Day 233 Intention ~ Take Some Time to Regroup

Day 233 Intention ~ Take Some Time To Regroup

Having many different responsibilities and obligations seems to be either the American way or maybe just how life goes. 

Between teaching classes, writing, working for JAK, changing teaching schedules, meetings, cleaning, shopping, preparing meals, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, getting my own practice in and on and on, things can get jumbled in my head. 

Today, luckily, at least for the rest of summer, is one of my mellow weekdays. It allows me to stop and think and put things in order in my head. These days are important to have. If they didn't happen every once in awhile, I would turn into that frazzled, burned out yoga teacher from which no one would want to take a class. 

If this doesn't seem like a possibility in your coming days, even just taking 10 minutes in the morning, midday, or really, whenever you can and just meditating can help clear the mind. It can help to bring back focus and calm. 

Find a comfortable seat, sit up nice and tall and close your eyes. Focus on the 3rd eye and breathe. When outside thoughts float in, and believe me, they will, just acknowledge them and let them float right back out. It's unbelievable how just a short meditation can turn your mind and day around. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 226 Intention ~ Continue Learning

Day 226 Intention ~ Continue Learning

Keeping our brain working and learning new things throughout our lives helps us with preventing senility in old age. Teaching yoga is always a constant learning process. I learn from my students every class I teach. I try to learn new things to do in class to teach, but sometimes I get caught up in a rut and teach the same things over and over. 

This fall a new challenge is coming to me. I am putting together a meditation group at one of the venues that I teach. I have been doing tons of reading on the subject, which has made me feel more focused and calm just reading about it! 

But the reality is, I am learning a lot about it. Different methods, different parts of ourselves and our lives that we can work with through meditation. It is pretty exciting. 

I encourage you to continue studying in this life, no matter what the topic. Learning really is fun if it is something you love. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 198 Intention ~ Get Creative

Day 198 Intention ~ Get Creative

Okay, so I am not claiming to completely understand all of this planetary/stars alignment stuff, but according to the astrologers, today is the beginning of this "golden triangle" for all of the water signs that hasn't happened for the last 10 plus years. Being a pisces, of course, I am interested in this. 

Apparently it is a great time to get creative, especially if you are in publishing at all (ahem, I consider myself kind of a writer these days...), so it is time for me to stop thinking about things I could write and actually write them! 

So, over the next few days while this golden triangle is at its strongest, I am to at least write my ideas down, if not just get cracking on it. We will see what happens...let the words start to flow. 

One thing this forecast said is that things won't just fall in my (or your) lap, you have to work for it. Bummer, but c'mon we knew that, right? So, just like in our practice, you don't just pop up into handstand in your first class, well, maybe you did, but I certainly did not. Practice is key. Work is key. It's that way with asana practice. It's the same way with meditation practice. The more you do it, the easier it gets to start letting the outside thoughts go, the easier it is to sit in one position without moving, the easier it is to find that inner focus so that you can see and feel the whole universe inside of you. 

"Practice & all is coming." ~ Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

It's true. So keep it up. Work for it. Keep the energy flowing and get creative with it. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 178 Intention ~ Relax In The Midst Of It All

Day 178 Intention ~ Relax in the midst of it all...

Today is a busy busy day for me, but with a break between the (yikes!) five classes that I am teaching today, I have found a chance to get back into teaching mode and not tired burned out mode. It's great to find little chances to take even a 5 minute break at times and allow your mind to let go of all the daily grind and concern that tends to make us wrinkle our faces, drink more coffee and stress out. 

Try this exercise next time you need a little break:

Sit in a comfortable seated position. It can be crossed legged or sitting on your heels. You can also use a blanket or block to get a little lift so that you don't dump down into your lower back. *This can even be done at your desk if getting away is not an option. 

Close your eyes. Relax your shoulders. Still sit up nice and tall. Rest your dominant hand in your less dominant hand and place them in your lap with your thumbs gently touching. 

Start to breathe in and out through the nose. Just the natural breath at first, just letting the body feel ease on the inhale and letting outside thoughts or stress flow out with the exhale. 

Start a mantra. Inhale, say to yourself, "relax" or "let". Exhale, say to yourself, "relax" or "go". If you have a mantra that puts you at ease besides relax or let go, feel free to use it. 

Once you feel more calm. Come back to the rest of your day. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 142 Intention ~ Take My Own Advice

Day 142 Intention ~ Take My Own Advice

I am constantly going on about practice, practice, practice...and meditation and being present and so on and so on. As I wallow in my little funk I've been in, although, I have accepted it for what it is, I simultaneously kind of stopped my practice. 

Hmmm. Connection? No practice = tamasic funk? 

Seems likely. 

Sure, I still drink my green drinks and eat vegan. I pretend in my mind that because I demo a couple of poses during class, that I am practicing my asana practice. (I know my meditation & breathing practice has fallen to the wayside- at least I don't lie to myself about that!) 

But, no wonder I haven't been feeling my normal chipper self!

So, today, and the rest of my days ahead, I will follow my own advice to those around me and practice, practice, practice. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 135 Intention ~ Pull the Weeds

Day 135 Intention ~ Pull the Weeds

Out of my mind! Sure, there's weeds outside too, but today, I am just trying to find some clarity. Too many things have been yanking my brain one way & then another these days and focus has been a struggle. Hence, yesterday's post about not being able to stay in savasana lately. 

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, one of the limbs of the yogic path is dharana. A single-pointed focus. Trying to focus on one thing, it could be a mantra or an image, helps bring clarity. This then leads to the next limb, dhyana, when one actually is meditating. Dharana is a great place to start, along with the breath to bring my mind back to me and "pull some of these weeds."

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 134 Intention ~ Stay in Savasana

Day 134 Intention ~ Stay in Savasana

There's always those people in class, you know the ones, they bolt as soon as the class goes into savasana, also known as corpse pose. I would think to myself, "They're missing the best part!" and go on to my own corpse pose. 

I was taught in teacher training, or at least in the Jivamukti portion, to keep students in savasana for at least 10 minutes. I thought that was fantastic. 

When I first started teaching, especially if I was teaching a 90 minute class, I would always give my students a 90 minute savasana. If they were the darting open eye type, I would be sure to place eye pillows over their eyes to help them draw inward. 

These days, I find my savasana's getting shorter and shorter. Not only in the classes I teach, but in my own personal practice. I am finding that I don't want to run over time in my classes and make my students late for whatever is next on their schedule for the day. For my own practice, I find myself getting restless. Today, I tried to lay there for 10 minutes and could only make it for four. Four minutes!! That is crazy. 

Savasana is so important to help relax the body and allow it to rest after the asana practice. It allows us to go inward and find stillness. This allows us to easily float into meditation. It also allows us to have a "rebirth" after each practice into the new person we are that day, physically, spiritually, mentally & emotionally. Savasana is not to be skipped and preferably not shortened. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 99 Intention ~ Enjoy the Quiet

Day 99 Intention ~ Enjoy the Quiet

Even if it is only for a moment...and perhaps not all that quiet. Sure, I can hear the birds or cars passing by outside, the hum of the computer's hard drive, but just for a few moments it seems so peaceful. 

No music blasting or television blaring. No one talking in my ear...just "quiet". As yogis, we are supposed to be able to find stillness in any situation. Although, sometimes this is possible, it's just more clearing & calming for me (and I am sure others) when it's a little bit quieter around me. I can focus on the breathe, my mind can relax a little more and I feel more peaceful. Sure, I strive to find calmness in any crazy situation going on, but I guess I'm not that enlightened yet...maybe someday! 

But, if we find these little moments of stillness or quiet each day, even if it's just a short moment to start, it can make the rest of our day a little bit more calm. Eventually those moments of quiet become longer and perhaps even stretch into those other less quiet moments. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti,

Marcia

Day 80 Intention ~ Find Santosha

Day 80 Intention ~ Find Santosha

Close your eyes, click your heels 3 times and repeat: "Find santosha, find santosha, find santosha." That is how I feel today. I know it's silly, but this winter has worn me out. Now, the 2nd day of spring and a winter weather advisory is out and it's snowy and just plain cold. Yes, it's Cleveland. Do I expect this? Yes, yes I do. But, for some reason, I'm struggling to find santosha today. 

Santosha is contentment or satisfaction with what you have. It is yoga 101. It is one of the niyamas, also known as a restraint or observance, in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and I am usually pretty good about it. Usually. But, old man winter weather has got me down today. 

Things to do to bring santosha back you ask? 

Well, the obvious and most costly is to book a quick trip to somewhere warm...Caribbean preferred, but anywhere would do. The smarter, wiser choice is to practice yoga asana and meditate. This is what I will do and what I can afford. 

If you are also struggling to find santosha in your day...no matter what is creating the block, yoga asana and meditation will help. Even if it is a short practice. Remember, meditation is a practice too. Start with a few minutes and build. Eventually the mind chatter will start to dissolve or at least give you a break for a few minutes. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 43 Intention ~ To Find Focus

Day 43 Intention ~ To Find Focus

Okay, this may sound like finding stillness like yesterday, but it's different. It's one of those multi-tasking days over here and quite frankly, I need to focus on one thing at a time or else I feel frazzled. Not really in an attempt at meditation, just in a way to get things done. 

In a yogic sense, finding focus is called dharana, the sixth limb in the 8 limbs of yoga, the fixation of the mind. It is a tool to help us actually start to find that single-pointed focus of the mind. You keep focusing on one thing, whether it is a mantra, counting the breath, or staring at the flame of a candle. Trying to bring your focus back to this until the mind becomes steady. Once we gain that single-pointedness, we are one step closer to actually meditating. Believe me, it takes a long time. Many of us will never even get there. But, we keep trying and we do find that we can gain more focus in our day because of practice. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 42 Intention ~ Be Still

Day 42 Intention ~ Be Still

When looking back on the last month, things have been very busy, physically & mentally. Finding that calmness even when the winds are blowing wildly around you can be difficult. The breath and meditation always help to ease an uproarious mind and bring one back to steadiness. When we find this balance, it makes those around us also feel more grounded. 

Practicing yoga poses that make us feel grounded can help bring stillness to the body and mind also. They can help to bring balance back to the muladhara "root" chakra. This chakra represents our survival instincts and when it is balanced, it helps us feel grounded and calm. Focusing on the lower body, rooting and stretching the feet and opening the hamstrings or stretching and strengthening the thighs can help us feel more powerful in our base. Forward folds, mountain pose, warrior poses can help us feel strong while seated poses like cobbler's pose, and other seated forward folds or child's pose can help us reconnect to the Earth. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 41 Intention ~ To Let Go

Day 41 Intention ~ To Let Go

For those of you that read yesterday's intention, yes, I was a little bit upset. It happens. I don't usually like to bring it out to everyone, but I feel very strongly about how others treat others in general, and especially within the yoga community. Practicing ahimsa is one of the first things we are taught to practice in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and practicing it towards one another just seems like a no-brainer. 

But, it is a new day, and it is time to let go of my negative emotions from yesterday. I feel very lucky to have gotten to practice with advanced Jivamukti teacher, Julie Kirkpatrick, today. There was a gentleness to her teaching, although a Jivamukti asana practice is a rigorous practice, and we all moved and breathed together as one. The energy in the room was lovely and supportive. It felt like home. I felt reaffirmed in my practice and of how yogis behave towards one another. I also realized it was time to let go of my emotions from the day before and move forward. Each exhale allowed more release, each inhale, I felt myself expand towards new life and new energy. As I laid in savasana, I felt release and relief. Carrying around those heavy, angry emotions is exhausting. As we breathed in, we mentally said, "let", as we exhaled, we mentally said, "go". As we practiced this over and over, I could feel a lightness take a hold of me and I felt like myself again. 

"Let Go." If you ever find yourself obsessing over something in a negative way or if you are just feeling a little bit stressed and you can't find release, I suggest you try this technique. It can lead you into a nice meditation. Inhale "let", exhale "go". 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti & Namaste, 

Marcia

Day 25 Intention ~ Find Ease and Breath

Day 25 Intention ~ Find Ease & Breath

Maybe it should be find ease and breathe, both work. My African proverb calendar for today offers up a Kenyan proverb that reads, "The bird which flaps its wings too much will drop its feathers." Bringing this to my Westernized world, I read it two ways. The first as flapping one's mouth or talking too much or perhaps talking about others or even just plain complaining about things. Well, it happens. Not gonna lie, I already talked a little sh*t today, so maybe my feathers are going to drop. I hope not. But, I won't do it anymore :)

The other way I interrupt this is to just calm down. Period. Let the mind relax and just become focused and present. Lose the mind chatter. It's #2 in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: "Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah"...yoga happens when the mind-stuff (or chatter) ceases. This will let the other things in life fall into place. Breath work is a great way to calm the mind and find focus. Practicing meditation is another wonderful way to find this focus, or concentration that eventually will lead to real meditation where there are no thoughts and one can enter samadhi, also known as bliss. 

For today, as the snow continues to fall in Cleveland, leaving road conditions less than ideal, I am going to try to use the calm and the breath to allow me to take it easy on my drive to Berea (@ 45 minutes away) and focus on the road and getting there and back safely. Deep breaths...deep breaths....

Til tomorrow.

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 12 Intention ~ To Remain Grateful

Day 12 ~ To remain grateful for this amazing trip...again. 

Time to go home. Feeling ready to get back to my regular life on land again. Keeping this feeling of relaxation, calm and balance going once getting back to the daily grind will be a challenge, but I am going to try. 

To do this, I will stick with the plan. Practice yoga asana, pranayama and meditate daily. Eat healthy...now on to the full vegan! Enjoy each moment, no matter what life throws at you. It's all for a reason, our job is to learn from it. 

Namaste to all. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 5 Intention ~ To turn off

Day 5 Intention ~ To turn off

As of 5:45 yesterday afternoon, vacation officially started. Woo hoo! Yet, my mind is still racing. I keep going over things that I need to do before we leave (of course-that's normal), but also thinking about what needs to get done when we return. I start thinking about bills that need paid, missing classes for a week, etc, etc, etc. 

It's been a little bit over a year since I started working mainly as a yoga instructor, and partly as a writer and a knit assistant, so I feel like I am constantly thinking about work. Although I am doing what I love and feel more fulfilled than ever before, I am not assured a set amount of pay each day/week/year or even class in a lot of instances. In that way, it's so different from when I had a full time salaried job. Granted, my happiness on a daily basis is much greater now, my stress about other things, like, how will I pay for this or that, is greater than it used to be. Is it worth it? Yes. But, the ability to "turn off" is more difficult. I am sure anyone who runs their own business feels this way. 

So, now that I am officially on vacation. My intention is to turn off and savor each moment. I know that doing this will refresh me and make my classes and other work better when I return. 

We all need to "turn off" at some point. To hit our internal "refresh" button. It's healthy for the mind, body and soul. Even if it's just a 10 minute break (although a full day or afternoon would be better!)

I guess going back to yesterday's thoughts on meditation and dharana, dhyana & samadhi need to come back into play, along with some pranayama to help soothe and calm the mind. 

I wish for you all to enjoy each moment & savor this journey no matter what you are doing. 

Til tomorrow...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Day 4 Intention ~ Stay Focused

Day 4 Intention: To stay focused. 

My husband & I are leaving on a vacation Sunday that we have been waiting months and months to go on and, of course, there are many things to tie up before boarding a ship and sailing off to sea for a week. 

That being said, I have a tendency to procrastinate...well, everything! So, today's goal is short and sweet. Stay focused. There is a renovation going on at the studio that I teach at normally on Friday mornings, so my class for this morning was cancelled. This made me think, "Oh, I have all the time in the world to get things done today." As I hung out on the Lazy Boy chair with my cat, sipping coffee and watching a show I recorded on the dvr, it's suddenly 11:30 am and time to get my act together today! 

Dharana is the 6th limb of Patanjali's 8-limbs of yoga, and it means to meditate with single-pointed focus or concentration on an object. This is the first step in meditation.  As we advance in our meditation abilities, we lose that separation between ourselves and the object on which we are meditating, coming into the next stage, dhyana. As we practice and practice meditation, we eventually lose any ego involved and fuse with the universe, and a higher power, finding the final stage, samadhi, also known as bliss. 

Practicing meditation, I have found, allows me to be more focused throughout the day and keep motivated. 

That being said, I am off to meditate and to regain focus before this day slips away.

Shanti, 

Marcia

2013 Intentions

Happy New Year! 

As with each new year that passes, many new & grand resolutions will be made that tend to get thrown by the wayside as soon as the daily post holiday grind hits. Maybe they were too big, too grand...we all do it. Sure, this year I have a few grand "resolutions" that I would like to conquer over the course of 2013, but more importantly, I want to try to  set daily smaller intentions to keep me focused and present. 

Of course, one of my more grand resolutions is to post a blog each day right here regarding my small intention of that particular day. Now, finding time to write can be a struggle on a daily basis, so I am really seeing this as more of a habit change than a resolution (although I suppose most resolutions are habit changes.) You all will find out soon enough if this grand "resolution" loses steam or not. 

Some other larger resolutions this year are to actually practice yoga asana, pranayama & meditation every day of this year, to change my diet to a vegan diet...I am allowing myself a few weeks to make the conversion, only because I am going on vacation in a few days and am not sure if there will be vegan options where I am going, BUT if there are (beyond only salad), I will try to stick to it on vacation also. 

Setting a small intention each day is a great way to help keep focus on what is important. It can make us more present and conscious...today. I think that will allow for a little more appreciation of whatever is going on that day-good, bad, happy, sad, or non-eventful. I invite you to join me in this practice and perhaps start a new good habit to help you become more aware. Keep it simple. Maybe it is as simple as taking 10 deep breaths in and out before reacting if someone upsets you. Maybe it's to meditate each day, starting with 10 minutes and increasing once this behavior becomes part of your daily life. Maybe it's to smile at the first person you see each day. Your intention is yours & no intention is too small. Each intention is important. 

My intention for today is to greet the new year by practicing yoga asana, pranayama & meditation with an open mind and heart. 

So far, so good...

Shanti, 

Marcia

Self-Awareness & the mind-stuff

In yoga there 5 koshas - veils - that shroud us on this humanly plane:

1. Annamaya kosha - food
2. Pranamaya kosha - air
3. Manomaya kosha - the mind-stuff
4. Vijnanamaya kosha - wisdom
5. Anandamaya kosha - bliss

While all of these effects throughout our lives, Manomaya kosha probably affects us the most. This is the veil that shrouds our mind judgments. The mind can hold us in chains, but it can also set us free. That is why, in yoga, we practice self-awareness.

The hardest part about being yourself is self-doubt. People and things can be a constant reminder of past wrongs and the people we used to be. On those days like those, I come to my mat and I remind myself that we, human beings, judge other solely as we see ourselves.

Instead of taking commentary and criticism from people, I remind myself that this world is bigger than "me"and in knowing that I accept who I am, wholly and completely, that I am doing all I can and should.

Through the practice of self-awareness, we can begin to sift though the messes in our mind and see what is really out there. We can reflect, gain perspective, quiet the reactionary self that attacks instead of listens and shift our perspective to a more positive one.

Self-awareness is like anything else in this world, the more you practice, the easier it becomes. The next time you are in yoga class draw your mind to your breath and to yourself. Don't mind what's happening around you, stay on your mat and inside of your heart. Reflect on your intention, and the theme of the class - reflect on why you showed up on your mat that day, whatever the reason may be. And after savasana, when you have om'd our last om, take a moment with yourself. How you live life on your mat should be reflected in your life off of it.

Prayer is where we ask the questions, and meditation is where we receive the answers.

It all lies within the self.

Change

Life.

If there is one thing we can count on it's change.

The color of our hair. The car that we drive. The place that we live. The people we call "friends".

Change displaces the things we swear we know and some we didn't even realize was there. It is the current of our stream. It is the jucieness that weaves in and out of everything and just like change to life, juicy to change is a constant too.

But while juicy change can some times be fun - it can also bleed you dry.

Pulling the essence of ourselves from the bones of our lives until we don't know who we are. Doubt creeps in and then its nothing but long wakeful nights trying to figure out what you did to deserve fate that was brought upon you.

How you are wrong.

You are being punished for your mistakes.

And then... there it is... you are bad.

But that's not true. You're not bad, you're not wrong, you didn't do anything - you're human and humans mess things up. They say the wrong thing and forget to listen and get flustered and scared when things begin to change.

When we let doubt creep into our lives, into our heads and into our hearts we quickly forget the one thing we should always remember - who we are.

Who are you?

I bet you're amazing and even more, I know that you are. Don't let those juicy moments of change become some burden of doubt. Don't let it take you from you - because you're here for a reason. We all are. And yes, maybe at times seeing that reason clearly is harder than finding the proverbial 'needle in a hay stack' - but underneath all of that baggage is you.

Beautiful, smart, fun-loving, perfectly perfect you.

Spend this week celebrating you. Loving you. Being you. And know while change is a constant, your essence is too.

~Namaste

Meditation

This painting is one of my very favorites ever to be created. Painted by Frederic Edwin Church around 1860 "Twilight in the Wilderness" is a combination of many outdoor spots that Mr. Church loved about America. (If you're a Clevelander, it is housed at the Art Museum)

I noticed "Twilight in the Wilderness" in my late teens and became obsessed with it as I grew up. If there was a first moment I meditated it was while I viewed this painting.

The museum was kind enough to position a bench directly in front of it and when my life went out of whack I would make my way there, plop down and stare into this oil covered canvas wilderness. Seeking out each little sparrow, creature, rock, ripple, and pigmentation that took me away from the things that were bothering me. Yes - the space I found in that landscape helped me to find space in my mind and in my life.

That space is meditation. For me I found it in a painting, maybe for you it's petting your dog, swimming for hours, practicing on your mat in the park.  Most people think meditation is a hard practice, but in truth, it's simple - just like most truths often are. It's accepting the fact that we need to let go to move forward.

And until we learn to control our minds, we can't ever be fully in control of our lives.

Spending all our time trying to control the things outside of us won't change how we feel or who we are. Taking that path is like painting your house in order to fix a fracture in the foundation.

Paint may look pretty, but the if the foundation is cracked its only a matter of time before you have many more problems with your house.

Meditation helps mend wounds. It allows us to see what needs to be fixed and what we can leave behind. It can help fix the fractures in our foundations, which will allow us to paint everything else the pretty colors we love.

The chaos in our minds, the karams and baggage we carry with us from day-to-day, year to year, life to life, is only as big as we ALLOW it to become. Assumptions we make about things, people, experiences accumulated and grow into monsters that keeps us up at night. They fester into worry and rob us of, well, us.

When we silence our mind we can find space between those thoughts, and then we can see what's real and what's a shadow of nothing.

No, the first time you sit you won't be able to make it 60 minutes with freedom, but you can make it for 5 minutes and then the next time you'll make it 6 minutes.

So whats the secret to meditation? The "trick" we're all looking for is persistence. Don't give up on yourself because the first time is hard. Keep trying and working and follow these few steps:

#1 - Find a quiet spot, one without a TV, that is not a path of traffic and isn't by a phone. If you're cell phone is with you - turn it off. You don't need it for 5 minutes. (& if you have children, find someone to watch them so they won't come looking for you.) And sit.

Find a comfortable seat with your legs crossed. Place a pillow under your butt to elevate your hips closer to your knees. Sit with a tall spine. Image your spine is an antenna and it should be erect, with your shoulders on your back, so your intentions can float up and away into the air and off like a cloud.

[Note: if you have back problems, knees problems and sitting like this hurts, find a comfortable spot to lie down. NOT ON YOUR BED - YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP. Meditation is NOT sleeping. Meditation is that spot between sleep and being awake.]

#2 - Follow your breath. We breathe every day. Our bodies take in the vital air we need to stay alive and never once do we consider that it's happening - day in and out. Watch your breath. Watch the inhalations. Watch the exhalations. Which are longer? Are you breathing from your chest or your belly?

Allow your breaths to grow longer - breathing in to a count of 4 and exhaling to a count of 4. Drawing the breath evenly and constant. Image it flowing throughout your entire body. Down your arms and legs. Into your fingers and toes. Breath into your sore back and tired shoulders.

Begin to count your breaths. Each number is a full inhale and exhale, and as thoughts pop us - because they often do - just come back to #1.  See if you can make it to #10, and if not this time, maybe the next - but keep breathing.

#3 - Mantras. These words, these prayers, help us concentrate on something else, something bigger than our daily lives. They move our energies toward something positive - health, love, faith.

#4 - Guided Meditation - when we're new a meditating and finding the strength to quiet the mind is a daunting task, using guided meditation is a wonderful way to begin and a useful tool to continue. My very favorite guided meditations are from Meditation Oasis. Mary Maddox is a beautiful spirit. They have free podcasts you can download onto your ipod so you can go sit in the  middle of the woods (if you'd like) and let go.

These 4 steps will help you add meditation into your every day. It is suggested you meditate at the beginning of the day (and after time at both the beginning and the end) - but I think you should meditate when you can. Maybe on your lunch break, maybe for 5 minutes before you go to bed.

The most important thing is to do it.

As your practice builds you will begin to notice the days you didn't meditate. You will notice that change almost immediately.

Meditation is give yourself the love you deserve and the time you need to be the complete you that you deserve to be. Be love, be free, be you to the best of your ability.

Always smile because it's a gift we can share with strangers and loved one.

The light in me honors and respects the light in you.

~namaste

Shanti! Shanti! Om....