Let go

Through daily life and trama’s on every level we build up toxins in the mind, body and heart. Then we grip onto these toxins and build walls and layers of protection around our body, mind and heart in an attempt to avoid getting hurt again. We close ourself off.

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The problem is we can NOT selectively block out pain. In our attempt to protect ourself from the “bad” stuff we miss out on the “good” stuff.

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Let’s choose to OPEN. Instead of gripping on, let experiences move through you. This will help you expand and become more radiant, kind and useful!

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Tomorrow @Inbody 9am we will be doing twist postures (with alignment) and movement/focus/ and intention to help release the physical, emotional and mental toxins that cultivate dis-ease.

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Twist it out! 

Open up!!

Move toward ease!!

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Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous, I let go. – Anais Nin

The gem within

Yoga is the process of unpeeling the layers we have build around our Self so we can experience the essence of our true nature. . In this human life we can fall for the chase of something outside ourself. Who has done that 🙋‍♀️ .

However if we look deeper we can see what is under the chase. What our soul is actually SEEKING.

For example if we are wanting a relationship we could be seeking CONNECTION. If we are chasing some high we could be seeking COMFORT. If we are chasing some kind of validation we could be seeking WORTHINESS or PEACEFULNESS. . The beauty and magic of yoga is we REMEMBER that everything what we are seeking is always within us.

I believe It’s like I have a gem with all these qualities shining from my core. However through the process embodiment, beliefs, tension, fear, sadness, addiction, the stories I tell myself... I bury this gem. I forget. I chase after things for temporary relief and it adds a yet another layer.

Similar to the way water slowly erodes rock away. Yoga is the slow steady process of unpeeling the layers I have build around myself so I can bath in the light shinning out of this inner gem. . I look back and I can see the stages it took for me to get to this knowing. First I chased things outside of myself hoping they would get me the feeling I deeply craved, mindlessly.

Then I became aware of this process but couldn’t break it. . Then I thought I needed to gain these feeling. Bring these feelings into my body and hold it there. But it was like trying to float a boat on ocean with massive waves of anxiety and self doubt... the waves always destroyed the boat, and the emotions would dissipate.

Now my practice is one of allowing, softening, unpeeling and moving deeper. All those qualities I want are always inside of me. I do not need to create anything. Instead I need to trust it’s there and let the layers that cover it start to melt away. . I don’t need to float on top of waves I want to drop an anchor travel below the waves and get get grounded and reunited with this inner gem. . As you do this work to rediscover and uncover your gem also work to see the gem residing in every creature.
💎✨💎✨💎✨🙏 

Face Everything And Rise

October is the month of we intentionally scare ourself and physically put on masks. I thought this would be a perfect time to focus on being fearless, taking off the masks, seeing yourself and letting yourself be seen.

Here are two acronyms of the word F.E.A.R:
F*ck
Everything
And
Run

Or

Face
Everything
And
Rise!

Which do you choose?

Usually when we get afraid, our nervous system kicks in and we fight, flee, or freeze. We put on our armor trying to protect ourselves from whatever we think is going to hurt us in fear of losing what we have or getting something we do not want. 

However, our attempts to protect ourselves do not lessen the fear. Rather than becoming free from fear, we harden ourself and become more set in our ways.

If fear hardens us. Fearlessness is about softening ourself. The best way I have found to do this is to develop a compassionate friendship with myself.

To develop a deep friendship with yourself you must do the scary work of STAYING with yourself instead of shutting down, or running away or putting on the armor (all the natural tendencies of fear). It means keeping your heart open when your feelings seem to overwhelming, unpleasant, or painful.

When we put our armor on to protect ourself we develop an “iron heart.” When we cultivate a friendship with ourself, the iron heart softens. It becomes a vulnerable heart, a tender heart. It becomes a genuine heart that is willing to stay present for all the experiences of life without shutting down.

Non-dual Tantric teachings that inform Anusara Yoga remind us that everything is one energy. Every experience internal or external, joy-filled or grief-filled can be an opportunity to learn, grow and connect on a deeper level IF you engage the experience SKILLFULLY. If you learn how to STAY.

The biggest lesson I have learned from practicing this is, if I can open up to staying with myself and not putting on my armor or distracting myself or numbing myself... I can allow myself to feel into these feelings, open and move through them enough to see that although fear is present (or anger, boredom, insecurities, sadness...) that COMFORT is also always within me too.

Another huge teaching in Tantra is that this one energy is at the core of our being, deeply peaceful and always present. Being able to connect to that part of myself while staying with the less pleasant feelings allows my fear to soften tremendously.

Learning to be with fear and not shutting down. Choosing to soften instead of harden. That is FEARLESSNESS. It is not the lack of fear. Instead it is not allowing my habitual reaction of fear to take over.

This isn’t a practice we do one time and then our heart becomes fearlessly open and genuine. It becomes a practice of returning to softness when we feel ourself harden. We go through it again and again. In this way, fear can become our teacher and a reminder to turn back to our practice.