Open Up & Find Your Strength

This week has been a challenge for me,
and I've had a hard time pinpointing exactly where my leak in peace is coming from.
My frustrations and doubts have intensified each day until I
finally felt more overwhelmed than anything else.

As I left for yoga class Wednesday morning,
I worried that this heavy feeling would come through and I would be unable to offer a truly inspirational and rejuvenating practice for my wonderful students.
Because the class is a power yoga class,
I try to be especially conscious of  the many reasons people come to their mats.
As I pondered what I would WANT from a teacher on a day like today,
my heart softened and I felt open to the peace that comes from mindful stillness.
I did not know 'what' I was going to teach,
but I knew my heart was open and ready to find, and offer, peace.

Because I have some old shoulder injuries,
I spend time in class coaxing students to pull their shoulder blades into their spine, stack their shoulders, and open their chests.
As we entered our first down dog, I encouraged the class to pause and really set their posture in strength and stability.
Though I have said the words many times,
at this moment this gentle guidance spoke to my own soul:
pull your shoulder blades back,
open your chest,
square your shoulders;
 let your head hang as your spine finds length and
space in the strength of your shoulders, arms and legs.

I realized that in the uncertainty of my husbands current unemployment and the urgency I felt in knowing how to proceed with my own goals and desires,
I had done what is often done in yoga when a posture gets a little difficult-->  
shoulders begin to round and  jaws clench...
we might hold our breath as we power through, finally collapsing in stress in Savasana!             

When postures get challenging or are outside of our personal practice, it is not uncommon to see a student leaning forward and closing up their chests. This closing down, shrinks the capacity of both the chest and heart. The common phrase, "My heart's just not in it" is a representation of both a mental and a figurative state of mind. When our heart is not in the game-
ability decreases, motivations vanish, and joy is diminished.

A Warrior II/Side Angle flow can lead into Bird of Paradise, a more advanced posture!
Often, in a the haste to challenge themselves and attempt this advanced posture,

Bird of Paradise by Ashely Rideaux

a student may sacrifice the very form and shape that will give them the strength and stability needed for balance.
With rounded shoulders and chest towards the ground, a student is looking down-->
they may get into Bird of Paradise, but chances are it will be short lived and feel a little chaotic.

I have always appreciated the value and importance of chest openers- of opening that very special space that houses our hearts! The power that lies at the center of our upper body is unmatched:
It is our hearts that share love.
It is only through an open heart that we can accept love.
A' softened heart' is full of compassion, forgiveness and mercy.
A 'gentle heart' radiates kindness and tenderness.
Common idioms suggest someone might have a 'Heart of Gold' or the 'Heart of a Lion';
our best efforts are accomplished 'with all our heart',
and when we truly want to be sincere with someone, we have a 'heart to heart'.

Any security or confidence we feel comes from our heart- it is through our hearts that we access our greatest strength.
In life's greatest challenges, a danger lies in closing down our hearts and powering through.
Great life lessons are learned when we trust ourselves to trust the process;
this ability to trust comes from the heart,
a strong heart that knows the way when all paths seem dark or dangerous.
Trust in yourself, trust that your heart will lead the way!

Last week in class, I shared this thought while my class was standing in tree:

Retrieved from: http://thedailyquotes.com/post/20379 via pinterest

Later, I found a beautiful thought about a baby bird being pushed out of the nest so it could learn to fly. The author continues offering this application to our own life struggles:

"Many of us have been pushed out of the nest. Something unexpected happened, and our world changed. We may have fought valiantly to get back in the nest, to return to the safety of  life as we knew it. But life had pushed us out. We had no choice but to flap our wings and learn to fly the best we could... . You flailed around a bit, wondering who to trust... Finally, you understood. The very lesson you were learning was that of trusting yourself. When life pokes and prods you, it's not punishment or abuse. You're being pushed out of the nest. Spread your wings and take flight. See how well you can fly!"

Melody Beattie, Journey to the Heart, pg. 50

If balance seems elusive, confidence is waning, or joy is nonexistent- take a quick check in on your heart. Have your shoulders sunken, your eyes cast downward, your heart compressed? Open up! Like an eagle preparing to soar through the skies, open your arms wide, set your chest forward and allow your heart to do the rest- as you leap out of the comfort of the nest, you just might take flight for the journey of your life!

It's Been a Warrior Week

If there ever could be a bi-polar manifestation in my life,
This week would be it!

As last week came to a close, I had a heart so full of gratitude that I could think of NOTHING to ask for in prayer & fasting.
In place of requests, I had nothing but desire to express my heart felt and grateful praises.

In less than 24 hours time, that gratitude shifted to an overwhelming feeling of fear, failure and hopelessness! The shift was so sudden that I actually experienced a physical nausea from the emotional roller coaster.

As I have pondered this experience, I have tried desperately to understand, not only what happened (so I can avoid its repeat) BUT how to dig out of the hole I fell in.

In this very real world sometimes things won't go right-won't be perfect-and won't work out on the first try. Keeping a big picture perspective allows us to know that these times WILL pass but they have a place in our lives and we can't rush the process. It is in these moments of feeling down that we truly learn to appreciate the successes, good times and joys of life.

Last week in my yoga classes, I shared some thoughts that had inspired me. One dear student requested that I blog the mind practice I had shared. As these feelings overcame my heart, I had a difficult time putting the thoughts from class in written form.
After a long chat with my hubby this morning, where I was FINALLY able to put my feelings into words, I had peace restored to my soul. With this freedom came a paradigm shift to my long held beliefs on mindfulness and the power of the present moment.

Prior to the difficulties of this week, I have been adamant that living in the present moment is the key to feeling peace and contentment. I'm a big believer that we need to avoid living in the past and stay away from dwelling in the future- fear, anxiety, doubt, and hate are all manifestations of living outside of the here and now.
This thought process was challenged for me this week. Looking into the past and looking forward to the future, I knew my life was wonderful, peaceful and full of potential, but it was the here and now that felt too big to overcome.
With so many emotions and with a VERY heavy heart, the message I shared in class last week had a new meaning to my heart-

You have to take the good with the bad,
Smile when you're sad,
Love what you've got
And remember what you had.
Always forgive,
But never forget,
Learn from your mistakes
But never regret,
People change,
Things go wrong,
Just remember life goes on.

I realized that no matter how hard we try, things WILL go wrong and our strength may give way to our weaknesses AND we might come head to head with thoughts and feelings that seem to come rushing at us all at once and hit like a ton of bricks to the gut...

It is in these moments that we are brought to face ourselves head to head- and if we humble ourselves we can come out righteous and strong, just like the Warrior pose-
We go to yesterday in an effort to forgive and learn, but not forget-
And we think on tomorrow knowing our potential has no limits and we will win the battle!

In some way, I add some version of Warrior postures into my practice.
Warrior 1 is  a good posture to begin a standing series for many reasons.

Image Source

 

Warrior 1 is a representation of a yogi's ability to "overcome their own ignorance...  if you attempt to stay in it for any length of time, you'll confront your own bodily, emotional, or mental weaknesses. Whatever limitations you have, the pose will reveal them so that they can be addressed." Man, does this explain how I felt this week!!

We've been adding Humble and Proud Warrior to our practice for several weeks.
Proud Warrior is a slight back bend, our eyes directed to Heaven...
Proud Warrior remembers all that we have; our talents, achievements, strengths and joys are a gift from above.
In a smooth and controlled flow, we take our bow into Humble Warrior
(a posture requiring core stability, strength & balance)
Humble warrior realizes that we can only tap into our full and divine strength and potential when we bring ourselves to complete and honest humility.

As things started to crumble this week, I realized that they hit me so hard because I was taking each hit personally. I accepted a position of pride thinking I, alone, am in control. Somehow, I allowed myself to think I could have stopped the destruction, could have prevented the pain. In my pride, I took my gaze off the heavens- my source of strength, and took on a pure defensive approach. I gathered all my weapons and went to war- which left my body and soul feeling a lot beat up.

When I applied the application of Proud Warrior in my life practice, and took my gaze to the heavens, my perspective returned and I realized I am not in control! I can only pray and hope that lessons will be learned and wisdom will be gained from hardships AND good times!
With this perspective, I could flow into my bow and assume Humble Warrior-- accessing all my strength while standing in complete submission to the flow of the Divine.
I, alone, can do nothing. But I, with my higher self (with my Heavenly Father) am limited by nothing at all.
The secret to having it all is knowing that you already do.

And friends,

Oxnard, CA 2013

I know I already do :)

A Spoonful of Sugar...

It is common practice in our church to dedicate the first Sunday of every month to fasting and prayer. My family and I have often offered specific and unified prayers for special blessings or needs we may be seeking. Concerns over health and strength or special desires for insight are often the subject of our fasting and prayer.


This is an opportunity for our spiritual selves to overcome our physical selves. I have come to discover the unique blessing this has been in my own life and in our family as a whole.

As May was drawing to a close, I reflected on the month and pondered what I might dedicate my June fast to. I realized that, with all the chaos in our home right now, I was most in need of offering a prayer of Gratitude! A trial that I have ALWAYS viewed as the ONE thing I did not think I could survive happened to our family at the end of March. Rather than beating me down and causing me to fret and fright each and every morning, noon, and night (which is my habit), I have felt peace, joy, and an overwhelming sense of privilege for such a trial! As the days have turned into weeks and the weeks into months, I see what a gift this is for my husband, my family and myself!

It felt very good to declare that I had no needs nor special concerns that were more important than the awareness I had of all the small and mighty beauties that had filled my life in April and May. As I had journeyed throughout the months of April and May, I had taken stock each day  of the sweet hand of the Lord in my life. I was overcome by the small and simple things that can bring us joy if we just open up and see them for what they are.

I believe these gifts of bounty are manifest in each of our lives. I also believe that we must be in the right mindset, otherwise there is a good chance we won't recognize that which is right in front of our faces.We need to open our hearts to see the world, our lives and our experiences in a way that is contrary to public habit. When we look at what we lack, it is very difficult to see our abundance. There is no lesson that I spend more time teaching my kiddos than that "Happiness is a Choice" and choice is the only thing in this life that we truly have complete control over.

retrieved from www.contentinacottage.blogspot.ca/2013/02/abraham-lincoln-quote-about-roses.html

If we only see the trial, it may be impossible to watch the hand of Mercy come in and prepare a path to beauty that never before seemed possible. This is the power of stepping back and looking at what we THINK we see with new eyes- a better perspective.

retrieved from http://www.justgrowalready.com/2013/08/reader-mail-how-do-you-react-to-setbacks.html#.Ule1JieVOS

 We can complain about the rainstorm, or we can dance in the rain.

My beautiful daughter with a determination that knows no bounds

After the storm, the rainbow WILL come, whether we choose to see it or not. The person who runs inside, angry about the storm that ruined the picnic is sure to miss the beauty in that very brief moment when the sun and the storm intersect. But he who chooses to dance in the rain, is sure to bask in the glory of what can only be created in full grandeur AFTER a storm!

Photo taken in McKinney, TX by friend Lisa Wood

Rainstorms & Rainbows

I love my Thursday night yoga class-

No matter what I have previously planned, once the room fills there is an energy that takes over and leads us all on a magnificent journey of discovery, introspection and, more often than not, a little laughter.

A few weeks ago, as we began our standing and balance postures, the skies turned that eerie dark color that usually means severe weather is upon us. It was interesting that no matter what I tried to do or how I tried to focus, I could not balance in any of our postures. One by one the room began to empty of students. Those who remained watched as the dark clouds began their very ominous swirling as they slowly gathered into a large funnel in the distance-
Finally the room emptied of students as we all realized that the weather had won over our need for a yoga practice that night. As I ran to my car, I was pummeled by golf ball sized hail and puddles that were as deep as my ankles.

Tonight, weather was on my mind again as the rain fell wildly from the sky. I have lived in many states and experienced all sorts of weather conditions, but the rain storms of both Texas and Minnesota (actually I think it is the whole mid-section of the country) are unique in many ways. Rather than being a rain 'fall' it is more like a rain 'dump'-
rain literally falls from the sky in buckets! And the dark sky that accompanies the SEVERE weather systems can swallow the light of mid-day in a heart beat!

As I drove to yoga, watching the weather change rapidly, I thought about that class a few weeks ago that ended early because of the extreme weather. I remembered how out of balance I felt that night and how difficult it was to maintain any sort of focus in the class or in myself. I wondered if tonight would end the same way- no focus, no balance and a room being emptied of people who knew in a situation like this the only place anyone really wants to be is  home.

Luckily, the clouds tonight slowly gave way to peaceful skies. The energy in class was vibrant and full; we were focused and balanced as we found our flow and. Rather than the thoughts I had prepared, I shared thoughts of the rain in Minnesota-

Looking down at the MN I-35 Bridge collapse

Minnesota is naturally a very green state. Lots and lots and lots of trees- as a matter of fact, when we first got there from Arizona I told my husband that all the trees made me a little claustrophobic!

The head of the Mississippi River; Lake Itasca State Park, MN

He always thought that was funny since all the trees make that Minnesota air so clean and fresh!

McKinnley Elementary School; Ham Lake, MN

Anyway, as it goes with seasons, this green foliage eventually gave in to winter's harsh bite. Trees lost their leaves, flowers died, bushes went dormant and grass was covered by (thick, thick) blankets of snow.

Home, Sweet Snowy, Home; Ham Lake, MN

All Bundled Up

The first peek-a-boo's of spring green were always eagerly anticipated as winter finally got exhausted and relinquished it's hold on all living things. Every year, with excitement, we would nurture our plants and foliage back to life. Sprinkler timers were set, fertilizers spread, and outside clean up projects would commence. I loved these days as I prepared for my favorite of all seasons- Spring!

Yum, YUM!

No matter how much work I did to enliven the plants, there was something unique about the moisture of the spring rains; the greens were brighter, the lawns thicker, and the leaves larger in a very tangible way. In awe, I would admire the work Mother Nature could do in a 30 minutes- a work I couldn't compete with even when I tried.

As I shared these thoughts with my class, I suggested that they take in a little of the spiritual aspect of today's rain. Allowing the pains, worries or disappointments of life to be washed away and to allow the nourishing qualities of the rain to breathe new life- invigorated life- in their place.
A sweet student, one who had been in class the night of the severe weather, shared a picture she took that night after the storm blew over. It was a beautiful picture of a rainbow, complete end to end; her entire street lit by the pale sunset peeking through a few remaining clouds. No fancy photo editing, no expensive equipment- just an appreciating eye and the camera on her phone. Yet the picture captured God's bounty and mercy in simple and perfect detail!

Double Rainbow- McKinney, TX; Spring 2014

Make no mistake, storms will brew and clouds will swirl overhead, heavy and dark with the burden of too much pressure bursting to be released. Thunder will clap and lightening may strike as the feeling in the air (one you can almost taste, smell and see) gives hints of severe weather ahead!

As reliable as the setting sun, the clouds will empty their load allowing thirsty Earth to get her fill and her plants and produce to be nourished and refreshed. These loud and proud manifestations of stormy weather WILL give way to clear skies, sunshine and nourishment that simply cannot be reproduced in any way. The clouds will depart as the blue sky pushes them away, demanding room for the sun and it's light to shine through---

---and if we are lucky, and we hit it just right, AND we are watching exactly where we should be waiting, we will see a rainbow, a beautiful and vibrant rainbow, we may even catch a double rainbow-

Tempe, AZ; 2006

The reminder that life is settling down, that God is aware of our needs and He has prepared a way for life's storms to be washed away, leaving in their wake a beauty and bounty that only the storm can bring.

Let us allow ourselves the refreshing power of the rainstorm, offering thunderclaps that get our attention to changes we must make, flash flooding to give rise to our weaknesses and heavy winds to sweep them away; allowing the rains to refresh and cleanse before the air of conflict is pushed aside by blue skies and brighter days.

Blessings & Balance to you and yours-

Forgive, Forget & Move On

I recently had an experience that has literally left me breathless at times.

As I begin to see the impact of one very simple decision made early one morning during my study and meditation time, I marvel at how intricately and well designed our lives are. There are no accidents, events are not random and coincidence is pride taking credit for spiritual serendipity- at least, this is my (pretty unshakable) opinion!

I have always teased that I have room for only one hate in my life. It's held pretty true in my life as I tend to have one person that I simply cannot get along with despite any effort put forth. I've been okay with this- I guess it is not a very good thing to admit to, but it is what it is :0  When we moved to Texas, I got a big ole' bee stuck up in my bonnet and I found my 'one hate'. I had convinced myself that she had done "this" and "that", so my feelings were definitely justified! This poor gal is an amazing person and why exactly I picked this bee up and put it in my bonnet I still haven't figured out. Luckily, the two of us didn't have a lot of interaction, but we did go to church together (yeah, this confession gets more embarrassing as I tell it) so there was plenty of opportunity for my blood to boil. In all honesty, I never spoke to anyone of my feelings, never spoke ill of her- EVERYTHING I felt and thought was held deep in my own heart and mind!

One morning I was studying progress- specifically what holds us back from progressing & what actions allow us to progress further. With my books at my side, I sat quietly to consider what I had just read- it was a passage from the book of Job in the Bible- and all of a sudden I knew that I needed to ask this gal for her forgiveness. Not just lay aside my feelings, but confess them to her!!! To top it off, I felt very strongly in my heart that I was under a time line- I had 24 hours to issue my heart felt, sincere apologies, tell her how I had felt and ask for forgiveness. I tried to talk myself out of it for about 5 minutes, but it was obvious this was NOT my imagination- there was a purpose to this and it needed to be sincere. I said a quick prayer asking for her heart to be softened and I took the plunge...

Okay, I took the wimpy approach and sent an email.

Within 5 minutes, she called me! I was a heart pounding, knees knocking nervous wreck. We talked, I expressed how I had felt, the things I had thought of her and reassured her that my feelings had been my own and I had not spoken ill of her. She admitted that she had known something was wrong, but wanted to give me space rather than confront me.

She forgave me...

Now we are great friends!

And, as it turns out, there was a purpose behind the process. Not only are we friends but we are partners in the biggest miracle I have ever been blessed to be part of.

I have two wonderful kiddos who have entered my life completely by divine plan. Some might say coincidence, but the more I understand and learn, the more I defend "Divine Plan"! Because of a lot of LIFE STUFF that these kids have gone through, I wanted to somehow be a help to their family. I knew that I needed a partner in this desire and who was the FIRST person to come to my mind- Yup! my nemesis turned friend!

In four months I have been blessed with an increased sense of love, compassion, charity, kindness, acceptance, determination and desire to serve than I have had in my 44 years of life prior! To say my life has been changed, my capacity to love increased and my personal balance in line would all be a HUGE understatement. I cannot wait to see where this journey eventually ends, but more important is that I feel incredibly blessed and privileged to be on the journey at all- a journey I enjoy every moment of every day!

And it started with forgiveness! Well, it started first with a desire to learn- it moved into humility to swallow my own pride and hurt. After eating the biggest piece of humble pie- than it moved to forgiveness.

My heart was touched, the voice I heard was still and quiet- but it told me I needed to make this relationship right, NOW! And in answer to my prayer, her heart was softened, bridges were repaired and a friendship has been forged!

I love this quote from Nelson Mandela,
"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies" You can replace any anger or hostility filled word for 'resentment' but the thought is the same. The only person that really suffers with hostility, anger, hurt, resentment or hate is the person who is feeling it! If you are holding on to a negative emotion or two (or 6,000)- Let It Go! Lay it Aside- it is possible there is no room for the miracles in your life to come because you are simply too full to receive them.

Forgive, Forget & Move On

Blessings & Balance to you and yours,

Try Something New- Do Something Different

I taught an awesome Yoga class today-

They were as diverse a group as you can get; all ages, sizes, experience and a group of men & women!

It was a Power Yoga class, and I'm here to say- I teach a hard power class! These people are building muscle- this ain't that "stretch and sleep" yoga but a 'come out sweaty from head to toe' YOGA!

As we opened the practice, I encouraged them to do a body scan of their body. This is easy to do- close down your eyes and as you begin to pay attention to your breath, travel up your body from toes to forehead, concentrating on one body part with each inhale/exhale breath cycle. As you scan, just pay attention to anywhere in your body where you might be storing stress, guilt, tightness, anxiety! You'd be surprised, we hold a wad of emotional garbage in our bodies- this awareness allows you to send that (fillintheblank) out of your body with each exhale-

We then set an intention for our practice to replace all the emotional garbage we just emptied with creativity and adventure! "We are going to need this creativity and adventure later in the practice" I warned them!

(I'm afraid I may have scared some people with that comment- but luckily they ALL stayed)

Because I had such a diverse group, I gave them variations on our poses depending on their abilities and experience. Though I gave them a wide range of options, I encouraged them to draw upon that "creativity and adventure" that we had brought into our minds and now bring it to the mat.
I was SO excited as I saw most people at least attempt an arm balance or a bind or any variety of NEWNESS to their practice.

This philosophy doesn't just exist on the yoga mat however. I have a FAV instructor at the gym and she reminds us often to add more weight if we are comfortable or mix up our workout routines. There is NO growth in comfortable and NO excitement in complacency.

I love this web talk by David Eagleman about How to Slow Down Time! It is worth the ten minutes it will take you to watch it. I love that the simple and VERY conscious act of switching up our routines can add enough impact to our lives that time literally slows down.

1.  
   

I am taking a Time Management class for school and we have been discussing just how many decisions we make on a daily basis that we DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT! These are BIG decisions, some with BIG consequences! Have you ever been driving down the road and all of a sudden realize you're on the way to the wrong place? Or wondered how you got to where you are? Life is RACING before us because we live on autopilot more than we live in the moment.

Take a moment today, just a few moments to do a body scan-
Where do you feel tension? Where do you feel ease?

Encourage the ease, release the tension and than go forward with your day with an eye to Newness, and eye to Adventure, and eye to Enjoying the very moment you are in RIGHT NOW!
Where you are going WILL happen! What you need to do WILL get done! The difference you're going to make is that you are going to ENJOY the JOURNEY-
I'm telling you, this is a GREAT JOURNEY of life we are on,
it just takes a little balance to see it-

Find your Balance &
You'll see the Beauty

Blessings & Balance,
Treisha

Life & Yoga Part 1

I have practiced yoga for many years. 

I love what it does for my body, 
but more than anything, 
I love what it does for my spirit.

In my opinion, the yoga instructor can
make or break a practice. 
The encouragement and the thoughts they
provide throughout class can increase the level
of calm in my very chatty brain

OR 
increase the chaos and distraction
in my body and mind!
I choose CALM,
thank you very much!

This is Ashley.
 
I took her yoga classes faithfully for several years. 
She is absolutely beautiful in mind and in spirit. 

Life is the same as a yoga class in many ways-
If you have a good leader,
whether it is a peer, mentor or spouse-
who can lead you and guide you through
the many twists and turns of life,
your growth and development can reach
new heights all the while enjoying peace and calm.

I have been influenced by many people for good,
some only for a what seems like a minute,
others have been with me for years.

But it is their gently touch on my soul that  
will last a lifetime.

Don't Look Around

"For the next 60 minutes,
Do Not Look Around."


That was our challenge in Yoga one day last week.


"Do Not Look Around,"
Brooke said,
"when you look around,
you start to notice how someone else
looks in their pose.
And once in a while,
whether you mean to or not,
you start to compare."

"The trouble is,
you don't know who is injured,
who has finally conquered a pose
that they have worked on for years.
You don't know who woke up stiff
or who has already put in a 10 mile run."

I have not been able to stop thinking about this.
For days, I have caught myself looking around.
Not just in the Yoga Studio,
Not just at the Gym
and not just as I walk to school for pick up.

I look around a lot!
And I notice more than I want to,
and sometimes,
even though I don't intend to,
I compare.

And I think most often,
I compare my weakness
to someone's strengths.

But I don't know who woke up sad this morning
and who is just happy to finally be OUT of bed.
I don't know who is living their last few days
and I don't know who just got the news of a lifetime.

Look Around,
Be a Friend,
Offer a Smile,
or better Yet
Share a Hug