Creating Positively Now Will Take Care of Past & Future

Why not use energy to create something colorful and positive now rather than something dark and destructive? We are made of energy and send out loads of energy every day, all day long through our thoughts, words and actions. We can either create tangible balls of creativity inspiring love and growth or tangible balls of destruction creating sadness and confusion for ourselves and others.

We recently learned that a friend of ours in California had passed away after having beaten his fight with cancer a few years earlier. He is survived by his wife and two kids aged 7 & 9 years old. Because of this news, many emotions surfaced and began to grow within me creating an overall feeling of hopelessness. I thought about our friend--a husband and father who is no longer around for his family and for himself. The idea that he will not be able to create anything more as the amazingly kind, wise and loving person that he had become is a jolt to the system. In witnessing a death of a friend or a loved one, it becomes very apparent that our time here is short and we would be smart to use it now. How can we feel hope and happiness in life in the face of a loss? More importantly, how can we honor people that have gone before with something real?

The other night as we watched “The Wizard of Oz,” a thought zinged me. The Cowardly Lion was singing “If I were king of the forest….” I watched his face and was reminded that this actor is using his emotional energy to create a character that makes us feel more deeply and brings us into the present moment—he helps us to forget worries, past and future. The actor has left the Cowardly Lion as a gift for audiences to view for years to come. That is positive, colorful energy left behind for others because that actor was brave enough to create with his energy.

Every day we can choose to really live ---by building something beautiful rather than destructive. We can create a character in a movie, a painting, a song, a delicious meal for family, a game of whiffle ball in the backyard, a yoga pose sequence, or a deeper relationship with a loved one. These are all things created of emotional energy that are tangible and carry an energetic vibration with them into the future.

In honor and remembrance of those who have bravely created before us, let’s create positive, colorful energy buds that we can leave behind for future generations to be inspired and uplifted. In creating, we are focusing on the present, while honoring the past and planting something good for the future.
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Breathing = Yoga! by Amy Sax Luke

Yoga is union with the higher self. And to practice yoga or contact with the higher self, one only needs to be able to breath. If we are alive then we breath, right? So yoga can be a very simple practice.

As I teach yoga, I discuss the importance of deepening the breath. In deepening the inhale and the exhale, we slow down the mind, which in turn will relax the body, allowing more conscious contact with the spirit, soul or higher self. Through the breath we are able to create a circular ritual which allows us to consciously involve our soul with our body and our mind through the practice of yoga.

Now, read this paragraph and then practice this simple breathing ritual wherever you happen to be right now—seated or reclining with eyes soft or shut:

Inhale 4 counts, hold the lungs full until you can’t hold them full anymore, exhale 5 counts, hold the lungs empty until you can’t hold them empty anymore. Finally, repeat this whole process twice more. Then sit still for one minute and notice whether there is a part of your body or mind trying to get your attention. If so, focus on that spot, give it your full attention, no matter how uncomfortable. Then imagine releasing that spot like a feather in the wind. Finally, continue to sit and breath for one minute more.

What happened with that spot when you gave it your undivided attention? Did it soften or change in any way? Did you release it completely? Did another part of your body/mind start to want your attention? If so, did you follow that and allow that part to soften as well? Often once attention is given, the spot begins to dissipate. Imagine a baby crying in its’ crib--- when the mother brings her complete attention to her crying baby, the cries end or at least, in most cases, lessen.

As we bring our mind and spirit in contact with our body, we complete a circle that allows us to connect all three and deepen our understanding of ourselves by simply breathing and staying present or witnessing the things that come up for us. This is yoga and congratulations, you’ve just practiced it.

The more we practice this circular breathing ritual or yoga, the more effortless it becomes to make a connection of body, mind and spirit. I encourage you to try this at least once a day for one week. At the end of that week, take note as to whether you feel lighter, happier, more loving, more loved and just a tiny bit more free…I can almost guarantee it.

Every Person Should Listen to This Regarding Creativity

Meditation is worth it

“Prayer is when the mind is one-pointed and man talks to Infinity. Meditation is when the mind becomes totally clean and receptive, and Infinity talks to man.”

- Yogi Bhajan

I first learned Transcental Meditation when I was living in Los Angeles, CA in 1994. It is true that it can be very challenging to sit still and let your mind go crazy with a barrage of thoughts and not react to those thoughts and the feelings that are evoked. At first that was so hard for me.

As I've practiced more and more meditation over the past 16 years, I've found that it gets easier to sit with those noisy thoughts and feelings. Inevitably there will be a peaceful feeling after the meditation which is the reward.

During the time that I've been meditating, I have had increasingly more challenging life experiences that have developed, making meditating more necessary, more difficult and ultimately more fulfilling. Sometimes I skip meditation and then realize that is why I'm feeling so foggy and lost. Meditation makes everything in my life more vibrant and more peaceful. I feel more creative and more loving. I can see the people and experiences in my life from a higher perspective. When I practice my regular meditation, I'm more able to respond to life's challenges from a place of love and peace.

I recommend trying meditation to all ages. It takes discipline but the rewards are immeasurable.

Healthy Living Tips by Cara Sax

1. Always Eat Breakfast. Think of breakfast as putting a log on the fire. The fire is your metabolism. When you don't add logs to the fire, the fire fizzles out. Your metabolism is similar to that. When you don't add fuel (food) to your body, your metabolism slows down to protect the body from starving. When you wake up in the morning, you haven't eaten for quite a few hours so your metabolism has slowed down. When you eat a healthy breakfast, you are speeding up your metabolism to burn more calories for energy.

2. Exercise Everyday. That doesn't mean you have to go to the gym everyday, just move your body everyday. Use your stairs instead of a stairmaster, do some lunges while you are cooking, take a walk outside, drop down and do 15 push ups, even better, dance when you make dinner! Moving your body keeps your metabolism up so you are burning more calories throughout the day.

3. Downsize Your Dishes. Use a smaller plate . Portion sizes are out of control, they are triple the size of what they were 30 years ago. Most people will fill their plate no matter what size it is. If you use a small desert plate for dinner, you will eat less food at a sitting. Your plate will look full and you will get used to eating smaller portions. The same goes for cups and bowls. Children should always use a smaller plate so they get used what a portion should look like before its too late.

4. Make Veggies the Star of Every Meal. Add spinach to your morning eggs. Have a colorful salad or veggie pita for lunch. Saute your favorite veggies for dinner and serve them with a side of whole grain brown rice and a protein (beans, lean meat, or chicken) Vegetables should be the star of the meal. They should take up most of your plate. These amazing and healing plants are very low in calories, high in phytonutrients, and high in fiber.

5. Eat Whole Grains Daily. Whole grains have been proven to help people lose weight, control blood sugar, and ward off inflammatory conditions like heart disease. They are high in fiber and rich in phytochemicals to keep your body healthy and strong. Make sure you include brown rice, kasha, rolled oats, millet, and quinoa (to name a few) in your daily diet.

6. Drink water. Staying well hydrated can stave off sugar cravings and make you feel fuller at mealtimes. Enjoy clean unflavored water and eliminate sugary or artificial sugary drinks. Tap water is actually more regulated than bottled water so it may be better to drink filtered water from your tap. Invest in a Brita pitcher or water filtration system for your home. Use a refillable water bottle to reduce the number of plastic bottles that are so bad for the earth.

7. Accept and Love Who You Are. Most of us are not a size 2 and will never be no matter what we do. Don't compare yourself to others. Embrace your beautiful body and vow to keep it healthy and strong by nourishing yourself with whole foods, healthy relationships, and physical activity.

8. Eat with Self Awareness and Gratitude. Get to know yourself. Practice yoga and meditation or just breathing to quiet your mind and connect to your inner self. This will help you to really listen and feel what your body is telling you. Learn to distinguish between physical hunger and hunger for physical touch or something other than food. When you do this, you are able to replace unhealthy emotional eating with something more nourishing to the soul. Finally, be grateful to your body for all that it gives you. It is amazing and resilient and forgiving. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

Namaste,
Cara
carasaxhealth@aol.com
http://www.carasax.com/

Yoga is for me

This picture illustrates how I feel when I do yoga. The front figure is how I feel at the end of a class. Cleansed, lifted, light, strong. I'm very grateful for my yoga practice and teaching.

Amen.

Amy

It has almost been one year since I opened Heart Wisdom Yoga Studio in Danville, IL. Through this I have met some of the most amazing people. And I have learned so much about myself through teaching yoga. Phew! I don't even recognize myself. Thank you Danville, IL for this opportunity.

Peace & blessings,

Amy