Integrative Health

5 Ways To Beat Negative Self Talk

September 22, 2014 // by Alana Roach// Leave a Comment

“Remember sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” Dalai Lama

Today I look to the true beauty with-in and surrounding me and I am in awe because if it weren’t for all of the relationships, jobs, & material items that did not work out the way I had hoped, I wouldn’t be where I am. Yet, in those moments, where it’s not going according to “plan,” I sometimes feel utterly lost, angry, confused, and alone. I think all things negative before all things positive. I stop trusting in Spirit and I want to give up, but it is in those moments I grow the most. How boring this life would be if it all went according to, “Plan.” It is certainly navigatable by positive thinking and intention, but there are always bends and twists that I never see coming. I think that is so cool in retrospect, because it always works out for the best. Why is that? Some would say there is a Divine plan. I certainly think believe there is.

So when my mind starts beating me up in times of uncertainty and doubt I try to remember these 5 things.

1. I am not my thoughts. Thoughts come and go, I have a choice whether or not to latch onto one of those suckers and let it take me on a wild ride.
2. I am fully alive. Being alive is being present to all things, not just the, “Good,” ones.
3. There is a reason for EVERYTHING. The mantra, “I am exactly where I am meant to be in this moment and I have great purpose,” keeps it real for me.
4. Get present, get grateful. GRATITUDE, I can’t say it enough. If I am grateful in this moment, fear can not exist.
5. Is it true? Is it really true? How do I know that it’s true? (The work) My mind will turn on me in a second, and when it does, these questions bring me back to the now, and in this moment, I am always taken care of.

Namaste and pura vida 😉

Alana Roach
CYT, E-RYT, Reiki, Travel & Wellness Writer, Life Lover
www.alanaroachyoga.com

Whether or Not to Teach When You Are Sick

June 10, 2014 // by Alana Roach// Leave a Comment

How does a yoga teacher or any teacher for that matter know when to call in sick and take some time off to rest and recover? I say your body will let you know. Especially you, yogis and yoginis. Practicing what we preach in our own lives can be a tall order to fill. “Take care of your body, and it will take care of you,” is something I spout off in class just about every time I teach but when it came to myself I felt short! After years upon years of practicing with all different teachers with many different styles of teaching I have seen it time and time again. Teacher burn out. It can really take a toll on the mind and body. You find yourself teaching 20 classes a week, practicing on your “down time,” eating while checking emails, checking emails all hours of the day, go go go until you hit the hay at the end of the day and do it all over the following morning. Sure, it feels great in the beginning but over time the body starts to break down when it doesn’t get rest.

Just a couple of weeks ago I got that all familiar sinus pressure that tends to occur around Spring every year. I have a history of sinus allergies, I know what it feels like when something is off balance in my body, and yet I kept going at the speed of a race horse to get “it” all done. My list of things to do on my schedule did not become shorter while I was on the cusp of being sick, I think I probably even added a few tasks in between classes that I never do to prepare for my big move in August. “What better time to do these things than RIGHT NOW,” I thought to myself. So I suffered the consequences because I didn’t listen to my body. I didn’t slow down. I landed myself a 100 degree fever, a prescription a 10 day cycle of antibiotics, and a week full of classes to either get covered or not. Seems like a no-brainer, right?? For some one like me, who absolutely LOVES what they do, and suffers from a little thing called perfectionism from time to time… this can be a large lesson for the ego in self-compassion. The first few days I was sick it was easy, I literally had no energy to give, so I got my classes covered… Mid week, I still felt pretty awful, but I started to be able to move. That is when it got tricky. I start thinking, “Well, I can walk to and from the bathroom without puking, maybe I can teach a class” but meanwhile I can barely eat still, walking to and from the bathroom is extremely fatiguing and I can’t do downward facing dog without everything hurting. This is insane! Thank God I am aware of my insanity today and I have a loving partner who backs me up when I need to rest. So, I took off the whole week. I knew, from listening to my body, and from my previous experiences that if I didn’t rest now, I would just prolong the time that I would be out. This lesson has repeated itself for me time and time again and I have started listening the more I grow along my path. Trust me, your students want you feeling great when you teach them and will sense it if you are neglecting to practice what you preach. So the next time you think about trudging through with your body falling apart on you, remember what you tell your students, “Listen to your body, honor it, and it will honor you.”

A big part of my practice on and off of the mat is slowing down these days. A lot of teachers I speak with regularly agree that it is very difficult to take time to be still. Even in a life where one of the biggest teachings of yoga is to… be still. I know that is why I was drawn to yoga in the first place. It has an uncanny way of getting the mind to be still… now if I could only get my body to follow more often. This is a journey and I have to remember it is progress and not perfection. The journey is truly the destination and this is not a race.

Remember you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone because you are already loved completely by the Divine just as you are. Listen to that still soft voice within that guides you in the direction of love and light.

Sincerely,

Alana Roach Yoga

RYT, CYT, Reiki, Wellness Guide and Freelance Writer

www.AlanaRoachYoga.com

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips

April 12, 2014 // by Alana Roach// Leave a Comment

Kale is one of my very favorite super-foods. It has all of the essential amino acids we need plus omega 3’s and much, much more. I fell in love with kale years ago and starting mixing it is smoothies, making salads with it, sauteing it with a little olive oil and a pinch of Himalayan salt. One of my favorite quick “Kale fixes,” is baking it until crunch to make kale chips. Now, I know that there are several brands out there that do this to perfection, however at 7 or 8 $ a pop for just a small portion that I can eat in one sitting I prefer to make these at home. It took me a few times to get these just right, so please learn from my mistakes. Do NOT put too much olive oil, vinegar, or salt on your kale before baking. This results in soggy kale that tastes like ocean water… not so great.

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips

Ingredients

One batch of organic kale, pre-bagged is easiest (My favorite brand is from Trader Joe’s!)

Himalayan Sea salt (Start with less, you can always add more later)

1 1/2 tbsp of Olive oil

2 tbsp of Vinegar (Pick your favorite!)

Baking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Wash kale and pat dry with paper towels
Toss kale with salt, oil, and vinegar in a big bowl
Massage (Yes, massage) the kale to break down the toughness of it, recommended 5-10 minutes
Spread a thin layer of the kale on a baking sheet
Bake for 8 minutes and then toss, bake for an additional 5 minutes
May require additional baking time, check often to bake to optimum crispness and to prevent burning
Let cool for 10 minutes or eat warm!
Enjoy!
Store in a sealed Tupperware container
Good for 2 days

Want to learn more about Kale the Green Super Food? Check out these sites by fellow bloggers!

https://www.healthambition.com/health-benefits-of-juicing-kale/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/06/kale-benefits.aspx

http://foodess.com/2012/01/salt-vinegar-kale-chips/

http://www.aliveraw.com/Articles/Kale-The-Underappreciated-Superfood.aspx

http://kdvr.com/2014/02/04/super-food-kale-is-packed-with-healthy-things-but-dont-eat-too-much-of-it/

A Letter Written Today, to Myself, 5 Years Ago

February 9, 2014 // by Alana Roach// 3 Comments

I am inspired by Frank Ocean’s recent blog post where he wrote a letter to Himself 5 years ago. You can find it here. This is someone who followed their heart. This is what I try to do myself. In spite of what I grew up hearing about what, “I should do,” or what, “I was capable of doing.” I am following my heart.

So, today I am going to write a letter to myself 5 years ago, Feb 9, 2009.

Dear Alana,

I want you to know that everything will be okay. You are going to be moving back home with Mom in a couple of days because your drinking has gotten really bad again. I want you to know that after you move out of Dad’s, He will go through one of the roughest periods of his life but it is a blessing in disguise because He will end up being taken care of. None of it was your fault.

You will get sober this year on May 29 from drugs and alcohol. No matter how bad it gets, I want you to know that your pain will benefit others through helping them get sober eventually. Your eating disorder will not control your life when you get sober, because God blesses you with a Miracle to stop the compulsion to control your inner world through abusing yourself in these ways. You will help many people in this area as well. Spirituality is going keep you afloat through all of these changes.

This is you on your first year sober! This celebration is for you if you don’t believe Me!

and then on your second year of sobriety!

It keeps going, this May you will have 5 years sober!

Yoga is going to become a great provider of peace for you and eventually others through you. You will find a studio that feels like home in late summer of 2009 and it will feel like this is what you have been searching for your whole life. You are going to be a Yoga Teacher, but first you will practice often for 3 years until you meet the Woman who will train you on how to teach.

You will run a half marathon and then a full marathon in 2011.

You will make friends that feel like family and eventually move out of Mom’s, never to go back because you have finally learned how to take care of yourself. There is a lot of help along the way, but you are going to really do it this time. Yes, you finally get a car and will see that it was in the Plan to get your first car at 23 because you probably would have died or hurt others otherwise.

You will get your heart broken three times over the next few years. The first one you will realize was for the best. The next two will be by the Man that you are going to end up with in 5 years, madly in love with. He will break your heart so that you can learn how to love Yourself and God first. So don’t worry, keep working on Yourself and it will all work out.

You will travel the world. Yes. So when you get your passport for, “No reason,” in a couple of months, know that there is SO MUCH REASON. You will spread Joy all over the world, because it is your PURPOSE to do so. You will show others that, “Following your dreams,” is more than just a saying; it is a way of life. You will grow into an incredible woman. Your Mom and Dad, your friends, community, and life-partner will love you for just being You. They will be incredibly proud of all that you accomplish. You will find the courage to go after your dreams of teaching yoga, traveling, and writing about it every step of the way. You will find the courage because God will lift you up everytime you find it.

You’ve made it, Alana.

So wipe those tears off of your face , everything is going to be OK.

With much love,

You, 5 years from this moment. Feb 9, 2014.

This is YOU NOW!