personal growth

Japa Meditation

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Have you ever used a Mala and practiced Japa meditation? Malas — also known as yoga beads or japamalas — are necklaces that usually have 108 beads. Mala, in Sanskrit means “garland”. Malas are meant to help you focus your mind during meditation. While Japa meditation is my favorite way to meditate, the beads themselves hold a powerful visual reminder throughout the day of the statement I meditated on and the tactile sensation brings me right back. When my mind wanders throughout the day, I can simply touch my mala and I am reminded of what statement I chose.

In meditation practice, Japa meditation holds a special place. It is the process of mentally repeating a mantra or speaking a phrase while meditating using a mala. The word Japa means muttering in Sanskrit. The meditative practice of Japa keeps the human mind steady and resistant to disturbance.

Meditation could mean different things to different people. I have written and taught how to transform meditation into mindfulness and how learning to live each moment in the state of mindfulness can change your life. While sometimes I have a “formal” meditation practice, it is often that my meditation/mindfulness practice takes shape in other ways.n

Many consider meditation as a quiet observation, wherein others often consider it a practice of self-awareness or reflection upon themselves. Either way, stillness and introspection is an amazing insight to your daily life.

I love to practice Japa meditation because for me it helps me to focus on a powerful statement, 108 times. It embeds in my spirit something positive and powerful. Plus the tactile use of the mala adds an element to the meditation that my mind enjoys. I have several Malas—some are made of stones like jasper and agate but my favorite is a sandalwood mala that has become richer over times as I use it.

The practice of Japa creates beneficial mental pathways and is a strong technique for focusing the mind and harnessing the subtle powers of the body/mind. I have seen this practice in my students many times as we learn Japa together. Some have even purchased mala beads to continue on their own.

How to practice Japa meditation:

Japa meditation is practiced by moving your fingers along a mala or the strings of beads known as Japa mala. There are many types of Japa that include speaking the mantra aloud, whispering the mantra or silently repeating the mantra. I prefer to be silent. There is also a technique you can use if you don’t have a string of mala beads. You can see that technique in this video.

Now that you know how to practice Japa, choose a powerful statement and try it.

Here are some positive affirmations to try:
  • I am calm
  • I am centered
  • I am in control
  • I am loved
  • I am grateful
  • am worthy of what I do and speak
  • I am valued and loved
  • I am allowed to put myself first
  • I am safe
  • I am secure
  • I release all my shame that I am holding
  • I love my body and what it does for me.

Most often, I simply say “I am____” and follow it with a variety of words like patient, strong, healthy, resilient, powerful, etc.

Are you going to give it a try?

* this is my sandalwood mala and a Sanskrit word Shanti tattoo which translates to peace

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Scattering Seeds

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As I walk each day, I am happy to be reminded that nature calls us to be awake and aware. The first signs of green are starting to pop up and I believe it teaches us about resiliency and the rhythms of nature. It is such a great season to notice Life. My knee surgery has been much harder than I anticipated and it has been a true test of my patience and resiliency, but I find great hope when I see tiny shoots of green or the beginning of a tree’s bud.

As we enter into April next week, despite what is going on around us, we can be reminded of the cycles of life that exist in all forms. This is a beautiful time to look to nature for the lessons and to welcome your own time of growth.

Springtime is a great time to scatter seeds within yourself to create the beautiful blossoms in your life that you desire.

Take time to notice the changes around you as you see the trees begin to bud, the crocus flowers pop open and the bright yellow daffodils smile at you. Simply noticing and then cultivating growth within yourself will do wonders for your spirit as you blossom this season.

If we look at seeds as a symbol for our growth we can see that some great ideas for personal growth include increasing tolerance, having patience, loving yourself more, laughing daily, or slowing down to enjoy life. How about planting some of those seeds in your heart?

Once you set your intention and scatter your seeds, it is time to nurture these powerful thoughts and water them with love and tenderness. Keeping weeds away through positive thoughts and affirmations are a sure way to have a great harvest in the coming months.

What seeds will you scatter this season?

I am planning to plant more seeds of kindness to all beings this year. Spreading kindness is something I feel the world needs more of. One of my favorite acts of kindness is to give packets of wildflower seeds to random people. The smile that comes on their face when give you something so simple as a packet of potential beauty brings me so much happiness.

One of my biggest seeds I ever grew was the vision I had for my business. I knew my seed had to have the intention of service at its heart. I have been teaching yoga for over sixteen years in my community and way back in April of 2011, I decided to create the vision that has become known as Embracing Spirit Yoga. I am so blessed to share Yoga with people of ALL abilities in the community and in my studio. I am beyond grateful for those who have supported and loved me all these years. Like all strong plants, the seeds naturally sow themselves year after year and my business is thriving.

It truly does all start with a vision. A seed. Then with mindful attention to the seed, or vision, in time it will indeed grow into something amazing. Sure, there have been seasons where things needed to be replanted and readjusted, but in time it all grew into something that I am so proud of.

Now is the time to gather up your seeds and be ready to scatter them.

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Twigs and Trash

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In order to grow we must first remove what it is in the way.

For many years I have been teaching the concept that much like a garden we have outside, before we can plant anything and expect it to grow, we first have to remove all the old stuff, the trash and the things that are cluttering the soil. Today, as I was doing that exact literal thing in my backyard raking leaves and removing last years dead plants that were once so vibrant, I was reminded of the conversation I had this week with a group of men who have traumatic brain injures.

I teach this topic every March, regardless of who is in my classes because I think no matter who you are and what your life experience is, we all have something that is cluttering up our heart and therefore limiting the potential we have to grow. This might be something like fear, disappointment, regret, guilt, shame, resentment, anger or any other feeling and emotion that we have carried around for days or decades.

As I was guiding a meditation about visualizing a garden and seeing the old growth, the twigs and the trash, I asked them each to see a garden in their heart that may also have some things that could be getting in the way of growth.

I shared with my ‘frat house’ that they have fondly referred to themselves as, that I have some disappointment that is taking up space in my own heart. I carry it day after day, year after year and despite all my attempts to pull it out, it seems to have a root system that is deep and new shoots pop up and take over my heart at times.

As we had a discussion about this, they called me out on it and the wise man who developed a life changing brain tumor at age 23 gave me the best insight on how to manage all the little twigs and trash that take up space. He is turning 60 in a a few weeks and following his diagnosis while in his final year of college his life has been a series of assisted living settings and long term support. He lost his independence and so much more, and yet is so wise.

Are you ready for this? In my humbleness, I asked how does one remove all the “twigs and trash” from our hearts. I asked how do I remove the disappointment?

He shared that you can never fully rid of every twig or piece of trash that has landed in the garden, instead you have to learn to manage and grow around them.

Huh, I said.

Tell me more, I said.

He went on to say that the remnants of the the “twigs” and “trash” will likely always be there and sometimes they may stick out of the soil and poke you but our job is to plants things around them so the beauty takes over.

Again, I asked how.

The wise teacher said:

  • forgiveness
  • acceptance
  • gratitude

When we forgive ourselves and others we remove so much of the garbage that fills our heart. This removes resentment, bitterness, and what-if thinking. When we accept was IS we no longer grieve for what might have been which brings presence to growing today. And finally, when we focus on being grateful we see all that we have, not all that we do not have.

How’s that for insightful?

It’s not so much about removing the parts of our heart that impede growth, but rather moving them aside through forgiveness, acceptance and gratitude so that we make space for something far more amazing to grow.

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A Common Question

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I get asked this question all the time—why can’t I just use oils from natural food stores or Amazon?

👉🏻doTERRA’s transparent testing assured me that the rigorous testing ensures pure and potent essential oils. If you can’t get access to the companies testing, I’d steer clear. Most store bought oils are adulterated and contain synthetic and potentially harmful ingredients, even though the label says “100% pure”.

👉🏻 the sustainability practices for the earth play a huge part in what company you choose. Is the company honoring the earth by not depleting natural resources just to make a profit?

👉🏻 the ethical treatment of growers and farmers.
doTERRA makes sure that farmers and growers are not just paid, but they help contribute to the greater good by providing hospitals, schools, water lines, jobs, training and better living quality of life. It’s a true honorable partnership based on ethics. This isn’t mass produced/grown in a green house fast production. Every drop changes the lives of growers. Imagine knowing that you’re health investment is providing schools, healthcare, water and more to people all over the globe!!!?!

👉🏻the benefits of pure oils is clear. I used to use store bought and had minimal results when treating things like sleep and skin issues. Using pure and potent essential oils, I have successfully bettered my health and my families. I especially like the benefits for my students with brain injuries who respond intuitively and naturally without cognitive bias. This goes far beyond what smells good 😉

This beautiful link explains how many lives are enriched by using doTERRA.

I have a special bonus for those ready to jump in or make the switch. Message me for details.

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Competition

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I recently shared my strengths according to Gallup Strengths Finder and am still digging into that theme a bit. I loved learning my too strengths, but I was also fascinated to learn my bottom ones also. Competition is the second to the bottom strength! This means competition is pretty irrelevant to me and my life.

Competition is very low in my skill set personally and professionally. That is not a good thing or a bad thing, it just reinforces my top strengths. I highly recommend taking the strengths finder test if your curious how it impacts your personal and business life.

I did some digging on competition and found some fascinating thing. Harvard business review says this about competition-

While it can sometimes be productive, too often it is actually destructive to your overall goals. That’s why people who don’t have as much of a heart to compete have advantages in life and the opportunity to be more successful.

Non competing individuals are more motivated than most of the people around them.

Here is why:

•They aren’t as ego-driven.
People who compete often do so in large part to satisfy their egos. If you don’t have the heart to compete, then most likely you don’t have a big ego.

•They’re less stressed.
Competition in life adds a lot of unneeded frustration. If you’re not obsessed with competing, you’re largely free of that stress. That frustration is an almost overwhelmingly negative influence on your sense of self.

•They’re calmer.
A sense of calm comes over those who don’t endlessly think about how they’re going to get ahead in races of all kinds.

•They wish success on others.
The person who doesn’t obsess about competition often wants others to find success as well as themselves. What’s so great about that is how success begets success.

•They believe success can be shared.
Competitions are almost always win-lose situations. People who don’t want competition in their lives tend to believe in win-win scenarios. Instead of looking for ways they can outsmart their opponent, they search for methods to team up with them and overcome whatever obstacle that they face together instead of apart. By doing that, they double the chance for success.

•They have inner peace.
Obsession is unhealthy, whereas peace is just around the corner once you remove competition from the equation. By focusing on improving yourself instead of beating others, you are well on your way to the inner peace everyone craves, even if some of them don’t know it.

I’m telling you, learning about your strengths can lead to so much understanding in your relationships and professional life. I am so grateful I know these things about myself because I am able to see that I am unique and while others around me may be fed by competition I don’t have to try to fit in. I can be me and I can support them as they are then. Cool, huh?

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Price Per Drop

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The number one reason people give for not using essential oils is because they are expensive. Here is the deal—a drop is a considered a “dose”. A typical bottle has 250 drops (doses).

Lavender—9 cents to sleep well for over half a year….plus amazing skin benefits for burns or cuts. Oh, and anxious feelings—a drop.

Melaleuca—8 cents a drop will give you amazing skin cleansing, germ removal and if you put a few more drops into a spray bottle with water you just made an awesome household cleaner.

Peppermint—9 cents a drop and you can ditch the Tylenol for your headaches and fevers. One drop equals 28 cups of peppermint tea. You’ll be getting digestive support for a long time with this one.

Lemon—4 cents. Yep, 4 cents to detox your body, clean you house, brighten your mood and just basically feel amazing.

Breathe—8 cents a drop to breathe easier going into the winter season. Congestion and coughs will be much easier for 8 cents a drop. You know that Vick’s stuff is full of yucky chemicals right?

Drop=dose. It literally costs you pennies.The initial investment is so worth it.

This is my absolute favorite starter kit. There are others to choose from though!!

Plus until the end of the month, I am tossing in a bonus oil, plus my usual amazing welcome package! Yay! Let’s do this!

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Full Moon

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The full moon is traditionally known as the time of letting go…of releasing what is no longer serving your highest good.

It’s a good time to ask yourself where do you feel constricted? Where do you feel bound? Where do you feel obligated? Where do you long for freedom?

With freedom comes joy. And joy is the ultimate goal, right?!

Sit quietly today… ask where you need to release responsibility that you’ve been carrying that really isn’t yours to carry. This could mean stepping out of drama between friends or co-workers. This could mean letting go of volunteer positions or projects you said yes to out of obligation.

Another question to ask is where is an area can I take better responsibility in order to receive the freedom I desire? This could mean de-cluttering your home or making freezer meals to free up mental and emotional space to play and be spontaneous with your family. Or this could mean really getting focused on the income producing activities in your business so that you can enjoy the travel you crave.

Remember… “Whatever is on your plate got there because you said yes to it.” Danielle LaPorte (Desire Map)

This blend is packed with clarity and releasing emotions.

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Which Plant to Use?

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Not sure which plant essential oil you need? Keep this handy chart tagged until you are familiar with which category does what. I tell people when they are learning to use essential oils is similar to learning to cook–in the beginning we need cookbooks and recipes but in time we become more confident and intuitively begin to know what we are doing. Essential oils are much the same. The more you use, the more you begin to know. Trusting yourself and listening to your body helps, too.

🌸 when you have anything skin related, the FLORALS will help soothe and calm your skin’s irritants (burns, insect bites, cuts). FLORALS are also great for calming emotions and helping to reduce feelings of stress in the body and mind.

🌿 when our bodies start to take on symptoms of an illness reach for your HERBS to help knock out the germs (thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, etc). These powerhouses work so well at helping the body return to health. Many herbs produce soothing and renewing feelings.

🌲 the constitutes in TREES helps to relieve uncomfortable aches in the muscles and joints (cypress, Siberian Fir, Douglas Fir, birch). Emotionally TREES are grounding and balancing.

🍋 when you find yourself feeling low, just reach high up on the tree for a CITRUS and feel the immediate lift both energetically and emotionally. CITRUS = happiness, plus CITRUS oils are detoxifying and cleansing for the body.

Check out this handy guide to learn more about the basics of essential oil use.

Life Span vs Health Span

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Gosh did I ever learn a lot about these five pillars this week.

Did you know that while our life span is greater, our HEALTH span is lower. This means that most Americans live on average the last EIGHT years of the their life struggling with disease.

What!?!

Who cares about living longer if your quality of living is suffering? I learned recently that while our life span is increasing, our HEALTH span is decreasing which means in average Americans are spending the last 8 years suffering with disease. What??

So what if we are living longer if we aren’t living better? I know for me I want better stress response, better sleep, more energy, better recovery after workouts and overall vitality.

I am so excited to start targeting my own health span with proper supplementation and increasing my nutrition profile. (I tend to not eat much and probably am not fueling my body optimally, especially given how much I work out).

I can’t wait to step up my game and watch the results. The science and research that is supporting this pillar of health model is astounding.

My daughter has struggled with her weight and her body’s response to carbs since she was 10 years old. She comes from a family of similar medical history and her dad died at an early age due to health complications.

Lindsey has been able to drop her some of the numbers that doctors look at when managing a healthy metabolic function, but only slightly and has been on medication for MANY years now to help her.

Some of the side effects of her medication have NOT been good. And controlling her diet has been hard, too. She is a lover of all things carbs. Since she also has an intellectual/cognitive disability making good choices food wise takes a lot of support from me.

I am so excited Sri try something new that I read about recently regarding Berberine… one of the amazing ingredients in the new doTEERA MetaPWR Assist.

To say I am excited and hopeful, is an understatement!!!

The new product is a natural option to the medication she has been on for years.

Here a little info:

I want to show some insight and excitement for MetaPWR assist.

•We’ve been discussing a lot about NMN, NAD+ and collagen in MetaPWR advantage, but I’d like to bring your attention to Berberine in MetaPWR assist (not just a carb blocker)

• One of the ingredients in MetaPWR assist is Berberine.


• In terms of longevity, Berberine is a valid alternative to some metabolic supporting medications*


Berberine binds to complex one and reduces energy in the body and make the body more sensitive to insulin and lower blood glucose.
The doses in the human clinical studies are 1-2 g per day (1,000mg – 2,000mg per day)
Berberine
-Activates AMPK
-Increases Mitochondrial Energy

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult with your physician.

  • improve insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose. Berberine also significantly increased lifespan in mice

Note: MetaPWR Assist more than berberine, it contains the newly formulated MetaPWR EO blend, Mulberry extract (5% DNJ), and Cinnamon.

I am SO excited for her. I can’t wait to also jump into this program because although I am thin and my sugars are fine, I struggle with sleep, energy and eating to fuel my body—which this will also help!

When we focus on these five pillars of health our HEALTH span increases. Who is ready to find the proper supplementation to manage their metabolic health? This system is the is truly three simple steps plus healthy habits.

Regardless if you’re on the heavy side or thin like me, everyone can benefits from this! I have a special education and mentoring group I can plug you into if you’re interested! Just contact me! You’ll want to stay connected as more info will soon be coming!

Contact Me

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The Dandelion

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“Hello, I’m a dandelion.
A lot of people call me a weed but I’m a friend and come to help you!

When you see me, remember that I’m the ONLY one who wants and can grow in that particular spot. Because:

Either the soil is too compact / hard / stomped and I want to loosen it for you with my roots.

Or there is too little calcium in the soil – don’t worry, I will replenish that for you with the dying of my leaves.

Or the soil is too acidic. But I will also improve that for you if you give me the chance.
Or a mixture of the above reasons, of course. 😊

I’m here because your soil needs my help so best you let me grow without disturbing me! When everything is fixed, I will disappear again, I promise!

Are you trying to remove me prematurely with my root? However meticulous you are, I will return 2x as strong! Just until your soil is improved.

You can even tell by my growth at which stage my help is at. If my leaves are flat on the ground then I’m far from ready but if they all reach up then I’m already a long way on my way.

Something completely different is that I am 1 of the first bloomers in spring so I will announce spring / summer for you.

During the day when it’s hot, I open my flowers but in the evening when it cools off I close them again quickly. In fact, if it’s not hot enough during the day I won’t open them at all!

My flowers are the first food for insects after hibernation and unlike most other plants, I have pollen AND nectar, not merely one OR the other! And I am generous with them! 😉

My flowers are even delicious for you people by the way, did you know? I used to be called ′′honey (or gold) of the poor′′ because my flowers are so sweet in e.g. jam, sauce or salad! The internet is full of recipes – check them out.

But wait until the end of May or later before you start picking and even then, don’t pick everything yet! The biodiversity and bees will be very grateful!”

Text By Paula Kok – De Boer
Illustration By Juliste Cavallini

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