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4 Steps to Manifesting Your Success in 2020!

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The spiritual journey is one of GREAT MYSTERY, and growth can happen both gradually and suddenly.  For the last few years, the collective has been going through what feels like an uphill climb through a thick fog. Has your inner clarity felt stifled up until recently?  There is always a reason for this. You are being prepped for greater vision. 2020 is The Year of Clear Vision. Punny? It is!! Yet true…

When inner clarity feels muddled, stay the course of loving awareness and do the next right thing. You are never abandoned. I believe that at some point, the Universe will take off our training wheels so that we can be prepared to surrender our egos even more, and throw our hands up in the air exclaiming, “Ok, Creator, I don’t know what to do. Please help.”

Ask and it shall be given you, because it has already been given. ~Course in Miracles

This next year will be a home coming for you. You will once again feel the nearness of your Creator because you, my friend, have been so incredibly patient and steadfast in your Faith. The fog is being lifted. Your mountain has been climbed. It’s now time to peer out at the beauty of this world with a fresh spirit and wide child-like eyes. Our inner child has been healing, and is ready to play and celebrate!!!

From my spiritual seeking, I have received wisdom that 2020 is the year of JOY. Earlier in 2019, I was guided by The Universe to put a deposit down on a yoga retreat center for a 2020 retreat in Bali and call it, “The Joy of Being.” After that, the Universe sent me 3 social media clients who were all intuitive joy  life coaches. You can’t make this stuff up. I was being guided to do this all year. Preparing the soil for you those who felt called to join me on this journey to sow their roots and blossom in the most incredibly JOY-filled ways. I feel really excited for this retreat. It’s already half way full and there are a few spots left. If you are feeling the call to come with me to Bali, you can learn more here.  

 

In Chinese Zodiac, 2020 is going to be a very prosperous and passionate year!

TheChineseZodiac.org says that,

“The Metal Rat Year is going to be a strong, prosperous, and lucky year for almost all Chinese zodiac signs. Everyone will show determination regarding their goals, aspirations, and even their hobbies. This is a great year for founding and evolving. Those who plan to buy real estate, to start a business or to invest money in a long-term project have great chances of being satisfied in the future. But, beware! This type of initiatives will only be successful if they are carefully planned.”

 

Are you trusting the inner guidance that you are receiving at this time, Old Soul? Are you ready to steep in your Divine purpose and delight your community with your gifts?

2020 is your year!!!

4 Steps to Manifesting Your Success in 2020!

1. Meditate: Meditation is a form of listening to your Creator. When we pray, we are speaking, and when we meditate we are listening. You have most likely already asked for guidance. Now listen. Often times it helps to create a sacred space or alter in your home to meditate every day. This area will become rich with meditative, sacred energy and it will become easier and easier to drop into a meditative state to hear your Creator the more and more that you use it. Sit between 5-30 minutes daily and listen… journal what you find.

2. Vision Board: 

After you have meditated, it’s time to get creative!!! Whether you like to vision board with old magazinesand a large poster board or use Pinterest! Vision boards give you a daily reminder of what you desire on this journey in every way!! According to an article written by Huffington Post: 

“Visualization is one of the most powerful mind exercises you can do. According to the popular book The Secret, “The law of attraction is forming your entire life experience and it is doing that through your thoughts. When you are visualizing, you are emitting a powerful frequency out into the Universe.”

Whether you believe that or not, we know that visualization works. Olympic athletes have been using it for decades to improve performance, and Psychology Today reported that the brain patterns activated when a weightlifter lifts heavy weights are also similarly activated when the lifter just imagined (visualized) lifting weights.”

 

 

 

 

 

3. Get a mentor and increase your positive network: The most successful people in the world all have had mentors. When you surround yourself with successful and positive people who have what you desire, you up-level, too. Like attracts like. Spiritual mentors can help you get out of stuck patterns like procrastination or negative thinking, and can introduce you to new ways of taking action to achieve your goals. It can be easy to beat yourself up or get tapped out when you are walking the road towards success. It’s not an overnight thing. Mentors hold you accountable and cheer you on the whole way through your process and can introduce you to other positive and successful networks. The more cheerleaders you have, the better. If you would like to work 1 on 1 with Alana to be successful in your life’s purpose, you can learn more here.  

4. Do more of what inspires you. What lights you up? If you get stuck here, you can return to your vision board for inspiration. Do more of what inspires you. When we do more of what inspires us we tap into our bodies

When we find ourselves inspired our body produces higher levels of serotonin and dopamine…

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter involved in movement, memory, pleasurable reward, and motivation. Serotonin is involved in well-being, appetite regulation, and the transmission of nerve

Impulse” (5). This means that the more inspiration, the more of such simulations.

On the other hand, if we are victims of circumstances and just getting by in life then we will stimulate a higher production of cortisol. You have probably heard about this neurotransmitter as well. It is most commonly known as the neurochemical related to stress.

In the long run what impacts our mood the most, either energizing or depleting us, are the chemicals in our body called neurotransmitters. Inspiration “juices us up” with good ones, while the lack of it poisons our body with stress. `(Resource: https://intentioninspired.com/how-inspiration-works/)

I wish you so much joy and personal freedom in this next year to fulfill your wildest dreams in serving your loved ones and the world at large with your unique Divine Purpose!

Love,

Founder of Explorations of Self

8 Holistic Ways to Manage Grief During The Holidays

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Sometimes the holidays can be a reminder that someone we have loved dearly is not with us in the physical any longer, or that a new chapter in our life is beginning, which means another chapter, for better or for worse, is ending. Grief is grief. Anytime you go through a big transition, you will inevitably experience some sort of grief.  If that is the case for you, I am deeply sorry for your loss. I recently lost my step-father & his presence is definitely missed by my family.  With all that being so, I am feeling particularly grateful to be at home with my family during this holiday. Losing someone close can really put life into perspective. You realize what is truly important in life and that can make all of the difference in what you prioritize.

Here are 8 Holistic Ways to Help You Manage Grief During The Holidays:

  1. Gratitude: Expressing gratitude is one of this quickest ways to access your inner peace.  List what you are gratitude for and WHY. For instance, “I am grateful for my sight because it allows me to see all of the beauty surrounding me,” or, “I am grateful for the ability to take a deep breath because it helps to calm me down.”
  2. Surround yourself with good people: Stick with people who remind you of the good in life, uplift you, and that it’s also ok to be exactly where you are in the moment. Surround yourself with people who manage their own emotions in healthy ways.
  3. Meditate & Move: Meditation and movement will help to activate your para-sympathetic nervous system and actively get you out of your fight or flight response. This is a great meditation for Grief.  If you are looking for some easy, at home movement, here is a short Qi-Gong routine and a Yoga Sequence for Grief.
  4. Journal: Journaling has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and boost your mood. In addition to this, according to Cambridge.org, “Writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events has been found to result in improvements in both physical and psychological health, in non-clinical and clinical populations. In the expressive writing paradigm, participants are asked to write about such events for 15–20 minutes on 3–5 occasions. Those who do so generally have significantly better physical and psychological outcomes compared with those who write about neutral topics. Here we present an overview of the expressive writing paradigm, outline populations for which it has been found to be beneficial and discuss possible mechanisms underlying the observed health benefits. In addition, we suggest how expressive writing can be used as a therapeutic tool for survivors of trauma and in psychiatric settings.”
  5. Ask someone else how they are doing today. The quickest way to get out of your head is to ask someone else how they are doing, and if they are not doing well,  be the Light for them. Remind them that it’s ok to feel what they are feeling and remind them of HOPE. At the end of our life we are remembered by our loved ones for how we impacted their lives. It’s not typically how hard we worked or what accolades we acquired. It’s how hard we loved and who we directed that love towards.
  6. Good nutrition: We have all been there. Emotional eating. When we feel stressed it’s easy to reach for the unhealthy carbohydrates. The more we lean towards healing our gut and improving our digestion + decreasing inflammation, our mood and energy levels will increase. Email me at Explorationsofself@Gmail.com to receive $50 towards your Superfoods Transformation.
  7. CBD: While more clinical trials still need to be done, there are rave reviews for the efficacy of this incredibly plant medicine. Consult your doctor before adding CBD to your regime to see if it’s right for you. If you would like 20% on your first CBD order through Explorations of Self, contact me at Explorationsofself@gmail.com.
  8. Prioritize Self-Care: Make sure that you are taking the time to tend to your self-care first and foremost. Take a bubble bath, treat yourself to a spa day, go to your favorite fitness class, read a great book, or take a nap. We can feel especially run down when we go through Grief. That is our body wisdom screaming at us to slow down and take care of ourselves. Be sure to listen.

If you are dealing with grief during this Holiday Season, I am praying for you. I pray that you are surrounded by love. I pray that you feel the nearness of your Creator. If you feel cut off or alone, please here me. You are not alone. There are communities around the world that want to support you. This is just one. Please reach out to someone and allow yourself to receive support. This is one of the best gifts you can give someone. When we allow others to be of service, we are being of service to them. Acts of service are what this life is all about. Learning to give and receive love unconditionally is so important in life because it is what connects us to one another. 

 

 

With much love and respect for your journey,

 

Alana Roach

CNS, E-RYT, Author

Yoga, Nutrition, and Wellness

Founder of Explorations of Self

 

You’re Going in the Right Direction, Full Moon in Aries

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Journal Prompts for Oct, 13, 2019, Full Moon in Aries

 

What if you knew that you were and you ARE going in the right direction?

What if you stopped questioning your intuition and stayed the course.

Where would you end up in a year if you took more risks and followed your heart?

–

As we approach this Full Moon on Sunday, we burst forth as a shimmering and colorful butterfly after years of some serious growth as a caterpillar and chrysalis. We delight at this new embodiment and yet, we are getting to know ourselves again. This can feel emotional. It’s totally expected. 

Some grieving can take place in the LIGHT of the person we once were, especially because this newer version of ourselves can resemble our old-self at times. We must stay compassionate for ourselves and others, because this loss can sometimes involve other people, places, and things. When we change, others might not change in the same direction. That’s ok. It’s up to us to decide to follow the Universe’s call for us to step into full alignment with our PURPOSE here on Earth, and trust that everyone else is following their own PURPOSE as well.

When we take extra special care to follow our heart, despite what others say, we continue honor our Spirit. No one else knows what’s best for you, so it is VERY IMPORTANT that you get clear on what is. Being a yogi takes you on an inner Exploration. Whether that was your intention or not when you first brought your hands to heart center in that yoga studio. You were brought there for a reason beyond getting physically healthy. Yoga touched you deep down inside. It did so for reasons beyond explanation. You keep returning to your mat, for a reason. Listen to your Inner guidance…

It’s important to sit in prayer and meditation every morning this weekend to listen closely to our Creator for what that is. No one else can tell you, but the Creator.

My devotional morning practice has led me to yoga, love, travel, building a business based on my passions, the birth of my daughter, leading retreats all over the world (For 8 years!!!), amazing people, wonderful relationships, and continues to do so now as I am leaping again with a big home relocation to somewhere sunny where you can come to my home town and have an amazing Yoga & Surf Beach Retreat year round. (Details coming soon!)

..

A devotional prayer (Adapted from author, Tosha Silverman) can be something like this,

“Divine beloved, make me an open conduit for your PURPOSE today. Allow me to receive and give with complete ease and abundance. Allow me to know my own value, beauty, and worthiness without question. Let everything that needs to go, go. Let everything that needs to come, come. I am utterly your own. You are me, I am You, we are ONE. All is well.”

A meditation practice can be as short as 5 minutes (Or less!) Ideally we work upwards from 5, but I promise you, a few deep breaths in PRESENCE with the intention to listen to the Creator’s Guidance for YOU is enough. Establishing the discipline to make this your morning routine opens you up to Inner Grace to help give you a North Star throughout your day. Meditation master, Thit Naht Han talks about how just 3 conscious breaths can connect you to this all Persuasive Inner Wisdom. 3 breaths! That’s it. I am amazed by this. I’ve tested it out. It’s very true. Give it a try, let me know what you think.

Try this short daily, morning prayer , meditation, and journal ritual for 30 days in addition to your yoga practice (If you don’t already.) If it feels better for you to talk to Nature instead of the Universe, that works, too! Just keep an open mind and heart. I want this for you. You are amazing, and worth all of the Joy and Happiness in the Universe.

–

Much love,

Alana

 

I offer 1 on 1 Spiritual Lifestyle Coaching <<<< to help you evolve to your next Level. 

I believe in you. 

New Moon in Libra 3 Card Spread

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✨Happy New Moon 🌙 Libra ♎️!!!!⁣

⁣
🌌I pulled our Collective New Moon spread this morning & we are to remember that God is our SOURCE, and when we tune into THIS, we have UNLIMITED IDEAS AND CREATIVITY TO LIVE IN OUR WINDFALL OF ABUNDANCE!!! Yes!!!!!⁣
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🌹🤗It’s time to journal & manifest your inner most Joy fueled TRUTHS!!⁣

Get creative. A vision board is a great way to celebrate in ceremony of intention and visualization to manifest your CALLINGS in life. Cut out pictures of images that bring you JOY. Lay these out on a large piece of poster paper or stick them to a tack board! Have fun with this!⁣
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Things to meditate on whilst creating your vision board.

What if you live a life of magic and abundance? What if you LIVE A LIFE OF DEVOTION, LOVE, FULFILLMENT, ADVENTURE, AND LAUGHTER?

⁣(Inspired by Marie Manuchehri’s,”What If,” statements!)

What does that look like?⁣
⁣
🌊Let’s play ✨🌞🥳🌙🌊🌌🤴🏽🧘‍♀️

 

Author: Alana Roach. Alana is the founder of Explorations of Self, single mom, business owner, international yoga & surf retreat leader, copy writerwriter, intuitive, nutrition specialist, social media artist & curator.

A Leap of Faith, New Moon in Taurus

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A Leap of Faith, New Moon in Taurus
My dear friends,
 
It’s been awhile since I wrote you. I have been going through a lot of change this year and writing has taken a bit of a back burner. I am returning with my pen in hand (Or keyboard) to create monthly newsletters for you to contemplate, be inspired by, share with your loved ones, and enjoy. If you are not signed up for my newsletter yet, you can sign up now at explorationofself.com when the prompt comes up.
 
My daughter turns 3 this Saturday which happens to not only be, “May the 4th be with you,” (Putting my nerdy glasses on ?…) but also the New Moon in Taurus. What a special New Moon this is!!! She has been the biggest inspiration I have had to roll out my dreams and push myself beyond my comfort zone to insure that they come to fruition. Our children deserve to see us at our best, rocking it, changing the world for the better, and taking them along with us to experience all of the beauty that this life has to offer in great support to them because they will BE THE CHANGE that we wish to see in the world. She’s such a LIGHT. It’s incredible to watch her shine everyday… she embodies JOY. The children that are being born these days are just pure heart <3 . I know that their God given GRACE on this planet will be akin to angels walking on this Earth. They are reminding us of what WE ARE. Have you forgotten your inner GRACE? Let these beautiful examples remind you that YOU, too, are an angel walking on this Earth. The world greatly needs you to to know how loved and appreciated you are. It takes great courage to walk in your GRACE, and not succumb fear, but you got this.
 
This Sun conjunct Moon is giving us a lot of energy towards creating and setting our desires in full force motion. You may find yourself reflecting on old belief systems, habits, and patterns as you step into a new, more free YOU. Now is your time to shine.

New moon ritual:

1. Take some time to meditate and reflect.

2. Draw a line down the center of a page. On the left write OLD, and on the right, write NOW.

3. Write down negative belief systems that you have about yourself in the OLD column.

4. Write down the opposite of that belief system in the NOW column. (For instance, if you write, “I feel like I am no good in the OLD column, in the NOW column you could write, “I am SO amazing in every way.”

5. Cross out the OLD.

6. Go to a mirror and look at yourself lovingly and recite your NOW column in 1st person. Be sure to say, “I am,” before every NOW belief system.

7. Do this for 28 days in a row and watch your inner and outer world start to shift in a BIG way.

8. Have faith. Most of the time, having faith means believing in what we can’t see, and trusting that the Universe has us. Keep your biggest, heart felt dream, and allow the Universe to take care of the timing and details.

 

Author: Alana Roach, Founder of Explorations of Self

The Art of Slowing Down Is Life Changing

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 Are you listening to the Universe? What is your current Spiritual lesson? What keeps coming up for you in meditation, conversation, song, road sign, yoga class, email newsletter, etc? Write it down, begin to explore it. None of these things happen by coincidence!

My lesson of late is balance through the, “Art of Slowing Down.” I call it this because it is literally that. Moving slower, breathing slower, taking time to pause even when my task makers say go. You are the liaison between thought and action, mind and body, you and him or her. What nourishes your soul nourishes the deepest part of mine, so when you start feeding yourself in a way that creates enough space for you to know you are following joy, you are inherently being of service to the world.

I recall a memory from when I was about 25. It was months before I moved to India and started truly listening to my passionate heart. I was waitressing at the time to put myself through college. The eatery was well known for it’s food and service. If you know anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant business, they will surely tell you that it is quick paced and not error proof. There are a lot of moving parts to make that beautiful plate of food come to your table whilst the food is still hot (We hope.) Maybe you have worked at a restaurant yourself and you are nodding your head as we speak. I was good at my job, but tired. I had picked up extra shifts to pay for my plane ticket for an upcoming trip to India.

 Thank God I had yoga and meditation at that time, but even that on some days did not feel like it was enough to slow my mind down. I have the tendency to be a huge people pleaser when I forget to take care of myself and place boundaries. It stems into the work place, and it definitely stemmed into that work place. Here is the exact memory to illustrate a busy bodied Alana and the little boy who changed everything for me that day with two simple words:

The restaurant’s Section 5 was closest to the kitchen on the left hand side. The kitchen was exposed so you could see the chefs, the food line up, the waiters/waitresses, and the food runners. I was literally running to the kitchen to grab table 55’s food, two hot plates of deliciousness in each hand with a cup of split pea soup stacked on a small plate resting on my forearm. I hurriedly walked to table 55 and successfully dismounted all of the plates, quickly smiled at beautiful brunette haired mother who was maybe in her 30’s, only to hear her 8 or 9 year old son say, “Where’s my soda?” 

Shoot, I said to myself.

“I’ll be right back with that.” As I went to turned around I remembered I had to plug in table 50’s order still, and it was definitely supposed to have happened 5 minutes ago. I must have looked stressed as I spun on my left heel to turn to the waiter station computer and banged my funny bone and this time I let out a very audible, “SHOOT.” I was tired and overworked, and I felt like crying and that little boy saw all of this and said in a very direct tone.. “Slow DOWN.”

Wow. He’s right. How did I forget?

For whatever reason his words stuck with me. The Universe is amazing that way. She will send you reminders and experiences to help assist you in returning to the present moment if you are seeking them. I made sure to slow down for the rest of the day. I felt much more centered and at peace with the pace that I was going because I trusted that if I just kept breathing slowly and doing the next right thing as it arose, all would be well. It was. 

How do we forget to slow down? Why do we hurriedly rush from thing to thing and cram out schedules SO tight that we exhaust ourselves to the point of burn out? Even Ariana Huffington, the creator of the Huffington Post and many other amazing businesses will tell you that taking time to slow down and pause is essential for your health, both mind and body. Even she, who is an incredible business woman had her limit when she collapsed from burn out and injured herself. That was her wake up call. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that wake up call. She listened! I was listening to a podcast interview with her the other day, and she said that when she was in the hospital recovering from that incident, she was determined to find balance in her work and personal life. She did! 

 I want to stop that madness before it gets to that point.

Don’t you?

I still get gentle reminders today to slow down. I listen and try* to shift gears and re-find balance through slowing down when reminders occur. I know that those reminders get louder if I ignore them, just like ALL spiritual lessons do. It is very easy to get back to running the rat race because it’s all around me in the USA. I am so grateful for my yoga and surf retreat portion of Explorations of Self because it gets me out of my routine here and these retreats always, always, always remind me that life can be lived in a much fuller way when I slow down and keep things simple.

If this article is speaking to you right now, the Universe is most likely nudging you to take a pause and breathe deeply. Be grateful for what is in front of you right now. Any successful AND happy person will tell you that their happiness comes from appreciation of what and who they have in their life right now. Their appreciation from the NOW moment is what propels them into a forward flow of success. Gratitude for what we have and living a purpose driven, happy life go hand in hand.

So when you wake up tomorrow morning, I encourage you to ask yourself 2 things.

  1. How can I find balance in my day, TODAY? What gave you balance yesterday won’t necessarily give you balance today. Schedules change. Surprises arise. How can you adapt and find balance in each day? This is LIFE CHANGING and when you make sure you honor your balance every day, you will find more joy and happiness in your life.
  2. What am I grateful for TODAY? Write a list or mindfully review what you are grateful for today! My lists always start with God, my daughter, the people in my life, roof over my head, running water, yoga, Explorations of Self, the clients I have… etc. When you appreciate what you have, you send a vibration out that feels GOOD. The Universe feels what you feel, and when you feel good things, you are open to receiving all of the good things that life has to offer. Most importantly, you feel uplifted. Gratitude is empowering! Keep it simple. Try these 2 practices every day for a month and let me know what shifts for you!

Author: Alana Roach, Founder of Explorations of Self. Business Owner International Yoga & Surf Retreat Leader, Mother, Writer, and Social Media guru.

Harness Your Inner Strength, Truth, & Sensitivities with This Full Moon in Taurus Ritual!

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This full moon’s theme:

Gravitate towards the things, people, and places in life that make you feel good, nourished, happy, & supported.
Shed the things, people, and places in your life that do the opposite.

For me, one of the places that offers nourishment and respite is nature. During today’s full moon in Taurus, the Earth element is beckoning to us to harness our inner STRENGTH, truth, and sensitivities.

 

Your full moon ritual today:

Alana Roach, Found of Explorations of Self Photo by: James Trudeau

Get outside. Even if it’s for a few minutes. Ground yourself in the beauty of nature, and as you do, journal on what lights you up inside! Ask yourself, “What makes me feel good, nourished, happy, supported?”

Write your heart out, don’t stop until you’re really done.

This is your full moon ritual. Tonight, go back outside with your piece of paper, and burn it under the full moon light with a silent prayer of, “Thank you,” to the Universe as you watch the smoke carry your full moon intentions away, reflect on the aspects of your ego that you would like to release… let them go with the smoke as well.

When you free yourself of the past, the present moment is an opportunity to lean into your best self more than you ever have before.

Remember, anything is possible, and you are a co-creator with the Great Spirit that made the stars, sky, Earth, cosmos.

Belief is everything.

Re-direct your intentions to the positive, always, always, always.

Much love,


Founder of Explorations of Self

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

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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

Celebrating our Dream: Peru 2017

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You are being called to embark upon a life changing adventure; to journey to a new land and leave with new eyes. Peru 2017.

Click here to learn more! 

Are you ready for this rollercoaster ride? You’re going to want to buckle up and empty your pockets because this exploration of self is going to take you through the greatest twists and turns of your life. I am Anahata. My soulmate Calliope and our best friend Alana will be your guides on this journey to heal yourself and heal the planet.

 

 

 

You begin to wake up to your true nature when you see past your past and create your life from the NOW. Peru is THE place to awaken because it is home to the Kundalini energy.

Kundalini is energy of the Earth that creates the resonance for the expansion of your consciousness.

This is a good thing because when you have greater clarity in navigating your exploration of self, your whole life is enlivened by the fun of choosing the dream you create every moment!

For nearly 13,000 years, the Kundalini energy resided in Tibet. So it’s no surprise that so many enlightened beings lived there as it was the place where the light energy was pouring into the Earth! But after the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959, the Kundalini made its journey to the mountains of Peru and Chile. In Peru, the energy now acts as a mirror, quickly showing you where you are at; both the light and dark sides of yourself! Everything is brought up to the surface so you leave what no longer serves you and embody fully what does.

Last year, I journeyed through Peru for months and visited the various places where the Kundalini energy is strongest to activate it within myself. The Peruvian energy is so pure and powerful that it really enabled me to see the ways in which I was not being the best version of my self.  The Kundalini energy there enabled me to clear trapped emotions and mental obstacles that were clogging up my energy flow.

My practices allowed the coiled Kundalini sleeping at the base of my spine to stretch out and rise up through each vertebra through the pineal gland in the center of the brain. The opening of the pineal gland can happen gradually but a Kundalini awakening is a major opening that allows you to see where you are now and how to get where you are going in this space and time. It’s basically awakening to your Destiny. It wasn’t until a few months later until I had a Kundalini awakening (the awakenings keeps on going!). The seeds for it were planted in Peru, simply by sitting in her mountains and watching the sunrise past the peaks in the Sacred Valley.  The energy awakens effortlessly and on its own accord when you have the inner silence and practices to feel it flow!

That brings us to our Retreat in Willka T’ika. All the people who are meant to come are already called in. You are reading this because perhaps you are one of them. From Oct. 6th to the 13th, we will celebrate our selves to our heart’s content. Our heart’s content is sharing our hearts with eachother. We will all awaken each other and have fun doing it! Through yoga asanas (poses) and pranayama (breath control), crystal bowl sound baths and more, we will strengthen our spines and open our hearts.

With perfect food, beautiful people, out-of-this-world excursions and being present to the magic, we will be totally held in the harmony of our this beautiful space in time.

If you are interested in this retreat, apply soon! There will be exactly 33 of us in Peru in 2017, which means 30 spots for participants plus, myself, Alana and Caileigh. Once you are accepted into the group, you will receive exercises from us that will prepare you to flow easily for the retreat. Like everything, the more you put in the more you get out. So, if you fully commit to this journey, know it begins NOW and it is up to you how powerful this time will be to transform your life and live your dream.

The 33 people on the retreat are symbolic of the 33 vertebrae in the human spinal column. In our final ceremony, we will tone and move in a way that helps all of us to awaken the Kundalini. We will harness the Kundalini of the Earth and eachother to celebrate the energy that is arising on the planet at this time for the health, wealth and happiness of all beings! Each person on the retreat is your mirror to bring out in you what you need on your path. You may be re-minded of yourself through the joy in an other or you may be triggered and shown a ‘dark’ side of yourself to bring light to the situation, but its all for the best! The snake sheds what no longer serves to emerge anew. Are you ready to become who you were always meant to be? It’s certainly time to find out. Click here to register now!

 

Cayacama,

 

Anahata

 

Brian Anahata Russo

(Tibetan Singing Bowls and Sound Shaman)

Brian is a teacher, healer and channel who is here to raise the vibration of his generation. He brings the mind, body, heart and soul back into balance through overtone chanting, crystal and tibetan singing bowls, tuning forks, and drumming. Brian has the unique ability to hear oto-acoustic emissions, the natural frequencies emitted by the body. His spiritual name “Anahata Nada” means “unstruck sound” and echoes his ability to hear the sounds of the cosmos. Anahata also means heart and speaks to Brian’s passion to help others hear the sound of their heart to guide them on their journey.

Brian has been an English Dharma Instructor for the Chogye Order of Korean Zen Buddhism since he was fourteen. He has lived in a monastery in Bodh Gaya, India where Buddha attained enlightenment and studied throat chanting in Dharamsala at the Gyuto Monastery. He has also studied with Fabien Maman, the founder of vibrational therapy and singing bowl guru Sarah Turner. He uses voice analysis software from the BioAcoustic Institute to detect and correct physical and chemical imbalances in the body. Most of all, Brian enjoys learning and teaching from the heart to align all beings with their highest and best!

A Powerful Sadhana for the Spring Equinox

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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.

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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