Did you know that your breath does a lot more than just let you know that you're alive? It is also a gauge for letting you know what your body's experiencing. When you're excited- your breathing changes. When you're scared- your breathing changes. When you're relaxed- your breathing changes.
And, you know what's really cool? Your breathing will change even before your brain registers that anything's different. That's right. In fact... the natural changing of your breath is what allows your brain to register that something is up.
This means that if you can catch your breath right when it changes and slow it back down to a slow and steady pace, then you are going to significantly reduce the emotional impact you're about to experience- thereby reducing your stress!
The next time that you find yourself facing a potentially stressful situation, (as the Holidays tend to be for many) for instance:
Your relatives are mere minutes away from being on your doorstep, you're still prepping food, you haven't showered, and you just heard a crash in the other room that most likely indicates one of your children has destroyed the Christmas tree.....
OR... You're getting ready to go into the biggest meeting of your career. In fact, you future is riding on the impression you will make in the next 20 minutes and you're starting to feel a little queasy...
...before you panic...
try this quick and simple exercise!
It's called the Four-Sided Breath, and here's how it works. Each breath is made up of 4 segments that represent the 4 Elements (Fire, Air, Water, and Earth). Fire represents your physical side, Air is your mental and intellectual side, Water is your emotions, and Earth is your spirit. There are hundreds of different breath combinations, however the one I'm going to give you now is specifically to help diffuse and relieve stress.
All you have to do is begin to count your breath. You will Inhale for a [steady] count of 4. Hold that breath for a steady count of 4. Exhale for a steady count of 4. And Hold that last exhale for a steady count of 8. Try this breath [at least] five times before you go back to your normal breathing, and at the end you will notice how different you feel!
**(A great tip for counting your breath without getting lost, is to count on your fingers. Begin with your pinky, and count each time your fingers touch your thumb. [eg: pinky= 1, ring finger=2, middle finger=3, and index finger=4])**
And that's it! Who knew you were just 5 breaths a way to a more relaxed and easy you. =)
Be well,
and we hope that this helps your lives this holiday [and everyday] to be more joyous, fun, and relaxed!
Until next time,
Cindy
Personal Life Coach, Reiki & MCT Practitioner
Majestic Living
www.majesticlivingnow.com
I'd like to take a moment and share a personal story with you.
The other day I was riding riding the Subway home. I was on the 6 train, and coming from quite a long morning of work. And even though I was tired and hungry, I noticed that my body felt relaxed.
Really relaxed.
My body felt the maple-syrupy warm and mushy type of relaxed. Which took me by surprise because, to be entirely honest, the subway was loud, crowded, and the man next to me smelled distinctly of Jerk chicken... and yet my body felt like I'd just had a full body massage.
When the subway stopped at 28th St., the doors opened, and I felt a rush of fresh cool air. Suddenly, I had shivers and chills all up and down my spine-- my body just felt so good!
And that's when I noticed... That's right. Right there in the underground of New York, on a crowded, loud, dirty subway car next to the man that smelled of Jerk chicken-- I was incredibly, undeniably, hot-and-bothered-ly Turned On. And I'm vegetarian!
While riding that (and I apologize in advance for this one) pleasure wave, I just had to give a hardy laugh.
This experience is a part of what I've been teaching people about. What all the books and teachings talk about, but can seem so inaccessible to put into practice. How walking the dog, doing the dishes, and even riding the subway home(!) can become an "orgasmic experience". This is a part of what I believe is meant by the phrase, "living an Orgasmic Life".
It's not that suddenly you're different, or that you're daily activities change to become more erotic... but it's how you're availability to open up and experience them shifts! When you give yourself the permission to become turned on at any moment, not only will you feel like you've got a secret super power in your back pocket, but you may also notice that the most insignificant parts of your day are actually a huge turn on!
THE OUTSIDER:
The first thing we see, obviously, is a little child clutching the bars of a chained gate, standing on the outside. He or she is clearly the "outsider" here. Upon second look, we can see the child is looking in on a beautiful rainbow... wanting to be let in to this seemingly beautiful scene. And on last look, we discover that the padlock is actually open. Unlocked. If the child would just take a moment to set aside his/her own story and loneliness, he/she would notice that he/she is in his/her own way- keeping him/her from the rainbow on the inside.
The message this card carries today is truly pivotal because it sends 2 main messages. The first is that sometimes we are so wrapped up in our own stories and perspectives, that we actually miss the truth, and the second is that separateness is just an illusion.
If you are feeling either one of these aspects in your life right now- worry not! You are not alone. Luckily, things are not always as they seem.
That said- you have an opportunity to quit crying over feeling excluded, and allow your inner child to find some healing. Take a moment. Take a breath and a step back. And see that you are the only one stopping you from being where you want to be right now.
The second message... the reminder of the illusion of separateness... is also a wonderful opportunity, and a wake up call! Yes, we are cut from our mothers at birth, and we will experience many made and broken relationships in our lives. Numerous beginnings and endings. And at the end of each relationship- chances are we will feel a sense of loneliness.
The illusion this card is speaking of is much bigger than that.
Zen says we are never truly alone, because beyond our skin and brains- we are all connected. In spirit and being, we can never be separated. We are all interconnected so deeply and strongly that those bonds (while we can't see them with our eyes) will never be broken. A great example of this is looking at a forest. While the trees all seem to be individual trees, with their own stories and lives... underneath the ground their root systems are interconnected! As a human, you are like a tree in that forest. And if you are feeling left out, or on the outside- it's only because of your own inner story.
Remember: Stories are not the truth. They are just that: stories. They are not any more or less important than anyone else's, however this week you are being asked to set aside your story and look for the truth. It is time to step into personal responsibility for your life, and connectivity with others.
You are the only one keeping you separate from others and the world around you. And only you can realize the gate is already unlocked-- are you ready to join the Party?
INTENSITY:
It's time to find your own. Hold your own. Embrace the adventure as you seek and discover for yourself in this Present moment!
The element of this card is Fire, and it's message for you this week is intensity! He is the Knight of Fire, and his shape is that of an arrow: drawn with great and intense focus. He is moving so quickly that he appears to be almost pure energy.
Do not mistake the energy and message behind this card! His intensity is not the kind that bowls people over, or chaotically and manically barrels from one place to the next. This arrow is not horizontal, but vertical! And the message is to show up here and now in this present moment. With purpose and a magnified understanding of self.
This card also reminds us that while it is important to learn from the wisdom of others, and to honor and respect our teachers, it is more important to honor and respect out own inner voices. In fact... Zen says to to avoid those past teachings and wisdom as if they were your "deadly enemy" because it is time to find your own source, and not give a hoot what anyone else has to say about it!
You are a one of a kind individual, not a copy of someone or something else. So dare to be original!
You already know what you've been taught. Now your challenge is to discover what no other person can teach you: who you are at the very core of your being.
This week, you are called on to be courageous! Bravely set out to discover who you are and what you are about- moment by moment- and then show up without apology or apprehension! You already are pure Energy, and Intensity. Now is your opportunity to embrace that knowledge and be present with it.
"When you act with the intensity of the Knight of Fire it is likely to create ripples in the waters around you. Some will feel uplifted and refreshed by your presence, others may feel threatened or annoyed. But the opinions of others matter little; nothing can hold you back now."
~Osho
Now is not the time to hold back or doubt yourself. If you've been doing so up till now, you're getting the message to show up, and finally arrive at the party.
This card brings us the reminder that life is about living fully, in our joy and abundance... letting our love and bliss overflow! Allowing ourselves to experience an "Orgasmic Life", so to speak.
The Flowering Goddess also speaks to the giving of ourselves, unconditionally. And through this giving, we shall receive in return. Picture a seed you've just planted in the soil... and it's just been waiting to take root. You are that seed. And until you fully allow yourself to sprout, take root, grow, flower, blossom, and bear fruit [for yourself and others], you will be missing out on one of the best parts of being a flower!
You are being called on now to live life to the fullest. Expand to your greatest potential, stretch to your maximum... allow yourself to overflow into every aspect of your life, until you are so in your bliss and ecstasy that you begin reaching others just by your being. Even strangers will benefit from your glow!
And as you turn your face to the Sun, enjoying the warmth, and sharing your light; open your petals and remember that this is your true nature. This is real Love.
"Welcome the bees, invite the birds to drink your nectar. Spread your joy around for all to share."
~Osho
This whole week, for me, has been dedicated to working through some very old thought patterns. Big, bad, nasty ones that involve a little something called Body Image.... and my issues with it.
Quick Side Note:
[Old and deep-rooted thought patterns always take me by surprise when they come up, because I think I did such a good job uprooting them last time... that they must surely be gone this time. I am always reminding students of this- when it comes to restructuring habit patterns it takes awareness and persistence. But when it comes to me and my patterns....I have no patience whatsoever. I want it all right now. And, yes, even as a teacher and coach-- let me rephrase that.... especially as a teacher and coach, I am on a constant journey of learning new things all the time! ]
Negative body image is not just something that affects a certain type of person. There's no magic number on the scale, or certain features that determines whether or not your body image is one that honors you or doesn't. And, to tell the truth, while it can feel like a very lonely path to be on... you are not alone. I have yet to meet a person that has not, at some point or another, felt ashamed of, or wanted to change something about their body.
Unfortunately, most of the time instead of just loving up our bodies, and then making choices that support them in healthy change- we punish ourselves with our thoughts, words and actions. This abusive treatment can include: over or under eating, harsh thoughts, intolerance, etc... and does NOT, actually, assist the body in releasing the trauma that caused the negative image in the first place. In fact, it feeds it!
If we listen to what Tantra (as a philosophy) has to say about this... it says that there is nothing bad or wrong about having a negative body image, just as there is nothing right or good about having a positive one! What Tantra does say is, "Why not pick the one that feels delectable? Why not choose the option where you feel like a magnificent, ravishing angelic creature that smolders with passion and delights in life's every nanosecond?"
This magical world is one where wrinkles are the story of your life, told through your laughter and emotion. Sagging breasts weave an individual remarkable tale of nurturing and femininity... and in some cases, the story of a woman who allowed another human being to suckle life from her breasts. Our bodies are beautiful, and they deserve to be treated that way.
In a Survey done by the US a few years ago, it turned out that more than 50% of women were more afraid of becoming fat than they were of dying. Another survey revealed that individuals who used to be obese would prefer going blind or losing a limb rather than gaining that weight again. WOW. Do you see how comparison can become a dangerous opponent? There's no way to win against it. There will always be someone taller, poorer, thinner, blonder, fatter, younger, shorter, smarter, richer, etc... than you are. Always.
However...
there is no one else like you in the entire world. You are your own brand, and no one will ever be better, or less, than you.
Imagine you are in an immense forest with a thousand different types of trees. Each one making the forest even more diverse and beautiful than the last. Do you think the Aspen is ever jealous of Pine's dark bark? Or the Redwood feels superior to the Maple because her trunk is bigger? Of course not! And, our bodies are no different. Our bodies are a roadmap of each moment in our lives and choices we've made. They are individual to us, and Magnificent!
With the intention of supporting women everywhere in claiming a healthier body image, I propose this challenge to you, the reader (and, subsequently, myself):
Undress completely, and stand naked in front of a mirror. Take 5 minutes (or as long as it takes) to observe your body entirely: head to food. Get to know the "map" of your body. Now go along, one by one, and notice every freckle, mole, wrinkle, stretch mark, hair, vein, scar, etc... and pause for a moment at each mark to feel grateful and honor it as a part of your awesome body.
You might not be in your "ideal" body right now... and that's OK, because one of the points of this exercise is to begin accepting your body here and now... and not as it will be in the future. And, whenever you feel a harsh thought coming to mind about yourself or someone else....just counteract it with one positive thought, instead! Begin "re-writing" that need to punish yourself for being your Awesome self!
To move forward with positive change, and to experience different results, we must first accept where we are in this present moment.
May you celebrate your Sumptuous Body!
Until next time,
Cindy
Majestic Living
I think an appropriate first post on a brand new blog is one of Welcome and Salutations!
So:
Welcome to the new Majestic Living Blog! May you read and experience each new post in joy, juiciness and abundant whole-being health!
While this blog is for absolutely everyone to read and enjoy, it is also written with the specific intention of connecting women, of all ages and backgrounds, in even stronger relationship with themselves.
Men: not to worry! Every now and again we'll have a post for you, too! ;-) And you are still invited to enjoy and partake in this blog! For any man who would like to learn more about himself, or the women in their lives- how to communicate more effectively- or learn exercises to do by yourself or with your partner- this blog is for you!
Through reading our blog weekly, we hope to educate you about yourselves, others, and the world around you. We will share personal experiences, thoughts, stories, exercises, etc... that will be specifically geared to remind you of your own innate strength, wisdom, sensuality, power, intuition (and so much more) as a Woman.
We will have a new post every week, and in some cases we will post more often than that-- as we move and groove and feel so drawn, so make sure you check in often!
May you read each post in happiness, health, and abundance. And, may each day you come to discover a new.... and Juicier you!
Revel in the Journey,
Cindy
Majestic Living
If you'd like to learn more about Majestic Living and our offerings, then visit us online at:
www.majesticlivingnow.com