Finding My Inner Sunshine

My yoga practice today was called Yoga For Beginner's Mind from the Yoga With Adrienne YouTube channel. It was just what I needed along with a sunny little meditation from Tori Hartman's "Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit" workbook that encouraged me to look within for my happiness and imagine a bright ball of sunshine permeating my entire being starting at my solar plexus. What better way  to stay connected to your instincts than to go from your gut -- a primal place of understanding and processing of action and movement! I plan to practice this meditation throughout the day to align myself with the things that I want to manifest for my highest good -- the things that bring me my hopes, dreams and desires. I'm letting go of resistance in my world view and giving up the ghosts of past failures that  have haunted me. I am open to letting all the wonderful things into my life that I deserve!

Moving Through My Life With Joy

Moving Through My Life With Joy

I'm am exploring a question lately. How can I find more ways to move through my life with joy? How can I create an existence of peace and happiness despite the memories of the different tragedies I've experienced on the path of enlightenment thus far? Today's activity in Tori Hartman's "Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit" workbook examined the fable of "Dancin' Daisy" even further. It asked me to make a list of all the things that bring me joy in my life and write them down and commit to doing at list one of these things each week. Curious about what I wrote? My list was surprisingly easy to make. I was holding my little kitty Fjord in my arms when I read the assignment. I had my notebook right next to me and so I wrote:

1. Holding my baby kitty Fjord while reading sci-fi, fantasy or romance novels, or watching Netflix
2. Cuddling with Jay
3. Singing
4. Playing piano
5. Listening to music
6. Going to the ocean
7. Being with friends
8. Dancing
9. Taking aromatherapy baths.
10. Writing fiction, poetry or song lyrics
11. Photography
12. Healing crystals
13. Of course yoga! I'm just a little over 6 months into my daily yoga practice ( I haven't missed a day!)

Then I dawned on me that all the persons, places and things that bring me joy are just some of the many reasons I have to be grateful! If anyone wants to, feel free to write down your own joy list in the comments section of this post!

Deepening My Yoga And Meditation Practice

Deepening My Yoga And Meditation Practice

I've noticed that my yoga and meditation practice is starting to move to a difference place in my reality. I'm not sure where it's going to end up and that is all part of the growth. I know that the more I practice, the more essential it becomes to me that I practice on a daily basis. Today I felt much more grounded on the mat and assured in my practice. I am so grateful that my energy level has increased to the point where I am able to enjoy longer and more strenuous yoga sessions Also, the form of my asanas is getting much better as well as my level of flexibility. I am so pleased with this. I am so happy that I yoga has re-entered my life and has allowed me to add a new dimension to being in this world. I has saved me so many times from my anxiety levels and has relieved me of stress and worry on many occasions. I honestly don't know what I would do without it sometimes. It's more than the amount of physical movement and shapes that I can bend myself into, it's the way I can hold space for the energy of breath and tranquility -- it's the calm that it helps me to tap into that comes from deep within.

On Being Happy

On Being Happy

After reading today's fable in Tori Hartman's "Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit" workbook entitled "Joy Dancin' Daisy", I am pondering the nature of true joy and happiness. The "Dancin Daisy" fable encourages me to look within myself for all the moments of true happiness that I can find and not to analyze them or tear them apart with thoughts from my monkey-mind, but just to acknowledge that these moments of true joy are out there, recognize them for what they are and examine exactly how I can express gratitude for them. It is through this acceptance that that these feelings can naturally multiply -- no forcing or wishing required. We just have to notice them, appreciate them and give thanks for them each time they show up in our lives. I had many such moments yesterday. I was enjoying the simplicity and beauty of Jay's company. And there was one moment, a lull while he was nearby busying himself on a computer game and I was about to read a book where I turned over and closed my eyes to the perfect warmth of the sunshine and knew that he was there and I smiled into the sun with my eyes closed, basking in its bright glow. I felt truly at peace. Today on the yoga mat with my large Norwegian tabby Fjord and my my yoga mat, I felt a similar simplicity of love and joy. Fjord came and nudged my head while I was in child's pose, attempting to lick the essential oils I had rubbed on my chest off of my fingers. It was so sweet and I have to say that I really feel fortunate today. I'm sitting here writing this and giving thanks for the blessings I have. Namaste!

More Notes On Peace

More Notes On Peace

It has been more and more important to me that I gain peace ✌ from within. Separating my reactions both emotional and physical from a situation or state of mind is key to part of my journey on the road to enlightenment. I view enlightenment in the terms of a state of being and a conscious effort of a lifetime rather than an achievement.

Yesterday was so busy that I almost forgot my yoga practice for the day. It was nearly two in the morning and I sat straight up in bed remembering, and realizing that I could either go to bed or practice before I closed my eyes. The choice was easy -- a brief, simple bedtime yoga session from the Yoga With Adrienne YouTube channel. You always have a choice, and I chose not to give up my nearly eight month stretch of regular daily yoga that I have practiced every day before I close my eyes at night. 🌙 I feel like the beginning of becoming enlightened is to commit to positive practices of both mind and body. Yoga and meditation have become my both go-to and my to-do. They are some of the best additions to my everyday they I have ever added. I can't wait to see where a few years of steady practice will take me!

Finding Peace In The Swirling Sea Within

Finding Peace In The Swirling Sea Within

Today my anxiety ramped up again when I found out that my roommate's sister had been in a serious car accident and is in serious condition. I don't know her extremely well but we have spent some social functions and holiday events together. Now it seems that I am facing the feeling of seeing a friend of mine go through exactly what I have gone through (and unfortunately he has also gone through) time and time again. So I really needed to tune in and ground myself in the moment. There is nothing any of can do but wait to hear updates of her progress from the doctors. I'm so sad that this has happened. Now all I can do is try to find peace within the tumultuous emotions that are surfacing within me like debris that is stirred up from a storm on the sea. I am doing my best to surf the waves of feelings that this is bringing up within me.

Getting Grounded Again

Sometime between yesterday and today, I got a little shaky and off-center in the doing of all my tasks. This afternoon, I realized that I needed to infuse a some grounding back into my life, so that I can get a bit of my own back. It has been a busy week thus far and I have come to terms with the fact that I don't have to do everything perfectly, but sometimes that impulse to over-think and "monkey mind" everything tries to take over again. At least now I know what's happening when I see it and I can relax and relinquish that tight grip on my existence and remember to breath -- confident in the knowledge that everything is going to work out for the best and that it always does somehow. This yoga practice really helped me a lot. More kudos to the Yoga With Adrienne channel!