Spiritual Warrior Retreat

There is power in numbers. Especially when you are talking about women who come together and collaborate on how to change the world. Our 1st Spiritual Warrior Retreat was an amazing success. It's really phenomenal what happens when we become still and are surrounded by amazing, courageous, connected women.

Starting off the weekend with stillness and silence was really a key factor in all of the amazing things that happened. Doing something simple like walking to the beach in silence changes the energy around you. Thoughts jump around your head - you notice them and notice yourself wanting to talk and then just sit with that thought. Doing that three or four times connects you to what is around you - for real. Not the illusion in your mind but the energy force that surrounds you without you having to do anything at all.

We discussed Ayurveda and how it plays such a huge role in our lifestyle and daily habits. We took the Passion Test (Fulfilling Your Souls Purpose) and had some incredible "aha" moments. We talked about the Chakras and how these systems in our body run programs for us every day that may or may not be working for us. All these things combined really changed perspectives for many of us.

I feel blessed to have been able to spend this kind of time with these women. Not only because each individual has such an apparent gift and I was able to share it with them. But also because each one of them coming together reminded me how fortunate we are right now to be alive. How truly powerful we are when we stop and breathe.

Most of these women didn't know anyone at the retreat but by the end, they were all planning a reunion. The force of our inner-connectedness can move mountains and I have no doubt that we will.

Thank you ladies for opening your life to all of us. I feel so very, very fortunate to know you, to be around you and to have been able to share such a magical weekend with each of you.

For those of you interested - there are photos posted on Facebook of our retreat. You can also get more information about upcoming retreat by signing up for our Weekly Om at http://www.zenflowyoga.com/retreats.aspx.

Worldwide Yoga

The response to this contest was interesting....I posted a request for photos of YOU doing yoga anywhere in the world and I have to say, I LOVE the one in Greece!

Thanks Sandra for taking your yoga off your mat! You are such a joy to have in class each week!

And thank you to everyone else who sent in photos! They were all awesome!

On to one of my new projects....I am putting together a book about how yoga changes lives. I need YOUR help! Please send me a story about how yoga specifically changed your life in 250 words or less.

Please send the story in Word format and include your name, address, telephone number, email and website if applicable.

You can also submit a story about someone you know. For example I heard a story about a 79 year old man in Los Angeles who had emphysema. The doctors told him he had a short time to live. He started yoga WHILE he was still smoking and 10 years later, he is still alive and doing Bikram Yoga every day.

This could be misconstrued as a sales pitch for Bikram Yoga - it's not. It's a testimony about the power of our mind and the strength of our bodies. When they work together, we can create miracles.

Deadline for submission is Friday, October 31, 2009. Please send the story in Word format and include your name, address, telephone number, email and website if applicable. Email your submission to dana@zenflowyoga.com. The book will be completed before the holidays. Perfect gift for family and friends... share the gift of yoga with those you love....YOUR story!

Have an incredible day everyone! And pass this on to anyone you know would be interested!

Peace

Power of Love

I heard a great quote the other day in yoga class. "When the power of love becomes stronger than the love of power, our world will experience peace." You know who said that? Jimi Hendrix.

Isn't that profound? Really!

This weekend I attended an amazing workhop in Seattle that spotlighted Gregg Bradden, Bruce Lipton, Cheryl Richardson and Caroline Myss - all amazing, cutting edge authors. And collectively you know what their message was?

Love rules.

That's it! How simple is that?

Love is where it's at people. If we can give and receive love to EVERYONE - without exclusion, we are in harmony with the Universe.

Try it - see how it goes.

If we can think globally - what a difference love could make, we may just change this world.

Love blissfully, without boundaries, without conditions and without expections!

Dropping the Mask

The Universe certainly has a way of reminding us to be grateful for what we have. Not only that but in times of near crises or turmoil, it has a way of stirring up hidden or buried emotions and fears. Feelings that usually remain dormant in our day-to-day routine.

Last week my husband took a hot yoga class with me. Let me preface this by saying that hot yoga is not something you jump into. It's like preparing for a marathon. You take it slow and do what your body can do at any given time. It's a practice that is a true test of being in the present moment without ego and judgment.

Regardless of my loving warnings, he went full out and did the entire class. At the end of class he asked if it was possible if you could "pull" a lung. No, but shortness of breath is common. After all, you just spent 90 minutes moving and breathing in a room that was 105 degrees.

So we dismissed his ailment as a side effect of the yoga class and figured it would go away. After 5 days however, I knew it wasn't normal and urged him to go and see a doctor. He instead wanted to "ride it out" and run and ride his bike hoping it would feel better.

After the weekend went by I demanded that he see a doctor. I was mad and felt like I was dealing with a 5 year old but I couldn't force him to go like I could my kids. But why was I mad? Mm hm. First flag of consciousness. That question .... why am I having this emotion? What is it really? Not anger.....

Nine days after the yoga class he went in and was told by the doctor that he had to immediately go the ER. His lung was collapsed completely. He had been walking around for 9 days with a collapsed lung. WHAT? But he didn't go straight to the ER. He came home first to see me and to research it on the Internet. WHAT?

So now I am angry! What is he thinking? But alas, those two gorgeous angels are there, staring at me, watching to see my reaction. Another flag of consciousness. Here we go - I'm about to imprint an event in their minds that will stay there forever. What do I want that memory to be? Not fear, not anger, not chaos....no....calm, fun, adventure! I ask the girls to go upstairs, put on warm clothes and grab their some toys they can fit in their purse. We are going on an adventure!

While the kids are upstairs I am telling him to get off the computer, off the phone and into the car. The whole while he argues with me! He wants to call the hospital and find out what they are going to do to him. Mm hm...third flag of consciousness. What is he thinking? He's fearful. And how does he deal with it .... not anger, denial....delay.

But the anger of my own fear can't relate to his delay and denial and I just get more frustrated. The girls come down and we immediately change the tone, get in the car and drive to the hospital.

I feel a weight lifted from me when we arrive because now I know he has to listen to someone else besides me. He is obviously not happy because he knows this too. Both of us are so scared. After 2 hours the doctor informs him that he indeed has a collapsed lung and he will have to wear a tube in his chest to re-inflate it. All will be well at some point.

This story brought me to so many conscious moments but I picked this one lesson to sum it all up.

Wouldn't it would be easier if we went directly to the root of our feelings instead of masking them with other emotions like anger, stubbornness or denial? Wouldn't it be great if we could just say, "I am really afraid that you may die or spend a extensive amount of time in the hospital. I don't know what I would do without you. Can we please go?" OR "I am really afraid of what they are going to do to me. I just want to provide for my family. I can't get sick like this. I'm super scared right now." That would mean we would be completely conscious in that moment! This one action would bring us directly to our conscious truth! How could that change things?

Why do I share this? So many reasons. One is for me - to get it out and off my chest. To make sure that the thoughts in my head aren't haunting me at night. And I know that I am not alone in these types of situations. By sharing we are able to open the curtains to others so they may "see the light" as well when something similar happens in their life.

Finding our truth affords us freedom from suffering. It opens us to a whole new world that is light and bright. Know that almost all feelings stem from fear or love...one or the other. Take a look at your own reactions and emotions. See if they can be traced to fear or love. I bet they can.

Conscious Consumer

I can't help but chuckle when I put those two words together. Conscious consumer....don't they sound funny together? I just picture this mad dash of people heading to the store for silly things or eating without thinking about what they are doing.

And I chuckle because although I know I am more conscious now in my thoughts, words and deeds, I still have those moments of unconscious conformity. We all do - big deal!

But what does it mean to be a conscious consumer?

This is what I interpret it to mean...we are aware of the mortality of all things. We are aware of the many choices we have and we choose what is best for us in that particular moment. We make decisions based on the overall good for as many people as possible.

These two little words - conscious consumer - encompass so many things. Take shopping for example. How many times do we breeze through our list - purchasing the same things week after week? How often do we walk down the grocery store aisles without thinking? Just grabbing what we always get - never entertaining the idea that there may be something better out there for us.

And how many times do we choose something that we know is not healthy for us (or for our kids) but we get it anyway? Or worse, we take the kids shopping with us once again and impulse buy just to get them to be quiet while we finish our shopping.

You wonder how I know these things? I do them too! Just a lot less often now!

What would happen if we actually considered where our food came from? Who packaged it? Was it done with love? What type of energy went into the processing? Why did it have to be processed at all? Is there a better choice we could be making?

How is it packaged? Is there a "greener" choice we could be making? Maybe a more Earth friendly company has the same item but it's packaged in recycled material that can be recycled again. That choice may be more expensive right now but if we looked at the bigger picture, it's much more cost effective.

What's in that food? Can't read more than one word? See high fructose corn syrup in the ingredient list? Put it back - choose something else! Why? Because it's synthetic! Our bodies crave natural foods - it helps us to be less dense and become more conscious!

What about how we shop? Why do we have to "go" to the store at all? I mean really. Why aren't we shopping more online from the comfort of our own home? I have been shopping online lately and let me tell you - my spending has decreased by about 20% just from impulse buying alone! Now I sit comfortably on the couch sipping a glass of wine after the kids go to bed. That's what I'm talking about!

What do you think shopping online does? Saves us time, saves labor costs, saves money in gasoline, allows the smaller companies to showcase their products without much overhead, and gives us the opportunity to think a little more.

Dare I say we become more globally aware?

Our family has been super focused on recycling lately. My daughter came home every day this week and reminded me not to toss out any of the garbage from her lunch. She wants to make something with it. I'm not sure what that will look like but man, if we can teach our kids to recycle, make sounder, healthier choices and think more on a global scale - by golly this world may just change!

See how you can help. Educate yourself, educate your kids, educate your kids' schools! A simple search on the Internet for "conscious consumer" brings up many websites about fair trade and how to become more globally aware!

Start a program in your child's classroom! Teach them about recycling, composting, packing a healthy lunch and making better choices.

Remember, the Earth isn't ours, we are just borrowing it from our children.

You can also check out my Facebook page about ShoptoEarth (look at the badge to the right) - this company has got it goin' on. Cutting edge of the economy and the environment. Or go to http://www.24hourtour.net/dl08 and see how every little bit helps.

Have a beautiful day!