by Brianna | Dec 1, 2014 | Affirmations, Divine Light Meditation, Healing, Kundalini Yoga, Power of Thought, practice
I feel as though lately that I light candle after candle. I name individual people, I imagine cities glowing, and I move through life with the taste of blessings continually on my lips. Right now, right at this moment, there seems to be an abundance of fear, anxiety, grief, struggle…To be honest, the energy of the earth’s peoples can be overwhelming and I feel reactive in a way I haven’t for a very long time. But I know my role is not to be angry. My role is not to harbor ill will. My role is not to join the multitudes that are inadvertently aligning themselves with the darkness. My role, my job, my life’s work, is to herald the light and to be as bright as possible. When I feel the darkness most, I remind myself of my work. I interweave light practices into my teachings. I align with the light daily and I make a point of offering the light out. I believe that it is important it to become as light as possible, to literally: make of ourselves a light, as Buddha counseled. There are so many simple ways to up our vibrations and glow just a wee bit more. We are all worms but I do believe that I am a glowworm. ~Robin Williams The more of us that are light the lighter the world will become. After all, we all ONE. It is we who are the universe. But remember: You cannot be high vibration and exhausted at the same time. That is like being anxious and relaxed, which is physiologically impossible. Treat yourself,...
by Brianna | Nov 17, 2014 | Change, Healing, Power of Thought, silence, Transformation, Willingness, Yoga
When I am in the midst of significant change. I practice a lot. I find that it keeps me aware of my moment so that I catch when the fear is climbing in, and push myself in its way. Fear is consuming, and when it is at the forefront, it keeps us silent and in our place. When I am aware, and I notice the fear begin to fill first my feet and then my knees, I choose to remind myself of what becoming a butterfly really means. As a child I had the notion that the cocoon was peaceful, the gestation was like nap time, the wings just grew, and voila butterfly. But that is not the truth. There is nothing peaceful about becoming a butterfly. Caterpillars are not hibernating in the cocoon, when they become a butterfly, they are disintegrating. Frigging disintegrating! Perhaps all the dragons of our life are princesses, who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. ~Rilke The Caterpillar let go, willingly became goo and transformed into a butterfly. When I am aware, I tap into this metaphor and look at what my fear is paralyzing me with. Funnily enough, most of the times my fear is not real. My fear is about something that only serves to trap me. By facing it I can decide if I need to align with it or let it go. More often that not, I breathe deep and give myself over to the change. After all, it worked out for the caterpillar, which was once inching and can now...
by Brianna | Oct 23, 2014 | Affirmations, Breathing, Change, Chronic Fatigue, Healing, Transformation, Willingness, Yoga
It use to be that I didn’t mind mess and noise. internal or external, and I would participate in the pettiest of dramas. Chronic Fatigue changed my tolerance and my life shifted and changed accordingly. By embracing my practices during my illness I was able to carve out a space of safety within myself. Where once it was uncomfortable to be silent and still, now I literally long for my mat. I choose to keep my house simple, uncluttered, and nicely lit. I buy myself cut flowers weekly because to me they are like putting spots of joy in my rooms. Joy is one of the highest vibrations – sneak it in wherever you can! I drink my water with lemon and when I have time I let it sit and infuse with sunshine. The majority of the food I eat is whole, with a handful of ingredients and freshly prepared. I now shy away from personal drama and have let go of many friends and some family who create it, or co-create it with me (after all I ain’t no victim). I practice my practices every day. I am grateful to them because they keep me calm and my mind clear. If you haven’t been taking care of your precious self, if you haven’t given yourself any time, my rituals may seem over the top. But trust me when you get into the swing of it, with a little practice, they will become easy. Life is stressful and one of the ways I combat it is by allowing myself these simple pleasures, nurturing myself without a lot of...
by Brianna | Oct 13, 2014 | Cooking with Intention, Healing
One of my favorite things to make, when the fall settles in and the leaves begin to scatter, is this simple potent elixir. I think of it as a little pot of sunshine during the frigid months. Sometimes when my throat is raw I take a teaspoon straight-up but most often I drink it with warm water or mix it into my tea. Three great things: this recipe could not be easier, it is delicious, and it has numerous healing qualities. Really one could wax poetic about honey and lemon and their healing components for hours. Basically it comes down to this: they are freaking good for you. You will need the following ingredients for Lemon HONEY Love: 4 organic lemons (washed), seeded and sliced thin (as you can make it), skins left on.* 10ish ounces of local honey* a clean pint sized mason jar *for preservation, be mindful, it is necessary that all of the lemons are covered by honey. This recipe also requires refrigeration. Step by step instructions to make Lemon HONEY Love with intention: Try to be present as you move though each of these simple steps. Be aware of your breath as you slice the lemons. Inhaling and exhaling deeply to take their vibrant scent in. Did you know that the essential oils of citrus fruits are made from the oil in the fruits skin? Take a moment and thank the lemons. It may seem silly but thank them all the same. Begin to use simple moments to foster a habit of Gratitude, after all it is one of the best healers going. As you...
by Brianna | Oct 9, 2014 | Affirmations, Breathing, Change, Healing, Power of Thought, practice, Transformation, Willingness
I believe that there is a huge difference between choice and habit. Making a choice, also known as a decision, requires presence, awareness, and discernment. Habit is a default setting. Habit is you on repeat. Habit, is your foot on the gas while you are asleep at the wheel. We become what we repeatedly do. Sean Covey Since most of our daily behaviors are habituated we stay on our track, comfortable with the familiar. Humans dislike discomfort and when I say dislike I mean HATE, humans hate discomfort. It doesn’t matter one lick if the habit is helping or hurting you, I guarantee you that even your baddest, darkest, ickiest habit is comfy like a perfectly worn pair of jeans. So many people desire change. They want it so badly they can taste it. They yearn for it. Yet they run their day exactly as they did the day before. Each habit bolstering the track they are on. They get to the point where even the desire to change becomes habituated. How many friends do you have that are talking about creating the same changes in their lives that they were embarking on a decade ago? Life is a series of choices. Each choice leads to the next, a chain reaction that starts in the past and impacts our future. Minor choices, major choices, and all the choices in between create ripples of impact, ripples of possible change. Repetition is not failure. Ask the waves, ask the leaves, ask the wind. Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening. The simple truth is that when we change it is going to...
by Brianna | Aug 12, 2014 | Breathing, Healing, Healing Yoga Practice, Moving Meditation, practice, Yoga
Sometimes busy bees do not have time for an extended practice. Sometimes busy bees are wearing dresses instead of pants and only have one minutes to themselves. Sometimes busy bees are exhausted and an extended practice will harm them more than heal them. One of the most freeing realizations I had during my healing from Chronic Fatigue was that practice is not defined by time – practice means practice. Some days for me my practice is hours and sometimes its minutes. Everyday though I take time to breathe deep, feel my feet, lift my heart and connect my body, mind, and spirit through the beautiful three part practice of Yoga. Yoga requires: YOU Yoga does not require: A mat. $100 pants or pants in general. an hour of your time. a heated room. an instructor in special pants, on a special mat, in a special room. How is your mindset impacting your practice? Does it bolster it or does it defeat it? Now shake a tail feather – get out there – DO THE YOGA! Here is a 1 minute practice to inspire beautiful YOU! ...
