tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57859341218010216412024-03-13T01:34:26.255-04:00Blissful AurasLaura's Optimism, Yoga, & Wellness BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-796004158291639562014-02-05T09:21:00.000-05:002014-02-05T09:40:14.958-05:00Please STOP with the Savasana photos...
I
can’t help but feel unsettled every time I see a photo of a class in Savasana. As someone who has led somewhere around two hundred Savasanas, at the
end of my classes or private sessions. A significant part of every Savasana that I have led is the overall sense of TRUST that my students
have in me to hold the space for them during those final sweet moments
of rest at the end of practiceAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-69318928806094917242013-12-08T12:20:00.003-05:002013-12-08T12:23:03.753-05:00Hey Visual Learner Yogis: A visual aid for building up to Dancer Pose!
Hey Visual Learner Yogis: check this out!! I created a visual aid
for anyone interested in trying a gentle variation sequence of poses to
help you warm your body and build up to Dancer Pose, inspired by the
student review of a recent Hatha class I taught.
*IMPORTANT NOTES: I recommend that you ease in and out of each pose with
control and at a slow pace a few times before sustaining for Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-65339898037074723902013-12-06T00:36:00.003-05:002013-12-06T00:54:51.319-05:00"There she goes again... acting like she's Buddha or some kind of spiritual guru...."It is pretty safe to say that some of my social media followers, friends, and even family members have rolled their eyes at the inspirational and rose-colored glasses posts, videos, and quotes that I share regularly.
I thought I'd get real for a moment and respond to doubts and criticisms of my yoga-infused personality.
First of all:
I am not optimistic 100% of the time. I do not wake up with aAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-73570141582208101472013-12-02T09:39:00.001-05:002013-12-02T09:39:35.942-05:005 Things to Know about Prenatal Yoga
Love this infographic by Emily Masnoon, a Doula Yogini:
Share this with anyone you know who is expecting, so they can receive the wonderful gifts of yoga for themselves and their baby!
With love & light,
LauraAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-84671462121298045772013-11-16T18:44:00.003-05:002013-11-16T19:22:30.170-05:00Unforgettable Gift Ideas:
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Photo source: TheKitchenRemix.com
The holidays are sneaking up on us all pretty quickly! Are you looking for some inexpensive, rare, and unforgettable gift ideas for your loved ones? Here are some suggestions that I bet many people would probably LOVE to receive:
For your child:
1. Appreciation (verbal or nonverbal) for something they
have Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-59881605558963439392013-10-26T10:18:00.000-04:002013-10-26T10:34:51.110-04:00The Winner's Circle<!--[if gte mso 9]>
<![endif]-->I woke up this morning, and I wanted to write. Sometimes I like to write about yoga, sometimes I like to write about other stuff. This happened to be a morning when other stuff was on my mind. There is no rhyme or reason for the format, here is what came out through my keyboard:
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<![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-79589928847424815922013-10-23T22:18:00.002-04:002013-10-23T22:39:59.153-04:00Feeling True Gratitude
Photo courtesy of Larry Stanley
I just posted the following tweet on my twitter account @blissfulauras:
"Tonight I am grateful for electricity! Many people in the world do not have the luxury of fully lit rooms at night."
After posting it, while sitting in my fully lit bedroom, typing away on my electricity-powered laptop, I received a spark of inspiration. I began to think about what Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-17985481830827938212013-10-06T14:57:00.005-04:002013-10-06T15:35:31.519-04:00Do you HATE your body? Well, it doesn't hate you.In fact, your body LOVES everything about you, unconditionally!!
Regardless of the way you treat (or mistreat) your body, it will always take care of you the best it can.
Your heart never stops believing in you. It continues to serve you and supply your body with the necessary blood to keep it running.
Your brain never stops believing in you, either. If you are faced with a problem, it will Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-37401330806861226762013-09-18T23:37:00.002-04:002013-09-18T23:46:22.048-04:00Want to see what raw vulnerability looks like?Below is a snapshot I took of myself the first month of teaching yoga -- inside a giant fitness studio -- during one of my class time slots when no one showed up. I can remember that day so clearly. Rather than let feelings of defeat or rejection creep deep into my heart, I put my rose-colored glasses on and decided to have myself a field day doing yoga all by myself in a beautiful brand new Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-60989381985925610002013-09-14T19:48:00.002-04:002013-09-14T20:06:20.418-04:00Autumn Winds & OpportunitiesWarm summer breezes in New England are slowly turning into cool autumn winds. Tank tops and shorts, covered by sweatshirts and pants. My neighborhood trees have already announced that fall has arrived by scattering multicolored leaves on front lawns and sidewalks.
I've always loved this time of year. Apple picking, giant piles of leaves, pumpkins, and comfort food! If I were to explain what Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-443087597543080422013-09-10T20:00:00.004-04:002013-09-10T20:00:47.463-04:00Year One, Ecstatic GratitudeWalking away from a full-time job (including medical & dental insurance, paid sick time, paid vacation time, paid holidays, the list goes on...) to pursue a career in an industry I was a complete newbie in, was the first time I decided to let my heart speak to me louder than the commentary of everyone else. It was a HUGE gamble to leave my role in the all too familiar American Dream (not to Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-33404396023393166762013-08-21T20:28:00.003-04:002013-08-26T13:31:35.961-04:00NIYAMA: Santosha - From contentment, satisfaction is obtainedSantosha is the second NIYAMA ("Niyamas" are the second of the eight limbs of traditional yoga) and is translated as "contentment" or "to be happy with what is."
The practice of Santosha is a personal inquiry that is best accompanied with an open mind and a compassionate heart. When taking time to dive deep beneath the surface of our everyday lives, it is likely we discover wonderful things Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-969128057850489332013-08-03T15:54:00.001-04:002013-08-03T15:55:02.974-04:00No right way to practice yogaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-69594522117827156952013-08-02T07:58:00.002-04:002013-08-02T08:09:00.645-04:00How Teaching Yoga is (not) a Serious Matter!<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-47027184889406113462013-07-28T12:38:00.004-04:002013-08-26T13:36:23.280-04:00A Mantra of Acceptance
My shadow
is just as much a part of me
as my light.
My Spirit is full of PEACE
when I choose to
focus on and accept
what
is
rather than holding onto
the ideas of how
I wish things were.
Credit: I created this mantra right after watching Debbie Ford's video "The Shadow Effect" which provides wonderful insight and acknowledgement to Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-3268780818786688482013-07-24T15:27:00.002-04:002013-07-24T15:28:11.835-04:00Before You Try To Meditate...I recently received a question through my website from someone looking for tips and advice to learn how to meditate.
There are SO MANY great ways to learn how to meditate. When I was first learning meditation and stress relieving techniques, I relied on my breath to help guide me to a peaceful place, physically, mentally, and spiritually, before getting into the deeper layers of a meditation.
IAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785934121801021641.post-10224089667780999622013-07-20T10:11:00.000-04:002013-08-01T14:02:51.920-04:00YAMA: Brahmacharya - Energy flows where your awareness goes Brahmacharya is the fourth YAMA (“Yamas” are the ethical guidelines from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, which are the first of eight limbs of traditional yoga) and is often defined as "celibacy" or "control
of sexual desire" to avoid becoming distracted and retain focus on your yogic path. However, it is time to embrace a modern and slightly adjusted meaning of practicing
Brahmacharya, which is less Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10628436515277406683noreply@blogger.com0