by Brianna | Nov 18, 2015 | Fear, Five Minute Yoga Practice, Healing, Healing Yoga Practice, Yoga, Yoga Davidson
I think we can all agree that what is happening in the world is scary. There is violence, strife, poverty, and heartbreak pretty much in every direction. So much suffering is being actively created by the hands of FEARFUL man. Title it what you like but it is fear that is breeding the violence, greed, racism, extremism, the endless arguments about borders, and creating the absolute hell of war. That is fear – often labeled as something else – operating behind the scenes. Which begs the question: “How do you behave after you become afraid?” Not the very instant the fear strikes. But after it settles itself. After it becomes normal rather than abnormal to feel afraid. When the fear has become your bedrock. How then do you behave? Anxiety has always been an issue for me. My practice over time has become my medicine. If I don’t practice enough I notice my anxiety begin to spark and fire. I notice the heat beginning to build and I know I need to get back on my mat for longer practices. And I do. I hate anxiety! So I practice. She noticed her anxiety sneaking around, its darkness at her edges. It appeared as a crawling thing in the corner, a demon in the shadows. It took up space and sang its siren song of misery. Excerpt from Healing Footstep to Footstep For a long time I though my anxiety happened in a vaccum. I was anxious because I was anxious. OKAY?!?!?!?! But through the awareness that practicing yoga and meditation ultimately brings I now recognize that what I...
by Brianna | Nov 3, 2015 | Cooking with Intention, Healing, Transformation
I love Elderberry Syrup. In the fall and winter I take it daily to boost my immune system and ward off the sniffles and flu. It’s an old elixir and as an added bonus, it happens to be delicious. The first time I heard about Elderberry Syrup was several years back when I had a never ending cough. My friend Jenny who owns Zensations by Jen suggested I try it. Although I believe in the power of herbal and traditional medicines Elderberry Syrup caused a “WOW!” moment for me. It made an almost immediate difference and it felt soothing to take it. By the way, Science agrees. Elderberry has been studied. There are resources listed below if you want to read more about it in the medical literature. Recently I started playing with making my own medicinal tinctures and syrups. I now make Elderberry Syrup for myself. It’s a simple recipe and requires minimal effort. Plus, when you are done it is yum. 2 ounces of Dried Elderberry – Sambucus Nigra 1 quart of water 1 cup local honey (LOCAL!) Additional herbs: Whole Cardamom and Cinnamon Sticks Healing Prayer Bring the quart of water to a boil. Add 2 ounces of Dried Elderberry and reduce heat to a simmer. Add additional herbs. Reduce liquid by half. Strain. Return liquid to pan and stir in honey, as you stir, say a healing prayer over the syrup. Store in a sterilized jar. Refrigerate. It should stay good for about 9 months as long as it is stored properly. *I take 2 teaspoons once a day. Its my night time ritual and...
by Brianna | Oct 22, 2015 | Affirmations, Breathing, Healing Yoga Practice, Hypnosis Davidson, Power of Thought, practice, Reading Yoga Betterment, Yoga Davidson
Whenever I am out moving through a beautiful landscape it is so much easier to feel at ease. There is an abiding peace that happens when I spend time with the waters, the forest, the desert, and everything else in between. Does that happen for you? The world did not have to be beautiful to work. But it is. What does that mean? Mary Oliver Nature is my personal church. I find it easier to pray if I am outside. Usually I am walking. Sometimes I am dancing. After all, there is always a reason to rock out to the Joyful Song. Last night I listened to several interviews with Mary Oliver – she and Rumi are my most favorite poets. Much of the conversation was based on her love of a walk in the woods, both in reference to exercise and Walden’s beautiful book. Like him, her love of nature resounds throughout her writing. For an entire year, at the end of every yoga class I read Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese. Arguably a repetitive offering to my students. But I often find that there is power by way of repetition. I have certainly seen that power in my personal practice and in my students’ practices. During the course of the following interview she speaks to the the necessity of repetition and rigor in her art. She touches on the many failed attempts and the requirement to keep going, keep doing, keep writing. Plus she recites Wild Geese: Mary Oliver On Being Question: Where have you seen the power of repetition in your own life? To...
