Yoga can Heal

Yoga helped me learn to love my body for the first time. After years of struggling with loving my body I finally tried yoga, and did it even when it was uncomfortable. I had always hated on yoga, for reason such as "its not a real workout", "its too slow pace", "only yuppies or hippies practice yoga", and finally "I don't burn enough calories during yoga, its a waste of time". 

For many years I was an avid runner, or perhaps an addicted runner that wouldn't let up. I started running in high school as a means to fit in and loose weight. Running in fact help me accomplish both goals, so my logic was that if I run more, run before practice, stay late at practice, run everyday, and so on that my goals would be exponentially achieved. And that worked, for awhile, and even when it didn't I kept trying to make it work, because after all it worked before. In this way, I was just like an addict, chasing that first "high" that I had gained from running.

There is a lot of "story" in between this point in time and to where I began to love yoga, so for time sake I'll fast forward the time line to then. 

So I start practicing yoga because my therapist at the time stated that it would be a great practice in mindfulness. With time, yoga taught me to create space for me to feel my feelings, to treat my body as a vessel of love rather than an enemy to despise. I went to classes that focused on the breath work and had no mention of "six-pack abs". I felt the connection and safety I needed to in that time—I was vulnerable, but supported and I loved it. I learned about the Sutras and Tapas and felt a spiritual connection that I have cut myself away from during the obsession with food and my body shape. 

Healthy mind and exercise collided for me when I began yoga and I am so grateful for my practice. So much in fact that I became a yoga teacher myself to help give back the connect and safety I felt to others. 

5 Love your Body Practices

1. Go on a gratitude walk.

In our busy world and life, it's easy to overlook the benefits of simply moving your body with pleasure and gratitude. Practicing gratitude with movement reprograms your cellular biology much faster than just gratitude alone. Movement can make improvements in areas of digestion elimination, serotonin and dopamine. It'll also develop the will center of your prefrontal cortex, making you more committed to your self loving practice.

2.  Eat with the vision of love

Put guilt and shame behind you when you eat, and eat with love of yourself and nourishment in mind. Take a look at the emotional need behind the craving of certain foods and figure out how you can lovingly care for yourself in a pleasurable way, without the need for food for emotional avoidance. Try replacing the habitual consumption of food with an action: try an activity you've postponed, put energy toward developing a friendship or relationship, honor your creativity, explore something new that gives you pleasure.

3. Give yourself an all-over-body hug.

Treat your body to something that your body craves, such as a hot bath with Epsom salts or essential oil body scrubs. Utilize the caregivers around you for a full body massage that its just the right pressure.  As you do these, imagine you're washing and melting self-judgment away.

4. Health the relationship you have with yourself and you body

Look in the mirror and say "I love you". Start by place one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart, and tell yourself out loud how much you love every inch of YOU.  Say it like you mean it.

5. Give your body rest

Sleep when you need to and let yourself rest often. Taking care of your body is not a sign of laziness or not being motivated, its a sign that you are taking time to love and respect your body.

Being a Helper

Bringing people together, holding space for someone else pain, or even patting someone on the back, can change someone's day, and fulfill a passion.  

My passion in life is being the best person I can be. To be the women my mom has raised, I love to help people out of there problems by guiding them with my advice. Doing so makes me feel good inside; knowing that I can help someone through their problems they are going through. To give them advice I would take myself, if I were in their position. Everyone has a passion in life, if it’s to become a successful man or women in their carrier or to be a stay at home parent for their family that they chose to have. Mine is to help other people, always making sure that person has someone to talk to, someone to see their point of view. I love when my sister comes to me with her problems because I love the feeling of knowing what I’m saying or doing is helping her to be in a better state of mind. To help her through whatever is bothering her, or even if it’s as simple as her having a bad day. I will be there for her no matter how small the problem may or may not be. Because seeing her happy and knowing she is okay is all the satisfaction I need in life. My passion is to make the people around me feel like they’re not alone in feeling the way they feel, that it’s not unusual to feel like the world is crashing down right in front of you. People have their bad days it’s not uncommon, the way I see a brightness come back to someone’s eyes that their day has just gotten better is what I live for, it’s what I love. And I will continue to have this passion throughout my life time, because this passion to me is the best passion anyone could ever have in my eyes. Family means everything.