Month: January 2015
The Squirrel and The Hawk
Dogs snuggled at my feet,
sun rising, cozy in my bed.
Trees reaching for the light,
squirrels making their home in my flower-pot;
digging up roots I painstakingly planted.
Fury pulses through my veins while the moment before I was peaceful, calm and serene. I reach for my shot-gun but of course I don’t own one.
Blue Jays soaring by competing for the same food. They run back and forth on the deck while the dogs continue sleeping completely oblivious.
A Red Tail Hawk swoops to score the squirrel and flies off.
My eyes open like saucers, National Geographic before my very eyes; contentment once again found.
Now I know how an eye for an eye was born, and why I’ve never gotten any cherries.
I am grateful for the farmers and their painstaking labor of working the fields and I vow to let the animals roam freely and forget this foolishness that I will ever bear fruit or arms.
Except for those that hug.
Hugs,
Cindy
Food for Thought
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“As a man Thinketh” So he is -James Allen
Words have power. What you say to yourself makes an impact on your conscious and unconscious mind. Your words are felt far beyond the person you are talking to. It sets up a magnetic energy field that radiates further than what you can Imagine.
Think of the word sunshine. What picture did you come up with in your mind? What feeling did it elicit?
Now, think of the word darkness.
What did you notice there?
When you say a word an image is then conjured up in your brain.
If the image is beautiful, your body and mind respond to this word in a positive way.
If however, the image is scary that feeling will be evoked in your body and brain as well.
What words do you use every day? What words do you continue to expose yourself to? If it’s the news, you might feel glum all day. How do you protect yourself from these daily bombardments of negativity in advertisements, the newspaper, or people. Bad news spreads faster that good news and we have become addicted to it. It’s how the media survives. Make a point to look for articles that make you smile and lift your spirit.
Change your words and change your mind.
A simple change of saying I get to teach, rather that I have to teach makes a huge shift in how you feel. When I first heard a yoga teacher of mine say it, I realized how different and lighter I felt when I used it in all of my daily activities. It is a gift and a privilege to get up in the morning and share what I have learned. What do you get to do? If all you come up with is “I get to pay my taxes” and sulk about it. Think again! At least you are able to own something so you can pay taxes.
Words can illuminate your spirit or kick you to the curb. What are your inner voices doing to you? Start noticing what words you say to yourself and then ask where they came from. Perhaps they are old tapes you heard growing up.
LET THEM GO. I know, “easier said than done” but DOABLE. Practice replacing those old tapes with new ones. When we beat ourselves up we diminish and wilt like a flower without water and sun. When we acknowledge ourselves we grow and flourish into a beautiful bouquet. Continue to weed the garden of your mind.
You are enough and always have been enough. Continue that mantra and watch life change before your very eyes. Doors will open and you will see the world from a different vantage point.
Namaste,
Cindy
How You Start Your Day Matters
How You Start Your Day Matters
Do you hit the snooze button 3 times before you get up, drag yourself out of bed, run to the coffee machine, throw your clothes on, scramble for your keys, skip breakfast and then spill your coffee in the car? Are you frustrated and exhausted before you start your day?
Imagine for a minute, you wake up and take a minute or 2 to transition into your morning while you stretch taking a few deep breaths.
Then you move to the floor or a chair and spend as much time as you can to meditate, say your daily affirmations and stretch. You check your calendar and look at your To Do list and prioritize (which you did before you went to bed as well). Remember you probably won’t get through it all but it gets if out of your head. You make your coffee, eat breakfast, get dressed and then mind fully collect your keys that are ALWAYS in the same spot. You get in your car relaxed and feel peaceful.
If you are like me you have noticed the difference in the 2 paragraphs, the former being shorter and argue you don’t have time for that kind of leisure. However, you will think again when you notice just what impact it has on your day.
We need time and are deserving of it. Pushing ourselves aside and not listening to our internal cues sets up a negative spiral circling around and around like a merry-go-round making it difficult to jump off and end this cycle. Notice the difference in how much more joyful and relaxed you feel and how your interactions are so much more enjoyable.
So yes, how you start your day matters!
Try it and let me know how you feel.
Here’s to peaceful mornings,
Cindy
Nirvana Found
The lake glistens reflecting gray and white shadows while the birds drift with the tide.
The Great Blue heron
Sits patiently waiting to score a fish.
There is no trying to be patient, trying to be present, trying to be still without his mind racing, he just is.
I am jealous of his ability while I sit cross legged in meditation while thoughts bombard my mind and my body parts scream in pain.
I want to be the Blue Heron and dive into the water unafraid if I get cold or wet or catch a fish every time. Unbothered by what time it is, what I have to do, how I will pay the bills, where I’m suppose to be in an hour, who I might offend if I say my truth, not worrying if I stayed in bed all day and just watched him and the shimmering water.
For a moment I become one with the Blue Heron and I’m still, content and quiet inside. Nirvana found.
But for now there are chores to do and places to be so I will drag myself from the window sill but take a picture in my minds eye so I can return to this memory throughout my day.
Yoga Live: San Francisco This weekend
Take classes with some of the best teachers in the industry or just go and sample new healthy products and shop for the latest gear in yoga.
48 + Teachers sharing a wealth of information for students and teachers.
Here are a few of the top:
-Sean Corne
-Dharma Mittra: 1rst time I did a
Headstand was in
His class.
Never aspired to
This EVER. Read more below.
-Shiva Rea
-Rodney Yee & Colleen Saidman Yee
HEADSTAND READY OR NOT:
Last year I took Dharma Mittra’s class with 100 other people. I thought the class would be easy and relaxing since he looked anywhere between 80-100.
When he demonstrated an effortless headstand I was in awe. I have never aspired to stand on my head for the benefit of blood rushing to my head and creating new neuropathways. It could easily be had by lying off the edge of my bed which had no appeal either.
I was in the second row which made it harder to fake the asanas (yoga postures) but I modified where I could.
I heard him say “look at me”. I looked up and he had singled me out, his eyes piercing mine and he said “up”. I have no idea to this day how this happened but my legs shot up above me and I was in a headstand. I was stunned and elated all at once. I suppose this is how someone pushes a car off a loved one when it is not humanly impossible. That’s how it felt to me anyway. I’m still not sure where this came from. Was I afraid of the consequences if I didn’t go up? Did I get the affirmation from a well schooled teacher that saw something in me and I didn’t want to disappoint him? Did the power in his words speak to a place inside where I wanted to do this but had given up on the idea because it was pointless or I was too old? Was it because if this old man could do it, so could I? I felt like a little kid again and wanted to run to mommy shouting “look at me”. I was amazed and proud even though this felt somewhere out of any control I humanly had. To this day I do headstand most everyday because I can. It reminds me that there are so many things in my life waiting to emerge if I just stay open and listen to my intuition.
Rewrite a Revolutionary Script for 2015
Hi there, thanks for making your way over. Here is how you can begin to restart 2015:
The first step in your journey requires you to
1. Write this year’s script:
Set aside a time where you can dedicate your full attention. This initial step is critical and powerful. When you proclaim what you want, it allows you to remain focused on what is key for you.
- PROCLAIM WHAT YOU WANT:
- -I want to lose 20 pounds,
-Start yoga,
-See a trainer - ASK YOUR WHY:
Why is this important to you? ? How will it change your life or enhance your life?
Is it in line with your life purpose?
2. Determine three goals that are key:
Setting a top three priority list this year allows you to fully delve deeply. If you overwhelm yourself too early, these will all be on your list next year. According to research, it takes 21 days of consistent action to build new healthy habits. Focus on each goal gradually, and build yourself further down the list.
4. Hire a life coach
A life coach holds you accountable, hone’s in on what is the most important why in your life and allows you to explore feelings. Having an individual who is on your side to face obstacles and make a plans changes your entire perspective by pushing you to remain consistent..
5. Pick deadline dates
Deadline dates encourage you to act with urgency. Without dates you end up aimless and unaccountable. They need to be attainable, and realistic times so that you can experience a win. Every time you meet your commitment, you begin building trust and self confidence in your abilities. This creates a, “Yes I can attitude!” which is paramount in attaining success.
6. The process of letting go:
We have a tendency to hold onto the past, and continue old patterns of thinking that perpetuate negative feelings into our present. Our minds hold onto pain, and we repeat the same tired old script in our present. In order to embrace the new year, you must learn to Forgive and Release the past. Unless you do this, you will never get what you truly want in life because you won’t feel worthy.
Letting go is much easier said than done. It requires a simple desire along with the discipline to see it through. However, have faith in your abilities
Fan your Wins:
In order to keep mastering things you want, you must be grateful and give thanks so more will come your way. To attract morepositivity and growth, you must understand like breeds like. Remember how Fire grows. If w e fan it, it ignites can move from a tiny flame into a roaring blaze. Similarly, if you fan your spirit with positivity and gratitude, your spirit expands.
Ideas for letting go:
Write it down and burn it
Say affirmations
Imagine it leaving in a balloon into thin air
Bury it all the way to China
Come to the present moment and Breathe
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Cindy Georgakas
Uniquely Fit
