Great Things are Ahead

I truly love this post by Mastin Kipp so I had to share it here with you all.

“Are you going through Divine Storm?

A Divine wha?

A Divine Storm, as I call them, are moments in your life when you feel like life/The Divine/The Universe is against you. Nothing is going well.

You question everything and maybe even say something like “Why is this happening to me?”

What I’ve come to find, is that moments like this are powerful opportunities to grow. Divine Storms are wake up calls. They are not ushering in the end, but rather clearing space for what’s trying to be born in your life.

But – we tend to interrupt the process. We hang on to how it was and fear how it could be. And perhaps we slip into assuming the worst, instead of preparing for a miracle.

You see, when you go through a crisis, a hard time, a moment of pain – there is always, and I do mean always, a breakthrough on the other side.

And just past the breakthrough, the new awareness, the inevitable “aha moment” you’ve been searching for – comes redemption. Continue reading “Great Things are Ahead”

March 2, 2016

How To Truly Forgive and Liberate Yourself

If you are looking to get to the next level of your meditation practice, forgiveness is key. Forgiveness is freedom.

According to Wikipedia, “forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well.”

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To help you get there, here’s a simplified variation of a very powerful forgiveness exercise extracted from MindValley Academy.

Step 1: Set The Scene

Firstly, with your eyes closed and for about two minutes or so, bring back all the anger, frustration and pain you felt when someone in your life wronged you. Feel yourself in that very moment when it happened and picture the same environment you were in when you interacted with them. (To give you an example, in one of my sessions I imagined my bullying school headmaster in the same basketball court where he had made me stand for hours in the hot sun as punishment.) Continue reading “How To Truly Forgive and Liberate Yourself”

June 2, 2014September 21, 2023

Yoga and the Art of Eating

by Katie Papo (Ambika)

When I think back to my teenage glory days —mindlessly shoving pizza nuggets into my face while watching TV — “art” is not the first word to come to mind. Yet, as my yoga practice evolved, so did my eating.

Here’s why. When we practice yoga, we practice two key concepts that are the same main ingredients for a mindful “eating practice:”

1. First Ingredient: Awareness

During yoga practice, we open our awareness to include body, breath, sensation, environment, and external influences. And then we deliberately turn our attention inward. Why don’t we make a to-do list, read a book, or call the electrician while we are practicing yoga? Because these practices scatter our senses, distracting us from the magic that’s happening inside. When we are present in the moment, we hear subtle messages our bodies tell us.

Yet somehow during mealtime, we kick awareness to the curb. We watch TV, read, drive, or wander around the kitchen for something else to nibble on. Even if we make healthy food choices, often little awareness is devoted tohow we eat. The solution lies in yoga. When we apply awareness to eating, we notice colors and textures in our food, and chew slowly to savor every bite. Suddenly food bursts with flavors we’ve never noticed, and eating becomes a rich experience. Bonus: When you listen to your body (like you do in yoga), it will tell you when it’s full. Goodbye overeating!

2. Second Ingredient: Gratitude

As our yoga practice deepens, we begin to see life as sacred. We can’t help but offer gratitude for our practice, and to those who handed down the teachings. To honor our yoga practice, we make sacred space by clearing the room, saying a prayer, lighting incense, or closing our eyes to become truly present.

It’s about time we remembered that eating is sacred, and food is our friend. It nourishes our bodies, just like our yoga practice, and deserves sacred space. Eliminate distractions. Give thanks to the people and things who made your meal possible–to the farmers and growers, to the rain and sun. Give thanks to your job that provided to the financial means to afford your meal. Every piece of the puzzle deserves your gratitude

3. Third Ingredient: Practice

To start a new “eating practice,”you can follow these simple yogic tips (and develop some of your own):

Offer gratitude or say a prayer before taking your first bite.
Put down your fork while you chew.
Chew thoroughly.
Breathe.
Sit down while you eat (in front of the TV doesn’t count!)

It can be challenging to change a habit, but remember that you already know the secret to success: repetition. Keep up your practice (like your yoga!) and your eating will soon become a masterpiece.