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

July Yoga Pose of the Month: Frog Pose

Frog Pose
Sanskrit: Mandukasana or Bhekasana
First Photo courtesy of venusrisingmagazine.com

You are literally looking like a frog in this pose. One of my favorites because it opens the hips and works your thighs, throat, chest, abdomen, groin and quads as well! Helpful for rejuvenating knee joints while providing a deep stretch to the quadriceps and psoas muscles. Not only that, but it also strengthens the muscles of the back and improves posture, improves digestion and (my favorite) helps reduce excess fat in the body especially in the thigh, hip and abdominal region. It also assists in the cure of pain in the knees, ankles, and back. I just love yoga. Each pose comes with it so many benefits. This pose is also relaxing for me. I can go inward for a bit. Love it!

Directions on how to come into the pose:
There are many ways to come at this pose. First it's helpful to warm up a bit with a few sun salutations and other yoga vinyasas to be sure your body is ready to get deep into this pose (as deep as it will go for your body that is; our anatomy is unique for each of us). You can start from your belly or from a seated position. I like to begin in a wide standing down dog pose. So just like downdog but legs are very wide. Then walk your hands forward while pointing your feet out and bending your knees. Dropping the knees to the mat. Take your knees as wide as they will go. We can have our hands either under our legs with wrists under shoulders or I like to come down onto my forearms and rest here while I play with how wide I can take my knees. The most challenging is to have feet out. To make it easier while still getting an excellent stretch, have feet come in towards the center and each other. Lower the head if that feels good or gaze forward.

Hold till you feel like your reached your edge in time. To come out press your hands into the mat or floor and bring your knees in slowly and gently. Come into child's pose and rest for a few minutes.

When not to do this pose or to modify/Contraindications:
High or low blood pressure; insomnia; migraine; knee, neck, should or lower back injuries.

~ Maggie
www.SpiritualCompassConnection.com

June Yoga Pose of the Month: DownDog

Downward-Facing Dog (aka Down Dog)
Sanskrit: Adho Mukha Svanasana
Photo courtesy of my Husband:
Me at WWI Park in Plainville, MA next to a bridge over a teeny river :)

Okay, so usually you are on a flat surface, not working your way over a little river. :) But I loved doing it and the pose is so awesome! What nice it this still illustrates the perfect pose for Down Dog. You'll find this pose in most yoga classes and always in Sun Salutations and vinyasa sequences.

This is an amazing pose that over time works out to be your resting pose. You will enjoy more challenging postures and then come into this pose and stretch your *whole* body in the process. Not only that, but Down Dog calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression; it helps relieve the symptoms of menopause; it relieves menstrual discomfort when done with the head supported; it helps prevent osteoporosis; it improves digestion; it relieves headaches, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue; and it is therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, and sinusitis. It's just all-around excellent for your health. Why would you *not* do this pose during your yoga practice. :) Enjoy!!!

Directions on how to come into the pose:
Begin in Tadasana/Mountain pose, feet can be hip distance apart or close together.From here inhale arms all the way up, and hinging at the hips with a straight back, swan dive arms down towards the mat for a forward fold. Place your hands on the mat and step both feet back into a plank position. Body is straight, good straight line of energy from your head all the way down to your heels (no hips up to the sky in plank pose), then push your hands into the mat as you life your hips up high, press your body back into an inverted V position. Push up up up through the tailbone. Press your chest down as it reaching towards the mat or floor. Shoulders are wide and back and away from the ears. No air bubbles in those hands and your heels are reaching towards the mat. They don't need to touch just have the action of reaching. Elongate the spine here. Allow your head to hang loose and drink your breath.

Hold for five deep breaths. To come out, perhaps you can drop your knees down onto the mat from Down Dog and slide your hips back to your heels, coming into Child's pose. Rest here. This is a pose you can do when Down-Dog becomes a bit much. But as you strengthen your body, you will be able to hold Down-Dog longer and enjoy it more fully and deeply. Slide your hands up to your knees sitting up and roll out your wrists. Down Dog works a lot in the wrists, so it's helpful to loosing them up.

When not to do this pose or to modify/Contraindications:
Carpal tunnel syndrome; Diarrhea; it's not recommended to practice this pose during the last term of Pregnancy; High blood pressure or headache: Support your head on a bolster or block, ears level between the arms.

~ Maggie
www.SpiritualCompassConnection.com

Don't Know. Don't Care.

During this Holiday season it is so easy to get caught up the hustle and bustle of obtaining gifts and running errands for the next holiday party. There are so many who have more stress and anxiety around this season that is supposed to be happy, peaceful and in celebration for our Source Connection. So now more than ever it is so important to come back to your center. To live in the present moment of stillness and love. It is so very important because it can be so easily lost when we are constantly worrying about what we will get for whom, what we can afford, who will be hurt if you don't get the "perfect" gift, how we will make the kids happy while still including others in on the fun, if we will have a job to sustain us, if we will get a job for some, who has crossed over and will no longer be with us in this reality, and this holiday bustle compounds the "usual" stress to a higher level.

It's imperative to get out of the past and stop worry about the future. Start living for right now. Right now, in this very moment there is peace. The stillness is with you if you only allow it to be. Take a deep breath right now and close your eyes. Inhale and exhale. What do you feel? Stillness? Peace? Love? It is this space within you that is always within you that no one and no thing can ever touch nor take away. It is your connection to the Divine/God/Universe. It is you.

In order to assist you this Holiday season, I want to share the gift of presence through meditation. I would like to share a meditation method that was shown to me by a Zen Master at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Island during a one day retreat. This retreat was a six hour Zen meditation. This was the longest meditation I’ve experienced in one sitting thus far.

We would sit in the lotus position or with legs crossed for 20 minutes in meditation and then do a walking meditation for 10-20 minutes. Then sit for 20 minutes and do a walking meditation for 10-20 minutes. And the cycle continued until complete. At sporadic times during the sitting meditation the meditation leader would walk around with a stick and ask that you lower your head to the floor exposing your back if you would like to receive a tap on your back. It is the idea that this will adjust your mind when needed as well as your body to stay present during the meditation. I’m sure there are other subtle benefits as well.

A short time into the meditation we started to take turns going in to the Zen Master to have a discussion with him or to simply sit with him for however long we felt necessary. Some folks had long debates about spiritual or life issues. Others chose not to go in. When I went in it was about three hours into the meditation. All the questions I had thought I might ask the Zen Master went away. I no longer required answers. So I didn’t have much to talk about. He gave me a great meditation tip to keep me going through the last half of my meditation retreat. He said to simply chant a mantra in my mind coordinated with my breath. Breathe in, “Don’t Know”, Breathe out, “Don’t Care”. Inhale-Don't Know. Exhale-Don't Care. Don’t know, don’t care, don’t know, don’t care, don’t know, don’t care.

This is a wise mantra. The idea is that you are not in the yin and yang of life; the ups and downs; but rather view the experiences from a calm neutral place. It's not bad. It's not good. It just is. The more I learn the more I realize I know nothing. The Divine is all-knowing. So leave it up to the Divine. Freedom. Not caring about what’s going on around you does not say you do not have compassion for others experiences or the issues happening in your life. Instead it is more of a way of accepting what is going on as Divine. Because everything truly is Divine and happens for a reason. You are simply observing in a neutral but peaceful place of being. Don’t know. Don’t care.

"There is no waiting for something to happen, no point in the future to get to. All you have ever longed for is here in this moment, right now." ~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer

I've been on the meditation path for a decade now and the more I meditate the more I connect with the Divine/God. Meditation is my connection and brings me back to presence. I remember that I am now in a more constant state of meditation aka Presence/Stillness/Magic/Now. Today the sky was my meditation. the blue star-filled sky that changed to dusk and a beautiful sunrise with pinks and blues to yellow and blue. So magical. A stillness now always felt comes back to me during these moments. Sometimes my state of being wavers but the meditation practice brings me back to magical awareness...to "myself", the stillness within...to my connection to the Divine. Whatever your method the more you can dedicate a daily practice to connecting to Source the more you will feel that you have always been and always will be connected. It is the gift of presence. When you share this with yourself it is felt by all those around you.

So for this Holiday season. Give this meditation a try. Or simply sit in quiet peace for even five minutes a day and you will feel the benefits a thousand fold. The immediate benefits are clarity and relaxation. There are striking long-term health benefits from meditation as well. Breath awareness is another great meditation that you can do anywhere. Just notice and be aware of your breath, the inhale and the exhale. Your breath is always in the present moment so becoming aware of your breath pulls you in the Now. And if you're in a winter season, you can also enjoy the benefits of a beautiful snowfall. Get outside, breathe in the crisp air, and watch, and listen. If there is serene snow where you live, enjoy the snow as each unique beautiful snowflake falls. There is a unique stillness in the air when you can get outside and be with a fresh snowfall. Nature takes you back to your true essence. Each drop of nature brings me back to center and peace. It is my wish that each of you receive the gift of stillness and peace this holiday season.

Enjoy, live, laugh and love always!

Peace and Bliss be with you ,
~Spiritual Cheerleader