THE POWER OF GRATITUDE

I believe that practicing gratitude is one of the most powerful tools we can utilize to transform our lives and live a life filled with abundance.

For me, gratitude isn’t about merely developing an, “attitude of gratitude”.  It’s a fundamental practice that keeps me grounded and a governing principle by which I live my life.

To be honest, I wasn’t always consciously aware that gratitude was a practice or that the transformative power of daily gratitude would carry me through some of the most challenging times in my life, including tremendous hardships in adolescence, becoming a Mother at 20, overcoming a bout with depression in my late twenties, the loss of my grandmother to lung cancer and even having to face a cancer scare myself.

Looking back, I’ve realized that despite all of these blessèd challenges; I have always been keenly aware that no matter what obstacle I may encounter along the path, there is always so much to be grateful for.

The Gratitude Myth

I think of a lot of people believe that being grateful is a quality that is inextricably linked to being humble and gracious.  While I do feel that gratitude has its roots in both humility and grace, I wholeheartedly believe gratitude is essential to our wellbeing and that gratitude is the key to living a more abundant, joyful life.

How Do We Begin to Experience Abundance

When one thinks of abundance, immediately they might equate abundance to financial wealth.  I think it’s important to note that abundance does encompass financial wellbeing.  After all we do live in the modern world where financial means are necessary for our survival.  However, the kind of abundance I’m pointing to is much deeper than financial or material wealth.  The kind of abundance I’m suggesting lies at the core of our being.  It is the epicenter out of which pure abundance, joy and Love emanates from.

Plain and simple- if we want to experience abundance, all we have to do is turn inward and look to our own hearts.

Practicing Daily Gratitude Enhances Our Wellbeing

Abraham Maslow believed that daily gratitude could be the key to affecting our emotional wellbeing on a day-to-day basis.

I couldn’t agree more.  Practicing daily gratitude forces us to acknowledge all of the amazing people, things, lessons, experiences, adventures, gifts, and blessings that are OURS to behold in any given moment.

When we take time out of our day to express our gratitude, we begin to shift our awareness from a space of need, lack, or fear- to a state of BEING that intuitively feels more abundant, alive, expansive, and limitless.

Stop for a moment, close your eyes, place one hand on your heart and ask yourself, what it is you are grateful for in this moment.

This simple practice helps us relinquish the need to reach for things outside ourselves that we think will make us feel whole or complete.  Over time, practicing daily gratitude also helps us surrender the expectation and desire for our experiences to be anything other than what they are in any given moment.  More importantly, we’re able to be present to life and open to a field of pure awareness, infinite potential, everlasting light, and unending abundance.

With Love & Light,

Nourishing Your Mind, Body & Spirit Isn’t a Luxury; It’s a Necessity

I often say that nourishing the mind, body & Spirit isn’t a luxury- it’s a necessity. As a woman who continually does my best to balance family and work, I understand all too well that taking time out for myself can often feel like a luxury, rather than a necessity. However, what I’ve discovered firsthand and through working with others is that when we don’t take time out to nourish our mind, body and Spirit, we often find ourselves emotionally, mentally, physically, and or energetically bankrupt.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO NOURISH THE MIND, BODY & SPIRIT

There is this idea that nourishing your mind, body & Spirit means you have to indulge in a spa treatment or go away on a retreat somewhere to reap the benefits of rest and relaxation. Personally I love spas and I love retreats. And while these are ideal ways of nourishing yourself, when I speak about nourishing the mind, body and spirit, at the basic most fundamental level I’m talking about giving yourself the kind of self-love and care you deserve; I’m talking about making YOU a sacred priority in your life. Not just once a year or one weekend a month, but each and every day.

Whenever I teach a Yoga class or a workshop, or provide a one-on-one session, the mention of making oneself a priority can make people feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed. The truth is for many people who have been raised to be nurturers and caregivers; the idea of putting themselves first is a huge challenge that can lead to feelings of guilt and actually keep them from committing to their own self-care.

Now if you’re like me, you may have been taught that being self-less is a good thing. Well, I’m here to challenge that belief. You see, engaging in self-sacrificing behavior and being self-less doesn’t qualify you as being a kind or loving individual. However, I think you would agree that being present, compassionate, empathetic, supportive and understanding are definitely steps in the right direction.

You see, nourishing the mind, body, and Spirit fills you with a kind of contentment, joy, and inner peace that not only enhances your wellbeing, but also makes you better equipped to hold a space of compassion and love toward others.

3 KEYS TO NOURISHING YOUR MIND, BODY & SPIRIT

1. Acknowledge Your Self Worth

Acknowledging your self-worth is about recognizing how self-sacrificing behavior lends itself to feeling depleted, overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, resentful, you name it. More importantly, acknowledging your self-worth says to yourself and others: I am worthy of goodness, joy & love. 

2. Give Yourself Permission to Have Fun

Giving yourself permission to have fun doesn’t mean you stop honoring your commitments and responsibilities. However, giving yourself permission to have fun IS about letting go of rigidity, exploring your interests and making a conscious effort to do more of the things you love. Love to paint? Paint. Want to take up a new hobby? Pick up a community catalog with a list of classes and events in your neighborhood.  Want to start an online business? Sign up for a seminar on how to create one. Whatever it is, give yourself permission to do that thing that lights you up.

3. Make a Commitment to Love Thyself

Making a commitment to love thyself, is about setting aside time for yourself. Do you have a hectic schedule this week? Pull out your smart phone, schedule a date with yourself, and more importantly honor that commitment.

There is a beautiful quote by Julia Cameron that I love.  She says, “Being kind to ourselves creates a prosperous heart and yet being kind to ourselves takes conscious effort.”  It’s so true.  It’s much easier for most of us to practice kindness, compassion and love toward others.  And while we may be able to see the value in being kind to ourselves, the truth is we don’t always practice kindness, compassion, and love toward ourselves.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Practicing self-love and care does require conscious effort. However, by making a commitment to love ourselves not only do we feel more joyful and grateful; we feel compelled to share those feelings of gratitude and joy with others. Best of all, we’re able to give from a space that is authentic and wholehearted.

So my question is, are you ready to give yourself the love and care you deserve? Are you willing to give yourself permission to do things that bring you joy? And finally, can you commit to at least one daily act of self-love? If the answer is yes, in what ways can you take time out to nourish your mind, body and Spirit today? I’d love to hear from you.

With Love & Light,
Namaste

Alana

CULTIVATING INNER PEACE

My how times flies!

It seems like only yesterday I was making summer plans to spend time with my family, organizing a summer workshop, welcoming new opportunities to teach Yoga and share my practice- It’s been a whirlwind and I am grateful for every second of it!

Of course, with every opportunity to grow, there have been challenges along the way, moments when I allowed fear, self-doubt and uncertainty to creep in.

Sure, there are practices that keep me grounded, practices that help me maintain a sense of balance and wellbeing. But the truth is, whenever major fear or uncertainty arises in my life, there is a tendency to become triggered by old thoughts, patterns of belief and behaviors that aren’t conducive to my wellbeing.

For instance, if opportunity calls on me to take a leap of faith, part of me feels compelled to analyze every outcome and scenario known to man. Will this be a good collaboration?…Will scheduling this appointment take away from time spent with my loved ones?…The list goes on and on…

Perhaps that’s why journaling, meditation, Reiki and Yoga have become vital to maintaining harmony in my life. Each of these practices has forced me to confront all of my triggers. More importantly these practices continually bring me back to that space of equanimity and peace within.

Patanjali says that equanimity is a result of two things: abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (non-attachment). This makes perfect sense. Anyone who has ever been good at anything knows that it takes practice to hone one’s craft and that it’s futile to become attached to outcomes of any kind.

By surrendering the how, when, why, where and all of the insignificant details about whether you will or won’t be successful, or whether you will or won’t find true love is key. In my experience, these questions not only keep you from experiencing inner peace but create barriers that keep you from pursuing your dreams and being open to give and receive love.

To observe our thoughts and our emotions without reacting in such a way that it further drives us into mental and emotional bondage IS a practice. Non-attachment and letting go is also a practice. When we give ourselves the freedom to bare witness to our thoughts and our emotions, without reacting or judging, we create a space. It is in that space that we’re able to experience equanimity.

As the summer winds down and autumn falls upon us, may we take time out to observe all of the delicate, precious details, including Mother Nature and all her glory. May we be present to life, to our loved ones and to one other. And may we continually turn inward to touch that space of deep inner peace, joy and eternal Love.

With Love & Light,

TODAY’S RADIANT REMINDER

I’m always humbled and amazed by the unyielding power Love has to heal our lives and some of the deepest hurts, wounds and sorrows we encounter. When we turn toward Love & choose Love, Love not only guides us and heals us- it liberates us.

Some people may think that it’s naïve to believe that Love has the power to shift our experience from the mundane to the miraculous, to mend relationships, to bridge gaps between communities, or eradicate poverty and transcend political, racial, cultural, religious and national divides. Not me. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of Love.

The truth is, each and every time we choose to see the miraculous in the mundane, find forgiveness in our hearts, or communities come together to stand in support of one another despite political affiliation, race, gender, nationality, color or creed- Love IS the underlying, omnipotent and omnipresent force that proves there are boundaries or limitations.

To experience the power & essence of Love all we have to do is turn inward to see it, to feel it and experience it. By acknowledging the Light & Love within enables us to see the Light & Love not just in our loved ones or our friends but in our colleagues, our neighbors and complete strangers.

May Love guide you, heal you and liberate you now and always.

With All My Love,
Namaste
Alana

TODAY’S RADIANT REMINDER

Happy Friday

I hope this message reaches you in good spirits and all is well.

As always- I’m sending you lots of love & light and a Radiant Reminder straight from my heart to yours!

Today’s Radiant Reminder

I believe that practicing self-love can be one of the most challenging practices to commit to.

I can’t tell you how many men and women I have met who are committed to giving their family, friends and loved ones the support and care they need. These same individuals are dedicated to acts of service within their communities, at work-you name it!

To say these men and women don’t exude compassion, kindness & love, or that they don’t practice daily acts of service would simply be untrue.

However, I have also sat down to speak with some of these amazing, kind and caring individuals and listened to them express a deep need to give themselves the same level of love and care they give to others- love & care they truly deserve.

There’s no doubt in my mind that we all know the value of being kind to ourselves but actually taking time out to nourish our mind, body and Spirit is another story.

The truth is, practicing self-love does require conscious effort.

What are the repercussions when we don’t give ourselves the love & care we deserve?

Feelings of emptiness, frustration, anger, resentment, overwhelm, and exhaustion-

Did I mention feeling physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically bankrupt?

Yep, practicing self-love requires conscious effort, as well as commitment.

Practicing self-love requires you to make YOU a sacred priority in your life.

But it’s also about giving yourself permission to explore your interests and do the things you love.

More importantly, acknowledge your self-worth.

It’s saying: I AM WORTHY OF GOODNESS & LOVE

As we approach the weekend, take time out to make a list of all the ways you practice
self-love.

If you find that you can’t come up with more than 3 ways in which you take time out for yourself on a daily basis, then it’s time to make a list of the ways in which you can begin to.

That’s right, instead of adding another thing to do on that bucket list, write down practical ways in which you can begin to invite a greater sense of abundance, creativity, joy and wellbeing into your life- TODAY!

Finally, I want to invite you to join me for a special call next Wednesday May 15, 2013 @ 8pm EDT.

This is a FREE and intimate call about cultivating self-love, nourishing the mind, body & Spirit and the importance of making YOU a sacred priority in your life.

Want to join me?

Can’t wait to connect with you!

With Love & Light,
Namaste
Alana