Did you know...

Did you know that taking care of yourself is taking care of your loved ones? When you take the time to do the things that fill you up (yoga, gym, cooking, reading, painting, singing, dancing etc) everyone in your life benefits from it. Part of serving others comes from serving yourself.
                                               HOW AMAZING IS THAT?
Taking time out away from day to day routine to recharge the self creates harmonious relationships in every area of life. When I take space to be me and do what I love, I am a better daughter, partner, hairstylist, yoga teacher, friend, sister, business owner...all the roles I play in my life are better and more fullfilling because I am recharged and balanced. I act authentically because I am coming from a place of truth and not just the same ol' "hey how are you?" with no intention at all of actually wanting to know how someone is.
When I serve myself, I know that the next time I cross paths with someone, I will be my real true self. And this is all I ever want to be. I want to be my true self all the time. No hidden agendas or ill intentions...and honestly sometimes those things surface because of the lack of self care that we take on, or maybe I should say that we do not take on. We are all good hearted people, but when we don't serve ourselves; the worst of us can come out. This doesn't feel good! Life is busy, so hectic...wowzers...but fitting myself into my day to day list of things to do can really alter my present reality.

Recently, I've had this urge to dance...and I mean dance, dress up, go all out. This is so far from what I've been doing in the last little while. I've been supressing this urge for a bit and now I feel I need to BREAK FREE AND JUST DANCE NOW!! And maybe you can relate. What is it that brings you deep joy...something exciting and fun and far from what you do on the regular? How long has it been since you've done this thing? So my advice to you would be, to just go friggin do it! It's so simple...just do it. Make the effort to do what you need to do! HA...I'm taking this advice personally! :D
Anyone wanna go dancing?

Take care of that sweet beautiful person you are because it will change your whole world...get that prana (life force energy) flowing through your body. Those feel good endorphins....whew!!
It feels so good to be alive...I'm dancing in my chair :)

As I honour the light in you, honour it in yourself!
Namaste!
T

P.S. I want to dance like this....copy and paste this link if you're curious about what i'm craving...ahhh!!
http://youtu.be/boFGjvtmxEk
 

Listen Up!

Rules before reading ;)

1.      Don’t make assumptions

2.       Don’t take anything personal

My Intentions are to get this message across to people who are not present! Please share this if you feel that someone could benefit from this blog post. I am a sensitive person and so I speak with gentleness. When you feel that you’re on the slopes to darkness, HONEST BLUNT TRUTH is the way to go. No sugar coating…go ahead and continue reading!

Listen up!

You are in control of your choices, no one else. If you want to change, it starts with you. No more blaming others for your life situation because the reason you are here in these shoes is because of the choices you have made. Anchor yourself. You are strong. Speak your truth because you deserve to. Literally start this now! When you practice honesty, you will receive honesty. Are you wondering why or how you attracted what exists in your life? Take a look at yourself from within and observe what thoughts run through your mind. If you’re judging, lying, cheating others…place that mirror in front of you because you’re doing it to yourself. Open your heart to truth…and you will receive truth. The truth heals and yes it does hurt, but hurt doesn’t last forever. I’m on a power trip right now because people who feel stuck need to dig deep within to find out why. What thoughts are repeating in your mind? Start with that. If a thought has repeated itself in your head 3 times, you need to speak out. Tell someone. Have you betrayed someone you love? Is it eating you alive? If not now, it most likely will because the truth always surfaces. Are you addicted to lying or judging? How does it feel after you’ve lied to or judged someone? GOOD? Well then you need some work. If it feels bad, then you also need some work! Find out why it feels good or bad. Dig deep within to find out. All the answers are within.

The key is to deal with things as they come. We are born with pure joy and happiness and as we age we get all layered up with experiences, good and bad. The bad experiences cause more emotional harm to us then we realize and so digging deep and dealing with things NOW is healthy. It will hurt now, but the reward is freedom, liberation. I have not won a large sum lottery, but I’d like to compare this liberating feeling to winning the big lottery because this does bring people freedom and liberation (same thing).

I am a huge believer in seeking guidance to help heal the body, mind, and spirit/soul. You get to choose your budget in this department because healing can begin with deep breathing, reading books or listening to inspirational audio books. You can choose other routes such as yoga classes, guided meditation, energy healing, life coaching and much more. Depression, anxiety, fear; these stem from past thoughts/experiences, future thoughts, or possible future experiences. In this very moment neither exists because in this moment you are probably sitting down by a computer or on your phone reading this. Are you present? Did I catch your attention? If I did, then this blog speaks to you and resonates with something within you. I would love to know that you are living your truth. If you’re living your truth, you are making this world a better place and on a smaller scale you are influencing your loved ones positively. You’d be surprised how many people you are an influence to. The change begins with you. Get here…be here…nothing else matters, but the PRESENT MOMENT.  

I am living proof. I’m good friends with freedom and honesty; they’d like to be your friends too!

Free your heart. Let your body release, cleanse, and heal. YOU have to choose this. You are the author of your life. Go nuts, have fun!

 

Tina

A thousand lessons...

Every Injury is worth a thousand lessons.

I recently came across a shoulder joint injury and I claim that it came from no where, but I am discovering quickly that this injury was caused by me and only me. In my yoga classes, I preach about alignment and practicing yoga safely. I didn't factor into the equation that when I, myself practice yoga, I should practice safely.

 

 INFLEXIBLE--1.......2.......3......4......5......6.......7.......8......9.......10--FLEXIBLE

 

On a scale of one to ten, one is super inflexible and ten is super flexible. People who are inflexible have to work towards gaining flexibility, aiming for a 5-6 on the scale, which is attainable and a realistic goal. People who are flexible have to work backwards to gain strength to bring themselves to a 5-6 on the scale, but this is hard to gage when you're working backwards. I am a yoga teacher who teaches many classes per week on top of my own practice and what I've been doing is hanging out in my joints, right shoulder joint to be exact.

 

Build your strength...don't hang out in the joints please!!!

Lesson #1- strength is just as important as flexibility.

After repetitive incorrect alignment comes injury.

Lesson #2, 3, and 4 - slow down and listen to the body, focus, concentrate.



"But I just want to get into the posture and feel it. I've been waiting for this physical release all day" says my ego.

Rush rush rush, get into the yoga postures, week after week, month after month and there you have it...an injury. Practice mindfully. Practice safely. Challenge yourself, but listen to your body today.

Your yoga practice will flourish over time and it is only until injury happens that we really recognize how much yoga is needed in life. Yoga all you want, the more the better!! Just do it mindfully and safely please!!

tathaastu-so be it

Tina

Practicing...

Practicing Spirituality...

if you go to church, does it mean you are sin-less?
if you meditate, does it mean you are enlightened?
if you practise yoga, does it mean your body is purified?

We are a bunch of souls having a human experience and within this experience, the practice of yoga/meditation are tools that we have to ground and strengthen us through life's rollercoaster ride. They are tools to keep us balanced and aware of our truth; the practice of seeing reality as it is...

It is easy now to ignore the truth, but the truth naturally wants to be known...recognized...acknowledged!!

Live and speak your truth for you. The ease and comfort of ignoring the truth, now, only adds layers of negative energy, which results in an awful build-up of negative thoughts, energy, and patterns. Habits are difficult to break and so if you're living in habit of lies, it is more difficult to break these patterns. Practice honesty and speaking your truth. Speak when you need to. Find your voice to gain strength and power within yourself. Blossom as you naturally are called to, letting go of limitations and barriers that keep you from living in your most authentic state. You are one with all and there is a powerful global union that we strive for...world peace! Start it within yourself.
Don't hesitate to meditate!!
Practice your yoga to go deeper, bring inner stillness and connect with your higher self!

Peace!

A Change of Perspective

I have been self employed for over a year now and I have learned much about self discipline, self motivation, and self empowerment. Having gone from being part of a large team to working solo; the transition has taken me time to adjust. For as long as I can remember, the idea of waking up everyday and going to work for me, spiraled in my mind. And now here I am doing what I do as I wished for. I am very happy! Now looking back, I went to work daily with the intention of having to go because of a committment that I made to a boss. I realize now that if I only changed my perspective of going to work as a committment to myself, I would have been more fullfilled in the end.
How long does fullfillment really last when your initial intention is "to do"  or "please" someone else?

I wake up every day knowing that I work for me and that every thing I do or say is a reflection of me and who I am. In turn this evolves my business and the motivation to report to me remains strong because I work for me. Would I have felt fullfilled having set the intention to go to work for "me" when I was employed by another?
Y'know just shifting a perspective can change alot!

Who do you go to work for? Do you do your work for you?

Be well :)
T

Story Telling

What kind of stories do you tell?
Are you speaking of your past wounds or your future worries? Are you gossiping about your neighbour or a family member?
I'm hoping that if you do all or one of these that you're not feeling horrible about yourself. This is not about beating yourself up, it's about increasing your awareness.
It's not always easy to be the one that sits back while everyone else is gossiping or to be the listener when someone is sharing their past wounds; you just want to jump in and share yours. What matters with all that comes out of your mouth is your intention behind all that you say. Share your stories to assist others, and be mindful to catch yourself in the "poor me" place. Take the stance to walk confidently in your life, regardless of what happened in your past or what may come tomorrow. Listen to the words you speak to bring an awareness of what is going on within you.

Have nothing to say?? I sometimes catch myself in this place. Silence is bliss. It is not awkward, it is only awkward when you project that it is. Share a positive experience from your past or wishes and dreams of your future or even better...get to know the people you are speaking to in the moment. Make a connection; touch each other's hearts. Why not? It really is all about love and kindness isn't it? So, why are we sharing wounds and gossip and dumping on others...it doesn't feel good!
Don't wait to be old, wrinkly and wise to be great story tellers...let's do it now!!

Make the change!

My light to yours...
T

seek inward for what you're looking for...



At Prana Yoga College



              One year ago, I was sitting in a classroom with unfamiliar people. Everyone looked new to the space and environment, which kept me at ease and comfortable. I had arrived in Vancouver 2 days before my intensive yoga teacher training began to familiarize myself with the area. I stayed in Kitsilano with a wonderful roomate Sara and her cute cat Squid. My initial intention heading out west was to remove myself from all that I knew here at home and to go out and explore. I was hoping to seek some inner peace, but I had no expectations of what the end result would be. I just had this deep trust that I was in the right place. Today looking back, I bunked with the most amazing roomate. I met an incredible teacher, Shakti Mhi. I built friendships with people from all walks of life. And, I really got to know Tina.
This escape really taught me about me and my adjustment to new surroundings and new people. I was able to observe my thoughts and my body and attend to the things about myself that I wanted to change and develop the things I liked. After one month I realized that I was already great and although grateful for this amazing month away, I already had everything I was looking for within myself. The peace, joy, happiness, love...it was always in there. I guess I thought that it was outside of me and far from home and so my desire to getaway grew strong. I remember my dad telling me before I left that, if I was running from my problems, they would be here when I returned home or they would just follow me wherever I end up. He was right. I am thankful that I chose a getaway where I was learning and doing something I loved. Something that wasn't a distraction to what was really going on, but something that helped all that "stuff" come to the surface.

I remember one day going to the beach by myself an hour before I met with a friend to study. I judged myself a bit and labelled myself as a loner, but when I got there, I felt so good being able to sit with myself, my thoughts, my body and just take in all that was around me (especially the view of the mountains). I was worried about what other people may have thought, seeing me sitting alone. The truth was that I was manipulating myself to believe that people around me actually cared about what I was doing on my own. Think again..many people were on their own reading, engaged in their own conversation, just simply enjoying life in their own moment.

Thank you to the events that sent me out to wander out west. Thank you to my past employers who allowed me the time off. Thank you to my supportive family who trusted that I knew what I was doing. Thank you to my love who waited for me. Thank you to the fantastic people I connected with that made my trip memorable, including myself. And thank you to a fantastic teacher, who shook something inside me to wake up and realize that I already have all that I need in every moment.

Reminiscing in joy of my amazing time last year...

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti...

Dependency

Cultivate within you, three words that snap you back into a feel good place. Maybe choosing peace, love, gratitude. Words that make you feel good! Resort to these words as you need to throughout your day and begin to personal train your mind and body to respond positively to these 3 words of your choice. Post them in places you will often see them, such as in your wallet, at your desk, on your fridge, on the mirror, or computer screen. With practice, you will notice a shift and possibly a mastered awareness of the thoughts that come into your mind. Continue to filter out negativity as it surfaces, but now practice non-attachment with your chosen 3 words. Let the words be your initial guide, secondly remove the dependency you have with the words. Grounding yourself initially with a tool (3 words), but now mastering the ability to feel a calmness within you and a strong connection to yourself. A connection so strong that you always trust and know that you are in the perfect place at the perfect time and more so that you ARE perfection manifested in human form...Love and Light!

Compare this technique to a newborn baby. You are the newborn baby, very dependent on your caregiver, but there comes a time when you can fend for yourself, leading your life a little more independently. Although always knowing that you can resort to your caregiver to guide you when needed.

Seek independency in all areas of your life and where there is dependecy, without dwelling in a negative state of mind, recognize the possibilities that who or what you depend on may not always be there. Find the strength and courage within you to stand tall on your own two feet, complete and whole as you are. Allow others and things to be an addition to your already fantastic life. 

A personal story to share...

There was a time when I used another human being, who I cared for and loved, to fill in areas of my life that I could not fullfill myself and it took me many years to come to this realization. I was in fear of the truth. The realization surfaced when I was learning to fill in those gaps for myself. I could not help, but realize that I no longer felt connected to this person who I thought was my forever. Sad?! I know, very! It was this truth that was screaming out of every pore on my body. Life, is that what you call it?!?!? YES!!

So people will love you, leave you, care for you, and hurt you...just know that they served a time and purpose. Feel gratitude. Good or bad. Happy or sad. Unite both extreme emotions at center, neutrality. It is what it is. Life, it happens, right?!

Shedding some light and love to you my friend,

T       

What are you REALLY saying?

What's good?
What's right?

I was catching up with a friend yesterday and he asked me, "...so tell me what's good?"
Not expecting that question, I paused!
That is a fantastic question to ask someone. What's good? OR What's right?
Hmmmm, what is good? I carried on telling him about the great things going on in my life and I felt great afterwards catching up on what was good in both of our lives rather then an update of the not so fabulous stuff. The not so good things, they do exist. That's life. Life happens to us all, but why focus on it.
I started thinking of what I tend to ask people and it's more along the lines of "what's new?"
This is an invitation to hearing the great things, but also the not so great things.

Another one I catch myself asking is, "What's wrong?"  when I see someone that seems down or upset. In all honesty, I get all kinds of responses, but most commonly nothing is wrong.
I assume that things are wrong. WHY?? If you can relate, let's put out there that things are right and not assume that things are wrong.
Imagine I'm infront of you asking, so what's right? OR What's good? I'm all ears, tell me! : D
Let's share all the great things going on with each other and inspire each other. That's usually how it works!
My girlfriend started Muay Thai and the energy behind how she speaks of it inspired me to look into finding a hobby for myself that I could really enjoy. Inspire someone by telling them what's good or what's right in your life. Speak mindfully and ask mindfully.
Get off auto pilot and mean it when you ask someone "how are you?"
If you are not interested, don't ask.

PEACE. PEACE. PEACE.

T

Past Present Future

The past resides in the memory and the future resides in the imagination. Use the strength of your mind/memory to bring lessons forth to then acquire an in depth knowledge of the self. Attune the imagination to forsee a fullfilling tomorrow. A future full of abundance in health, love, happiness, and wealth.
Rid the junk from your past, but take the lessons to carry you forward into what it is you really desire. With no judgement of who you were or your experiences. Take each step with mindfullness and a positive intention. All that was served a purpose and all that will be, will have its purpose. Bathe in the now and set an intention to then feel that in this moment you have a purpose. Let your purpose be, living in the moment. Lose track of time and just be.

Just be. Be what your soul is screaming out for...

Love. Peace. Joy.

T

FREEDOM...

Forgive others to set YOURSELF free!

Ugh! The thought of forgiving someone who has done something to hurt you really feels uncomfortable, doesn't it?!
That person (or those people) have most likely come into your mind immediately. And this is how you know that there is some work to do on the self. Practice forgiveness to set yourself free from the prison that you have locked yourself in. Forgiveness has everything to do with freeing yourself from the past. Strong emotions that keep you stuck in those negative places. I know that you know this already, but let it go! The expiration date is long overdue! Move on and recognize the lessons learned. Carry the lessons forward, but leave the experience behind.

Forgive yourself to set YOURSELF free!


Ugh! "I would rather not bring myself to that time when I..." Go ahead and leave that alone and not deal with it. You know it's going to come up time and time again. And this is how you know you have not forgiven yourself! It is time right now! It's okay!! Really, it is!! Our emotions get the best of us at times and this is when we react and do things without thinking. Your past actions came from a negative place and it is in how you look back and understand why things happened the way they did. Forgive yourself! What is done, is done! New experiences can come into your life from a positive place because you have taken the time to understand what's gone on. The discomfort in this is to learn a new way and see from a different perspective. CHANGE??? Yes, change is required if you do not want to repeat old patterns. Embrace "new" with open arms and get your head around the idea of change.
Re-direct yourself on a path that may seem uncomfortable at first, but feels easier over time. Patience. Patience. Patience.

We're always seeking something better then...we want more of...we would be happier to...
This is seeking self growth and awareness and you can label it whatever makes you feel more comfortable.
There is nothing wrong with relfecting back as things occur, just hold onto it for a short time and move on. Take the lessons, but leave the experience.

Ultimately recognize your inetntions behind your words and actions and understand that forgiving yourself/others sets YOU free from old patterns of thinking.

Practice forgiveness. It is freeing!!

SMILE

Did you know that you consume more energy feeling down then you do feeling happy. When you are reacting (acting upon an emotion that arised within you) to something, SMILE...by smiling you bring in feel good emotions. Are you wondering how this works? Okay, let me explain! When you are feeling happy about something and smiling or laughing or just feeling that inner happiness...you signal feel good emotions to your mind. Now even when your feeling upset, by smiling or laughing (even if it's fake), your mind remembers this emotion and slowly but surely you start to feel better. Make sense??

If you're feeling crappy, smile!! The worst you can do is let your crappy emotions take over your moment. Train your mind and gain the power to be aware of your emotions all the time. If you feel down, your energy is projecting these kind of emotions outward only attracting that which you are sending out. It isn't anyones job to try and lift your spirits and if you have someone in your life that consumes their energy trying to lift your spirits, consider yourself fortunate. You are in control of your emotions, your thoughts, your actions...and if you feel that you don't have control over your emotions, thoughts, or actions then you need to meditate. The practice of meditation not only clams and quiets the mind, but it gives you a greater understanding of your emotions, thoughts and actions and with practice you eventually come to a place of neutrality. Imagine being in a neutral state when someone you love says something hurtful to you. You simply would not react (act with an emotion), you would just ACT and calmly assess the moment. There is no point in dwelling in crappy emotions. Gain your power back over your emotions and SMILE!!

SMILE SMILE SMILE...somedays it'll come naturally and other days it'll take effort. It'll make you feel good to just SMILE!!

: D

Housework blues...

After a long day working, housework is the last thing people want to do. It is inevitable that housework just needs to get done. The more people in your living space, the more to clean. And even living on your own can be alot as well. In your household, find balance deligating chores. Speak up and ask for help when you need it. No one in your home can read your mind and you cannot assume that others know what to do. The leader of the household (manager) needs to communicate kindly as to what needs doing. Be part of a happy home life. Thank the person who made dinner (why not)...clean up after dinner if you didn't make it. Everyone wants to be noticed and appreciated. If you praise people for what they do, they most likely will enjoy doing it because it is noticed. When you're home...get your head out of work and BE HOME!!

Work will be there tomorrow. Bring presence in all the areas of your life, even cleaning. Notice what is going on around you and within you. Make cleaning fun.

If you have housework blues....take a deep breath and seek out a helper....don't forget to put on some music to enhance a positive mood!!

Don't sweat the small stuff, just be aware of how you act when housework needs doing. Be grounded and ask for what you need. If you really think about it, we are all a bunch of souls having a human experience anyways...have fun with life...

T

Everyone needs to love themselves...

I was chatting with a woman today about her 12 year old daughter. The woman mentioned that her daughter was underweight and was part of a classroom where the words "fat" and "ugly" get thrown around. I'm sure there were more, but I'm just not remembering them all. I took this story to heart and really gained a strong motive to blog about how to teach people around you to love themselves, ESPECIALLY the young ones in our lives.
Everyone needs to love themselves!!

On your mirrors at home (or where ever), take a marker and write, "I AM AMAZING" Begin to fill your space with positive words and if you choose not to write on your mirrors, print out some affirmations and post them up around the house where you spend the most time. Over time change them around, so that you don't get used to them and easily dismiss them. Send a friend a special affirmative text, or a special note in your kids lunch bags or partners shoes/coat pocket. Take the time to affirm not only yourself, but the people around you. Fill your entire surroundings with love and kindness.

"I AM WORTHY"

"I AM AMAZING"

"I AM BEAUTIFUL"

"I ROCK"

Feel good words create feel good emotions and this creates happiness and great connections.

Love yourself and teach the people around you to as well. If people think you're weird, teach them anyways because when they are alone, they'll reflect on what you've said!!

Love yourself because you are incredibly amazing and worthy of all the amazing things life has to offer!!

Think I'm weird??? I'm not weird, I'm just different ;)

HUGS,
T

Monkey Mind Patterns

Do you ever notice yourself rethinking the same experience over and over again? This is what you call weakness of the mind. Now with that said, what contributes to strengthening the mind? Yoga, meditation, balanced diet, and an active lifestyle. Strengthening the mind begins with the emotions and recognizing your emotional levels. How do you express your emotions? Do you even express them at all? Your mental patterns (thinking) creates the emotions in your body, therefore if your mind is weak, you will be easily triggered. I notice myself becoming angry when I do the dishes and it's because somewhere in my body, past expereinces of anger is still stored here. Experiences or feelings of complaints that I do the dishes often. And I catch myself singing when I do the dishes because I'm fighting off that mental pattern that comes in. It's called habitual thinking patterns. I formed a habit of thinking negatively when I do the dishes and now these habitual patterns surface and with my awareness I'm able to recgonize what I'm thinking during this dish cleaning time. Strengthening the mind is not only done through yoga and meditation, but it is acheived through your entire lifestyle. Why is it that when we get tired, we feel grumpy/bothered? It is because when our body is running on low energy, we have little physical strength, but little mental strength as well. Yoga and meditation increases the energy in your body, but healthy activity and well balanced meals contributes to that as well.

If you meditate on a regular basis and do not have a balanced diet, you are not going to acheive mental strength that will last a long period of time because eventually your body will be exhausted from what you're putting into it and the mind will be working over time to keep the focus and determination of positive thinking.
I'm not just promoting meditation and yoga, but an overal lifestyle of well being! It is our job to build on our awareness. Awareness truly is the first step and then secondly is choice. Continue to contribute to your mental strength by fueling your body with nourishing foods, creating a strong mind and body.

Don't hesitate to meditate, but hesitate the junk food!!

T