Lalitha Affirmations - Affirmations for the Waxing Moon

New Moon - Kameshvari – Nitya of Desire
"I honor my desires."

New Moon + 1 Day - Bhagamalini – Nitya of the Flowering Yoni
"I honor my sensuality."

New Moon + 2 Days - Nityaklinna – Nitya of Wetness
"I honor my receptivity."

New Moon + 3 Days -  Bherunda – Nitya of Ferocity
"I honor my ferocity."

New Moon + 4 Days -  Vahnivasini – Nitya of Fire
"I honor my passions."

New Moon + 5 Days -  Vajreshvari – Nitya of the Thunderbolt
"I honor my intensity"

New Moon + 6 Days - Shivaduti – Nitya of Communication
"I honor my truth."

New Moon + 7 Days -  Tvarita – Nitya of Swiftness
"I honor my agility."

New Moon + 8 Days -  Kulasundari – Nitya of Inner Knowing
"I honor my intuition."

New Moon + 9 Days - Nitya – Nitya off Internal Presence
"I honor my courage." Or “I honor the present moment.”

New Moon + 10 Days -  Nilapataka – Nitya of Celestial Power
"I honor my spirituality."

New Moon + 11 Days -  Vijaya – Nitya of Victory
"I honor my accomplishments."

New Moon + 12 Days - Sarvamangala – Nitya of Good Fortune
"I honor my good fortune."

New Moon + 13 Days - Jvamalini – Nitya of Flames
"I honor my brilliance."

Yoga is Not a Circus

Yoga is not a circus, Yoga is not a competition in acrobatic exercises, Yoga is not a religion that tells us what to do –

Yoga is here to wake us up; Yoga is about me, you, us and the connection to ourselves; Yoga is hear to heal body and soul

- Mirjam Wagner http://www.yogatherapymallorca.com/yoga-is-not-a-circus/

My "Be Your Own Valentine Candlelght Restorative Yoga Class" at The Yogi Tree

Yoga Poses for a Thanksgiving Gratitude Practice

Mountain Pose/Extended Mountain Pose
Sun Salutations
Moon Salutations
Downward Dog
All poses with hands in prayer/Anjali Mudra
Low Lunge
Monkey Pose
Garland Pose
Fish Pose
Wide Legged Forward Bend
Warrior 1
Warrior 2
Humble Warrior
Pigeon
Cat/Cow
Any Forward type of Forward Bend/Forward Fold
Heart Opening Poses
Wheel or Bridge
Prayer Twist
Revolved Side Angle
Reverse prayer (legs in butterfly or in easy pose)
Toppling Tree
Pyramid

I am offering an Art/Yoga Fusion on Gratitude on Sunday, November 16th from 12:30 to 3:30pm at The Yogi Tree called Art/Yoga Fusion: Gratitude Yantra for Thanksgiving.

Sign up under events at www.theyogitree.com

Art/Yoga Fusion: The Heart Mandala for Self Esteem

Saturday, October 18th was my first Art/Yoga Fusion Workshop.  The topic was The Heart Mandala for Self Esteem.

We started by meditating using Ahamkara Mudra. Aham in sanskrit translates to I, Ego, Self and Kara is the verb to do or make.  The word ahamkara means I-maker. Ahamkara mudra is one of the most powerful mudras for self-esteem. Holding the mudra will help you strengthen your ability to face difficulties with confidence.  This mudra reminds you to get your ego out of the way and allow your intuition to flow and trust your inner self.

We continued with Yoga Poses for Self-Esteem: Tadasana, Tree Pose, Goddess Victory Squat, Sphinx, Warrior 1 and 2, Supported Bridge, Hero, Cobra, Upward Facing Dog, Dancer, Chandra Namaskar (not in this order)

Then I gave people of number of questions to answer by writing.

The answers to these questions were used to male the individual mandalas..

People could chose a template or a blank circle.

I ended with a guided metta meditation.

That was my first workshop. Nine people attended.

It took place at The Yogi Tree in Toluca Lake.

Dakini Miao - LMU - September - Art has healing power - Pay attention to the words beginning with IN

I saw Dakini Miao at LMU again this September.  She was as wonderful as ever.

She said we have to remember what we are and what we are is pure spirit. She says that pure spirit has no guilt at all.  Pure spirit also has no duality.

She had us remember our naughtiest and naive story from our childhood.

Guilt, lack of confidence, fear, ignorance are all heavy energy obstacles.

What does REAL ART mean?
- Not entertainment
- Not luxury
- Art is to relax, have fun and see the beauty

What is the profound meaning of art?
- We are pure spirit and have to know art.

Talked about YANTRA

Ya is balance
TRA is liberation

There is a dharma power that is deep and not entertainment, it is beyond entertainment

Art has energy, art has healing power, Art can heal pain, Art can heal guilt.  Art can heal any obstacle.  Say to yourself "I am an artist!"

Use art for transformation,  Do it with the breath.  Let the whole body energy flow.
Do it with singing. Keep curious.  Keep your sense of adventure.  Be silly. Be naive. Be playful no matter what.  Have naive brave energy.  Don't be too serious.

Pay attention to the unintentional spark.  Think of the in words

- Insight
- Interesting
- Inspiring
- Incredible
- Inside
- Intuition
- Intrigue
- Intelligence
- Invent
- Innocent
- Intention
- Interpret
- Intense

Do something naughty and adventurous.
Do something naughty and creative.
Put back interest in your life.
Look inside and see what is frozen.

It takes bravery and big responsibility to face yourself/

Since we are pure - we can use color

Color is: flavor, medicine, inspiration

Art is part of enlightenment.  After samadhi is manifestation.  All artists are mystics.

We can not do anything - let the thing do us.

Just surrender and be ready.

The divine is using me - I have nothing to do.

Do yoga, do breathing and be sensitive to your body.

Form is empty

OM MANI PADME OM

THE POWER OF THE COLOR BLUE
She talked again about the blue pearl.
blue blood
krishna
medicine buddha
God seen as blue dots
Blue is healing energy
Try to start all painting with some blue


White light is chi energy

Pink is the development of the blood meridian

Purple is when the three meridians are in balance

Live like the lotus

Hot Power Fusion

I practice Hot Yoga.  Sometimes I am embarrassed to say it because it is too cool, too hip.  But it works for my body.  I practiced Hot Power Fusion this morning.  A class I like more and more because I can be expressive.  I worked a lot on the Ahamkara Mudra during the practice.  Getting used to using the mudra when I teach my workshop.  I felt very good today in bow, standing forward head to knee and in balancing stick.  Good practice overall.  I like the 6:30am class with Brookelin Gottlieb.

Yoga Nidra and Iyengar

I went to Iyengar today.  I want to practice Iyengar but sometimes it just bores me - mainly the huge breaks between the postures to get and put away your props and the obsessive-compulsiveness of the teachers about the blanket folds etc sometimes is just too much for me to bare.

I do think it's a very important practice and the practice that I learn the most about what the yoga poses are supposed to be/ feel like when I am in Iyengar.  My teacher was Kerri Lee. I like her a lot.  She is very detail oriented (but not shit she is an Iyengar teacher) She pays a lot of attention to the shoulders which is good for me because my shoulders are so screwed up/. I want to keep studying with her when I am not working.  This is my third class with her.  The class was surprisingly full for 9am in the morning,  The traffic was terrible.


I practiced a 7 stage Yoga Nidra today. It's really hot and uncomfortable out.  When there was dialogue about being cold it was hard for me to accept it.  My neck and shoulder are sore, I think from headstand against the wall but it could be from hot yoga also.  I wonder why my neck always gets jammed in headstand.

This evening I am going to Hot Yoga 8 for Yin with Star. I am in the middle of a 30 day challenge.