Take one intention that you have for 2009 and bring it clearly into your consciousness. Now take some time and space, and feel into your body. Breathe and become aware of your body sensations and feelings. As you bring your intention into your body, what do you notice? Do you feel openness and flow, and that “feel good” feeling?  This is a good sign that you have a great fit!  Go for it!  Do you feel contraction, tightness, agitation? If so, you might want to reconsider your intention, and go for something that feels better in your body. Sometimes we “think” an intention is a fit for us, but if the body doesn’t align, then we are setting ourselves up for a less than fulfilling experience & more struggle.  Go for the intention that feels good in mind AND body! 

As you work with this one intention know that it is opening the pathways for the rest to follow. Consider working with those next! As you do, you will align your life with a much higher level of flow.  You deserve it!

Happy New Year!

Bring to mind an instance where you feel out of alignment within yourself – such as angry, guilty, ashamed, less than.  Breathe into your body and ask yourself and feel, ”Where in my body am I holding a judgment about myself or about this situation?”  Really feel this.  Judgments are always held in the body – they show up as tension, muscle contraction or pain.  Feel into such an area and become aware of what the judgment is.  Be with it, breathe into it and feel it for a few moments.  Then, keeping your awareness with the area of your body in which you are holding the judgment, move into self-forgiveness.  Self-forgiveness is the antidote to judgment, and often unlocks and releases tightness and inflexibility.  It goes like this.  ”I forgive myself for judging MYSELF as __________”.  Or, “I forgive myself for judging SOMEONE as _________”.  Or, “I forgive myself for judging THIS SITUATION  as ________”.  It’s very important that you forgive YOURSELF for the judgment vs. forgiving anyone else for anything.  As you do the self-forgiveness, with your awareness and your breath in the specific part of your body where the judgment was held, just be present.  Breathe and feel.  Notice how your body relaxes, tension eases, and pain diminishes.  Practice this as often as you like with as many judgments as you can identify!

Put on some fast music and move your body! Let it shake, use your breath by breathing faster in and out through your mouth. (Don’t hyperventilate! Remember to ALWAYS take care of yourself and don’t strain or push too hard.) Shake out the kinks and knots, let the joints move, feel the muscles be loose and most of all allow the fluidity to flow as you shake your body. Surrender to allowing your body to move and direct you! Try this for 5 minutes a day, particularly if your energy is low, and you will find it will stimulate your system. The energy will start to flow and you will feel revived.  Plus you will feel much more connected to your life-force!

 Take time to breathe and move your body.  Try this: breathe into your spine and let it move in a way that feels good, comfortable, loving, easy.  Don’t push or strain, just gently roll the area like a piece of seaweed being supported and pushed by the rolls of the ocean.  Give yourself permission to feel the flow and glide of the spine, wherever you are – sitting in a chair, standing, driving, lying down.  Allow the spine to lead the movement, put on some music, and allow the music to support the flow.

This flow is very important – it is where the unwinding & releasing of the spine can take place, and it also opens up a space where the information or truth from the body can be revealed.  It is in the fluid system where the wisdom and knowledge that is held in the body is stored.  So, this simple practice not only feels good and reduces tension in the area, but it also allows for communication with the deep messages and intuition of the body.  Do this practice for 5 minutes a day (or more!) to wake up the awareness of your spine.  See how this impacts your life – you’ll probably find you are feeling more rejuvenated, alive, present, and connected!  Most importantly, ENJOY and play with the movement so it feels good!

We know that moving is healthy… health experts recommend a minimum of 20 min/day for circulation of the blood flow for oxygenation of the body, for pumping the lymph system to remove the “garbage” in your body, and for lubricating the joints giving you a “grease and oil change”.  Equally important, however, the work I have described above brings awareness into the body, allowing you to feel the sensations that are there, and to wake up the inner connections.  As most of us have lost that connection, we have been trained to ignore our body’s sensations and knowing.  And yet true and lasting healing comes from within the body, connecting to it, to our soul and to the Divine.