Swami Ji, the OG

Hello fellow yogis! Welcome to Swami Ji, the OG. I am the Founder of Atma Center, a yoga studio that serves as a safe space for you to connect, move, relax, collaborate and engage. I have been teaching yoga for twenty five years, so I wanted to share all of the knowledge that I’ve collected in a new podcast, called Swami Ji, the OG. I believe that yoga is so much more than headstands and splits. Yoga heals the body. Yoga heals the mind. On Swami Ji, the OG, we are exploring what that means. On this podcast, we are going to delve into the science of yoga. If you are ready to expand your knowledge of yoga, and learn what it can do to change your life, this podcast is for you.

Is Yoga Cultural Appropriation? 04/20/2022

Is Yoga Cultural Appropriation? What is cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is defined as the process by which Intellectual property, artifacts, dance, clothing/fashion, language, music, food, religious symbols, medicine, wellness practices and more are used for purposes that were unintended by the original culture and may even be offensive to that culture. With yoga, this can often be seen through the adaptation of practices in ways that sterilize them for the West by stripping the spiritual aspects of the philosophy, by refusal to use Sanskrit words, or by removing the symbols or stories that exemplify the teaching. Another example of cultural appropriation is at the opposite extreme through the glamorization of yoga through commercialism and marketing. Within the modern Western yoga community, Om symbols, Sanskrit scriptures, and Hindu deities are emblazoned on clothing, yoga mats, and even as tattoos on practitioners’ bodies! After decades of involvement with a classical lineage of yoga, I have been accused of cultural appropriation. Indeed, I do have a Sanskrit name given to me by my guru in India. I use my legal name in my daily, worldly life. When teaching, I wear the orange clothing of being a swami. I wear regular clothing other times, though I do have a lot of orange clothes! When I teach, I use the Sanskrit terms, but I add the English equivalent until my students embrace the meaning. I have statues of a variety of deities within my living space. I also have many other artifacts and works of art from other cultures. I do not feel my choices involve cultural appropriation, rather I believe what I practice is cultural appreciation. As an American within a global community, what hasn’t come from another culture? To me cultural appreciation involves respectfully seeking to learn and understand while honoring the beliefs of others, giving credit to the culture from which information has come, and most importantly knowing the significance of what is being utilized. From the time of my first trip to India more than 40 years ago, I have felt a familiarity, a deep connection with the culture that far surpasses what I’ve felt when traveling to so many other countries around the world. And I believe that my involvement with yoga came from and continues to manifest from this place of deep connection and cultural appreciation. Rather than sanitizing yoga of symbols and stories that have arisen from the ancient culture of India, I appreciate them and use them to further illustrate the depth of the teachings. It’s also important to understand that because yoga is based on the science of living, the symbols and stories that have been associated with yoga are as “modern” now as they were in the past. The history of storytelling is a part of virtually all cultures as a learning tool to help us connect more fully with life and guide us to find our better self. In telling the stories we are offering easily remembered life lessons and this should not be confused with advocating for any religion. The stories help us better understand how the difficulties we face that are the same as those faced for eons across cultures and offer lessons that can improve self-awareness and self-efficacy. Today I will tell you one of my favorite stories. It is the story of Ganesh, one of the most popular deities both in the West and in India. Perhaps you have seen Ganesh? He is the elephant-headed, pot-bellied, eater of sweets! He is also the son of Shiva, who represents the universal consciousness and his consort Parvati, who represents the universal energy. These two forces underpin the entirety of the universe. Shiva liked to go out hunting with his hordes known as the Ganas. These were all sorts of beings that were frightening to be around but were true devotees to Shiva. When Shiva went out, Parvati enjoyed the quiet solitude by rubbing her body with turmeric paste and then bathing. However, Shiva knew this habit and often came home early just to annoy her as happens between couples! After this happened a few times, the next time Shiva left, Parvati took the turmeric paste and molded it into a small boy, then breathed into him bringing him to life. She declared he would be her loyal son and posted him on guard duty outside the door of the house. It’s important here to remember that Parvati is the embodiment of universal energy and imbued her son with great powers. After some time, Shiva came home only to find this strange boy sitting outside blocking the way preventing Shiva from entering his own house! This angered Shiva who tried to push past him only to find this little guy had incredible strength. At this point, Shiva turned to his hordes and told them to destroy the little boy but all failed. This surprised Shiva and in his divine fury a huge battle ensued and at some point, the boy’s head was severed, killing him, and in the chaos of the moment it rolled away! At this point, due to the commotion, Parvati comes out from her bath and sees what has happened. Imagine what happens when the universal energy gets angry! She decided that her only recourse was to destroy the entirety of creation. Brahma, who represents the lord of creation had been out with Shiva and his hordes was a bit dismayed about this, and he began to plead with Parvati to reconsider. Calming her down, Parvati said she would refrain from doing so if two conditions were met. One, that her son would be brought back to life, and two that he be forever worshipped before all other deities. They all agreed that this would be done, and Brahma was sent with orders to either find the head or to bring back the head of the first creature he found. After some time, Brahma returned with the head of an elephant and Shiva placed it on the body. He then breathed life into him, saying Ganesha would become his son as well and gave him the status of being foremost among the deities and the leader of all the Ganas. Ganesha is also referred to as Ganapati, the leader of the Ganas. And they all lived happily ever after. In reviewing the symbolism of the story Parvati represents the cosmic energy that sleeps within us. The process of classical yoga involves the process of purification to awaken this energy, to empower us to reach our higher consciousness. The bath symbolizes the process of purification to release us from what binds us to the external manifestations of life. The turmeric paste is bright yellow and symbolizes the earth element. Once this purification occurs, we meet our higher consciousness which may arrive unannounced! One reason that Ganesh is so loved is that he is considered the remover of obstacles. However, many don’t realize that first he is the obstacle! Associated with the earth element, he also represents the ego, that aspect of us that can keep us from the process of purification through meditation and knowing our true nature. He is protecting the cosmic energy in the story. He the obstacle to purification. The cutting off of the head symbolizes the cutting of the ego. It is the ego with its likes and dislikes that keeps us bound to the material life and prevents us from engaging with our spiritual potential. To become successful in the process of purification, we must realize how the ego is the obstacle and it needs to be overcome. Replacing Ganesh’s head with that of an elephant represents the replacement of our little, petty ego with a big universal ego. This doesn’t mean becoming egotistical, rather there is disidentification with the small self and connection to the more universal Self Ganesh is therefore the one who puts the obstacle there and has dominion over removing it. Does this sound like you? Who puts your biggest obstacles in your way? And who removes them? The expression, “you are your own worst enemy” might be true. And it’s often true that we have big breakthroughs in discovering our inner strength when we are challenged by life’s circumstances. When we are in the middle of the battle, we can’t always defeat the obstacles preventing us from moving forward. But when we get the guidance we need to reach deep inside and find our power, those obstacles can be removed. Remember the story. When I see or think of Ganesh I see that part of me, that ego-driven self that gets in my own way from being all that I can be. I am Ganesh. I am the obstacle and I have the power to remove it as well. The story of Ganesh symbolizes each of us. /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/22837898

Journey Into Your Being Plus a Meditation Practice 04/06/2022

Journey Into Your Being Plus a Meditation Practice Today we are going to discuss the components of who you are, and then you will be guided through a short meditation. Feel free to listen to the discussion portion, but then stop the recording before doing the meditation if you are not in a location where you can sit quietly and still with the eyes closed. You may have heard the common definition of yoga is “union” and it comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yug’ meaning to yoke. If we think about how buffalo are yoked together or horses or sled dogs are joined together, the purpose of yoking is to unite multiple forces to create more power. In yoga, we become more powerful when we understand, and yoke together, the different dimensions of our being known as the koshas. Koshas are the different aspects of who we are and of what we are composed. These are physical, energetic, the mind that links us to the world around us, the mind that is intuitive and wise, able to witness the world and our patterns, and lastly, the spiritual. These aspects, dimensions, or layers of our being have differing levels of awareness from the most gross, the physical, to the most subtle, the spiritual. Let’s start with the physical aspect since this is the part of us that captures the most of our awareness. It’s called the annamaya kosha. Anna = food Food sheath – we become what we eat It is the vehicle for our expression and interaction in the physical world, and it occupies about 75% of our awareness. All of the koshas interact with each other. They are not separate entities. You are like a cake that is made of eggs, flour, sugar, chocolate, etc. But once the cake is made, those components can no longer be separate. In the same way, your physical health and balance ripples through the higher koshas. It affects your sense of vitality and mental peace. If you are in pain or have an illness that distracts you from the subtle aspects of your being, you must first address that. In yoga this is one of the reasons we do asanas, the physical practices. Less gross than the physical is the energetic body. This is called pranamaya kosha. Prana = energy This kosha is a part of the vast energy of the universe, and it energizes all of the koshas. You have bones and muscles as part of the physical but it’s the energy that allows you to walk or run. Pranamaya kosha is vital for all of the functions of humans. Although this aspect occupies perhaps only 2% of our awareness, it permeates the entire entity that is you. Grossly the breath is a critical part but then how aware are you even of your breath yet alone more subtle manifestations. However, when the energy becomes disturbed or blocked, illness and disease may result. It is necessary to become more aware of and control the energy to access the higher states of being. Next, we move to the mind and how it manifests in two primary levels. Man, mana or manas = mind Mental sheath We talk about this aspect of the mind as the lower mind, but perhaps we should consider calling it the worldly mind. It is responsible for the thoughts that relate to the day-to-day activities of life, as well as managing the senses. It occupies about 20% of our awareness, and it pervades all the other koshas. Every Individual cell has its own intelligence. As you know, mental states influence your sense of health and vitality (think of what happens to you when you receive unexpected, good or bad news). However, excessive mental chatter inhibits our ability to access higher koshas by keeping our awareness externalized on the world around us, or engages with thoughts about the past or future, rarely being in the present moment. The more subtle aspect of the mind is called the “higher mind” but might be better referred to as the knowing mind. Vigyana = special knowledge Intuitive sheath It is here that you can access intuition, wisdom, and higher knowledge-that sense of knowing-to see without judgement. The average person may connect awareness at best about 2% of the time. This is because it is much more subtle than the chatterbox mind. To access this more fully, you must work with the other three koshas-sort of clearing the way! Many of the more subtle practices in yoga such as breathing, deep relaxation and meditation practices are designed to enhance awareness of this aspect of your being. Like the intuitive, wisdom mine, the most subtle kosha-the spiritual aspect can only be accessed by developing the awareness of the previous four. Ananda = bliss Blissful sheath At this deeply subtle level of consciousness, you can experience perfection and bliss that is beyond normal experience. It is at this level where the most intimate contact with our true nature occurs. It is at this point that there is an understanding of being part of a bigger whole spiritually. But remember, first we must develop optimal health and awareness of the other koshas. Now I will guide you through a short meditation practice to begin this process. PRACTICE Settling into a comfortable and still position through body awareness. Shifting to awareness of the breath and movement of energy in the body. Becoming aware of senses and thoughts. Witnessing. Finish /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/22699091

Making Life Simple and Easy 03/30/2022

Making Life Simple and Easy Is your life simple and easy? I believe it can be and for the last couple of years, I’ve challenged myself to create a life that is becoming simpler and easier. Prior to this time my life was so full it was overflowing, and it often left me drained to the point where I felt so weighted down that I could barely keep moving forward. In 2019, I was in the twenty second year of running a yoga center that employed about 16 staff members and served several hundred students per week. I was also the education director and president of the board of a nonprofit yoga academy, housed in the center’s premises, that provided a variety of in-depth courses and yoga teacher training. In addition to teaching many classes and these courses each week, I was often emotionally mired in the “dramas” of staff and students. I was working 10-12 hours per day, seven days a week. My only time off was to travel to Mexico to lead a yoga retreat or when I would take a group to India to connect with the ashram where my guru lives. I was approaching 70 and I felt as though I was doing more and more and enjoying life less and less. I needed a breakthrough before I broke down! I knew things had to change and that I was the only one who could change them. Wishful thinking wouldn’t work. I needed a plan. Now, three years later, I am feeling as though I am truly entering a new phase of my life that is becoming simple and easy. Today, I’m going to share some of my thought processes and actions that have brought me to this point. I believe they are consistently problematic for most people these days. Maybe they will be useful to you. First, I needed to find a way to shed my busy lifestyle. I had to find a way to let go of many of the things for which I was responsible. For most people, this process requires examining all of things we are doing-maybe write them out on a piece of paper to be face to face with them. Then highlight or check the ones that NEED to done, and ask yourself why and or how long? For example, for me, I spent many hours preparing and teaching yoga classes, workshops and trainings. Why? Because I had a dedicated group of students, my classes were well attended and because I didn’t pay myself for those classes, only taking a salary, they were the backbone of the center’s financial health. So yes, they needed to be done. Maybe for you, you spend a lot of time parenting. Why? Because you chose to be a parent and your children need your ongoing support. It needs to be done. Next question. For how long? Teaching at the center and the academy would need to continue unless I sold the center and stopped the academy’s coursework once the current courses finished. For you, the number of hours parenting will never end, but what changes will lead to fewer hours doing so? It’s not about knowing specifically when something will end but having an idea of the range and what will prevent it from happening is important to distinguish. You can then begin to plan and work toward making it happen. It’s important to know where you are going so you don’t get lost along the way! Do you ever think, “Why did I decide to do this?” Remember there was a decision to take on those responsibilities and it’s good to begin to look at the root reasons that you made that choice. Was it done out of a fear of loneliness? Was it done to prove yourself in some way? Was it done out of a sense of obligation? Maybe it was chosen to distract you from some other area of your life? Or maybe you are thinking no one can do it but you? It’s possible to be doing things because they are good things to do. No doubt about that. But overloading yourself, even if you have the superpowers of being well organized, dedicated, and good at multitasking, eventually will lead to some level of burnout that will affect your physical, mental, and spiritual health negatively. It is necessary to let go of some of the responsibilities to find the space in life where you can nourish yourself, rather than wear yourself down. I can almost hear you thinking, “But how can I let this go, or that go?” and then you dismiss the analysis and keep trying to forge ahead! For me, selling my yoga business was an idea I put out into the universe once I decided this was truly the course I needed to take and that letting go of it would reduce stress and allow more time for me. I knew it might take a year or two but setting out that intention renewed me to the possibilities of life. I began asking a few people if they might be interested. Within a couple of months, someone came forward and after several more months, we came to an agreement and signed the paperwork. It was a year after first deciding that I would sell it, and the last couple of weeks of ownership was when we all went into lockdown due to the pandemic. Despite the relief I felt about letting it go, I also realized that I would need to delay letting go of my teaching obligations to more fully support the students who were all attending online, and the new owner who had purchased a 3600 sq ft space that was locked! I have since let go of all teaching earlier this year. How can you determine what things might be “letting go” decisions you need to make? Let me ask you what tasks or responsibilities annoy you? Think about it. Then ask again, do I truly need to be doing this or am I doing it for some other reason? Am I truly needed to accomplish this? Can I delegate or share this with someone else? Realize that when you hold onto tasks or social obligations that consistently annoy you that they will steadily drain you! As I’ve mentioned in many previous podcasts, we all require a certain level of energy or prana to optimize our physical and mental health, and to make the changes necessary to create a more fulfilling, simple, and easy life. When you can let go of some parts of your life, then you will have the energy to take on the process of simplifying your life. It’s at this point that a new intention must be set otherwise as space opens up, you will likely fill it with yet another thing and be back to where you were before! For me, I felt like selling the center was going to give me soooooo much free time! I was still teaching 8 yoga classes per week, doing workshops, and supporting the new owner in terms management training. I started an online yoga business offering one-on-one consultations, digital practice recordings, and volunteered to be the treasurer of a different community nonprofit for which I had been a board member for a decade. Gee. I wonder why I still felt overwhelmed! I don’t think I’m unique in this. I’ve seen many people who let go of one big task and then take on two more that might be smaller and might not! This is when I began to tell myself, “Remember when you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else.” Start to simplify life by “decluttering.” Start by decluttering your schedule. Don’t overschedule and as more time and space appear, start to look at tasks and projects as karma yoga, the yoga of meditation in action. This requires a certain amount of awareness and discipline in doing the work along with minimizing your expectations as a result of the action. When looking at life’s projects as karma yoga, set a starting and stopping time and stick to it even if it’s not finished. Stopping when it’s not finished is also a great practice in letting go! By having a certain time frame provides its own sense of completion over time. For example, maybe you hate cleaning your kitchen and so you let it go all week, doing only the minimum. Instead try to schedule a 10- or 15-minute cleaning time each day and when the time is up realize that you will do the same tomorrow. In a week, you will find the kitchen pretty much stays clean with that minimum daily amount. Another key element of karma yoga is awareness. Don’t talk on your cell phone as you clean or listen to a podcast or other things that will distract you. Instead, watch your thoughts. Many of the undercurrents, the patterns of thinking and behavior, become more evident during the practice of karma yoga. I didn’t realize how competitive I am with myself until I started to engage more in karma yoga! Once you have practiced karma yoga, begin to declutter you space. Organize closets and drawers, getting into areas that have been kept pretty much closed to your awareness rather than dealing with them. You may think that if things are out of sight, they are out of mind but that’s not so. Everything we own can own us at some level! Over the past two years, I’ve gotten rid of so much stuff! I ask myself, when was the last time this was a part of my life? If it’s been packed in somewhere, I probably don’t need it. But our minds are tricky! The next thought might be that it might be needed some unknown day in the future. As soon as I have that thought I ask myself how realistic is that thought. I then either donate it, give it to someone who will use it, or I throw it out. None of the things I’ve ever thrown out have left the planet so if I find I need it again in the future, it’s still available. The last things to declutter is relationships! Are you trying to be too many things to too many people? Are you embroiled in the dramas of other people’s lives? Do you make endless excuses for the behaviors of others? If so, you may want to go back and listen to the last podcast on Healthy Boundaries and a previous one called “Relationships, Ugh!” As you declutter, you will feel your body and mind functioning more optimally. This is when you begin to create a more realistic life schedule. A life schedule is one that is about you and the nurturing of you through regularity and having contingency plans. It doesn’t have to be rigid. In fact, it shouldn’t be. For example, my life schedule includes going to bed and rising at essentially the same times each day, as well as eating at the same times. I have a morning ritual that includes yoga practices for 30-60 minutes, walking the dog for 20-30 minutes, going to workout on Mon, Wed, Fri, etc. Build in a certain amount of flexibility. Assess what things are essential and what can be altered. You can see above I have a range for many things to minimize feeling “pressed, stressed, or just giving up” and not doing it. Make it shorter one day as needed and longer when possible but don’t stop doing it. In addition to flexibility, have some contingency plans. This might sound complicated but without contingency plans what will happen when something goes wrong? Actually, when something goes wrong is a wonderful opportunity to watch how your mind and body responds. It can tell you a lot about underlying patterns of behavior. Then ask yourself two questions. What lessons can I learn from this? And what alternative is there to what I had planned? Lastly, bring the practice of gratitude into your life. I don’t know about you, but I have so much for which I am grateful. This morning it was blowing and snowing and when I was walking the dog it was icy in spots. I could have seen it as a negative experience but instead I practiced gratitude. I was grateful to have warm clothes and good shoes. I was grateful to be outside and not worry about a bomb or missile strike. I was grateful that my feet weren’t hurting as much as a year ago. I was grateful to have me 3 legged, 14-year-old dog as my companion. I was grateful for the few daffodils who were demonstrating their resilience by standing up to the snow and cold. I was grateful to be alive, living such a good life with so much comfort and abundance. And now, I am grateful that you for taking the time to listen to this podcast! /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/22614089

3 Steps to Healthy Boundaries 03/16/2022

3 Steps to Healthy Boundaries A boundary is a limit or space between you and another person. It is a clear place where you begin and the other person ends, physically, mentally, energetically and spiritually. The purpose of setting a healthy boundary is, of course, to protect and take good care of yourself at all levels of being. Do you have unhealthy boundaries? Unhealthy boundaries involve a disregard for your own and/or others' values, wants, needs, and limits. Unhealthy boundaries can also lead to dysfunctional and potentially abusive relationships. I’m going to ask a few questions that will help you determine where you have weak boundaries or at least boundaries that need to be strengthened. As I go through these questions, be honest with your feelings-does the question resonate with you, or do you have that area covered? Do you really hate to “let people down?” This can be exemplified by feeling guilty by saying no, so you say yes; or you fear what someone will think of you for saying no; or you give away more of your time than you want, and this prevents you from having time for self-care? Or you are so rooted in being a “people pleaser” that interactions don’t necessarily make you feel guilty, but you find your mood is often underpinned by a level of anxiety with no obvious cause? Could it stem from a deep feeling of being rejected or abandoned? Does this sound familiar? How do you share your personal information? Those with unhealthy boundaries often “overshare” about their personal information in an attempt to impress the other person, or to make the other person feel special to know so much about you. However, being an open book can demonstrate to the other person that you are desperate to be liked or may not be trustworthy about personal information and with whom it is shared. Or you may not share at all. Sometimes this is because you you’ve been burned in the past, or you are afraid to let someone know you because you’re not sure you know yourself anymore. Does this sound familiar? How do your relationships play out in your life? Do you find that your relationships are fraught with drama? A lack of boundaries can signal others that you obviously don’t know how to take care of yourself This leaves you open to those who want to control you. This may result in codependent relationships or a feeling that you are giving a whole lot more than you are receiving from the relationship. You begin to feel a lack of respect, so you try harder to be “nice” and to make the other person happy. I want to tell you that you are not responsible for creating happiness in any other person! Does this sound familiar? Do you sometimes feel you’re being “used?” Manipulators seek people to use for their benefit, and many have learned how to flatter you, give you what you want with the goal of taking it back later. Whenever you begin to feel that you are being used, you probably are! This may result in depression, anxiety, or a feeling of exhaustion from suppressing feelings of inadequacy and/or resentment. Inadequacy can present as an inability to make life decisions; or you feel like you must try harder to “earn” respect by being extra nice; or you fear speaking up or disagreeing with the other person. This inadequacy can lead to a sense of victimhood. Your life feels out of balance, and you no longer feel that you know what you need from life. Your dreams and life’s purpose feel inaccessible, and a part of you may even believe that you didn’t deserve them anyway. At this point resentment begins to build, and you may start blaming others for your feelings. This is a way of not facing up to the fact that you didn’t set a boundary, but you have given away your power to set a boundary with the other person. Resentment may show up as unexplained anger over small things. You’re angry that it’s raining when you expected sun – a metaphor for looking at things that are not in your control but are making you angry. It may show up as passive aggressive behaviors. First you let others take the advantage. Then you try to manipulate back the energy and power you have lost by nagging the other person, or complaining about them to others, or even punishing them in little ways. If resentment continues to build, it can even show up as self-destructive, numbing behaviors such as addictive behaviors, or isolating oneself from others. So, does any of this sound familiar? To be open and honest, and without oversharing, I want you to know that I have been that person who exemplifies these concepts of unhealthy boundaries for a good portion of my life! I was severely bullied in grade school. My brother and sister were both gone from the house when I was 8 and my parents were both working, and because we lived in a very rural area, I had no one to support me. And when I was young, any support that would have come would have been in the form of “toughen up.” I have had weight issues with my weight yo-yoing up and down throughout my life. This often made me feel “unliked and different” from what is considered “desirable.” I became an over-achiever, trying to prove myself. I became a people pleaser to show that I was good enough. I have spent countless hours, probably years, wondering what people thought of me and trying to mold myself into someone who deserved respect! There are still remnants of that person within me. Those samskaras, or thought patterns lying in the subconscious mind, are actively being managed and better ones are growing. At this point in my life, I feel that the real me is more than “good enough,” and if someone thinks badly about me, that says more about them than me, and I am only interested in molding myself into the best version of myself through self-acceptance, self-care, and self-respect. A big part of my evolution is by finding the boundaries that have eluded me for most of my life. Now I want to share three steps that may also help you create healthier boundaries. First, you will need the energy to do the work. Life is all about prana, your life force or energy. If you feel tired with no apparent reason you are using your energy in your relationships with others more than in relationship to yourself. Anxiety, depression, resentment, and anger are emotions that are exhausting! To bring the emotions into balance requires developing an awareness of how you use your energy, your prana. Are you overcommitting to others? Begin to dedicate a certain amount of time each day to commit to self-care. Don’t confuse self-care with “hiding” from life. Lying on the couch, eating a bag of chips and watching TV, or spending hours on social media are not forms of self-care. Doing a short meditation each day, or some breathing practices, or walking for 20-30 minutes each day outside regardless of weather or cooking a nourishing meal – something that “feeds” your body, energy, mind, and spirit. Begin to listen to your body’s signals when you are around other people. Do you feel a subtle sense of contraction? A shrinking of your energy field? This is not a good sign. When I feel this around someone, I might be aware I’ve felt it before with that person and I need to evaluate how the interaction leaves me feeling. If I feel that the person has “sucked” my energy, I know I need to develop stronger boundaries with that person. If the feeling continues, then it may be necessary to psychologically distance myself from that person. Distancing yourself from people who just don’t get you and cannot appreciate your kindness is important. You owe them nothing, and you don’t need to stick around and be manipulated. If your body signals an expansion of your energy field, then this person can be a positive force in your life provided that they are not just trying to please you, flatter you or build you up to gain some control. Basically, learn to listen for a “whole body yes” signal. This is one reason that the meditation practice of Antar Mouna can be such a useful practice to cultivate better awareness of our body’s sensations as well as seeing the convolutions of our thoughts and the emotions behind them. I encourage you to download the practices of Antar Mouna from my website swamiatmarupa.com. As you become more aware of your energy and thoughts, then begin to create your life through choices and discipline. Make one choice that will start you on the path to the life you need. Just one. You can always make another one after you embody the first. Choose that one thing and once you have chosen, realize that if you start making excuses for not doing that one thing, you have not really chosen it. When you say yes to your excuse, you are saying no your choice. Remind yourself, “I have chosen to do this for x amount of time per day and x numbers of days per week. No excuses.” I suggest with committing to at least 4 out of 7 days, otherwise you are doing it less often than you are actually doing it! Things will only change when you do something more often than not doing it! You developed the self-defeating samskaras from doing it over and over again. The only way you can change is to practice self-affirming samskaras over and over again. I recently did a podcast on discipline, and you may with to listen to that or review it again. Step three is to practice setting boundaries. In our yoga teacher training program, we had a module on student support skills. One of the exercises was to have one student play the role of teacher and they were only allowed to say, “No” to whatever the student asked of them. No further explanation. Only no. The student who played the role of the teacher’s student was told to ask the teacher for something inappropriate. They then practiced the exercise. Every student who was confined to answer “No” was visibly uncomfortable in the situation as the other student pressured more and more, even though they all knew it was role playing! This can be a good exercise for you to try and as you do, pay attention to the bodily sensations and mental patterns arising. And how you feel after. You can also be aware of what happens when you “give in.” Obviously, most boundaries aren’t that simple, but it’s a good place to start. The process of setting healthy boundaries means: define what you need that you’re not getting communicate what you need I felt really ____ when this happened I feel ___ when you don’t overexplain – keep it simple, use I statements I know that you ___ You made me ___ You always ___ to me or at me don’t accuse – take the other’s feelings into consideration I need this to ___ If this isn’t possible, I will ___ set consequences – say why it’s important show gratitude and honesty – thank for listening, and if there is still disagreement, suggest we can agree to disagree Results of healthy boundaries good mental health good emotional health developed autonomy developed identity avoid burnout influence others’ behavior A person with strong boundaries understands that it's unreasonable to expect two people to accommodate each other 100% and fulfill every need the other has. A person with strong boundaries must understand that they may hurt someone's feelings sometimes, but ultimately, it’s important to remember that you can't determine how other people feel. /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/22460699

Letting Go To Find Balance 03/09/2022

Letting Go To Find Balance When we feel we are losing our balance we grab hold of something to feel secure and to prevent falling. This is a normal reaction to be able to maintain our physical balance and hopefully prevent pain. At that moment of uncertainty, that moment of being out of balance, we would think it strange if someone told us to “just let go.” But what about our mental balance? What are we grabbing hold of to feel secure? And are we holding on to hopefully prevent the mental and emotional pains? In the ancient text, the Yoga Sutras, within the very first few sutras we are told that it is possible to manage the mind. We are given the information about just five different thought patterns that disturb the mind that take us away from balance and the methods to reign them in. These five thought patterns are said to create vrittis, or whirlpools within the conscious mind and prevent us from seeing our true essence. I’ve always loved the definition of vrittis as whirlpools. I used to do some river rafting and the rough waters of rapids there are sometimes “holes” as rafters call them. This is where water flowing over a rock or other obstacle flows down, then back onto itself in an eruption of whitewater. It creates a whirlpool circling around and around and if a raft goes into one, it can trap that nice buoyant raft and pull it down under the water! Now when the Yoga Sutras were written over two thousand years ago, this metaphor didn’t exist. I don’t think there was that sort of river rafting going on. But every time I think about the thought patterns being a whirlpool, this metaphor works for me. I know how often I get stuck in the different patterns of my thinking and how I’ve been pulled down under the water many, many times. In river rafting, one must be alert and aware to manage the river flowing around the “holes” that will become a trap. In the same way, in yoga, one must also be alert and aware to manage the thoughts flowing that can entrap us, so that we can access the knowledge of our true nature, that aspect of who we are beyond how we present in the world. We identify with our thoughts, our vrittis. The Yoga Sutras say that if you can find a way to stop identifying with them, you will “rest” or “abide” in your own true essence. I love the commentaries that use the word rest. It implies a time after working, or a sense of being rather than doing. A time when it might be possible to stop the mental battles, to put down the variety of masks we wear in the world, to find a point of balance within the mind that actually exists-and “rest” there. The five vrittis, or thought patterns are: right knowledge wrong knowledge fantasy deep sleep memories These are the whirlpools that keep us from reaching that point of balance where we can “rest.” Let’s take each one and briefly discuss it, but first I want to say that each of these has both positive and negative qualities within them. It’s not about that-the good or bad-it’s about seeing them for what they are. To be able to understand the full spectrum of what each means as it plays out in your life, and by then finding the space between seeing each and the reaction to it. You might believe that right knowledge doesn’t belong in the list. After all, isn’t yoga with its teachings a form of right knowledge? Isn’t studying to learn anything that helps us be a productive and positive member of society good? Well, yes. That can be toward one end of the spectrum, but what about overindulging in knowledge-such as being a professional student who uses schooling as an escape? Or being fanatical that your knowledge is somehow better than someone else’s? The knowledge itself might not be bad but the ego-driven use of it puts it at the other end of the spectrum. Regardless, the knowledge creates patterns of thought that may take you away from your inner knowing. What about wrong knowledge? Again, it depends on what it is and how it’s applied. Perhaps you were brought up to believe that no one could love you because you were raised in an unloving family. That’s wrong knowledge, but it can dramatically affect how you relate to others going forward through life. But then how can wrong knowledge be good? Well, let’s say you’re a weather geek and the forecast is for a cloudy, rainy and windy day, so you prepare appropriately. But then the approaching storm takes a different course, and the sun comes out and the day turns beautiful. I’ll bet you will think it’s good that the weather forecast was wrong. Actually, in this instance, if you live in Cleveland where I do, the forecast is often wrong so it’s “good” to be prepared for whatever life gives you and be content with it! Fantasy or imagination can be great! Artist and creatives utilize this to bring beauty and excitement into our lives. However, indulging too deeply into this pattern of thinking can create delusions and other forms of inappropriate behavior. Are you beginning to understand? It’s not just the vritti but how firmly we are letting it control the mind and manipulate our actions. So, we are now at deep sleep. Remember that these vrittis are about disturbing our conscious mind and in deep sleep the mind is in a very deep state of unconsciousness. This lack of awareness in this stage of sleep is a vritti. It’s a necessary one to allow the body to recover and repair itself, but because it is an absence of consciousness and actions, it is still a vritti. Lastly, but definitely not least is memory. I’m sure each of you can see how memories create patterns of thinking, both good and bad and everywhere along the spectrum. Memories are a necessary part of everyday life. Imagine waking up in the morning and not remembering who you are or how to do anything! There was even a movie years ago called “Memento” that was a mystery/thriller based on a rare form of memory loss due to a tragedy. Memories can serve us or destroy us. Memories can exert their influence even when they are not in the conscious, self-aware mind. There has been a lot of research in recent years about memories, false memories, the influence of memories, and so on. You see, more than 2000 years ago, memories were considered to be one of the five primary thought patterns that keep us from accessing a higher level of awareness and reaching an understanding of our true nature. So what are we to do? What’s the answer? The Yoga Sutras say the answer is twofold: Abhyasa and Vairagya. Abhyasa is a dedicated practice done with faith over a long period of time. These three factors need to be clarified. A dedicated practice requires unwavering discipline. It’s not a meditation practice that’s done irregularly, maybe once a week then three times a week, then take off for a week, and so on. It means that the practice is a daily part of life, and not only that but it must be done with faith! True progress and change occur slowly, and it is somewhat ludicrous to think that practicing in a class once per week, or while on vacation but no other time, is going to yield results! Imagine you wish to become a great musician. Can you practice irregularly for a year or two and achieve this? So why do we think we can change our lives by this pattern? And because it takes a long time, we must have faith. Those changes are small and sometimes too small to even realize, but with faith, you must believe that they will come over the long haul. The other method of managing the vrittis is vairagya, or non-attachment. Cultivating the ability to “let go” of our attachments and expectations. Think about this. What does it mean to you? Many of our mental disturbances come from the thought patterns associated with what we are attached to and what we expect to happen at any given moment. Take a moment to think about the last time you were upset about something….I can pretty much guarantee that your distress came from being attached to something or expecting a different outcome than what was there facing you. To practice non-attachment doesn’t mean you give everything away or that you try to create a mental state of detachment. Rather it means that you can fully enjoy life and find emotional contentment regardless of circumstances! You are no longer governed by the situation around you. Everything in your life is “on loan” so to speak. Your relationships, your material belongings, your job, even your emotions and reactions. There’s a story about the Buddha who was accosted by an angry person who shouted and berated him calling him stupid and a fake. When he stopped, the Buddha turned to the man and asked, “If you buy a gift for someone and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?” The man was surprised by the question, but answered, “It would belong to me because I bought the gift.” The Buddha said, “Correct. It’s the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I don’t feel insulted nor accept your hostility, the anger falls back on you, as it was initially yours to give. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you’ve done is hurt yourself.” Now that’s a great example of embodiment of non-attachment. Probably one that would be difficult for most of us! But we can start to see where our attachments lie, which thought patterns or vrittis are disturbing our consciousness, and begin to explore and practice forms of yoga that are meant to develop our awareness. Feel free to contact me for more information and guidance or visit my website for recorded practices. /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/22389932

Still Body - Still Mind 02/23/2022

Still Body - Still Mind Sometimes we keep busy moving from one thing to another and believe this will keep us from thinking too much. However, we are only creating a distracted mind, the part that is overdeveloped to start with, and all this busy-ness keeps feeding this part of the mind that is processing sensory information and tries to make sense of the world. We need to develop the part of the mind that connects us with our higher self. When we go to bed at night, we become still and gradually the mind slows down and we fall asleep. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to slow down the mind at any point during the day? Today you will learn a yoga practice that will help you still the mind through the mechanism of body stillness. The practice will take about 10 minutes. After the practice I will explain more about how this works. You will be asked to sit with the eyes closed, so if you are driving, stop the recording and save it for another time. Now, come into a comfortable sitting position. You can sit in a chair with the feet on the floor and the back straight, or you can sit in a meditation posture on the floor or on a meditation cushion. I will now guide you through the process. Outline of practice – details will be instructed Sit with the back straight Scan through the body making any adjustments to align the body Find stillness through movement Take 5 slow deep breaths Become aware of the posture of the body Be aware of the various triangles of the body systematically from the feet to the head Begin to visualize the body as though looking in a mirror See the body from the front, the back, the right, the left and above Visualize a second time, then see the whole body from all sides Feel the stillness of the body and how the mind is more still Breath awareness, body awareness Body supported, deep breath and open eyes when ready How do you feel? Good? Calmer? Maybe some of you don’t really want to move at this point. This practice is called Kaya Sthairyam, meaning body steadiness, and you have just practiced the first 3 stages of the complete practice which is 12 stages. Stage 1 is called “finding stillness through movement.” If I simply told you to sit still, you would do so for a short time, but then start adjusting, something would itch, or something would be uncomfortable, and you would move. So, in this stage, you are guided through movements that will hopefully saturate the mind with adjustments until it gets a bit bored and settles into the position. Stage 2 is “awareness of the posture of the body.” Again, we are saturating the mind with awareness of different aspects of the body. In this recording, I guided your awareness through a variety of triangles made by the awareness moving along the different angles of the body. Sometimes I guide students to feel the inner space of the body as though hollow inside. There are several ways of doing this stage. The purpose is to capture that part of the mind that is interpreting the senses and trying to make sense of the world. It’s giving the mind something to do through the capture and it then follows along, minimizing distractions. Stage 3 is “visualizing the body.” This recording utilized the idea of seeing the different parts of the body as though looking in a mirror, but it can also be done as though you were outside your body looking at the body from this perspective. This continues to keep the mind focused on the body, but it also creates a “space” between the part of the mind that “sees” the world without judgement and the part of the mind that interacts with world. This is a vital part of managing the mind and connecting with your higher self – this concept of witnessing – the space between “seeing” and “taking action.” As this concept develops, it allows us to cultivate the ability to act with intention rather than react without awareness. After stage 3, I guided you to be more externalized before moving and opening the eyes. This is an important part of any meditation practice so that you leave the practice with more mental clarity and don’t feel spacey. As I mentioned earlier, the complete practice of Kaya Sthairyam is 12 stages and it’s a much more advanced practice that takes 40-60 minutes to do correctly. The next stages continue with different ways of experiencing the body and its sensations, then creating a sense of profound immobility. With immobility, the awareness is moved to how slow and subtle the breath has become, and ultimately to a state of pure awareness, separate from the stillness of the body, the stillness of the mind, and even the breath becomes barely perceptible. It’s a very powerful practice that guides the mind into a state of one-pointedness. However, I want to emphasize two things. You are meant to practice these first 3 stages consistently for a period of weeks before trying to advance. Notice how the rest of your day goes after doing this short, simple practice. Overall, the practice of Kaya Sthairyam - just these 3 stages - will help you find more clarity, focus and contentment in your life if you practice more days than you don’t! /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/22221032

5 Keys To Improve Discipline 02/16/2022

5 Keys To Improve Discipline When you think or hear about the word discipline what comes up for you? “Oh, I wish I had more of it,” or “I don’t have time for discipline,” or even “did I do something wrong?” The last implying that the word discipline is a form of punishment. Today we are going to discuss our misperceptions about discipline, its importance, and how we can improve our discipline to be more successful in our lives. Let’s start with the dictionary definitions. 1) the practice of training people to obey rules using punishment to correct disobedience or 2) a branch of knowledge, typically one studied in higher education. Both of these definitions imply that discipline is a learned behavior. It’s not something we are born with although we may think it is, especially if we grew up in an environment that lacked discipline. But remember that so much of who we are is established in those first years of life. If we were surrounded by people who were undisciplined or only used discipline as a form of punishment, that’s what we learned. Another definition comes at the very beginning of the Yoga Sutras, one of the major texts of yoga psychology and philosophy. In Sanskrit it is, “Atha yogah anushasanam” which means “now yoga is to be understood as a form of discipline.” In yoga, this concept of discipline can be further explained as the ability to govern the subtle processes of one’s personality. In other words, it’s a process to know the subconscious patterns that manifest as our personality and how to be in charge of how they play out in the world. It is not something that is meant to be imposed from the outside. Rather it is developing the ability to see ourselves at a deeper level, to understand where undesirable behaviors come from, and to create a more appropriate response to the world around us that will result in a more harmonious, healthy, and successful life. As my guru has said, “We tend to identify with the weaknesses rather the strengths of our character. This promotes won’t power – I won’t do that, I can’t do that, rather than will power – I will do that. We need to reduce the weak and limiting characteristics of our personality and develop the positive and creative characteristics. Yoga is what will lift you up and guide you.” True discipline must come from within even though it may be influenced by the world around us. So how do we reduce those influences and find the inner strength and will to feel disciplined? Let’s start by assessing where you are according to the Yoga Sutras and how they define the stages of mind. In the Yoga Sutras there are five stages of mind: 1) Dull – mired in ‘darkness’ meaning full of negativity and stuck in the patterns so deeply that there’s no desire to change; 2) Dissipated – some ‘light’ peeks in, meaning the darkness is pretty consuming but there is an awakening to the possibility of some change might be a good thing; 3) Oscillating – action rotates with inaction, and this is where most of us find ourselves – we try to make a change toward a goal and then we slip back into our old patterns – we try something again or something different and then we slip again – we oscillate; 4) One-pointedness – focus without dissipation, this is where we begin to truly develop discipline – we have a goal, we know the self-sabotaging behaviors, we have the energy and will to stick to the plan; 5) Controlled – balanced with discernment – at this point discipline is a natural part of who we are! If you are listening to this podcast, I’m assuming that you are in the oscillating stage of the mind. You are interested in finding a different way of being in the world. You’re a searcher, and that’s a great attribute! But you may also find that your goals are hard to achieve, that you may think that others must have something that you don’t have? Well, I’m here to tell you that you have everything you need inside of you – now the work begins as to how it can be accessed! Let’s start with 5 keysys to begin the work in developing more discipline in your life! These are 1) set a goal, 2) understand your motivation, 3) identify obstacles, 4) replace old habits, and 5) get support from appropriate people. Set a goal. Remember that self-discipline is the bridge between goals defined and goals accomplished! It’s very important to not just set a goal but to develop and execution plan. This plan needs to be kept simple, broken into small bits that are defined and doable. If you listened to my previous podcast, I talked about the goal I set to “get healthier” and just one component or “bit” of that was to lose weight, another bit was to move more, another bit was to prepare my meals and eat healthy, another bit was to declutter my life to reduce stress. I also set “markers” for success. Celebrate when I lost certain amounts of weight, such as 30 lbs, 50 lbs, 75 lbs, and I’ll soon celebrate 90 lbs! I bought a treadmill and put it in the middle of a room and vowed to walk on it at least 4 out of 7 days per week – started with 10 min/1 mile per hour and now doing up 6 days per week for 30-40 min/2.5 miles per hour. I’ve reestablished buying healthy foods only, my ability to cook, and have learned that my food is like medicine – I feel better, and I’ve lost food cravings. I’ve also decluttered my life by leaving a volunteer position as an officer of a non-profit organization, I’m quitting teaching regular yoga studio classes at the end of the month, I’ve sold a commercial building that I own, and I’m decluttering the “hidden” spaces of my home, such as closets, files, and most recently the basement which had remained untouched since I moved in 10 years ago. This was an interesting “bit” of getting healthier that was rather unexpected because I used to create stained glassed pieces and had simply moved all my old studio and glass inventory and left it all down there with the plan to someday sell it all. But everything was dusty and dirty and totally disorganized with sheets of glass leaning up against all of the walls, equipment in boxes or scattered about in disassembly. I cleaned it all up and with each piece of the work I became reinspired! Reinspired by the beauty of the art glass sheets I had purchased decades ago. Reinspired by my own creativity and talent! A part of me that I had put down into the deeper recesses and closed the door – a metaphor for how we sometimes lose parts of us that need to be given permission to reemerge to bring balance into life. The studio is almost set up. Just a little more clearing out of unnecessary things. Once you have set a goal and have a plan, the next key is to find out more about what motivates you. Motivation is not something that will spontaneously appear! There needs to be some time spent on self-reflection to delineate your strengths and weaknesses. We all have strengths and weaknesses. And you can’t ignore your vulnerabilities thinking you are the only one that has them! Over the decades of teaching yoga classes, I would always try to encourage people to do what was right for them and not to look at others around them. I often said, “it doesn't matter what someone else can do or not do, you aren’t in their body, nor do you know what they are thinking!” Sometimes to emphasize how we think about what we should be doing, I would ask everyone in the class to raise their hand if they had no physical or mental limitations – at which point, everyone would look around to find that no one had their hand raised - ever! Motivation comes from shifting your mindset and behaviors. Baby steps – the importance of breaking your goal into manageable bits! A little motivation based on manageable steps done with consistency and repetition will gradually increase your motivation. It’s like strengthening a muscle. You don’t start by deadlifting 300 pounds, yet we often try to deadlift 300 pounds of change in our thinking! No! You will fail and you will give up. Back to the oscillating stage of mind – you tried but maybe it wasn’t the right choice. Maybe you will try something else. Motivation comes from little successes that happen over time and regularity You need to recognize that starting was an accomplishment, figure out what you learned from that and understand there will be discomfort along the way. This is what I call comfortable discomfort – whether physical or mental or emotional – there is a need for a bit of discomfort and to be able to successfully deal with it to be motivated. When I first stepped onto my treadmill, I was somewhat appalled by how little I could do because of my physical status – my weight and the development of severe arthritis in my feet. After all, I had trekked to Mt Everest Base Camp! But at the same time, I realized that although that was an accomplishment, there were many moments of discomfort during that and again I would need to experience some discomfort to remain motivated and to progress toward my goal of being healthier. Which brings us to the third key, identify possible obstacles and create a backup plan. It’s easy to get sidetracked, especially if you don’t know where you are going and you haven’t created a mental map how to get there in the face of the common obstacles like procrastination, overextending yourself in other areas that make you “too busy”, the inability to forgive yourself when you fall short because you aren’t engaging in an ongoing reevaluation and modification of your actions. Put your plan in a spreadsheet, or on a to do list, or on your calendar, or on sticky notes that you post in prominent places. Make it a living thing in your life and find whatever works for you in terms of also documenting the actions you’re taking. Having your small, manageable steps in some sort of format where you can check off what’s been accomplished each day. Lean on this when the obstacles, or perceived obstacles arise. For example, when I got my treadmill, I decided to use it at least 4 out of 7 days per week because that meant I was doing it more often than I wasn’t doing it. I also made an agreement with myself that I would do it before dinnertime each day. And there have been many days when I was procrastinating, or I was busy because I had overextended my commitments that I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to eat my dinner and be done with my day. But then I reevaluated – I will do it for a shorter time and see how it goes – and I would start. Often then while doing it, I could feel my motivation returning and over time I also realized that overextending myself and my perceived busyness, stemmed from my unwillingness to set healthier boundaries. This resulted in a lot of decluttering of my mental and emotional weaknesses, and I have learned that saying NO is a complete sentence! Another obstacle can be when others’ expectations obstruct your program. Use that obstacle to learn and grow into other ways of being. Have a backup plan. A lot of social connection comes from sharing meals. Instead of giving up eating out with friends, I have learned to check the menu ahead of time and choosing what I’ll have. My plan includes eating my biggest meal at lunch, so I meet for lunch instead of dinner, or if dinner it’s an early one and light. Dealing with the obstacles and planning ahead, will strengthen your willingness to keep going. Yes, there will be some failures – two steps forward and one step back. That can be good enough on any given day. Set an 80/20 rule. If you can keep doing your plan 80% of the time, then 20% of the time you will have the space to come up a little short without the need for perfection – one of the biggest obstacles out there! If you’ve gotten this far, the next step, replacing old habits, will be easier. You’ve set a goal, you’ve found your motivation and you’ve prepared for obstacles with a backup plan. Realize that habits develop from repeating patterns over and over again until they happen without thought. It will take time and energy to think about them, to be aware of their influence, and to replace them with new habits. Having time and energy can be difficult. Again, start small and believe you can do this! Take 5-10 minutes at the end of the day to reflect on what one behavior, just one, that you experienced that day that made you feel negative about yourself. Was this a habit? What could you have done differently? What can you do tomorrow in place of doing that again? See yourself making the better choice and how will that make you feel? Do this in silence with your eyes closed – you can even do it in bed before drifting off to sleep. Mark Twain once said, “Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man but coaxed downstairs one step at a time. “ Lastly, get support! Find appropriate supporters who will cheer you on but also give constructive, maybe even painful, feedback. Don’t try to do it alone. Seek out those who believe in you and can help you stay on track. This doesn’t mean that you have to tell everyone you know because there are those who might feel threatened by you due to their own behaviors. Choose a few key people to support you and don’t be afraid to connect with them in a truthful and vulnerable way. We are often afraid to expose ourselves, our weaknesses, our failures, but everyone has them! It is nothing to be ashamed of, and if they are true supporters, they will care even more about you because you are trusting them with your authenticity. These five keys, set a goal, understand your motivation, identify obstacles, replace old habits, and get support from appropriate people will allow discipline to evolve within you. And when as it does, you will experience a higher degree of self-control and self-esteem. Your behaviors will begin to align with your goals so you will spend less time debating what to do and feeling bad about the choices you’re making. With time, you be less distracted, more satisfied with your life and you will reach the one-pointed state of mind and the controlled state of mind will begin to unfold. /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/22144835

From Change Comes Growth 02/02/2022

From Change Comes Growth Today I will discuss the inevitability of change, why we find it difficult, how change and growth go hand in hand, the importance of having goals, and to welcome change! WHEW! That’s a lot to think about! And all of those thoughts are also part of the mechanism that keeps us “stuck” where we are and resisting changes. It has often been said that the only constant is life is change! Yet most of us find it difficult to change, especially when it takes us away from our routine, our conditioned ways of thinking. In actuality we’ve been changing our whole lives! Some of the changes may have seems “natural” but at the time, we may not have realized just how difficult they were. When we were you young, the world was new to us. We needed to make changes to explore who we were and how we were meant to fit into the world around us. It was the openness to the possibility of failing that helped us get our hands and knees under our bodies so that we could crawl! It was the lack of fear that prompted us to take our first steps and falling so many times before we could totter around. It was the desire to move in different ways that helped us try out some dance steps, climb onto a bicycle, to figure out swimming, to put on skates, or maybe skis. And we grew from all of these experiences and couldn’t wait to reach a certain stage of life to experience more changes. I remember when I learned to drive our speed boat and pull others on water skis when I was 12. I remember turning 16 and learning how to drive the car, and yes it was on a manual shift. To this day, I remember lying in bed at night visualizing the steps of pushing in the clutch, other foot on the brake, starting the car, putting it into gear while simultaneously moving from the brake to press on the gas as I slowly lifted the other foot off the clutch and continuing the process of getting to the “right” gear with increasing speed. At what age did we start to resist the changes that would bring so much growth and freedom? When did we become so resistant to change and where did that resistance come from? As we grow older, we usually turn our awareness to the world around us, seeking affirmation from outside and we often lose touch with our need for self-acceptance and self-empowerment. We live our lives based on a lifetime of conditioning by our families, our schools, our belief systems, our friends and work associates. I’ve come up with 8 common reasons that might help identify the thought distortions that keep you stuck! I recall in 1997 when I decided to leave the profession of anesthesia and open a holistic health center that ultimately became a yoga center. Any one of these thought distortions could have stopped me. Complacency? My life is okay. I’ll just leave things as they are. TD-I am making good money vs money isn’t everything. Lack of self-worth? I don’t think I can do it so why try? TD-Am I going to be able to do it vs when I’m determined I can accomplish what I want. Timing? I just can’t manage to find time for that now. TD-It will be too much work vs I’m working 2, 24 hour call shifts per week so I do have time available to use. Social conformity? What will people think? TD-Having been a big people pleaser, people will think I’m crazy vs maybe I’ll find a more supportive tribe Lack of knowledge? TD-I don’t know anything about running such a business vs I’ve helped my husband open businesses from scratch. Are you the exception? Well, it might work for others, but not me! TD-What if I fail vs what if I succeed? Selfishness? What’s in it for me? TD-How can leaving my profession and the money I make be good for me and my family vs I will still be helping people, just in a different way. Fear? What will happen? And this is the big one!! It’s a thought distortion on its own. It’s fear that really underpins so much of our resistance and “stuckness.” So, I keep using this word “stuck” and it’s really the force that keeps us from being all that we can be. In yoga, it’s called tamas. According to yoga philosophy, there are only three qualities that make up all of the universe in varying proportions. These are tamas, rajas and sattwa. They exist in everything, including each of us. Tamas is defined as inertia, darkness, depression, immobility, rigidity, stability. stillness. Stuck! Rajas is movement, dynamism, ego, passion. It’s rajas that can help us get unstuck! To move forward, to take chances and to possibly reach the third guna…sattwa. Sattwa is balance, luminosity, goodness, harmony. Most people live in this world fluctuating from tamas to rajas and back to tamas. We might have glimpses of sattwa but it is hard to achieve without considerable self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-actualization and developing the power to leave past conditioning in the past and welcome change as an opportunity for growth regardless of potential outcomes. Yoga can be the medium through which this process begins. Not the workout style of yoga as is often practiced in the West, rather the classical version of yoga whereby the physical practices are used to develop more inner awareness. It is this inner awareness that can then grow to a point where there is a desire to practice the subtle and more powerful practices of pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation. As the awareness continues to grow, we see the thoughts and patterns of conditioning, first during the practices themselves, but ultimately during our daily lives. This is when we can truly begin to make the necessary changes to accomplish our goals. Up to this point, we may set goals, but usually fall short due to the self-sabotaging patterns of conditioning and thought distortions that lead to abandoning our goals, or once the goal is achieved for a time, then falling back to our previous state. I’ll use the example of losing weight. All of my life I have had a weight problem. I think I went on my first diet when I was 11 – the Atkin’s diet. I have yo-yo’d up and down for the last 60 years, trying one thing after another. I was frequently told as a child and teenager, “you have such a pretty face, if you would just lose a little weight.” The undercurrent of that message was that I was imperfect, not accepted, and uglier due to being overweight. It also contributed to the conditioning that I had to do what other people wanted to be accepted. I’ve often said that if I would never have dieted and felt more accepted, I probably wouldn’t have ended up being morbidly obese! As student nurse, I basically starved myself down to my low weight of 140 pounds, and even though I was 5’7”, I still felt fat! When I look at pictures from that time with wiser eyes, I looked so thin! My internal image and thoughts were distorted by the popularity of the late 60’s and Twiggy! For the next 20 years, I went up and down between 170-240 depending which diet I tried along with a lot of physical activity. This was a time when I did a lot of trekking in the Himalayas, even to Mt Everest base camp! I also spent days biking, river rafting, scuba diving and more. My highest weight ballooned to 307 pounds about 30 years ago. I then tried some new diet drugs and lost nearly 50 pounds before the drugs were pulled from the market due to a life-threatening side-effect of pulmonary hypertension. I was lucky to only end up with a heart murmur. My weight stayed around that range, going up 20, then down 30, and up again. What I had failed to do up until this point was to look seriously at the underlying conditioning and patterns of behavior that kept me stuck in my fat. However, being fat didn’t keep me from becoming a yoga teacher. In fact, in some ways it allowed me to accept others and give them a welcome space no matter size or physical abilities. My weight also allowed me to learn modifications for the variety of body types that I taught. Ways of practicing yoga that thin, very flexible yoga teachers might not be able to understand. Don’t get me wrong, some didn’t accept me as a yoga teacher. I remember early on someone getting up and walking out after the opening meditation and later complaining to my manager that having a fat yoga teacher was unacceptable. When I went to yoga conferences I felt so out of place and was made to feel invisible or was confronted by others in a “teacher intensive” by asking me if I was a teacher! After 23 years of running my yoga center and teaching literally tens thousands of students there and elsewhere, I sold it right before the pandemic. During the lockdown, I created the time and space to be alone and be still. And in that stillness I decided to give up all of my feelings about my size, all of my underpinning patterns and conditioning, and found the strength to be healthier. The ability to do this arose from years of meditation, yoga nidra and looking at the task at hand as an opportunity to bring more awareness into my life and to let go of expected outcomes. As Deepak Chopra has said, “To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.” Faced with my oncoming birthday when I would be 70, I made a choice and set a goal. It wasn’t to lose a specified amount of weight. My goal became to GET AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE regardless of how long it takes. This is where we need to talk about setting goals and some important parameters. The first thing is to be willing to change. You might think, well of course. If I’m not willing to change, why set a goal that will require it. In reality, it’s important that you truly understand that you will need to change to reach your goal, or you would already be there. In fact, you must welcome change and watch your attitude closely. Welcome the need to do things differently, to become different. You may need to get the necessary support and knowledge to find a different way. Secondly, once the goal is set, know that there will be times when you may feel that you are not moving toward it. Don’t stop. Break it into bits each day and commit, commit and commit some more. As long as you are moving forward when looking at the overall progress and not just at the moment, be reassured you are heading in the right direction. Lastly, live your goal! Don’t focus on what you “have to do”. You have the choice not to do it, so if you are doing it, then you’ve made the choice, you have set a goal, end of story. Back to my personal story about being healthier. Since the lockdown about 18 months ago, I’ve totally changed the way I eat due to working with an Ayurvedic practitioner and I’ve lost 86 pounds. I’m back to being a little overweight rather than obese. I’ve gone from struggling to walk a half mile due to arthritis in my feet, to walking 2 miles per day at double my earlier pace. My overall health and energy have improved remarkably. I’m making great progress. But people keep asking me about my goal. “How much more weight are you going to lose,” and I tell them I honestly don’t know. My goal is to get as healthy as possible and in my mind there is no finish line to cross. And I am looking forward to meeting who I will become over time as I welcome further changes and growth! /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/21989414

Just Relax! 01/26/2022

Just Relax! Just relax! I’m sure someone has said this to you at some point in your life! As if the ability to relax is like flipping a switch and something so easy you can just do it spontaneously at any time. When we were growing up, did anyone ever teach us how to relax? Do you know how even now? From my experience teaching yoga since 1995 and practicing yoga since the early 1980’s, I know that relaxation can be difficult to achieve, and few people have a method that supports them to become deeply relaxed. Today this podcast will have a brief introduction to the practice that I’ve done and taught for decades and then you will be guided through that practice! Yes, this podcast is primarily a yoga practice! But if you are listening while driving, please do not do the practice until you are in a safe environment where you can lay down, or at least lean back in a way that the head and arms are fully supported. The name of the practice is Satyananda Yoga Nidra. Most people come to this practice to learn to relax. However, the practice can develop into a form of meditation over time. The name, yoga nidra, comes from the word yoga meaning union or bringing all aspects of you into cohesion, and nidra meaning deep sleep. The kind of sleep that is restorative to your body and mind. Not that you are meant to sleep during the practice, although many do fall asleep, and this is why you DO NOT do the practice while driving! When I began teaching yoga nidra, hardly anyone else was teaching it, but now there are many variations of this original form that was brought into modern times by Swami Satyananda, the guru of the yoga lineage with which I am associated. I will go over the format of the practice we will be doing. The practice will begin with establishing a comfortable and supported position of the body and then settling into stillness. The guidance will then help you move your awareness from the world around you and become centered in yourself. Next you will rotate your awareness through the body in a very systematic way that provides relaxation without ever using the word relax! After the body rotation, the awareness is brought to the breath. You will be asked to follow the breath without changing it in any way and to count the breaths. Lastly, the awareness will once again be connected to the environment around you, and you will be asked to begin to move and gradually get up. If you would like to learn more about this technique, please go to an earlier podcast called, “Awaken Your Potential with Yoga Nidra.” And if you wish to listen to this practice again and again, you can fast forward through this introduction to the 4 3/4 minute mark and start there. The practice will be about 15 minutes. The practice will now be guided. (The script of the practice is not included. The practice is to be done with a recording to allow the mind to rest.) Thank you for participating. /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/21893594

What Is Resilience and Why Do You Need It? 01/19/2022

What Is Resilience and Why Do You Need It? Some think of it as endurance, but when I think of endurance, I think it means the power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process without giving up. Or fortitude? Fortitude is courage in the face of pain or adversity. Indeed, both of these words can be a part of resilience, but don’t thoroughly encompass the whole concept. Resilience is the ability to bounce back quickly from difficult situations and actually thrive when faced with challenging circumstances! Some ways of thinking about resilience includes being tough, quick to recover, buoyant, irrepressible, adaptable, flexible and can’t be kept down. How many of these are physical and how many mental traits? Some are physical, but most are mental traits, don’t you think? Our inner resilience is a part of who we are and is a trait that we can strengthen, cultivate and build upon! Let’s discuss how yoga practices can help cultivate this quality! First, let’s examine how the autonomic nervous system influences our adaptability. This division of the nervous system is made up of two branches, the sympathetic known as the fight or flight system, and the parasympathetic known as the rest and digest system. These two branches are meant to be in balance to bring about health and mental equilibrium. But what happens when we face some sort of stress? If you are resilient, stress is a normal part of life and managed, but if not, then it can be detrimental. Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, the fight or flight response. If not readily managed, it can result in higher-than-normal heart rates, blood pressure, digestive disorders, build of blood sugars from the liver and more. If the stressor continues, these effects become chronic and the longer-term adaptation kicks in with secretion of your body’s hormones that conserve fat around the abdomen, chronic inflammation of the tissues, irritability with others, insomnia, and potential maladaptive behaviors such as substance abuse. Yoga builds resilience in the body and mind by introducing small amounts of stress in a controlled scenario. Think about free divers who swim without the aid of snorkels or scuba gear and can actually hold their breath for more than 10 minutes. They trained by holding their breath for longer and longer periods of time, stressing their brain’s respiratory center by small increasing amounts of CO2. CO2 is what stimulates us to breathe. Rarely is it due to low oxygen levels. But another aspect of this adaptation is the ability to “turn down” the sympathetic system which allows the parasympathetic nervous system to create a more relaxes state. And because of some of these hormones, you can become addicted to overworking and/or overdoing! Recently there have been many articles written about yoga and the vagus nerve which is a major player in the parasympathetic system. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve. It contains motor and sensory fibers and because it passes from the brain through the neck and thorax to the abdomen, has the widest distribution in the body. In yoga we utilize a variety of techniques that strengthen the conductivity of this nerve-guided relaxations, meditation and breathing practices. We’ll discuss more about these shortly. Having discussed some of the physical factors that are important to building resilience, next let’s look at our energy or “prana” as we call it in yoga. Actually, prana is more than just energy. It is our “life force” and is required for all actions, physical and mental. Obviously, the more physically active we are, the more energy that is utilized but moderate physical activity, like yoga and walking, is an important contributor to overall health and wellbeing. Our mental energy becomes depleted when we have too many unnecessary actions. Think about what activities you have done over the past couple of days. How many were necessary? How many were out of a need for distraction from feelings such as boredom, anxiety, envy, wanting validation, a desire for busy-ness? How many of the activities created mental balance and built your energy reserves? Did you go for a walk and look at nature without engaging with your phone? When you wanted something, did you ask yourself if you wanted it or actually needed it? Did you meditate or do some sort of relaxation practice? What about regularity of your schedule? Do you eat meals at consistent times? Go to bed and get up at consistent times? Do you say no when you need to, or do you keep overscheduling your time? Someone once told me that saying no can be a complete sentence. Remember when you say yes to something, you are also saying no to something that might be a better choice. There are only 24 hours in each day no matter who you are. It all boils down to prana, your life force. If you have too many desires, that energy trickles away here and there and never truly accumulates to reach importance goals. As our energy becomes dissipated, our lives begin to feel fragmented. The will to change, to face our challenges and cultivate resilience cannot happen in this state. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will.” Lastly, it’s important to have resilience of mind. To be able to find the positivity that exists in our challenges. This requires mental energy and self-awareness. Psychologists estimate 70% of our thoughts are negative and redundant. Our thoughts and perceptions are beliefs that permeate every cell of our bodies. We have protein perception switches in the cell membranes that respond to signals by regulating cell functions and behavior. The most important influence of signals on the dis-ease process is thought, the action of the mind. If the mind misinterprets environmental signals and generates an inappropriate response, survival is threatened because the body’s behaviors become out of synch with the environment. Your conscious mind may be positive and hopeful, but the recorded message of the subconscious mind continues to assure your reality matches that message. This is why it is vitally important to utilize yoga practices that begin to fine-tune the awareness to be able to negotiate what arises out of the subconsious mind and see it for what it is and accept it. Within the style of yoga that I do and teach, this is a key component to developing mental resilience. So the key yoga practices that help build our resilience, our ability to bounce back quickly from difficult situations and actually thrive! First, it’s important to learn how to relax. I suggest trying a guided relaxation like Yoga Nidra for stress management. In this practice, physical, mental and emotional tensions are released. Your ability to witness, to see the subconscious patterns, is enhanced. And to encourage you to try it, it’s said that the relaxation and effects on the body and mind is equivalent to four times that amount of good sleep. In other words, if you do a 30 minute yoga nidra, it can be equivalent to 2 hours of good sleep. Next, try some breathing practices. Start with natural breath awareness. This will connect our thinking brain with the more primitive, life sustaining areas at the base of the brain, and these connections go through the area of the emotional, reflexive midbrain. Additionally, practice deep abdominal breathing. Put one hand on the belly and slowly increase the depth of each breath under your hand. This activates that vagus nerve that we discussed earlier that will turn down the sympathetic nervous system. If you are feeling particularly anxious, try the calming breath known as bee breath. There’s a guided bonus episode instructing this in early episodes of this podcast. Another way to create more calmness is to gradually lengthen the exhalation of the breath compared to the length of the inhalation. And lastly, try some meditation. There are several guided practices on my website, swamiatmarupa.com. All of these will enhance mindfulness so that you can see your thoughts without overreactions and increase your ability to overcome limiting belief systems that arise in the mind. In conclusion, remember these 4 things: 1. Worry Less, Act More 2. Bounce Back, Don’t Look Back 3. Be Present & Aware 4. Practice, practice, practice! Start now! /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/21815918

Moving Forward in the New Year 01/12/2022

Moving Forward in the New Year Welcome to Season 3 of SwamiJi the OG. It’s the beginning of a New Year and today I’ll discuss how to move forward into 2022 with a sense of purpose and potentiality. I keep hearing so many people wishing each other a Happy New Year with a thin layer of hope but often with an undercurrent of dread, adding, “After all it can’t get any worse!” Yes, we are still immersed in the Covid pandemic, but rather than continually talking about things “getting back to normal” it’s time to realize that the concept of what is “normal” is always changing and the lessons we are meant to learn are essential to our progress and evolution as humans. After all, what has been “normal” in the past would not be considered “normal” anymore. For example, at one time, bloodletting was a medical procedure that was normal, owning another human being was normal, child labor was normal, women existed only to please their mate and have babies was normal – I’m sure you can think of many less dramatic examples. Sending letters instead of emails? Phoning instead of texting or zooming, even just showing up to visit with someone in person? If you notice even these “antiquated” ideas of “normal” are still “normal” in some parts of the world! It’s important to remember that normalcy has to do with our own culture, our own family, our own job – all of the world that exists around us and our perspective of that world determines our perception of “normal.” What makes us believe a situation is normal or not normal? From a physical view, pain is abnormal. It makes us take notice that something is not right. It’s the body’s signal to reevaluate. Physical pain gets our attention. Energetically, overwhelming fatigue is abnormal. When we feel it, we take notice that we didn’t sleep well, or we have overextended our physical capacity in some way. Our inability to respond to our daily activities gets our attention. But when we feel mental distress, we are more inclined to look outside ourselves, our own patterns and behaviors, and try to find the answer by searching for what the world is doing to us. But in the same way as physical and energetic pain, when we feel mental distress, we should realize that we need to look at our patterns and behaviors because we have NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION! Instead, we are seeking comfort to release us from our discomfort. We are seeking to return to our comfort zone. Or at least how we remember our comfort zone. In our remembrance we are nostalgic for comfort, or at least the parts of our lives that didn’t trigger discomfort. Nostalgia is “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” We tend to almost romanticize our previous experiences. We look back with rose tinted glasses. But what we remember as “normal” might not be what our neighbor was experiencing. What we are seeking is that return to comfort, and we seek feedback from others to confirm our perspective. Remember when we……(insert memory such as didn’t have to wear masks or keep social distance.) Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with seeking a certain level of comfort, but it’s important to realize that comfort can be like rocking ourselves to sleep. We can lose touch with our deeper needs. We can lose touch with the needs of others. And we can stop “growing” the capacity of resilience that we may need in the future. My point is that life is constantly changing and in flux. The term in physics is entropy which can be applied to life. Entropy is simply a measure of random disorder and affects all aspects of our daily lives. Left unchecked random disorder increases over time. Energy disperses, and systems may dissolve into chaos. And when this happens, we may find that we are unprepared. True growth as a human does not normally happen when one only exists in one’s comfort zone. It’s the challenges, the chaos that awakens us from our slumber and forces us to develop new ways of looking at life around us or succumb to disordered thinking processes. These thought processes may manifest as denial, anger, anxiety, depression, fear, envy – all emotions of the human condition that we suppress in our comfortable, “normal” life because we have been conditioned to respond to life around us in a patterned way. But this pattern has been disrupted! In yoga we call these patterned responses samskaras and they are a result of our conditioning first as a child from our family, then from our schools, then from our peers, from our jobs, etc. We become conditioned to be able to respond in a way that we have found “works for us” at some level and over time it has become automatic. We don’t even have to think about it. But in yoga we are asked to see our thoughts. To learn to recognize our patterns. To be able to move forward from a place of intention rather than automation. In yoga, we are asked to know our authentic self. Not the person who is relying on feedback that comes from wearing a variety of masks – the gender mask, the relationship mask such as mother, father, child, wife, husband, the employee or boss mask, etc. Think about it. How many masks do you wear in your life? Who are you…really? The process of coming to know your authentic self is a challenge. Most of us have come to rely on the comfort of being our masked self and have lost touch with our inner sense of being just who we truly are. The process of turning our focus from the world around us and bringing our awareness to our behaviors, our thoughts, our feelings and searching for the root cause that has supported these aspects of our being, is the path of yoga. I know that in our culture, most think of yoga as a physical practice to get in shape, but classical yoga asks more of you. It asks that you become a better version of who at all levels of being. This requires taking time to be still, to be aware, to witness the endless stream of thoughts and to reflect on the nature of the mind’s incessant manifestations. A good place to start is to find a comfortable sitting position and close your eyes. But not if you’re driving while listening! Then take a few slow, deep breaths and begin to watch whatever thoughts come up. Don’t judge. Imagine you are with a friend, and you are listening to what they are saying. Cultivate that level of detachment from your own thoughts. Just listen. Do this for a few minutes and then take another slow, deep breath and open your eyes. This is a good beginning. If possible do it a couple of times within the day. After all, we let the mind do its own thing without our awareness many, many hours each day, so why not spend a few minutes becoming aware? If you would like a more guided practice, I would suggest looking back through previous episodes to the BONUS practice episode of Antar Mouna. This translates as Inner Silence, but as we know that’s pretty much out of reach. Instead, you will start the process of developing your awareness and begin to see who you might be. It will help you see the patterns and the conditioning that has brought you to where you are. Unless you can see where you are at this time, how will you change and adapt to the challenges of life? I began this “work” over 20 years ago. In the beginning, it was hard to be still and even harder to see all of the crap in my mind! OMG! But I persevered and experienced breakthroughs and insights right along with frustration and disappointment. With time, I’ve learned a lot about myself – my strengths, my weaknesses, my aims in life as well as my needs. And in doing so I am able to live my life with more contentment, acceptance and love. It’s a new year. Time will pass. Why not make the most of it? /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/21751256

5 Steps To Living With Intention 12/30/2020

5 Steps To Living With Intention This year has been filled with challenges! Never one to turn my back on challenges, I have used this time to sort out many feelings, many less than optimal relationships, and many goals. It has made me stronger. It has made me more intentional. And it has allowed me to have more space to find the person I want to become moving forward. Over the past couple of decades, my whole focus was creating a yoga studio and a nonprofit yoga academy. To create more options for people to incorporate the healing practices of yoga into their lives, I created and taught more classes, more courses, did more travel…more and more and more. And because the work was never ending, the demands of others never ceasing, I found myself letting go of more and more of the "normal" activities of life and was essentially swallowed up by the work seven days a week. As I got closer and closer to my 70th birthday, I knew I didn't want to go into the next decade of my life continuing down this path. I put that energy out into the universe. I meditated on letting go of it all. I put out the intention to move on and I really felt it could happen. But only if I worked toward it. I reached out to other teachers in the community who had a long history of teaching, searching for someone who might be interested. And someone came forward. Another intention that I made was to help the new owner maintain the student base and continue to teach regular classes for at least a year. The pandemic has made this a considerable challenge for yoga studios and many have closed. Our student base has mastered online classes and attendance remains steady with new students taking the place of the normal attrition The third intention I set was to get healthier. This summer I realized that any semblance of normal would not be likely before another year or so. I ordered a treadmill. I made some long overdue healthcare appointments. I began to eat and sleep on a regular schedule, eating tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, eliminating most sugar, and bought a sleep machine that plays delta waves to get into deeper sleep patterns. I’m losing weight and sleeping sounder. So why am I telling you all this? Because the concept of living with intention is SO important. Instead of letting life happen to you, take on life with renewed determination. Here are 5 ways to start. Make a choice and act on it every day. What do you want? Eliminate the split between what you think and what you actually do. Thinking about something may seem important, but if you don’t take action nothing will happen except you will feel frustration or defensiveness. The idea and the action must be fused. Believe in your ability to succeed. Be convinced at a deep level, that you will make progress toward your goal. That daily action that you take can have its ups and downs but know in your heart that you will see changes over time. Adjust your expectations about how long it will take. Be patient. Accept change. Sometimes when these changes begin to happen, they impact our lives in a way that stirs unconscious fears and we engage in self-sabotage. Yes, change will happen and when it does, you cannot be the same. It is impossible to both change and be the same. Accept this. Don’t fear it. Embrace it. Practice mindfulness. Develop some sort of daily meditation or self-reflection. A practice that will bring you peace and allow you to be more aware and more present upon its conclusion. And each day when you leave the practice, see if you can be a little more aware, a little more present, as you move back into your daily activities. Adjust your lifestyle for success. Simplify your life, eliminating unnecessary busy-ness and clean out the clutter. Set a daily schedule for those things that will build your energy – regular times to eat and eat health foods, regular times to sleep and rise, daily outdoor activity, exercise, meditation, and daily connection with someone who nurtures you. I encourage you to live with intention in 2021. Don’t make a New Year’s resolution that will probably last a few weeks and then go by the wayside. Living with intention requires action, ongoing commitment and patience. Happy New Year! This episode concludes the second season of my podcast. In my own need to live with intention in 2021, I will be taking some time off from creating this podcast and spend time creating short yoga courses and developing one on one yogic coaching. I hope you will stay in touch. Please go to my website, swamiatmarupa.com and sign up for my newsletter to learn more about upcoming ways we can remain connected. Or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SwamiAtmarupa. My intention is to start another season of this podcast later next year. Thank you for listening! /episode/index/show/swamijitheog/id/17361722