection is recognized. Wayne Dyer speaks often about all the beauty of the world and how we can at any point access it!
Love and light and pure abundance! Live with kindness, see beauty, feel love, know creativity, recognize endless abundance, be receptive to everything, be expansive!!!!
The Work Out of the Day!!!!
In this quick 20 minute work out we will focus on both upper body and lower body!
What you will need:
A step
A set of dumbells that you can work with for 30 seconds on the upper body. Focusing on a sustainable weight rather than one that is too heavy... you can also use a resistance band for either upper body work out.
The best attitude ever!
And a timer! We will be doing 30 - 60 second sets and utilizing quick transitions in between!!!
Ready....
Set.....
Go!!
60 seconds of step ups (utilizing a step and either stepping one foot at a time up and down and switch, or jumping. Please challenge your body accordingly)
30 seconds Chest presses (using weights lie on your back arms beginning at 90 degree angles, wrists above elbows, press straight up until arms are straight, avoid locking the elbows) if using a resistance band (grab band with hands approximately 8 to 12 inches apart and pull away from each other, coming back to center slowly)
60 seconds step ups
30 seconds wall squat arm raises (sit against a wall in a squat position using leg strength to support, grab your weights and raise arms from sides straight out in front of you until the arms reach shoulder height and slowly lower) if using a resistance band (hook band underneath feet and perform the same movement with the arms)
60 seconds step ups
60 seconds of active recovery (walk around the room)
Repeat 3 or 4 times depending on where your body is at today!!!!
Enjoy your day and llow it to be the best day ever!!! There is no discoursein the world, it only resides within our minds!
Namaste!
Hmmm to ponder.... why do we...?
What is the purpose? And what makes us decide what is right and wrong?
Now, please stop reading here if you think that there is going to a magc answer to all of your questions at the end of this post, because chances are rather than giving you an answer I will be challenging you to find your own answer.... at least that is my intention.
Why do women have to have period, is this even IMPORTANT?! (bear with me guys, I am going somewhere with this one)
Up until recently I just accepted the way it was and never questioned whether it was right or wrong or good or bad.....
My first thought was "Screw it, I no longer want to menstruate, I am done!" But that is my tendency to ready fire aim! This thought delayed the event by 2 weeks however and in that 2 weeks I was able to think a little bit more on this topic and here from different points of view. Now, everyone said that I needed to menstruate and I believe they are right. So, what I question now is whether we need to menstruate every freaking month????? Really 7 days of this exhausting process of cleaning out the old and making space for the new...... If you are not a woman you may not understand this but we deplete our systems every month for this process... and is that really the best thing ever?
Is it healthy to be exhausted and cranky, even bitchy, to feel uncontrollable and like you want to cry, and even maybe have some extreme amounts of cramping going on? What is healthy about this?
(I may be overusing the question mark).
And if this is something that you are free from experiencing please reply to this post and share wat your lifestyle is like because I do feel as though that is a major factor to this topic. I have read a few articles on the assistance of raw foods in healing this process to help it be more aligned with the earths energy, to be a more loving and kind process... one of the articles I read can be found on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/yograw!!!
I am sure that you probably have little interest in listening to me talk about my period this whole time, however, I wanted to pick a topic that would be highly controversial and really would catch your attention. This is a prime example of what I am aiming for..... question everything, experience your questions and FEEL the results! Rather than this being about scientific result, this about YOUR own personal needs and life.... after all YOU are the one that has to live with it all right?!
One of my teachers today said "it is not about what you know but what is useful to know" (or along those lines). Is this the truest statement or what?!!! What is useful for YOU to know? Is it that religion you grew up with, is it the food triangle, is it knowlegde on being a vegan, or maybe about being in the military, or maybe it is useful for YOU to feel there is no God or ultimate power, there are unlimited choices out there, rememebr YOU live with your beliefs, so make them work for you!!!
Rather than this world being about right or wrong, good or bad it may be time for it to be about love, acceptance, and compassion. Herman Hesse said in Siddartha "The opposite of every truth is just as true"
I love and appreciate you and your reading through my banter. remember to question EVERYTHING!!!! It is a way to find out who you are at a deeper level... ignborance is bliss and knowledge and wisdom are power over your life!!!! Take the reins and fly!!!
Namaste! Treat yourself the best and remember to love!
Ramp it up!!!!
30 seconds plyometric squats (squat down touch fingers to the floor and jump up, land with soft knees back in a squat position and repeat)
30 seconds Push ups
30 seconds Squats with weights (squat down and allow the waight to trace the outside of the legs, as you come back up push the weights over head, move slowly)
30 seconds Tricep push ups (hug the elbows in and lower the chest down, remain on knees and keep core strong)
30 seconds Crunches (any kind you like, keep low back flat on the mat)
30 seconds lunges w/ right leg forward and weights in both hands
30 seconds jumping jacks, or running in place
30 seconds lunges w/ left leg forward and weights in both hands
60 seconds of active recovery
Repeat 4 or 5 times, focus on alignment rather than speed!
Keep it movin!
60 seconds of snatches (weights in both hands, squat down tracing the outside of your leg with the weights and with a burst of energy come up pushing weights up overhead)
60 seconds wall squats (stay static and take a seat against a wall, feet a little wider than hip width apart, back against the wall)
60 seconds crunches on a ball
60 seconds dead lifts (weights a little heavier than you are used to, knees barely beny hinges from the hips keeping a flat back and slowly come back up using the abs and the back to create te movement)
Repeat 3 times and then rest for 1 minute and do another 3 times and then stretch it out!
Now that we have worked out the body allow us to stimulate the mind....
A while back I made the decision that I would prefer to avoid the use of words such as "not" "can't" "don't" etc. I was inspired to do this because a little bit of word study and self exploration about reactions to these words.... they are default words... if someone tells you "don't think about a purple elephant with yellow stripes"....... "you can't think about this elephant"...... "you are not to think about this elephant"...... where does your mind go???? To that silly elephant. It is the same with many things.
So I began this journey and found it tobe quite a creativeprocess to surround sentences around the positive.
Finally it clicked and the phrase "Rather than" began to replace the default negatives I was using before. What I have discovered with this phrase "rather than" is that it allows you to recognbize the negative and then follow up with a positive.
For example "rather than thinking about a purple elephant with yellow stripes (allowing yourself to see it), let's draw our focus the strength in our body (shifting focus to a more positive frame of mind)".
I hace used this is quite a few of the yoga classes that I am blessed to teach and have noticed better focus, and better response to queing. So why would it be any different with anything else? If we give ourselves space to acknowledge and see both sides of the situation than we can free up so much space to move into the best space!
Go ahead, take the challenge and begin to shift your wording around! Make this and everyday that follows the best day ever!
Please take a minute, pause and think about this term.... Sustainable Living. What does this mean to you?
Up until recently I have never really given this much thought; and then I had a discussion with my mom and dad about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it spun my world sideways!
They have been watching this show the past 2 weeks and each time have been impacted by it. The most recent one, was about a bet with a local DJ on teaching 1000 people to cook in a week. Some of the people had NEVER cooked before in their life; let's hit on this one first.
Never cooking in your life! What is sustainable about this way of living? I do realize and have compassion and empathy for people with very busy lives and sometimes cooking is less than feasable, but NEVER cooking?! Say you are 40 years old, if you have yet to cook a meal what has your diet looked like in all these years. Fast foods? Pre Packaged? Check out all the waste that comes with these foods. First of all there is the packaging, wrappers, bags, boxes, trays, etc. On top of that there is the recycling of these left overs, if there is any recycling. Whether thrown oyut or recycled there are still outside energy forces being used. As opposed to cooking in quatities or even eating fress fruits and veggies for meals which can be eliminated by garbage disposal or even composting. This simple shift in eating helps to create a healthier lifestyle for both you and the planet, including all of the people around you. This in itself is a MAJOR change; if you are unsure of how to prepare food or where to begin seek out a teacher, class,group, friend, etc to help you out! Explain your goals and know your strengths with food and progression forward will be fun and easier than you think!
At some point during the show he took this DJ to a local place that sells coffins upon where he showed him what some of the coffins sold today look like. (Please read this following article from the NY Times for more of a prespective) Please read before continuong on unless you happened to see this episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and know what I am getting at.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/28/us/on-the-final-journey-one-size-doesn-t-fit-all.html?pagewanted=1
So let's look at sustainability in this area... the wider and heavier that we get the bigger the coffins.... the bigger the coffins the bigger the grave plots.... the bigger the grave plots the more Mother Earth we are polluting with things that DO NOT go away! Maybe you are thinking that an option could be cremation; but here is a fact for you: There is a weight limit on cremation! That is right; being obese you may not be able to be cremated! Therefore you or your family are going to have to invest in an extra large coffin and an extra large grave plot. This is costly and unsustainable even in your after life.
I care about the sustainability of this planet and those that are on this planet, as I am sure you do too. If you, like many of us do, struggle with eating there are great resources out there that are NOT diet pills and prescriptions and stomach stapling! If you would like more information on ways to create a more sustainable life please feel free to contact me at
bodybreakthroughs@gmail.com
or
www.facebook.com/yograw!
For the earth to sustain us we must sustain the earth and to do that we need to live a more conscious lifestyle!
We vote everyday with our dollars! What w e spend our money on will continue to thrive, please remember this the next time you go to buy and fast food or pre packaged foods that are pumped full of preservatives and GMO's! We have the choice!
To the great health of us all! It is time, and you are being called to progress forward! Let us begin to offer up a new example for future generations, showing them what a healthy and sustainable life would look like!
Love and light to all of you! Thank you for taking the time to read!
What you will need:
A mat of some sort to lay down on
A pair of dumbells, or 2 pair (Choose a pretty good weight with them, we want a work out)
Motivation :)
Read this whole thing before beginning!
30 seconds of Jumping jacks
30 seconds of squats w/ weights (as you squat down push the weights up over head)
30 seconds crunches (form before repetitions please!!!
30 seconds dead lifts (feet hip width apart legs straight, weights in both hands, hinge forward at the hips with a flat back to a 90 degree angle and slowly using strength of the back body come up to standing again)
30 seconds mountain climbers (inverted V position gaze is between your hands and began to move your feet at a fast pace as if runing up a mountain)
30 seconds tricep press (biceps by ears one weight held by both hands, lower the weight down between your shoulder blades abnd press it towards the sky)
30 seconds plyometric squats (squat down touch the ground jump up reaching hands towards the sky lanf with soft knees into a squat and repeat)
30 seconds push ups
60 seconds active recovery (walk around and keep moving)
Ok, now that we know the work out that we will be doing let's keep a few things in mind! This work out is meant to keep our heart rate up for 4 straight minutes then one minute of rest (active rest). We repeat it 5 times for a total work out of 25 minutes! Put on some upbeat music and get to it! You can totally rock this out and get your work out out of the way!
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and do this work out. Your body and the universe appreciate it!
