Be It, Live It, Love It

Potatoe Chips & Mindfulness

2012-01-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever starting eating a bag of chips and then noticed only a few tiny crumbs left at the bottom? Or pulled into your driveway after work only to realize that you hadn’t noticed anything you saw along the way? We’ve all done it at some point in our lives, “automatic pilot” eating, walking, driving, the list goes on. These are just a few ways we practice "mindlessness" through most of our lives. Unfortunately, we miss out on life in this zombie like state and end up ignoring our relationships, our health and our life, barely able to keep from bumping into one another! There is now scientific studies to show that we can strengthen & build mindfulness traits that last, but more about that later!

As a yoga instructor, I’ve found that practicing conscious breathing is one of the single most effective ways to create mindfulness and release stress. By engaging in your breath, you can create a new state in your body and it turns out that studies backed up what I thought. Instead of going into automatic pilot and reacting how you usually would in a stressful situation ( anger or fear ) you can create a new habit through the breath. Engaging in a few deep breaths before you respond in any situation will help you to create a new perspective.

How helpful would it be if you had some easy techniques to be able to navigate through the stress of a normal day... like when you're stuck in traffic feeling trapped and you can't get to your already late appointment or you were just cut you off by someone talking on their cell phone? What would you give to be able to calm and focus yourself in that moment? Say your at your desk and you just got an upsetting email and you feel a familiar knot tighten up in your stomach and you can feel the pressure of the day building AGAIN. Now you notice the muscles in your neck and shoulders tighten, and that familiar sick feeling settle in. What would you give to be able to soothe that stomach and relax the muscles to the point of feeling like you just received a wonderful massage?

By practicing staying present and not running from the stress in your life, you can learn to stay open to all the possibilities in each situation. In facing stress, it can help in the transformation of it. As you practice mindfulness, you will find more opportunities to define yourself and your life. You can be defined as the crazy person at the office who flips out when the pressure is on or someone who exudes mindfulness to come up with solutions at the ready. The key is to remember that whatever happens in life, the best choice is to simply pay attention, breathe and allow yourself a moment to be with what is. From this awareness and acceptance, you can create change, opening up to new possibilities.

Your state of mind can be directly correlated to the breath. If you notice your breathing is short and choppy, you may be feeling hurried or rushed. If you’re holding your breath throughout the day, you may be having thoughts of anger or fear. On the other hand, when you're relaxed, you'll notice your breath becomes deep and slow. Take a moment right now and listen to the silence beneath the noise where you are. You will find that as you concentrate, you have unconsciously slowed down your breath. As you become more aware of your breath and emotions, you get to make choices from a mindful state. You can choose to take a deep breath and step back from a stressful situation or choose to plow through headfirst. Try this exercise of shifting your state of mind by creating a new physiological state in the body right now. As you read, sit tall and bring your shoulders back. Take a long, slow deep breath in through your nose. Hold the breath for a moment, letting it saturate your body with energy. As you exhale, sigh out loud or internally...ahhhhhhhh. Continue with five more calming breaths and feel the shift in the physiology of your body!

Now, scientific facts also support your quest for mindfulness. While I was listening to a “Google Tech Talk” on mindfulness research, Dr. Daniel Siegel sited the numerous studies done at UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center ( MARC ), reporting that it take as little as 10 minutes a day of focused mindfulness to build a stronger mind and create changes in the way your brain functions. This focused attention helps in the firing or neurons and stimulates neuronal activation and growth, strengthening the fibers of the brain. The state of mindfulness changes the structure of the brain, creating a new state. These states of mind then become traits. As the prefrontal cortex becomes stronger, we are better able to balance our emotions and distinguish fears of the mind. It also supports self knowing, insight and our ability to have empathy for another human being. A healthy prefrontal cortex has the same attributes of mindfulness, including increased flexibility, adaptability and coherence. According to Dr. Daniel Siegel, after just eight weeks of simple breath awareness training, they were able to see positive effects, including an improved function of the immune system, improved blood pressure and increased empathy.

Just as in starting anything new, it can take some practice. Be patient with yourself and begin by just establishing what is happening in the here and now. As we become more and more present in our every day living, we can then practice “Being.” From a state of “Being” our response to life can then be informed from a wider perspective, propelled less by old negative habits and reactions.

Try this, before you answer the phone, wash the dishes, step into a meeting or respond to your children; use the sensation of the breath as the "anchor" for awareness in the present moment. Firmly root your attention on just the breath sensation. Allow yourself to feel the breath as it goes in, and goes out, and the pause between in and out. Rather than forcing the breath, let it come and go. Establish mindfulness as completely as you can on the sensation of the breath. Practicing this simple breath awareness technique is an ideal way to start creating new outcomes in your life, rather than relying on the unconscious patterns of the past.

After time, you can move your attention outward from the breath, to your senses. Experience the moment through the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feeling and see how they inform your thinking. In this capacity, we can experience how it feels to be fully alive. In this state, there is no time, only the present moment. This is what they mean when they talk about quality versus, quantity. Practice with one breath at a time and know that even one moment of being completely present in your life can be quite profound. There’s no need to force it. Let go of all expectations and simply enjoy the process. As we relax, we can enjoy the unfolding of life just as it is, beautiful, whole and perfect!

For more information on upcoming workshops, events and "Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr," visit Sarah's website www.sarahspeaks.com and www.happyyoga.tv

To enjoy the full "Google Tech Talk" with Dr. Daniel Siegel visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr4Od7kqDT8

Enjoy my review of "Love, God, and the Art of French Cooking" | Recipes for Living in Mindfulness

2012-01-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

I've read many of James Tywman's books and his honest journey through yet another heartbreak makes him even more likable. Tywman tells of a chance meeting with a mystic/french chef after being dumped at a BB in Canada by his latest girlfriend and how it transforms his life.

Not much of a cook myself, "Love, God, and the Art of French Cooking" reminds me I've been missing the main ingredient. It's not always what you cook, but the attention you give it. Instead of rushing through preparing my food, I am now aware of the process, making it a meditation. I can slap it together and throw it on a dish or lovingly thank the person who grew the fruit, shipped it to the store, stacked it on the shelf and packed it in my bag. I can preoccupy myself with the next task waiting for me or I can relish the colors, textures and aroma. I can thank God for my abundance or multi-task, gobbling it up in less than a minute. There is presence to be found in everything we do. "If I try to impress someone with my cooking, it never turns out well," Chef Dufau explains, "I think of food as a way to love the individual I'm cooking for. It's a simple idea, but it transforms everything and people feel it whether or not they consciously know it."

This book is not a cook book but filled with recipes of spiritual advice for living. As a teacher and a passion to share what I love this quote from Chef Dufau says it well. "Another word for intensity is passion. In order for your passion to really benefit you, you have to add one more ingredient: service. He explains further, Do you remember when we were making Rosti potatoes, and I told you the eggs held it all together? Imagine if you didn't add the eggs-it would all fall apart, right? It would break up in the pan and I wouldn't be able to serve it. That's what I am trying to explain. Passion is useless if you don't direct it into serving others. It ultimately falls apart. If you're only passionate about the things that are for you, then you can't be replenished." This beautiful quote reminds me to start my busy days as a teacher, mother, wife and entrepreneur with, "How may I serve?" In contemplating this question there is always enough time, love and abundance and I am shown the way.

I am honored to have reviewed this free book from Hay House.

To purchase this book, visit:

Hay House
http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=5869&utm_id=3313

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Love-God-Art-French-Cooking/dp/1401935230/

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-god-and-the-art-of-french-cooking-james-f-twyman/1101003144?ean=9781401935238

Chapters.indago.ca
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Love-God-Art-French-Cooking-James-F-Twyman/9781401935238-item.html

Thank you for taking the time to read this review,
Sarah

Simple and Elegant... Louise Hay shares how "You Can Create An Exceptional Life"

2011-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

"You Can Create An Exceptional Life" is a wonderful refresher course for many and great for readers who are unfamiliar with the power of affirmations. Louise Hay keeps it as simple and elegant as this, "When we think good thoughts, we feel good. When we feel good, we make good choices. When we feel good and make good choices, we draw more good experiences into our lives." We try to make life more complicated than this, but I have found that the more positive I direct my thoughts, the more positive my day goes.

Louise also goes onto explain that we are all exquisite communication machines, transmitting and receiving energy signals every moment of the day. I can attest to that. If I bring my son to day care and he feels any hesitation on my part, he clings to me. In the interest of both of us, I focus on the feeling of freedom, joy and being perfectly capable to navigate through life, so we can both enjoy our day! It's not just the thought, but more important the feeling of what you are directing!

The book is in an interview style format with Cheryl Richardson asking Louise Hay questions, going over ideas based mainly on affirmations. As the founder of Hay House Publishing company, she is a living example of what happens when you use affirmations, set an intention and then follow up with action steps. Louise explains, "Everything we think and say to ourselves is an affirmation. We need to be conscious of what we're saying and thinking all the time so that life can get better."

Namaste,
Sarah Starr

***I am blessed an honored to have reviewed this free book from Hay House, Thank you!

To purchase this book go to:

Hay House:
http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?
id=5718&utm_id=3313

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Create-Exceptional-Life/dp/1401935389/

Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-can-create-an-exceptional-life-louise-l-hay/1102467735?ean=9781401935382

Chapters.Indigo.Ca
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/You-Can-Live-Exceptional-Life-Louise-Hay-Cheryl-Richardson/9781401935382-item.html?cookieCheck=1

How Is Your Spirit Today? | Check out Book Review for Hay House | Sonia Choquette's "The Power of Your Spirit, A Guide to Joyful Living"

2011-06-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

"How is my Spirit today?" Is there a way to make the transition from ego to Spirit? Sonia Choquette's "The Power of Your Spirit, A Guide to Joyful Living," takes you through the transition from an ego driven life where we focus on getting more, striving after and living by limiting beliefs to a life filled with peace, joy and purpose in four clear steps.

The first step is what Choquette calls, the "Awakening."" Like Humpty Dumpty, once you enter the awakening phase of your spiritual transformation, the world as you know it shatters - never to be reassembled again. And yet you discover that it was merely a shell that hid from you a much greater and more expansive reality that promises rewards, fulfillment, challenges, and peace like you've never known." This quote describes the first pivotal moments of "unaware awakening" in my life over 15 years ago when I desperately wanted a child and at the same time realized there had to be more to life than shopping for new outfits, binge drinking and making my life look perfect on the outside. I did not know that once I started looking within, my life would never be the same. But, rather than running from myself any longer, I was ready to change the channel and begin to unearth the spontaneous, authentic me who loves to teach and wants more than anything else to serve Life.

Choquette illustrates her work with stories from her own experiences, family and clients throughout her years of teaching and sharing. One of the tools she teaches is to check in with your most authentic self by asking the question, "How is my Spirit today?" It's in this reconnection every day that keeps us from spiraling endlessly backwards. She even recommends you give the Spirit part of you a special name, so you can identify and relate more easily. I call mine "Sparkles" and try to remember to ask each day, "What would Sparkles like to do today?" Once you ask the question, breathe and connect to the authentic part of you and answers come. For me it's letting go of the fear of travel so I can teach yoga across the continent, giving myself permission to go for it and add new venues so I can reach more people, yoga with my feet in the grass or pausing in the midst of chores so I can play in the mud with my son! It takes practice, but eventually we can all become more masterful at leading our lives connected to Spirit and even become the kind of person we want to be around! As a yoga instructor I especially like the reminder she offers of "Keeping Your Fire Burning." "Tend to the fire of your spirit everyday. Every morning gently stretch, move, bend or walk for at least ten minutes shortly after awakening. Whether expressed in a few yoga postures, a trip to the gym, or a simple walk around the block, physical movement keeps your Spirit burning strong and channels its power toward your highest creative expression. Being stagnant or spending too much time in your head causes the fire to die out." Choquette's teachings have definitely impacted my life as I've learned to introduce Spirit into all of my life; not only when it's safe on the yoga mat. It's when we have the courage to put the rubber to the road in our daily lives, accessing the Spirit at the workplace, waiting in the airport, stuck in traffic or parenting a teen that we can keep expanding into the joyful power of our Spirit!

I am honored and thankful to have reviewed this free book from Hay House!

Namaste,
Sarah

To purchase your book visit:

Hay House: http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=5565&utm_id=3313

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Your-Spirit-Joyful-Living/dp/1401928099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304621027&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Power-of-Your-Spirit/Sonia-Choquette/e/9781401928094/

Chapters.Indigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Power-Your-Spirit-Guide-Joyful-Sonia-Choquette/9781401928094-item.html?ikwid=power+of+your+spirit&ikwsec=Home

In_JOY my latest book review on "Bright Light" | More Than a Memoir

2011-05-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

BRIGHT LIGHT has not only given me insight into Dee's inspirational journey, but it's the story of so many people who are choosing to walk through life consciously. I can identify with her naive trust and knowing, as this rings true in my own life; from the creation of a new career as a yoga instructor, creating a TV program, adventure and travel, it's not always in what you know, but in the letting go! "For the first time I understood CONSCIOUSLY why life had bee so good to Deanna Bowers from Kansas: she had trusted the Universe, expected good things, and believed in herself enough to trip off to New York and had fun going after her dream with passion and just said YES to what came along."

As you delve into Dee's most vulnerable moments, you're given an opportunity to turn your "heart light" on. Dee gives simple examples of what connecting and creating from the heart is and is not; " Most of us are inept at connecting up with our hearts. An example would be the waitress at your favorite coffee shop: you look at her, talk with her, ask her questions, pay her with a thank you, bit do you know the color of her eyes? That is looking at someone and not creating a heart connection, an intimate moment. You're just going through the motions."

Dee's teachings became applicable immediately this month as I'd been struggling in an area of my life where I needed to ask for help (without adding guilt.) Dee writes," People and situations show up to challenge us so we can choose, seek to rebalance, and further our knowing with these tests. It is the equivalent of stepping out whether you can see the net or not. You just have to know that it's there." As my travel schedule expands, I am learning I cannot raise a family, keep a home and continue to teach across the US if I feel guilty in asking for help or think I have to do it all on my own!! When I asked for support, opened my heart and let go, the help I needed showed up immediately. Definitely not another "how to manual" or standard, "stiff self help book," but a story of adventure, joy, laughter and tragedy, moving me to unexpected tears, thank you for helping me find my Bright Light, Dee!

New Book Review for Hay House | Find Magic and Meaning in "The Map" by Colette Baron-Reid

2011-04-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Colette Baron-Reid's, "The Map" holds metaphorical places such as "The Crystal Canyon of Echoes", where your words and self image reflect out to the world and "The Vandalized House" signifying where we may have made choices where we were disrespectful of our self or been violated along our journey. The landscape continually changes depending on choices you've made in life and what your soul may need to learn. "There are season's and cycles for everything. No storm stays in one place, so even if you are in turbulent seas, fearing your boat will capsize, the winds will move along, as the always do, and the waters will become still once more." As we grow and discover the hidden treasures of every experience, our landscape transforms and changes with us.

From"The Wizard" who represents your inner wisdom to" the Goblin" who represents the ego, Colette gives a new perspective on how to manage the emotions that are continually going on within. I especially love her portrayal of the ego as the Goblin, making the ego relatable and easy to see how it influences us every day! If you see the ego as a little pet Goblin, you don't want to kill the pet, just train it to behave!!! When my ego acts up taunting," See I told you couldn't do it" or That was a dumb idea," I pause and see my trickster Goblin, whining at the door, invite it in and give it a hug. From there I can ask, "What is it that my Spirit knows to be true in this moment?" "Name him, call him out and you take away his power."

Colette's "The Map" might make a skeptic raise an eye brow a few times, yet in reading this book, I found another opportunity to reflect and make peace with where I am. In a playful way she named situations I deal with as a parent of a teen and young child, a wife and an entrepreneur, reminding me it can take courage to surrender to the present. The ego will come up with a thousand reason's to keep pushing, "If you don't do it, it won't get done," "there's not enough time in the day," all fear based thoughts that keep me in overwhelm. But it's in those moments that I breathe... soften my relentless drive and surrender to the path as it is revealed to me one moment at a time, transforming "The Sticky Swamp" where I feel stuck, to the "Field of Dreams," where I must go to plant the seeds of grace and intent!

We may not like to face where we are, but when we are truthful and honest with "The Wizard", we're at the first step of changing the course! "The Map" helps you to set your compass and head towards your desired destination, and you may find yourself strolling on "Balancing Beach!"

Thank you to Hay House for giving me this free book to review!
To purchase your copy check out these links!

Hay House : http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=5286&utm_id=3313

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Map-Finding-Magic-Meaning-Story/dp/1401912443
/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299176571&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble : http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Map/Colette-Baron-Reid/e/9781401912444/?itm=9&USRI=the+map

Chapters Indigo : http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Map-Finding-Magic-Meaning-Story-Colette-Baron-Reid/9781401912444-item.html?ikwid=the+map&ikwsec=Home&cookieCheck=1

Share in the Yoga Journal FUN and vote!!!

2011-04-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

This month I became aware of a new opportunity to share what I am most passionate about. I have a special favor to ask you. I am in the running for a talent search with Yoga Journal. If you have a moment, check out the link below and if you like my submission, click on the link to vote!

I would be honored and in deep appreciation if you'd share it with your friends, and you can vote once a day every day until April 21st!

vote here
http://talentsearch.yogajournal.com/view/1631

I also have included a fun short video in the making of our photo submission! Take a moment to breathe and feel the exhilaration!

It was 20 degree's that day, yet I wanted to include the amazing beauty of Mother Nature in our photo submission. I warmed up indoors, gabbed my boots and coat and put on my sense of adventure. I knew the snow bank wouldn't hold me with this arm balance, so I dragged my son's former baby bed mattress out and snuggled it into the snow drift as best I could! As you can tell from the video, it was still a little wobbly, but we got the shot!

Yoga has inspired me to flow through the rough times gracefully, to breathe and connect to my higher self, the part that looks forward to life, with eagerness and the "child like" qualities we all possess. Whether on the mat trying a challenging arm balance pose or climbing a cliff to shoot a new video, yoga has inspired me to trust the process of life and find the balance between sweet surrender and never giving up. This calm steadfastness continually leads me inward, to the unshakable grace that resides within all of us.

Namaste,

Sarah

Breathe and Enjoy my latest Review for Hay House The Angel Therapy Handbook

2011-03-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

Having no experience with reading Doreen's books, I had no idea what I was in for. I liked the idea of a handbook, but hoped it wouldn't be too "mystical" where there wasn't anything concrete you could apply specifically to your life. The first half of the book focuses on introducing you to the Angels and Archangels which I have had minimal background in. Doreen brings clarity and understanding of how each Angel can help if asked, how to ask your angels for help and a simple guide to working with your angels! Also included are fascinating techniques on how to "cut cords," open your third eye and do your own Angel readings as well as finding out what type of clairvoyant you naturally are and how to open and access that channel. I have to admit, I skimmed over the chapter of how to get in touch with the deceased, but as she explains, we all have a direct line to do any type of reading we choose, without seeking an intuitive reader to do it for you!

The last section of the book is where I was surprised and delighted. Doreen takes you in the unexpected spiritual territory of making a business from your healing. As an entrepreneur, running my own business, she provided succinct business and marketing advice. Ideas on sharing your message through blogs, speeches and workshops, what does and does not work. She shares the how to's on writing your bio, becoming a professional speaker, giving teleclasses, ect...and after reading this chapter I was inspired to accept a request for a radio show invitation. As a teacher, speaker, mother, care taker, I was also reminded how important it is that I take care of myself as I travel through airports, keep up with a busy schedule and at times live out of my suitcase. Doreen advises, "Stamina comes from fueling your body right. That means all of the common sense principles that your guardian angels are likely talking about to you daily: getting enough sleep, detoxing, exercising, meditating and so forth." I may or may not ever do an Angel reading or become a professional medium, but I do feel more confidence in my ability to connect within, ask my guides and angels for help and use my clear knowing to listen. Many of the techniques she has outlined in the business section, I know work from previous application and if you're looking to make a business from your healing work, I would highly recommend her book.

***A special thanks for this free book to review from Hay House!!!

Namaste,
Sarah

Here's where you can find The Angel Therapy Handbook!

Hay House
http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=5111&utm_id=3313

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Therapy-Handbook-Doreen-Virtue/dp/1401918344/
ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297099808&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Angel-Therapy-Handbook/Doreen-Virtue/e/
9781401918347/?itm=1&USRI=angel+therapy+handbook

Chapters Indigo
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Angel-Therapy-Handbook-Doreen-Virtue/
9781401918347-item.html?ikwid=angel+therapy+handbook&ikwsec=Home

Updated Spring Workshops and Events with Sarah Starr

2011-03-04T10:23:00.001-08:00

"Breathing Peace"

This workshop focuses on learning to breathe in a natural healthy way that can help with various medical conditions including: insomnia, low energy, high blood pressure and so on. "Breathing properly increases our longevity and supports our quest for well-being, self-realization and self transformation." Use your breath to navigate through troubled times easily, gracefully and masterfully. How we breathe reflects who we are and the manner in which we express ourselves-physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This workshop is a wonderful resource for anyone who wishes to improve his or her health and vitality through the breath. "Take time to connect with your breath, consciously breathing allowing your breath to be a bridge into this moment. "

Date: Thursday, March 10th
Time: 6 :00 pm - 7:30 pm
Fee: 15$
Location:The Beacon House, 430 S. Webster Green Bay, WI.
Contact: .Chris Seidl at 676-1146
Email: cseidl@beaconhouseinc.org or Sarah Starr at sarahspeaks@gmail.com

"Bask in Your Backbend"

Join Sarah Starr for an exploration of a core/flow combination, including a liberating back bending Vinyasa Flow. A fun way to sweat, bend and play! This creative sequencing will help to open the heart, chest and shoulders as we incorporate the benefits of creating a fabulously strong core! The core is the foundation of our power, use this practice to condition and cultivate awareness of your inner strength. Improve posture in your yoga practice & every day life as you expand your breath capacity. Sarah encourages her students to relax, breathe and smile, as they become the watchers of their thoughts, worries and distracting mind dialogue. "If your not having fun, you're not doing Yoga."

Date: Saturday, March 26th
Time: 9 :30 am - 11:30 am
Fee: 25$
Location:Bellin Health Center, Bellevue Location, Green Bay, WI.
Contact: 920-430-4756 Ext. 4901, Jan M.
Email: Jan_jamaye@bellin.org or Sarah Starr at sarahspeaks@gmail.com

***pre-registration is recommended as seating is limited

"Balance Body, Mind and Breath Yoga Workshop"

Friday and Saturday April 8th and 9th

Friday, April 8th
6:00 -7:15_Yoga from the Heart_ Start your weekend getting those good endorphins flowing, feeling rejuvenated and replenished. Sarah will lead you in a creative sequencing of asana, focusing on opening the heart, chest and shoulders, creating a joyous acceptance of the Now. We will also utilize the practice of attention and intention, accessing a higher energy than just the mind, using it as a tool to become fully present. Prepare your mind, body and spirit to receive the beautiful harmony of sound vibrations to follow. Come as you are, bring the body you have today and open to a practice of compassion, play and endless possibilities! drop in fee of $20

7:30-9:00_Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body and Spirit Through Sound and Vibrations
Feel free to bring any extra drums or percussion!
Suggested Donation Fee: $20

Saturday, April 9th

Cost: $110 or early bird special of $95

11:30 - 1:00_This practice will begin with an exploration of a core/flow combination, including a liberating back bending vinyasa flow. Let go of the past and move into the present—experiencing the peace and aliveness of the now. The core is the foundation of our power, use this practice to condition and cultivate awareness of your inner strength, ready your body for the afternoon practice of "Taking Flight." Sarah encourages her students to relax, breathe and smile, as they become the watchers of their thoughts, worries and distracting mind dialogue. "If your not having fun, you're not doing Yoga."

2:00- 3:30_Take Flight_ Join Sarah for a lighthearted practice as we explore a series of primary poses that will help you cultivate a balance of strength and flexibility, stability and mobility. This segment is geared towards both beginning and experienced yogi's. We will explore the foundation of balancing and the playful mindset needed to maintain balance, leaving you recharged and ready for life off the mat as well. Beginners will learn how to enter these poses, using props; creating new possibilities for their practice, finding the balance between challenge and comfort. Leave with a refreshed spirit; feeling focused, energized and empowered.

3:30- 4:30_"Living in the Now"_ Based on author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle's teachings. This class help you to create presence in your everyday life. Exploring the miracle that happens when you say "Yes" to what is. The focus is on meditation techniques, breathing practices and group mindfulness experiments to bring awareness to your mind, body and breath. Starr teaches to allow yourself to bring joy and acceptance to all that you do, as you immerse yourself in the moment.

Location: Heaven Meets Earth Yoga Studio
2736 Central Street, Evanston Ill.
Date: Friday & Saturday April 8th - 9th
Time: Friday - 6- 8 & Saturday 9:30 am.-9:00 pm.( times are subject to change)
Contact: Lisa Weber, Heaven Meets Earth @ 847-475-1500

"Embracing Your Spirit with Sarah Starr"

As we become more aware of our body, learning to listen to the body's feedback, we're more easily able to calm the mind in an upset moment, tap into our intuition, take time to be playful and end up becoming the type of person that we all love to be around... even bring improved health into our experience as we learn to relax and breathe through stress! Join me as we practice techniques to transition from a life of mind chatter and worry to a life created from the heart, filled with opportunities, serendipity and invitations to play.

Date: Thursday, April 14th
Time: 6 :00 pm - 8:00 pm
Fee: 15$
Location:The Beacon House, 430 S. Webster Green Bay, WI.
Contact: .Chris Seidl at 676-1146
Email: cseidl@beaconhouseinc.org or Sarah Starr at sarahspeaks@gmail.com

"Living in the Now"

Based on author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle's teachings. This class help you to create presence in your everyday life. Exploring the miracle that happens when you say "Yes" to what is. The focus is on meditation techniques, breathing practices and group mindfulness experiments to bring awareness to your mind, body and breath. Starr teaches to allow yourself to bring joy and acceptance to all that you do, as you immerse yourself in the moment.

Date: Thursday, April 21st
Time: 5 :30 pm - 7:30 pm
Fee: 25$
Location: Z Power Yoga Studio, 522 George Street De Pere, WI.

Contact: Krissy at 920-819-8650

Scottsdale Anti Aging, Wellness and Yoga Festival

Get 80 workshops, lectures, and yoga classes from world renown medical doctors & yogis, including Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr! Learn the medicinal benefits of yoga, how to sustain longevity, balance hormones and brain chemistry, grow old gracefully, ease insomnia, ADD, anxiety, depression, increase mental clarity and relieve pain naturally!

Date: Friday April 29 - Sunday May 1st

www.scottsdaleyogafestival.com

"Gentle Happy Yoga"

In this workshop, you will be gently guided through a series of stretches and basic yoga poses designed to increase stamina, blood flow, strength and flexibility, utilizing a chair to increase mobility and better balance. Sarah's classes alternate with movement to open the body through yoga, meditation practice, breathing techniques to create optimal health and exercises that focus on thankfulness. These practices activate body awareness, life energy, releases tension & cramped muscles that distract from clarity, thus clearing energy blockages and increasing physical well-being and aliveness.

Date: Thursday, May 12th
Time: 6 :00 am - 7:30 pm
Fee: 20$
Location:Bellin Health Center, Bellevue Location, Green Bay, WI.
Contact: 920-430-4756 Ext. 4901, Jan M.
Email: Jan_jamaye@bellin.org or Sarah Starr at sarahspeaks@gmail.com

***pre-registration is recommended as seating is limited

2011-02-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

Join Happy Yoga and Sarah Starr at the Scottsdale Yoga Festival!
This community educational awareness event uniquely brings the best in class from around the county together for the
first time offering experts in the fields of Anti-Aging, Wellness and Yoga including medical professionals specializing in
integrative medicine (MDs, NMDs, PhDs, PsyDs) who will explore longevity, balancing hormones and brain chemistry
naturally, and the medicinal benefits of yoga while engaging in "brain healthy" foods and activities all in the heart of Old
Town Scottsdale.

Friday – Sunday, April 29th – May 1st 2011 7:30am - 6:30 pm
Hotel Theodore & Scottsdale Civic Center in Scottsdale, Arizona
You can purchase tickets at www.scottsdaleyogafestival.com

A Course in Weight Loss | Love It! Enjoy my review for Hay House | What Have You Got To Lose??

2011-01-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

From the age of 13, my own relationship with food has been love/hate. I tried endless diets and non-stop exercise, all done from a space of low self worth. This type of motivation is unsustainable and draining. In physical and spiritual exhaustion, I finally made the decision to love myself enough to interrupt the old patterns of fear and self loathing, replacing them with kindness & compassion. In Marianne Williamson's newest book, "A Course in Weight Loss," she asks us to create a new kind of behavior through the processes offered, rather than the old patterns of self-destruction. "It serves you at this point to understand the power of making ritual. This course is seeking a lot of you...from making lists, to writing out feelings, to procuring new items, to doing ceremony, and so forth. It is very much a to-do kind of book."

It was not until I had a real relationship with my Self, one that was filled with nurturing, compassion and love, that my body would thrive in health and vitality. With the reading of this wonderful book, I've also reinstated a forgotten family ritual, blessing my food, thanking all who have helped to bring it to my table. In doing this I eat slower, relishing and tasting my food, rather than gobbling it down in front of my computer!

As we shift our attitude towards food to a sacred one, we take care of our bodies so we can be of better service for the world, becoming a conduit of joy. As we deepen our relationship with God and ourselves, we begin to see our bodies as a temple for our soul, a sacred container for our spirit. Marianne writes, "You have placed your problems in Divine hands, and Divine power is transforming you. That is why you are turning every step of your rebuilding process into a sacred experience. You're taking every step with God in mind." Give it a try, what have you got to lose?

A special thanks for this free book to review from Hay House!!!

Namaste,
Sarah

Hay House	http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=5111&utm_id=3313
Amazon	http://www.amazon.com/Course-Weight-Loss-Spiritual-Surrendering/dp/1401921523/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289421668&sr=1-1-spell
Barnes & Noble	http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Course-In-Weight-Loss/Marianne-Williamson/e/9781401921521/?itm=1&USRI=a+course+in+weight+loss
Chapters Indigo (Canada)	http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Course-Weight-Loss-Spiritual-Lessons-Marianne-Williamson-Dean-Ornish/9781401921521-item.html?ikwid=a+course+in+weight+loss&ikwsec=Home

Workshop | Events Schedule for 2011

2011-01-05T21:40:00.000-08:00

Flowing in the Glory of Your Life

"Step forward into the life you truly want with joy and excitement."

*Learn about the mind and how it works.
* Releasing exercise through guided imagery meditation.
*Writing exercises to release old patterns.
Play and Create Vision boards.
*Learn about food as a source of light and how it effects your mind ,body and spirit.
Fun and juicy exercises to experiment with food.
Breath work and body movement. Learn how the breath
Can create peace in both the body and mind.

Presenters: Tina Lyon Sarah Starr and Ann Pelot

Date: February 5th & 6th
Time: 10:00 - 5:00 each day
Contact: Tina Lyon at 920-858-7735
Email: Eadenbluestar3@gmail.com
Location: 1015 S. Lake St
Neenah Wi. 54956
Class Fee: $200.00 per person

$50.00 non Refundable deposit

"Navigating Through Stress Gracefully"_ Breathing Peace

This workshop focuses on mindful breathing practices that are calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders. We will also be focusing on mindfulness exercises to increase our awareness and raise our energy levels. Learning to breathe in a natural healthy way that can help with various medical conditions including: insomnia, low energy, high blood pressure and so on. "Breathing properly increases our longevity and supports our quest for well-being, self-realization and self transformation." Our breath is the connection between mind and body, the bridge between consciousness and unconsciousness, the movement of spirit in matter. "Breathing Peace" is a wonderful resource for anyone who wishes to improve his or her health and vitality through conscious breathing. Take time to experience the master key to health and longevity as we use the breath to navigate through troubled times easily, gracefully and masterfully.

Date: Thursday, February 10th
Time: 6 :00 pm - 7:30 pm
Fee: 20$
Location:Bellin Health Center, Bellevue Location, Green Bay, WI.
Contact: 920-430-4756 Ext. 4901, Jan M.
Email: Jan_jamaye@bellin.org or Sarah Starr at sarahspeaks@gmail.com

***pre-registration is recommended as seating is limited

Take Flight with Sarah Starr

Join Sarah for a lighthearted workshop as we explore a series of primary poses that will help you cultivate a balance of strength and flexibility, stability and mobility. This yoga workshop is geared towards both beginning and experienced yogi's. We will explore the foundation of balancing and the playful mindset needed to maintain balance, leaving you recharged and ready for life off the mat as well. Beginners will learn how to enter these poses, using props; creating new possibilities for their practice, finding the balance between challenge and comfort. Leave with a refreshed spirit; feeling focused, energized and empowered. Sarah encourages her students to relax, breathe and smile, as they become the watchers of their thoughts, worries and distracting mind dialogue. "If your not having fun, you're not doing Yoga."

Date: Saturday, February 26th
Time: 9 :30 am - 11:30 am
Fee: 25$
Location:Bellin Health Center, Bellevue Location, Green Bay, WI.
Contact: 920-430-4756 Ext. 4901, Jan M.
Email: Jan_jamaye@bellin.org or Sarah Starr at sarahspeaks@gmail.com

***pre-registration is recommended as seating is limited

"Breathing Peace"

Balance Body, Mind and Breath Yoga Workshop

Spend a weekend remembering the true goal of yoga; bringing awareness of the
deepest joy and happiness possible, as it is our true nature- now and always.
Alternate with movement to open the body thru yoga, meditation practice,
breathing techniques to create optimal health and group mindfulness
exercises.
Location: Heaven Meets Earth Yoga Studio
2736 Central Street, Evanston Ill.
Date: Friday & Saturday April 8th - 9th
Time: Friday - 6- 8 & Saturday 9:30 am.-9:00 pm.( times are subject to change)
Contact: Lisa Weber, Heaven Meets Earth @ 847-475-1500

Embracing Your Spirit with Sarah Starr

Scottsdale Anti Aging, Wellness and Yoga Festival

www.scottsdaleyogafestival.com

Enjoy My Review for Hay House | The Power of Intention Gift Edition by Wayne Dyer

2010-12-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

"The Power of Intention" took me longer to read than I expected. Not because it was a slow read but because I wanted to bask in the beautiful writing, contemplating and applying the teachings day by day, chapter by chapter. The Power of Intention, with its stunning artwork in the new gift edition, refers to "Intention" as an invisible force that we all have the ability to co-create with if we choose.

Recently in the airport I had an opportunity to apply Dr. dyer's writings. With airport amping up their security, the tension could be felt and seen in the faces of travelers. I even had a few people ask me beforehand, "aren't you worried about all the new scanners and security measures airports are using?" As I stepped into the line for security I put to practice "seeing every encounter as a holy one." Dyer writes, " As you change your thought patterns to raise your energy vibrations, and reduce the demands of your ego, (in this case it would look like fear) you'll begin developing a reverent or holy relationship with others." He also writes, "When I feel myself connected to others and radiate the energy of a holy relationship, people react with kindness and go out of their way to assist me with my intentions." As I piled my clear zip loc bags, shoes, watch and belongings in the trays, I focused on the fact that everyone here just wants this to go smoothly. By the time I was through the busy line I had the airport security smiling and saying, "I wish everyone was a cheerful as you. We could use a little more of that around here!"

Written in three parts, the first segment explains what intention is and is not, with Dr Dyer sharing stories of his connections and interactions using the "Power of Intention" on his journey. Part 2 offers a guide with detailed ideas and techniques to use these practices in your everyday life. This insightful book is accessible even if you have not had read Dr. Dyer's previous work, "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life" or "Excuses Be Gone." The final section shares Wayne's inspirational ideas of what "a portrait of a person connected to the field looks like or as he describes them, " a connector." "To connectors it all seems so simple. Keep your thoughts on what you intend to create. Stay consistently matched up to the field of intention, and then watch for the clues that what you're summoning from the all creative Source is arriving in your life."

A powerful book that's meant to be read or referred to time and again. I am honored and humbled to have received this free book from Hay House to review. Thank you!

Hay House	http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=5071&utm_id=3313
Amazon	http://www.amazon.com/Power-Intention-Learning-Co-create-World/dp/1401925960/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289416372&sr=1-3
Barnes and Noble	http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Power-of-Intention/Wayne-W-Dyer/e/9781401925963/?itm=1&USRI=the+power+of+intention
Chapters Indgo (Canada)	http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Power-Intention-Gift-Edition-Learning-Wayne-Dyer/9781401925963-item.html?ikwid=the+power+of+intention&ikwsec=Books

Enjoy My Review for Hay House & Getting Into The Vortex!

2010-11-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I wasn't really interested in another meditation tool, but since I am a huge fan of Abraham_Hicks I gave it a try. "Getting Into The Vortex" has been my main focus over my other meditation practices for the past two weeks. As a mother, parent, teacher and TV producer I can say that it is helping me stay clear in the chaos. Recently, when I returned home after teaching all day and my husband was watching our son, seeing blue marker all over the carpet and shades of blue still on my son, didn't send me onto an old familiar pattern of judgment or blame. I was reminded of a part in the book that says," True freedom is found in the absence of resistance. It is about being able to feel good and to be inside your Vortex regardless of the situations that surround you. True freedom is the discovery of maintaining unconditional love - of being able to maintain your "in the Vortex" position regardless of conditions." With a smile at the scene in front of me, I told my tired husband to take a break, hugged our blue child and cleaned the carpet after we all settled in.

Getting Into the Vortex includes a user guide book and a mediation CD with four categories: General Well-Being, Financial Well_Being, Physical Well_Being and Relationships Well_Being. Esther's soothing words and voice feels like a cozy warm blanket of comfort. This tool is in perfect alignment with what I teach as a yoga instructor and yet simplified the entire process of connecting to your breath. "Day by day as you relax and breathe, your natural Well-Being will dominate until your stable footing will become unshakable."

I not only use this as I sit quietly, but also downloaded it on my IPod and listen to it as I am at the grocery store, watching my son play trains at the train store and even while I practice yoga."Be easy as you find the rhythm of your body: and enjoy long deep breaths, in and out, as you hear our words. It isn't necessary that you concentrate. and there is nothing that you need remember: just relax, breathe and enjoy." This is great for a beginner and by far the most practical and easiest tool that Abraham _Hicks has created!
Thank you as I am honored to review this free book from Hay House!

You can purchase this book at:

Hay House: http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=5110&utm_id=3313

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Into-Vortex-Guided-Meditations/dp/1401931693/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289416101&sr=1-3

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Getting-Into-The-Vortex/Esther-Hicks/e/9781401931698/?itm=1&USRI=getting+into+the+vortex

Chapters Indigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Getting-Into-Vortex-Guided-Meditations-Esther-Hicks/9781401931698-item.html?__lang=en-CA

2010-11-17T16:33:00.000-08:00

I not only use this as I sit quietly, but also downloaded it on my IPod and listen to it as I am at the grocery store, watching my son play trains at the train store and even while I practice yoga."Be easy as you find the rhythm of your body: and enjoy long deep breaths, in and out, as you hear our words. It isn't necessary that you concentrate. and there is nothing that you need remember: just relax, breathe and enjoy." This is great for a beginner and by far the most practical and easiest tool that Abraham _Hicks has created!

Join Me & Over a Dozen Other Speakers As We Share Insight at The Love, Money and Seva Summit

2010-11-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

Love, Money and Seva Summit and Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr December 9th - 12th, 2010

The International Love & Money Summit is a vacation with a purpose.

Join me as I happily share yoga each morning at this life changing event!

In 3 days, you and other singles, couples, students, and professionals will learn mastery tools and practices from the world’s leading Love & Money experts. You will walk away with a rock-solid set of strategies, tools, and daily action steps designed to unlock the secrets to success in your relationships, finances, career, health & well-being, stress management, and work/life balance.

Never-before has an International Summit been timelier, offered more real, practical tools or packed more transformational power into one amazing weekend. Register today, and join us for the International Love & Money Summit.

For more information visit:

http://loveandmoneysummit.com/inspiration/

Happy Yoga Testimonial

2010-10-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

I am honored to share this wonderful testimonial from my last PlayShop at the YogAsylum in Brookfield! Blessings to all of you who shared...

"Your light hearted style of guidance through the class kept reminding me to let go. I was very aware of how tense with concentration I became in some postures. Your use of humor brought back the childhood love of testing my boundaries. I enjoyed smiling and even laughing through a challenging practice. Thank you!" ~ Leola

Laughing Meditation with Sarah Starr

2010-09-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Take a moment and enjoy a gift of laughter from my heart to yours!

http://www.youtube.com/yogainwisconsin#p/u/0/lzlI_9DbrUQ

Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr on VoiceAmerica!

2010-09-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Enjoy Sarah Starr's interview with VoiceAmerica and Brad King, talking about the benefits of yoga, how it helps to flow through stress, keeping us young and healthy as well as how the TV program "Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr" was created!

The VoiceAmerica™ Talk Radio Network - The World Leader in Live Internet Talk Radio

Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr featured in Yoga Journal

2010-09-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

A creative moment in time filming "Happy Yoga" in AZ turns into more fun with Yoga Journal. Here's a photo from the YJ's Yoga Master Class Slideshow with me in Sedona! Is also in print at the news stands:)

Visit this link for the slide show experience!
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2761?utm_source=MyYogaJournal&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=MyYogaJournal

Love, Money & Seva Summit and Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr December 9th - 12th, 2010

2010-09-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

The International Love, Money & Seva Summit is a vacation with a purpose.

Join me as I happily share yoga each morning at this life changing event!

In 3 days, you and other singles, couples, students, and professionals will learn mastery tools and practices from the world’s leading Love, Money & Seva experts. You will walk away with a rock-solid set of strategies, tools, and daily action steps designed to unlock the secrets to success in your relationships, finances, career, health & well-being, stress management, and work/life balance.

For more information visit:

http://loveandmoneysummit.com/inspiration/

Lightworkers Midwest Conference and Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr October 15th - 17th, 2010

2010-09-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

I am honored to share Happy Yoga each morning at this light filled event!

This is a wonderful opportunity for like-minded individuals to network and share their gifts with others. A fun and lighthearted atmosphere makes this weekend an incredibly memorable experience for all ages.

Many best-selling authors and presenters have shared their knowledge of spirituality, metaphysics, moving your life forward, evolution, healing, and life coaching. Authors will be available for signings, and other gift items will be available for purchase.

Are you ready to take yourself to the next level?

This fun filled informative weekend also offers live entertainment and music!

For more information visit:

http://www.lightworkersconference.com/

Fun Testimonials from live events with Sarah Starr

2010-08-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

"Thanks Sarah! I loved your class! All my trials and tribulations just melted away the minute I walked into the room. Hope to see you again soon." Amanda

"It was a pleasure to have Sarah at Inner Sun to share her gift of teaching. I loved the blending of styles of yoga which offered fun sequences. The group exercises based on "The Power of Now" at the end really brought new insight into my Self. I always welcome an opportunity to try new things and this workshop was very energizing and healing. I highly recommend getting to one one Sarah's presentations and I look forward to having her back at Inner Sun!"

Deb~ Instructor and director of Inner Sun Yoga Studio, Oshkosh WI.

Hi Sarah! Monday was great! You have a wonderfully contagious energy that sets the tone for a great practice. I really enjoyed the mindfulness practices at the end. I came out of class feeling relaxed, energized, and happily beat up:) Hope all is well.

~ Jeff, Yoga Instructor at Inner Sun Yoga Studio, Oshkosh WI.

Check out My Latest Book Review of "The Body Knows How to Stay Young!"

2010-08-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

As a yoga instructor and self-described lover of the connection in Mind/ Body/ Spirit books, I found "The Body Knows How to Stay Young" to be very well named. It is a wonderful invitation for all to acknowledge our body’s power and ease for vitality and health. As a mother of a two year old and teen, I honed in on the sections that could help me create more energy in my day. With Caroline's facts, it was hard to dispute that my caffeinated coffee might be depleting my energy rather than adding to it. Hesitant, yet curious, I switched over to decaf to see for myself! True to her word and even though I had already been cutting my coffee back from the usual big gulp, the switch made a distinct difference in my energy levels, emotionally and physically. This book delivers on its promise to describe paths to spiritual and physical wellness, in a way that is empowering. Caroline’s insights also provided the information needed for me to help my teen daughter who has been having headache issues. A few tips from Caroline helped my daughter embrace the idea of trying a sugarless diet. The headaches have dissipated as well as the dizzy spells.

This book contains clear and concise "secrets of vibrant aging and health" broken into four parts that include: stopping the body breakdown, regeneration, balance and igniting passion. I love the fact that Caroline moves beyond the medical and also addresses the emotional wellness factor, using practices that I also teach for vitality and clarity, including; breath meditations, affirmations and practical tools that are easy to apply for spiritual and energetic health. One of my favorite meditations she offers is a practice of breathing in love and breathing out blessings, reminding us to think well of others, “emanating an energy field from your heart like a beacon.”

As a person who teaches well-being through the practice of yoga, I especially enjoyed the information shared which she received after surviving a near death experience, "According to them, I was to feel fortunate to have a body and be of service; these were great privileges that should be treated with the highest reverence.” This blends perfectly with what I teach, appreciation for this beautiful body and taking care of it in the best way possible so that we are clear, healthy, bright channels inspiring others to their own greatness!

I enjoyed the honor of reviewing this free book from Caroline Sutherland,
Many Blessings,
Sarah

Join Sarah Starr and Happy Yoga at The International Love & Money Summit

2010-07-28T20:26:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

I’m are thrilled to invite you to join me at the International Love & Money Summit in San Francisco, CA this Labor Day Weekend. This is a vacation with a purpose, 3 empowering days and fun-filled nights of:
• Engaging Love & Money Workshops,
• Morning fitness and wellness
• World-class entertainment
• and much more!

The best Love & Money experts from all over the world will be on hand to share their special wisdom and tools so that we will all learn how to create more abundant Love & Money in our lives, no matter what the external factors may be. Check out www.loveandmoneysummit.com and see for yourself the incredible international line up of experts.

Never-before has an International Summit been timelier, offered more real, practical tools, or packed more transformation, success power, and fun into one amazing weekend.
You’ll walk away with a set of compelling and dynamic strategies to unlock the keys to your success in your relationships, finances, career, health & wellbeing.

If you feel that this event would be of value and you would like to join me for Happy Yoga, visit this link:

http://www.loveandmoneysummit.com/cmd.php?af=1223075

Happily,
Sarah

Happy Yoga_ Volume 2_Testimonials!!!

2010-06-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

I love the scenery in this DVD!! atmosphere is everything when your doing fitness DVDS!! I like the instructor and the workouts! But the great scenery will definitely make me by more of these DVDS!! VERY HAPPY!!
D. Jenkins

These dvds are great, I have the vol.1 and 2 and I love them, each routine in the dvd, is 30 minutes long, but your not going to lose a minute of it, that is moving and breathing all the time, after you finish, you feel that your whole body worked hard, and at the same time very relaxed, You have 2 routines of 30 minutes in each dvd, you can choose to do one or both for a challenging workout. Al the routines are so different, so you never get bored. Like I said before I love this dvd. I'll buy all the series from her.
Carlos Valentino

Be It Live It Love It Audio Testimonials!!!!!

2010-06-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sarah Starr is very passionate about the concepts in her audio book series, and it comes through loud and clear when you listen to her CDs. Her enthusiasm and energy are infectious. She has the perfect knack for connecting with her listeners, and encourages them to embrace the good in any situation and take the steps necessary to make the positive life changes that they desire.

Take care,
Sharon

I listened to Be it. Live It. Love It.
This is an amazing listen. It was light-hearted with good humor. It makes you take a look at what is going on within your own life and realize that you can change it. More importantly it helps you to realize that this a common occurrance for almost everyone. Thanks again, Sarah! I would recommend this CD for anyone who wants to change their thoughts and be able to giggle along the way.
Sincerely yours,
Teresa Anderson

Happy Yoga Testimonials!!!

2010-06-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Sarah,
I enjoyed the seated yoga class for both personal and clinical use. I was surprised by the level of difficulty. I was excited to use it with my physical therapy clients & used many of the techniques the very next day with 2 separate groups of elderly patients with various medical concerns. Later several of the patients commented on how much they enjoyed their session that day. Thank you for sharing your talents with me.

Jenny

Enjoy My Latest Review for Hay House | "Experience Your Good Now" with Louise Hay

2010-05-18T05:36:00.000-07:00

Experience Your Good Now by Louise Hay contains in-depth discussions of different types of affirmations including affirmations for health, work, addictions, critical thinking and prosperity. Hay explains how to use your affirmations, plus a fascinating idea on how our every word is in fact an affirmation (we just usually are unconscious in our creating). "You have to retrain your thinking and speaking into positive patterns if you want to heal your life."

This book has reaffirmed my beliefs in the power of our mind and helped me to become crystal clear in the affirmation process. As a workshop facilitator on this topic, I understand that letting go of excuses and limiting beliefs is an ongoing process. But I also know it is in taking responsibility for my future and adopting a positive attitude that I can harness the power of my thoughts and create my life, moment by moment. The affirmations in Ms. Hay's book are interspersed with insightful exercises and visualizations to help you get clear on where you might be stuck in your life, even giving you a check list at the beginning of each chapter.

This book is affirming within itself. Even though it has only 107 pages, each page is powerful and will help you to get clear as to where you are stuck in a pattern that is not serving your life. The accompanying audio CD is soothing and fun to listen to. Ms. Hay suggests even using this in the car as you commute to work, starting you on the path to small and noticeable changes in the workplace. "Remember that whatever position you find yourself in...you're thinking got you there. The people around you are only mirroring what you think you deserve." It is in this idea that we can all start to take complete responsibility for our lives and start living a life of passion and purpose.

In the audio CD, she also wisely recommends not sharing your new affirmations with others right off the bat, allowing your new ideas to stay close and near where you can nurture the seed rather than dig it up right away for all to see. Let people eventually wonder what you've been doing, rather than letting them "pooh-pooh" your ideas while they are still in the growing stages. Eventually people will start to ask why your life always seems to work out and you use much less energy teaching through actions and example without having to defend what you are doing. Let the materialization of your dreams do the explaining for you. I have found this to be true as I was creating a Yoga program for TV. The more people asked; who will buy it, how can you make any money and have you sold any commercial spots yet, the harder it was to stay focused and believe in my dream. I eventually wised up in that direction and simply kept my focus on the goal, smiling more and talking less. The manifestation always says more than words could ever speak.

I enjoyed the honor of reviewing this free book from Hay House,
Many Blessings,
Sarah

visit: www.experienceyourgoodnow.com

In celebration of the release of Louise Hay's book, Hay House is offering the chance to win a spot on their I Can Do It! At Sea Caribbean Cruise, Jan. 28 to Feb. 4, 2011. Enter to win at www.ExperienceYourGoodNow.com

The Most Effective Vision Board You'll Ever Use

2010-03-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever fantasized about seeing something and having it magically pop into your experience? Luckily, that's not how vision boards actually work or our homes would be bursting with every quirky gadget off of QVC! But, if you're familiar with the idea of vision boards and goal setting you may also know how successful people are in utilizing those techniques.

People create vision boards to give themselves visual stimulation and reminders of what they want to create in their life. Written goals or intentions are similar to vision boards except in word form. The reason why vision boards are so popular and successful is because your mind thinks through images. If you say the words red car, you automatically see a picture of a red car in your mind. So images work on an even more basic level.

I also know from my own experience the downside of vision boards; they can be cumbersome, not very esthetically pleasing and often become relegated to the back door of an office or slid behind a desk. Mine ended up in the backroom, rarely looked at after it's creation and eventually dismantled.

Here's the solution. Utilizing free and easy image searches and free home movie making software that comes standard with most computers, you can now create your own V&R movie. With this innovative idea you can watch and listen from your computer, IPod or even your cell phone.

What do I need to know to create my V&R movie? Start by writing a positive intention or affirmation, and from there you can find pictures that match your intentions. If you feel uncertain about how to write an intention or goal to compliment the pictures, try this statement, " Wouldn't it be fun if.... fill in the blank. From that statement you are creating fun and ease with all your goals. For example, recently my sister's children were sick with the flu. Doing her best she stated, "My kids are going to be illness free, no more sick kids!" I offered up this statement. Instead of including "illness free" and "no more sick kids." Try," I am a person whose children are healthy, vibrant and full of energy, we love to have fun!" Another key component is to get into the feeling state of your intention as if it's already happened. What does it feel like to have healthy vibrant children? Go back to a time when you can see them feeling energized and having fun.

To be honest, I am certainly not considered a "techy" and at the onset of creating my own V&R movie, my self-critic brought up some old fears of creating projects on the computer. My initial thoughts were, "I'm not sure I can figure this out, what if I screw up my computer and it's easier not to try." **

How do we start to shift our attention to creating what we do want rather than what we don't?

The solution to moving past my fears was the tutorial.
http://visualizeandrealize.com/demo.html
It takes you step by step through each process. If you can cut and paste out of a magazine, searching and downloading pictures off of Google images will actually be easier. To give you an example to how easy it is, I'll walk you through the steps.

• Just start by typing in http://images.google.com/
• Type in what it is you are looking for such as home organization.
• Scroll through until you find and image that you like, that represents visually what you'd like to create.
• Click on that image
• Click on See Full Size Image link on the top of the page
• Right click on image and select Save Image As
• Create a new folder on your desktop titled according to your theme
• Select Save
• Viola, you've downloaded an image.
• Now you can click Back button twice and it will take you back to your Google search

Repeat this as many times as you want until you feel you have enough images to create your V&R movie. Just start with that.

After you've done this, you'll see that you've just shined a light on the boogie man and technology can be fun and helpful. You don’t need to take a big scary leap, have fun and just take small progressive steps in the direction of your goal.

** There are tons of books and resources that can help you look deeper into clearing limiting beliefs and finding your unique purpose. We offer the "Success Screen Play. " This is a workbook that will help you clear limiting beliefs and help you get to the core of what would be the most fulfilling life.

Tips on Setting Goals? http://visualizeandrealize.com/tips.html

Why 21 Days When Setting a Goal? http://visualizeandrealize.com/21days.html

How this Process Works? http://visualizeandrealize.com/itworks.html

Free Tutorial? http://visualizeandrealize.com/demo.html

Testimonials? http://visualizeandrealize.com/testimonials.html

www.happyyoga.tv

In_JOY my Hay House Book Review | The Shift by Wayne Dyer

2010-03-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Wayne Dyer was one of the first spiritual teachers that eased me onto my conscious path with his recording 101 Ways to Enlightenment. Over ten years ago, I too I was searching for some of the big answers, "Why am I here? What is my purpose?" I had no idea that those questions were the same shift Wayne Dyer speaks about as you move from what he calls, "the morning of your life into the afternoon." As we move from the morning of life, accumulating, striving after and never being satisfied, we all have the opportunity to make the shift into the afternoon. It is in this space that our life becomes about serving others and letting go of EGO which no longer serves the higher self.

When Hay House sent me his latest book, The Shift, I wondered how he'd create the same magic that he had captured in the movie version. Usually, the movie is never as good as the book. But in this case the book follows the movie and I must admit I was a bit disappointed, feeling the book was not even close to the mood and surprisingly good acting he was able to capture in the movie. When my husband asked how the reading was going, I shrugged and gave the so-so sign. Perplexed, he asked how could Wayne Dyer be so-so? He knows how much I love and respect him. We even have an awesome picture at a Wayne Dyer book signing where the camera caught Wayne and us laughing in a group hug!

This is where my experience with this story starts to get good. Any time I put up those old blinders means I know I am in for another shift myself. Reading a few chapters further, my mind opened, like a flower opening to the sun. Our need to simplify our lives, the need of materialistic "stuff," the search for more meaning to our lives is explained as beautifully as in the movie. "The ego insists on pursuing more: more stuff, accomplishments, status, triumphs, and money. More is the mantra of the ego, fueling endless striving with a false promise of eventually arriving." It was just what I needed to hear at the time as I am also having more opportunities for teaching, travel and experiencing all that I have been striving for. This book helped me to let go of the out come of all of my goals, creating a space for the Divine to come in. The more we let go, the more we can create opportunities for the Divine to shine, creating miracles in our every day life.

This book is broken into four parts: From, Ambition, To, Meaning. Dr. Dyer's teachings (mostly Taoist) of transformation are based off of each word from the title to help us understand the true meaning of where we came from, how the ego is involved, the opportunity to make a turn around and finally living a life filled with purpose and meaning.

Wayne also offers practical exercises to breaking ego's attachments, including cleaning out garages, cupboards and closets. "If they haven't been used in the past twelve months, they belong elsewhere." Wayne explains further, "Most stress results from hanging onto beliefs that keep us striving for more, because ego stubbornly refuses to believe we don't need something. " This advice inspired me to clean out closets and cupboards, letting go of what is not used and sending it off to our local Good Will. With this practice, the need to hold onto or look for meaning in what I HAVE is replaced with the opportunity to experience freedom and lightness.

I enjoyed the honor of reviewing this free book from Hay House,
Many Blessings,
Sarah

Hay House http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=4672&utm_id=3313

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Shift-Taking-Your-Ambition-Meaning/dp/1401927092/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265149999&sr=8-2

Barnes&Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Shift/Wayne-W-Dyer/e/9781401927097/?itm=8&USRI=the+shift

Sister Giant Event in LA | Rousing The Sleeping Giant Of American Womanhood

2010-02-25T05:32:00.000-08:00

My dear friends,

I am very excited to share with you today a message direct from Marianne Williamson. Please join us to make a difference in our world today and also for some Happy Yoga on February 27th and 28th, early morning Stretch and Breath Practice. Please read on...

Dear Friends,

We often learn to understand ourselves more deeply by understanding where we come from and how we fit into our larger family dynamic. Yet that not only applies to our family of origin; it applies as well to our sex, our nationality and so forth.

As Western women, we're influenced in ways both large and small by historical forces of which we're sometimes only scarcely aware. During my SISTER GIANT seminar at the end of this month, I will be guiding participants through a journey of discovery both within and without....where we come from as women, where we are now, and where we can go from here.

A common anthropological characteristic of every advanced mammalian species that survives and thrives is the fierce behavior of the adult female when she senses a threat to her cubs. Our relative complacency while 17,000 children on our planet starve to death every day -- one every five seconds -- indicates a lack of positive intention, on the part of our species, literally to survive. The power we hold as American women is unmatched anywhere in the world, and our failure to use that power as effectively as we might on behalf of those who need us the most is a situation now ripe for change.

The goal of SISTER GIANT is to empower you to feel that you can be, should you choose, a major player in the loving transformation of the world. Tools both internal and external will be provided to help every woman leap into the fullness of her most creative and powerful self.
Take a stand with me at SISTER GIANT, and I will do all I can to help you stand just a little bit taller. This seminar can do more than change your life; it can change someone else's as well.

Please join me. And bring your girlfriends....!

Marianne

Register Here!
Sister Giant
Rousing the Sleeping Giant of American Womanhood
DATE: February 26, 27 and 28, 2010
LOCATION: Sheraton Gateway, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA

IN_JOY My Book Review for Hay House | "Chants Of a Lifetime" by Krishna Das

2010-02-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Chants of a Lifetime offers an honest and humble story of one man's journey into the pitfalls and difficulty that befall most of us on the spiritual journey. Krishna Das tells of a story that is constantly caught in a battle between the spirit and the flesh. Wavering between extreme devotion and narcissism to a person who eventually opens his heart to loving himself in acceptance. For anyone who has been searching to move from the ego directed life and its false demands to a life filled with meaning and purpose this book is for you. Das offers his simple yet beautiful stories, accounting his life as a devotee, traveling the world searching for and finally finding a way to serve life through his gift of chanting. For the past 15 years I too have felt the ups and downs as I imagined how would it be to be enlightened. I could identify with Das' plight as we realize in a brief moment how ridiculous the idea is. Always waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect yoga pose, the perfect meditation, affirmation or phrase and then the "I" would be gone. As Das explains, it can never happen. "The absolute Divine presence is always in our hearts. It is always here." There is no finish line, only continual expansion as All of it.

His honest account does not always paint a rosey picture of "hippie freedom," wandering around India, practicing austerities, experimenting with drugs, sitting at the feet of gurus as he battles the internal talk of self loathing and unworthiness, yet I am thankful for the opportunity to read this beautiful story of humanity and the Spirit.

This book has tremendous energy and was very hard to put down. The different experiences on his journey are described vividly and with focus and emotion. You feel like you are living each sentence with him as he goes through his ever changing situations as a devotee, bus driver, Kirtan leader, husband and father. Das honestly admits that he can go from heaven to hell in a brief moment even after years of practice. Driving through New York, listening to his own Kirtan Cd, he gets cut off and finds himself immediately reacting, speeding up to get a look at the driver. He meets face to face with a little old lady who can hardly see over the steering wheel. As Das explains,"Over time, I've seen these old programs slow down and become more transparent. We have a brief moment to let go before that wave of emotion comes over us and renders us helpless."

In my own life I can see how the practice of watching the mind, remembering to breathe before I react or speak has made a difference. Before getting caught up in the drama and old reactions of yelling and complaining, I take a deep breath and choose peace over the chaos. It doesn't mean the emotions won't still come up, we just don't need to get completely sucked into our stories. "It's like a wave, maybe the wave only goes up to our knees instead of 50 feet over our heads." Creating spaciousness in our lives may take practice and Das has shown this through his candid humor and open hearted honesty. Our lives and our ego are all under our own direction. Saying the right words, reading the right books, listening to the right teachers is not enough, we must Be the experience of what we are wanting. I had it backwards for many years, looking for the experience of happy before I could be happy, or fulfilled, or on purpose, fill in the blank. The Universe can only reflect what is inside of us before it can create it outside of us.

The book also includes photos from his time in India and a CD that drew me into the beautiful experience of chanting once again. The cd illustrates how truly gifted he is. Chants of a Lifetime has opened my heart into remembering my own truth, giving myself permission to let go of the idea of "DOing spiritual practices to attain happiness" and simply BE the Spirited person I Am.

I enjoyed the honor of reviewing this free book from Hay House,
Many Blessings,
Sarah

Hay House http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?id=4672&utm_id=3313

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Shift-Taking-Your-Ambition-Meaning/dp/1401927092/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265149999&sr=8-2

Barnes&Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Shift/Wayne-W-Dyer/e/9781401927097/?itm=8&USRI=the+shift

Use Your Shadow Before It Uses You | Part 2

2010-01-31T14:04:00.000-08:00

Lets start by knowing that you don't need to get rid of your Shadow. You can embrace the Shadow and in doing so, use it to your advantage. As I had spoken of in "Part 1 of The Shadow," if I see the opposite of "understanding others and listening" as my shadow, where and how does that serve me? In the beginning of my exploration I wanted to create abundance in my life through my classes and workshops. In delving deeper I had discovered the quality I love most about myself is to understand others, care and listen. The opposite is that I don’t always hang on every word spoken, I may judge and I am only half listening when family is discussing their problems. I am starting to see where after years of half listening while doing hair, I would automatically tune people out so I could do my work. I see this tendency in me with my children as well. "You aren’t listening to me," my daughter accuses. I would have sworn instead that I was losing my hearing. The truth is that I have become very good at repeating back bits of what they were speaking so they thought I was listening. Yes! I have discovered another nugget, a "glitch" and an opportunity to grow.

Embracing my shadow side for me means that I don't have to understand where every ones coming from. I can allowing myself to "tune out" from the drama of their situation, hold presence when I am with them, love them and let them be who they are. I can now become the teacher I wish to be. I can still care and in doing so, break down the barriers in my own heart. Instead of hating the Shadow part of me, feeling shame, I can embrace this new understanding. Once we uncover the darkness, we can see the light, removing any false sense of separation. As I create space around these old programs, I can question whether they are still true for me in this moment.

It can take a huge amount of courage to be honest with ourselves, to be vulnerable and open to change. We say we want to heal our relationships yet how can we if we are constantly judging ourselves and others. We get good at judging others as we walk thru life, but if we look deep enough, those are the same qualities we dislike in our self. When we are honest, the healing can begin. Those same qualities we judge in others are indeed the shadow part of us that we try so hard to hide.

The shadows begin as we download what we see from childhood on. The belief that we aren’t good enough, feeling shame if we didn’t work hard enough, berated for grades in school, feeling inept at sports, ect... The more we shove down those feelings of inadequacy, the harder it is to keep them down. We try all our lives to prove that we are not all those things that we hate. We are not our anger, we are not our fear, we are not our shame, we are not impatient, we are not, fill in the blank. In shoving down the wounded ego, it only gets stronger until it pops up unexpectedly. We hide behind the mask of perfection and hide behind a persona that we believe will bring us all the love and approval we strive for.

My Shadow had also been recognized as a compulsive shopper. So the question is how can I take that side of me and turn it around as a positive? One easy way to tell if your shadow side is running the show is if you feel guilty after wards. Recently I was acting out, storming around our house, angry at myself. When my husband pointed out my bad mood, I reluctantly took a look within. There is no one to blame, I am not a victim, so what is this feeling surfacing, ready to pop? As I seek to develop the strength to live in clarity, I also had to connect with that deeper place within, move past my self-centerdness and be honest. I was wallowing in guilt and shame for ordering a yoga outfit, when we said we were trying to save. Once my Shadow was pinpointed, I could choose to look for the positive attribute in this. As my husband helped me to turn that feeling around, he pointed out how important it was to feel confident on stage ,ie. feeling good about myself and exuding love and dignity to all my students. Maybe one way to exude that is professional, stylish attire, taking care of my self and feeling good as I step onto that stage. Instead of my Shadow using me in guilt and blame, I took action and found a way to use my love of shopping, contacted the company I love to order from to form an affiliate. I could promote the products I loved and also buy them for wholesale! As an added benefit, the process of not judging myself as good or bad has deflated all the urgency and need around shopping. As I slowly become free of the inner demander, I create an opportunity to expand beyond my Shadow.

Do you have a persona that you show the world and secret persona that others never see? It could be in an area that you are out of control, a habit or addiction that holds you hostage. Some people are kind to the check out person, but when the car door closes, scream and lash out at their kids for acting up in the store. Maybe you hold the persona of being successful, yet have maxed out all your credit cards, caught in the vicious cycle of borrowing from Paul to pay Peter.

All of life has an opposite, but we spend our life projecting our shadow on others afraid of our own unworthiness. "That person is stupid, what a horrible driver, that checkout person is a jerk," on and on we go pushing our own shadow out onto others. As we own our shadow, we begin to claim our life. What is standing in front of us, judging ruthlessly is usually the quality that we also hide within. Like attracts like. See those same people in life that we perceive as a thorn in our side as a gift for us to look within and now we have mastery. God loves us so much that he gives us every opportunity to grow, change and become our authentic selves. What we judge in others is a gift for us to see the same in ourselves so we can move beyond into our greatness.

The ego wants to react, judge and project on others the part of us that we hide beneath the surface. As I sat in the lobby at a water resort this summer, I judged the tired, hurried parents who were yelling at their kids to," stay in line, get back here, don’t do that." At first I wanted to shake my head in disbelief. In that moment, I remembered the same day when my family finally arrived at the water park after four hours or driving. As I got out of the car to unpack, I was grumbling to my daughter that this was the last time. In that moment of recognizing my shadow, I dropped the judgment and said a gentle prayer for the mother and son in front or me as she dragged him back into line. "May You be at peace, may you be safe, may you be happy." I then closed my eyes and decided to look for the positive, the families having fun, the parents enjoying their children. My experienced shifted as I looked within.

Who is the person who bothers you the most? A mother, ex-spouse, children, brother or sister? What do you say about them out loud and silently? How do you judge them? This is a clue to what you may be also hiding in your shadow. What would you say to them out loud if you could? As I looked at those parents struggling with their kids I wanted to say, "You're mean, you're out of control or you should get a grip!" In the next moment I also recognized those qualities in myself when I was tired, unaware and unconscious. The more we profess "I AM NOT THAT!", the more we are.

What do we try to do to prove to ourselves and others that we are not that quality? If you accuse others of being pushovers, do you get yourself in situations where you are over assertive? Do you judge others of being tight with their money and then spend more than you have to prove you are not that? Do you accuse coworkers of being sloppy and then prove you-are not that by being compulsively clean? Do you accuse others of being lazy and then go nonstop all day without taking a needed break?

How do we exhibit that same quality we judge in others? Give yourself a chance to look within to see how you display that same example in your shadow side. If you judge others as lazy, do you get lazy about taking care of yourself? If you judge another as unproductive, do you let areas of your health slide since no one is looking? The shadow can be tricky. Allow your own answers to come up becoming brutally honest. How am I like that lazy person? When am I unproductive? How do I display those same qualities that I judge in another? Be with what you are pushing against. If you don’t deal with your destructive patterns, they will eventually deal with you!

How can you incorporate your shadow into your life? How can you utilize it rather than waiting until it pops up in your face?

If you tend to get what some perceive as bitchy with your relatives, maybe you can place some of that assertive energy at work, in a business sense rather than your family life.

If your Shadow includes you in your neighbor's business, hovering over your children, taking care of problems without their asking, maybe you can volunteer for hospice or a nursing home where others would love your company.

As you recognize your Shadow, know that you can apply it in a positive way, serving you to be all that you are! The simple fact is that when we notice these tendencies and behaviors it is the beginning, creating a gap between our reactions and perceptions, creating space before we get totally caught up in the story of me. In that space we become more transparent and open to experiencing our selves as All of it.

F.Y.I.
Your shadow also includes all your positive qualities. See them reflected in another.
Whom do you really admire?
What qualities inspire you?
What can you do to develop these qualities in your self?
What actions can you take to experience yourself as that?
Remember we possess all the brilliance we see in others.

I am in deep appreciation for the work of Debbie Ford, her teachings about The Shadow and her positive influence on my life and this story.

Are You Ready to Embrace Your Shadow? | Part 1

2010-01-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

All our answers are within. Are you ready to face all the dreams you haven’t yet fulfilled as a result of your Shadow?

As we drive to our anniversary retreat, our car becomes the school of awakening once more.

We bring a DVD player along and pop in our new movie,"The Shadow with Debbie Ford." I'd watched it earlier in the week and decided it wasn’t for me. In that response, I knew it WAS for me, I just needed to get out of the way to experience it fully. I uncover another glitch in my belief system, without distractions of the phone, kids and emails as an excuse.

The first question asked of me in the interactive movie was to identify one break through I would like to achieve as a result of going through the shadow experience. My husband easily identifies that he would like to work on his fitness levels and get back in shape. I look to feel creative abundance as a result of the TV program, classes and books.

What would motivate you to give your shadow the time and attention it deserves so you can uncover, embrace and grow from your shadow rather than it using you as a tool? The goal is not to get rid of the shadow or the ego, but to love it, embrace it and understand it. The shadow side is considered to be the negative behaviors that pop up from beneath the surface. It is made up of all the emotions that are too embarrassing or unacceptable to us to admit. In the embracing of our shadow side, we transcend the limitations of our past, loving every aspect of ourselves to finally be healthy and happy.

Driving down the road my truth unfolds. The first time I listened to this work I was also editing a Tv program, giving it only half my attention. This is where my nugget lies. to What and whom do I give my attention? My husband and I listen together this time, my intention is on getting clear. What do I want? What's holding me back from my success? Am I ready to uncover another piece to the puzzle? The more I inquire within, the deeper I travel down the path to my truth.

What are you hiding? I ask myself.

For years I hid behind addictions, presenting the world only the perfect self. I honed my image to a tee, allowing only the parts of me that were acceptable to the world to be seen. They had no idea of my troubled marriages, the addiction to food, the weekend binging of alcohol. I was the good girl, doing exactly what was expected of me by my family, coworkers, neighbors and friends. Over the past ten years these harmful shadows have been dealt with and recognized. In shining a light and allowing this part of me to be acknowledged, it lost power and its hold over me.

How do you go from being completely ruled by your addictions, your anger and the fear of being found out and shift to a person who is in love with life and eager for every day? It was only in embracing these parts of my life and replacing judgment with LOVING MYSELF that change could begin. I made the shift from unhealthy habits of smoking and binge drinking to a lifestyle that included a daily practice of yoga, feeding my body healthy food and taking the time to cultivate healthy relationships with myself and others.

What is this shadow self?

It is everything we don’t want anyone to see. It can be dark, secretive and embarrassing. It is the things we lie about to ourselves and others, the part of us that we desperately try to stuff down. It is the opposite of the light and shows up in ways we all deny. Lying to our children, cheating on your taxes, drinking too much after resolving to quit, stuffing ourselves with food after dieting for weeks on end, screaming at our kids after being the nice mommy in public, kicking the dog when no one is looking, overspending when we are already in debt. Most of us will deny any shadow parts for fear of being found out and then having to deal with that part of us.

Ten years later I am still looking to uncover the parts of me that hold me back from becoming the larger part of me, my higher self. These are the more subtle layers that are looking to be released. In releasing and uncovering my layers I can also help the collective shadow of the world. In clearing up my energy, I can assist in the healing of the Universe.

Instead of living in denial I choose to wake up and seek to understand my shadow. It may be painful, it may be easier to stay distracted, become a cynic or indulge in anger and resentment, but this will never create change. I seek to be the change that I want to see in this world.

If you are unsure of where to look for that shadow, begin with this first question.

What is the quality you like most love about yourself? You may be kind, patient, generous, loyal. What is the one great quality you would keep about yourself if you could only keep one?

It is worth taking the time here to look within, in doing so we can understand the self. I answer this question as my husband drives to our surprise destination hotel. The answer of “understanding “came up for me. I seek to understand rather than judge. I love to listen to others and help them to understand themselves better. I had no idea how this could help me embrace my shadow, yet I forge ahead to the next question to unlock my truth.

As you look at this one good quality, how do you display this outwardly to others? How do you get others to see this in you? My husband chose the one good quality of humor. He makes jokes to ease tension. He offers up laughs to break the ice. He loves telling jokes and being goofy with all the nieces, nephews and friends. I outwardly display understanding in my workshops and classes. When people want to talk after class, I take the time to listen. When family calls with situations or problems, I seek to understand to provide help in any way I can.

If your quality is generous, you may make grand gestures of generosity in public. If your attribute is thoroughness, you may take detailed notes at a meeting and share it with coworkers. How do you get people to see your finest quality?

In finding this quality that you love about your self, your work is to also find the opposite of this quality. If your quality is kindness, the opposite would be unkind, understanding/judging, generous / stingy, patient / impatient, ect... Allow the guidance from within to give you your own answers.

In knowing myself as understanding, the opposite would be to judge or not care. As you look at your opposite, how do you feel about that quality? Do you find yourself judging this quality in your family and friends? Is this the one quality that can get under your skin with your children or mate? The more we push against that quality, the more we attract it into our life. Above all, be easy on yourself when these qualities do show up. Welcome it all, thank it for showing up so now you can release it. You don't even need to figure out where it came from or why it is showing up now. Simply remember to breathe, love the self for another opportunity to get clear and then let it go. Allow yourself to be silent, in that quiet space we can check in and find those inner resources. The more we welcome those emotions, the faster we can shift through the pain, the fear and the shame.

One of the biggest keys to moving through the shadow side is to embrace the attributes of the shadow and in doing so, you can use it in a positive effect. We will go into that further in "Part 2 of The Shadow."

I am in deep appreciation for the work of Debbie Ford, her teachings about The Shadow and her positive influence on my life and this story.

Resolve Your Resolution | Why New Years Resolutions Don't Work

2010-01-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

Do you have the confidence and certainty it takes to stick with your New Years resolution this year? Are you ready to know without a doubt that you can lose the weight, create happier, more playful relationships, give up smoking once and for all or finally go for it on that new promotion or idea? What are you going to do this time that is different than all the other times you've tried or started that new exercise program?

Why do we stop 2 weeks into the new year after whole-heartedly buying the new gym membership, the nicotine patches or self help books? When asked most would answer "I don't know."

To succeed this year your resolution needs to be looked at as a process that you will be vigilant in moving towards, rather than waiting around for a miracle to happen, reciting the affirmations or making more empty promises to yourself. Remember in the Law of Attraction, the last six letters is ACTION.

I sit at the computer to make my first "screen play." its like going shopping for a new life. What do I want to create? What is is that I want to do, experience, be and have? I take the time to answer these questions one by one for each area of my life. How do I want to feel in my body? How is it that I want to serve life? What kind of relationships to I want to enjoy? What kind of home to I want to live in? What and where do I want to teach? What places do I want to see in the world? I had taken the time to go over these questions and find my answers within as well as the answers to what I may believe is holding me back from all I want to live. Fear and analytical thought can easily squash and can also determine what we create and experience. As I let go of the excuses to living my dream life, I can finally sit down and feel good about focusing on living a fulfilling, joyful life that we all came here to experience.

The reason we quit? Usually it's because we forgot the action plan or specific steps we are committed to taking. Willpower and persistence can only create change in about 4 - 6% or our long term behaviors and actions. So the new years resolutions, without a plan to change the behavior, is essentially a waste of time.

How do we impress a new habit into the subconscious, create a new pattern in the same part of the mind which is responsible for 96% of our behaviors AND reinstate a new affirmation or belief as we release an old one? Since behavior is hard to change long term, we need to have a different process, a process that works on the "implicit memory system." If we don't like the results that we are achieving in our life, then that means the behavior that has gotten those results must change by working with this "system."

I search through Google images to find pictures that evoke and imbue what it is I want. My daughter and friends are in the next room goofing around when they join to search for the most amazing destinations in the world. Beautiful pictures of Italy, Arizona, Australia and California get saved to my desktop. We then move to shop around for healthy body images to focus on. I save images of yoga poses that seem fun and that I would enjoy trying. I find homes that make feel joyful just looking at and the type of meditation room I wold love to relax in. Most importantly, I find pictures of all the teachers who have inspired me along my path to add to my screen play. One of the many affirmations I record in the background include, "I choose to teach and serve among the very same teachers who have inspired me to be my absolute best." I add affirmations behind the destinations like, "I'm so happy to travel through out the world filming and hosting "Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr" as I explore the beauty of mother nature with my family." It was not until I could feel how it would feel to actually be this that I could attract it into my life. My husband had started a month before me on his screen play and is a wonderful example of "ask and then get ready to move your feet."

What is the implicit memory system? Why does somebody earn what they earn, why are we in the types of relationships we are in, why do we weigh what we weigh? Granted some of it is because of genetic disposition which accounts for 50% of behavior and thought patterns. The other 50% we learn from our parents, friends, teachers, ministers, siblings. Once we repeat these lessons over and over again they become fixed in our subconscious mind. As we reach our mid teens and mid 20's we have most of the habits and thoughts that are guiding our lives, creating a pattern in the implicit memory system.

You can sit around and think about losing the weight, be hopeful and set your intentions, but that won't cut it alone. "I am so thankful that I feel healthy and strong," this is the goal. Great! Now here is my plan for achieving this,,, I will go to the gym this many days, I will eat this food to feel more energetic, I will meditate for this amount of time on creating a healthier body... here is what I will do so I can achieve the goal. It is the action part in the law of attraction.

We need to unlearn habits and what we know that are causing the unwanted results in our life. So how do we develop new thought patterns, beliefs and habits? The brain has the ability to create new software and if we take a properly written affirmation and impress it through repetition, emotion and the right language patterns into the brain, over the course of 3 months, 6 months, 9 months we would start to develop a new habitual pattern. When we are able to learn how to visualize the new belief, pattern and outcome, now we can create a new image in the subconscious mind. The brain then starts to look for things that match in the physical world with matches in the internal new software that we've created.

"Why don't we stop and write the number down," I say as we drive past the new gallery in town. I swing the car into a parking spot. David pauses a moment and then gets out, grabbing a napkin from the car to write the number. Before he even gets a chance to sit down I prompt him with a smile and a challenge, "Now call it," He looks at me a bit dubiously. "Really, call right now. There is no better time then the present to take action." He does and a few days later David is set up for a gallery opening. He paints some of his most beautiful pieces, creating from the heart and enjoying the opportunity of a smaller show in his hometown. Rather than judging how and what's next, he paints as if this is the big chance.

When we look, its not the eyes that see, its the brain that sees and it looks for patterns and images that resonate or match our internal reality.

Very few people think about what do thoughts actual do? In quantum physics they have proven that our focus actually causes the intelligent energy field that is energy,to change into particles, from nothing into something. It only seems like nothing because we can't see it with our eyes. But right now most people can't hear any music, but there are waves of music all around us. There are tv waves and microwaves in the air all the time. Just because we can't see it, hear it or explain it doesn't mean that it doesn't work. Most of us don't know how the light goes on in the house but we turn on the switch anyway.

Once David is signed for a solo artist show, the gallery owners introduce him to another artist and gallery owner from Chicago. In sync with Davids work, he offers him a gallery opening in New Orleans and the future of a New York Gallery opening. David could have spent years lining up interviews and submissions with what now came swiftly. What are even the odds of a gallery opening up four blocks from our home, in a small town of three thousand and then to have the gallery close shortly afterward? He became picture clear with the screen play, he released the old beliefs that were holding him back and he then took the action steps as they showed up. It became a concert of perfection. In a state of surrender and letting go to enjoy where he was at, the Universe was able to now work through him. The flow is unstoppable when we get our egos out of the way.

What is it that you want to achieve and why? Do you want to create more income, impact and influence” in your career, “passion and playfulness” in your intimate relationship, and do it all with joy in your heart? How would it feel to have that in your life right now? You have to make it real in the mind before you can be it. The Universe responds to feelings, not words. Its not one or the other, its the combination. What are the methods you'll apply to achieve these goals and what are your strategies so you will be successful this time?

Focus on the combination of these three aspects as you commit to your new goals.

"Thoughts + feelings around thoughts + actions = results"

As we focus on the new belief we are rewiring the brain to focus on the new vision and if we can do that week after week, we start to change from the inside out. The brain starts to look for things that match the new expectation, the new image or new belief.

When it comes to your goals the bottom line question to ask is," Are you interested or committed? If your interested you will only do what's convenient. If your committed you will do what it takes to finally create lasting change in your life.

Above all, be playful about it, breathe and allow that breath to move you towards inspired action.

P.S. Please post a comment and share your
thoughts about making 2010 the best year ever. I'm sure everyone would love to hear your advice and inspiration. If you have any questions on the screen play process,or creating your own screen play, feel free to email questions to: sarahspeaks@gmail.com

Namaste, Sarah

Learning to Come From the Heart

2009-12-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

How can we make the leap from creating with the mind to creating from your heart?

"Do you feel separate from the person standing next to you? How do we as a small part of the Universe make changes in our world? We all know that we are in a very different world than we were even a few years ago. We know that we are undergoing the greatest global challenges in history of the world. How many of us know someone or are experiencing ourselves some of the greatest challenges in our life so far? It may be easier at this time to retract from our world or get even more self absorbed as we see only the challenges in front of us, we all do it. But now is the time when it is most important to open up, move from the heart and treat everyone around us with the same love and grace as we would our closest loved ones. The antidote is to do the opposite of pulling back or shutting down. It's time to amp up the love within, take a chance and love without condition."-Greg Braden

The mob of "tweens" wrap around the building, letting me know I was in the right place. I drive slowly passed amazed and mortified as I searched for an open parking space. A man with a homemade sign saying Parking, Donations for the church of St. Luke's flagged me in. Perfect, it took only minutes and we were jumping up and down in line to keep warm with the rest of the young teens. My daughter's first official concert, Justin Beiber, at a club in Milwaukee. You can just drop us off my daughter offers to me a few weeks beforehand. "No that's all right," I smile, "I'll pay another $50 bucks and see you through the rest of your teen years," I tease. Standing in line I can hear another mother talking to someone who had made it into the concert already. "The kids are out of control inside, their already kicking, hitting and spitting at each other to get to the front stage," she tells me. I look over at my daughter and her step sister. "Think positive" I smile as they look at me a little nervous now.

"For the past three hundred years science has been trying to prove that everything is connected, and also to prove whether or not we have any influence in this world beyond our bodies. Through quantum physics, we now that it is true. Funny enough, for 5,ooo years the indigenous people have known this and have been communing and connecting with nature as a way of being. It is time to learn from their example."-Greg Braden

We eventually get to the front of the line. "One by one!" they yell at us as we file in. We hang tight and weave through the maze they've created to slow the crowd down. Once we hit the open floor, it was a free for all. Let's dive in the girls yell to me. I lead the way as we hang tight, hand in hand. It was the loudest screaming I have ever known as the first act comes on. The crowd pushes tight, 99% female, screaming and pushing to get to the front. Hot and sweaty I struggle to hang onto both of them as they happily film whatever they can on their cameras and phones.

"Whatever is happening in this world, it is part of something that is much bigger than we know. We can ease the transition by coming back to our truest nature. It involves moving from a heart based experience. It is an energy that is part of the pulse of the earth. We can work with all that is changing or we can tighten up and contract, only creating more suffering around us. The very field that is creating the change is the very field that gives us life."-Greg Braden

Unable to see anyway, I keep my head down and cling to their sweaty arms. the crowd moves and sways, I plant my feet. I watch as a a mother next to my daughter works to elbow her young son a better eye's view. My daughter catches an elbow in her back and turns to ask, "Can you please stop pushing me?" The women retorts saying "why don't you move?""I can't move,"she answers, "why don't you move?" The women yells in her face that she has a nasty attitude and a bad mouth. The crowd keeps smashing inward as the announcer yells at everyone to take three steps back away from the stage. The heat of the bodies adds fuel to the fire as the tension in the crowd mounts. No one was backing down, they only pushed tighter to catch a glimpse of the main act who was still illusive.

Some believe that all the action for creating was in the brain. In fact the brain does generate a tiny electrical magnetic field and a tiny magnetic field. Now science is showing that the heart is much stronger. The very same fields that heal our bodies and connect us with all of life, the feeling and emotion in the heart is the key. Our hearts create the most powerful electrical magnetic field in the body and can literally be measured from satellite 22,00 miles in space. The human heart generates an electrical field that is about 100x stronger than the brain and a magnetic field that is 5,000x stronger than the brain. these are the fields that communicate with the world around us and these are the fields that help heal our bodies and connect us with one another. This way of being connects us to the changes that are happening in the world.-Greg Braden

Finally Justin comes to stage and a frenzy ensues, It takes all my strength to hang onto my two teens, I hang on and pray. With my arms stretched as far as they can, the crowd jostles us all in different directions. My motherly instinct wants to yell, "let's get out of here!" It was in that moment that I remembered I had another choice. I go to my heart instead and focus on my breath, as if I could breath in and out of that space. I focus on the goodness in these people all around me, even though they may be caught up in this moment. I choose to see the kindness in all. I choose to smile at the ones who even tried to crawl under my legs to get closer. I choose to smile at the mother who yelled at my daughter, instead of shooting daggers at the back of her head. I focus on the memories these two girls will have forever at their first crazy concert and felt thankful to be there with them. I focus on being able to leave safely, find my car easily and have an uneventful, safe, happy three hour drive home.

"In order to connect to that space, we have to get out of the thinking mind. If we can learn "or remember" the language of the heart, we can connect to the very field that creates the all of it. The "language of the heart" begins as we hold a genuine feeling of care in our heart. Our heart then sends a signal to our brain and the brain sends back a signal to the heart, and wah lah, a two way conversation begins.This electrical signal in the body can be measured and as we focus,with the optimal signal we create being 0.01 hertz. When we are feeling great care and appreciation, it creates a signal and establishes what they call at HeartMath, "coherence." Optimal coherence sets up conditions in the body for healing. Our immune system gets stronger, our DHE levels increase up to 100%, stress levels decrease and cortisol levels decrease. The best part of it all is that 0.10 hertz overlaps and envelops our planet, linking all life together. There is no them or us in this field. This feeling tunes and hones the language of the heart, connecting us and empowering us in a positive way."-Greg Braden

As the last note was sung, I grab my two and head for the door. Like moths to a flame, the neon sign of T_shirts catch their eye and we quickly buy matching T-shirts, run down the four flights of stairs and drive out of Milwaukee within minutes. It is if time had stopped for us, not a soul seems to have left the building as I pull away. With thousands of people at this concert, it was if we were they only three left in town. We all breathe a sigh of relief as the girls laugh, excited and frightened all at once. "That was the coolest night of my life," they both cheer, as they watch their videos, texting and talking all the way home. I am thankful for the moment I took that breath. It was in that breath that I could choose love and oneness over anger and fear. It is all in the breath, one moment and one choice that we can change our experience and ultimately change the world.

Take a deep breath now and move into your heart. "Rather than thinking how it would feel to be in your heart, breathe and take a moment to bring your hand to your heart space. Touch the center of your chest with your fingertips, gently press your fingertips into the space above your sternum. This gentle pressure brings your focus and draws the awareness from our mind into the place in the body where you feel the pressure. Pretend your breath is flowing in and out of this very space. Feel as you do this, your heart rhythms and breath synchronize. To amplify this sensation, uncross your arms and legs, releasing those pressure points, so all your focus goes to that space over your heart. Breathe slowly and gently until your breath feels smooth and even rather than forced. The moment we put our focus to the heart, the action begins. Once you draw the awareness into your heart and breathe into that space, bring your attention to someone or something that you have great care or appreciation for. Focus on that feeling of love, care and appreciation to find the place in your heart and activate that energy. Feel all the sensations, feel how it feels to be with that person, hold your pet, enjoy that moment in time as you experienced a beautiful sunset, whatever the feelings are, allow them to bubble up and move into every cell of your body. Allow yourself to feel and continue the cycle of heart breathing and heart focusing."- Heart Math

Thank you to Greg Braden for his insights and teachings included in this story. For more information on creating coherence, check out Heartmath.com

Feeling Lost? | Listen to Your Inner GPS

2009-12-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Could our surroundings be an expression of us? Could our interactions with our vehicles and the situations that arise be a direct correlation to our bodies and state of mind? Just as we are all energy, our vehicles are also energy.

I am excited to be on a date with my husband and to see if I made the final cut as an extra in the new Johnny Depp movie. The journey to the movie premiere is the beginning of another new awakening.

As I drive to the theatre, David and I talk about what's the next biggest thing we can imagine happening. Where do we want to go with our lives? What could we dare to dream? I talk of wanting to teach with all who have inspired me to be my best. My intention is to create an image mind map that I could meditate with every day, helping me to gain clarity in my life. The mind map would include pictures of Wayne Dyer on stage, Louise Hay, Shiva Rea, Amma, Eckhart Tolle with my voice in the background repeating affirmations of my vision. In truth, I had been stalling any movement forward on my dream every time my ego asked "how" instead of why. “I don’t even know what I would do or say If I did get on stage with Wayne Dyer or Louise Hay,” I confess. This was the exact mind dialogue that was putting the brakes on my dreams. My ego wants to know when, how and figure it all out first, looking for control.

I felt lost with no direction.

We enjoy the movie, excited to be at a movie premiere and I even catch a glimpse of myself on the big screen getting shot at by Johnny Depp. The drive to the party turns into the old familiar patterns of the ego. I struggle to get directions from a few people on the way out of the theatre. Not understanding which way I was supposed to go, I pretend saying, "Oh sure, I got it." We even try to get the GPS system to work; yet in my rushed state I am unsuccessful. Instead of getting clear, I just start driving.

My state of mind was a direct reflection of my experience. As we are clearly lost, the tension mounts in our car. "Just pull over and ask," David says. I make a quick U-turn as it looks we are about to head out of town and we find a gas station. The conversation turns to old patterns of blame. The "you should've, I wish you’d just, Why don’t you ever" conversation repeats itself. Pulling into the gas station David says,” Come in with me so you can hear the directions, too." I shake my head answering. "Why should I? I don’t ever understand the directions anyway. You just go in, then you can tell me which way to go.”

Sound familiar? “You figure it out, tell me what I should do. I don’t want to accept responsibility. I am unclear. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m afraid if I take the wrong path, there will be no turning back, I have no control.” All of these excuses apply on the road and also in my clarity of what I need to do in life. My stomach is doing flip-flops, a sure sign that something is not in order. It is time to get clear. Why all this stress around directions? Stress is the same as fear. What am I afraid of? Why am I giving all my power away in this moment?If it is not a positive fulfilling experience, it is time to question why. Why do I do it? What can I learn from this? Where did this come from, when did this start? The ego is creating this fear, keeping me from living the life of harmony and peace, disconnected. It is not possible to be at peace and be stressed at the same time.

The answers lie within. Here is an opportunity to be shown the person I truly am. The answers become clear as I retell the story to my friend the next day. In a new day and a little more perspective, it becomes clear,"I don’t need to know what I would say on stage. In this very moment I am becoming the person who will know. I will be led each step of the way." Five years ago I would not have even tried to be in a Hollywood movie, sit in front of Amma the Hugging Saint, create a yoga TV program, write a book, create a blog, talk on the radio, meet my favorite authors, travel around the world, ect... Five years ago I was not the same person, yet was led step by step on this path to become the person I am today.

Do we ever stop growing? Do we ever stop doing the work? The day I say, "I got it, I don't need to listen anymore," will be a dark day. The process is a never ending joyful process and is not meant to end, ever.

When I do step on that stage or whatever is lined up for me, I won’t be the same person I am today. That is why there is no reason to figure it out. I will be led each step of the way, and experiences of getting lost are the exact pathways I am learning to grow from. Become willing to go beyond what you believe today. Learning means taking in something new. When we see each experience as an opportunity to uncover and remember the Divine part of us, we will never stop growing.

Having no vision, being stuck, feeling lost, feeling loss of control, ECT... Next time you have something go wrong with your car or have certain repeated experiences, take a moment to pause, check in to see if there is any correlation to your thoughts, feelings and state of mind. What do the situations or broken parts represent and see if there is any connection between the parts of the car and what you are thinking and feeling. Are the speeding tickets piling up ( are your feeling rushed, not enough time for everything in your life), too many parking tickets (can’t get your butt moving, not feeling inspired, motivated?) The connection between the mind and body is amazing and each situation can be handled to work for you. As I mentally go back to my conversation on the road, it was obvious that I was feeling lost, out of control, without direction. The contemplation of the self is one of the best tools to grow. There was no one to blame, to fix or to feel guilty about. It is a lesson to grow in order to become the person I need to be for the next part of my journey. Trust your higher self to lead you, follow your bliss.

Benefits of Yoga | See What Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle and Madonna Have to Say

2009-11-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

With a restless mind and body, I step onto a mat for the first time. A single mother, operating my own salon business, I’d just called off a wedding two weeks before the big day. Unable to sleep at night, my sister in law borrows me a Rodney Yee yoga tape P.M. Practice. I am hooked. On my path to self-realization, yoga has been the solid thread that keeps bringing me back to a deeper exploration of the self. The change occurs as I take a look within and take responsibility for my life.

I’ve found yoga to be a deeply personal experience and it’s not the same for everyone who practices it. As you incorporate the practice into your daily routine, the benefits of yoga become easily apparent. This article features the many benefits of yoga and a few people we all know and love who also recommend yoga as an avenue into the moment.

The health benefits have been divided into 3 categories. The Physical Health Benefits of Yoga, Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga and the Mental Health Benefits of Yoga. A short explanation is given along with each benefit to further help you understand better the mechanisms that Yoga employs to bestow it.

Physical Health Benefits of Yoga:

1. In the yoga practice there is an emphasis on learning to take deeper longer breaths, increasing the oxygen level in your blood while doing yoga exercises. Breath control training (pranayama) and the use of yoga bandhas work to activate and create balance in your bodies energy pathways and that in turn leads to a more energetic overall feeling. Breathing better will help to increase your lung function and set off the body’s relaxation response. There are different breathing techniques that create energy, some create calm or stimulate the digestive system, while others bring balance to the right and left brain. As you feel more energy through your breath and feel more flexible in your body you stay more active and this leads to feeling your naturally vital state of being.

2. Yoga not only strengthens your muscles but also increases the strength or your internal physiological systems. The practice can increases your immune system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, reproductive system, etc. Before finding yoga I spent hours in the gym weight training, building larger, more powerful muscles and completely ignored any work towards flexibility. These short powerful muscles left me open to injury. The holding of yoga poses and the exercise yoga incorporates has helped me increase strength but also making my muscles flexible to protect me from injury.

3. As I incorporated yoga into my daily life I noticed my levels of flexibility increase, helping with my range of motion. This flexibility is crucial for avoiding injuries as you lengthen the muscles, tendons and muscles. Sometimes in the yoga daily exercises, in the beginning some people cannot even touch their toes. This practice can open many areas of your life that seemed difficult at best, from swinging a golf club, playing tennis or simply making it easier to get in and out of your car. The entire Lakers team practices yoga few times a week, to improve performance and to help prevent injuries during games. Using yoga techniques to warm up before games, the Lakers prove that yoga is a technique to be reckonened with as they are convinced that yoga helps them perform better.

Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga:

4. Peace and Joy: This is one of the main reasons people do a daily exercise of yoga. Today’s busy lifestyles can take its toll on us physically and mentally. Yoga meditations and practice methodology help to relieve stress, calm the mind, allowing you to tap into an appreciation for the present moment. The slow stretching movements and deep breathing promote a clearing of the mind, opening a portal into a state of appreciation and deep peace to surface. As you enjoy your practice of going within, the joy and beauty of life become clear and your natural state of joy emerges.

5. Yoga cultivates Compassion: Yoga helps to develop mindfulness of the self, treating and giving yourself compassion as you move through the ego, the want or need to get somewhere in a pose. I use this time as an invitation to honor my body, taking my time rather than forcing and pushing through a pose or sequence. As I cultivate compassion thoughtfulness and generosity for myself, I can then give it to others. "Become the change you want to see in the world." Gahndi

Mental Health Benefits of Yoga:

6. Yoga breathing and meditations develop parts of the brain that create greater coordination, memory skills, clarity of thoughts and improved concentration. These benefits you carry with you from the mat, creating awareness in the rest of your life. As we tune into our true nature we also drop the veils of the ego, opening to the Divine nature within, increasing self-awareness and self-esteem.

Dr. Wayne Dyer, world-renowned self-help advocate, author, inspirational and lecturer -"I'm an inch taller since I started doing yoga because it stretches the spine. It doesn't just teach us to be flexible in our physical world, but to be flexible in our thinking and keeps us balanced. Because I am a public speaker, I first noticed a difference in my mind. I started thinking better and my lecturing was more focused. I didn't have to take notes on what I was going to say. I also noticed I was sleeping better. Practicing yoga works every part of your body not just the outer part, but the inner parts like your thyroid, pituitary gland, and your digestive system.”

Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A new Earth - “Spiritual practices that involve the physical body, such as t’ai chi, qigong and yoga are increasingly being embraced in the western world. These practices do not create a separation between body and spirit and are helpful in weakening the pain-body. They will play an important role in global awakening.”

Madonna - “Yoga is a metaphor for life. You have to take it really slowly, You can't rush. You can't skip to the next position. You find yourself in very humiliating situations, but you can't judge yourself. You just have to breathe, and let go. It is a workout for your mind, your body and your soul."

Thanks to the celebrity status yoga has also been globalised and people from all parts of the world get to learn, practice and enjoy yoga. Yoga has very much turned into an option for everyone who wants to tone their bodies and who want to be healthy in general.

The benefits of yoga are deep and long lasting. There is no one other exercise avenue you can take that will address all of these issues in one simple session. For those of you that think yoga is too easy, I encourage you to try one class. You may find it is just what you are looking for.

6 Myths About Stress You Really Need to Know About

2009-11-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

Contact: Sarahspeaks@gmail.com

Crushing lines at the grocery store, infuriating traffic jams, annoying text and endless phone calls; it seems were getting stressed out by everything. It doesn't matter if you're a firefighter, a farmer, a clerk or a kindergarten teacher, these days everyone complains about stress. According to the New York Times, workplace ailments contributed by stress costs the nation $300 billion in health care. Stress is the biggest epidemic of this century and it’s worldwide.

Certainly, human beings have been coping with stress for eons, but it looks to be getting worse as we become more entangled locally and globally. The current economic situation is only the latest big cause for stress in many people’s lives. Workplace stress is on every one's mind in today's economic unrest. Thousands of workers have lost their jobs due to downsizing, layoffs, and bankruptcies, creating even more stress in the workplace. Millions of more workers are wondering how much longer they will be employed, causing stress in the workplace to rise for everyone.

As much as we all live with stress, many of us do not understand the basics about stress and its role in our lives. This ignorance can lead to very real negative consequences: Stress can bring on and exacerbate a host of physical illnesses — from heart disease to Alzheimer’s disease. And stress can also trigger or make many mental illnesses more severe.

Here are a few myths about stress that you really need to know about with explanations for why they are not true.

Myth 1:

Stress always comes from outer circumstances.

We usually blame stress on something outside of us; the tyrant boss, crushing traffic, kids that don't listen. But over half of all the stress in our lives comes from within. Perfectionism, worrying about things you have no control over, and living a life of procrastination are all examples of inner stress. Dealing with inner stress involves admitting you have a problem, recognizing the sources of stress, and getting to the root of the problem, working through it to get rid of it, not only for now but in the future as well. Remember that stress is neutral: it doesn't become a problem until we accept it and make it into a problem. Learning to deal with stress keeps stressors from all being the same size and helps you prioritize your knee jerk reaction to them.

"Stress" is only a word that we use to stand for hundreds of specific problems and conflicts we experience day in and day out.

Some of these problems exist outside ourselves, such as relationship difficulties, work-related pressures, and other obligations or demands from the outside world. Others occur inside our bodies, such as feeling tense, angry, worried, or depressed. Thus, whenever we say we are "troubled from stress," what we really mean is we are having a problem that is painful and troubling us. This means we have all been trained to think about stress inaccurately. Instead of asking, "what can I do to cope with my stress?" you should be asking yourself "what exact problems or conflicts are showing up on a consistent basis, and how can I deal with each of these problems effectively?

Myth 2:

If you're feeling stressed it means you're important.

Some people think that if they're not too busy, you're not vital to the workforce. These same people revel in having full schedules, unbearable working hours and thrive on overload. But stress does not mean you matter. It either means that some thing's wrong at work or you're not efficiently matching your tasks to your time. Worse, it may also mean you're being less productive in the long run, because stressed people are less efficient, worse communicators and worse at making good decisions. To accept stress as a normal condition of work is bad for people and bad for the workplace.

Myth 3:

Being overworked causes stress.

Why do some people work 80 hours a week and feel great, while some people work 30 and get majorly stressed? Here's why; stress has nothing to do with the number of hours you work, and everything to do with how you feel during those hours. If you feel great working 100 hours a week, having fun and taking satisfaction in what you do, you won't be stressed. If you work 30 hours a week feeling inadequate, bullied or unappreciated you will be stressed.

Myth 4:

Stress is always bad for you.

People have always had stress of one sort or another, whatever the society, whatever the decade. We have become dependent on certain types of "good" stress to keep us active and motivated. Excitement is a type of stress, as our hunger, or looking forward to a fun event.

Stress is to the human condition where tension is to the guitar string: too little and the music is dull and rough; too much and the music is shrill or the string breaks.

Stress is fundamental to the daily living of life, and is not bad in and of itself, especially in small doses. Once you properly understand what stress is and what really causes it to occur, you can prevent or eliminate much of the "Bad" stress you ordinarily experience.

Myth 5:

Stress is the same for everyone.

While many burnout risk factors have to do with work conditions and lifestyle, certain personality characters can intensify your experiences of stress, making you more predisposed to burn out. Perfectionism can cause unwarranted stress and sometimes put the brakes on completing a task. Pessimists cause needless stress in everyday situations, worrying about things going wrong and always expecting more bad than good. Some people are just naturally more excitable than others and are easily triggered to respond to stress. For those who feel on purpose and believe in what they're doing, stress is less of a factor: but if you don't believe in your life's work, it's harder to put up with problems that come with it. If your life's work conflicts with your values, it can take a toll and lead to an increased risk for burnout.

Myth 6:

Stress is cured by focusing on stress.

Most of the people who returned from anti-stress classes feel more stressed than people who didn't attend. No wonder, focusing on stress is not the way to remove it. Instead you must focus on what brings you peace and energy. Simple breathing exercises only take five minutes out of entire workday but it will reduce stress, make you more creative, and give you more energy. Most importantly it works as an early warning system against many problems at work. When things get crazy and hectic it's easy to miss the warning signs in the body. Things like tense shoulders and neck, headaches, anxiousness, shortness of breath or simply feeling rundown all time can all be early symptoms of stress. Stress also produces psychological effects commonly felt as feeling overwhelmed, disorganized and having difficulty concentrating. Breathing exercises will help you actually notice the symptoms before they become more serious and turn into migraines, depression, conflict or worse. Early warning signs are best listened to earlier rather than later. A change in lifestyle and attitudes to deal with stress will be far less costly in time and money than dealing with the effects of not listening to the early warning signs.

Breathing exercises are an ideal way to relieve stress in that they’re fast, simple, free, and can be performed by just about anyone. They can also be done anywhere and at virtually any time. This makes stress relief breathing exercises one of my most popular and convenient tension tamers. Learn how basic controlled breathing works.

Contact Sarah Starr to book your Breathing Vision Seminar today: sarahspeaks@gmail.com

New Excerpt | Video from Be It Live It Love It with Sarah Starr

2009-09-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

In_Joy the new video and excerpt from Be It Live It Love I | Can I Teach and Still Give Children Freedom? | Sparking Thirst for Knowledge

New Workshop - Vizualize & Realize starting in September

2009-09-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Sarah Starr interview on "Just For Quitters"

2009-09-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

More fun stuff:) I have a new radio interview with Jason Hopkins from "Just For Quitters". Jason's site is all about helping people get out of running the rat race and create new lives for themselves. He interviewed me about being an entrepreneur, what it takes to start an internationally syndicated television program, and the roadblocks I encountered along the way. Listen to the interview here:

http://justforquitters.com/2009/09/02/podcast-interview-with-sarah-starr-of-happy-yoga-tv/

Volume 1 of Be It Live It Love It Available Today!

2009-08-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

Be It. Live It. Love It. | Vol. 1

https://www.createspace.com/1769503

Be It Live It Love It originates from questions asked by individuals in seminars, classes and workshops. Also included a moment for you in-between each story to enjoy a short breath meditation.

Are you ready to be the change you seek? Are you ready to start the most important journey of your life? Are you prepared to never mind the good opinion of others, uncover the happiness within that you have forgotten and become the joy you want to see in the world now? If you answer yes, it is then time to Be the change in your thoughts, live the change through your actions and love your life with appreciation.

I have written this book based on my own life experience as I move onto my conscious path, creating and hosting internationally syndicated "Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr", sharing classes such as "Power of Now" and "Breathing Peace" with thousands of people in hospitals, schools, workshops and conferences. I would like to thank those extraordinary people for their courage and their readiness to embrace inner change. This audio originates from my personal experiences into its present form in response to questions asked by individuals in seminars, classes and workshops. And so for this audio experience, I have kept the question-and -answer format. Each question leads you further down the path to my freedom as well as your own. I have also included a moment for you in-between each story to enjoy a short breath meditation, creating an entry point into the present, a gift for you. These breathing breaks can be used throughout the day to help you stay connected. As we become still and breathe, we open our minds to any possibility, we open the doors to allowing. Allowing it in with our joy, our exuberance, eagerness and passion.

I have grown as much creating this audio as I had living the many stories. I hope that this audio will find it's way to those that are ready to break out of old mind patterns and begin a radical transformation into their own magnificence.

My intention is to inspire others to love themselves unconditionally and to live lives with passion. In knowing that all of us are the creators of our experience and that life was meant to be fun!! We are extensions of God and by living joyfully; we all assist in bringing harmony to the Universe. Breathing through the tantrums, the celebrations and the lowest of valleys, remembering that this too shall pass. Breathe, allowing yourself to be guided every step of the way, trusting and expecting miracles, knowing you never walk alone.
Be It Live It Love It includes two discs. Each disc has a running time of approx. 74 minutes for a complete running time of 148 minutes.

Join Me August 11th on Inspire Me Today

2009-08-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Please join me on August 11th, 2009 on InspireMeToday.com!

I'll be sharing insights from my experiences in an exclusive 500-word article on the best things I've learned in life - full of beneficial nuggets for you!

While you're visiting InspireMeToday.com, sign up for the free daily inspiration email and free 44 page eBook Secrets to Soaring. I encourage you to use these gifts to help you on your life's journey.

On behalf of the InspireMeToday.com family, thank you for your support. We greatly appreciate you!

Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr | Vol. 2 | Glass Bamboo

2009-07-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr | Vol. 4 | Boulder Mt.

2009-07-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Budge the Last 20 Audiobook clip on Youtube!

2009-07-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Put the Joy back in Your Life class July 30th

2009-07-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

Your Surroundings: An Expression of Your Thoughts? | Lost and No Where to Go

2009-07-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Could our surroundings be an expression of us? Could our interactions with our vehicles and the situations that arise be a direct correlation to our bodies and state of mind? Just as we are all energy, our vehicles are also energy.

The evening out to see the new Johnny Depp movie and if I made the final cut as an extra is full of surprise endings. The journey becomes the beginning of a new awakening.

Driving to the theatre, David and I talk about what the next biggest thing we can imagine happening. Where do we want to go with our lives? What could we dare to dream? I decided I wanted to teach with all who have inspired me to be my best. My intentions were to create an image mind map that I could meditate with every day, helping me to gain clarity in my life. The mind map would include pictures of Wayne Dyer on stage, Louise Hay, Shiva Rea, Amma, Eckhart Tolle and my voice in the background repeating affirmations of my vision. I stalled my dream every time my ego asked how instead of why. “I don’t even know what I would do or say If I did get on stage with Wayne Dyer or Louise Hay at a conference,” I confess putting the brakes on my own dream.

I felt lost with no direction. I had no idea where I was gong. My mind was desperately trying to figure it all out, the red flag of ego based thoughts. I can’t go long on automatic pilot as I drive in the opposite direction of want I want. The ego wants to know when, how and figure it all out first, looking for control.

We enjoy the movie, the excitement and even end up catching a glimpse of myself on the big screen getting shot at by Johnny Depp. The drive to the party turns into the old patterns of the ego. I struggle to get directions from a few people on the way out of the theatre. Not understanding which way I was supposed to go, I rush ahead anyway. We try to get the GPS system to work; yet in my rushed sate I was unsuccessful. Instead of getting clear, I just start driving.

My state of mind was a direct reflection of my experience. As we are clearly lost, the tension mounts in our car. "Just pull over and ask," David says. I make a quick U-turn as it looks we are about to head out of town and we proceed to find a gas station. The conversation turns to old patterns of, you should've, I wish you’d just, Why don’t you ever.... Pulling into the gas station David says,” Come in with me so you can hear the directions, too." I answer, "Why should I? I don’t ever understand the directions anyway. You just go in, then you can tell me which way to go.”

Sound familiar? “You figure it out, tell me what I should do. I don’t want to accept responsibility. I am unclear. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m afraid if I take the wrong path, there will be no turning back, I have no control.” All of these excuses apply on the road and also in my clarity of what I need to do in life. My stomach is doing flip-flops, a sure sign that something is not in order. It is time to get clear. Why all this stress around directions? Stress is the same as fear. What am I afraid of? Why am I giving all my power away in this moment?

My Old Excuse: This is the way I am.
Not acceptable. If it is not a positive nourishing experience, it is time to question why. Why do I do it? What can I learn from this? Where did this come from, when did I start doing this? The ego is creating this fear, keeping me from living the life of harmony and peace, disconnected. It is not possible to be at peace and be stressed at the same time.

The answers lie within. I have an opportunity to be shown the person I truly am. The answers become clear as I retell my story to my friend the next day. I don’t need to know what I would say on stage. I am becoming the person, who will know. I will be led each step of the way. Five years ago I would not have even tried to be in a Hollywood movie, sit in front of Amma the Hugging Saint of India, create a yoga program for the world, write a book, create a blog, talk on the radio, meet my favorite authors, travel around the world, ect... Five years ago I was not the same person, yet I was led step by step on this path to become the person I am today.

Do we ever stop growing? Do we ever stop doing the work? The day I say, "I got it, I don't need to listen anymore, I can stop learning," is the day I will be in trouble. The process is a never ending joyful process and is not meant to end, ever.

When I do step on that stage or whatever is lined up for me, I won’t be the same person I am today. That is why I can’t figure it out. I will be led each step of the way, and experiences of getting lost are the exact pathways I am learning to grow. I am willing to go beyond what I believe today. Learning means taking in something new. When I see each experience as an opportunity to uncover and remember the Divine part of me, I will never stop growing.

Having no vision, being stuck, feeling lost, feeling loss of control, ECT... Next time you have something go wrong with your car or have certain experiences with your car, check in to see if there is any correlation to your thoughts, feelings and state of mind. What do the situations or broken parts represent and see if there is any connection between the parts of the car and what your current mental state is. Are the speeding tickets piling up ( are your feeling rushed), to many parking tickets (can’t get your butt moving)? The body mind connection is amazing and each situation can be handled to work for you. As I mentally go back to my conversation on the road, it was obvious that I was feeling lost, out of control, without direction. The contemplation of the self is one of the best tools to grow. There was no one to blame, to fix or to feel bad about. It is a lesson to grow to become the person I need to be for the next part of my journey. Trust your higher self to lead you, follow your bliss.

Can We Outgrow all Our Old Excuses? | Living a Purpose Driven Life

2009-07-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

I am ready to create a new future for myself. Can we really outgrow our old problems, habits and excuses that have been with us for a lifetime?

I pushed the "send button" to submit an idea for a new podcast. The inspiration was quick and I acted swift. "This will be a great vehicle to get your work and you stories out there," my husband assures me. I am always open to new ideas and allow myself to be shown the way. A moment later the lap-tap makes a tinging, ticking sound and goes blank. After a few tries of restarting we make an appointment with a computer technician. I let go of my initial fear, remembering that a higher power can and will work through me in its own way, its own time. As we close the laptop and pack it up for delivery, I choose to change my reactions and therefore my life by thinking as God thinks. I choose to find the place within me, where I move from compassion and kindness for myself. I don't need to boot my ego out angrily as it struggles to figure out the why or how this could have happened. Instead I choose to allow the Divine to grow and blossom within.

It looks as if the computer I have sat at every day for the past three years is "kapoot." Again I make the conscious choice to let go. The old me would've had a fit, threw in the towel, cried, cursed the heavens or stomped around for days, telling everyone my story, milking it and feeding the ego so it can grow even bigger. But when you outgrow your excuses, you see they have no place in a God driven life. When I step away from my story, there is no suffering.

Even though I had most documents backed up, every transcribed yoga show was on that computer and weeks of non stop writing have been lost. Yet who is there to blame? Why go back to the poor me stories of my past. I take full responsibility for my life. I understand I can't really solve all my problems but I can look to out grow my problems and my excuses to stay disconnected from God.

After a returned phone call, my husband takes me to the side to tell me the prognosis of the computer and the hard drive. "You're kidding," I say. "Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" "Yes," he answers. He looks sick. I take a deep breath. It is in these moments where I choose to let go of acquisition and need, allowing my higher self a seat within. I do not know why these things happen. I don't need to know. I can only start over. "It's nothing a few more weeks of writing won't take care of," I say with a smile. I do not allow the ego to rear up. I breathe and do not think about the weeks of typing ahead. I will take it one day at a time. In this moment, I do not need any of the transcriptions for the TV program. I will do them as needed, one day at a time. I don't need to struggle or look for another occasion to be offended by life. I am on purpose. I am a purpose driven being. I choose to find the joy in this moment. There is nothing that needs to be done.

The calling to be inspired is stronger than my "poor me stories". Excuses do not apply. Fulfilling my egos demands to have a fit, whine, stomp my feet, blame or use it for attention are dropped. My ego would love me to believe I am what I do. My heart knows I am already all of it without doing anything. The ego would like me to feel separate, believing I had to do it all by myself. My higher self knows that angels show up in my life when I let go. If I live by the ego's rules, I will be living a lie. The only way the door can open to my higher self is to let go of any need, to let God and release attachment to my story.

As my husband looks at me with concern, I hug him and explain. "I would feel better if we don't make it a big deal. It's done. There is nothing to do but move forward. Kind of when you're sick and people hover over you and say poor baby are you okay? That feels yucky and it won't help my energy." He nods in understanding. He has been there and knows exactly what I mean. Love, not pity. Confidence, not worry. Joy, not fear. All the usual excuses for staying disconnected do not apply. I refuse to go there. I choose to be happy in this moment, in this breath. When I align myself with my calling, everything I need will be directed to me. Upon stepping into the afternoon of my life, I choose gentleness, kindness and compassion, starting with myself. It is more important for me to feel on purpose, feel joy, feel at peace than it is to get it all done.

As I pick up our newly refurbished computer they include information on a company that specializes in finding any lost file. Even though the process sounded fascinating,the price of $2,500 was out of our planned budget. "I just need to find a way to think about it differently," I tell my husband after talking with the hard drive surgery company. After a moment he suggests," Instead of thinking, I don't want to do this and I've already typed all these programs, replace that thought with , It's a new season, all new shows and it feels good to move forward in life." He pauses as I let that new thought sink in. He assures me from his own experiences, " I have to tell myself that every time I wipe a painting off and start over. All those hours of painting erased, yet it needs to be done." I breathe and remember I am fulfilling my destiny and it doesn't matter how fast I get all my work done, I am only on purpose when I am in the moment.

Finding my own nature comes with getting still and breathing. I choose compassion for my self, kindness and a sense of humor. My false self does not stand a chance in the light of my breath. I choose to rest, I choose to surrender, there is nothing to do, I let my self be lived by the Divine. As I step back and allow, I remember I never had control over it anyway. My life is already being handled by the great beautiful mystery of the Divine. All that I ever need will be there when I need it if I let it in. I don't need to know when or how, as I stay in the place of trust, I can move with ease. I am not doing it, I am being done.

I let go. I create new possibilities for the future. The next day we talk about contacting an intern to help with the typing. In the next thought, my genius husband is inspired to look up voice activated transcriptions. In an hour we have the new program ordered and on its way to our home were it will transcribe every word of all 24 yoga programs. There is truly a miracle to be found in this moment.

Can I Make Changes that Last? | Peeling Away the Layers of the Onion

2009-06-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Another layer of the onion is ready to peel away. I stomp up the stairs, grabbing clothes on the floor along the way. I set Gustav down as I go to make the beds and gather up more dirty laundry. "Whats up?" David asks just waking up. "Nothing," I fume. I don't rightly know what's up other than I feel tired, confused and disconnected. "Do you want to talk?" he asks. "I don't have time. I need to take care of all my chores in the house then figure out how I'm still going to get groceries, get Rachel to the dentist and cut the lawn."

Can I make changes in the way I live?

Is it possible to change negative, self sabotaging thoughts and actions when I've never know any other way to act?

I've been unhappy, scared, fearful most of my life, how can I change these thoughts? The chains of excuses restrict us from the lives we were meant to live.

He looks at me hoping to soothe, "You sound overwhelmed. Is that Christine ( my ego ) talking?" Not a good question. I shoot him a dirty look. I am too tired to play along. I have shut down. I do not want help and I do not want to talk about it. "It might be better if you stay away from me, I am not in a good place." He persists, unable to stand watching me hurting or disconnected. What would Amma ( the "Hugging Saint" of India ) say to you in this moment? Still no connection. I am not willing in this moment to stop where my overwhelment is heading. I am having a human experience and it feels rotten, yet I am not willing to let it go.

Every thought that we use to explain why we aren't living a purposeful God realized life, we can challenge and change if we choose, regardless how long you've held the belief. The first step is to notice all the thoughts that hold you back and begin to make the shift one thought at a time, one step at a time until the layers of the onion have been peeled away to uncover and remember the God part of you.

These are the moments when it would be best to get away, take a nap, go for a walk, and connect. Instead I keep trudging on with my day resentful for all I need to do. In my state of disconnect nothing flows and it all becomes hard work. Luckily I have an appointment for a massage set up and I take that time to find my answers. What and where did this come from? First, being tired is never good for me. Secondly I have been rushing all weekend from one family function to another trying to squeeze it all in. There is more. Just the other day, I was telling my friend how great I was feeling, life was so good and I couldn't believe all my good fortune.

There are two minds that run our lives. I have been challenging myself to create change in every area of my life including releasing habitual thoughts that do not serve me well. I work to question all my basic beliefs, using a series of questions to eliminate life long thinking habits that I have long since outgrown.

As I was telling my friend of how great I was feeling, I remember a second voice in the background saying, "Just wait, the other shoe will fall." Here is the meat of the story, here is the layer to peel away. My old pattern of thought or belief included, "when things are great, just wait, the other shoe will fall." I have experienced this many times in my life. Extreme highs and lows. Where did I get this belief from? Was it true? How would it feel not to have this thought? As I talked to my mother the other day it became clear where I may have downloaded this belief.

The subconscious mind is the habitual mind and includes any thought that doesn't expand your joyful journey . A belief is a thought that can be looked at and released now that you are aware of it, letting go of all excuses once and for all. There is power in making a choice to change, empowerment is freedom.

Much of what I believe about myself and how I behave in my daily life is programmed in my subconscious and when I am not present, the old habitual thinking patterns ( subconscious ) take over. I operate on automatic pilot ( subconscious ) when I get distracted, tired, overwhelmed and behave out of programs that I saw or experienced as a child. The good news is, there is no thought that cannot be reprogrammed or rewritten.

It is helpful to talk with your parents and see how they were raised in order to understand your own beliefs. As I visited with my mother, she began telling me about growing up in a war, the depression and hiding under her desk at school as airplanes flew overhead. She lived not knowing if they were going to be bombed any day. She talked of stories of her relatives never knowing where the next meal would come from, living off of lard and beans all winter as the only cow they stopped giving milk. She told me of summer days where she would lay in the grass and ask her dad if the plane overhead was a war plane and were they safe? This mentality was entrenched in her subconscious and I too have downloaded a good dose of impending fear.

This all came as an epiphany as I listened to her talk, remembering the voice or warning, "the shoe will fall," which is when I fall back into old negative behavior. The subconscious was at work. I am thankful for another opportunity to heal. Now that I am aware of it, I can let it go.

I can't reprogram it by telling the mind to stop it, yell at it or get angry about it. I need to reprogram it to what it is I do want. I need to down load a new operating system but I can only do that when I know what they are. The old beliefs are the excuses we use to disconnect from God. "I'm not good enough, money is sparse, the other shoe will fall, life is difficult, they're all out to get me, you can't fight city hall, we are at the mercy of our government." We can only empty the trash when we know where to find the garbage. It doesn't need to be all done at once, it is one step at a time, one breath at a time, with compassion and forgiveness for ourselves and all others. There is no one to blame, we can all choose a new thought in this moment. I choose to believe, "Each layer is peeling away to help me remember my connection to God. I do not have to experience it again once I release it. I can choose to be happy in any circumstance."

I thank my mother for this amazing remembering. I do not miss this chance to tell her how wonderful she is, how special she is and how much I have learned from her. As I seek to see the beauty in her and her story, I also announce it to her to put it into her reality. There is no one to blame for the stories. We have all done the best we can with the information we've been given.

Observe yourself, how you feel, how you react and what you believe as you move through the day.

Allow yourself to observe without condemning or judging. Remember it's just a thought and it can be changed.

I love how author of "Loving What Is," Byron Katie presents these key questions to create change in your life:

Is that true?

How do I know it is absolutely true?

How would it feel to not have that thought?

Am I willing to let it go?

If so, when?

As I shine a light on the belief, the fears and shadows scatter. Instead of waiting for the other shoe to fall I remind myself, in this moment all is well.

Can I Order My Kids to Get Along? | Feeling Good Even When They're Not

2009-06-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Healing On The Beach

I walk up to my sisters porch, spotting my daughter in an open window. As I peer in from the sunny day, I see her sitting on a bed with tears running down her face and my sister soothing her. "Whats up?" I ask squinting to see if she was really crying. "She's so mean," she says crying more upon seeing me. "What's going on?" I ask figuring there must be sibling trouble this morning. Without waiting I say,"I'll be right in," and come streaming into the house, past all the other cousins.

When we do the best and be the very best we can, we never know what miracles happen in our life or in the life of another.

In this moment I am being asked to do my very best. I am being asked and given an opportunity to step up and be the best me.

"What happened?" I ask. "She's so mean," she cries again. "Do you want to talk about it?" "No," she says and turns away. I hug her for a few moments wiping her tears. I leave the room, seeking out her step sister. "What's up?" I ask finding her in the kitchen looking guilty. "Nothing," she says shorty without looking up. "Do you want to talk about it?" I ask. "No," she says. "Are you okay?" I ask. "Yeah," she says again defensively. I can see that she is hurting as well.

My very best may involve forgiving or understanding something I have never understood before or accepting what I could never accept before this day.

My first instinct is to get angry. I want to yell what the hell's wrong with you two. Why can't you get along for even a short visit? Why can't you two straighten up and fly right so when I look at you, I can feel good? But that never worked even when they did live together. Asking them to straighten up so I can feel better is conditional love. It is not their job to keep my connection, just as they are now going to need to find their own way back to feeling good. I decide to try the opposite of my ego Christine and let my higher self take over.

"What do you guys want to do today?" I say hugging my step daughter. She stands there stiffly. "I don't know," she says confused. "You look great, how have you been? How does it feel to be graduated and going to high school?" "Fine," she says again shrugging her shoulders. I hug her again and let her be.

Whatever that situation am I doing the best I can? Can I move from source rather than from ego? Can I breathe and allow all others to be even if they are hurting? Do I need to join them in their pain? Can I love them unconditionally? A miracle awaits if I reach back now and do my very, very, very best in this moment. In this breath I remember that if I'm not conscious enough to stay connected to my joy, I have nothing to offer my children or anyone else.

I take Gustav to the sandbox and have some fun with the garden hose as we bask in the first warm day of summer. I eventually go back to Rachel and ask if she'd like to go to the beach today." I don't want o do anything with her," she says. I shrug my shoulders, "well that's okay. "She's so mean she," says again. "People do mean things sometimes," I answer. "Do you want to go to the beach?" "Not with her," she says still holding on to it. "Well I'll tell you this, she may do things that make you mad, but she is the only sister you will ever have and you can forgive her and have some fun or not, that's up to you." She looks away. I go back to the sandbox where her sister is now playing with Gustav. "Do you want to go to the beach with us?"

The old me would have gotten involved, ordering them both to get over it now or else. I would have gotten angry and held onto it and even taken sides, then in the end they always got over it and I was left holding the bag of crummy feelings. Allowing is so much better. Letting them figure it out is really unconditional love as a parent. My job is to stay connected and when they aren't , I can be the jumper cable to feeling good when they are ready.

Before you know it we are all looking for stones, splashing in the lake and the girls running after each other taking pictures, looking for the perfect glass stones, digging in the sand, laughing and sharing their excitement just like they did when they were five and six.

I never did find out what happened that morning and I don't need to. The most important thing that I can teach my children is that Well-being is everywhere and when they feel good it is naturally flowing to them. When they aren't feeling good I will show them by example that all we need to do is relax and look for thoughts that feel good. I am truly blessed to have so many teachers of life.

Uplift In Your Own Way | The Hugging Saint

2009-06-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

The more I focus and get clear, the more that unfolds in my life. As I write my bio and inspirational words for a pod cast interview, I become very clear on what it is I am about. I am asked to write a message that if I could inspire the entire world, what would I say in in 5oo words or less.

Each day we find new conclusions as to what feels better, what would make the world better, my family life better, ect... Creating never stops and every time I know what I don't want, I am also deciding what it is I do want and the Universe responds.

The process or writing my essay takes me a few weeks rather than a few hours. I have taken it personally and in doing so I have also sent out a clear vibration to the Universe as to what I want.

My search for an inspirational quote leads me to meeting a woman who has inspired me to be more than I ever thought possible. It is in the unfolding of life that I am led to where I need to be.

As I am on track and flowing with life feeling happy, I am being called to the bigger part of me that I have already become, inspiration. The energy of inspiration is like a roaring river and when I let go and try not to figure it all out, the river moves me quickly in the direction of the bigger part of me.

As I search through Amma.org. clicking on beautiful pictures and videos of Amma hugging the children, I am moved by the essence of pure love that surrounds her. I scan to the list of tours and am taken aback at the announcement that she is touring the US. I click again to find the cities and see that she will be only four hours away in two weeks.

There is no struggle in creation when we let go, the manifestations come quick and easy. The easier it gets the clearer it becomes that there is nothing I want that takes a struggle to get to. I know when I'm headed in the right direction when I feel passionate, energetic, giddy, excited, joyful and eager for life. When I'm trying to make life happen, I know I'm head in the wrong direction because I feel fear, worry, and resentment. I then use this bad feeling as an excuse to not move towards the bigger part of me, separating myself from who I really am.

This amazing humanitarian, saint and inspiration would be a car ride away. I immediately click on information and hotels. I am as excited as a child before Christmas. While this is all happening in a matter of minutes my friend has been standing by watching as she has just dropped off my daughter. I click on a video to show her why I am so excited as I talk to the hotel. "Check this out, I say. We watch Amma as she hugs one person after another, 100's of people waiting in line for a moment with this pure state of love.

I smile, watching the video, bouncing in my chair. I call my husband to see if he was up for a drive and a visit with the Hugging Lady. "I know you're busy with your new art exhibition, but I would really love to be there, would you like to go?" "Of course he answers, no problem." "Are you sure," I ask? "Yes, sometimes its not how much we can get done, its how much we line up with, now call them back and book it."

When you get cross ways of who you really are, you feel resentment, fear and anger. Its not because you re being deprived of living the life you want, it's because you are depriving yourself of all you've become. The fact is there is no competition. When you see someone living a life you desire and you feel good, you are a match to that energy. When you feel bad, jealous or resentful as you see someone living your dream, its only because you're not keeping up with all that you've become and your dream.

I smile in glee, quickly making reservations. My friend watches this manifestation unfold. I clap my hands, "Can you believe it?" She watches the video. "So she just hugs people all day?" I answer, "She shares her love with millions and raises even more money for those in need all over the world."We watch as tears stream down the faces of the people on screen, tears of joy, thankfulness and hope.

"I could do that," she says. "Yes you could," I say smiling." I could do that if I didn't have my kids to take care of by myself, bills to pay, a home to manage and a job I have to got to everyday,"she adds.

Our work is to give our undivided attention to the expanded version of our self. We do not need to justify why we want to expand or why we want our dream to anyone. While we live our lives trying to explain to everyone and anyone, who are usually not listening anyway, why we deserve a better life, why we don't have what we want, we could be putting our attention on our desire and already be living the dream.

We can all be up lifters in our own way. we don't have to become a saint, Mother Theresa or Jesus to exude the same love for all. We don't need to hug people all day, we just show up as the best we can be. The point is we all have the ability to be this pure state of love no matter who, where or what we are doing. Our thoughts are vibrations and out thoughts can move like a wave over the world. It is our belief in our self as an extension of God, where we can let go of our fears that limit us and uncover our true essence.

Every time we go back to the fears, the justifying, the worries and excuses, they activate the unwanted in our vibration, keeping you apart from all the you have already become. There is no reason for not keeping up with all that you have become and we all have the ability to do so.

Instead of explaining, I simply listen. I only add, "you bring joy to many more people that you know, you're probably a ray of sunshine at work." She smiles answering, "you know I do give hugs. There's a woman at work who lost her son a few moths ago, just the other day, I want up to her and said, You look like you need a hug and I gave her one right there." She laughs and smiles at the memory. "There you go, you are more like Amma that you thought." This is the remembering, the uncovering or our true pure essence of love.

Thank you to the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, for they have inspired many of the ideas and offerings in this story.

Thirty Days to Change a Habit | Letting Go is the Answer to All

2009-06-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

I had recently challenged myself to let what I am thinking and feeling be the only focus I have for an entire month. Instead of looking at “where’s my stuff, my dream is too big, it can never happen or I’m not good enough,” I have made a commitment to stop worrying about our TV program and the sale of it internationally. My focus is only on feeling good.

I used my Complaint Free bracelet to stop worrying on the subject of a buyer for our show. If I found my mind wandering to the how’s and when, I stopped, took a deep breath, said a prayer and moved my bracelet to the other side, starting my 30 days over. It is important that it be 30 consecutive days. If you break for a day or take a day off, you sink back into old habits and not achieve that lasting benefit of the long lasting neurological benefits of this process. Thirty days without worry on any one subject, is the critical point and also as we get to the end, when most people give up. Stick with it and eventually the brain rewires, reprograms and the shift in consciousness occurs.

One month to the day, my commitment to be worry free on this one particular subject gives me a high five. Instead of asking God, how can this ever workout or who will buy the season of programs, I challenged myself to trust.

When you are trying to put in a new habit, a new belief a new habit or a new image of success that you want, there is something called the 30 day principle. In the process of not worrying, I am reprogramming my brain on that subject. Just like Will Bowen's Complaint Free process, when I stopped complaining for 21 days, I broke a habit, a pattern in the brain. Just as you don’t complain for a certain amount of time, as you stop speaking it, the brain stops producing the complaining thoughts.

As I enjoy a fun morning at my parent’s farm, the Universe is working for me. Instead of me making more unproductive phone calls, I feed the chickens. Instead of worrying, I play in the sand box. Instead of losing sleep, I bask in the sun as my son holds his first kitten. I had asked to line up buyers for our TV program and then promised myself to let it go. My point of attraction becomes feeling good. Instead of planting a seed and then digging it up every five minutes, I gave it time to grow roots. Thirty days to the tee, I was contacted with an interested buyer.

Instead of hounding my syndication company twice a week like my inner critic wanted to, I said a prayer and blessed it on its way. I love you; I’m sorry, please forgive me and thank you. I use this prayer to clear out any negative beliefs around my future success. I clear on myself, letting go of I’m not smart enough, I’m not talented enough, flexible enough, skilled enough… each and every thought that comes up that is not a match to what I do want I question, "Is That true? How do I know it's true for sure? How would it feel if I didn't have that thought." This is creating at its best. Its about letting go of the resistant thought and in doing so we line up with what we truly desire. Every thought that we think is our point of attraction. My job is to consciously direct my thoughts in the direction of what it is I do want instead of harping, worrying and focusing on what I don't want.

When I started this commitment, I asked myself, “Why not stop worrying and focus only on feeling good, what have I got to lose? The ego rumbled, you need to worry or nothing will happen, you won’t succeed. You’re being lazy; pushing is how everyone finds success. I soothe, “I can let it go for one month. If I miss enjoying this crazy wonderful ride by worrying, I’ve then missed life.” It has been one of the more peaceful subjects in the past month, the trick is to stay consistent. As you clear and release on one old pattern, the layers start to peel away like an onion. As they come up, each old belief or habit can be then looked at and released.

2009-06-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

Check Out This Cool Music By Jay Kruse

http://www.jaykruse.com

Enjoy Sacred Yoga Music Volume 1

Check out This Amazing Yoga Music

2009-06-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

Breathing Peace Class June 18th | Check out The Purifying Breath to Let Off Steam:)

2009-06-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

Breathing affects our state of mind. It can make us excited or calm, tense or relaxed.
There is a definite connection between rate of breathing and either stress or relaxation.

It is very hard to be in a complete state of stress if your breathing is slow and deep. It doesn't mean you won't encounter stressful events, but you can certainly let them take less of a physical toll on you even when you are dealing with unavoidable stressful situations by not letting your breathing put you into overload.

The Purifying Breath
1. Inhale deeply through your nose.
2. Exhale through your puckered mouth, as if you were blowing out a candle.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 three times.
4. Inhale deeply, then sigh. Again. Again. With each sigh, drop your chin to your chest and droop your shoulders. Think of yourself as a tire letting all its air out. Think of the tensions you are releasing.

What the Mind Can Conceive and Believe, the Mind Can Achieve

2009-06-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Example # 57

Follow Your Intuitive Hits

I woke to find an email from my dear friend and mentor, “Check this sight out. I don’t know how it got to me but it is awesome.” I had emailed her the night before, asking for emotional advice to stay on track. I had stepped sideways after being contacted from a review company wanting to feature Happy Yoga.

My old fears of not good enough resurfaced. Not feeling good is so uncomfortable these days, that as soon as I don’t, I seek help. Remember in this process of growing and changing it is helpful to buddy up with someone whom you can call to keep you on track. Not to kick your butt, but to offer the right words at the right time. To believe in you, to keep you pointed in the right direction. I have many friends and this one is my angel.

With my ego looking for attention, I was open to new ideas, actually I was desperate. So I click on the site and listen. As I enjoy the wonderful program, the inspirational message, the calm clear interview, I became clear. The Luminary speaker for the day was speaking about the ego, the unconscious old beliefs, describing my earlier” semi-ungluing” to a tee. (See post # 56) Thank you for this message, I pray. The next thought that came in was, “contact the program.” I pause and breathe. “Ask for a time to interview. You can do this too.” Without over-thinking or checking into any of the protocol for this sort of thing, I write my message, spell check and hit the send button before debating my action. I let it go. I gave it little thought after that. I have been treating these intuitive hits as more of an experiment and followed them all. If it pans out, awesome. If not, I have nothing to lose. It's a win, win situation.

Instead of thinking and weighing out the pros and cons, I am willing to try anything. I realize it all as a learning experience. The more I follow these hits, the clearer it gets. This truth becomes stronger than my old limiting beliefs of not good enough, not smart enough, not trained enough…

What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. From there we act, we can create any of it. We don’t act on things we don’t believe in; the doubts and the fears that come up are what block our success and our intuitive messages to move forward. The unconscious doubts and beliefs that don’t match your desires cancel out any motion forward towards your goals.

Make an "act as if" choice to turn your doubts into certainty. As I listen and follow my intuition, I am living my life as an experiment. In the afternoon of my life, I already know what my previous habitual thoughts will bring me. I choose to transcend my old beliefs of what I believe is possible for a mother of two, yoga instructor living in the Midwest. I choose to seek something new; I am willing and open to change. My old beliefs have been stopping me from my dreams; no one else can release the brakes, only you.

I was contacted a day later.
“Thanks for your email- we greatly appreciate it!
Our Luminaries are normally referred to us, however we're always open to suggestions. Thank you for asking!”

Not knowing the protocol was more beneficial than all the research I could have done. If I had waited, thought too hard, I would’ve found enough excuses to put the brakes on my intuition. In feeling good, enjoying the call, I was connected to all that is. It is all there waiting for me, I line up with it when I feel good. It’s not what we don’t know that's stopping us; its what we do know that isn’t true. We make many of our decisions based on beliefs, protocol and thoughts such as,” this is what’s possible.” We use what we read, what we live, what we see as our basis for creating. Some beliefs hold us back rather than push us forward, and this was one of those instances that what we don’t know, we actually can excel better in.

After sending out more information I receive this message:

“We'd be so thrilled to have your participation as an Inspirational Luminary!
Our Luminaries are always very surprised at how quick and easy this actually is, not taking very much time at all actually. Would this work for you to do sometime in the near future? Please just let me know, we can certainly move things around and be flexible to your needs. Feel free to email or call me with any questions. We're here to make this easy and fun for you! This is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. I'll very much be looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you so much for your time.”

I choose to focus on thoughts that support my dreams. Each segment of my day, I focus on what it is I do want, whether it is cooperation from my children, full workshops with people who want to have fun, or the means to create a wonderful yoga program to share with millions. The more we focus on feeling good (GOD) the closer we move in the direction of all we desire.

Befriend the Ego | Fears are Only False Evidence Appearing Real

2009-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Example # 56

Befriending My Ego

My fear was not about the activity, it was about the thought of doing it. What keeps most of us from taking action is the thought, false evidence appearing real. Its not about what needs to be done in the moment, it's the thoughts that hold you back from stepping into your greatness.

My first reaction to my email is one of elation. A review company wanted me to send copies of our program to review. Great! This is exciting. We have people interested! Cool. We can create some good energy from this. I look up the company on line and start to read some reviews. This is where it went sour. The reviews could be harsh at times, even personal as to how the instructor looked! Ouch. My ego loves this and starts to panic. You better take this more serious, I hear. You better go over everything you have with a fine tooth comb. Then all the I’m not good enough’s start in as I imagine the reviewer finding fault after fault. I decide to redo the entire audio on the first program I review on my own. I have opened a can of worms. Jean is replaced with a whiny five-year-old Christine who is scared witless and feeling less than worthy.

It is time to sit down with Christine and breath. I take a moment to look at the negative massages I am speaking out loud to my husband. I am witnessing it; yet feel unable to stop my emotional train wreck. There must be a lesson here somewhere.

My self-critic brings up those messages that are not mine; they are what I heard as a child hiding in the subconscious. Along the line, someone else’s truth became my reality. The more I focus on those limiting beliefs, the stronger my ego gets and no matter how good a job I just did, no matter how great things are going, I have this inner critic that wants to put me down, take me down a notch.

As I stand in front of my husband explaining why I need to redo the audio on a finished program, I step back into my ego completely. With my shoulders slumped, feeling small and afraid, I say, “No one’s going to want to watch this, look at it,” I say pointing to the screen. I was looking through the eyes of my inner critic. I could not see the joy on my face; I could not see the beauty of Mother Nature. I could not enjoy the soothing music playing in the background. I could not see the benefit of sharing what I love with millions. My husband looks at me incredulous. You need to go take a nap, he says. I feel like stomping my feet like a willful child. I slide into.” it can never happen, the dream was too big, I’m not good enough.” I retreat to hide under my blankets. I am overcome, Jean, my higher self, has been booted out, she is nowhere to be seen and no matter what my husband said the willful child in me was not having it.

How do we start to shift our attention to the higher self that creates what we do want? Shine a light on the inner critic. Ask, "Where did these beliefs come from? What are they?" Get into a dialogue with your inner critic and decide if you want it to be a part of your higher self where you create. You can then decide if you want it to be part of the creation team or boot it off.

Turn your attention to the part of you that is creative, joyful, eager and delighted to be in the moment. I decide that Jean is my mastermind. She is kind, she is sure of herself, she is confident, she knows that she would have never been led this far to turn back now, she emulates my higher self.

Somewhere along the line, I was shown to hide my light. I believed that if I succeeded that others would feel less than. This could never be true, as I have been told time and time again, I inspire others to believe that anything is possible. "What do you want?" I ask Christine the scared child within.

Seek to understand the undermining ego. What are the inner critics or ego’s intentions? As a five year old, her intention was to keep me safe. The information she gives me has value somewhere. I can choose to reverse it and do the opposite of her demands. What’s the gift in the information from my inner critic? She is afraid of being judged, she is afraid of failing, she wants to keep me safe from disappointment. She is afraid that if I become successful, she will have her failures exposed. I breathe and allow myself to feel what fear feels like. It is time to do a shift, a turnaround.

I breathe and appreciate my frightened overwhelmed child, I love her and let her know that I am aware of her presence. I step up and take over. I give her the new job of being courageous as I step forward. I explain that there is always an ebb and flow in life. There is no such thing as failure, we will all grow from this review, we may find it very helpful or we can choose to ignore it completely. We laugh, hug and breathe together. Instead of staying stuck in the negative energy we look at the facts, face our fears and as we shine a light on them, the boogieman disappears.

Our mindset affects our greatness. As you create what you want, it is important to keep laughing as you step back to gain a new perspective. We usually focus on the problem, what we want to get away from, the key is to focus on what you want to move towards, the solution. It doesn't change the action of the goal, but it changes your thought about it.

When we focus on what we want to get away from our brain only hears what you are trying to get away from, it becomes a mantra and we create more struggle.

Focus on what you want, the solution, the positive instead of the negative. You will know when you are heading in the right direction by how you feel. When you feel upbeat and positive you are going with the flow. When you are frustrated and overwhelmed, you are moving in the opposite direction of what you want.

You don’t need to take a big scary leap, take small progressive steps in the direction of.

It is all about the energy and choosing to shift in every moment to what feels good. Think of something sad or something that makes you mad. Feel the energy shift in your body to heaviness and fatigue. Now put a big goofy grin on your face and feel the energy shift again to lightness, it is instant. We have energy in our bodies. Instead of looking at thought, behavior and action, look at the energy. Like energy attracts like. Focus on feeling Good (GOD) or even just a little better in your daily interactions. When the ego comes up, invite a discussion; let it know that you understand the fears and that you also cannot fail. You will never get it all done and that I am choosing to feel good in this moment no matter what.

Feel free to share this with all you love and check out Inspire Me Today, http://www.inspiremetoday.com Namaste, Sarah

"Inspire Me Today"

2009-06-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Check out this amazing daily inspirational program, titled appropriately,

"Inspire Me Today" - Daily Inspiration, Interviews, Videos & More

http://www.inspiremetoday.com

"Put the Joy Back in Your Life" June 27th

2009-06-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Yoga Workshop June 26-27th Including "Put the Joy back in Your Life" Segment!

A gentle cleanse is a gift for our body, mind, & spirit. Feel the vitality, lightness, and enthusiasm to be in sync with the gifts of summer.

The change of season is the perfect time to cleanse the body and give it a break. In 24 hours you can move one step closer to a healthier you! Support your body through the strength of community, movement, rest, reflection, and a minimal liquid diet.
Friday, June 26th 5-8pm 5:00 – 6:15 Happy Hour Yoga Class (hot practice) 6:15 – 6:45 Introduction and Green Smoothie Supper 6:45 – 7:45 Breath, Meditation and Relaxation 7:45 – 8:00 Questions and Close the Evening

Saturday, June 27th 7:30 – 5:00 7:30 – 8:45 Asana practice 8:45 – 9:00 Master Cleanse Drink

9:00 – 10:00 Free Time (rest, nap, read, journal, take a walk,

and/or enjoy the park across the street)

10:15 – 11:30 Gentle Restorative Yoga practice

11:30 – 1:30 Master Cleanse Drink and Viewing of "Greens Can Save Your Life"

2:30 – 4:00 Sarah Starr: "Put the Joy Back in Your Life"

4:00 – 5:00 Green Smoothie supper, Information on the "30 Day Challenge to a

Healthier You" and closing.

Provided: Hospitality, green smoothies, master cleanse drink, tea, water and the book; Green for Life, by Victoria Boutenko.

Space is limited, so please pre-register. Full 2 days for $65 or $12 for Sarah Speaks (w/out full workshop) Workshop at Every Body's Yoga, 933 Anderson Drive, 920-490-9642

Your Mate As A Mirror | Embrace Your Dark Side

2009-06-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

Example # 55
Embrace Your Dark Side

As we sit at the table to eat, I can see there is something bothering David. I already know what it is. My earlier rush and determination to finish an audio has left him out in the cold. I take a deep breath and recognize it must be time for me to grow again. I broach the subject. “What’s wrong?” I ask. He pretends as if nothing, but there is always the look, eyes averted, face flushed and a fake smile. I tell him so and we laugh. “Okay, lets talk about it.” We lay it out on the table. My determination leaves him feeling that his goals are secondary. He has a show coming up and would like my help. I need to back down for a bit so he can get his work done. We are finding our ebb and flow. “Problem is I don’t know how to back down,” I say. “That's a cop out,” he answers. True and yet it seems to be a part of me I cannot control. I take a moment to pray and breath. It was time to integrate what I have been teaching and studying. In this relationship we are each mirroring our emotional weaknesses. God loves us so much that we are being given an opportunity here to grow. I can be too determined and too driven when it comes to my passion of the yoga show and writing. I have let it become Infinite. David is reflecting and showing me my emotional weakness, my dark side. It is time for me to heal. I may be showing him he has a hard time taking his place when he needs to get something done. He cares so much that he puts himself second. I am showing him where he can grow. We are mirrors and reflections of the very thing we need to work on.

We can never attract a perfect relationship into our lives until we have a perfect relationship with ourselves. We continue to attract our incompleteness. What we are vibrating, thinking and living we attract. The most powerful energy are our emotions or our feelings. It is this vibration that we are attracting into our life. We also attract our emotional dark side, the unconscious part that we are looking to heal and the Universe is allowing you to see what it is in your mate or your children to heal emotionally. The things that bother you the most are the things we haven’t learned to love and accept in ourselves. The more we say, that’s not me or I’d never do that, the more it really is. In order to heal, we need to look within.

As David and I look at this area in our life, we take time to heal. When we heal these areas those same issues don’t need to be an issue anymore. The people in your life showing you where you need to heal, don’t ever need to change and you can still be happy. It is our contemplation of the self that creates the healing and the change.

We acknowledge that we are both ready to grow. We make a pact. “Lets even write it down,” he says and grabs a scrap piece of paper.

“I, Sarah Starr agree to take a break upon being handed this notice. I will remember that nothing I want is upstream. I will remember that in this moment I am not allowing God to flow though me!
I ,David Starr remember it is time to be assertive; it is time to step up.”

We both sign it and then seal it with a hug and kiss. We laugh at our silliness and allow this moment to be one of change and growth, of eagerness and acceptance. Later we realize the note is written on a scrap piece of paper with a dark side calendar on the back. The joke on the back has a man about to pet a dog sleeping with a chainsaw, “I wouldn’t do that mister, Old Zeek’s liable to fire that up.” How appropriate is that. We laugh and smile at this genius inspiration to melt any tension in this moment. David vows to laminate it at work that night.

Instead of our conversation going to you should, you shouldn’t, I hate it when, you never… we find a solution and a way to grow together. The universe is constantly reflecting back to us, as we look at our lives, where we need to heal, where we’re doing a great job, where you feel success and what we can bring more attention to. If you love your job, pat yourself on the back and say, “good going!” If you’re on your fifth marriage, you may need want to take a look inward to what it is you are creating. You have the opportunity to learn more, love more and grow. The results will shift outside of you when you create the changes within.

How can I begin my healing? The contemplation of the self is the first step.

Can you see the gift in each moment? As David and I began our discussion we intend to see it as an opportunity to grow. Instead of judging and complaining I ask,” How can this situation serve me? If I really want to grow, I can open my heart to the answers.

How will this conversation help me to grow? I can put more attention on what I do want in my family life, my career and goals rather than what I don’t want, feeling not enough time and rushing from one activity to another.

What can I learn from this in this moment rather then ten years from now? I can learn to relax, to manage my time, to let go and let God.

Who would I need to become to attract something new? As I look within, I take responsibility for my part and choose to become understanding, forgiving myself, moving forward in grace.

What would I need to change in my life to attract what I want? I acknowledge my part in our story and focus on what I can do to change. I focus on harmony and equilibrium in every moment. I can bring peace into very situation with my awareness, allowing God to move through me.

How can I best use my time to serve life?
Instead of asking what can I get from life, I ask what can life get from me? I then start to move from the negative to the positive. When I look at both sides and merge them together, recognizing there is no right or wrong, I can create enlightenment and true mastery in the moment. The people in my life who challenge me, the people I work with, my mate, my children, create the opportunity for me to embrace it all and recognize the gift of my life.

W.W.J.D? | What if Jesus had a Sister?

2009-06-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Example # 54

W.W.J.D?

What would Jesus do? This is the question I began to ask myself, driving home from teaching a yoga class. My mind wandered to all there was to do when I returned home. There were the things I wanted to do, like write, finish the new Cd’s, create a new audio for my classes…Then there were the things I felt I had to do like cut the lawn, get groceries, clean and pick up the house. And in all of that I wanted to have time for my family, to enjoy, to play to have fun in our day together.

I allow my life to unfold naturally. There is a time for rest, a time for being vigorous, a time to play, a time to be still and a time to move forward.

It started out by asking, “What would Jesus do?” For some reason the next question my mind asked was, “what if Jesus had a sister?” What would she do? She might have been like me with a family, a husband and a passion for creating. She would probably feel the same way as she wanted to care for her family, create harmony in her relationships and also take time to love herself. Then my mind came with a name,"Jean." "Jean?" I asked. How about something prettier? How about Sophia or Grace, I commented. “Are you sure?” Plain as day I heard,” Jean.” So Jean it was.

As I move throughout my day, I continue to breath and ask, “What would Jean do?”
As I let the dog out, unwrapping his tangled leash from around my legs, I ask.” what would Jean do?” Instead of getting frustrated and yelling at the dog, I laugh and breath as I calmly unwrap him from my entrapped lags. I remain flexible in the storm, rather than unbending.

When my son tries to stand up in his high chair, covered with blueberries and yogurt, I ask what would Jean do? Instead of panicking, I take a deep breath, laugh at his full belly, and pick him up, hugging him in all his messiness. I choose to be strong by being soft and pliable rather than inflexible, brittle and hard.

When my daughter asks to put her hair in a bun before school, with her blueberry stained brother hanging on my legs, the dog barking to get in and the clock ticking, I ask, “What would Jean do?” She would breath, laugh and take it one step at time, one breath at a time and feel thankful for all of it. She would remember that all is temporary and life is meant to be enjoyed. All things change; there is nothing to hold on to and nothing I cannot achieve as I realize I am eternal.

As I feel and ask my way in every situation that arises, I choose to be okay with not knowing what is next or how my life will unfold from moment to moment. I replace my control over others in an effort to understand and master myself in any situation, the things we love we can learn to let go of and allow. Jean remembers with each breath that there is a time for all of it.

Your Life Is a Printout of Your Beliefs | Steps to Create Consciously

2009-06-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Example # 52
Can Changing My Thoughts Really Change my Life?

“How do I get rid of these love handles?” my friend asks as she grabs her waist. I look back to her as we walk with our children. “I’m sick of this muffin top, is there an exercise to do for this?” I take a deep breath and smile. “You’re funny,” I say. I think you look great.” She wasn’t having it, “Yah but what do I do?” She says again looking down at her midsection. I take a deep breath and begin. I used to give an answer that was easy,” eat this, bend like this, do your crunchies, run you butt off to burn off the fat,” but none of that is as true for me as much as my next words. “All I know for sure is that when I’ve got a project that I’m really passionate about, a focus other than losing weight, I tend to actually lose more weight. I get so excited and keyed up about life, I can hardly sleep. I wake with it on my mind and can’t wait to write, edit or film. I have so much energy I go for hours at a time without looking up. I am inspired and feel on purpose.” I shrug my shoulders smiling. This isn’t usually the answer the mind wants to hear. I ask her, ”What’s going on with you right now? Are you stressed, are you happy, do you feel fulfilled, are you worrying? She pauses before answering, “I tend to get skinny when I’m stressed and fat when I’m happy.” “Would you say that is a belief?” I ask. She puts her hands on her hips and stops mid step. “Why yes it is. It happens over and over. When I got divorced, I was skinny. When I was building a house, getting remarried and starting a new business all at once, skinny, skinny, skinny. When I settle in and things calm down, fat. I even answer, when people ask how I am, “Fat and happy!” We smile together as she has a new awareness. Now she can take a look within and see if this is her absolute truth or if it can be changed and replaced with a new belief.

The subconscious mind holds many treasures for us to uncover and release to move forward in life. All these programs can be reprogrammed.

“I don’t deserve to have an easy life. Life is dangerous. There is not enough money to go around. I need to complain to get attention. I am not loveable. I need to yell to get my children’s attention. Life is risky. My health will deteriorate as I age. Success is random or pure luck. I am not worthy.” Once you are aware of your patterns or beliefs, you can take steps to change.

Catch yourself in the midst of the action or negative habits. Will Bowen's Complaint Free Program has been an amazing practice to reprogram my old habits. The key is to do it in a positive way, instead of reprimanding and getting angry. There is no entity to have a rational conversation with. Your subconscious is like a tape recorder and just needs to be reprogrammed. It’s not bad or good; it’s just a program. Habits that do not serve you well can be replaced with a new pattern or habit.

Affirmations can work, but need to be diligently done everyday, rather than once in a great while as you pass by a note on your computer screen. It is a pattern that you are changing. The subconscious only learns from habit. In the complaint free program, every time I changed my bracelet from one wrist to the other, I was creating a new program in the mind. I didn’t get angry or frustrated or snap my bracelet on my wrist as I changed it. I just moved it to the other wrist and started fresh, putting my focus on what I did want.

The good news is, only one habit rather two opposing habits can exist in the mind at the same time. Once I broke the habit of complaining, only the pattern of consciously stating what I do want instead of unconsciously complaining remained. A destructive habit became replaced by a positive response. Now when that same situation comes up, like my son not sleeping through the night, my mind does not defer to the negative habit, like whining, but the positive habit that I replaced it with of open dialogue.

The subconscious mind is like talking to a five year old. If you can tell this to a five year old, then it can program into the subconscious. If you try to program in something too intricate with all sorts of logic and reasoning the subconscious mind does not understand that. Go to the feeling place of why you want it rather than trying to justify or figure out how. In a state of allowing, letting go of the outcome, we attract the cooperative power of the Divine and release the need to control our lives, strive or push against anything. If we try to convince ourselves of something we cannot believe we will then use that as our excuse to stay disconnected to our connection to God and all the abundance that is inherently ours.

If you say I want more money, the child will come back and proudly hand you an extra dollar. Here’s more money. That's true but not have been exactly what you were looking for. In our programming we need to be specific and recognize that we have to put it in a way the subconscious can understand. As I create more abundance in my life, I am more aware of being able to move into the feeling place of that abundance. If I say, I intend to have 20 million dollars on my door step by tomorrow; I will have resistance around that statement. If I say I would like to create wealth in every area of my life, including health, family, spirituality and career, I then need to open my mind to all possibilities. It is not my job to figure out how. It is my job to line up with the feeling place. How would it feel to be abundant and have unlimited resources to create freedom in my life and the lives of others? How would it feel to create freedom to share what I teach with millions, feeling my Divine connection to God and in doing so, feeling vital and healthy in my physical body? In this moment I choose to live in the state of radical thankfulness, appreciating all that I have, creating heaven on earth.

As I feel my connection to the Divine more often than not, I choose to open all areas of my life to feel the Divine. I choose to change my programming of yelling or slamming doors when I became frustrated or angry and access my true nature of gentleness and understanding. As a child I downloaded the program of yelling to get attention. I then used it as a way to let off steam. I saw it as a way to let people know I was frustrated and upset. As I became more aware of the futility of my actions, I look to change my reactions of frustration. So now when I try to reprogram this, I can’t yell at myself and say, you dummy, there you go again, when I fall back. That won’t work with the subconscious. It’s like a child and when you yell at it, it only retreats. Better to say after wards, “Hey you caught it this time, you didn’t lose it completely, you walked away, good job.” If you give it praise and love it wants to come out and interact. “You remembered to breathe, good job.” In doing this I am reprogramming a new reaction. The more I turned it around to being positive and recognized the behavior, the programming changed. It catches me earlier and earlier, I remember to breathe and the subconscious learns to stop it before it can even begin and I never need to revisit that part again. I have replaced it with a new positive program. If I became angrier at my thoughts, I would only attract more to be angry about. The more I acknowledged that I was breathing and staying in the moment, the more I attracted that experience. As I became the witness, the observer in action, I became more conscious. If you were conscious every moment, you could live every breath of your life as the Buddha. It is in being the witness to all of it. We have all done it for some period of time. If I am not reacting, speaking and moving from the subconscious with all its fears, programs and negative beliefs, I can now move from the creative conscious mind. From here I am able to create every moment as to how I would like, in the likeness of the Divine, gentle, kind, and a piece of the whole. Dr. Wayne Dyer reminds us, "It is heavens way to flow rather than attack." I intend to emulate heavens way by listening more, speaking less and trusting that my answers will come without yelling. I slow my pace and connect with my breath so I can harmonize with heavens way.

The more we go with the flow, let go and allow what we need to be showed to us, the faster we move forward. Our belief programs need to be in alignment with what we are manifesting or it doesn’t work. Many of us have been programmed with deservability issues, worthiness issues, self love issues that hold us back from creating our dream lives. If we’re looking to create abundance yet believe there’s not enough to go around or I don’t deserve it, you stop abundance from ever flowing your way. We self sabotage our dreams. The patterns run our lives until we step back from our stories, take responsibility for our lives and become willing to change. Amidst the confusion and chaos, remember that all endings are the start of new beginnings.

The first easy step is to notice those limiting beliefs, just by noticing them you can start to make changes. Your programs are easy to spot; just look around at your life and you will see what you believe. Your life is a printout from your subconscious. If you’re broke all the time, been married 25 times, your family doesn’t speak to you or your job is horrid, you can see exactly the areas you can take a look at. You’re life is an indicator and a direct manifestation of what you are vibrating. As you take time to focus on what you do want, you can create in that direction. You can then start to question your beliefs about money, relationships, family, and the workplace, ECT… You’re

We are therefore not victims of life as we may believe or have been programmed to believe but in control of every part of our lives. I’ve enjoyed many self help books from A to Z on the shelf, and felt like I understood it consciously but the key was to download it into my subconscious, the part of me running the show. There is no getting it wrong, we all have the ability to stay poised and centered no matter what comes before us.

You're Turning Into Your Parents? | Create an Endless Honeymoon

2009-06-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

Example #51

It feels like my husband and I are becoming our parents, our marriage has become like so many, same old story of manipulation, boredom and control. Is this bound to happen in all relationships?

Author Bruce Lipton explains, "We can create heaven on earth in every aspect of our lives. You may have done it many times. Think to the day where you fell deeply, madly, head over heels in love for the first time. It may have been as far back as grade school when the boy in front of you gave you your first valentine. Think of how the world looked to you. This is what some call heaven on earth."

When I started dating my husband Bruce Lipton's theory of heaven on earth was played out perfectly. I felt unending energy, we stayed up all night, dancing, eating, talking and laughing and I had plenty of enthusiasm to go to work. The sky never looked so blue and I had a smile for everyone I met. I loved my job, my family and the stranger all alike. I had no worries of money, bills or rent. I forgave everyone of the past, present and future. I took control of my life and was extremely happy, extremely satisfied.

I felt healthy and vibrant. I felt young and giddy. People would ask, why are you so happy? I was enthused for life, looking forward to each day, planning what we would eat, what I’d say, what I’d wear with meticulous thought.

Now if I turned the clock back to a few months, I cannot say it was the same. I usually got dressed on auotmatic pilot; I ate the same food every day, exercised on schedule and mostly just lived without much thought.

So what was the change between leading up to that moment where the sun shone brighter, angels sang and the air smelled the sweetest? Up to that time I was running my life mostly with the programs in my subconscious. I got dressed that way, went to work that way, drove that way, ate that way, lived my life that way. When I met David I wanted to be my best. I wanted to be who I really was, a loving, kind, happy person, appreciative and exuberant for life. In the early stages of this courtship, rather than counting on my old programming to run the show, I took conscious control. I became very conscious of words, actions and deeds, living fully in the moment. This is the Buddha mind that teachers speak about, it is conscious living and being in the moment.

Can you imagine if I was going on a date for the first time, not caring how I looked, smelled, or spoke? There was meticulous care in getting ready for our first date. I had new shoes to match my blouse, a haircut and carefully applied makeup. As we ate in the restaurant, we ate slowly; every word spoken was with intention.

What’s the difference between a few days before out to eat with my sister? The difference is I was running on habit with my sister. My habits were not thought about. But when I met David, I knew I would be getting checked out, an independent investigation as he said later! I wanted to make the best impression possible, there was no sloppy, fast eating, rushing through my meal. I focused on what I wanted to be. I got dressed with my conscious mind, I ate with my conscious mind, and I spoke with my conscious mind. I am sure I was thinking, what are the nice things I’m going to say, to connect to this person, to show how wonderful I am. I was consciously writing the script, running the show, without habits or old programs rearing up. I was self aware and in the moment. Then I get to meet his family. You can be sure I was running on conscious mind. I spoke with intention; I probably could feel every breath I breathed! When I dressed, I am sure I took into consideration whom I was meeting. When I ate, I’m sure I didn’t chew and talk at the same time or belch at the end of the meal!!!

As we first met we were at our best because we were living the life we consciously desire in our conscious minds and manifested that life into reality. We took the day before what may have been full of worry and fear and turned into heaven.

Then as time passes, some fall into the trap of getting used to each other, taking that person for granted, judging, getting annoyed with behavior that seemed cute when you first met. Then you add things like bills, jobs, family problems that you get distracted by.

All of a sudden this wonderful person that you have seen with the rosiest of glasses, asks you to help out, your out there in “lala land,” thinking about the car that needs fixing and you turn around and answer,” Why are such a nag?” Then your partner begins to wonder who the hell did I marry? What happened to the thoughtful, kind person I know.

While that person’s conscious mind was engaged, worrying about fixing the car, their old programming took over the show and answered you how maybe their mother of father responded to their mate. It is a program, not the real person. Now the problems start. Confusion, accusations of that’s not who I really am, as your partner tries to defend their actions. But since it came from the subconscious of their mind, your partner cannot see it. Your partner doesn’t even realize what they said and then the arguing starts. Then the couple relationship breaks into a quartet, you have the two conscious minds and the two subconscious programs.

This is where living and engaging with others can get tricky. They manifest that way, live that way and speak that way. They are not aware of how they create most their lives since it is in the subconscious. You do not see how the hidden beliefs play out because it is a program that plays while you are unaware. You don’t see your reactions; your words, your behavior and others react to your unconscious material as it shows up. Then heaven turns into hell. Most people are reacting to my subconscious, and I’m reacting to their subconscious and no one can see it. It’s amazing we can all get along at all!

I have many good qualities that I have downloaded from my mother and some that are less than desirable. I am aware of many and have made conscious changes to replace old habits with new ones. As I looked within to see how my life was playing out, I discovered many beliefs that did not serve me well such as; relationships were to be manipulated, it was okay to spend money secretively, what they don’t know won’t hurt them, and you can control others with guilt and fear. I have many good habits downloaded from my parents as well, including your family will always stand behind you, you are a strong woman, your integrity matters and you can do anything you set your mind to.

Once you are able to be aware of this information in your relationships, a dialogue can ensue rather than an argument. Will Bowen, author of a Complaint Free World recommends to try starting with,” You may not be aware of this but… “

If you can start a conversation like this, you can reprogram those habits into better ones that serve you. The complaint free program has helped my husband and me immensely. As I set out to become complaint free I was not aware of how I complained every morning that our son didn't sleep. I started my day, complaining and whining that I had another sleepless night, unconsciously I was manipulating him to feel sorry for me or at least get attention (the #1 reason for complaining.) All night I couldn’t wait until he got home to play this belief out. When I became aware of my complaining as a complaint, I could change my dialogue with my husband. I became aware of how futile my complaining was. My husband had no control of what went on while he was working the night shift. As I integrated the complaint free program into my life I worked on my dialogue. Instead of complaining about our son’s sleepless nights I looked for a solution, asking myself, what is it that you are actually wanting? I want to get some sleep. What would happen if you’d just ask? I’d have to stop complaining and I may find a solution. Luckily, I am always willing to change.” Would you mind if I slept in for an extra half hour to get my bearings this morning?” My husband was more than happy to oblige. He also loved this new program, our dialogue has never been more open and we give each other permission to be honest in our relationship. Instead of my getting upset with him, and then he taking it personally, we agree to allow the other person to find the answers they need to be happy. Problem solved. I also witnessed another joy of the law of attraction. When I stopped putting my focus on my son’s sleepless nights, stopped complaining and worrying, he started to sleep through the night.

We are all going through a metamorphosis. Our world is changing and to keep up, we can look inside to find our answers instead of looking around in fear and worry. It is time to let go of the old structures, habits and beliefs that do not serve you. We can look for solutions rather than complain of the problem and transform into the butterfly. A change in habits and belief is the change that the world seeks. We are all creators, we have command of our thoughts and the power of our thoughts can turn our world into heaven on earth.

Thank you to Bruce Lipton and his insights on how to create Heaven on Earth which I have included in this story.

I Want My Children To Make Up Their Own Mind | There is no Dark Switch, only a Light Switch

2009-06-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Example #50

Our dialogue begins as Rachel comes home from school asking if there is really a hell. ” I told my teacher that I don’t believe her.” She announces upon entering the car. I smile at her tenaciousness. I love that she can question an idea and make up her own mind. “What did she say to that?” I ask. “She got mad and said that I could look it up in the bible and that there is most certainly a hell.” She answers indignant.

I had long ago, given her the choice to follow her heart on that subject. I was raised to believe that hell was a place where bad people were sent to spend eternity and until I began my own personal investigation of my truth, I finally questioned if this belief was true for me.

As a small child, my daughter had come home from school talking that there was a hell and a devil and that she would be sent there to suffer for her sins if she wasn’t good. When I heard her say that the first time, I immediately felt resistance. I told her that not everyone believes in hell as a place and that she could make up her own mind on that subject. At first there was opposition from her saying, “yes there is Mom, my teacher and the priest said there is. It is true.”

I want my daughter to make up her own mind. I don’t want other peoples unawareness to influence Rachel. I would rather she didn’t gather her beliefs and ideas based on fear.

From knowing what I don’t want I could decide what it is I did want. I want her to know that well-being is plentiful. I want her to know that she can choose at any moment to connect to feeling good (God.) I want her to have enough exposure to enough things that her intuition will guide her and direct her to recognizing well being. I trust that her guidance system is alive within her and that she has a sense of right and wrong. I don’t want to impose my beliefs anymore than her teachers impose their beliefs. I want to let the ups and downs of life help her make choices and from there she gets to decide what she wants. I want to trust that her guidance will lead her to that understanding. I don’t want her to go through what I have gone through. I don’t want her to believe that she is bad and that she will pay for a sin. I want her to start with a clean slate. I want her to be aware of her emotions and to know that what she is feeling shapes what she is living. I want her to be shown many examples of what she is thinking and feeling is always a match. I want to enjoy our precious journey together.

I found the "light switch" analogy to be helpful in allowing my daughter to feel good. I brought her to a room with all the lights off and the blinds drawn. She was up for the experiment and played along with me. I then turned on all the lights with a flip of the switch. The room was illuminated in every corner. We paused, allowing our eyes to adjust to the brightness of the white walls beaming light. I then asked her to find the dark switch. At first she looked confused. She shrugged her shoulders and headed over to the light switch. I stopped her saying, “that’s the light switch, I want you to flood darkness into the room.” More confusion and then “ping,” the light in her mind was also illuminated. She easily understood. I explained further, “There is a source of light, which you can let in or not. But there is not a “dark switch,” you cannot flood inky black darkness in. Heaven and hell are like this. She continueed to listen with open ears. “There is only a stream of light. Heaven feels like eagerness, joy, excitement and appreciation. I continued, “hell is just the just the opposite of that.”

There is not light and dark and heaven and hell. There is light and good that flows, you are either allowing it or not allowing it. There isn’t a hell and there isn’t evil, there is just the temporary closing off of the energy stream.

My job is to help her to see that there is a match to what she is thinking and feeling and what she is experiencing. The biggest reward to being good is feeling good in the moment. I want to help her to understand that this world is big enough and that we can all have different thoughts. Diversity is the name of the game. In allowing Rachel to decide what feels right to her, I do not need to push against her teacher. If I thought she could contaminate Rachel with her beliefs then I believe in assertion. I trust in her ability to figure it out. I do not need to protect her from life. I want her to have experiences in life, so she can come to her own conclusions. I trust in her guidance system and I tell her so.

I asked her, “How did that feel when the teacher told you about that? What does it feel like to you?” As she talked of the fear and that it is a scary place, I replied, “that doesn’t feel very good does it? When I think of it, I feel scared, I feel alarmed, and what do you feel?” I looked to help her understand that that feeling in that moment is what hell really is. It is the fear, it is the worry, and that is what's scary.
I explained further, “I believe that Hell is not an actual place. It is only when we choose not to feel good in this moment.” I hold her hand and take a deep breath allowing her to take it in. “That knot in the stomach is just that we forgot our connection to God.”

We don’t need to remove the word or say there is no hell, just help them to understand the true meaning. Explain that it doesn’t jump into your life and you have no control over that experience. Hell is something that exists because what is wanted is being disallowed. We have all learned to observe and look at the results of how others have lived their lives. In doing so we focus on what we do not want. As we get in the habit of pushing against, we close off our connection to the Divine. We exclude because we observe more than imagine. I feel better if I imagine more and pay less attention to reality. I choose to include the hell out of things. I include happy people in my experience. I include a healthy body. I include a family filled with harmony. I include a life filled with laughter, joy and abundance. Including is the name of the game.

When you get stuck in the mode of pushing against, stop for a moment and laugh out loud. There is amazing power in laughter. In laughing we can remember that I am taking this way too serious. I am making way too much of this. It softens the resistance and the inclusion of something you don’t want. In laughing you connect with you core energy. It is one of the fastest ways to turn resistance into allowing.

Another word to remember is appreciation. In appreciation you are in alignment with the Divine. Carry a notebook and when you see something that you want to include more of, write it down. “These things I appreciate” is the header. This is so easy but amazing. It will line you up faster than meditation. I have many weird little and big items on my list of appreciations, from my nice riding car, a gorgeous fall sunset, the wheels on my garbage can, my childrens vibrant smiles, the brilliant sun pulsing light through my windows all the way to macaroni and cheese!

Rachel is deciding if she wants to go to a parochial high school or the public high school in our town. My mother has offered to help pay for parochial school. She believes it is the better choice for her and tells her so. She tells Rachel that the public school is not as good, there is more crime, the police are there every day and so on. “What should I do?” She asks me. “Where do you want me to go?” I smile knowing that she will be fine wherever she decides to attend.

The most powerful parent looks at their child and says you have guidance within you and now is as good as any time to figure out how to use it. Words do not teach. Think about what you want and go for it. If I decided for her I would be sending the message, I don’t think your smart enough to make your own decision. I want her to know that we all figure it out as we go. The fun is in the figuring it out and I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the fun of figuring it out.

I remember to let her figure it out. I believe in her and I practice remembering she is always connected to God. If I feather her nest and make it easy, all I am doing is creating a powerless child. If your children have not been allowed to fly, the more hesitant they become and then they will blame you for every bump in the road. Give them the power to make their own way and through the bumps in the road, they will learn. It is the process of trial and error. I will let her choose and be happy with her decision whatever that is. Loving my daughter unconditionally means to walk side by side as souls on this journey. I want to guide by my example, rather than hover, worry and dictate what she should and shouldn’t do.

I allow her the ultimate decision, knowing she will be fine, letting her know that I trust her and I trust her to discover her own guidance, whether it be a knot in the stomach or just recognizing what feels better in the moment. I am excited about her life and I tell her so!

Wash the Dog or Else! | Are You the Variable that Needs to Transform?

2009-06-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Example # 49

My daughter has helped me over and over to fine tune my parenting skills as well as helping me to become a better person. It is in the living of life that we find new ways to grow and expand. Each experience offers me another way to open my mind and transform my life.

**** My voice radiates frustration. I watch myself do exactly the opposite of what I teach. I continue anyway. “Get off the computer and wash the dog,” I demand. “Just a second let me close this email,” Rachel reply’s without looking up. I start with even more demands.

I had just come from a few hours of soliciting ads for the TV program, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated and completely lost in my victim mentality. Unbeknownst to me, my old programming of fear, guilt and issuing orders surface. In not being present, the tape recorder of my subconscious kicks in to run the show, while my conscious mind plays around in the muck of worry, fear and doubt.

”When are you going to put your clothes away in your room? I need your help. I’m losing my patients.” I forget to breath. It is too late. I snap moments later, me ego in full swing now. I resort to threats.” Get off the computer and take care of your dog or we’ll get rid of him.” She looks at me shaking her head, “Why do you have to be so mean?” Her question gets straight to the point.

As I learn to contemplate my self, my actions and my words I have also learned to avoid issuing orders. The more I pushed against anything the stronger it became. It is the law of nature. I used up a lot of extra energy using force. Bullying children only teaches them to bully. I look to model helpfulness and she will too. I look to be the kind of person I want her to be.

I walk away. I need to get away and breath. I am over-reacting. I am taking out my impatient with life on her. I need to refocus. I sit and take a breathing break. What seems like moments later, Jake the dog comes bounding out of the tub, rambunctious and wet. She captures him to comb and brush his hair. “Now can I go to Grandma’s?” The frustration with myself had filtered over to my daughter. After pausing I see my over-reacting, threats and demands have only soured our morning. The time I have with her is squandered. I take a deep breath and ask for guidance.

It is helpful to take a breathing break to examine your own thoughts and actions. Talk a situation over after you give each other space. I am learning to be clear of what kind of behavior I do expect. Then ask myself; do I also expect the same behavior from myself? Do I have a double standard? Once we are both clear on future behavior, we join together and remember that all is well.

We get ready to leave and I focus on forgiving myself in the moment and move on. Pulling out of the driveway, I reach for her little hand and hold it. I smile and take a deep breath. “How can I better ask you to do your chores? What would be a better way to have you help out without me riding you every minute you are home?” She looks like she is considering a few ideas.

I look to be flexible when parenting and keep an open mind. I look to deal with each situation in the moment. In the moment the answers will be there for me to embrace. If I am constantly trouble shooting and worrying about what could go wrong, I can get caught off guard in the moment. Why worry about the future since there are no guarantees.

I ask, “How about we make a chart? On certain days, you have different ways you can pitch in to help. This way I won’t need to remind you and you can just take care of whatever needs to be done.” She considers for a moment and nods in agreement. ”I’ll put my clothes away on Monday and Wednesday and wash Jake every Saturday unless I’m gone, then I’ll wash him on Sunday when I get home.” Done. Perfect. We smile in agreement and move on to enjoy the day.

In the moment I access a higher power. In the moment there is grace and calm. In the moment there is no room for bullying, demands or abusive language. In the moment I can stay connected to God and allow love to show through rather than fear and worry.

Any contemplation of the self will move you out of the ego, become the witness and allow you to look within for the answers.

What are some of your triggers in the mind?
What are those things that make you upset and make you want to take it out on those around you?
Are the words you are speaking reflecting what you want to create?

As you become more aware of your thoughts and actions in the moment, ask yourself:
What can I learn from this stressful situation?
What gifts can I take away?
Who do I have to become to live a life filled with ease, joy and purpose?
What’s good about this situation?

Be willing to change. Be willing to open to the idea that you may be the variable that needs to transform. Be willing to ask what’s right with this moment. Situations may show up in your life to show you what you need to heal, to learn more, to love more and to grow more. When you are willing to learn, you can shift out of the unconscious reactions and heal your life.

What is the Difference Between a Baby Buggy and a Learjet?

2009-05-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Example # 48

There’s endless amounts of energy and possibility out there and when I get up to speed with it, there is so much eagerness and excitement that I forget to take time to eat. When I’m not up to speed, I want to and usually do, crawl under my blankets and pull the covers over my head, looking for relief from the storm in my mind. Life can be easy, but we are taught that we need to make it all happen.

"In the living of what we don’t want we create what we do want, we literally ask and it is. It is over there pulsing, living and breathing, waiting for you to catch up. Whatever you want, wants you even more than you want it." - Abraham-Hicks

It has never been clearer than now, that I need to keep up. The energy of our times is flowing fast. When I feel good, I’m keeping up to what I’ve already become. That's why when I feel bad; I feel it instantly in my gut, a turning and tightening. When I feel good, it feels overwhelmingly good, to the point of thankful tears.

"This fast moving energy means we all need to pay attention more than ever to how we feel in every moment. If you haven’t taken time to look within and see the relationship of your thoughts to what you are living, than you won’t know what you’re doing in this fast moving energy."-Abraham-Hicks I used to look all around and listen to everyone else’s experience and advice, feeling lost and panicked, not knowing which way to go. I’d take a personal opinion poll from everyone I knew before stepping forward into any part of my life. “Should I get married? Should I quit my job? Should I get divorced? Should I buy this house? What should I wear? Should I eat this?” The more I asked, the more confused I felt.

It is worth taking time to get still and listen to the voice that is coming from within, the Divine. As you allow yourself time and space, you may start to realize all the coincidences that happen may actually be your inner voice guiding you. Perhaps these co-incidences are your true wants and desires? What’s helpful about getting quiet is that you start to listen to t he cues around you. From a larger perspective, “God’s Perspective” the solution you seek, may be the most rational and obvious thing to do, you just need to get outside yourself to gain clarity on the situation. Feel with the perspective that everything will work out. Move from a state of knowing, trusting that you will be guided every step of the way. As my husband and I created a TV show together, we started form scratch. We had minimal equipment and training. We had no connections or background. But with each new desire to grow, we were given help from producers and agents that showed up in our lives like angels. We took it one step at a time always willing to learn, grow and seek opportunity. Taking the time to feel good about where you are at on your journey is also helpful in gaining clarity. As you relax, you stop trying to figure it all out. Meditating, conscious breathing, watching a basketball game, going for a walk, playing with children, petting your dog are all ways to become an open channel to your next step.

As I was driving to a private yoga session, appreciating the spring bloom, my nice riding car, the fact that I am on time, the joy of breathing in the moment, a thought came to me. It came in loud and clear.” Turn your book into an audio.” Recently I asked the Divine for guidance on this subject and let it go, giving it no more thought. At every workshop, I have been getting requests from people waiting for my book. They are interested and ready to support me. I love writing and the thought of doing an audio was absolutely thrilling. I could feel the energy. I could feel enthusiasm, any sense of confusion melted away. It felt right. I had been working all week on creating new audio cd’s for my next workshop and enjoyed the process thoroughly. I love audios, using my iPod as a tool to learn from all the great teachers of our time. I could tell by my excitement and eagerness and instant energy boost that this is the next logical step. As confirmation, I stopped by a friend’s to pick up a new audio. She was with a client, yet we took the time to give hugs. The first words her client she was working with asked me were, “When am I going to get to read your new book?” A coincidence? I don’t think so!

You already are all of it. This is important to remember. The Divine part of you became it when you asked; you just need to get up to speed with it. Each experience in life will keep causing you to become more, so life just keeps getting better and better. The easy way is, life will cause you to ask, and you go with the flow. When you feel that feeling of being unfulfilled, fear or frustration, it’s just you having become something and you not letting yourself keep up with it. Every negative emotion is a sign that you’ve become something, you’re being called toward it and you’re not going because you’re looking at what others are doing rather than you’re own guidance system.

The Abraham-Hicks teachings recommend...If you can’t see joy from where you stand, look for relief with any thought that feels just a little better.
I can’t get it wrong.
I am willing to open to possibilities.
I am thankful for all I do have.
I let go of having to be perfect.
I forgive myself for forgetting my magnificence.
It is better to be happy than to be right.
I let go of the past and open to new possibilities.

A huge step for me was to quit my career of twenty years to teach yoga and write full time. I had long since outgrown the career and wanted to move on. In order to move forward I had to clean house on any old limiting beliefs that were keeping me stuck. “How will I pay my bills? What will people think? What if I make a mistake and have my failures exposed? What If I’m a success?” I released each fear as they came up, letting go of those stuck beliefs and allowed myself to receive the free flowing abundance that is available to all, by seeing it as I wanted.

Using “I AM” principle to create is a powerful, swift and emotional process.
I am abundant.
I am successful.
I am healthy.
I am lovable.
I am love.
In feeling it as it has already happened, with appreciation for all the “I AM”, I could now access the Divine, trusting and expecting miracles in every day.

Do you feel like you’re going with the flow of life? I use the analogy of a baby buggy and a Learjet. For years I tried to slow my wanting down to the speed of a baby buggy, bumping along the path of life, desperately looking for relief. I searched for release by shopping more, eating more, watching more TV, drinking more and smoking more, some days all in that exact sequence! I gave away my extra belongings, kept only the clothes I wore and stuffed down any ambition in hopes of finding relief. I numbed myself for a short time, but I could not disallow the powerful energy of life to stop flowing for long. It may be safer on the ground, in my baby buggy but more exciting as I get into the smooth fast flowing energy of life, jetting past the tops of trees, flying to the bigger part of me that is waiting. I can tell in my body when I let myself believe it is safer on the ground. I feel frustration, fear and the urge to hide under my blankets. This is my signal to pick up my landing gear and get back up to where all the fun, excitement and enthusiasm for life resides. It may feel more secure on the ground, but when I fly I am free. When I feel good, I am keeping up to the larger part of me. I cannot get it wrong.

I am in deep appreciation for the teachings of Abraham-Hicks for their influence on my life and this story.

Complainers At My Door | Do Not Feed the Bears

2009-05-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Example # 47

What do I do when the complainers won’t go away and take up my time at work complaining?

"Our job is to clean up our energy or thoughts about that person, without that person having to change one bit. If we need the person to change that is standing in front of us complaining, now we lose our power. But if you can feel good without that person changing, you stay connected to who you really are which is joy, understanding and love. In your alignment you are then in a position to become a jumper cable to well being, having something to offer the world." Abraham-Hicks

As I stood in the grocery line, a disgruntled customer looked over from her long line at me with a look of impatience. “Can you believe they don’t have more lanes open?” She asked. I nodded, smiling and shrugged my shoulders with, “Oh well.” “When I go to the other store, I never have to wait, they have all the lines open at this hour,” she said to further make her point. I smiled replying,” It must be all this wonderful produce that we keep coming back for, isn’t it great?” She smiled now. “I only come here because it’s close to my home,” she replies. I smiled, winking, “I come here for the great reading material, as I pointed to the recent enquire!” Now she is laughing and of course my line speeds right through to the check out.

Will own, author of the Complaint Free World offers this idea..."As you find yourself listening to the complainer, smile and nod or offer words such as,” I know how that can feel. I have had that experience and this is what I’ve done.” The key is to stay connected to those good feelings as often and consistently as you can. When you aren’t feeling connected, turn off the phone, stop answering the emails, close your office door, hang a sign that says complaint free zone. It is all about wanting to feel so good that you do not allow yourself to be effected, regardless of what is going on. As I decided more and more that I wanted to feel good, I also made a choice to step back from the chaos, complaining and gossip. Instead of joining in the, “Did you hear about what happened to…?” at work, I closed the office door and put on my headphones. In the beginning of my conscious path, I needed to create a shell around myself, just until I got my footing. It’s like caring for a seedling. You give it time to grow its roots until it can bear fruit. Go inward and focus on all that is good in your life as often as you can, tending to your soul.

I love the teachings of Byron Katie which teach about using the "turn around method." You can also try to do a “turn around” on your current issue of complainers. “I shouldn’t have to listen to people complain.” I used the turn around method in my life on a subject that came up repeatedly. “My children should respect me more.” I turned it around. “I should respect myself more.” It was my work to remember that it was only a thought and thoughts can be changed. I could see from there that I didn’t believe I deserved respect. I stood and allowed people to treat me in a way that was disrespectful. I listened and took it all in as if it were truth instead of stepping back and remembering that it never has anything to do with me. I had an underlying belief that undermined my self-esteem. I took it all personally instead of seeing each moment as an opportunity to grow and aid in the expansion of the entire Universe. The people who trouble us the most can also be our very best teachers, allowing us to see that very same tendency in ourselves. This also can be true for the people whom we admire. Those wonderful qualities we appreciate exist within ourselves.

I have found great relief in using the Ho’opnopono prayer as I described in Example # 40 and #41 of my blog.

"I'm sorry
Please forgive me
I Love you
Thank you"

“I am sorry for forgetting my Divinity. Please help me to forgive myself for allowing this situation to become my only reality, forgetting my power. “
By saying "I'm sorry," you are telling the Divine that you want forgiveness inside yourself for whatever brought it to you. You're not asking the Divine to forgive you; you're asking the Divine to help you forgive yourself so you can let it go. You are opening to remembering that we are all on this journey of awakening together. You are letting go of the past, opening up to the new possibilities of the future.

From there, you say, "I love you" and "Thank you."
The "I love you" transforms the energy from stuck to flowing. It reconnects you to Source. When you follow that statement with "Thank you," you are expressing appreciation. Thankful for this opportunity to grow and awaken to what is really true, we are all one. Accepting that all is here and available to you and rejoicing in the experience of life.

Remember you’re not clearing on the person who stands before you; you’re doing this for yourself. This prayer helped me to shift my thoughts and open to all possibilities, creating a willingness to look within for clarity, change and the release of old beliefs. Mastery is seeing the problem in front of you as a gift to grow in the moment. Rather than waiting 5 years to look back to see the opportunities challenges can bring, take time to see the polarities of good and bad as only that. As we stop judging any of it as good, bad and ugly we feel lighter, thus "enlightenment."

Choose where to put your attention. You can look around and let the things that annoy you most have your attention and feel bad or you can choose to find the good. You can focus on the one person in the office that complains or you can focus on the 10 people who you love to be around. By focusing on those 10, you bring yourself into alignment with feeling good, using that good feeling to set the tone of your being. Now you have shifted you energy to attract happy, fun loving people. But if you cringe when you think of work, when you worry and complain about that one person, you hold yourself apart from the joy that would be there naturally. Every time we say, “They shouldn’t be complaining, this shouldn’t be happening, I shouldn’t have to put up with this,” we move against the flow of life and it takes its toll on us physically and mentally. It eventually shows up in the body as stress, illness, and dis-ease.

Spend less time thinking about how it currently is and more time imagining what you do want. Expect to be surrounded by happy, fun loving people who are a match to your energy. When you see the complainers walking down the hall, expect for them to be in a good mood, expect them to laugh easily, expect them to smile. Breathe and rejoice in the experience in life, trusting the Divine, living fully in today, trusting and expecting miracles.

You don’t have to be happy and joyful all day every day, just keep putting your attention on feeling better in each moment. You only need to be as fearless as this breath and this step.

Try using what the Abraham-Hicks teachings share on working your way up the "emotional scale."
There is relief when you move from anger to frustration. “I can’t get anything done with all these whiners.”
There is relief when you move from doubt into hope. “I’m going to focus on feeling good and put my headphones on.”
From hope you can find anticipation. “I love to feel good at work and I am willing to make changes in my life.”
Then the jump from anticipation to knowing that all is well is a short skip away. “ It feels good to not worry what’s next and what everyone else is doing. I know when I focus and stay connected, life is pure joy.”

As you get in the good feeling state more consistently, your energy changes. Like opposing magnets, the complainers will not be drawn to your door and if they are “do not feed the bears!”

Partner Is Not "Growing" With Me | Unconditional Love Means Minding Your Own Path

2009-05-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Example # 46
My partner is not on the same page as me as I feel like I am moving forward on my spiritual path, my career path and personal path. I feel like we are moving apart every step I take forward. I have goals and desires that he doesn’t understand and isn’t a match to.

The teachings of Abraham-Hicks explain, "The key is to choose a better feeling thought on this and every subject consistently,moving forward to what you want no matter what’s going on in your experience. When you look to that better feeling thought, there will always be clarity on what to do and you don’t need anyone else to be on the same page to do that."

We all want to feel happy and we want others to feel good too. But we can’t control what they do or what they think and needing to control anything in their experience so they feel better only makes you feel worse. When you care enough to stay feeling good, now you have something to offer. When you ask or believe that someone needs to change in order to feel good about what you are doing, it is called conditional love. If you say, you need to be different so I can be happy, now you are the only one stopping the dream. You are opposing your desires by looking at your partner and using them as an excuse to not go with the flow.

The Abraham-Hicks teachings share that what you want is only dependent on you keeping up energetically with your dream. If you worry, you are not keeping up. When you’re happy and eager, you’re keeping up with all you desire.

I had fallen into the trap many times believing that if others did not believe, support and get vested in my dream, then it could never happen. It is helpful to have those things, but not necessary. I now believe I have the ability to give all my thoughts and energy towards what I do want, and my success was never dependent on what anyone else is living. This is self-empowerment in its glory. If you believe that you can’t move forward and you need this person to fill in those missing pieces of your happiness, you are using them as your excuse to not move forward to your dream.

You are made in the likeness of God. You are Source in a physical body. You cannot fail. It is not possible when you move from the knowing that you are that you pray to. Life is set up for success.

I used to believe that I could not create my dreams without everyone else being up to speed with my desire. I believed that my partner needed to keep up spiritually or get left behind. Instead of seeing my partner how I would like to see him, I would look at him as he was and feel my energy split. With that thought I then believed I had more at stake to fix this person. I believed my happiness was being hindered by what he was living. The more I looked back and yelled, “Hey get up here, keep up, get moving,” the worse I would feel and then fall back myself. I would hand out my Eckhart Tolle CD’s like a Pez dispenser, saying,” Here listen to this.” I would set a stack of Wayne Dyer books out and say,” Read this.” I would stomp my feet saying,” Stop doing that, you should be nicer, you should meditate, you should clean up your act.” I would issue warnings, yelling out, “Hey your not going with the flow, how long can we continue?” Then I d get angry that now were both not flowing. When I tried to bring everyone along on my path, I only slowed down my flow, stuck in the mud instead of flowing. But in truth, no one could hold me back from going with the flow, it was all about me.

Anything your partner could "do" to help you is tiny in comparison to you getting in sync energetically with what you want.

"If you have big dreams you are aligned with and also have a partner who has no ambition, your dreams would still come true, because your dreams are not contingent on what anyone else does, only your vibration." -Abraham-Hicks

No one can keep you from your dream. Instead of asking yourself is my partner keeping up? Ask;
*Does this person make me laugh?
*Does this person make my heart sing?
*Is this person kind?
*Is this person clear minded?
*Does this person smile easy?
*Do they want to love?
*Does loving come easy to them?

As we are all made in the likeness of God, there isn’t anyone on earth who doesn’t match this when they are not fighting against the stream of wellbeing.

*Remember the ten best things of your partner and hold that as your object of attention rather than any lack.

*Bring yourself into alignment with feeling appreciation as you think of them.

*Take it a step at a time, moving from frustration of what you’ve been living, to hopeful for what can be, to expectation of all possibilities, to eagerness of an amazing supportive, fun, exciting relationship and now you are back to joy.

The more you let go and allow, the faster your energy goes towards what you want, lining up with your dream. Your partner has a choice of also letting go. If you’re gong with the flow and the other isn't, you won’t have to wonder, do I stay or go, the stream is taking care of that. You can’t get it wrong. You can hold yourself from fun, laughter and joy, but as soon as you let go again, you jump right back in. Your life never stops flowing in the direction of what you want. We say, “But look at what a mess I’ve made!” It doesn’t matter; jump in from where you are now. We say, “But look at how much trouble there is!” Doesn’t matter, jump in now. Right now, you're not feeling good about your career or your relationship, but you have a choice to let go now. You can complain, worry, be hard on yourself and use this person as your excuse for not living your dream or let go and allow life to take you towards what you want. Life will keep getting better as you consistently think good feeling thoughts and let the stream carry you.

Thank you to the teachings of Abraham-Hicks which have inspired many of the ideas in this story.

Breathing Peace Workshop in June!

2009-05-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

How we breathe reflects who we are and the manner in which we express ourselves-physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This workshop is a wonderful resource for anyone who wishes to improve his or her health and vitality through the breath.

Breathing also affects our state of mind. It can make us excited or calm, tense or relaxed. There is a definite connection between rate of breathing and either stress or relaxation. It is very hard to be in a complete state of stress if your breathing is slow and deep. It doesn't mean you won't encounter stressful events, but you can certainly let them take less of a physical toll on you even when you are dealing with unavoidable stressful situations by not letting your breathing put you into overload.

5 Reasons to try Conscious Breathing:

* Conscious breathing teaches us the proper way to breathe. We became used to breathing from our chest, using only a fraction of the lungs, not knowing that this unhealthy and unnatural way of inhaling may lead to several complications. With yoga breathing, we increase the capacity of our lungs, bringing more oxygen supply to the body to function well. We learn how to breathe slowly and deeply - the right way.

* Conscious breathing reduces the toxins and body wastes from within our body. It prevents one from acquiring diseases.

* Conscious breathing helps in one's digestion. With the proper way of breathing, one's metabolism and health condition will start to improve.

* Conscious breathing develops our concentration and focus. It fights away stress and relaxes the body.

* Conscious breathing also results in serenity and peace of mind.

"Take time to connect with your breath, consciously breathing, allowing your breath to be a bridge into this moment."

Three Deep Breaths to Navigate Gracefully

2009-05-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Breathing Technique to Relax and Gain Clarity

Use your breath to navigate through the rough times easily, gracefully and masterfully. As you encounter situations throughout the day, practice taking three deep breaths before reacting. From there you can engage with reason and clarity rather than the “Why me?” and the victim mentality. Try this:

The Belly Breath

1. Put yourself in a comfortable position, and place your hands on your stomach.
2. Inhale slowly and deeply, you will feel your abdomen expand like a balloon with the navel moving away from the spine.
3. Let the abdomen fall as you release old, stale air by exhaling slowly, navel moving back towards the spine.
4. Inhale easily. Feel your abdomen expand again.
5. As you exhale, release the air out of your abdomen.

This is the natural way of breathing, like a baby’s breath. As we take time to breath we gain perspective. With perspective, we can ask “what can I learn, what is this about and what decision can I make from the drama free heart?” Breath into the part of you that knows you don’t have to take it all personally.

Unhappy "Divorce From Workplace" | Release the Past to Step Forward into Joy

2009-05-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Example # 44

I am still holding on to anger, grief and resentment from my last workplace, the ending was not ideal, I was wronged and I can’t seem to let it go and move on.

***When we hold on to past events that leave us believing that we are vulnerable to what we don’t want, it only keeps us in a place of not feeling good. From there we cannot more forward.

I love how the teachings of Abraham-Hicks share the pebble in the shoe concept... Lets say you have the tiniest of pebbles floating around in your shoe. At first, the pebble is only slightly irritating as you walk, but the longer you keep it in your shoe, the more irritating it gets until it finally feels more like a boulder.

Initially it doesn’t harm your skin, but the more you walk, the more uncomfortable it gets. You start to feel irritated, sore and after a while, your skin becomes blistered and breaks open. You put up with the irritation, getting used to feeling uncomfortable and now use it as your excuse to slow down, complain and justify why you don’t feel happy in this moment.

Eventually, you realize "Hey, I don't have to do this!" and you simply stop, sit down, untie the shoe and shake it out.

You take action and remove yourself from the irritation. As you stop walking and take the action of shaking out the shoe, you feel relief.

You do have a choice of whether or not to keep focusing on the bad experience. Begin to take enjoyment in feeling relief from those thoughts by focusing on the good in your life.

Practice letting in good feeling thoughts. Recently I called in on a radio show for a scheduled segment and was hung up on, cut off in mid sentence. My first reaction was to take it personally. I wanted to call him back and tell him how rude he was. I wanted to say you had no right to hang up on me, I deserve better respect. I immediately called my husband and told him about it, wanting to justify my righteousness. He offered to call him up and give him an earful. This initially sounded like a good idea. My offended ego wanted this person to know what a jerk he was. I could feel myself getting really worked up. I could feel my stomach tightening; my breath shallow and my shoulders creep up to my ears. It was in that minute that I chose to take the pebble out of my shoe. From there I took a deep breath and realized that whatever just happened, I can choose peace, or I can choose anger. I can choose to let this experience ruin my day, or I can use this as an opportunity to grow. In choosing peace I also choose to let fresh Energy flow into my experience. I choose to remember that when one door closes another door opens.

"The art of allowing is not about constantly holding my thoughts rigidly in only “happy go lucky, sunshine and apple pie” places. It is the art of Allowing--the art of letting it in. The tricky thing is that sometimes, even though the pebble is not pleasant; we forget that the key is in developing a more sensitive awareness."- Abraham-Hicks. My signal to let go was my shallow breathing, tight stomach and shoulders crawling up around my neck. I had learned to become sensitive to what does not feel good as it shows up in my body. I used to walk around in that state 24/7 not understanding why I was sick all the time.

Most of us wouldn’t walk with pebbles in our shoes until our feet break open, yet, that's the way I used to handle what I felt was wrong with my life. I would run with those pebbles in my shoes, caught up in my justifying, blaming and disallowing until that negativity showed up as illness.

No matter how bad the experience is and no matter how justified it may seem to be angry, none of it needs to have anything to do with your now. So as I set my phone down, the questions I began to ask were, “Am I letting in Well-being right now? Does this thought let it in? Does this memory let it in? Does this statement let it in? Does this discussion let it in? Am I letting it in?"

I know when I am letting it in when I feel appreciation and love. I know when I am not letting it in when I feel frustrated and angry. When I set the phone down I found some thoughts that helped me to begin to feel good, “It’s not about me. That person must be having a bad day. When one door closes three more open. This isn't worth pushing against and using this person as my excuse for not letting it in."

If you want to let feeling good in, you have the power to do that right now. Anything you've lived before has little to do with letting it in right now. Your platform for creating what you want starts in this moment.

The Abraham-Hicks teachings helped me to find better feeling thoughts such as,
It doesn't matter.
No big deal.
I didn't like that, but so what?
What happened was really unfair, but it doesn't matter now.
That doesn't have anything to do with where I am now.
I couldn’t possibly go back and figure out why people behave the way they do. Even if I could, it has nothing to do with now—only that it has helped me to be clear about what I do want in this moment.
I want to feel loved and respected.
I want to feel valued.
I want to be surrounded by loving supportive people who enjoy my work.
When I think these thoughts I feel eager, appreciated and enthusiastic.

In the exact same morning after my phone call, I was offered three more centers to teach what I love. I also used this experience to help two people who were recently “divorced form their workplace,” in remembering that it is all for a higher purpose. That now they can do what they really love, they have an opportunity to expand and grow where they couldn’t before. That life unfolds when we let go of the past, release blame and do what we love.

Create from the inside out: reach for the feeling of joy, enthusiasm and eagerness. Reach for thoughts that feel good (GOD:)

Knots in Stomach Keep Me From New Career | Be Happy Now More Important than Action

2009-05-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Example # 43

When I start feeling inspired to take action on creating a new career for myself, my stomach turns to knots and from there I do nothing. The frustration of how, when and where I am in my career only makes me feel worse.

"Your stomach turning to knots is an emotional indicator that you may not be ready to take action; you need to feel good about where you are in this moment before you can step forward with any ease.You may still believe action is more important than energy and that you need to make it happen, speed it up, struggle and toil. The attention you give the idea is not how you create what you want. It is in the living of what you don’t want that created the idea."-Abraham-Hicks

When I spent two years selling ads for the yoga show, I was creating the idea of getting a syndication company to do that for me. I knew what I didn’t want, and in doing so, I created what I did want. My real work and attention went to getting lined up with my idea. If I believed that it could never happen, if I kept complaining about selling ads, if I kept worrying about how I was going to sell the ads and make money, I would not have lined up with my syndication company.

Instead of worrying how and when, I focused on feeling good about all of it.
When I got lined up with my idea energetically, my impulse to make those phone calls, was so strong that wild horses couldn’t keep me. If it felt like work, if I had to prod and motivate myself to make phone calls, I stopped and went back to focusing on feeling good.

When I became so sure that it is coming, then I was in the place to call. Making the calls felt like the next logical step. I was lined up with it. Desire doesn’t need to feel like uneasiness or trepidation if you want with a pure desire. There was no down side to wanting and desiring a syndication company. It felt done before I started. I am still interested in knowing how all of this will unfold, but I know when I go to my heart and stop thinking and worrying, it is a done deal.

"When you ask, it is a done deal. We get crossways with our desires when we try to figure it all out, when we look at what is, this is the contradiction. This is when we try to justify the doneness of it. We then get pulled in the other direction."-Abraham_Hicks

I had been asking for a syndication company to sell our program world wide and now I am more excited about the unfolding than I am in the actual manifestation, the manifestation is inevitable. It is all about the fun of the journey. It’s like sitting down for a delicious meal. We don’t enjoy our meal to get to the end of it, we enjoy each and every bite, the deliciousness of the first entrée, and so on. We don’t hurry through the meal so we can get to the end where we pay our bill, instead we relish the flavor, the textures, and the aroma of it as an experience. There isn’t anything we need to do to get it done. The thrill is in the unfolding of it.

I used to play the game, I will be happy when….fill in the blank. I will be happy when I get a new job, I will be happy when I have a new house, I will be happy when I lose weight, I will be happy when my children behave…

"When being happy is contingent on getting over there, you will never get there."-Abraham-Hicks When I shifted my knowing to happiness now, I could experience life happy here. Why be happy here when you want to be over there? I know what’s over there and I am positively anticipating the travel, Happy Yoga being viewed world wide, books published, speaking around the world to inspire, yet I am happy here. I look forward to the journey from here to there. It is what we are all born for. We have come here to expand. The more we focus on what does not make us happy and if I could just have that I would be happy, we are stuck with the eternal chasing the rabbit syndrome. The lack is so strong in our energy that we can never close the space to where we are and what we want.

For two years, my attention was on the lack of advertisers. As soon as I filled an entire season with ads, I focused on the next season to fill. The space between a syndication company and me kept getting wider until I let go of my attention to lack and practiced feeling good about the unfolding.

When do I take action? Action is only the joyful expression of manifestation.-Abraham-Hicks The creation of a TV show was about perspective and ideas, not so much the action steps. The action is important in the enjoying of what’s all ready been created by the thought.

There is enjoyment from where I am to where I want to be. I do not feel bad that I am not now in this exact second traveling across the world to film new shows because in this moment I am enjoying my beautiful son as we walk on the beach,catching waves for the first time, building sandcastles, feeling the warm wind tousle my hair and his eager smile as he holds a lady bug in his tiny hand. This moment is awesome.

If I were to feel disappointed about where I am in relationship to where I want to be, I will never be able to be there.

If I feel hopeful in where I am and where I want to be, I close the gap.

If I feel eager about where I am going, if I feel passion when I think of the program, the travel, the speaking engagements and books, it is a done deal. The gap is closing.

If I go back to feeling discouraged and angry about where I want to be, it can never happen, the gap is too wide.

If I get frustrated when I look at a calendar, make a goal list I am doubtful of, look at what others are doing and achieving around me, I will be stuck with that story of frustration. There is a difference in believing that it is all there lined up for you.
I know that only thing that is important is how I feel. I love where I am and eager for more.

The fastest way to get somewhere else is to focus positively where I am. In this moment I am not traveling, but I am happy I have time with my children to play and relax. I am happy to have time to write, I am happy I have time to go to the beach and catch waves with my 1 year old. I am happy to attend all of my daughter’s activities at school. I am happy to host local workshops and classes. I am happy enjoying time with my husband as we work and play side by side. I’m happy to know that it is a done deal. Being happy is always the end result anyway, so be happy now!

Thank you to all the beautiful teachings of Abraham-Hicks shared throughout this story.

Accessing the Drama Free Heart | Navigate Gracefully Through Breath

2009-05-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Example #42

Transform Guilt to "Child-Like" Eagerness Through A Drama Free Heart

My tired husband sits down heavy in the grass. “We’ll need to wait,” he says pointing at the new group of people coming up the path. I hold my position, again. The park is busier than usual and we have been filming all morning with more interruptions than expected. David has worked the night shift with his main sleep reclined on the car ride here. “What’s up?” I ask. He doesn’t usually let delays in shooting get to him and if he does, he drops it as fast as it comes up. “I’m tired and every time I find a good shot, we have to stop and start while our lighting keeps changing.” A rampage of thoughts roll in, not one thought is constructive. My ego moves to the ever-handy guilt. I succumb for a moment, feeling bad for having him film the show in the first place. The ego wants to take it all personally and move directly to being a victim. I let it go and keep silent as we pack up our equipment, watching my thoughts.

In this moment, I have a choice as to how I will respond. I make the choice to see that everything in my human experience will fade away except what I learn, how I grow and what love I can carry from each experience.

The day is getting late, David is ready to leave hours ago and we still need to shoot one more show. We scout around for a while until David finds a bench, head down, shoulders slumped. "I need to rest,” he says. Again, my ego wants to say, I wish I hadn’t brought him here so tired. I wish he didn’t have to do this. I wish things were different. I feel like his bad experience is now my responsibility. My ego wants to be offended that he isn’t having any fun on this trip. I keep silent and go to rub his neck. “We can go home right now,” I say. “We can always shoot another day. If you’re tired, it’s no big deal.” I assure him. He shakes his head.” No, we’re here and we are going to finish, it's the last show of the season and we came all this way. Lets just do it.” I take a deep breath and go to my heart.

Circumstances can go either way in this moment and if I choose to respond through the ego I will recreate the struggles of my past. I choose to remember that whatever I am experiencing right now I am also being given a chance to create something new. I choose to not let my heart be defined by the events around me, but how I choose to respond to the events. Whatever is being experienced, good or bad, I choose to look for the gift.

I offer, “Why don’t you stay here and I’ll go check around for a great spot to film.” He lies in the grass and closes his eyes. I go to my heart and decide to be joyful anyway. I decide once and for all that losing my connection will be of no help. I walk down the winding paths, breathing the fresh spring air and apple blossoms. I focus on feeling good and appreciating the gorgeous landscape where I am so lucky to be doing yoga in. I smile and breathe into my belly. I find a beautiful area, where traffic will be sparse, and it's a one shot location.

To navigate through the rough times masterfully and gracefully we must activate the part of the heart that looks forward to life, the eagerness, the “child like” qualities we all possess. I think back to the day before as I watched my son chase his first waves on the beach, his delight and eagerness became contagious. He did not care that he was getting cold and wet; you could see the marvel in his eyes as he reached out for each wave, getting wetter by the moment. His laughter and joy soon had me splashing in the water with him. We were fully present and fully expecting joy.

I head back and find David resting in the grass, his shirt over his head covering the sun. “I found a spot just around the bend. It looks great, the white apple blossoms cover the entire shot.” He lies in the grass looking up at me. “We can still head home if you want,” I offer. “I’m good either way.” I let go of any need and opened my heart to any scenario.

When you come to a crossroads in life, go to the part of you that looks at life with objectivity and clarity, the part of you that knows you don’t have to take it all personally. With perspective, we can ask what can I learn and what decision can I make from the drama free heart.

He gets up and starts to pick up the camera, tripods and cords saying “Lets just do it, where is it again?” He looks miserable. I want to soothe him saying,” I’m sorry you feel so crummy,” but I do not. I know this will only make him feel worse. Instead I practice seeing him as whole. Seeing him through the eyes of God. Seeing that all of this is only temporary. I remember if I get down lifted, I cannot uplift him. I breathe and hold his gaze, sending him only love.

I know any words from my ego will only worsen my husband’s mood. I go for the laughs, learning from my son. I tease him and use our son’s favorite phrase and his cute sign language, saying “more, more more?” I get the first laugh of the day from my husband. I hold him in my heart and see him as exuberant and as excited as we were on our first yoga shoot. I see him refreshed and ready for an adventure. As we continue gathering our strewn about film equipment, I hold him in my heart and focus on the big picture. Nothing good will come of me complaining. Nothing good will come of me feeling guilty for bringing him here. I see him as whole and complete and our situation an opportunity from the Holy Spirit for me to grow.

I move on ahead of my husband with a lilt in my step. Our last shoot of the season is done smoothly and without incident. We stop a few times for passerby’s but give it no energy. We finish the day with silly high fives, a kiss and our traditional self-portrait.

Summon the wisdom, and courage, it is your choice to love in peace and clarity no matter what goes on around you. Hold your integrity and refuse to be deterred by anything. Find the inner wisdom of courage, the authentic self.

We pack up quickly, finding the highway amongst the construction. On a whim we exit the hi-way for a truck stop that reads,” Gus’s Diner” in honor of our son Gustav. Before we get that far, we pull into tiny restaurant advertising Chinese food. A dingy out side reveals a beautiful decor, the best Chinese we’ve both ever had and a waitress who was kind and speedy. Our day turns into a wonderful date when it could have easily turned into a day of griping, resentment and me falling back into old patterns of victim hood.

The breath is the answer to all of it. Practice not reacting and with practice you become skilled. When feel frustration and overwhelm build up, hold your hand on your belly and breath.

Thank you all for the awesome feedback and encouragement. Feel free to keep passing this post and others along to all you love, Namaste, Sarah

Creating Clarity | Ho'oponopono Prayer

2009-05-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Example # 41

Ho'oponopono Prayer

"I'm sorry
Please forgive me
I Love you
Thank you"

As promised, "Here's an easy description of the updated ho'oponopono established process to heal yourself (or anyone else) of anything you become aware of. Remember that notice in another is also in you, so all healing is self-healing. No one else has to do this practice but you. The entire world is literally in your hands.

The way Dr. Hew Len who teaches this method likes to heal is to first say "I'm sorry" and "Please forgive me." You say this to recognize that something - without you knowing what it is - has become part of your body/mind system. You have no idea how it got there. You don't need to understand how, either.

By saying "I'm sorry," you are telling the Divine that you want forgiveness inside yourself for whatever brought it to you. You're not asking the Divine to forgive you; you're asking the Divine to help you forgive yourself so you can let it go.

From there, you say "I love you" and "Thank you."

The "I love you" transforms the energy from stuck to flowing. It reconnects you to Source. When you follow that statement with "Thank you," you are expressing appreciation.
You are showing your faith that the subject will be resolved for the highest good of all concerned.

What happens next is up to Source. "Thy will be done." As you become still, open your heart and stay alert, you will be inspired in some way to take action. Let go of any judgment. Know that what ever is for the higher good of all is lining up for you. If you are still unsure, use the healing prayer on that feeling of uncertainty. As you focus on that clarity, you'll know what to do.

Can I Clear On My Insurance Company? | Go Back to the Beginning

2009-05-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Example # 40

Getting My Ego Out of The Way and I Become the Way

“Why don’t you fill out the application on line, the gal at the insurance company suggests impatiently. I could hardly hear her over the cries of my son who suddenly wanted all my attention. I just need a quote I say hurriedly before she cuts me off. It will be $185 for the standard liability and an extra $265 for the DVD coverage, she answers quickly and says again,” Its all on line, fill out the forms and we’ll see if you are eligible.” My son’s cries win over the call and I let go of my paddles for the moment.

Our mind is like a huge data based computer with millions of bits of information going on within and we are only aware of a fraction of our unconscious thoughts. Why do we experience things we don’t want. Most of what goes on in our mind we are not aware of. We have old limiting beliefs that keep us repeating the same outcome. Our lives are constantly changing, but with the same information processing in the background, our life continues to change to the same story of struggle, illness, lack and chaos. Once we are aware of the thoughts that hold us back, we can release them and turn our attention to what it is we do want. Better yet, you can just turn your attention to what is wanted and let go of the rest! In doing so we become 100% responsible for everything in our experience.

Once I get Gustav off to grandmas for the afternoon, I pick up the oars and start to paddle again. I call my current insurance company looking for additional coverage for my DVDs. After talking to the fourth person and still no answers, I let it go again. I decide to focus on editing and enjoy the rest of the day.

How do we become 100% responsible? We can take a look at our limiting beliefs and release the ones that do not serve you. The universe begins and ends with emptiness. As I release those limiting beliefs, I empty out the blocks that are keeping me stuck to the same experience. The process involves constantly going back to the beginning. Why clear out the old beliefs? Only when the mind is clear, creation can happen. Inspiration can happen. The mind can serve only 1 master at a time, either memory or inspiration. My work is to get clear and allow the inspiration to flow, making everything I desire available. We have been created in the likeness of the Source. When we let go of the judgment, labels, guilt, we access the Source.

I start fresh in the morning. I set my son up with a box of crayons, stickers and stacks of paper. I am immediately put on hold. This time I use the opportunity to clear out any negative beliefs I have about working with insurance companies. “They only want our money, I’ll never even use this insurance, they don’t care about me, I’m only a number,” are all beliefs that I pray over. I worked on what was brought up within me and the situation changed. I wasn’t working on the agents, I was working on me.

“God, I love you with all my heart, I’m sorry for forgetting my divinity and power, please forgive me for getting caught up in these old patterns of victim-hood and thank you for an understanding agent, one who is kind and trustworthy.

I smile and color with my son as I wait, praying the prayer, clearing and praying. In minutes I am connected to a cheerful voice that I give my story. She ends up waiving any extra fees for the yoga DVDs saying, “Usually no one ever tells us that they are selling products, especially DVDs. Thank you for being upfront and honest.” I laugh and give her the whole story including that our show will be syndicated and broadcast internationally. “Just let us know and we’ll make note when that happens,” she says excited about our new adventure. The same company yesterday, wanted to charge me an extra $265 for additional coverage, while my usual insurance provider couldn’t give me any set answer, quotes or rates.

The Ho'oponopono prayer helped me to clear out my blocks and see that I was creating all of it. Once I remembered that, I decided to create what I did want! I love you; I’m sorry, please forgive me and thank you!!!! I take a look at myself, work on myself, and come in healed and problem free. Clarity is needed before moving forward in any situation. My conscious mind takes 100% responsibility. As I pray the energy moves thru the conscious to the subconscious, releasing my resistance. Divinity inspires.

Tomorrow I will have more on the Ho'oponopono prayer to better explain the process of clearing and praying. Feel free to share this blog with all you love, Namaste, Sarah

Tired of Fixing Problems? | Get to the Source

2009-05-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Example # 38

You Get What You Think About, Wanted or Not

"I really need your help," my friend says as we play with our kids on the floor. Sitting among a pile of toys my friend and I open to an awakening. “Lay it on me,” I smile holding my son. “There is this huge problem with the people who bought our old house. They have the entire neighborhood in an uproar. Their kids are picking on my babysitters kids, the parents are fighting with the people next door and they are all coming to me for help. I just don’t know how to answer them and whatever I say only seems to make it worse,” she says in frustration.

Everyone has their own individual power. No one can ever take it away from you. No one can ever do anything "bad" to you. No one can jump into your experience without your invitation. Everything, without exception, comes only by your individual request to it. It is the process of creating.

I pause and take a deep breathe, smiling. My dear friend is a fixer and she is attracting more to fix. “It sounds like there is quite a bit of energy going into this,” I say. She retells her story,” Whatever I say to them to r it seems to only fan the flame. I tell them to r to let it go, but they seem to only get madder. I tell them to r to not give it any energy, that the sooner they forget it the faster it will go away, she explains. I just don’t know what to say and now they’re calling me at home at all hours! What do you think I should do?”

Whatever you are giving your attention to is included into your experience. And when you give your attention to it, if you maintain your focus there, you begin to include it into your life. When you see something you want, and you give it your attention, and you say yes to it, you are including that into your experience. When you see something you do not want, and you push against it, you are including it into your experience. We live in an inclusion based Universe, there is no exclusion, only turning your attention to what is wanted.

“Why do you feel you need to fix anything?” I ask point blank. “You aren’t going to be able to change what they are doing, maybe they like the drama. We never know why some people need to experience what they are experiencing.“

Whatever we are experiencing in your life, is a reflection of our inner landscape. As we attract drama and chaos, it is a reflection of our inner drama and chaos. It doesn’t even matter what the belief is that is creating chaos, we can let it go if we choose to.

“I think my ego likes to have others to depend on me to fix their problems,” she admits. “I usually can help people more easily than this. I tell them to r to stay in the moment, let it go and relax and that always seems to do the trick. But that advice is not working for these people. They’re all out for blood.” She says still hanging on to the story.

There is no need to worry about this world; it is not broken. There is no need to worry about others and what they are doing. We worry more about them more than they do… Don’t try to protect people from life; just let them have their experience while you focus upon your own experience.

"Why is it your business if they can’t let it go?" I ask. “Well what am I supposed to say to them to r when they call whining? She says exasperated. “Why worry about that now? No one is calling you and you don’t have to have any answers in this moment. The key is to clear your self. This is an experience that you have created and you can let go. See them all through the eyes of God. There is no one that is not whole, who is not a part of you, we are all one.”

It helps me to take time to get out into the sunlight, out where life is, with the utmost energy so that people who may annoy me, who don't agree with me, who make my life feel rough don't come into my experience, because my energy, through practice, can become so clear, so pure, so in keeping with what I want, that the world that revolves around me just feels like that. That's what we all planned.

Our children vie for our attention, my son crawling into my lap with his blankie, looking to be held. “Stop worrying about all that could happen tomorrow. We get worked up about things that haven't happened yet...and may never happen. Stay here, right here, in this moment. What is going on right now...what is happening right here...? Enjoy your warm home and beautiful children, enjoy the smiles, enjoy their energy, their exuberance for life,” I say snuggling my son. We spend the rest of our night playing and dancing, choosing this moment to hold our attention. That is all that matters. That is where our life is being lived.”

I picture this world as a free world, and I see everyone in it as trying—through his or her personal experiences—to find their way back to that calling, back to Source Energy. And even though there are many living life in a way that is different than me, there’s no right or wrong. I bless them all, and get on with the only thing I have any power about, which is opening or closing my connection to my natural state of joy.

If you enjoyed this story, feel free to share it with those you love!:) Namaste, Sarah

To Cheat or Not to Cheat? | Listen To Your Connection

2009-05-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Example # 37

I am given another opportunity to apply the art of allowing as my daughter finds her own connection to feeling good.

“Mom listen to me,” she yells from across the room as I read a story to her baby brother. I pause and smile calmly. “What is it you want me to do?” I say already having heard her story of forgetting her homework. “Should I cheat?” she asks me. “How are you going to do that?” I ask. “Well I could call someone for the answers.” I shrug my shoulders not putting much energy into that solution.

This is where I breathe, remembering to catch my balance, seeing the big picture. When I see her suffering about her homework, I need to step back to find a thought that feels better. “There are many bright moments in her experience. I know there are many times when she is happy. I know she can connect and I can also help her find that connection from time to time. She is getting an opportunity to discover her feelings. I will guide her gently to help her notice the connection between what she is thinking and feeling. Little by little she will understand her own connection to God. She is a smart child and I see her shine in what she loves to do. She is not a follower. She has a spirit in her that is different from most. It is not always easy on the leading edge. I know what it is like to be misunderstood and to feel judged. I am finding my own balance and she will too.”

“What else could you do?” I ask. "We could call Uncle Matt and go get the key for the school, open it up, get my spelling book and no one would know we were there,” she says. I raise my eyebrows at that solution. It is 9:00 pm on Sunday and I am already giving Gustav a bottle for bed. David has left for work and she is suggesting I pack them all up in below 0 weather and find her a key for the school. “That is not going to happen with me,” I answer. “If you want to call your uncle and figure that out, go ahead but I am not packing everyone up now, not this late.” I say over her complaints that she will lose half a point for forgetting her homework. She immediately gets angry and stomps upstairs to her room. I hear the door slam and take a deep breath. I consider her solution for another moment and cancel it. Am I a bad Mom for not doing what she wants? Is this what my mother would have done?

We were all born intending to experience finding our way. None of us came here with the goal of having it all figured out for us by our parents or anyone else. As a mother and being a bit over protective, I initially want to soothe everything and make life perfect. In doing that I take away the opportunity for her to find her own footing on her path. It is not my job to feather her nest and make it all go smoothly. It is my work to stand back and remember that all is well with her. It is my work to lovingly allow her to learn just like when she was learning how to walk. It is quite amazing that even though I am the parent and she is the child, we are learning this practice of letting go and connecting to God together. We are helping each other to understand the process as we enjoy our journey together.

I get Gustav off to sleep and visit her room. I knock before opening her door. “Are there any papers that need to be signed?” I say giving the last episode no energy. “I don’t know,” she says sitting in a pile of papers, colored pencils and crayons. “Is there anything I can help you with? I ask. “I love coloring,” I offer. “Okay, you can color the officer’s badge and patches yellow,” she says. We dive into her story- board project. I listen as she explains her project and we work together until it is completed. Not another word is said about her late night homework or her forgotten spelling book. We instead give our energy to enjoying our time together.

If I see Rachel as in the wrong, it will not matter what I tell her, my energy is what she will feel. The best thing I can do is practice feeling good about where she is at so when I do come to her, what I say is authentic. My words are a small fraction of what I am saying and my energy makes up the rest. I work to let go of any “you should have’s” before I go to her. I let go of “I told you so “before I go to her. If I say it and don’t mean it, the words are immaterial.

As I relax and breath, I remember;
I will be more aware to some of the things she is going to want to know and practice the answers so that when she does ask, I have good feeling answers that are ready and concise.
I will anticipate what she might ask and be clear with a pocket full of ready examples so when we get in those good feeling moments and she asks, I will be ready. I am not the only teacher in her life and I recognize that she is a magnet that attracts all things to her. I am only a part of the things that she is attracting and I am ecstatic that I can be part of her exciting journey.

I am thankful to be able to show her by my example.
I am thankful to have a part in her experience.
I am thankful to have a child who instead of being a follower, is on the leading edge of creating her life.
I am thankful that I can help her in lining up her energy and I am also learning to line up my own energy.
I know that she is going to have an amazing life.
I am thankful she is learning the law of attraction at age 12, instead of when she is in her early 40’s.

We all came here knowing and wanting to help others, to be uplifters, to decide focus and direct our energy, to help people connect to who they really are. These thoughts feel better as a parent than to sit back and say what will be will be. We can still care. We can still want. We can still direct energy. We can still see our children as they really are.

Instead of not feeling good about our children as they muddle through the muck, finding their way, we can see them as the amazing beings that they are. We can step back from the reality of what is happening, and hold the attention to what you want. It is not our job to control the behavior of anyone. It is our job to make our choices and line up our energy with our choices and trust that it will work out.

If you find this post helpful, feel free to share with all you love:) Namaste, Sarah