Join the Movement
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.
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1.Find your web presence.
Building a successful web presence because with choosing your web host. I have had several of these and I vote Bluehost as they have less down time, better technical support, and great prices. For a back end, I enjoy Word press. It is very user friendly, especially considering how dynamic the user experience is for business sites, bloggers, merchants, minisites, portfolios, and much more.
2.Weather proof your gear. 
I learned this the hard way after losing 2 lap tops in Costa Rica due to excessive humidity, I decided to go Mac and I haven’t looked back. If you are going through really harsh
conditions, I have heard really great things about the Toughbook, however I use a 13 inch Macbook air and it has served me well in Costa Rica on several occasions over the years.
3.Establish your communications. You will most likely have a lot of clients from all over the place. Skype has long distance calling for as little as 3 cents a minute, and I really love the app Talkatone. It’s free to get a US phone number, text, and receive incoming calls. As far as your phone goes, check with your provider about international rates, and unlocking for everyone besides AT&T. For anywhere wifi, check out the Airport Express by Apple .
4.Become your own accountant.
I really love fresh books (freshbooks.com) for invoicing and book keeping. Paypal for accepting and sending payments and e-Junkies for payment & fulfillment for your ebook, audio, or other information products.
5. Travel Wisely.
For flights I really love Skyscanner and WhichBudget.
(At top of article)I started traveling when I was in my early twenties. I knew, from the moment I peered over the city of Rishikesh from our roof top of an Ashram that we had rented a room from, that I wanted to not only do this for the rest of my life, but make money while doing. I envisioned a plan right then and there. I imagined what my life would like like while doing this for the next few years while building this, and then beyond when I was established doing this. I knew I wanted to teach others how to live this way, if they chose to, because in my experience, this is really living.
So if you, like me, have the travel bug, but it’s more like a lifestyle rather than a phase, follow these simple 5 simple steps into creating your Mobile Lifestyle.
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
When you do a frequency sweep from low to high vibrations on a drop of water, the most beautiful depiction of the vibrational planetary shift Earth is going through on a microcosm. …
All photography is done by Lance Laurence photography: lancelaurence.com / Facebook.com/lancelaurencephoto /instagram.com/lancelaurencephoto
I discovered the beach of Santa Teresa, CR through word of mouth while on vacation in March from a backpacker in Monte Zuma. If we never had run into this person we would have been headed in another direction on our adventures and I am so glad that we ended up here instead. Little did I know, many others have discovered Santa Teresa and it has even been featured as a top 10 destination by Trip Advisor within the past 5 years. It is known to have attracted home owners like Mel Gibson and Gisele Bundchen. I decided to do my first Costa Rica retreat here in January. We actually MOVED HERE four months ago. I hope you get the chance to visit this sacred space. So whether you are trying to decide on where to fly to next, planning a trip, backpacking through, need some down time, desire healing, or are simply Costa Rica curious, here are the…
Top 10 Reasons to Visit Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
This is the first fall season I will be spending in the tropics for the entire duration. My body is remembering the excitement of the leaves beginning to turn orange and yellow and the smell of pumpkin spice at coffee shops. There are seasons in the tropics of Costa Rica as well, just a bit different. We are coming into “Rainy season.” Appropriately named because, well… it rains, a lot. It is only starting to rain here and for the most part, we have been lucky I hear from the locals. We had one torrential downpour 2 weeks ago and then it’s only been scattered showers since. I love it when it rains here. Since our place is only screened in and there are no windows and earth walls, we get to experience the thunder storms with incredible surround sound. It’s amazing. Rainy season is also known as, “Green season,” also aptly named because everything comes to life here when it rains. The forest is lush with reverent fervor. There is this magical hummingbird who sips from the blossoms every day, literally drinking in the beauty. Fall is also a great time of reflection as it brings in external and internal changes. Here are some of the ways I honor the, “Season of Change,” no matter where I am in the world.
No matter where you are in the world, you can always stay inspired by fall. Every fall I am always brought to the song lyric by Bob Dylan, “And the times, they are a’ changing.” Fall, for me represents change with radical acceptance, breathing into the moment, and remember that the only constant is change.
What inspires you in the Fall season? I’d love to hear you!
With love and light
Alana Roach
CYT, RYT, Reiki, Life and Wellness Enthusiast, Writer, Globe Trotter
Starting in Jan. 2015, I will be teach the first of many retreats in Costa Rica. I love being able to experience different cultures while traveling light. There is something to be said about the “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,” all you truly need to bring is a towel and a toothbrush. I can’t claim that I have traveled with that little, but I like the idea. The more I travel, the less I bring with me. It is freedom. We aquire so much in the material as we grow. From small items to the large, we become subconciously and sometimes very conciously attached to these things. Currently I am in the process of slimming down these items. I am getting back to the basics. That is a big reason why I like yoga, all you need is an intention to do yoga. Sometimes you might want a mat, but not always. I think that is why I like the idea of surfing, it’s you, the board, and the ocean. I pick my activities like I pick my food, the less ingrediants the better.
Here are some ways to get back to the basics:
1. Declutter. Do you really need that dress you’ve had for the past five years and never wear or that broken printer you’ve been hanging onto in hopes of some day fixing? I didn’t think so. Get rid of it! Create a good-will pile, e-bay pile, and a junk pile. I know sometimes clearing space can feel daunting but the release you will get afterwards is by far greater than any anxious feelings you may have about doing it.
2. Do more yoga. It’s simple! Get to your local studio or pop on a youtube video at home. The more you practice getting into the flow of the present, the more you will instinctively get back to the bare nessecities in life.
3. Local Farmer’s Market. Buy local, buy often. When you support local farmers you are supporting a healthier you. Local raw honey has been known to fight pollen allergies and organic vegetables and fruit hold more nutrients. Plus, how good does a fresh tomato or local raw honey sound right about now?
4. Craft. Our ancestors used to do it often. We only do it in grade school unless we take a special interest in basket weaving and continue it into adult-hood. There is something to be said about creating something with our own hands or feet for that matter. Check out some of these great ideas for crafting with nature on Pinterest.
5. Only bring 1 back-pack next time you travel. You’ll be happy you did. Bring the bare minimum. A toothbrush, a towel, fresh underwear, socks, one change of clothes, and climate dependant gear like sun block, bug spray, scarves, etc. It’s less to watch, lug around, and worry about period. I will be hosting a Yoga and Meditation Retreat in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica Jan 17-24, 2015. I would love it if you came to practice the art of letting go with me in a community setting. Here is where you can find the details!
Remember, non-attachment comes in stages. I am definitely still learning to let go, but I can tell you that when I do, I find a new level of awareness that is so incredibly healing to my mind, body, and Soul.
“As spiritual searchers we need to become freer and freer of the attachment to our own smallness in which we get occupied with me-me-me. Pondering on large ideas or standing in front of things which remind us of a vast scale can free us from acquisitiveness and competitiveness and from our likes and dislikes. If we sit with an increasing stillness of the body, and attune our mind to the sky or to the ocean or to the myriad stars at night, or any other indicators of vastness, the mind gradually stills and the heart is filled with quiet joy. Also recalling our own experiences in which we acted generously or with compassion for the simple delight of it without expectation of any gain can give us more confidence in the existence of a deeper goodness from which we may deviate. (39)”
― Ravi Ravindra, The Wisdom of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra
With much love always,
Alana Roach
RYT, CYT, Wellness Support and Freelance Writer
www.AlanaRoachYoga.com
Do you ever feel like your days seem to repeat themselves? You wake up, brush your teeth, get the kids off to school, work, come home, make dinner, read a little, put the kids to bed, go to sleep, and then wash/rinse repeat the next day. There was a time in my life where this was always the case and even today I can fall into the same habit of idling away through my days. I forget that each day is a gift full of many moments where I have the option to be truly present to those gifts. When I become present to the little nuances in my day, my whole perspective shifts. Suddenly, the birds outside are singing a beautiful hymn, the grass outside has an emerald green hue with dew drops glimmering in the sun, my lovers smile is the most magnificent thing I have ever seen, and when I lay my head down at night I am so incredibly comforted by the gratitude I feel to have a roof over my head and these fluffy blankets to nestle up in. That is the world in which I prefer to live in. One which is a painted canvas of beckoning truth.
How might we make this presence more accessible through out our work week? Here are 5 ways to tune into the beauty of each moment and to find that child like magic again.
1. Set the alarm 15 minutes before you actually have to get up and put on a soothing guided meditation, find you favorite on youtube by googling, “Guided meditation,”. This well set the tone for your whole day. You will find that it is easier to be present once you have taken the time to tune into the Universal flows and no better time to do that than in the beginning of your day.
2. Stop watching the time. Seem counter-productive for presence? Hear me out. We all know what time it is, it is loud and clear every time we check out phones, get on our lap tops, i-pads, cook in the stove or microwave, get in our cars, every where we go, there it is… time. Time is simply a way to sync up with the world, to meet, to plan and schedule. I find that it is easier for me to unwind while at home, after I have taken care of everything I need to take care of in my day, to simply turn off the electronics and to flip over any alarm clocks that might be glaring in my face. Don’t worry, with the alarms you have set yourself for the next commitment, you will be more than ok if you don’t watch the clock every minute of the day. Since I started doing this I experience the time-less through out my day. I stop thinking in segments of day and rather experience the light as it comes and goes with no expectations on how long it will last, everything sort of slows down.
3. Go for a walk outside, better yet, skip. Do something you haven’t done in awhile, jump rope, sit down in the grass and pick clovers, make a pile of sticks, try handstands in the yard. Tuning into your youthful spirit will make you feel exquisite. When I do this, I am reminded of how everything felt new to me as a child. Over time we become so bogged down with schedules, desires, expectations that we forget this incredible innocence that once existed within us, and guess what!? It still does!
4. Laugh for no reason. Laughing meditations start with one laughing for no reason, over time the laughing is contagious and before you know it you are no longer laughing for no reason but you are laughing because you are filled with joy. Be courageous and ask your friends to join a laughing meditation hour with you.
5. Get creative! When is the last time you worked on a creative project? Better yet, when is the last time you finger painted? Get messy, have fun, go get some canvases and acrylic paints. I was recently at a friend’s birthday get together where she bought a huge canvas and gathered different art supplies then asked all 60 some of her guest to create a collage that she could hang in her condo. It was amazing to see all of these different people, all ages, different cultures, come together and make a piece of art. Whether you have an art party or turn on some music and create your heart out solo, your Spirit will thank you the whole way through!
Thich Nhat Hanh: “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”
Love always,
Alana Roach
RYT, CYT, Reiki, Wellness Support, Freelance Writer
www.alanaroachyoga.com
I have met many incredible souls through the spiritual community. These people are an extended family all over the world. We share stories of beautiful miracles, inspirations, Divine connections, and love. The other day one of these beautiful souls asked me some questions. I asked him if I could create a blog post of these Q & A’s so that I could get some communication going about how the Spiritual path begins and continues to unfurl. He said, “Yes!” Here are the questions and answers from our conversation.
I had a beautiful time meditating over these today and this is what came out.
My interviewer Brian G. from Baltimore writes the following:
Heidegger wrote that he who poses a question always already knows something of the answer, lest posing the question be impossible. Please don’t be offended at my queries just as I shan’t take offense should you choose not to answer. I can’t speak for you, but in you I find a kindred soul, seeking to grasp but a drop of the great mysteries of existence and humanity. I believe that I can learn a great deal from you while respecting you as a friend. Please let me know what you think! Have a lovely evening.
(The question and answer interview follows. All Q’s were posed as written by Brian G. All A’s were written by Alana Roach)
Q.How did you first come to practice Yoga?
A. I believe that we all practice yoga from birth and then slowly begin to forget the practice as we age. I started yoga when I took that first breath and looked into my mother’s eyes.
As time went on I remember the first time I felt that pang of insecurity. I was dancing in a baseball stadium a few steps down from my Mom and an adult male looked at me, and laughed. In that moment I felt like I didn’t belong. I felt embarrassed. I wanted to be anywhere but where I was. In that moment I was unlearning yoga. I was learning about the ego which is also known as the me that is separate from you.
That ego took me on a journey of terror through addictive behaviors. I was incessantly trying to fill in the space that the ego had created in my soul. One addiction led to the other until one day I “Woke up.” My “Awakening,” happened when I started to explore meditation and prayer a little deeper. This “Seeking,” started to happen because I felt so empty. That empty feeling was what inspired me to reach for God. I used to think that God was condemning. That He sit on a throne, judging my every move. What I have found for myself is that He is none of these things. God is Me, and God is You, and God is all around Us and inside each and everyone of Us. I started to feel a gentle guiding hand through out my days due to my seeking. My seeking led me to my first yoga class in 2009. Now I continue to seek with the physical, mental, and spiritual practice of yoga, just as I did when I took that first breath and looked into my mother’s eyes.
Q.Had you a previous interest or did someone introduce you to it?
A. Yes, I had an interest in yoga before I tried it. At the time, Ashtanga was becoming big in the West with popular names like Madonna and Sting promoting the benefits of a regular practice. However, just like everything else that I was interested in, I sort of thought, “Well one day that would be nice,” and I would leave it at that. It was just a nice thought. I never bought a mat until my 4th or 5th class. I didn’t’ research it beyond looking at beautiful pictures and bodies that were the result of a disciplined practice. I didn’t even know what, “Yoga,” meant.
I first attended yoga with some friends. I tried one yoga center that deemed popular at the time and liked it but not enough to truly seek it out again. About 2 months after that, another friend rang me up and asked me if I would like to try another studio that was closer to my home. Remembering the past experience, I was intrigued but not at all motivated by the offer.
Everything in me wanted to say, “No.”
However what came out was, “Yeah, sure!”
Off I went. Today I know that it was that gentle guiding force I spoke of before. At this yoga studio, with this teacher, at this time, I was ready for yoga. Yoga was, in fact ready for me. I believe yoga finds us when the time is right. I believe that I had shown the Universe that I was ready to evolve, to change… I believe that the Universe called me home, to Yoga. I am so very grateful to my friends, whom I believe are channels of the Divine, and for the Divine synchronicities that lead us to our destiny.
Q.What Truth(s) has God or the universe revealed to you? Have you always been so attuned to matters spiritual?
A.The Truths that have been laid out to me by the God or Universe are as such-
We are One. We have chosen to be here as human beings to learn and grow Spiritually in order to Evolve. In order to ascend we MUST seek that which is this, “Truth.” That “Truth,” is that we are One with the Divine. We must know this with every fiber of our being. We must remember this to know that we are all part of the Infinite, the spark of the Divine, pure Love. To know this is to end separation and war. Once this Truth is remembered, we must help to pass it on.
I believe that practicing meditation, pranayama, yoga, and service to others help us all become attuned to that place with in us that is Divine. I did not become aware of this until I had a conscious Spiritual practice.
Q.Lastly, what is one thing I can do now to deepen my awareness of and attunement with God or the Universe?
A. Practice, practice, practice. Find a discipline that calms the mind and brings you to the present moment. Let yourself crumble and then give in to being built back up by this discipline. Breathe deeply. Laugh often. Love passionately. Weep with fervor. Find the art of, “Non-Doing,” and simply just, “Be.” In that moment you will remember that we are all just a breath away from being in tune to the Universe, to God.
(Read more on how I found Yoga on a group and individual level here -> https://explorationsofself.com/2013/03/31/how-i-found-yoga-my-home-practice/. )
Alana Roach
CYT, RYT, Reiki, Wellness Professional, Freelance Writer
My site is now live, go ahead and check it out at www.AlanaRoachYoga.com!
Money. Just seeing the word can bring sensation into the body and some thoughts into the mind immediately for most people. How we see money has impact on our lives.
I grew up being taken care of, so don’t get me wrong. I always had a roof over my head, food in my stomach, education, loving parents, clothes, etc. I am SO grateful for that. With that out of the way, I’d like to continue and say, what I was told about money through media on radio and television and adults what that it meant success. Those people that had it were rich maybe famous by our standards, political leaders, maybe upper middle-class at the least, but what was constantly repeated to me was that, “Money doesn’t create happiness, those people are empty.” I heard this repeated AGAIN and AGAIN. On the flip side, those who were living in apartments in an upper middle class town at the time , like myself, and those who had welfare, those who were homeless, those who lived in the ghettos, whatever it was that straight out said, and I repeat, “You are poor.” I was told many things about this class of people growing up. “Poor people are God’s chosen ones, they are going to heaven.” “Poor people are less then. Lack more. Suffer more. Aren’t good enough to get more and never measure up. Un-deserving and un-loved. Trash.” You get the point. SO, you can IMAGINE that I had some really misconstrued views of money right up through my late twenties.
Woo! So, with ALL of that said. Guess what? I have found… that all of it… it.. drum roll…
A matter of perspective and that depending on an individual’s perspective, this will directly affect the way they receive or block Abundant Living.
Abundant Living is truly a way of life which I have found incredibly satisfying. It spawns from gratitude. It requires some un-doing. It takes some Self-Work which means Action! Action which I have taken and I can report to you has completely freed me from those chains of old-thinking. Money is neither good or bad. It is ENERGY! It just is!
1. Gratitude list
Gratitude lists on a daily basis which I recommend writing for the first year to really get it into your habitual practice is the very first step on this journey. I have been doing this for nearly 2 years and the results of this ritual are that I embarked on a Path/Career that I am TRULY in love with, my personal and professional relationships are wonderful, and I live Abundance in health,wealth, and happiness on a daily basis. Does this mean I never have sad days, sick days, bills, arguments, etc? No, but what it does mean is that I find gratitude in the sad days, I will have miracles in how my health is taken care of on those sick days in how I think and treat my body, I pay my bills on time and I have money left over AND in savings (Money left over and in savings was not the case before these two years of Gratitude Practice), my arguments are constructive and reflective, and I receive abundance from my Dream opportunities in Career and Service work (They go hand and hand with me), Travel, Relationships all the way to mechanical and computer repairs.
2. Releasing Ancestorol Chords That Could Be Impinging on Your Ability to Receive Success
Continually.
For me this meant going to see a Shaman, Breath-worker, doing Yoga, Meditation. We all have energetic chords to our parents, grandparents, perhaps their grandparents, past life ancestors. If we do not put in the work to release these chords, we can continue to live our their Karma, causing energetic blocks in our lives.
3. Positive Thinking and Speaking
I watch my thoughts and speech today. I believe that what we think repeatedly and say repeatedly have energetic vibrations. What are we really putting out into the Universe? I am not saying that we cannot have negative thoughts, but once we do, are we massaging those thoughts or implementing gratitude and positive thinking once we become aware of it? Are we constantly saying self-deprecating things that come from a space of insecurity and lack? If we are, it is something to look at. If I have negative thoughts, I make a gratitude list, even for the negative thought for bringing me to what I am grateful for! I try not to say anything negative today, and if I do I replace it with 3 positive things. I write and say positive affirmations. Sometimes I do Positive Thinking and Abundant Living meditations. All of this creates Abundant Living!
4. Trusting God/Universal Spirit.
Yes. Trust. This is an all-encompassing detail. My journey into trusting God started about 5 years ago. It has been a journey. It has taken time. It is worth it. I recommend the book, “The Shack.” Through my process which is unique to me, I have discovered that I can rely upon my God for everything. Every little and big thing. When I trust more, I receive more abundance. I have to continually let go of my control and my fears because when I do, the God of my understanding introduces me to the life that was truly intended for Me.
Here is a story on this. My car was on it’s second trip to the mechanic in 2 weeks. The first trip I had all the money for and plenty left over. The second was very unexpected, but the beauty of it for me was that I did not panic. In the past I would have. Everything unexpected would have thrown me into a financial panic. I would have been ridden with worry and despair. However, THIS time, since I have been practicing Abundant Living, I felt a calm presence guiding me and I Trusted that everything would be just fine. I didn’t even know if I had money to cover all of my expenses in this second trip, but I KNEW from the depth of my Soul that I would be OK. So I go to pick up my car from the mechanic, I ask him how much it was (I had an estimation of about 150-200 on the phone which I barely had in my checking and with a smile on my face that was genuine… the mechanic looks at me and says, “You don’t owe me anything.” Miracles in my life today that continue to show me that I live a life of abundance. I open myself up to all avenues of abundance and TRUST it to flow to me and they do in ALL ways. I drop the expectations of how the abundance with flow to me and then I open up to all of the ways that my Creator wants to take care of me.
5. Money is Energy, Give Freely, Receive Freely.
I said it before. Money is neither good or bad, it is ENERGY! Abundance is also energy. When I view money and abundant living in this way, I drop the expectations of how the abundance with flow to me and then I open up to all of the ways that my Creator wants to take care of me. When I do a service or get a service, I am receiving or giving energy back in exchange for the energy put out. If I am putting out Abundant Energy, the Universe will send Abundant Energy back my way. One of my favorite affirmations for this is, “I live in Abundance, free from want. I open myself up to Abundance and I am taken care of in ALL ways. I have all that I need and more in health, wealth, and happiness!” Remember, I live a simple life. I am grateful to that. I feel abundant and I AM that. I could be an Abundant Being whether I lived in the woods or in a mansion because I my soul is at peace when I live this way. Sharing in the Abundance is what life is all about. Whether that is abundant conversation, bounty of food, services, money, intelligence, wisdom, and LOVE!
With love always,
Your Yogini,
Alana Roach
CYT, ERYT, Reiki, Wellness Support and Free-Lance Writer
www.AlanaRoachYoga.com
LIKE my page! www.facebook.com/AlanaRoachYoga
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
