yogawitch

Keeping practice simple

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Daily practice is important. It helps to connect us to our spiritual path, and to anchor us into our lives. Committing to a daily practice isn’t always easy. We often simplicity-01want to rush down the road, and simplicity gets pushed aside for complexity. I see this a lot in yoga. We often want to jump into the complexity of inversions and arm balances, and only use sun salutations as a warm up. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t reach for things that are complex, but we have to start where we are. Simplicity invites us to start at the foundation. In yoga, this may be simply showing up to your mat, having a seat and breathing deep
ly. Yoga is harmonizing the breath, the body, and movement into an integrated, embodied flow. Simply breathing is where we start, anything beyond that is magic.

Where are the foundations of your practice?  How often do you return to check in with that base layer of your Great Work?

In yoga, much of the other more complex poses and sequences are found in sun salutation. There is so much that happens in those 12 asana. There are some months, where I solely focus on building this base. Coming back to sun salutations, not as a warm up to my practice, but as the practice it self. There are some days when rolling out the mat and sitting on it are enough.

From that place of simplicity, I find myself able to reach for the more complex aspects of my practice. When things get out of control, or more difficult to manage, I return to the foundational work. I pause, sit and breath… from there I move, and I build until I arrive at a place that feels right for that moment.

How we define simplicity will vary from person to person, and practice to practice, and moment to moment. This is just an invitation to explore what you are currently doing, to invite simplicity into your work.

 

 

Pilgrimage to the Heart (Part 2)

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543428_10200973243806535_281176769_nI’ve really been taking my time writing this follow-up post.  There is a lot changing for me, not only in the way I am personally engaging my spirituality and path, but how I am relating to other.  Lots of wonderful movement is occurring, and my biggest lesson is stepping back and allowing the changes to take place.  I think too often I get in my own way, I feel that I “have to do”, rather than just hold presence.  Taking the trip to South Carolina opened me up to a lot of things that I needed to see.  I won’t be sharing all of the changes here, as those are meant just for me.  My journal is now my constant companion, as is a mala (I take different ones out depending on the day, my mood, and which one calls to me from my altar).

I had the opportunity to sit with my past in interesting ways.  I found a stack of my old journals.  Many of them leading up to my transition to DC, and I even found one that I kept for my first year in the Navy.  Seeing my personal transformation through these texts really brought me into a deep place of gratitude for where I am, and all the beautiful trials and tribulations along the way.  Getting to be with family helped me to root, to ground, and to just be me for a bit.  I didn’t have to be a teacher, a student, a psychic, a healer, and sometimes when we have the opportunity to step out of our roles we shake the wrinkles out–then we put our multicolored coats on once again.

Now that I am back into my routine, I am getting to live a lot of the changes that I experienced on my Pilgrimage.  I am in the process of de-cluttering my life on many levels (internally and externally).  I am looking at where I am and where I am going a bit differently, and am allowing the changes to take place through a place of deep and unconditional trust.  I am reconnecting to part of my path that are calling to me, and am being kind to myself a bit more.

Spiritual transformation takes many forms, and sometimes we have to step into and out of our lives to gain perspective.  One of the things I did when I went to on my trip was to ask the universe to give me clear signs as to the changes I needed to make… and so my perception opened, and I listened deeply.

I’m going to be writing a series of articles relating my processes moving forward and reflections on the deeper changes that are taking place.  Fasting, writing, loving, being, meditating, yoga, silence and a bit of solitude are now part of my experience.  My processes are mine, but it is my hope that we can share, learn from one another, and grow through the beauty of our shared experience.

 

What changes are you making, and what is changing you?

When you venture into a retreat, take a pilgrimage, or attend an event–how do you integrate what you bring back from the experience into your life?

 

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine.

Michael A Brazell

Michael@michaelbrazell.com

http://www.michaelbrazell.com

 

Pilgrimage to the Heart

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I’ve been moving through a lot of new energy over the past few months.  Things are manifesting, growing, evolving and in that process sometimes we can lose perspective of what is necessary and calling us from our core.   Sometimes, in order to gain/claim perspective it is important for us to step out of our normal space and into another.

I am taking a trip home to SC.  To me, this is more than just a trip to see my family (which is also equally important), but it is also a time for me to gain some perspective on things in my life, my training, what I am creating, and who I am.  Going back to a place that is home, a place where there are deep roots is great for this purpose  I am taking this time to also clean up/out some things that need cleaning.  I am going raw for the time I am down in SC, taking minimal stuff, and making a plan to completely declutter my life when I get back.  I am planning to do a lot of writing, contemplating and just enjoying the trip.

Pilgrimages can be done in our own backyards, and this is another thing I am gong to do when I get back.  Taking time to just be in our own energy, to explore what is right around us, to see Her mysteries moving through and with us, and to be in the presence of our own divinity.  I plan on making changes when I get back, some big, some small.

One thing to keep in mind when planning to take on something like this… a pilgrimage should not be an escape, but should be an action of moving into something.  What are you seeking, what is seeking you… what steps will you take to do the work?

I’ll post more on this later, but wanted to get some initial thoughts on this blog before I head out.

What are your thoughts on journeys, pilgrimages, and detachment/perspective work?

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine.

Mike Brazell

 

Finding Stillness

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thIn a world that is moving at the speed of thought, where do you find stillness?  How do you define this sometimes elusive concept?

I find stillness in yoga.  There is movement occurring with my body, but my mind and my awareness are centered within.  There is stillness on my mat, the earth she holds my space and keeps it sacred.  I can feel the space between the inhale and the exhale, and stillness rests there.

I also find stillness in the hustle and bustle.  Every morning I get on the metro train and make my way to work.  I like closing my eyes and getting lost in the rumble of the train, the ambient noise of those around me, feeling whole within that presence.  Sometimes stillness is not about holding ourselves apart from the world, but going into it more fully.

There are times when we need to rest the senses, to take a break, to reconnect to self.  This can be as simple as a warm soak in the tub, or taking a trip into solitude.

How do you define stillness, and where do you find it?  Where does it find you?

You are Loved.  You are Beautiful.  You are Divine.

Namaste.

Mike-

Touching Oneness

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onenessThe other day at the metaphysical shop I manage I had the joy and opportunity to talk to one of customers about oneness, and what it means to be connected to “the all”.

The conversation started with him asking me about meditating and using meditation to enter into higher states of consciousness and alternate realities.  Usually when someone brings this type of discussion to the table my first question is, “Why do you want to go to those places?”   His response was, “Because I want to feel like I am one with everything.”

Often in “new age” paradigms we look at these “jumps” in consciousness as ways to access a higher state of connection to those around us, to the world, or to God Herself.   Ram Dass states it best, that as we move “up” through these realities we are actually just entering into other states of illusion.

So, as we sat, I aligned my souls, and asked my intuition what the best answer would be in this situation, and this is what she said:

“Beloved, as your feet touch this beautiful earth you are connected to all that is.  As your lungs take in the air that sustains your life force you are connected to all that is.  All that is exists here, and now.  The leave the beauty of this reality is to escape true oneness, here oneness is tangible.  When you leave the body, the oneness you are feeling is temporary, brief, and powerful.  Your purpose is to find that same connection here.”

We both sat with this for a few moments, and took a deep breath… made a point to feel the earth beneath our feet and appreciated the oneness we were able to encounter.

We often forget that we live life in this reality.  We have to find those moments of connection here in this plane of existence.  Everything on earth is connected beneath our feet, our sacred Mother Earth holds all.  Our breath is our shared religion.  We all breathe and share the air around us.  The universe pulses to that primordial exhale, that big bang of creation, the inhale was the gathering of the forces needed, and here we are… an extension of that initial orgasmic breath.

Here is a quick exercise to embrace the oneness all around you:

  • Stop and breathe deeply.
  • Exhale just as deeply.
  • Feel the earth beneath your feet.
  • Take a slow step forward, feeling your foot fully connect to the earth.
  • Now the other foot.
  • Breathe in.  Feel connected fully to the air filling your lungs
  • Breathe out.  Feel the air you exhale fill the space around you.
  • Feel the limitless earth kissing your feet.  Feel the presence of all that walks this earth, all that has come before, all that will come after.
  • Feel the air around you embracing the limitless space around and above you.

You are Loved. You are Beautiful. You are Divine.

Namaste and Blessed Be.

Mike

 

 

Defining Wellness

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What is wellness, it is a word that we hear tossed around a lot in fitness, nutrition and spiritual circles, so let’s take a deeper look.
Wellness (as defined by dictionary.com)
1.the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.
2.an approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.
wellness2There is a reason the fitness industry is a multibillion dollar a year industry fitness and wellness are overwhelming topics.  Even in the above definition you will see several trigger words that can often act to cause confusion and a surrendering of power to those you think know more than you.  When engaging fitness, wellness and nutrition it is of course important to seek out guidance and information, but we MUST still engage our intuition and discernment.  Too often do I see people toss out intuition and discernment with the promise of quick results, and impossible goals.  In the above definition you see the following:  state of being healthy, deliberate effort, and prolonging life.  These phrases are ones that can cause the most confusion when making the decision to move into a place of greater health and well-being.
One of the first things that you should do is make a commitment to YOU.  What are your reasons for wanting to move into greater states of health.  If you do not have a journal by now YOU SHOULD. Journals and logs are your best friends on the spiritual journey, and fitness/wellness are part of that journey.
Keeping a journal is one of the first ways to bring wellness into your life.  A commitment to daily logging of your calories, your workout routines, but also your intentions, moments of gratitude, your emotions, insights, dialogue with your intuition, anything and everything.  A journal is sacred space, and too many of us keep a separate journal for each aspect of our lives, this can often divide us.  Keeping one journal (for at least a while) where you write everything allows you to get an overall picture of where you are.  I know many people like keeping electronic journals, but often with these you only get narrow focus on what is right in front of you, non-electronic journal allows you to flip forward and back, to shift around, add notes to, cross things off.
One of the reasons I am stressing the importance of a journal is that you’re going to need it for the next part of this blog.
In order to move into wellness, healthy living, and fitness you’ll first have to define what these are to you.
What does healthy living mean to you, what does it look like, feel like, and what would it take for you to move in that direction?   These are questions to meditate on in your journal.  Contemplative meditation allows us to arrive at our own definitions.  When we OWN wellness, fitness, and health we can begin embodying those principles.  We know where we are, and are less likely to linger in murky waters.  Remember also that your definitions can change daily, and should.  As you grow and evolve on your path to wellness, so will your definitions.  What changes are you making, and what is changing you.  Some days emotions may dictate you take a day off, others those same emotions may dictate a powerful workout to burn off energy.
What are your intentions for moving towards wellness, fitness and healthy living?   Intentions are more important than goals.  Often when it comes to fitness we set goals that may seem impossible, “I am going to lose 15lbs in 3 days!”, or “I am going to work out 7 days a week for 6 hours a day” or any number of the passing fads that present false promises and unrealistic goals.  Intentions are much deeper, they are in the moment, they have greater purpose and we can live them now.  An example would be “Today, my intention for my great work of wellness is to love myself through the movement of my body, to nourish myself with greens, and to breathe in this moment fully.”  Intentions can be single words that you carry with you through the day, “Today I carry love in all my actions, thoughts, words, movements, and nourishment”.  Find what works for you.  Setting intention allows us to have a place to start, it allows it to show up daily and to commit to our life fully.  In a later article I’ll talk about setting positive/healthy goals that are in alignment with your intentions.
Make lifestyle changes.  Wellness and Fitness are a way of life.  When you feel healthy, whole, and nourished you are able to rest more fully, engage your life with more passion, and wield magic from a place of full power.  Your journal allows you to look back on your journey, to see where you were, where you are growing, and where your struggles exist.  It allows you to find appreciation and compassion for ourselves.
In coming articles I’ll take these ideas deeper, we’ll move towards lifestyle changes, and as always feel free to post your questions in the comment section below.
What holds you back from moving towards health, wellness, and fitness?
How do you define health?  Wellness? Fitness?  Are these definitions mutable or are they rigid?
You are ALL loved.  You are ALL Beautiful.  You are ALL Divine
Namaste and Blessed Be.
Mike Brazell CFT CSN MAT PAT

Getting In the Flow and Honoring the Path

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Getting into the flow.  We use this phase a lot in yoga, and it often pokes its head up in other spiritual circles.  What does it mean to be in the “flow”?

For me, being in the flow means honoring my many parts, coming into alignment with self, and engaging my path fully.   In honoring my path, I am streamlining, focusing and giving attention to those parts of self that need to be watered and fed.  This blog is one of those parts of me that I am going to start breathing new life into.  I am also going to be doing a new show on my BlogTalk Channel focusing specifically on what it means to be a Yoga Witch.

I am also going to make this a place where we can grow as a community, as a family, to learn to make magic of our yoga, and to let our yoga be the embodiment of our great work.

I want to hear from you.  What are things you’d like to hear about?  The topics can be nutrition, fitness, spirituality, witchcraft, healing, etc?  Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments section below, and I’ll be checking back frequently.

I am also planning on doing book and video reviews, and posting meditations and yoga flow sequences.

When the time for growth, evolution, and change presents itself it can be a scary venture.  This is the time to step into power, and to claim who we are fully.

What are you resisting?  What are you honoring?  What helps you step into power?

 

You are all Loved.  You are All Beautiful.  You are all Divine!

 

Namaste

Mike