Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Interactions - whether personal or business, teacher-student, friend to friend, or family member - all call for balance, respect, and compassion.
Stress happens. In different ways, we all hold unnecessary tension in our bodies all day long. Shoulders, neck, wrists, hips, hamstrings, back, oh my!
One of my favorite teachers is Osho, mainly because he liked to push people's buttons just to get them to think and live outside of their comfort zone.
Yoga, the physical part, brings health in your body; meditation works on the mind, realizing your self. And they both can be practiced at the same time.
The first rule of negotiation is to always be willing to walk away from the deal. The first rule of happiness is to not be attached to pleasing moments.
There is a big lesson in experiencing uncertainty and calamity with a sober focus - the most chaotic moments are the ones from which we can learn the most.
What fun is life if it's taken so seriously, and what fun is yoga and the search for enlightenment if we are tight, tense, and clenched up from the inside out?
When we have built up armor against all the bad things we think might happen in the world, we have a false sense of protection and have only built up isolation.
When we are at ease, our bodies work efficiently, our minds settle, and space opens up for us to connect to our intuition, creativity, and sense of connectedness.
A successful tree pose probably won't change your life. Learning how to keep your breath easy, long, and deep no matter what the circumstance? That absolutely will.
Efficiency is a great secret that can drop us right into our ideal life path, but it is a hard one to practice and something that takes constant maintenance and work.
Our lives are full of distractions, and that's life. The sounds of the street, the thoughts in our minds, family on-goings, tasks at work, and Facebook friends, oh my!
When we find comfort in knowing that all the love and support we need is housed inside us, we can honestly share that joy with others without needing anything in return.
Meditation can be intimidating. Sitting there doing nothing, just breathing, can be trickier than it sounds. It may feel strange, uncomfortable, or even put you to sleep.
We have to be nice to ourselves and others in order for life to run smoothly. This is just how it goes: a fun little game of the universe we like to sometimes call karma.
Yoga, in its authentic form, is a system of health for the body, mind, and spirit. Neglecting an element transforms the practice into something that is not, in fact, yoga.
Tension happens. It will continue to happen. If we didn't have tension, we wouldn't be alive. How we maintenance ourselves makes all the difference in how we live our lives.
When we feel like we discover something, we are usually uncovering or realizing what has always been there. The laws of nature are always present, waiting for us to tune in.
Over-working gets less done. We all have experienced this. We can push ourselves to exhaustion, but things get done with less attention, and our bodies eventually break down.
You take yourself out of the moment and knock yourself off balance when you judge and think about what you are doing, rather than experiencing and enjoying what you are doing.
Meditation has taught me to be in the present moment and observe the present moment at the same time. Just breathe, follow your breath, and your intuition can take you from there.
The universe is within us. We forget that and make up realities for ourselves that we are small and insignificant. Meditation brings us back to our natural state of consciousness.
A hot bath, time with a book, or five minutes of meditation helps tremendously with recharging and grounding us so we are more equipped to deal with everything life throws our way.
Fears, insecurities, and the need to please can rule our lives. Our society is economically and socially set up for us to live under these pressures in order to maintain its control and survival.
Holiday drinking in my family happens about as often as Sarah Palin is spotted reading the 'New York Times.' Neither of my parents are big drinkers, probably because they each had a parent that was.
The world needs yoga. This stuff is powerful and intense. It has the power to harm when held tightly, studied without practice, and posed rigidly. Done right, it also has the ability to heal and cure.
Meditation is practical, simple, and very useful. Taking even 30 seconds to rest your attention on your breath instead of following the cycle of your thoughts can bring you back to you in a heart beat.
We are all connected. The pain and suffering of others is yours also, on some level, whether you choose to pay attention or not. The reason we can't achieve total bliss is because you're not here solo.
When we focus mostly on our immediate needs, wants, and desires, we may achieve some of them but hardly feel satisfied. When we feel connected to ourselves on a deeper level, we get happy. We feel safe.
A huge problem we face when we're in need is giving up our intuition and blindly following instruction. Letting go works when we are following our hearts, but not so well when we are following a leader.
We all have insecurities. It takes maintenance and constant practice to first identify what they are so we can have an understanding of how we tick and, second, to put forth the action to deal with them.
It's hard to escape bullies that come in many shapes and forms. The processed food industry, corrupt religious organizations, and celebrity worship culture are just a few that we deal with in modern times.
Imagine an America where the health care system is dramatically improved simply because people need to go to the doctor less. Preventive health care, aka taking care of your own body, is a sensible way to go!
It's amazing what we've been through already in our lives no matter what our age. Think of what we've seen, people we've met, our relationships, experiences, and accomplishments. Reflection is a powerful tool.
Yoga is not about the history of yoga. Yoga is not about being in a sacred community of the initiated few. Yoga is about uniting inward, which takes place in the present, not the past, in each and every moment.
It takes an honest look to observe our selves without judgment, and then to do something about it. Observing without judgment is the practice of yoga. Doing something about it is the stuff that makes up your life.
The more we work to remove our fears and insecurities, the more aware we become of the interworkings of the universe and tap into the laws of nature, which, to most, will appear like we're doing some magic trickery.
Friendships naturally shift over life. We have different friends for different times in our lives, and sometimes it's not the best idea to hang on to a friendship to try to make it work if it's an unhealthy connection.
Paying attention to what we allow ourselves to pay attention to is a tricky thing. It's like being in two places at once but completely worth the discipline. We can react mindlessly or respond mindfully. It's up to us.
Yoga and mediation exist whether we choose to acknowledge or practice. It's like a tree. You can walk by the tree and inhale the oxygen it provides consciously or unconsciously. You'll still be benefiting from the tree.
This idea of bringing awareness to our lives seems like a good idea, right? We'll gain a productive, enjoyable, reflective life and be able to extend compassion, empathy, and joy to others. That seems like a pretty good deal.
When we practice cleaning our slate and interacting without motive, what we actually 'get' in return is greater than what we might have expected. Life can open up and be full of surprises that blow past our narrow expectations.
Time moves along at its own pace for as long as we are on this planet, and then some. So why try to beat it anymore? Maybe it's better to meet time head on and chill ourselves out so we can exist in harmony with the passing days.
When doing something you love, no matter what you'd be getting paid or think the outcome might be, not only will you enjoy yourself more, but you have a better chance of actually creating a sustainable life. Happiness is contagious.
When you practice yoga regularly, you get more then you will from jogging on the treadmill catching up on the last season of 'Lost.' When you practice yoga, you use your body and your mind, and you're gaining awareness and intuition.
When we practice paying attention, whether in meditation, yoga (moving mediation), or simply walking down the street, we can choose to be at ease, or choose to be tense. It's a choice, and that choice is up to no one but us to decide.
It's no secret the benefits of yoga include but are not limited to a healthy body, calm mind, reduced stress, feeling of connectivity with self and the world, increased awareness and sensitivity, and an overall feeling of awesomeness.
When we work on carving out balance in our lives, we are then shuttled to the superhighway of our best life fueled by our intention. The power and confidence comes from the knowledge that we can absolutely do something to achieve balance.
Wal-Mart is like a physical version of YouTube. You can find anything you want on YouTube. It let me access millions of people online who maybe wouldn't have tried yoga. Wal-Mart carries a similar heavy weight in its ability to reach people.
I've had a righteous streak since as long as I can remember. I never tolerated bullying from kids or authority, no matter the case. I got into trouble for calling things how I saw it in my early years at Catholic school, but I couldn't help myself.