Author: jillelkin

I am very excited to announce the creation of our second yoga and art workshop!

On Friday, February 23rd Blue Cicada Creative Studios and I will be offering a Loving Kindness Yoga and Art Workshop from 6-8pm.

In this workshop, you will experience a gentle movement yoga practice, working with themes of opening heart space and creating expansiveness. At the end of the yoga practice, you will be guided through a Loving Kindness meditation. Then you will move into the art portion of the evening, allowing your meditation to guide you into a creative expression of your experience. This workshop requires no yoga or art experience. Advanced registration is suggested, as space is limited. The cost of the workshop is $35.

If you have any questions about the workshop, or would like to register, please pm me or contact Emily at Blue Cicada Creative Studios.

How do we approach the New Year? What changes do we strive for and how do we get them? Millions of people around the world view this time of year as a time to make changes, start fresh, and become a newer, better version of themselves. But most of us rarely see real change.

If you are seeking change in your life, consider going about it in a different way. Consider intention-setting. You might wonder- how is it different from a resolution? Intentions are phrased in a way to be an internal focus. Intentions are also not about covering up what you want to change, but bringing it into the light, where you can acknowledge it and begin to create the version of yourself that you want to be. Here is an example:

Resolution- I want to loose 10 pounds.

Why doesn’t this work? There is nothing concrete here. There is nothing to internalize to create change and there is no real meaning to it. Why do you want to loose 10 pounds? Just to see a different number on the scale? Or is it something different…. For you to feel healthy and vibrant?

Now you get to the more concrete part. What is it that you REALLY want? Take some time with that question… What is it that you really want?

Intention- I am a healthy, vibrant woman.

With this intention you are setting the stage for how you want to see yourself. You are not going to punish yourself for eating a cookie or not going to the gym today. You are going to create an image of the version of yourself that you want to become.

So, you have an intention…. what now? What do you do with it? You plant that intention into your deepest level of consciousness. First thing in the morning when you wake up, before you even open your eyes, silently speak your intention to yourself. Allow it linger while you take a few deep breaths and prepare your mind for your day. Before you fall asleep at night, let your intention be your last thought. If you meditate or do yoga, confirm your intention to yourself at the beginning of your yoga practice, and again before and after savasana. Allow it to be present during your meditation.

The deeper into your being you place your intention, the more your inner self will be able to work with it. Real change is not easy and habits are hard to break! In yoga we call these habits samskara. It is kind of like when you drive in the same track on a dirt road over and over again. Those tracks become very deep and before you know it your are on autopilot. You can’t get your vehicle out of the tracks! To release yourself from those tracks, you have to create some new grooves. This takes mindfulness and patience and it all starts with intention.

Need a little more help on creating an intention? Here are a few tips:

*phrase your intention in the present tense

*use words that speak to you- that just feel right

*don’t try to change external things- keep your focus internal

*form an image around your intention- intentions don’t even need language

*make sure your intention sounds positive and inspiring

Allow mistakes, but keep yourself coming back to your intention. Breathe it in, dream it, allow it become part of your being.

May 2018 be full of love, light, and contentment. May joy exceed pain, may moments of laughter outnumber moments of tears, and may you live life to its fullest.

Namasté,

Jill

Relaxation happens when we are aligned and at peace with the present moment as it is unfolding. We are content with how things are and nothing needs to be different than it is.

— Kamini Desai

How many times in life do we get caught up in an event of our past? We relive it, we think of ways to change it, we kick ourselves for how the event did not transpire. How often do we spend time wondering what the future holds? Wondering if we should do this or that, worrying about one thing or another that may occur at some time in the future.

When we live in the past or future, we will never be relaxed or content.

There is nothing that can change the past, no way to predict the future. If we spend all of our time there, we are living in limbo. We are never fully present in our actual lives. Try this- sit still in a quiet place for a few minutes with no distractions. Focus all of your awareness on the space around you. Notice everything you can see in your surroundings. Then close your eyes. Listen to all that you can hear. Notice the sounds of nature, the noises of man-made things- whatever surrounds you. Then listen within. Listen to your breath flowing in and out. Place your hands to your heart and feel life within you. Take as much time as you need to connect with yourself in the moment. Then begin to open your eyes. Take a moment or two before you begin to move about your day to notice your thoughts and emotions.

How did it feel? Please share any thoughts about your own experiences with finding the present moment. Let’s build a community of mindfulness!

To all my yoga friends,

I would like to invite you to join me at a special event-

If you find yourself stuck in a groove or would like to explore new ways of experiencing intentions, please join us at the end of the year as we flow through a gentle yoga and meditation by candlelight, as we explore releasing the past year and work with setting intentions and welcoming 2018. After yoga and meditation, we will move into the art portion of the evening, allowing you to respond to your experience and express your intentions creatively. No yoga or art experience required, this is an experience for all-levels.

This event will be held on December 29th from 5-7 at Blue Cicada Creative Studios, 401 Dividend Dr, Peachtree City. The cost is $35.

For more information on how to register for this event, or if you have any questions, please email me at OnandOfftheYogaMat@gmail.com or follow the link below to the Facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/170365790368903/?ti=icl

Sending Love and Light,

Jill

I open my Facebook this morning and see the daily traffic complaints. Traffic is getting heavier at this time of the year. More people on the road, more people feeling stuck. Can you change the traffic? Probably not. But, you can change your perception of it. Use the time stuck in traffic to become more present, or mindful. 

Mindfulness training is a buzz word these days. But, what does it mean? Why should you try it? When you cultivate mindfulness you teach yourself how to respond instead of react, how to keep your thoughts from hijacking you, how to take control of your own decisions instead of being led along through life stuck in certain grooves and repeating the same mistakes. 

How many times have you done something you later regretted? Have you noticed how your mind follows a string of thoughts afterwards- “Why did I do that?”, “I didn’t want to make that mistake again, but I did.”, “Why can’t I stop doing that?”, “I must be useless.”, “I can’t ever change!”……… and on and on it goes. Mindfulness is about breaking that chain.

So, back to the traffic. What can you do when you are sitting in traffic, getting annoyed because you have somewhere to be. Traffic can be an opportunity! (I may have just lost some of you there…) No, really, it is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to train your mind. 

First, notice your physical space. Notice your feet, one on the floor, one on the brake. Notice how you are sitting in the seat- the sensations of the seat beneath you, the way your back feels. Notice your hands on the wheel- the texture and temperature of the steering wheel. Notice the physical sensations of the temperature in the car, the way the heater is blowing air on you and the feeling of that moving air. Then bring your attention to your breath. First notice the way your body moves with your breath- the expansion of your belly and ribs as you inhale, and the contraction as you exhale. Now notice the air moving through you. Imagine it in your mind’s eye, watching it as you inhale and exhale. Look around and notice everything you can see. Without judgement, just see- notice the colors, the shapes, the light and the shadows. Then notice everything you can hear. Notice the volume, pitch, and quality of the sounds. Next notice the sensations of touch. The feel of the steering wheel, the sensation of the heater blowing against your skin, the softness of the seat beneath you. Finally, bring your awareness to smells. Fresh air, perfume, the smell of your car. Without judgement, notice these smells. Then take a look around you at the other people in their cars. They are all going somewhere, just like you. Without judgement, send a kind thought to them- “may you reach your destination safely.” 

Happy travels, everyone. May you all stay safe on the roads. One last little tidbit- If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.