Sleep - Simple Bedtime Rituals to help you Relax

Relaxation is beneficial for everyone, but especially for those struggling with sleep. As a nation that is terribly sleep deprived and driven to work non stop. Sleep can often be elusive to many. Our minds are going at a rapid rate so it can be quite challenging to slow everything down and allow ourselves time to rest. Practicing some simple relaxation techniques before bed is a great way to wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for sleep.

Here's a list of simple tips to help you relax and slip into dreamland:

• Dim the lights in the hours leading up to bed. This means turning computers off, phones, or any lit screens that affect our natural cycles of sleep and wake. 

• Take a warm bath with essential oils that have a sedative effect. Oils like Lavender, sweet marjoram, vetiver, amongst many others all are known to be stress relieving, tension reducing, and can help relieve insomnia.

• Listen to soft music.

• Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up from your feet to the top of your head.

• Place your legs up the wall while in bed. This soothing, restorative posture calms the nervous system, eases muscle fatigue, soothes the mind, and helps restore healthy, restful breathing. With slow, rhythmic breathing, you will be tapping into your “rest and digest” nervous response. Be prepared to melt deeply into your sleepy time.

• Deep breathing. Close your eyes, and try taking deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Work towards extending the exhale longer than the inhale, and linger as long as you comfortably can at the bottom of the out breath.

Watch the full segment here!

Easy wake up routine to welcome a new day!

Studies show that when we have a healthy routine to waking up we can create feelings of peace, gratitude and strength that resonate through out the day. Moving from our morning practice on to the rest of our day, we are more calm and aware, and are easily able to see the good that happens all the time.  A practice that includes yoga, meditation and intention can create the space to keep us lighter and carry us through an otherwise stressful day.

1. from the moment we are semi conscious of waking our brains are already busy planning or rehearsing the day before the eyes even open. As soon as you become aware you are waking and caught in excessive planning, take a deep breath in and let it go with a big sigh to relax and ease into the now experience.

2. Begin slow simple stretches before sitting up. Knees to chest, easy double knee twist to begin flushing the back and kidneys out from being still all night, And some reclined side bends always feel good. Each night as you sleep the bodies tissue retracts. It like cold play dough that needs to be rolled out and warmed to make it longer and more workable. Applying these gentle movements when we awaken lengthens and stretches our tight bodies preparing us for all movement throughout the day. 

3. Sit up and spend 5 minutes watching and lengthening your breath. Learning to listen to all that going on inside without engaging with whatever arises. Try to rest in the spaces of no thought or between breaths. Hang back and observe, breathe and be with yourself…its only 5 minutes of quiet you time. Take it, you wont regret it!

4. Before you leave your bed, set an intention for the day, choose a positive word or uplifting statement that can meet you where your at right in that moment!

5. Hot water with lemon! Yes we’ve all heard about the benefits of starting the day with warm water and lemon…well its for real! Start your morning this way to help aid the digestive system and make the process of eliminating the waste products from the body easier. 

****if one doesn't have fresh lemons in the house, add food grade lemon essential oil to the water. Once you try lemon essential oil in your water you may never need to buy real lemons again. I carry it everywhere with me to add to water throughout the day!

Then with a sweet gentle smile on your face you can carry on with your day spreading kindness and peace to all you meet!

Watch full segment here!

HOW TO BEGIN A MEDITATION PRACTICE IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS

How to meditate....a very simple and accessible recap on finding your meditative groove from our Mindful Monday's segment on @wpeccbs12 this past Monday!

There are so many techniques and styles of meditation that it can be confusing at times where to begin. These simple steps will give you access to a profoundly life changing practice that will not only be incredibly good for you but also for all whom you interact with on a daily basis. Think of the ripple effect, if your met with kindness and ease it will ripple out to the next person and so on.

Meditation should feel like the most natural thing in the world, and if doesn't then it's time to change your technique! Start in the simplest manner and make it easy to do.

1. Make yourself comfortable. Sit, lie, stand, sway, dance. Whatever it is make your body comfortable so your not to busy being distracted by the discomfort. Discomfort creates a lot of noise in the body and when we have a lot of internal noise it becomes to difficult to focus on anything else. Get comfy!
2. Breathe….your breath is a gift! Begin paying attention to the breath flowing in and the breath flowing out. Notice all the subtle nuances of how you breathe, where it goes in the body, how it feels, the temperature of the breath, and the sound. 
3. Aim to practice around the same time everyday. Make it a ritual for yourself, sacred you time!
4. Start with a very small time frame of 3-5 minutes to help you ease into the practice. Over time you will find that you crave more time and may bump it to 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. Make it accessible and successful so you want to return again and again!

Any questions??? Alright then go practice some you time, simmer in a few moments of spaciousness, listen to your breath and let it soothe you! 

Watch full segment here or go to "FOR YOU" tab above for free recordings of guided meditations!

Calming 30 minute Yin sequence!

Yin shape: butterfly
To come into the pose position yourself in a sitting position with optional support under your bottom. Once situated, bring the soles of your feet together and move them away from the body allowing the knees to fall open. Begin to fold forward noticing the reaction of your muscles. Once the back is rounded, adjust the placement of your feet until you achieve the muscular reaction you are looking for (look for your whole body to be in agreement with the shape, a clear yes); the further the feet are away from the body, the less you’ll feel it in your groin. Be sure that the feet are not so close that your groin or hamstrings could prevent you from reaching a fully rounded spine. Our goal is to eventually find stillness so that the emphasis can be taken off of the groin and instead be on the rounding of the spine and the stress on the hip joints. Once you have found your edge, the place in a pose where there is some discomfort and intensity but never pain, remain in the pose for three to five minutes. Allow the neck to hang (unless there has been recent trauma or whiplash, in which case it should be supported) and the hands to rest comfortably on the feet, the floor or in this case on my lower back. Keep your focus on your breath, and if the mind wanders simply bring it back to the rhythm of your breath or follow the sensations in the body. 

When ready to release, press your hands into the floor and slowly begin to ease back into an upright position. Spend a few moments taking notice of any new sensations in the body and allow the body to give you feedback on how its responding. You may also opt to use your hands to assist the knees back up and then give them a little sway side to side to help release and move the energy.

Yin shape: Dragonfly aka Straddle
Opens the hips, groin, back of thighs, and gives a gentle opening to the inner knees
To come into the pose begin from a sitting position, spread your legs apart until you begin to feel a slight tug through the inner legs and groin. Sitting on a cushion will help tilt your hips. Slowly begin to fold forward, resting your weight into your hands with your arms, or rest your elbows onto a block or bolster. Find a place where you can settle into the sensations and become still. Always allowing ones bones to become heavy and the pull of gravity to deepen your experience. After 3-5 minutes place hands in a position of support, press down through the palms and slowly roll yourself back upright. Remember to move SLOWLY! Spend a few moments lingering in the sensations as they change while gathering input from your body. Then just as slowly as before use your hands to scoop up under the knees to assist them into a bent position. Optional to take a little swish of the legs back and forth to release or counter. 
 

Props and modifications:

• Bolster the hips up higher on a pillow or folded blanket (especially if there is a history of sciatica).
• Small pillows or rolled blanket under knees.
• Use a bolster under the chest, if you are close to the floor.
• If head is too heavy for the neck, support the head in hands or if close enough to floor place a block under forehead.

Yin shape: Seal or sphinx
Opens the front body

Begin by lying on your belly. With arms out in front of you bend the arms to grab the opposite elbow.  Begin moving the elbows underneath your shoulders, and then prop yourself up so that you are supported by your forearms with hands out in front of you and palms flat on the floor.  This is sphinx. You should feel mild to moderate compression in your lower spine. There should (as always) be no shooting pain, numbness, tingling, burning or pain outside of discomfort. We tend to carry a lot of stress in our shoulders so be conscious of that while in this pose as well as being sure to keep your glutes relaxed.  If you feel that your body is ready for it, move into seal turning the hands outward and then straighten the arms. Adjust the distance of the arms according to sensation. Remember to refer back to the three pillars of yin, time (patience), edge (strong sensation), and stillness. Once you are in seal or if you have remained in sphinx be sure to give your body enough time to access the connective tissues, find your body’s edge to get the greatest benefits from the pose, and try to be as still as possible in order to keep the connective tissues engaged. Listen to your body. If seal is getting too intense, slowly but deliberately move back down into sphinx and find stillness. Remain in this pose for three to five minutes and come out of it by simply lowering your chest to the floor and turning your head to one side.  You may find that child’s pose is a nice follow up as is lying flat.  Be sure to pay attention to any sensations the pose may have created such as lightness in the back or a surge of energy that was once blocked. Enjoy!

Yin shape: Saddle aka Supta Virasana in a yang practice

Opens the sacral-lumbar arch along with the hip flexors, quadriceps, ankles, knees, and shoulders

To come into the pose, start by simply sitting back on your heels with feet flat on floor. Take a moment to notice of how this feels. For some this may be plenty already particularly if you have tight ankles. If your ready to go further place your hands behind you on the floor while leaning back and begin to feel the arch in your lower back. Stay here for a moment noticing a possible pulling sensation in the quadriceps. Breathe into it! If this feels okay, begin to lean back onto your elbows. The arch in your back should be fairly dramatic here but not painful. Be sure to remember that discomfort and pain are two different things. If you are ready to take the full expression of the pose, come into a position where you are comfortable enough to slide your feet apart so the hips are on the floor between the feet. Begin to lower your shoulders towards the floor, stopping to lay on a bolster if the sensation is too intense. If you have made it onto the floor or a bolster allow your mind and body to settle, breathe, relax, and find stillness. Ideally this pose is held for three to five minutes, but if any kind of painful sensation arises while in the pose back out and take Sphinx/Seal.

When you are ready to come out of the pose, do so very very slowly. If you start to come up too quickly, your body will send you a strong signal.  Come up just the way you came down; onto the elbows first, then the hands, and finally to rest on your heels. From here, either slide forward onto belly or very very slowly release into Downward Dog. Stay here for a few breaths. Then come into Childs pose allowing everything to recover and neutralize.

Props and modifications:

• A bolster to support the back while maintaining a significant arch.
• A rolled blanket to relieve pressure from the ankles.
• Elevated hips to reduce knee tension

Alternatives: Half Saddle with one knee bent or leg extended. If to intense for the knees, ankles or causes any pain in SI (sacro-iliac joint) simply return to sphinx.

Yin shape: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose)

Come into the pose by lying on your back with your knees bent. Place your arms by your sides with your palms facing down for support. Lift your hips and torso off the floor and place a block under your sacrum to rest on. Start with the block at the lowest height, adjusting it to a higher position if your low back is free from compression. If your getting a clear signal from your body that this feels good, begin to extend one leg pausing to see how this affects the lower back. If the signal is still clear, extend the other leg. Block may need to move a little lower (towards the lower buttock crease) to accommodate the low back. The relationship with the low back and hips changes once legs are extended. Please listen to the body and adjust accordingly or rebound the knees. From here the final and full expression is to extend the arms overhead allowing the backs of hands to rest on the floor. The elbows may bend to find a comfortable resting place for the shoulders.

When you are ready to come out of the pose, do so very very slowly. If you start to release to quickly, your body will send you a strong signal.  Come out the same way you came into the shape. Bend knees, lower arms, then lift hips so very slowly (just high enough to remove block) once block is removed, slowly lower the hips to floor. Stay here with knees bent for a few breaths, and soak in the sensations flowing through. Then bring the knees into the chest allowing everything to recover and neutralize.

Props and modifications:

• A bolster instead of a block may be a softer option
• Keep knees bent, extend arms

Yin shape: Caterpillar aka Paschimottanasana

Deeply meditative, opens the spine, helps digestion

From a seated position with your legs out in front of you simply begin to drape your torso forward over the legs by walking the hands out along side the legs. After adjusting and modifying with props as needed, settle into the pose for 3-5 minutes. If you begin to feel discomfort (not pain) simply breathe into all places you feel the sensation. After the 3-5 minutes, place hands on floor beside legs for support and very slowly begin to roll your upper body up one vertebra at a time. Once you have returned to a seated position, let the legs stay out in front of you and allow time for the body to give a response. Then bend the knees and move your legs from side to side (like a windshield wiper) to release them from the hips. A nice way to counteract and neutralize this pose is to simply lie flat on your stomach for a minute or two. Pay close attention to any kind of shift in energy; a feeling of lightness or decompression or even a pulsing sensation.

Things to Know for your safety:  

If you have sciatica, sit on the edge of a cushion or on a rolled blanket. If you are in the midst of a flare or have severe sciatica, this may be a pose you choose to avoid.  If you have any sort of lower back disorder that does not allow flexion of the spine, keep the spine very straight (not rounded) or avoid the pose altogether. If the neck begins to feel strained, support the head in the hands by resting the elbows on a bolster placed in your lap or place a block between the legs for the elbows or head to rest on. If you have a lot of flexibility in the hamstrings, you may not feel the spinal release until you separate the legs a little to allow for a deeper release.

Props and modifications:

• A bolster or a rolled up blanket under our knees if hamstrings are sending strong signal
• A bolster on top of thighs
• A bolster, blanket or block to rest your head, especially if you have any neck tension.

Once you you've released from the last pose allow yourself to lie down and let your body rest in savanna for 7-10 minutes or whatever time you have available. Your body will reset and you'll return rested. Slowly ease back into your day or evening.

Allow the shapes to become your friend. Create a healthy relationship with the sensations and emotions that arise and know that it will continually change over the course of time. Breathe, soften, and allow yourself to be fully present to all that is. Open to the new friendship your creating with your joints and tissues. Ahhhh, mmmmm, ommmm or anything that rolls around off your tongue can be used as internal mantra to help anchor the mind. Enjoy the journey!

Beginnings, endings, and the cycles in life!

“Meditation is nothing but a bridge between you and light.”

— Osho

Hello lovelies! 

It's been quite some time now since I've written. All for very good reason. As you may already know I own a yoga studio which has been located in the same place for the past 13 years, and prior to that located a few miles away in a smaller space for 5 years. Well the time has come to move on to our 3rd version of Bindu. We have been renovating a space one block north of our current place for the past 3 months. Needless to say, it has been a long and cumbersome process to build out and design the space. However, all good things come to those who wait patiently! Indeed this is true, as we are about 2 weeks away from relocating into a beautiful brightly lit space that encompasses my vision of a tranquil community space, love, and a place of repose! I can't wait to share it with you all!

In the process of all this I have needed much rest from the stress that ensues when the to do list is a mile long each day, all while trying to keep up my public teaching, private schedule, and the mentees that I am working with towards their teaching certification (it's been quite the juggling act). So I have relied heavily on my Meditation and Yin practice to keep me sane. I have been meditating for many many years now and have always found solace in the silence. Coupled with a beautifully deep Yin practice, it becomes pure magic. My body finds a way to rest and unwind the knots of both emotional and physical stress, and my mind slips so deeply into a state of quiet peaceful awareness. This my friends is how we remain open to grace and the flow of life! I highly recommend everyone have a meditation practice...even if it is only 5 minutes a day! 

Back to our Yin discussion, which you know I am a huge fan of both teaching and taking. I wanted to offer you one of my classes that was recorded for a student who was moving and asked to take me with her. This class was recorded in the studio and is 90 minutes long. The last 15 minutes is Crystal Bowl transcendence, sounds will magically dance around you and communicate with every cell of your being. Your mind will release and open into spacious awareness. A great practice when rest is needed and the body prefers a quieter softer practice. Of course I love nothing more than to practice together in the same physical location, however sometimes we just can't make it to class so we will enjoy our time together here!! Please let me know how it feels for you, I'd love your feedback!

Love all ways,

Angel

PS. the recording is also on the FOR YOU page under soundcloud!

What is Yin Yoga?

“Silence is like a cradle holding our endeavors and our will; a silent spaciousness sustains us in our work and at the same time connects us to larger worlds that, in the busyness of our daily struggle to achieve, we have not yet investigated. Silence is the soul’s break for freedom.”

— David Whyte

Yin yoga has been a great blessing in my life. When I first began practicing yin I wasn't at all prepared for the quiet, stillness, and drama that ensued inside my head. I was coming from a very active Ashtanga Vinyasa practice and had been in a place of push thru it, keep going until you get that arm balance, more hang time in handstand, just one more chataranga. All that intensity and pushing began to break my body down, as well as my spirit. Yoga had become to competitive, no longer about the practice simply being a practice or your practice. Of course this was partly my fault as I had forgotten the true essence of my practice and what my first teacher Kali Ray had imparted upon me. I also got caught in the competitive motion of things. The teachings and practices became all about how many chatarangas can be turned out in 90 minutes, who has the most amazing arm balances, handstands, and who is who in the fancy yoga pose world. We all know yoga is not a competition, but that was exactly what it had become at this time. The emerging of the rock star yogi 's had hit the scene. Things became flashy, showy, with way to much fan fare around what the teacher was wearing and what fancy pose they were going to do. With all this my body began to breakdown, a feeling of being contracted, less flexible, and always very sore. My practice no longer nurtured me, softened me, allowed me to let down my protective armor that I was trying desperately to let go of. However I didnt see it until I began to practice yin. My first exposure to yin was back in 2006 when I happened upon a class while practicing in LA. I found myself in a random class having no idea what was about to happen and honestly not knowing anything about yin. Well, it blew my lid off! I was more challenged than ever before, more challenged than any active practice had offered me. That first experience shook the very core of my being. The teacher spoke just a little bit about the shapes, offering some variety within the same primary shape according to your body and then set a timer and left us in silence for majority of the time. He would interject with little cues and suggestions while holding. And once the bell would go off we would slowly find our way out of the shape and into another. Sometimes with a little movement in between and other times we would move right on to the next shape. All the while my body sinking deeper and deeper into places I had never felt before. My mind on the other hand was freaking out from the stillness, and the time seemed to go on forever. I remember wondering if the timer was broken and wanting so badly to get out of the shape. I was resisting, restless, impatient, moving between tension and release. As soon as I felt some release I had fear flood my body and mind and would pull back again, resisting the sweetness that the earth was right there to catch me. Over time I slowly learned the art of surrender in both my body and mind. I released my strong hold on life and allowed myself to sink deeper than ever before. My mind melted into spaciousness wandering from breath to sensations to soft sounds floating around. I became present to just being, my body let go of long held tensions, and I felt more space in all areas of body, mind, and heart. I truly allowed gravity to move thru my being, pulling me closer to the earth so I could be held in the loving arms of our greatest mother. I melted, I cried, I surrended myself! 

The practice of yin is both challenging and liberating. It takes us out of our hectic lives and gives us time to slow down, release, to pause rather than push. A beautiful practice that reminds you to come home to yourself...your inner self!

Today my practice is very different. I no longer push myself beyond what my breath body is allowing in Vinyasa. I play my edges safely and let my breath body tell me where we are going. I am no longer interested in what fancy shapes I can make with my body. If I naturally find my way into them through the progression of my practice then I play, if I feel heavy or resistent I pause and find my way into a long hold to investigate the resistence. Is it my body, mind, or breath resisting? And what am I resisting? I have been fortunate to have studied with many great teachers Paulie Zink. Paul Grilley, Denise Kaufman, Sara Powers, and many more that have gifted me with guidance and support through my yin process. I highly recommend giving Yin a try. If you are looking to study yin, seek out the greats, the original yinsters I mentioned above. Paul Grilley and Denise Kaufman are my two faves as they both offer the space and quiet to truly unfold.

Here are 2 great articles on Yin!

http://www.yogitimes.com/mobile/article/everlasting-youth

http://www.yogitimes.com/mobile/article/what-is-yin-yoga-pain-free-restorative-release-relax-body-gentle

Now go give your body and mind the gift of a quiet yin practice...love yourself, release yourself, and just be! 

XO A

Mediation - It's already happening so dive in!

What do you love so much in this life that you want to meditate on it, the things that tickle your soul.

To meditate, we sit and pay loving attention to the rhythm and pulsation of life renewing itself. 

How does life renew itself? Life is always in motion, rhythmically pulsating as it heals and evolves itself. 

The breath, for example. Breath is one rhythm we can pay attention to. Just for a few seconds, notice the way the breath is flowing into and out of your body. There are many little things to love about the way breath feels, and if you start paying attention in a loving way, you will settle into meditation. There are innumerable other rhythms, such as the heartbeat, or the rhythm of thoughts and silence. 

Meditation allows us to access a naturally occurring rest state; it is resting in yourself while remaining awake and alert. It is different from sleep, in that the rest is much deeper and happens quickly, and you become more aware than usual. Meditation happens spontaneously for a few seconds or minutes when we gaze at the horizon, a sunset, a river, the ocean, or lie on our backs and gaze upward at the night sky.

We can cultivate meditation intentionally, we can set aside a time each day to meditate, and this has great benefits. Even a few minutes of meditation here and there can help your day to be more full of grace and good humor.

There are at least three ways that meditation helps with healing on a physical and emotional level.

– Meditation lets the body rest more deeply than sleep, even though you are sitting up and are awake.

– During meditation your body-mind system lets go of the past, and of the hurts of the past. As if a lot of time has passed.

– After meditation, you are less likely to get stressed over little things, so you will tend to have less stress-related illness.

Rest is one of the most profound human needs. We all need to sleep and dream. We all know how rejuvenating sleep is. Meditation gives us access to that kind of renewal, only on a deeper level.

Life organizes itself in a rhythm of action and rest, action and rest. And if we do not get rejuvenating rest, our performance degrades. Meditation gives the body a chance to reset its clocks and enter action and sleep in a more harmonious manner.

When we rest, the body (including the nervous system and brain) tunes itself up, repairs damage, gathers energy, and gets ready to go.

Think of the deepest rest you have ever had in your life. You woke up and you could hardly move. That correlates to about an 8 percent reduction in oxygen consumption. Oxygen consumption is an indicator of how much work the body is doing.

During sleep, oxygen consumption gradually declines over a period of four or five hours, to eventually reach this 8 percent reduction. During meditation, oxygen consumption decreases by 10 to 17 percent within the first 3 to 5 minutes. This is a spontaneous side effect of paying attention in a meditative way, and is felt as a powerful sense of physical relaxation and ease. In other words, the body spontaneously goes into this state when you practice a meditation technique that suits you.

Meditation is innate, and your body already knows how to do it. The human body has an instinctive ability to shift into profound rest states in order to heal, energize, integrate, tune itself up and assimilate learning. It is almost a sure bet that you have already experienced this many times in your life. Meditation can happen spontaneously, as when you are sitting on a hill looking at a sunrise or sunset, or when listening to music. Most people I work with remember meditating many times in the past - only they did not call it meditation. It was just a personal time, a special time they had with themselves or with nature.

Meditation is paradoxical in that you are resting more deeply than sleep, yet you are wide awake inside. It is similar in some ways to taking a nap but you don’t fall asleep, you fall awake. You can induce it by attentively doing anything simple and repetitive. We breathe all the time, and breathing is rhythmic, so you could pay attention to your breathing. There are so many ways in.

Meditation promotes a heightened awareness of the details of everyday life. Even a few minutes of meditation will help you move through the world with more relaxation and alertness.

Meditation is giving attention a chance to explore its full range, both inward and outward. It is a conversation between your inner and your outer life. This sounds simple, and it is. But there is no end to the delights of attention; there is always more to learn, more to explore, more to awaken to.

What's needed to meditate
- all of the senses
- movement / mudra
- dark or light 
- smell and taste / rasa
- balance / 

come out of meditation slowly - take a few breaths

An example of a "nutritional" meditation Buddha gave can be found in the Anapanasati Sutra, 

"He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to rapture, and to breathe out sensitive to rapture. 
He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to pleasure, and to breathe out sensitive to pleasure.
He trains himself to breathe in sensitive to mental processes, and to breathe out sensitive to mental processes."

Here the tone of attention is nutritious, nurturing. These teachings direct attention to be sensitive to rapture and pleasure. You are taking delight in simply existing. Your body, nervous system, and your senses can set their own parameters.

Meditation is selecting some aspect of life’s rhythms of self-renewal, and then riding that inward to touch your essence, rest in essence.

Life renews itself through rhythm: the flowing breath, the pulsing heart, cycles of activity and restfulness, flows of energy and passion in the body, all the subtle nerves (nadis) flowing with prana, the prana humming and singing mantras to itself as it flows through the bodies, rhythms of brightness and darkness, wakefulness and sleep and dreaming. These are just some of the rhythms of life.

The rhythm of life renewing itself feels like love.
Feels like falling, floating, melting, opening.
Love brings up our fears to be healed.

The physical body and the prana body love each other and love to play together, coordinate, in the way that your different muscles love to coordinate and synchronize. It’s a deep joy to flow together. Meditation is a way to let body and soul come closer, inter-permeate each other, care for each other. 

Select aspects of life’s rhythm that appeal to you - use the same hunting instinct you use when finding music you love.

a whole meditation practice can be in movement, and at some point when the energy settles you will want to close your eyes and let yourself linger in the shimmer of sensation!

Now go meditate, delight in life renewing itself!

“Whenever the attention rests on anything -
on the emptiness of space, looking at a vast blue sky,
when looking on a wall or some wonderful person,
let that attention gradually be absorbed into itself,
so that the one who is paying attention be known.”

— The Radiance Sutras

What’s my Purpose? 5 Ways to Align with your Destiny

I was recently asked to write for the Tiny Devotions Blog (Boho Daily). And of course I gratefully and humbly accepted. If you'd like to see the post you can check it out on their blog as well as here! If your curious on how to align with your destiny....please read on. And once read, go out and shine like a diamond and allow your true essence to show you the way!

5 Ways to Align with your Destiny

Ah, it’s that big question that enters our mind at some point in life! What’s my purpose here on this planet, why am I here, what am I supposed to do, and where do I find the answers? Never fear, fear will only take you further from your true calling! Many things in life seem daunting and overwhelming. Particularly trying to figure out what it is that were meant to truly do or be. However, part of our task while were here is to seek the answers, explore life and all its many facets. So how do we begin the journey and discover our purpose rather than sulking in the shadows? Here are 5 suggestions for you to connect to your calling and align with your destiny.

1. In stillness we receive. Take some time to become quiet whether it be through meditation, sitting in nature, or simply lying down and breathing in deeply until a feeling of deep calm washes over your entire being. These are the moments when we can truly and deeply connect to what our deepest desires are and to hear ourselves clearly. When we remove all the extraneous noise, we can hear our true nature calling us into action!

1. When your out and about exploring life, when your interacting with others, when your alone and have a complete and total feeling of contentment. Pay attention to these moments. Most likely your sensing something deeper than you realize. These moments are like tiny seeds being planted for future growth. All of the tiny little moments that take your breath away, send shivers through your body, make your heart skip a beat, and remind you that life is magical. You are aligning with your destiny in these moments!

1. Getting very clear on your vision. Something that makes your heart sing, that you have a deep passion for, and that you truly without a doubt whole heartedly believe in!

1. Know that your right where you need to be for the lessons to come through. Most likely what your experiencing is something that you will be teaching and sharing in the future. Obstacles are meant to teach us, to build us, and to show us how to be more fluid in life. All of these lessons are meant to be lived in order for you to understand them and connect to what your purpose is.

1. Allow yourself to evolve, to be of service without any expectations from anyone, align with your higher self through service and be love!

When you know what your life’s work is you’ll have a feeling of alignment with self and others. You will fall completely and madly in love with what you do and this will ripple out into the world! You will know 100% what your purpose is because it will show up as a calling or highest purpose. Everyone of us has a higher purpose or calling in life. And everyone has a beautiful talent or service to share with the world. You will know when the heart sings loudly and all else will make way for your destiny to unfold and be revealed! Enjoy the ride! xx

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Relaxation...what?

Have you ever gone to yoga where the class began with very little time to check in, jumping right into the physical practice? Well, I certainly have! For me this can be very unpleasant, I've found myself in a fast almost anxious state without any process time or space to really see what's going on. Our lives in general are always moving at quite a rapid state. Going from one thing to the next, many simply on autopilot not feeling or even aware of what they are doing. And when not moving from one appointment to the next we have our attention glued to our cell phones, computers, or some electronic device taking us into social media land or the vast internet world. If we as a society continue to live and move in this way, we're missing the point of living! We're missing the nectar of life, the moments that feed us, inspire us, and move us to feel compassion, joy, creativity. Moments to connect to what and who are around us.

I'm saddened when I sit at a dinner with a group of people and half are to busy taking and posting pics rather than being present with the company around them. Have we lost our social skills, have we lost our sense of connection to ourselves as well as others? I believe in some part the answer is yes. Perhaps the prescription for such an ailment is to simply put down your devices, take a pause from all social media, connect to the people beside you no matter where you are, and to take time and pause to reconnect to your innermost self. Without this precious time for oneself we are very often not in our groove. We have no idea what our bodies, mind, and heart needs. When we can feed ourselves thru quiet pause, inner reflection and query, sensing our bodies in a relaxed or softer state, we can then begin to expand our awareness into all living things and have a real connection to the universe at large and our most intimate self! 

This is one of the many reasons I love to lead Yoga Retreats! Many locations that are remote or off the beaten path have poor internet connection if any at all. For some this can cause a panic, yet after a couple of days you see something change in each person. A softening, and an openess is revealed in each person. Connection amongst a group of strangers, a deep connection to oneself during practice and meditation. And the best part of all is that nobody is running off after class to instagram or FB something. Totally present to the beauty of life unfolding breath by breath, moment by moment!

 Below is a very simple description on a relaxation approach. I use this approach or a very similar one in almost every class I teach and client I work with. Starting your practice or day in this way gives you all the information you may need to guide you in whatever you may be doing, creating spaciousness to allow your highest intentions to unfold and life to be received openly. Let's start here and find each other again, dance together, play, laugh and sing together. Life is for living, embrace each moment and drink in the nectar!

RELAXATION

When you start relaxing, start from the circumference – that is where we are. We can start only from where we are. Relax the circumference of your being - relax your body, relax your behavior, relax your acts. Walk in a relaxed way, eat in a relaxed way, talk, listen in a relaxed way. Slow down every process. Don´t be in a hurry and don´t be in haste. Move as if all eternity is available to you - in fact, it is available to you. We have always been here and we will be here always. Forms go on changing, but not the substance. Garments go on changing, but not the soul.

The first step in relaxing is relaxing the body. And you will be surprised that if you approach any part of your body, it listens, it follows you - it is your body! With closed eyes, go inside the body from the toe to the head searching for any place where there is a tension. And then talk to that part as you talk to a friend. Let there be a dialogue between you and your body. Tell it to relax, and tell it, "There is nothing to fear. Don´t be afraid. I am here to take care - you can relax." Slowly slowly, you will learn the knack of it. ~ Osho

“No need to move all the time. Settle into your inner being and just relax. When your five senses start moving inward, it creates a circle, it becomes your sixth sense.”

— Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Osho)

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The perfect Quinoa bowl!

Hello my dear friends! As you may or may not know, I love food, cooking, and creating in the kitchen! I'm a fan of creating healthy fresh eats, that nourish and satisfy the body and soul. And quinoa is one of my favorites that I go to frequently. But up until yesterday I had no clue why my quinoa was never fluffily, came out clumpy and sticky and sometimes mushy. It was always tasty no matter what, but the texture and consistency wasn't what I was looking for when adding other ingredients to it. 

Well never fear my dears...I have mastered the perfect quinoa and I'm here to share this amazing recipe with you!

First and foremost lets talk about the quinoa, super food, perfect protein, and more! Nutritionally, quinoa might be considered a supergrain--although it is not really a grain, but the seed of a leafy plant that's distantly related to spinach. Quinoa has excellent reserves of Protein, and unlike other grains, is not missing the amino acid lysine, so the protein is more complete.

Now lets begin by taking about 1 cup of quinoa, place it in a strainer and rinse thoroughly until all the foamy bubbles go away on the top of the grains. The outer surface of quinoa contains a chemical called saponin that makes for a bitter soapy taste if not rinsed really well.

Take the well rinsed quinoa and place into a pot of 1.5 cups of water. YES, that's tip #1! Most of us have always been told 1 cup of grain to 2 cups of water. Not true with quinoa. Less is more for this amazing grain. If you like a little more flavor add a small dollop of veggie stock into the water and bring the whole thing to a rolling boil. Cover and set to simmer for exactly 15 minutes. Once the lid is on, resist resist resist the urge to lift the lid , to stir it, or to fuss with it in any way (tip #2). Walk away and let it cook! After the 15 minute mark, turn off burner and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to dry out a bit (tip #3). AGAIN, resist the urge to lift the lid, patience is key. Trust me, the texture will be perfect!

While the quinoa is resting, gather the following in small bundles....parsley, green onions, mint, carrots, raisins, and cashews. Dice and chop up everything and toss in a bowl.

And now the dressing! Pour into a bowl about 1/2 cup of evoo, juice of 1 lime, a dash of Cumin, Sea Salt, Pepper, and a small squirt of honey. Wisk it all together and taste test so you can adjust the flavor as needed.

Now we're ready to put it all together! Take the lid off the quinoa pot and gently fluff the grains with a fork (no spoons, it will crush and flatten the grains). Once fluffed, pour the quinoa into the bowl with the herbs, carrots, cashews, and raisins. Toss it all together to mix. Pour about 1/2 - 3/4 of the dressing into the bowl and toss again. Taste test to see if you desire more dressing and adjust. Now pop this beauty in the fridge for several hours or overnight. The next day you will have the most amazing quinoa salad that is light, fluffy, and bursting with flavor! Enjoy your vegan, gluten free, bowl of goodness lovies!

“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.”

— Adelle Davis

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Patience, flexibility, and the yoga of life while traveling!

Hi friends! 

I've recently returned from leading yet another amazing yoga retreat in Europe! Its oh so sweet to be home, getting back on my mat in my little yoga room, back in the studio with my sangha, snuggling my fur babies, and sleeping in my own bed....heavenly! Yet, I am in love with the excitement I feel every time I have the opportunity to travel and see a new land with a group of people who are equally as excited as I am to be there. The challenge however, lies in the journey to the chosen location. We can never be fully prepared for what we may encounter along the way when traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles. Sometimes the journey is super sweet and smooth, and other times we encounter a whole heap of issues that delay our arrival or simply make the journey very challenging both physically, mentally and emotionally. So what can we do when traveling to keep ourselves in check? Our patience gets tried on every turn, people are often cranky around us, one may be sitting for hours in an uncomfortable seat, and let's not forget about the unhealthy food choices surrounding travel. Never fear my nomadic traveling friends! Keep reading on as I share tips with you on how I survive what may be perceived as obstacles while traveling about this big beautiful planet!

Tip numero uno! One must learn to flow like water over, around and through any circumstance, follow the current, and soften the hold! In other words, let go of a tight agenda and allow the journey to be what it is...an adventure! Traveling is not for the weak or weary, it poses so many challenges along the way. But its how we face these challenges and how we have packed our bag of tricks to allow us to not get overwhelmed, stressed, or cranky. Now, don't get me wrong. I can certainly attest to having gone thru every one of those feelings. Yet can you learn to recognize and change how you're reacting when it arises? YES, you can!

How to prep for the journey....

Before I travel I'm sure to do a pre travel yoga practice and pranayama/breathing practice. Sometimes short and sweet to allow my body to open before sitting for an extended period, and sometimes longer if time permits.

Hip openers, forward bends, a couple of mild backbends and twists are my go to before flying. Kappalabhati, sun moon, and sama vritti with retentions on inhale and exhale are the breathing practices that allow my mind to become balanced and calm. I notice a distinct difference if I don't do my pranayama practice beforehand. Freak outs and anxiety are kept far far away! I also prep with a variety of herbs, oils, and acupuncture several days before departure. I drink a ridiculous amount of organic cold pressed juice of every variety so I'm hydrated and cleansed. And the use of Ayurvedic herbs are extremely helpful, like Triphala, Travel Well, Nasya oil to name a few. 

And then we have the on flight travel essentials. Peppermint oil for nausea, Lavender oil blend as a hand sanitizer, SPZM chinese herbs to keep the neck and shoulders relaxed, Curing which is another Chinese herb I keep on hand for upset tummy or motion sickness. Scarf or wrap with some thieves oil on it which helps keep the neck warm and face covered warding off evil germs in case there are people coughing and sneezing around me. Nasya oil to help keep the sinuses from drying out and to trick the brain to think I'm still on the ground (a trick I learned from an Ayurvedic friend and can be done with sesame oil as well). Always have some C packs for extra electrolytes and hydration as well as a reusable water bottle. Socks to keep the feet toasty warm, an eye mask for rest and to block out any light, noise cancellation headphones, and of course some snack foods. Bags of raw nuts, dried figs, energy bars, some cut up veggies and hummus, or anything you know will hold you over. Airport and airplane food just plain suck! 

During flight practices...

Meditation and mantra have become an essential while speeding through the air in these giant metal tubes with wings. I don't have a fear of flying as I grew up in small planes with my brother and father being a pilot. However large planes full of people tend to make me a little uncomfortable at times. And that's when I turn to horizon gazing meditation or mantra repetition until I drift into a deep state of being blissfully unaware that I'm on a plane. Taking intervals to walk and stretch are extremely helpful on long hauls and often the galley will have space for a few moves like a simple squat or forward bend. If not, yoga in your seat works beautifully! Shoulder stretches and more hip openers are a must while seated. Try garudasana arms, gomukhasana arms, or hands clasp behind back while lifting them away from lumbar spine. And then a few minutes of thread the needle for the hips or even a hamstring stretch if you have enough space to bring the leg up without offending the person in front of you. I actually took to lying on my seat with my head hanging towards the floor and my legs up the back rest for an inversion to help my leg circulation on a 9 hour flight. People may look at you funny, but really I think they are envious and wish they had the courage to do it to! 

Post flight, settled in and grounding....

Once I arrive at my destination I'll typically wander around in nature to get my feet connected to the earth and breathe in some fresh air. I continue my hydration, and will do a mini flow practice to get my circulation going and reboot my energy. Standing balances help ground me, shoulder openers, sun salutes, twists, backbends to open up from all the forward slumping in bad seats, simple inversions and a mini meditation to get a new vibe and clear the channels. Pre bedtime routine consists of applying sesame or coconut oil on the soles of the feet, and some restorative poses with pranayama or sutra readings to wind me down for a restful nights sleep. And of course some really sweet tunes to lull me off into dream land!

Different beds, different pillows, foreign environment, and being out of your usual eating routine can really throw one for a loop. So be prepared for anything, take a deep breath, and let go into the flow however it may be revealed. Soften your gaze when you feel yourself hardening around a difficult situation as it arises, and find the strength to know that you are a part of something beautiful! Patience and grace allow us to find goodness in everything, and grace finds beauty in everything. When we flow with grace and ease, allow a smile to appear on our face, soften the gaze, the universe gets us to where we need to be! And you might even be surprised that those once cranky people encountered along the way are suddenly showing kindness and grace too!

What do you do to keep yourself happy and comfortable while traveling?

Love all ways!

xx a

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Gifts, reflections, and the journey! Mercury goes retrograde!

Mystic Mamma tells us all we need to know...

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Dear Human...

YES!!!

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Making my way to the light!

It's been a very long time since I've written anything. Busy busy busy I was with the studio, traveling to lead retreats on this big beautiful planet, hosting guest presenters, and finishing up a teacher training group. Now I finally have a little time to breathe before heading out to France for the next retreat. I am elated to return to France with fresh eyes and ready to play with all my friends who are joining me for another yoga/life adventure. I feel so incredibly lucky to have so many amazing people in my life that travel and practice with me wherever I go. What deep bonds we have made, the incredible sights we have seen, along with some very profound moments on the mat that have illuminated the path ahead!

Speaking of illuminating one's path, I've recently had several confirmations of my work and direction that have impacted and excited me and I hope you'll all continue to flow down the road with me...wherever that may lead us! I have a very good friend along with my long time meditation teacher and mentor who has been telling me for quite some time now that I do not realize the scope of what I offer people...mainly because I was too clouded by the running of my studio. It has indeed consumed me for the last many years with highs and lows that have always left an imprint. Now my studio is in it's 11th year at our current location, and I knew when we turned 10 I was going to start making more space for myself to venture further, it was time. So as I wrapped my brain around the idea of expanding my scope of practice and connection, confirmations began flowing in. It was as if the universe was saying YES, spread your wings further!

Now I am a true believer in intuition, partly because I have been graced with this ability more often than not. It can truly be a blessing and a curse all in one, especially if you're as sensitive as I am. Anyways, I have been taking my dog to a holistic vet who seems to be more of a psychic than a vet. So in our last visit she was doing a specific technique of tapping into the energy of my dog and me, and the 3 times she paused telling me what she was sensing were all completely on point. One of them being that I am going to be making a big shift and be moving in a very clear direction soon, but if I am not freeing myself up of frustration, I will miss it! Cool, right! I thought so. Then I went to a party recently where there was a palm reader/tarot reader. So of course I sat down with my husband and she read us both together. No questions were asked, she went straight to work looking at our palms. In the 20 minutes we sat there, she rapid fired information at us that about knocked me over. So much information that I couldn't even begin to tell it all. But what I do want you to know, is that she also confirmed what all the others have been telling me. Even my husband (quite the skeptic) was surprised at how accurate she was with both of us! So cool! 

I guess the moral to this whole story is, when you know that there is something more waiting to be revealed and its such an intense and deep feeling....trust, trust, trust! We are very often our own worst enemy. We have taken on this mentality that we must work work work in order to show worth or credibility and we have forgotten how to slow down enough to enjoy and appreciate the little magical gifts that appear in every waking moment! And in these magical moments when our breath is taken away by something that is too beautiful to describe....there lies a great stillness in the pause, and in that pause is great wisdom waiting to be revealed!

We do not need psychics or intuitives to tell us what lies ahead, we simply need to make time and space for ourselves to listen with an open heart and mind. The stillness between breaths and thoughts are the most profound and insightful moments one may have. Everyone has the ability to listen to that deep knowing truth, we simply have to slow down and get to know ourselves first. And then trust what we are hearing. And by hearing, I'm not talking about our thoughts. We have to move beyond the thoughts or conditioned mind into the gaps. Meditation is magical and so much can be revealed. Intrinsically we all have this ability, but can we slow down and trust the process?!

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