Anxiety to Zen
find me here!
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Workshops & Sessions
  • Blog
  • Contact Me

Kundalini Meditation for Emotional Balance and Less Stress 

4/30/2014

0 Comments

 
I wanted to share this kundalini meditation with you to help settle nerves, restore emotional balance and release a little stress.  It's super easy to do and the fact that its beginner friendly makes it a definite keeper for your stress less tool kit!

This meditation focuses on posture, breath and chanting. In kundalini, it's really important to focus on the details of the practice.  Each one is specifically designed to have the most impact it can, so try to practice this exactly as it's suggested. 

Start in a sitting position, in lotus or simply with legs crossed.  You can also do this in a chair (nice to keep in mind if you're stressed at the office or on a long flight!) 

Sit up tall with your spine straight and your chin slightly tucked. Rest your hands, palms up, on your knees. Close your eyes and focus your attention to your third eye center (the space between your eyebrows)

Now you can start the practice:

Chant: 
"SA" while touching your thumbs and index fingers together
"TA" while touching your thumbs and middle fingers together
"NA" while touching your thumbs and ring fingers together
"MA" while touching your thumbs and pinky fingers together

Everytime you chant one of those words, you press your thumb and corresponding finger together on each hand at the same time.  

Once you get the hang of touching your fingers and thumbs together with the syllables, you can begin to visualize the sounds moving from the crown of your head through your third eye space.  


Repeat this chant/practice for 2 minutes. Then whisper the chant and continue touching your fingers along with your whisper for another 2 minutes. Then repeat the chant silently while touching your fingers for 3 minutes. Then bring it back to the whisper chant for 2 minutes and finish with the full chant for a final 2 minutes. Complete the chanting at 11 minutes. 

Once completed, take an inhale and raise your arms overhead.  Shake them out!  This is important for moving and releasing your energy. Exhale and relax for a bit.  
If you're going though an especially challenging and stressful time, practice this 11 minute version everyday.  You can work up to 31 minutes if needed.  

a few things to note

This is considered one of the most important meditations in kundalini yoga and if you only do one, this should be it. so take your time and focus on the practice.

always visualize the energy moving from the crown of your head and out through your third eye center with each syllable.  this is important!  you don't want that energy to become stuck. 

practice for a minimum of 11 minutes.  

what do the syllables actually mean?
SA: the beginning, the infinity, the totality of everything that ever was and will be
TA: life, existence and creativity that manifests from infinity
NA: change and transformation of consciousness
MA: rebirth and regeneration

Ready to try it?

Get comfortable. Close your eyes.  And chant along with this music to help you get started! 
sat nam


xo, b 
0 Comments

Morning musings

4/15/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

Thoughts during my morning meditation.

Rainy day musings.

Sat nam 🙏

xo, b

0 Comments

holistically hot: Acupuncture

4/11/2014

0 Comments

 
A couple of weeks ago I went in for my very first acupuncture treatment!


Since I didn't know what to expect, I went in with an open mind... and a ton of questions!  My acupuncturist, Tom, was more than generous with sharing his knowledge and I geeked out over everything acupuncture can offer.  I wanted to share my experiences with you and give you some background on this holistically hot healing practice.


When I first entered the mindfulness spa I immediately became relaxed and a bit nervous. I was filled with anticipation. The setting inside though was super peaceful and full of books, brochures and other materials that offered a lot of info on acupunture and theraputic message.  When Tom came out to sit with me he explained the process of acupuncture and began to list a myriad of things people can treat with this practice.  He was super tuned into my energy and right away picked up on some of my nerves.  He offered to run an analysis, called an Acugraph, that would chart out my balances and imbalances and see if I had any energetic blocks.  He explained that the findings would help him plot out the actual acupuncture spots on my body when it came time for my session.  It was a painless process in which he used a little electronic sensor on different meridian points on my hands and feet. 


here are two of my charts:
Picture
Picture
Ok, let's just check this out for a second.  Tom was able to read from my energy, before he even looked at this chart, that I seemed predisposed to anxiety, stress and worry. Then I saw it for myself right in black and white. My PC, pericardium meridian, was high. You can see that the PC influences your blood, heart, mental and emotional states. An imbalance here can cause depression, anxiety, irritability and restlessness. I had way too much energy here!

Here are some more charts of my readings:
Picture
In addition to excess enery in my PC meridian, I was also high in the small intestine meridian and that influences mental clarity with making decisions. 

Picture
I had split energy in my spleen and liver meridians.  Imbalances here create obsessive feelings, over-thinking, worrying and frustration depression and anger, respectively. 

Lastly, I was high in my kidney meridian and low in stomach meridian. 

After this reading, I had my session and we focused on these specific energy centers to balance them out and bust through blockages.  I left feeling pretty amazing!  I'm excited to go for my next treatment.  Tom told me it takes a few sessions to open up those blocks and imbalances. I'm down- let's do it!  

So if you were ever curious about acupuncture, there's a little background.  I don't know if every office offers that graph reading, but most acupuncturists will ask you about your health, background and intentions for the session to determine how to proceed. I loved knowing exactly why he placed a needle where he did, I enjoyed understanding how these points internally connect and influence my mental wellbeing and overall health.  I definitely believe our bodies and minds are connected. You know that saying "worry yourself sick?" Well, I believe there's total truth to that.  And if our minds can influence how our bodies feel, why can't the reverse be true? I'm eager to see after a few more sessions how my chart looks and how I feel once I'm balanced out on the inside! 

Have you ever tried acupuncture?  Have you wanted to?  Would love to hear your experiences. 


sat nam xo, b
0 Comments

a month for meditating 

4/2/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

OM shanti y'all!

I spent the month of march focusing on meditation. i journaled a lot.  i created a new vision board (on pinterest!).  i refocused.  and after all of this time spent moving inward, i feel like i am more than ready to move outward with my intentions and goals!  it's kind of cool that this external awakening happened alongside the blossoming of spring.  stars in alignment and all that... love when that happens!

every now and again i come back to this practice.  i shut everything else off and just focus on my feelings and experiences.  through my meditation i allow myself to be open to all possibilities. i let this be a time for stillness and through that stillness i listen.  

some takeaways for me this time around:

-have goals with soul
this is an expression i learned while reading 'the desire map' by danielle laporte.  i am in love with this concept. anyone that knows me, knows i love to set goals! but it wasn't until i read this book that i realized a lot of my goals are focused on external stimuli and how i think they'll make me feel. i've since re-worked many of my goals to be intentions and created each one based on my basic, intrinsic desires. man, they feel good!

-one small step 
each day i look at my basic desired feelings and try to do one small thing to bring me in that direction. the things i do each day are more driven by how i want to feel, rather than what i think i need to do.

-service
i am seeking more ways to be of service. whether volunteering, subbing a class for someone or lending an ear i'm dedicated to being helpful. karma yoga is a form of practice too and it's one i'd like to connect with more deeply. 

-accomplish one thing that scares the shit outta me this year
back in 2011 i set a goal to run a half marathon.  a little background on me- i'm not a runner.  in fact, if you looked up 'runner' in the dictionary, i'd be listed under antonyms. i set this goal to scare myself. i set it to prove something to myself. anyway, 6 weeks before the race i fell ill and my training was impacted significantly. i still did the half marathon.  i finished it, but i was unable to actually run the whole thing.  i walked a lot more than i wanted to and always had this nagging desire to try it again and really give it my all! mentally i quit this half marathon half-way through.  i don't know if another half is the goal i'll set - with the desired feeling of accomplishment being why i set it! - but i'm craving something to get me uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone. 

i loved focusing on how i want to feel during these meditations. i get caught up a lot in the 'shoulds' of life. i tend to overthink... a lot.  that leads to me running on autopilot and settling in cruise control. it was pretty powerful to just come back to the nuts and bolts of what i want and why i want it. 

here are some of my core desired feelings that i connected with through my meditations:

independence/strength/love/loyalty/companionship/
spiritually awakened/present/FREE/adventurous/accomplished/mentally stimulated/guided

these are just a few of the things my meditations brought into my awareness.  i'm going to continue focusing on operating from my desired feelings and trust the path in front of me.  
have you ever thought about what your core desires are?  

sat nam
xo,b 


0 Comments

Early morning musings

2/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

Lessons learned.

Let's let go.

Let's be free.

xo

sat nam

B

0 Comments

5 Tips to Celebrate V-Day the Yoga Way!

2/13/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
whether you have some big v-day plans or are planning on staying curled up on the couch, here are 5 ways to celebrate the Day of Love (with a little yoga twist!):


1) Set an Intention of Self-Love and create a day around it:
whether its a mani/pedi, staying in bed with a good book or going out for an amazingly decadent meal, treat yourself to something special!  whatever it is that makes your heart sparkle with happiness, do it! we can get so caught up in making excuses for not fulfilling our desires or wants, that our self-care can fall outside of our concern.  but it's so important to focus on YOU when you can, so that you can show up in the world full of light and energy rather than depleted and running on empty. 


2) Hit Up a Hot Yoga Class:
dim lights, mood music, getting sweaty and stretchy.... bonus points if it's a partner yoga class!


3) Try Out a New Vegan Recipe:
Hit up pinterest for a fun, new recipe to try. Get out the pots and pans, invite some friends over and pop open a bottle of kombucha.


4) Have a Night In 
Rent some movies (Yoga Unveiled anyone?) make some popcorn and curl up on the couch in your comfiest yoga pants.


5) Give in to your Wanderlust:
whether its booking tickets to the actual festival or just jumping in the car and heading to a new part of town- push past your comfort zone with some heartfelt exploring.  Ditch the map and take the road less traveled.  


whatever your V-Day plans are, I hope they bring you love and light! 


sat nam y'all! 


xo, b 

0 Comments

Kundalini mantra for releasing fear

2/9/2014

0 Comments

 

Do you ever have those moments when your fear and anxiety causes you to feel like you're spinning? It feels like your thoughts are caught in a painful loop and you can't quite break free from it. You become stuck on a thought, a concern, a worry.... And nothing else can exist.

I used to "spin" quite a bit with those fearful thoughts. One of my most powerful tools in busting out of that loop has been mantra.

A mantra can be a word, a sentence, anything that helps bring you immediate peace and stops those swirling thoughts from taking control. It's almost like flicking on a light switch. it's a reset button for your mind.

I want to share a powerful one with you- a kundalini mantra that leads right to your heart. It stimulates your heart chakra while helping you break away from an endless loop of fearful thoughts.

Picture

Repeat this mantra when you feel stuck, you're spinning or you just need to let go of some fear.

sat nam lovelies!

xo, b

0 Comments

what santosha means to me 

2/7/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
I've been thinking a lot about santosha lately.  santosha is the yogic practice of contentment.


in a world of hustle and bustle, a place where people are perpetually on the search for the next best thing, is the practice of santosha even reachable anymore?  


i've been considering this on my mat recently.  when i was dealing with hardcore anxiety, i always had those thoughts... when i become less anxious i'll be happy.  if i didn't have so much pressure i would be less stressed.  if i could just reach this one work milestone or buy that one new thing i'll be completely satisfied. i found little solice in the present and was always focused on the future. 


that search for satisfaction and happiness was neverending because once i got what i thought i needed, i was already on the lookout for the next best thing, or worse, i still found myself riddled with anxiety.  


i started thinking about how my practice of santosha was shaken last year. i noticed that i had been falling into that same mindset i had when i was dealing with anxiety - if this than that.  if i just get past this one horrible thing, everything will be better. if i can make it through this tough time, things will ease up.  i came into 2014 with positive energy and was determined to make it a terrific year and truly release the resentments, mistakes and frustrations from the previous year. 


than something happened.  one little piece of my "perfect" puzzle wriggled out of place.  nothing catastrophic, but enough to make me take notice.  and i was ok with it.  i meditated.  i focused on breathing.  i let it go and was content with this little hiccup.  if this bump in the road happened last year, i think i would've exploded.  so what changed?  


it was then that i realized my mindset had changed.  i created the focus on positivity, growth and persistence for 2014 and everything that happened this year was going to happen for me rather than to me.  and i viewed this situation from that perspective.  i was content with it.  i was ok and i trusted the process.  the storms bring the sunshine. uphill climbs lead to high peaks. and i realized i had found my practice of santosha again! 


santosha is being ok with what happens.  it's being grounded amidst chaos. it's going with the flow.  it's being happy with the present moment. and for me, its trusting the process.  


everyone practices this differently.  some people focus on finding the joy in everything, others work through their feelings of dissatisfaction. i work on trusting the process and accepting the journey.  


and that's some serious gratitude ;)


sat nam!


xo, b 

0 Comments

Tapping for releasing old stories

2/3/2014

0 Comments

 
happy february all!  


we're officially one month into the new year.  i can't believe how fast january flew by!  this is a great time to check in with ourselves and see how our intentions and goals are going.  it's easy when kicking off a new year with big goals and aspirations to sometimes fall off the wagon, but what's crucial to remember is that slipping up might happen.  we skip yoga class in favor of a netflix binge.  we have one too many glasses of wine with dinner.  we indulge in a sweet treat.  we fall back into old, comfortable patterns.  


today i'm going to share a Tapping practice for when this happens- EFT to bust through those old habits!  it's going to help you when you have a slip up because it's going to kick those stories we tell ourselves to the curb!  you know the stories- they hold us back.  they justify our actions.  they convince us that maybe we can't really change.  and they shape our perceptions.  when our stories tell us that we "can't" succeed, we believe them.  when our stories make us feel weak, we start to think that maybe we can't reach our goals.  we're going to ditch those stories with this EFT practice! 


Start in a comfortable seated position and reflect on your tapping points



Picture
start with tapping the KARATE CHOP POINT on the edge of your hand with the set up statement:  even though i have this story, i know it's not truly who i am and i can create a more empowering story for myself  (tap on this point while repeating this statement 3x)

TAP POINT BETWEEN YOUR EYEBROWS: i am commited to letting go of this story 

TAP POINT OUTSIDE OF EYE: this negative mindset doesn't serve me and i have no use for it 

TAP POINT UNDER EYE: i will not let old patterns and habits hold me back from living up to my full potential 

TAP POINT UNDER NOSE: i recognize that this story is not me, it's something i've created and cling to in order to justify behaviors that aren't empowering me 

TAP POINT ON CHIN: i'm finally ready to let this story go


TAP COLLARBONE POINT: slip ups will happen and mistakes will be made, but they don't define me


TAP POINT UNDER YOUR ARM: i'm going to recognize when these stories pop up and create more empowering thoughts 


TAP TOP OF HEAD POINT: i release these stories, these habits and these old patterns in favor of living my life with purpose and power 


practice this technique when you feel stuck and held back!  


xo sat nam,
bonnie 
0 Comments

present moment musings

1/4/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

A little weekend inspiration

Sat nam

xo, b

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Picture

    Author

    I'm a formerly anxious chick that found my zen on the mat. I used yoga, pranayama and yogic philosophies to alleviate my debilitating anxiety and get my life back on track. Now, I spend my time teaching yoga, coaching others and helping people find a more peaceful path in life. 

    * The opinions expressed on this blog are solely my own and what personally worked for me. Always consult a physician before starting any new yoga or workout routine. 

    Archives

    August 2016
    July 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Acupuncture
    Anxiety To Zen
    Asana
    Diet
    Eft
    Gratitude
    Kundalini
    Mantra
    Meditation Monday
    Meditations
    Mindfulness
    Pranayama
    Releasing Fear
    Santosha
    Stress
    Stress Relief Techniques
    Workshops
    Yoga
    Yoga Faqs
    Yogic Philosophy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.