Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica

Want to join me in Costa Rica for a fabulous yoga retreat? I will be at Samasati Yoga and Nature Retreat Center January 24-31st. You will enjoy 3 daily yoga sessions with me (a early morning wake up, a before dinner stretch, and an evening relaxation.) You will also be able to enjoy eco-tours such as a waterfall trek:
A zipline ride through the canopy of the jungle:
Or spend an afternoon strolling on black or white sand beaches:
Or reading in the hammock on your veranda:
Or sitting in the hot tub overlooking the Caribbean sea:
You will also enjoy 3 gourmet, vegetarian meals daily in their open air restaurant and regular visits from toucans and monkeys!

Clutter: Part II

Laura
Originally uploaded by muselan

In my last post I wrote about how old beliefs create clutter in our hearts and we want to keep flowing and growing with life, discarding beliefs whenever it is time to let them go. Yoga can also help! Yoga keeps our bodies moving and more fluid. When our bodies are more fluid there is less chance for stagnation. There is a caveat: you must make sure that beliefs haven’t begun to stagnate your practice. Beliefs can come up anytime anywhere and in any situation, even your mat.

Here are some of the most common beliefs I hear from students:

I will never be able to do that pose...(whichever pose it is)
I will never be flexible
I will never be strong enough
I don’t have time for a home practice
I can do a practice, but I don’t have time for Savasana
That is my bad shoulder/knee/back...
I don’t know what to do for a home practice so I always to the same 10 poses.
I can’t do restorative poses, they are too boring/time-consuming
I can’t do power yoga, it is too strenuous/sweaty/boring

Any sound familiar to you? Challenge your beliefs. I am constantly challenging my students’ beliefs (sometimes to their annoyance!), inviting them to see more perspectives, more possibilities. Maybe restorative yoga isn’t right for you right now, that doesn’t mean it won’t be right for you tomorrow. If you keep telling yourself it isn’t right, however, you will miss the opportunity to practice it when it is right.

Decluttering: Part I

So, my husband, children and I cleaned out our garage today. If you are like me, you wonder where in the world it all came from! I must admit, I began to philosophize as I went through box after box, wanting to throw and yet finding myself inextricably attached to much I know in my head I no longer need. I very much appreciate the work professional organizers do (I have had one in twice!) It takes a coach and a psychologist to aid us in letting go of our stuff.

We do the same thing with our beliefs. (Beliefs are more than just about religion. You can read more here about what I consider to be beliefs.) Boy do we hang on to those opinions! So much so we even see things and interpret them they way we need to in order for situations to fit our beliefs.

“We build self-images and construct concepts and paradigms that feed our sense of certainty, and then we defend this edifice by bending every situation to reinforce our certainty. Donna Farhi

Old, worn out beliefs can hold us back and keep us from growing, cluttering up our minds and our hearts. Donna goes on in her quote to say: "This would be fine if life were indeed a homogenous event in which nothing ever changed; but life does change, and it demands that we adapt and change with it. The resistance to change, and tenaciously holding on to things, causes great suffering and prevents us from growing and living in a more vital and pleasurable way.”

Is it time to declutter your beliefs and make room for something new?

Next post: How yoga can help.