[Spiritual SoundBite] The Dirty Deed You Must Do

A large part of my job is to help people relax-sounds easy, right? I suppose if it was, I’d be out of a job! Part of the difficulty in doing it is that we’ve been conditioned to not do it . We’ve been taught that “relaxing” is a dirty deed and you should feel guilty for even thinking about it.

And I’m not just talking about taking a vacation. I’m talking about relaxing your mind and your body. Most students I observe are on high alert, their eyes are darting, and their minds are racing. Their nervous system are on overload and they look as if they’re holding on to dear life. What’s even more difficult is that they may not even be aware that this is their state of being

My heart goes out to them and I just want to cradle them in my arms and tell them it’s safe to let go. Just the thought of “letting go” for some people may cause anxiety. Relinquishing control is not an option for them. It’s a part of their identity and it’s a driving force behind their behaviors. But behind all of this is simply fear. If they can identify their fears, then they can essentially eliminate the weed from ever growing again by getting at its root.

What’s at the root of your behavior? Is it fear? Is it in line with who you are? Does it represent who you really are and what you stand for?

 

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] School of Awareness: Results…Alive & Happy

It’s now week #4 at the School of Awareness. What kinds of changes have you noticed–small or large? Lasting changes are small steps you take that add up over time. I call it the accumulated effect. Make a small positive step towards the direction you want to head in today and by the end of the week, month, and year, you’ll see that the effort you put in will have paid off.

Today, we re-cap what you’ve learned the last 3 weeks in how to live more fully…more presently…more happily:

#1 Notice when you’re distracted. A big sign is when you are multi-tasking (or think you are!) when you’re really only giving 50% of your attention (if that). Do 1 thing at a time and be fully present. Notice when your mind is being bombarded with thoughts and you begin to feel pulled in several directions. These distractions pull you away from the Present moment. To combat this, notice the sensations in your body that are signaling stress or tension–perhaps you’ll feel tension in your head, constriction in your chest, or tightness in your jaw. Everyone feels and experiences stress differently. Observe how it shows up for you. Once you are aware that your body is feeling stress, you can bring yourself back into the moment.

#2 Let go of your “lists”. Only write down what really needs to get done and see this list as more of a reminder instead of a list for checking off and “earning” points to the finish line. The truth is, there is no finish line. If you can treat each task as it’s own beginning and end, let that be your satisfaction. Don’t let it be a game of how many tasks or ‘to-do’ items you can check off. Prioritize what really needs to get done today. Do your best and if you don’t finish, let it go and don’t give yourself a hard time. The point of all this is to stay focused while at ease. You’ll take the pressure off of yourself and your (peace of) mind and body will thank you.

 

#3 Ask yourself what you need RIGHT NOW. Say it out loud, “What do I need right now?” And often, you’ll know right away. And when the answer comes to you, give yourself what you need: if you’re feeling tired or low on energy, you may need a power nap, some fresh air, a little walk, or something as simple as hydrating yourself. If you’re feeling stuck or can’t seem to find a solution, sometimes it’s just a matter of taking a mental break and giving the situation some space. Get up, stretch, and take some deep breaths.

 

 

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] School of Awareness: Lesson #3 of 3

Now that you’ve gotten the hang of catching yourself being distracted and noticing how you’re physically feeling  (LESSON #1)  and only choosing one task at a time at any given moment (LESSON #2) this week you’ll practice…

SCHOOL OF AWARENESS: LESSON #3

OBSERVATION: We’re living and thinking in the future or past. We hear a lot of about “being present”, “stay in the moment”, “live in the moment”.  But why? Why is it important? Because the future doesn’t exist yet and the past can’t be changed. What matters is this moment now. Each moment is creating the next. So the concept of “future” is really only each next moment which is based on each moment Now. The quality of the future is really just the quality of each present moment.

YOUR PRACTICE THIS WEEK: If you’ve caught yourself being distracted and pulled away from the Present moment, check in with how you’re feeling–are you stressed or in a hurry? Physically connect with yourself and see where you’re feeling it in your body. Take a deep breath and return back to your task at hand. Give it 100% of your attention.

If you find that it’s difficult to focus, ask yourself what you need RIGHT NOW. You might even want to say it out loud, “What do I need right now?” And often, you’ll know right away. If you’re feeling tired or low on energy, you may need a power nap, get some fresh air, or rehydrate. If you’re feeling hungry, you need to take a break and eat (not at your desk!). Sometimes it’s just needing a mental break and taking some deep breaths.

Then revel in each moment…make the most out of it. Enjoy yourself in the moment. Find (even the slightest!) joy in everything that you do.

 

 

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] School of Awareness: Lesson #2 of 3…

So how did practicing LESSON #1 go last week? Was it difficult to only do 1 task at a time? To be 100% present with every single task? I must confess, I found myself on the phone and putting laundry in the dryer at the same time. It was brought to my attention when the person on the other end was asking what all that noise was! Oopsie. So we won’t be perfect 100% of the time but being aware of when you’re not 100% there is a start to helping you live more presently.

 

SCHOOL OF AWARENESS: LESSON #2

OBSERVATION: It has turned into a game of how many things can we check off our “to-do” list.

 

YOUR PRACTICE THIS WEEK: If you can wrap your head around the “being 100% present” concept, then it I’d like to lead you to the next concept of: all those things on your list will never get “done”. This list you have is on-going and more items are tacked on as you move forward. This list never ends. If you can accept this concept and see it as a part of life instead of seeing it as something that needs to get completed or finished, then you’ll take a lot of pressure off of yourself. Instead of seeing how much of your list you can check off, have your sense of accomplishment come from asking yourself which one needs my attention Now. This concept applies to not only your list but also distractions during your day. They may all feel like they need your attention now but only 1 thing will need 100% of your attention at any given moment. Make a decision in every moment of what that 1 thing is. Your brain and body will be so grateful.
The results = You’ll be in a “relaxed focus” state of being. You’ll be clear with what needs to get accomplished while your state of being is calm. Your energy and focus is honed in.  It’s no longer dispersed and pulling you in several different directions.

You are the zen corporate warrior.

 

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] School of Awareness…Lesson #1 of 3

I received a lot more feedback than usual about the SoundBite from last week. I especially enjoy receiving feedback that challenges my ideas and concepts. So this week, I’d like to address what I presented last week and explain how you can apply it to your life. We can talk all we want about how we’d like to ideally live but what use are these ideas if they aren’t applied? I’ve broken them down into 3 lessons and this week I’d like you to practice and master lesson #1.

What I’ll explain, may or may not make sense and either way, you may feel that you can relate to my observations but you may think that what I’m asking you to “practice” is perhaps a concept for someone else and that it doesn’t really apply to you…that you and your life are an exception and there’s too much to get done, too much to worry about, and too much of life’s stresses to possibly even fathom applying any of these to your life. You’re saying, “I don’t have time! I have too much to do!” Well, you, my dear reader, are exactly the person I’m writing this for.

You may even think that perhaps it’s easier for me because I’m just some crazy yogi with few stresses, no family to take care of, and I get to practice yoga and meditate all day. To tell you the truth, I’ve come a long way since the day of stressful corporate life and have made conscious choices about the kind of life I’d like to live. Perhaps stressful office environments where the pressure to perform and the stress of office politics are to be thanked because they are experiences that motivate me to do what I do now so that I can offer you reprieve from the pressures and stresses of your professional and personal life.

SCHOOL OF AWARENESS: LESSON #1

MY OBSERVATION: Often times I notice that I may be doing something as simple as walking the dog and suddenly remind myself of what I need to get done and feel an urgency to hurry up so I can move on to my next task…we are often times in a rush to finish something only so that we can move on to do something else.

YOUR PRACTICE THIS WEEK: Notice when your mind is being bombarded with thoughts and you begin to feel pulled in several directions. These are distractions and they pull you away from the Present moment. To combat these distractions, one way is to notice sensations in your body that are signaling stress or tension-perhaps you’ll feel tension in your head, constriction in your chest, or tightness in your jaw. Everyone feels and experiences stress differently. Observe how it shows up for you. Once you are aware that your body is feeling stress, you can bring yourself back into the Now moment.

Another way to combat distraction is to simply notice when your attention has diverted away from your present task. Make a conscious decision to be 100% present with every task you do. So if you’re sitting at your desk typing an email and the phone rings and you decide to answer the phone, then you need to stop typing and give the person at the end of that line your full attention. Otherwise, don’t answer the phone or tell them you’ll call them back. If you decide to do both at the same time, the email will not be as well written (because you’re distracted by the phone conversation) and your conversation with the person won’t be as focused (because you’re distracted by your email). Thus, a half-assed written email and a half-assed phone conversation equals half-assed results. Do you only want your efforts to produce 50% of what you’re capable of? Of course not.

Practice this for the next 7 days and I’ll check in with you next Tuesday!

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] It’s Easy to Keep Moving…

“It’s easy to keep moving…it’s harder to stay still.” That was something Dena Kingsberg said last week when I practiced with her and my fellow Ashtangis every morning for 6 days. That one simple line resonated so much with me. We find things to distract ourselves from matters of the heart that need to be tended to. But because it’s too painful or stressful to come to face-to-face with, we avoid it and find things to do.

Another interpretation of this line is that I used to want more poses in my Ashtanga practice. It was my way of feeding my hungry ego and feeling not only rewarded by my teacher at the time but also feeling like I’ve accomplished something. Nowadays, I don’t want more. In fact, I’ve let go of a few postures and actually want to do less. Never did I think I’d want to do “less”. My motto was always, “Give me more! I can keep going! I need to go further!” This mentality came from needing to prove myself as being “good enough” after years of growing up and feeling like I had to be the best at everything I attempted to do. But these days, I know I’m “good enough.” I’m fine just the way I am. And so every morning, I meet myself on my mat, and instead of wanting to get anything “accomplished”, I find myself meditating upon my breath and going deeper within myself.

I hope you find time to stay still and enjoy it. To not feel guilty when you do it and to know that you deserve it

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] Everyone’s Afraid of This. But Don’t Miss It…

“…Everybody is afraid of intimacy.

The problem becomes more complicated because everybody wants intimacy. Everybody wants intimacy because otherwise you are alone in this universe-without a friend, without a lover, without anybody you can trust, without anybody to whom you can open all your wounds. And the wounds cannot heal unless they’re open. The more you hide them, the more dangerous they become. They can become cancerous.

…Nobody knows anything about the future. Your heaven and your hell and your God are most probably all hypotheses, unproved. The only thing that is in your hands is your life-make it as rich as possible.

By intimacy, by love, by opening yourself to many people, you become richer. And if you can live in deep love, in deep friendship, in deep intimacy, with many people, you have lived rightly. And wherever you happen to be, you have learned the art, and you will be living happily there, too.

If you are simple, loving, open, intimate, you create a paradise around you. If you are closed, constantly on the defensive, always worried that somebody may come to know your thoughts, your dreams, your perversions, you are living in hell. Hell is within you-and so is paradise. They are not geographical places, they are your spiritual spaces.

Cleanse yourself. And meditation is nothing but a cleaning of all the rubbish that has gathered in your mind. When the mind is silent and the heart is singing, you will be ready-without any fear but with great joy-to be intimate. And without intimacy, you are alone here among strangers. With intimacy, you are surrounded by friends, by people who love you. Intimacy is a great experience. One should not miss it.”

–By Osho in “Intimacy–Trusting Oneself and the Other”

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] Free Yourself

Relax and Be at ease

What needs to be known

Will be made apparent.

 

Do not apply force

Or Ego

Your Will causes tension.

 

Free yourself

From the constraints of your mind

And the nature of your true self will be revealed.

 

Surrender

Trust that you are taken care of

Everything will be all right.

 

(Click on Ganesh below to hear a message!)

 

 

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

NEW SPRING CLASSES Monday Silver Lake Yoga “Flow Yoga” 10:45-12:15 Healing Nest “Flow Yoga” 6:30-7:30 Wednesday Yoga Vida LA “Flow Yoga” 12:15-1:30 Thursday APHCV “Seniors Yoga” 9:30-10:30 Healing Nest “Beyond Yoga” 6:30-7:30 1st Sundays Healing Nest “Meditation 101/Dinner” 4-6:30 …and Cooking Classes coming soon For more info email Stella@YogaGals.com brought to you by: and

YogaGals™ is LA’s premiere mobile and green holistic lifestyle leader. We provide yoga and massage therapy, as well as meditation and healthy cooking classes for individuals and groups. We’re here to inspire those who live in the city to choose and create a healthier lifestyle and raise consciousness through practical tips for your everyday life. Our mission is for you and everyone on the planet to be living a healthy, happy, and sexy life.

[Spiritual SoundBite] Spirit+Imagination=Manifestation

We are all such wonderful spirits and connected in ways that we don’t even know yet. Bali is so conducive in showing me this. I had a great time the other day, visiting my favorite shops in town. I befriended the shop owners of a jewelry/bead shop in Ubud on Honoman Street: Maya and Ketut. Maya handles the business and her husband Ketut is the artist. I’ve been hanging out with them at their shop and he’s been showing me how to make knots for bracelets and how to make a mala (108 beaded prayer necklace like a rosary). He says that if I’m a teacher, I must know how to make one and put my feeling and heart into it so I can make it for my students. I consider him a true artist…he weaves his spirituality and utmost reverence to Spirit along with his imagination to manifest the beautiful creations he makes from his heart. If you receive a necklace or bracelet from him, you know it was truly made with his entire being. All the jewelry in the store is made with this amazing energy. He inferred to me that everything we do should be done in this manner. All of our actions are an offering to our Higher Power/God/whatever you’d like to call him/her/it. And the purpose behind it is to further the happiness of others. So every day when he prays in the morning he asks for guidance in doing this. Many of the Balinese I’ve met often ask “Are you happy?”…instead of “How are you?” They also look you in the eye with genuine acknowledgement. Most are Hindu and sometimes you’ll be greeted with “Namaste” or even just the hands in a prayer position. When I receive this greeting, I feel a mutual respect and acknowledgement, as well as an understanding that we’re recognizing each other as True Spirit, Light, and Love. Let us greet and acknowledge our coworkers, friends, family, and strangers with this reverence. True healing starts with small positive changes. Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You. P.S Missed some Spiritual SoundBites from the past? Read them here! P.P.S Know someone who’d be interested in getting their very own Spiritual SoundBite every Tuesday? They can sign-up here! It’s Spring! The juncture from Winter into Spring is an important one. Learn what foods to eat, how to cook and prepare your food, and which foods are best for your particular body type. Spring into a healthier lifestyle, starting with our Spring Detox starting in April. See below for more info. SPRING DETOX PROGRAM Nutrition Ayurveda Principles Cooking Classes — **For 3-Weeks starting in April** For more info and to reserve your spot email: Stella@YogaGals.com brought to you by: and YogaGals™ is LA’s premiere mobile and green holistic lifestyle leader. We provide yoga and massage therapy, as well as meditation and healthy cooking classes for individuals and groups. We’re here to inspire those who live in the city to choose and create a healthier lifestyle and raise consciousness through practical tips for your everyday life. Our mission is for you and everyone on the planet to be living a healthy, happy, and sexy life.

[Spiritual SoundBite] ‘Stand Up!’ …Ride It Out

Being out in the ocean with my surf instructors and hearing “Stand Up!” as my cue to catch a wave was always an exhilarating moment. I’ve lived in Los Angeles my whole life and have never surfed (that sounds so lame!). So I finally did it here in Bali in a little surf town called Sarangan.

Paddling out into the ocean was such a challenge. In the beginning I wanted to get out there as quickly as possible and so I fervently paddled until I quickly wore myself out. I looked around and saw the professionals gliding on the water and they looked relaxed and went twice as fast. So I started to relax and it was much easier!

Once I reached my destination in the middle of the ocean I patiently waited for the next wave to come. The instructors were amazing at recognizing which waves were the best. They’d say, “Ok! Get ready!” And I’d lay on my board and start paddling away until the waved reached me and I’d hear “Stand Up!” It was as if time stood still in that moment and it was just me, my wave, and our silent bond. Also, there was no choice but to go with the flow. It’s truly a magical moment.

Now I understand why surfers are religious about it. It’s a great metaphor for life: relax and be at ease. Be prepared and patiently wait for your opportunity…it will surely come. And when it does, have the courage to take it; ride it out and see where it takes you.

It’s Spring! The juncture from Winter into Spring is an important one. Learn what foods to eat, how to cook and prepare your food, and which foods are best for your particular body type. Spring into a healthier lifestyle, starting with our Spring Detox starting in April. See below for more info.

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

P.S Missed some Spiritual SoundBites from the past? Read them here!
P.P.S Know someone who’d be interested in getting their very own Spiritual SoundBite every Tuesday? They can sign-up here!

SPRING DETOX PROGRAM Nutrition Ayurveda Principles Cooking ClassesYoga Meditation — **3-Weeks for $108 starting in April** For more info and to reserve your spot email: Stella@YogaGals.com brought to you by: and

YogaGals™ is LA’s premiere mobile and green holistic lifestyle leader. We provide yoga and massage therapy, as well as meditation and healthy cooking classes for individuals and groups. We’re here to inspire those who live in the city to choose and create a healthier lifestyle and raise consciousness through practical tips for your everyday life. Our mission is for you and everyone on the planet to be living a healthy, happy, and sexy life.