Mind Body Centering Yoga

Ajna Chakra (Third Eye)

Beasyouare — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:30:27 +0000

Ajna Chakra, associated with the element light and the color indigo blue, the sixth chakra is located between and just above the physical eyes, creating the spiritual third eye. While our two eyes see the material world, our sixth chakra sees beyond the physical. The sixth chakra is involved in both the creation and perception of art and in the recognition that what we see has a powerful impact on us. Even when we’re not aware of it, we’re all sensitive to the images we find in our environment. This is where I choose to shut the news off. I have the choice to limit the impact on my spirit through my eyes and my ears. I have enough exposure to unpleasant images in my day to day life. Who needs more?

Visuddha Chakra (Throat)

Beasyouare — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:03:18 +0000

Visuddha Chakra, associated with the color turquoise blue and with the elements sound and ether. Located in the neck, throat, jaw, and mouth, the Visuddha chakra resonates with our inner truth and helps us find a personal way to convey our voice to the outside world. Dancing, singing, writing and speaking all help the Visuddha chakra. Finding my voice has been a lifelong battle. I have always loved to dance, because I didnt have to speak. It was a way for me to express myself silently. To feel free. Speaking in public would scare me to death, make me sick to my stomach. I am getting better through my Yoga practice. The fear isnt as bad, though, I still dont like speaking in public. I have old patterns and thoughts I need to change. Practice makes perfect.

Anahata Chakra (Heart)

Beasyouare — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:07:15 +0000

Anahata Chakra, the fourth chakra, the heart chakra, rests in the center of the chakra system, at the core of our spirit. The balance point, integrating the world of matter (the lower three chakras) with the world of spirit (the upper three chakras). Through the heart chakra, we open to and connect with harmony and peace. Deep beneath our personal stories of brokenness and the pain in our heart, wholeness, boundless love, and a wellspring of compassion reside. Love is patient, love is kind, love resides in all of us, love has no end.

Manipura Chakra (Navel, Solar Plexus)

Beasyouare — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:42:00 +0000

Manipura Chakra, associated with the color yellow, this chakra is involved in self-esteem, warrior energy, and the power of transformation; it also governs digestion and metabolism; our “get-up-and-go” attitude so that we can take risks, assert our will, and assume responsibility for our life. Sensible risk-taking is one way of gaining confidence and flexing your third chakra power muscles. I have had great opportunities come my way since nearing the end of my Yoga Teacher Training. Some of these opportunities have caused me to feel overwhelmed. Though they are great opportunities, they require some risk-taking. I have low self-esteem, always have. I seldom take risks for fear of failure. Assert my will??? Are you crazy??? So I struggle with a lot of third chakra deficiencies. There are many lessons to learn here. They will require a lot of thought. Am I ready to take some risks? Time will tell. Its all a process, my friends, its all a process.

Svadisthana Chakra (Sacral)

Beasyouare — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:18:54 +0000

Svadisthana Chakra finding one’s own place or base. The tasks of the second chakra include allowing for emotional and sensual movement in our life, opening to pleasure, and learning how to “go with the flow.” Again, I can find both excess and deficiency in this Chakra. Because I was always so busy and never took the time for myself, I seldom allowed myself to feel any pleasure. I mean there were some fun times in my life, but they were always overshadowed by other negative thoughts or actions. Though on the flip side, I am the type of person to just go with the flow. I like things to be easy with no complications. There is still work to be done.

Muladhara Chakra (Root)

Beasyouare — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:05:32 +0000

Muladhara Chakra is associated with the element earth, representing physical and emotional grounding, and with the color red. I have always felt that I was both excessive and deficient in all my Chakra’s and the Root Chakra is no different. There are times where I do not feel rooted or centered. I feel ungrounded most of the time, living more in my head than in my body. A lot of my life was spent caring for other people, ignoring my own needs. So I never truly found ground. I was always rushing and trying to figure out how get from point A to point B to help this person and this person. It wasn’t until I moved to another state that I began to find ground. To take my own needs into account. Its a continued processing, but the awareness is a great help. I have learned ways to ground myself. Yoga has helped me a great deal and learning about the Chakra’s has been a blessing.

Ratatouille and Pasta Soup

Beasyouare — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:04:25 +0000

Preparation: 25 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 eggplant, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 zucchini, sliced

1lb 12 oz. tinned crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

4 cups vegetable stock

1 3/4 oz fusilli

fresh parmesan cheese shavings, to serve

Instructions

1. Spread the eggplant pieces out in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Heat the oil in a large heavy based saucepan and cook the onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until soft and lightly golden. Add the peppers, garlic, zucchini and eggplant and stir-fry for 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, herbs and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the fusilli and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the fusilli is tender. Serve with shavings of parmesan scattered on top.

Isvarapranidhana – Celebration of the Spiritual

Beasyouare — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:30:17 +0000

I have practiced Isvarapranidhana for as long as I can remember. I am reminded on a daily basis that there is an omnipresent force larger than me that is guiding and directing the course of my life. I think that there is a time in everyone’s life where you question it. I know I have, but deep inside I know. I would not be where I am today otherwise.

Svadhyaya – Self Study

Beasyouare — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:19:31 +0000

Practicing Svadhyaya at first was difficult. When I first began practicing Yoga, I would look around at all the seasoned Yogis and say to myself that I wish I could do what they were doing. I began to feel like I would never do well at Yoga, because I couldn’t go as deep as some other people or I couldn’t do a pose like someone else. It took me awhile to understand that there was no competition in Yoga. That I could only go as far or as deep as my body would let me, that they were different then I was, their body was different then mine. From this I began to welcome and accept my body for what it was. I had limits and I accepted those limits. Now I don’t compare myself to anyone else and I enjoy my practice more fully.

Tapas – Disciplined use of our energy

Beasyouare — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:08:11 +0000

Tapas really came into play in my life when I began practicing Yoga. I began to pay more attention to my posture, what I ate and how my patterns of breath changed during certain events/activities. Through Yoga I learned how to correct my posture, how to sit up straight, what caused my neck pain as I sat all day at the computer. How I could correct it and how I did and how well Yoga worked for me. It brought attention to what I put in my body. It helped me lose weight and gain self control. It made me aware that when I had headaches my breathing changed. It became slower and less deep. All these disciplines changed my life. I will be forever grateful for my Yoga practice.