Yoga classes led daily by Alana & Caileigh accompanied by Singing Bowls and Vibrations with Brian
Are you missing the Liberated Heart tribe?
Good news! Here is the week
in review to take you back to paradise! The stories of the Liberated Heart retreat will
be fresh in my mind and heart for years to come. I believe the world is made of stories
as much as it is made of molecules so reflecting on the magic of this trip has really reminded
me just how fantastic our retreat was!
Hard to believe that its only been two weeks since we all embarked upon our journey together.
For Caileigh and Alana, the story started a year before when Caileigh went on Alana’s retreat in Costa
Rica. Caileigh had such a transformative time that it inspired her to team up
with Alana to form Explorations of Self. It’s incredible how her own experience on retreat
led her to create life-changing retreats for others.
(From left to right: Brian Anahata Russo, Caileigh Feldman, Alana Diosa Roach) our Liberated Heart Guides
Caileigh, Alana and I envisioned Liberated Heart as a retreat to bring out the love in everyone
through yoga, sound, food and community. We did not have to try too hard! Everyone was in awe
as soon as they arrived to the beautiful Bodhi Tree Resort. A grand dining room, an infinity pool,
spacious cabinas and a coconut to sip upon arrival. Bodhi had it all. The staff were so friendly
and the food was first class. Everyone felt right at home at Bodhi and relaxed in Costa Rica’s tropical climate. On the night we first arrived, I asked Sonhei how she was feeling coming into the retreat. She said, “To tell you
the truth, I haven’t been thinking about it because I’ve been so busy with work. I really have no
expectations, I’m excited for everything.” I love this response because it rings true for many of us
who came on retreat. We are juggling a million things and then suddenly we have a
week to unwind. We don’t even have time for expectations. And that turns out to be a good thing,
because no expectations allowed us to embrace our experience with openness and curiosity.
Infinity Pool & Lounge Area
Cindy shared how she was almost dreading coming on retreat because it was taking her away from
her many responsibilities. Then, she was captivated by Costa Rica as soon as she arrived! She
realized there is no “right time,” you just have to go! And that is the point of liberated heart, dropping the
stories we tell ourselves to allow new ones to emerge. It reminds me of a conversation I had with Debra Hardison, She told me that we always have a choice to tell the stories that bring out the best in us. Debra literally did this when she told the story of Dropsy the Squirrel, a book she wrote about nursing a squirrel back to health after he ‘dropped’ out of a tree.
Delicious & healthy local cuisine, 3 times a day with Liberated Heart, Explorations of Self Retreat in Costa Rica
Cindy embodying her inner goddess in Playa Nosara
Bodhi Tree Resort is an amazing place to recreate the story of yourself in only a week! With a gorgeous outdoor yoga shala overlooking the beach and many indoor shalas for practice, BodhiSurfing, Liberated Heart Tribe!
held the space for us to return to our roots. Speaking of roots, every day of our retreat was symbolized by one of the seven chakras. It was amazing to see how the chakra theme played out in the yoga sessions and sound healings each day. I gave George a sound healing on root day and the day after he told me how rooted he was feeling in the space of the retreat center. I was so blown away by George’s story. He had broken every bone in his body after getting hit by a truck and he brought himself back to life through the power of his heart. As soon as he was able to flex his knee just half-an-inch, he began his journey into yoga. He was told he would never walk again yet through his own inner-strength and yoga practice, he now strikes the fiercest warrior pose I’ve ever seen!
Warrior George.
George’s story is not only an incredible tale of his perseverance but also of yoga’s saving grace. Yoga means
union with God and that’s why yoga is the heart of our daily practice on retreat. It was so special to see our
mother-daughter pairs unite through yoga. Deborah and Sonhei were ‘flown’ in the air, resting on their daughters
hands and feet just like they did for Lisa and Hannah when they were babies! It was so powerful to see how everyone’s practice blossomed under Caileigh and Alana’s instruction. Through beautifully guided sessions, we learned to tune into the present moment of each posture, be gentle with ourselves and stretch what we thought was possible for mind, body and soul! Doing one Hatha and one restorative session every day allowed us to balance our active side while allowing ourselves to heal as well. Alana reminded us to ‘find our edge’ in so many poses; to stretch into that place where we are a little uncomfortable so that we can grow into our mastery! It was so awesome to see everyone find their edge beyond the mat. Ellen really took this to heart. She had fun while facing her fears on the longest zip line in Nosara and through difficult yoga poses. Zip lining wasn’t the only excursion our retreaters had fun exploring. Our retreaters had an awesome time riding horses on the beach at sunset and surfing on one of the top surfing beaches in the world. It was so cool to see how people who never thought they’d get up on the board were riding waves all the way into shore! We also had a service trip where retreaters got to plant beautiful tropical trees right on the beach and even give them a name! Carolyn and some other retreaters even went local and spent
time hanging with Costa Rican families. Anything is possible here in just one week!
Lisa & Sonhui, Mother & Daughter acro
What I loved about this retreat is the community that formed so effortlessly between different kinds of people of all
ages. Jenna and Marianna didn’t know anyone coming on the retreat but now leave Costa Rica friends for life!
Developing community is built right into the retreat. Everyone ate together which gave us a chance to practice mindful eating. Caileigh and Alana led a nutrition workshop that inspired many retreaters to make changes to their diet and commit to a healthier lifestyle. Bodhi Tree even had vegan deserts which made eating healthy even tastier!
Chris’ sacred touch workshop brought us all together to realize how profound and comforting a massage can be! My sound healing gave everyone a chance to release what did not serve them and tune into the love inside themselves. But I think Jen was right when she said the ‘laughter therapy’ around the table was the best medicine. Laughing around the table and telling stories really was the best part of the trip.
Marianna & Jenna sisterhood through Liberated Hearts
It was amazing to see how in love Kyle and Anna Maria were -after being with each other for only a semester in college-
Kyle & Annamaria
chatting with Ellen and Marv who have been married for over 30 years. Marv said he proposed to Ellen
Marvin & Ellen
after only being together for five months because he knew she was the one. On the last day of our retreat I followed my heart and asked Caileigh to marry me right on the beach. And she said yes!
Brian proposed, Caileigh said, “YES!” During our last night in Costa Rica together as the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
Our seven months together felt like lifetimes and I knew she was the one. I am so happy to have shared one of the most beautiful moments of my life with my new tribe. Costa Rica really is truly magical. We started our week by celebrating Deborah’s birthday and on the last night we had Cathi’s birthday which made my engagement even more special! I can’t say enough about how much I learned about myself and how much fun I had on this retreat. The takeaway for me is that ‘liberated heart’ means being free to follow what you love.
Jenn & Cathi saluting their inner and outer power as the sunsets in Playa Nosara. Happy Birthday, Cathi!
I am so happy everyone had an incredible time practicing yoga, going inward through sound healing and tuning in to the lifestyle that they wanted to take home with them! Caileigh, Alana and I are so grateful for our Liberated Heart tribe and can’t wait to reunite on many more Explorations of Self retreats to come!
Deborah and Hannah, mother daughter love boat!
About the author: Brian is a teacher and healer. He brings the mind, body, heart and soul back into balance through overtone chanting, crystal and tibetan singing bowls and tuning forks.
He has the unique ability to hear oto-acoustic emissions, the natural
frequencies emitted by the body.
His spiritual name “Anahata Nada” means “unstruck sound” and echoes his ability to hear the sounds of the cosmos. Anahata also means heart and speaks to Brian’s passion to help others hear the sound of their heart to guide them on their journey. Follow on instagram @anahatanada333 www.besoundnow.com Contact: bjrusso333@gmail.com
We live in a culture where retreat means defeat. In the West, life is viewed as a competition and we are programmed to believe that if you are not winning you’re losing. We’ve heard it so many times: winning is not everything; it’s the only thing. So can we end up stressed out and spend our time living on a mental and emotional battlefield instead of authentically exploring our self. The masculine bravado and militaristic vibe of our culture has seeped into these words. It’s not by accident. There is a war that is being waged on going inside ourselves. The consumer culture can’t take that because if we all looked within we would learn that happiness is inside of us and we really wouldn’t be compelled to fill the void with useless products.
So, in this exploration of self, we are not called to force our way in. We are called to retake. Sure, we have re-take what ‘surrender’ and ‘retreat’ can mean, but we can do so peacefully. We have to fall back. When we fall back, we are vulnerable. This is the last thing the culture teaches and tells us that vulnerability leaves us open to attack. But vulnerability is going inside and taking an honest look about who we are and what we feel. And in that nakedness, we discover that we reject the struggle and the dog-eat-dog world and resent having to cling to it out of the necessity that our survival is at stake.
On retreat, we learn that we don’t have to cling to it! Meditation, yoga and sound healing create the space to silence the clamor of our minds and align us with our true nature. But we have to surrender to get there! What we are surrendering from is the way we think we ought to be and what we should do. In the clarity and understanding of our true nature, we naturally flow. We don’t have to think. There is just a knowing. That’s the beauty of it!
To retreat;
it is a quiet and relaxing space where we can feel the truth and beauty of our being. It’s in retreat that we lose the false ego that makes us fight outwardly to avoid the unrest we feel inwardly. By flowing with rest, we see that it was the unrest that made us fight and force in our lives in the first place! Enjoying our journey requires surrendering our false ego –that aspect of our being that runs programs contrary to our highest and best self. And when we do that, we reveal our true nature that is already there because we feel it from that quiet place of clarity and understanding. Surrender is tough for the false part of ourselves because it does not want to let go of the stories that keep fueling the patterns that don’t serve us. The catch is that the false ego has to turn itself in – or should I say inward – and see how it is sabotaging our greatest good by causing suffering based on craving, delusions and many other mental and emotional patterns.
The solution is simple. No matter what comes up, surrender. Your false ego can lay so many traps for your mind because it knows you so well. So let yourself be caught. Sit there. Don’t avoid it. Let the feelings come up to be known and cleared. Stop running from it. Once your thought or emotion has nothing to take from you, it has no power over you. It has no fuel to sustain itself. By virtue of your soul sovereignty, your essence cannot be taken away. You are eternal conscious light and love. So the only thing that you can surrender is what does not serve you –and then you are left with what you have always been – light and love. Surrender removes everything that obscures our light. In offering up our obstacles to the flames, we are transformed.
May you hear the call to retreat, so that your life may answer with all the joy, beauty and creativity you have to shine!
About the author: Brian is a teacher and healer. He brings the mind, body, heart and soul back into balance through overtone chanting, crystal and tibetan singing bowls and tuning forks.
He has the unique ability to hear oto-acoustic emissions, the natural
frequencies emitted by the body.
His spiritual name “Anahata Nada” means “unstruck sound” and echoes his ability to hear the sounds of the cosmos. Anahata also means heart and speaks to Brian’s passion to help others hear the sound of their heart to guide them on their journey. Follow on instagram @anahatanada333 www.besoundnow.com Contact: bjrusso333@gmail.com
I remember the first time I saw the picture that changed everything for me. It was of a man, somewhere on a seemingly deserted, white sandy beach, doing a one armed cart wheel. His legs were dancing in the brightly painted turquoise sky, and I knew in that moment that there was much, much more to life. There was more to life than the daily grind, and the striving for… what, exactly?
The Spiritual Path is like this. We get these glimpses into the very center of our SOUL and in an instant, we are changed forever. But we are not REALLY changed, we are just coming Home to, the inevitable and unshakeable Truth of our Existence, and who we REALLY ARE; who we were always meant to BE.
photo share @braziltravelbeaches.com
So how do we get so lost?
We wake up, brush our teeth, drink a cup or 2 of coffee, eat breakfast (If we are lucky) go to work or school or both, watch TV, distract, distract, more distraction. We spend money, consume, go into debt to make more money, and spend more money to get out of debt as debt consumes our lives. We end up angry, resentful, gaunt, and ultimately the lack of motivation to do anything is gone, and yet we keep going. We keep going as if we were somehow animated through wire and chord. We become caged in our thoughts, animated by our emotions, reactive, depressed, and spun out. We begin to think that THIS is the norm.
Photo by Kristopher Allison
I remember the first time I saw the picture that changed everything for me, because it TOUCHED my Soul. Somewhere deep down in the core of my being, I felt like a tapestry that was just coming to life and woven by the Divine. Unlike the feeling of chord and plug, I felt powered by something far GREATER, far Superior to woman/man made (Though woman and man has made some really incredible things.) I can hardly describe it, as Spirit goes, It is ineffable. I do know that I couldn’t turn away or go back to sleep.
By the New Year of 2012 I had broken a lease, went on a leave of absence at work, finished a semester in college with notice that I would be taking at least one if not two semesters off. By February of 2012, I was living and back packing through my sacred heart’s home. India. Though my flesh isn’t from this INCREDIBLE land, my soul most definitely is.
By New Year’s of 2013 I became a full time yoga teacher & I started to fully allow my rainbow colored tapestry to become a muse and channel for other hearts’ songs. I woke up every morning asking how I could serve the Divine Energy that changed everything for me, that BREATHED Life back into me (As if it were lost somehow, lol.) Animated by this Divine Spirit, I came to step into my PURPOSE on this Earth. I was GUIDED to combine what inspired me and made me HAPPY in order to take it to the masses so that THEY could be HAPPY; while continuing DEEP inner work to shed the guiles of the ego so that I could be a CLEAR and unencumbered channel for God.
Photo by: Dimitry Kotov
By New Year’s of 2014 I was looking at leading my 3rd yoga retreat in Costa Rica after living on the Nicoya Peninsula of that land for 6 months. I was leaving the man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with in order to marry the MAN/WOMAN that has never and will never leave my side. God/Goddess. In 2014 I began my courtship with Divine. Truly. Though I strayed (Or thought I strayed) from the ULTIMATE Truth of who and what I was, Divine always persisted that I was GREAT. Thank you, Divine, for always BELIEVING in ME! 😉
By New Year’s of 2015 I was incorporated as a full fledged wellness and yoga retreat business, and embarked on the most important business of all, motherhood. This was the year of fine tuning my skills. I registered for an Integrative Nutrition school that I had been wanting to go to for many years, but was too afraid to believe in myself enough to do it. This was the year of staying in touch with my dreams, whilst recognizing what didn’t serve me (Attachment to anything that was material and changeable.) It was surrendering selfishness in order to be able to serve my daughter and my Dharma.
Photo by: Jordan Sanchez
By New Year’s of 2016 I was sitting alone in a hotel suite. I was taking time for myself, ringing in not only the New Year, but my 30th birthday, 7 months pregnant with my daughter, and fully open to learning more from Divine. “However can I serve YOU and this Planet,” was my daily morning prayer and invocation. I spent time mapping out my life on a Vision Board and hours meditating on what I was grateful for (Everything) and what I desired to CO-CREATE with the Universe and my daughter. This is a great practice for anyone on a New Year’s Day. I suggest you try it if you haven’t a ritual planned already!
The New Year of 2017 is upon us, with the Solar New Year already among us (Winter Solstice.) My beautiful, nearly 8 month old daughter is sitting in my lap as I finish writing this. I am now fully realizing my dreams, traveling the world and teaching what I believe will help AWAKEN individuals to their HIGHEST Potentials in this incarnation. I am so, SO grateful for what is to come, because in my experience, what the Universe DELIVERS is far Superior to what I can even imagine in my BIGGEST DREAMS!
Photo share Kristopher Allison
What LIT you up and INSPIRED you in 2016? What were your happiest moments, and what challenges did you over come? What do you want to DREAM into being in the New Year of 2017? How can I help in praying for you to fulfill this? How can I help guide and support you? Leave comments below…
A New Year’s 30 Day Warrior Woman Course to LIVING YOUR DREAMS starts soon. Stay tuned to the, “Self Heal with Alana,” Facebook page or email SelfHealwithAlana@gmail.com for information. Come away with the Explorations of Self Tribe and me to fully be present with yourself and to unwind from the daily grind on one or more of these incredible Wellness Retreats, information at www.explorationsofself.com or email explorationsofself@gmail.com
In deep DEVOTION and AWE of this WILDLY ABUNDANT UNIVERSE,
I go in PEACE & JOY,
Alana
Namaste, soul family
BIO : Alana Roach is a International Yogi currently based out of Annapolis, MD. Formerly adorned by the city lights and the busy streets of America, she was then whisked away by the illustrious path of yoga and took to traveling the world to share it with others. A few years back she started to write about the transformation she undertook by practicing conscious meditation. Her passions became her career and she now holds RYS Teacher Trainings & International Retreats, Health Coaches, and writes every opportunity she gets. In her spare time she loves cuddling with her daughter, surfing, being in nature, and living amongst her ever growing and global loving and conscious community. She is on Facebook , Instagram,Twitter, and can be reached by email explorationsofself@gmail.com & for health coaching at SelfHealwithAlana@gmail.com
We hope that this holiday note touches your heart.
The expectations we put on ourselves and others during the holidays can leave us feeling exhausted, guilty, resentful, and stressed out. The old tapes of, “I don’t have enough,” or, “I don’t measure up,” start re-playing in our mind.
With our Costa Rica retreat just two months away, we want to share with you why Nosara, Costa Rica is one of the most vibrant, healthy and beautiful places on Earth!
Our retreat takes place at the Bodhi Tree Resort in Nosara on the Nicoya Peninsula. The entire region is a protected wildlife area and remains one of the most pristine places on the planet!
Nosara has one of the greatest numbers of centenarians in the world based on it population. It is one of best of “blue zones” on the planet where people live the longest. My first thought was “What are they doing and how can I do it? The answer came in the form of food, fun, movement and nature!
The food in Nosara is not only fueling but the most delicious you’ll ever try! The fruits and veggies are healthy and huge! In the USA, we only see such big produce when it’s genetically engineered. In Nosara, the fruits and veggies are not only 100% organic but they are also the freshest. In U.S. supermarkets, they are shipped frozen or chocked full of preservatives. So, it’s really refreshing to bite into a juicy mango that’s been plucked off the tree in Nosara!
While we walked through, my talented and handsome companion took these beautiful pictures www.lancelaurence.com
Good food is a huge part of the equation but it is the spirit of the people that will make you fall in love with this corner of the world! The people are warm-hearted and happy to lend a hand or point out directions. The people work hard but know how to have fun too. Whether its traditional festivals or just sitting around playing cards and laughing, there’s a lot of joy here! The people of Nosara are hardworkers but work is far more pleasant in paradise. No need to stop working at 65 like in the States. You’ll find the centenarians here are still out in the fields doing manual labor! But they don’t bemoan still working because they have the vitality to do it! After all, it’s the movement of their daily activities that give them such a long lifespan! The centenarians say that having a “plan de vida,” or reason to live makes them feel needed and gives them a sense of purpose that often centers on their family.
Fresh and local fruit and vegetables! I am in heaven![costaricantimes.com]The health and wellness puzzle of Nosara would not be complete without the piece of nature. It’s not just humans that call Nosara and the Nicoya Peninsula home, over 100 tropical species from parrots and monkeys to anteaters and iguanas roam freely in this land. The locals share the land and it’s their love for the land that is the biggest secret to their longevity. Mutual support sustains the people, plants and animals in a well-balanced harmony. The land provides so much and teaches us to align with our spiritual self. We feel so connected to that deeper part of ourselves here just by breathing in the air and feeling the sun’s rays.
The energy of Nosara is palpable. You can feel it just by walking through the rainforest canopy or lying on a white sand beach. Many visitors say they do not need to sleep or eat nearly as much in Nosara as the energy of the place sustains them. This magical aspect of the land makes it a perfect place to practice yoga, self-reflect or sing and dance with community!
The more we experience Nosara, the more we find to love! Scuba-diving, surfing, waterfall hikes, awesome people and nearly year-round sunny days truly makes this paradise shine!
But to really explore the Nicoya peninsula, you have to experience it firsthand! Just a few spots left for our retreat of a lifetime this January at the Bodhi Tree Resort. Come join us for world-class yoga, sound healing, food and adventure at the most beautiful resort in the most beautiful place in the world. See you soon!
About the author: Brian is a teacher and healer. He brings the mind, body, heart and soul back into balance through overtone chanting, crystal and tibetan singing bowls and tuning forks.
He has the unique ability to hear oto-acoustic emissions, the natural
frequencies emitted by the body.
His spiritual name “Anahata Nada” means “unstruck sound” and echoes his ability to hear the sounds of the cosmos. Anahata also means heart and speaks to Brian’s passion to help others hear the sound of their heart to guide them on their journey. Follow on instagram @anahatanada333 www.besoundnow.com Contact: bjrusso333@gmail.com
I am not sure where I am going, but I do know that I am doing everything in this moment to prepare for it. A few days ago my iCloud was completely wiped clear. This was by accident of course. However, I don’t believe in accidents. I believe I am starting the next chapter of my life. The chapter of motherhood and severance of the past in connection to any trauma, wounds, and insecurities. I am stepping into my buddha-hood as my masks fall off, because it is my birthright to do so. In your own story, I know you are beginning your own new life chapter, too. This full moon is calling that newness to us all.
I had no idea that becoming a yoga teacher would lead me here. I just got back from leading an 8 day yoga and sound healing retreat in The Sacred Valley of Peru with my daughter and dear friends from my soul family. I get to travel the world doing what I love with the people that I love. People who lift me up and look at my dreams as something they want to put stock into; and I believe in them with all of my heart. Together we are carrying a message of inspiration, hope, and love & let me tell you, we are on a mission. Together is the key here. My soul sisters and brothers, we have to stick together in this new age to bring in the new era of harmony and peace. This will take extreme unbiased reason from the heart. This is a call to action, and one not to be taken lightly.
@trinachristian
I am a single mother of a 6 month old rainbow child. When I first thought I wanted to be a mother 10 years ago, I never envisioned that I would be doing it with out a husband or partner. What I have gained is witnessing a community of people from all over the world who love her as if she were their own. So I have lost my initial view of what this was supposed to look like, but we have gained so much more. Building community inspires trust, reliance, and compassion. She is my biggest inspiration to keep moving forward on my path of self love and unrelenting love for others (Despite emotions evoked within any given moment from self or other. Remember, we are not this, we are much more than the ever fluctuating thoughts and emotions.) I will never give up on myself or my world wide community, because she and the new generation deserve warrior role models of radical change stemming from LOVE.
I know the road can feel broken sometimes, and perhaps this road block will be impasse’. I have been there. In fact I go there in my mind at least once a week lately. It is important to remember how powerful you are in times like these, because your dreams… they need you to make them come true.
Book mark this article to refer back to when you are having one of those,”Pull the covers over your head,” moments. Quotes to remind you of how incredibly competent you are in fulfilling your dreams:
1.
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Steve Jobs
2.
” You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi
3.
“You must not let your life run in the ordinary way; do something that nobody else has done, something that will dazzle the world. Show that God’s creative principle works in you.” Paramahansa Yogananda
4.
“Do not waste the precious moments of this, your present reality, seeking to unveil all of life’s secrets. Those secrets are a secret for a reason. Grant your God the benefit of the doubt. Use your NOW moment for the Highest Purpose- the creation and the expression of WHO YOU REALLY ARE. Decide who you are- who you want to be-and then do everything in your power to be that.
It is not nearly so important how well a message is received as how well it is sent. You cannot take responsibility for how well another accepts your truth; you can only ensure how well it is communicated. And by how well, I don’t mean merely how clearly; I mean how lovingly, how compassionately, how sensitively, how courageously, and how completely.
If you think your life is about DOINGNESS, you do not understand what you are about. Your soul doesn’t care what you do for a living-and when your life is over, neither will you. Your soul cares only about what you’re BEING while you’re doing whatever you’re doing. It is a state of BEINGNESS the soul is after, not a state of doingness.” Neale Donald Walsh
5.
You have to use the winds to remove the clouds that cover your Spirit, the wind of the Holy Ghost. Shri Mataji Nirmala Deva
So, keep dancing ever so wildly towards to heart’s calling. As rumi said,
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”
The ritual: Be sure to go out under the full moon light this evening and say these affirmations or make your own. If you feel moved to, write down what you want to release from your past, what you are grateful for, and what you story you want to create. Re-read what you wrote, and then burn (With a bowl of water near by) or bury your offering.
Namaste, soul family
BIO : Alana Roach is a International Yogi currently based out of Annapolis, MD. Formerly adorned by the city lights and the busy streets of America, she was then whisked away by the illustrious path of yoga and took to traveling the world to share it with others. A few years back she started to write about the transformation she undertook by practicing conscious meditation. Her passions became her career and she now holds RYS Teacher Trainings & International Retreats, Health Coaches, and writes every opportunity she gets. In her spare time she loves cuddling with her daughter, surfing, being in nature, and living amongst her ever growing and global loving and conscious community. She is on Facebook , Instagram,Twitter, and can be reached by email explorationsofself@gmail.com
What thought did you have right before you began reading this? What were you feeling? Why did you click on this blog to read it? Now have you actually asked yourself these questions or are you still reading. Ha. That’s what I thought. Because I would have done the same thing. I didn’t do that to be cute or clever. I did it to point out that our minds are always moving so fast that we lose all direction of where we are going. It’s like the man who is driving a car and finds himself far away from his destination because he got sidetracked by a thought.
So, before we move on, I’ll ask again. How are you right now? Are you present? Are you ready for what you are about to read? I hope you are because I am going to address your soul.
Arto Marttinen Jokkmokk, Sweden
Dear Soul, I’m grateful and joyful to be in your presence! I’ll be honest. I feel like the person reading this is bound to pay more attention knowing that I am addressing the deepest aspect of their being. Now that I have the reader’s attention, I will go back to where we started: Being present. We are so quick to move on to the meal of the next moment that we have not digested the one we were eating! So let us slow down into the stillness, the fertile soil where the soul growth happens.
Good. Now we are ready to dive deep! So, why did I call this piece “0 Steps to soul growth”? It’s simple. Because whatever answer we seek comes to us when we listen to the stillness. We don’t need to take any steps! We just need to go inward and let the stillness moves us. We feel into the moment without thought and suddenly we find ourselves
averie woodard Denton, United States
thinking the thought or feeling the feeling that grows our soul! So many “5 steps to this” or “10 ways to that” articles just lead us into more doing when what we really need to do is more being.
Take me for example. I am just sitting here letting the words flow. I do not need to think about what I am writing. I am simply playing my instrument and allowing the sounds that want to play to flow forth. This flow is the heart of soul growth! I can elaborate on it all I want, but there is no clearer understanding of soul growth then what is happening in my writing right now. It’s pure en-write-enment! I am connecting with the Source in a beautiful effortless way to embody what I am and what I love.
The foundation that guides me is understanding my soul connection to the Source. So what is the Source and how do we connect with it? The Source is Spirit. The Source is the Absolute. The Source is God. It’s the great universal force of energy that goes beyond all words and concepts.
To bring some clarity to the Source and are relation to it, we can distinguish a difference between Spirit and Soul.
Spirit is the part of you that is undifferentiated and totally one with the Source.
Soul is a differentiated part of Spirit that experiences through your physical body.
Mathias Reed
We are both Spirit and Soul simultaneously. In this great interconnection, we find that our souls are constantly playing and creating from the infinite diversity that springs forth from the oneness of Spirit. It’s the oneness of Spirit that we all share that allows our souls to create from the one space of infinite potential.
We may think we are limited in our physical bodies but the Truth is that we are endowed with the unlimited potential of Spirit. We are enabled by creator to create! One purpose of this grand process is that Spirit learns and evolves through experiencing itself as us. Not only is Spirit aware of itself as us but it is also the environment in which our story plays out. Talk about a multi-dimensional experience! From our perspective, our souls journey
Biel Morro
on the path of expansion; connection, purpose and expression into the vast possibility of being that we can explore. Our souls may wear the clothes of density or shed them for the nakedness of light. Whatever we decide, it is the exploration of self!
Every moment, the quality of our being is determining the path of our soul through Spirit. Most of us have reincarnated many times and we are here on this planet for many reasons. The growth that we desire in our heart of hearts happens when we simply be here now! Soul growth is spontaneous when we do what we love. We find ourselves surrounded by the people and places that nourish us our path! Just as our bodies grow when we provide them with fruits and greens, our souls flourish when we receive and radiate love and light! Circling back to the beginning, we remember that growth happens from within us.
Jeremy Bishop Haleiwa, United States
When we tune into the stillness, we are guided in the direction of our destiny. This is the destination of this piece of writing. You are already are where you are going; you just have to stop and ask for directions!
About the author: Brian is a teacher and healer. He brings the mind, body, heart and soul back into balance through overtone chanting, crystal and tibetan singing bowls and tuning forks.
He has the unique ability to hear oto-acoustic emissions, the natural
frequencies emitted by the body.
His spiritual name “Anahata Nada” means “unstruck sound” and echoes his ability to hear the sounds of the cosmos. Anahata also means heart and speaks to Brian’s passion to help others hear the sound of their heart to guide them on their journey. Follow on instagram @anahatanada333 www.besoundnow.com Contact: bjrusso333@gmail.com
What does it take to become a freelance entrepreneur and/or a digital nomad? What IS a digital nomad? Both offer the same thing. Freedom to work for either yourself or other businesses from any location in the world. As long as you have a competent digital office, you are able to become a freelance entrepreneur and/or a digital nomad. Within this past year, I made the jump to being a part time digital nomad, to a FULL time freelance entrepreneurial digital nomad, and let me tell you, it feels so GOOD! I still work hard, but I work from where ever I damn well please, and that makes working taste so delicious.
Are you freelance/digital nomad material?
photo by: Aaron Burden
If the following resonates, there is a good chance that you are ready to take this leap.
You could be online all day and night and still crave the sweet glow of an iMac screen, while enjoying your favorite kombucha. As long as you have your computer, headphones, and a delicious beverage, you are as happy as a clam whilst whistling away in your own digital cloud bubble. Mmm, technology, snacks, and a warm environment are your idea of a comfortable day.
You love meeting fellow workers at co-working spaces. Meeting others of like minds is such a treat for you. You love sharing space with those who are fast at digital work and occasionally like to take breaks to share fun tips to enhance your lifestyle while also taking a moment to share their life’s story and a bit of humor.
You get a rise out of sharing battle stories of traveling abroad. It’s happened to the best of us. One day you are perusing the streets of New Dehli, and the next thing you know you are doubled over in nausea from the street food you daringly tried because you… you are invincible. The next few days you feel like you’ve taken a couple tabs of acid and you can’t stop throwing up in those awesome holes in the ground. Laugh now. You certainly weren’t then.
Your laptop is always in the back of your mind. Especially when you are socializing. You take the evening off to hang out with your guest house mates from across the hall. You begin to get a little compulsive about your laptops safety. It might be nice to feel the lightness of not carrying a backpack this evening with your digital office, but you do it anyway. You are a part of your laptop, and it is a part of you.
You feel more secure not knowing where you will be in a couple of months. You enjoy going with the flow. Making plans too far out is not attractive unless there is a digital price tag attached to it, and even then you make it clear, “I work from location.” My location.
You get a thrill out of watching others cringe at your lifestyle. Even though they secretly wish they could do it, too. The secret it… they can.
You have a, “Don’t quit until it’s possible,”outlook on life. Living this way requires that. You enjoy not following the crowd. You dance to the beat of your own drum. You keep forging ahead to create the life YOU desire, which is free, and unencumbered by 4 walls and a nagging boss.
You enjoy traveling light. As Yogi Bhajan said, “Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light.” You would not have it any other way. This is your outlook on life.
You tear up a little when you are typing away from a hammock that overlooks white sands and blue seas. Are you kidding me? This is my office? You feel like you have discovered a hidden secret to life, and by simply doing what comes naturally, you are inspired to create more situations that make this lifestyle possible.
The idea of a white picket fence nearly causes you to faint. It’s fine for your peers, but not for you. You can’t do that life. Your ideal mate is a free spirit as well. If kids are in the picture, they are living the nomadic lifestyle with you. You all energetically spray paint big red NO signs on this white picket fence. Maybe next lifetime.
BIO : Alana Roach is a International Yogi currently based out of Annapolis, MD. Formerly adorned by the city lights and the busy streets of America, she was then whisked away by the illustrious path of yoga and took to traveling the world to share it with others. A few years back she started to write about the transformation she undertook by practicing conscious meditation. Her passions became her career and she now holds RYS Teacher Trainings & International Retreats, Health Coaches, and writes every opportunity she gets. In her spare time she loves cuddling with her daughter, surfing, being in nature, and living amongst her ever growing and global loving and conscious community. She is on Facebook , Instagram,Twitter, and can be reached by email explorationsofself@gmail.com
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” Steve Jobs
So, there we have it. We have an inner calling to become a…
but how do we achieve success despite the reality of our bank accounts or the prospect that we will have to leave our now secure job in order to run our own business.
Despite our greatest financial fears, we take the leap of faith.
A leap that is sure to be full of high and low roads ahead… but we are happy. For the first time in our lives we are truly fulfilled in what we are doing, because we believe in it. We are no longer working laboriously towards someone else’s dream, because we are now the dictator of our own, and that feels so right.
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I, like you, was at this crossroads 5 years ago. I was working full time to support my college education and living expenses. All of that work was fine except when the question of, “Well, what do you want to do with your college degree,” came up, I would say, “I wish I could get a masters in teaching yoga (I understand that is possible these days, but at that point, it was not.) Plus, that is not all I envisioned. I wanted to travel, teaching yoga and other eastern healing modalities like Ayurveda, while writing about it. This was the only thing I felt excited about it. So, you guessed it. After a 3 month trip to India, where I took a break from the rat race lifestyle, I decided to take the plunge.
Yes, I was scared. Terrified. I have taken a ride on the emotional roller coaster while
making the detailed decisions to cut the strings of my old path, to make way for the new.
I do not come from money. The family I was raised in was taught that money was always lacking, and this is just how things were for us. I understand why my family felt this way, but I chose to re-write that s tory. It has taken a lot of inner re-wiring on my behalf. I am talking years of continual (Still working on this) inner work. It has also taken making the, “Abundance Lifestyle Mentality,” a spiritual practice. If you really want to make it in the field of your choice, especially if you are a pioneer in this field, you have to be smart and do your research on what works. I could write a book on this paragraph alone.
So how do we overcome the hindrance of money to live our dreams?
What stories are you telling yourself?
I don’t have what it takes.
I am not good enough.
I am not where I want to be.
These are all examples of the lack mentality. We have all had moments where we feel less than, afraid, and stuck. When we feel this way, we can get stuck in the endless loop of the negative script. A script that we are writing. If we are constantly walking around saying things like, “I am sorry,” we are affirming that we are in a sorry vibration.
The good news is, is that we have the ability to change our vibratory state by simply catching these thoughts in action, and choosing something else. Something up-lifting. This is simple, but not easy! It takes discipline. It takes doing it when you may not feel like it. It takes courage to shake things up within our patterns. This is where what distinguishes successful, happy, and wealth people from the rest. You can do it.
Repeat after me.
I have what it takes.
I am enough.
I have enough.
I am blessed to be where I am.
I attract what I desire with ease.
I am abundant.
I am happy.
I am… _____
2. Feel fulfilled in the here and now.
This is a bit of an off shoot of #1. It is important. We can get so wrapped up in what we do not have, that it creates a negative loop in the mind that says, “I don’t have enough,” “I need to stock up now, because I may not have the means to in the future,” “I have over spent my paycheck and I can’t pay my bills.” Do you see how this can keep a lack mentality fed?
You have the ability to budget wisely. You can catch yourself before spending that money on something that is not a necessity, and save it for passive income. Budgeting is an essential tool for living your dreams. While building our businesses and creating our empire, we need to make our money work hard for us. For most of us, that tends to be a smaller amount of money in the beginning, but over time, this financial discipline reaps many rewards. The biggest reward being financial freedom.
A lot of us can feel like restrictive spending is punishment. This is an old tape that a lot of us subconsciously play. If we say to ourselves, I have all that I need in the here and now, we will spend money on things that we really do need, instead of things that we do not.
3. Be grateful for what you have.
This simple exercise changed my life the moment I implemented it. This was something that made HUGE shifts in my thinking processes and drew in the rights people, places, and things at just the right time. I know you have heard it before, but this can not be stressed enough.
Be Grateful For What You Have.
Commit to a 28 day practice of writing down at least 10 things you are grateful for and why you are grateful for them. Take a moment to review your list, pausing after each one to close your eyes and breath deeply to really feel this gratitude. To drum up the sensations of gratitude on days where you feel that your tank is empty, bring to mind a person, place, or thing that instantly makes you all warm and fuzzy inside. Use this energy to bring into your field of gratitude and say, Thank you, thank you, thank you.
4. Stop comparing yourself to others.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson
There is no one else in the world exactly like you. You are a unique fractal of this Universe. Whatever your belief system, the awareness around the specialness of you must stay at the forefront of your mission of walking, living, breathing, and fulfilling your dreams.
Be patient with yourself and have a clear vision of where you want to be in 1 month, 6 months, a year, 5 years, and beyond.
Trust that you have a unique expression and that it matters to the world that you fulfill your destiny of pursuing your dreams.
Trust that we all have this unique capacity to live our heart’s song.
There should be no competition in this.
“A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.”
If we have big dreams, we need to take big action. This doesn’t all have to happen in one day, and in fact, that is where I see a lot of people make mistakes. I see it all the time. Clients I work with become inspired. They go full steam ahead for a few days, maybe a week, or a few months, but then they burn out. Instead of taking a few small steps every day, they take huge leaps without building a firm foundation. They then get impatient with the progress, and become discouraged. They stop all progress all together an give up.
Never give up.
Yes, follow your dreams without hesitation, but do grow your roots deeply into the earth while blossoming your beautiful array of vibrant and blossoming branches.
I promise you that any small action on a daily basis matters immensely to your cause, and the harvest is coming, and in this moment the harvest is the fact that you are taking steps to do what YOU were born to do. Wow.
I am so inspired by you.
Thank you for having the courage to read this and to continue on the path to an abundant lifestyle of your dreams.
BIO : Alana Roach is a International Yogi currently based out of Annapolis, MD. Formerly adorned by the city lights and the busy streets of America, she was then whisked away by the illustrious path of yoga and took to traveling the world to share it with others. A few years back she started to write about the transformation she undertook by practicing conscious meditation. Her passions became her career and she now holds RYS Teacher Trainings & International Retreats, Health Coaches, and writes every opportunity she gets. In her spare time she loves cuddling with her daughter, surfing, being in nature, and living amongst her ever growing and global loving and conscious community. She is on Facebook , Instagram,Twitter, and can be reached by email explorationsofself@gmail.com
Fierce grace is finding golden opportunities in life’s silver linings. Fierce grace demands that we transform ourselves by seeing our setbacks as launching pads! When we greet the fierce grace in any area of our life, we are driven beyond any fear or complacency to embrace the raw beauty present to us in every moment.