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Greetings~ The mind... Oh the mind...sure can be a beast of chatter sometimes. I recently taught a yoga class about "freeing the mind" because it's such a master of habit and can cause serious upheaval in our lives when not kept in check. A habit is a thought pattern that requires no decision-making process. We can liken it to a computer program. We program our mind by repetition. Just reflect for a moment how powerful this is. Just by repeating a thought pattern over and over, first it becomes a habit (so we no longer make decisions about it), and most often it turns in to a belief, no matter how wrong or self-degrading it might be. The mind goes on "automatic," and it programs itself by the things we repeat to it. It's actually amazingly ingenious, and can also be detrimental to our well-being if not kept in check. The mind (and ego) should really be the "spokesperson"of the heart, but most often it gets so carried away with itself and its own noise that it completely shuts out the heart. It tries to make us believe it is the only reality, and attempts to do this by always keeping us thinking about the past or the future, and never experiencing the present moment, where it does not understand who or what it is. So how do we take the mind off auto pilot? This can be a number of ways. Tuning in to your breath, physical exercise, and things or people that bring us in to the present, because that's when the heart becomes active, the mind is put on a back burner, and there is more space in the "now." Here are four fun questions to help free your mind and perhaps even change some repetitious thought patterns: - How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
- Which is worse, failing or never trying?
- If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don't like and like so many things we don't do?
- Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
When we free the mind, we free our lives. So take a moment and remind yourself again, that the voice of the heart is in the now, and always about the flow of love. Namaste, Anisha
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Retreat to Renew!
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Our Spring Mountain Retreat to the Prama Institute is just around the bend. Join us for a mountain getaway with yoga, qi gong, meditation, rejuvenation, and friendship. All activities are completely optional!
Spring Mountain Yoga & Qi Gong Retreat
with Anisha and Paul Fraser
April 20-22,
Prama Institute, Marshall N.C.
Friday: late afternoon Pan Gu Yoga class followed by dinner, an evening walk, and a Nine Step meditation to soothe you to sleep.
Saturday: light breakfast and a Pan Gu Yoga practice, followed by a Pan Gu Shengong moving form class and practice. The afternoon is on your own, before we regroup for a late afternoon Pan Gu theory teaching and practice followed by dinner. We'll gather again in the evening for some socializing and a Nine Step Meditation.
Sunday: will look much like Saturday, with Yoga and Qi Gong practice and a 2:00 pm check-out time.
Retreat fee is $340, all inclusive. Email Anisha to register.
Registration deadline is March 15. |
Pan Gu Yoga & Qi Gong Workshops
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March 9-12 with Master Ou
I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts about my experiences with Pan Gu Yoga and Pan Gu Mystical Qi Gong.
Over the years of watching Master Ou very carefully, listening to him and having experiences that were out of my scope of "reality," I saw myself and my life transform. I stopped fighting the doubt about the practice and reached a place of deep surrender. I cannot ignore the unmistakable love, beauty, and healing that comes through not only Master Ou, but also the actual Qi Gong form and now the Yoga form.
I believe we're in a time during which we could be building bridges of unity rather than separation, a time when integrating all of our knowledge brings us to a common purpose for all of humanity, knowing that not one path, religion, or practice is the right way. We can bring Truth and Love through many avenues, and this is my hope with Pan Gu Yoga and Mystical Qi Gong.
What makes this practice so appealing to me is that it can be used in conjunction with any other path or religion; there is no exclusion. I experience a profound strength that connects and aligns my spirit more easily with my other spiritual interests.
During the Pan Gu Yoga class or any of the Pan Gu Mystical Qi Gong classes, there is a powerful transmission during which the foundation of the form is passed to you, and you are able to build on this forever. It's like software being loaded onto the hard drive of your nervous system -- the bridge between the body and soul. I encourage you to take this opportunity and experience something profound being offered to the world.
With love and from my heart,
Anisha
Pan Gu Yoga Workshop with Anisha and Master Ou
8:30-10:00 am, Sunday, March 11
Pan Gu Mystical Qi Gong Workshops with Master OuSunday, March 11 at blue lotus's Studio Hargett location The Moving Form: 10:30 am-Noon Healing Techniques: 1:00-2:30 pm The Nonmoving Form: 3:00-4:30 pm Advanced Condensed Form: 5:00-6:30 pm Register online at Workshops & Events. |
The Truth about Coffee
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A Chinese Medicine perspectiveCoffee is like the great American disguise. It gives us energy, but it covers up our true state, so we don't necessarily know when we're truly tired and needing a rest. Instead we "push through" and go for that afternoon espresso to give us a boost. In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are viewed as the battery for the whole body, the savings account if you will, meaning they supplies the energy for all of the organ systems, or our checking accounts.  When we push and push, the kidneys become depleted, the whole body becomes undernourished, and it starts falling apart in ways seemingly unrelated to coffee or caffeine. However, coffee can cause the most severe depletion, more than any other substance (excluding hard drugs). The feeling of alertness, energy, and mental focus are some enticements for that morning latte or afternoon cappuccino, but over time, coffee takes away the very thing it promises. Even if you're not feeling it, the amount of caffeine even in one cup will make your adrenals fire, putting you in the heightened state of "fight or flight." The adrenals rest over the kidneys. Like a car engine that has run too hot, the same can happen to adrenals that are asked to fire over and over again. They have to be fueled somehow, so they begin to pull Qi (life force) from the kidneys, the savings account of our body. I'm not saying a cup here and there would do this, but those who drink coffee daily will see the adverse effects later in life. Hypothyroidism is becoming more rampant in our culture. The problem isn't necessarily the thyroid, but rather the adrenals that can no longer support the thyroid, causing it to malfunction. Chronic mid- to lower-back pain is another widespread condition. When the kidneys and adrenals deplete, they start to draw life force from the structure, causing the muscles to contract and seize. A better alternative to coffee and other highly caffeinated beverages is green tea. While it still has some caffeine, the oils are not as heavy on the kidneys to process, and there are additional health benefits, like cleansing the blood, clearing heat, and improving digestion. My second choice would be regular black tea. And just a pointer, "decaf" coffee still has half the caffeine of regular coffee, and much more than even black tea! So don't be deceived by the "decaf" marketing ploys; you're still getting a heavy dose of caffeine. |
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What we think
determines what happens to us;
so, if we want to change our lives,
we need to stretch our minds.
- Wayne Dyer
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