Struggling With Anxiety?

Have you ever found yourself worrying as the day comes to a close because you are dreading yet another restless night, your mind racing, your heart jolting as the next adrenaline surge hits your system?  Do you have a tight sensation in your chest, nausea, and shoulders that are bound up in knots?

You are certainly not alone.  Many of us are prone to anxiety genetically.  There are actual physiological responses that are taking place in your body that are causing the symptoms that you are experiencing.  It is defiantly not "all in your head", though much of it is psychologically related.  Anxiety is caused by your body's physical response to stress.  Thankfully we do not need to go through the rest of our lives being plagued with these debilitating symptoms.

"Be Still" by Victoria Anderson, PHD and Lois D Brown, MA, is a book that has much to offer those of us who are experiencing the grip of Anxiety.  As the title of the book suggests, it is written with the religious views of LDS people in mind.  However, you need not suppose that you would not benefit from the valuable information it contains if you have other religious affiliations.  Not only does "Be Still" help you understand why you are experiencing symptoms, but it offers many useful tools to help you maintain a peaceful existence.

As I read through the pages of this book, I found many of the things that we use in our yoga practice.  It made me smile as I thought, no wonder I feel so much better after each class.

May you breathe in the pure beauty of stillness within.  Namaste-

Essential Oils & Thai Massage

This workshop was fabulous.  A BIG thank you for coming and to all who helped out!
Several of you have requested a repeat of this workshop.  If you were not able to get into the workshop the first time around, or you would like to come again, watch for the next one to be announced.
In the next one, we will learn how you can use Essential Oils for anxiety and depression.  Lisa Luke will be our guest speaker and we will finish with Thai Massage.  

Hope and Healing

What a month we've had. Around the middle of July, our beautiful daughter, Amy announced her engagement. The wedding date? August 20^th! The next few weeks of my life were a whirlwind. Invitations, pictures, dress shopping, flowers, crying, cake, laughing, frustration, arrangements, more crying, more, and more. Right smack in the middle of that, was our long planned trip to Oregon for our family reunion. We seriously considered foregoing our trip, but decided we needed to be there, as our family was in the midst of coping with an expected death. The wedding was 5 days after returning home from our trip. On Friday, the day before the wedding, we received a phone call. My husband's brother, Kenny had passed away. Kenny was only 53. He spent this past year battling an aggressive form of colon cancer. We realized his time was short, but still it came as a shock. There was no time to grieve – not yet. We held the news at arm's length from our hearts and stayed busy to pull the wedding off. The day of the wedding was a roller coaster of emotions – deep gratitude and love for all of my sweet friends who helped and supported me through it all, anxiety, happiness, and yet mournful. The whole time I went through all the motions of coordinating and directing and yet it felt surreal. After all was said and done, the wedding was lovely and I am quietly happy for my daughter, her husband, their new love, and life together. (pictures) A short week later we found ourselves on a flight back to our home town, Portland, Oregon – for the memorial service for our beloved brother . . . and the tears came. Our hearts still ache for his beloved wife and children.

What is in a memorial that can bring healing? We too, as a nation recently experienced a memorial. We witnessed the raising of the 9/11 memorial that has been erected for the for the mending of hearts that were broken.

Many of us have met with major life experiences this past year. Whether we like it or not, we are all dealing with loss in various ways/levels based on events surrounding us throughout the world and in our very own homes. Wars, economic downturn, and violence are constantly brought to focus as we watch and listen to news broadcasts. Love and trust are destroyed through selfish, thoughtless acts as we step out of our mindfulness of others. We can not help being affected by these events that unfold across the world, because we are all connected in such a deep way that most of us are only barely aware of. We are all coping with loss in various forms: trust, safety, uncertainty, fear, worry. We can no longer allow our children to play freely without close supervision. Our doors must remain locked. We must be cautious about who we trust.

Let me share one of my favorite quotes with you. I am unaware of who spoke these words first, but I heard it from my teacher. It's profoundness sank deep into my heart: “Peace is not the absence of chaos.” What is that magical balm that restores our hope even amid the wake of chaos? Love. That love can begin within you, even as a small spark of hope that ignites. It will begin to burn ever brighter as you share it. Restoring hope and peace. Love is the one thing that will grow bigger the more you give it away. It will literally fan out and reach across the world touching each and every soul that draws breath. There is no need to accomplish some great feat. A smile, a touch, a kind word, a listening ear will do. When love seems absent, stand out under the great blue sky, open your arms, turn your face to the sun, and breathe in the beauty of it all. Open your heart and say, “Thank you.” There is the simple beauty of that which could solve the troubles of the universe.

I want you to know that each of you touch my life in a profound way. As you share your life stories with me, I am aware that you too have encountered loss and grief. You have also met with joy, celebration, and accomplishments. Carry on my friends. May we sustain the memory of loved ones who have continued on in their journey and honor those who remain. Live each day like it is a gift, come what may – each moment precious. There is love and healing in the universe. Step out into the world in a circle of mindfulness and love each day. Namaste~

Healing Breath

Have you ever wondered why it is when you feel upset you find yourself huffing, or sucking in deep breaths? Maybe you haven't thought about it. There are great reasons TO think about it though.

There is power in the directed flow of breath, or life-force – also known as pranayama. Directed breath has the ability to bring focus, calm the body and mind, and to bring about healing. The huffing, or sucking in deep breaths is an instinctive way to calm your system.

Recently in our teacher training course, our instructor informed us that we were going to present a workshop where we would have the opportunity to teach a pose, demonstrate a pose, assist and adjust poses for those attending. In the final hour before our workshop, we broke up into pairs to practice. The tension in the room was high – we were all nervous. With only 20 minutes left, our instructor asked us to come together on our mats where she led us in a moving meditation – pranyama being the key element. The change in to room was evident. There was a deep peace that settled over us and we were able to carry that feeling into the workshop with us. I was able to do my part of the presentation feeling much calmer. It was an amazing experience.

As you increase your ability to stay connected with your breath, your yoga practice will greatly improve and so will your everyday experiences. Work on cultivating a higher level of awareness and connection off the mat. You can develop the ability to maintain a sense of calm control wherever you are – in heavy traffic, taking your kids to the pool, facing a deadline, or whatever the challenge is at hand – take the time to practice pranayama and see what healing it bring to your soul. 

Learn more about pranayama here:  On Your Mat 

My Happy List

Free by Andy Newson

Some time ago, when I was in an emotional crisis, my sweet husband challenged me to make a “Happy List”. I sat down rather grudgingly and began to write. At first, it was hard. There were the obvious things that came to mind right away- my family, our home, food, income, etc, but slowly like a tight fist stubbornly releasing it's clench, things began to flow from my pen. With each thing I listed, my heart began to shift. Before long, feelings of self-pity were replaced with a happy, grateful heart. After that day, I have since turned to my “Happy List” as a reminder that I have much to be happy and grateful about!

Gratitude absolutely has the power to lift us from despair, replace fear with peace, promote healing, and even increase longevity. (see Thought Spot for more on this)

How It All Began

This is a very personal story, but as the title of my blog implies, this is truly straight from my heart to yours. I share it because as I teach I find that many of you share a similar story. There is hope and healing to be found – even if that healing is simply coming to acceptance and then peace.

Rewind a few years back, and I found myself tangled in the awful grasp of depression and anxiety. It crept up quietly. I didn't see until it was looming and then enveloping me. I never noticed all the warnings popping up along the way. I was going full speed ahead – ignoring the things that I now know I should have paid attention to. I finally found myself, trembling and sobbing over the steering wheel after running one of our children to school. The others were waiting inside for me to make breakfast, comb hair, help them find shoes, etc, etc, etc. I was overwhelmed, but I had to pull myself together . . . What was the MATTER with me anyway?! I had everything that any woman could hope for. Why COULDN'T I just pull myself together?

This was a pivotal moment in my life. I needed help. Why is it so hard to reach beyond ourselves and seek the help that we so desperately need? Is it somehow admitting defeat, weakness? No – it is truly greater strength and nobility to surrender and accept.

I prayed, asking God to give me the strength that I lacked. I asked Him for direction and help to get through it all. Most importantly, I sought help to be the loving wife and mother that my family needed me to be. I talked to my husband who was compassionate and supportive. We sat together and came up with a plan of action. It meant making changes. We discussed it as a family and decided to eliminate activities to ease our busy schedule and redistribute responsibilities. I found myself in the doctor's office – feeling stupid, as though I had done something wrong. A prescription was given for medication. This was particularly difficult for me, but I needed to function. I made appointments with a counselor. I changed my eating habits, sought out holistic methods of healing, and started a fitness program. Slowly things began to get better a day at a time.

This is where my yoga journey began. My first class was a profound experience. It was so hard to hold those Warriors. My legs ached. I couldn’t do a chaturanga (push-up) to save my life! The instructor asked us to breathe, challenge ourselves, and modify when needed. We were invited to listen to our bodies, do what we could, rest when we needed, and then come back to challenge. This concept of listening my body, and facilitating breath was new to me. It inspired me to try harder and gave me strength to continue. I remember thinking, “I am going to stay with it – even if it is hard. I will pace myself – I can do this!” At the end of class, much to my relief, we laid down on our mats for something called “savasana”. During this savasana, something strange happened. It was as if a great dam inside me burst! Emotion that had bottled up for so long came rushing out. Quiet tears kept sliding from my closed eyes and with it came relief and then – stillness. I felt a soft, gentle peace. I became faithful in my yoga practice. I was getting stronger, feeling more vibrant, and people started noticing a change. I got comments like, “You look so happy.” And I was! Yoga became a life-line for me. For once I started listening to my body and honoring my needs. Not just in yoga class, but in everyday life. I stopped trying to do everything all by myself and started to say “no” when I knew that I couldn't possibly fit something else in. I made room in my day for quiet time – for the things that I needed. As I made these changes, I was able to give back. I was no longer empty.

Now fast forward. I have since been able to get off the medications with the careful supervision of my doctor, by using holistic healing methods, and making the changes mentioned above. Reaching a level of health and peace is not a one time deal.  It takes work to maintain.  It is a lifestyle.  I have learned it is OK to ask for help. We all need it in one way or another. There will be a time for each of us to give back. I am ever grateful to have been helped through a rough spot in the road. I never would have dreamed of where my journey has led me. Now I am teaching yoga! How I began teaching is a whole new story, which I may have to tell another time. I love to offer this gift that has been shared with me. What an honor it is to give back to each of you. Thank you. Always, may peace and grace attend you. From my heart to yours- Namaste.

“. . . Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.” 1 Samuel 25:6