start with sitting up comfortably on your mat and press your hands together at your heart center. rest your thumb knuckles into your chest and begin to deepen your breath while meditating on the power of the heart center or chakra. set your intention here to release yourself from the grip of fear. 

roll over onto your hands and knees and move through a few rounds of cat/cow. on the inhale, drop your belly toward the ground and lift up through your head and tailbone. focus on lifting up through your chest. on your exhale, pull your bellybutton up, round your spine towards the sky and tuck your chin and tailbone inward. take as many as you need to warm up your body and spine. 

from hands and knees, walk your hands out past your shoulders and start to sink your chest towards the ground. move slowly, and lower down with your exhales, taking your time and moving into a place where you feel a comfortable sensation. if your body allows, melt your chest down until it comes to the ground. hold here for anywhere from 3-5 breaths. 

after those few breaths, walk your hands further out until your belly rests onto the floor. relaxing your legs, lift yourself up onto your forearms and press your chest forward. move up only as it feels right for your body.  sit here for another 3-5 breaths. 

press back onto your hands and knees and move through a few more rounds of cat/cow.

afterwards, roll onto your back. bend your knees and bring your heels in towards your hips. reach your hands down by your sides. roll your shoulders underneath your chest and lift up your lower back. (placing a block underneath your back is a wonderful variation that feels amazing!) stay here for as many breaths as you comfortably can and focus on keeping your heart open. 

My classes this week have been themed around love.  I was inspired to create a flow that focuses on our heart chakra after a beautiful conversation I had with someone this weekend.  

We were chatting about anxiety and fear and how they play such a huge role in how people live their lives.  I spent a big part of my life living with a fear-based, or EGO driven, mindset.  We've all been there.  Small battles with the Ego are a daily occurance for most of us. When we flow on our mats and get jealous of someone that falls into splits without breaking a sweat or when fear strikes hold at the thought of going into an arm balance and falling  or even when you judge a co-worker for going after a promotion that you were scared to go after for fear of failing...that's our Ego.  And that tricky little sucker likes to pop up and control us as much as it can.

During our conversation, I shared my thoughts on the Ego and how I work to combat it when it rears its gnarly little head.  At first glance, it might seem that to beat out this Ego, we should shift into the opposite mindset. And that's right!  But... the opposite mindset isn't what we first think of.  If the Ego causes fear-based living, then the opposite would seem like safety, but it's actually not.  Tricky Ego! When we buy into the illusion that the Ego creates (i'm not good enough. I can't do that. I'm dumb.  I'm not worthy of love.) we create a feeling of safety for ourselves.  Giving into that fear based mindset makes us feel like we are avoiding scary things.  We get fooled into thinking that this fear is serving a purpose.  And therefore, we feed into it even more.  We perpetuate the Ego loop- fear, avoidance, safety.  But when we move into the opposite mindset, we shine a light on that Ego and bust through it.  This opposite mindset is >LOVE<  

When we live from a place of Love, the Ego looses its grip on us.  We have faith, trust, acceptance and security.  And we don't have to do anything to get it.  We just vibrate with that energy.  We begin to see challenges as learning opportunities, fear dissolves with our faith and our journey is supported by our trust that we'll reach our destination.  

I had to move into that Loving space to stop hating my anxiety.  My Ego justified my anxious feelings and I felt comfortable keeping them around.  At the peak of my anxiety I hit rock bottom and had a choice.  Keep living in fear or shift to love.  I think you can guess which one I chose ;) 

Find time today to open your heart and radiate love.  

And be mindful of when the Ego tries to steer your course.  Stay commited to that loving mindset and set the intention for an attitude of gratitude!

Sat Nam xo
b
 

According to Yogi Bhajan we all have 3 minds.  Sometimes it can feel hard enough to find peace with just one, but three?  How do we accomplish that?  And how exactly does each mind effect us?

If "I think, therefore I am" shows us anything, it's that we really attach our identities to our minds.  Our world is not actually a collection of experiences, it's actually the culmination of the thoughts and perceptions we have about said experiences.  

In the Kundalini tradition, each person has 3 minds and each mind works to serve a specific purpose.  We have the Negative Mind, the Positive Mind and the Neutral Mind. 

The negative mind focuses on protecting us.  It assesses danger in a situation.  It's the part of us that signals not to cross the street when cars are coming.  It also gives us a desire to belong, which is great, except if it's underdeveloped this can lead us to engage in destructive relationships or be overly unfluenced by others.  With trying to protect us, the negative mind is what gives us negative and fearful thoughts and worries.  

Then we have the positive mind. This mind is responsible for us seeing possibilities in all situations.  There's a level of trust and faith that comes with these thoughts.  It keeps us playful.  If it's underdeveloped though, it can lead us to almost be too trusting with outcomes and blind us to warning signals or red flags.  

Then we have the neutral mind. This mind is our most powerful tool.  It is intuitive.  It looks at the thoughts and interpretations from both the positive and negative minds and makes a decision after carefully weighing both sides.  When we're fully engaging in the neutral mind, we find a way to step outside of the mentality that we are our thoughts.  We find a place of non-attachment and stability.  This grounding comes from understanding that our identities don't fluctuate with our flowing thoughts.  Fears don't call the shots from this place.  

When it comes to our anxiety, we are living in the negative mind and letting our fears and insecurities dictate our decisions and shape our world.  When you find yourself spinning with negative chatter, try to find your neutral mind.  Take a moment to step away from these thoughts, knowing they aren't you, and look at them from a place of non-attachment.  Be a witness.  And once you start operating from the neutral mind, you'll find that worries don't hang around as much.  The neutral mind creates a balance for us.  Let the neutral mind break down your fears and offer you control over those stressful thoughts!

sat nam, b  

happy weekend friends! 

We talk a lot here about yoga, breathing and meditation to help with anxiety, but there are many alternative therapies that help us heal from stress and compliment our yoga/meditation practices and I wanted to share a fun one with you today. Aromatherapy.  


What is aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering a person's mind, mood, cognitive function or health. *from wikipedia 

You may have already heard of helpful essential oils and perhaps even used some.  For example, eucalyptus is a popular one to add to steaming water to help you break up congestion. But what are some, if any, that can help ease our anxious minds?  

7 Essential oils to help ease anxiety


1) Lavender 
The scent has a calming effect which aids in relaxation and the reduction of anxiety and stress

2) ylang ylang
Ylang ylang is extremely effective in calming and bringing about a sense of relaxation, and it may help with releasing feelings of anger, tension, and nervous irritability

3) Bergamot
Studies have shown that a sniff of this essential oil can be effective at helping to reduce the psychological stress responses, serum cortisol levels and blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

4) Sandlewood
One of sandalwood’s most important uses is to sedate the nervous system, subduing nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, and to some degree, reducing nerve pain. Researchers have found it relaxes brain waves

5) Mandarin
Mandarin calms the central nervous system 

6) Roman Chamomile
Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) has a warm, sweet, herbaceous scent that is relaxing and calming for both mind and body

7) Geranium Rose 
its aromatic influence helps release negative memories and it has been used traditionally to support the circulatory and nervous systems

How do you use aromatherapy?
aromatherapy helps keep us present!  you can dab a little on your wrists or under your nose, you can add a few drops to a tissue and take a whiff or even to a hot bath.  I use lavender essential oil on my wrists and temples before i go to sleep at night and i even have lavender scented epsom salts for baths. i'm a big fan of adding drops to a tissue and sealing the tissue in a baggie so i can sniff as needed!  You can even add some drops to a body oil and massage into your skin for a whole body treat!


Where to get essential oils?

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/?utm_referrer=

http://www.floracopeia.com/

I have a bottle of lavender essential oil body spray from Trader Joe's that I love and use daily and you can find most of those essential oils in the starter pack from Mountain Rose Herbs. 

have you ever tried aromatherapy?  do you use essential oils?


xo,b 




*as always, please consult a physician before using any of these oils or treatments to make sure its suitable for you

Last weekend, during my kundalini practice, I was lead through a powerful kriya (kree-ya) that released an immense amount of heaviness from my mind and body. A kriya in Kundalini is a set of poses and meditations and this one focused on releasing anger.  

Our teacher guided us through it.  He encouraged us to really release.  To really get pissed.  To really go for it!  And once I got that permission, I had a flood of emotion come up.  I became so entrenched in that kriya that I almost didn't hear him as he guided us out of it.  I have been dealing with some stressful situations and I never realized how much anger I was storing about it.  It was one thing to get all pissed off in the moment and when having to deal with the frustrations that kept coming up, but when I wasn't directly dealing with that particular stress, I didn't think I had any anger within me.  Turns out.... joke was on me because a sh*t storm came up!  And it was one of the most powerful releases I ever experienced.  My arms shook afterward, my body felt exhausted and my mind felt clear.  It was a beautiful moment of peace.  And since then, I've been practicing this kriya with amazing results!  

It got me thinking back to when I was anxious.  I know there's a lot of fear that clouds our minds and bodies when we're dealing with intense anxiety, but I think it can even go deeper.  Sometimes we're just downright pissed! 
 
"why me?" "why can't I be strong enough to let it go?" "why do I always have to deal with this?"

If any of this sounds familiar, don't be surprised.  I can sometimes forget how much anger I used to have towards my anxiety.  

So I wanted to share this clip from Maya Fiennes on a kundalini practice to release anger. This isn't the exact one I did, but it's very close.  Pay special attention to the mantra and breath. Anxiety creates frustration and frustration creates anger... so it's an important part of our practice to work on letting it go.  Mentally, I believe forgiveness does this too, but sometimes that's a hard thing to offer when your body is riddled with angst.  When you practice this, AND forcus on forgiveness (remember, its for YOU, not them!), miraculous shifts can occur!

xo,b 

Seems like such a simple question.  I often end my classes asking this.  Once the sweaty flow is over and everyone is basking in the light and energy of a deep savasana, they all curl up into a ball and rest for a moment.  I ask everyone to pause in that fetal position.  Many times it's used as a pit-stop on the way to sitting back up on the mat.  But, I adore this pose.  The fetal position is one that represents new life and fresh starts.  We get a chance to "start over" after each practice.  Essentially, we get to press the reset button.  We have the ability to step off the mat as the person we want to be.  We can decide there how we want to show up in the world. 

Do you ever think about that? I often reflect on how I used to show up.  I was quiet, anxious and fearful.  I wanted to show up as someone strong, competent and able to share my message.  I knew the person I wanted to be.  And I knew that's not the person I was being. 

Now I'm very aware of how I show up for people.  I want to be support for my husband.  I want to be a guide for my students.  I want to be an eager student for my teachers.  And I want to be a messenger and voice for anxiety for the world and share my experiences and healing journey with as many people as I can!  

We all have people we want to show up for.  And we have desires of how we want to show up for ourselves.  Think about the energy you want to share with the people around you.  Don't let your fear push you up against a wall.  

The next time you finish your practice, curl up into that fetal position and think about who you want to be and how you can be that for the world.  We are so incredibly lucky to get that 'do-over' and fresh start everytime we step off the mat. Let's not waste this beautiful opportunity to shine bright!

xo b 

Anxiety often blocks our ability to find gratitude and contentment in our daily lives. Anxiety leads us towards feelings of fear, stress and insecurity.  


It's during these times that we need to focus on appreciation and santosha (contentment). Our santosha practice helps guide us to find peace regardless of what our path presents us with. Santosha is one of five niyama practices that can be found in the eightfold path in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra and encourages us to find satisfaction with what we are given in life.  


Here are 3 tips to help guide you to gratitude and practice santosha 


1- keep a journal with you at all times. during the day, write down everything you find yourself being grateful for and satisfied with. whether big or small, write it down! the act of writing it down makes you become aware of what you are thankful and happy for and at the end of the night before you go to sleep, pull out the journal, read what you wrote down and reflect on all of your daily blessings. *the coolest part about this practice is that you go to sleep with a heart full of appreciation. 

2- offer sincere moments of gratitude to everyone around you. go out of your way to show the people you love how much you appreciate them. tell your friends, family and co-workers that you are thankful for them and truly express appreciation for what they do. spread this appreciation far and wide- to the stressed out barista that makes your morning latte to the office intern who helps organize your files. when you operate from a place of gratitude, you will bring more things to be grateful for into your life. offering it outward, helps you feel it and experience it inward. 

3- create a mantra. make one that empowers you, reminds you to find peace with what is and be grateful for it. write that mantra on the cover of your gratitude journal. write it on post-its and stick them around your house. make it your background on your laptop and phone. incorporate it into your meditations. do whatever you can to expose yourself to this mantra everyday. and most importantly, say it when you notice ungrateful, anxious and disempowering thoughts come up. 

what are you thankful for today?
i am thankful for you. 

xo, b

It's no secret I'm a big fan of EFT (emotional freedom technique, also known as Tapping). It's so easy to do and I love to incorporate anything into my life that relieves stress, renews my energy and can be done at a moment's notice.  

I put together a quick 101 on the tapping points:

The points to tap, in order:
 -karate chop edge of the hand
-between your eyebrows
-outside edge of eye
-under eye
-under nose
-chin
-center of chest
-underneath your arm (below the armpit)
-top of head

when you start on the edge of your hand, say a 'set up statement' 3x. this statement sounds something like this:
"even though [insert the issue you're working through] i completely love and accept myself"

the set up statement can really have any ending that works most powerfully for you. the issue can be anything from having immense anxiety, struggling with depression, feeling out of control, trouble letting go of anger... really anything you're working through. and the end part should be something that makes you feel powerful. i happen to believe strongly in always planting seeds in my mind and body of self love and acceptance, since i spent many years struggling with that, so that happens to be the end of the statement i use most. but it can be interchangable. it should be something that speaks to you. say this statement 3x while tapping the edge of hand. 

next, move onto all the other tapping points in order. doesn't matter what side you tap on. as you tap begin to say how your issue makes you feel, the emotions you're going through, what's happening in your body. be honest here. let it flow! i kind of compare this to the exercise of free writing. just free tap! let all your gripes, fears and feelings flow!  and tap out on each point for as many times as you like- start with at least 5-10 taps on each point.

when you're done tapping, close your eyes, take a deep breath and long exhale. feel the shifts in your energy! 

the most beautiful part of this practice is that there's really no right or wrong. your set up statement can be anything that speaks to you, you can tap as many or few times as you'd like, you can go through the whole tapping process for as long as you'd like. there's an element of being intuitive here that i just adore! 

so tap away wellness warriors! 

xo, b

Everything that happens in our lives is neutral until we give it a meaning.  We have the power through our thoughts and interpretations to create challenges or blessings.  We can create our world through how we CHOOSE to see it. 

Be miracle-minded. 

xo, b