Ya gotta love ya-self!

Dear blog and those who read it, Have I been busy? Have I forgotten what I started? Have I failed? No, I neglected to commit myself to writing and instead I think my 'blog posts' come in the form of my classes. Teaching is my space for sharing and my hot vinyasa class today was a reminder of how inspired I want to make the space I teach in. Candles are lit, lights are down and I started class flipping thru my Yama and Niyama book (Deborah Adele). Ahimsa. Sounds insignificant to those who don't know sanskrit, but the meaning behind it is universal and constant. 'Non harming' or 'non violence'. Lately I have been challenged personally with having confidence and courage. What lies deep in that search, is quite simple. Self love is a HUGE part of Ahimsa, or non violence. 'Our ability to stay balanced and courageous has much to do with how we feel about ourselves." With out love for one self, how can we ever expect to love outwardly, but more important, feel joy and contentment in our own lives? "...(the way we) treat ourselves is in fact how we treat those around us." When we take care, nurture, respect and love ourselves, that light within us shines out and affects those around us. It's a beautiful contagious quality that we posses and it's powerful. Reflect on the idea: "If you are a task maker with yourself, others will feel your whip. If you are critical of yourself, others will feel your high expectations of themselves as well. If you are light hearted and forgiving with yourself, others will feel the ease and joy of being with you. If you find laughter and delight in yourself, others will be healed in your presence." A friend of mine inspired me (although she may not know it) to get my blog up and running again. She is possibly one of the most joyful, energetic, non judgemental people I've met rescently and I'm guessing when I saw that she started a blog about the funny, ridiculous things she and her friends say, I wanted to rekindle my outlet for inspiring and sharing my ideas and processes with others. Class evolved into a steady, breath conscious flow that continually reminded you not to judge, expect or pressure oneself to go where it didn't feel right. We explored with options to amp up your flow, while being mindful that whatever you were doing shoud simply be done with 100% intention and that contentment could be found within it. Teaching tonight also gave me perspective that I may have lost- I've been a bit stubborn lately, and those feeling are surrounded by and insecurities and frustration. No part of me should want to feel those things, but it's like I can't help myself! How do you change it? I don't know exactly, but what I do know is that I need to remind myself of who I am, what my intentions are and that I am uniquely spectacular in every way. "Our inability to love and accept all the pieces of ourselves creates ripples- tiny acts of violence- that have huge and lasting impacts on others. 'Perfect love casts out fear.' Where fear creates harm and violence, love creates expansion and nonviolence is woven with love, and love of others is woven with love of self; these cannot be separated." D.Adele There is so much more to explore within Ahimsa, but for now those are my thoughts and I encourage you to explore the idea of Ahimsa in your life or yoga practice. Light and love, Kristine <3

Wisdom -- Soul Mate

Love to get these great e-mails- tid bits- if you will, from Yoga Journal. I like the message that we must understand and love ourselves- aware that no one else can 'complete' us. Take a step back from that relationship and make sure you are 100% you. Then see how that complimenting partner only accentuates the wonderful things about you :)

<3 k.deer

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Wisdom -- Soul Mate

'Soul Mate
A committed yoga practice can absolutely transform our relationships. "Through our yoga practice, we learn to look at ourselves, including the parts of us that are less evolved. Learning how to do this physically, with discomfort in an asana, helps us to do this emotionally," says Bo Forbes, who is a yoga teacher, Integrative Yoga Therapist, and clinical psychologist in Boston. "If we can't sit with our emotions, we are more likely to act them out on ourselves or others."
Our culture and traditions school us to believe that someday our prince (or princess) will come, that a relationship has the potential to solve problems like loneliness, that the right partner will make us feel whole. Popular romantic movies propagate the myth of another person completing us. On the face of it, the idea of being "completed" by another seems deeply romantic. But it's a fantasy that can weigh down a relationship with impossible expectations. The truth is that while your partner can offer many things, he or she can't "complete" you. The only person who can give you a sense of security and an unshakable love of you is you. And though you may "know" this with your mind, sometimes feelings of unworthiness, insecurity, and incompleteness are so deeply buried that you aren't even aware of them or of how they influence your behavior.'