Saturday, October 29, 2011

That feeling inside

Shakira's got a sixth Chakra feeling inside...

Way back in 2010 we started a journey through the Chakra system and where it appears in pop culture. I seem to have gotten stuck after checking in with Helen Reddy's roaring fifth Chakra in February, which says quite a bit about my energetic blocks. Since next weekend some of my yoga students will be delving deeper into their own blocks at the Advanced Chakra workshop at True North Yoga, I thought it would be a good time to finish this series of posts.

We were last in the throat checking out the energy of communication. Now we find ourselves higher, in the carotid plexis, the area also known as the third eye. Here, between the eyebrows, Ajna, the sixth Chakra, shines it's deep indigo light of wisdom, intuition and imagination. It is the birthplace of ideas and the window to the spiritual realms.

Ajna is represented by the element of light and the color of the night sky. It gives us the right to see, with our physical eyes and the mind's eye. It is the sixth Chakra's energy that allows us to "know" something is happening when we are not physically present or gives us that "feeling" that we were meant to meet someone.

When you know who's calling before you look at the caller ID, that's Ajna at work.

Your local psychic is probably a bit overloaded with sixth Chakra energy, but too little leaves us without any insight, forced to analyze every last detail of our lives and to panic in the face of uncertainty. Headaches and vision problems signal a sixth Chakra imbalance. When Ajna is balanced our imaginations inspire us, we are intuitive and artistic and we have vivid dreams. We trust our own wisdom and are confident that our lives are unfolding as they should.

To keep the sixth Chakra light shining, get on your yoga mat and find a focal point. Let your gaze rest on your drishti and balance on one leg in Vrksasana (tree), Natarajasana (dancer) or Garudasana (eagle). Then roll your eyes just like a teenager. Those eye rolls are called Tratak and the muscles around the eyes need regular exercise to keep your vision clear.

Off our mats, we can create visual art, enjoy the visual stimulation of brightly colored holiday lights or fireworks, practice guided visualizations or try past life regression. Play with tarot cards or runes to exercise your insight. Color mandalas. Meditate.

And, like Shakira, look for those feelings inside, because your intuition might be telling you that your soul mate is across the room.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

I'm so Excited!

It's never too late to be who you might have been.
-George Eliot

What do you get when a life coach, a yoga teacher, a freelance writer and a massage therapist/extraordinary cook get together at Witherbee's Carriage House on open mic night and start to brainstorm?

You get the Adirondack Women's Empowerment Retreat!

And when the owners of the Glen Lodge in Warrensburg, New York, let us rent the whole facility for the weekend of January 20th - 22nd, 2012, we knew we had the perfect place for a transformational weekend. In addition to the comfortable accomodations, the great room has a huge stone fireplace and is perfect for yoga.

I'm so excited to be co-hostessing this weekend with some really amazing women. I'll be leading four yoga classes during the weekend:

Yoga from the Ground Up
Get your feet firmly on the ground and get ready to reach for the stars! Set a firm foundation for the weekend's yoga practices with a series of poses that will help you feel your feet. With a stable base you can stand taller and reach higher than ever before.

Yoga to Fuel the Flame
Deep in the core of your being a fire smolders. Core-focused poses add fuel to the fire and get your inner flame burning bright. Start your morning with an energizing yoga practice and tap into that fire all day.

Playful Yoga
Changing your life is serious stuff, but yoga doesn't have to be. Discover how playfulness empowers you by exploring the edge of possibility as you reach for new heights. Laughing is very welcome in this fun practice.

Gentle Yoga
Ease into Sunday morning with gentle floor stretches and meditative movement. Get off your mat feeling relaxed, renewed and refreshed.

Of course, yoga is just part of the experience. There will be workshop sessions, journaling exercises, lots of healthy food and fun evening activities. Would you like to join a small number of women for a weekend in the Adirondacks that will jump-start your life? Check out the retreat webpage for all the details.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Training Vacation

a "low profile" sole provides a grea...Image via WikipediaWhen I get sick or injured, or life just gets in the way, I have a very hard time getting my training started again. I wish someone would shove my feet into my running shoes and kick me out the door. Being coach-less, there isn't anyone who will do that for me. I have to dig deep for my own motivation, and sometimes it's buried really, really deep.

Right now I'm sick (allergies are out of control), injured (still nursing a badly misaligned neck) and life is getting in the way. I haven't put my running shoes on for almost two weeks. It's very dark in the morning and it's rained almost every day. The Thanksgiving 10K is less than a month away. I need some inspiration, so if you've got some, please share!

Creating more frustration, my chiropractor ordered me to refrain from headstands until my neck is back to normal. One of my favorite ways to deal with life is to look at it upside down for awhile. I will have to find another way to change my perspective to get me through this rough patch.

Maybe digging the treadmill out from under a pile of summer gear will put an end to this training vacation.

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