… at this moment, we have a choice, to sit deeper and begin to let go or to listen to the story about why this should or shouldn’t have happened, (or whatever the thoughts and beliefs are around the pain) and hold on. This is where most people go, away from the pain and into their thinking minds. And because of this, the pain does not get a chance to move, transform or release. It would be like a child who was hurt at school, and the parent began a conversation with why the child shouldn’t be crying or why life shouldn’t happen, instead of holding and embracing the child. Often deep healing doesn’t takes place, if we aren’t able to feel the pain, to walk through the doorway of grief, fully experience it and come into our own Strength, Beauty and Wholeness, that becomes clearer after we let go.
But being free does not only mean that we are able to be open and honest with all the difficult parts of ourselves. It also means that we are willing to see our own Beauty and Spaciousness as well. And a funny thing happens, when most people look at their own Beauty and Spaciousness; they become scared. Scared because they never knew this to be themselves. Or scared because they know this is the Truth of themselves, and if they are going to live from that place they must give up all the silliness of their own minds (all their thoughts and opinions, about themselves and others). Or scared because it is something totally new; and most people are really scared of something new. Especially being somebody new or for the first time truly being themselves.
The biggest fear is that in embodying this Beauty, that we will somehow disappear or lose who we are. It is true in a sense that there will be a death; a death of the ego as the fore front of our consciousness. It will be the death of our false ideas about ourselves. And in the end, the ego will certainly still be there, but it will take the back seat to this Beauty and Spacious Consciousness that we are. And this is a whole different way of being.
hello
I have been away for 7 months & a lot of things have changed. Fitness is still very much a strong priority in my life. I’m disappointed to say that I have lost my ashtanga practice but I have taken on a more fluid yoga routine & this is perhaps the most flexible I have ever been
Recently I started lifting again, I’m doing a modified version of New Rules of Lifting for Women to fit my schedule and it is exciting to see what effects lifting heavy will have on my body :-)
Baked egg in avocado seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, chipotle powder. From this super simple recipe here.
(Source: stuffimake, via beauty-isachoice)
"Solitude is for the strong, or for those who are ready to become strong. When a man is becoming great, he becomes solitary. He goes in solitude to seek, and that which he seeks, he finds, for there is a Way to all knowledge, all wisdom, all truth, all power. And the Way is for ever open, but it lies through soundless solitudes and the unexplored silences of man’s being."
- James Allen
(Source: james-allen.in1woord.nl)
I just came back from my first aerial yoga class, it’s a lot of fun. I accidentally joined the intermediate class so I was launched into doing all sorts of backflips and inversions (which left me feeling a bit nauseous at the end of it haha) Fortunately my background in ashtanga/vinyasa has helped me to build some strength & flexibility which got me through most of the challenging poses, but a lot of them made use of muscles groups that I don’t usually target in my own practice
We also did a lot of static balancing poses (eg. variations of Warrior III) which felt very different with the hammock. Not exactly ‘easier’, as you would imagine with the hammock’s support, but it does enable you to go deeper into the stretch. Savasana at the end of the lesson inside the ‘cocoon’ was very relaxing!
(Source: pursuefitness)
There Is No Competition in Yoga
By Heidi Kristoffer, student of Tara Stiles.
I love this short article on nurturing acceptance rather than achievement in yoga.
disappointment
Recently I was eating with my (meat-eating) friends and they all looked at me and my vegan lunch with an expression that can be described as a mix of horror, dismay and pity. Seriously, I don’t need your unsolicited, ill-informed comments about my apparent ‘malnutrition’. I am perfectly happy, if not happier, after embracing a plant-based diet. I have never once pushed my lifestyle onto anyone (why would I??) and I don’t understand why some people take it upon themselves to make such blanket statements that shows nothing but their own ignorance.
(via berryhealthy)
