I NEVER thought I'd BE A TEACHER, but sometimes life comes in and gently guides you on a path if you listen.....

I LITERALLY heard a whisper 'maybe you want to be a yoga teacher'....I remember the exact spot I was sitting and had no intention at the time to become a yoga teacher.....that voice dropped in out of no where, (though it seemed lol)....it was a whisper that dropped into the space between thought.....

I was not 'thinking' at that moment or even 'trying to think', 'what do I want to do next?'.....and I feel I needed to work through what I had to work through...those years of anxiety.....for me to be able to set forth on the path toward teaching, though I had NO IDEA that that's where I'd end up....

If you told me in 1994, the year I had my first panic attack (though now I see it as something else), that I'd be signing up for a Yoga Teacher Training 20 years later (and a plethora of trainings after that), I'd say, uh, no F'n way....
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Well, here I am, and as...

As we transition into Fall, we want to stay grounded, warm and hydrated.

The Fall season is called Vata season in Ayurveda.

Ayurveda deals with the 5 elements: earth, water, fire, air and space (ether). The elements all have their own qualities.

Vata dosha (a body constitution) is primarily air and space so that means as we move into Vata season, the predominate qualities are air and space.

Lots of wind blowing on our face can dry out the skin. Lots of air in the mind means too many thoughts - think cold, windy, dry Fall days.

So we want to bring in opposite qualities - opposite qualities balance - think grounding and warmth. These 2 qualities can help balance Vata dosha. This is why this time of year I talk a lot about bringing awareness to the feet on the earth in the classes I teach to sense the grounding support underneath us. And also to bring our awareness literally out of the mind at the top of the body, down to the feet.  

To ease anxiety and...

Why is the gut called the 'second brain'?

And is the gut really connected to the brain or mind in some way?

I would say a resounding yes in my experience. And I would also say they are more than just connected....they are interconnected.

Have you ever had this happen:

You hear some not-so-great news and suddenly you start to feel fearful, anxious or sad. Then you lose your appetite because your stomach is tied up in knots. And you may even start to feel a bit nauseous.

All this can happen in a matter of minutes, even seconds. I know it's happened to me in a matter of seconds.

Then if you don't pull yourself together, in a matter days this can lead to digestion issues. 

The event that caused you to feel fearful, anxious or sad, causes stress physically and mentally if we do not integrate the emotions we are feeling. If we stuff them down or push them away, they will cause our body to become inflamed from the inside-out (physical aspect) and cause us to feel helpless, separate...

Is your water bottle attached to your hip? 

I take a water bottle with me pretty much every where I go. Can you relate?

As I am writing this post, it's summer time and it's been really hot! The summer season is considered Pitta season in Ayurveda. 

The summer sun is fiery and the main element of Pitta dosha is fire. So if you have a lot of fire in your constitution (Pitta Dosha) and tend to overextend yourself this time of year (in terms of exercise, sun exposure, work, under or over eating, not getting enough sleep etc.), that can lead to a 'drying out' of your body and bodily tissues, and an overall feeling of exhaustion and burnout.

A Vata imbalance can also cause a 'drying out' of the body and the tissues.

When you have this feeling of 'drying out', the natural response of the body is to drink more water. If you don't listen to that urge to hydrate, (because you're too busy running around and not taking time to balance yourself out with some self care), then you may...

CHISELING WISDOM to move toward any future goal

Sometimes we strive too hard for something in the future.
But whatever you do, you are always doing it in the now.
There truly is no 'future time'.
There is only the 'now'.
So yes, know what you'd like to see in the future but don't dwell there.
Dwell only in the now.
It's the only place where anything can take place.
So focus on what you can do, here and now, which will move you toward a 'future' goal.
It's the only place that any action/non-action happens.
- gina 

This is a great self-inquiry question to reflect on.

HOW do you want to MOVE into your wiser years?

When I reflect on this question, the first words that appear in my mind are:

• With Deep Trust
• Confidently
• Gracefully
• Kindly
• Compassionately
• In deep Truth
• With great joy
• In community
• Wiser
• With great awareness
• Open and giving

I could go on and on, but those are the first ones that popped up.

It's an interesting question.

Close your eyes and see yourself walking into your 'wiser' years.

How are you moving? How would you like to move? What's the expression on your face? How's your posture?

If we are not aware and mindful of how we are living now and into the years ahead, we will miss so many chances to realize that we actually have choices.  

I'd rather be Present in my life and realize I have choices than to let my conditioned mind guide my choices. What about you?

How we live today, will influence how we move into our wiser years.

I would love to hear how you would like to...

Trataka meditation is also called 'Gazing' meditation.

It's when you take an object and set it in front of you about 1-2 feet and around eye level and gaze at it.

You want to try not to blink and if your eyes start to tear, use a tissue to pat the tears. Don't rub your eyes as those tears are said to be removing impurities so better to pat them away.

A candle flame is traditionally used with this form of meditation, and it's my favorite object to use. But you can also use an image or picture or a crystal or mandala too.

If your eyes get tired, close them for a short bit and then start again.

Try it for a few minutes. Then close your eyes, focus softly on the space between your eyes, the third chakra, and look for the internal flame.

You may see the inner light of the flame bounce around in your internal gaze. Just focus right in on it again and bring it back to center.

Once the internal flame starts to fade away, sit in quiet meditation for another couple minutes.

I've...

Ahh, perimenopause.

I bet a whole bunch of thoughts pop into your head when you hear this word.

One may be a big 'ol UGH!

Well, generally, most of us women don't have control over when this time will be sprung upon us. For some it's a lot earlier and for some it's a lot later and then there's a whole bunch of us in between.

And everyone's situation is unique and different so you need to do what's right for you in terms of helping any kind of issues you may be experiencing.

An Ayurvedic View

Generally, when we enter perimenopause, on our way to menopause, the Vata time of life is coming upon us soon or we are already in it. Vata time of life is 50 and over. 

Vata is governed by the elements of air and ether.

These elements are more subtle and light and mobile as compared to say the earth element which is more solid, heavy and dense.

When we are born, this earth element is more prevalent. Think chunky, pudgy babies with their soft baby skin.

Air and ether are at the other ends of...

Hola!

I've decided to try an audio blog today. 

I had a lot I wanted to say and was easier for me to just talk it out and record it.

Hope you enjoy and maybe receive a little insight.

I know we all have different issues going on, but generally speaking, if we don't take care of ourselves, it will catch up with us at some point.

Some of us have issues that show up from out of no where. But I truly feel there is still ways to bring awareness and wellness to the situation in some way, shape or form.

enjoy, 

gina

Ps. Please share and/or leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Although the past few months have been challenging in many ways, staying connected to my movement and meditation practices and connecting with like-minded souls during this time has been a blessing.

I never in a million years would've guessed I'd be doing what I'm doing now.

Teaching? Me? In front of others? NO WAY!

Well now it feels like it's my calling. I have no idea how that happened, lol, but it has, and again, it's truly a blessing.

We never know where we will end up.

I don't even know where I'll be next week or in a month. And that's ok. That is life. And when we can be okay with the unknown, and have a curious perspective rather than a fearful one, life will flow with more ease. Give it a shot!

When you allow life to flow, things open up in ways you can't even imagine.

Now I'm teaching movement, plus other tools, that have helped me along my own healing journey throughout the years.

I’ve also recently become a part of an amazing group of souls in a community and...