Do You Have Interior Clutter?

We often talk about the clutter in our homes and how it takes up space energetically.  BUT have you thought of the clutter you may be holding onto internally?

When we experience emotions good or bad, and we hold on to that energy it can create discomfort within the body.  

This can show up as physical discomfort, anxiety, depression, stress, and unwanted feelings or states of being.  

Do you ever feel your throat getting tense when you get upset?  Tears that want to flow but instead you hold them in?

That is exactly what I am talking about!  We can’t hold onto that energy or we will end up full of “clutter” preventing us from experiencing the joyful lives we are meant to live!

When we learn to channel our emotions and turn that energy into a different form, we can allow it to move through us and let it pass.

“Energy is neither created or destroyed, only transformed”.

Out of all the major organs and functions that the body can perform without us even thinking about it, the breath is something we can control.  We can manipulate it to excite us, or to calm us down. 

In sanskrit, “Prana” means breath, it is our life force energy.  When a baby comes into the world, the first thing that happens is they gasp for breath, and when we leave this physical world, we do so by exhaling our final breath. 

The ancients believed that the more control we had over our breath through meditation and yoga practices, the easier it was to remain present in the moment and channel through those emotions so we could be free from discomfort, and experience a happier state of being.

Have you ever comforted your child, a friend, or a loved one when they were upset or experiencing a panic state?  Do you often find yourself saying just take some deep breaths, calm down, just breathe?  

I think we all have at some point.  That is exactly where you can start to begin to use your breath in your own situations.  By simply just breathing and exhaling we can begin to calm ourselves and our thoughts so we can enter a state of response to the threat or emotion versus reacting to it. 

Now, this does take practice, but it is extremely effective!  

“When the Breath wanders, the mind is unsteady, but when the Breath is still, so is the mind still.” - Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Now what about the thoughts that create clutter in our minds?  

What is that voice in your head saying to you?  Do you believe that voice?  Or do you recognize it isn’t you and if you take a step back and simply observe what it is saying perhaps you will recognize it is saying things that aren’t so positive and loving all the time.  

Each day we have an average of 50,000 - 80,000 thoughts, and we are consciously only aware of about 1% of those thoughts.  Our thoughts have the power to create our reality and re-wire our brains!  It is actually pretty amazing!

So this practice of mindfulness and how we choose to speak to ourselves becomes so important to designing a life you love!  

Mantra comes from the sanskrit language, it is made up of two words “manas” meaning mind, and “trai” an instrument or tool (for your mind).  We can use mantras as tools to help with the clutter in our minds in a meaningful or meaningless way.  

The ancients also believed that we could use mantras to connect with the invisible vibrational sounds of the universe.  Repeating sounds creates a physical vibration. 

Regardless of what type of mantra we are using, we need to be clear on our intention so we can choose the mantra that is best for the situation.

Perhaps you are a runner so a mantra such as “I have strong legs and can run like the wind” can be useful when you come to a steep incline and begin to feel discouraged.  

Maybe each day you wake up you look at yourself in the mirror, right in your own eyes and say “I am beautiful, I am loved, I am amazing”. 

Or perhaps we want to connect to the vibrational sound of the heart, which allows us to receive and give love unconditionally.  We can chant the sound "YAM" or "YUM", to open up our heart centre and become more connected to giving and receiving.  

Maybe, we just long to sit in stillness and quiet our thoughts, we can use a meaningless mantra such as "SO-HUM" to create a point of awareness, but it has no meaning at all. 

With any mantra or affirmation, know that your mind will wander, it is normal to do so, and when this happens and you become aware of it, simply bring your awareness back to the repetition of the mantra. 

Be gentle, and be kind to yourself, as the ultimate goal is to remove the internal clutter that is holding us back from living a life we truly desire. 

Using these tools is one action step we can take to move our energy and bring us back to being in the present moment.  

If you are new to meditation and mindfulness practices I invite you to download my FREE 10 Minute Mini Vacay Meditation as my gift you! 

Namaste,

Live Juicy!

 

Can Your Environment Influence Your Mindfulness?

I had such a wonderful time chatting with Dr. Rachel Haviland and Genevieve Kohn about your environment and mindfulness on Reclaim Your Health Podcast!

We touched on how to move and shift energy within your home.  Become more intentional about the function of our homes and how to tap into all of your senses to create the environment that is most in alignment with you!

Check out the conversation at Reclaim Your Health Podcast! 

Live Juicy!

 

4 Ways to Ignite your Inner Fire

Happy Love Month!  This time of the year gets me excited because I know spring is just around the corner and there is always so much LOVE in the air.  February is a month about passion and connection.  Are you passionate about your life? Do you jump out of bed with excitement for what the day brings?  Or, have you lost your spark?  Perhaps it time to reconnect with yourself and bring out that fire! 

We always think of connection with others during this love month but are you connected with yourself? Chakras are energy centres in the body that represent human thoughts and behaviours.  Though there are many smaller chakras throughout the body, there are 7 main Chakras.  Each of these energies has a different color to represent each of the 7 Chakras.  Red is the color of our root Chakra located at the base of the spine, it represents foundation, stability, security, and feeling of being grounded. 

Red is the color of life force energy.  It excites are emotions and symbolizes happiness, contentment, and passion. Reddish tones create a sensation of heat and tend to visually advance towards you. As red lightens towards pink, it seems more relaxed, soft and feminine. Notice all the red and pink roses this time of the year? 

Some ways to work with your root Chakra is through breath, movement, essential oils, crystals, and color therapy.  I invite you to take a few minutes of  your day to sit in a comfortable position, keeping the spine nice and long, take in a big deep breath through the nose, hold and count to 5, then let it all out. Repeat 5 times. The movement of breathe in our bodies can do wonders on its own!

Have you ever wondered about using crystals? Bloodstone, Garnet, Ruby and Red Jasper are crystals you can use while working with your root Chakra.  

I love using essential oils!  Place 1-3 drops over your Chakra, the bottoms of the feet, or inhale throughout the day.  A diffuser works really well too.  These are some essential oils that work well with the root Chakra;

  • Arborvitae
  • Basil
  • Cedarwood
  • Cilantro
  • Myrrh
  • Patchouli
  • Vetiver
  • White Fir

A wonderful affirmation you can use when working with this Chakra is "I am a divine being of light. I am peaceful, protected, and secure."  Knowing these energy centres are directly linked to mental, physical, and spiritual attributes, we can then use tools to keep these energies or balls of light flowing freely in our bodies.  When we are connected to ourselves and live in flow we are more available to connect with others.  Human connection is one of our basic primary needs.  Ignite that fire within you and connect with another, jump out of bed, dance, sing, be present. 

Are you interested to learn more about how to work with your energy and your environment?  Let me know! Or, look for upcoming workshops.  If you are in the Camrose area I am hosting a Introduction to Meditation Workshop on March 22, next month.  Find out more here.

If you are looking for a delicious recipe that is super easy check out these Chewy Fudge Brownies

I am also excited to share I have teamed up with KeyLime Athletic Wear!  Or, as I call busy mom wear!!! The shop is now open so check it out!!! 

Live Juicy!