Embracing your You-ness
6/24/11

The word yoga literally means “to yoke” or bring “union.”

But what are you bringing together?  You are bringing your individual “you-ness” together… the body and mind.  Ultimately, living a yogic lifestyle leads to the ultimate union of self-realization and liberation.

Just as each person is different, we come to yoga for different reasons.  Maybe you’re here today because your parent or friend or sister wanted you to come or maybe you wanted to see what yoga is about.  Many people think of yoga as an exercise, others view it as way to help them relax, but really anything we do can be yoga when we practice with mindfulness or being present.

Yoga philosophy came from India.  It is thought to be over 3500  years old.  It is not a religion, but a way of life.  Just like there are different streets that can take you home, there are different paths or “streets” of yoga that take you to the same place inside.

The paths are :
Karma
Jnana
Bhakti
Ashtanga/Royal
Hatha
Mantra

In the United States most people think of yoga in the physical sense. This is the Hatha path, or doing asana.  

Imagine your best friends are having a party.

You have to prepare.
You’re standing in front of the mirror...what do you see?




What do you like?

What do you dislike?



We all dislike things about ourselves at one time or another.   And sometimes as we grow, we are harder on ourselves than we need to be...We can actually train our thoughts to help us grow.  We can observe and honor them.  

Thoughts are amazing things.  We don’t think about this much, but truly thoughts are just like objects. They have different shapes and colors.  When we are angry with someone, it is like shooting arrows or daggers at them through our aura’s.  The color around this thought is red.   We can change this.   We can catch our thoughts and replace it instantly.  We are responsible for what we think and how we react…beginning how you think about YOU!

This can even be about you!
Sometimes when we wake up our hair doesn’t seem to cooperate or we feel fat or our clothes don’t match right.  This can make us angry, but you have the power to change that thought or moment.  You can catch that thought and flip it!  You can replace the negative with the positive.  Think about what you like about you!.  And take control of that thought.  

Honor yourself by taking care of you.  You don’t need to obsess about friends, looks or clothes, but when you take care of yourself you are proud!  You are confident! And you attract the good stuff to you.

Speaking of...who are you?

Think back to your earliest childhood memories.  What did you like to do?

As an example, I liked to play outside, climb trees, draw, read, write, have friends, love others and experiment with nature.  Use this space to write and draw your personal memories!

You are who you are.

That’s kind of a big statement.  It probably won’t change much in your lifetime.  Your friends may change.  Where you live, what you wear and the color of your hair may change--but what creates the spark in you...the life energy, prana, will be the seed  of your core.

That’s why it’s so important to love yourself.
Sometimes as we grow we feel like we need to be fixed to be loved or even lovable, but that only comes from not loving certain parts of ourselves.  

What don’t you love about yourself?  Why?

It feels that girls are not supposed to be seen as angry or jealous in our society, but it is an emotion. Emotion.  We have so many of them!!  Happy. Sad. Joy. Envy. Jealousy. Thankfulness….the list goes on and on!   It can be helpful to think of our emotions  like our own children.   There was an old lady who lived in a shoe..she had so many EMOTIONS..she didn’t know what to do!!    But you can know what to do!  You can take care of them, helping them grow up --so they can eventually move out on their own.  

The next time you get angry or have any emotion you are aware of, just sit with it.  Accept it.  Consciously breathe into what you are feeling, knowing it is apart of who you are...you can tell yourself,   “I love myself in the midst of jealousy/anger/wanting her life/car/hair/boyfriend/family”.  Remember, all people have emotions.  Positive and negative.   You become a better you when you can choose your response to your emotions.  And that is not an easy thing to do!

Try this:  Think a happy thought.  Now think a sad thought.  What changed?  Only your thought.  So if you can change your thought, you can say “I love myself.”

You might feel a little silly doing this, but that’s completely ok!  The sillier the better!  It’s healthy to be able to laugh at yourself!! Find a mirror, maybe in the bathroom, bedroom or hallway—wherever you might have a few moments of privacy and tell yourself:

“I love you!  You are beautiful!  You are smart!  You are strong!  And all the other wonderful things that make you –YOU !  Doing this on a regular basis will truly help you love you!

Wanna have some fun loving you?    
If you have any Expo or dry erase markers, write on your mirror--only if it’s ok with mom &dad...I love myself! Plus write all your most positive, coolest, silliest qualities.  They make up you!

But who are you?  You wrote your childhood memories and even though you are who you are, what does that have to do with being a teenager?   Everything—because you are who you are!
Think about yourself as a seed, having all the beautiful things qualities you are able to bloom into as you grow up.

What is important to you?  Think of 3 things you are passionate about…3 core values.  These are like your internal compass, helping you cultivate your authentic self, so you can make choices based on who you are--not what you think you should be!

What are your gifts?  Your talents?  This could be being an artist, trustworthy, athletic, kind, good with computers...anything!
Now how can you put those your values and your talent together? 


Also, try to be open to new experiences.   You are who you are, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try new things.  As people, we are constantly evolving into ourselves!!  We aren’t going to be perfect in this life, but we can learn to love ourselves along the way.  


We don’t wake up one day and know who we are--but we remain open to experience and joy.  Love sits in your heart.  To love we must be present.  Present in ourselves. And to be present for others.  

In your journal, write 3 things of what you are grateful for everyday.

So-Ham mantra: “I am this or I am that” 

Inhale So, exhale Hummmm…It’s a relaxing mantra that is helpful in breathing.

Imagine the sun shining in the space above your navel and below your ribs, your solar plexus.  It is space full of light and love, offering energy and the spark of life…taking 10 full deep breaths, move into this space.  Think of something you’re thankful about.

Peace & Love,

Beth

yogawithbethany@gmail.com