12 Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening

Source: http://www.recoverytradepublications.com/blog.html?entry=12-symptoms-of-a-spiritual

The Color of Change

The energy of autumn can be a little bit frenetic because it's a sort of "nesting period" for mammals. It's a time dedicated to preparing for the barren, cold, winter. Like squirrels racing to make sure the food rations are there and bears fattening up for winter hibernation. People tend to do things like rake leaves, make apple cider, gather pumpkins, and other autumn rituals as we transition into a darker quieter environment. Make this fall all about shedding that which doesn't support you on your path, and preparing to nourish your spirit deeply during winter.

In addition to body practices and the internal work you can do - give a little TLC to your living space.

Small changes add up in shifting the energy of your space and life. Little additions like leg warmers, hot drinks, rugs, and fuzzy pillows can add a cozy feeling that you just want to nestle into at the end of the day.

Colors and textures create moods and either nourish or drain your energy. Put some extra thought this season into these things that can affect your psychological and emotional state.

I'm changing the color scheme at home right now. My large pieces are deep purples, reds, and dark woods. I have accents of greens, aquas, whites, and oranges that I can shift and swap out for the cooler seasons. I don't buy all new decor every season or even every year. I only buy things I intend to keep for a lifetime. This fall I'm simply putting away the aquas and bright whites - and pulling out lush comfortable dark grays and spicy orange tones. I'm adding dark throw blankets, artfully placing my favorite decorative pillows, and rearranging so the earth tones are in the spotlight together. In my art studio I'm taking down most of the work on the walls to clear space for fall/winter creative mind.

My autumn revamp is like spring cleaning, but geared toward fall. Throw out your expired food items, make a donation of your excess stuff, organize your keepers, and create a supported feeling in your environment this season.

Today's photos via http://pinterest.com/cosmiclila/winter-fall/

How To Be Alone

This video - I saw it, and I immediately loved it. In authentically inhabiting the skin of exactly what it set out to be - it's inspiring, poetic, and beautiful. Yoga is all about becoming more comfortable with yourself - just you. If you become comfortable with yourself - you can learn to be alone with yourself - then you can learn to love yourself. There you just might find enlightenment - and if not that - maybe just some peace.

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Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

Tiffany Cruikshank - Express YourSelf!

I'm completely in love with this video. It exudes joy from all it's pixels. I think they captured the essence of play and sunshine in yoga. It came out a couple weeks ago, but I wanted to space out some of the video posts. Enjoy!

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

New Year - Fresh Intentions

I don't really do New Year's Resolutions. When the new year comes I might have some intentions for my year, or some hopes, but I don't resolve things.

New dress. New socks. New Hair.

This year I hope to be more open to those around me and I intend to create new friendships. I hope to love and appreciate with all my heart, so that I may make the most of what little time I have on this planet as a human. I intend to live with freedom, expression, and a wild inner light to better uplift those around me simply by proximity. I intend to truly see the sun, the moon, the flowers, and the inner goodness of those I meet. I hope to hug more, receive more, and do more.

What are your hopes and intentions for the New Year?

Energy Muse Winner & Gratitude

Congratulations to Rachel!

You Win the beautiful compassion bracelet from Energy Muse!

I'll be contacting you shortly.

Thanks to everyone who entered and spread the word about the giveaway.

In celebration of tomorrows Thanksgiving Holiday here in the states - I'm taking a long weekend to spend some real time with my husband and dog. I'll return on Monday the 28th. For now I leave you with some words on gratitude from the always-inspiring Elena Brower (via the Wanderlust Newsletter):


"Gratitude is a state of being. When I’m in the state of gratitude, I’m in my heart, I’m focused, I’m open, and ready for everything. I’m able to give so much more of my listening and my attention, and I feel heard and received. When I’m grateful, I feel connected to myself, my kid and especially my parents. Plus Dr. Emoto has proven that the sentiments of Gratitude and Love together create the most symmetrical and beautiful water molecules(!). Consistent levels of gratitude might be my proudest feat this year."

- Elena Brower

Energy Muse Jewelry - Review & Giveaway

You may have seen Energy Muse ads and jewelry around. They're leaders in Wearable Crystal Energy, produced in the USA, and available worldwide. They're regularly featured in magazines and worn by tons of celebrities like Kate Hudson, David Beckham, and Michael Franti to name a few. Recently they contacted me about doing a review/giveaway of their Compassion Bracelet and I was thrilled to be given the chance.

Photo courtesy of Energy Muse. MSRP: $69.99

Energy Muse Compassion Bracelet Description:
"This bracelet is worn to allow yourself to achieve Compassion. Compassion is the purest love, which gives yet asks for nothing in return. It is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of love that one can achieve. It is through Compassion that one attains the ability to reach deep inside oneself to achieve self-fulfillment. Citrine promotes joy, love, and light. It repels and transforms negative energy, making it possible to achieve happiness. It lifts the soul, bestowing courage, personal power, and selfconfidence. Scene Jasper encourages a connection with one’s true self. It inspires and energizes the entire body. Pink Jade inspires happiness and openness, helping one realize their dreams and accomplish their purpose in life. As you discover yourself, you realize that your happiness grows immensely when the fulfillment of Compassion is achieved. The Rudraksha beads along the bracelet are natural seeds that emit positive vibrations. The colored cord is 100% Silk."

I love this fantastic colorful bracelet - and Energy Muse has been kind enough to provide another compassion bracelet for one lucky reader!

Fit/Size: Dare I say the compassion bracelet fits me perfectly? At 7.5" it may be a little small for larger wrists, but for most women and small guys it should work.
Comfort: This bracelet just oozes comfort. It never got in the way, and at times it didn't even feel like I was wearing it. With most bracelets I usually fight with them all day or get them caught on things, but this one wasn't obnoxious at all. Zero irritation.
Quality: Really solid construction. A lot of beaded jewelry tends to feel flimsy, but this hardy piece feels like I could possibly play tug'o'war with it. Even the clasp is hefty. I am confident it will last through consistent enthusiastic wear for years.
Overall: I feel I could wear this bracelet anywhere. To a "fancy" party, a coffee shop, or even to yoga class. It goes with every single outfit I've worn with it so far. The compassion bracelet has a gradient of yellow/orange/pink and is just dripping with Joy. I would definitely recommend purchasing this bracelet or other Energy Muse products to anyone. This bracelet is everything I thought it would be. It's my new favorite bracelet (and I have a lot of them). We could all use more compassion, and there's even a matching necklace that I'm drooling over.

Maybe you want it for yourself - a little treat to remind you to cultivate compassion with every breath... or think it would make a great gift (holiday season is here) for your mom, sister, girlfriend, best friend, yoga teacher, etc. If this particular bracelet doesn't suit you - be sure and check out the website for tons of different products for all genders, styles, and budgets.

How to Enter to Win:

Do at least one of the 3 things listed below.
Leave a separate comment on this post for each of the 3 entry methods you do.

• Like Energy Muse on Facebook
• Tweet this Giveaway (include @energymuse and @heartsexpanding)
• Blog this Giveaway

Who's Eligible? Everyone!
Deadline: November 22nd, midnight GMT
Winner Announced via random number: November 23rd
Make sure there's a way for me to contact you in your comments, or
I'll have to give your prize to the cat.

Tender Thoughts

Today is the last day to enter to win pants and a tank from the Champion Shape line.

Winner announced tomorrow morning.

Hemalayaa Inspires

This photo from the new Yoga Journal is exploding with thrilling joyous inspiration. I want it on my desktop, my phone, and every wall.

From the Sept. 2011 Yoga Journal article on Kirtan.

For more Hemalayaa - check out her website.

Just One Minute

Photo Source: Well I found it at SweatSparkles... follow the trail to the original if you dare.

A Single Step Today is One Less Step Tomorrow

Sometimes we have pain. Maybe it comes and goes... maybe it's constant. Perhaps it becomes chronic. Maybe it's only been there for 1 day, but it's pretty serious. You start to imagine the pain will NEVER relent. Maybe you feel like it's been this way forever. It's so bad you can't remember what it was like not to be in pain. This makes it difficult to let go of the notion of being in pain.

This has some serious effects, long and short term on your health & well being. You start to hold your breath, tense up, and hold fear tightly in your chest... and in your muscles. Fight or flight takes over and your hips and psoas become hard. You fear moving, relaxing, being touched. This interferes with your daily functioning.

Sometimes simply relaxing will actually make it a bit better... but when you're in so much pain - How can you relax? Sometimes you may fear being present in your own body. It becomes as if you're being held hostage by your own body - or by your fear of the pain.  This builds further muscle damage, emotional pain and anxiety. For many it goes so far as narcotic pain killer abuse which can be fatal.

If any of this describes you - or has before - you probably recognize it. Studies are finding that meditation is a natural pain killer. A physical yoga practice can provide relief from fibromyalgia, arthritis, anxiety, etc. You have to push through some degree of discomfort for therapeutic yoga to work... physical and mental. But what's waiting on the other side - Freedom from fear of pain - is bliss.

If you give yoga a try - you can start to replace that fear with love. It may start with a single glimpse of peace while sitting. You can replace that tightness with a free open space. At first it may be very small... at first it may be measured in moments. You can stop holding your breath - and start to feel your lungs expand freely with life. It may start with a tiny spark in your ribs. It may start small, but you have to start somewhere to make a journey of a thousand miles.

Burn Outs

The levels of stress running around my house right now are insane. Yoga and meditation are helpful and lovely and I will cling to them until my dying day, but they're not magic. The stressful situations are still there - we can simply handle them a little better because of the whole yoga thing.

Between the unemployment and the emergency room visits and the hospital paperwork I keep messing up and the snow... oh the snow... I'm so sick of the cold. Between all that - yoga is my connection to sanity. It's our little bit of absolute reliability every day. Every morning, without fail, we get up and do sun salutations then some inversions - followed by a long cozy meditation. Then we cuddle - but that's just our weird little sappy married people thing. Our full practice may or may not come later, but that morning practice is always there.

This country is all about pushing people to their limits... pushing them until they burn out and then laughing at them for burning out and pushing them some more. We've been thinking and talking about that a lot. Some people just handle being pushed better than others. Some people are worriers. To those people when you say "stop stressing", they can only ask "HOW?!?". Yoga is one good answer, but many don't see how yoga is supposed to help. They may even stop because they don't see the change right away.

John Friend (founder of Anusara yoga) has often said that the 1 or 2 hours a day of asana practice is literally practice for how you deal with the other 22 - 23 hours a day. Practice isn't like stamping yourself new and improved - it doesn't just happen immediately. Just like practicing anything else - handling things with more equanimity comes in tiny bits. Eventually those bits add up into a fully transformed life, but at first it's a slow build-up.

Other tips for lowering stress:
Eat the healthiest food you can afford (fruits and veggies mostly)
Exercise
Spend time in nature
Specifically, try the beach where the air ionization is perfect for lifting moods.
Spend time with people you love and laugh as much as possible.

Morning Meditation with Elena Brower (Video)

Here's a lovely video of Anusara teacher Elena Brower leading a guided meditation on gratitude. Wonderful thing to do on a Friday morning.


TerraFlow Video 2: Elena Brower's Morning Meditation from YogaEarth on Vimeo.

Christmas Spirit

Maybe you're thinking all this focus on gift giving is getting to be too much. There are certainly many ways to celebrate Christmas and/or winter without focusing on material things. I get really into Christmas. My landlord came by recently and commented on how "someone was ready for Christmas". I love Christmas and I find ways to squeeze my holiday spirit into every nook and cranny of the day. Here are a few ways you can enjoy the season without risking life and limb in a Black Friday stampede.

Drink Hot Chocolate -
Go ahead, add some marshmallows. Drinking hot chocolate certainly doesn't celebrate spring or summer. It's definitely a wintery activity. I don't know anyone other than me that will drink hot chocolate in July when it's 90 degrees.

Play Christmas Music -
There are Christmas songs by almost every single musician out there. I have a collection of music that includes Frank Sinatra, Tenacious D, South Park, and Cheech & Chong to name a few. Music creates a mood, so just play it in the background all day. I have a rule in my house that if I'm doing something Christmassy - Christmas music must be playing.

Sing Along -
"The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear." - Buddy the Elf

Make paper snowflakes -
You don't have to be "good" at it. They're fun and easy to make if you don't mind the disapproval of trees. I hang them from the ceiling, tape them to the windows, and add some of them to my gift wrapping. I've been reusing the same snowflakes for at least 5 years because they store well and can just keep being re-hung. Here's a Martha Stewart How-To if you don't remember how to make them.

Watch Christmas Movies -
My favorites are Elf, Love Actually, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated one), The Polar Express, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and right now I'm kinda into Bad Santa. It doesn't have to be all sweet to count - Gremlins is technically a Christmas movie.

Host/Attend a Potluck -
If you've been in the yoga community very long - then you know yogis love a potluck. They're the epitome of gathering and sharing - what's more yogic or Christmas embodied than that?

Bake a Sweet Treat -

Whether for giving away or gobbling immediately - baking is a fun family-friendly way to celebrate. Bonus - it adds even more heat to your home on frosty days. I love to bake, but I usually send my creations to work with my husband for everyone to enjoy.

Practice Kindness -
dandee has been on a journey of 30 Days of Kindness - focusing on one specific act of kindness each day. It's so simple, yet how often do we bother to follow through with small acts that can make someone else smile?

Did I leave out one of your favorite activities? Tell me in the comments!

Photo Source: All of them came from Dos Family - a Swedish blog that I adore year round.

All Good Things

"Every time you appreciate something; every time you praise something; every time you feel good about something, you are telling the Universe: "MORE OF THIS, PLEASE!" You need never make another verbal statement of this intent and, if you are mostly in a state of appreciation, all good things will flow to you."

- Esther Abraham-Hicks