Tag: perspective

What the World needs now.

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This is about how I feel right now. The world needs a group hug. Words escape me and I feel hollow inside. I know, this to shall pass…I suppose (sigh). I am confounded and saddened by all of the judgement and anger amongst each other on social media and in the world. I guess because I know how difficult it is to change deeply ingrained viewpoints and fundamental values. We each have a unique path and private story that has made us who we are today, and a lot of these memories, experiences and moments become a part of us at such a young and impressionable age we often don’t remember why.

It just is.

Whatever these beliefs are we continue to share them with our children, our children’s children and so it goes. The values, judgements, bias, love, all of it.

Why do these tragedies happen? Well the answers are all over the internet. Pick the one that one fits nicely with your life and beliefs. I assure you it is there. I have read so many facts, opinions, statistics and I certainly haven’t found the right answer for me. It’s so much larger than I have the ability to wrap my brain and heart around.

Here is what I do believe wholeheartedly:

If we encouraged each other more than discouraged each other.

If we love each other more than fear one another.

If we stop, listen, gain some perspective with the opposing side and be ok to respectfully disagree.

To acknowledge our differences and understand I’m not here to change you, vice versa…but be respectful.

I think when we begin toacknowledge our differences and compromise rather than create a larger divide and separation, that is when positive change happens. 

Yes, the world has a lot of evil and hate.m, but with Pandora’s box open, perhaps we do this instead:

Look in each other’s eyes and really see the other person – their strength, beauty, passion, faults, insecurities and the life that we don’t know. We have m

All of it. Unconditional, boundless love.

Say “I see you. I see hurt, I see love, I see connection and mostly I see a need to be accepted.” Our ego plays a huge role in our lives. Here is a comforting thought: We all have this ego voice in our head. We are human. Think of it as batteries included, but here is the bigger voice… We are humanity, therefore, we will prevail, stronger, more mindful and with more compassion. We have a choice. Let’s choose to love and being ok with not having all the answers.

My answers might not be your answers. Maybe it’s as simple as reaching out to acknowledge another human for the sake of humanity.

Hug and look at the other person and say “I SEE YOU.”

Wow… It is truly profound. Human connection. Humanity. Try it and see.

Peace, love, respect,

Melissa

The Time is Now Baby Grasshopper

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Screen Shot 2016-04-11 at 9.29.05 PM

I understand this is just the beginning. My restart button has been pushed and I am upgraded with a more balanced and healthier perspective of the world, and how I react to it. I read a great quote out of Rebecca Pacheco’s book “Do Your Om Thing”, “yoga is about encompassing and unifying all the layers of our being, our job as yogi’s is to master our emotions so that they don’t master us, on and off the mat.”

What now baby grasshopper? Jump, but keep learning and be open and receptive to every opportunity that presents itself and wait for it….

HAVE FUN…

So with that said, I am being proactive. Hello 3rd Chakra!

I asked to be put on the sub list at a local gym. YIKES…if not now then when?

Also, I will start teaching two classes a week – one restorative and one advanced- stay tuned for that…

In addition to my branching out, I will continue to offer classes at my home because it is a very special place to me. My living room is where I took the bold move to practice teach to all my wonderful and compassionate friends (Thanks guys! You know who you are!). It is where I continue to gain experience and build confidence in my ability to share this wonderful practice. I want to be certain that I am offering my most authentic self and teach with integrity and mindfulness. I know I will falter and I will freeze and forget, which is a realistic approach at this point in my yoga teaching. I am fine with not being perfect and I am even more fine with being imperfect. I want to establish myself as a teacher with grace and vulnerability. To LAUGH, to CRY and be SILENT when the moment happens, it will be the right thing to do.. I will listen to my heart and feel my breath and enjoy these wonderful opportunities.

When I look in the eye of my students and fellow yogis, I am saying I SEE YOU, without a word. I am so passionate about this thing called YOGA and EVERYTHING it has to offer. My need to share is essential, but more importantly I want these like minded soul searchers to understand that I have A LOT to learn. There is a tremendous amount of information about this ancient philosophy on and off the mat that I am just skimming the surface. That is delightful. I am a sponge soaking it all in.

It helps to be in a yoga community that is amazingly supportive and helpful. I feel extremely honored to be connected to such a wonderful tribe of radiant individuals. It is really life changing. My life (being more mindful), my relationships (who I want and do not want in my life) and my values (trusting in myself, listening to my intuition and following the path of the yoga sutras with more diligence and awareness.) Each and every aspect of my life has changed – for the better. I mean this yogic outlook really very pure and organic. Quite liberating and refreshing to be honest. Being more aware of my thoughts and emotions. I am and will continue learning to eliminate the mind stuff, the worries of past and future, of unrealistic expectations and attachments, silly assumptions and the special sauce we create.

Living with these core concepts of the seven chakras will essentially keep my body in check and balanced… and it flows into my life.

I WILL:

  1. Stay grounded (Root Chakra) I belong here. I AM.
  2. Get creative and feel the intuitive energy (Sacral Chakra) I FEEL.
  3. Be ambitious and bold. Have gumption and be proactive. (Solar Plexus) I DO.
  4. Follow my heart. Listen to it. Ignore fear. (Heart Chakra) I LOVE.
  5. Communicate and use self expression. Be clear, true and authentic. (Throat Chakra) I SPEAK.
  6. Visualize. Focus. Feed my Intuitive wisdom. (Third Eye Chakra) I SEE.
  7. (Crown Chakra) I UNDERSTAND.

I know this is not easy. I am 40 and I am just now learning these new tricks. I wish I had learned these amazing threads of knowledge sooner, but it comes to you when you are ready. I am ready. Maybe these new tricks (old but new to me) will help me with my depression, my self esteem, my self worth…but it is and always will be work in progress. There is no ending. This isn’t something that I can mark off my to do list, better yet realizing it will always be on my to do list.  This new way of living will take focus, discipline and flexibility and I am not talking about the physically, (although there is that too…) I am talking about mentally! One thing that never changes is change, but I will always have my yoga toolbox to guide and help me: Breath, trust and love. All of these are important instruments for my mind, body and spirit. It is all interconnected, and we are all interconnected…woowoo, it is true. 🙂 It is really beautiful to listen to when they are all balanced and in tune with each other.

I can honestly say I breathe with a deeper sense of purpose  and value which breathes life and gratitude into everything I do in my day to day actions. How I clean my house. How I communicate with humans and life.  What I put in my body. How I treat myself and how I treat everything/one around me. Yoga is the connection and I’m ready to dance.

Yoga:

Your body is poetry – Your breath is music – Create magic.

Melissa

Who Am I?

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I am on a path of self-discovery

Today is February 1, 2016. I am a yogi beginning my yoga teacher training certification. It is a very vulnerable and intensive experience because I am stepping outside my comfort zone and as I like to describe it “I am finding my edge.”

Despite the fact that the end result is to instruct, this course is broadening my perspective and I am rediscovering my philosophy on life. This is a major shift because it is questioning my values and what is important to me. Perplexing, challenging, conflicting are words that pop up in my head often, but the words freeing and responsive come to mind equally.

I am perplexed. I am challenged. I am conflicted. I am because the class, the books, the wisdom and the exercises are pushing me to think in a brand new way. A shift of perception and self-realization. Mix those with ego and true identity and it unveils a lot of insecurities and pieces about myself and where I am in my life that are difficult to accept. But let me also emphasize that these feelings and vulnerabilities are not dispiriting or discouraging. They just are and I am ok with that… which leads me to

I am free. I am responsive. I am open to these aha moments, even the moments when I feel extremely inadequate and undeserving of being there/here. It is truly a gratifying experience to know that the other students are kind and forgiving. Most of them feel the same as me. We just project it differently.

At the end of the day, we are all humans with baggage and insecurities, not to mention we are really interconnected on a deeper level. So, with that said, the more I practice loving kindness, mindfulness and forgiveness for my shortcomings and to those around me, then I know I am on the path.

I recall a moment after practice  “teaching” a vinyasa, where I took a moment and I said to my peers “Perhaps the students appreciate my teaching and direction. That maybe perhaps they are empathic to my anxieties, insecurities as I stand before them sharing my philosophy and instruction… that THEY ARE are also perplexed, challenged and conflicted, but also free, responsive and open.

That THEY ARE happy to be in the moment, just as I AM when I’m the practitioner and they are teaching me.  We are all in this together. As my teacher emphasized, when we come to a yoga class, we leave all of our fears, frustrations and mind-stuff at the door. We join together on our mats for clarity, confirmation of all that is right in the world and within ourselves.

I am exploring my boundaries with courage and loving kindness.

PEACE and GRATITUDE,

Melissa