Where is your body's voice?

For me, my heart might be teacher but my gut is where the barometer lives.

For at least 30 years I have been trying to merge my means of earning a living with the passion that I feel for health and wellness. At times it has been a frightening and painful journey, at others easy and true.

Being a pharmacist in the traditional sense doesn't 'ring my bell' in terms of satisfaction or service to others. In fact, it makes me feel more disconnected. But it allowed me to raise two children as a single parent and to be financially independent. It also highlighted for me the fact that conventional health care isn't really hitting the mark in terms of longevity and true, health and wellness of mind, body & spirit. Thus confirming the tug of war that I've always felt inside.

And this is how it goes...our body is a barometer. It communicates with us all the time about what is true and what is not, about what jives in terms of life satisfaction and how we are actually living day to day.

I can tell you that when you start to listen, life starts to change. The body-voice gets louder and living begins to feel more powerful and doable - if authenticity has a feeling...I think this is it.

How about you? Do you have a sense of where truth resides in YOUR body? Do you need to practice listening? (It's like a muscle, the more you do it, the stronger it gets.) I'd love to support you by offering an approach to listening that has served numerous others in taking action to honor personal truth and find comfort and ease in living.

Self-improvement - All you need to know is right here

August 9, 2015 - What I discovered in Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy

“If light is in your heart, you will find your way home.” ~Rumi

Ever feel like life is just one long self-improvement project?

I've been feeling this lately as I approach my fitness, nutrition, relationships, business, attitude - pretty much all aspects of my life. While I think there is value to noticing how improving our selves can ripple out to improve the world at large, I also think there is value in stopping in our momentum to somewhere else to observe THIS moment. To take in what is happening through the 5 senses, really, slow down and notice sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. To turn inward and get in touch with what I know to be true for me, without the interference of outside expectations, should's and have-to's. When I take the pause I realize that all is well. 


Am I enough? It depends on what enough is for ME. An example - I was perusing Amazon this morning giving consideration to a self-help book. In evaluating my investment I was led to at least 4 other books, of which I also evaluated. In the end, I didn't purchase anything because I realized there is likely nothing in those books that I don't already have an understanding about based on my life experiences up to this point (or in the multitudes of books that are already on my shelf!) 




Do I have the answers? Yes. I believe I do. They are in me. I can feel them. The books, classes, people and experiences that I seek for guidance typically only validate what I already know. In essence they 'give me permission' to trust my inner-knowing. This was my 'aha!' this morning...why am I looking for validation or permission (from an outside source) to trust what I already know?
Will I stop my quest for health and wellness, quality relationships, meaningful work and a healthy attitude? Nope, because those things are my truth and my deepest intention in pursuing them isn't to beat myself up for not being enough, but to connect more deeply to myself and to others. There's always more to learn, discoveries are made every day that have the potential to shift my perception. I'm open to that and will read a book or seek an experience to better understand after I've taken the pause to check into what I already know to be true. ~YL

My Yoga story

June 4, 2015 - My Yoga story - inspired by the 7 part series: The Neuroscience of How Yoga Helps Your Mental Health

'...yoga makes you stronger, healthier, more relaxed, able to self-actualize'

When I began yoga (2001-ish) it was another tool to use in my ever-seeking habit of being healthy but it wasn't my preferred method of 'working out' because it wasn't intense enough, didn't burn enough calories or challenge my body. (I since say 'Pishaw!' I don't approach yoga as a workout anymore but it CAN kick your booty and reach into places in your body you'd forgotten about!) 

Fast-forward 2008:
I was under severe stress in my work-life and my chosen intense workouts were making me feel WORSE instead of being the healthy, stress relief that I was seeking. This is because the body cannot discriminate between good stress (exercise) or bad stress (failing business) and all of that accumulating stress was taking it's toll. Knowing this, I wanted to find a way to support myself through a difficult period in my life in a way that wouldn't hurt me more (physically and psychologically).  I decided to start fresh in a beginner's yoga program and to set intense exercise aside. After the very first session I drove home feeling better - more relaxed and in-tune - than I had in months - and mostly, we just breathed. I started yoga teacher training within weeks of this beginner's program because - as most yoga teachers will tell you - I was onto something that was changing my life for the better and I wanted to share it.

It can sometimes be difficult to put into words what yoga has helped me discover about myself and those discoveries - the peeling back of years and years of life experiences - continue to happen - most especially now as I study and practice Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy.

 
An evolution is taking place. I am getting to know the truth about the ME that has been here all along - the One who is meant to be here shining her shiny light of love and health and wellness (and who knows what else is emanating! - maybe YOU can tell me!)

Yoga will be a lifelong study for me...and I'm not even sure it will end there. ~YL

Ahimsa

Sunday, February 1, 2015 - Ahimsa

Ahimsa is typically translated as non-violence in thoughts, words and actions. I first consulted the book “The Secret Power of Yoga” by Nischala Joy Devi to explore this sutra in the light of my life. Nischala’s interpretations of the sutras are from a woman’s perspective and written for women, though she invites men to explore this interpretation as well. I find them a nice complement to other versions. She interprets ahimsa as “love for all” and the sutra II.35 specifically: “Embracing reverence and love for all we experience oneness.” She goes on to remind us that ahimsa starts with ourselves and of the importance of treating our whole self, body, emotions and mind with reverence and love so as to prevent dis-ease. In doing so, we are better able to serve others. We not only set an example for them but we are more fit in all ways to provide for the good of all.

In B.K.S. Iyengar’s “Light on Yoga” he reminds us that we are all children of the same creator and that loving others pleases God. He also tells us that faith (abhaya) and gentleness of mind (akrodha) go along with ahimsa. “The yogi knows and teaches others how to live. Always striving to perfect himself, he show them by his love and compassion how to improve themselves.”

Ahimsa. As it applies to me, I think it is important to be accepting of how I feel even when it’s un-becoming. Yet, it is also important not to get caught up or to become (via my words or actions) those feelings. Instead, I witness them, understand their origin and let them be while also remembering that I am OK – a child of God who is loved and cared for without question.

"All life, all history happens in the body."

Monday, January 19, 2015

"All life, all history happens in the body."

​ Sidalee Walker in Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Today is a day off from training in Phoenix Rising Yoga therapy. I have been encouraged to 'do nothing Phoenix Rising', to take a short break from the intensity of the work, physically, emotionally and mentally. As I sat this morning reading the 'Ya-Ya' book, I took the quote above as affirmation of the healing potential in this method of therapy.

Michael Lee is the founder of the Phoenix Rising program. In his book A Bridge from Body to Soul he states that 'our therapies must teach us to know and trust ourselves.' He also tells us that 'freeing blocked energy and allowing its expression creates a deep connection to the soul.'

Our bodies offer wisdom and getting in touch with that wisdom provides us opportunity to grow, to rise up and meet life as it is, where it is. We can use our experiences in life -pain, joy, longing- to connect to our divinity - our highest, most precious and true selves. We can do this by feeling, noticing, exploring and being inquisitive about our breath, body and mind.

As a Yoga Therapist, my service is to offer unbiased presence to your experience. With movement and dialogue you are invited to be with what is, just as you are, whole in body, mind and Spirit.

In the Ya-Ya book, Vivi, Sidalee's mother says "Don't hide your light under a bushel." In other words, YOU are a light that inspires and illuminates the life and lives around you. Fan the ember, choose how you want to be. Make a choice to live consciously.

In the spirit of Being Well~

Yvette