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May 2024 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 SPIRITUAL MEDITATION
YOGA PRACTICE
Yoga Goddess Followers
Category Archives: Freedom
Image“To Be Able To Stay In Our Heart…Takes Openness, Expansion And Learning To Be Vulnerable”
By Jennifer Miller
To be able to stay in our heart as we navigate life is truly beautiful. It takes openness, expansion and learning to be vulnerable. My heart is like my inner guidance system, giving signals energetically. If something feels right, it sings with happiness; negative energy is sensed as well.
“When we complete the journey to our own heart, we will find ourselves in the hearts of everyone else.”
Father Thomas Keating, in Be The Change
I have realized what a gift my journey has been, with the most difficult timesĀ opening my heart even more. I now feel a connectedness, a oneness with all.
Namaste
Posted in Awareness, Feelings, Freedom, Happiness, Heart-Based Healing, Knowledge, Life, Mindfulness, Reflections, Soul, Spirituality, Wisdom, Women, Yoga
Tagged Balance, Heart, Heart-Based Healing, Inner Wisdom, Jennifer Miller, Life, Wisdom
“Feelings Are Like Fluid Waves Of Energy…Like The Ebb And Flow Of Tides, The Waning And Waxing Of The Moon” – Anita Johnson
“Feelings are like fluid waves of energy. Like the waves we see in the ocean, they come in, peak, and pass, come in, peak, and pass. They have a natural cyclical rhythm like the ebb and flow of tides, the waning and waxing of the moon. The flow of feeling is as natural as the flow of life itself.”
From “Eating In The Light Of The Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship With Food Through Myths, Metaphors, And Storytelling” by Anita Johnson
The Advantages Of Doing Yoga: “You Will No Longer Be A Slave To Your Body…The Greatest Gift You Can Receive.” – Vanda Scaravelli
“Your everyday activities will improve and become more efficient. You will have less time for useless occupations that are constantly in the way, preventing your contact with more essential things;
You are going to have a better digestion if you do some poses before eating when you are tired;
You will need to sleep fewer hours, as your body will be more relaxed during the night;
You will gain a few inches, eliminating that curve along the back of the spine, and therefore you are going to be a little taller;
You will be able to stand for hours without getting tired, if you gravitate properly on your heels with the knees straight;
You will be able to improve the poses, as there is no end in progress;
You are going to straighten yourself if one part of the body is weaker than the other, by paying a lot of attention while doing your poses, and by continuing this attention throughout the day you will reach a better balance;
You will no longer be a slave to your body, as the independence from it is the greatest gift your can receive.”
From: “Awakening the Spine: The Stress-free New Yoga That Works with the Body to Restore Health, Vitality and Energy” by Vanda Scaravelli
Posted in Asanas, Freedom, Heart-Based Healing, Knowledge, Life, Mindfulness, Quotes, Wisdom, Women, Yoga
Tagged Asanas, Freedom, Health Benefits, Jennifer Miller, Poses, Postures, Vanda Scaravelli, Yoga
“When You Are Steadfast In Your Abstention Of Thoughts Of Harm…” – Patanjali
“When you are steadfast in your abstention of thoughts of harm directed toward yourself and others, all living creatures will cease to feel fear in your presence.”
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Posted in Awareness, Freedom, Knowledge, Life, Meditation, Mind, Mindfulness, Quotes, Self, Wisdom
Tagged Abstention, Fear, Harm, Patanjali, Quotes, Yoga Sutras
“Possibilities Are The Gifts Of Living For A Higher Purpose”
By Jennifer Miller
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Possibilities are
The gifts of living
For a higher purpose.
.
Survival into courage.
Loss created openness
As deception turned to trust.
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Heartache into strength.
Knowledge grew to wisdom.
Near-death to greater Life as
Hope found freedom.
.
Sorrow into oneness with
Dreams fulfilling vision.
Heart Based Healing.
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I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted and behold, service was joy.Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet and Playwright, as quoted in “Be The Change”, by Ed and Deb Shapiro
Namaste, Jennifer
Posted in Forgiveness, Freedom, Gifts, Gratitude, Heart-Based Healing, Hope, Knowledge, Life, Love, Quotes, Wisdom, Women
Tagged Freedom, Gifts, Heart-Based Healing, Jennifer Miller, Life, Poems, Possiblities
“Lighting Candles, Hanging Lights And Letting Things Be With Words By Paul Ferrini”
By Jennifer Miller
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Morning coffee, so good.
Lighting candles and incense as
I start my morning yoga practice.
Arriving on the mat is like coming home again.
.
Beautiful morning walking the dogs, aka “the babies”.
Breathing in the coves of Laguna ahhh!!
Breakfast at the local cafe; cool people, artist types.
Walking out, a homeless woman under a blanket.
All I can see is one foot.
My heart sinks and I want to ask her what she needs?
I know she is probably an addict.
.
Back home to make homemade granola.
A yum yum Christmas tradition.
Looking through the mail and
a child support check arrives.
It’s been a while.
.
My mind goes to the last 5 years.
No father in these kid’s lives.
No anger… only hope.
Could this man possibly change?
.
I let it go to the Spirit and check my heart.
It’s in a good place.
Forgiveness is there.
.
My beloved hangs Christmas lights.
So many years without lights.
They symbolize healing for my family.
.
I look around….
No lights in the small neighborhood.
We have been judged here.
A single mom and trouble with her son.
.
Interesting.
We are the ones with lights.
.
A big lesson in my journey: do not judge by the outside.
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Open up a new book.
A favorite thing to do.
Reading,Ā deep reflections come to me.
.
The poetic words of Paul Ferrini:
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Life is constantly asking us to make adjustments,to give up our agenda.It is asking us to give up the conceit that we know the way things are supposed to be.Letting things be is a way of saying to God“I’m willing to dance with you.”From “Dancing With The Beloved”.
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Namaste, Jennifer Miller
Posted in Balance, Family, Forgiveness, Freedom, Gratitude, Heart-Based Healing, Hope, Knowledge, Life, Light, Mothers, Pain, Poems, Quotes, Recovery, Reflections, Soul, Spirituality, Trust, Wisdom, Women, Yoga
Tagged Candles, Dogs, Jennifer Miller, Life, Light, Lights, Paul Ferrini, Quotes, Yoga, Yoga Mat, Yoga Practice
“In The Flow Of The Moment” With Sea Lions While Kayaking Off The Coast Of Laguna Beach
The beautyĀ in natureĀ can teach us so much about life and our place in it.Ā I have been kayaking in the ocean on Saturday mornings for the past few weeks and have come to marvel at theĀ simple wonders that abound offĀ the coast.
We launched through the surf and were immediately “skimming” through a unique world, whereĀ sea lions frolicked in the waterĀ and shared a large rock with pelicans and other birds. These creatures were clearlyĀ “in the moment”, presentĀ within themselves as they swam, searched for food and basked in the sun. I could watch (and learn from them) for hours!
Landing at Laguna’sĀ MainĀ Beach, I met aĀ homeless woman on a bench reading a Bible.Ā She agreed to watch the kayak and paddles, whichĀ we had parked nextĀ to her sleeping bag and worldly possessions, for usĀ while we walkedĀ over to a local cafe for breakfast. She askedĀ if we could bring her backĀ aĀ cup of ice water but we included a bagel. She was veryĀ grateful for the little surprise. The beauty ofĀ simple moments in life.
Ā TheĀ trip back north along the coastline was remarkable for the different activities of people “sharing” the sea: snorkelers, scuba divers, paddle boarders, kayakers, and swimmers.
We encountered over thirty outdoor enthusiasts onĀ ourĀ five-mile paddle, yet the only sounds were that of the waves, birds andĀ barking sea lions. Ā The quote by Gandhi was never more appropriate:
āSpeak only if it improves upon the silence.āĀ
Approaching the completion of our journey, the final landing reminded me of an episode of Hawaii 50 and riding a wave in through the surf.Ā All went according to plan until two waves first spun the kayak sideways and then dumped us unceremoniously on the sand and foaming water. The shock of first being in silent partnership with nature and then being “roughed up” by its power and unpredictability, is truly a metaphor for life.
Our lives can proceed in planned and simple harmony and then “wham”, we are knocked off our feet and must struggle with disruption and crisis. But picking ourselves up, drying off, and re-establishing order is a necessity for a happy life.Ā We must find the humor in painful moments which will keep us grounded, and not over-reacting to circumstances.
Just like the flow of the ocean, we must “go with the flow” of our lives. The onlyĀ absolute constant in life, is change. It is how we react to and handle this change, that determines our happiness. I choose to be at peace in life, and staying in the moment.
Namaste, Jennifer Miller
“Breathing In The Benefits Of Yoga To Achieve Happiness In The Moment” – By Jennifer Miller, “SunGoddess Magazine” In July 30 Issue
Posted in Asanas, Freedom, Heart-Based Healing, Knowledge, Life, Meditation, Mind, Mindfulness, Reflections, Self, Silence, Soul, Spirituality, SunGoddess Magazine, Wisdom, Women, Yoga
Tagged Articles, B.K.S. Iyengar, Breathing, Jennifer Miller, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Meditation, Mind, Mindfulness, Quieting the Mind, SunGoddess Magazine, Yoga
“Like A Bird In Flight, Your Life Can Soar Above The Troubles Of The World” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
“100 Secrets for Living aĀ Life You Love” by Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Photograph by Vince Maidens, “Snowy Owl, Canada”
National GeographicĀ “PhotoĀ of the Day”, July 11, 2012
Posted in Freedom, Knowledge, Life, Light, Meditation, Mindfulness, Quotes, Self, Spirituality, Wisdom
Tagged Breathing, Inspiration, Jonathan Lockwood Huie, Life, Pictures, Quotes, Wisdom