Inner Smile Meditation — Adapted from Jennifer Reis Yoga.

Your inner smile is glowing golden inside of you all the time! All you have to do is become AWARE of it, and a magical thing happens — you begin to sense how it fills you with bliss, awakens your positive qualities, as well as your own potent healing energy. 

You may like to hold Hansi Mudra while you practice this meditation. Find a comfortable way to sit with your spine lengthened for five or more minutes. 

• Begin to sense your breath without needing to change it in any way.
• Feel a few natural breaths in your belly. Notice a few breaths in your chest and heart-space.
• Become aware of your breath already moving and flowing through your whole body.
• Now imagine an inner smile in your belly. With each breath feel your inner belly smile expanding and…

Be still and know that I AM God. ~ Psalm 46:10
Be still and know I AM.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Our intention this week is to explore MEDITATION. In the classical yoga tradition, asana yoga is practiced as a preparation for seated meditation. Yoga Nidra, Restorative, and Yin Yoga are also wonderful meditative practices. What exactly is meditation? The definition is “to think deeply or focus for a time for spiritual purposes or to relax. To think deeply or carefully about something.” Whatever we think deeply or carefully about becomes what we meditate on. What fills your mind, my friend? The Hebrew word for meditate is DOMAH, and is literally translated as “to liken, compare, to make oneself like.” Whatever we meditate on, think deeply about, is what we become like. The more we sit with our thoughts, the more likely we are to act…

SANTOSHA, the Sanskrit word for contentment, requires our willingness to enjoy exactly what each day brings and to be happy with whatever we have. We can easily practice santosha in the beautiful moments and joyous experiences of our lives. But true contentment means being equally willing to embrace difficult moments. Only when we can be content in the midst of difficulty can we be truly free. Only when we can remain open in the midst of pain do we understand what true openness is. In our relationships, when we accept those around us as they truly are, not as we want them to be, we are practicing santosha. ~ Adapted from Cultivate Your Connections by Judith Lasater

Enjoy a portion of a poem written for me by my husband.

She has santosha with the One True God
In full body worship
In constant course correction
All the way to shava

This week’s theme is simply the word ALLOW — very open-ended, very individual. What am I allowing in? Who am I allowing into my life? What am I allowing for? Am I allowing myself to be inspired? To embrace change and grow? What do you want to show up in your life? Allow for that. What you allow is what will continue. Pick something today, make it positive and encouraging. Today I’m allowing myself to be fully present. Today I am allowing myself to create and explore. Today I am allowing for a healthy change. Today I am allowing myself to just be and relax. Today I allow love in, and let fear go. Whatever it is, ALLOW it in. As Oprah Winfrey states, “Even the wildest dreams have to start somewhere. Allow yourself the time and space to let your mind wander, and your imagination fly.” So what will…