Where Will Your Thoughts Bring You Today?

Where will your thoughts bring you today?
What path will they travel, which road will they take?
Will you send them a guide, or allow them to stay?
What is their intention, what do they seek?
Is it that of perfection or something more dynamic that may offer peace?
Layers of experiences have brought you here today.
You have choices, invitations, and offers to choose each and every day.
Might you accept one… or will you look the other way?
There can be a newfound story; one filled with purpose and ease.
It won’t be easy; it can be scary; it may bring you to your knees.
But your body will thank you, for it’s weary with strain.
And your spirit will embrace you, as it welcomes you home again♡
Sending my love♡
Maureen

Grounding- Rising- Ripening- Becoming

Deliberate full breaths, inviting your mind toward stillness
Merging you with the earth beneath you
Taking you deeper into your center
Here is where you find your balance
The space where life flows
into and out from
Around it,
flowing interaction of duality
Light & Dark
the pushing & pulling
All creating movement
Encouraging change
Making space for growth
Upward
Into open space
Flowing like water
Sharing… Connecting
Where one becomes two
Ripening
Becoming

Deeper Toward Your Soul

Soften your thoughts…
Soften your breath…
Breathe in deep…
Moving from the mind into the body…
Feel the air on your skin…
Notice the texture of your breath…
Moving down, touching all the places that need to be touched…
Draw in from the earth…
Release back to her…
She’s there to hold you…
As you move deeper toward your soul♡

Focused Thoughts~ Commitment to Self & Finding Your Voice

Moving into this week continuing focus on Committing to Self, unearthing your authentic voice.
I would like to introduce the concept of curiosity of what your true voice, the vibration of your thoughts and feelings that live at your core is compromised of.
Do your thoughts, words, and actions live more in a moving forward with purpose mode? Logical- linear- assertive- achieving- doing? Or do they flow with a creative pulse that awakens your body and mind allowing you to draw from your emotional intellect?
Our daily lives are usually centered around movement with purpose. This is considered a more masculine type of energy, and it’s important. We need this energy to function in our jobs, to keep life in order for ourselves and our families.
But because we live in a world that demands such high expectations, we tend to forget to balance ourselves with the beautiful feminine voice within. She knows the importance of self-care and she practices the art of allowing. She moves into her body to feel and express… to create.
As you move through your day, bring your attention to how you express your energy. Be curious, not judgmental. Grace, love, acceptance are important parts of bringing forth your beautiful feminine parts and pieces.
They help you to align with, Wonderfully, Beautifully You♡
Sending my love and an invitation to fly free♡

Finding Your Voice through Your Feminine Power

So much of our passion flows through our femininity. 

As women we are wild and raw, creative and courageous, strong, enthusiastic, empathetic spiritual beings. We were created this way. When we allow our femininity to emerge, so does the truth of our voice.

This week’s mantra- “I honor my commitment to Self to find my True Voice” has deeply stirred my spirit.  A few days after writing this, I had a nourishing conversation that brought me to the realization that I have politely tucked my femininity away. It always amazes me how much wisdom our subconscious mind and feeling bodies carry, as it was speaking to me through my own words that I shared with you.

I’m not sure of the exact date and time that I quietly, and unconsciously hid my femininity away, but I have come to realize I have been doing this my whole life. There are so many reasons that we allow our feminine fire to slowly burn out; disconnected relationships, shame, childhood issues, pregnancy, to name a few.

Disconnecting from our innate wild and raw femininity not only restrains our voice, but our entire body- mind- spirit connection.

I ask you this, do you have permission to express all of who you are as a beautiful, spiritual, and physical wild woman? Summon your wild wisdom. Root down to rise up. Connect to the rhythm of your heart. Dig deep through the stillness; dance as you let out a howl- your true voice.

Fly Free, xxoo

 

The Uncomfortable Truth About Self-Compassion

Let’s talk… about the uncomfortable truth of Self-Compassion.

Your best friend calls you on the phone; she is  crying. “I don’t know what has come over me today,” her voice filled with anguish. “I ate a chocolate doughnut with extra frosting, lost my temper with the kids, blew off my workout at the gym, and now I just told my husband that I can’t stand looking at his face!” She bursts into tears once again.

Your heart hurts for her, as you do your best to console her. You know she has been dealing with a lot of personal issues lately and she isn’t allowing herself the time and space to heal.

Most people find it easier to be compassionate toward others rather than themselves.

It’s a natural human desire to want to relieve the suffering of another human. But in order give compassion, we must first have the awareness and ability to give it to ourselves. Compassion is defined as a “Shared Feeling , a level of sympathy so deep that it inspires action to alleviate another’s pain, sorrow or suffering.” We must firstly be able to connect to our own suffering, to feel our own discomforts and then take action to soothe our personal pain in a healthy way. 

How do I learn to be Self-Compassionate?

In yogic traditions there is a practice called Ahimsa which means non-violence. This not only refers to physical action but also thoughts and words toward one’s self, others, and all living creatures. This principle reminds us of the importance of self-compassion

Creating space for ourselves is an important part of learning to be self-compassionate- The first step in showing yourself compassion is to make space in your day to just be in your own thoughts, to be with yourself in the present moment. Not thoughts of yesterday or two minutes ago or in an hour… just right now. Be aware of your body and its sensations and emotional feelings. Allow your physical and emotional needs to be important, heard, and seen by YOU. This is where Self-Compassion starts- the acknowledgement of Self. Learning how to soothe and heal your pain is the next step, but for now acknowledging the truth of how you feel is key.

Here is the Uncomfortable Truth About Offering Compassion.

Another yogic practice is Seva, meaning selfless service. This asks us to serve others with a mindset of expecting nothing in return and having no expectations regarding the outcome.

The ability to offer compassion to alleviate another’s suffering is a beautiful picture of a human act of love. Even more so when the action is aligned with a pure intention. There is the saying, “If you want to change the world, you have to start with yourself first.”

At the deepest level- at my core, what is my intention?

My ideas of compassion have led me into difficult situations, some life altering. For me, compassion  meant not saying No. On the surface level, I was afraid to hurt someone’s feelings, felt selfish, or I felt a sense of pity for them. My “compassion” was not coming from a place of pure intention rather from a deeper source of pain that I had not healed yet. Sometimes I wanted to feel needed, purposeful. Sometimes it was easier to offer others words of healing and encouragement rather than look at my own issues.

It’s really unnerving to ask ourselves questions that may uncover a deeper truth.

When you offer compassion, is it coming from a shared feeling (not just an experience) in which you have connected to within yourself and taken healthy actions to soothe? The hard question is, are you offering compassion as a means to distract yourself from your own internal suffering, to feel a false sense of healing through another, or maybe to find a sense of worthiness? 

Like I mentioned above, these are really difficult questions to ask, because what if the answer is… yes?

If this is true for you, firstly, do not get down on yourself; you are in good company. The good news is you are now aware of your need for compassion too. Taking the uncomfortable journey inward to feel in order to heal is the most loving act we can take for ourselves and then secondly for others. Remember compassion is not something you have to search for outside of yourself, it already lives inside of you at your deepest core. 

What is one thing that you can begin to do to show yourself… Self-Compassion?

Sending my love~ Maureen

Focused Thoughts ~ Weaknesses to Strengths

Good morning♡
Each Sunday I offer my yoga class a Mantra or Meditation card. Each card offers a message to help focus our attention and direct our flow of energy… being our breath, our thoughts, and movement.
Today’s message is, “My Greatest Weaknesses Have Become My Greatest Strengths. “On the card is a picture of a lotus flower. Above the murky dark water you can see its elegant beauty; below its roots travel down and are grounded strong and deep into the muddy water bed.What a lovely reminder that beauty emerges from the darkest of places. Our roots and the life experiences we grow through allow us an opportunity to use our innate strength within to create change and overcome challenges.The Lotus reminds us to focus on our innermost self, our very essence which is Love- Compassion- Kindness and the notion of transformation.

Giving ourselves Grace and Space to grow and learn from our murky-dark waters is an important part of transforming a weakness into a strength.

Embrace YOUR roots and allow your authentic self to shine through♡ becoming…
Wonderfully, Beautifully You♡

Photo taken at Innisfree Gardens in Dutchess County.

 

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Are You At Home (Part 2)

Comfortable- Cozy- Safe- Loved- Welcomed

These words opened up the previous article, Are You At Home, (link to post here https://rootingtorise.com/?p=3586). We talked about feeling at home in your body by connecting your thoughts- emotions- and physically feelings.

I asked you to track this by jotting down any physical feelings throughout the day, (tightness in your jaw, lower back pain, stomach ache) then also any emotions that arose, (anxiousness, frustration, excitement.) At the end of each day comparing the physical feelings and the emotions and allowing yourself to be curious about any correlations.

What Do I Do Now?

Before we talk about the next action toward feeling at home in your body, I encourage you to continue to sense physical sensations and take note of emotional responses.

Adding to your physical and emotional tracking, begin to be aware of how you speak to your body. Watch and listen to the words you use and your tone.

Have you ever gotten into an argument or heated discussion with another member in your household? If their words and tone were not respectful or kind, how did that make you feel? In my experience, I wanted to leave the house because it became an unwelcoming space. This is a similar situation when you speak to your body in a negative way. 

“Why are you so lazy?” “How come I didn’t know that answer- I’m so stupid.” “I shouldn’t have eaten that- I have no willpower.”

versus

“Great job- great effort!” “You look beautiful” “You are so strong to be able to handle this situation”

Words and their tone are powerful tools that you can use to create a loving environment within yourself that will help you to feel safer.

Just as you jotted down physical feelings and emotions, now also notate how you speak to yourself or speak to certain parts of your body. Again, with no judgement, just notice and take a curious approach.

I want to congratulate you on taking this journey of awareness. I also want to encourage you to stay with it. It can be a rough road, but well worth some of the bumps or bruises along the way.

Our next step will be taking a glance into the past.

Live Well,
xo
Maureen~

 

 

 

 

Mantra Motivation ~ Validation

Mantra Motivation ~
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment,” Ralph Waldo Emerson
I began this Sunday’s Slow Flow yoga class with a mantra card. This week’s Mantra is, I need only My Own Validation in this life.
In the opening quote, Ralph Waldo Emerson refers to the difficulty of being solely satisfied with just our own validation. Feeling fulfilled by our own validation allows us to truly know who we are, what we like, and what we want to do.
At an early age we learn that pleasing others creates a form of acceptance and this is what we begin to place our value in.
What does it mean to Validate yourself?
Self Validation is being understanding to our own personal thoughts, emotions, and actions, and then accepting of our own internal experiences. This doesn’t mean that we insist that we are justified or correct in all we think and do, it means that we are allowing ourselves to be empathetic to our personal circumstances. We have a much easier time doing this for others, but when it comes to ourselves we become way more judgmental and look for outside sources to make us feel that we have value.
It’s so important to understand that no one, not even your parents are qualified to add value to your life- your mind, your body- or your soul. You are born with value. Seeking value outside of yourself makes you feel small and no matter how many compliments, “Great Job”- “Way to Go”- or trophies, certificates, or degrees you receive, it will NEVER be enough to fill you up with validation. Only You are able to give yourself acceptance, empathy, love…. Value.
So, for this week pay attention to how many times you are yearning, seeking, or asking for someone, or maybe something to make you feel valued.
Then each morning find a quiet space, focus on your breath as you breathe in… and out, and repeat to yourself, “I only need my own validation in this life.”
Much love to you.
Xo
Maureen