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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. 

As the holidays draw near, my thoughts come to all those that are feeling stress about so much that “has to be done”. That is a phrase that I avoid using about the holidays. The holidays will come without the perfect centerpiece or the perfect meal. (Haven’t we all seen The Grinch That Stole Christmas?) My intentions around the holidays have changed. Years ago, I used to run myself ragged attempting to create the “perfect holiday” experience for my family. What I discovered is that the experience was completely lost for me- and in losing myself in the attempt for perfection, I created stress for my family, making their holiday experience LESS fun. 

So, how do we break the habit? How do we release the desire to always be more than we are? The first step is always in our intention. With our intentions we create new paths to ways of being. Here is a suggestion of how to begin making that change. 

Wake up in the morning and begin each day with a few minutes to “set the stage”. Take slow, even breaths and create an intention. Come up with what speaks to you, what rings true to your inner being. Here are a few suggestions if you are new to creating intentions:

I welcome this season with love, peace, and ease.

I am calm, I am content. 

I invite kindness and laughter to surround myself and my family this holiday season.

I am enough, in this moment and in this season, I am enough. 

After you have affirmed this new intention to yourself, go about your day. When you find yourself making choices that don’t match up with your intention, stop. Come back to your breath. Look inward and reaffirm your intention. Ask yourself if this choice is going to bring you toward your intention. Without judgement, ask yourself why you are making this choice. Then, hopefully, you can see more clearly what is driving you. 

I am wishing you all a peaceful, happy, holiday season!

Namasté,

Jill

Balance. It is a word with a lot of meaning. 

When I think of balance, I imagine those old-fashioned scales hanging just so….. one slight touch and they go off-kilter. Balance is not a static place. It is not a place you can come to, and just hang out. It is a place of constant flux. Physical balance is not about finding that perfect pose and turning into a statue. It is movement, subtle movement. 

With each breath you take, you are creating movement. Inhale: belly expands, ribs swell open, chest rises. Exhale: chest falls, ribs contract, belly tightens. Each of these actions creates a subtle change in your balance. Each of these actions creates movement- Movement that requires the body to adjust, to shift slightly, to engage more in certain muscles and less in others. The breath is just part of what is creating your body. Your muscles are constantly interacting with each other, too. Like ripples in a lake, one small change in the engagement of the muscles creates more changes. 

So how do you stay in a balance? Stay in tune with what is happening in your body. Get to know all the subtleties of your body’s movement. When you come to a balance, take your time. Root into the floor, find your base of support and slowly work your way up. Notice each muscle and how it is working. Notice your breath and all of its inconspicuous movements. Allow the flow of breath to work through you. Feel connected to your base, connected to the air around you, connected to the sky above you. This is yoga. 

Sending Love and Light,

Jill

I have never sewed before. My mother sewed a bit when I was young, but I never learned. A few years ago my daughter wanted to learn to sew. Fortunately, the internet exists…. and then we found her a sewing class. After a while she drifted away from it. More recently she became more serious about it, and began making clothes. I thought that maybe I could give it a go, and make some yoga pants. It seemed fairly simple, but there was so much more to it than I originally expected. 

I have learned lessons of humility. Lessons of acceptance. Lessons of self-discipline. 

These all come into play in yoga philosophy. Many people do not know how much more there is to learn beyond yoga on the mat. That is one of the reasons for the name of my business- On and Off the Yoga Mat. My yoga education has taught me lots about my body. Lessons like how far I can go, how my body feels in certain postures, and when I need to back off a pose.  But that is just what I have learned ON the mat. What I have learned OFF the mat is much greater. Those are the lessons that have really changed my life….. and continue to change me. 

Beginning to learn to sew is just another way of doing yoga…

Light and love to you all,
Jill