The Art of Conversation: Detaching from Our Smartphones

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All photos by Babycakes Romero for his Death of a Conversation project, found via Mashable.

How often do we truly connect with each other?

 I'll be the first to admit it: I'm attached to my smartphone. I check it often, constantly swiping the screen to see what messages have arrived and what notifications have been updated. Constantly engaging in a variety of conversations and little moments of connection.

 All digital interactions: texts, emails, Facebook posts, Instagram photos.

 And all distractions from what I'm doing in the present moment.

Granted, digital technology does allow me some authentic connection. I have friends who live far away who I talk to throughout the day, and without my phone, these conversations wouldn't be possible. 

I use social media to promote my blog, to advertise for my yoga studio, and to invite friends and friends of friends to come to my classes. I contribute positive encouragement to others using my phone. But a lot of the time, what's viewable online isn't really the whole picture of how I'm doing, or what's really going on.

And on days when I spend a lot of time glued to the screen, I find myself feeling frazzled, distracted, and pulled in a million directions. Often I feel really disconnected, both from myself and others.


Recently I read Hamlet's Blackberry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age, which challenges the idea that the more we connect through technology, the better. 

He talks about how when you're using your phone, it can feel like standing in a crowded room full of people. Every time a message comes through, or there's a ping from an app, it's like someone is tapping you on the shoulder.

Tap. Tap. Tap, tap.

All these little taps... eventually, you can be left feeling pretty depleted.


He also asks a really powerful question: Where's the rest of my life?

Meaning, when you take away the screens, what's left?

It's heartbreaking in a way. Especially when you really stop and look around at other people who, instead of connecting with each other, are staring into a phone or computer, even when they're right next to each other! (These photos are a powerful look at that, don't you think? Plus it's just amazing how bad our posture becomes when we're slumped forward, staring at a phone!)


I do believe there is a happy middle ground, though, and that with balance we can enjoy technology and still have rich, meaningful relationships. The two are connected, but making an effort to separate them makes a huge difference -- to say, I'm going to sit with this real person and put my phone away. I'm going to show up.

My goal right now is to invite more awareness around my phone usage, and to cut back incrementally.

This week I moved two of my most-used apps off of the home screen... so now, instead of only needing one click to open Facebook or Instagram, I have to swipe over a few screens to a desktop that only has those two on it. 

It at least makes the action one that's more conscious rather than automatic, and now there is a moment where I can ask myself, "Why am I checking this right now? What am I really looking to find?"

And also, "Is there a better way I could be spending my time right now?"


I'm also building times into my week when I'll step away from my phone altogether.

For a while now, Saturday afternoons have been phone free for me. I love that when I'm teaching yoga or taking class, my phone is on silent and I'm not checking it.

No distractions. Full awareness of the moment. Full awareness of my breath.

I'm encouraging my students, too. At the end of class, I'll say, "I invite you to take a break from your phone for the rest of your day, or at least for a few hours this evening. Let your practice really sink in, fully."


What about you? What do you think of our modern dilemma with the attachment to smartphones? 

What steps do you take to disconnect from your screen, and reconnect with your Self?

I'd love to hear!

PS More on detaching from smartphones...

A hilarious quiz for determining how addicted to your phone you really are.

An article about the artist behind these fascinating photos of people glued to their phones.

An 'intervention' app that temporarily turns your smart phone into a 'dumb' phone :) Genius!

An honest reflection from a woman who says her obsession with her phone is threatening her relationships.

What Does It Mean to Be a Yogi?

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There are two steps on the spiritual path:

1. Begin.

2. Continue.

This rings true... the more I surrender to the practice, and the more I stick with it, the more yoga changes me for the better.

Recently a lovely friend of mine said, after taking my class, "You're not just a person who practices yoga. You're a yogi. You're actually living yoga in your life."

It meant a lot to me, especially since I often reflect on what this practice really means, and I keep coming back to the moments when I'm able to be more patient and kind with myself and others -- not really the yoga postures.

Yoga reminds me of how powerful it is to give: to offer help to those in need, to say thank you to those who support me, to treat myself and others with kindness and respect.


Yogi Bhajan says it this way: You are here to serve, here to lift, here to grace, here to give hope and action, to give the very deep love of your soul to all those who are in need.

Sometimes we get caught up in doing yoga 'perfectly' or having our poses look good... we forget that what we're really after is love. Love for ourselves. Love for others. Love for the moment, exactly as it is.

Next time you're on your mat, pause for a moment. Put your hand over your heart and notice everything that's happening, right now. Go within, and see what's really fueling your practice.

Both of the shirts in this post were given to me by the generous team at Yoga Outlet. I love that the seva shirt reminds me to give, and that the gold Ganesh shirt reminds me that the obstacles have been cleared out of my way, and that I am walking the path of my dharma. Both are comfortable and fit well, and when I wear them, I invite ease. Thank you, Yoga Outlet team, for helping me dress the part of a true yogi!

Yoga in Autumn

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Fall is here!

I’m in love with this time of year.

‘Tis the season… for wearing cozy sweaters…

…holding the mug in my palms for a minute before I sip my coffee, so I can feel the warmth…


…wearing boots and scarves…

…reading with the window open on rainy days so I can hear the sound of it…

 


…enjoying fires in the fire pit…

…and of course, turning up the heat a little bit in my yoga practice.


How are you liking fall so far?

PS If you’re looking for lovely, comfy fall styles, try Cozy Orange. The teal pullover sweater and the rad patterned blue and black leggings I’m wearing here are from their shop. Bonus: their clothing is eco-friendly, and the company is taking steps to help end world poverty. Amazing!

Yoga Books: Going Om (Real Life Stories On and Off the Yoga Mat)

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I just finished reading GoingOm: Real Life Stories On and Off the Yoga Mat, edited by Melissa Carroll. This is my favorite yoga book of 2014!

It’s such a beautiful collection of personal narratives from talented authors. Each story is a glimpse into what it really means to be a yogi, how the experience spills over into real life. The way asana illuminates the truths of life. The laughable moments of what sometimes goes on in a yoga class… and the deeper reflections that show us how they lead to healing.
Photo via Pinterest.
The writing in these essays is effortless – sometimes witty and clever, sometimes heartbreaking. What I love about the book is the raw honesty that comes through, and the way that the book is as much about what it means to be human as it is about what it means to do yoga. I’d highly recommend it, whether you’re a seasoned yogi or someone who wants to learn more about yoga.

Here are a few excerpts I really loved. The first is about how yoga helps us see our bodies with compassion, instead of criticism; the second is a beautiful description of how yoga can be captured using photography—and how the real yoga is in the shedding of the ego. Enjoy!
Photo via Pinterest.
from Being Seen by Emily Rapp

Yoga changed the relationship I have with my body by forcing me to understand that it was not a fixed entity to control but an embodied presence to be enjoyed.

I found that some days I could balance, some days I could not.  I found that I had more upper-body strength than I had counted on. I found that I stopped worrying about the way I looked doing a pose, and just found a way to do it. I stopped trying to be good.
Photo via Pinterest.
One day, in the middle of practice, on a day when I was finding the poses particularly difficult, the teacher approached me and said, "You have a beautiful practice." I had always wanted to hear that I had a beautiful body, althought I knew part of me would always resist that that could possibly be true. I felt, in that moment of acknowledgement, seen. Not for looking a particular way or for conforming to some norm, but for simply being present in that room, in the moment...

True yoga isn't about being technically skilled, and it's never about being good, as hard as it is to believe these statements. It's about being prsent, being alive, and for me, being truly seen. Now, instead of thinking, I will never be good at yoga, I think, I love to do yoga. A subtle change, but a transformative one.
Photo via Pinterest.
from Broga by Alan Shaw

One picture slayed me. Dru is in a south Tampa yoga studio, a few years younger than she is now, her hair noticeably shorter. The picture shows her hovering over the floor. Wearing a red top and pink yoga pants, she's inclined forward in Eight-Angle Pose. She holds her upper body in a lowered push-up position, and her legs bent around to her right. One leg is fed under her arm and the other over, and she's twisted them at the ankle.

I've seen her in this pose in three other photos from the album, and each one just knocks me out. The casual strength it must have taken, the years of focusing on her core, her form. She's exhibiting in the photos the strength I chase each time I practice yoga. The power in her body I see each time I look at this photo kills me and reminds me of why I fell for her. 

It's in her eyes. She's looking at the camera, face placid as a still lake at dawn. No sweat on her brow, or grimace marring her mouth, no red flushing across her cheeks.

She's at peace.

And there's no pride in her expression.
Photo via Pinterest.

Many thanks to the team at Cleis Press for sharing the book. Namaste.

Hip Openers

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Photo by Justin Kral of Kral Studios.

Last night I worked on hip openers: frog, pigeon, low lunge, Hanumanasana.

I hold so much tension in my hips. A lot of the time I avoid going to these places of tension… it’s been so long, I think. It’s going to hurt.

Photo by Cait Loper of Cait Loper Photography.

Instead, I turn toward what’s comfortable, what’s easy. Sometimes it is easier to grip than to release—to draw the muscle toward the bone in Crescent Warrior, rather than place a block under the hip and settle in for Half Pigeon.

But when I go the easy route, there is some part lingering beneath the surface that says, You’re cheating yourself.

Photo by Cait Loper of Cait Loper Photography.

 Beneath the fear and hesitation and uncertainty lies your inner knowing.

I was proud of myself for being willing to move toward sensation in the poses last night.

A big part of yoga is allowing—allowing what is. Letting whatever comes up to come up. Not running from it.

Photo by Justin Kral of Kral Studios. 

Be willing to go there.

Effortless

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Photo via Pinterest.

Perfect stillness, where the inhale gently becomes the exhale.

 The relaxing of the palm in Triangle pose.
Photo via Pinterest.

Softness in the forehead, the jaw, the back of the neck.

 Engaging mula bandha without strain, simply as an act of inviting prana to stay.

 Witnessing as the body lights up, a graceful dance of breath swirling inside.
Photo via Pinterest. 
Photo by Michael Chichi.

Yoga does not require struggle. 

Yoga is an invitation to remember our natural state, one of effortlessness.

Finding Joy...Everywhere

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Find joy in the everyday moments.

 Because, well, that's where we spend a lot of our time.

 :)

This is my friend Jamie. She teaches at the same yoga studio where I do, and lately we've been trading classes. Recently she's been sharing photos of her practice in the everyday moments ... no mat required :)

I feel really grateful for that reminder -- that yoga is sacred all the time, whether we're at a fancy, quiet studio or in the middle of the grocery store.

We always have the opportunity to be present. There is no fancy training required.


I think often in our yoga communities we get caught up in the rituals, and our need to control everything and have it be perfect all the time.

I need to set up my mat in the same corner of the room whenever I take class, because that's where I'm most comfortable... I don't like when the yogis next to me are breathing heavily or struggling; they're stealing away my precious 'me' time... 

I hope that the teacher will cue the poses I've 'mastered,' so I can show them off... maybe if I had some cute yoga pants like those, I'd have the confidence to do better in class...

The beauty of it is that this is the yoga. When we are face-to-face with struggle, or lack of control, and we sit back and say, I surrender! I let it go. And we allow ourselves to be with whatever IS, in that moment.

Not engaging the Monkey Mind chatter-- instead, witnessing it, and letting it pass like an ocean wave being called back out to sea.

We don't get attached, and we ask to be humbled.

That's when we are really practicing yoga.


 Jamie is a wonderful, vibrant example of this practice. Of the power in simply being present.

 She shows up authentically, no matter what she is doing... whether she's teaching, practicing on her own mat, singing Bob Marley songs at the end of class... hanging out with her kiddos, getting tattooed, laughing with friends...

 I'm grateful that she is willing to be silly, and non-traditional, and that she challenges her students to go to a place they didn't think was possible. (I'm one of her students, and I've definitely experienced that in her classes!)

 It's through this kind of surrendering -- of letting go of all the ego-based ways we come to yoga -- that really allows us to engage with the divine.

 And what's most beautiful is that these opportunities are around us all the time... every day. Whether we're in line at the grocery store or sitting on the couch at home, or standing on our mat at the studio. It's all yoga. It's just a matter of tuning in.

Meditation (A Guest Post)

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 Photos via Pinterest.

Today I’m honored to share a guest post by Marcia Keilen about the powerful practice of meditation. I first read Marcia’s work on Elephant Journal, and I loved her words about how yoga extends beyond asana. As she said, she loved yoga most for the way the time spent on the mat alone gave her access to her inner wisdom.

Marcia explores that even further in this reflection on how meditation has allowed her to wake up to her life in ways she never imagined were possible.

Meditation: My Personal Journey
By Marcia Keilen
This is my personal story about the transformational power of meditation.

My experience meditating started out many years ago, sometime during the 1990s. I had been attending some yoga classes on and off when I first became interested in the subject of meditation. Since I lived in a small, rural community, my best resources were books. I read books on mindfulness meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Sharon Salzberg. I practiced the suggested meditations and did this for a while, but was not consistent with my practice. This was a pattern that would continue on and off for a number of years as I just didn’t know how to fit a meditation practice into my life.

In 2004, I went through a 200 hour teacher training program and started my journey as a yoga teacher which continued with me finishing up the 500 hour yoga teacher training in 2007. It was during the advanced part of my teacher training that I was introduced to some more meditation techniques. I then met a Buddhist minister who taught me some guided meditations. This seemed to keep my interest a bit longer than my previous experience but still my meditation practice was rather erratic.
Then in the year 2009 I found myself at a crossroads in my life. I was really struggling and my life continued to spiral downwards. Actually, this was a continuation of a pattern that started years before, only I was not aware of just how confused and lost I had become.

The following quote pretty much sums it all up:

“In the middle of the journey of our life
I found myself within a dark woods
Where the straight way was lost.” ~ Dante Alighieri

I then began searching for some type of retreat I could go to that would not only detox me on a physical level but on an emotional level, as well. Also, something that would reconnect me with my spiritual roots and help me rediscover my authentic self. I took to the Internet and did several searches. The one place that caught my eye was the Chopra Center for Well Being in Carlsbad, CA. They had a program called Perfect Health and there was an option of doing a 10 day program. I thought, “Why not?”

I signed up for the program that started end of August and ran into September. Little did I know at the time how transformational this part of my journey would be. 


I arrived at the Chopra Center for Well Being and the very first part of the program was learning a meditation technique called Primordial Sound Meditation. My teacher was a man by the name of Davidji and everything he said about his own exploration of different types of meditation immediately resonated with me. I thought finally, a meditation technique that I can stick with and apply in my daily life. He took all the mystery and myths out of what a meditation practice is. That 10 day program released so many toxins out of me physically and emotionally. I really struggled on an emotional level, something that took me by complete surprise. The Perfect Health program is an Ayurvedic program called Panchakarma. The following information is taken from the Chopra Center for Well Being website describing this program:

“Several times each year, we offer a 10-day Perfect Health program that includes panchakarma, an elegant Ayurvedic cleansing process that releases accumulated toxins and stress from the mind-body system. You will receive daily panchakarma therapies and massage treatments tailored to your unique mind-body constitution. Your healing arts master will select specific essential oils and natural herbs to purify and nurture you at the deepest cellular level.”


I spent a lot of my time crying and releasing deep emotional wounds, essentially I was a basket case all 10 days. I am so grateful for Dr. Valencia Porter who took time to talk to me one on one as I struggled with so many overwhelming emotions. The Ayurvedic treatments were very nurturing and I felt I was in a safe space to just allow the whole process to unfold in the most advantageous way. There was a small group of us going through this program who really bonded during this time and I will be forever grateful for their support. But essentially it was up to me to do all the necessary inner work.

What really struck me was how much the meditation became the biggest gift I took away with me from this program. I immediately signed up for Seduction of Spirit, the signature meditation program of the Chopra Center. This was going to be held in August of 2010 in Sedona, AZ. In the meantime, I continued practicing my meditation on a regular basis.

Since some of the benefits that we take out of meditation include reduced stress, making more conscious choices, being less reactive, more compassionate, less judgmental, to name a few, I was hopeful that my life would now turn around. Well, it did, just not in a way I had expected.
Looking back it seems that my pattern was to prove to everyone that I was unlovable, not good enough, didn’t deserve people in my life who treated me well, and the list goes on, but this is essentially how I felt. So, I hit rock bottom in 2010 and found myself in the underworld trying to find my way back into the light. Also, during this time I had a serious lower back injury that laid me up for about eight weeks which I felt was a culmination of my feelings of inadequacy and lack of self love. At the time it was hard for me to understand how this could happen after integrating a regular meditation practice into my life. But now I see that my meditation practice actually allowed me to be aware of what I was doing, something that had not happened before. In the midst of the chaos a light bulb went off and I finally gained insights that my behavior was completely out of sync and counter to my authentic self. This was a time of self-discovery and the life long pattern was finally broken. 

I then continued going to several more Chopra events and finally went through the Primordial Sound Meditation teacher training which makes me a certified meditation teacher. My regular meditation practice has brought many gifts into my life. Not that I am perfect now by any means but I am living a life of integrity and being true to my values. I credit my meditation practice for helping me choose the healers that have been exactly what I needed at each critical point in my life. 

As I continue on my meditation journey, I have discovered more and more synchronicities in my life and I am learning to be more self loving and self forgiving. As I heal and become more loving and compassionate towards myself, I am then able to spread more love and compassion out into the world. The healing of our world really does start with our own inner healing and connection to our authentic self.

My meditation practice also has helped me to develop a sense of gratitude and inner peace. I am truly grateful for all the many teachers who have come into my life, the ones who had my best interest at heart and even those who didn’t. In fact the latter were probably my best teachers and taught me the life lessons that I needed the most in order to become who I am today. My meditation practice is an ongoing journey and every day I approach it with no particular expectations, just allowing it to unfold and trusting the process. This is also what I take out of my practice into my everyday life.

My practice is what keeps me grounded and allows be to connect to the highest aspect of myself. In the moments of stillness between thoughts is where I find my deepest insights, my authentic self, inner wisdom and inner peace. I am forever grateful.


Marcia Keilen is a yoga teacher, meditation teacher, but mostly, she is a student of life and all the lessons that it has taught her and continues to teach her. She is finding that nothing heals more than love, that in the final analysis, all that matters is love. You can reach her at azkeilen@yahoo.com.
Thanks again, Marcia, for the inspiration to make time to sit in meditation! Wishing you much peace and happiness.

Four Ways to Let Go of Negative Emotions, Right Now

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Photos via Pinterest.

If you are stressed, worried, grumpy, angry or sad today, this post is for you.

I’ve certainly had my share of days lately when I get attached to negative emotions and can’t seem to shake whatever I am feeling. I react when things don’t go my way, or get upset by the unexpected. I get frustrated with others or myself, and feel disappointed.


Today, instead of staying there with that feeling and dwelling on it, letting it control you… I invite you to try these simple practices.

1.       Notice the breath. The breath is an amazing tool for re-centering. Ask, How am I breathing right now? Can I slow down my breath? Invite a deeper breath in through the nose, noticing how the whole ribcage expands as the body fills up with fresh air. Notice at the bottom of the breath, how you can pull the belly button in toward the spine, emptying the lungs, squeezing out the breath. You are empty; you have released something. Now, fill up. Bring in peace, ease, and a glowing calm that reaches every part of your body. See if you can carry that sense of relaxed awareness – and the physical practice of deep breathing – with you for at least 10 minutes, and you’ll really calm down. 

2.       Actively practice gratitude. Bring to mind what you are grateful for, right now. Things are rough, maybe you are truly suffering, or maybe you are just overreacting – but despite that, there are blessings surrounding you. What can you notice right now, and feel grateful for?

3.       Separate yourself from what you are feeling. Imagine your emotion as a leaf passing in the wind, or an ocean wave that washes upon the shore. That leaf, or that wave, does not control you. Neither do your emotions.


4.       Talk to someone. Often things become clearer when we communicate them. When I talk to loved ones, it helps me get out of my own head, and out of my own way.

What helps you release negative emotions?


PS I’m sending you a big hug right now :)

This post was inspired by Zen Habits.

Reconnecting with the Self

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 Photos via Old Brand New.

We all go through periods of time when we fall away from our practice.

The yoga mat collects dust. Perhaps the body becomes stiff or fatigued, the mind busy. Perhaps we are suffering, and we don’t know how to make time for ourselves, for healing.

Today I am sharing a post from my sponsored yogi Ty about the wonder of becoming present. Even if it’s been a while, yoga is always waiting for us. Today is a good day to practice, whether we are doing asana or simply noticing the breath.



Not that it needs to be said, but life is funny. Sometimes it plays out just the way you hope. Sometimes it throws you a curveball, but you adjust and make the best of it. And sometimes it just consumes you in a manner that—try as you may—takes you away from the things that bring you joy and provides you with a sense of purpose.

I recently found myself navigating one of these moments of consumption. While I felt like it just snuck up on me and stayed for the better part of the summer, hindsight suggests I should have seen it coming. My job had been straining me in many ways for quite some time. Mentally, emotionally, physically . . . it was slowly getting the best of me and turning me into a person that I did not like very much.

I was crabby and yoga-less.

Not knowing the best way to rid myself of the crabbiness, I knew how to address the absence of yoga in my life. So a few weeks ago I grabbed my mat, a towel, and a full bottle of water and headed to a hot yoga class. I was stiff and unable to move with the fluidity I had developed heading into the start of the summer, but something far more important happened on my mat that day. 

 As the sweat poured out of me and I did my best to focus on nothing more than my breath, my mind became clear. I embraced the moments that followed and left the studio with a sense of joy.

While the state of euphoria faded later that afternoon, I found myself consumed with my hour of clarity on the mat. It was the first time in months that I felt like myself and I wanted more. A few days later I returned to have a similar experience, rekindling my love of yoga but in a slightly different way. After months off of the mat, the asanas weren’t exactly coming naturally to me. Since my initial foray into yoga was fueled by the physical practice this should have frustrated me, but it didn’t. 

 Instead, I became more focused on rooting myself to my mat and getting lost in the cadence of my breath. 

 It was a revelation of sorts, one that made me feel like I had the potential to control that funny thing we call life. While some yoga teachers talk and write about yoga’s ability to provide you with the skill set to maintain control of the self, it isn’t something you can wrap your head around until you experience it on your own.

As I have worked to immerse myself in a more regular practice during these last few weeks, I have continued to regain control and have allowed myself to delve into the moments of clarity. If I can offer one piece of advice to anyone reading this, allow yourself to do the same. I am going to continue to do so. Let’s hold each other accountable through communication and community engagement. We will all be better for it. Our community will be better for it. And in time our positive energy will reach far beyond ourselves and make the world a better place.
Thank you, Ty, for this inspiration! I know I can relate fully to your reflections here, and I’m grateful for your courage in sharing so honestly.

How To Do A Fall Ayurvedic Cleanse

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 Photos via Vidya Cleanse and Pinterest.

Note: this post is excerpted from a post on Organic India's blog by Ayurvedic Wellness Educator and Herbalist Hopi Darnell.

An essential part of Ayurveda is following cues of nature, and that means eating what nature provides for the season. 

Interestingly, fall and spring are the two times per year that the seasonal harvest foods have an especially cleansing effect on the body, helping us transition into the extreme weather cycles of winter and summer (both of which have great impact on our body’s inflammatory response, stress levels, and digestive health).

In the early fall months we have a great opportunity for deeper cleansing, signaled by the arrival of apples, beets and green beans. This harvest of lymph-cleansing foods expels heat we've accumulated in our bodies all summer, resetting the body’s inflammatory response before the colder, harsher months of winter (when the available foods are naturally heavier, richer, and more difficult to digest). Should we miss this opportunity for fall cleansing, we can likely expect to catch more seasonal illnesses in the winter, experience digestive imbalances, and have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.

The Equinoxes – when day and night hang in equal balance – are considered in Ayurveda to be the best times to cleanse. The traditional Panchakarma is a simple, 4-day detox that can be easily performed at home using herbs, skincare and an important therapy called oleation. In Sanskrit, pancha means 5 and karma means action – these are the 5 actions that can be used for a fall cleanse.

Steps: 
1. Daily Oleation, where melted Ghee is consumed first thing in the morning in increasing amounts (flax, hemp, or coconut oil can be used as a vegan alternative). Note: Organic India has an awesome buy-one-get-one free deal for ghee going on right now!



2. Eating a mono-diet of a split mung bean and rice soup called 'Kitchari', 3 meals per day. Kitchari is a traditional mung bean and rice porridge with a nourishing yet detoxifying effect for the body.


3. Skin brushing with a cotton washcloth or raw silk gloves designed for this purpose, prior to evening bath or shower

4. 20-minute evening bath or shower

4. Self massage with organic food grade raw sesame oil or coconut oil during or after evening bath or shower

Photo via Organic India.

5. Herbal supplements are used to aid digestion, and on day 4 laxative therapy on Day 4 helps expel toxins from the body. Herbs include Turmeric (with meals), Amalaki (before meals, if you have agitated digestion), Trikatu (before meals, if you have sluggish digestion), and Liver Kidney formula (between meals).



If you're going to participate in this cleanse, I highly recommend using products by Organic India. They are a conscious brand who you can trust for high-quality, exceptional organic foods. In working with Organic India's PR team, I was incredibly impressed by their generosity, professionalism, and compassion. Seriously leaps and bounds above so many brands I've worked with!

Would you do an Ayurvedic cleanse? Have you done one? What was your experience?

Kombucha Love

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 Do you guys like kombucha?

It’s a bubbly fermented tea drink that’s great for your digestion. You can find it in lots of flavors at the grocery store, and more and more I’m hearing about friends who brew at home, and local restaurants and food trucks that offer it on tap.

 

Recently I had the pleasure of trying Kombucha Wonder Drink, and I have to say I’m impressed with their sparkling varieties! My favorite is the Essence of Mango; it’s just the right amount of sweetness.

I also loved re-using the little bottles for drinking water throughout my work day. (You could even put a few Gerber daisies in one and set it on your desk as a way to brighten up the room!)


It’s great that Kombucha Wonder Drink doesn’t need to be refrigerated until after it’s opened – meaning you could place an order online and have it shipped to you, rather than needing to buy it in the grocery store. This is because the kombucha is pasteurized, so it is absent of live cultures, and therefore shelf stable. The drink still has active organic acids—the stuff in kombucha that helps improve digestion and detoxify. Kombucha Wonder Drink is the only brand to offer this shelf-stable variety, because of founder Stephen Lee's expertise in the tea industry (he also co-founded the Stash and Tazo Tea companies).


What’s your favorite kombucha flavor?

PS Learn more about how kombucha is made, and the nutritional benefits of kombucha.

Gratitude and Abundance

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This week, my heart feels full. I feel at peace.

I have been experiencing a big shift…


Settling in. Meditating. Eating healthier. Expressing my emotions more.

There is so much abundance in my life! And it feels really good to take time to notice it, and to be grateful.


How are you, dear reader? What do you have going on in your Yoga practice?

I hope you have a fun weekend, and I encourage you to start it off by taking the five deepest breaths you’ve taken all day :)


XO

Trust Yourself

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Push past your discomfort…

Stick to a habit, not listening to the negative self talk that normally holds you back.

 

Stick to it some more, and learn to trust yourself.


Learn through repeated experiments that you are stronger than you think, that you are more capable and more tolerant of discomfort than you think.



This post is excerpted from one of my favorite blogs, Zen Habits. Photos via My Morning Coffee on Tumblr.

What We Hold Onto

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Photo by  Cait Loper Photography.

The last few weeks have been eventful, to say the least.

Several family members have been in the hospital. I am in the process of moving (just across town). I had my one-year anniversary at work (and got a raise!). I returned to my yoga mat and can feel my body building strength—it’s the strongest I’ve felt since my back issues this summer, and wow, I am grateful to feel great in my body again.

Soon, the dust will settle. And already, I’m reflecting on these experiences, noticing what wisdom they hold.

Photo by Justin Kral of Kral Studios.

Several questions keep resurfacing: what am I really holding onto? What are the things in my life worth clinging to?

When I really stop and think about it, I’m amazed by the amount of time I waste on some things that don’t really matter, but that feel good:
  • surfing the Internet and reading posts on social media
  • watching TV
  • eating unhealthy foods
I also waste time by:
  • making excuses
  • ignoring my emotions
  • hiding
  • letting guilt, fear or shame run the show
These are habits I've been working on changing, and I still have a long ways to go.

And I’m also amazed by the things I do that really matter, how rich and fulfilling those are:
  • spending time with the people I love
  • saying, ‘I love you,’ and giving hugs
  • practicing gratitude and awareness
  • teaching yoga from my heart
  • practicing yoga and leaving my ego aside
  • cooking and eating healthy foods
  • practicing reiki and taking an active role in my healing journey
  • writing blog posts and connecting with yogis who have been impacted by my story

I read a post recently about living a minimalist life (it was by Leo Babuata at Zen Habits). He was saying how, when you really break it down, happiness is as simple as this:

1. Decide what’s important.
2. Eliminate the rest.

Now is a good time to show up to my life, fully. It’s not always easy to be conscious, present, and to move through life with clear intention… but now is a good time to start.

I was going about my day and suddenly, everything changed. I found myself rushing to the hospital, sitting in an emergency room, knowing someone I love with my whole heart was suffering. I showed up. All the little stuff fell away… and I was left with this:

Now is the time to love others. Love freely, without attachment to the outcome. To give what I can, frequently. To be incredibly kind to those around me, and to thank my teachers. I choose to embody the love in my heart fully, using my words and my devotional practices.


I have an incredible support network. I have a beautiful family, incredible friends, a yoga community that inspires and amazes me, and people who constantly show me that they care. I am held up by these people, and quite honestly I would be nowhere without them. The most important thing I can do is acknowledge this, and treat all of the wonderful people in my life with kindness.

I have my body. I am more than my body, but it is a vital part of my experience here, and worth loving. Putting my health first allows me to do the things I love, and to serve others more fully. Now is a good time to love my body without exception, and to make choices that allow me to experience radiant health.

Now is a good time to show up to my life, fully. To let go of the things that I’m holding on to that aren't important. To love others, and to love myself. When it comes down to it, that’s what really matters.

Yoga for Living a Full Life

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Photos via the lovely Amelia on Flickr.

True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life.

Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived.


Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming.


Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied.



Quote by Aadil Palkhivala; found via Julia Lee Yoga.

Sacramento Free Day of Yoga

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Calling all Sactown yogis!

If you are around for Labor Day, I invite you to check out the day of free yoga going on in Sacramento on Monday, September 1st.

A lot of studios are offering free classes -- you can find them here. There's a little bit of something for everyone: vinyasa, yin, kundalini, even a workshop on Ayurveda and yogic eating!

Wherever you practice, I hope you enjoy trying something new :)

PS If you are a local who attends and you feel inspired to share about your experience, please email me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com. I'd love to feature you on the blog!