NEW YEARS EVE REFLECTIONS~ Being Present to What Is As It Is

                 VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK~ New Year's Eve, 2014
                                   Reflection on Being at Ease with What Is.
Hello all. As I sit on this New Year's Eve morning, many posts have been made about making or not making resolutions for the New Year. I am left with this simple yet ever challenging proposal.
What if we truly accepted what is, as it is, in each moment? 

What if we experienced each moment unfolding through the eyes of divine spirit and not through the perception of ego and its never ending tendency to judge and separate? What if? Could you? Would you? What if the path to true happiness was actually already here just waiting for us to stop splitting our experiences up into the good the bad and the ugly? What if the only step we needed to take to open to this reality is to stop reaching for some illusive definition of happiness outside of us? What if we took deep breaths in each and every moment as a cue to stay present to what is unfolding right in front of us , and experience life as it is?

This sounds so radically simple that our egos will surely hit the reject button stating this is too simple to be true. The TRUTH is THAT SIMPLE. 'What we are seeking we already are' is a famous Zen quote. The only way to even notice that is to radically STOP splitting our experiences and attention up into various mental and emotional forms of judgement, complaint, separation and distraction. The lens by which we choose to perceive life through determines all of our experiences. If its the lens of ego we are limited. If its through the lens of spirit, we are infinite.

When we practice actually being present to what is, as it is, in the moment, an amazing phenomena occurs with the egoic mind. It begins to get quiet and an innate sense of intuitive clarity begins to emerge and experienced. We connect to spirit to the degree we disconnect from ego. How? Breath by breath, moment by moment. By making the choice to truly accept what is unfolding as it is in each and every moment, we begin to dissolve the illusive veil of ego that had us believing we were a compilation of lack and flaws fueling our ever present anxiety to self improve . This is the crux that drives New Year's resolutions and we know they have the staying power of roughly 2 weeks before our egos resume their conditioned patterns of stagnation and status quo. Know this, egos hate change and loss of control!

What we begin to get a glimpse of when we stay present to what is unfolding, as it is and truly accept it, is our true Self which is one of divine light and consciousness. Where true abundance and prosperity expresses itself through our integrated presence. Where we shine with the truth of our being as a reflection of the unity of all things. Where we orient our lives through the eyes of spirit, the divine, the creator of all that is, God, call it what you may.

     It all begins with a simple choice. Breathe deep, stay present to what is unfolding
, moment to moment and truly accept things as they are.Pay Attention. What you give attention grows! Notice what you are enthusiastic about and what nourishes you deeply and honor those things daily.  Be deeply present to what is unfolding right in front of your eyes. 

  The Buddha said we do not need to seek some enlightened teacher, our teacher is literally right under our noses! "What we are seeking, we already are. "When we make that shift to align with the truth of our Being and the truth of reality, we also begin to powerfully align with our dharma, our unique gifts we are here to give to this world. Our True Self's calling is to be one of service to others and to the planet.

Blessings for a beautiful year ahead of breathing deeply and being present moment to moment.

" A sense of natural ease and happiness is there simply because we've opened entirely to the way things actually are" - Adyashanti

Namaste
Anne Christine

BE THE LIGHT

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK~ BE THE LIGHT

It's been an energetically activated week around here. This Uranus / Pluto square is not a lightweight force. If you have felt some pressures within,feeling more emotionally reactive or sleep disruptions or a lot of unsettled dreams surfacing, welcome to the evolutionary impulse club.

The energy upon us is not gently inviting us to shift and grow,it's forcing us to shift out of very old , limiting and unconscious patterns of mind. This is akin to something bringing you to the edge of a cliff and instead of persuading you to take the leap, actually pushes you off! This is when the saying " leap and grow your wings on the way down" comes in handy!

What's being nudged to the surface? Old fears. Old ideas , concepts, paradigms and conditions of the mind that you have used to define who you think you are. We are all being called to step into a deeper truth, a deeper conscious alignment with who we really are at the soul level. We are being challenged to stop sleepwalking through life.

Life is so fleeting. So fragile. Daily we hear of tragic loss of life via senseless violence. In those shocking moments we actually do pause for a second and take a breath just to try and take in the magnitude of the sorrow of the loss of life. Then we quickly shift and move on to the agendas of our days. I found myself jaw dropped with some local and national stories of violent sieges and then just as quickly,  reflexively scrolled over to check the weather for the day. There is something very disturbing about this ADD in our lives and the reality that we are sensory & information overloaded to the max and getting to a point we cannot even process the depths of what is really occurring on so many levels within ourselves, the nation and the world. Have you noticed the momentum of these tragic losses , or political insanity seems to be increasing of late?

It's time to really take some time daily , first thing when we awaken to meditate and connect to the aspect of ourselves that is eternal,conscious and integrated. Take time to connect with the aspect of ourselves that will not die or suffer or go unconscious. It is only through this daily practice we can truly hope to evolve beyond the multitude of suffering we witness within us and all around us.

BE THE LIGHT. In this season of LIGHT, BE THE LIGHT.During this time of Winter Solstice, BE THE LIGHT. The Winter Solstice calls us to go into deeply to the sacred stillness of this season. To release what is not serving us and open to what is. It's the most powerful step any individual can take. Take responsibility for waking up out of complacency. Wake up out of illusion. Wake up out of the limited version of playing the gift of your life small. Wake up out of the idea that you have all the time in the world. We don't. We only have this moment. Be present to it.

It is only through a collective awakening on a global scale , one individual at a time, that humanity has any hope to evolve into higher expressions of the truth of our Being. The truth that we are THE LIGHT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. We ARE THE LIGHT OF THE DIVINE. We ARE THE LIGHT. WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. Give the gift of meditation to yourself daily. Connect to source, disconnect from the ADD GLOBAL mind. Connect to truth and live from that intention. Our survival depends on it.
Namaste & Blessings for a Conscious Day! Love & Light
Anne Christine

The Power of Conscious Choice

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK~ The Power of Conscious Choice

Namaste All~ Tis the season for unending distraction, events, social gatherings , cooking, overeating, shopping, traveling,meltdowns and STRESS ...... oooops wait a minute! Is this what I really want to choose in honoring the season of Light and Love??? Pull the brake handle for a minute, Take a breath and rewind back to start.

All conscious living begins with intention . Stating to yourself clearly & with commitment how you intend to use your energy day by day and especially now during the holiday season will determine if you create the experiences that nourish you or drain you. If you do not take the time to choose how you really want to celebrate these sacred days then the culture will choose for you and that's often a big recipe for stress. 

Often when we get caught up in the momentum of a holiday season we lose sight and forget that we have the power of conscious choice. We can choose very specifically what we will participate in and what we will not. We can choose how we spend our time, resources and energy on activities that we believe in or activities that drain us, energetically, spiritually and at this time of year financially. To go into debt to purchase items for family or friends as an expression of your love is very skewed. What are some easier more creative ways for you to express your love authentically without creating an exchange of debt for yourself be it financial or energetic. People really do appreciate our time and attention more than anything that comes in a box. 

Part of living a yogic life is to make a commitment to live in alignment with the inherent ethical laws of nature. The first one called AHIMSA means non-harming. I find at this time of the year especially practicing AHIMSA keeps me attuned to the rhythm and balance of life. First principle of any choice we make, Do No Harm. If its exhausting you to run around to multiple events, shopping until you are stressed and irritable, buying things that may have questionable manufacturing practices from countries that do not honor the welfare of their workers, again, we have the power to choose and with the internet now, there are so many other positive options like non-profit sites that do offer thank you gifts for your donations or gifting in a name of a loved one as the benefit of your contribution. 

Changing some holiday habits at first may actually feel like stress as you are shifting your focus from a standard set by someone or something else to one set by you and your deeper convictions and that my friends is the key to living authentically in alignment with your sacred Self.
About 12 years ago I began a tradition of offering a FREE Winter Solstice Yoga class as my way to honor the sacred time of solstice and to open my doors to the community and offer my gifts to have an experience that helps remind them of the true blessings of this time of year. This years class will be Sunday Dec. 21 4-6pm . This is one way I can extend myself and share the love.

Every one of us is a living spark of the Divine endowed with creative gifts. Sharing that aspect of who we really are with each other is truly in the spirit of Light and Love. I hope I can inspire you to share your creative light this season. By giving of our time, attention and hearts we help to embody the power of conscious choice and help to amplify the energy of unity within ourselves, our families, communities and the world at large.

I will leave you with a quote from Pema Chodron,author of dozens of books on Tibetan Buddhist teachings of mindfulness and the only American female, fully ordained Tibetan nun who runs the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. Pema is the embodiment of true wisdom that flows from a conscious heart and mind.
"If you have embarked on this journey of self-reflection, you may be at a place that everyone, sooner or later, experiences on the spiritual path. After a while it seems like almost every moment of your life you’re there, where you realize you have a choice. You have a choice whether to open or close, whether to hold on or let go, whether to harden or soften, whether to hold your seat or strike out. That choice is presented to you again and again and again."

Namaste & Blessings for making Conscious Choices this Holiday Season.

 Much Love & Light to You and Yours

 Anne Christine

The Winter Desire to Hibernate is Calling!

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK~ The Winter Desire to Hibernate is Calling!

   This always happens. December rolls in, we have had a few snows thus far and a few sub freezing days and every cell in my body wants to hibernate by a warm fire. Its always contrasted by the equally amped up tempo of the outside world with the ready, set, go adrenaline rush to shop, cook , decorate and party. What to do?
  I choose to keep it as simple and quiet as I can for these weeks leading up to the winter solstice and the New Year. It's really a sacred portal time to enter into deeper sensitivities on so many levels. Nature has created the stage for us to slow down. Cold, ice, wind and snow to name just a few of the elemental messages.
My thinking mind wants more rest, my body wants more rejuvenation (interesting time for our nutritional habits for sure ) and my spirit wants a place to land and be fully present.

• So this is my strategy.
• For every activity I have in my day I am asking my spirit what really needs my attention today. What are the essentials and what can I let go of.
•  I am making slow cooked meals, chilis or soups etc so that process is soothing and easy and in the right tempo with this internal desire to be warm and nourished.
• I am going to bed a bit earlier so getting up in the pre-dawn dark for my daily yoga practice is doable.
•   Listen to sacred music! One really powerful gift of the season is the amazing music! Fill your space with these beautiful hymns, chants, and songs.  For me thats usually chants and this time of year anything celtic will stir my soul.
•  Honor daily sadhana and meditation practice. There is nothing more powerful for your spiritual evolution than being still! 
• I literally stay out of any big box stores. Its too much for my nervous system. I choose smaller and local shoppes that offer hand made items or unique gifts that I feel are worthy of buying and giving. 

So hibernate? Not quite. We are social animals and we do have this gift of living in a human body within this practical world so its always a task of navigating a beautiful balance between what energy I send and share in the world and what I cultivate within myself. Take the time for stillness, there is no better advice than that! It will nourish you on every level.
Namaste and Blessings for a Balanced Days & Solstice Season! Anne Christine

GRATITUDE AMPLIFIED

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK- GRATITUDE AMPLIFIED

Greetings all! We here in Central Mass are awaiting a significant snowstorm that has levels anywhere from 5 to 18 inches forcasted depending on which way the snow /rain line falls! Thats quite a range! Its made it hectic and stressful for many who are traveling today so blessings for peaceful and safe travels.The flakes have not started yet but they are reportedly on their way. I intend to spend my day with a loooong yoga practice ( my favorite thing to do) and begin some food prep for tomorrow. Keeping it simple works for me.
That brings me to the focus of Gratitude. In the wisdom traditions, the energy of gratitude is a powerful transformative state of consciousness. It has the capacity to shift us out of our alienated egoic self centeredness into a compassionate space of love and belonging.
Here is the key; Its not your garden variety gratitude practice we have been guided to sometimes recite by rote, the people or things we are grateful for but this is a more heart centered experiential way of FEELING INTO GRATITUDE.Rather than list copious amounts of what you are grateful for, 

FEEL INTO ONE SPECIFIC THING you are GRATEFUL for and then LIST 5 THINGS about why you are grateful for this . As you write out or recite those 5 qualities of how that experience, person, place or thing makes you feel or what you truly appreciate in detail ,you activate the power of GRATITUDE to be deeply felt. The transformative energy is within the feeling state as opposed to thinking state.
This practice amplifies the heart opening effect when we truly tap into gratitude. 

Here is one example:
I am grateful for my daily yoga sadhana (practice)
* I feel connected to a wisdom lineage thousands of years old
* I tap into deep levels of peace , joy & well being
* I feel nurtured and supported by these ancient teachings
* My practice supports me living intuitively & creatively
* My practice supports me being a better human being and
contributing to the world in a positive way (my dharma)

Get the idea? So much more powerful! Give it a try.Perhaps make it a daily practice and watch your levels of gratitude amplify and saturate your being !

  Blessings for a Beautiful Day and Happy Thanksgiving To All.

 Namaste

 Anne Christine

Living From the TRUE SELF

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE DAY~ Living From the True Self.

Greetings on this really cold morning here in central MA. We may hear a lot of teachings about connecting to the True Self and to be honest many feel confused on what exactly this is. I have found over the years it is much more easily accessed by realizing what it is not.
The True Self is not your ego or any manifestation of your ego. It's not your thoughts or emotions, memories or conditions.It's not your body, mind or gender. Your True Self is Pure Awareness. Your True Self is the same intelligent force that rotates the planets, moons and stars. The True Self is the co-creative spark of Divinity that lies within each and every soul incarnated as a living being. The True Self is beyond limits and boundaries of this ordinary plane and the True Self has only one intention, for each of us to grow,expand and evolve into realizing our Truth of our Beingness and living from that level of connection and consciousness.
The most powerful way to connect and nurture that connection to your True Self is to meditate, daily and devotionally. Everyday you meditate brings you one step closer to connecting to your True Self. Every day you don't meditate, empowers the false self or ego and in the world of energy, whatever has the larger momentum will determine how and what is unfolding in your life , be it suffering or freedom.
As spiritual beings we all have a deep memory of our True Self, albeit for many it may remain very hidden from our awareness but life has a way of presenting its evolutionary impulse to awaken us from our ego trances and often its through repeated struggle, hardship or challenge that our True Self nudges us to get on the path of awakening .This deep memory is the source of our inner longing to connect to our souls. Its what inspires us to read an inspirational book or take a class that will expand our experience of who we think we are. Longing is the souls calling card to come back home.
We can accelerate our awakening by aligning with the ancient wisdom teachings and practices that guide us to deconstruct the momentum of the ego and allow the natural illuminated light of your True Self to be felt. The path of pleasure and entertaining ourselves is not as beneficial as the path of evolution and that path often leaves one feeling empty despite all the attempts of 'filling up' with external experiences . The Soul speaks to us in quiet moments. It nudges us to BE STILL and FEEL and for many , this is a terrifying prospect because we know we will have to get honest with what we are doing and is it in integrity with our deepest Truth.
The path of the True Self is one of continual growth and that growth is not always easy .Often its quite difficult and painful as we learn to stretch beyond our conditioned limitations. As our identity with ego refines over time , we consciously release the patterns of thought, emotions and behaviors that do not serve our highest intentions . We come to realize it for what it truly is, a program of managing consciousness. We then can use the tools of the ego to support the deepening connection to our Soul.
The ego gets you out of bed and onto your meditation cushion daily or into your yoga class or helps in navigating your day in a way that is in alignment with the needs of the Higher Self which are love, truth, creativity, compassion for self and others ,caring for our natural world and waking up to who we truly are. We can take the powerful step to nurture this intention to connect and awaken to our True Self or we can go on living in a trance of disconnect , disempowerment and illusion that this physical plane of material focuses is all that matters. That choice and it is a choice, has a very deep way of sucking the life force right out of us and leaving us asking the proverbial question" Is that all there is to this life?" Stress and burdens and struggles?
Your true power comes from your True Self! Start today, commit to meditate daily and allow the life force intelligence of your True Self to guide you to transcending your ego and opening to the real reason you are here at this time. We either choose to direct our evolution or the universe will choose for us one way or the other. We are always given a choice. Choose what will support your growth and alignment with your True Self. 

 Namaste and Blessings for a LIght Filled Day! Anne

The Beauty of Baring Our Bones

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK- The Beauty of Baring our Bones .

    As Autumn here in central MA. winds its way down, I noticed yesterday how the landscape was revealing a different kind of beauty. The beauty of the bare bones or branches of the trees. I sat in my yard a bit and just watched the trees with their few remaining leaves flickering in the breeze, about to release. I noticed the symmetry, the artistry , frankly the sculpted essence revealing itself for all to see. Without its adornment of color and leaves, the trees grey , brown , white or reddish branches contrasted against the cloud filled sky as simple yet exquisite imprints against the sky. 

  The unified visual of all their growth reaching for the sun was not lost on me. What might it feel like to strip away what is not essential. What might it feel like to stand in our bare bones and inhabit the essence of our beauty , inhabit the blessing of our human journey by deeply connecting to what is essential. Inhabiting our hearts, our consciousness, our compassion, our joy, our patience, our gratitude , our humility our wonder!
   Each expression like a single branch reaching out into the world but supported by our core that is deeply rooted to the earth. We have a lot to learn from trees. How to be present, how to shine, how to release , how to center and maybe most profoundly, how to just BE. 

What unessential energies or qualities can you release? Worry? Fear? Judgement? Anger? Negativity? Sadness? Take some time and take a walk and really observe what Nature is doing right now. She is settling and preparing for slumber. She is sending deep nourishment to her roots to sustain through the winter chill. She is slowing down! All good guidance for us as well. Slow down, nourish your deep roots and practice just BEing present to what is. Thats the beauty revealed in baring our bones.

 " Innocence of our Divine Nature (Avidya) encourages identification with the everchanging rather than with the inner stillness of the Heart" Nischala Joy Devi 

Namaste and Blessings for Beautiful Day!
Anne Christine

Vibrant Health Tip of the Week-Authenticity as the Calling Card of Spirit

Vibrant Health Tip of the Week- Authenticity as the Calling Card of Spirit 

When is the last time you felt completely authentic? No bars hold, honest, clear, vulnerable, free of others opinions or judgments? Its come to my awareness that to the degree we are expressing our deepest authenticity is to the degree we are aligned with our Spiritual truth.
When we evolve into a deeper alignment with our True Self, many if not all of the previous trappings of the false ego self fall away. False conversations cease, false behaviors vanish and false relationships to self and others dissolve.
What is false cannot sustain when one aligns with your spiritual dharma, your essence. Its the difference between wearing a real diamond and a cubic zirconia crystal. You just will not identify with the falsity anymore.
Many of the spiritual masters speak of this energy of authenticity in the same breath with honesty and integrity . It's a hallmark of our spiritual awakening and journey in life to fully embody our authenticity as a reflection of our commitment to live with integrity and honesty. Our primary relationship becomes one with the soul and source. Everything else flows from that connection.
So ask yourself in each moment, am I being authentic here. Am I allowing this potentially fragile alliance with my soul to emerge more deeply and gain ground over the egos momentum. Am I trusting in the power of Soul and Source to guide me every step of the way especially when fear( the common cloak of ego) may arise?
Next time someone asks "How are you?" pause and try and connect to an honest , authentic answer from the heart.
Namaste & Blessings or an Authentically Lived Day!

Time for a Consciousness Upgrade!

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK- Time for an Upgrade!

Do you ever notice how you start your day has a huge impact on how the energy of your day unfolds? If you oversleep, feel pressured, skip breakfast and rush out the door, chances are the whole day will feel misaligned. If you went to bed at a decent hour (10 pm ayurvedically speaking) , woke up early and did your dinacharya,(daily rhythms) of self care, meditation and yoga , chances are your day will flow with a sense of clarity and ease.

   Our daily rhythms create out daily outcomes. Cleansing is so much deeper that just what we put in our mouths each day. Its what thoughts do we put in our minds, what emotions do we store in our fat, what behaviors do we create in our world? Time for reflection,Time to reevaluate and release habits and patterns that do not serve us at our deepest core self. Time to clear space on all levels so we can feel room to breathe deeply . Time to rededicate to the simple daily choices we make to honor this amazing body temple we have as a vehicle for the gift of life we are given. 

What we think we become. What we feel we become. What we do we become. What we eat, we become. Are you thinking, feeling, doing and eating in alignment with your highest Self? Is there room for you to breathe and gain some clarity about what needs to be released , restored and renewed at this time in your life?
This is a potent time, seasonally and astrologically too, with a new moon coupled tomorrow with a full solar eclipse! Take advantage of the powerful, energetic impulse that is coming through beginning tomorrow and culminating one week from now. Take time to take a deep, belly breath, connect to your body, connect to your spirit , connect to your intuitive, heart center and ask yourself... what am I willing to release that is no longer serving my highest good? Begin your morning with that question and trust whatever guidance your intuition reveals, ACT on that guidance. Take one focused action step that moves you in the direction of clearing out one aspect of your habits, thoughts, emotions or behavior that is not serving you.
Its time and you are ready to grow! We are all ready to grow!
Namaste and Blessings for a heart filled day.  

 All Love & Light

 Anne Christine

Full Moon & Full Lunar Eclipse Cycle- WHAT ARE YOU DEEPLY LONGING FOR?

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK-
Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse question: WHAT ARE YOU DEEPLY LONGING FOR? And a Special Invite!
   This full moon cycle Wed. Oct. 8 (6:50 am) with a full lunar eclipse is all about emotional evolution. It's about making the move now to improve your life. It's about taking steps to fully embody your truth and live more in harmony with your souls deepest desire . It's about becoming a full expression of the true YOU! It's equally about recognizing what no longer serves you and allowing those habits, patterns and conditions to fall away and release. It's about making space for a higher good to come into your life. Why you ask? Because its time!

So.. what's tugging at your heart strings at this point in your life? What's captivating your imagination ? What do you daydream about? What keeps you up at night? These are potent questions to ask yourself. Just in asking the question, you evoke an organic, intuitive response .

The key is to listen deeply and sense what the response is. Use this potent Full moon and lunar eclipse time to tune into your heart center. Place your hands on the center of your chest, breathe in and out from this sacred space and deeply listen to your inner guidance. It will speak to you through sensation in your body, through creative imaginative ideas and through an inspired sense of knowing what is ready to come forward. There will always be an expanded sense of energy in the body around your heart center and a sense of aliveness when you are tuned in. If the energy is coming from ego ( as some clever idea but not in alignment with your truth) there will be a sense of contraction, particularly around your heart center.

  When you attune to your sacred intuition and take the next step to act on it with trust and faith, you are co-creating with Source. It's not necessary to have all the what, when , who and hows all figured out. Thats the reactive movement of your mind speaking to keep you stalled in your status quo. P' Perfection stalls Progress'.  Spirit moves in simple ways. Energy+ Inspired Awareness + Focused Action= Co -creativity. Let the Universe-Source figure out the details. Take action in what you do know.

If we remember and truly embrace the fact  that we chose to incarnate at this time, we chose this particular life with all its unique challenges and conditions, we chose this life as the best vehicle for bringing our evolutionary impulse forward, and YES we chose the conditions of challenge even if they involved deep pain and struggle as this is the path that is potently revealing our truth. No blame game here, just acknowledging our souls journey. It's all happening for our benefit and the universe is a partner with you in your process of awakening.

Intuition will be confirmed by you tuning into synchronicities that are showing up in your life. This is the Universes Intelligent way of communicating to you that you are on track and in sync with your soul so PAY ATTENTION. Take notice at what is showing up in your life.What patterns are you noticing.Specific messages, guidances or insights and opportunities that are showing up in multiple ways, that are being confirmed for you by synchronicities.
SOUL QUESTION:
If your deepest desire could manifest tomorrow, what would it be and what would your life look and feel like?
PLEASE SHARE YOUR RESPONSES BELOW. I would love to hear from you. This is a super powerful time to birth yourself into a more aligned expression of who you truly are and what unique gifts you are here on earth to share. When we announce that intuitive insight and intention out loud to the world, the momentum begins to coalesce in your direction!

** If this conscious path of awakening speaks to you and you want to go deeper to embody your intuitive truth with support, please consider participating in my 7 MONTH INTUITIVE THRIVE SPIRITUAL MENTORING COURSE that will begin Dec. 1. 
Through structured yoga , energy and integrative wellness classes including individual support and accountability partnerships, you will activate and move into embodying a deeper alignment with your sacred intuition and begin to navigate your life from this source of soul wisdom. 

  When we are aligned with our intuition, our lives begin to flow in harmony. Our health heals, our energy soars, our relationships expand and flourish and our prosperity supports our endeavors to share our gifts. In short, we THRIVE on all levels. From personal experience I have learned to Intuitively THRIVE even in the midst of chaos around me. It is possible and I am living proof of that. I am passionate about guiding others to fully embrace their Intuition. There is nothing to gain by living small and hiding the truth of our Being. The world is waiting for you to fully show up!

If this speaks to you at this time in your life and you feel ready to ALIGN, SHINE AND THRIVE, and feel ready to release old paradigms of struggle and isolation, please go to www.openinglotusyoga.com and read all the course details for the INTUITIVE THRIVE SPIRITUAL MENTORING COURSE .
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT, SAVE $100 ENROLL BY 11/1
" There is no other injury more damaging than to amputate oneself from your intuition" Sonia Choquette

If you have any question feel free to reach out via FB messaging or email at openinglotusyoga@gmail.com Namaste & Many Blessings for healing, growth and integration during this Full Moon cycle.
Namaste Anne Christine

It's October & Time for A Seasonal Detox Cleanse. Are You Ready to Clarify Your LIfe Force?

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK~ It's October & TIME FOR A DETOX CLEANSE! Are You Ready to Clarify Your Life Force??

As we enter the first weeks of Fall, nature is busy readying herself for the impending winter slumber. We too need to take notice of this change of season and gift ourselves a FALL SEASONAL DETOX CLEANSE. Within the sister science of Yoga- Ayurveda, it is recommended that we detox twice a year, Fall & Spring as making the energetic shift from summer heat to fall cool and winter cold to spring wet are huge challenges on our systems.

Why cleanse? To decongest our liver that has to process every substance we ingest be it via food, water, air, products we use and have physical contact with and patterns of heated thoughts and emotions we carry. The liver is the responsible for metabolizing complex molecules and keeping our AGNI, digestive fire optimal.
Health is defined in Ayurvedic terms as having an optimal AGNI, one that can efficiently digest and metabolize all energies, creating energy that supports our well being on every level from cellular integrity , organ ,soft tissues, muscle, bones, nervous system and consciousness expansion.

When we take a few weeks to clean up our diets, remove the obvious offenders such as meat, wheat, dairy, sugar, nuts, alcohol and caffeine, we allow our amazing physiology to recoup from overload and clear and renew our digestive fire. We support our cleanse with optimal hydration, rest and whole foods , alkalizing greens to cool the excess heat, a rainbow variety of organic vegetables, simple grains like basmati rice and the traditional ayurvedic detox dish Kitcharee made with mung beans.and some healthy fats to support the removal of the stored toxins via the liver. This includes fish oils, Olive oil or Ghee, (clarified grass fed butter)

After a few days of removing the substances that create imbalance, our bodies get busy removing them from our system via the pathways of the bowels.. We may feel a bit sluggish, or head-achey if detoxing from caffeine, simple carbs and sugars. We may develop some rashes that are signs of the excess heat being moved out through your skin. We may have our sleep cycles challenges either some trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

So one may ask, why do this if I will feel crummy? Because if you stick with it, within a week your will turn the corner and all the energy your body was using to deal with the toxins is freed up and you begin to feel great! Better sleep, energy, skin, bowel and GI function normalize, allergy symptoms can reduce or eliminate and moods improve, balance and expand! These results are all the effects of reducing systemic inflammation in your system. You actually begin to feel what your true nature is , one of vibrancy and health!

If you feel inspired to take this journey, Join me at OPENING LOTUS YOGA'S SEASONAL FALL DETOX CLEANSE , a 4 week course that will begin Oct. 16. All the details are posted on the website. at www.openinglotusyoga.com 

If you want to follow an online group cleanse , there are many out there but two I would recommend are Dr. John Douilard's Colorado Cleanse which starts soon , check it out at www.life-spa.com or Scott Blossom's Fall Cleanse , at www.doctorblossom.com. Both John & Scott are Ayurvedic practitioners and excellent resources.

In Closing, if you do not feel called to support your optimal wellness with a fall cleanse at this time, at least consider implementing the following fundamentals:
1. Go to bed by 10 pm and up by 6am. Optimal sleep is key to health.
2. Hydrate first thing in morning with 16 oz. of warm lemon water and drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Add more if you exercise or are consuming caffeine or alcohol.
3. Cut back on beef and animal proteins in general, Fill half your plate with steamed veggies or greens, one 1/4 of plate 3-5 oz of lean protein and 1/4 grain if tolerated.
4. Eat healthy fats each day, avocados, nuts, coconut oil, olive oil or Ghee. Grass fed butter.
5. Cut back or eliminate processed sugars. This are killers for health.
6. Eat low glycemic and high antioxidant fruits like berries, pommegranates, pears and apples. Choose organic and best to eat alone and not mixed with other things.
7. Consider adding some fermented veggies (org. naturally fermented) saurkraut, beets, carrots, kimchee etc) to your diet daily for the probiotic boost. Building your gut health and healthy biodome, the colony of healthy bacteria is KEY TO WELLNESS.
8. Cut back on screen time and data overload. Take time for quiet meditation, relaxation and being present to nature. Keep a journal of your experiences particularly what emotions arise when detoxing. This is common and they are arising to be released.

Those are some potent tips to get you started on your path to greater wellness. I am happy to support you with this so feel free to reach out, join the upcoming cleanses Oct. 16 or drop an email if you have questions!
Namaste and Blessings for a beautiful day! Anne Christine

Be Still & Awaken Your Intuitive Heart Center

VIBRANT HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK ~
BE STILL & AWAKEN YOUR INTUITIVE HEART CENTER

Today and everyday, create the space to get STILL. To just be. To breathe and sense. This is the soul space and you enter it through the heart center . Breathe long and deep into the center of your chest. Expand the energy field of your heart center by thinking of something you are grateful for and thankful for. Allow that feeling to saturate your entire body and visualize your heart center radiating rays of warmth, love and light 360 degrees around you. Expand that out 10 feet, 20 feet , 30 feet, as far out as feels right to you and in that open heart space, ask OUT LOUD your DIVINE INTUITIVE SELF: What would it take for me to step fully into my truth? Again ask: What would it take for me to step fully into my truth? Ask a 3rd time. What would it take to step fully into my truth? Notice what insight, sense, feeling comes up in the first few seconds after you ask that powerful question. Then SET YOUR INTENTION TO TAKE THAT STEP! 

When we align with our truth in the heart center, the whole universe will align to support us. Look for coincidences and synchronicities as signs of the universe co-creating with you to support your unfolding into higher levels of truth, love, compassion and consciousness. Trust the intelligence that keeps the planets orbiting in the solar system to be there energetically to support your journey.

We are living in powerful times of potentiality for evolving to deeper levels of being. Our planet is calling out for us to show up in a conscious partnership. The world is asking us to show up in a conscious partnership of peace and prosperity vs. the destructive violence of war. This is known as the Aquarian age and its now. We grow or suffer.We are being guided to release old patterns of fear and contraction and open to the power of trust and love. I choose to grow, and expand my level of conscious awareness, my connection and embodiment of intuitive spirit and I invite you to embrace that invitation too! It all begins with the daily commitment to GET STILL and connect to your SACRED INTUITIVE HEART SPACE. Breathe, Feel, Trust and take Focused Action to align with your authentic self. 

 Namaste & Blessings for stillness and open heart connections to your Divine Intuitive Truth.