yoga

We live in a world that is dominated by technology. We spend our lives moving from one place to another at rapid intervals, speed seems to dominate our direction, and in all this many of us lose the connection to our physical bodies. I see a lot of very spiritual people who have become very out of touch with their physical bodies. Everything from how we move, to how we sit, to how we interact with everything in this experience is made possible by the temple we were given by the divine. If you do not care for the temple it will deteriorate into rubble. We as divine individuals owe it to ourselves to take charge of our bodies just as much as we devote to ritual, meditation, or crafting community. Making a move into a healthier is easier than most think. Most tend to put too much between the desire and the action ex: We feel that we want to work out, so we first have to research which gym to join, what program we should do, what type of shoes would make the experience better… Stop adding hurdles to your path and just engage it. Engaging fitness can be as easy as walking, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and being mindful of how the body feels. We often reach out for convenience foods rather than healthier options. Ordering take out just so that I do not have to get up from my computer is not going to make what I am writing better, and the guilt that often comes with damaging our bodies keeps us in negative loops and patterns. Would you go to a healer that is constantly sick? Many lightworkers do more for others than they do for themselves, we readily offer healing yet refuse to just sit in our own space to give ourselves the same healing connection. What we put into our bodies and how we engage the physical process says a lot about how we are truly dedicated to our paths.

We are given these temples for a short time, we must do all that we can to ensure that we are able to be part of this experience. A damaged temple ensures that it will not stand long, but it is never too late to do repairs, to tidy up, and to upgrade the carpet. I am going to be posting a special series on fitness, engaging the mind/body connection, and how to trust your intuition even in the fitness arena.

Take time to be healthy. Take time to connect to improving your body as much as your spiritual practice. Take action now.

Mahayogi Das CFT CSN MAT PAT

http://www.michaelbrazell.com

michael@michaelbrazell.com

For the past few weeks I have been able to re-center myself in my practice. For many of us yoga itself is an act of surrender, for those of us that teach, it becomes an even greater struggle at times to let go of the reigns and allow someone else to steer the car. To be a great teacher you also have to be a great student, we never truly stop learning. I’ve had the joy to be able to workout with some amazing yogis through my life journey, and as of recent I have found some great teachers at my local gym. Many here in the city feel the only way to get a great yoga workout is to join a high price studio, to purchase the fanciest equipment, and to have the coolest pair of yoga pants in class, or to do a hybrid of yoga and power movements. Stepping into unfamiliar territory is the what I love most about yoga. Hearing the powerful Sanskrit names, moving into pretzel like postures, holding each one until if feels like the world itself is going to end, then relaxing deeper into the internal space of our mind. Many of us view the world only through the external. Yoga (whether you want it or not) is designed to also connect you into that internal part of being. Each asana is an action of meditation, and when we connect this way we are surrendering to yoga itself.

One of the worst things we can do as instructors and practitioners is to become complacent in our practice. I am guilty of this from time to time. We can sometimes feel like we are just going through the motions, or we skip out on our practice all together. This was part of the drive that got me back into the gym, and back into class as a student. It has been amazing surrendering to someone else. To let them guide me deeper into my own practice. If you ar finding that you are growing tired of your practice to not be afraid to step out of the bounds of comfort. Try something new! Take a hot yoga class, try acro- yoga, if you are a fast flow yogi–try slower restorative classes, try power yoga, the idea is to dip your toes in new waters. Each time we attempt something new the ripples echo out into ever aspect of our being, our practice and our connection to our paths. Yoga is an action of surrender. Surrender can be a foreign word for many of us, let yoga be your guide. If by chance yoga is not your thing, the same rules apply. Shake up your life a bit, get up, get out, and move–find your flow, and breath in all this life has to offer. Each moment a is a gift, don’t waste it.
Mahayogi Das CFT CSN MAT PAT
http://www.michaelbrazell.com
soulinteraction@gmail.com
757-839-3531