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Welcome to “My Better Day” April newsletter! Each month, “My Better Day” newsletter contains tips for your yoga practice, yoga quotes to bring yoga off the mat and into your life, affirmations to brighten your day and motivate, and more! It is my deep wish for your well-being that I send this newsletter to help make your day a Better Day! In This Issue: Yoga Quote, Practice Yoga Pose, Meditation on the Go, Chakrascope, Namasté, “The purpose is not to crack the egg. The purpose is to drain it of its yoke.” My last newsletter talked about the “in-between sleep and awake” messages we all receive when we listen and ask. I’d mentioned we all receive messages “in-between sleep and awake", as did Albert Einstein when he developed his theory of relativity through a dream. I suggested you find out what works for you. How’s that going? I’ve since started listening to a CD that’s a great continuation to “The Secret” (best-seller six or so years ago with emphasis on the Law of Attraction) called “The Answer” that gives specific ways to use the law of attraction to help grow your business. This CD mentions Albert Einstein used to purposely put himself into a light sleep to solve problems he was working on. Point being, try it - you just might get something worthwhile.Today’s quote is from a dream that I had recently. I kept waking up thinking “wow, what a cool quote.” Upon awakening, I was bemoaning that I wasn’t getting an “in-between sleep and awake” message. Thump on the head as I humbly realized the Universe had been talking to me all night. I loved the deeper meaning the quote evoked for me - how it could be an analogy for using all of your talent but not to the detriment of the body. “Take good care of you so you can take good care of others.” How many times have you found yourself pushing so hard to achieve that you forget to eat, and can’t sleep due to stress and intruding, worrisome thoughts? Or worse, you eat foods that aren’t good for you, and purposely burn the candles at both ends. That kind of living catches up to you quickly. At some point, your energy becomes depleted. We all need some time to regroup, rest, center and ground. (A regular yoga practice might be good to consider?) Remember we don’t live to work, we work to live. So choose life! Choose a vibrant, “our talents used to the max” life! How many of us aren’t using all of our talents? We’ve all heard that we use less brain capacity than is available to us. Whether or not that is a disputed fact, I think we can all agree we have a whole lot more talent waiting to be expressed. We are just afraid to take the leap, not being sure the net will appear, as the famous quote tells us. Even if you aren’t doing it for the money, do it for the passion of doing it. Actually, that’s probably the best way to start experimenting with your passions. Do it for the love of doing it. Soon your life will be filled with more than just the 8 AM-5 PM (or 7AM-10 PM) job you have to pay the bills. You’ll have something fun to look forward to. Looking forward to anything fun, inspiring, fulfilling, restful, etc., actually lifts depression and makes you happier. “Anticipating exciting future events is in itself an instant mood-lifter and can help to fight feelings of depression and anxiety. This must be a conscious decision - mark the event in a journal or diary and make it a date. The plan does not have to be expensive; it may be simply watching the stars at night with a friend or a trip to a pleasant park or nature trail. Being out of the city or town and rambling in nature is a distraction that can quickly change a negative outlook into a more positive one.” In my previous sales positions, I always loved Thursdays better than Fridays. You could still look forward, with anticipation and a blank slate, to the full weekend on Thursday. Come Friday, you were already starting the weekend and the timer was counting down to Monday. Adding a planned event to the weekend made it even better. I loved to plan even just a trip to the bookstore for a cup of coffee and browse-time. Bookstores make me calm down instantly, and looking forward to that pre-planned event made me smile all week. Maybe you like looking at the stars, as suggested above; but you don’t really know all the ins and outs of astronomy, and would like to learn more. Start with your own backyard and a book on astronomy. There are also some great magazines on astronomy which provide information all year corresponding to your area’s night sky that you can pick up at your local bookstore or library: http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx or http://www.amateurastronomy.com/. If you are in the Minneapolis area, try http://twincityamateurastronomers.org/Home.aspx. Go with the looking. Go with the magic of looking. How does it make you feel while you’re doing it? Go with what feels good. The more you feel good, the more you’ll have to feel good about. It’s a natural law of attraction. What you focus on expands. Don’t have enough room, or time, for a full garden; but want to experience growing your own vegetables? Do what my best friend suggested to me many years ago: Pots on the deck! Fresh tomatoes with basil and mozzarella - does that spell summer? Try these: http://www.ehow.com/how_2132988_grow-vegetables-deck.html Maybe you love horses, but don’t own one and/or have never ridden one. Find a petting zoo, a horse riding club, or horse sanctuary to go to. There’s a wonderful wild horse sanctuary in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a day’s drive away (http://www.wildmustangs.com/) that I recommend highly. They have a wonderful tour, and you’ll fall in love with all the horses in their natural environment. Minnesotan’s can try http://www.horserentals.com/minnesota.html and take to the trails on a horse! Locally, there’s also River Valley Riders (http://www.rivervalleyriders.org/) which is a therapeutic horseback-riding and carriage driving program serving people with special needs. Try the Renaissance Festival late summer and watch some jousting. Wisconsin’s Chateau St. Croix winery has an annual polocrosse tournament coming up in July: To quote my absolutely wonderful, motivational, inspirational, daily email from Michael Dooley’s “Totally Unique Thoughts from the Universe” (You can tweak your emails to include your name and goals when you sign up at www.tut.com ) : “Do you know what they all have in common? You know, the billions and billions who came before you, who used to live in the jungles of time and space. Their adventure is over. You know what else? Given another chance, they'd take more risks. Not because they'd always succeed, but because from where they are now, the glory of knowing they at least tried, far exceeds any regrets of never knowing what might have been. Tallyho, For those of you who celebrate Easter and long to do something creative, perhaps you’ve always wanted to try your hand at the ancient art of egg decorating - which leads me to the “rest of the story” (Paul Harvey reference for those of you who remember, and to those who don’t, you probably don’t know who Johnny Carson is either - two men who made us think and smile whom I will always admire). I am very Polish, as you may have guessed; and very proud of being Polish. My parents were born there, and my husband’s grandparents were born there*. My local best friend is Ukrainian—also a Slovak Nation bordering Poland. So naturally when we synchronistically drove by the Ukrainian Gift shop in Roseville recently, (http://www.ukrainiangiftshop.com/index.htm), I enthusiastically shouted out “Ukrainian Gift Shop!” So we stopped to check it out. (Their site claims to be the world’s largest source of Ukrainian Easter eggs & supplies, and they have an expert you can watch in action!) As I entered the store, I was struck with awe at all the real eggs ready for decorating - WITH THEIR YOKES ALL DRAINED. Instantly the dream message came to mind since it had only happened the day before. Suddenly my dream message went from a deeply magical analogy for talents left unused to a straight forward description on how to prepare the eggs for decoration. I could just hear my mom now: “The purpose is not to crack the egg. The purpose is to drain it of its yoke.” The fact that my mother is no longer living just adds to the preciousness of it all. So was she telling me to use my talents, perhaps reminding me to take care of myself, or both? Maybe it was her telling me to try my hand at decorating eggs? Who can really say? As Einstein has been known to say: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” What I know for sure is there was a message and it was meant for me. It involved my mom and memories, as well as brought home the need to use all of my talents while taking care of myself in the process. That leads me to a final point. What the Universe decides to share with you is magical. It’s also logical and straight forward. You just need to give it enough time for the meaning to gel for you - not so much as cracking a code, as it is to drain it of all its meaning. I invite you to share some of your dreams: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Better-Day-Yoga-LLC/495055625435?ref=ts * In the spirit of equal time, and since I love all things Slovak (most especially Polish), I have to mention my absolute favorite place to shop, bar none, Baltic Imports in the St. Anthony Main area: www. balticimports.com as well as Child’s Pose (Sanskrit terms: Balasana, Mudhasana, Garbhasana) Benefits:
This wonderful pose is the favorite of many of my students. It’s the resting pose during class when you need to take a break either physically or emotionally. It’s also a preparation pose for downward facing dog giving beginners the exact extension needed for downward facing dog (when the arms are overhead and the palms are facing the floor), as well as a substitution for downward facing dog pose during sun salutations. Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes surrendering into gravity and a state of non-doing.
Start in an all fours position, with your big toes touching together. Bring your buttocks to rest toward or on your heels. Spread your knees hip-width apart to make space for your upper torso. Bend from the hips—forward and down—folding your upper body onto your thighs. Bring your forehead to the floor, your arms to the floor to rest behind you, palms up; and release your shoulders to the floor. Let the tops of the feet rest on the floor with the soles of the feet facing the ceiling. You can also place a pillow, blanket, or block under your head to help lengthen your back if you find it hard to bend forward; or use the arm option shown below in photo #3.
Other arm options : The arms can be overhead with the palms on the floor and elbows relaxed in extended child’s pose. This arm position stretches your shoulders (Photo #2). Or the palms or fists can be stacked under the forehead (Photo #3 & 4) allowing for greater neck support.
Other modifications : If you have any discomfort in the knees, ankles, or tops of your feet; or have trouble sitting on your heels in this pose: Place a rolled-up yoga mat, folded blanket or towel between the thigh and calf at the inner knee to create more space in your knee joints. And/Or Place a rolled up towel or blanket under the front of the ankles letting your feet hang over the roll. (Photo #5).
If bolsters and blankets are unavailable, as described below, you can try simply resting your chest on a block for greater back support (Photo #6).
Restorative option: If you are new to yoga, or simply want to relax deeper into this pose for more therapeutic effects, try “Supported Child’s Pose” (Sanskrit term: Salamba Balasana). This restorative version soothes your frazzled nerves. The gentle support of your abdomen, heart and head allows your breathing patterns to lengthen as your back releases and expands. A few minutes (3-5 minutes or more) in this pose allows a softening and a release of protective holding patterns in the body. Be sure to rest evenly on either side of the head, turning the other direction at the half-way point. Or try resting on your forehead and slightly tucking your chin toward your chest. Not only will this pose relieve tension in your lower back, but it may also envelope you with a sense of security from childhood days. The pressure of the bolster/blankets on the belly may feel especially good if you are experiencing menstrual cramps. Using blankets (as many as you need), a bolster, or combination of both, place them so your stomach and chest will be gently supported when you bend forward over it. Take care to ensure that the blankets are neatly folded and even, so when you bend forward, the support will be smooth and firm. Your upper body should be completed supported by the bolster or blankets and your thighs. There’s no right or wrong way to place the blankets as it’s a matter of comfort and preference. There’s also no right or wrong way to place your arms. Your arms can reach back toward your feet as described above, or rest forward around the edges of your blankets and or bolster. (Photo #7).
For those who have scoliosis, Elise Browning Miller offers a version of child’s pose not pictured here to help alleviate discomfort and realign your spine: In “all fours” position exhale as your back arches up as in cat pose, leading with the tailbone, naval towards spine, chin towards chest. Stretch your hands out front as in photo #2, and inhale deeply focusing on the concave side where the ribs are compressed. Exhale and move the buttocks back halfway toward the heels. Inhale, and stretch the arms and the pelvis away from each other, with the upper back following the arms and the lower back following the pelvis. Breathe into this position, feeling the intercostal muscles stretching between the ribs and the spine and back muscles lengthening. To help stretch the compressed ribs on the concave side, move the arms toward the convex side, keeping the arms shoulder-width apart. Notice how this movement makes the back more even. After breathing into this position for a minute, move the buttocks all the way back to the heels and relax the arms by your side. Relax the entire body. http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1061 Contraindicated for:
Eating Meditation: This meditation is the introduction used in the program of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and is from one of my absolute favorite authors, John Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. His book Full Catastrophe Living is where I found this intro meditation. This meditation is to remove the idea those of us have that meditation is somehow unusual, mystical or out of the ordinary. Exercise: You have been given three raisins. Bring your attention to the raisins observing them “as if you’ve never seen one before”. Feel the texture; roll one around in your fingers. Notice the color and the innuendos of its surface. Notice any thoughts you have about raisins in general or food in general. Do you like raisins? Dislike them? Note that. Smell the raisins. Finally bring one raisin mindfully to the mouth-with awareness. Be aware of the movement of the hand to mouth. Be aware of how you position it to your mouth. How it feels on your lips, your tongue. Then chew it s-l-o-w-l-y. Experience the actual taste of the raisin in your mouth. Notice when you are ready to swallow being aware of that impulse too. Too often we swallow without thinking perhaps swallowing too soon. Now even imagine that your body is one raisin heavier. The entry here goes on to say that some participants made note that if they ate that way all of the time, they’d eat less but enjoy more what they ate. Some noted the urge to eat all three very quickly. Sound familiar? If you found the above interesting, please consider taking my meditation “how to” classes. Visit my Web-site, www.betterdayyoga.com, for details. If you are familiar with chakras, then you can tell from my logo that I love chakras. The rainbow-colored spheres within my logo are representative of the chakra system within the body. If you are unfamiliar, here’s a quick lesson: There are seven energy centers called chakras (literally “wheels”) that store energy/life force/prana. They are along the spinal column and correlate to major nerve ganglia branching forth from the spinal column. Each has a different relationship to a gland in the body’s endocrine system. Each stimulates different organs and systems in the body. Hatha Yoga activates these energy centers releasing the energy that flows through the spine. Yoga helps these energy centers/nerve bundles to function correctly clearing blocks that may be there. Each chakra also is associated with a mental/emotional focus. In each newsletter I’ll highlight how you can work with a particular chakra to correspond with the season.
Since this month celebrates Easter as well as Earth Day (and for Poles in-the-know, Dyngus Day—the Monday after Easter), it’s about grounding into the earth (root chakra) as we spring forward with willful passion (both the solar plexus charka and the sacral chakra). We’ve covered root chakra and sacral chakra in previous newsletters. As in my previous newsletter, working with chakras is not necessarily an either/or kind of thing. They are all functioning at the same time. This month’s newsletter will work with using the energy of the three “base” chakras as we head on into the season of new beginnings. A quick review of the root chakra (a more in-depth review can be found in my newsletter archives: http://betterdayyoga.com/nov09) reminds us that the first chakra is about grounding. When you’refeeling out of sorts and insecure, ground. You can do this with your breathwork practice, a meditation technique, and/or combine the two and do yoga. Do what brings YOU back to center. Is it reading a favorite passage out of your favorite motivational book? Do that. Is it drinking your morning brew while looking out your window taking in the morning sunrise? Do that. Is it hugging a loved one snuggling on the couch at the end of the day to check in? Do that. A quick review of the sacral chakra (a more in-depth review can be found in my newsletter archives: http://betterdayyoga.com/jan10.htm) reminds us it’s about going with the flow and exploring your passions. It’s about stepping out into the world using your creative talents, come what may. You can do this as described in my opening musings. The Sanskrit word for this chakra translates to mean “one’s own place”. Do what feeds your soul. Whether it’s worth being viewed or heard by others is not important. As a matter of fact, if you’re the least bit hesitant to try something new, start by NOT sharing it with others and remove the worry! Or share with a trusted friend. We haven’t reviewed the solar plexus chakra so I’ll go a bit deeper into that here. The solar plexus chakra is located in your abdomen area - between the navel and the base of the sternum. This is where we find our power. This is where we store our sense of self. It relates to willpower and self esteem. It is where we store our ability to set strong but flexible personal boundaries. “I use the power of my will to get the results I want” is one of my favorite affirmations for this chakra. How strong does that statement make you feel? Say it while in Warrior II position and feel your confidence build! Solar plexus energy is symbolized by bright colors—red and yellow in particular—the color of fire. Think about decorating with some bright accents to play with this energy. Display blazing sunset photographs throughout your home or place a sunset painting in your favorite sitting spot. Dwell on the power of the sunset to summarize the day with the promise of a better tomorrow. Add other fire elements to your home such as candles, lanterns, fireplaces and try increasing the amount of light in general. You can also add these colors to your wardrobe to increase the energy. Now let’s put all three chakras together to create our springboard for making our mark this season! Root chakra: Ground yourself first as you pursue new venues that scare but excite you. The more inner stability you can mentally create, the more grounded life becomes, and the better we are able to cope with change. Your passion awaits you! Use your soul callings as guides to move forward. You probably have some ideas or at least inner inklings. Start there. Next, Sacral chakra: Pick your passion! Pick a passion a week and be your own Columbo detective (Okay for those of you too young to remember Columbo, a good crime mystery today would be The Mentalist or Castle.). Find out ways to explore that passion. Pick small ways if you’re still not sure. Draw with chalk on the driveway with your kids. How did that feel? Try doodling on a notepad. Did that make you feel good? Other creative ideas would be to pick a goal and mind-mapping about THAT, or use that goal and create your own vision board: How did creating that feel? Think of other ways to express creativity. Do that. Then check in with your solar plexus “gut” and see how it feels. Now add Solar Plexus chakra: Once you’re grounding regularly to safeguard against aborting your passions due to fear, put your willpower into play to achieve your heart’s desire. There is nothing safe about claiming your power, but you have to do your own claiming. No one else can do it for you. Claiming your power will get easier and easier as you use the power of your will to achieve your goals and visions. It builds upon itself. Challenge the external labels you use to define yourself. My mantra since I quit my job last August has been “I keep pushing myself off the cliff”. What is your mantra? Make it a strong one. You decide what you will accomplish and then you do it. There is no failure. There is only doing. If you don’t quit, there can never be failure. Your power develops as you take risks and live outside of your comfort level. To quote Oprah Winfrey, “I don't believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.” Do you allow yourself to make mistakes as part of the learning process? That’s a hard one. Fear of mistakes or not being perfect can paralyze your forward movement. There’s freedom to just doing it and doing what you can with where you are at. You have nothing to prove to anyone. You are worthy simply because you exist. Free yourself. In yoga class, I tell my students there’s no competition, judgment, or expectation. That includes with yourself. I add that there is no perfect pose, all poses are optional, and every pose looks different on every body. Apply that same thought process to your life. Use your willpower to do the best you can where you are with what you have. That’s yoga. That’s your life on solar plexus chakra energy. Start to work your solar plexus energy. Set some reasonable intentions in the morning and use your will to get the results you want. Pick that weekly passion suggested earlier to pursue, and chip away at bringing it into your life piecemeal. Strengthen your will. Do it now. If not know, when? “She wasn’t where she had been. She wasn’t where she was going…but she was on her way.” Jodi Hills . Breathwork and Visualization: Grounding breath This breathwork is also visualization so I’m combining the two this month. It’s a simpler but similar version to last month’s chakra meditation. Make it a part of your arsenal to ground regularly as you start taking risks toward achieving your passions. It has become a regular practice for me so that when I really need it, it’s easily accessible because I have “muscle memory” from practicing it: You can do this breath visualization standing, sitting, or lying down. Take a deep inhale with eyes closed visualizing all your scattered energies coming back to you at center, like you’re a magnet attracting back to you what was yours to begin with. As you exhale, send your breath down your feet into the ground down into the earth like roots of a tree. Even picture the dirt pushing away from those roots as your breath energy goes down into the earth. Do this with a few breaths going as deep into the earth as you can - the deeper the better. Doing the above alone without color is a quick, easy-to-remember visualization. If you want to emphasize the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras, visualize a red ball of energy circulating at the base of the spine or tailbone area on the first inhale, pausing naturally there between the in-breath and the out-breath. Then shoot the red energy down into the earth with your roots. Next, visualize an orange ball of energy pausing to circle in the hips, low back, abdomen, and genital region and then send it down. Finally, visualize a yellow ball of energy pausing in the solar plexus area filling that area up with a bright yellow glow before sending the energy down. Combine the three while focusing on one of your passions having been achieved using the fire of all three to ignite your passion! Affirmations :
Diet and the root, sacral, and solar plexus Chakras: As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, foods that share colors with the chakras carry vibrations that can activate or balance your chakras. So that’s a good rule of thumb for a starting point. Root chakra vibrates to the color red, sacral chakra to the color orange, and solar plexus chakra to the color yellow (or as mentioned earlier, bright colors in general like red and yellow….so these chakras all go well together.) A quick review of diet for the root chakra includes eating root vegetables like beets, potatoes and carrots, as well as comfort foods, like millet, warm cereals, and pot roast. What’s your favorite comfort food? It may be something totally different than typical. Go with that. I’ve always loved rice with milk and sweetener. A quick review of diet for the sacral chakra reminds us to drink more water as its element is water - going with the flow. Not enough water is a cause of fatigue, constipation, arthritis, back and neck pain, hunger, depression, and allergies! Drink more clean, purified water! Solar plexus chakra is related to the “fire element”. To increase this energy, think hot, spicy foods and hot teas. Avoid cold drinks. Aromatherapy and root, sacral, and solar plexus Chakras: Previous newsletters gave sandalwood, patchouli, pine, cedar, balsam fir, and frankincense as grounding root chakra scents. Comfort scents can be personal, so go with what grounds you. Jasmine, ylang ylang, cinnamon, tangerine, rose, rose geranium, geranium, clary sage, and again, patchouli were the sacral chakra scents. What scent are you passionate about? Solar plexus chakra scents include peppermint, chamomile, bergamot, juniper and lavender (the universal scent of all chakras mentioned last month). Why not try a blend taking a favorite scent from all three categories? If aromatherapy interests you, I use Young Living Essential Oils™ which are therapeutic, food-grade oils. Please inquire if you are interested in purchasing a favorite scent and I can add your request to my personal monthly order. Alternatively, my longtime friend and Webmaster, Brenda Brousseau has an excellent selection of oils as well. You can link to her Web site from my links page at www.betterdayyoga.com or access it directly www.pinkmoonhallow.us . Gem therapy and the root, sacral, and solar plexus Chakras: Gemstones amplify the energy when placed in contact with your chakras. For those of you unsure on this subject, consider that it’s scientifically proven that everything is energy. Nothing is really solid. Why wouldn’t the energy of a stone work effectively with the energy in our bodies just as some research speculates that the energy of computers, cell phones, and microwaves may affect our bodies? At the very least, I find that holding a favorite stone is like a talisman for me, or a “worry stone”. As my favorite author, Wayne Dyer, likes to say, “If it’s a placebo effect, I’ll take two”. A quick review of gem therapy for the root and sacral chakras includes: Hematite, smokey quartz, garnet, and black tourmaline for the root chakra; and coral, citrine, moonstone, pearl, aquamarine, and clear quartz (also the universal chakra gem from last month) for the sacral chakra. Some solar plexus chakra gems are: Green jade, blue sapphire, topaz, and ruby, among others. A great choice for this month’s three-chakra combination could be: Red jasper which encourages open and honest dealings with oneself and others; stimulates root, sacral and solar plexus, a gem of the physical, earthy & sexual. If gem therapy interests you, you can find a great selection at www.crystallinelight.com or you can also link to her Web site from my links page at www.betterdayyoga.com. I’ve known Jennifer, the owner, for many years and love her products! Yoga poses for stimulating the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras: As mentioned earlier, all yoga poses work each of the seven major chakras with specific ones addressing specific chakras. My favorite grounding yoga pose is highlighted in this month’s yoga pose—child’s pose. My favorite sacral chakra pose is triangle pose, highlighted in December’s newsletter. There are others, of course. Revolved triangle pose works with the solar plexus chakra. Twists, in general, work with the solar plexus chakra, as do poses that work the abdomen such as belly rolls and stomach crunches. Plank pose is a great one for the power of our will, as is warrior II. Enjoy!
Prithivi Mudra While I was shopping in the Ukrainian Gift shop mentioned above, I found some religious icons to hang in prominent places. It has always awed me that many religious figures are shown holding hand mudras. I don’t remember ever being told why religious figures were holding their hands in various positions when I was a child, nor do I remember asking. I’ve always found it interesting. How about you? The hand mudra for this month reflects the hand mudra Jesus was holding on an icon I bought at the Ukrainian gift shop. It is referred to as the “Earth Mudra” so it’s a perfect one to look at in honor of Earth day later this month, April 22nd! This mudra can eliminate root chakra deficit and helps balance the earth element in the body. Feeling physically or psychologically strong and vital is one of the attributes of root chakra energy. This mudra also intensifies the sense of smell and is good for nails, skin, hair, and bones - now you have to love that! It restores equilibrium and trust (again back to the root chakra attributes), as well as stimulates body temperature, the liver, and the stomach.* This mudra also increases tolerance and patience and is helpful for those who practice meditation. Using the analogy of new plant growth in the spring, rooting into the ground gives stability and facilitates nutrient absorption. The plant stems and leaves grow upward toward the light to blossom and bear fruit. This is a great analogy for the chakras discussed earlier and how we can apply them to our life. We all need stability and nourishment to grow and be effective in our place in the world. Once we find our purpose, our inner yearnings tell us we must grow toward it to express our fullest potential - to use all of our talents to the max. This mudra “gives us everything we need for a meaningful life.” Use it when you “feel insecure and need inner stability and self-assurance.” I love affirmations and use “oracle” decks to provide a positive boost in the morning or whenever I need a lift. It’s my way of telling the Universe I’m open to listening to their message: “Have at it!” “I’m listening!” “Tell me more!” I hope you enjoy as I introduce some of my favorite cards and quotes in my newsletters! These make great gifts for any occasion as well as can be used as inspirational hand-outs in class if you are a yoga instructor. This month’s deck is a perfect companion to this month’s theme about listening to your inner voice, grounding into the earth, and pulling up the nourishment you need to fulfill your purpose. The author, Lynn V. Andrews, has also written 19 books about her adventures and personal growth while having “ worked and studied with an extraordinary group of shaman women, many of them elders, from indigenous cultures all over the world.” I’ve owned this deck for over 20 years and thoroughly enjoy each and every card. It has become one of my favorite decks because I love the deep meaning of both artwork and text. The artwork alone is amazing. To purchase your very own, go to: http://lynnandrews.com/retail/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=27 The Power Deck, Cards of Wisdom , © 1991 by Lynn V. Andrews My favorite card entitled “magic” is highlighted here. The link for purchase also highlights the “balance” card.
Back of card text: —36— Magic If you do not believe in magic, your life will not be magical. Magic, like the power of Stonehenge, is part of the unknowable—that which you cannot describe, but which exists and makes your life extraordinary. It is part of the goodness of your spirit. It is that mysterious and intriguing part of your spiritual life. Magic is what we are all looking for, but if you try to hold it and name it and describe it, you will lose it. You must talk around magic, describe what led you there, and give thanks for that part of the universe that is unknowable and full of color and strength and magic. Out of relationship comes magic. Out of the friction of forgetting and remembering comes magic. Out of the mists of dawn and the mysteries of creation comes the magic that we call life. Out of your passion for existence comes magic. Definition of the artwork on the card: The painting is entitled Ancient Astronomers. To have power in life, you must take power. Power is never just given to you. Stonehenge is an ancient sanctuary and sacred circle of monoliths. The monoliths were carefully assembled to draw up the power of the universe that is within the earth, as symbolized by the spheres in the explosion of eternity beneath the circle. What is in the universe above you is in the earth below you. The author’s home page has this wonderful prayer I have to share: Your life has meaning. Your life is special.Your life is like no other. So celebrate your differences. Celebrate your power. Celebrate the integrity of your very special personality. When you know that your life is sacred, then you begin to realize that you have a sense of mission, or purpose, in your life. That sense of purpose makes you search for what is true and what is real. Magic becomes an everyday occurrence in your life. Back in November, I highlighted one of my favorite decks—a wonderfully whimsical, inspiring, thought-provoking Enrichuals© deck, created by local author, artist and creativity coach, Suzanne Vadnais Monson. Refer to the November newsletter archive for a sample card. Suzanne has graciously agreed to let me make them available on Better Day Yoga’s product page online! http://betterdayyoga.com/products.htm Yoga builds strength and lessens pain I can relate to chronic back pain that just won’t go away. How about you? That is until I started doing yoga! Lower back pain is a major public health issue. Studies suggest that 70% to 85% of the population experience one or more episodes during their lifetimes. Directly-related medical costs exceed $34 billion per year. The National Institute of Health did a study that confirmed yoga sends chronic back pain packing. This translated to a better mood and better ability to function. Twelve weeks of 90-minute yoga classes twice a week resulted in a 42 percent reduction in pain, and a reduction in intake of pain medication. Researchers also found that practicing yoga regularly decreased symptoms of depression by 45.7 percent! To read more about the study, go to: http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/BackPain/15825
You can hear the full CD during one of my yoga classes, or purchase it for your own listening pleasure with sound tracks to listen to as samples at At Vita Bella we offer a holistic approach to revitalize your whole being by addressing the mind, body, emotional and spiritual self. Services include: aromatherapy; brain gym; emotional release; healing touch; massage; yoga; meditation classes; facial exercise classes; skin care; individual, family, couples and group therapy; and poetry therapy. Spirit River Gallery & Exchange is a place of education, classes & lectures; books, gifts & art; and a place where one can come for spiritual counseling from a variety of established and up-and-coming intuitives, and rejuvenation from healers. My second location at Spirit River Gallery & Exchange in Anoka is off to a great start! If you or any of your friends are interested in doing yoga at the Anoka location for a 45-minute noon starting time class, please let me know! We’ve had some interest and are gathering names to determine which day to offer class - Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday! There are 9:30 AM classes available Tuesday and Thursday as well as an 8:30 AM class Wednesday morning, and a 6:30 PM class Thursday evening (next class time for Thursday PM is April 8th). Please call before coming to register (612-708-6900) and to make sure the minimum has been reached for class. Please refer to my class schedule link http://betterdayyoga.com/class.htm for class times at both my Little Canada and Anoka locations. Yoga Party / Yoga to go? Yes, a yoga party! Yoga birthday parties, yoga cocktail parties, yoga bridal parties, yoga book-club parties - you fill in the blank! If you have space in your home or group meeting place, all you need to do is show up in comfortable clothes, and I bring everything else - the music, candles, incense (if you like that sort of thing), and mats. If you want more, my colleague, Gretchen Hildebrandt can also provide therapeutic massage as part of the package, and/or I can also offer facial exercise/acupressure and self-massage techniques. After a yoga party, people have so much energy, and they communicate with each other at a totally different level. Please call to discuss your perfect stress-relief package! If you are interested in a custom sampler event, please contact me!
Please let me know if you and a few of your friends would like to create your own custom sampler evening! During our sampler evenings, you receive hand-outs, enjoy sampler sessions, or sign-up for upcoming services/classes. Our sampler events at Vita Bella are free with a suggested tax-deductible $10 donation to River Valley Riders which is a therapeutic horseback-riding and carriage driving program serving people with special needs. If you are interested in a sampler night at Spirit River Gallery & Exchange, I will coordinate a date with the owner there for a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evening. Please call to discuss!
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anaïs Nin
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