Just Be

Just Be

(my mantra )

I have "Just Be" tattood on my wrist, as a reminder to allow things to unfold naturally. It is so easy to wish for a specific outcome, to continually push until you get what you want. In doing this, you go against the natural flow of the universe.  "Just Be" were the words my grandmother always used...to remind us as children to let things be as they were meant to.

Yoga is a way of life..more that just asanas (postures) and includes moral codes, called Yamas and Niyamas.  The one that I have been working on lately is called Tapas, which focuses on discipline and endurance . The discipline deals with the body, speech and the mind.  It is about controlling our language and thoughts as well as physical wants.

A million thoughts go thru our minds a day. Have you ever taken notice to how many are positive or negative thoughts? The goal with Tapas, is to think kind and loving thoughts as these thoughts become our words and these words become our actions. 

In focusing on Tapas , you may find that you distance yourself from friends or family that gossip or put others down. There are some that live constantly in this state of negativity and want to drag you in. This is the time to be firm and redirect your attention to something positive. Fasting, meditating and pranayama(breathing techniques) are all ways that you can practice self discipline and focus on positve actions, positiive speech and positive thinking.

Remember to take time for yourself and quiet your mind and to JUST BE.

Here are a couple of things to help you work on Tapas:

What techniques do you use to quiet your mind?

Recall a challenging situation where you were mindfull of the words you spoke

Change

Change is inevitable...we can fight it, or we can embrace it and go along for the ride. We become so afraid of what might happen or what might go wrong, that sometimes we stop ourselves from growing, moving forward, transitioning to all that is waiting for us. What if, instead of being afraid of the storm, you stood in the middle of it and said "Let's Do This!" and dealt with the fear and uncertainty with great strength? We are all so quick to be thankful for what is on the other side of our struggles, but what would happened if you were grateful THRU the struggle , for it is the struggle itself that takes you to something better.

This past year has been quite the time of change for me in all areas of my life..some easy, some difficult but all the same, they are changes that are a part of my story, a part of my journey.  My dear friend told me that I can choose my own happy ending...and with her words I became empowered, once again finding my inner stregnth to make the choices that I needed to make in my life. One day at a time, one moment at a time...embrace the change and move forward.

Some of my favorite quotes about life changes:

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"
" When things didn't go her way, she adjusted her sails"
"Sometimes instead of waiting for the storm to pass, dance in the rain"
"You never know how strong you can be, until Strong is the only choice you have"

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-A