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....
‍
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...

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...

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.

There are many reasons why you want to preserve muscle mass, as well as continue to build muscle, as you age....especially if you are a woman.

Below are some reasons why.....

Building muscle strength:

• Builds stronger bones
• Protects joints from wear and tear
• Better movement to help prevent injury
• Helps maintain stability, balance and overall health
• Helps you burn more calories when your body is at rest
• Assists with a better quality of life
• When you move better, you feel better and then you have a better chance to live independently for the length of your entire life span

I think those are some pretty damn good reasons why you want to preserve the muscle you have as well as inspire you to even build more muscle.

I have always done some form of working out my whole life. I did some working out with weights when in high school. But my first real love of the gym and weights came when I was in college.

Having played sports my whole life, I just figured I would play them in college too....

Everyone will respond a bit different under different circumstances and that includes the challenge we are all facing now.

A reason we all may react different may be related to the amounts of each element we have within us.

More air and ether means we have more Vata Dosha.

More fire and water means more Pitta Dosha.

More water and earth means we are more Kapha Dosha.

And the combinations of these 5 elements, which every living thing has in order to be alive, varies within us and thus the qualities of these elements will show what our unique tendencies may be during these types of challenges.

Let Explore Each One

Vata Dosha

Vata dosha is a combination of air and ether. So a situation where we are quarantined may lead vatas to be a bit more scattered and anxious. Air and ether have the quality of 'motion' to them. So vatas like to go on adventures. They are creative and have lots of ideas. That is one way to see the air quality of 'movement'. Air moves things.

So vatas need to really...

Some Of My Favorite Things

I love so many things but I do have some that are on top of the list. You all know I already love yoga and Ayurveda so no need for me to jot them down here. ;)

Here are a few things I LOVE:

1. Journals and Pens!!!

Yea I'm a sucker for all that is journals, pens and stickers (you're never too wise for some motivating stickers!!!). I love the daily planner I use from Ink and Volt and this pen is one of my favorites...have it in every color.

They also have some awesome notebooks and desk pads for organizing daily tasks and To Do's.

I can't visit their site too often or my checking account funds will disappear!

2. Evernote

Evernote is my favorite digital organizing tool. I've been using it since 2009!!!

You can organize your whole life within Evernote. I use it for my business and for home life. You make notebooks which you can stack within each other to keep all organized and clean looking. And within Notebooks you create notes. I have Notebook for all...