As our world has taken a turn we didn’t ask for directly, “maybe for some us we did” we have been faced with the question of what our lives pre – Covid19 were like? Were you on cruise control allowing things to be a normal part of your existence because you knew nothing else? Who can remember when television used to actually turn off until the next morning? When if you did not buy the batteries for the Christmas toy your child would not play with it until the next week or day. Something happened and the world never closed or slept. We normalized it and looked the other way perhaps! Human hamsters on the wheel of life and in some ways afraid of jumping off maybe? What would I do, were would I go, how would the life I had bought into continue to be maintained for our families? The expensively high mortgages, fancy cars, boats, expensive vacations and the list goes on and on! I’m not condoning monetary success in and way, I’m just asking a few questions!

As you continue to move in a direction that will provide you with a sense of peace within, that will add a different level of value to your place here, not position! What does that look like stepping outside yourself and observing you, the new person in your shoes? Is it all about you or can we give something about ourselves away because we realize that we can’t keep it until we can give it away! How will we contribute to the fabric? How does our influence help to bring about positive change? And at the end of the day, will we make ourselves proud when no one is watching?

“You have to be able to imagine lives that are not yours.”

Wendell Berry

Experiences

“You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are the sound of the ocean, the breath of fresh air, the brightest light and the darkest corner. You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single day. So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence. Let the words run through you veins and let the colors fill your mind.”

As much as I enjoy sports in person I appreciate them just as much on television. But the cool thing about listening on the radio is that the commentators have  to paint a pretty cool picture.

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Self – Worth

Jealousy is simply and clearly the fear that you do not have value. Jealousy scans for the evidence to prove the point that others will be preferred and rewarded more than you. There is only one alternative – self value. If you cannot love yourself, you will not believe that you are loved. You will always think it’s a mistake or luck. Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within. Find the seeds of your jealousy, clear the old voices and experiences. Put all the energy into building your personal and emotional security. Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them.    -Jennifer James

There was a time in my life when I struggled loving myself. I always had lots of love coming from others, but there was something about the person that stared back at me in the mirror that felt empty. I looked for mind altering things to fill this void….relationships could not fill it, surrounding myself around others constantly could not do it. Because at the end of the day the mirror was near and I was empty and hungry. Stevie Wonder has a song on his album,” Conversation Piece” that talks about being in a crowd of 10 thousand people and feeling lonely. Been there many times personally!  I spent my 30’s clearing away the wreckage of my 20’s and it wasn’t until my 40’s that things started to come together and make sense. I remember looking at me in the mirror to start my day  and literally embracing myself in a self hug and  saying,” I Love You Man.” And eventually the person that I saw in the mirror stopped staring back! He became my friend and the love of my life. He realized there was no such thing as a good day or bad day, just opportunities to shine and to show your true magnificence. And now that I’m in my 50’s I’m truly starting to live.

The physical image of the  person in the mirror will eventually begin to change and fade, but the love we have for ourselves does not have to. These are the things that I try to instill in my girls, “love yourself in a way that know one else can!” If you truly love yourself would you walk into a crowd of people with a bomb strapped to you and destroy yourself along with the hopes and dreams of others?

Teaching schedule:

YOGA WORKS MISSION VIEJO

VINYASA FLOW 11/20 12-1:10 level 2/3

VINYASA FLOW 11/21 9:30-10:55 level 2

A STILL HAVE LIMITED TIMES AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE MASSAGE

Thanks for your patience for retreat details, they should be available next week.

The wisdom in me recognizes the wisdom in you….The spirit in me acknowledges the spirit in you…. And the love in me embraces the love in you….

Until we meet again,

Namaste

“It’s not the touching the of the toes that matters the most, it’s the journey on the way down to touching them that matters.”

When I found yoga ten years ago I was broken and ready to love my body as opposed to the grind that I had been putting it through as a gym rat. I continued to put it through the same paces I was accustomed to as a football player because it’s all I knew. I quickly learned that I could love myself and be gentle and it was okay! I found out it was the ease within the effort that gave me more. Coming to the mat with pre-existing back issues from my days of putting hundreds of pounds on my shoulders and squatting in the name of I don’t know what forced me to really go deeper than the physical. It’s how the connection between breath and movement makes me feel that matters to me and I infuse  that philosophy into my teaching.

My very first chiropractor told me that yoga had saved my life! She then went on to say that she treats former athletes that played the length of time I did and that they are a wreck…I quickly agreed and told her I already knew that. I’ve learned that feeling good can quickly change if you’re not mindful of the way you move always. Just because I did something with ease yesterday does not make it automatic for me to the same things today. However, if I approach whatever I’m doing with grace and ease it might happen. It’s nice to live in the present so that I can continue to find the beautiful balance between to much and not enough. I’ve found that in my daily practice of life, whether it be on or off the mat that it is possible to give less and gain so much more.

Teaching schedule:

YOGA WORKS MISSION VIEJO

VINYASA FLOW 11/13 12-1:10 level 2/3

VINYASA FLOW 11/14 9:30-10:55 level 2

A STILL HAVE LIMITED TIMES AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE MASSAGE

Thanks for your patience for retreat details, I’m anxiously awaiting the flyers and date confirmation along with you

The wisdom in me recognizes the wisdom in you….The spirit in me acknowledges the spirit in you…. And the love in me embraces the love in you….

Until we meet again,

Namaste

“If You Can Think And Not Make Thoughts You Aim”

Newport Float Therapy

What is a flotation chamber?
Our chambers provide a light and sound free environment containing 12” of solution of water and about 1,000 lbs. of dissolved Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate). The water is heated to skin temperature (about 95 degrees). The participant floats effortlessly with neither sound or light inputs.

What are the benefits of floating?
Stress reduction
Lessens blood pressure
Relaxation
Enhances concentration and focus
Relieves joint inflammation
Pain relief from injuries

And for 90 minutes I floated trusting that I was safe within the unknown and well protected. I entered exhausted from a productive and super busy work week. My back was achey, my braid was fried and I had been anticipating this experience for some time now. I knew I would drift into a restful sleep even prior to my session because of the fatigue I was living with, but I did not know when or how it would feel as I transitioned.

When I laid back I could not help but smile with excitement, that’s the kid in me! It was peaceful, warm, but a little stuffy like the lack of circulated air. Within my dark bliss I could here pings on occasions and felt what I can only describe as zaps of electrical impulses in my brain as if I were being recalibrated some how. I found peace in the rise and fall of my belly and the occasional touch of the walls around me on my feet. I wondered would I be able to endure 90 minutes, was something in the water that I could not see that would cause me harm? But somewhere deep within those thoughts the piano music that signaled it was time to rise and shine began to soothe my ears. I must had slept, “I thought, because I felt rested and serene.” I exited the chamber to shower and prepared for my journey home. The drive was surreal and quiet, as I didn’t want the noise of music to rob me of my experience.

I awaked this morning in a pool of sweat feeling cleansed as if I had fasted for a week. I felt sharp, light and with less noise running through my brain during my meditation. My senses feel heightened and my body feels calm and at ease. I’m looking forward already to my next voyage into the unknown as I continue to work a little deeper as I discover and rediscover more of me.

HAPPY FAST FRIDAY – join me from noon today until noon tomorrow giving our systems a well deserved break

Teaching schedule:

YOGA WORKS MISSION VIEJO

VINYASA FLOW 11/6 12-1:10 level 2/3

VINYASA FLOW 11/7 9:30-10:55 level 2

A STILL HAVE LIMITED TIMES AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE MASSAGE

Thanks for your patience for retreat details, I’m anxiously awaiting the flyers and date confirmation along with you

The wisdom in me recognizes the wisdom in you….The spirit in me acknowledges the spirit in you…. And the love in me embraces the love in you….

Until we meet again

Nameste

“Surround yourself with people that add to your life! It’s basic addition and subtraction….either a person adds or takes away.”

For me there is nothing like the human touch that comes with so much warmth, love and sensitivity during a massage.  I’m a hand and thumb therapist personally, as opposed to forearms and elbows! They allow me to feel with much more awareness as to what’s going on within and where I need to focus my energy and attention. But when you can’t or need some self care in-between bodywork sessions here are a few of my favorite therapy aids:

Foam Roller

 Acuball

Theracane

Yoga Therapy Balls

Bodyfit/Giant Therapy Ball

1.Foam Roller – great for the side body(i.e….. IT Bands, latissimus dorsi)

2. Acuball – my new favorite for the gluteus medias, piriformis, SI joint, sub scapula and occiput.

3.Theracane – comes with a manual that shows you all the trigger points and because of it’s design allows you to work as deep as you want while creating some cross friction.

4.Yoga Therapy Balls – allow you to give your entire body a self massage because they are firm enough to get into the connective tissue while not irritating the skeletal system.

5. Bodyfit/Physical Therapy Ball – After a long day of the shoulders folding forward this amazing aid allows you to open and stretch the upper pectoral muscles, decompress the spine and close the eyes for some mediation for 5,10 or 15 minutes. For those who don’t have a regular mediation practice it might be the first time within your day to do just nothing.

Although I have my favorite I love them all! The key is to use them. That for most is the hardest part because it takes a lot of discipline. It’s like wanting the financial reward that comes with being famous, but not realizing the hard work and effort that goes along with it. I can only do so much as a therapist, we are a team! And together WE can make a difference in your health and well being.

To Be Continued:

Remember today is fast Friday

Join me today: 

10/30 in Mission Viejo Yoga Works Vinyasa Flow level 2/3 12-1:10

Tomorrow:

10/31 Mission Viejo Yoga Works Vinyasa Flow level 2 9:30-10:55

Mexico Retreat info is still in the creating stages

The wisdom in me recognizes the wisdom in you….The spirit in me acknowledges the spirit in you…. And the love in me embraces the love in you….

Until we meet again

Nameste