September 2011 Yoga Pose of the Month: Warrior I

Warrior I
Sanskrit: Virabhadrasana I
Image provide by YogaJournal.com

This month's article (below) goes perfectly with this month's yoga pose. Feel the energy surging within your body all the way up your spine and out your arms in this pose. We are powerful beings and in holding this pose we can choose to tap into that power and believe. This pose brings out a force within us that isn't always tapped into.

Directions on how to come into the pose:
Stretching back in Down Dog inhale. Exhale, and bring your left leg forward in between your hands for runners lunge. Keep your knee in a 90 degree angle, ankle over knee. From Down Dog to runners lunge. Ground your back foot down, angle it flat towards the top corner of your mat. Bring your hands to your thighs as you lift your upper body up. Maintain good foundation in the legs. Take hands to hips for a moment. Keep your hips both facing forward, like to headlights shining in front of you.

Then raise your hands up high on either side of your ears. Reach tall, pull your ribs away from your waist. Keep that knee over your ankle, no jutting out or in. Open the chest. Open your heart. Bring the energy up from your feet, through your legs, your torso, all the way up your spine and through your arms. Inhale, exhale and lower down a little more. Find your edge in this pose.

If you'd like, and if you are familiar with Warrior I, you may take a gentle arch in your spine for a gentle back bend. Look up towards your hands and if you'd like, take a temple mudra here with your hands. Clasping your hands together, with index fingers straight up and pressing together. Breathe deeply. Five deep breaths here.

To come out: Lower arms down to the mat, press both legs back into a plank pose. Both feet out behind you, hips not too high, then press into your hands and through your tailbone into Down Dog. Stretch and breathe here. Keep shoulders back and away from the ears, open up your heart and press your hands into the mat. Elongate the spine. Do the other side!!!

When not to do this pose or to modify/Contraindications:
High blood pressure, Heart problems, those with shoulder problems should keep their raised arms parallel (or slightly wider than parallel) to each other and those with neck problems should keep their head in a neutral position and not look up at the hands.

~ Maggie
www.SpiritualCompassConnection.com

Do You Know What Your Destiny Is? ~ September 2011

Do You Know What Your Destiny Is?

You are destined for Greatness. Yep. That's right. Each and every one of you are destined for something beautiful and wonderful and totally unique to you. There may be simiarities to another's path, but it is a totally different expression that is coming from you. It's your experience and your expression.

It's time to find the Warrior within. No more procrastination. Because it IS there. Within us all. Always has been. And we can dig down deep and bring it to the surface. If you've ever had to hold a pose, such as Warrior I in Yoga (above description under this month's yoga pose and check me out on the right in Warrior I :)), or been working out with weights or pushing through a cardio routine and you've just about had it. You'll know what I mean. Because there comes a point, maybe it's something the instructor said or maybe you finally realize it's inside of you, but there comes a point where you suddenly get your second-wind, you feel a renewed sense of energy, your focus is intensified and you feel a fire deep inside of you that keeps you holding that pose, repeating those last few reps or pushing through the last of your cardio routine. There's usually a look in your eyes when you feel this. It's an intense focus like nothing you have ever felt before but during these pure moments of potent energy. You've found the warrior within you and nothing can get in your way. When you've finished, there is a euphoria you can't explain and the endorphins are a wonderful rush to boot!

It's this pure intense fire that is within us all. Whatever it is we are meant to do, push through or endure we can find this place inside of us to help us to keep going and feel more utterly connected to Source (God) like never before. It's this intense focus I tap into during energy session, meditations, yoga, and my workouts for sure! It's also an intense focus that comes up when I am doing design work and even writing these newsletters. It's my Source connection coming further to the surface to bring out more of the "Me" that "I" am.

We each have something we are meant to do and Be. It is something that has been within us forever. It is something that comes very naturally to us. Whatever that may be it is within you and you know to your core. It keeps coming and coming to you; it is constant. It is you. It is your divine expression.

And if we can get off the couch, stop listening to those insane excuses our mind repetitively give us and push through knowing an uplifting outcome for all is awaiting us, we will be more ALIVE, more AWAKE and more consciously surviving and THRIVING in life. It's what's inside of us that we are meant to bring out and show to the world. Not what others think we should do or be, not what your ego mind said do it out of fear, but what is our blissful passion, what makes us happy and joyous to live every day. That may not be your full time job, but it has to be something you tap into at least a few minutes every day, whatever that is.

Take a challenge and meditate a few minutes away. Or sit quiet. Imagine that you are doing something you so much love! And if you don't know what that is, imagine the feeling of doing something you love. Just feel the joy, happiness and fulfillment that comes. Be peaceful. Breathe into this. See it, feel it and be it as INTENSELY as you can. You'll start to see signs and synchronicities coming your way to answer your daily moments of clarity. Perhaps your destiny is to spread peace and be that peaceful center. So maybe you are not "doing" something but in fact by BEing peaceful, you are assisting the world with your vibration. We are all assisting the world with our vibration as we reach our potential for greatness and our deep inner Source connection.

And when you do your Warrior I pose in Yoga or get to those moments in your workout where you think you just can't go one more second, or even those moments in life that make you want to just give up, breathe deeply, know you can do it, know it's ALWAYS mental and spiritual as well as physical, and you can decide to find that FIRE within you and let it out! Get your second-wind for life! Find that fire within and use this intense clarity of focus to reach YOUR Greatness. It's your destiny.

Enjoy, live, laugh, love always!

Blessings to you on your path,
~ Spiritual Cheerleader
www.SpiritualCompassConnection.com