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Exploring my own strength and power this summer has given me a chance to see myself in a different light. Just by taking a few self defense classes I feel stronger, more confident about what my body can do, and more able to take care of myself. Some of us were told and we continue to tell our daughters, nieces, sisters and wives that they can be anything they want. Let us teach and lead this truth by example.

We can be the type of role model who is able to stand up for ourselves and able to defend ourselves- emotionally, verbally, physically and spiritually. For me a shift in awareness occurred while punching, kicking, and shouting. This was completely different than any other workout I’ve ever done.  Suddenly I became aware that I can take care of myself. Upon feeling that, a sense of satisfaction washed over me that was and still is rewarding.

The word therapy is defined as attending to; and to take care of. Self-defense classes have in some weird way become therapy for me and a chance to take care of me. Continue to find ways that make you feel good from the inside out and watch how it encourages others to do the same for themselves. You might just surprise yourself with what you are capable of doing and may find a whole new strength and outlook that can change your life.

To blow off some steam and feel stronger, try what sumo wrestlers do to prepare themselves for a match. Start standing with your feet wider than your hips in a horse stance, take a deep breath in and lift a leg. As you breathe out stomp your foot on the ground and make a ‘huah’ sound.Repeat alternating from leg to leg several times until you feel warmed up or until you feel like you have let out all the steam. This is also a great one to practice with kids to rid of excess energy

Summer is hot! We need to find ways to keep cool and light; a cool shower, a melon salad, a glass of cucumber water, or iced mint tea sound delightful.  Learning to flow through the seasons as nature does will help us to stay cool this summer. Otherwise, “what we resist persists” in the form of heat, irritability, and tension in the body. In response to the rising temperatures, and tempers we have brewed up some ways to simmer down and cool off this summer with drink, movement, and sound.

Sometimes its soo hot outside that it feels like you just can’t get cool despite your best efforts. Try a 2-4 ounce glass of Aloe Vera juice daily to help cool off from the inside out, or you can add it to your favorite juice to make a cool summer cocktail.

Aloe is a plant that looks like a cactus but is actually a member of the lily family and has many of same benefits internally as externally. “Aloe Vera has the ability to aid in digestion, improve circulation, detoxify and heal from the inside.”  Drinking 2-4 ounces of aloe juice daily is safe and is all a person needs to reap its cooling benefits.

Circulation and heating are important for overall harmony of the body. We can keep the internal fire balanced with the Triple Warmer ‘He’ breaths. QI Gong practitioners use this breath to equalize and distribute the heat throughout the body, release tension, and induce relaxation. You can do the breath practically anywhere; leaning back comfortably in a chair, lying down or standing with soft knees. Close your eyes and slowly raise your hands just above your forehead as you take a deep breath in. Slowly, softly, and evenly exhale the sound HEEEEEEEE. At the same time press your hands down in front of your body like a giant rolling pin pressing the air down towards the ground. You can visualize tension or frustration as a gray cloudy substance leaving your body and being recycled into the earth.

A relaxing approach to yoga in the summertime will help to diffuse heat and irritability in the body. In general, forward bends and spinal twists have a cooling effect on the head, heart, and blood. However, I have found Belly Savasana my go-to pose this summer. This pose soothes, grounds, and reconnects me to the rhythms of the earth. Lie on your belly, with your head to one side and arms resting down by your side. Actively press your belly into the ground as you breathe in for 5-6 minutes. Switch head to the other side about halfway through or as necessary. Allow tension to drain out all your pores with every exhale.

Shine like the sun this summer as you stay cool.

Every time we place our hands on someone, our personal well being is affected by the relationship. Within the therapeutic relationship it is inevitable that there is a sharing of energy and emotion. It is unavoidable and something I personally wouldn’t want to stop or change.  There are times, though, after a session when I suddenly have the headache my client was asking relief from, or my shoulder feels funny after working with someone with bursitis. I learned the hard way that I have to let those experiences go in order to avoid taking on someone else’s pain. I learned that I need to empty myself of what has happened in order to replenish my being and refill my reservoir. Amidst our travels we have discovered effective and simple ways to replenish ourselves. The following exercises are fantastic for anyone who does bodywork or anyone who sometimes feels drained or tired after being with others.

Find a tree-preferably a tree with lots of life around or on it. Then ask the tree if you may work with her and wait for an answer. Trust that you will know if it’s okay or not. If it’s not the tree for you, ask another one. Once you have permission, place your hands on the tree and begin to visualize tree energy/ light/sound passing through your hands and out your feet…allow this exchange to continue until you feel a change in how you feel. Then notice how you feel…this exchange will teach you to feel grounded and lifted at the same time while giving you an outlet to release, recycle and transform negative emotions into loving kindness.

If it feels too weird or it’s just too hot to be outside hanging out with a tree you can receive similar benefits from standing in a doorjamb or door way. Stand inside a door and place your hands on the door frame and begin to breathe out and drain away from your hands any tension, stress and pain in your body you may have accumulated from a day’s work. Breathe out your hands, down and out the doorjamb allowing your breath to extend out the building and into the ground. Continue until you feel a change in how you feel. Notice how it is you feel. This exercise helps us recycle old, stagnant energies and feelings that are no longer necessary or serve a positive purpose.

Be well.

As we head into summer I certainly feel the increase in temperature and the growing need to find ways to cool off (especially living in the desert). According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, summer it’s the season of the heart, a time when we become lifted by feelings of joy, enthusiasm, gratitude and love. It’s when energy rises and expands. Summer is when nature expresses her fullness and abundance and the timing is ripe for us to visualize and manifest. By definition to visualize is to imagine; to conceive of; to see in one’s mind. Brain studies reveal that mental imagery impacts motor control, attention, perception, planning and memory. Whenever we imagine a success or failure we give our brains the juice. The juice it needs to help create what we see in our mind’s eye.

Visualization is a tool of creation that we use every day to help create our experience of reality. Every time we   daydream, fantasize, and imagine we are exercising our visualization skills.

In yoga there is a Sanskrit word- Maya, meaning illusion. Ancient texts suggest the world is not real but only an illusion created by our thoughts.  Since most of us think and repeat the same or similar thoughts over and over again, and maintain a focus on our current projects or circumstances, we end up creating and recreating the same sort of projects and circumstances. This process preserves the same world and status quo. It is like watching the same movie over and over again. However we can go see another movie by changing our thoughts and visualizing a different circumstance.

Seeing a different circumstance helps create a different world to live in. There’s infinite power and strength in seeing your goals and dreams in your mind play like a movie.  During this summer season, we invite you to expresses your authentic, creative self. Allow the playful visionary spirit within you the freedom to express your imagination and let yourself daydream about possibilities. Step into a dream. Trust that you are the one capable to bring your life dreams forward into the world we live in.

This is how:

First develop a clear image of what you want to create and combine it with strong positive emotion.  If you do not know specifically what it is you want to manifest in your life, no worries, you can imagine the general event.

Hold a mental ‘picture’ of the event as if it were occurring to you right at the moment. Imagine the scene in as much detail as possible. Engage as many of the five senses as you can in your visualization.

(Mental images do not always come in the form of a picture. Some of us use words, thoughts, or sensations to create a mental image. Can you feel what you are wearing? Can you smell the air; like the ocean of rain? What can you hear; laughter, the wind?)

Then begin to allow feelings of love, joy and gratitude to expand as you create the images in your mind and feel yourself in the moment.

Practice visualizing at night before you go to bed or in the morning before you get out of bed and start your day.

Heath and I have been practicing shared visualizations together and have already seen our world change.

What do you think of when you hear the word “sustainability”? I think of utilizing all our natural resources (oil, natural gas, solar, wind, wave, corn, nuclear, etc.) in innovative and responsible ways that considers our impact on many generations into the future.  Wikipedia defines sustainability as “the capacity to endure–to prevail despite obstacles.” I love the simplicity of this definition that is defining a global movement.  There is a Sustainable Revolution happening right now! According to Andres Edwards it is far reaching, has profound impact and shapes everything from the places we live and work, the foods we eat, and the choices we make as individuals and as communities.    For me sustainability inspires and reflects my own goals as a massage therapist. I realize now, and maybe you agree with me, that the path of bodyworker is a lifestyle choice. If I want to sustain an enduring and successful career in massage therapy it’s become imperative to incorporate sustainable practices so that I can be a bodyworker for as long as I want, without being forced out because of injury or burn out.  I am constantly looking for new resources to gather my energy so that I may continue to share the work that I love to do.

Sustainability describes a practice and necessitates action. A teacher once shared that there are two types of healers. One type of healer uses all their personal energy and resources to help someone along their path to wholeness. The other type of healer uses universal energy to arrive at the same end. Both are effective but only one type endures many years of sustainable service. When we rely on only one resource like our personal energy, we are bound to face collapse or a breakdown of some sort (as may be seen in the environmental devastation in the Gulf Coast oil spill).

In order to avoid injury, and or burnout we need to rely on resources beyond our personal energy. The Tao philosophy explains universal energy as the energies of the stars, planets, galaxies, and the presence of universal love. The absorption of these energies from the earth and stars nourishes our organs, glands and our senses. We are nourished and re-energized when we circulate universal energies through us as we prepare, practice and do our work. These natural resources are accessible through imagination and visualization.

One way to access universal energy is by visualizing the energy of the stars, planets and galaxies spiraling clockwise and downward into your crown and imagining circulating it through your third eye. Simultaneously envision spiraling earth and love energy upward from the planet counterclockwise up through the soles of your feet, through your spine and into your head. Connect the descending and ascending energies by placing your tongue on the upper palate. You can use your breath to help guide the circulation of light. Become a bridge for universal energy to move across and notice how your work changes, evolves and endures over time.

Sustainability is a global and personal lesson…

“Man does not weave this web of life. He is merely a strand of it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself”-Chief Seattle

We recently had the opportunity to take part in a Native American ceremony, the sweat lodge. It was a beautiful experience cleansing, connecting to the people in the circle, and reconnecting to Mother Earth. In this circle we were reminded the importance of taking time yearly, quarterly, monthly and even daily for ceremony. In the circle it was brought to our attention how important it is to connect with spirit, divinity, and grace on a daily basis in order to not end up “spiritually constipated” (eewww). Every day we need a good spiritual movement!

A ceremony no matter how big or small is simply a rite or ritual. Upon understanding what a ceremony is I began to realize how many little daily rituals I have: a morning and evening walk with the dog, a morning pot of tea, brushing my teeth, the list goes on… However, usually I am pretty mindless cruising the neighborhood, or browsing through magazines as I drink my tea. So instead I have attempted to add some consciousness to my daily ritual. Who knew a simple act could make me feel so good. I feel more grounded, plugged in, and appreciative for the moment.

A ritual is one of many ways we can start to walk the bridge between the ordinary and the extraordinary-between everyday existence and the sacred. In the ritual we recognize and take time to honor the many changes happening to us, our family, and friends. We begin to bring meaning and focus to our sense of who we are and why we are here. A simple ritual can foster an understanding of how we fit together in this mad world we live in and realize that perhaps the universe IS conspiring in our favor.

It doesn’t take much to include or add to one of your daily rituals…so easy I felt compelled to share it with you. Along with the hope we may be ‘ritualizing’ in some way together. To create your own ritual you only need to include a few things. The first thing you need to keep in mind for your ritual is a sincere intention and to hold this intention throughout the time you made for your ritual. The second thing to do is to create a sacred space (it doesn’t have to be a literal space). To create sacred space, mark your ritual with an official beginning and end i.e.; a 7 count inhale and exhale at the beginning and then once again at the end; or lighting a candle and blowing it out; or opening a door and then closing it. Then include some symbolic element within your ritual; burn some incense, hold a stone, use a special tea cup. With the elements of personal meaning you have created your own ritual. A teacher once shared with us that “the sacred is simple”. Keep it simple and notice how we fit together.

After listening to Bruce Lipton’s audio book, The Biology of Belief, I feel empowered. He is a founding member of a groundbreaking field called New Biology. According to Bruce Lipton we have the power to change our genes! He has done extensive research on cell biology that reveals how truly dynamic and highly adaptable we are as human beings. He demonstrates in the lab that our lives are formed by our perception which modifies the very building blocks of our own biology. For me, this new understanding can change how we live our lives. No longer are we a victim of our genes, rather we have the power and ability to change from the inside out by retraining our thoughts and how we think them. I find his work to be hopeful and an opportunity that I couldn’t help but share with you. One of three ways discussed to effectively change our biology is through Mindful Meditation.

Mindful Meditation is a practice believed to be taught by the Buddha over 2,500 years ago, but you don’t have to be a Buddhist to try this meditation. The practice of Mindfulness Meditation focuses our attention on our thoughts, actions, and present moments in a non-judgmental way. This meditation helps and trains our mind from getting distracted by outside disturbances and enables us to focus our thoughts, relax the mind, and perceive how we create our reality.

Mindful Meditation
• Begin by finding a comfortable place to sit on the floor or in a chair.
• Now become aware of your breath moving in and out–follow your breath over and over.
• When thoughts, emotions, physical feelings or sounds occur, simply accept them, giving them the space to come and go without judging, analyzing, or getting involved with them.
• When you notice that your attention has drifted off or you become engaged in thoughts or feelings, simply bring your attention back to your breathing (without criticism) and continue.
Remember… it’s ok and natural for thoughts to distract you and for your mind to start making up a story about these distractions. Just simply notice this process without judgment. No matter how many times you become distracted, just keep bringing your attention back to your breath moving in and moving out.

A twist, instead – Get Involved! After you have watched your breath and thoughts circulate, now notice as thoughts bubble to the surface what is being said…notice if there is a language of deficit, negativity. If so, engage it and offer yourself the language of possibility and positivity. Meditation is a way to shift from our unconscious thoughts and habits and become more conscious and present in the here and now. The more conscious we are, the less likely we are to allow unconscious thoughts and habits to sabotage us.

As we move away from 2009 and into the new year we have a renewed opportunity to let go of the old and embrace what could be. For some of us a fresh start comes easily-for others it can be difficult to leave it behind. I propose we look back and then let it go. It’s never too late to learn from our mistakes and celebrate our achievements!

“Do your work…then step back…for that is the only path to serenity” – Lao Tzu

According to Chinese Astrology we are moving into a very active year. 2010 is the year of the Golden Tiger; the year we seize opportunities and make the most of our personal and very individual talents. We have yet to create our very best year!

I would like to share with you a few ways to let it go- the day, the session, the schedule:

Take time for yourself: 2-5 minutes watching your breath using this mantra

Inhale “Let”     Exhale “Go”

It’s a calming and easy mantra that sometimes works for me as a useful tool to feel a sense of freedom.  However, I have days when I want to shout and yell in order to get a sense of peace…

Try this to help “Let Go”

Sit comfortably on the floor, kneeling or cross-legged with your eyes opened or closed. Lean forward so that both  palms rest on the ground in front of you. Raise your hands slightly and begin to hit the ground forcefully. Every time you hit the ground shout, “Hara” and squeeze your belly. Repeat for at least two minutes and up to five minutes. Feel free to work up a sweat or go until you break into laughter.

Hara is the center of our gravity, the initial place of movement in the body. We shout the word and squeeze the Hara so the location of our center (our resting place) becomes very clear.

After letting go, pause and breathe. Fill the space you made with a renewed sense of peace, freedom, clarity, courage or whatever quality you would like to bring more of into your life. As we let go, we create new space to receive. Rather than allowing that new space to refill with the same old energy, remember to fill yourself with something consciously (maybe your New Year’s resolution.)

As we let go of 2009, let’s use the ferocious power of the Golden Tiger to roar our intentions into 2010! May your New Year be Fearless!!

Over the past several months we have made our journey upwards through each chakra, from the root chakra to the crown chakra. We have explored yoga and meditation exercises to strengthen, open, and activate each chakra, which increases the amount of energy we can gather and use. Focusing on the ascendant journey upwards through the chakras helps us expand our consciousness, broaden our awareness, and break us free from limitations. Going up also gives us the chance to stretch and expand in all directions: to feel increasingly more liberated and free from the constraints that we or others may have placed on ourselves. As we maintain a practice of awareness, this upward “liberating current” continues to offer us new perspectives and opportunities to see, feel, and be. Equally important as going up along the liberating current, is the need to ground and integrate our experiences back down into the body.

This descending path of the “manifesting current” helps us use what we have learned in moments of transcendence and apply them in the here and now. To manifest is to allow our thoughts to slow down, define structure and form, and to feel solid. Traveling inward and downward challenges us to accept limitation and to become the container that allows energy to build. The manifesting current reminds us to make dynamic contact with earth! This connection allows us to stay in touch, practice presence, and to feel the safety and security of being at home within our own skin. When we practice travelling along the path of the manifesting current we practice conscious choice and creation, which fills our days with grace, calm, and peace.

To experience wholeness, we want to encourage the opening and activation of both liberating and manifesting currents. The liberating current moving upwards builds energy and excitement whereas the manifesting current downwards creates peace and steadiness. Liberation without manifestation will leave you feeling jumbled, disconnected, and vague. Manifestation without liberation will leave you feeling numb and smothered. It is the rushing of these two currents past each other that creates the whirlpools of energy we call the chakras. As you work with each chakra understand that there is a balance of forces constantly at work that oppose and complement one another. Fortunately, energy knows where to go when we take action to keep them balanced through movement, meditation, and awareness.

As the intensity of the holiday season simmers to a boil you may find yourself getting carried away by the fluctuation of emotions. To help calm and bring the energy down consider resting with your legs up the wall for 1-21 minutes. This is a safe, easy restorative pose that helps with the recirculation of blood and lymph, reset the nervous system and rejuvenate the senses.

If you begin to feel sluggish or unmotivated, try “breath of fire”. Use your diaphragm to vigorously pump your exhale out your nose. As you focus on the exhalation, your body will naturally inhale without force. Repeat this breath several times (perhaps 10-30x) quickly until you feel the heat rising. This pranayama exercise quickly re-oxygenates the blood, enlivens the senses, and prepares the body for action.

May your holidays be filled with creative exuberance…Namaste’

“The help of the Higher Powers is only made available to those who ask for it in a disciplined way, who make an offering of their stillness and mindfulness”- The I- Ching

The 7th Chakra called Sahasrara in Sanskrit translates as the Thousand Petal Lotus or Thousandfold. Named “Thousandfold” helps us remember the infinite ways we are connected with the divine and the source of all manifestation. This chakra is located at the crown of the head and is seen as violet or white. It governs over the entire central nervous system and pituitary gland. This chakra is activated when we begin our search for understanding. Understanding: Why was I born? What is truth? Can I find the deeper meaning of life? Depending on how we answer these questions contributes to feelings of hope and optimism, or boredom and depression. This contemplative quest has the ability to connect us to the universe, to integrate our experience with all that is, and live “yoga” or union. We can practice union by resting our mind and resting our bodies in meditation.

Follow your Thoughts
In a seated position on the floor or in a chair feel yourself become calm and quiet. Gently begin to become aware of the thoughts that pass through your mind. Choose a thought and ask yourself where it came from and what thoughts came before this one are. Follow the train of thoughts to its origin. Return and choose another thought that passes through your mind. Repeat, each time going back further and further. Notice how many of your thoughts originate from a similar source…they may come from the past or from something happening right now or even from a projection into the future.
Now let your thoughts go by without following them. Allow them to return to their source until there are a few or none at all passing by. Rest here until you feel complete.

Mantra Meditation
Begin by resting in a comfortable position on the floor or in a chair. Allow your eyes to soften and gaze into the third eye in the center of your forehead or up towards the crown of your head. Become aware of your breath. Watch your breath move into your body and watch your breathe move out of your body.
With each breath in repeat a word or phrase and with each breath out repeat a word or phrase. For example: on the inhale breathe in “let” and on the exhale breathe out “go”. Or try inhaling “peace” and exhaling “calm”. It doesn’t matter what words or phrase you choose-just keep it simple and keep it the same for each sitting. Practice this for 1-10 minutes.
Mantra is a Sanskrit word meaning “tool for the mind”. The word or phrase you choose becomes a tool for the mind to focus your attention and thereby allows the body to relax and sharpens your focus.