Your Heart has the Answer

Certain decisions are easy to make, like do you want to smoke, get high, jump off a bridge, some are harder, do you want end a relationship with a friend, or partner, quit your job? (maybe that is easy sometimes).  Once we make a decision then we have to learn to let go of our attachments and move on.  Sometimes the strings to those attachments are attached directly into your heart and so when you cut them there is heartache and discomfort. 

So how do we welcome the end of good things or great things? 

I'm closing my business down after almost 7 years and it will be hard to let it go since there is a strong attachment to it.  In fact ,I teetered in the beginning whether or not I should continue or close.  Was it the right time to make that decision, what will happen to my students, so many questions and things to contemplate, so not an easy decision to make. 

Then, like a smack in the face, I hear my yoga teacher saying "Open to Grace, soften, feel..."  And, instantly the fear dissolves and I receive a clear message that yes indeed this is a good thing.  Confirmation from my higher Self.  An overwhelming sense of gratitude fills my heart and soul.  Wow, I'm so thankful to be awake, so that I don't feel alone and I trust myself.  I'm so grateful to have found a yoga practice that has taught and prepared to make good decisions, welcome endings, step into the flow and be embraced by grace.

I want to share a technique that I learned many years ago that has worked for me every time I have to make a decision.  I guess you could call think of it as having an important conversation with your higher Self.  The first time I used it, it actually scared the crap out of myself because it was so clear and powerful.  There was no question in my mind whether or not I was getting the answer to my question.  Let me warn you before you attempt this technique you will get the truth, if you like it or not.

The first time I used this technique was because I meet this really great guy and only 2 days after we hit it off something crappy, stupid and self induced happened, he got a DUI charge.  As soon as he told me I broke it off right away, I didn't want to go there with him, however, some friends convinced me to give him a chance, that he just made a mistake, so I did.  The foreshadowing of what was to follow should be no surprise here. 

I gave him another chance and shortly after the chaos began!  I just left a 7 year long relationship and now I'm thinking what the hell, how did I get myself involved in all this chaos again.  The craziness went on for a few months as I was trying to sort through the love-at-first sight feelings and I was so pissed at the DUI, I wanted to ream this guy out!  But still I wasn't willing to welcome the ending so I hung on and duked it out, like a tough girl. 

One morning, I slipped into the bathtub, closed my eyes and took some deep breaths.  I got very still, quiet and I turned inside.  Once I was as relaxed as I could be, I imagined a tiny door on my heart.  I visualized myself knocking on this door that looked like the door Snow White knocked on when she meet the 7 dwarfs.  When the door opens I was welcomed by this warm, soft pink light into this magical space.  I could see a table and two chairs from the top of this tiny little spiral staircase.  I made my way down and sat at the table.  It felt like I was about to meet someone really important and I was.

There wasn't a figure or person that actually appeared to sit across from me but I knew it was time to present my question to my heart.  Get ready, this is deep friends!  "Should I stay with this guy?"  Then silence, the walls of this space, beating, alive....... still nothing...... then ...  a very clear, loud  NO, echoed through the cambers of my own heart!!! I nearly fall off the tiny chair, holy crap I thought I wasn't expecting that to happen.

  That's it!  That was the conversation I had with my higher Self, it was the truth, it was what I needed to do, it was the right thing to do and I knew it all along, I just wanted to make sure.

"Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first.  Ask questions, then feel the answer.  Learn to trust your heart."
    
So that day, I ended that relationship and stuck to my guns about that decision.  Matters of the heart are never easy for me but I know that I can tune into my heart for loving, truthful guidance at any time.  I have used that same technique so many times and I always know that whatever I am asking I will get a solid, clear answer.  Your heart never lies to you, ever!  But you need to be willing to go deep inside to get the answer, even if it's going to hurt. 

"Only do what your heart tells you to" Princess Diana

Again, I'm so full of gratitude for my yoga teachers, John Friend, Todd and Ann and spiritual guides I get goosebumps and my eyes well up with tears because they have all taught me that I don't need to go outside of myself to get to the truth, that my heart is the center of my being and it's from there that I have the strength to let go and move forward. 



"The human heart feels things the eyes can not see, and knows what the mind can't understand"  T.E Kalem

I'm used to people thinking my head is screwed on the wrong way :D

I taught a lovely class today in the park to some young yogis and saw a very familiar facial expression aimed at me while I lead them into some postures.  It's not easy to describe this particular look but since I started teaching yoga I have seen it many times.  This look is sort of half roll your eyes at me combined with what the hell is this crazy woman talking about. I wouldn't say it's a nice look, in fact it's a bit like you disgust me and your a total weirdo. Not to worry I can take it, I'm used to it and I think it's awesome that I can get people's brains thinking out of the norm.

I taught an advanced class this morning that lead toward eka pada viparita dandasana and there it was again, that look!  Love it!  Funny thing is that I was used to this look from other people long before I started doing yoga.  The same look at 16 years old when I told people I was a vegetarian, or that I spent my free time climbing up the face of cliffs or entering big air competitions on my snowboard.  You see in my life adventure and being unique and kinda freaky in a healthy way is the norm. 

It is by no mistake that I can comfortably tuck both of my feet behind my head while balancing on my arms, it was through years of dedicated yoga practice that I am at all able to do that.  When people show talent make no mistake that they have likely spent hundreds of hours honing their skills and the looks that we shoot them should be more like wow, that's totally amazing, rather than geeze what a total nut case!

Good thing yoga has taught me not to care so much about what other people think of me but instead to live my life fully every day.  As my lovely friend Pangea puts it, "fly your freak flag", so I do that and I like it.  On the other side of this sometimes when people are showing their talents to the world and it's out of the ordinary I have also seen a different vibe coming from them.  This look is more like "What haven't you ever seen someone swallow a flaming sword before while hoola hooping with a fire hoop?" 

I'm never rude back, anyone that is!  Ah the journey is so amazing, I wouldn't change it for the world.



Today, I fully identified with this look and now I can see it just like I see someone else smiling at me.

That's not very Yogic of you!

I cringe whenever I hear this statement being barked at me our others - "That's not very yogic of you now is it!"  My initial knee jerk response is quelled by all the work I do on my mat, very yogic of me indeed.  Little do these folks know what a huge difference yoga has made in my life and if I was the person I used to be pre-yoga the words my response to statements like this one would be far less kind and often include the F-word! 

So what does it mean when someone says, that's not very yogic of you?  Does it imply that I must be a perfect person, incapable of making mistakes, cutting someone up, making fun of someone, or using swear words?  The yoga in me teaches me to go to the source, my heart to respond. From my heart I can contemplate further, what does this person understand about yoga in the first place.  If I think they may believe that all we do is throw on some spandex and stretch then I have to base a response on that.

If they are "yogis" themselves saying this to me it drives me more insane!  I believe it's a great opportunity to look closely at your own life/behaviour first before questioning mine. Might I quote Mr. Iyengar from his book Light on Life, "You must purge yourself before finding faults in others." Perhaps your own behaviours, actions or words are not "yogic" and that is the source of this silly statement. 

Go back to the source, inspire, elevate the community, all these concepts moving through my mind while I carefully and consciously am choosing my response.  If you do yoga you are aware the word itself  means to yoke, taken from the root yuj or to unite. It can also refer someone who practices yoga or follows a certain yoga philosophy with a high level of commitment. 

My issue when someone says this is more so about people speaking with ignorance.  They know you do yoga so that is something you can call them on if there out of alignment in some way.  I'm not saying yogis or yoginis should be going around shooting the bird at someone who cuts you off, or getting angry and punching someone out or other various precarious situations, but just because you do yoga, does not mean you're a pushover. 

My teachers have taught me to look for the good in all situations, to respond rather than react, to live with high standards and even morals but they have never ever taught me to be a pushover, to let other people treat me poorly while I keep my mouth shut in fear of responding in a non-yogic way. 

Consider this before yoga I would have been the one cutting you off in my car!  I would have given you the finger just because the wind was blowing west, my reactions where usually selfish and harsh.  After all these years of yoga no matter what, I am almost always (well, the fact that I'm a human being means I still make mistakes) responding in a yogic way regardless. 

30 Day Vegan/Yoga Challenge

   This May, The Mindful Body is presenting a challenge to our community to go Vegan and practice yoga 4 times a week for 30 days.  Why?  Why would this matter?  What you do, has a global and local impact on this planet!  For some this is a serious challenge for others they are already mostly living this way.

  What does it take to make this change for 30 days?  DISCIPLINE!  Yep, scary word I know but it may be what some of you lack or fear and just what you need to shift the direction of your life and this planet.

   I have been a vegetarian for over half my life, that's 18 years and I don't miss meat at all.  In fact as a kid I used to spit it out and cringe when diner was served if there was meat on my plate.  Well actually, I hated the veggies too, I was super fussy. 

   I made an educated decision to stop eating animals after my boyfriend gave me a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) brochure.  I still remember the pictures of downed cows, bunny rabbits with crap being injected into their eye balls, chickens squished together in tiny cages. 

   My reasons may have started off for the rights of the animals and of course they still do but living my life in ways that uplift the entire planet happened when I started to do yoga and give a damn about other people and this planet that we share, not just myself.  This is just my own view and I would not judge or criticize someone else's view or try to change them.

   Being a vegetarian at 16 made for some interesting Christmas dinner conversations in my Italian family.  They made fun of me, challenged me, made me cry on several occasions about the choice I had made about what I would and would not eat and why.  But, at the time none of them would so much as look at any information or pictures showing the reality of how meat is raised, treated and killed.

   "Going veg is one of the best decisions you can make for your health and the planet. Period.  Your organs, blood, bones, teeth and private parts will thank you!"  This is a quote from Kris Carr, who was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer and then from there totally changed her life around.  I highly recommend you pick up her book My Crazy Sexy Diet, to use as a source of knowledge and inspiration for the challenge.

   A lot of people have been mislead that veggies don't eat enough protein and that's bull!  In fact the USDA recommends, depending on your body weight but around 47 grams per day.  There are many experts that believe that number is too high and we require only about 20 to 35 grams per day.  Most people are eating around 100 to 120 grams per day which is far too much.  There are exceptions to this like pregnant people and athletes. 

   In some circles this is common knowledge, EATING ANIMAL PRODUCTS MAKES YOU SICK, in case you had no clue I hope you are at least interested now.  If you don't believe me, totally cool but try it out for 30 days and see how you feel for yourself!   Add 4 yoga classes a week in there and we are talking major body renovations toward a more blissful and healthy state of mind and body.

 Here are some more juicy highlights from Kris.  You can get all the protein and calcium you need from a varied plant based diet.  This plant based diet is your best defense against cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  Dairy causes mucus buildup and is linked to many diseases, like asthma, arthritis and Crohn's.  ANY processed meats are full of gross stuff like fat, body parts, salt and carcinogens.  When you buy meat know that there is a hidden cost to your health, the economy and the planet. 

   Yoga is a powerful tool for living a balanced and happy life so roll out a mat and do it!  Many of you already practice yoga but the challenge is to practice it in a deeper way then just a workout.  Yoga is first a spiritual practice, meaning that it connects you to your heart where you can see your divine nature shining as brightly as it did they day you were born. 

   A yoga practice takes...... ready.... wait for it........ DISCIPLINE!  There's that scary word again.  Why do you need discipline for yoga?  Well deep changes take time and consistency of practice.  Once a week is great but your body, mind and heart need and deserve so much  more than that.  Yoga will help your organs cleanse themselves, regulate hormones, improve blood, lymph flow and circulation, improve your sleep, digestion, increase muscle tone and flexibility, strengthen your bones, increase fluid to your joints, relieve that chronic back pain or other issues ( with good alignment of course, poor alignment can make it worse), help you feel connected to the world and your community.  This list just goes on and on and again try it and see what happens.

We welcome you to participate in this 30 day challenge.  We will meet on Sunday, May 1st for a brief orientation and sign up for a discounted yoga pass ($75 plus HST) for the 30 days.  Do the best that you can but remember you will  need some discipline to pass on BBQ's, fast food joints, and mainstream restaurants.  Go to vegan or veggie restaurants instead of steak houses, have friends come over to your place and blow them away with a delicious vegan meal.  Look for inspiration in your yoga community and new recipes to try.  This is the perfect time of the year to do this, don't wait, go with the flow and start feeling better. 

All of my support to you!
Mindy



  

  

Safety and the Root Chakra

Yesterday went for care free, happy go lucky, to yukky and scared within a few moments.  I left to teach yoga in the morning and I came home to find that my neighbours apartment had been broken into.  I froze on the spot and just stared at the broken glass right beside the lock.  I didn't know if someone is still inside so it was scary! 

After reporting it, I waited around for the police to arrive and several neighbours appeared as broken glass was being swept up, wondering what happened.  It's crazy how much this happens, so yes my bubble of love was burst.  Being from up north we barely lock the door, a habit I have brought with me to London and one that got a "slap in the face perspective change', thanks to this incident.

I found that every little noise made me jumpy yesterday.  I knock on the door from my neighbour wearing a big black jacket made me wonder if I should have a weapon.  WHAT?  I'm thinking how did I go from happy go lucky this morning to paranoid and on edge!

Enter YOGA!  You guessed it right if that is what you were thinking.  Yoga has answers to so many of life's questions.  The answer for why this happened, wait for it..... LILA!  Just because, no reason, no karmic debt from a past life, just because!  Lila is the Sanskrit word for divine play and it's place in the Tantric teachings, that is not just a world of causality but one of lila as well and in this world bad things happen for no other reason than just cuz.

When we don't feel safe, several things can happen.  On a physical level, it's hard to breathe, breath gets more shallow and rapid, adrenal glands blast the body with adrenaline to deal with the stress of the situation, difficult to relax and settle, aversion to eating or some people go directly to food for comfort, insomnia to name a few.  According to Dr. Anodea Judith, these types of events can "trigger our first chakra into working overtime."  She also mentions that when we are threatened what ever has been pre-programmed into the first chakra will take over and mind gets taken over by the needs of the body to survive.

As the initial threat disperses and I go back to my more normal state, my heartbeat speeds up when I walk past the door.  Even that will shift with time and with proof that I'm not in danger.  It is important to have a place that you call home, where you feel safe, protected from weather and intruders.  Home is where the heart as!  For me OM is where my heart is, which means that no matter where I find myself, I'm a breath away from coming back to my true nature, which is unaffected by the external complications of the world.

Does Your Yoga Mat Measure Up?

It has only been in the last few years that the yoga community has fully embraced the concept making eco-friendly mats more important. Many mats are made from toxic materials, the implications of this our quite large considering the rapid growth of new students into the practice. In face, it is estimated that about 15 million people are doing yoga that is a lot of yoga mats!



Yoga is not only about practices poses, in Tantra the teachings awaken us to how everything has a ripple effect, so yes choosing an eco-conscious mat is important. I still have my very first PVC yoga mat, that my sister gave me years ago and I do love it but I would not by a mat that wasn’t created with the highest intention to honour the planet and not to mention I prefer not to have plastic chemicals right under my nose while taking a breath in child’s pose.



One of the main materials used in many yoga mats, especially the really inexpensive ones, is polyvinyl chloride (or “PVC,” also known as “vinyl”), an environmental toxin. As if that isn’t gross enough add lead, cadmium, and a class of chemicals called of phthalates, which aggravate your endocrine system among many other health problems. These additives are added to make your mat soft and sticky but release gases over time and use.



The material used in yoga mats isn’t always listed so it makes it difficult for the consumer to make an informed purchase. Many companies have even added a print of a flower, an ocean or some image that makes us feel more connected to nature.



Several reputable companies have rises to the challenge of creating mats aren’t toxic and have been made with materials that will biodegrade and will not leach toxins into your body or the groundwater. prAna is a forward thinking eco-conscious company producing an alternative to the old PVC mats.



John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga, worked closely with PrAna to develop a mat that would be safe, sticky and the greenest mat on the market. The mat is called the Revolution and it is unlike any other yoga mat. This mat takes up a lot of space; it is 78 inches long and 30 inches wide, noticeably wider and longer than most standard yoga mats. “This mat supports you as you stretch the boundaries of your practice on an ecologically sustainable surface. Three layers of biodegradable rubber, heat laminated without glue, offer your hands and feet a comfortable and sturdy platform. Instead of nylon or plastic, the interior scrim is a dual layer of cotton, which keeps the mat from stretching or bunching underneath you as you move.”



Having a mat that isn’t harming you or the environment is an important aspect reflecting your rising consciousness to make decisions that make our planet a better and healthier place to live. It is very difficult to find a use for old PVC mats and if you through them out they will not likely breakdown anytime soon.

Acceptance

Nature doesn't always give you a choice.  You have an event planned and it pours or in the case of where I live, snows.  I woke up yesterday to a world of white and all I could do was accept it.  Yoga has given me many things but not the ability to melt the snow.  One thing that yoga has taught me is to recognize that I am not in control, grace is leading the way.  Grace is the revelatory power of the universe that affirms life. 

Sometimes things just are what they are, for no reason.  This is not just a world of causality but a world where lila, diving play, operates.  Because of lila, plans can change, people can pass away, natural disasters strike.  It's what we do with the lila that we can change.  Attitude is everything!  My whole life I have been accused of having a 'attitude.'  It wasn't uncommon for my mom to get calls from the school to discuss that very topic.  Where did my bad attitude come from?  Partly the environment I was brought up in, partly my nature, who cares at this point.  When we shift our attitudes out of the 'i'm a victim in all this" to, a victorious one this aligns us with grace.

When you do that magic happens!!!!