Have More Fun

My gift to you is

.......have more fun!!

Oh my Gosh...how many strict rules and limitations have we put on ourselves in this lifetime so far??

 Here are a few of mine: I'm too old to do that, I am not pretty enough, I can't eat that, I made too many mistakes, I waited too long and now I can't start....trust me, I could go on. All the time that i'm thinking these thoughts, my body tightens up, my breathing is shallow, my energy and vitality are depleted. Gosh forbid, someone tries to make me laugh.

Sounds fun huh?? Not exactly.

 It's scientifically researched and proven that laughter can take away physical pain.

The point is, let's have fun...and Now!

I am enough right now and I'm about to havin' some fun ;-))

No more: hiding who you are, following the rules, taking everything too seriously, being too busy, avoiding things because you are in fear, caring about what others might think.

So, what do you think? Will you join me on this fun escapade?

Take a moment to clear the slate. Ask yourself, is there a message or messages lurking in the background that aren't working for me? Messages that are limiting me?

 Now, imagine them in front of you....all the messages that you'd like to move out the way. Now, start moving them out of the way!! Physically take your hands and move them out of the way. Brush them aside. Do this until they are no longer there.


Now the space is clear in front of you. What will you do for fun today?

 If you want, feel free to share some of your fun escapades with me

 Enjoy your gifts! By the way....nothing wrong with regifting any of my gifts to Your loved ones.....I don't mind ;-)

Love and Light, Lauren

 P.S. I'm on the way to the park with my dog, Jazz, to watch her run and it always makes me smile. After that, who knows....I may take a nap and I won't feel bad about it. I will have fun with everything I do today!

Will You Stop Beating Yourself Up?

 

Just to use yoga as one example, I've asked my yoga students from time to time....."Have you ever found yourself laying on the floor in the yoga room telling yourself, I can't do this"! Or maybe you feel angry because you feel your body is failing you in some way, or you tell yourself over and over in the class, I'll NEVER be able to do this, or maybe you just tell yourself not to go to class in the first place because you don't even want to experience the feeling of self defeat and go through the agony of what may happen in your practice today. As Dr Phil would say "How's that working for ya"?

My Solution:

 First, and foremost, I'm going to ask you a question: "Can you stop beating yourself up?" My request is that you do just that starting.....YES, today. There is nothing in this request that you aren't supposed to work hard to accomplish what it is that you want, however the goal for you is that the hard work is yielding feelings of accomplishment, self worth, satisfaction and presence so that when you complete it, you can take those amazing feelings and allow them to overflow into the rest of your life.

Get in touch with your internal critic and then don't pay attention to it. The first part of this process is "getting in touch" with your critic. What does that mean? This means that you must distinguish what your internal critic sounds like and what it says to you. You may not even know you have one. But, start to think about when you are being hard on yourself, what's the message in the background? What are the messages or things that you may be telling yourself. Start listening to what you discussing with your friends in moments when you aren't feeling good about something in yourl life and you may hear them pop up.

One big one for me was that whenever I went to any sort of workshop or event where there were lots of successful people. I didn't feel like I belonged. If there were people that got up that share about something they accomplished, I would sit there and be thinking that's great for that person, but that will never be me. I couldn't do what they did. I wasn't even conscious of this for a very long time. To me, it was just what was so.

Utilizing this technique, I got clear on the voice saying "You can't do what she did". "She has more experience than you.". "He has an advanced degree in that area and you don't". You get the picture! Once I got this distinguished, I was now aware when my inner critic was trying to take center stage. I could then hear it but not allow it to be in charge of my actions or lack of action to follow.

Nike has the best tag line: "Just Do It" because at the end of the day, it's always much easier to do something than it is to sit and think about doing it. The more we think about things, the more we tend to struggle. The minute you think of doing something to reach your goal which has elements of fear or struggle attached to it, it may take something to disregard the conversation that may show up in the background. All the reasons and excuses show up for why we can't do it, don't want to do it, don't need to do it. This is because the mind and the internal critic just works to make us lose confidence, motivation and perspective based on F.E.A.R (false evidence appearing real). This inner critic or "voice" may never go away completely but you don't have to allow it to be in control. It could be more like eavesdropping on another person's conversation at another table, because at the end of the day, it doesn't affect you.

What does your inner critic sound like? Now, don't let it use you and don't use it to beat yourself anymore.

You are amazing and powerful beyond measure!

 Have something to share with me after reading this? Please post below...I would love to hear from you.

Watch Your Thoughts, They Become Your Reality

Day 3 of "10 Days of Namaste Giving"

 Watch Your Thoughts, They Become Your Created Reality

 At one time or another, we have all probably said or thought to ourselves "I'm having such a bad day". You could probably even say that it's a normal every day occurrence to hear it at least once a day somewhere along the way. I probably never noticed it years ago, before I was on the path that I am on now, but it seems to stand out to me now when I

 come across it.

 So what, who cares....you may be thinking. This isn't very profound. I beg to differ though. Here's the thing, the thoughts create the words and then the reality. A client walked into the studio recently and said "this was a really bad day, I really need my yoga today". I said, wow, the ENTIRE day. Yes, I spilled coffee on myself in the car on the way to work and then it was just one thing after another all day".

 So, here is what i'm wondering.....after the coffee spilled and the thought was that this was the beginning of a bad day, could that thought and then those words have created the reality of the rest of the day? I didn't get into a deeper discussion about it, but it prompted me to start thinking about this phenomenon. Could it be that walking around behaving in a way like you are having a bad day just increases the likelihood of you having a bad day. My response to my own question, (without sounding abrupt), is obviously, yes!

 I was reading this cool study recently which proves this exact thing. This study was specifically about how acting like you are in love can lead to the real thing.

 The 100 volunteers, taking part in the study in Edinburgh, were encouraged to hold hands, gaze into each other's eyes, and whisper secrets to each other.

When questioned at the end on their feelings, 45 per cent of those who had 'acted in love' wanted to see each other again.

 'Couples' were asked to make eye contact, smile a lot, and whisper secrets, which led to real fledgeling relationships

A Professor helping to conduct the research said "Just as people feel happier when they force their face into a smile, so pairs of people behaving as if they find one another attractive became emotionally close"

 So, it's the action that causes the emotion as much as the emotion causes the action. So, flip it over. Instead of feeling like your day stinks and walking around with that emotion, which is sure to cause that result, take the action that causes you to feel happy. After you spill coffee, you can still walk into work with a huge smile on your face and walk up to the first person you see and greet them in a way that can make an imprint on their entire day!

 I was feeling uninspired recently, and kind of lonely too. Within one hour, I had spoken to someone at Habitat for Humanity and created a community event for people to build a house together. Within 3 days 15 people signed   up ;-)     If I wallowed in loneliness, I was sure to feel that way the rest of the day.

 Can you relate to this or did it prompt something you would like to share? then, email and Share with Lauren here

 NAMASTE

Day 2 of of Namaste Giving:

Change Your Mind

 

 My gift to you is to change your mind ;-))

 What do you mean change my mind? In other words, I changed my mind and I'm having a peach instead of a banana. Not exactly. I'm talking about changing the way you think. The way your mind wraps itself around a specific area in your life and holds on for dear life and doesn't let go. Especially when it's not even an area that is working very well for you. What I am referring to is even as radical as changing your personality.

 After a long while, it's common for people to think they don't even have a choice in specific areas of their life, because they have given up or become complacent deciding, “it’s just the way it is”. A simple example is that a friend called me the other day and I asked how his day was and he said "I'm stressed". I asked him what he was stressed about and let him go on for a about a minute. I then said "You don't have to be stressed. You can change your mind". He responded, "Oh yeah, if it was only that easy". Funny thing is that it is that easy, but only if he wanted to make that decision. This point will really annoy some people because if they don't want to see that they have that much responsibility in the way their life has gone and will continue to go, they won't want to read this.

 Bikram Choudry who designed the Bikram's yoga series which is done all over the world says "having doesn't mean anything if you don't know how to use it. In all the years of our life, we don't use even 3% of our bodies capabilities". He goes on to say "it doesn't matter how healthy you are if your mind is not under control. Your mind can make you Buddha, Hitler, Mother Theresa, Osama Bin Laden. Your mind is supposed to be your best friend, but in most cases it is your number one enemy."

However, In order to do this, it takes letting go of the old and bringing "nada" and "zip" to a common situation. You must be willing to completely start from scratch. It's so ordinary to be stressed in a "stressful situation", but what if you brought nothing. So, for instance, if I asked my friend that was stressed to bring "nada" to his situation at work, what could he create from that place? Could he be more helpful to those around him by having a calm energy? Could he be more available for everything that needed to get done in a calm state rather than having adrenaline pumping through his veins? Could he possibly start enjoying his job? What if he just changed his mind and decided not to be stressed?

 It's possible if you say it's possible. It has to start there.

My gift for you today, is to let go and change your mind. Choose an area where you could admit that it just hasn't been working and change your mind. You are in charge.

 

Create Inspiration and You Will Be Inspired

My gift to you :

Create inspiration and you will always be inspired

 

 It's actually automatic and creates a domino affect for you and the people you inspire.  I'm pretty sure it's impossible to be an inspiration and then find yourself a second later thinking to yourself, "I'm not having a good day....or "life sucks".  It's almost funny to even think of that.

 

Think about it for a second.... When were you an inspiration to someone recently?  Did you help your child with his or her homework or tell your child you love them.  Did you call and friend to say how much they mean to you.  Did you tell someone "yes, you can" when they were telling you "I don't think I can do this".  Did you tell your boss "thanks", or an employee "You are doing an excellent job and I appreciate you".  How did that make you feel?  If you are sitting there, and you cannot think of anything, don't worry.  That's exactly why I'm giving  you this gift.

 It's so easy too.  In a millisecond, you can create inspiration.

 Try this exercise and you will create inspiration today:

 

1.  Choose your medium of communication.

 

It could be in person, by phone, or social media (a posting on Facebook or blog).  In other words, you want to get the communication out there so that it's making a difference.

 

2. The inspiration is what inspires YOU

 

you don't have to sit and think, "what inspires people?"  All you have to know is what inspires you and that's what comes forth that you share.  It's funny, the things that people respond to the most when I share, whether it's something in person with friends or a post on my blog, is when I share from a deep place.  Usually even something that I feel very vulnerable to share. I remember after I shared my story about my eating disorder for the first time in an article that I sent out.  I had so many people get in touch with me and share how much it meant to them, and more than that, they shared their stories with me. Some even shared things with me things they told me they had never even told anyone.  WOW!  Give people permission to share their secrets and you have freed them!!!  So, I'll throw this in.....take a risk!

By the way, it's inspiring to tell someone you love them.  Don't think too hard, because if it inspires you...that's it!  You've got it!

You can inspire ONE person and that's enough.  That's where the domino effect comes in because after you've warmed their heart, they are charged up to pay it forward....automatically.

 

3.  Recognize the power or ONE person (You) and

see what you've created and sent out into the world

 

I know personally, I've come across specific times and topics in my life that bring forth that part of my mind that says "I can't make a difference in this area" or "This is hopeless", or the biggest pitfall (in my opinion), "Someone else will do it". However, you can always make a difference.  I couldn't prevent recent tragedies from occurring in the world, but I can reach out to people I love and see how they are.  I can be a reliable source of listening so that people can feel heard. It's YOU!  It's always YOU that can do something.  After you have been an inspiration, wallow in it.  Most likely, if not always, you will already be thinking of something else to do to ignite inspiration once again.

 

If you try this exercise and would like to share your experience with me.... Share with Lauren Here

 

 

 

 

I'm sending this Gift Early Because of the Recent Tragedy

I decided to send this gift out early based on the recent tragedy in Connecticut.
It's just heartbreaking and I know that people all over the world are experiencing an array of emotions. It's so crucial for us to share with one another and communicate our feelings with all of this going on. Come together and honor one another by sharing your feelings.                                 

I felt that this "gift" was appropriateat this time.

light and love AND NAMASTE ;-)
Lauren

#1 Take Good Care of Your Feelings

 

Just the other day, I found myself literally running in a circle. I was driving,

forgot where I was headed, turned around to go home, remembered where I was going

and then turned around to come home anyway. You ask, "well, if you remembered where

you were going, why did you turn around?" Yes, good question. In the split second

of remembering where I was going, I was immediately in touch with a feeling of anxiety.

I could feel tightness in my chest and my jaw was clenched. I got home walked inside,

sat down on my couch and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and felt like my body

was still in motion.

 

"What is this feeling?" I thought to myself. In seconds, tears were streaming down

my face. I felt an immediate feeling of letting go and release come over my shoulders,

chest and then my whole body. The tears kept coming, and coming. With each wave

of tears, I continued to breathe and release them. After sitting with this for a

while along with the inquiry of "what is this feeling?", I began to get in touch

with something. I had been spending all of my time going and doing so much lately

and had not spent any time just to be with myself. I had not taken any time to

just be. With this clarity, I immediately thought about my family and my close

friends and what really mattered to me. It wasn't about the next thing I had to

do to market my business or how I was going to go to the store to buy something,

or what I was worried about. It all came back to being connected to the people

I love and care about.

 

We are moving so fast so much of the time that it's easy to completely neglect feelings

that may be affecting everyday occurrences. For instance, the same day I was running

in circles, I got a phone call from my mom and when she asked me "How are you?

I didn't hear from you last week." I immediately reacted with anger because of

the place I was in. Instead of just hearing that my mother misses me and wants to

know how I am.

 

Have you found yourself running in a circle lately? Have you been impatient with

yourself and or others?

 

Try this 4 Step Exercise to

Take Care of Your Feelings Today:

 

1.      Sit down for 5 minutes and just get still.

 

Take a long deep inhale and slow exhale. Again. A few more after that. Just be

with the stillness. Be with whatever comes.

 

2.      Now, ask yourself "What's the feeling?"

 

Just be with the inquiry. Allow whatever needs to come forward to come on it's

own. It will come. Allow it to come. It may show up as an emotion at first, it

may not even be clear to you. That's okay. Just be with whatever occurs. Notice

what you experience. Does your throat get tight? Are you wanting to laugh? Cry?

Are you breathing? Do not judge, just be. What's there? Allow it to be.

 

3.      See the feelings and hear what comes to you

 

As I allowed the tears to come, they also came and went. I was left with a feeling

of relaxation and also a deep yearning for wanting to relax and just be. No more

doing, just to be. It felt really good and I was clear I had been neglecting myself

in this way. What are you seeing? What do you hear?

It's all good, whatever it is.

 

4.      Create an affirmation and Acknowlege Yourself

 

It was as if with my eyes closed, I saw me standing there in front of me and I just

wanted to tell myself, "You have nothing to prove, you do enough and now you can

relax". My affirmation for this situation was, "You are enough, just by being".

My persistence to be a pillar of inspiration to others is so important. Yet, I

forgot that without filling back up again, this is not possible. Now that you

see and hear your feelings, what is it that you need to hear? Do you need to acknowledge

yourself for something (or lots of things). Do you need to really connect with

loving who you are? Right now, Create an affirmation around taking care of the

feelings that you are experiencing.

 

Hold your feelings in your arms and give them attention. You will see that they will respond when you

see them, feel them and then acknowledge them.

This is my gift to you.

 

I love you and honor the divine in you

 

Feel free to share your experience with me if you try this exercise.

Share with Lauren Here

 

Forward this to someone you care about.....

xoxoxox, Lauren

 

10 Days of Namaste Giving For You From Me

This is a preview of "10 Days of Namaste Giving". 

 

These gifts from me to you are about honoring the divine in you that is the divine in me.  Namaste can be defined in different ways, and for the sake of this project, I am giving you gifts to honor yourself in many different ways over the course of 10 days at the end of this amazing year of 2012.  We always end our class and say to you "Namaste", so I decided that it would be so much fun to end the year by adoring you, bowing to you and sharing with you in a way that is a constant reminder that our essence is all the same.  We are all one.

These are my gifts for you from me because I honor the divine in you.  Everyday for 10 days at the end of this year, I will send you a gift more valuable than anything you may unwrap this year.  These gifts are 10 Secrets that can allow you to unveil the natural state of bliss that exists in all of us. These secrets are actions that I've incorporated into my own life throughout the years. The ways of thinking that I share and exercises I will incorporate have allowed massive shifts to take place in my life. The best part is that it's really all the small action steps that allows the changes to take place and make room for big things to happen.  They are simple and easy and can be incorporated into your life so that you can end this year with a huge bang and create that life you want in 2013!

 

I'm allowing you to open this one early if you click here!! 
www.wellnessbylauren.com and sign up for my EZine

You will receive your Preview Gift tomorrow!
 

You will receive your Namaste Gifts December 21-31st, 2012.

What's Your Inner Critic Up to Today?

I got a glimpse of my Inner Critic the other day and hadn't actually heard her show up in a while. Just in case you aren't clear what I mean when I say " inner critic", it is that voice that speaks up without being  called on and can share some pretty ugly, negative, short sighted thoughts that contain no faith, hope or strength.  Got it Now?

Well, she wasn't holdin' back!!  On top of that, I was in a place where I was actually listening.  I'm clear when this voice is speaking, and can mostly thank her for sharing and move on knowing it's clearly no help to my life.  I was tired on this day and was a bit raw from a weekend that was filled with some more emotions than normal.  So, I listened and I began believing what she told me.  " your not going to meet that special person! Aren't you tired of going out on dates and not being attracted to the guy and just counting the minutes to go home? Isn't is kind of a lost cause? You are also getting kind of old and you aren't the ripest for the picking".

Ouch!

As I went on with my day, I could see myself being on edge, responding to people in a short way, screening calls instead of talking and feeling tired when I had plenty of sleep under my belt.  I know I needed a regrouping.  I got home, shut the door behind me, took a deep breath and said aloud "Okay, what's going on here? " I was clear within minutes that my inner critic had not just piped in but had taken over the show.

Almost immediately, I felt compelled to sit down and write and this is what I wrote:

Dear Lauren,

I see your soul and I see what's most important to you.  You are concerned for people, you are concerned for their happiness. I see how much you want people to get that they are intended to live a life they love and they get to say the way their life goes.  I see how much love you have to give and see you share it daily.  Your desire to be connected to others, share with them and empower them is such a gift and one that will never be wasted.  Your sensitive caring and empathic nature is so special and allows others the space to heal.  You have everything you need to transform whatever needs transforming in order to create and live your best life. I see you step into it each and every day.  Don't be surprised when you stand inside your best life, the whole package, nothing missing.  I see you having love around you because you are a beam of light and love for everyone else.  You are plenty, you are enough and you are on a divine path.

That will show my inner critic whose in charge!

This letter just put me right back on my path.  I will put myself out there.  It's only likely that we get to have the life we want if we already stand in the energy of living that life already.  It's not a feeling of longing for, but a feeling that you already have it.  Now that my inner critic was no longer running the show, I could get on with it. 

Is your Inner Critic running the show today? Try sitting down and writing yourself a letter.  A letter you would love to receive and read about you.  Answer these questions: what do you know for sure about yourself?  What is really important to you as a human being?  What are you capable of?  What difference do you know that you make in the world?  Write it, read it, believe it.  You are plenty, you are enough and you are on a divine path.

Your Actions Have To Come Despite the Feelings

Did you ever stop and think how many times you have said you wanted to do something, yet you don't.  You find at times so inspired by what life would look like and feel like, if you were just able to do "THAT".  Yet, once again, you find that months and maybe even years go by and you haven't! 

Well, things don't ever happen to us unless we are taking some actions that lead us to what we want.  Our lives expand BECAUSE we are taking the actions and these actions makes room for awesome things to occur! 

I was attending a very intensive yoga teacher training a few years ago.  At the end of the 9 weeks,  there was a graduation ceremony and they were choosing 25 people for the graduation ceremony demonstration that was going to have an audience of over 500 people.  Actually, that wasn't the part I was afraid of.  I kept having people tell me to try out and I kept saying "Noway"!  One of my peers came to me and said "Lauren, why aren't you trying out for the demonstration"?  I responded, "I'm afraid I won't be chosen".  I was partly unconscious of this until I spoke it out loud and when I did, I realized how crazy it was.  I was afraid of being rejected, which was out of my control, so I decided to take myself out of the game all together and then I didn't have to experience the rejection.  I decided to make the act of trying out the actual challenge and what I would receive the most inspiration from.  I would leave the result up to the powers that be.  I ended up being chosen for the demonstration, which was very exciting, but it wasn't the most important thing about the experience.  

I know most of us have heard the saying "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" and of course Nike's best tag line "Just Do It". They are both so very pertinent to our lives and going after our most desired goals. Dr. Laura Schlessinger says "....Courage is not the lack of fear, it is fear plus action." 

But, how exactly do I take the action when I feel so fearful, insecure or just plain 'ole stuck?

What are the secrets to unleashing your own courage in the face of feelings, in order to create the life that you really want?

Here are 4 things you can do to choose action

in the face of the "YUK" feelings

1.  Expect to have fear or discomfort when you go after something that you really want, and when they show up....keep going anyway!   If you have a job interview coming up, or you are in a new relationship, or you are repairing a relationship with a friend through a conversation, or even trying a new hobby, or exercise routine.  Expect discomfort as part of the deal and when it shows up, you don't have to be surprised or have it derail you in your goal.  In fact, moving past that can often be more challenging then what you are actually going after.  

2.  Breathe......well, of course, my readers know that I am going to fit breathing into the equation somewhere. But, seriously, you can see an instant transformation in a child when they are in the middle of having a hysterical tantrum if you tell them to breathe.  For me, in the midst of what seems like a crisis, it's like the gates of hell open back up me release me and I can see once again.  It's an action rather than a reaction to feelings and often thinking immediately gets much more clear.

3.  Imagine what life looks life if you continue NOT taking this action. 
Ouch!  You may not like what that looks like.  But, that's good, because human beings are not motivated by pleasure, we are motivated by pain.  So take a look inside the life that you create when you don't take the actions towards your goals.  I'm just sayin'.  I never said it was fun and pretty.  Don't expect motivation to fall from the sky.  Now, take an action.

4.  Ask yourself "what is the payoff for not taking this action"
My payoff if I had not tried out for the graduation demonstration was that I could avoid being vulnerable and taking a risk.  I wouldn't have to experience rejection.  But it would also have cost me an opportunity to build my self confidence and esteem, no matter the results. 

What was interesting was that when they announced the opportunity to begin with, I was sitting next to a great friend and she immediately said she was going to try out to be chosen. I remember turning to her and she sat tall with a smile on her face, so excited for the opportunity. She ended up not getting chosen and I went over to her after the try outs and acknowledged her. I remember going up to her and saying "Great Job, you are so amazing"! and she said "For what, I wasn't chosen?" I said "You didn't even skip a beat when they asked people to try out, you just went for it. The end result isn't what matters, you were so self confident and sure about what you wanted and went for it. WOW! With that quality, you can do anything".

So, go out there and take action...Don't Wait for the Perfect Time, You Create it as NOW!

Do you Ever Get the Feeling that You are just not good enough?

Have you had those moments where you can see yourself over and over not taking action because you are thinking that you are just not good enough.  Right away, there is a flow of memories and situations in your life that completely support this thought.  Before you can say the word "Go"....you are onto the next thing. 

How many times does this happen to you a day and what is it costing you?  It's costing you your dreams and it's all based in thought patterns- NOT REALITY!  What?  What do you mean?  I failed in my last relationship, so why should I go out and date again?  I started a diet 2 months ago and broke it on day 2, so why should I try to lose weight again?

See, neuroscience actually tells us that toxic thinking is a learned behavior, which implies you can unlearn it.....woah!!!  It's an automatic response, only because you have been doing it for so long. 
So, wake up and be conscious of when it's happening and you can change it into something positive now.  Once I realized that the conversations that I had going on in my mind ALL THE TIME aren't based in reality, but just a brain pattern, then I could just listen to them and watch them go just the same, like a leaf on top of a stream.  See them, but not react to them and base my actions on them.

What opens up now?  We can create new thoughts, like an artist.  A clean canvas lays in front of you and you are able to design what you want from nothing.  Try being mindful today and just practice hearing the conversations in the background and for today, practice non- reaction.  By the end of the day, take a journal and write down what you noticed.  What were some of the conversations that you could hear taking form?  Now laugh at each and every one of them- because your brain made them up and they aren't true. 

More tomorrow......it's going to be exciting ;-)

Love and light, and YOU deserve to be the total package,

Lauren

Making Choices and Being Responsible for the Results

I'm really so in the middle of this amazing realization that I have the ability to make concious choices in my life and also so aware of how all of these choices affect my life in a huge way. 

I see how I've spent much of my life, if not all of my life, being in situations by default.  In other words, by choosing not to make decsions....there I am making a choice. 

In a relationship because I haven't chosen to leave, not in a relationship because I have chosen to keep safe and not express how I feel to that person, not having the confidence to step into making my passion my career because I have chosen to tell myself that I'm not good enough.  So powerful, all of these things.  Choosing depression but not even realizing it was a choice...more thinking that it is where i ended up because i choose to think that "This is what life has handed me".  Absolutely no power in any of these thought patterns....and the scary part....all of this I created.  This is how powerful our minds are and what they have the ability to create.  So, with that information...now, guess what i can create and so can you!  Make a choice right now to make it a great day!

5 Gifts to Give Yourself this Holiday Season

1. More deep breaths


Did you ever find yourself deep in a thought about something which you felt emotional or stressed about and within seconds your body is tightening up, breathing is slow and shallow, your jaw is tight and probably if you looked in the mirror, the space between your brows was all crunched up? Now, in the same situation, after you have this same thought, you made a decision to instead, take a few very deep breaths….inhale and exhale. There is no tension in your jaw, no tension in your face and you actually begin to soften about the thought you are having. That’s exactly right, it is impossible to take deep breaths and for the body and mind to hold onto tension. We immediately feel lighter, free in the mind to create space and open to solutions. Focus on breathing in times when you are aware that this is happening and see everything change

2. Silence

I used to be very afraid of silence. Spending time alone in a quiet space terrified me and I would avoid this at all cost. What I didn’t get what was that in this silence, what I could actually do was hear my inner voice. In fact, that was exactly what I was avoiding. Fortunately, I did learn to do this and realized that it was okay and that everything has a way of releasing and then being okay again. Without this space, it is difficult for us to know what is going on inside us. Silence has the ability to create inner balance, trust within ourselves, trusting that we can still be anchored and experience whatever emotions that we need to, then join back in again with a fresh outlook and reinvigorated spirit. If everything always seeks balance, then in between all the noise, there must be silence. “Music inherently depends on silence in some form or another to distinguish other periods of sound and allow melodies and rhythms to have greater impact.”

3. Support

Limiting belief systems are so prevalent as I talk to people everyday. “I can’t do that”…”I don’t have time”…I’m too fat”…..”I waited too long and now I’m too old”. The true fact of the matter that I’ve seen inevitably happen in my life is that whatever I have thought about what I can do or not do in my life is exactly what ends up happening.

So, how do I make my dreams come true??

Get support. We must surround ourselves with mentors, friends, family, coaches, who can help us achieve our greatest goals and live our purpose driven life.

Who are those people for you? If you don’t yet, ask the universe to reveal them to you and then ask them for support. At the same time, who can you think of that may need your help?

Alex Karras wrote “It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more 'manhood' to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind.”

4. Self Development

In order for each of us to understand our life’s purpose, to set goals for our future, and to expand and change as is mandatory for our growth and development, we must invest in ourselves the time and space needed to do this. As you look at the year ahead, what are your plans when it comes to self development? Spend some time researching a workshop, sign up for an interesting seminar, disappear to a faraway retreat, or discover a new hobby. Is your soul crying out to take a dance lesson, go skydiving, begin blogging or writing a book? Listen and you will see. Look at the year and make the time for development. The biggest excuse I hear and the reason why people don’t spend the time to do these things is that they tell themselves that they don’t have the time. I know because I used to do this too. On the contrary, you will find that when you make the time for these things, you will have more time. Why? You create energy when you expend energy. Happy people with full lives have more energy, need less sleep, feel better, look better and get everything done in less time. It’s true…so go after it. The world is waiting for you to fulfill your purpose.

5. FUN

Oh my Gosh…how many limitations have we put on ourselves in this lifetime so far?? Here are a few of mine: I have to go to bed early because I have to get up early, I am not pretty enough, I can’t eat that, I waited too long and now I can’t start….trust me, I could go on. The point is, let’s have fun…and Now!

I am enough right now and I’m about to havin’ some fun ;-))

No more: hiding who you are, following the rules, taking everything too seriously, being too busy, avoiding things because you are in fear, caring about what others might think.

So, what do you think? Will you join me on this fun escapade?

Enjoy your gifts! You may re-Gift them to as many of your loved ones as you choose. I don’t mind ;-)

Love and Light,

Lauren

More Acceptance, More Peace

Wikipedia defines acceptance as "a person's agreement to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition (often a negative or uncomfortable situation) without attempting to change it, protest, or exit".






In life we have so many opportunities to experience acceptance and also to experience protest. Why would I choose to protest? Seems so much better to accept and experience peace. Yet, there have been so many times in my life when I know I've done just the opposite.



I have had expectations for all sorts of things in my life. Here are just a few (maybe you can relate to one or two). what success looks like, how i am supposed to look, when i was to get married and have kids, what my house should look like, how my friends should act......WOW, that's a lot of expectations! (and that's not all of them ;-). These come from a long line of experiences, past history and watching what went on around me as the unwritten rules for life. However, these rules, these expectations eventually caused me pain when i realized that I am not in control of what other people do or how they act or how things are "supposed to be". All in all, it really all comes back to being in the present. If I begin to have an expectation for a certain outcome to occur or a certain person to act in a specific way, I have entered down a path that can now lead to major disappointment and also miss out on many gifts that come in different packages.





Deepak Chopra says in the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success that " Least effort is expended when your actions are motivated by love, because nature is held together by the energy of love. When you seek power and control over other people or situations, you waste energy. When you seek money or power for the sake of the ego, you spend energy chasing the illusion of happiness instead of enjoying happiness in the moment." All things we perceive as problems have in them gifts; an opportunity to grow into something else completely.





For example, you walk into the yoga room and half way through class you realize that you have a lower amount of energy than normal. You are feeling that your whole practice up to this point is just a struggle and you begin to feel frustrated. Frustrated to the point, that you begin to give up in the mind and begin sending negative messages to your brain about how your body isn't performing the way you want it to. If we use this definition of acceptance now and break this down, we could instead, see that our energy is low and accept this. We may decide in standing head to knee that it may be beneficial to stay in the first part instead of going to the deepest part of the posture and instead focus more on our pranayama breathing. We can bring more focus into the breath. We can focus more on finding the stillness in the posture and also in between the postures. Wow...what a gift. This could actually become a huge learning curve in your practice. In these moments of stillness that you begin to create now in your practice, you feel good. You send feel good messages to the brain because you are in acceptance and treating your body with respect. So the message is "It may be uncomfortable, but don't leave...don't exit the situation".





I recently had a situation in my life that I wished I handled differently because I came from a place of non acceptance. Of course, because of that, It caused me pain and as I looked at it closely, I had to peel the layers away, and it was really uncomfortable. But, I want to learn and go through this journey. I want to self realize and learn from the things that don't work so i don't have to repeat them. Life is full of mistakes so that we can learn from them.





Pattabi Jois, who was an icon in the yoga community and creator of Ashtanga Yoga, said "Perfect asana means you can sit for three hours with steadiness and happiness, with no trouble." I love that. It's not about being perfect, it's about coming back again and again to stillness, to being. To being a person who is a work in progress.



Om Shanti

Trusting Your Body

It's amazing what just one day can do for how I feel when I eat differently.  I had a week where it seemed like every day and every night was filled with a commitment.  It was great, but sometimes when this happens for me, I eat a little bit differently.  I wasn't prepared with 7 days worth of healthy food and found myself eating out more than I am used to or like to.  The great thing though, was that I was seeing lots of friends, clients and talking to so many people.  I felt so good and fulfilled.   I was thinking after the week, that although my food was different, I felt great.  It was really the week that I needed because I had been spending a lot of time marketing and at home alone.  It was the week I really needed to balance things out. 

I've also learned, as I've learned to take care of my body better and better, that my body is an amazing machine.  All i needed was just one day of juicing and eating some of my favorite raw foods and the next morning, I opened my eyes and felt amazing. 

Nourish your body with something that you love today. Take a walk with a friend, go for a swim in the ocean, go out for a long run, go antiquing, take a dance lesson.  Your body gets the nourishment from all of these things and gets all the benefits as well.   When you feel fulfilled, your body feels satisfied.

All Or Nothing....What About The Idea of "Start Somewhere"

I can rememer so much of my life spent thinking about "Starting Tomorrow!" Tomorrow I won't have cake, tomorrow I will make that call, tomorrow I will mail the payment in, tomorrow I will make that appointment, tomorrow I will call her back, tomorrow I will go to that meeting, tomorrow I will eat better. I spent so much time on what I was going to do tomorrow, that nothing ever got done in the day, except for piling up all the things that perpetuated my feelings of insecurity and low self esteem. In the morning, I would wake up and automatically wonder if I was going to do what I said I was going to do. The anxiety was ever present. Of course, it had to be all or nothing, so if I ate that bagel for breakfast that I said I wasn't going to eat, I couldn't make the appointment I was going to make, or skip the cake for desert, or make the call i said I was going to make. It had to be all "good" or all "bad". I put those words into parentheses, because that was my judgement of everything. Everything fell into a category of good or bad. So then, if it was good, I was a good person and had the right to feel good about myself and if it was bad, I had a reason to punish myself and sabotage.

Learning how to "start somewhere" was one of the most healing things that I have learned in my life. It's also an ongoing project. There are many areas that I have learned to do this: relationships, nutrition, exercise, career...... and others that will appear that need to be worked on. One of the things that helps this process along is a gratitude list. Stopping and being aware of what I have done so that I can feel good about it. This gives me something to build on and creates good feelings, positive attitude and momentum to keep going forward. If I can stop and feel good about the fact that I ate a healthy satisfying breakfast and made a phone call to my mother to be in touch, I automatically start my day in a way that propels me to continue the cycle of doing good things for me, my life and loved ones around me. I am present for my life.

Feeling like life is an Opportunity not a Trial

I can remember the days when life felt like a trial. I would open my eyes in the morning and feel a knot in my stomach. I wasn't sure what the day would bring because I was in the clutches of my mind. My negative thoughts and fears were always in the forefront of my mind. although I had friends and spoke with people, I was not truly connecting to anyone. Nobody knew what was going on for me and because of all of this, I was unable to give or receive in any relationship. Having experienced these times in my life makes me so grateful, because now that I am in a place where I have energy and passion to give and receive, I don't take this for granted. It is no coincidence what I love to do and have chosen to do with my life. It is a way for me to give back where i needed help in my life. See the progress that you have made in your life today...you have come so far....keep on going!

Check out this Video about Bikram and the Yoga

I just watched this video this morning.....I love my Guru! I miss seeing him and taking class from him. Talk about keeping it real!

I am so grateful to be carrying on the lineage of my Guru and sharing this wonderful yoga to the world.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJzaArEYfA

100% Responsibility

I've been thinking about this concept of being 100% responsible for EVERYTHING that happens in my life. Every choice that I make has an outcome, a reaction, a consequence, a result. We cannot always know what these will be, but we have many choices to make everyday. Recently, I have been dealing with making decisions that have been challenging my weaknesses. I know intuitively how to handle them and know what I want to do, but I find myself reacting to my fears about not being liked or others not truly understanding where I am coming from.

Bikram talks about not changing or cheating in a posture to conform to our weaknesses because ultimately, at this point, the benefits go out the window. He asks" Would you rather suffer for 90 minutes or 90 years?" This is so appropriate for me to read today, I will meet my fears head on and do what I feel is right in my heart. It's never to late to start from scratch once again. I love that!

Watermelon Soup Recipe

For all of you that loved the recipe, here it is......

BUY ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

1 BIG Watermelon
1-2 mangoes
15 leaves mint (or more)
2 tbsp ginger
1/2 cup lime juice

you can play around with these ingredients and measurements to your taste....enjoy!!

See you all soon!

Namaste ;-)