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Creative Explorations

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“I want to become a Yoga Teacher.” Questions from an aspiring teacher.

October 5, 2018 //  by Alana Roach//  Leave a Comment

Are you curious about becoming a full time yoga teacher? 

The following is a Q & A featuring the interviewer, Jenny Michele, business professional from Baltimore, MD and the interviewed, founder of Explorations of Self, Alana Victoria Roach as she explains what her journey has been like since she got her yoga teacher training certificate in 2011.

–

What were you looking to accomplish when you started your career teaching yoga?

World peace and healing for all.

What are you looking to accomplish now regarding your career? The same thing.

How many hours did you work per week when you started? I taught anywhere between 15-25 hours a week after teaching for just a few short months.

After becoming certified, was it a struggle to find work? No. I was driven and the Universe co-conspired with me to bring in teaching gigs. I have taught everywhere from studios to college credited courses to retirement communities to kids yoga. You name it, I’ve done it. If you’re open to deepening your own skills as a teacher, and driven to find the work, you will flourish as a teacher. You must be willing to put in the action, though!

How many hours per week do you work now?Depends on what I have going on. Ideal work week is about 15 hours a week, but there have been weeks where I am crunching for a promo or teaching a festival or leading a retreat where I have to be on all the time so you’re talking 12 hour days, BUT, I love what I do and I don’t consider it work necessarily. It’s just disciplined action to achieve goals, help others, enjoy abundance, and play!

How did you build a following? Getting emails from every class I taught. Always ask if people want to sign up for your email list. Talking to your students before and after class. Maintaining your social media presence. Have a website to direct people to.

How did you network? Teaching everywhere I could.

How did you push through fears? Just do it. Once you start it, the fear subsides and you become a conduit for the Divine. It’s all about service.

Were there poses you could not do when you started? Yes! Your practice will grow as you teach. You have to remain a student of yoga when you become a teacher. A wise mentor once told me to, practice as much as you teach. It makes you human to your students when you can’t do all of the poses, but I would suggest to teach what you know. As you grow in your practice, teach what you learn.

I recently read the ” 7 Truths About Being A Yoga Teacher That No One Will Ever Tell You” by Edward Vilga and he wrote that centers insist teachers follow a strictly vegetarian diet.. Is this a truth for you? I LOVE a vegetarian diet, don’t get me wrong, but, no. I suggest you fuel your body with medicinal food. That means cutting out processed junk and fueling yourself with really good whole foods. I eat a largely vegan diet but in recent years have learned to listen to my body, which sometimes, craves fish, steak, chicken. I suggest students listen to their bodies. Eat organic. If you eat fish, make sure it’s organic and wild caught. Don’t eat too much of it. If you eat meat, make sure it’s grass fed and was not treated with hormones. Don’t eat too much of it. Fill the rest of your diet with organic (Local if possible) produce and cut out the processed junk all together. You’ll live a healthy and happy life if you do this. I am an advocate for being vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and carnivorous, just as long as it’s benefiting the person eating it while keeping the animals and the environment in mind. I always thank my food, where it came from, the sunshine, soil, farm, handlers, you name it, I thank it BEFORE I consume. I pray over my food to lift the energy of the ritual. Whatever you eat, you take in the energy of that thing. Sending your food good vibes and gratitude helps to commune with that food and that creates vibrancy and synergy within your body. I am also an advocate for eating mostly vegan because the Earth needs it now more than ever.

What inspires you to keep going? The feeling I get every time I teach. The incredible testimonials I receive after I lead a yoga retreat or teach an event or class. The outpour of people who say how inspired they are because I’ve created a business that was founded on passion, belief, happiness, love, purpose, and faith. The inner knowing I have that I am meant to trail blaze a lifestyle that is meant to inspire others to live a life that dreams are made of.

I want people to feel good, dive deep within themselves, and ask this question on a daily basis, “Am I following my heart?” That is what keeps me going.

It’s not a choice. It’s my PURPOSE. When you follow what you love, the Universe will support you to create it. Trust the process and don’t give up!

Do you still lift and do other types of work outs?  Absolutely. I have been cross training for almost a decade. Lately I have been really intro HITT and Crossfit style work outs that leave out the Olympic Lifting for the most part and have a big focus on form to avoid injury. Cross training keeps my body strong and balances out my 6 day a week yoga practice. I cross train at least 3 days a week.

What is your least favorite part of the training/ job? The spiritual ego!

What is your favorite part of the training /job? Helping others find true inner peace, good health, happiness, purpose, and connection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author:

Alana Roach

Owner & Director of the Explorations of Self Travel Community

Mother, Yogi, Business Owner, Dharma and Meditation Instructor, Surfer, Artist, Singer, Life and Nutrition Coach, Social Media Marketing, Lover or LIFE.

Category: Creative Explorations, Yoga

Do Date a Girl Who Travels

October 5, 2018 //  by Alana Roach//  Leave a Comment

“SHE’S MAD BUT SHE’S MAGIC

THERE IS NO LIE IN HER FIRE”

Do date a girl who travels. Stroke her messy, unkempt, sun-bleached hair when she’s asleep and you’ll feel her whole being unfold in your arms.

Trace the map of her wounds, scars and wrinkles with your fingertips until you know it by heart and you’ll understand her story. It’s not easy to follow and there are more exclamation and question marks than full stops and commas, but it’s worth reading for not a single word is empty of meaning.

Do date a girl who travels and you won’t be bored. She’ll make you close your eyes, jump out of a plane, talk to strangers, watch the moon, climb rocks, hike mountains, dance barefoot, chat until sunrise, skinny dip, sing karaoke. She won’t be easy to keep up with. She won’t be easy to please. But every day you’ll be grateful for her endless energy, free spirit and infectious zest for life for it will make you live fearlessly, mindfully, blissfully.


Do date a girl who travels. You won’t need to buy her expensive dinners or gifts. You won’t need to prove you’re worth her. Walk with her, hold her hand, talk to her, laugh with her. Keep it simple. Be genuine and never try to impress her with anything else but who you are and who you’re working on being. And remember that she won’t be fooled. She’s seen it all.

Do date a girl who travels for she will show you the world you never knew existed. The world where the sky is no limit. The world of dreams made into reality. The world where willpower and determination are the only prerequisites for success. Success which is not measured by fame or material possessions, but by finding your purpose and living your truth and passions. The world often stripped of order, logic and analytical thinking, but full of intuitive decisions, spontaneous changes and internal conviction. Do date a girl who travels for she’ll knock out all the walls you’ve built around yourself and find her way to places you’d never let anyone into.

Do date a girl who travels. She won’t need you. She won’t be scared of losing you. She’ll be with you because she choses to. Because life is simply better with you. Trust her. Learn when to follow her and when to let her go. If you manage to touch her soul, she’ll be back. And when she is, hold her so tight that all the beautiful, wobbly, faulty, mismatched pieces of her stick together. And every day you’ll thank the universe for bringing her your way.

This post is a rebuttal to “Don’t Date a Girl Who Travels” available

here: https://medium.com/@adizarsadias/dont-date-a-girl-who-travels-802c49b9141c

 

 

Author: Magda Procner 

Yoga Teacher, Retreat Guide for Peru, Found @ Mags Yoga

You can read more about her on her websites: www.magsyoga.com 

And follow her on Instagram: @Magsyoga

 

Category: Creative Explorations, Fashion and Beauty, LifestyleTag: nomad, selflove mindfulness, Travel, traveler, traveling, wanderlust, year spiritual

Memories From Our January 2018 Costa Rica Yoga Retreat!

January 23, 2018 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

This year’s “Liberated Heart,” A Costa Rica Yoga & Healing Retreat was absolutely astounding. The bonds that were created there among the old mango trees and ocean-vibes were life-changing. Joseph Adams, Alana Quattro, myself, and my little nugget 21 month old journeyed to the land of Pura Vida early so that we could get our feet on the ground a bit before welcoming our guests. Traveling to far off destinations is always
filled with a little excitement as there is this quality of the unknown. That’s one of the qualities that makes world travel so great. We gained memories and stories to tell our family and friends for a lifetime. Stories that I am sure will be past down through generations. You never know what kind of foot print your inspiring life will leave.


Once our guests arrived, ate a delicious meal, and got a good night’s sleep, they made their way down from their bungalows to the open air yoga shala to do their first Costa Rica, Explorations of Self Retreat yoga class. You should have seen their faces wash over with a cool, calm serenity as they gazed out over the ocean, breathing and moving with guided asana and pranayama by Alana Roach. One of our guests commented later on how this place was going to change her life and how places like this needed to be a little hard to get to because the land felt so untouched by tourism. If you walk out onto the beaches in this little beach town there are usually 10, MAYBE 15 people enjoying the beach as well.. and these beaches have plenty of room.. a near by 20 minute hike and you are on a deserted beach. Have you ever experienced something like Leonardo DeCaprio’s, “The Beach?” It’s here. I’ve swam into the Pacific Ocean with friends and gazed back at a beach which was untouched, only inhabited only by the palm trees, hermit crabs, wind, and sky…there’s nothing quite like it. That alone is worth the trip. But there’s more..

Our guests went deep within their hearts, bodies, and minds during their afternoon workshops with Joseph Adams and Alana Renee Quattro. There were tears and laughters shared. Everyone was incredibly BRAVE and courageous in their commitment to shed what they felt was blocking their ability to love themselves fully. I was taken back by it.

The food!!! From vegan to pescatarian cuisine, our retreat had it all. The food here was delicious and SO fresh… the breakfast restaurant overlooked the ocean with outdoor seating and a lawn that was reminiscent of The Secret Garden. After we ate, we stretched out on hammocks strewn about the lawn or walked into the sea which was just steps in front of the hammocks. Iguanas as big as cats bobbed their heads just feet away from us, and beach dogs came to bid us a, “Buenos Dias!” Heaven on Earth. The dinners were candle lit, and the service AND food was 5 star. Plates of fresh greens, tuna, phyllo dough encrusted lobster & salmon, vegan stuffed zucchini, and home made vanilla ice cream drizzled with fresh raspberries were just the tip of the iceberg for what we were served EVERY night with the ocean waves lapping just 20 feet away and our feet digging into the sand…

Our guests enjoyed the safety of this funky beach town after dinner and often walked into town, sharing stories of their lives, getting to know each other and yet they all shared the same sentiment out loud to me several times, “I feel like I have known these women all of my life.” I kept hearing, “Thank you for bringing us together, “ and I even received a, “I have been on retreats before but I have never felt a bond like this with the guests and teachers before. We are family.”

Saying goodbye to one another was difficult but we all KNOW we will see each other again soon. Everything was timed perfectly from start to finish. It was indeed, “Divine Timing.”

Alana, Joey, & I thank you from the core of our liberated hearts for journeying with us to Costa Rica and we invite you to journey with us again Jan 12-19, 2019, same place, same time. Email info@explorationsofself.com or send your $365.00 deposit via paypal to explorationsofself@Gmail.com now to reserve your spot!

 

 

So much love, light, and infinite blessings,

Alana Roach

Owner and CEO of Explorations of Self, LLC.

Category: Creative Explorations, My Travel, Travel, Yoga

You Can Thrive.

October 12, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

There was a time in my life when I would have given anything to escape. You know what I mean. When you experience something so devastating that all you want to do is get out. You start to question things and numb out until one day you can’t do it anymore. You reach a breaking point and there are two choices.

 

1.You can thrive

 

2. You can wilt. 

Choosing to thrive takes guts. To thrive is to be ALIVE and show up no matter what. You won’t make a wrong choice when you CHOOSE to face the truth in the right here and the right now. You can not lose here.

Living is FULL of emotion. Full of ups and downs, twists and turns. Don’t live in the why. Live in the how.

How can you do it?

How can you succeed?

How can you LOVE.

How.

How.

How.

Rest assured that this will take time. Your journey was meant to be long and full, dear ones. You are sitting on the precipice of something exquisite and no one can do it but you.

You are so full of potential. So ridiculously SMART. So wise in your animal skin. Awaken to that Truth.

Choose to help another by living fully in this lifetime. Express your unique paint brush and sound unlike anyone else who has come before you.

I dare you.

I dare you to step up and step IN to your POWER. 

With love and so much light and respect for your incredibly journey on this Earth,

I thank you so much for being you.

Sincerely,

Alana Roach

Owner & Director of the Explorations of Self Travel Community

Category: Creative Explorations, Lifestyle, My Travel, Travel, YogaTag: #digitalnomad, #entrepreneur, Costa Rica, destination, dreams, fierce, grace, health, inspiration, meditation, money, mother, motherhood, new, selflove mindfulness, sound healing, spiritual, spring, thrive, Travel, traveler, traveling, wanderlust, wildlife, Yoga

A Yoga & Meditation Practice to Balance Your Throat Chakra during Mercury in Retrograde

August 28, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Hello EOS Community,

This month’s pose is, “Plow Pose,” aka “Halasana,” (In Sanskrit, India’s sacred language of yoga) accompanied with the fifth of the 7 main energy centers in our body called the, “Throat Chakra,” or ,”Vishuddha,”in Sanskrit which translates to, “Especially pure.”

This blue, 16 petaled lotus of the throat chakra is located in your throat.

This energy center governs our ability to speak our inner truth through accepting our authenticity . When balanced, not only will you be able to express yourself with confidence and compassion, but you will also be a great listener.. You will have a sense of personal integrity and honor. Maintaining a regular chakra balancing practice is necessary to cultivate the dance between communicating and listening, which is ESSENTIAL during this month’s Mercury in Retrograde.

Halasana pose helps to nourish our throat chakra by activating our glandular system & directing the life force energy of prana to this center for activation.  If this is your first time in Halasana, or you have a tight back,  grab a chair to place behind your head for the feet to rest on, please do so now. You can also grab a block or a folded up blanket to place under your hips for support in this posture.

Let’s begin.

1. Lie down on your mat after doing some gentle warm ups.

2. Breath in, and draw your knees in towards your chest, holding your knees with your hands, while gently guiding your shoulders and head towards the earth.

3. Allow your entire back body to feel as though it were melting into the earth.

4. On an exhale, allow your feet to draw up towards the sky, keeping your head and shoulders rooted on the earth while breathing deeply, start to lift your lower back off of the earth, either placing a blanket or block underneath of your tailbone or walking your hands towards your mid back, fingers facing upwards. Shimmy your shoulders underneath of your chest a little more, while walking your hands as close to your shoulder blades as possible. Keeping your gaze at your toes or the sky directly above your head, start to breath deeply in and out through your nose while slight constricting the throat.

5. Visualize your throat chakra in the center of your throat as a swirling 16 petaled blue lotus flower. Every breath in you see your flower grow brighter and brighter, and with every exhale you see it spin faster and faster. As it spins, you may notice old energy leaving this energy center as dark and oily drainage. This is completely natural and to be expected during this meditation. Breathe slowly and rhythmically.  Syncing your breath with your visualization will enhance this sadhana or spiritual practice.

6. Stay with the visualization for 15-20 breaths, and then slowly release your hands to use them as breakers while you unwind your spine vertebrae by vertebrae back down to the Earth. Stay in Savasana or Corpse Pose for a few minutes to allow this posture to marinate.

7. Feeling grateful for this time that you have taken to connect with yourself, smile softly, and blink your eyes, slowly coming back into the room to continue on with your day, a little more centered, calm, and happy.

Stay tuned to our weekly emails over the next 3 weeks to journey through yoga asana and the remaining 3 chakras!

Namaste,

Alana

Owner & Director of the Explorations of Self Travel Community

Category: Basic Yoga, Creative Explorations, Integrative Health, Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindful Living, WorkshopTag: dreams, health, inspiration, meditation, mother, retreat, selflove mindfulness, wanderlust, year spiritual, Yoga

A Powerful Sadhana for the Spring Equinox

March 20, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Namaste EOS Community!
 

Happy Spring Equinox!!! This is such an amazing day for this post! The solar plexus chakra is directly in alignment with the new energies we are arriving with in this new Spring season. This is a time to really own our destiny’s work and live out our dreams! It all begins with owning your power with GRACE.

“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.”

-Marianne Williamson

So, in lieu of planting our seeds of our deepest desires and hopes, this week’s practice will include “Cobra Pose,” aka “Bhujangasana,” (In Sanskrit, India’s sacred language of yoga) accompanied with the third of the 7 main energy centers in our body called the, “Solar Plexus Chakra,” or ,”Manipura,”in Sanskrit which translates to, “Jeweled City.”

This yellow, ten petaled lotus solar plexus chakra is located in your abdomen, right above the navel.

This energy center governs our self confidence, well-being and personal power. Are you ready to really go after what you desire? What is your destiny? This is the center that reminds us that all of these things and more are possible. When this center is out of balance, one can become angry, depressed, and suffer from an over all low self-esteem. On the other end of the spectrum. Maintaining a regular solar plexus chakra balancing practice is necessary to feel motivated in pursuing your passions

 

As we enter the Pisces/Virgo full moon on March 12th, we  prepare to let go of that which no longer serves us, in order to planet new seeds for the Spring Equinox on March 20th. So, in order to get clear on what we WANT, and also to become ready to let go of what we do not, it is essential that we take the time to become centered through yoga and mindfulness practices

Cobra pose allows us to develop flexibility and strength in our lower back, while nurturing the lumbar spine.

***

Let’s get started!

1. Come on to your mat with your belly facing down.
 
2. Place your forehead on the mat and draw your hands underneath of your shoulders, palms facing down, fingers wide.
 
3. Allow your pelvis to stay neutral. Guiding the bottom tip of your tailbone towards the earth, while lengthening the crown of your head towards the sky.
 
4. Breathe slowly (Think of breathing up and down the length of your spine) drawing the tops of your feet into the earth and slowly peel your chest up, guiding your shoulders down your back, while keeping your head and neck in alignment with your spine. Keep your elbows close to your side body (Not bowing out.) Only come up as much as the spine allows WITHOUT straining. Once you have found your edge, stay there and find the gentleness in your cobra pose while we hold…
 
5. Visualize your sacral chakra as a swirling 10 petaled yellow lotus flower. 3 inches below your naval. Every breath in you see your flower grow brighter and brighter, and with every exhale you see it spin faster and faster. As it spins, you may notice old energy leaving this energy center as dark and oily drainage. This is completely natural and to be expected during this meditation. Breathe slowly and rhythmically. Visualize what you would like to manifest for your life over the next year. Really see it in your minds eye & feel it in your body, as if it were your reality right now. Do this for at least 5 minutes. Inhale through the nose slowly, and exhaling through the mouth while creating an, “O,” shape with the mouth as you exhale slowly. Syncing your breath with your visualization will enhance this sadhana or spiritual practice.
 
6. Slowly release your chest, shoulders, neck & head back onto the mat.
 
7. Feeling grateful for this time that you have taken to connect with yourself, smile softly, and blink your eyes, slowly coming back into the room to continue on with your day, a little more centered, calm, and happy.

Stay tuned to our weekly emails over the next 4 weeks to journey through yoga asana and the remaining 4 chakras!
So much love,
Alana
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

Category: Basic Yoga, Creative Explorations, Meditation, Mindful Living, Parenting, YogaTag: meditation, mother, new, nomad, retreat, spring, Yoga

Yoga & Chakra Visualization Practice for the Full Moon & Spring Equinox

March 9, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

This week’s pose is, “Cobbler’s Pose,” aka “Baddha Konasana,” (In Sanskrit, India’s sacred language of yoga) accompanied with the second of the 7 main energy centers in our body called the, “Sacral Chakra,” or ,”Swadhistana,”in Sanskrit which translates to, “Your own place.”

The orange, six petaled lotus sacral chakra is located 3 inches below your navel at the lowest portion of the lumbar spine. It bares a crescent moon symbol in the center, representing the moon phases and the connection to the element of water which calls us to be fluid in thought and action during the lunar phases, because we all made up of about 50-65% water.

This energy center governs our sense of sensuality and creativity. When we desire to manifest something new in our life, it is important to harness the power of our sacral chakra. When this center is out of balance, one can become addicted to that which can not provide true fulfillment (Think substances, food, gambling, or sex.) On the other end of the spectrum, it is common to feel depressed, or a lack luster in their life whether it relates to relationships to self or other. Maintaining a regular sacral chakra balancing practice is necessary to feel grounded through life’s ups and downs while staying in touch with the way we choose to relate to the world and those in it. 

As we enter the Pisces/Virgo full moon on March 12th, we  prepare to let go of that which no longer serves us, in order to planet new seeds for the Spring Equinox on March 20th.

So, in order to get clear on what we WANT, and also to become ready to let go of what we do not, it is essential that we take the time to become centered through yoga and mindfulness practices

∞

Cobbler’s pose allows us to get in touch with pelvis while gently opening the hips, activating this energy center.

Cindy embodying her inner goddess in Playa Nosara

If you would like a more restorative variation of this pose, grab a couple of pillows and a folded blanket, and let’s begin.

1. Fold the blanket in half or thirds so that you have a half a foot length to sit on. If you have 2 pillows, place one on either side of you in arms reach. Come to sit on the edge of your blanket to gently raise the hips if your groin and/or hips are tight. Remember, the blanket is optional. First extend your legs out in front of you while breathing slowly in a soothing rhythm. Draw your awareness within your body and notice what your body feels like without judging the sensations.

2. On an inhale, bend your knees toward your chest, keeping your feet on the ground and drawing your heels as close to your sits bones as possible, and slowly let your knees drop out to the sides. The soles of your feet will be touching. (If your hips/groin are tight, your heels will be further away from you, creating more of a diamond shape with your legs. Place one pillow under each knee for support)

3. Allow your pelvis to stay neutral. Guiding the bottom tip of your tailbone towards the earth, while lengthening the crown of your head towards the sky.

4. Rest your hands gentle on your feet, massaging your feet with your thumbs for a few rounds of breath. Close your eyes, and start to center your mind by focusing on your breath. You can stay here, or if you would like to go further, draw your chin to your chest and allow your shoulders, neck, and head to be heavy as you round your cervical spine to forward fold. Only go as far as the body allows. Some may be able to draw the crown of their head to their feet, while others will feel great at a higher level.

5. Visualize your sacral chakra as a swirling 6 petaled orange lotus flower with a silver crescent moon in the center of it, 3 inches below your naval. Every breath in you see your flower grow brighter and brighter, and with every exhale you see it spin faster and faster. As it spins, you may notice old energy leaving this energy center as dark and oily drainage. This is completely natural and to be expected during this meditation. Breathe slowly and rhythmically. Inhale through the nose slowly, and exhaling through the mouth while creating an, “O,” shape with the mouth as you exhale slowly. Syncing your breath with your visualization will enhance this sadhana or spiritual practice.

Pinterest photo share

6. Stay with the visualization for about 10-20 breaths.

7. Feeling grateful for this time that you have taken to connect with yourself, smile softly, and blink your eyes, slowly coming back into the room to continue on with your day, a little more centered, calm, and happy.

Stay tuned to our blog to journey through yoga asana and the remaining 5 chakras!

 

So much love,

Alana

Alana Roach, founder of Explorations of Self, “A Mindful Travel Community.”

Yoga, Integrative Nutrition, Reiki, Tantra, Shamanista, Travel Enthusiast.

Contact me: info@explorationsofself.com

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIN.

Category: Basic Yoga, Creative Explorations, Meditation, Mindful Living, My Travel, Workshop, Yoga, Yoga TutorialsTag: #digitalnomad, Costa Rica, destination, dreams, fullmoon, grace, health, mother, selflove mindfulness, sound healing, Travel, year spiritual, yo, Yoga

A New Year to LIVE

December 31, 2016 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

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
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
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.

“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you

Don’t go back to sleep!

You must ask for what you really want.

Don’t go back to sleep!

People are going back and forth 

across the doorsill where the two worlds touch,

The door is round and open

Don’t go back to sleep!”

― Jalaluddin Rumi

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
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
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
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

13925864_10207460986383449_4494511862760385250_oBIO : 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

Category: Creative Explorations, Meditation, Mindful Living, Move Your Body, My Travel, YogaTag: #digitalnomad, #entrepreneur, Costa Rica, destination, dreams, grace, health, inspiration, mobile, money, new, nomad, selflove mindfulness, Travel, traveler, wanderlust, wildlife, year spiritual, Yoga

A Super Moon Ritual and Quotes to Inspire You

November 14, 2016 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

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.

family

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
@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.jobs

“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.gandhi

” You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

3.yoganandaeos

“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.neale

“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.shrimataji

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

13925864_10207460986383449_4494511862760385250_oBIO : 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

Category: Creative Explorations, Fashion and Beauty, Lifestyle, Mindful Living, Parenting, SustainabilityTag: fullmoon, inspiration, mother

Overcoming the Hindrance of Money to Live Our Dreams

October 4, 2016 //  by Admin//  1 Comment

“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.

photo-1474752651386-dc296d69dc90

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.

–

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

Woman walking with bicycle along beach sand summer lifestyle carefree

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?

  1. 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.

nic07

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.”

― Zen Shin

5. Do not quit before the miracle happens.

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.

nic08BIO : 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

Category: Creative Explorations, Mindful Living, My Travel, Travel, YogaTag: dreams, money

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Alana’s love for yoga came from firsthand experience with just how powerful the practice is. “In 2009, Yoga found me. Inside the studio, she experienced a deep sense of belonging, but the most profound part was what happened after. “I felt as though I was at true peace. I finally knew what the word meant. Until that moment, I had just understood it cerebrally. There is something profound to be said about Peace dropping into the heart.” Read More

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