... "Flower of Life Aqua Orange" by Filippo B ...
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Beloved Reader!
I hope you are enjoying the caresses of late summer lushness....I know I am feeling grateful for all that is.
The theme of ease continues in this month's offering. It is an approach to life that can be applied to anything and everything that may come your way. Give it a try and see for yourself!
According to Merriam-Webster, ease as a noun is all about release. As a verb, it serves to loosen things up; it smooths and unclogs; it uncomplicates things. Ahhhh.... ease is such sweet medicine.
Although simple, it is not always easy.... For some reason, we seem to have some harsh tape-loops running amok in our subconscious minds. We are driven to work harder, produce more, measure up, try harder, succeed more, sacrifice more.... and more. But are we happy? Are we healthy? Do we feel light and free? What energy do we actually radiate out into the world?
The theme of ease took hold of me last month when I started to delve into how to lose the stubborn middle-aged muffin top that currently adorns my midsection. A YouTube video popped up to help me out, and I learned that it was time to change my whole approach to losing those stubborn bits. It was time to stop fighting. Exercise and careful eating alone didn't seem to be working.
As a woman, and compounded by decades of being a dancer (that is, extra body-conscious), I managed to internalize a lifelong pressure to be slender at all costs. That’s the ideal, right?
Even in grade school, I was watching my weight. In high school, the latest diets were lunchtime conversation amongst all the teen girls. The goal was always how to be thin. But it was superficial thinness; it was never about being healthy.
Sacrifice, deprivation. Good days and bad days. Self-righteousness see-sawing with humiliation. Compliments when a few pounds came off, and silence when a few went back on.
Food became my enemy. Eating was a battleground. But it was so deeply ingrained in my psyche that I didn’t notice.... staying "fit" was just plain hard work.
Add menopause to this mix. Hormonal changes showing me that I wasn’t in control. And the cultural acceptance that aging means inevitable decrepitude..... a heavy burden for all of us. Complications.
The video woke me up to the fact that I was struggling with my weight instead of approaching my issues with ease. A light switch flipped on. I decided that I would try a radically different approach: I would make food my friend.
* Food is my friend. *
I recalled that both a dentist and a doctor had both informed me that I had an issue with malabsorption. My body was not able to take in the full nutritional value of what I was eating, despite my efforts to eat well. The puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place.
As long as I perceived food to be my enemy, I was unable to receive its goodness. There were times I didn’t even feel that I deserved a meal because I had not been active enough to earn it! I had so many subconscious rules and trade-offs about food, and so much guilt about the act of eating itself.
However, when I perceive food as my friend, everything changes. I am able to welcome its energy into my body and into my cells. I appreciate my meals, and I take more time to savour them. I can allow nourishment in, rather than pushing it away. I am even losing my taste for “treats” and prefer foods filled with life force energy. And it doesn’t feel like hard work anymore. My interest now lies in affirming radiant health, along with the feeling of living in a light, strong, and energy-filled body. And guess what? My digestion is improving; bloating and discomfort after eating are falling away. And all of this is easier than I ever imagined it could be. It’s .... fun!
It is said that the subconscious mind runs the show until something wakes us up. Those deeply rooted tape-loops are often set down in the first seven years of life, and are deeply influenced by the beliefs of our families and our surrounding culture.
The good news is that it is never too late to make a positive shift. You can rewrite your inner script. Changing a “bad” habit doesn’t have to be a struggle.... that just makes it harder and sets us up for failure. Instead, solutions can be approached with a spirit of ease. And we can go with the flow instead of against it. Life is inherently kind, after all. Ease begets ease.
Is there anything in your life, dear reader, that you can befriend instead of struggle against? I’m here cheering you on. It takes a village of support, and it takes re-education and practice until the new ways are planted firmly enough to become new, life-giving habits. Take it from me- it gets easier, and the path itself is rewarding and fun! Ease is indeed a Super Power.
I send you Reiki Blessings and Divine Ease.
From your heart sister,
~ Karusia Nirmala
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Back by popular demand:
Bellydance Fun!
Thursdays Sept. 12, 19 and 26
7-8:15pm. @ 21 Nassau St.
$20 for drop in, or $50 for all three.
Shimmying, sensual, juicy dance technique and self-expression for women. Continue the summer vibe! Belts, scarves, and veils provided. Bring your fun-loving self.
RSVP here.
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September Public Classes & Workshops
* Fall classes resume September 9 *
All classes are held in the Amenity Room at 21 Nassau St. Please enter through the garden pathway west of the main doors. The door is unlocked 15 minutes before each class. Mats and props are available.
Mondays (Sept. 9, 16, 23 and 30)
Hatha Yoga 5:30-6:45pm. $15.
Women's QiGong 7-8:15pm. $15.
Tuesdays (Sept.10, 17 and 24)
Restorative Yoga 5-6:30pm. $15.
Thursdays (Sept. 12, 19 and 26)
Hatha Yoga 5:30-6:45pm. $15.
Bellydance 7-8:15pm. $20 drop in or $50 for series of three.
Note: Yoga Nidra will return in October.
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I also have appointments available for
Reiki sessions and Tarot readings.
Please contact me for details. Reiki sessions can be in person or done remotely, and Tarot can be read in person or over Skype, FaceTime or What's App.
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