Finding Freedom on Furlough

I know, I know..

The last thing you may feel is free during a government shut down. The term 'Freedom' can be thrown around so freely, but what does it mean to you? I mean, what if you woke up tomorrow and could do ANYTHING you wanted with your life? What would you do?
Who would you BE?

THAT TIME IS NOW!

Many Americans, for the last 15 days have been on Furlough - a temporary unpaid leave of absence, due to our current government shut down. This has left a large chunk of Americans on standby as they wait to return to "business as usual."

While it may not affect you directly, it surely affects you indirectly in some manner.
Here is a list of closings and shut down sectors:

• All 368 National Parks as well as National Museums are CLOSED.
• Don't have a passport? You won't be able to get one until this shin dig is over.
• DC's budget is approved by Congress, so no budget means no (or limited) trash collection. DC produces 500 tons of garbage each WEEK.
• No federally backed loans for you! Business, mortgage, or otherwise.
• No new clinical trials will be conducted by the National Institute of Health, and new patients will not be taken on during this time frame. Current trials will continue.
• NASA will furlough almost all of its employees. However, Mission Control employees in Houston will stay put as well as those at the International Space Station.
• e-Verify, the system that allows companies to check on the legal work status of an employee, will cease.
• No gun permits will be issued.
• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children’s Program), has stopped as no monies are available to pay the administrative costs. *side eye*
• The Patent and Trademark Office, because of the fees it collects, has enough independent funding to remain open for four weeks – but would close as well in any extended government shutdown.
• Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will have to furlough the vast majority of their staff.
• FDA food inspections, which mainly cover seafood and dairy products, will also cease.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue "minimal support to protect the health and well-being of U.S. citizens," but it will have a "significantly reduced capacity" to respond to outbreaks and will be unable to support its annual flu program.  
• We still have to pay taxes (blah!) BUT IRS taxpayer assistance hotlines and walk-in centers will be closed. All audits are also suspended (good news for many). 

Employees who work for government functions “necessary to protect life” cannot shut their doors to the public, such as law enforcement, Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Secret Service, U.S. military, intelligence agencies, embassies, consulates that help Americans abroad, emergency medical care, border patrol, and emergency and disaster assistance.


I could go on but I know you get the point. The world is on partial pause.
Take a deep breath... Exhale..

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So, what to do with this new and abundant free time?

Try exercise, clean your space, take a walk, meet new people, try something new, sleep in, work on your dreams - LIVE! Do all the things that you always complained you didn't have time for.

I'd like to put you in a certain mindset for a moment - follow me...

Imagine there was no resolution to come of this government set back. Millions of people suddenly had to figure themselves out. Would you lose your sense of self? What was it that you liked to do again? What other skills or abilities do you have that could prove useful?

You feel a growing desire for community support. There are others out there going through this just like you. Maybe you can make new friends. Perhaps we can all supply a need. Who grows their own food in our local area? Who is good at building? Is anyone interested in yoga? Where are the musicians?

This is a time for everyone to dig up their long-buried passions. Now that there is no one to take instruction from. What do YOU do?

We are entering a new day and age. The energetic shift is undeniable. We are letting go of outdated systems, ways, habits, ideas, and awakening the creators within us.

We've spent our entire lives trying to fit various pre-made molds created by society, parents, friends, spouses, etc. while slowly suppressing our true selves. We are ALL unique as our fingerprints and snowflakes.

Be you, shamelessly. 

Discover you, shamelessly. 

Love you, shamelessly. 

LIVE FOR YOU, shamelessly. 

 

You deserve to create your own reality!

So, Fight the Furlough Funk and get to know your Self. 

Create possibilities. 

Think outside your box(es). 

Try something new. 

That's freedom.

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Brooke Johnson aka Brooke Jay is a Social Entrepreneur, Certified Nutrition Consultant, and Wellness Coach for RAW! on Wheels., a DMV based live vegan service. 

RAW! offers Coaching, Catering, Juice Cleanses, & more!  http://www.RAWexclamation.com

Contact her directly at BJohnson@rawexclamation.com

42 Days of GRATITUDE and ABUNDANCE

*Excerpts taken from The Abounding River - An Unfamiliar View of Being Abundance by Matthew and Terces Engelhart*

 

"Abundance can be had by simply consciously receiving what has already been given." - Sufi saying

 

Johnee' and I have just returned from a 30+ Day cross-country RAW! Healing Quest, and have nothing but GRATITUDE from the whole experience. We reached about 14% of our fundraiser goal but decided to trust that we would be provided for by the Universe and begin the journey anyways. We charged no one for our services and spent a large chunk of our savings to be able to share the experience. I am taken back by the kindness of people and the willingness to let internet strangers into their homes - to share their experiences, knowledge, skills, and resources. From that, we feel FULL. We feel ABUNDANCE.

 

In Kansas City we ran upon a Café Gratitude where we heard the miraculous stories of the founders and decided to leave with some literature - 'The Abounding River' which inspired, and is the basis for our 42 days of Gratitude and Abundance.

We will harnessing our 42 days throughout 

~June 3 - July 15~

 

"Faith begins with an experiment and ends with an experience." - W.R. Inge
 

 "..sense of scarcity is systematic. In our being, it rarely occurs like a choice or a belief we persistently hold fast or assent to consciously. In this book we take the position that our scarcity tale is inherited, practiced and fueled by widespread agreement....Abundance, living assurance of being provided for, is our Divine inheritance and the only proof is in the declaring and living of it... Being Abundance, being that we are provided for requires that we relinquish what we know and what makes sense to us.

This is our experiment... to declare a world of plenty and then surrender to the assurance of all those things added. This is the essence of what we give our life to and this book is an expression of who we've been called to be."

 

"All you are unable to give, possesses you." - Andre Gide

 

Journey with us as we discuss perception, gratitude, abundance, fear, relationships with money, affirmations, and more!

 

Be sure to follow the discussions and daily lessons on the Humbly, Peax & Love Facebook Page and of course stay tuned to the blog! We at RAW! will also be participating and spreading this time of Gratitude. We predict this will be a very enlightening process for all.

Peace, Love, and Wellness <3

-Brooke & Johnee'
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Brooke Johnson and Johnee' Wilson are the creative forces behind RAW! Inc., a DMV based raw food catering and delivery service and active Humbly, Peax & Love representatives
 

RAW! Inc. offers Meal Plans, Juice Detoxes, Raw Food Coaching, Catering, Food Demos, and even private yoga instruction! For more info, visit www.RAWexclamation.com 

Women's Wisdom Wednesday: Who Will Save Your Soul?

Who Will Save Your Soul?

Yesterday, I got a call from one of my clients and Goddess sisters.  When I answered the phone, after our ensuring that all was well on both ends, she said, “I really called about Atiba, though…”

Atiba is my 6 year old who has completely grown in love with my friend and her family.

After securing a movie night with my sun and her nephew, I hung up the phone to watch the trailers of the movies the boys were going to watch.  I smiled to myself, thinking, ‘I am not a “normal” coach.’

The night before, I logged onto Facebook to see a status of another client and Goddess sister acknowledging me, because I had called her to do my duties as a coach, a sister, a friend and a Goddess.

  Accountability in many areas makes me “not normal” in terms of “my profession”, but being a coach or “Sergeant” as my sister calls me is not merely a profession, but my life.

Keep in mind, this is my thought process while the trailers play in the background.  Then I heard a quote from one of the movies.  It said, “You don’t become a hero by being normal.”  
Confirmation? Perhaps...  
A coincidence?  There is no such thing…

Which made me start thinking about heroes.

What’s Your Purpose?

Why are you here on this Earth?  What did you come to do?  Who did you come to be a hero for?  Because, surely…everyone must be a hero.  At least, for one individual.  

Jewel sings, “Who will save your souls if you won’t save your own?”

So…let’s say we’re Heroes for Self.  I’m my hero.  You’re your hero.  That, in and of itself, is an amazing and beauty-full process.  
But, what else does your process entail?  
What else lies in your path just waiting for you to activate it? 
And…how many other heroes can you inspire?

Zig Zagler, an American motivational speaker, transitioned yesterday.  He once said, 

“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” 

This statement, once again, brings us to accountability. For self, yes.  Most definitely.  However, that must extend to your family, friends, loved ones, colleagues, neighbors, communities, countries, the Earth…and beyond. 

Last night, I attended a lecture at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus.  The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is in the middle of a week of activities leading up to and culminating on Friday, which coincidentally, is the same day Barbados celebrates 46 years of Independence.  He said, 
“Nobody gives you freedom, you earn it by self-development.”  

In 2012, Barbados does not produce enough food to feed its inhabitants off of the land and the soil of “these fields and hills beyond recall” that are now our very own.  Our national anthem speaks fondly of a seed of pride, yet we import food that originated as seeds made by Monsanto.  Barbados is in no position to be a hero for its people.  Is any country?  I think Libya maybe, but that was before their President was killed.  My point is, we as a people are waiting for others to be our saviors…our heroes.  But, that will never happen, because this is the real world…or, what we have been conditioned to see the real world to be.  In this reality, we don’t have super heroes like Storm or the Black Panther to save us.  We must take responsibility and be accountable for our own well-being: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Approximately 4 months ago, I wrote a blog about the full moon and we made lists of ways we could improve ourselves.  With this Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse energy we are encountering this week, I implore you to re-visit that list.  Taking care of self, healing self, loving self, evolving into your higher self constantly...those are ways to ensure that you are becoming your own hero.  This time, make sure you are not merely putting ideas on paper, but being proactive and making your vision a reality.  And, if you are already well on your way, help out someone else who may need a little assistance.  As Farrakhan so eloquently put it, 

"Be strong...be together, so that we may survive."

 Be Peace...Be Love...Be Better

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays is brought to you by Ayesha NuRa. 

Ayesha NuRa is an empowerment motivator who focuses on healing and uplifting the Divine feminine. She provides counseling, coaching and expertise in countless areas that lead to empowerment. 

Reach out to her here: 

nuraproductions@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/AyeshaNuRa 

https://twitter.com/#!/NuRa_Sunbeam 

http://ayeshanura.tumblr.com/ 

Sutra Saturday 1:2

YOGASH CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHAH

YOGASH = yoga

CHITTA VRITTI = modifications of the mind-stuff

NIRODHAH = restraint

In this sutra, Patanjali articulates the goal and definition of yoga: to quiet the modifications of the mind. This is my favorite one to ponder because I am someone who has so many modifications of the mind - my chitta vrittis make me pretty "cray cray." I am your typical over-analyzer.

When I was little, my mom told me that I should be a therapist because I was so good at psychoanalyzing people. Sometimes, that comes in handy, but at other times, it only serves as a distraction.

So what are chitta vrittis for the college yogi? Visualize yourself in yoga class or sitting in the library trying to crank out a paper. Your mind goes to: "Is last night’s hookup going to text me?" "Should I not have given out my number?" "What is wrong with me?" "Oh no, I made a mistake!" Or, "I have so much to do in so little time. I have this paper, that paper, and that problem set, and that writeup and how am I going to do it all at once? What did I get myself into?" Or, "What’s for dinner? I hate the new dining hall. Who am I going to go with?" "Is the vegan option going to be good enough?"

Does any of this sound familiar?

These are all aspects of chitta vrittis, otherwise known as the fluctuations of the mind. These various questions and analyses we pose to ourselves on a daily basis share some commonalities: they project into either the future or the past, and they are entirely unnecessary in the present. They are distractions. They modify what is going on in the moment so it makes it more difficult to focus. In many ways, they are jailers - they bind us to thoughts that are not facts. Now, we’re human so we get them all the time. I know I do and a huge reason why I now do yoga is to quiet that chitta and to simply observe them. That last part of the sutra, nirodhah - restraint - allows me to be gentle when I see the chitta pass by. The way I interpret it is that I restrain myself from judging these modifications and acting on them inappropriately.

In his translation of this sutra, Sri Swami Satchidananda says, “All the differences in the outside world are the outcome of your mental modifications.” You cannot change the outside world when the inner worlds are blocked. The inner worlds are made up of the selves that make up the outer world. To change the self is the only way to create real change. Reading this sutra offers up a whole new interpretation to Gandhi’s famous quote (and line in MC Yogi’s song), "be the change that you want to see.”

Satchidananda also says, “Yoga does not bother much about changing the outside world...bondage and liberation are in your own mind. If you feel bound, you are bound. If you feel liberated, you are liberated. Things outside neither bind nor liberate you; only your attitude towards them does that.” Talk about a way to take us out of self-victimization, to hold us accountable for our actions through our thoughts, through relabeling them. Pretty mind-blowing, no?

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."

Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com/

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays: The Forgiveness Treaty

The Forgiveness Treaty

Ok...picture it.  You are all alone in a room, completely distraught.  You cannot BELIEVE that someone you trusted, someone you loved, someone you valued could hurt you as much as you are hurting right now in this moment.  Your heart is in pain.  Your head is spinning and the thoughts that are running around in it are not only going too fast for you to focus, but they are negative...perhaps even suicidal.  Your eyes are red-rimmed after spilling tears for hours and no matter what you do, there is absolutely no way you can reduce the puffiness of your face.  

You might as well face it.  You have been duped.  Bamboozled!  Swindled into thinking that this person (your mom, best friend, lover, child, mentor, and the list can and usually does go on and on...) actually wanted what was best for you.

Or have you?

Often times, we allow ourselves to get angry.  In the moment, we feel like we have EVERY right to be upset.  In the moment, we feel like the entire world is against us.  In the moment, we become a replica of Tyler Perry's 'Mad Black Woman', maybe minus the gun-toting, maternal character who just happens to be hiding more than one accessory under that dress.

In that moment, we lose ourselves.  We forget that, in reality, there is NO SEPARATION between us and our loved ones who may have done things that made us feel bad.  They ARE us, in the grand scheme of things.

Choosing to Forgive

I once read a story by Neale Donald Walsh, and I will try my best to relay that in as few words as possible.  In the story, there are two souls.  Let's say that the star or main character (that would be you, by the way) is named Little Soul.  Little Soul had a wish.  Little Soul wanted to learn how to be forgiving in the next lifetime it was going to encounter.  God explained to Little Soul that, in order to truly learn HOW to forgive, Little Soul would have to be hurt.  

There was another character, this one is called Friendly Soul (that would be your loved ones that hurt you, as mentioned above).  Friendly Soul wanted so much to help Little Soul undertake this task, that Friendly Soul volunteered to hurt Little Soul in order for Little Soul to have the opportunity to forgive.

The Buddha said, "Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."

This quote further illustrates the oneness of us all and the importance of being able to forgive.  

One of my clients, she doesn't understand the concept of forgiving.  She thinks that she need not forgive, because when we forgive, sometimes individuals think that whatever they have done before has been excused, accepted or that their actions were "ok".

I want to make one thing abundantly clear.  Forgiving and forgetting, at least in my mind, do not have to go hand-in-hand.  

We forgive to heal ourselves.  We forgive to be clear and to be able to function properly and to move on.  We forgive because we are Divine beings and forgiving is not always easy to do.

Make a pact with your Self to learn how to forgive.  And once you learn how to...make it a practical part of your life.  Forgiving does not mean that you will always be in a position to always get run over.

Forgiving means that you will always be in a position to grow...and, isn't that what this thing called life is all about?

Be Peace...Be Love...Be Better

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays is brought to you by Ayesha NuRa. 

Ayesha NuRa is an empowerment motivator who focuses on healing and uplifting the Divine feminine. She provides counseling, coaching and expertise in countless areas that lead to empowerment. 

Reach out to her here: 

nuraproductions@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/AyeshaNuRa 

https://twitter.com/#!/NuRa_Sunbeam 

http://ayeshanura.tumblr.com/

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays: Full Moon Improvement Strategy

Full Moon Improvement Strategy

It's the first day of the last month of Summer in 2012.   Coincidentally, it is also full moon tonight.  Yet, I don't believe in coincidences...and, as such, I started my full moon rituals 3 days ago, without even realizing that they were for the full moon.

On Sunday, I spread out in front of my brother's altar, with my forehead to the floor.  I prayed for clarity.  I prayed for peace.  I prayed for prosperity.  I prayed for protection.  Over the last couple of years, I have put a lot more energy into focusing on that which I need or desire to attract as opposed to that which I need to eradicate from my reality.

Full moon is a great time to recall exactly what you require for your spiritual development.  What could be implemented by you to improve your path towards your purpose while on this realm?  Over the weekend, I made a list of things I need to do more.  I will share that list with you to give you a little bit of inspiration for your own list.

My Improvement List

• Journal every day
• Meditate twice a day
• Drink more water
• Exercise
• Promote my work more
• Travel at least 4 times a year
• Finish my novel
• Love my Self fully
• Love others unconditionally
• Be more patient with my Sun
• Learn to communicate more efficiently
• Seek to understand before being understood
• Heal my body and pain body
• Smile and laugh more
• Sing more
• Learn new vegan recipes
• Make more money to live comfortably
• Go to the sea at least twice a week
• Write letters to all my loved ones (snail mail is NOT extinct)
• Massage my womb and vagina daily
• Take vitamins and supplements to support physical, emotional and mental health
• PLAN!!!

***Please keep in mind that this is a general list, a "starter list" if you will.  I can now go back over this list and make some of these points more specific, which will help to bring them from "thought phase" into "action phase".***

What will you add on to your list?  Let's try to harvest this energy of the Full Moon.  If you can write your list before tomorrow and go under the full moon and affirm, affirm, affirm...you will be optimizing the potential of your own Improvement Strategy!

Be Peace...Be Love...Be Better

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays is brought to you by Ayesha NuRa. 

Ayesha NuRa is an empowerment motivator who focuses on healing and uplifting the Divine feminine. She provides counseling, coaching and expertise in countless areas that lead to empowerment. 

Reach out to her here: 

nuraproductions@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/AyeshaNuRa 

https://twitter.com/#!/NuRa_Sunbeam 

http://ayeshanura.tumblr.com/

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays: Increasing Intuition

Increasing Intuition

Kim Basinger once said, "I feel there are two people inside me - me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely."

Women's intuition is sometimes called our "sixth sense."  Our intuitive powers help us to get out of situations that may range from unnecessary and annoying to dangerous and life-threatening.  Many times, we hear a voice inside of ourselves and, because we are not used to listening to our inner selves or our own Divine light, we ignore it.  This can turn out to be extremely detrimental to our overall development.

One question that constantly arises when dealing with intuition is, "But, HOW do I know that it is my intuition speaking?"  I always see a scene in my mind of an individual with an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the next when I hear this question.  I imagine that this is exactly what others may be seeing in their mind's eye when they doubt their intuition.  

One way to determine if we should listen to the voice we are hearing in our mind is self reflection.  You can access this via many tools (meditation, writing in your journal, becoming the observer of the Self...just to name a few) and also begin to exercise your intuitive ability.

Another way I have found to help me become more "in tune" with my ability to tune into Spirit, is to build a prayer or meditation circle of sisters.  Matthew 18:20 reads, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them."  In my experience, I find that the more vessels available, the more Spirit's messages are received.  

Your circle can start small with only a few women.  The amount of people present is not the most important factor in this exercise.  On the contrary, the most important factor is actually the intention of all those present.  Once the women in your circle are all focused on healing and growing and connecting to the Source, their Self and their loved ones, doors will open.  

After all, in my humble opinion, the door separating knowledge and wisdom is application.

Start a Spirit SiStar Circle today!  Keep us updated on your progress.  Feel free to send pictures and email stories of revelations and life lessons learned together that you think will benefit other SiStars worldwide.

Be Peace...Be Love...Be Better 

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays is brought to you by Ayesha NuRa. 

Ayesha NuRa is an empowerment motivator who focuses on healing and uplifting the Divine feminine. She provides counseling, coaching and expertise in countless areas that lead to empowerment. 

Reach out to her here: 

nuraproductions@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/AyeshaNuRa 

https://twitter.com/#!/NuRa_Sunbeam 

http://ayeshanura.tumblr.com/

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays: Loving My SiStar is Loving My Self

Loving My SiStar is Loving My Self

As my first group healing series for “My Empowerment, My Way” comes to a close, I reflect on the lessons that I learned from all of my clients.  One of the most important things I picked up was how amazing I feel when I am blessed to motivate, inspire and encourage my sister circle.  

As the old adage rightly says, “What goes around, comes around.”  The love that I place into my sisters is always reciprocated and I find that loving them helps me to love all aspects of myself.

For those of you who may not be fortunate enough to have a sister circle, (or a network of women who genuinely care about your overall development, growth and well-being) you are not alone!  Many women not only find it difficult to create or integrate into an existing group of like-minded women, yet some of us find it hard to ever open up to other women because of the trust issues or insecurities that only WE can fix for ourselves.

One of the sister circles that I always recommend and constantly commend is A Queen By All Means.  This group of women (and the brothers who love and support them) can be found on Facebook.  They have always embraced me with the most positive and uplifting energy in the world.  Women like them teach me what SISTERHOOD really means.

Women like them…and women like YOU.

Be Peace…Be Love…Be Better

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays is brought to you by Ayesha NuRa. Ayesha NuRa is an empowerment motivator who focuses on healing and uplifting the Divine feminine. She provides counseling, coaching and expertise in countless areas that lead to empowerment. 

Reach out to her here: 

nuraproductions@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/AyeshaNuRa 

https://twitter.com/#!/NuRa_Sunbeam 

http://ayeshanura.tumblr.com/

The Daily Om: Find your Flow Friday - Breakthroughs

Yoga is such a part of the fabric of my life, that sometimes I take it for granted. Sometimes dear yogi's, I even get bored. Postures like Vismavatrasana are humbling. The challenge of it combined with my longing for something not quite obtainable enliven what can sometimes become a dry practice. It's important to always reach toward what we want. Visvamitrasana is a posture that was beyond me for a long time, and even now, after years of working with it, I feel my limitations in this pose. My heart never really opens toward the sky here. But I reach for it.




Yoga illuminates. There are times when the physical body is capable of a pose but we still don't get it. There may an emotional breakthrough that needs to happen. When it happens, you can access to the pose. Vismavatrasana is still one of these poses for me. When I committed to Vismavatrasana it unlocked emotional pain in both the heart and hips. I found myself going home to cry, and needed a lot of alone time and stillness for a couple of weeks while I worked it out, which is awesome. There was a lot of release on all levels. Sometimes we need to shatter a little so we can be free from patterns of movement or thought that have stopped serving us.


When we can allow ourselves to break open, these ancient practices have the potential to be deeply healing and transformative. But we must catch ourselves when we project our shattering outward, so we can turn it back in. I find this aspect of the practice fascinating: The things that yoga pulls out of us, and how our minds play with these things. The teacher is irritating, the student next to you makes funny noises, the room is too hot, or too cold, your nose itches -- anything that takes you out of your experience, whatever it is, it is not coming at you, it is coming from you and you are projecting it outward.

When your yoga gets a little scary, and you feel yourself perhaps breaking apart a bit,  your practice is doing the deep work of transforming you. In Yoga-speak we call this "piercing the granthis." Granthis (pronounced "gruntys") are the opposite of chakras or energetic wheels. Granthis are energetic knots. It's beneficial to keep your channels open and your energy flowing. 

The essence of this post is: Make friends with the postures that challenge you, and remember you might experience "side-effects" as they work their yoga magic on you.  I still have a long way to go in Vismavatrasana before my heart will open enough to feel the lines of energy in my body here. I'm a little scared of what it may pull out of me.  It's exciting, and this is what keeps me coming back to the mat, day after day, year after year. The journey continues. 

*Quick Tip*: Start with the back leg on the ground. When you're ready to lift up into the full pose for the first time, anchor the outer edge of the back foot against a wall. You will be amazed at how much that connection supports you here.  The front leg pushes hard against the front arm. Pull IN to lift UP.

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays: Choose Life

Choose Life

Yesterday, June 26th, 2012…I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  You know that feeling that something just isn’t going right…isn’t going to go right…hasn’t been going right?  In an extremely short space of time, Depression invaded my personal space just like Elizabeth Gilbert so perfectly and deliciously described in her book,
“Eat, Pray, Love”.
(I highly advise you cop that!)

I decided to go back to sleep.  My best friend and growth partner, though thousands of miles away, slept with me and when the alarm woke us, he said, “Don’t forget your tools, Ayesha NuRa.”

And, in response, at least, in my inner responses in my mind, (I cannot account for what he may have seen, as he seems to see the best in even the worst in me) my thought process was pretty much as follows:

"Don’t forget my tools?!
*insert a few extremely exasperated sighs here*
*insert a few tears here, too…because, I can…because, after all, I’m a Woman…yin and water and all that…AND to top it all off…I’m a Pisces as well.*
Tired of feeling sorry for yourself yet, Esh?
Oh damn…*giggle*caught up to my pain body again!"

Attitude Alchemy

I went to the park, did a meditation, wrote in my gratitude journal and dedicated time to reading about one of my many loves…the healing of Self.  I called my big brother and, once again, felt enveloped in peace and positivity.

I went to an open mic to bless up that thing that reminds me of the perfect phallus poised to poetically penetrate a person’s perineum, pushing pulsating energy higher and higher up spines.  (I'm inspired...can you tell?)
My SiStar, Nu RU was the hostess with the most love and light just radiating all over everyone.

Later, I went to see Nexcyx and they performed one of my favorite songs, Queen…and that message could not have come at a better time.

A New Dawn

It’s June 27, 2012 and I woke up this morning to a gorgeous and delicious day.  Then, I remembered that my SiStar Helen Marie was releasing her digital album, ‘The Re-education of Helen Marie’.  The first track resonated in my chest and my breathing changed.  For me, her message is CRYSTAL CLEAR.  

You ARE the Almighty.  You DO create your reality.  You ARE the past, present and future.  

Then, Helen Marie, and I had a conversation.  That kind of conversation that every Goddess has with her SiStar Goddesses; the kind of conversation that melts away all worries, troubles and pain and turns them into tears of joy and creative juices flowing through your arteries and up into your heart, to be pumped out and recycled and sent forward to your brain and fingers as you create masterpieces.

Happiness First Aid Kits

I just wrapped up the 2nd week of my group healing series entitled, “My Empowerment, My Way: The Goddess Series.”  This week, we are creating Happiness First Aid Kits.  This is a concept I came up with during a session with a client a few months ago.  I had an “Ah-ha” moment and thought, "How awesome would it be if you had a specific list and/or box of goodies to utilize whenever one feels upset or disappointed or some otherwise “lower vibration” energy?  What if we actually planned out our happiness ahead of time by placing happy things in an easily accessible place?" 

That is how the Happiness First Aid Kit came into being.

One of my basic Happiness First Aid Kits is pictured below.  Inside this box, I have managed to capture a few things that make me feel better immediately.   A sand dollar I found in the ocean off the coast of Barbados; a bottle of rosewater; my mirror that bears a very nice resemblance of the Egyptian Goddess Bast…my cat mirror (in more ways than one); and some meditation tools.  These tools include a small copper ankh and a piece of malachite, each given to me by men who have helped me to be better.  There is also a bangle that I got from my SiStar Oneka.  Her Kingman carved it and it always reminds me of how we have to chip away at our issues to reveal the polished and smooth surface of our Spirits, both on a personal and wholistic level.  After all, the growth of us individually equals the growth of us collectively, and vice versa.

What have you created recently?  We at Humbly, Peax and Love would be so excited to see what you all choose to go in your Happiness First Aid Kits.  Drop us a line describing one or two or a few of the items in yours and what they symbolize and represent.  Feel free to send us a picture as well!

"It's ok NOW"

Before I disconnected the call with Helen Marie, she said, "It's ok now..."
We all have those days where we have to be reminded of our greatness and we, in turn, must remind ourselves of our purpose on this realm.  

In the words of Oprah Winfrey, the “Ah-ha” Queen herself, “Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”  Be mind-full of the energy of those around you and the energy you are putting out into the Universe, as that is precisely what you will attract.

My SiStar Shira Lee-Ann said, “If you have ANY doubts, I’m here to say that YOU know what YOU need!  The tools work…just let them.”  

As Helen Marie so eloquently put it, "Each and every moment, I must choose LIFE." 

Be Peace…Be Love…Be Better

Women's Wisdom Wednesdays is brought to you by Ayesha NuRa.

Ayesha NuRa is an empowerment motivator who focuses on healing and uplifting the Divine feminine.

She provides counseling, coaching and expertise in countless areas that lead to empowerment. Reach out to her here:

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The Daily Om: Find Your Flow Friday - Am I Getting Better at Yoga??

Progress. This is just how we’re wired these days. Things need to be achieved. Boxes checked off. No, not just the big stuff - school, studies, degree, first job (and a good one, please!), success at work, the ‘perfect’ partner… It’s true for the small things in life as well. By the way, what’s on your to-do list for today? Who replied “nothing”, back there, in the last row? Please stand up!

So no wonder that this infiltrates our approach to hobbies and everything we do outside of our to-do list; that time when we’re not busy crossing off accomplishments - IF there’s time left, that is. For most of us, there’s no time left, which is why something like yoga needs to be added to that list. If it’s not on there but just something we enjoy doing in our “FREE” time, well – then it just never happens.

Manage your free time wisely – and never forget to PLAY! 

While this is a good thing to do and shows we’re valuing our yoga-time (it’s like an appointment with ourselves, isn’t it?), we’re just getting even more stuck in this whole progress / achievement way of thinking. How you can tell? Well, have you asked yourself any of these questions lately?...

• Am I getting better at yoga?

• When will I be finally able to master this posture?

• Why can’t I reach my toes?

• How many calories did I burn in this lesson?

• When will I be given a new posture by my teacher?

It’s like quicksand. By the time you realise you’re stuck, it’s a little late. And once you’re in there, “to remove a foot from quicksand at a speed of .01 m/s would require the same amount of force as that needed to lift a medium-sized car“.

No, you don’t wanna get stuck in this way of thinking.  It’s not FUN. It means you’re entering into a competition with yourself. You’re demanding that your body please deliver measurable success. You want to check boxes. You want to achieve things. There’s almost nothing I hear more often after a couple of beginner’s classes than the question: “Do you think I am making progress?”

The honest answer would be: How the hell do I know? Sure, I can tell you if your hamstrings are less tight, if your back bends are deeper, I can check my watch to see if you’re holding your headstand longer. But I cannot tell you if you’ve made real progress.

Only one person can tell if you’re making progress: YOU.

Do you feel certain that your power of discrimination and light of thought have been steadily growing? [...] Has there come into the conscious activities of your everyday life, the active function of a new delightful angle of vision, a new perspective, a strong sense of self-possession, a steadily growing conviction of your dependence upon and intimate relation with the all-pervading Divinity? [...]

I’m a little addicted to Swami Sivananda’s easy-peasy replies to some of mankind’s most difficult questions. So here’s another piece I’ve come across – let’s chew on it together.

It’s about how to tell if you’re making progress in your practice:

Peace, cheerfulness, contentment, dispassion, fearlessness and an unperturbed state of mind under all conditions indicate that you are advancing on the spiritual path.  [...] Has your personal awareness come to a possession of a sense of peace and strength which men who are not aspirants do not find in their everyday lives?

Granted, he talks about spiritual progress. But how about we try this: Seeing the physical and spiritual as one and the same thing?

I know. How radical. It might require a change in the way we think. The way we see ourselves. Our mind AND body. Because let’s face it: Do we want to be great yogis – or great gymnasts?

Oh and by the way, do you know how they say you’ll manage to get out of quicksand? Wiggle the legs as slowly as possible in order to reduce viscosity, try spreading your arms and legs far apart and lying prone to increase your surface area, which should allow you to float.

Let’s FLOAT instead of lifting medium-sized cars!

~Om Shanti 

A bit about our Author, Camille Brown: Hi there and welcome to my segment, The Daily Om. I'm a twenty-something lover of health, fitness, yoga, personal style, reiki, nature, travelling, and capturing those special moments in life that matter the most. My daily goal is to be the best I can, give all I know about yoga, holistic living, and just living your most authentic natural life. I will offer challenging asanas that will push your personal limits in order to achieve success on the mat and offer insight mantras to get your day started your day on a positive note. Remember, "A day without laughing is a day wasted."
Read more from her at http://lotusflowerwellness.blogspot.com