Dancer pose is one of those poses that has everything… showing grace, balance, flexibility, and creativity. You see your limits and your possibilities.
Whether you love yoga or not, you can use Dancer pose productively for the next steps (or habit stack on top of another activity or intention).
Dancer pose is a good opportunity to feel like you’re already at that place you want to be in this season (where you can lift yourself off the floor ground).
You can believe yourself into your next destiny or destination. And you can feel fearless in the moment that can carry you in your day.
And it doesn’t require much. 😊
You can do Dance pose anywhere you can stand and spread out.
The middle of a room is a good place, but a good way to start off whether you’re new to the pose ornot quite awake in the a.m… is to do the pose when you’re in the kitchen waiting for warm water or food to heat up or drinking a glass of water.
You don’t need to be cooking or baking (but that’s an option!). And you can use your kitchen counter or a solid above waist flat ledge to help you balance.
Or you can use a chair with the back of the chair facing you to support you. It’s not just sitting chair pose. 😉
This’ll give you the edge for a better Dancer pose stretch and to give you a little foundation until you feel stable enough.
It may not be as pretty as free form, but it can give you your best form for the day. And you can stretch your flexibility further.
After you get used to how it feels, you can get free from your nearby props.
Dancer is a great balancing pose where you feel empowered to do more than you would. You can feel like you’re on top of the world.
It’s a graceful pose, and if you like Barre classes, this might be right up your alley! You feel a bit like a ballerina. 🩰
So to start, rest your palms on the counter if you’re using a support. Then take one hand and grab the same side ankle and then extend that leg behind you. And let go of the opposite hand and aim it in front of you.
You’re now in a balanced Dancer pose (without worry of falling or wobbling over).
You’ll feel a nice stretch up to your backside and mid-back. So you don’t have to be on a mat face up or down.
And when you do this standing pose for 30 seconds maybe on each side, you’ll feel tension release from your back.
You feel lightweight like you’re floating a bit. It’s as close to a bird with wings as we’ll get.
And as Dancer pose becomes (or is) second nature to you, and you can do before you’ve had your morning caffeine jolt if that’s your jam, then here’s one added useful intention:
Content creation that has grown wildly since around 2015.
I’d been regularly blogging since 2009 (yeah… I’m one of the ones that started back when Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were the big social media sites, and blogs fell in those categories).
Back when social media was the wild-wild west. 😁
And now this is how we regularly communicate with those we know, and grow ideas and do business life with.
So getting in the habit of doing Dancer first thing can be the way you habit stack to grow your ideas.
…And maybe take a pause to hold the pose a little longer than usual and come up with one creative idea as your intention.
We’ve gotten past the point of just sharing about our immediate lives. We want to share more (in what that means to each of us) and expand what we’re about.
So a hobby or interest that we’re passionate about can be conveyed in photos, videos, and words.
Little did I know that I would be posting about my healthy baked creations. But this has become my passion over the past few years, second to writing.
Dancer pose can help you find what it is that you want to communicate to the world in the first place.
Then when you content create regularly you build something special.
We all start off wondering if we’ll stick with what we’re working on, or branch into something else. It’s all good. It’s always a branching off to the next step on your journey.
And when you put a creative intention out to the world, and you want to contribute as a content creator in some way, that opens you up inside
…Doesn’t that sound appealing to have a unique purpose along with some other activities you love, such as visiting the same stores where there’s comfort and familiarity?
You can run the same track but doing something different with your tracks helps you find a new dimension in your life.
We’re all meant for so much in this life if we stay open.
Your creativity has no limits.
You’re only limited by your beliefs and limitations.
When I went from a traditional college to corporate work path, my creativity drifted and stayed hidden.
Only when I picked up writing as a regular habit and practice did my creative juices get ignited where I wasn’t needing to start and stop to let the creativity flow out of me.
And Dancer pose was one of the first yoga poses that let me feel like I was free to do something outside my structured corporate mindset I had grown.
And you have something in you that is wanting to come out, and the world would love to see… and more of! Unleashing yourself (and maybe with a Dancer pose to start) brings out your best.
For many of us, when we’re in school we’re chasing good grades. But grades never determine whether you’ll have a happy or successful life.
Those that chose an unconventional path to drop out or take a creative arts path I believe helped themselves out, so they could find their deep creative well earlier on in life before practical adult responsibilities grew.
I didn’t do that as I took the traditional path.
The good news is, the second best time to realize your dream or life’s work (especially if you didn’t like your first career or path)… is NOW.
You can restart and pivot. Dancer pose is a good metaphor for pivoting. It can help free up your mind to feel untethered and get on a leveling playing field with yourself so there are no more limitations!
You can start at any age, wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing in life. Your past doesn’t dictate your future abilities.
So use your dreams intentions to bridge your creative self (hmm,a dancer maybe?) that brings new ideas, meaning, and purpose to your life.
That’s where I’m heading now… and you can too on your path.
To finish off your Dancer pose, you can rest your right palm on your heart to get centered and reach back your left hand to meet your left ankle.
Instincts help you out. You’ve probably heard of the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO).
During the global lockdown, we went with our better instincts to make decisions, as no one knew for sure immediately what next steps to take.
Deeper joy is unleashed here in my Sunday brunch experience. Onion pizza recipe below 👇
Some healthy outcomes during that time were that a lot of people grew, became more resilient, and today are still reaping the benefit of becoming better versions of themselves. That’s something to celebrate! 🎂
Even though “missing out” wasn’t something we chose, that’s what most of us did to stay safe and healthy in the world.
But tell that same story logic to a child or a teenager (…or the child still in us 🧸), and missing out on events can be devastating. But it doesn’t have to be!… and below I share two ways that “missing out” can be the biggest blessing for you and us all.
If our happiness is based on external situations, and not on ourselves, we can suffer sadness and disappointment.
Instead, inside us, we have the peaceful joy instincts built-in that today we may or may not have developed fully yet like we would in learning a skill.
…Wherever you are on your journey now is great. You are exactly where you’re meant to be, and you have a choice to replace what doesn’t work best.
And from what I’ve experienced, I know those deeper instincts are there to help us if we’re ready. They give us more peace and steer us to our best life. And I wish I tapped into my inner joy instincts sooner in life.
Feeling inner joy gives us better control over our lives and our feelings in situations we can’t always control dealing with specific people, places, and things we encounter.
And with practice, we can bring out our inner joy and turn it into a daily healthy habit we apply (replacing our original “happy” lens that doesn’t always help us).
I know this all too well from my younger days when I got excited about going to parties that sometimes got out-of-hand… a little too many Animal House-type parties that I wish I could take back now (…and go figure I became a professional party food event planner as my first career to round it all out).
During those immature pre-school graduation days, I wasn’t in control of my life on the inside. I lived for the outward happiness feelings that put me on an emotional roller coaster when situations didn’t go as planned.
And as I grew up… and as you and I are growing now, we naturally grow out of what we already experienced that wasn’t good for us whatever that looked like… and maybe even a bit relieved that we’re past those years and times… grateful we’ve “been there, done that” and not going backward.
For me today and maybe you too… happy fun is re-defined from a new lens of daily joy.
Inner joy is more freeing than external happiness that’s fleeting.
It doesn’t mean giving up on fun because that would be no fun! But coming up with new ways… that’s what I do anyway to please my Enneagram 7. We tend to get our enthusiasm from fun. That’s one thing I hope to never change.
…And that motivated me to set out a fun day (Sunday) anti-inflammatory donut table while Nadal showed his sustainable match win, and the Queen her Jubilee and longevity.
You don’t usually see donuts on an anti-inflammatory menu, but these ACV cinnamon honey ones are without added sugars.
…While creating a menu and daily food joy like this is nice, it doesn’t make or break the day. That’s an example of finding joy in the moment and then movin’ on.
And that keeps the inner peace, and naturally feeling good in daily calm living. Good grows. And I don’t mess with good growth! 🌱
And if you’re into growing, want new experiences, and are ready to tap more into your deeper sides and joy instincts if you’re not already… or still wondering why that matters or how it’s different than what you could be doing…
Here are a few more differences…
By developing your joy instinct by filling up your moments with your peaceful and calmer desires, you feel less disappointed moment-to-moment (or not disappointed at all) when events don’t happen and situations don’t pan out.
And ultimately, you’re in deeper control of yourself, thoughts, and feelings… and that’s super powerful to your life. Finding deeper instincts feels like a superpower when you discover it later in life.
Finding that life-giving abundant space inside is a gift. I think so, anyway.
And experiencing that chosen path opens you to a whole bunch of other great things you pick up along the way.
…Like, I rid of the worry habit. Worry is helpful until it isn’t. It helps when it gets you to think, and those thoughts help you to initiate solutions or a new way to look at a solution.
But staying in the habit of worry is not helpful or healthy. So one day in the bookstore (…remember those?), I picked up The Power of Positive Thinking written by the late-Norman Vincent Peale, and read the “Worry” chapter in the self-help book.
It starts like this… “Worry is just a very bad mental habit. And I can change any habit with God’s help.”
I read that chapter over and over again and practiced the 10-point steps that literally transformed my life of worry in less than a decade. That sounds like a long time, but most great things take time.
And at the time, I loved it so much that I went out and bought a few additional book copies and gave them to my co-workers around me. And I’m passing it on to you here. Hopefully, you can read it…
How to Stop Worrying Chapter (Steps 1-6)How to Stop Worrying Chapter Continued (Steps 7-10)
So then I carried less unhealthy worry turmoil, and I worried less about my workers as they knew what to do. 😉
So leaning into joy has perks and side benefits.
…I hear myself talking about joy like it needs to be sold as a natural drug, haha. And sometimes it does feel that way in a good way!
Two cool perks about stepping into your inner joy are:
Feeling contentment – and not getting emotional when things pan out or don’t. Being free of this feels relaxing, stress-free, and breathes in more joy. Back in the day, when we didn’t know any better, we would describe this as, “you’re so mellow.”
With contentment, you feel more peace and get more done without the thought-feeling drama.
Your creativity – is the gateway to your highest purpose, second or next act, and clarity with what you want to do with your life if you’re not feeling fulfilled with the one you’re in. You can unleash greater imagination, gifts, and buried talents. There’s a treasure trove in you. And it costs nothing to discover what’s inside. Not only can it bring new ideas and save you from spending money, but also save you from losing time and unnecessary headaches.
The two C’s can be a ticket to your best life today. They can make the difference or be your launching pads to a “new life” in a world of uncertainty and give you a peaceful escape from your job, especially if you’re not happy there.
If you’re looking for more joy in your life, be encouraged that the way you started out and the path you’re on doesn’t have to be the one you stay on.
And choosing to trust and lean into your healthy natural instincts is easy, light, and aligned when you pick the channels meant for you.
This week, I’m breaking down the secrets of Ayurveda and how it can free you from feeling stuck. And how it restores calm, improves mind-body health, and allows for daily creativity which leads to your best life new opportunities, and passions.
…Plus, I’ll clear up the common confusion about Ayurveda if you’re wanting to learn more… and how you can apply simple, but completely effective Ayurveda ways to your lifestyle where you’re at… and with a special invitation offer below.
Today is a good to celebrate with joyful cherry Sherbet. Recipe below. 🍒
Last time, in Part 1 of Ayurveda, I talked about why you want to care about the mind-body connection. If you missed that blog post or aren’t sure, you can go back and read that one too as it could make a game-changing difference in getting your best life today…
I also shared how change and permanence are part of the natural order in this life. They keep us going and growing.
You get to choose whether you want to do this life holding onto anxiety, fears, or worry, or letting them go daily for your emotional freedom and better moods.
…You can restore daily calm even with life chaos happening around you. That’s a healthy choice.
You can change how anxiety, overwhelm, irritations, and triggered situations stick to you when they don’t have to …but, interruptedly rear their ugly head into your system and you just want them to go away!
As humans, we experience these negative emotions to varying degrees. And everyone grows weary and tired at some point.
And, that’s when we want to be vigilant to snap out of those emotions after we purge, process, and know what’s behind them so we can take necessary action, and so that we don’t stay stuck in those places any longer than necessary.
…How?
You step out and sidestep into your daily calm and productivity with the strategy of partnering with your mind-body to soothe and get the most out of the situation and your life… with small effort and adding healthy enhancements.
At some point, you probably figure(d) out that Life is about being in the process. And filled with trying lessons.
Sometimes it can take several similar, but different scenarios to play out to catch onto the lesson and make changes for a better today, tomorrow, and life.
But, when you see your part and role in what happens next, your eyes are open and you can apply wisdom. That takes awareness in the moment or in reflection.
And if you have knowledge or know what to do, you can save yourself from unnecessary pain… and sometimes your life. Like if caught in a rip current wave, you survive by not panicking, calling for help that’s nearby, and swimming parallel to the shore if you can.
You also can survive your daily life situations and undesired moods weighing you down if you know what to do.
Getting through your non-life threatening situations can be challenging for a day or two, as moods can stick like mud, but don’t have to play out and grow into a season!…
And you don’t want them to, because health and stress are on the line, and your moods can worsen and influence you to make poor decisions and miss out on great opportunities.
[In physical health terms, moods are like inflammations… you want them out or on the way out within a few days, or else it could spread like poison ivy inside and become a bigger problem.]
But the really good news here is… you can nip-in-the-bud those less-than moods weighing you down as easily as they entered.
How?…
Co-create the right and comfortable environment that your mind-body wants, and therefore is what you also want!
Remember, you are not your mind-body. Your mind-body runs 24×7 and never shuts off when you’re asleep. Keeping your mind-body in mind (no pun intended), for your optimal life you want to do what will turn things around fastest for you.
That doesn’t mean you need to move or uproot your lifestyle, that just means a few healthy tweaks that your daily mind-body wants.
Ayurveda (the science of life) helps to restore and bring natural balance and order back into our lives despite constantly changing situations… and naturally, the way it’s intended.
In our work-life balance modern world there seems to be a gadget for everything to solve our daily problems and make life easier and help us live longer. But we don’t always use (and sometimes ignore) the most effective tool that’s already built inside us!
In Western world, our health is often seen through the lens of food, fitness, wellness, and self-care. In our healthy efforts, we don’t always get to the root cause and directly restore or heal what our mind-body needs. And that can lead to a long (sometimes painful) season.
…BUT be encouraged, it’s restorable and not your fault!
As you have free will to choose. You do what you feel like doing or think will help based on the (limited) knowledge you have at the time.
And also because…
Our Western Society… The Good and Bad
Conditioning that you and I have received since we were children, that goes like this… Oh, the doctor will fix that…
And as an adult, if you were sent home with a prescription for resting or exercising more, you’d be dissatisfied as most of us know that’s helpful but not what we want from our doctor. We expect a procedure, prescription, or two.
The problem is your body doesn’t want medicines if it can handle the foreign body disruptor on its own. But we don’t know what exactly our body needs because we can’t talk to our body or get inside for those knowing answers.
So, our common Western way is curing with medicines, “just in case,” and because we’re conditioned to expect those protocols.
But, too many antibiotics in the system damage gut health, and surrounding systems that alter your body. Good probiotics can only help so much to reverse effects.
So that’s the bad, but there’s a lot of good in medicine…
Like when used for a disease outbreak where massive chaos in the body has already erupted and medical intervention is needed. Your body needs help.
We can learn from Steve Jobs’ story in more than his genius Apple tech abilities. He passed away too young from cancer. Wisdom leaves clues.
Western medicine doesn’t usually prescribe natural herbs to cure cancer or other diseases.
Anything supernatural can happen in our favor at any time, but that’s not the common or wise protocol. God created doctors and gave us our brains to make good decisions to see doctors when needed.
…So then where does Ayurveda (science of life) fit in?
Ayurveda’s sweet spot is in health prevention, and helping change unwanted common everyday moods and annoying flare-ups.
It’s risky for most conditions that require medical attention. …and I wanted to clear up in case that wasn’t clear and obvious. So good, now you know what Ayurveda is good for…
Ayurveda works for what it’s meant for. But as a practice, not mentioned much in our society partly because prevention can’t be measured. And that’s not where medicine focuses attention.
So, it can get brushed aside or seen as a health fad.
…Even though Ayurveda has been around working as an Ancient healing system for thousands of years.
People smartly use it as part of their daily healthy lifestyle.
They can be part of the routines and habits we stack and track in our day.
When you have a healthy lifestyle and know how to use Ayurveda in your daily life, then you’re better off leaning into your balanced natural essence. There are no downsides to report.
And a decade later… in my opinion, it’s still the “best-kept secret.” And why I’m unpacking it here.
Your mind-body is a direct source that knows what it needs… and Ayurveda cracks that code.
Enter Eastern-Western Ayurveda Awareness
American society tends to lump natural, holistic, alternative medicines, and Ayurveda as mystical and woo-woo, when really what Ayurveda needs is rebranding.
Ayurveda is not just what you see as available products on the market.
Two things that could make people iffy in the beginning about Ayurveda (I know I was!) are:
1.. Messy oils, strange elixirs, and take-time-out routines. They don’t always mesh well in a Western modern society that’s go-go-go where schedules are filled to the brim and even fitting in eating can be trying.
2. Silent practices when you don’t have a door that stays closed or that can shut out the world around you. And without a list of to-do’s or worries for the day running in your head.
Those daily practices are more Eastern (slower-pace life) than Western techniques.
And what works in Ayurveda for Western-style living and restoring mind-body techniques, can be woven into your busy day with very little effort or inconvenience.
You can skip the Eastern-style practices and you won’t be missing a mood-improvement beat… I promise!
And some universal practices you may already be doing sometimes or regularly… like, yoga is a today-popular Western Ayurvedic general practice. Sometimes you have time to fit in, and sometimes you don’t, but it’s not the end-all-be-all to making moment-to-moment restoring changes because yoga reset to feel-good feelings lasts for a 90-minute class, a cup of tea, and maybe a relaxing spa visit, but then you’re back to your life, triggers and interruptions in your mind, and your work.
Even though I love yoga!… maybe you too?
In 2008, there were few studios when I had to search around so I’m glad it has taken root.
Another popular example is eating plant-based anti-inflammatory foods. Yup, that’s part of a healthy Ayurvedic lifestyle. Wherever you are, you have access to markets, online stores, farms, and gardens (…or you can start your own).
…So you may already have a ‘lil Ayurveda in you! 😉
…So, is an Ayurveda lifestyle right for you?
These are questions you can ask yourself and things to think about:
Are you interested in preventative health?
Are you interested in unleashing more daily creativity?
Are you a lifelong learner who is open to the deeper self?
And do you want to live sustainably healthier and longer?
…Like Blue Zone Centenarians who live healthy lifestyles that are part of their culture. They don’t live like most Americans (and not even the Adventist Health Blue Zone community in California).
Some live more simply, slower lives, eating from the land, and need less mood restoring without all the complicated high tech. 😉
And so many countries rank higher in longevity than the States, that’s ranked closer to the bottom. That’s a hard pill to swallow considering all the conveniences we have.
…Even though I can’t imagine my identity with any other culture.
So I added Ayurveda into my lifestyle to make up for the deficit.
And you can too. The thing is… you’re probably already habitually doing Ayurveda to some degree in your healthy every day routine. You’ve been using all your senses since you were born.
…But probably not for balancing moods consistently as you didn’t know what really works with your specific mind-body, type, and imbalance combinations you’re experiencing. That’s really what it boils down to.
And when you do change your moods and imbalances, then you can get to your inner creative self more easily and consistently.
Creativity Inside Us
Sometimes there’s a creative block. And we don’t know what we don’t know could be, or are missing out on our greatest passions that give us joy.
I was creatively mind-blocked in my corporate management work life.
I couldn’t be fully creative beyond short spurts of free time where I delved into hobbies for creative outlets.
In those few moments, I experienced calm, joy, and felt weight off my shoulders. I could get into a creative flow where I lost track of time and those were usually well into the weekend or on a Sunday.
…Have you been there or can relate?
Unleashing the creativity inside feels free-ing. And when I got longer stretches of time away from work, I realized I had creative hidden talents I didn’t even know I had, that were waiting inside me for the right-ready time.
…And you do too. Plus, ones that you haven’t uncovered because you have gotten there yet to take action.
After you remove the anxious, stressful, and overwhelming layers and feelings, you can get a direct path to your creative juices and energy.
That’s your ticket to your happiest and best life. When you feel lighter and good, you feel on top of the world.
You feel empowered at the very least, and maybe even superpowers to take on activities you didn’t know you could perform (like sing or dance… you get the point).
And that’s a time when you get the most out of your life and push the pedal forward and make breakthroughs.
It’s the opposite of these types of common feelings (that keep you uninspired and stagnant):
–Tired: where you don’t want to do much let alone work on a creative pursuit. You lack energy but with a good night’s rest you can be renewed and passion-filled again if you’re re-energized, aren’t triggered, feeling burnout, or are depressed.
–Anxious: where you’re trying to manage your anxiety symptoms to stay afloat… trying to stay relaxed while your body-mind takes over. That’s a bad time to make good decisions, let alone try and be creative.
–Irritated: where you’re trying to get over negative feelings and a critical-judgmental mind that permeate your system when energizing the wrong thoughts. Good creativity doesn’t emerge in non-loving attitudes.
But, you can change the channel or get your relaxed self back as quickly as you got in your tense state. Like in the shower, the ideas can come. Or in a joyful activity where you lose track of time.
And, if you’re feeling balanced and calm throughout the day as the normal way, that changes everything. You can switch to your creative self when you want without losing valuable time.
And those steps take you to your next move in life, passions, and pursuits.
And if that’s where you are ready to go and be your very best today, but maybe feeling off or not quite there yet, start with the body balance quiz that shows symptoms on the body as part of the mind-body connection.
And in creativity, I made this swirly dessert (nostalgic of Cherry Garcia and the tie die T-shirt era…). 🍥
…I was told 🙂 I should show my face more, so here I am checking in on my avocado plants They look good 🥑
…Ok, today I’m sharing about Ayurvedic ways and living, my favorite topic.
This is a longer blog post than I usually write, so grab a beverage and get comfy because today is about getting calm and balanced.
Because getting consistent daily calm and balance is achievable with Ayurveda… and I believe has never been more needed in our world.
And yet in America, calm and balance are seen as nice-to-have intentions that aren’t built into our busy lives.
We’re used to running into stress, and at times have grown numb to our underlying stressful ways of living… despite short-lived self-care practices, unwinding on weekends, and happy hour-type fun that aren’t enough for our health and wellness.
Finding daily balance is dismissed in priorities and daily noise. It’s often seen as unobtainable or overmentioned. Plus living sustainably whole and healthy is not excitingly trendy …But when you’re 100, it will be!
And gettingmind-body balance is part of the Ayurvedic ways, and what most people need to be the best version of themselves that would transform the daily stress and busy overwhelm into healthy and happy lives. That’s a mouthful that says it all.
…And with the right insight, a whole and healthy lifestyle is attainable by this or next season. And even better yet, using consistent balance as a predictable strategy springboard for better things ahead in life! (More on this point below.)
…You know you can’t always trust the external world to come through for you, but you can count on your intuitive and intelligent mind-body that has better answers and insight to your health.
Your mind-body follows you along the ride of your life’s journey and its good health is the difference maker to your getting the life you want, that can free you from what’s holding you back.
Like, living with accumulated stress (linked to inflammations and aging) is not doing you and your mind-body any favors… even though that’s baked into the Western world culture, lifestyle, and the air we breathe.
And a common reason why two people at age 45 look like they’re decades apart in age.
In a 2018 study, an international group of researchers led by scientists at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that adopting 5 healthy habits could extend life expectancy by 14 years for women and 12 years for men:
eating a diet high in plants and low in fats
exercising at a moderate to vigorous level for several hours a week
maintaining a healthy body weight
not smoking
consuming no more than one alcoholic drink a day for women and two for men
Ayurvedic Ways For a Heatlhy Lifestyle
We know a healthy lifestyle that takes care of the body is necessary for longevity and to prevent debilitating diseases.
And having or starting a stress-free, calm, and happy life optimizes your health in the mind-body connection.
It’s never too late to prioritize your physical and mental health.
One way to improve your life is to pay attention to your daily moods and symptomatic flare-ups. And not just brush them aside. When you’re 20 that’s fine, but as you get closer to mid-life, the accumulated wear and tear shows up.
And moods are subtle beginning signs of your balanced mind-body drifting, and what’s impacting your health inside you.
The Mind-Body Connection and The Past
Ayurvedic ways is all about the mind-body remedies for balanced living. Your mind-body is a part of you, but you are not the mind-body. You aren’t your thoughts, your gut, or arm.
Then there’s the mind-body connection based on the concept that your thoughts can be connected to body symptoms and your physical health. Like acne sprouts due to stress.
But not so quickly obvious are your past thoughts or traumas that show up in signs of aging (wrinkles and aging maladies), and your inflammations. The dots are not so easily connected. But they play havoc on your calm and balance, and mind-body.
…All unbeknownst to you.
And when you carry baggage such as buried childhood wounds (thoughts), they overflow into and affect your daily current health and life, through the mind-body connection. They still show up in the workplace, in your current reactions and attitudes.
It’s invisible trauma you may not know you’re carrying, but your mind recorded and has not forgotten.
And if triggered, can show up when you least expect, and where you don’t recognize the link to past trauma.
And, then there are some past traumas that you are fully aware of, and you may have never felt comfortable sharing with anyone. Or you haven’t purged the feelings enough to get all the wound hurt out of your system yet, so you can scar heal.
TED Talk presenters who share a trauma story rehearse over and over, and in the process, they get the poison out even if their wound was decades ago!
While Shark Tank presenters are asked on the fly about their personal tragedies related to their business, where tears are shed on the spot and healing begins or continues.
And that can be part of what frees them when they’re present, let go, and let their guard down. When trauma is acknowledged, a person can heal back to their natural essence.
Your Natural Mind-Body Now
Now is the present. And the present is a gift. It’s where you can be most aware and find your calm and joy.
And if you add being balanced, then you’re unstoppable!
Being balanced in Ayurvedic ways means leaning into your natural and primary mind-body dosha. That’s the way you’re wired.
“Natural” here also means favorable to the mind-body.
Like your favorite foods that you naturally like. Or your desire to do a certain exercise. Those are natural to you, but not to everyone else.
…And here earlier I was leaning into my Vata for a late afternoon sweet snack (…you know it’s healthy! 😉).
I shared the recipe last week for my healthy, no-bake Samoa bars… and I made a new batch that I’m enjoying for longer than the 5-minute break it took to make 😊
And Vata could be your natural way too, but we all have Vata in us that can throw us off balance.
And same goes for the mind. One way to get off balance can be from what we think of as our natural thoughts. The negative ones are not helpful if you put energy behind them that impact your mind-body. You’re best to ignore or replace those ASAP if they’re not helping you noodle out a productive solution.
Like… a negative thought pops up in your head and you want to blurt out what you’re thinking, but in a professional environment or amongst strangers, you don’t do it when you’re unsure as you don’t know how it will be perceived.
And later on in reflection, you’re glad you didn’t say anything. Or else you wish you had said something and now have slight regret that you missed the moment.
…Which can then turn into a negative thought that turns into negative energy.
Holding onto negative energy no matter how it sticks, spills into the mind-body and can cost you time and energy. That can turn into an attitude, mood, and imbalances that show up in the mind-body.
So it’s best to just nip it in the bud.🌹
Restoring Our Mind-Body Imbalances, Moods, and Ayurvedic Ways
If we’re lifelong learners, we’re constantly wanting to grow and improve, and recalibrating our balance makes good sense.
With those intentions, you can ask yourself:
Do I have… repeated anxiety, anger, burnout, tiredness, lazy mind or body tendencies, irritation, or excessive worry? …holding onto these types of moods and feelings can cause stress.
As a habit, we can check in with ourselves often and daily to see what’s off, just like checking the daily weather in our own part of the world keeps us on our toes …it was actually hailing small ice chunks in my neck of the woods over the weekend (in May!). 🌨
…And if we zoom out of our world, we see a bigger global world in organized chaos and crisis that affects us.
Gradual shift is omni-present happening everywhere and all the time, even when we can’t see. And that grows into stressors on earth, and to us and our mind-body.
For example, take a framed wall photo that you’re constantly straightening. Over time, it naturally shifts and becomes crooked. And in a new house especially, when the living earth below is still shifting.
But you know how to easily straighten the photo frame with a light touch tilt to bring it back to alignment the way it should be.
Or, you could “permanently” iron-clad anchor the photo to the wall, so the framed photo doesn’t shift again. But then one day, you decide to take down the photo to paint the wall behind it or to change the picture… or you completely move to a new house.
The framed wall picture is just one change away from its original “permanent” state. And like life, we don’t know what will happen next that can be stress-causing, or when our life could use some healthy adjustments even when we don’t have awareness.
Stress comes in all shapes and sizes, from earth-shattering situations to slight tilts, like slowly growing bored.
And change can help spice it up. But we also need some permanence for balance and alignment. Even if it’s temporary.
Balance is the natural desired order of this world and of your body, and mind-body.
And adopting Ayurvedic ways (the science of life) as a healthy way back works to bring back the order in us.
It works in the modern Western world to restore, prevent, and bring back natural balance. And it works for those who live in noisy cities as well as slower-paced towns, as all roads can lead to a desired healthy life taking different paths.
And that’s what I did and do. And you can too!
It doesn’t have to be just yoga or meditation… those are just a couple daily common practical household practices. 🧘🏻♀️…and maybe you didn’t know those were Ayurvedic ways 😉
Ayurvedic ways could be new or foreign to you, as it may sound like an ancient mystical or woo-woo set of Eastern healing practices. And it was to me too in the beginning.
But how I powerfully use it today, is as a West meets East approach to healthy living, with the West running the show in our busy American lives.
And that’s just scratching the surface on the description for all the benefits it adds.
One simple health benefit that’s achievable, is to change the course of our annoying mind-body symptoms daily through our lifestyle choices. That could be our higher standard goal and preventative norm so long-term stressors and symptoms don’t settle in.
And doing so helps your health and teaches your mind-body you’re on the same team 😊. That’s integrating Ayurvedic ways into daily balance.
Always Invest In Yourself (You and Your Mind-Body)
Another way you can help yourself is not accepting “just getting through the season.” That’s not effective ayurvedic ways in practice. You can do something today to start restoring or help along your natural healthy self as best as it can shine.
Only when we’re not conscious, do we not have a say in our lives.
Instead, adopt the norm of living each season blissfully, and enjoy daily!
Remember the old saying about your life isn’t a dress rehearsal. 🎬
You can be joyful and find joy every day (and not just some days!) even amongst the chaos. And while you’re going through difficult times.
Each year can have its challenges, but that’s part of growth and change. As you become more resilient (feeling less stressed about situations) that will help your health, balance, and calm.
When you get daily balanced health, you get the opportunity to show up as your best self, and unleash creativity every day that you may not even know you have today.
…And, find your purpose and true calling, that will give you your greatest life satisfaction and lead to your best foot-forward life.
And that can also lead to your leaving a miserable day job for a better-chosen life that fits you uniquely where work doesn’t feel like work, if that’s what your heart desires. You don’t end up where you started or in an unhappy middle.
…So, that’s what I have for you today to hopefully inspire and encourage you this season and the upcoming ones that will be your best ones yet (in your belief).
Next week I will share part 2 about how you can learn more about Ayurvedic ways (and even if you’re not sure exactly what it is today), and how you can start uniquely implementing mind-body restoring techniques into practice if it suits you. Talk then! 🧡
Wild Thing Pose is one of the most interesting name yoga poses. And it’s a beautiful pose like this wild natural artwork up the side of a bridge.
Sometimes you just need to let your hair down. So today I’m sharing two yoga poses that let you do just that, and maybe give you a few minutes of creative joy if you haven’t felt that in a while. One is called Wild Thing pose.
You may know the pose (or vintage song titles 📼 with the same name). The Wild Thing pose helps unleash your creativity, especially if you feel like you’re in a rut or ready to pivot. This pose can help you feel a little happier.
…On Fridays especially, don’t you feel like a little weight has been lifted off your shoulders from the weekly grind?
With more freedom where you can express your more fun side, in friendly conversation, wearing fun clothing, or even get around on different wheels 🛼 🛹 🚲
People on the receiving end are even in a better mood if you work in customer service. Friday makes up for Monday when stress is highest.
And it’s not easy to be creative when you’re feeling stressed. So, you may need to unwind between the two opposing moods.
If you feel irritated, anxious, or resistant (that’s Vata, Pitta, and Kapha all rolled up in one in varying degrees), then your body may be playing detox wellness catchup. There’s a delay in the mind-body connection.
So whether you’re ready to try the Wild Thing pose has a lot to do with how you’re feeling. Relaxed, calm, and a bit daring is a better time. It’s also a great pose to do after you’ve fully woken up and taken a shower to stretch your body and mind.
When you’re present in this moment, then this is a great way to celebrate. If say you’re still rehashing what happened or how a day or a happening could’ve gone better, then you’re probably better off to calm your mind down first and wait until later to do this pose.
And when you’re ready and refreshed, then you can start with a blank slate that works best for most creative endeavors.
At corporate work and public environments, they love rules, structure, and close-ended goals. In creativity work, it’s a white piece of paper or canvas waiting for you to come up with something new and unique.
So, the Wild Thing Pose is a great way to get in the spirit of your creative intention. Especially if you’re a content creator or share artistic expression, and today is a creative day. Anything goes.
You ready?
How to Do the Wild Thing Yoga Pose:
Basically, the Wild Thing pose is a backbend and you decide what it looks like. It can be easier said than done…
One foot, two feet, and one hand or on all fours. It’s up to you. One way to find your Wild Thing pose, is starting in Downward Dog and then you peel one arm off your mat and look up or face up to the ceiling or sky.
Reach that arm up in the air. The other arm is grounded on the mat or floor. Then you decide how you position yourself and the rest of your body. There’s no definite structure. This is a common start. And you can work on your Wild Thing (but it shouldn’t feel like work).
For a present awareness move, then plant the foot already closer to the floor flat down. And you could rest the other leg out with the outer foot touching or resting on the floor.
There are no limitations or rules. And you can also get into this pose from Wheel Pose. Gymnasts do really well with these poses as it helps to be flexible. But not needed for home or studio yoga.
One thing’s for sure though… in the Wild Thing pose, you will definitely get off your mat, a metaphor for thinking outside the box. You get to express freedom and creativity.
And if you have a chance to look around at another Wild Thing pose like I did in a yoga studio and saw other Wild Things in the class, you see how differently wired and designed we are as unique humans. Use your Wild Thing pose as your creative expression that stretches your body, sides, and mind.
And when you’ve had enough of your Wild Thing pose, you may not want to stop just yet. You can find your Falling Star pose from there.
A falling star has a curvy trajectory so you could model after that. Like these curves made with chili pepper flakes for a chocolate granola snack. I made the star from beetroot powder that’s a great balancing ingredient.
Falling star beet granola recipe below. 🌟
In the Falling Star pose, like the Wild Thing pose, you choose. You can slightly adjust your Wild Thing pose into a Falling Star to get pose variations. Vatas love that 😊. You can stay on the floor with your legs and arms widely spread out… or leave just one foot and one arm touching the mat.
When mindfully present, this is a great way to empower yourself and use your body and yoga pose to show off your intention in case you’re wondering what practical application this pose has.
And you can also choose to start over in a grounded standing position. Start in a Five-Pointed Star Pose where your two legs are spread wide apart beyond hip width, two arms stretched out to the sides. And your head makes up the fifth-star point.
You are a star! ⭐️
For your freestyle Falling Star, maybe you’re leaning or swaying even if ever so gently to one side, comfortably balanced, and letting go of the opposite leg and foot from resting on the floor beneath you. You don’t need a mirror to feel lighter and to trust your instincts.
This is a good metaphor for how letting go can be freeing in your life. You can fall away from getting in your own way of anything holding you back.
Letting go of outcomes is one of the hardest things in life I found. It’s not easy to let go of something you want to happen, especially when all your life you’ve been groomed to be in control. But that openness allows for something better to come along.
Sometimes we’re not thinking big enough. So in those times especially, being in a Falling Star yoga pose can be therapeutic and a good reminder.
Another Falling Star variation is to sway and bend your torso to the side a little or a lot (like how a palm tree can bend to withstand tropical storms). 🌴
You can also reach your helicopter arms out or up to help you balance. It’s not about how bendable you are. It’s that you’re willing to even try it!
You’ll get more flexible as you stay in the pose longer. It’s your unique Falling Star creation. 💫Just be sure to have fun! 🌟
And you can do that with this fallen star beet granola pan you can make in minutes with a few ingredients.
Combine dry ingredients and then mix in wet ingredients.
Bake granola for about 25-40 minutes at 325°F or until toasted.
To make chocolate topping. Prepare chocolate on display pan you will be using. Take a piece of plastic wrap and put on top. Add melted chocolate and pour onto plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard. After granola is baked and cooled, you can pour into the pan and then add the hardened chocolate ontop removing the plastic.
To make beet heart: take a star stencil or make a star cutout with cardboard. Add beet powder to create star shape. For fallen star effect, use tweezers to pull out the yellow pepper flakes (found in crushed red pepper flakes) to make a fallen line.
