This chakra corresponds to strength of will–discipline.  I’m talking about the kind of discipline that is beneficial to your highest good–not the kind that makes you feel like you did something wrong.  This energy center is the seat of self-esteem and commitment.  It’s about self-love and self-fulfillment.  A strong third chakra means that you are confident to be who you really are no matter where you are.  It means you are willing to stand up for what’s best for you even if it’s not the easiest thing.  It means that you’re strong, that you shine brilliantly and become a Light for others to awaken to their own inner power and beauty.  When you have a strong third chakra, you can take rejection from others because you give none to yourself.  You know that it is not you they are rejecting, the energies are simply not aligned for you to benefit them now, or else they just don’t see how you would benefit them.  With a strong third center, you are proud of who you are, no matter what that looks like to anyone else.

So to strengthen your third chakra, visualize or imagine yourself breathing in yellow.  Breathe it in deeply and let it start at your solar plexus but then radiate out into all the cells of your body.  Allow it to expand outside your body into your aura, and even on into Infinity.  Feel how yellow you can be, and walk with your head held high, for no one, NO ONE, can shine the way you do.  You’re the only one of you, and we’d love to see you soon!

Read this Prayer for Inner Fulfillment anytime you need a boost of confidence and Truth about how you are!

Follow your heart ~ it will lead you if you let it.

When I say that your own voice is right, I mean it.  Your own, True Voice, is what is right for you, and no one else is you, so how can they judge what is or is not right for you? And by the way, who am I to judge what’s right and not right for someone else?  …We’ve all done our fair share of that, too, haven’t we?…

So tell us, what is it that you want to say?  What does your True Voice have to tell the world?  What do you need to express to all those people who have tried to pigeonhole you, put you in a box, or completely institutionalize you?  Who are you, really, and what do YOU stand for?

Because when you speak your True Voice, you give permission for others to do the same, and that’s how we’re changing the world.  Don’t sit back and let others do it.  What if your voice is the one somebody else needs to hear?

The other day I had so much to do, but none of it was what I really wanted to do.  So I stopped doing what I had to do and did what I wanted.  Guess what, the rest of it got done, too.

Well, what’s your story? How do you get a break?  Or do you even get a break? What can WE do to change this crazy system?!

I don’t have any kids, so how would I know about this?  Well, I teach yoga.  I teach yoga to adults and to preschoolers.  Trying to get adults to do lion pose and telling preschoolers to do lion pose is a completely different situation.  Lion pose.  Sit back on your heels, make claws with your hands and place them on your knees.  Keeping your eyes open, look up as high as you can. Then inhale deeply, stick out your tongue as far as it’ll go, and roar like a lion.  Repeat a few times. 

Why is that so hard for adults to do?  Surely we know that everyone else in the room is doing it too.  “…But,,,, what if I’m the loudest or my throat makes a funny noise or snot comes out of my nose or, or, or??? ….”

If any of those things, happen, my friend, you just helped the rest of the people in the room let loose a little and be a tiny bit closer to having as much fun in the pose as a preschooler, that’s what if.

So just let the ego go next time you are challenged to approach it, and show it who’s really boss (YOU ARE) and have fun with your inner child.  He or She’s been waiting.

~Sat Nam~
Param Atma

Now I have a different relationship with this integral part of my being. I know it is there to help me to be an individual, but I don’t have to let it rule the roost. Now when it starts to chime in, I will gently and lovingly say, “Oh, hi there, Ego. Yep, I know you’re here, but don’t worry, I’ve got this one covered.” Instead of feeling frustrated that my ego wants attention and wants to “be the best,” I simply acknowledge that it’s my ego, and I go on with my day as humbly as I may. 

Of course when in the learning process of allowing the Self to rule where the Ego is so used to ruling, some days this is easier to do than others, but it gets quicker and easier every time.  Life is such a beautiful and crazy thing, isn’t it? Enjoy!

Last month I wrote about Blossoming Forth from where we are at the present moment, not worrying about whether or not we did the right things (and enough of them) to get here.  Today I am going to present a difficult idea: patience.  If you’re like me, you probably want to just be a fully bloomed flower right now.  You know what you want, and what you want to be, and you want it all to happen now.  Well, that would make the process rather boring.  

Today the challenge is acceptance.  When we are truly living in the energy of acceptance, we are content in this moment, allowing it to be what and how it is.  Instead, most of us live in some other time dimension (that’s not even real).  We look at our roots (past) just to make sure we didn’t miss anything, and we look to the fully bloomed flower we just know we are because either of those places must be more comfortable than here, now!

But in my experience, nothing is more comfortable than here, now.  Nothing else can be because nothing else is.  When you allow your mind to rest in the present moment, not paying heed to its constant begging to go backward and forward, but you simply rest into the observance of the stillness of now, it is Bliss.

So allow yourself to be where you are, now.  Let yourself be how you are, now.  The flower will bloom, but the flower knows best which now moment is right to open another petal.  Rest into the bliss of allowing yourself to blossom one petal at a time.

I warmly invite your comments.  Share with others how you have found your stillness in the present or share your struggles.  You never know who will read and share great suggestions!

Finally, I’ve done it again… made a pretty darn “home-made-looking” video for you.  But, it is a really good exercise to do for your liver!  And, it is simple, quick, and a good way to get moving even if you only have a few minutes.  (I know I talk about doing it 11 minutes twice a day on the video, but any amount of time is better than zero!)

That’s it for now!  Have a happy, healthy, liver-friendly day!

Sat Nam~Param Atma Kaur

~Stretching
~Easy
~For women only
~A bunch of silly postures
~For only certain types of bodies
~For only certain types of personalities
~Making yourself into a pretzel
~Meditation
~Hinduism, or any religion or cult

There are many more things people think yoga is, but it isn’t.  What is it? It is being.  It is being conscious of your being.  That’s it.  Nothing more nothing less.  Other stuff comes along with it, but it’s not yoga. Yoga is just you being you.  It’s raising your consciousness so you don’t give your energy to what isn’t you.  Pretty empowering, huh?

Want to add anything else that yoga isn’t? Or your thoughts on what it is?  Please feel free to leave a reply. 

~Namaste~