...piness, great relationships and clear thinking in your life. Yoga and meditation, by calming the mind and giving you back control, lead to a peacefullness letting you deal with the most intense life experiences.

3. Living On Purpose. The two factors outlined above result in a lifestyle that sees us letting life happen to us, instead of allowing us to experience and accomplish what we want.

Until we accomplish true calming of the mind, we do not have the state of mind or body to take control of life and really do with it what we want. How many of you have thought about things you really wanted to experience or do and ended up saying "If only..." or "I just don't have the energy..." or "Maybe later...".

These are all excuses we use to rationalize our inability to step up to a life we really and truly desire.

through yoga and meditation, we can prepare ourselves better for getting the most out of our lives and can finally stop having to justify why we simply can't.

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The Link Between Yoga, Mindfulness, and Weight Loss (Part 2)

... life to its fullest potential. So, instead of shoveling your food away, Yoga students should take the time to enjoy the finer things in life. This is not to say that we should engage in gluttony, but instead to connect with your inner being at mealtime and be mindful of everything. Eat with your family, when possible, and make it a pleasant experience, together, at the kitchen table.

Your inner self or self is sometimes called atman or jiva. This is the creature imprisoned within all of us. We all enjoy eating and want to savor every earthly pleasure to its fullest, but mindfulness makes us aware of much more than consumption of food and earthly pleasures. Therefore, mindfulness can be a natural dieting tool at mealtime.

How is this possible? When you see food - give thanks and tune into your senses. You do not have to give thanks verbally, if it makes you feel uncomfortable, but you should make it a mental exercise, before every meal. This will help your spiritual health and slow the pace of eating down.

The senses of sight, and smell, come into play long before your f...more

Turning Workplace Stress into a Simple Stretch

...r mind into your body.

Here is a simple stretch you can try right now.

Crescent Stretch

Stand with your feet parallel, about hip width apart.
Raise arms overhead interlacing fingers (chest open, shoulders back)
Exhale, reaching your hands to the right.
Take 3 long slow breaths (while reaching to the right)
Inhale, reaching your hands up, back to center.
Exhale, reaching hands to left (3 breaths)
Inhale, back to center
Repeat 4-5 times
Release arms and shake them out.

Benefits:

Improves circulation and increases energy
Tones, stretches and relieves tension in muscles in your arms, shoulders, chest, back and abdomen
Limbers your spine
Trims your waistline

Give yourself five minutes a day to practice simple yoga-based breathing and stretching exercises. Dont be surprised when, within a few weeks, you feel more energy and less stress on the job.

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Teaching Hatha Yoga: My Yoga Students Do Not Want to Practice Pranayama

... think of jewelry boxes within a larger jewelry box.

Within the Japanese language, there is a word for teacher. We call him, or her, sensei. This literally means, One who has been there before or One who knows the way.

The teacher is in a position of respect, because he or she knows the way. So, be careful not to abuse your Yoga students, as this will cause disrespect on both sides; however, do not allow yourself to be abused because you are kind.

As many people acquire Yoga certification diplomas to become teachers, leadership skills are put to the test. If you know the way, your judgment should not be in question, and you deserve respect for the title of Yoga teacher.

Ho...more

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