Yoga's Ethical Practice (Yamas) Ahimsa

To curb violence what is most needed is freedom from fear. B.K.S. Iyerngar, Light on Yoga

Dear friend, I hope you find yourself in good health and happy spirits. I have been meaning to share with you what was written a week ago. I have titled this blog “ Yoga's Ethical Practice”. The purpose is to support your awareness throughout your yoga practice. If you’re new to yoga or even if you simply need a light review. This is 1 of 10 topics we will be discussing.

1st: What does ethic mean? Google says its moral principles.

Ethics for Ywefit is a compass that helps you know what direction to take when the winds rattle your calm, confidence or discipline (Hence, moral principles).

2nd: What is Yama? Yama is sanskirt for restraints. nonviolence. Yamas are explained in 5 restraints. Nonviolence, thruthfulness, non-stealing, non-excess, non-possesiveness.

AHIMSA (Non-violence)

Non-Violence is the posture you use when entering a relationship, your day or your sport. This posture is not exalted in power and you don’t compromise what’s authentic to you. Notice what happens when your posture is off. With the wrong posture we can create problems throughout our bodies that can be prevented (Upper and lower back, hip pain).

In eastern thought, non-violence is so valued that it stands as the very core and foundation of all yoga philosophy and practice. -Debora Adele

Notice is says core . In our bodies our core is responsible for most our posture. This is why its important to have a strong core. A solid foundation. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just as long as you're aware. You’re on the right track, stay with it. stay with this awareness until it becomes part of you. Stay with it until the posture is established and consistently helping instead of adding to pain.

Did I lose you? Non-violence, core, consistency. What does this have to do with non violence? Hold on a second . This is where it all comes together.

Our capacity to be nonviolent depends on our proactive practice of courage , balance, self-love and compassion for others.

Whether its on your day to day in your sport if you face it with the wrong posture, it simply means

1. Fear is trying to replace courage ( Remedy : Be scared and do it anyway)

2. Not listening to the inner voice to be balanced. Stopping us from our best authentic self. (Remedy: Stay aware of the inner voice to be balanced. !0minute meditation daily. Minimum 3 days a week consistently.)

“When we are in balance we automatically live in nonviolence.”

— Deborah Adele

You can win. You can win over your thoughts, circumstances, or your opponent. Without having to be violent to yourself. Sure, it may come out as violent to another person who is not as grounded, aware and balanced as you. But that’s another story for another day.

3. Self love (Remedy: Practice gratitude being completely honest with the self and asking “What do I need in this moment. Shower? Food? Hug? Love? Allowing yourself to receive it and welcome it. The biggest way to complete self love is to trust that each moment is your moment. Stay light hearted with yourself. Practice forgiveness of the self.)

Perfect love cast out fear.

4. Compassion

Nonviolence asks us to trust other peoples journey and love and support others to their highest image of themselves not our highest image of them. Honoring where they are in their journey.

My dear friend, wherever you are in your journey may you find peace and love in your heart in everything you do. May you have the patience to endure the dark and cold moments this life brings to us. May you stay open for all the things you have been wishing and needing. Trust suffering. Trust the challenge. You can and you will overcome without having to be violent with yourself. You can and you will.

There is nothing to fix or save in another; there is only the gift of listening.

With this, my prayer is that youre able to see how ahimsa nonviolence can be an addition to your awesome. Lets choose trust over worry. God’s timing is perfect. Now that you are aware. What posture will you have for your next encounter?

Love or worry?

Choose love!

Choose love and it will all work out.

• Love for the self.

• Love for the world around you.

• Connect to your true authentic self.

What are your likes? What are your dislikes?

Do you prefer hot or cold? The beach or the lake?

You know what it’s like to win. You know what it’s like to loose.

Which efforts are you willing to give? What outcomes are you striving for?

Are you okay with loosing and staying the same?

Or are you willing to change your whole world to get what you always wanted?

There’s nothing scarier than living a life not knowing what you want. But if there is, it’s settling for what you know, you don’t.

This is where Love for the self comes in.

Once you raise your vibration and become aware that everything is connected events and circumstances will have almost no effect on you.

First we must be ignorant in oder to dive deep and understand with depth. Face yourself with love.

But how will you know of the ignorance you hold if you don’t elevate and accept reality for what it is?

When you love yourself you’ll be able to say “Yes its cold. Yes its dark. I’ll get me the perfect sweater. I am in charge of turning on that light.”

Truth is, its also scary when you know what you want. But it’s different. Not that type of fear that keeps you in bed and paralyzes you. The type to keep you up late and wakes you up early because well, now you know, why procrastinate on it?

This is where Love for the world around you comes in.

This time, know what you want.

If letting go feels like you’re hurting someone. Please know that they haven’t become aware of what you’re on your way of mastering. Self realization. Self-respect. Self-worth.

You can love from far away. That’s ok. They’re not in the same vibration as you. That’s ok. I’m sure you cried and begged for them to see what you saw and feel what you felt. Now your mind and heart are at ease. Now your discipline is going to play a huge role. What’s the one thing you do exceptionally well? Whatever it is breathe into that.

Sure, one day someone will add to this but until then? Love life for what it is. Realize that everything that happens is for your best interest and the greater good.

Imagine yourself as an asset in society. Part of those who fight and Zen for their life’s.

Connect to your true authentic self

You’re worth it.

You're worthy of being heard.

You’re worthy of being understood.

You're worthy of love.

You are worthy of freedom.

Yes, you are.

How do you set yourself free?

Never taught her how to heal the pain.

Substances taken to numb the brain.

How many times did she dare and cry?

She climbed and climbed changed her life around.

“She’s so strong” they say. They don’t know about the different storms.

The nightmares she still has since the age of 5.

“Stay hard. Toughen up” they said. Put together not so perfectly.

Let her feel, she wont drown. she can swim. She will live again. Better days are right ahead.

Who does she call to feel a live again?

The almighty King of kings, father father she claims.

She’ll leave it all in the rearview.

Its ok to cry.

Write the song feel the heat. Change the beat.

Feel the vibe, take a seat.

Ashes to ashes dust to dust from the fire she rose.

Cheat or treat?

Only one will set you free.

To learn. To love. To be.

Be free.

What’s the point of life if you can’t be free?

Yes, life is better with someone to love. But what if your feel more of a prisoner than the freedom to be? Be what exactly? Whoever you want to be.

5 years from now it will be about who you chose to be than what you choose to settle for.

The comfort you are walking away from today will make room for the victories to come.

But you gotta sacrifice something. You gotta stay obedient. It’s your responsibility to stay focused. You gotta fight. Fight for your dreams and goals.

K.O everything that stands in your way.

Everything! Habits, thoughts, people. Make room. Stand up for yourself. Those who understand will ride. Those who don’t will kindly step to the side.

That’s ok.

Feel what you feel but you can’t give up. Oh so tempting to sleep. But it feels better to fight through the bullshit stand tf up and say … I did that! Do, that! More of that! Keep fighting. Keep striving.

At the end of the day you gotta be okay with the fight you put up than what others think or feel.

Promoted To Blue

Heavy breathing and a tingly feeling.

Why is it that on promotion day in Brazilian JiuJitsu the adrenaline feels more intense than regular days? And believe when I share that, no days are easy.

Promotion days almost simulate competition days. The energy in the room makes me feel like I can run on water.

What’s going on? Is anybody else in here feel the same? Somewhat the same? It can’t possibly be just me.

The way to calm this is with a laugh, a giggle even a smile will take off some of the tingles. Then, you roll, maybe get smashed and realize “Ok” I know this feeling. Heavy breathing.

By the time you know it, it ends.

How did it go? Was it the results you where looking for?

I feel unsettled. Confused . Overwhelmed with emotions I can’t understand. I feel like I “should” feel happy. So why am I not thrilled jumping off walls? Maybe I feel I “should” feel happy because others want me to be happy. But only I know my goal and I’m nowhere near. Maybe I can’t celebrate the small milestone because there’s so much to study, learn and apply. The blade needs to be sharpened/ maintained every single day.

One thing is for sure, I feel entitled to nothing. This new chapter is not an expectation but rather a responsibility. This color opens doors I only heard of.

Finally I’ll be able to train with the coach/professor of my dreams! On a deeper level. More than once a month.

Overall I feel a huge sense of gratitude to every single wonderful human in my path throughout this journey.

As I write this I’m able to understand why. A belt color is not the goal. But yes, I am thankful for the new doors opening this season.

Now, why bother to share this?

Simply to be a reminder and hopefully awaken someone’s awareness (if it helps).

Whether a stripe or a new belt. You are exactly where you need to be. There’s no need to be or feel what others want you to be or feel. Feel what you feel. Step out of it. Reach your goal.

Thank you to all my professors for teaching me everything I know about this gentle art. Thank you for holding the space for understanding. Thank you for guiding and fueling this fire in me. ⚡️💥✨🌻🙏🏼🌟

Boundaries

“Those who matter don’t mind. And those who mind don’t matter.”-Dr Seuss

Sometimes the hardest terms to accept is that it’s ok to say no. It’s ok to set boundaries . From the food that you eat to the activities you engage in.

Who said you have to be in a situation for the sake of sparring another’s feelings? Why? What about your hard work? What about your drive? Will you let another dim your light?

What do you want out of life and what are you willing to give? What are you willing to hold on to and what are you willing to let go of? Are you willing to set boundaries and stand up for yourself?

This doesn’t make you a bad person. It simply means you respect yourself enough to go for what you want.

It takes a level of honesty to dismiss and let go. It takes courage to enter the unknown. It takes consistency to arrive and stay.

It will take all of you to get where you need to be.

Hesitate if you must. But carry on.

Maybe ego has something to do with it, yes! Because you owe it to yourself to provide the life you have always dreamed of. No more hiding pretending you can’t save yourself.

Nothing too serious y’all 🤪🥰

JiuJitsu has helped a bunch with this!

Constantly enduring situations that could be avoided. JiuJitsu has helped set, adjust and create boundaries. Wait what? You’re trying to do what to me? Nah!

We can talk about motivation and discipline. Which these are vital ingredients to any journey. The new one I found is boundaries. Boundaries are scary! Motivation is exotic and discipline not very attractive. Still, the show must go on 🙏🏼 xoxo Your favorite Cactus ✨

The One With The Dress

Fell in love with a rock star who wasn’t truly a rockstar but rather a crook a thief with a weak team.

Oh but nobody would talk about the events soon to come. Admired by seekers of personal game and wealth.

The team against those who longed for pensions and justice. The woman behind every call, behind their every move. The woman whose time at the job blurred the vision.

Crooks, professional crooks but sloppy and greedy and selfish. Killing each other when the diamond didn’t have the right cut. Eliminating their best, doubting their loyalty. Boosting their egos with “ kill him/her” “you’re fired” “get out of my face” “I don’t need you anymore”

Eventually it all changed. Professional crooks who thought high of themselves. Yet, high school dropouts, Not fully educated. they didn’t love knowledge, nor politics, nor spirituality or religion, philosophy or anatomy.

They just loved money. Jewels 💎 the spotlight the night life. The team against:

The determined for discipline. The hungry for knowledge. The God fearing who did not boast nor seekers for jewels (their hearts and their deeds where precious gems no one could ever steal or take.) hearts and deeds precious beyond words.

Every evil fights the good. Every good fights hard to survive. The good fight. Not a superhero story with a person of special inhuman devoted talents.

Rather a human to it’s full potential to love and understand.

Now....

“ in love I will do whatever he says”

In silence she thought to herself so that no one would shit in her paradise.

But issa vibe he heard the scream in her head.

The silence spoke loud of itself.

“Here, wear this dress 👗 pretend you don’t know.

In reality she had no idea

Deep inside she knew it was no good.

She wanted to stick around like she didn’t have a place to call home.

“After she puts on the dress, she will stand out. She will drag attention to herself. The crowd will notice and love her and that’s our time to strike. Optical illusions, like a magic trick the bait to distract focused, protective eyes.”

Something like the sw cholos but these? Not all wore dickies. Some wore suits and long sleeves.

She knew she’ll get dropped off. But like always. She got over excited to take part in the tricks that she forgot to ask who will pick her up? What would be the final move? After the jewels where taken, after it was all set and done.

Beautiful, good height, big eyes , large smile that lit the whole room. A laugh you can hear across the room. A vibe you could feel before it arrived. A presence you missed when it wasn’t there. Much different than other baits they had used.... that was their mistake.

One who had always got her way. One that thought for herself, taught herself by ear,one who welcomed advice, loved God and spread compassion.

Team against team

And the bait.

Then the organized intellectuals ready to catch a break and bust these crooks.

A glove they wanted her to wear. She played dumb like “it doesn’t fit” in reality, she didn’t like how it didn’t match the outfit and prohibit movement from her hands. “You put both fingers in one sleeve. Turn it around, not like that, look like this” glove fit the demonstration hand well enough to get stuck in that hand.

Good! She thought to herself , now I don’t have to wear it and go about my business how I WANT (like I always do).

She went on...

She got dropped off. She shined... too bright.

As she walked out thinking nobody noticed she got stopped

We know who you are

Excuse me?

We know you’re part of their game

What game?

Don’t play dumb

Lol what in the world? Listen my ride is here I have to go.

They passed right in front of her in the car but since she got stopped they ignored her like saying SAVE YOURSELF WE ARE OUT. *leaving her stranded

She thought to herself “LOL dang that’s fucked up, I trusted their... nvm” well then let us play.

Listen lady I don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about but I’m here alone. I came alone and I’m leaving alone now I thought my Uber had arrived, it looks like my request was not submitted. If you can excuse me for a second while I send the request and we can talk before it arrives....

Her speech

Graceful, respectful , mindful and kind.

Threw the lady off... she can’t be part of them. She’s not like the others, she can’t possibly be one of them. Lady was still guarded second guessing her intuition, space and time.

They conversed about life

The crooks watched from a far how she handled herself in the middle of the storm.

They hated her. They wanted to see how she was not yet arrested. They got “brave” and sent the one with the glove 🧤 to talk her out of the conversation.

Let’s go I’m here for you

Excuse me? But I don’t know you.

I don’t know what she’s talking about and I don’t know who you are.

Clearly there has been a misunderstanding.

The one she fell in love with outraged by the situation. Wanting the jewel wasn’t enough, they wanted the bait DEAD 💀

Intense anger with no true love or knowledge.

Anger that knocked down his own thrown and tower. His little warriors watched. Their faces blue.

Lady astonished.

Girl says “hey, I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who they are but clearly it’s your time to shine. Go after them, i get the vibe you’ve been searching your whole life.

They thought girl was bait but girl was hero for the ones who had worked hard and loved deep. Girl, like always ,had no idea though clicked in one team truly to bring justice to another team.

Lady says “ my life’s work. We both had a team but my team endured.my team was unified. My team believed. My team was patient” sure. They had a team. Nothing like my team. Their team constantly made changes to “misguide” but my teams goal was to guide. Eliminating pride. They? Went during the day and hid to only go out at night.

The last change they made got them what they finally deserved. Their pride got them a sentence they could not live with for their rest of their lives.

As it continues to unfold... some died on their own, slowly one by one till the last one stood and got cuffed by the lady.

Girl gracefully walking away , she even began to think she didn’t take part of any of it. Lady’s vibe saying “Don’t forget” yet “thank you” at the same time.

Lady you have earned it. You built your team off loyalty. While others folded you stood strong against every wind. When others didn’t believe you searched for answers to fill their gaps. The investigator Queen 👸 the whole time they thought it was a man behind their trail.

The girl with the smile to go with the dress

The crooks who jumped right in their sentence

The ending with no end

The story of a man whose ego was told was the enemy but of course: a mocker, he didn’t believe.

Written on March 27, 2018 at 4:24a Not a true story but perhaps preparing me to expand my mind. It’s not until now that I’m living the life I am, realizing this may have a message for me and pure entertainment for you my dearest friend. Dreams. Just dreams.

5 Day Juice cleanse

Now I know an easy way to loose 7lbs in 4 days! Except I’m not trying to sale you anything and I also don’t recommend it to everyone.

This is for the individual who

• Needs to reset their digestive system.

• Wants a mental challenge.

• Needs to Detox

• Feel more energized

• Is ok with not being ok

  Out of these 5 you must sincerely be down for 4! Yeah, if you lack one that’s ok. That one will grow on you . Less than 4 will make the days drag but you still will be able to get it done.

  Why did I decide to fast and only drink juice?

  The main reason was to see if I could. I have always seen and heard of people do juice cleanse and it has been a pinch in my curiosity ever since. Finally! I did it and I finished ✔️

  Was it easy? Not at all

  Did I workout? Yes

  Did I go to work? Yes

  Did I pass out? No

  Did I throw up? Almost

  What did it consist of?

  6 juices a day for 5 days & water. Yup no extra stuff.

  Now, the juicy stuff. Was it tasty? …. No. It was not a walk in the park or a gentle kiss from God. But I feel stronger, calm, peaceful and mega energized. I feel light. I feel capable.

Everybody’s experience will be different. This is mine. Maybe you try a one day juice cleanse or even a three day! Find a juice place that you trust and like to support and get the juices from them. It’s easier this way. Not very cost effective but the fact that you invest your money will also add to the urgency of needing to complete the challenge.

5 Day Juice cleanse #healthyliving #fitlife #detox #challenge #bjj #yoga #findyourwhy #yay #happy

Here

Observe how you feel . 

No need to become the emotion rather simply accepting it for what it is. 

No need to change it. 

Notice the gaze in your eyes. 

Is it stressed? Is it soft?

Gentle?

Sometimes as adults we may fall in vines. Like the bird who became the wind.

That’s a children’s book. As adults we know that rarely someone comes to the rescue. This could be due to selfishness but mainly because everybody is fighting their own battle. 

The battle of the past. The battle of the future. Only a few dare to observe the now.

What noises are you able to hear right now? What are the colors in front of you?

What is the word that resonates with you right now? Worried? Fear? Love?

Today at this moment. The word is TAPAS.

In Yoga Tapas is dedication. Devotion. Fire. Discipline and discomfort. The process of transformation. 

Why fire? The heat we generate when we burn off impurities.  We must burn off the impurities in Oder to become (healthy, financially stable, emotionally stable ect).

Devotion: The discipline it takes to endure such task. It’s get uncomfortable but its all part of the process. With heart might and soul.

So how can we endure the task and overcome?

1. Challenge the self

2. Embrace change

3. Strengthen your core

4. Take small steps

5. Seek simplicity

But it only starts there. Tapas is divided into three categories austerity, self study,  and unshakable faith in the power of God.

What I’m trying to say, there’s no magic pill but you can reach your goal.

So what makes this different than the crossfit comp or pageant? 

This time around, believe in yourself. Believe that no matter what happens you can over come it. Believe that no matter how much time goes on you will eventually get a win or keep on winning. know that humans are meant to do hard, difficult and challenging things. Believe we are created in Gods magestic image and given his strength. Believe that God does not test our faith but definitely helps us keep it. You know? The whole David and Goliath Day. Maybe soon we will beat a lion and a bear. Maybe we’re still looking and caring for sheep. Either way know that the good lord is with you.

“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”

Whatever your fitness goal it’s never out of reach. It all depends on how much you’re willing to reach and if you stay determined to stretch a bit more every single day. 

• Changes don’t have to be drastic. 

• The more realistic the better. 

• Nobody knows you better than you know yourself so plan accordingly. 

• Get your win.

• Fall in love with the process.

• Stop making excuses.

• Don’t cheat yourself. 

Hopefully opening up to you here has helped you see something about yourself that you love and can work with to achieve your goal. 

Age, ethnicity does not matter here. What matters is that you (we) keep going. 

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

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Tis the time

This is the time to do all the wonderful things you have always wanted to do. Whether you’re 18 or 65. No matter where you are in life, this is your time. It’s your time to let yourself learn new things and face a fear or two and show that fear who is boss.

I’m a firm believer that it’s never too early to do what you want to do or too late to start something new. As long as you have breath, the possibilities are endless.

What will you try next? Where will you go? What will you eat for the first time? Please comment and share with me what you have always wondered about. I want to hear it .

I’ve been wanting to share something cool with y’all. Something that even I haven’t tried. So I tried this creamy soap for the first time. I read a recipe for it and it said they used Dove bar soap. I used bars of Caress Fusion oil soap). Creamy soap makes showering fun and sexy! Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients
•2 bars of soap (grate with a cheese grater)

•Boil 2 cups of water (1 cup for every bar of soap)

Directions

•Simmer water

•Then throw in the grated soap

•Swirl with spatula not a whisk
•Take off heat and let cool for two hours (the more you let cool the creamier it gets)

Super fun and fast!

Ps: If you notice the shortness of the blog and even in my social media is to limit your attention towards the internet and get into moving your body. Sometimes we get so caught up with the wonderful things the internet has to offer that we move slowly towards actually doing and living.

I love you so much! Let’s move. Let’s live ♥️💪🏼🌹

WillPower

To be or not? I heard this week someone say how their will power was not “there”. However, little do they know how I admire their will power because their willpower is gentle and jolly.

Here, we explore different levels of will power. Will power. The gift that keeps on giving. Look, sometimes we run low on will power and that’s when we can take the time to simply acknowledge the will power that it took to get out of bed. That right there, is your power in full motion. Even if you woke up late. Even if the spark is not all the way there.

The way you talk. The way you move your hands, everything you do is unique to you. And even though you may not acknowledge your will power to be as strong as you wish it could be. You never know who is looking at you with admiration to the things that you do.

You live with yourself so much that you can’t quite see what makes your will power as strong as it is.

The difference in will powers.

There’s the will power to •eat healthy.
The will power to •get things done ASAP. The will power •not to clutter. The will power to •show up and so on. What I’m trying to say is, forget about the will power you don’t have and enjoy the ones that you do. Maybe when you’re encountered with a situation where you’re tested with one you don’t have you’ll somehow connect to it and because of the gratitude towards the ones you do have, you’ll find yourself making better choices .

There, you ignite other types of will powers within you. In a gentle and loving way. Let’s try this out for a week and let me know how it goes. Or write it on a journal. An experiment that may open your heart and mind.

Thank you jolly beings for showing up sweating with me✨💪🏼🙏🏼

Shower Meditation

Yes, shower meditation is a thing. Something about the feeling of washing away your thoughts that will have you walking out of the shower with a clean body and a clear mind.

To be honest in my personal experience it feels as if you had something over your eyes. That when you walk out, you feel your eyes more relaxed and aware.

You can see what works for you. Maybe just allowing the soap to wash off your body while maintaining your awareness to letting go of your thoughts. Feel the thoughts washing away.

Try it once and maybe that could be your form of meditation for the next couple of days. It will be fun to do shower meditations and yoga Nidra as well the good ole fashioned lotus sitting meditation.

Meditation has several benefits:

• Calms the breath

• Improves focus

• Improves memory

• Helps with ADHD

• Improves confidence

• Enhances your productivity

• Adds to your spiritual well-being

The list goes on and on. Whatever it is that you’re going through it may be scary to sit down for even 5minutes without depending on your phone. You may even tell yourself lies like “You’re too busy to meditate”. “You have too much going on”.

Believe when I tell you that’s exactly the point. Meditation is a way of showing your body you care. In return your body helps you complete all that you need to get done without aggravating yourself to the ground.

Meditate, experience the bliss and joy you get from meditation. Allow your feet to fall asleep. Tapas is strong discipline. Get in touch with your being and your breath. Get in touch with God when you meditate. Bring yourself to nothing else but the present moment. Allow yourself to shake and be scared. Then gently bring yourself back to your breath.

Every session will be different. There is no arriving at a point where it’s absolutely perfect unless you have decades of practice. And even then they too have other obstacles to overcome through their session.

Everybody’s experience is different. Some people see colors. Others see shapes. Some see nothing at all but the annoyance of being still. And whatever you see or don’t see, that’s okay. Enjoy the experience. Expect nothing and stay with your breath.

There’s no right or wrong. If the first couple of times you meditate you’re planing your day. Thinking about to eat. Wondering why such and such said this, that’s okay. Allow your thoughts to be. Allow them to go like clouds. Maybe you’ll get quicker at dismissing your thoughts from one to the other. That too can a form of progress.

Sometimes we hold on to our thoughts and play them and replay them on how they could of been better to us. On how we shouldn’t have done this. And we play the story over and over in our heads.

Meditation helps.

Last night I had a dream about looking for a Chakra exfoliador. Is that even a thing? So I went on Amazon. And the reason I’m sharing this is because I’m thinking what a great idea it will be to mindfully meditate in the shower while bringing your focus to your Chakras. Though we have millions of energy pathways in our bodies, just focused on the 7.

Root. Sacral. Solar. Heart. Throat. Third eye. Crown.

Shower meditation with a twist. Cleaning your body. Clearing your mind and unclogging your chakras. Sounds like a party I want to be at on the regular.

Thank you for joining and I hope this read was able to reassure you how awesome you already are.

Spiritual well-being and light to all.

Namaste

““Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.””

— Thessalonians 5:11

Hello November

It's the first of the month and there's so much to do. So many goals and all kinds of projects already in motion.

Throughout this month the word is gratitude. Let's keep in mind that whatever happens or doesn't happen, that’s exactly what we need.

Of course, maybe that's not what you want to hear but that’s the honest truth.

Have you ever caught yourself upset at a situation because you wished for a better outcome? Have you ever experienced yourself at peace even when the outcome doesn't favor your wishes? Both require energy from you. It's a matter of choice. Choosing the best outcome for your peace of mind.

First, let me excuse myself for not opening up sooner. Truth is, I don't want to come across as someone who knows it all because I absolutely don't. Also, please remember the gentle "Why" . What works for one may not work for another but it can help to try.

In the process you'll be able to find what works for you and what does not.

Lessons learned at the gym. Yoga lessons straight from the breath and the mat. Thoughts that come through meditation. Little experiences here and there. The art of letting go and the grace of holding on.

Here, I share how accepting exactly where you are right now can help you finish a difficult task with a blissful state of mind. The word for this month is thankful and the phrase is "Yogi heart. Warrior mind".

*The yogi heart is

• Kind and loving.

• Accepting of all.

• Aware of the present.

• The heart with full attention to the present moment.

• The heart that moves with grace and bliss.

The yogi and yogini heart listens more than it speaks. And when it speaks, it speaks to heal.

*Warrior Mind:

• Refuses to give in to failure.

• Overachieves .

• Whether a physical (workout) or a mental (emotions) wins every battle.

• The warrior minds earns respect.

• Works hard and diligently at the chosen profession or task.

• The warrior doesn't stop until its done, not when they're tired.

This mind also picks a fellow friend up with their strength when the friends finds it hard to get up.

Though a warrior, beacuse of the heart, the choice is to fight with kindness and not violence. Together the heart and mind in tune with the world they choose. Aware of the breath, and because of both mind and heart in harmony with all, great things will be achieved.

Spiritual wellbeing and light to all.

Namaste

Ps: Remember to update your insight timer app. Several cool features that will help you connect with people from all over the world. Without the extra clutters of ads. Lets choose to meditate over medicate <3

Ps#2: If you think not all battles are meant to be won you are right. But even knowing how to gracefully lose is also a giant win.

---

“To curve violence what is most needed is freedom from fear”

— Light On Yoga

Check out the new merch. A couple of items on sale. Also, the calendar is a work in progress. Updating all the fun available to you all. I will not be hosting meditation this month. But please feel free to arrive early to class to join a sesh. Currently working on a certification to better help you all that requires much studying so I will not be making new merch as I usually do. Thank you for joining the fun 🙏🏼😭♥️🤪🤪🤪

Baseball

Age

They say that with age comes wisdom. I was intrigued by the title of the article and decided to share with you all.
The main reason why I’m sharing the article is to let it be known that you are strong. And as long as you are taking the steps to live a healthy lifestyle you will be alright.
As I have seen my own body progress with being slightly overweight and unhealthy I am able to see how now I can do things I couldn’t do before. But I know as much as I train now , it won’t be like this forever. Times change and the body does too. The question to the young reader is, where do you see yourself fitness wise 10yrs from now? The question to everybody else is, what steps can you take on your day to day task towards your fitness goal?

When 85yr old stubborn grandpa broke his hip he didn’t want help from anybody else but me. I knew I had to strengthen my body to help him up without jeopardizing my own body. I did get stronger and grandpa healed and got strong again too.

Young reader, get stronger. Yes you can. Do it all and do it with good form.

To my Original gangsters you too, can get your body stronger. Not in the sense you’ll lift heavy deadlifts or snatches . But in the sense that you can have better awareness of your body. More discipline and more focus towards your health with a gentle approach.

Moving efficiently with your own breath. That’s where we all fit. Whether you’re young or an original gánster. Always come back to your breath. Whether you’re running or walking, awareness to your breath.

The big Y (Why)

Choose your why. Why do you want to achieve your fitness goal? And believe me when I tell you it needs to be something bigger than yourself. I’m not saying that “Because you want to fit in to your new jeans you haven’t wore” or you “Want to look good at your wedding” are not good enough reasons. These reasons are only temporary and will not be able to stick when the going get tough.

It can also be something simple like I tell my OG’s in class “We do utkatasana (chair pose) to get in and out of the toilet with ease”. Whatever we do in the mat (your sport) needs to transfer to real life. It needs to transfer to the bigger picture. It needs to transfer to 10-20 years down the road.

Accidents and injuries do happen. With love and patience you will get better. That’s, YWeFit.

Long term commitment. Long term health and fitness. Light and love to all.

Namaste ✨♥️
See you at the mat.

“We all need lots of powerful long range goals to help us past the short-term obstacles.”

— Jim Rohn

Hardest

The hardest part is letting go. It’s the not knowing if the cup needs to be filled or emptied. How could we know?

I’ve heard some teachers say that when you have to ask the question on whether to hold on or let go, that’s your cue. That’s the most gentle of ways to find out. It’s time.

Maybe its a feeling. Maybe its a thought. God, I hope it’s not your relationship, but if abuse is involved you absolutely know.

Sometimes we tell ourselves lies. Lies like, “We are not good enough”. Lies like, “It’s not that bad”. Or even a lie that says “I’m not patient enough”. When in fact, its not that you (we’re ) not. Its the fact that we don’t apply it enough.

Letting go could take a couple of hours, days or even years. But when we finally do, we make room for love. We make room for all that helps us grow into the best version of ourselves.

When we finally let go we experience freedom.

Letting go takes a level of honesty most of us refuse to face. When we do this, we are only setting ourselves back from fresh air and the beautiful sunshine. Between you and I, I’m not one of those Yogis that says “It’s all sunshines and namaste” I believe it can be.

But we live in a world where we must fight. And though we may not fight with fist or weapons, we must fight with grace and our minds. Not in a sense to beat another human or another being. In the sense we must gently, quietly, and patiently fight those thoughts that keep up captive to the thing or emotion that make it soooo hard to let go.

Today we had a meditation session on letting go. The session started at 6:30am CT on the app called Insight Timer. The app is free and people from all over the world join in. I’ll be going live every Friday of this month. The topics are saved in the events tabs here.

It’s an invitation to be part of the community where we strive to be just a little better physically, mentally and emotionally. Plus there are several other teachers you may want to meet and expirience.

Thank you for the love and support.

Thank you to the Crosby Community and the Center.

Thank you Reader for taking the time to read the insight. Please comment, share and let me know your experience of letting go. Any tips? What helps you?

“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward”

— Steve Maraboli

Check out the short Youtube video I finished today. Yoga for knee pain. sending love and healing vibes to all of us. Namaste

Wu-Wei

Thought I’d share the great discount Onnit has on the go protein bars

29% OFF on these babes!

Just click the image to direct you to the link :)

Compete every day to win in you career and life.

Reebok's Mid-Season Sale - 50% Off Select Items with code MSS

Keep Going

There is but to keep on going

When the wind blows water

When the going gets harder

When the mud gets thicker

Depression is the believe that you’re not good enough.

That your truth is not true.

That others truth is better than your truths.

———————-

They’re two important eye opening times of depression:

When you’re young and realize you have a problem. (Coping with things differently than others. Usually in a more harsh way towards yourself and others)

When you’re an adult and realize you will need to fight depression for the rest of your life. You have triggers. You have situations and conversations that knock you off balance. This, by no means is a sign of weakness but rather you hold a healing spirit that when it gets wounded, it needs :

Healing —->Rest

Boundary check —-> Reset

Remember:

•You don’t believe your truths to please anyone. Or to impress, shock, allure anybody.

You believe your truths because:

-They bring you peace.

-Bliss

-They sprinkle joy everywhere you go.

-They add to your confidence

-They help you understand a little better

-It makes you more lovebable towards self and others

(This is an article to remember what happens with depression. Not that there is anything wrong with you but sometimes we feel all well and all healed and BAM a wave comes that tries to sink us to the deep end.

I read an article that Benadryl can cause dementia. Then on another day I read how Hispanic people are more likely to suffer from dementia more than any other ethnicity.

I’m Hispanic and I’ve consumed Benadryl. So then my chances are extra high? Maybe your Hispanic too . Maybe not, but it’s true that we all need a little reminder. I write these blogs as a reminder to myself in hopes that it helps someone else too.

With how many people in the world? There’s no way I’m the only one who goes through similar waves. And maybe there’s a writer out there that finds peace in writing but too shy to share their own journey. I hope and pray that you over come those thoughts and share.

The world needs more comprehension. The world needs more of the good we can relate. The world needs more of you. Even if not the whole world listens . With at least one ☝🏼 then the deed has been served 🙏🏼

Depression is without a doubt us being victims to our own mindsets. Here YWeFit is the reason we carry on. Standing holding hands with yoga. Yoga is all about living your truth. Yoga is not so much what the body can do. But rather what the mind can do with the body. Like staying still or bring all of the awareness to nothing else other than your breath.

Yoga teaches us how to be authentic to our own being. How maybe if we are unable to bend a certain way its not because we are not good enough but rather the holding of emotions like fear or doubt.

To share my own yoga experience: I got into yoga because I was looking for answers. Answers about the world. Instead I found answers about myself! How important it is for others to find those answers about themselves too. If more people realized the significance of being still there would probably more planting of trees than tearing them down.

Now lets be real. It’s not about loving and living in a perfect world where it never rains or floods. But rather knowing what to do when it rains and if it floods. Acceptance. Awareness. Ahimsa, Satya.

What does it mean to be nonviolent. What does it mean to be truthful. These are universal languages we can all embrace but how can we really know what to do with them?

We live them. We share them.

Later on as the days go by I will share with you about the importance of these. But to finish the story. I got into yoga because I wanted to know for myself if it was “Satanic” or not. Maybe someone out there will think that, that’s exactly what happened to Adam and Eve. Except in my story I didn’t follow anybody.

So, what did I find out? I found out that yoga is not a religion. I find my truth to be this: Yoga is the mother of all religions. Remember: Religions are doctrines and believes (There is nothing wrong with believing what you believe.) But if what you believe separates humanity on who is better than who, is that truly Gods love?

This topic can get touchy. And many will try to throw stones at me for speaking my truth. But what’s that quote?

“ Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind” - Bernard M Baruch

Here it is.

Whatever it is that you believe yoga adds to that! Yoga is an addition to strengthen your relationship with God. Your higher power. Your omnipresent. Your rock. Your castle.

Where does depression come in all of this?

In that one cannot see clearly without a relationship with God (what you choose to believe) and the self. One cannot overcome the constant waves of depression without having a higher power. Reassurance, thats what you will get when you have your truth and yoga. Peace of mind that emotions are waves and some people love to surf , others don’t know how to swim and maybe you can make a difference by coming to aid someone in need.

One cannot come to aid if one is not first aware of the self.

I used to think that I wasn’t enough of a being to teach yoga. I thought you had to have it all figured out. I thought that I had to have this perfect life and diet in order to be my most authentic self. During my 200hrs of YTT I couldn’t seem to unleash my bubbly personality. It took a while, but I have found my voice. Kindly, say what you feel.

Maybe you’re this perfect human who cant seem to relate. Or maybe it all makes sense in one way or another. My hope and prayer is that you honor your body for what it is at this moment. That you seek and seek to find your voice and share it.

Walking

I have always dealt with headaches, describing them as "my brain hurting". I went along thinking ok this is life, get used to it. I've had to be taken by coworkers to the ER because the pain was so unbearable I couldn't stand to finish by shift. Fast forward to 2016 being pregnant with Jaxson I developed what I thought was carpel tunnel. My OB referred me to a neurologist and started meds. Tried several and nothing helped, symptoms started to progress to shoulder/neck pain, memory loss, hand weakness, shaking, numbness and a lack of circulation feeling to all extremities. I dealt with this for 2 years without my neurologist listening to what I had to say. 2019 she referred me to a hand surgeon, pretty much washing her hands of my case. I am so thankful for this moment because I finally had someone that listened to me and believed me when I said "this is NOT carpal tunnel". I was finally diagnosed with Chiari Malformation Type 1 by CT of my neck. So I'm thinking ok I have no idea what this is and was referred to a neurosurgeon who gave me 2 options: pain medication or surgery. Well that was 2 NO's for me. There is no cure for this.

I battle some form of pain everyday. Some days are worse than others. I utilize all CBD products but truthfully nothing ever takes all the pain away. With my job and kids taking pain pills every day is not an option. Coming towards the end of my pregnancy where the retaining of fluid is inevitable my battle is harder and harder every day. I have been blessed to have a healthy pregnancy and pray for a safe natural delivery.

Today I was able to be apart of the 5th Chiari Awareness Parade and join the Chiari Smiles Foundations Support Group lead and founded by an amazing woman Dawn Keys.

With this disease and lack of knowledge/awareness you feel alone, you become depressed, you look normal and may have a smile on your face but inside you are battling some of the worst pain you can imagine. How can you explain that to people? I am so thankful for finding this group. Thank you Chantay Haywood and Heather Taylor for sharing this group and your journeys with me. Also a huge thanks to my cousin Ashley for coming with me today.

And Lastly, I serve a Mighty GOD, a Healing GOD. I speak and claim healing over my body 🙏 🙌

#chiarismiles #chiariawareness #chiarimalformation #chiaristrong 💐

Thank you Stephanie for allowing us to share your story. We love you so much and can’t wait to meet your precious baby soon.

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Congratulations Stephanie 🥰🥰🥰🥰🙏🏼👏🏼 Luke is here everybody 💐💐💐💐💐💐☀️