5/29/2013 0 Comments Times of transitionDo you feel lost or stuck in your life? Oscillating day to day: feeling fine and on track one day, and the next feeling clueless? I call this "being in the crack" (not like the drug, but like the spaces in the sidewalk). Being in the crack is a natural state to be in during times of change in our lives. It's the space we fall into when we are between two solid pieces of ground during times of transition. It's the space we step into when moving from an old way of life into a new one. This is why, for a period of time, we feel lost one moment and then okay the next. It's during this "crack" time that we process through the changes and learn how to integrate them into our lives.
Being in the crack can be very trying, uncomfortable, agitating, and disorienting. Here are some tips to help make this unsettling time more comfortable. * Meditation (as always) This allows our bodies to let go of the mental chatter and move our emotional and energetic blocks to help us shift. It also gets us away from the mental thought cycles that aren't helpful, but that we often get stuck in. * Eat healthy Avoid junk food and unnecessary sugar to allow your body to function as easily as possible and feel as good as they can. If our bodies are working harder to process out unhealthy food, then it can't process the emotional and energetic blocks. * Avoid drugs and alcohol For the same reasons listed for food, give your system a detox period. * Do yoga Slow, gentle, restorative classes will help move energy where it needs to move to within your body. * Rest Honor what your body needs; get a little more sleep if possible. Rest will help heal your body and shift blocks. * Pay attention to what your body needs You may be drawn to more alone time while you are in the process of shifting, so honor that. Instead of big gatherings, perhaps a cup of tea with a friend is in order. Breathe. * Let love in - keep the crazy out Give yourself a break from TV, movies, and the computer as much as you can. Fill the mind with "healthy" knowledge and information instead. * Other helpful ideas: Remember to be gentle with yourself. Just because we know a daily meditation practice and a healthy snack are good choices doesn't mean we can get ourselves to do it. Sometimes we aren't ready to move through the changes and, instead, spend a week sitting in front of the TV with a bag of "healthy" chips, suffering until we are ready to take it on. Be patient and remember to keep loving yourself. You won't be "in the crack" forever. And ask for help when you need it. Whether it’s a close friend or relative. Reach out. You can also contact me for a private session to help with your yoga or meditation practice which, as I mentioned earlier, will help you work your way out of “the crack.” Please share your thoughts below.
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4/23/2013 0 Comments Happy Earth Day!At a recent event, I was asked what sustainability means to me. Given that I was being videotaped, I was nervous and don't fully remember what I said. So, in honor of Earth Day, I think this is the perfect opportunity to rethink the question and open it up to all of you to hear what sustainability means to you. When I think about sustainability, I think about the ways that we need to give back to the Earth that which we've taken. I think it's finding the best ways to live harmoniously with her without sucking her dry and leaving her barren. We've created an environment which now runs on constant technology access which requires constant electricity, we have a population that is pushing the limits of our land - requiring clean, fresh water supplies, a place or purpose for everything we buy and then discard - immense needs for healthy, chemical free food, and an atmosphere that allows us all to breathe easy. We need to replenish what we've used from the Earth and begin to find ways to undo the damages we've done. There are so many points to hit and so many areas that need our help. When we look at the whole picture of the various ways the Earth is currently struggling, it can be an overwhelming view. If we each take just one area that we are passionate about and focus our energies there, we can make a difference. We can spend some free time fully understanding that one issue, attending meetings to stay involved in our local community issues, or perhaps keeping the bigger issues of our country in view. Taking what we learn and using that knowledge to help out by volunteering an hour each week, or three hours one weekend a month to help things change. If we each did this, imagine the impact we'd have and the effect it would have on us. It may seem small, but each act makes a difference. If we are all our doing our small part, then we will see big changes. Some really easy ways to help out include: ~ Plant some trees to help clean the air ~ Pause before you put something in the trash to see if it could have another use, be recycled, or composted ~ Drop expired medicines at the pharmacy instead of throwing them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet ~ Be creative with your use of items ~ Grow your consumer awareness: think about the packaging that comes with the products you buy, where the products come from and will go after you are finished with them ~ Bring your Tupperware for your leftovers when you go out to eat ~ Keep a reusable bag in your car, purse, work bag, etc. so you always have one handy ~ Volunteer! Let me hear your thoughts below. What does sustainability mean to you, and what are you doing this year to honor Earth Day? 3/22/2013 0 Comments In their eyesHow often have you thought, or had a friend say, I wish my life was more like (insert name here) they have (and here you can fill in the blank) happiness, a great partner, great friends, great career, their entire life together, etc.? I have heard, or overheard this comment often lately. Why is it that we still gravitate to the grass is always greener idiom? We are each human, we are made of the same stuff, why do we think that someone else's lot in life is easier/better/less emotional? And more important, why are we forgetting that the whole point of the idiom is that it isn't true? The grass is never greener. Instead of gazing at the object of your "grass is always greener" life at the surface, examine it thoroughly with a microscope. You will see that it looks very different from what you imaged. Perhaps it might look remarkably similar to your own catalog of issues that you are hoping to run away from. Our problems are universal and the list of emotions we can possibly feel is limited to the same list. None of us is immune to the trials of life. We all must forge through the same ocean. Life is a journey, and no one ever promised us that it would be easy. So how do we live a life with wild emotions and still find santosha (contentment)? We find our tricks (yoga, meditation, long walks in nature - to name a few options), we look to ourselves for the answers that we hold within, we turn to others for guidance. We begin to establish a trust in ourselves that we can get through anything; that we can move through whatever comes our way; that we have the courage, the faith, and the love within ourselves to break through our toughest binds. It's something that we often lose sight of, and to realize it again can be a journey in and of itself. The more we practice the easier it comes; the more we move through, the easier it is to remember that we've done it before. It may have looked different, felt different, but it took the same courage, faith, and love that we still carry within ourselves. So remember, the next time you are looking at someone else, to see life through their eyes. To do this, simply list whatever struggles you are going through, remove the places and names for those won't be the same, but the rest will. If you are experiencing it, chances are so is the person's whose life you wished was your own. Or if they have indeed stumbled upon a plateau of contentment, ah, then you can find what tools they are using in their life to develop, grow, and sustain santosha and gather them for your own use. And don't forget to share it with the rest of us. |
AuthorJenn White, Yoga Educator, Meditation Teacher, and Owner of Embodied Bliss, began her journey of yoga and meditation in 2004 while recovering from a back injury. Feeling lost, restless and seeking something more from life, she found her path through meditation. Archives
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