Take A Gratitude Walk
Today’s focus is Gratitude for our feet that walk about 7,500 steps a day! According to WikiAnswers: “The average moderately active person takes about 7,500 steps a day. Assuming every day the person walks, an eighty year old person who began walking at one year of age, would have taken 216,262,500 steps in their lifetime. An average person, with an average stride, living to this age of 80 will walk about 108,131 miles.” I learned how to really appreciate every step while trekking the rivers of Costa Rica. It’s not easy. If it rains in the mountains, the water down by the ocean is unclear and muddy. But if the mountains stay dry, you’re in for a stroll in the beautiful blue waters. Regardless of the path and the water…
Journaling Prompts for Peace, Happiness and Focus
Having a clear vision of your day saves 40% of your time and makes you more productive. Instead of simply charging into your day going in a million directions take time to get clear on what you’ll do to look after yourself. I’ve put together a simple worksheet checklist for you to use. This begins with a “brain dump” that will clear your mind to focus on other things. Whether it’s the small distracting thoughts that can take our attention or bigger, more challenging issues that can at times hijack our thoughts, this will make mental space. The most common brain dump exercise you’ve probably heard of are Julia Cameron’s “morning pages” or “stream of consciousness journaling.” In it’s most basic form, this is simply waking up, grabbing your journal,…
Why Yoga Works
By Silvia Mordini Yoga literally means union, this is one of the first things we hear our teachers tell us when we start practicing yoga. And even before that we’ve already been bombarded with the cliché mind, body, spirit. But in real people terms what is the connection between the poses (asanas), breathing (pranayama), philosophy, energy and Western psychology? Formally David Frawley, author of Yoga and Ayurveda says “Yogic methods cover the entire field of our existence – from the physical, sensory, emotional, mental, and spiritual to the highest Self-realization. It includes all methods of higher evolution in humanity – physical postures, ethical postures, breath control, sensory methods, affirmations and visualizations, prayer and mantra, and complex meditative disciplines. Yoga understands the nature and interrelationships of the physical, subtle and formless…
Complain-Free Diet
By Silvia Mordini Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Low-Carb, Fat-Free, MSG-Free. For a long while I spent more time on my physical diet and didn’t give much consideration to my mental diet. I could tell you why not to eat “empty” calories but I did not understand the mental equivalent of empty calories, otherwise known as complaining. Science shows that our thoughts impact us physically. Even the causes of stress eating and increases in cortisol, the stress hormone are related to the habits of our thoughts. And like the bad habits we can fall into in our eating patterns, the same can be said for mental habits like complaining. The good news is that we can unlearn both. We have no more right to put our discordant states of mind into the lives…
3 Reasons to Go on a Yoga Retreat
By Silvia Mordini One of the best reasons to go on a yoga retreat is no reason at all, you just want to. So in that case just do it! The one key thing that is not on this list is making sure that you are not basing your decision on what everyone else wants you to do. Do this for you. However, it you’re looking for affirmation of 3 key reasons why you should go on retreat read on below. 1. YOU ARE TIRED OR BURNT OUT. As Americans we spend a lot of time thinking about physical digestion (what we eat, when we eat, what we’re not going to eat, how many calories stuff has) but what about mental digestion. When we have poor mental digestion we experience…
5 Ways to Create a New Perspective
By Silvia Mordini “It’s dark and hairy! says the first one. “No it’s bright red and soft!” says the second one. “What are you talking about? It is completely white and juicy!” says another one. Amazing how perspective can change when you go around a simple apple! Imagine going around the world!” -Dr. Danie Beaulieu, PhD, Psychologist and Author Trying to change our perspective on ourselves is not easy. After all, the way we think mirrors how we see our lives. Yogically this process of self-reflection is known as vichara. It starts by asking outside the box questions to change the habits of our minds. Habits keep us from living up to our potential as we get stuck in seeing things just one way. We can make a difference by…
Aren’t You Tired of Being Perfect?
By Silvia Mordini While out walking last week, I saw a handwritten sign someone had posted on the sidewalk. It read, “Please forgive them, they are doing the best they can.” On the other side it read, “Everyone has something they want to be forgiven for.” This sidewalk philosophy was a great reminder of a lesson in Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, The Four Agreements. The lesson is that we should always strive to do our best. And our best is going to change from moment to moment. Which is a very different idea that some people have regarding doing their best, and being perfect. Aren’t you tired of being perfect? So what is the difference between doing our best in a spiritual way and perfectionism? One is always the same…
AWAKE
You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup – #SelfCare First By Silvia Mordini I’m a recovering workaholic who used to be totally ignorant of my most valuable resource, my health. I wore my workaholism like a badge of honor. I was in constant competition with myself and didn’t even consider there was another way to exist. I was winning! But it came at a cost. I did everything “right.” I proved myself successful in the ways most people define success like making more money and fancy job titles. What happened next was not just one thing but a series of moments of enlightenment that made me realize I had everything I was supposed to want, but I wasn’t happy. One of those moments that woke me up was being in…
Key Question: What Kind of Yoga do we Teach in Alchemy of Yoga Program?
In learning to teach yoga there is a delicate balance between consistency and creativity. One the greatest challenges we face as teachers is adapting Yoga to make it accessible for everyone in our class. The practice we offer students is for THEM, and about them as an act of service. Therefore in Alchemy of Yoga Teacher Training what I offer is our Alchemy Fundamental Series of 3 Class Plans based in Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Alchemy with supporting materials and inspirations to help your teaching be more consistent and comprehensive. This allows YOU to have both form and formlessness. It is not meant to be overly prescriptive, quite the contrary. These lesson plans hold space for you as a NEW Teacher to immerse yourself into the world of teaching with…
