Authentic joy - actions and choices that you take freely, and that serve you now and in a few weeks, months, years; an emotion based in deep contentment and satisfaction, comfort and
In anything you practice {yoga or parenting or, y'know, life} there is a North Star. The full form of the pose; full patience and presence with your children; showing up, grounded and authentic and open. These stars are firm directions on the compass of your soul. How you navigate is up to a
Operating from a place where your feet are buried in the normal, expected, obligated, regular, same ol', same ol' leaves your arms flailing, your words shouted into space, your mind reeling.
There's a lot of talk these days about self-love. I believe the idea of self-love is misrepresented and maybe {you be the judge} overrated. Here's why...
The less famous sister of self-love is self-connection. The definition of connection is to join, to
You could: stay small, think it but not say it, keep the habit, not question the belief, go along with it, let the expectations/obligations/guilt come on in, play by the rules, turn around, let your head crowd out your heart, ignore your gut, sleep in.
In our rushing around and stressing out and worrying over and panic creating, we fall into ruts. Go on auto-pilot and zone out. Lose all presence and awareness. Fall into deep belief with our thoughts.
All of us live in and among people. The truths (or lies) you tell, the cars you drive by (or cut off) on the highway, the emotions that vibrate through your body and direct your actions (or overreactions), the patience and kindness (or impatience and rudeness) you show the strangers
Being honest with others; being honest about others (as in, my experiences and relationships with others). Being honest with myself; being honest about myself (as in, for myself, and for
*It* being: more time for cooking, more quality time with your lover, more hours on your mat, more yes's to things you want hard (and more no's to things that smack of obligation or guilt),
I've had hundreds of conversations on stress, worry, and anxiety. As a coach and a yoga teacher, these are the commonest of the common topics. And I've noticed that people who are really mired in these emotions feel as if they have no control where stress, worry, and anxiety are
I have struggled with, tried to control, succumbed to, worked around, made excuses for, anticipated, reacted to, fought, resisted, surrendered to, and denied my relationship with anxiety for 20 years. At least. In varying forms and phases and extremes. It hasn't been glamorous. But
For years, I have studied, read, discussed, taught, philosophized, debated, investigated, hung out with, and uncovered the myriad ways that our thoughts guide our emotions. No doubt, they do. All of the great thinkers and writers (at least those into such self-bettering things) agree on this