Reflect before you Eject

If all our words filtered through our heart before being expressed, how different would they sound? Take five minutes to reflect on the intention of your words. When you speak, how do you want others to feel? A quick breath before talking can alter the tone of your words completely.
Suggestion: Don't wait for a four year old to teach you the importance of your chosen words; as my daughter recently taught me, "Speak from your heart Mommy".

Team Italia does Yoga

Italy's National Soccer Team doing Yoga 

According to Barry Petchesky, from www.deadspin.com, Team Italia have incorporated a yoga practice in their Euro Cup training! How brilliant to see the Azzurris in Chaturanga Dandasana! There's no doubt in my mind that their yoga practice played a vital role in yesterday's win over England.
An avid yoga practice not only develops the physical body, but relaxes the mind and energizes the Spirit. Strength is gained from holding postures for minutes at a time, while deep breathing expands the lungs and the mind. So when Team Italia was forced into penalty kicks yesterday, the attention shifted to the mind.
During periods of high stress, our faith relies on our breath and mental state. The mental clarity that develops from practicing yoga, helps overcome all obstacles. Professional athletes push their bodies to unimaginable limits, yet rarely do we hear journalists mention their mental stability. It takes way more than a chiseled body to excel in an sport. The stress they endure is a true testament to the power of the mind. Those who have the capability to connect to their higher Self during a high cortisol moment, are the winning warriors!
To Team Italia - keep that ujayii breath full and deep. Bring on Germany.
Namaste Azzurri!

Yoga in Heels

Take your practice to new heights in 4" heels

Looking at matters from a different angle can sometimes alter your perception. From 20,000 feet in the sky, the world looks like it's populated by ants. From an ant's perspective, everything on Earth is super-sized. The way you look at things depends on whether you choose to exist in light or darkness. Praise the light as you appreciate the many lessons you've learned, and the relationships that continue to elevate your Spirit.

Connect with my Life Coach

Louise Hay Affirmations Card

I'm inspired by many people for different reasons. From Seane Corn (Yoga Mentor), to Gabrielle Bernstein (aka the 'Spirit Junkie'), to Miss Rita Laberee (my 3rd grade teacher); I've learnt something profound. Amongst those that have left their mark on my life, the one person who continues to be my 'life coach', is Louise Hay. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed or my obnoxious thoughts get in the way, Louise's words usually ground me.
This weekend, Louise, along with many inspirational speakers will be in Toronto for the two day, 'I Can Do It' conference. I'm sharing this with you because Hay House (the production company) is offering a LIVE video stream of the event. For a mere $50, you can watch the conference, at your leisure for up to 90 days. I wouldn't write a post on just any event and this isn't just a conference. This is a mind, body, and soul retreat that provides insight, guidance, and life lessons sure to inspire you.
All info is available on www.hayhouse.com in the 'events' category. I encourage you to watch the event, or even read my personal favorite book, "The Power is Within You", by Louise Hay. If you're questioning your actions and reactions, living with anxiety or any disease, feel stuck in unhappy mode or disconnected to your Spirit, Louise's words will change you forever.

A Chance

Image: Where is my Guru?

Chance: a possibility or probability of anything happening (dictionary.com)

Is your "to do" list overwhelming? Are you struggling to accomplish too much in 24 hours? Of course you are! It’s time to give your ego a break and ask for help! Direct your worries to the Universe for some mental freedom.
Take a white sheet of paper and title it: 'Things I Want the Universal Manager to Do'. Begin each sentence with, 'Wouldn't it be nice if...' and pour out your worry wish list. Be specific; even include deadline dates for some actions to be realized! As you write, truly believe that the Universe will come through for you. Then crumple the sheet, toss it or store it somewhere private. You've got nothing to lose!
As an avid Universe supporter, I've experienced miracles, first hand. I've just been told of this stress releasing exercise by my yoga teacher and I really wanted to share it. You may think it's hokey, but c'mon people, give the Universe a chance! I promise you, I'm not making a cut off of the Universal Manager for every accomplished list. I'm simply sharing an idea that is both time and cost efficient. If you're in, get your Team Universe gear on and release your wish list to higher powers. May the ultimate force be with you.
Keep me posted!

Success is in the Process

Lift your Spirit to new heights

Cyndi Lee wrote, "Most of us are task oriented and understand how to begin and complete a job. But yoga is never finished. It is always about the process, not the product."
So true! We have good days and bad days. On the good days, we're calm, compassionate, centred. The bad days usually start off that way! We're less tolerant, snappy, and easily irritated. Everything works in parallels - nothing too good or too bad ever lasts so long. Good days have the ability to forge gratitude and humility. Bad days however are the true testament of our characters. How we choose to escape from our angry, negative state is detrimental on how our day will progress.
Since I began teaching yoga, people think that I'm this completely 'zenitized' human being. Somehow, they got disillusioned into believing that I live consistently happy, free of judgement, and with complete trust in the process. Not exactly! I try to live that way, but my joy does get overshadowed by anger, at least three times a day. I set my emotions free and then I try to go deeper into what sparked the madness. And then I breathe....and breathe.....and breathe some more.
In my life on and off the mat, I try to be mindful and connected to Spirit. I'm way better at doing this on the mat though. So to avoid the pressure of ALWAYS living my yoga off the mat, I remind myself to be present in every moment. When my fuse runs short, I try to forgive myself and let go of any guilt. Then I reflect on the words or actions that awakened my fire. It's not about how I feel in the end, but rather the way I feel in the process (beginning, middle, end) that matters most. Creating a mental shift to help me get out of the gutter, is the highlight of the journey.
Life is loaded with stuff - emotions, responsibilities, attachments, judgement, criticism, hate, and an overflow of information. These are all hurdles that we jump over every day. Sometimes, I wish I could shut down all the noise that clutters the Spirit. Some days it's easier to do so than others. But the process, on both good and bad days, is where all the meaning lies. Doesn't matter where you finish in the end, but rather how you got there, that's important. Make your life journey way more exciting than your destination!  

11 minute Meditation

Breathing meditation for 11 minutes a day

"If you can rhythmically slow down your breath to 4 breaths a minute, you can indirectly control your mind and slow it down from its obnoxious behaviour". - Yogi Bharan 7/23/08

Admit your Shit

Image: www.glamour.com

Hi, my name is Marisa. This is who I am: a wife, a mother of two, a go-getter who doesn't always finish what I start, a big thinker with a sharp tongue and somewhat of short fuse, who sometimes gets stuck in fear and forgets the beauty of letting go, to simply be.
Now, this is who I want to be: a grateful wife, a patient mother, performing every task in a 360 degree sequence, someone who talks less and listens better, thinks high like a kiddie kite, not a hot air balloon, and has consistent trust in the Universe to live fear-free.
If you can recognize your faults and take action to delete what consumes you - welcome to Spirit Detox! Gossip, resentment, anger, bitterness, envy, guilt, fear all eat away at the Spirit. Often times, we manifest crap solely based on our perception. Perception can be quite the devil. If you want to detox your Self, it first requires defining who you are. Once you can admit your s***, that's when the detox begins.
We know when we're being our best Self - it's when we lead with the heart! There's nothing wrong with the desire to be your best Self more often. Accepting your faults is magnificent, yet wanting to be a more loving you is even more magnificent. You see I know when I'm being my best Self and I definitely know when I'm being the rest. When I'm at my worst (usually when I'm angry) I try to imagine (6/10 times) what it's like to be on the other side. Hmm, not my finest hour! Most of the time, my explosions have nothing to do with the actual situation. That's when I know I'm holding on to too much s*** and it's time for Spirit detox!
If you feel anger is holding you back from being more loving, look into your past to see where it started. Forgive who brought you that emotion and let go. If you feel suffocated by gossip and envy, may be it's time for a friend detox. If you have a friend loaded with toxic crap that brings you down, erase them immediately. Start by shortening your convos by refraining from contributing further. Eventually, you won't be on their speed dial anymore because your not fuelling their fire. If you're stuck in fear, you need to take small steps to overcome your lack of trust. And if your bitter or resentful towards someone, ask yourself if you built this false story in your head, called "The Deception of Perception"! Oh yes, 90% of the time, we're blaming others for what we perceive to be the truth. Reality is, we're being deceived by false illusions of what's really real.
We can all use a serious Spirit cleanse every now and then. Enter with great love and kindness though. Shedding your old ways doesn't happen overnight. The beauty of a Spirit detox is simply being mindful of what's dulling your light and sending it off - Adieu!

What if Tomorrow never Comes?

Image: Where is my Guru?

      

      Don't wait for tomorrow to:

• quit the job that makes you miserable
• tell your loved ones you love them
• cut some stress out of your life
• appreciate the things you take for granted 
• take a baby step towards something you fear
• be kind to a stranger
• forgive someone you've resented for so long
• start a new project
• take a risk
• be the person you always wanted to be
• live in the present moment

and don't wait for a serious illness to take over your life, prohibiting you from doing all of the above!