Heart Opener

OPEN YOUR EYES and YOUR HEART

 Open yourself up to what is given to you. Fill your life with love. 

I know that yoga can heal your mind, body, and spirit. One of the heart opening yoga poses that I like is sun salutation. When we are saluting the sun, we are also opening ourselves to the universe and ready to accept blessings. When your heart is open and you are available, you can truly give and receive love.

I have discovered that when you allow yourself to be genuine, vulnerable, and able to express the love of something as well as sharing them with others, you will draw more love of all kinds in your direction. Anything that nurtures your spirit in a loving way has the potential to fill your heart with love. When our heart is filled with love, and we are sharing that love, we become kinder, gentler, and more patient. Our perspective is enhanced and we become more satisfied. When we are only looking to be loved, it's easy to forget how wonderful it is to give love. Yet, when we discover new ways to share our love, an almost magical transformation takes place in our lives. We become more interested in others, more inclusive and wiser. It almost seems like a law of nature - the more ways we discover to express, share, and be loving, the more we find ourselves surrounded by the feeling of love (Don't sweat the small stuff in love). 

I have also learned that life is about being present and occasionally being able to laugh at ourselves. "Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower" ~ HC Anderson. Once you can recapture yesterdays, tomorrow will come on its own. You begin to open yourself up to what is in front of you. Hopefully you make the best of the day and what is given to you. Listen to your heart, it knows everything. And remember, wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure.

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Open up and receive all of life's blessings.

Sunday Gratitude

Don't we all love waking up everyday feeling awesome? Especially on a quiet Sunday morning while savoring a cup of hot green tea on one hand and scrolling my iPhoto on the other hand. Sunday is the day where I can just BE. It's kind of ME day to reflect and refresh. Whether simply be reading posts on twitter, checking on facebook or even trolling people on the internet while watching Super Soul Sunday on television can be self medicating experience. It's time to acknowledge the peacefulness and gratefulness in our hearts. I will then start digesting self talk that are both negative and positive. My mind starts wondering about all the things that had happened and things of what is going to happen. At the same time, I recognize the beauty around me and all the blessings in life. I find it challenging to remind myself that thoughts will come and go so I need to replace that negative thoughts with positive words all the time. And if out of words, simply saying 'thank you' is enough. How do you express your Sunday gratitude?

We should always express gratitude to the simplest things in life such as the smell of fresh cut grass, bright sunshine, clear blue sky, the sound of waterfall, or singing birds in the background.

Thank you is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you express extreme gratitude, humility, understanding. ~ Alice Walker

From Marc and Angel Hack Life's book: 1,000+ Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently - Here are the list of ten useful reminders (that can change our attitude towards life):

1. Let go of what isn't helping your soul. Smile and grow. - Life is to be enjoyed, not endured. Follow a path that moves you. You are always free to do something that makes you smile.

2. Let go of the baggage you know you need to leave behind. - As we grow older and wiser, we begin to realize what we need and what we need to leave behind. Sometimes walking away is a step forward.

3. Let go of feeling like you aren't making progress fast enough. - No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying.

4. Let go of the idea that you have too much to lose. - In the end, you won't regret the things you've done nearly as much as the things you didn't do when you had the chance. I'd rather have a life of "OH WELLS" than a life of "WHAT IFS". Wouldn't you agree?

5. Let go of worrying about everyone else's opinions of your life. - When writing the story of your life, don't let someone else hold the pen.

6. Let go of your tendency to avoid problems. - You cannot change what you refuse to confront.

7. Let go of all your empty complaints. - If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

8. Let go of the excuses. - If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't you'll find an excuse.

9. Let go of lazy attitudes and routines. - You can't underestimate a person who always works hard. Be that person. In life, you don't get what you wish for; you get what you work for.

10. Let go of the idea that it's too late to start over again. - Remember, it's always better to be at the bottom of the ladder you want to climb than the top of the one you don't.

"You are responsible for what you hold in your mind, not for what goes through it". ~ John Roger

Personal Rituals

When something feels missing in your life and you can't quite figure it out, what do you do? How much time do you spend with yourself? Usually not much time. We are all busy with work, family and life responsibilities that can be overwhelming. Take time to get in touch with yourself and learn about things that can rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. Whether it's mediation, yoga, reading or even just simply be yourself doing nothing. Create a set of time for "personal rituals" pursuing your hobby or to do the things that make you happy. There are many ways to unwind and nurture your soul.

When feeling overwhelmed or out of touch, take two minutes and do one, or a combination of, the following:

2-minutes to Mindfulness. Speaking of no judgement, mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally,” as defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I learned two mindfulness practices for regulating attention and getting in touch from Chade-Meng Tan’s “Search Inside Yourself.”

Way One: Bring gentle and consistent attention to your breath for two minutes. That’s it. Start by becoming aware that you are breathing, and then pay attention to the process of breathing. Every time your attention wanders, just bring it back very gently.
Way Two: Sit without an agenda for two minutes. Life really cannot get much simpler than that. The idea here is to shift from “doing” to “being,” whatever that means to you, for just two minutes. Just be.

Establish Personal Rituals. Get clear on energizing rituals that turn you inward. A few of my ideal favorites include: morning visualization of how I want the day to feel and what is dying to be born, reading quotes, going through my pictures on iPhoto, savoring a cup of tea, 2-hour blocks of creative time, and yoga.

“Don’t worry about where or who you’re going to be in five years. Like high school, you will look back and wish you had done so many things differently. Know that and do them differently now. Focus on what’s in front on you. Work on the relationship you have with yourself first. Slow down. Enjoy today. It’s okay to not know. Eat alone in restaurants. Stop trying to prove something. Seek growth instead of validation. Be heard. Have non- negotiables. Go somewhere. Pull from your Solid Self as much as you can. Process (get therapy). Don’t compartmentalize people. Love fearlessly, even if you’ve been crushed before. Eat clean. Toss your scale. Pull yourself out of the victim role. Exercise your forgiveness muscle (you will need this). Don’t be concerned with what others think of you. Accept your story. Don’t chase paper. Seek truth. Be patient.” — THE ANGRY THERAPIST: Twenties 

Every day I would remind myself of this "to-do" list:

1. Trust your journey.
2. Breathe.
3. Nourish your soul.
4. Smile.
5. Be love.

"You need not worry about your worries. Just be. Don't be restless about ‘being quiet’, miserable about ‘being happy’. Just be aware that you are and remain aware - don't say: “Yes I am; what's next?” There is no ‘nex’t' in ‘I am’. It is a timeless state". ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Our Intuitive Mind

I have been feeling very insecure about decisions I have made in my life. I always feel like nothing is ever be right and I am wondering if I have veered off course. I now know that if I trust my intuition and just let the universe take care of it then I will feel better. Intuition is difficult to describe but somehow we already know if we truly understand and listen to our inner voice. "Intuition is the guiding voice of our souls and a natural and important part of who we are. Without it we cannot find our way to our purpose and path in life. Without it we cannot truly discover what brings us authentic joy. Joy is a landmark of an intuitive life. Living the intuitive life is the greatest personal power!" What I realize is that everything happens in perfect time. It does not need to be a struggle of monumental effort but instead, when we surrender ourselves to the laws of the universe, it is a natural outpouring of being in alignment with the Creator.. the state of true spirituality. This message reminded me that I will never be "off course" if I stay in tune with my nature as a radiant spiritual being.

“How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment.” ~Eckhart Tolle

Make it a habit to ask yourself ‘What’s going on inside me at this moment?’ That question will point you in the right direction. But don’t analyze, just watch. Focus your attention within. Feel the energy of the emotion. If there is no emotion present, take your attention more deeply into the inner energy field of your body. It is the doorway into Being. If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is.  ~ Eckhart Tolle

“Your mind knows only some things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.” ~Henry Winkler

I love this article about highly intuitive people do differently. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/19/the-habits-of-highly-intu_n_4958778.html

Here are 10 things that people in touch with their intuition do differently:

They listen to that inner voice
They take time for solitude
They create
They practice mindfulness
They observe everything
They listen to their bodies
They connect deeply with others
They pay attention to their dreams
They enjoy plenty of down time
They mindfully let go of negative emotions

Let's just take a few minutes to simply BE. Aware of your surrounding and enjoy the present moment. Pause. Listen. Recognize your instincts. http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2010/05/08/listening-to-your-inner-voice/#.U3Gfy_ldWSo

Feel the rain on your skin. No one else can feel it for you. Only you can let it in. No one else, no one else can speak the words on your lips. Drench yourself in words unspoken. Live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten. (Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield)

Happy Mother's Day to all fabulous Moms!!

The Golden Rule

I have read The Four Agreements few years ago and re-read it several times! I think if more people lived by these words of wisdom, the world could be a very different place to live. None of these principles were new and if we simply aware then accept it, our life will be more peaceful. 

I keep telling myself this simple principle: Don't take anything personally. What other people think about you is their reality, not yours. Always do your best effort and that's all that matter. "Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good... Regardless of the quality, keep doing your best."

The way to avoid making assumptions is to make a conscious effort to find the quieter space in our minds. "If we go deeper, if we find a place in between thoughts -- that inner silence -- then we will see that we really can control our thoughts and we can create that silence inside of us."

These are the "golden rule":

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

You don't need to trust others as much as you need to trust yourself to make the right choices. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz

Find yourself and express yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly. Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art. ~ Don Miguel Ruiz