Manifesting Gratitude

I've been thinking a lot recently about manifesting gratitude and positivity in my life. This of course, is partially to do with my yoga teacher training, but more accurately my yoga training has simply provided me with the vocabulary and tools to make this goal a reality. I think all of us to certain extent have the same priority, the same goal...to be happy. Different things make different people happy but ultimately we all want the same thing.

What I have learned recently through books, and live yoga sessions, and teachers, and independent experience is that there is one thing that makes everyone happy. And that is being grateful. Now, you may be thinking, 'well, being grateful is what happens after you are happy' but I disagree. Sure when something good happens or you are feeling positive and happy it is easy to say that you are grateful for that moment, and that isn't untrue. But I think a lot of people don't realize that starting your day off with a grateful heart for the simple, little things is what builds true happiness.

This isn't always easy to do. We wake up late, our coffee spills, our cars break down, someone we love gets cancer, we have a fight with a loved one, people die. But, there is always something to be grateful for, and if we can just take the time each day to appreciate those things, we will ultimately become happier people and that happiness and positivity will spill over and be shared with those around us. In simpler terms, 'appreciate the little things, because one day you will realize they were the big things'.

One thing that yoga teaches us that I have found profoundly comforting, especially given the current world climate, is that yoga is a deeply spiritual practice that focuses on bringing the individual closer to the divine. Yoga doesn't align with a specific religion or belief system, it aligns with ALL of them. Yoga is a universal truth that applies to every living thing on the earth. Yogic teachings tell us that we are all connected and all worthy of love and respect; whether we are a man, or a woman, or a cow, or the great barrier reef, or a blade of grass. Every single living thing on this planet has a role to play that can not be diminished. Yoga is a unifier.

Basically yoga is the golden rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. I have started trying to wake up each morning and, before I even get out of bed, I run through a few things that I am grateful for; my family, my health, our home, that my husband is safe, that we live in a country where we can voice our opinions, that I have food to eat etc...It really makes a difference in my mindset for the rest of the day. Everyone knows what it's like to be around someone who is negative. They aren't bad people but somehow their negativity seems to be contagious and you find yourself in a bad mood after being around them. Positive energy works in exactly the same way! We have also all probably been around that one friend who is always happy and smiling and you leave them feeling full and happy yourself. This doesn't mean be fake and pretend to be happy when you are upset, I'm definitely not advocating hiding your true feelings. What I AM saying, is that there is always, always something to be grateful for and if we give more time and attention to those things, our hearts and minds and bodies will benefit in amazing ways :)

What are some of the ways you manifest gratitude and positivity in your life?

Happy Saturday!

April Favorites: Podcast, Book, Show

Every once in a while I remember to jot down a quick post of my favorite shows, podcasts, books, products etc... for the month. And it just so happens that I remembered today, lucky you!

Let's jump right in, shall we?

1. Show:
Black Sails. BLACK EFFING SAILS. Black. Sails. Sails of Black. Errrmahhgerddddd.

I honestly don't even know where to begin. This show is 4 seasons of piratey, swashbuckly, perfection! It is a pre-curser to Treasure Island and is loosely historical. The actors were so dynamic and well-cast, and the show even won a GLAAD award for Best Drama. Let me put it this way, if we were close friends and you couldn't get into this show, we would have to re-evaluate our friendship. Watch it!

2. Podcast:
I've been on a pretty big podcast kick recently, especially while at the gym. I also started getting depressed listening to news every morning so I alternate podcasts in so I don't suffer rage blackouts. My favorite NEW podcast is From The Heart: Conversations with Yoga Girl.

I have been following Rachel for a while now and when she said she was starting a podcast i was really excited but a little bit skeptical. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised because her podcasts are just as authentic and heartfelt as I hoped they would be. If you are interested in yoga, entrepreneurship, meditation, and healthy living you should check her out!

3. Book:
I haven't had too much time for 'fun' reading since I've been so swamped with required reading for my yoga teacher training but I have been really enjoying one of our yoga books a lot. I would honestly recommend it to anyone who is trying to learn more about yoga spirituality and incorporating breathing techniques and mediation into their life. The book is called Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann. It also goes into detailed explanations and benefits of many poses which has been very helpful.

What have you been reading, watching, and listening to this month?

Em

Dharana, Dhyana, Pranayama Oh My!

Is there anything worse than a Wednesday that feels like a Friday? Except perhaps a Monday that feels like a Friday...

As I write this the rain is pouring down outside in a typical North Carolina spring shower. The windows are open and the smell of the rain is blowing through the house. It is a perfect thunderstorm to fall asleep to, but here I am unable to turn my brain off.

Recently I've been doing my daily meditation practice at night before bed so I can fall asleep easier. I never used to be one for meditation, too hard to sit still and slow my brain down. But throughout my yoga teacher training I have come to realize how beneficial it is. It has helped to learn that it is considered normal to struggle with interfering thoughts during meditation. They teach us to simply let the thought pass through, and go back to your mantra or breath each time one occurs, and that slowly over time that will happen less and less.

Currently we are practicing silent Om Japa concentration (dharana) and silent SO-HAM meditation (dhyana). Basically, you find a comfortable, meditative position and recite the mantras in your head. At first I felt so ridiculous and it was impossible to stop my internal dialogue. But it has gotten easier with practice! Even though I still find my mind wandering, it has now become a matter of getting in the zone and then thinking 'I'm doing it!' only to realize I just ruined it with that thought haha! Oh well, regardless, it has been quite an interesting experiment and I am pretty thoroughly sold on the idea of a nightly mediation and breathing practice :)

I use an app on my phone called Insight Timer, which allows you to set a time and intention for your practice. I definitely suggest it if you are interested in trying to incorporate a structured meditation or pranayama practice into your life. This app also has guided meditation sessions for any number of things; sleep, anxiety, encouragement, confidence. Check it out, its a neat app!

I also use this app for my nightly pranayama, or breathing practice (also required by my RYT200 course). Each night we are asked to incorporate a Nadi Shodana breathing exercise and a basic 2:1 breathing exercise. In Nadi Shodana, you breathe through one nostril at a time using the vishnu mudra. And in 2:1 breathing you inhale for a certain count (say, 3) and exhale for double that (in this case, 6). I have a....complicated relationship with Nadi Shodana since I can't ever breath through my nose, so I usually do it first so I can use my 2:1 breathing time to calm myself down afterwards haha!

All of this would have sounded crazy to me before I started this class! But it has been very eye opening and I recommend researching some of these methods if you are curious because they aren't as crazy as they sound :)

Does anyone else have a nightly routine involving meditation or breathing (pranayama) techniques? What about a nightly asana practice? 

Nighty Night

Em

Oki Doki

Hello friends :)

A lot has been going on over here in the Nardi Morgan household!

Last weekend we all traveled down to Texas for J's Winging Ceremony. It was a wonderful weekend filled with family, friends, and lots of celebrating! And now, my sweet hubby is officially a winged naval aviator.

It is so crazy to think back to when we first started dating and he was just beginning flight school. Since then, we have moved 3 times, lived in 4 different states, bought 2 homes, and gotten married! These past three years have been quite a whirlwind and things aren't slowing down anytime soon because...

At the end of this year, we are PCS'ing to Okinawa Japan for our first duty station!

I'll admit it took me a while to find Okinawa on a world map because it's not exactly close to mainland Japan, but after googling images of the beautiful beaches and learning a little bit about the culture there, the shock has worn off and I'm starting to get excited.

Thankfully we have a few months to get everything organized for this adventure because let me tell you, moving to the other side of the world is no small feat! 

I've been so bad about blogging recently with everything going on, but I'm sure I will be very thankful for this platform once were in Japan so I can share all of our adventures and pictures :)

On an unrelated note, I am going into month 3 of my yoga teacher training! It has been such a wonderful, educating experience and I am falling more in love with my yoga practice every day. It's amazing what incorporating a daily asana and meditation practice into your life can do! I can't wait to share what I learn as I begin teaching classes!

That's all for now...much more to come!

Em