Stay Focused, Stay Positive, Stay Centered

I wanted to screeeeam!

This reaction was caused by none other than work and this is often the climate of my working environment.� One where the air is so thick with the dense pressure of meeting demands can be tasted.� Where the feeling of desperation and not being able to ‘catch up’ is spreading like a virus and the feeling of a lack of control reigns.

Reality Check

Yes it is true that life is full of ‘situations’ that will test and challenge a person’s character but for me, I find that the one that test me with the greatest amount of heat is work.� So, what is a girl to do?

Mutant Me

I had come home from work again feeling frazzled (a burnt fuse), disoriented and extremely disconnected from my spirit.� You see, it is just like the laws of nature that I correlate myself and my work experience to.� When water heats up, the particles move faster converting into vapors.� As the environment cools down the water vapors move more slowly and coming back into its liquid form.

The stress and heat I experience at work shifts my energy causing a feeling of scatteredness, rushing around like rampant water molecules. But when I come home ‘decompress’ I am in a cool and peaceful environment and that is when all my vapors/particles of who I know myself to be settle.� It was in this state that I began to really think about my experience.

S.O.S

The light bulb went on, the solution I needed and still require is to maintain a sense of peace amidst all the chaos.� Luckily, my mind had stored this bit of info from a book I had read some time ago, but it wasn’t until now that I was able to grasp the content.�� Sense of peace amidst all the chaos is through mastery over the mind, the way to obtain a mastery of my mind, as learned from the book, is through meditation.

With the use of meditation and different other teachers techniques and practices I have found that slowly I am making the desired progress and as of late my days are filled with me being at my center.

Have a meditative peace – filled day!

riNa

Spring is fast approaching and just like we cleanse our home with our “Spring cleaning.”� We can cleanse our inner environment to match the beauty and harmony of our “clean” external environment.

If you like yoga, most likely you enjoy tea!� One of my favorite tea companies is “Yogi Tea.” I just received their newsletter highlighting some of their Detox and Healthy Fasting Teas.

Yogi Tea not only offers a diverse variety of flavors but therapeutic teas.

Not only do I enjoy their tea but their site’s blog is just as good!

Ont the Yogi blog they posted three very interesting articles, the links are below:

“Improve Your Metabolism…1″

“Improve Your Metabolism…2″

“Improve Your Metabolism…3″

Have a fun spring reading and cleaning filled day!

riNa

As the arrival of March 20th looms in the air it may be a good idea to contemplate what joys will the arrival of your spring bring!

The idea of spring may conjure images of ice thawing, life blooming, sun shinning, new beginnings and activity buzzing, but before the beauty of spring can be dived into, we must reflect on what our current friend Winter is telling us.

In the depths of Winter….

Grasping the contemplative spirit of winter will allow the thawing action to begin properly. It is in the winter season where our personal self was allowed nurturing and where the seeds of our creative desires were planted. What is your intention for your life?

Brief mental visual… (read, then close your eyes and envision the scenario)

Imagine a lovely spring garden, you can smell the aromas of sweet flowers scenting the are with intoxication, you can see the trees budding with expectant fruit in all their vibrant colors, you can hear the buzz of plenty bees and insects busy and dedicated at their work.  The sun is gently warming your face and you start to feel the excitement of expectation and hope stir in your soul and it is this realization that brings a smile to your face.

Spring Asana….

“Spring” asana can be a very rewarding pose for the season, this symbolic pose will be the reaping of winters contemplative work.

This time can be best used to figuratively spring yourself into action, thawing off the symbolic winter slumbering and allowing your intentions to grow with strength.� Just as the sun shine warms and supports life in its spring time agenda, we are called to emerge to our light.� Take the time to make a plan of your action, be sure to set measurable and attainable goals for yourself in what you want to give birth.� This is your spring, a chance to allow your beauty to fill the air because you deserve it.

Have a beauty-spring filled day!

riNa

Millions celebrate this essential aspect of life, so much so that a holiday was even established to honor it – Love.

Romantic love is great, filled with passion and blood surging red tones, but the love that will be discussed today is one the rings with the purity of a white hearted quality.

Where does my love grow?

The bond of shared life, the connection and responsibility that comes with this truth are the roots of my love tree.

How strong is my trunk?

It is this realization that helps me tolerate slight annoyances and show an out pour of kindness to others.� Love is a motivational force that often governs my actions when I remember to stay present.

I have once heard that the basis of yoga is love

Yoga is the union of the self and love is often the seeker of bringing union or peace to life and situations.� In my mind it sounds right that the two are in a sense synonyms in their quality.� I find yoga helps me to grow within, building the relationship with my intimate self, learning to first tolerate myself, transform myself and finally love myself.� It is here the birth of love can be born, it is this love we then can take out into the world.

Not just a cliche

Imagine a world where every one literally practiced Love.

Have a love filled and inspired day!

riNa

Finding your new “feet” for the new year is a rewarding goal.  Feet can symbolize the ground as in establishing your directional path.  What is it that your feet should strive toward?  This could be answered by looking at your body to create the feet – body union.

It is essential to develop your body’s ear.  What should this “ear” be listening for you may wonder.

Try asking yourself…..

What is it that your body, your inner heart’s wish is telling you?

That is right, for what your yin or feminine energy is wanting most.  Your desire maybe finding a more ideal job expressing your talents as an artist, singer, writer, perhaps traveling or making healthier life style choices.  Only you know what it is that you crave here and now.

Next…..

Allow your yang or masculine energy execute that want for you by having your figurative “feet” actively going into the world to manifest your inner passion.

This is a new year, a new beginning to carry out the art of happy living.  Grasping a more fulfilled life, don’t deny yourself of this joy.

Have a beauty – fulfilled day!

rina

The Latin scientific term solstitium, Sol “sun” and Stitium “stoppage” and the modern Latin derivative term solstice, Sol “sun” and Sistere “to stand still” is a good indicator of what we often experience during the Winter season.

The Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun which gives birth to the creation of longer nights, shorter days.

This unique time can be used as a two-fold learning ground.  Lengthier stretches of night can be a time for our symbolic need of hibernation and rest.  A season to take time in the art of caring for ourselves.  Finding the benefits in nurturing the physical, spiritual and creative dimensions of us.

For others they may find that venturing into the dark and cold can suppress their mood and energy levels.  In helping combat some of the negative tendencies that may come with being in these longer periods of darkens, try establishing a regular exercise or yoga routine, making use of light therapy and there are published study articles demonstrating negative ion exposure can help elevate the mood (ex: air purification machine, plants etc).

A time to take extra care of your welfare can fuel you through the brewing of winter into the beauty that waits to be given birth in spring.

Have yourself a sparkling and beauty filled season!

riNa

Thank you Sun, Thank you flower

November can be a great reminder to put into practice its symbolic cheer.

November is a month that carries a certain symbolic edge to it, the type that rings not of love like the romantic February nor candy and costumes which is ghoulish October; but rather it embodies the graceful spirit of thankfulness.

Being grateful and thankful for all the good things in one’s life may not come naturally but is a habit worth cultivating.

Being the 30^th of this lovely month, why not use a few minutes before bed to jot down thirty things you appreciate in your life!

In the process of implementing your practice, you may just find that your mood has been elevated and you are singing to a more cheerful tune.

Have a beautifully thankful day!

riNa

I often find my excitement rise when this festive holiday of pumpkins and costumes draws closer. I find that the putting on of a mask, applying the costume make-up and donning on the unique apparel allows me to become something else, freely expressing myself for that one special night. It is a time for laughter, smiles and being in the “spirit” of this new role I have created for the night of Halloween.

Yoga is my year round treat, it gives me a chance to be multiple characters. Through different asanas or poses I am able to feel the spirit of that which I am being and can take on any one of these roles when it is needed out in my every day life.

When feeling a little weak and needing some strength, I like to take on the quality of a Warrior.

When feeling a little timid I try evoking the Lion spirit.

When wanting to feel more desirable and connected with my feminine energy I slip into the Goddess pose or Half Moon.

When I start to notice I am a bit too much in the air, I anchor that with a grounding pose.

Next time you are in your asana practice use it to capture the spirits of the poses, just as if you were putting on that favorite Halloween costume.

What insights can we glean from a specific pose? What are those poses trying to tell us about ourselves? Lessons will be learned from the light we recognize within ourselves.

Have a beauty trick and treat filled day!

riNa

As sunrays offer growth, so we too can help those grow stronger

I read a very interesting article located at http://www.naturalnews.com. The title reads, “Chemotherapy Treatment of Children Multiplies Risk of Cancer Later in Life.”

Below is the quoted introduction on the topic. Please go to above site to read complete article – it is worth it.

“Adults who underwent chemotherapy as children are at a significantly higher risk of developing cancer as adults, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, Denmark, and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.”

My thoughts…

You can imagine my shock and sadness upon reading this article. It got me thinking about something I would like to bring to the table of children dealing with cancers.

I am envisioning a yoga therapy program specifically catered to children while they are patients at an oncology ward.

The break down…

This program could be offered twice or three times a week in the hospital setting and would last 15 minutes in duration. The program would be open to all children on the ward but it would be specifically geared toward kids that were going to have a a scheduled procedure (often times painful).

The child would come to the safe place yoga room and spend 15 minutes with the yoga therapists/teacher. In the 15minutes, different methods would be taught to the child along with gentle yoga poses (geared towards those with cancer) that would enable the child to use all these great tools as a way of helping them navigate through the difficulties that they are experiencing.

Ward time…

Being in a hospital setting can be very stressful and painful to the patients. Every week I see how difficult it is for adult patients to cope with their illness so can you imagine more so how scary it must be for a child? Not only is the child going through a sense of “no control” over what is happening to their body, they are often experiencing physical pain along with the psychological stress.

Oncology Yoga Benefits?…

Just take the time to reflect on why you love your yoga practice so much. Now reflect on how you feel after you have finished a yoga class. Now all the great benefits adults get from practicing yoga are the same for children, after all they are just small and cuter versions of us.

It is a fact that yoga not only helps the mind but also our physiology. After all our physical and energetic selves are intertwined.

The pre procedure yoga sessions would aid immensely in helping the child ease their fear, restore their sense of control, build their confidence and courage, improve their mood, help them relax, reduce some of the nausea and some of the other side effects that come along with treatments.

There have been countless research articles studying and proving the beneficial effects of yoga on individuals dealing with cancer, and it great that some health care institutions are starting to recognize the powerful and positive effects of other healing modalities.

My hope is that one day I can some how be a part of a program where yoga is brought to the pediatric oncology wards in an effort to help them heal.

Have a beauty filled day and give thanks for what you have today.

riNa

You could approach any one of my friends and family and ask them what my Achilles heel would be, they’ll all respond with a resounding – chocolate! Yes it is true, I can’t help this desire, I blame it on my Aztec ancestors who drank it so much but none the less, chocolate is my super duper rich lover and my husband is perfectly fine with that. Since I am a fan it would be a shame not to write about it.

So this is my chocolate gift to you, some interesting facts about our lovely rich friend that I have come across in Internet articles, different conducted researches and word of mouth, please feel free to dive further into this topic. After all yoga is about living your life with consciousness and I just want to make sure you all are conscious of how goooood chocolate is for you:)

1. Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay, so you wont find me lightening up on my chocolate load before my Dental visit.

2. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator – is that why I am so moody :-p

3. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid, some of which help neutralize cholesterol.

4. Cocoa helps our bodies process nitric oxide, which is an essential compound for healthy blood flow and blood pressure. There was a study done on the indigenous Kuna people which found that they rarely developed high blood pressure. This was attributed to their consumption of five cups of cocoa a day. In the name of my health I have to start drinking more!

5. The flavanoids in chocolate (called flavanols) may help keep blood vessels elastic. Maybe eating chocolate while I do yoga will help me master the splits?

6. The flavanols in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging the arteries, and make s blood platelets less likely to stick together and cause clots. Chocolate shots for patients rather than heparin ones – jk.

7. Flavanol the chocolate flavanoid is an anti-oxidant (protect us from those free radical bastards!).

8. Mexican healers use chocolate to treat bronchitis and insect bites. No wonder my mama always carried around her little pouch of chocolate.

And remember to try to support fair trade, organic chocolates and most benefits come from the pure dark source!

Here is a lovely raw organic chocolate site that offers some pure yummy goodness: http://www.earthsourceorganics.com.

Check it out, enjoy and have a beauty chocolate – filled day!

riNa