When life gets overwhelming and we find ourselves stressed and scattered, allow yourself some time (if only a few minutes!) to focus on gratitude and to offer yourself some kindness. Turn off your phone, power down the PC, and for Pete's sake turn off the news! We can too easily allow ourselves to get consumed in the chaos. Find a comfortable spot, make some tea, and take some time to reboot. Start to settle into a quiet space within yourself & away from the turmoil of the outside world. Allow your eyes to gently close and begin to tune into your breath. Start to connect with the rhythm of your breath moving in and out of your lungs, noticing how the body expands and then contracts. Allow the breath to regulate and hone in on any tension. Smooth over your forehead, soften your jaw. Begin to work with your breath to ease any stress or tension clinging to you or your thoughts.
Begin to let the mind settle down, and start to draw gratitude into your heart space with each breath in and out. Start to bring to mind anything you are grateful for from today. A sunny morning, no traffic on your commute, the person in front of you picking up the tab for your coffee....allow the good things take precedence. Think of the people in your life you are thankful for, sending them well wishes. Draw in gratitude for the automatic functioning of your lungs, allowing fresh oxygen to nourish your body. Give thanks for your legs and your feet for taking you everywhere you wanted to go today.....for your eyes for all that they see......for your mouth and your throat, allowing you to communicate with others. Continue to draw gratitude into your heart with your breath, thanking your intuition for guiding you along the way and keeping you safe. Give thanks for your mind and the ability to make decisions and live a full, rich life. And finally give thanks to yourself, for all that you do each day. For showing up to take care of yourself and of others.......for all that you have.....and for all that you are. When life gets us down or stressed sometimes all it takes is a little shift in perspective to show us that everything is ok. Namaste, Heather Rae Listen to guided meditations on my podcast or follow me on Insight Timer!
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If you've been to any of my yoga classes chances are I've offered the class a mudra to get settled in our beginning meditation. Mudras, Sanskrit for 'seal', are symbolic gestures made with the hands and fingers used in many Indian religions. A visual language, this form of wordless communication helps to realign and direct the energy in the body, mind, and spirt for connections and healing. Often used in yoga as well as meditation, you may use mudras on their own or along with pranayama, or breathing techniques, to cultivate a correct flow of prana in the body. Here are 6 mudras you can use every day to relax, reflect, restore and renew from one of my favorite resources, 72 Yoga Mudras of Yoga by Cain and Revital Carrol.
Use these tools to help connect with yourself and offer strength and healing. Remember every day that you have the power take charge and renew, giving your soul a peaceful place to dwell. Namaste. Get the full deck of Yoga Mudra cards on Amazon-it's a great resource!
Close friends, a fire, fuzzy socks, warm blankets, candlelight, coffee and cake.....such simple ingredients are the keystones to a very important tradition in Denmark called Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga). A way to make the most of the cold, dark nights, this tradition embodies warmth and light. Known as the art of building sanctuary, hygge makes the most of the little things and calls to gather what fills your heart with love and comfort. Hygge can be used as a verb, noun or adjective. Fuzzy socks are hygge. Sitting by the fire with a good book is hygge. That feeling you get when your belly is warmed by the first sip of hot cocoa is hygge.
Creating a sense of closeness and belonging with a lot of the warm and fuzzies is something most of us could use right about now. No tv, no outside world, just the soft glow of candles and the laughter of family and friends. A place we can let our guard down and feel safe, even if we are alone in a bath with a dog by our side. Hygge is a lifestyle, a priority in the lives of so many. Our current day to day society is filled with so much noise, fear, stress and busyness I feel we can all take a page from our Scandinavian friend's book. My Hygge may include my dog, a cup of peppermint tea, candles, music and a good book or having some friends family over to soak in some genuine intimacy, presence and closeness. (I'm always game for a lot of good food and a glass of wine too!) Rituals for living and feeding the soul are important reminders that it doesn't take much to make our heart sing. So take comfort in the simple things, have a Hygge night with your nearest and dearest. Forget for a while what is beyond the walls of your home, that which is meant to be your sanctuary, your safe place. No electronics aloud, no social media. If it sounds too simple and like there's nothing to it it's because there's not! So throw on some fuzzy socks and grab some matches........and just Hygge. Learn more about this simple yet inspiring practice at www.hyggehouse.com or pick up a copy of the Little Book of Hygge to learn more ways to simplify and enrich your soul. Often times life can get in the way of getting a good night's sleep. We rest our head down after a long day, and our minds can't help but run through the never ending to-do list in our minds. That mind chatter, we call chitta, also called monkey brain can be a hard one to train. Perhaps we like to run stories over and over of our day, of yesterday, or what we hope for for tomorrow. It's when we realize that everything swirling around in our minds will be there tomorrow that we can take the power away from those thoughts and get some good shut eye.
So much happens when we sleep-our tissues repair, our body heals, our short term memory gets logged into long term. Lack of quality sleep can not only make us cranky the next day but have an effect on our overall health. If you have a hard time 'turning it off' when you lay down to rest, I suggest keeping a notebook or journal next to your bed. If certain thoughts, stories or ideas keep coming up, then first pay attention. Give them the attention they seek, and then write them down, get them out of you. Say, I see you. I know you'll still be here when I get up in the morning, but for now I'll leave you here. I shall return to you when I'm ready to give you my energy. Gratitude journals are also a great way to end that day. Write down everything you were grateful for that day, only let the good things take precedence. Lay your head down in a peaceful state, not agitated or distracted by things that went wrong. Television and electronics are of course not ideal to have on to fall asleep, and if left on you will not get quality sleep. Even though you may be sleeping your brain is still in some way active and aware of the sounds and light around you. Find what works best for you, and I've written this mediation to help wind down your mind and prepare for a good night's sleep, Enjoy! |
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AuthorHello lovelies. I am a life/Goddess/meditation coach, body and energy worker , yoga instructor and author. I hope you enjoy my journey of discovering our magic and connecting along our journey of health, wealth of spirit and evolution. I am happy to share my experiences with you to heal, love, and evolve. ArchivesCategories
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