Real Progress

Yesterday evening I had what was probably one of my most fulfilling and inspiring meditation sessions ever. I had just completed about 30 minutes of a yoga practice where I could just see how far I've come in the last 3 months; even though I missed a day! I loved the way I felt an innate sense of calm wash over me. The room was a hush with sundry noises, the typing of my significant other's keyboard, the rush of the wind outside my window, the steady, measuring inhale and exhalations of my breath. I visualized easily the colors of my chakras, starting with a shocking red for my 1st chakra (the Root). Moving up all the way to a deep indigo for my Third Eye chakra. It was wonderful to experience my whole world stop for moment and my mind empty of thoughts. I came to a place in my psyche that was almost like sleep, but somewhere in between, and then I would pull back and focus on the color of my chakra. I could feel the healing at a soul-deep level that is hard to put into words. I know that each session is different, but I can only try to duplicate or one-up the results of last nights meditation, if only to feel again that sense of inexplicable bliss.

Photo Credits: Markuso

Free To Be

Recently I've been practicing the art of letting go. To live life without a preset rulebook. Don't get me wrong, planning out your path is great, but micro-managing each part of it has to go by the wayside -- at least for me anyway. I prefer to set a general outline, sort of like sign posts that point the right way out to me and keep me on track. This allows me space to expand and breath, and gives me time to find my center. Yoga is about letting go, and so is EFT and meditation. Because it's only then that we can truly get a sense of who we really are inside. It can be scary to find out what we are made of. There's a lot of fear that we might not like what we see. But how else are we going to grow and change for the better. Our flaws up close are uncomfortable to look at and make us sweat for sure, but it's that perspiration and that labor that prime us to be capable of greater things. I for one am embracing every part of me; even the areas that I'm not at all thrilled with. Here's me looking straight in the mirror without flinching.

Photo Credits: Markuso

Re-aligning My Focus

Every time I move into a yoga pose the flexibility of my body mirrors that of my spirit. I can feel the subtle change happening daily, and the minor adjustments are apparent during each practice. I accept all these changes in stride and love each and every moment of growth and development that they herald. From this place of inner fulfillment I know that I'm gaining more ground with each passing step. Even this current struggle hasn't gotten me down. The physical plane is just one aspect of my existence and I'm not letting it define me completely. On the days when I lack my usual vigor, I go deeper inside to discover another kind of peace. It's a quiet that's soul-deep and purely unique to myself. When I'm in this space I find the strength to transcend the mundane and I know that I'm not only bound to my body. There's a real heart-felt beauty in acknowledging that I can escape to this destination of mind whenever I need to. This is how I'm learning to tap into my calm and courage.

Photo Credits: Photostock

Sticking It Out

Yesterday for the first time in nearly 3 months, I didn't do yoga. It's so crazy because I thought I did.  I completely slipped my mind! This could just be my cue that I need to slow down, but i think my anemia played a part in that. Sometimes I'm positively foggy. Today I have more clarity. It's always hard around that certain time of the month with this problem though. I'll chock it up to that and keep going. I'm not about to give up on everything that I've done so far just because I had an off day. I'm in it to win it full steam ahead, but I'm pacing myself. Even still, it can be quite the challenge to balance my yoga schedule with my working life. Despite this fact I always seem to manage to get at least 30 minutes in before bedtime if nothing else. EFT has been a total savior for me today. I'm so glad that I found an effective and stress-relieving way to get myself back on track when I veer slightly off-course. I know that with time and patience, I'll soon be back to my old self again. Until then I'll simply have to wait it out.

My Root Chakra And EFT

I've found EFT to have a very strengthening effect on my Root chakra. For those of you just now reading my blog, EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, and it's a method where a person uses two fingers to tap various acupressure points while stating as emphatically as they can various affirmations. Not only does it cleanse the body's meridians and encourage a positive energy flow throughout a person's entire system, but it also rids the body of negative thought patterns and emotions that get in the way of our personal growth. The Root Chakra, represented by the color red, is what gives of the the ability to stand on our "own two feet" so to speak. It has to do with survival in all aspects of our life, but especially, emotionally, sexually and financially. A disruption in this chakra can show up as kidney problems, anemia, and sexual dysfunction to name a few. As I have anemia and a tendency towards kidney concerns I know I have to work to build up this chakra daily. Yoga and meditation has been helping greatly, but my secret weapon has definitely been EFT. In practicing EFT regularly, I have excised a lot of the thought processes that contribute to a weakened Root chakra and I've well on my way to having a stable 1st chakra. I feel really good about this.

Photo Credits: BJWOK

Keeping Up

Today it was a little difficult to keep up my momentum. My anemia was starting to get a little noticeable. I still haven't missed a day of yoga through all of this. I take it as a huge accomplishment that I'm keeping this commitment to my body and my spirit. I know that this is the only the beginning of a long-term goal of better and more enriched health and a state of mind that is ready to tackle anything in life with calm and composure. I've added black strap molasses to my daily regimen in my fight against this anemia. I've read a lot of posts online and many people have said that this has helped them. So I hope everybody keeps their fingers crossed. I know I am. This is just one more hurtle to tackle in my journey through life. I'm charging ahead with full steam and plenty of gusto!

Gathering Inspiration

Today I'm going to talk a little bit about where I get my inspiration from. A lot of my fire and passion comes from this untouchable place inside of me that I feel grow stronger with each meditation and yoga session. It feels if the source of that strength is the vibration of my Root chakra growing and expanding with each day that passes. My whole soul is expanding even as my body is gaining purchase so that it can healing. As I strive to raise and manage my energy levels, I realize that it's not so much about winning the battle as it is about surviving it's aftermath. With that in mind, I know that each time I step onto my mat, I'm suiting myself up with just a little more ammunition to keep going on to round 2. It's time to come out swinging!