Yoga is more than just getting into the breath ing and a pose. It is how we intereact with our world everyday, it is the words we speak and the relationships we engage in and, yes, it is the "stuff" we surround ourselves with. We can't get away from "things", we live in a material world of "stuff". Some of it we almost need, like a bed to sleep in or a table to eat off of. Yes, perhaps we could live without these things, but it adds a level of comfort we have become accustom to. Beds are nice to sleep in and tables are nice to eat off of, there's no argument on that one. 

But for the most part, we simply have too much stuff. We spend countless hours buying, organizing, and storing our stuff. One of our First World Problems is that most of us would admit that, if we had the money, we could really use a hired professional to help us wade through it all and sort it out. There's a good reason "Organizing Hacks" are going practically viral on facebook and other social media sites. We love our stuff, and better yet, we love our stuff neatly hidden and out of sight. So, why on earth do we have it in the first place when the goal is to hide it and put it somewhere else? If you don't love it, let it go. Here's an interesting post on our relationship to our things, and really worth checking out. 

These are some eye-opening facts to ponder. http://www.becomingminimalist.com/clutter-stats/

I have my wonderful and inspiring sister to thank for this post. She wrote a great quote and shared it. It went something like, "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is that small voice that says, I will try again tomorrow." When I looked it up, it was written by Mary Anne Radmacher.. Wonderful quote. 

And how true it is. LIfe rarely demands huge, couragous acts. Once is awhile, however,  if you're tuned in and listening to your heart, you'll be asked to stand up, speak out and act with greatness that places you above your day to day grind. But, in reality, life isn't the unfolding of a hollywood movie plot, its the small moments we encounter everyday that become our lives. 

I've been riding a high for the last two months or so, lapping up the sweet feeling of zen and fully embracing the wonders of true unattachment. All has been going well, that is, until yesterday. And it was nothing inparticular that brought my energy down, just the accumulation of a few things.....and in the grand scheme of things, I always remember that "this too shall pass. And I know it will pass. I am also reminding myself that courage comes in all forms and in all sizes. 

My energy might be down, but that is the nature of life and tomorrow is another day. 

We are all emotional beings, with minds that just don't want to stop. You'll really know what I mean if you've ever sat and tried to meditate. I say "tried" because, well, meditating is hard to do. It's really tough for most people. And that's no coincidence. We live in the mind, consiously and unconsiously. It's like a tap that doesn't stop dripping, a wheel that runs by that hardworking hamster going and going and going. 

And we can't seem to make it stop. We think, we worry, we plan, we dissect, we pragmatically work through things, and we are forever caught in a cycle of think, act, sleep, wake, think, act and sleep and so on and so on. 

But, there is light at the end of the tunnel with this. I promise! And it starts with simply becoming aware of the breath. Bringing awareness to the breath begins the beautiful process of unfolding our true beings and being able to step into the "witness" part of our beings. When we simply become aware of our own breathing, we open the sacred and special place where we can become the "witness" of our thoughts and actions. We get to step out of ourselves and take a break. We get to actively see ourselves from a different place and are no longer in reaction. 

Take a moment now to check in with your own breathing. Thoughts will arise, but just simply let yourself become aware of them. Feel the sensations, breathe, and watch the thoughts float on through. Need more structure and help? Try this:  Still need more, step-by-step? Here's some tips

We can't stop our thinking minds from being what they are, but we can change our relationships to them. 

See your light, 
Namaste
Leanna 

I have always been a mover. Literally and metaphorically, I have always been on-the-go and changing and looking for the next place to grow my roots. Case in point: my first six months of maturity leave were bliss--total new-mommy bliss. But, soon, I started to want more. I wanted more for myself. I wanted to grow and deepen my journey of self-expansion and connection to something much bigger than myself. 

Moving is creating. And it is when we change, shed old skin, that momentum is built and brings forth a new path for us to explore. Enter my heart project, my Growing Roots Yoga. Simply put, it is a way to keep myself moving and to share that experience with others. 

The beauty of this project is that it needs nothing from me, but the force of momentum from others and the trust that the universe works to make all things come together at the time and place they were meant to. All I need to do is simply breath and release myself from any attachments to outcomes and understand that ultimate control over a project does not foster the grassroots movement it needs and desires. 

Ahh, to exhale, release and simply be. 

Namaste