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Mindful Living

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A Rooted Practice for Mahashivarati

February 25, 2017 //  by Alana Roach//  Leave a Comment

Hello Explorations of Self Community!

This week’s pose is, “Easy Pose,” aka “Sukhasana,” (In Sanskrit, India’s sacred language of yoga) accompanied with the first of the 7 main energy centers in our body called the, “Root Chakra,” or Muladhara.

The root chakra is at the base of our spine, and it is said to connect us to the earth. It governs our sense of security and practicality. When this center is out of balance, one can feel spacey, fearful, and insecure. A regular root chakra balancing practice is necessary to feel more in control of your mind and body.

As we enter the new moon and solar eclipse of February, we may feel a little un-grounded. These new energies can stir up old energies that are no longer serving us, and while they come up and out to leave, it is most necessary to find stillness through this mindful practice.

I love guiding my clients through gentle breathing and visualization exercises while in this pose. If you would like to try this at home, find a blanket, pillow, or yoga prop to sit on, and let’s get started.

1. Fold the blanket in half or thirds so that you have a half a foot length to sit on. If you have a pillow, make sure it is also about this height. Come to sit on the edge of your prop. First extending your legs out, and then gentle bending your knees to find a comfortable position with your shins crossed, guiding each foot behind opposite knee.

2. Gaze down to make sure that to make sure that your feet are relaxed and that there is a bit of a space between your pelvis and feet.

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 stomach. Close your eyes, and start to center your mind by focusing on your breath, , feeling your abdomen rise and fall.

5. Visualize your root chakra as a swirling 4 petaled lotus flower at the base of your spine. 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.

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.

 

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: Meditation, Mindful Living, My Travel, Sustainability, 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

4 Holiday Affirmations for Decreasing Stress

December 23, 2016 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Seasons greetings, Explorations of Self Tribe.

We hope that this holiday note touches your heart.

The expectations we put on ourselves and others during the holidays can leave us feeling exhausted, guilty, resentful, and stressed out. The old tapes of, “I don’t have enough,” or, “I don’t measure up,” start re-playing in our mind.

…

Category: Lifestyle, Mindful Living

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

0 Steps to Soul Growth

November 11, 2016 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Find yourself right here in this moment.

 

What thought did you have right before you began reading this? What were you feeling? Why did you click on this blog to read it? Now have you actually asked yourself these questions or are you still reading. Ha. That’s what I thought. Because I would have done the same thing. I didn’t do that to be cute or clever. I did it to point out that our minds are always moving so fast that we lose all direction of where we are going. It’s like the man who is driving a car and finds himself far away from his destination because he got sidetracked by a thought.
So, before we move on, I’ll ask again. How are you right now? Are you present? Are you ready for what you are about to read? I hope you are because I am going to address your soul.

Arto Marttinen Jokkmokk, Sweden
Arto Marttinen
Jokkmokk, Sweden

Dear Soul, I’m grateful and joyful to be in your presence! I’ll be honest. I feel like the person reading this is bound to pay more attention knowing that I am addressing the deepest aspect of their being. Now that I have the reader’s attention, I will go back to where we started: Being present. We are so quick to move on to the meal of the next moment that we have not digested the one we were eating! So let us slow down into the stillness, the fertile soil where the soul growth happens.

 

Good. Now we are ready to dive deep! So, why did I call this piece “0 Steps to soul growth”? It’s simple. Because whatever answer we seek comes to us when we listen to the stillness. We don’t need to take any steps! We just need to go inward and let the stillness moves us. We feel into the moment without thought and suddenly we find ourselves

averie woodard Denton, United States
averie woodard
Denton, United States

thinking the thought or feeling the feeling that grows our soul! So many “5 steps to this” or “10 ways to that” articles just lead us into more doing when what we really need to do is more being.

 

Take me for example. I am just sitting here letting the words flow. I do not need to think about what I am writing. I am simply playing my instrument and allowing the sounds that want to play to flow forth. This flow is the heart of soul growth! I can elaborate on it all I want, but there is no clearer understanding of soul growth then what is happening in my writing right now. It’s pure                       en-write-enment! I am connecting with the Source in a beautiful effortless way to embody what I am and what I love.

 

The foundation that guides me is understanding my soul connection to the Source. So what is the Source and how do we connect with it? The Source is Spirit. The Source is the Absolute. The Source is God. It’s the great universal force of energy that goes beyond all words and concepts.

 

To bring some clarity to the Source and are relation to it, we can distinguish a difference between Spirit and Soul.

 

Spirit is the part of you that is undifferentiated and totally one with the Source.

 

Soul is a differentiated part of Spirit that experiences through your physical body.

 

Mathias Reed
Mathias Reed

We are both Spirit and Soul simultaneously. In this great interconnection, we find that our souls are constantly playing and creating from the infinite diversity that springs forth from the oneness of Spirit.  It’s the oneness of Spirit that we all share that allows our souls to create from the one space of infinite potential.

 

We may think we are limited in our physical bodies but the Truth is that we are endowed with the unlimited potential of Spirit. We are enabled by creator to create! One purpose of this grand process is that Spirit learns and evolves through experiencing itself as us. Not only is Spirit aware of itself as us but it is also the environment in which our story plays out. Talk about a multi-dimensional experience! From our perspective, our souls journey

Biel Morro
Biel Morro

on the path of expansion; connection, purpose and expression into the vast possibility of being that we can explore. Our souls may wear the clothes of density or shed them for the nakedness of light. Whatever we decide, it is the exploration of self!

 

Every moment, the quality of our being is determining the path of our soul through Spirit. Most of us have reincarnated many times and we are here on this planet for many reasons. The growth that we desire in our heart of hearts happens when we simply be here now! Soul growth is spontaneous when we do what we love. We find ourselves surrounded by the people and places that nourish us our path! Just as our bodies grow when we provide them with fruits and greens, our souls flourish when we receive and radiate love and light! Circling back to the beginning, we remember that growth happens from within us.

Jeremy Bishop Haleiwa, United States
Jeremy Bishop
Haleiwa, United States

When we tune into the stillness, we are guided in the direction of our destiny. This is the destination of this piece of writing. You are already are where you are going; you just have to stop and ask for directions!

 

About the author:                       Brian is a teacher and healer. He brings the mind, body, heart and soul back into balance through overtone chabowlnting, crystal and tibetan singing bowls and tuning forks.

He has the unique ability to hear oto-acoustic emissions, the natural
frequencies emitted by the body.

His spiritual name “Anahata Nada” means “unstruck sound” and echoes his ability to hear the sounds of the cosmos. Anahata also means heart and speaks to Brian’s passion to help others hear the sound of their heart to guide them on their journey.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Follow on instagram @anahatanada333                                                                                                www.besoundnow.com                                                                                                                                                                                                             Contact:  bjrusso333@gmail.com

Category: Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindful Living, Sustainability

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

5 Steps of Living In Fierce Grace

September 24, 2016 //  by Admin//  1 Comment

 

lion

 

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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Category: Basic Yoga, Creative Explorations, Integrative Health, Mindful Living, SustainabilityTag: fierce, grace

The Yin Yang of Healing

August 16, 2016 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Harmonic Health

The human body is a sound system. We are the physical manifestation of vibration. Every atom, molecule, cell, organ, tissue, liquid and bone in our bodies has its own specific rate of vibration which moves according to the same harmonic laws found in music.

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Category: Integrative Health, Lifestyle, Mindful Living, Sustainability, Uncategorized

REDISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL NAME

August 7, 2016 //  by Admin//  2 Comments

REDISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL NAME

What is a name? It seems so simple. It is what you are called. You hear it every day. But what if you found out that you had another name, a spiritual name? This name is what you are really called and it also contains your calling. The Sikh master Yogi Bhajan captures it perfectly: “Your spiritual name is your designated destiny, your heavenly identity. That’s all it is. You may or may not live to it, but it is your guiding force. And it’s a prayer. When somebody calls me ‘Yogiji,’ it means ‘one who is united with the greater soul.’ When somebody calls me ‘Bhajan,’ it  …

Category: Lifestyle, Mindful Living, Sustainability

The Stories That Lead Us From Presence

May 23, 2016 //  by Alana Roach//  Leave a Comment

We were walking together down the white sandy beach of Costa Rica in the late morning of November. Each of us silent, tired from the sun and the ocean waves, trying to keep pace with one another but exhaustion kept us staggered. There were three of us and as we walked two of us would veer toward one another and the third would be walking as the outlier. I observed as it seemed some sort of energy drew us together and then apart again, but the unified intention of getting to our destination kept us going in the same direction. …

Category: Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindful Living, My Travel, Travel, Yoga

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Meet Alana

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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