The Art of Practice
I’ve been so consumed with teaching these past few months that I’ve allowed my personal yoga practice to slip away from me. And the reason for this is simple, I just wanted someone else to tell me what to do. I wanted to be the receiver of guidance so I could focus just on me. Because I’ve tried to practice yoga in my own living area creating my own “routine,” and as much as I think of myself as a decent yogi, I still have to get the phone when it rings. And because I know this about myself, I knew I just needed something or someone to give me that boost of inspiration to begin being a student again and more importantly stay focused. And without traditional classes readily available to me, I had to search elsewhere, and found it in the form of audio podcasts. For some reason when I hear the voice instructing me through my iTouch the urge to answer the phone, sweep the floor, feed the cats dissipates.
But whatever you are looking to get back into, whether it be running, painting or playing the guitar, sometimes it takes going through a few different methods to find something or someone that kick starts our inspiration. And that’s OK. It’s important to find the right thing to not only get us back into our practice and but also bring joy to it. Because all aspects of life are essentially a practice that are meant to be enjoyable and inspirational and many times shared.
And, it’s the art of practice that hones our skills and ignites our souls in this lifetime and the next and the next. It’s the art of practice that forms a stronger connection to our Highest Self. It’s showing up and doing it no matter what the outcome, without judgement and finding some fun in it. The art of practice is knowing that each time is your best.
Until we reach enlightenment, uniting with the Creator of All That Is (aka Highest Self) we continue the art of practice and along the way it takes finding someone to tell you what to do. And when we find the guidance that is so integral to our growing and expanding, we can come back to the root knowledge of all practices: I am here.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Going For It
Note: This is the third in a 3-part series of Inspirational Shorts along with You are that Powerful and Clearing Past Programs and Beliefs
Now it’s time for action. We’ve created our affirmation statements; visualized our dream happening. But now it’s time to act on our dreams. And sometimes this is where we stop. Taking action is scary let’s face it.
So now what…where do we go from here? Well, there are 3 basic things we need to keep in mind and close to our hearts as we move forward.
1. Listening to your heart. Your heart speaks the truth of your soul. If you have a good feeling about something do it; if you have a bad feeling, don’t, it is that simple.
2. Stay in the flow. When there is too much resistance to one idea, change directions. Don’t feel obligated to hang on to one idea, change is natural and good.
3. Stay open. This allows opportunities that you haven’t thought of to flow right in.
By keeping these three “rules of thumb” in mind and heart you will be more efficient in manifesting the life of your dreams and living your truth. And you will have more fun doing it. As for the physical action steps, start with a timeline then list things that need to be done — not too specific, but general, and even write it as an affirmation statement, for example. I am so happy and grateful now that…..and list that project. And continue to keep joy in your heart.
Anytime fear or doubt make an appearance, cancel it and hand it over to Spirit. Stay focused on the positive and believe in yourself. Spirit wants you to succeed and will provide what you need to get there.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Clearing Past Programs and Beliefs
In the quest to harnessing our personal power and creating the life of our dreams, past programs and belief systems will surface and present themselves so that we can clear them. But how do we identify a past program or belief system? The easiest way is to notice when we are feeling stuck or there is resistance to what we are doing.
For example, in our last Inspirational Short, “You are that Powerful,” we talked of stating an affirmation statement because your thoughts are what you create. We said “I am so happy and grateful now that I buy a house.” And it’s been 6 months and there hasn’t been even a hint that it’s going to happen. Now some of it could be divine timing, but most likely you are blocking the progress with past programs or belief systems, or both.
Maybe it’s a belief that you don’t deserve a house; a program that states you have to have so much money in the bank first; the fear that if you buy the house you won’t be able to afford other things; or just the fear of increased responsibility and change.
You can discover what is holding you back from your dream by asking yourself a few questions whenever a block arises. Am I afraid of something? What’s the worst that can happen if I buy this house? When I think about buying this house, how do I feel? These can help pinpoint where the block is coming from. With acceptance and acknowledgement we bring these beliefs and programs to the surface and now we are ready to clear.
How do we clear them? It can be as simple as spending time meditating to release that program to the universe and replace it with the belief that you deserve a house of your own or the ability to buy a house without fear. Or it may take a little more, using energy work such as ThetaHealing to fully clear it because it could be attached to a past life.
Clearing past programs and belief systems is a constant practice, but as we move forward on our path we find roadblocks and transform them into doorways. And, it’s important to find the joy in the journey of discovery that these moments bring.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
You Are That Powerful
Yes, you are that powerful. Your thoughts create. We’ve heard this from all the masters such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Abraham Hicks and don Miguel Ruiz. The problem sometimes comes in the believing it. In believing in ourselves and that this is our true power, our thoughts.
So why do we doubt this? Is it because it doesn’t happen instantly when we want? That we feel we are not good enough? Or maybe we are afraid? It is easy to blame someone else for our problems or our circumstances and very scary to think that it is all of our own making.
So let’s take a brief look at how the universe works. When we think a thought it creates a vibration. And this vibration attracts one of its own like-minded vibrations to you. This sets up an alignment in the universe to what you’re thinking. So if you think — “I am going to buy a house.” You are setting that in motion. Now what about timing? You can turn your thought into more of an affirmation statement such as “I buy a house now.” That can speed things up as it gives a little more direction to the thought; or even better add gratitude — “I am happy and grateful now that I buy a house.”
OK, so now all we have to do is keep that thought and allow divine timing to do its thing. And this can mean waiting. The universe knows no timing so two months is the same as two days or two years. But we are living in human-time and this means we need to add a little faith and focus to our process because as humans we can become impatient. So ignore any discouraging thoughts; stay with your affirmative thought; and notice signs that will guide you to your creation, in this case buying a house. It could be a job offer comes along and you need to move and find housing in another location (the push you needed to start the process perhaps); or a flyer comes in the mail for a real estate seminar (the guidance to maybe buy now or wait depending on the housing market).
The important thing is you stay with your thought, your dream, and it will happen in divine timing as all things do. Know it, feel it and have fun with what comes next.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us enhance our services. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart. Levels include give from your heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Finding the Sound Within
The other day in yoga class I found myself tuning into the “sounds of Mexico,” which surrounded my studio. I then also realized that I was tuning in because one of my neighbor’s was using a table saw during class. My first thought was “This is annoying and I wish he would stop! NOW!” … I didn’t like it one bit and it got me thinking… How many times in our lives are we driven by likes and dislikes rather than what we want? So I don’t like the sound of the saw, but I do like the sound of doves; I don’t like the sound of a motorbike; but I like the sound of a donkey. Why is this? It’s my past programming and perceptions that find the saw and motorbike annoying but donkey and dove acceptable.
The Bhagavad Gita talks of eliminating likes and dislikes to remain even in all situations, and in that way we can find peace and freedom. But this is hard. The more I thought about what the Bhagavad Gita tells us, the more I realized acceptance is the key part of what can dissolve our belief systems. If I accept that saw as a part of my yoga practice experience, all of a sudden irritation — a distraction — begins to fade and so does the sound of the saw; at the same time if I accept the dove, the feeling of joy — also a distraction — begins to fade and so does the sound of the dove. And all that’s left is me and the sound within; the sound of truth and what is at this moment.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart. Levels include give from your heart; give with your light; shine your heart light.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Create the Life of Your Dreams
This year is the year of the Dragon; a year of powerful acceleration and abundance. Each year I make resolutions and there’s something exhilarating and uplifting as I write down my dreams, the limitless possibilities. Perhaps it is the one time per year that I dream without fear. I bring in the New Year with good intentions and a feeling in my heart that anything is possible.
And each year I find myself 3 weeks in; 2 months in; 6 months in; and I forgot what my intentions and resolutions were, never mind attempting to create them. But this year is going to be different. OK, I know what that sounds like, but the reason I know it will be different is because I am different. I am different because it was like a little light bulb lit up the sky as I realized that I am surrounded by inspiration and divine guidance 24/7. And, the fact is, we all are!
I found this divine inspiration and guidance in the form of a book at the used bookstore; music I hear on a drive or in a yoga class; people in my life who come and go; and, yes, even Facebook posts (don’t laugh as I do feel that I see a quote or post that I need each day to spark an idea, make a decision or feel a little uplifted.)
And, you can see this divinity in your life, too. It’s just a matter of being open to see, to receive and to act. It sounds easy, but sometimes can be difficult amid the many disruptions and distractions that occur in this life. However, recognizing inspiration is the first step in creating the life of your dreams. Knowing it’s possible and out there for you and to ask for what you want without fear. I realized that I seem to not feel afraid when making a statement like “I can’t afford to go out to dinner tonight.” And, what I asked for was to not afford to go out to dinner and to continue to not afford it.
There are many philosophies that come into play such as the Law or Attraction or The Four Agreements, but to make it simple, the universe provides for everything we ask for. So why not ask to have all that I need and more to be able to go out to dinner with my friends. Try a statement like: “I don’t know how I have the money to eat out at my favorite restaurant, but I do now and I am fulfilled.” Ask for what you want without fear or judgement. Nothing is ridiculous and all is possible.
After you have asked for what you wanted, then visualize it, see that dinner in detail from appetizer to entree to the color of your napkin. Then, feel it in your heart and know that it is yours now. Go ahead and get that warm, fuzzy feeling inside your heart consciousness when thinking about the dinner.
A way to maintain that level of vibration to what you want is to notice when doubt creeps in or fear sneaks up on you and cancel it. Just say “cancel” to the universe and repeat the original statement “I don’t know how I have the money to eat out at my favorite restaurant but I do now and I am fulfilled.”
You can create all kinds of positive statements about what you want, there is no limit. The universe is full of abundance and is ready to give you what you ask for. Have fun with it, be playful and notice the difference in your life as transformation starts here and now. So, here’s to creating the life of your dreams this year and bring on the abundance in the new year.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Going 100 Miles an Hour with No Brakes
Although it can be exhilarating and joyous when things happen fast and move forward quickly it also can be scary and filled with feelings of fear, doubt and a general sense of being out of control.
And, it’s not so easy at times to just “let it ride” when your instincts tell you to dig your nails in and hold on for dear life. But now, more than ever is the time to shed what does not serve you so you can eliminate the feelings of fear and doubt and flow forward on your path. And you can, in fact have the abundance in all aspects of your life that is available, prominent and life-changing. Go ahead, it’s OK and your right to feel the expansion without any sense of panic.
By shedding those old stories that do not serve us allows us to move into a place of faith and trust. To have faith and trust that the universe not only has your back, but is with you every step of the way — even at 100 miles per hour and the brakes are out. There’s no need to slow the flow down now. Let go and experience transformation beyond your imagination.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Magic Happens When You Miss the Boat
So when I found out I missed the boat to get to the retreat center where I was working for a week, instantly I felt anxiety wash over me and settle in my stomach. Now what? Are they going to think I flaked out? What did I get myself into? Before I allowed doubt and fear to come in and take over, I took a breath and sat with that feeling. Allowed it to be and before I knew it, my boyfriend helped me get a water taxi and within 10 minutes I was on my way.
Before I left on this journey my ThetaHealer said that a week teaching at the retreat center will be transformational. “Now this is what I want,” I thought to myself, “Transformation. Cool. I can’t wait to get there.”
But now I found myself expecting. I started to expect to find transformation here, at this retreat center with its beautiful open-air accommodations surrounded by lush jungle and peaceful ocean. If transformation was going to be somewhere, here was it.
After a few days feeling like a bystander in my own life, I realized that it didn’t matter where I was. If I was going to find and experience transformation, it was going to be within me. And only my responsibility to make it happen. And, let me tell you, this realization didn’t come as a gentle glow of light that I stepped into, it came on in the form of a migraine. I taught class one night feeling the migraine coming on only for it to blossom later that evening. And, again, I sat with it.
By the next morning I awoke with the migraine gone and I experienced an awakening that I knew in my heart how much I love my studio home and living there with my boyfriend and our dog and two cats. That I loved eating Cheetos and beer. I love my body as it has changed over the years and I love this life I created for myself. And I realized that missing the boat was the thing I needed to awaken the truth within me; and to give me clarity to know and trust that transformation was with me all along.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Investing in Yourself
When I think of investing in myself, things like massages, pedicures, or a vacation, come to mind. But sometimes it isn’t about the things we do but the things that happen. The experience is the investment. It is giving yourself the experiences in life to get to know what serves you and what doesn’t. It’s the journey.
When we invest in ourselves we accumulate experiences, gain knowledge, clear old habits, discover and hone our intuition.
And, well, sometimes that journey involves a weekend getaway at a fancy spa.
But many times it’s going outside your comfort zone — going to a different yoga class, for example, or taking Spanish lessons; or chaperoning a youth camping trip. Sometimes it’s taking a leap of faith and letting go of control of a situation, such as apologizing to a friend.
All of these things, our everyday actions and encounters are an investment in ourselves. A chance to grow, serve and be a part of a greater good. To discover our path, fine tune it, change it and continue on it the best we can with all the tools we have in our heart toolbox.
If we think about every experience as an investment in ourselves we realize that all experiences are good and have potential to light a fire within us.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
Tuning in to Your Heart
Last week I decided to take some time off…no teaching, no special classes, no nothing at the studio. I thought it would be a good time for me to re-energize before I started my new Fall/Winter/Spring schedule. But my time off soon turned into getting a construction project going and mosaic-ing the studio bathroom.
What happened to doing nothing? Relaxing? And then I realized that, like my teaching and classes these projects gave me joy. To add pieces of tile, rocks, glass, action figures and beads to the cement that I mixed felt great. The creativity was flowing and I felt re-energized.
Although doing nothing and just being can definitely provide the re-energizing I needed; so can changing the routine and switching things up. So how do you know what you need? Well a sure sign is what your heart says. For example, if you switched your routine and it seems stressful or difficult that is a sign to back things up, slow it down and take a minute to re-evaluate. If you try to “have a quiet day” and you find yourself thinking about projects, getting easily distracted or yearning for the outdoors, while you are meditating or reading don’t force it. Take a break and maybe go for a run, practice yoga, paint, play racquetball, whatever feels good to burn some energy and calm the mind. Then revisit that quiet space and see where it leads.
The most important thing is to take it one step at a time without fear or judgement. Tap into your heart consciousness and see what it tells you. Then listen to how it feels each step of the way and don’t be afraid to change and adjust when needed.
Your next action could be stillness … or bring on the projects … either way, let your heart lead the way.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider donating to the Bending Tree Expansion Project to help us expand our resources to live your yoga. Our goal is to help people find their strength and creativity from the inside out…meaning finding their joy and living it fearlessly, from the heart.
Thank you and Namaste, Karen
