Practicing Hope

Hope is what fuels us, it can serve as our life support when we are at our lowest low and keep us charged and focused when we want to achieve our goals.  Hope is the root of our passion and the end of our pain.  Hope is as necessary as the air we breathe.  It is reflective of our drive and desire to live. With hope, our life has purpose.

Facts  About Hope

*Hopeful people have stronger immune systems than those who lack hope.

*Hopeful people do well in a variety of social environments.

*Hopeful people are able to achieve their goals more easily. According to universal law your thoughts are your truth. If your thoughts are life is wonderful, your life is well…WONDERFUL!

*Hopeful people are contagious. When you are surrounded by hope you have no other choice but to allow it to rub off on you.

Things to Ask Yourself: 

What is the root of my hope? Is it for temporary gratification?

How can I be hopeful and achieve my goals while remaining detached?

Do I have consistent attitude of hope in my life, or is my hope based on a certain outcome?

How to Be Hopeful

•  Quiet the chatter in your mind  through meditation – While it is good to be with your thoughts, they can sometimes be distracting. Do not allow negative thinking to take over. If you have a negative thought acknowledge it, honor it, release it.
• Know that expectation is a four letter word – Ok, ok, it’s more like 11 letters, but treat it like it’s a curse word as it relates to hope. When expectations are the seed of hope we set ourselves up for potential disappointment. Be happy regardless.
• Practice Positivity – Think of all of the amazing things that are happening in your life right now and drown yourself in all of the greatness that you encapsulate!!

  ~Namaste, Sihnuu

Yoga + Our Fullest Expression

As you ground and grow in your much less wobblier vriksasana, you hear the instructor utter the words you least look forward to.

“Fullest expression!”

Feeling confused and alone, you’ve now lost your drishti. Your eyes wander about the class and eventually toward home girl two mats over, who has somehow managed to get her arms into some kind of contortionist style prayer fold.

With your teacher’s presence near, you make a conscious effort to reset your focus.  You frantically throw your arms in the air and think to yourself, this will work for sure.

“Lovely yogis,” your teacher replies.

You feel charged as your hands make their way back to anjanayasana. You’ve made it through another class without flaking out in your expression.

When an instructor calls “fullest expression,” what is being asked of the student?  Is the teacher looking for the craziest arms in tree pose?  Or perhaps the straightest and highest kicked leg in one-legged wheel?  It is very easy to get caught up in the aesthetic of a yoga practice when those words are said in class.

I believe that pouring self: heart, mind, and body, entirely into practice is the way to access one’s fullest expression.  At times, coming into one’s fullest expression could mean staying in the in the most basic form of the posture, tapping into the sounds of the heart and the deep rhythm of inhales and exhales.

There is no need to do anything overly taxing, be gentle and allow yourself to flow freely so that you may connect with your inner guide.  This is a part of the practice cannot be orchestrated and should be full of your authenticity.

Trust in your breath and be.

Happy New Year! | Sankalpa: Reflect + Resolve

Pop quiz! What is one of the most important tools when doing yoga?

While most of us are always on top of making sure we have our mats, and some of us are making sure that we have on the  latest workout get up before hitting the studio, almost all of us are forgetting the item that holds the most value. Our Sankalpa. One should never leave home without it.

Sankalpa is the inner work of the practice; it is the prayer or the good intention that orchestrates the movement. Seeking out and setting the intention is an essential component in anyone’s yoga, without it, one cannot reap the full benefits of their practice. By utilizing the greatness of Sankalpa, we can work to align our spiritual truths with our worldly behavior.

“The essence of your intention is stored in a cosmic database, every dedication that is in line with your destiny will eventually be released into fruition.”

When setting your intention, be mindful of keeping it just that. Try not to turn it into a request for something tangible by setting a goal. With an intention we always start where we belong. The beginning.  The other wonderful thing about an intention is that you can set it up so no matter what direction life takes you, you are content and receptive to its many rhythms. An example of an intention could be the ability to express joy no matter what adversities you face.

How to turn a goal into an intention:

“My goal is to open up a cafe because I’m passionate about making people happy with my delicious foods.”

Turn it into an intention by saying:

Through my practice, it is my desire to generate happiness.

Now you try!

Sweet Surrender

What happens when you let go? When you completely let down your guard in practice? Authenticity does. When you invite yourself entirely to your yoga practice, you are able to show up in a way that will serve you and see things you would not generally see on a normal basis. Surrender. Along with strength and flexibility comes surrender. In yoga this is something we often look over however it is just as, if not more important than the other components. If we relinquish control and release expectations, we get exactly what it is that we need. Our body speaks to us clearly but it is up to us to listen. Step into your authenticity and receive your message.