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Sustainability

You are here: Home / Archives for Sustainability

The planet needs help now more than ever. Discover ways to help.

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 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

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.

…

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.

…

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

5 Ways To Approach Yoga From Addiction

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

 

Addiction once took everything I had. The insidious disease of addiction was the king of my court. Sometimes I wondered if I could have avoided the pain of it all if I would have been introduced to something that would have helped my mind and body be more balanced in a healthy, natural way. I came to realize that everything happened exactly the way it needed to so that I could get to where I am today. If I could take back the pain and suffering that my substance abuse caused, I absolutely would. No one wants to be that person, but I have learned that all of the pain from my past can be used to help others. I can let people know there is hope, and there is a lot of hope, of getting sober and leading happy fulfilling lives. I can tell you that from experience. This is just one way that it was done.

While using I was avoiding my emotions by distracting myself with outside things. I thought that if I could fill the unhappiness or uneasiness with something that would take me out of myself, everything would be OK. It worked at first. Or so I thought. Instead of acknowledging my emotions, I was shoving them down. Deep down. I felt like I had a solution but I could no longer stand being sober. Any amount of pain or unpleasantness while I was sober (Which wasn’t often) would set off a thousand switches in my body, triggering all of the other emotions I had been ignoring. That is no way to live!  The problem that occurs when we avoid pain is that we miss opportunities to learn and grow from it. Pain is there for a reason, it wants to be heard, and it will get louder and louder until we listen. Often times emotional pain will show up in the body and get trapped until we find ways to acknowledge and release them. Yoga was the first way I experienced doing this in a slow and gentle way.

Growth is so exciting. Now that I am sober, I can look back every 6 months along my journey and see so much positive change within myself. When I was using I felt like time sort of stood still. It was the same thing, day after day. Surviving addiction was a miracle. I should have died numerous times. Being on the other side alive and sober I knew I had to make some major changes in my daily routine. I started to thread in exercise, yoga, nutrition, and other holistic modalities to replace bad habits. Doing these things on a regular basis allowed me to express the Alana that I had been stuffing down for years. I was free. Meditation and yoga helped my mind be still enough to not identify with my thoughts. The same mind that used to go a mile a minute was now finding calmer seas. Yoga and Meditation have been a huge part of my long-term sobriety. However, I believe this is applicable to anyone who wants to begin a yoga practice. We all have difficulties in life. The practice of mindfulness is beneficial to everybody. 

It can be done in so many different ways, and the journey is as individual to a person as a snowflake. The best thing we can do is just start. My intention for you is that you feel unconditionally loved on your path, now and always.

Explore and Bloom! 

Costa Rica (6 of 10)

  1. Say Yes. With yoga (And really anything!) the hardest part is beginning. At some point, I just said, “Yes.” I said yes to attending a class with a friend one day and then I said yes again a couple days later. Pretty soon I was going on my own. The teachers suggested starting with 3 days of group practice a week, so I said, “Yes.” No longer than a week later I was feeling cool, calm, and collected while trying on some strength in warrior. It didn’t matter if I fumbled through sequences because I learned how to accept each piece of my path while practicing on the mat, for being exactly the way it was meant to be.
  2. Water The Seed. Once you make your first few yoga classes, you will most likely feel markedly different. I like to describe what yoga did to my mind as what a hot iron would do to wrinkled sheets. What was once anxiety seemed to magically transform in to a cool and encumbered sense of well-being. I was breathing a little more fully. My body felt less rigid and more open. Like all relationships, the relationship to self must be nurtured so that it can continue to grow. To water the seed of this new way of being, I was told to be kind to myself, to drop judgement, to be present, and to treat others with love and compassion.
  3. Bloom. Allow yourself to bloom. You deserve it. Let all of the sorrows, fears, regrets, and fabled thoughts GO. Let them go. You are meant for greatness. Yoga and meditations bring awareness and an ability to accept with loving kindness. You will learn how to de-weed your mental garden. Some weeds will come out easy, some many be a little stubborn, but no matter what, they will come to the surface and you have the choice to honor them and allow them to go.
  4. Sunshine or Rain. We can practice anywhere. We can learn that everything is exactly how it is meant to be. It is all a part of the crazy beautiful canvas called life. When we embrace everything this way, we can find our center in the middle of chaos. Just like the still and majestic mountain peaks who endure all of the earth’s wild changes, we embrace this moment knowing that we are unshakeable.
  5. Radiate Love. Yoga takes on a very special meaning for us who pursue it. It becomes a way of life because it’s so ecumenical. During practice the mat takes on the role of our mirror. We surrender to the incredible light that shines through each and every one of our sweaty, messy, glistening, radiant self because that is our Divine right! So we take what we learned on our mat and walk through our day with our heads held high. We do this together, knowing that if one of us stumbles, another one of us will be there to catch you with a smile. Let yourself be known in your yoga and wellness communities and get to know it. Smile at a stranger. Give thanks for your blessings. Try to help out without being discovered. Radiate love!

Alana Roach

ERYT, Reiki, Intuitive Healing, Retreat Leader

AlanaRoachYoga.com

More links on yoga for recovery

http://alcoholrehab.com/addiction-recovery/yoga-in-recovery/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/yoga-for-addiction/

https://bradfordhealth.com/benefits-of-yoga/

http://www.recoveryranch.com/articles/recovery-at-the-ranch/yoga-help-during-drug-and-alcohol-rehab-treatment/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUtbkEGv5NU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlAyBp77rkA

Category: Integrative Health, Lifestyle, Mindful Living, Move Your Body, Sustainability, Yoga

5 Ways To Feel Into What Works For Health

October 19, 2014 //  by Alana Roach//  1 Comment

I was recently approached by someone who was curious about the way our mind and body connect in relation to the food they give it. They, like me, had more than one expectation when, “Going mind/body green.” Expectations can lead to confusion, and I have explored my own questions with vigor and dedication for the past 6 years. Yoga has opened me up to a mind/body/Spirit connection that I had never dreamed possible. Shortly after my first yoga class I stopped eating chicken and beef… why? I simply lost the taste and it felt right. I have been FEELING into what is right ever since and benefiting leaps and bounds. A lot of it, for me, is trial and error. I want to share some of these trials with you. Please know that I am not a doctor, please seek a health professional before trying any of this on your own.

Please remember that these are merely examples of my own experience and I truly believe that everyone is a bit different. I am an advocate of learning how to LISTEN to your body with and open heart and attuning that heart so you can more easily access Self-Love & Acceptance.

5 Ways To Feel Into What Works For Health

1. Trying new things. I had to say it, but if I don’t try it, how do I know if it feels right or not. That could mean that yoga class or 5k marathon you have been putting on the back burner. Typically when I try something knew I reflect for a bit afterwards. I close my eyes and take about 5 or so long inhales and exhales, being mindful of my breath. After I empty my mind, I notice how I feel in that moment. If I feel even a little better than I did when I walked in, I mark it off in the, “Do it again category.”
2. Eating slowly and deliberately. I try to only eat when I am hungry and when I eat slowly I am able to savor the flavor of the food I am eating. I can feel the textures, taste the juices, and I give my body time to fill up! It takes about 20 minutes for our belly to chat with our brain and let it know that it’s full. I eat extra slow these days (Or maybe it feels that way because I am usually the last one to finish).
3. Journaling how you feel after you eat. This can be fun and also a little disheartening. When I started to recognize the patterns in how I felt after I ate certain foods, I realized I had to make major changes in my diet. This also means to recognize how you feel in the morning after you eat that late meal. Timing food can be a big factor in feeling your best. So once again, eat your meal or drink your juice and close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and say to yourself, “How do I feel in this moment.” With love and kindness, answer HONESTLY (Honesty is the only way this works)… If you feel tired, groggy, grumpy, foggy, upset stomache, bloated, and the like… you may have to reconsider what you are putting in your body.
4. Eating the Ahimsa Way. Ahimsa is a yogic term which means non-violence. This could mean non-violence for you but also non-violence for whatever it is you are consuming. I am not saying to go vegan because again, no two bodies are the same… but I am saying to notice where your energy level is after you eat that farm raised egg, chicken wing, etc. Do you all of a sudden feel angry, sad, etc? The cleaner I started eating, the more sensitive to this I became. Opting for organic whole foods is always a safe bet, but no two people are the same in what they need, breathe/pause, feel into what’s right.
5. Environment. Surrounding myself with positive, uplifting people and seeking out healthy environments (Excluding bars, etc.) helps me stay on track. This becomes easier the healthier one gets. I believe we are all mirrors for one another, and like attracts like. Water will seek water at the same level, so the healthier and whole you get, the more of the same will come to you. So work on yourself, practicing self-compassion, unrelenting forgiveness the whole way. Just be mindful of what or who you put your energy towards or into. Breathe/Pause/Ask!

With much love, light, and honor for your Inner Journey,

Alana Roach
CYT, E-RYT, Wellness Motivator, Travel Blogger/Writer/Artist
alanaroachyoga.com

Want to explore feeling into your health with me in Costa Rica this January? Click here to find out more!

Category: Eating For Optimum Health, Integrative Health, Lifestyle, Nutritious, Sustainability, YogaTag: Costa Rica, health, selflove mindfulness, Travel, Yoga

Wildlife Refuge in San Jose, CR

October 11, 2014 //  by Alana Roach//  Leave a Comment

While we walked through, my talented and handsome companion took these beautiful pictures www.lancelaurence.com
While we walked through, my talented and handsome companion took these beautiful pictures www.lancelaurence.com
 
As we walked through this breathtaking sanctuary we were guided by a lovely and knowledgable lady who proceeded to tell us some devastating stories about these beautiful conciousnesses. A lot of them were bought through illegal animal trafficking and when the Refuge took them in they were in really bad shape. A monkey who was kept in a small cage for year by a drug trafficer now has nervous ticks and though they are working with him to reduce his stress on a daily basis, he swings wildly with ptsd.  A turtle who was poisoned by someone coating their shell with toxic red paint because they got bored of the natural markings it came with and another who got run over by a car and was left to die. A crocidile who was tied up by a group of people with the intention of killing it and left it there so long it lost both of it’s front arms and dislocated it’s jaws. While I am forever grateful that Refugees exist, it is extremely disheartening to know that all of the abuse cases I saw were because of humans. It reminds me to be mindful of ALL living creatures, and how even a small action good or bad can have a mass chain reaction that can effect the world. This was just a microcosm of what is going on, on a much bigger scale. We are in trouble and desperately need to work in harmony to save all species in this world. Concious co-living is the answer to this. 

Let’s work together to save this planet and all beings that reside on it!

With much love and light,

Alana
CYT, E-RYT, Reiki, Wellness, Travel Blogger
www.alanaroachyoga.com

 

 

www.facebook.com/lancelaurencephoto
www.facebook.com/lancelaurencephoto

Category: My Travel, Sustainability, TravelTag: Costa Rica, Travel, wildlife

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

Category: Integrative Health, Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindful Living, Sustainability, TravelTag: Costa Rica, Travel, Yoga

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

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