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.