Mindful Moment
Mirror Yoga
By Guest Blogger: Jeffrey Starbuck
The ultimate place where we feel and experience yoga is within ourselves. When we do asanas (postures) or other practices, we feel it in our bodies, our minds, and our emotional fields.
A great practice for connecting more deeply with ourselves both psychologically and emotionally is mirror work. Yes, literally gazing into a mirror! This is done alone, with yourself, in front of a large mirror. The purpose isn’t to observe how you look, but rather to see what you feel. Try it.
1. Set aside 5 minutes of dedicated time.
2. Stand or sit in front of a mirror. Ensure you can see your head, shoulders, and upper torso.
3. Gaze into your eyes. Notice what thoughts and feelings arise. Any thought, any feeling. Simply notice. This practice could also be called “Mirror Meditation.”
4. Keeping in mind the adage, “The eyes are the windows of the soul,” simply continue observing anything and everything that enters your field of awareness. Especially negative, critical thoughts.
5. Keep returning your attention to the eyes.
6. Think to yourself, or speak aloud, “This is me! This is the person, of all the people I’ve known, that I’m most familiar with. The one I’m closest to!”
7. Notice any and all negative, critical thoughts, and practice letting them go. Let go.
8. Finish by thinking or speaking aloud, while looking into your eyes, “Perhaps I can learn to really love you. I would like that, even if I can’t do it now.”
Practice “Mirror Yoga” once a week. Or more frequently, there’s no downside.
Jeffrey Starbuck, LCSW, RYT, is a Renaissance Healer who teaches Integral Yoga, meditation, and qigong, while also helping individuals move into deeper levels of yoga within themselves. He is the author of “Snapshots in Eternity: Stitching Together the For Corners of Existence,” a small book of sacred poetry available through Amazon. For more information: http://www.JeffreyStarbuck.com
Mindful Moment
Let It Go
by: Danna Faulds
Let go of the ways you thought life would unfold;
the holding of plans or dreams or expectations –
Let it all go. Save your strength to swim with the tide.
The choice to fight what is here before you now will only result
in struggle, fear, and desperate attempts to flee from the very energy
you long for. Let go.
Let it all go and flow with the grace that washes through your days
whether you receive it gently or with all your quills raised to defend
against invaders. Take this on faith; the mind may never find the
explanations that it seeks, but you will move forward nonetheless.
Let go, and the wave’s crest will carry you to unknown shores,
beyond your wildest dreams or destinations.
Let it all go and find the place of rest and peace, and certain transformation.
Auto Body Shop
By Guest Blogger: Sandi Merrill
Would you put low grade gasoline in your prized Ferrari? When was the last time you changed your oil? Like cars, our bodies need regular maintenance for peak performance. We tend to our appearance, sometimes excessively – washing, waxing, and polishing the chrome. We give attention to the foods we eat – seeking high octane fuel. But, taking full deep breaths and maintaining a peaceful mind are just as important.
These days, constant stress and the focused, visual demand of our tech. devices robs us of our breath. Our breath becomes shallow when we’re anxious, angry, or fearful. Our breath sometimes stops completely when we squint our eyes to read the text on our ever shrinking displays.
Without adequate oxygen, our bodies are unable to efficiently convert the fuel we consume into energy. When fuel is not fully metabolized, it leaves behind residue that eventually “gunks up the works.” In the science of Ayurveda, this toxic residue is called “ama.” In Sanskrit it literally means undigested. We combat the accumulation of ama by maintaining a strong digestive fire, “agni.” Full, deep inhales fan the digestive flame with more oxygen. Full, complete exhales eliminate more of the residue resulting from that combustion. The more efficient our engine is, the cleaner we burn fuel. Less dirt accumulates in our engine oil. So, while our Ferraris may show a few more dings over the years, a well-maintained engine will carry us far. Happy trails.