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You Will Question Everything You Know When Aligning With Your Soul Purpose

November 18, 2019 //  by Alana Roach//  2 Comments

In the process of Becoming the most Divinely ALIGNED version of yourself, you will question everything you know.⁣
⁣
I am in process during this time in my life. I barely recognize the person I was emotionally a year ago. I have been stretched through spiritual and emotional growth so much this year, it’s unreal.⁣

& then I look back to 2 years ago….. & then 3, 4, 5…

I have grown mind/body/Spirit substantially every 6-12 months ever since I chose to embark on the Spiritual Path of unpacking old traumas, stale beliefs, learned and unconscious destructive patterns over 10 years ago.

I choose to believe with every fiber of my being that every single experience and relationship that I have had, completely & totally has been there for MY BENEFIT.

I choose to do the work with my Creator to heal facets of myself so that I can fly like the Phoenix and rise out of the ashes to newer Heights.

It’s not easy. The ego… everything that makes us HUMAN, loves to keep us comfortable, and yet, it’s much more challenging to stay stagnant in your Spiritual growth. Your most Spiritually Aligned Self is beckoning you to be liberated. In yoga we call this, “Mukti,” and in Hinduism & Jainism it is know as, “Moksha.” I quite like the definition of Moksha found in the Merriam Encyclopedia:

Definition of moksha

Hinduism & Jainism
: release from samsara and liberation from karma together with the attainment of Nirvana for the Hindu or kaivalya for the Jain : salvation from the bondage of finite existence

 

I don’t know about you, but YES, absolutely YES, PLEASE.

What a gift Self-Awareness & Self-Work is because it reminds us to continually empty ourselves of anger, resentment, and fear. It reminds us to look at the places within ourselves that scare us and give those places a name. In Tantric philosophy, The Tantric Goddesses started out as fearful beings, who reaped havoc as they were living in a constant state of fear. As soon as these beings were face to face with their own destructive habits, they were shown the illusion of what they were doing and gave each habit or Samskara a NAME. From that very simple, not EASY, but simple act, they began to surrender to the TRUTH or Satya. From that TRUTH they were shown compassion and thus became transformed into Mothers. They in essence began to Mother their own inner child…. these Mothers turned into Goddesses… Fully embodied in their Truth of Love and Light..

When you call out the underlying emotion, memory, or root of why you are experiencing a so called negative emotion or habitual pattern, you are shedding light on WHY. When we shed light on why and what disrupts or blocks us from inner PEACE, we can start to understand where this belief came from. Understanding is the root to all compassion. This becomes mothering. You begin to give your inner child the mothering it always desired and once you start to do this, you will begin to shine brighter than ever because your inner child will feel safe and supported. You will stop self-sabotaging and you will begin to self-heal. Healing will attune your mind, body, and Spirit to the vibration of gratitude and JOY.
⁣

“To be fully alive, fully human and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man’s land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again.” ~Pema Chodrun

I’m so grateful.⁣
⁣
Shedding the skin of who you once were to become the person you were always meant the BE takes time… be patient and loving with yourself. Roll with the tides of your evolution & TRUST that ⁣

Everything is happening in Divine timing… ⁣
⁣
✨Stay in the moment.⁣
✨Keep returning to your breath.⁣
✨Keep taking action daily toward your Soul centered visions.⁣
⁣
What are you releasing to create space for the new YOU? Write it down, share it with someone you trust. Begin surrounding yourself with positive and loving community if you haven’t already. If you need support, I offer 1 on 1 Lifestyle Coaching, and do not hesitate to reach out: Explorationsofself@Gmail.com

Much love with deep honor for your Soul Aligned Path and Purpose on this beautiful planet,

Alana

 

Alana is the Founder of Explorations of Self, single mama, international yoga and dance teacher, surf and yoga retreats, happy digital nomad entrepreneur, lover of LIFE.

Category: Lifestyle, Mindful LivingTag: #digitalnomad, #entrepreneur, astrology, health, life-coaching, meditation, mother, nomad, selflove mindfulness

Do Date a Girl Who Travels

October 5, 2018 //  by Alana Roach//  Leave a Comment

“SHE’S MAD BUT SHE’S MAGIC

THERE IS NO LIE IN HER FIRE”

Do date a girl who travels. Stroke her messy, unkempt, sun-bleached hair when she’s asleep and you’ll feel her whole being unfold in your arms.

Trace the map of her wounds, scars and wrinkles with your fingertips until you know it by heart and you’ll understand her story. It’s not easy to follow and there are more exclamation and question marks than full stops and commas, but it’s worth reading for not a single word is empty of meaning.

Do date a girl who travels and you won’t be bored. She’ll make you close your eyes, jump out of a plane, talk to strangers, watch the moon, climb rocks, hike mountains, dance barefoot, chat until sunrise, skinny dip, sing karaoke. She won’t be easy to keep up with. She won’t be easy to please. But every day you’ll be grateful for her endless energy, free spirit and infectious zest for life for it will make you live fearlessly, mindfully, blissfully.


Do date a girl who travels. You won’t need to buy her expensive dinners or gifts. You won’t need to prove you’re worth her. Walk with her, hold her hand, talk to her, laugh with her. Keep it simple. Be genuine and never try to impress her with anything else but who you are and who you’re working on being. And remember that she won’t be fooled. She’s seen it all.

Do date a girl who travels for she will show you the world you never knew existed. The world where the sky is no limit. The world of dreams made into reality. The world where willpower and determination are the only prerequisites for success. Success which is not measured by fame or material possessions, but by finding your purpose and living your truth and passions. The world often stripped of order, logic and analytical thinking, but full of intuitive decisions, spontaneous changes and internal conviction. Do date a girl who travels for she’ll knock out all the walls you’ve built around yourself and find her way to places you’d never let anyone into.

Do date a girl who travels. She won’t need you. She won’t be scared of losing you. She’ll be with you because she choses to. Because life is simply better with you. Trust her. Learn when to follow her and when to let her go. If you manage to touch her soul, she’ll be back. And when she is, hold her so tight that all the beautiful, wobbly, faulty, mismatched pieces of her stick together. And every day you’ll thank the universe for bringing her your way.

This post is a rebuttal to “Don’t Date a Girl Who Travels” available

here: https://medium.com/@adizarsadias/dont-date-a-girl-who-travels-802c49b9141c

 

 

Author: Magda Procner 

Yoga Teacher, Retreat Guide for Peru, Found @ Mags Yoga

You can read more about her on her websites: www.magsyoga.com 

And follow her on Instagram: @Magsyoga

 

Category: Creative Explorations, Fashion and Beauty, LifestyleTag: nomad, selflove mindfulness, Travel, traveler, traveling, wanderlust, year spiritual

5 Steps to Manifesting Your Dream Lifestyle

May 4, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Spring is here and how beautiful it is outside. Spring energy is ALL about creation. We plant seeds for them to grow into beautiful blooms of variety. We release the old. Welcome the new. What are you wanting to create this Spring? How can I support you in making your dreams a reality?


5 Steps to Manifesting Your Dream Lifestyle

…

Category: Integrative Health, Lifestyle, TravelTag: #digitalnomad, #entrepreneur, Costa Rica, destination, dreams, fullmoon, grace, health, inspiration, mobile, money, nomad, selflove mindfulness, sound healing, Travel, traveler, year spiritual, Yoga

A Heart Centered Yoga Practice

April 21, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Hello EOS Community,

This week’s pose is, “Supine Bound Angle Pose,” aka “Supta Buddha Konasana,” (In Sanskrit, India’s sacred language of yoga) accompanied with the fourth of the 7 main energy centers in our body called the, “Heart Chakra,” or ,”Anahata,”in Sanskrit which translates to, “Unhurt, unstruck, & unbeaten.”

 

This green, 12 petaled lotus heart chakra is located in your chest.

This energy center governs our ability to give and receive love freely. When balanced you feel a sense of compassion for all living beings including a deep reverence for mother earth and father sky. You will have a sense of the interconnectedness between all. When others are in the presence of someone with a balanced heart chakra, they feel accepted and embraced by this benevolent force. An open heart is inspiring and not to be underestimated. When this center is out of balance, you can feel unworthy of love, untrusting, pessimistic, and reclusive. Maintaining a regular heart chakra balancing practice is necessary to feel at peace in your heart and to attract that peace into your life on an ongoing basis.

Supine Bound Angle Pose is a restorative pose. If you would like to grab a bolster or rolled up blanket to place under your spine for more itensity, please do so now. If you have tight hips, you can grab two pillows or folded up blankets that will be used underneath of your thighs and knees once we are in the full position.

Let’s begin.

1. Come
on to your mat with your back facing the mat or floor (If you are using the bolster or rolled up blanket, sit up first, slide on end of the prop to your lower back, and slowly recline your spine back down onto it, grabbing an extra pillow for underneath your head if you feel the support is needed.)

2. Breath in, and bend your knees and slide your heels in towards your sits bones.

3. Allow your entire back body to feel as though it were melting into the earth.

4. On an exhale, allow your knees to fall to either side (If you are using pillows for thigh and knee support, you can gently find the support now.) Allow you hands to rest on either side of your body, palms facing up. Close your eyes, and breath slowly.

5. Visualize your heart chakra in the center of your chest as a swirling 12 petaled green 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. 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, and then slow 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.

About the author: Alana Diosa Roach 

Yoga Instructor, Integrative Nutrition Coach, Reiki & Shamanic Energy Worker, Intuitive, Meditation Teacher


Alana Diosa is a world renowned Yoga and Wellness Teacher. She has been teaching her dynamic, breath centered style of yoga since 2011. Alana holds 2,000 hours of Yoga Alliance Certified teaching experience, including leadership of teacher trainings for upcoming yogis and yoginis, years of INTENSIVE Integrative Breath Work Trainings + is a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Health in NY, holding a certification as an Integrative Nutrition Coach. She harnesses an apt understanding and application of energy work both intimately and remotely as a certified Usui Reiki Practitioner, Ascension Clairvoyance, & Shamanic PLR Chord Cutting.

Category: Mindful Living, Move Your Body, Yoga, Yoga TutorialsTag: #digitalnomad, #entrepreneur, Costa Rica, destination, dreams, meditation, mobile, nomad, retreat, selflove mindfulness, spring, traveler, wanderlust, wildlife, year spiritual, Yoga

A Powerful Sadhana for the Spring Equinox

March 20, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

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.

***

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

Category: Basic Yoga, Creative Explorations, Meditation, Mindful Living, Parenting, YogaTag: meditation, mother, new, nomad, retreat, spring, Yoga

Liberated Heart

January 29, 2017 //  by Admin//  2 Comments

Yoga classes led daily by Alana & Caileigh accompanied by Singing Bowls and Vibrations with Brian

 

Are you missing the Liberated Heart tribe?
Good news! Here is the week
in review to take you back to paradise! The stories of the Liberated Heart retreat will
be fresh in my mind and heart for years to come. I believe the world is made of stories
as much as it is made of molecules so reflecting on the magic of this trip has really reminded
me just how fantastic our retreat was!
Hard to believe that its only been two weeks since we all embarked upon our journey together.
For Caileigh and Alana, the story started a year before when Caileigh went on Alana’s retreat in Costa
Rica. Caileigh had such a transformative time that it inspired her to team up
with Alana to form Explorations of Self. It’s incredible how her own experience on retreat
led her to create life-changing retreats for others.
(From left to right: Brian Anahata Russo, Caileigh Feldman, Alana Diosa Roach) our Liberated Heart Guides
Caileigh, Alana and I envisioned Liberated Heart as a retreat to bring out the love in everyone
through yoga, sound, food and community. We did not have to try too hard! Everyone was in awe
as soon as they arrived to the beautiful Bodhi Tree Resort. A grand dining room, an infinity pool,
spacious cabinas and a coconut to sip upon arrival. Bodhi had it all. The staff were so friendly
and the food was first class. Everyone felt right at home at Bodhi and relaxed in Costa Rica’s tropical climate. On the night we first arrived, I asked Sonhei how she was feeling coming into the retreat. She said, “To tell you
the truth, I haven’t been thinking about it because I’ve been so busy with work. I really have no
expectations, I’m excited for everything.” I love this response because it rings true for many of us
who came on retreat. We are juggling a million things and then suddenly we have a 
week to unwind. We don’t even have time for expectations. And that turns out to be a good thing, 
because no expectations allowed us to embrace our experience with openness and curiosity.
Infinity Pool & Lounge Area

 

Cindy shared how she was almost dreading coming on retreat because it was taking her away from
her many responsibilities. Then, she was captivated by Costa Rica as soon as she arrived! She 
realized there is no “right time,” you just have to go! And that is the point of liberated heart, dropping the
stories we tell ourselves to allow new ones to emerge. It reminds me of a conversation I had with Debra Hardison, She told me that we always have a choice to tell the stories that bring out the best in us. Debra literally did this when she told the story of Dropsy the Squirrel, a book she wrote about nursing a squirrel back to health after he ‘dropped’ out of a tree. 
Delicious & healthy local cuisine, 3 times a day with Liberated Heart, Explorations of Self Retreat in Costa Rica
Cindy embodying her inner goddess in Playa Nosara

 

Bodhi Tree Resort is an amazing place to recreate the story of yourself in only a week! With a gorgeous outdoor yoga shala overlooking the beach and many indoor shalas for practice, Bodhi

Surfing, Liberated Heart Tribe!

held the space for us to return to our roots. Speaking of roots, every day of our retreat was symbolized by one of the seven chakras. It was amazing to see how the chakra theme played out in the yoga sessions and sound healings each day. I gave George a sound healing on root day and the day after he told me how rooted he was feeling in the space of the retreat center. I was so blown away by George’s story. He had broken every bone in his body after getting hit by a truck and he brought himself back to life through the power of his heart. As soon as he was able to flex his knee just half-an-inch, he began his journey into yoga. He was told he would never walk again yet through his own inner-strength and yoga practice, he now strikes the fiercest warrior pose I’ve ever seen!

Warrior George.
George’s story is not only an incredible tale of his perseverance but also of yoga’s saving grace. Yoga means
union with God and that’s why yoga is the heart of our daily practice on retreat. It was so special to see our            
mother-daughter pairs unite through yoga. Deborah and Sonhei were ‘flown’ in the air, resting on their daughters 
hands and feet just like they did for Lisa and Hannah when they were babies!  It was so powerful to see how everyone’s practice blossomed under Caileigh and Alana’s instruction. Through beautifully guided sessions, we learned to tune into the present moment of each posture, be gentle with ourselves and stretch what we thought was possible for mind, body and soul! Doing one Hatha and one restorative session every day allowed us to balance our active side while allowing ourselves to heal as well. Alana reminded us to ‘find our edge’ in so many poses; to stretch into that place where we are a little uncomfortable so that we can grow into our mastery! It was so awesome to see everyone find their edge beyond the mat. Ellen really took this to heart. She had fun while facing her fears on the longest zip line in Nosara and through difficult yoga poses. Zip lining wasn’t the only excursion our retreaters had fun exploring. Our retreaters had an awesome time riding horses on the beach at sunset and surfing on one of the top surfing beaches in the world. It was so cool to see how people who never thought they’d get up on the board were riding waves all the way into shore! We also had a service trip where retreaters got to plant beautiful tropical trees right on the beach and even give them a name! Carolyn and some other retreaters even went local and spent
time hanging with Costa Rican families. Anything is possible here in just one week!
Lisa & Sonhui, Mother & Daughter acro
 
What I loved about this retreat is the community that formed so effortlessly between different kinds of people of all
ages. Jenna and Marianna didn’t know anyone coming on the retreat but now leave Costa Rica friends for life!
Developing community is built right into the retreat. Everyone ate together which gave us a chance to practice mindful eating. Caileigh and Alana led a nutrition workshop that inspired many retreaters to make changes to their diet and commit to a healthier lifestyle. Bodhi Tree even had vegan deserts which made eating healthy even tastier!
Chris’ sacred touch workshop brought us all together to realize how profound and comforting a massage can be! My sound healing gave everyone a chance to release what did not serve them and tune into the love inside themselves. But I think Jen was right when she said the ‘laughter therapy’ around the table was the best medicine. Laughing around the table and telling stories really was the best part of the trip. 
Marianna & Jenna sisterhood through Liberated Hearts
 

It was amazing to see how in love Kyle and Anna Maria were -after being with each other for only a semester in college-

Kyle & Annamaria

chatting with Ellen and Marv who have been married for over 30 years. Marv said he proposed to Ellen

Marvin & Ellen

after only being together for five months because he knew she was the one. On the last day of our retreat I followed my heart and asked Caileigh to marry me right on the beach. And she said yes!

Brian proposed, Caileigh said, “YES!” During our last night in Costa Rica together as the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

 

Our seven months together felt like lifetimes and I knew she was the one.  I am so happy to have shared one of the most beautiful moments of my life with my new tribe. Costa Rica really is truly magical. We started our week by celebrating Deborah’s birthday and on the last night we had Cathi’s birthday which made my engagement even more special! I can’t say enough about how much I learned about myself and how much fun I had on this retreat. The takeaway for me is that ‘liberated heart’ means being free to follow what you love.

Jenn & Cathi saluting their inner and outer power as the sunsets in Playa Nosara. Happy Birthday, Cathi!
I am so happy everyone had an incredible time practicing yoga, going inward through sound healing and tuning in to the lifestyle that they wanted to take home with them! Caileigh, Alana and I are so grateful for our Liberated Heart tribe and can’t wait to reunite on many more Explorations of Self retreats to come!

 

 

 

 

 

Deborah and Hannah, mother daughter love boat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            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: Travel, YogaTag: Costa Rica, destination, dreams, inspiration, mother, nomad, retreat, selflove mindfulness, sound healing, Travel, traveler, wanderlust, wildlife, Yoga

A Shameless Retreat

January 9, 2017 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

Retreat! Surrender! Give-in! Fall back!

 

We live in a culture where retreat means defeat. In the West, life is viewed as a competition and we are programmed to believe that if you are not winning you’re losing. We’ve heard it so many times: winning is not everything; it’s the only thing. So can we end up stressed out and spend our time living on a mental and emotional battlefield instead of authentically exploring our self. The masculine bravado and militaristic vibe of our culture has seeped into these words. It’s not by accident. There is a war that is being waged on going inside ourselves. The consumer culture can’t take that because if we all looked within we would learn that happiness is inside of us and we really wouldn’t be compelled to fill the void with useless products.

bungalow-_-compassion-_-bed-with-terrace-_-present-moment-retreat-_-boutique-hotel-_-spa-resort-_-yoga-retreat-_-restaurant-_-playa-troncones-mexico-_-chris-hannant-photography

So, in this exploration of self, we are not called to force our way in. We are called to retake. Sure, we have re-take what ‘surrender’ and ‘retreat’ can mean, but we can do so peacefully. We have to fall back. When we fall back, we are vulnerable. This is the last thing the culture teaches and tells us that vulnerability leaves us open to attack. But vulnerability is going inside and taking an honest look about who we are and what we feel. And in that nakedness, we discover that we reject the struggle and the dog-eat-dog world and resent having to cling to it out of the necessity that our survival is at stake.

 

On retreat, we learn that we don’t have to cling to it! Meditation, yoga and sound healing create the space to silence the clamor of our minds and align us with our true nature. But we have to surrender to get there! What we are surrendering from is the way we think we ought to be and what we should do. In the clarity and understanding of our true nature, we naturally flow. We don’t have to think. There is just a knowing. That’s the beauty of it!

 

To retreat;

gentle-yoga-by-dagan-beach-_-beach-_-ocean-view-_-boutique-hotel-_-spa-resort-_-yoga-retreat-_-restaurant-_-playa-troncones-mexico-_-chris-hannant-photographyit is a quiet and relaxing space where we can feel the truth and beauty of our being. It’s in retreat that we lose the false ego that makes us fight outwardly to avoid the unrest we feel inwardly. By flowing with rest, we see that it was the unrest that made us fight and force in our lives in the first place! Enjoying our journey requires surrendering our false ego –that aspect of our being that runs programs contrary to our highest and best self. And when we do that, we reveal our true nature that is already there because we feel it from that quiet place of clarity and understanding.  Surrender is tough for the false part of ourselves because it does not want to let go of the stories that keep fueling the patterns that don’t serve us. The catch is that the false ego has to turn itself in – or should I say inward – and see how it is sabotaging our greatest good by causing suffering based on craving, delusions and many other mental and emotional patterns.

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The solution is simple. No matter what comes up, surrender. Your false ego can lay so many traps for your mind because it knows you so well. So let yourself be caught. Sit there. Don’t avoid it. Let the feelings come up to be known and cleared. Stop running from it. Once your thought or emotion has nothing to take from you, it has no power over you. It has no fuel to sustain itself. By virtue of your soul sovereignty, your essence cannot be taken away. You are eternal conscious light and love. So the only thing that you can surrender is what does not serve you –and then you are left with what you have always been – light and love. Surrender removes everything that obscures our light. In offering up our obstacles to the flames, we are transformed.

May you hear the call to retreat, so that your life may answer with all the joy, beauty and creativity you have to shine!

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: Basic Yoga, Meditation, My Travel, Travel, YogaTag: #digitalnomad, #entrepreneur, Costa Rica, destination, fierce, grace, health, inspiration, mobile, money, nomad, retreat, selflove mindfulness, Travel, wanderlust, wildlife, year spiritual

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

How to Achieve a Mobile Lifestyle in 5 easy steps

September 12, 2016 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

     1.Find your web presence. 

Building a successful web presence because with choosing your web host. I have had several of these and I vote Bluehost as they have less down time, better technical support, and great prices. For a back end, I enjoy Word press. It is very user friendly, especially considering how dynamic the user experience is for business sites, bloggers, merchants, minisites, portfolios, and much more.

     2.Weather proof your gear. young-woman-in-airport-lobby

I learned this the hard way after losing 2 lap tops in Costa Rica due to excessive humidity, I decided to go Mac and I haven’t looked back. If you are going through really harsh
conditions, I have heard really great things about the Toughbook, however I use a 13 inch Macbook air and it has served me well in Costa Rica on several occasions over the years.

     3.Establish your communications. You will most likely have a lot of clients from all over the place. Skype has long distance calling for as little as 3 cents a minute, and I really love the app Talkatone. It’s free to get a US phone number, text, and receive incoming calls. As far as your phone goes, check with your provider about international rates, and unlocking for everyone besides AT&T. For anywhere wifi, check out the Airport Express by Apple .

Woman walking with bicycle along beach sand summer lifestyle carefree

     4.Become your own accountant.

I really love fresh books (freshbooks.com) for invoicing and book keeping. Paypal for accepting and sending payments and e-Junkies for payment & fulfillment for your ebook, audio, or other information products.

nomades_digitais

     5. Travel Wisely.

For flights I really love Skyscanner and WhichBudget.

(At top of article)I started traveling when I was in my early twenties. I knew, from the moment I peered over the city of Rishikesh from our roof top of an Ashram that we had rented a room from, that I wanted to not only do this for the rest of my life, but make money while doing. I envisioned a plan right then and there. I imagined what my life would like like while doing this for the next few years while building this, and then beyond when I was established doing this. I knew I wanted to teach others how to live this way, if they chose to, because in my experience, this is really living.

So if you, like me, have the travel bug, but it’s more like a lifestyle rather than a phase, follow these simple 5 simple steps into creating your Mobile Lifestyle.

 

1422503_10152553804443019_6589055556597541337_nAlana 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, Lifestyle, Move Your Body, My Travel, TravelTag: #digitalnomad, mobile, nomad, Travel, wanderlust

I am a single mother living a digital nomad lifestyle

September 10, 2016 //  by Admin//  Leave a Comment

I am a single mother living a digital nomad lifestyle.

…

Category: Integrative Health, Lifestyle, My Travel, Parenting, TravelTag: nomad, Travel

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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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