Daily Insights: Mercury... The Messenger of the Gods

Wednesday is ruled by Mercury, the great messenger of the Gods... Invoke the emery of Mercury with this mantra... "Om Aim Bum Budhaya Namah"

Daily Insights: Time to Sleep!

Sometimes we fall into patterns of not been able to sleep - either not been able to fall asleep or waking up in the middle of the night or early morning.

If you are having problems sleeping it could be related to stress, not been able to turn your mind off.

Try this little exercise tonight…

Get into bed, make yourself comfortable - bend your knees and close your eyes. Imagine you are lying on a warm beach.. you can feel the warm, soft beach sand beneath you.. feel the warm sun warming your entire body… you can hear the gentle sounds of the ocean waves… allow your breath to match the slow, rhythm of the ocean waves… with each breath you feel more and more relaxed, your muscles from head to toe.. slowly start to relax and let you with each breath you take.. with each breath you feel any stress, anxiety float away from your body.. allow yourself to drift off on the sounds of the ocean waves.. the sound of your breath.

Sleep is vital - it is important for your health both mental and physical.

Some reasons why, you need to ensure you get enough sleep:

• Memory - sleep helps the brain recharge and consolidate new information into your memory.
• Weight - sleep deprivation can alter your hormone levels, affecting your ability to process and store carbohydrates.
• Mood - lack of sleep can lead to irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate.
• Immunity - lack of sleep can affect the immune system.

Eat when you're hungry. Drink when you're thirsty. Sleep when you're tired. ~ Buddhist

Have fun sleeping!

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Namasté

Daily Insights: Open Your Heart!

"This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet." ~ Rumi

At some point in our lives we may have experienced some kind of pain or abandonment from a loved one - it is our natural tendency to protect ourselves and our heart after experiencing any form of hurt.

We put up barriers that close off our heart centers, which blocks our ability to receive and give love openly and unconditionally. A typical "symptom" of someone that has closed off their heart center, is someone that is desperately looking for a loving relationship.

So, how can we open our heart center and allow ourselves to feel confident in our hearts?

There are a few simple ways to open your heart, and allow the creative energy to flow from our hearts towards ourselves and others:

1. Daily affirmations can build strength and trust around our heart.
2. Acknowledging and releasing the emotional memories so, that you may heal your heart - this can be done through writing, meditation and visualization.

Along with these "self-help" heart-opening exercises, we can also open our hearts through movement.

There are specific Yoga asanas that open the heart on a physical and energetic level.

Try this short Yoga practice at home:

1. Find a quiet space - start by sitting in an easy seated position and bring your hands into Anjali mudra (hands to heart center) - close your eyes and set your intention to open your heart.
2. Then, come to lying on the floor and bring yourself into Matsyasana (Fish pose) - laying flat on the floor take in a deep inhale, press your forearms into the floor, draw your shoulders under and lift your upper torso and head away from the floor, then gently release the crown of the head to the floor (there should be very little weight on the head). Your legs can be bent or straight, if they are straight keep your legs active. (You can modify by bringing a yoga block under the chest area/between the scapula).
3. Stay in this position up to 30 seconds or longer. Breathe freely allowing your heart to open - visualize your heart chakra opening, releasing old emotions and healing it with a brilliant pink and green light.
4. When you feel that you have been in the pose long enough, take in a deep inhalation filling your lungs with love and light.. and then, exhale as you lower your torso and head to the floor. Then, draw the knees into the chest and give yourself a big hug!

Other Yoga asanas that open the heart: Ustrasana (camel), Dhanurasana (bow), Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge) and Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel).

Fish Pose, Ustrasana (camel).

Remember, to practice safely and within your limits.

Trust and follow your open heart.

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Namasté

Daily Insight: Let's Take a Moment to Breathe

Take a moment away from whatever you are doing - remove your hands from the keyboard, release your white-knuckle grip off the mouse and push yourself back from the table. And, take a brief moment to take in a long, deep in-breathe and then exhale.

How was that in-breathe? Did you gasp air as if you were taking in your last breathe of life OR did you slowly sip in the air, as if you were enjoying a delicious, velvety, decadent drink?

Let's try that again.. take in a long, SLOW mindful in-breathe - fill your lungs with air. Feel your lungs expand until you can't take in any more air and then for a brief moment - PAUSE. Then, start a slow, gentle exhale - allowing yourself release and let go. Take in another 10 or so slow, deep breathes before you get back to work.

Most days we are on automatic - we never think about how we breathe. Most often we breathe very shallow, not filling our lungs and allowing the breathe to permeate through our entire body.

Try this exercise for a week, take a couple of minutes each day to breathe - long, slow deep breathes. Be mindful of your body and how it reacts to this practice of breathing. Try it a different times of the day, or when you are feeling tired or feeling stressed.

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Connect and breathe.

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Namasté

Daily Insight: Born with a Flame of Compassion in Our Hearts!

Have you ever come across that certain-type of person that when they speak you are in awe of their words! Your breathe is rushed away by the pure power, compassion, love and gratitude in their voice and words?

These people know how to be truly compassionate and speak from the heart - their words are light with truth that make your heart swell with love and your eyes fill with tears. These people are truly enlightened and know how to share the light of compassion with others.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Dalai Lama

I believe that all humanity has that ability - it is one of our basic instincts to care for others and to feel compassion for each other.

Living in a world where we are constantly rushing and our minds are polluted by the media we just tend to loose contact with that innate ability within. We need to slow down, and take time to turn within - to seek the true beauty of our human nature and Soul - we too can live a life filled with love and compassion in our hearts.

Take some time to practice things that allow our compassionate nature to unfold - allow some time during your day to meditate and take in some deep, mindful breathes. Practice things that allow yourself to be present and cultivate compassion - the practice of Yoga and energetic healing both open the energy channels and lift a persons vibrational level to be more aware and mindful.

Find your light. Be compassionate.

With Love and Light.

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Namasté