I remember noticing one Sunday in early fall 2011 that I was 'too much in my head' and needed to get out ...(and onto a motorcycle). 

For me, movement creates flow - it helps break up the dams that are causing me to feel stuck, anxious, fearful, (choose your metaphor) and it often reveals solutions or new pathways that feel like they were there all along. (This is probably why I have loved exercise and yoga (and motorcycling) for so long.) 
At that time I just couldn't see the path for all of the 'thinking' I was doing but I could feel the 'stuckness'.

With attention to body sensations, I now know when it's time to move - whether that be physically in a day or metaphorically in my life.

This is how Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy works... with attention to the physical body, there is an entry way into the soul - that inner wisdom that knows what is best and true. 

We all have this ability but the world we live in, full of distractions and chaos, makes it challenging to hear. Sometimes support is needed and this is where a yoga therapy session may prove useful.

I DO the work by engaging in monthly sessions for mySelf and I offer the support to others.
Body listening for Life change.

I didn't want to leave. 

Lately I've been starting my days out on the deck, moving, meditating, reading, journaling. This morning I was called to get off the deck, into the wet grass. I practiced an exercise that invited me to notice the connection (me) between earth and sky. They join at my heart. 

I was reminded that within me is where soul and spirit meet. 

I didn't have enough time to take-in the magnificence of that notion adequately. 

But the yard is there every morning, so I will spend more time in the days that come.

These days that I walk the world are the days that I leave my mark on the world. 

My intention is that it be one of healing ~ for myself and others, for generations behind and before me and the ones living in me. 

Too many of us are moving about unaware. I think that is why the world is hurting so much.

Find a way to connect today. Foot to earth, hand to heart, eye to eye - just pick something and remember that we belong to each other. 

If that feels tough, just start with you, remembering the meeting place inside you. ♥

What a joy - to live in a body that feels good!

I take this for granted too often and lately, as I am witness to the changes my body is experiencing due to time on this earth and day-to-day choices, it seems I only notice 'when it hurts'. Today, I promise myself to pay attention regularly, to notice the highs and the lows and particularly how my lifestyle choices contribute to that dynamic.

I have a colleague who started keeping 3 journals - one for her psycho-emotional health, one as a food diary, and another related to her menstrual cycle and related symptoms. Sounds exhausting to me, I can barely keep one journal up to date! But, through this practice of regularly recording, she was able to distinguish how various foods influenced her mood and the experience of her cycle and now she adjusts her diet to support her body and her mind as the days come and go.

Recently, I had a client who realized that what she thought was happening 'to' her body due to her illness - something that she has limited control over, might be due to the stagnant and repetitive patterns she was holding physically and emotionally since being diagnosed with her illness.

Can you imagine? Feeling defeated because you thought your body had been permanently 'limited' and then realizing that you actually had the ability to live the life you've been longing for all this time?

This lyric from the Eagles often comes to mind when I contemplate such things ~ "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key."

What's the key? In my experience and witnessing of myself and others I think that movement and mindfulness are KEY to optimal health and well-being. When we apply consistent movement in the name of love for our body and intentional attention to what we eat, say, think, and do (and the list goes on) and notice how these lifestyle dynamics affect our physical, psycho-emotional, and social health... we have a key that unlocks the door to intimate self-discovery and empowerment.

The joy on my client's face when she realized that her destiny is not to be imprisoned by her illness unlocked doors in her body and in her mind. That freedom was expressed with a light and lifted face, open arms, and a graceful float out the door of the studio back into her life.

What will you do today to support your best health and well-being?

Holding Space

Last week (early March) I was in Bristol, Vermont at the school of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy acting in the role of mentor and practitioner. 

Being onsite and immersed in training and practice is rich, regardless of the course or my role in it. I come away injected with more insight into the work, more skills to support me as a practitioner (which then enables me to better support clients) and a personal fullness of being that comes from living in community with others who are uniquely skilled in holding space.

What does this mean - ‘holding space’? 

In short, offering your undivided, open, non-judgemental, active-listening, attention to another or others. Not just hearing with your ears, but seeing your eyes, and feeling with your body. Mindfully engaging with the intention of not getting in the way.

Holding space isn’t a norm in our society. We are often too engrossed in our own ‘stuff’ and our reactions to what the other person is sharing (in sound, sight and emotion) to truly pay attention to them. We are ready to react; to offer advice, to defend, judge, change, or deny.

Have you ever attempted to share something deeply meaningful to you, with someone whom you trust and walked away from the conversation not feeling heard, understood or gotten because the other person was so caught up in their own reaction to what you shared? Or maybe you can recall a time (or ten) when this has been you, not listening to another.

Holding space is a practice. Those of us lucky enough to have been raised in an environment that held space know this as a way of interacting with others, but this doesn’t seem to be the norm. So we must practice … just listening ... to another.

Holding space is a key element of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. It happens in 1-on-1, confidential sessions of movement, mindfulness, and dialog centered on the client and supported by the practitioner.

If you do not feel ‘heard’ or simply need someone to hold space for you as you explore a particular life event or decision, or some emotion or situation that you feel ‘stuck’ in, schedule a series of sessions and notice the difference it can make in your life.

As I re-enter the day-to-day dynamics of my life this coming week, I do so feeling more grounded and purposeful in the life I am creating. The gifts of acceptance and affirmation from my fellow practitioners offered me the space to get even more honest and clear about who I am and what I want and how I want to be, including refining my ability to hold space for others.

~Yvette

...is the way you've always done things still serving your best life?

I've enjoyed intense, 'typical' exercise most of my adult life. It's been a stress reliever and contributed to my overall happiness. Genetically, resistance training with a bit of cardio is what is 'right' for me (proven with a genetic test). I'm much more drawn to a weight room than a marathon.

For many more months than I wish to admit I have been in pain that is progressing and limiting me in both stationary positions and when moving. Being an active person, this isn't cool. It's affecting my sense of health and well-being because it is limiting my yoga practice, workouts and ability to sit comfortably. 

Being holistically minded in my health approach, I have been trying body-based approaches to healing - massage, chiropractic, fascial release, physical therapy, and also consideration of my nutritional choices. Of late I have come to suspect a connective tissue disorder of some type so I've been marginally exploring other methodologies.

In another aspect of my life I have recently become interested in non-linear movement patterns - too much to get into, but as it relates to my pain... I believe that linear, repetitive positions and movements are hurting me. Status quo when it comes to yoga, 'exercise', etc... isn't enough for me anymore. It's limiting the overall benefit that movement can bring to my life - one that goes beyond a lean, strong body but also enhances an open heart and settled mind. In short, I want feel good.

This morning I spent more than an hour exploring a particular type of somatic movement - I feel so much better than I did when I went to bed last night and woke up this morning. So much so that I sent a message to one of the practitioners to say 'thank you'...and looked into training in this particular modality. I plan to commit to one particular session regularly for 2 weeks and see what happens to this long standing, progressive pain. 

I want and intend to feel good in my life - physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually and as I've alluded above...these aspects aren't mutually exclusive. They are connected, which is why it is important to me to feel healthy and balanced in my physical body. The recognition of linear movement has me wondering about linear thinking...I'm curious if I have blinders on and if that's limiting my self-awareness and personal growth in some way.

All of this to pose the question for you...is the way you've always done things still serving your best life? What would it be like to explore another way of doing, thinking, heck....maybe even believing? An exploration of new ideas, ways of being, movement patterns, nutritional choices, communicating - the opportunities are endless!

Pick one and give it a try...
Let me know how it goes.

~Y

Life Change - Do you lean-in or turn-away?

I find myself in an edgy position as the year closes. My CVS position is dissolving. While I could 'blame' this on the industry I am fully aware of the energy that I've been emitting regarding my dissatisfaction with this aspect of my life...so, self-fulfilling prophecy? Maybe. Pharmacy has been a 'safe' livelihood for 23 years. I was able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle while raising two children as a single parent, to explore ownership as an independent pharmacist and to rely upon a steady income while I've explored my heart's desire of health and wellness. So I'm asking myself now...look for another pharmacy job? Jump into Wellness Pursuits full-time and trust that my knowledge, experience and passion will fuel the income needed to let go of pharmacy work? Go back to school?

I don't have the answer yet and I'm sure there will be a multitude of emotions to delve into and a few sleepless nights as I move through the experience. I share a bit of my story to ask YOU, when faced with a life change that scares the hell out of you and recognizing the choice to stay in your comfort zone or push into the edge of and sit in the midst of the unknown...what do you choose? How has it turned out? Do you have regrets? What did you learn in the process? I'm not looking for advice, just nuggets of experience that might inspire my process. 

Cheers to leaning into the edge with courage and faith~
Yvette

Sitting with MySelf

In August I return to Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy (PRYT) school in Bristol, Vermont for the onsite portion of Group Facilitator Training (GFT). Here I will be supported in applying and refining relevant skills to support a focus group through an 8-week program of group yoga therapy this fall and beyond. GFT is a career building step.

This past week the training members of GFT embarked on an 8-week program to prepare us for our onsite training. The same program that we will be leading for others, we must participate in and complete before arriving in Vermont. The program is based upon themes and includes daily physical movement, mindfulness exercises and journaling. Having been engaged with PRYT since January 2015, I know that this daily practice is a potential field of gold for learning more about my Self and the Way, the connections available to me and the glorious life that is here awaiting my participation.

I don't enter my daily practices with great expectation. In truth, the magic is in the subtleties, the often unseen, overlooked, numbed out nuances of day to day living that hold SO much treasure!  Some days I show up willing, others resistant. This is truth in daily living and I want to be authentic in my practice just as I intend to be authentic in my life. It reminds me of seeing a counselor for support. If you aren't willing to be honest, you won't get accurate guidance. So even when I don't want to and my attitude is shitty, I come.

This morning my practice and mindful inquiry revealed that while I do a pretty good job of listening and honoring my physical body, I am not so tuned in to the truth of my emotional body. I hear it and feel it, but, habitually, I buy into it and get so caught up and carried away in the e-motion, that the story-telling begins and the next thing I know, I'm on a train to nowhere, having consented to an unintended journey. By turning away from the truth behind the feeling and towards the feeling itself I latch on like a scared little girl who lacks direction and off I go - holding on to fear, anger and frustration. Then come out the shields and swords, for I'm ready for war - one that I have conjured and imagined. One that creates more separation than union. One that isn't real.

What if instead, I stayed? What if I acknowledged the feeling, considered the source, stayed calm, chose inaction (for the moment) and got to know more about why and how this feeling showed up? Would it be like a lamp on a dark path, illuminating the way and the choices that are available to me to navigate my way out of an unfamiliar, dark place to a comfortable, spacious one? Here in this place, I am whole. I am home. I am safe, loved and disarmed.

Today I will notice my feelings, the emotions behind them. I'll stay, set up a table for two, engage in lite but intentional conversation and listen for truth. Maybe I'll act upon truth. Maybe knowing is enough.