Day 340 Intention ~ Take a breath...or several

Day 340 Intention ~ Take a breath...or several

Long, slow breaths are so healthy for us. They help the heart rate go down, can lower blood pressure and calm the nervous system. This can allow us to sleep better and yes, calm the mind. 

Today I will be teaching people how to breathe. I still get a little nervous (good nervous) going into situations with people I've never met, and leading a group. I think that is normal, and believe me, in middle & high school, even most of college, the idea of talking in front of the group would give me heart palpitations that could be heard in China. So, I feel like I have grown in that respect. Ironically, practicing the same thing I am going to teach these folks today will allow me to be calm when teaching them!

Lots of it is yoga, lots of it is learning how to breathe. 

Let's go over just a simple breath that you can take with you if you are ever feeling stressed whether at work, driving, at home or if you can sleep. 

Ujjayi breath, which means victorious breath, starts by sitting or standing up, nice and tall. (If you can't sleep, you can still do this laying down, but be sure you are laying on your back.) Lift the pelvic floor and let the shoulders draw back and down, the chest will lift. The head and neck are in line with the spine with the top of the head drawing up toward the sky. 

Start to breathe in and out through your nose. Find a constriction in the back of the throat in the glottis. With the mouth closed, start to pull the air from the throat although you are still breathing in and out from the nose. The breath will become audible. Some compare it to the ocean, some compare it to Darth Vader, but just know, you will be able to hear it. It does take practice though. Feel your body open and expand with the breath in and contract with the breath out. Practice 10- 40 rounds of this breath. You can even count the breath in and out, trying to find the same count or trying to find a longer count for the exhale. 

Happy breathing!

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 316 Intention ~ Chop It Off

Day 316 Intention ~ Chop It Off

My hair that is! It is long enough that I can safely cut off 10 inches to donate to Locks of Love without feeling like I've lost my identity! ha ha ha. 

I did this a few years back. At that point, I was nervous. It had been a long time since I had a shorter than shoulder length haircut, but today, I'm excited. Besides, it'll grow back. 

Donating the hair for children (and young adults) who have lost their hair for various medical reasons seems like a good way for me to give back to those in need. It's simple and can make a big difference for someone who has gone through enough.

If you are curious about Locks of Love, check out their site: www.locksoflove.org.

This is just one way I like to give back.

How do you like to give back to those in need? 

Why not do something today to help improve someone's well being? I guarantee it will make you feel good & that person feel better than you can even imagine. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 82 Intention ~ Lead with Love

Day 82 Intention ~ Lead with Love

It's free. It's easy. And why the heck not?!?! Being present with an open heart not only makes those around you feel good, but you will feel good too. 

It's a choice. How do you want to face the world? I was in the post office this morning and a man was upset that he may have to come back to pick up his parcel because it wasn't there. He began to lose his temper and raise his voice to the woman working behind the counter. Meanwhile, the line is getting longer and longer while he continues to let the world revolve around him. 

I just kept thinking to myself that if he was just a little nicer about it, she may have been a little more open to helping him work it out. My husband is very good at this. He will talk to folks at the airlines when flights get screwed up and just soothe them into making things work for him (and us, so that's advantageous for me too!) Sometimes we do get put in frustrating positions, but exploding may temporarily make you feel good, it will most likely make the person you're exploding on feel bad and people around the situation will most likely just feel uncomfortable or not want to be around that energy. Once you settle down, you may feel badly for being a jerk and losing your cool. 

Entering that situation in a different way...with love, all those involved will most likely feel good when the situation is over and there won't be any need for guilty feelings later. Besides, it's just plain easier to lead with an open heart. 

The more you give, the more you will receive. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 36 Intention ~ Be Okay Asking for Help

Day 36 Intention ~ Be okay asking for help. 

If you've been reading these intentions, you may have noticed a theme of, well, stress in my posts. It is true. As much as I talk about letting go and being strong and letting the universe unfold as it may, I am still susceptible to stress. But today, I sucked up my ego and asked for help. I had been thinking about a deadline that I have for days now, worrying about my experts not coming through. Today I finally broke down and let my editor know that I wouldn't be ready. "We can extend the deadline.", she said. Poof! That stress was a feeling of relief...at least for now. 

It's amazing what people will put themselves through before just asking for some help. Tucking the ego in and asking for help can be hard for a lot of us, who are taught to be strong, get the job done, and on and on. But, asking for help does not make you weak. It makes you human. Next time you feel yourself pushing yourself to the limit and not getting anywhere, just ask for some help. You may find it's the biggest push you can get. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia