Finding the courage to continue on

Some days are good and some days are bad.  We are all human and we have our ups and downs.  Some days when I have yoga to teach toward the end of the day, I question myself pretty harshly.  I have seen a few posts recently that say the same thing, so I know I'm not alone.

The thoughts that go through my head sound pretty abrasive when you read them.  Who am I to teach these students?  What makes me so special?  There are thousands of other yoga teachers out there, I will never get anywhere with this.  Those other teachers are better than I am.  I'm not a skinny yogini, I don't eat a Vegan diet.  Who would want to come to my class?

The things I need to remember, however, are that I'm the one who went through the training to teach something I love and feel anyone can benefit from.  I'm the one who worked hard to create my website and made sure I have a space to rent for teaching classes.  I need to take pride in that.

Also, the proper students will find me when the time is right for them.  So what if I'm not skinny?  That may mean that someone who isn't thin as well might look at yoga in a different light.  I eat meat, so what?  A lot of people do.  I love animals but I also need to take care of myself.  Realizing that is part of yoga, too (ahimsa for those who know a little more of what I'm talking about).  I also don't like exhaustively hot classes, which means others who don't like that will come to my classes.

In the end, I have friends and family who believe I can do this when I'm having a rough day.  Just when I think I am going to throw in the towel and give up, my phone rings and it is a lovely man who wants to come to my classes.  He's so sure of my classes that he is willing to pay for my 10 class card before even trying one.  Each time he comes to class, he tells me he loves my class and as soon as he's done with this card, he will buy another one.

Then I remember, it's not about me at all.  It's about the students.

Namaste my friends,

Chess

Seventh and final chakra

The last chakra is the sahasrara chakra found at the crown of the head.  The element it is associated with is boundlessness.  Essentially it is any and all elements, so much that we can't comprehend. It works to create connection with all things, spirituality, divinity and realization.  It is associated with the colors violet, gold or white.

When this chakra is balanced, one might feel free of stress-related disease, a free flow of energy, and goose bumps.  Also joyful attitude, faith, empathy, balanced spontaneity.

If this chakra is out of balance, one might find neglecting oneself and not caring for oneself, and stress-related disease.  There might be fear, second guessing, lack of emotion, feeling scattered and unfocused.

To bring this chakra back into balance, one can meditate on the mandala here. One can try breathing energy up and out the crown of the head, or chanting a silent om.  One could try fasting, crystal gazing, worship, volunteering, or stream of consciousness art/painting without expectation.  The asana one can try are savasana and headstand.

Love and light,

Chess

Sixth chakra

The sixth chakra is found between the eyebrows, sometimes called the third eye.  The sanskrit name for it is ajna.  The element it commands is light.  It is involved with intuition,, balance between Yin and Yang, all forms of thought, and understanding the world around us.  The color associated with this chakra is purple.

When the chakra is balanced one might find calm, a healthy brain and mental focus, pineal gland and pituitary health, good sleep, and psychic abilities.  Emotionally, one might see humility, joy, realistic expectations, excellent self-esteem, trust and faith.

When this chakra is unbalanced one could see brain and nervous system conditions, sight conditions, epilepsy, feeling out of touch with the body, headaches, and sleep disorders.  Additionally, one might see manic depression, confusion, suffering, indecisiveness, and feeling unsure of one's purpose.

To try to get this chakra back into balance one can try alternate nostril breathing, chanting "om" or meditating on the mandala here.  One could also try prayer, journaling, and self-reflection. The asanas one can use include child's pose with thumbs at the third eye, savasana, and candlestick.

Namaste my friends,

Chess

Fifth Chakra

The fifth chakra is located in the throat, and is called Vishuddha chakra.  It is associated with the ether, the color blue, and helps with self-expression, speaking your truth, identifying with others, purification, and self-fulfillment.

When this chakra is balanced, one might find a clear voice, healthy thyroid & thymus, good hearing, a clear throat and sinuses, good sleep and dreaming,  Also one might find the ability to transform negative experiences into wisdom and learning, ethical sense and ability to exert ethical choice, ability to speak up and/or listen as necessary, and honesty.

If it is imbalanced one might see thyroid imbalance, nose and throat issues, tooth decay, insomnia, weight problems, ear infection, and neck pain.  Emotionally, one might experience emotional insecurity, fear of others' opinions, inability to speak up or listen.

When this chakra is imbalanced one might try a pranayama technique of alternate nostril breathing to restore balance. One might also meditate on the mandala seen here.  Chanting the word "ham" might help as well.  It is said more like "hom". Physically, one might try the neti pot, gargle salt water, ear candling, singing, humming and neck rolls. For the asana that one might try to balance this chakra, try shoulderstand, fish, plow, or camel.

Blessings all,

Chess

Allowing ourselves to be human

I love to read, so I read A LOT of blogs throughout the week.  Lately, I have noticed a trend and decided I needed to write about it.  It seems that everyone is going through some rough times.  It happens.  We have ups, downs and some coasting throughout our lives.

The only real problem I see is that so many put a disclaimer on their articles that normally the writers are upbeat and happy, but they are having a rough time, so don't judge them on this one post.  It reminds me of the scene in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days where Andie is sitting in a meeting with her boss and the whole team that writes articles for a women's magazine.  Her boss is talking about all the upcoming articles and describes each one as being informative and upbeat, or delving into a mysterious event and upbeat, or talking about tough issues and upbeat.  Notice that she always wants her articles to be upbeat.

It makes me sad.  We are so worried about being happy all the time, that we aren't allowed to be human. We aren't allowed to feel anything but guilt for feeling a little down right now.  And then because we all write and talk about being so happy, the people who are dealing with some difficulties feel like they are abnormal.  Like there is something wrong with them.

How about we allow ourselves to feel some of these feelings?  Humanity comes with it all, not just the good.  You have to have the good to compare the bad to, or you have this neutral place with nothing to live for.  Have you read or watched The Giver?  If not, I suggest you do, and then let yourselves be human.

Blessings everyone,

Chess

Body image and eating disorders part II

Earlier I wrote about the idea that maybe some of us feel like we are not heard or seen, so we eat to allow us to take up for space.  I went to a workshop the other night revolving around using Yoga to work through Trauma.

One of the concepts that came up really could apply to feeling like people don't hear us or see us. The idea is using certain powerful poses to make us bigger.  There is great research out there that suggests if we stand much taller, we feel more confident.  We are simply taking up more space, forcing people to take notice more.  A great video to watch is this one by Amy Cuddy.

So what poses can you use to make yourself feel better when you are having an insecure moment? Anything that will make you bigger.  Think Extended Mountain, Warrior I, II, and III.  Maybe some Triangle in there or a mini back bend from Extended Mountain, cactusing out your arms.  You can run through some Sun Salutations to work out the anxiety, to make you feel like you accomplished something.  There is a reason why you feel so good after an asana class.  You just spent a lot of time taking up space, making yourself more powerful.

Take some time and make yourself feel more powerful today.  Do some poses or think back to how many times you have survived some tumultuous times.

Bright blessings my friends,

Chess

Body image and eating disorders

I read an article about body affirmations that really got me thinking.  Before the author got to her list of body affirmations she uses, she spoke of her eating disorder history.  She had anorexia when she was younger, she claimed that she just wanted to disappear.  Now I know that that's not the reason for all people who have dealt with anorexia, but I wondered if the reverse were true.

Is it possible that some of us who eat more than we "should" feel like we are not seen or heard, and just want that, so we eat to make ourselves bigger?  I know some people claim that they gain weight because it creates a protective barrier, but what about the rest?

I admit that I am not a skinny chick, and that I eat more than I "should."  (I use "should" because that is based on what people think, not necessarily on anything else.)  I fight with my own body image at times, just like a lot of other people out there.  It's a byproduct of never feeling normal.  But then, am I eating so much because I want people to see the real me?

Just food for thought.

Namaste my friends,

Chess