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The Inner Voice
A weekly newsletter from Debbie Jensen-Grubb, RYT500
July 29, 2013 - Issue 43
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Quick Links
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This weeks reading can be seen here at The Daily OM.
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To access past issues click here:
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| The Daily Yoga Poses Poster | |
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Testimonials
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Namaste!
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Why do we have dreams? We all have them. Something that drives us and that we must do or we would go mad. I don't mean the type of dreams that you have when you are sleeping (though they can help you along your journey to your dreams), I'm talking about the dreams that inspire you, that call to your heart, and define who you are. It's something that naturally draws your attention, is part of your DNA makeup of some sort, and that you can immerse yourself into for hours on end.
Following your dream is challenging. I think because many times in order to follow them you must first learn to lead your own life. We come into this world all ready hardwired with our dreams and then must begin the process of learning to trust our intuition, to stand for ourselves, to make the hard decisions that is right for us - even if it upsets others, and be patient as we await the proper timing of Spirit to move things into place as we work on what we can do.
Having a dream is the gift that allows you to use your gift to serve others and contribute to this magnificent world. I had the dream of becoming a nurse since I was 12, but I wasn't able to become a nurse until I was in my 40's! Life happened along the way and it didn't include going to nursing school at that time. Sometimes we have to wait to achieve our dreams.
After being a nurse for many years, I began to turn more and more towards holistic medicine. I began to realize that I could help others even more so through yoga and, since I was all ready teaching, I moved into that venue full time. It was a hard decision to leave what I had believed was my dream for so long. Then I realized that my true dream was in helping others and I could do that in many different ways, not just one. When I was 12 being a yoga teacher wasn't even in the realm of possibility, so nursing became my dream.
It's funny how life ushers you into the direction that you are meant to go, meeting the people you are meant to meet, gently coaxing your missteps, planting seeds in your brain, and waiting patiently as your dream must lay dormant for years. Then one day when you can again begin to allow yourself to feel the pull, you begin to take the actions that will make that dream come true. The moral of this story...never give up on your dreams, even if you have to wait a while before they come true.
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| Mantra | |
A mantra is a sound or phrase that aids in the concentration of meditation. It is a Sanskrit term and literally means 'instrument of thought'. Here you will find a suggested mantra to use during the week (from Louise Hay's 'Heal Your Body'). Just repeat it whenever you need a lift.
I go beyond my parents' limitations. I am free to be the best me I can. |
| Joke of the Week - hee hee | |
"Sir, What is the secret of your success?" a reporter asked a bank president.
"Two words"
"And, Sir,what are they?"
"Right decisions."
"And how do you make right decisions?"
"One word."
"And, sir, What is that?"
"Experience."
"And how do you get Experience?"
"Two words"
"And, Sir, what are they?"
"Wrong decisions"
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Daily Yoga Practice
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 The key to success in yoga is to do it daily. It's not enough to just do it once a week in your class but to find a way to incorporate it into your daily activities. It could be as simple as bending down to put your shoes on instead of sitting down to do so.
Or doing a simple standing backbend when standing up from sitting too long. Standing in Tadasana with your feet together while brushing your teeth will help your balance, core strength, and focus. Keeping your heels on the floor when reaching for something on the top shelve, or holding onto the edge of the kitchen sink and leaning back with your knees slightly bent so that your body makes an 'L' shape after doing the dishes, are some simple ways to bring yoga into your life.
As you can see it is easy to include a little yoga stretching in your day. Be sure to include one of each type of the following stretches at some point into your day:
1.) Standing posture with legs wide
2.) Forward bend
3.) Backbend
4.) Twist
5.) Balancing pose (standing on one leg)
6.) Hip Opener
7.) Foot / Toe Stretch
8.) Reach Overhead
9.) Squat
10.) Supine Pose = Constructive Rest Pose - lying on the floor with your knees bent >
Savasana
Primarily think of your joints, each one should get a good stretch in every direction that the joint moves in and each must bear weight a bit - everyday. Be creative. Think of the things that you do every day and how can you add a simple 3-breath stretch into that activity.
You will be amazed at how quickly you begin to see results when you add even just five of the above movements to your day with mindfulness and awareness. Give it a try. I give some suggestions on how to do this in the above video. I'm sure you can think of many other different ways to include them in your life. You'll achieve yoga success when you take the time to add some simple moves into your everyday life.
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Nutrition Prescription - Calendula
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 I discovered this pretty little herb when I was searching for a flower with a yellow color to brighten a spot in my garden. Little did I know that I had stumbled upon a veritable dynamo of an herb as well!
It's official name is Calendula Officinalis, but you may find it at your neighborhood garden center under other names such as Butterwort, Sunbride, or Pot Marigold. It is not related to the conventional marigold species that we are familiar with, but it is related to the daisy so sometimes it can bring up allergies for some people.
When planted in your vegetable garden it is said to repel tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, eelworms, and aphids. It will reseed itself so that it will return year after year. What an added bonus! It adds its cottage charm to the garden with it's lovely yellow flowers even as it is working to keep your garden free of pests!
The flower is the part of the plant that is used mostly for external medicinal purposes. It is used to make infusions, tinctures and ointments and is a common ingredient in salves. It is best known for its ability to help soothe skin problems. Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent, anti-fungal, antiviral, and immunostimulant properties making it useful for disinfecting and healing cuts, sunburns, diaper rash, bedsores, ulcers, chapped dry skin and lips, and insect bites. Directly rubbing a calendula petal on bee and wasp stings is said to relieve the pain and swelling.
It can also be taken internally and is used in teas, vinegars, oils, and the petals can be sprinkled right into your salads and foods which can lend a pretty yellow color and a mild taste to them (much like saffron does). I read that the one that is best for culinary purposes is 'Pacific Beauty'.
When reading about all of the wonderful things that this herb can do it seemed that the recipes were so easy! In making the oil you simple pick the flower and drop it into the oil for 2 - 3 weeks to let it infuse, strain, and voila! you have your medicinal oil to rub on your skin. Here is the link if you are interested in making your own calendula products:
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Ponderings - Believe In Your Dreams
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 Your dreams are given to you for a reason. We are each a part of life's puzzle, the perfect piece in just the right spot that completes the picture of existence for all.
Even as we are part of a broader picture we each carry our own responsibility to find our way and serve our purpose. It is a challenging journey that does not come with any instructions or directions to help us. We have only that quiet voice within that guides us as we are traveling through life. The majority of people have lost connection with that part of themselves that will lead them to their dream and so they never reach their destination.
It's never too late to carry out our dreams. Some of the most familiar names known today are from people that were successful in their 'later' years. When reading these success stories many of the people didn't even consider their success' 'dreams', rather they just got an idea in their head and began to set about accomplishing it.
How many times of you gotten an idea but didn't act on it? Later you may have even heard of someone else who successfully did and remembered that you had that some idea at one time. It shows how special it is when someone commits to an idea and sees it through to fruition. Perhaps that idea was really the quiet voice of intuition that was guiding you but you poo-pooed it and didn't think that you could ever accomplish it. How often have you discounted yourself when an idea crossed your mind? A dream begins as an idea and when one little baby step is taken towards making it a reality, a flood of support appears from sources that you never even knew existed!
Luckily you are always in contact with your inner voice, and it is always throwing out ideas to you, in the hopes that one day you will grab ahold of one and then trust, commit, and fly with it! Not that it is an easy journey, nor is it achieved immediately, but that one idea/belief speaks to your heart and, as life moves you along with its twists and turns, you never gave up on it until that one day you recognize that your dream has come true. Perhaps not in the fashion that you had first envisioned it but, because of the detours you took along the way, a fuller and more expressive intention than you could have ever imagined!
If you have a dream, begin to pursue it. If you have started the journey, continue. If you have no idea what your purpose is, become quiet and listen. Don't dismiss yourself, you were special enough to be given the idea, know that you have the strength and talent to follow it, no matter what anyone else thinks! Then trust that once you are committed to your idea, those doors will open and those people will appear, to begin to make it happen. If not, learn to breathe, learn patience, learn to think outside the box, and learn...to never give up on your dream.
(Click on the words above)
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This newsletter marks my one year anniversary of sending out The Inner Voice for all to enjoy. Thank you so much for subscribing, reading, and sharing with me how much this little bit of my heart has helped you in your life. I look forward to posting more videos, information on healthful living, and my curious ponderings about life in the next year. This started as just an idea and now it is becoming a part of my dream-come-true. May all of your ideas blossom as fruitfully and bring your dreams to reality too!
Thank you!
Hugs and Namaste,
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Please join me in my next workshop...
Yoga Nidra
August 4, 2013
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
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