Christine Lewis - 365 Positive Intentions (flipbook version w social back cover)

open us up to something new, different, and better. See if it can give an alternative that might be much better than the perception that we are currently stuck in. Turn things upside down and shake it up a little bit. That might help us feel better about the circumstance itself. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 278. Give and Receive The act of giving a part of ourselves to someone else always feels more gratifying than anything else we could give. I am always grateful for being able to share my energy during a yoga class, but even more so for the energy that the class shares with me. Especially those who take my class for the first time, I love seeing the enthusiasm, the new-found body, and the energy awareness that they feel after the class. It’s as though they have learned something new about themselves—something that they didn't think their body could do and their mind could push them to before. People often thank me for the way they feel after a class, but all I really am is a guide; it was them who did all the work on the mat. It's them and their life, their relationships. So how can we create something for ourselves that can give us a sense of enthusiasm about what we are doing? The enthusiasm we feel about our own life is contagious, so find something we are passionate about. Do something we really enjoy because doing so will give us the energy to inspire someone else. When we offer a piece of ourselves to someone, we always feel enriched and fulfilled. It’s not that we are giving up our energy; in fact, we are sharing it. That act of sharing creates abundance; so as much as I love to offer my energy, what I really enjoy is the feeling I get from it—the feeling of fulfillment, the feeling that I have somehow contributed to somebody's life by making their life a little easier.

What better way to share ourselves than inspiring someone else towards greatness? Tap into the feeling that comes along with volunteering and offering a charitable gesture to someone. Realize that the act of giving allows us to receive even more. Give a little extra today and receive a whole lot more. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 279. I Am Responsible The flower of life is a symbol that represents the connection of all things, everything that exists, everything around us, and everything within us. Everything is connected. It is a reminder that our actions and energy are changing the world and that in some way, we are responsible for the love, for the war, for the happiness, the despair, the light and the dark that exists in the world. Once we hold ourselves responsible for everything that exists, we hold ourselves accountable. We are very responsible for what exists out there so that we become very mindful about what we are creating in here. We can use our light to make the world a brighter place. We can be the change that we want to see in the world. We are responsible for our contribution to the cosmic consciousness and we are also responsible for the reality that exists within and outside us. Once we take responsibility for our thoughts, words, and actions and once we acknowledge how responsible we are for the energy that exists in the world, we can take on that responsibility and make certain that we live up to the vision, the dream, and the energy we wish for the world. We are the universe. We are the energy. We are the beginning of everything that exists. From that space of responsibility, we have the power to create anything we choose. We are responsible, and that means we have the power to create anything. Feel powerful today and feel that sense of responsibility to offer the best of ourselves to the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 280. Cheerleader Ego Let our ego be our cheerleader. Too often, we allow the ego to play the role of judge, jury, and executioner of the self. The ego thrives on confrontation—it judges, criticizes, analyzes, and compares. It finds points of contention, reasons to argue, and reasons to battle because the ego thinks that its strength lies in confrontation. The ego is that negative voice that chatters in our mind, plants seeds of self-doubt and eats away at our self-esteem. The self knows better, but unfortunately, it can also be easily convinced that it isn’t enough. We should not fall victim to the words of the ego because the fact that we can hear that voice in our heads means that voice is not us—it’s the ego. The self listens to that voice, so whenever self- doubt, judgment, or criticism creeps into our space and starts to take over, keep in mind that it is the ego creating a fight, a struggle, or a battle. Allow our ego to be our cheerleader and put that voice to work for us so that it helps in strengthening and supporting the self. Be clear about who is talking and who is listening. Know that when we listen to that voice, we can control that voice and put it to work for us. Allow our ego to be our cheerleader and put our thoughts to work for us today. Allow the self to be a source of strength and the ego to encourage, empower, and inspire so that it becomes our cheerleader. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 281. Inconvenient Change We can all agree that change is inevitable, but rarely is it convenient. Inconvenient change is a positive change and is rarely easy. It takes much effort to change in the first place let alone adapt and evolve with the change. Significant positive change requires persistent and consistent action. That means every single effort needs to be channeled and focused in the interest of the positive change. As we strengthen, every step might feel like a struggle, but every effort that we put in contributes to the effectiveness of our ability to change, to adapt to the change, and to evolve with change. In that way, we make certain that the change is moving us in the direction we want to go. It’s an inconvenient change, so it might throw us out of balance and out of our routine. It certainly can get very uncomfortable and sometimes confrontational, but inconvenient change is where we make the most progress and make the most impact. It is the inconvenient change that changes everything. After all, change is never easy, but it is necessary in order to improve and evolve. Embrace the inconvenient change because that temporary inconvenience is laying the pathway for a new and improved us. Embrace and allow it to improve, expand, and enhance everything that we are right now. Let inconvenient change lead us to exactly where we want to be. Embrace the change today because it is preparing us for greatness. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 282. Time and Space Time and space are opportunity and possibility. Time is the opportunity, and the time is now. Space is possibility because space is infinite and waiting for us to create something. The next time we feel pressured to be on time, remind ourselves that the time is now. Now is our opportunity to create what we want. When we search for something to do, realize that the space exists for us to create anything; we just need to decide what we will do with it. What will we create? In this time, what will we fill this space with? That is when we use the possibility and opportunity that will define our life. The time is now, and the space is infinite, so choose wisely and be certain that what we are creating right now is everything we want life to be. Time and space are opportunity and possibility, so schedule a little time for our opportunity and make sure that there is enough space in our mind, heart, and spirit for the possibilities to exist, one thought at a time. We have the option to create anything, and what better time to create everything we’ve ever wanted than now? Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 283. Best Foot Forward Put our best foot forward today and show people the best of ourselves. We don't want to show people the worst of ourselves, but sometimes, our reaction to circumstances might bring out the worst in us. Our reaction to the actions of other people might bring out the worst in us; and certainly, none of us are proud of those worst moments. We are always proud of our best moments when we put our best foot forward and show the best of ourselves to the world. That is how we can maintain the energy that we want in our relationships, in our interactions, and in our life. Put our best foot forward and offer the best of ourselves to the people we touch. The worst of ourselves is not what we want to share; it’s the best of ourselves we want. Remind ourselves today to put our best foot forward. Know that when we share the best of ourselves with the world, we can inspire someone else to share the best of themselves. Imagine a ripple effect of energy where everyone is sharing the best of themselves—that would certainly make our community stronger, make our connections deeper, and make the world a better place to be. Put our best foot forward today and make the world a little better because we are sharing the best of ourselves. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 284. We Are Self-Employed Everyone is self-employed because each of us are working for ourselves. The most important work we do in this life is the work we do on ourselves. Some of us devote a huge amount of our energy working for someone else, but how much energy do we spend working on and improving ourselves? Self-improvement is not a nine-to-five job. It does not stop when the sun goes down. We do not clock out, show up late, and leave early. Self-Improvement is a 24/7 job. We have an obligation to the world to be the best version of ourselves and we have an obligation to improve, evolve, and become better in this moment than we were in the last. When we spend our time working to improve ourselves, we can show up more significantly in the lives of everyone else. Whatever we are working on now and whoever we think we are working for, keep in mind that we are self-employed and that the most important work we will ever do is the work we do on ourselves. Self-improvement requires our consistent focus. The work on ourselves is constant—there is no retirement from improving ourselves. We want to make sure that we are advancing, improving, and getting better with each breath so that we know that our work is paying off. Self-improvement is a 24/7 job, and the work we do to improve ourselves in here translates to everything we create in the world out there. Make certain that we take advantage of the opportunity to be self-employed. Do our best work while working on ourselves. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 285. The Value of One’s Work In a time where money seems to be the defining factor of success, it is hard to evaluate the value of our life's work. How do we know if what we are doing is truly important? How significant is the work we are doing? Are the benefits to the well- being of all people everywhere the best measure of the significance of our life's work and value of our efforts? It does not matter how much money we make or how big our organization or operation is. It matters only if it benefits the wellbeing of all people everywhere. How far reaching is the work we are doing? Does it only impact a small group of people? That small group of people inevitably and eventually will impact a larger group of people. If what we are doing has the potential to positively benefit all people everywhere in some way, then it is valuable. Even if we only touch one person today, that one person is going to touch someone else. The energy that we inspired in that one person will be taken with them to inspire someone else. The best measure of the value of our life's work is if it's beneficial to people everywhere. There is no need to feel pressure that we have to change the world right now. Start with the change we make in ourselves. Start with how that change might inspire someone else to be better. Allow the changes

we make in our own life to be that ripple that becomes the ocean wave of energy that sweeps across the world. One idea, one action, one thing can change everything. Know that what we do is valuable as long as it has the potential to benefit the wellbeing of all people everywhere. Contribute something valuable to the lives of the people we touch because that gift can change the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 286. Fantasize and Create Fantasize our dreams into reality. Use our fantasies to inspire our moments because we are better off being delusionally happy than being realistically miserable. Focus on a fantasy or a dream that truly feeds our spirit. If we dream of traveling, plan the trip. If we want to be in love, fall in love with a stranger today. If we want happiness, share positive energy with everyone we meet. Fantasize. Live our dreams and allow ourselves to do something different. Think beyond what we ordinarily would do and create something brand new. Wake up and create our fantasy. Live in the infinite possibility of now and make our fantasy our reality by starting to feel the feelings and do everything we can to live that fantasy as we are now. Allow ourselves to open up to the possibilities that the now brings because in our fantasies and dreams, we can create anything. There is no better time to live our dream than in this moment of now. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 287. Love Harder, Soften Our Heart Love harder today and strive to love everyone we meet. It is easy to impose criticism and judgment, but that only weakens our spirit. The true test is in our ability to love the people we do not like very much. That is where the shift in consciousness begins. The harder we love the people out there, the deeper the love we feel in here. Love harder today and strive to love everyone we meet because the more love we give, the more we open ourselves up to the love that we are surrounding ourselves with. Love harder today and love people so hard that they cannot help but soften up a little. Love so hard that people around us get softer—that will open us up to more of the love that we deserve. Enjoy the day. Love harder today, especially those who we do not like very much. That is always the test of our ability to love unconditionally and to open ourselves up to all the love that exists in the world. Love harder and soften up the people around us. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 288. A Guru Leads by Example The concept of a guru is often misunderstood. A guru is not meant to be just a teacher who dictates ideas and philosophies to us. A guru should lead by example and should inspire us with their actions. It isn’t so much about what they say, it is what they do. That means we have the power to be a guru to someone else. We can inspire someone with our example, and we can live our life in such a way that inspires someone else towards greatness. That is a guru. Certainly, there are several levels, but in the yoga tradition, the guru was known as one who removes the darkness and eliminates the ignorance from the mind to reveal the pure light and inner consciousness that lies within each of us. The guru is there to help us find more of ourselves. We are all mirrors of each other, and we are all teachers for each other. What someone sees in us will help them understand themselves better. In the same way, what we see in others helps us understand ourselves better. Be a guru for someone today and live in the best possible example of the energy we wish for the world so that everyone watching us is inspired by our example. It does not matter what someone says, it matters what they do. Spend less time listening and more time observing. Realize the world is watching you in the same way we are watching them. Exemplify the energy that we wish for the world and be a guru in the lives of the people we touch today. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 289. The Power of Breath In the yoga practice, there are several breathing exercises that are used to stimulate the mind, the body, and every internal organ. The breath is the life force—the prana that moves energy through everything. If we want to invigorate energy, use the breath. Short and sharp breaths in and out through our mouth can stimulate our energy and reinvigorate our body. Slow and steady breaths can calm the mind and slow the heart rate. The breath is a powerful tool, the life force, the prana, so the next time we feel the need to calm and steady ourselves, slow down the breath. Whenever we need a little more energy, speed up the breath. Notice how it can change our emotional state and body functioning. Soon, we will realize that life is happening one breath at a time. Take time in our breath today and tap into the power that each breath brings. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 290. The Yogi’s Goal The yogi’s goal is to quiet the mind so that all that mental chatter silences. The focus of meditation is to find more space between the thoughts so that the thoughts do not dominate our space. Most people have a restless mind; it jumps from thought to thought, thing to thing, place to place. Other people have a mind that is stagnant, stuck, and maybe fixated on one thing or one problem. Our work is to find the balance between the quiet mind where our thoughts are not rushing from thing to thing and place to place and the stagnant mind where we are stuck or fixated on one thing. Whenever we notice that our thoughts are racing or that we are repeating the same thought and idea over and over, focus on the space between the thoughts. Give ourselves a moment of silence in stillness and allow that stillness to bring us back into a place of balance. The yogi’s goal is to have a quiet mind so that they are not stressed by outside influences and their emotional state is not altered by the changing circumstances. We have this power and control over our mind when it is still calm and at ease. Once we become an objective observer of our thoughts, we can begin to train our thoughts to put them to work for us. Take a moment and notice where our thoughts are going. If they are moving too fast or stuck on one thing, spend time focusing on the space between the thoughts and allow that calm, peace, and ease to penetrate every cell of our being. The mind is a powerful

tool; all we need is to notice where our thoughts are taking us in order to rein them back in and guide them where we want our lives to go. Take a moment in the space between our thoughts today and find that stillness, balance, and ease that we deserve. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 291. Musical Chairs and Scarcity Have you ever wondered why we think there isn’t enough to go around? Have you wondered about the idea that the universe is deficient and that there is not enough abundance for everyone? I was reading “The Soul of Money” by Lynne Twist where she talks about how we define our world as deficient and how that deficiency idea sabotages our dreams and efforts to find a place where we are fulfilled and content. It is similar to the game of musical chairs designed to have one less chair than there are the number of people. When we play the game, we all focus on the fact that there aren’t enough chairs for everyone and with one seat short, we focus on not losing by not being the one who ends up scrambling without a seat. In her book, she also references the fact that our attitude towards money is defining our access to it. That does not only apply to money alone. It applies to everything- to love, to happiness, to the contentment and fulfillment that we deserve in every aspect of our lives. It applies not just with reference to financial stability, but also with emotional and spiritual stability. If we think there isn’t enough, we feel like scrambling to accumulate more, as though we will somehow be left out and without enough. We need to believe that there is enough—that there is more than enough and plenty to go around. If we share it with the people around us, we will have even more.

Instead of thinking that there aren’t enough chairs to go around, we must think that there are more than enough—we don’t even need a chair at all! We can simply sit on the ground and be perfectly content. Once we let go of our attachment to the material and physical, and once we understand that the abundance lies within, we will be able to release the idea of deficiency or scarcity. Instead, we can simply focus on the abundance that exists in everything. Believe in our abundance today. Let go of the notion of scarcity and open up our heart and mind to the infinite. Embrace the abundance that is waiting for us in everything. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 292. What Yoga Requires Some yoga students are too often concerned that they do not have enough equipment—no proper mat, not enough blocks, no straps or yoga pants to allow them to be fully ingrained in the practice. On the contrary, our yoga practice does not necessarily require a mat. It only requires our mind. We do not need a room or an altar to practice the principles of yoga. It begins in your mind. Yoga is a life practice. It's a way of being—being in a space of self- awareness, self-love, and self-service that make us better so we can offer our best self to the world. Practice yoga with every thought, word, and action. In yoga, we need to create the balance and stability inside before we will be able to balance on one leg. Our yoga practice does not require a mat. It only requires our mind. The physical practice of yoga is only one small component of the practice. There are eight limbs to our yoga practice and all those limbs are rooted in conscious awareness of our connection to everything. Yoga is unity. It is uniting us all with ourselves, with our body, with our mind, and with our spirit. We do not need a yoga mat or an altar. We do not need anything in the physical space. All we need is now and the belief in our ability to be at peace, to be in connection, and to be in service. That is the practice of yoga. There is no need for any fancy accessories. All we need is now and the magic of our mind. Explore our yoga practice off our mat, and we will realize that we get more of the practice out of the mat. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 293. Enjoy the Ease Next time we are relaxing, make a conscious effort to enjoy the ease. It takes a lot of effort in this life to get what we want. It is the balance between effort and ease that makes it all possible. If there is too much ease, nothing happens. If there is too much effort, we get worn down. We must replenish and rejuvenate once in a while, and what better place to do that than on a yoga mat, the quiet and safe space for meditation? Take two or three minutes out of the day to quiet and silence the mind. Focus on the breath and enjoy the ease that time brings because it's the ease that prepares, strengthens, and sustains us while we put in the effort. Focus on the ease today and enjoy it. Know that all the effort we put in needs to be balanced with the ease, the relaxation, and the ability to enjoy the results of all the effort that we have put in. There is no point in working if we are not enjoying and appreciating the benefits of that work. Give ourselves the time to enjoy the ease because we deserve it. It takes plenty of work to create what we want, but there is no point in putting an effort if we don’t spend a little time enjoying the ease. Enjoy the ease today. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 294. If It Is Too Complicated If what we are doing seems too complicated, then it must really be very complicated to do. The universe is giving us a path of least resistance to create what we want, and our instinct and intuition often try to guide us along that path of least resistance as well. Too often however, we make things complicated. We internalize things that are happening in the external and try to manipulate external circumstances that are beyond our control. We try to change the actions and belief systems of other people—that is too complicated. If there is something we are currently working towards and we find that there are too many obstacles coming in our path, do not be discouraged. Instead, rethink the direction we are taking. The universe is supporting our dreams and vision for our life but sometimes, that support is disguised with challenges. Certainly, there are challenges that are meant to strengthen us, but there are some challenges that just make life complicated. If things seem too complicated, it is probably because they really are. If there are too many bumps in the road, try to pick an alternative path. Allow ourselves to be flexible enough that we do not force ourselves into a complicated situation that is filled with challenges, obstacles, and aggravation. Instead, try to find the path of least resistance. Allow the signs—our intuition and our instinct—to guide us along the easy road. Follow the path of least resistance because certainly, if it seems very complicated, it probably is. If it is very complicated, it is not meant for us to invest our energy in trying to fix the complications.

It is easier to slightly change our perspective of things, so shift our direction a little. Slightly adjust our focus so that we can find the path of least resistance and make life less complicated. Enjoy the day. Take the easy road and follow the path to our dreams. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 295. Heal From the Inside Out Our yoga practice can heal both our body and mind; but in order to access that healing, the mind and body have to be in the right alignment. The mind has to be open to healing. It cannot hold onto stress or tension. It cannot define parts of the body as bad or believe that pain is inevitable in the process of the practice. In order to heal the body, we need the proper alignment of the hips and shoulders and the even distribution of weight in the feet. How is it possible to access the healing if we are not in the right alignment? How is it possible to access anything in life at all if we are not in the right alignment? Certainly, we want to make the most of our moments and get the most out of everything we do; so if we are putting in the effort, we might as well get the most out of it. What is the point of doing something at all if we are not going to do it correctly and not going to get the optimal benefit from putting in the effort? Think about everything in life—our yoga practice, for one example. We need to be in the right alignment mentally, spiritually, and emotionally to allow for the healing that we all need internally. We also need to be in the right body alignment to heal ourselves physically. Be mindful of the alignment because the placement of our thoughts, words, actions, and our physical body gives us access to so much more in every experience. All it requires is the proper alignment of our thoughts, our words, and our hips and shoulders in order to create a healing from the inside out and from head to

toe. Be conscious of our alignment today and make certain that everything we do is helping us align our energy to create the blessings and the dreams that we deserve. Find the right alignment today and know that the proper placement of thoughts, words, actions, and physical body has the potential to heal us from the inside out. Enjoy the day. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 296. Gratitude to Recover From Grief Each of us at some point has experienced loss. We all have experienced a lost opportunity, a loss of a loved one, of a relationship, a job, or a pet. That feeling of loss can often leave us feeling stuck in the grief because we are focused on the loss. The best way to recover from the grief, as strange as it might initially sound, is through gratitude. The reason we feel the loss is because we valued the experience or the relationship so much, that once it was gone, we felt a sense of emptiness; and that grief and mourning the loss can often leave us stuck. The grief can sometimes rob us of the initial joy of the connection and the experience that we felt in the moment, so try to use gratitude to recover from the loss. We must not allow the loss to leave us feeling stuck. Instead, we honor the connection. We celebrate the experience because we were so grateful to have had the experience in the first place. Allow gratitude for the original feeling to help us recover from the grief so that we will not get lost in the grief and stuck reflecting on the loss. Instead, we use the gratitude to celebrate the fact that we had the relationship, the experience, and the connection in the first place. Use gratitude as a strategy to recover from the grief and we will not get stuck in the loss. Instead, we will be grateful that we had the experience at all. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 297. Stress-Free Is Pain-Free I was speaking with a student about his lower back pain and he realized that his back pain began when he was experiencing stress and confrontation at work and that he was internalizing his emotions as physical pain and tension. Realizing that allowed him to address the source of the problem as he started to strategize about how he could limit his stress and tension at work and limit the pain and stress he feels in his body. If we can shift our focus in such a way that our emotional energy is creating a space for healing and wellness instead of a space for stress and tension, then we can find balance. We find health, vitality, and agility. All we truly need is the ability to release the stress in our minds so that we can eventually release the stress in our bodies. Check where we focus our consciousness, our attention, and our energy to avoid confrontation and stress in the external because ultimately, it will wind up in the internal. Think about where we are investing our energy and make sure that where we put it is creating an energy that we want to feel in here. Let go of stress and tension outside of ourselves and we will also release stress and tension inside. Instead of constantly thinking of it as merely a physical injury, realize that what happens emotionally leaves us susceptible to injuries physically. The only way to maintain a healthy balance of mind and body is to allow the mind to be clear, steady, relaxed, and at ease so that the mind can give way for the body to be relaxed and at ease. It is a

365 Positive Intentions simple connection to make, but we get wrapped up in the emotion too often and lose track of our control over releasing stress from the mind, the body, the soul, the spirit—from everything. Live stress-free today and know that stress-free leads to pain-free. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 298. Goodluck in the Big Game Think back to the last time we prepared for a big event or a big game. When we took the time to prepare for that one moment, we invested our energy and we focused our efforts on that one event. Life is the big game—that big event. Every moment is worth coming into fully prepared to make it everything we want it to be. Prepare ourselves for life, not just for one event, one game, or one thing, but for everything so that we are mentally prepared to give our best effort and to be as passionate and invested with our energy as possible. It does not take one event or one game to inspire and motivate us; all we need is one moment, and that moment is now. Prepare for the big game, the game of life, where we can win in every moment as long as we show up, prepare, focus, and remain persistent in creating what we want. Good luck in the big game today, the big game of life. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 299. Never Sell Ourselves Short I was talking with a fellow yoga teacher who has a lifestyle and wellness brand but was hesitant to advertise her brand. I asked why and she said that she did not want to make her students feel like she was selling something. I asked her what she hoped to share with the students who were enrolled in her lifestyle and wellness coaching, and she had perfectly positive intentions for every person who enrolled. I suggested that she isn’t really selling the service, she is sharing her gifts through her service. It is especially true for those of us in a spiritual or wellness- centered occupation; we think we are selling something, but we are only sharing what has worked for us. What we are really doing is selling access to the happiness and overall well-being that, in the first place, has gravitated our students to our classes. We aren’t really selling but we are sharing the best of ourselves. We are sharing tips and tricks that have worked for us. We are sharing insights that have made a profound effect on our own lives, the things that benefitted us, and the tools that have worked for us. We share access to information that people really want anyway. Instead of thinking we are selling a product—our brand and service—think of it as sharing because what we are doing is sharing our gifts, the best of ourselves, our insights, and our wisdom with the world. that is priceless. It does not matter what type of work we do because if we are willing to invest our energy in doing it, it must be worth sharing with someone else.

Share the best of ourselves today so that we won't get distracted by thinking we are simply selling when all we are doing is sharing, and that sharing requires an exchange of energy and currency. Anyone who is interested in what we can share certainly wants to offer us compensation to invest in our efforts, after all. Enjoy sharing today, and don't sell ourselves short when we are sharing the best of ourselves. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 300. Treat People as Good as We Are Too often, we internalize how other people treat us, but we have to know that the way other people treat us is really a reflection of how they feel about themselves. Never treat people as badly as they are and instead, treat them as good as we are. What someone says to us does not reflect us. It reflects how they feel, who they are, and what they are creating because that energy comes from deep within them. If someone is being rude, chances are they aren’t just being rude or nasty in that one instance; they also live that way in every aspect of their lives. They treat their friends, lovers, relatives, and strangers the same way. What we think, speak, or do is never a reflection of the person we are speaking to, thinking about, or acting towards. Instead, it is a reflection of who we are and how we feel about ourselves. Treat people not the way they treat us, but the way we treat ourselves. Treat them the way we want to be treated and be consistent about it. The next time someone acts inappropriately or negatively towards us, be more positive, more loving, and more unconditional in the love and positivity because that is what we want more of in our lives. We do not want to feed into somebody else's negativity, anger, and frustration about life. Instead, we want to enhance our own positive energy and celebrate our gifts and greatness, so the best way to do that is to be consistent in the way we speak to others and to ourselves. Once we consistently do that, we will never treat people as badly as they are but as good as we are. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 301. The Source of Suffering What makes us think the way we do? When we step into the role as the objective observer of our thoughts, we can pinpoint the source of our emotions and thought process. Once we identify the source, we will realize that things such as emotions are not imposed on us. There is no circumstance that can create a feeling because we take responsibility for the feelings we are creating for ourselves. Think about suffering. Suffering is caused by feelings of impermanence—feelings that things are going to change and that they are different from what we wanted them to be. Suffering is caused by attachment to wanting to control how something is and then eventually by the disappointment we create when it isn’t exactly what we wanted it to be. What if we let go of attachment? What if we let go of expectations? Theoretically, we would eliminate suffering because once we identify the source of our emotion, we can formulate a rational way of thinking, being, and feeling that regardless of the external, we create what we want in the internal. Start to think about the source of energy. If we think we feel stressed, think about the possible source of that stress and once we understand that it was our reaction to an external situation that created the stress in the internal, we start to eliminate the stress completely. Figure out the source and know that the source for everything that exists lies within. There is no source out there. Knowing the source gives us the control to create what we want in the internal and to live independently of the external. Find the source of our love, joy, and happiness that lies in here. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 302. To Us or With Us Today, we need to decide if life is happening to us or happening with us. Are we creating what is happening in our space or are we just simply victims of whatever happens in the circumstances out there? The strange thing is that if we believe life is happening to us, then we become the victim of both pain and pleasure because things are happening to us and we do not have any control or influence over how they happen. However, when we believe that we are co- creators of everything that exists in our space, we can regulate how both pain and pleasure affect us. When we can invite in pleasure at will, we can also block the pain at will—and that is a powerful place to be, a powerful place to stand. We can create any reality, any perspective, any feeling, or any sensation because we have the ability to interpret it as though we can directly control everything that happens in our space. Although we do not control the circumstances and actions of other people, our perception is always ours to control. From that space, we can decide that life is happening with us, that we allow what happens in our space, and that we define the quality of our experiences. Once we stand in that space of power, we have the ability to regulate every aspect of our lives instead of playing the role of a victim and allowing pain or pleasure to happen to us. Go through the day today believing that everything is happening with us; we are never a victim of a circumstance or action. We are

the director of our life, the executive producer of our moments, and we can stand in a space of power regardless of what happens out there because we are focused on the reality we are creating in here. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 303. Time Alone With Our Self Spend time alone with ourselves and notice how we feel. Is it difficult to spend time alone in silence or are we completely comfortable and at peace? If we find it challenging to spend time alone with ourselves, we can only imagine how challenging it is for others to spend time alone with us, too. The time we spend by ourselves gives us access to our highest self, the purest form of ourselves with no outside distractions or outside influences. It is just us alone in stillness and silence, and hopefully, that sounds inviting and like a place we want to be - alone in stillness and silence. Frankly, we will be spending more time with ourselves than we will with anyone else; so we want to make certain that we feel comfortable spending time alone and that the time we spend will be valuable, productive, and beneficial to creating more of what we want our lives to be when we aren’t by ourselves. The way we feel when we sit in stillness and silence with ourselves is a very good indication of how others feel when they spend time with us, so take a little time in stillness and silence today and make certain we feel good in that space with ourselves so that others also feel good when they spend time with us. Enjoy ourselves today and know that the relationship with ourselves is the most important relationship we will ever have. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 304. Perceive versus Feel Take a moment to think about what is driving us. What is driving our actions, what we do and say, what we wear, and how we present ourselves? What is the driving force behind it? Are we living based on how we will be perceived by others or are we allowing our decisions to be driven by how we feel? If we decide to leave the house in sweatpants because it is comfortable, do we feel the need to consider how we will be perceived by the people in the outside world based on what we are wearing? Do we consider how other people would perceive that decision or are we simply comfortable with the decision we make because it feels good? I was listening to a friend who described how much effort she was putting into her children's clothing because she was concerned that they would be perceived in a certain way by their friends. I suggested that imposing that concern on our children was giving them a complex about how they perceive themselves in the world. Because she was so concerned about how they dressed and how they presented themselves, they would start to internalize that concern and start to be worried about how other people perceived them. They might start living life based on how they will be perceived rather than how they will feel. We all do that to a certain degree. Obviously, we want to present ourselves well, but in that presentation, how much of it is for ourselves? How much of it is for others?

365 Positive Intentions We must decide if we will live based on how we are perceived by others or based on how we feel. Presenting ourselves well makes us feel good about ourselves as long as we truly do it for ourselves. Otherwise, if we are doing it for others because we are worried about how they will perceive us, that will eat away at our spirit, our soul, our self-confidence, and our feeling of self-worth. We will feel like we are constantly being judged. If we present ourselves based on how we feel, there is a certain sense of confidence that comes along with that. That confidence has the power to fuel our sense of self, to build us, and to make us feel more powerful. If we worry about how others perceive our presentation, that can be detrimental to our mental health and well-being. Be mindful today and notice what the driving force of our actions, words, and decisions are. Make certain that what drives them comes from within and that we are doing everything we can to feel good about who we are and what we do without worrying too much about how others perceive it. Enjoy the day. Allow our feelings, our confidence, and our energy to be the driving force for our actions because that is the way we will make the most impact. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 305. Multitasking Is Not Productive There is a time in each of our lives when we feel overwhelmed. We feel like there is too much to get done and that we need to accomplish it all at once. Frankly, we cannot do that because no one is effective at multitasking. We think we can do two things at once, but it isn’t possible. We will only be able to focus our attention and awareness on one thing at a time; that is why even when we think we are multitasking, there is some area that we end up neglecting. There is something that we aren’t fully putting our attention, effort, and awareness into in order to accomplish the task. We often get so overwhelmed, we start procrastinating; then we delay the completion of one task or another because we get diverted and focused on the next task while we still have not completed the previous one. That is how we get overwhelmed. We get into a space where we leave so many things unfinished that eventually wind up burdening us or weighing us down. Today, try to focus on one task and finish that one thing. Let everything else fall by the wayside until we get that one thing done. If, for some reason, we must shift our focus to another thing, get that one thing done and leave everything else behind. Once we complete one task, we can cross it off the list of things to do and finally move on to living life with a sense of fulfillment and contentment because we have finally crossed those things to do off the list. That leaves room for something else—something better and something more. Shift the focus from multitasking to completing one task. Know that through one task at a time, life gets done. Enjoy the day, be productive, and complete one thing at a time because doing that one thing at a time will lead us towards our destiny. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 306. Competition Worth Winning I was talking with a client about his fitness goals and I was asking him what he wanted to accomplish through his yoga practice. He responded that he wanted to be as good as everyone else practicing in the yoga room. I laughed and said that every day, we feel different when we show up on our yoga mat. It isn’t productive to compare ourselves to the other people in the room or for that matter, to even compare ourselves to who we were the last time we stepped on the mat. Every day is different, and every day, our mind and body are different, too. The work is to be better in this breath than we were in the last breath. Every time we show up on the mat, we are a clean slate, a blank canvas, and we have the option and opportunity to create whatever we want from that moment forward. Every moment is independent from the last. Every posture is independent from the last. Every person in the room is working in their own space, on their own breath, and in their own time, so there should never be a feeling of competition with anyone else in the room and certainly, no feeling of competition with ourselves. It seems a little silly because if we are in competition with ourselves, who is going to win? Who is going to lose? In the competition with ourselves or with anyone else, there is really no winner. Each of us is working on our own stuff and in our own space, trying to be better in this breath than we were in the last. That is the only work today, not just on our yoga mat, but also in life—to be better in this breath than we were in the last. That

eliminates the need for competition, yet we still always walk away feeling like we are winning. Enjoy the day. Allow ourselves to be better in this breath than we were in the last and that is the competition where we always win. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 307. Recharge What if we recharge ourselves as often as we recharge our phones? The moment our phone is about to die, the first thing we do is search for a plug to charge it up. What do we do when our body feels like it needs a recharge? Too often, we keep pushing ourselves even though we know we are running out of energy. If we were to recharge ourselves as often as we recharge our phones, we would be running on full power almost all the time. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t running on full capacity because we are out of energy. We expel so much of our energy in things that do not serve us. When we are finally doing something we enjoy, we no longer have enough energy to truly participate in the experience. We need a recharge; we need to plug in, not necessarily to an external power source but more importantly, plug into an internal power source. Luckily, there is no need to find a plug in a wall to recharge because usually, all we need is to tune in to ourselves and find more energy. Using our external environment like the food we eat and the people we spend time with certainly helps us recharge, but the best recharge comes from simply taking a moment in stillness. If we were to recharge ourselves as often as we recharge our phones, we would have enough energy to change the world. Take a little time today to recharge. The next time we think about recharging our phone, take a little time to recharge ourselves as

well. We deserve it, so charge up and feel that positive energy moving through every cell and fiber of our being. Take a little time to recharge today so that we can run on full power all the time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 308. Change is Inevitable In every moment of our lives, we are offered the opportunity to improve dramatically and inspire positive change in everyone we touch. Change is inevitable—it is happening anyway. When we focus on the positive change that we want to see in our lives, we become a force for positive changes, and we fulfill our life's purpose. We know that change is inevitable and the work in change is to focus all our energy, not on fighting the old things and worrying about letting go of what was, but on building new ones and creating what is. We are going to change things in a positive way. Any place we go or anyone we meet is never the same after we influence, inspire, and empower them. We can turn suffering into a powerful lesson of strength. We can shift a disaster into a new space of possibility. We can choose to change in such a way that we inspire the people around us to become better. We should work together to change our relationships, our community, our country, and the world. Start with the positive change that we initiate as individuals in this moment and in this space of now. Set the intention to change in a powerful way that we become the force for positive change in the world. When people notice the transformation and see how we have evolved and improved, they will be inspired to change themselves and the world. Be a force for change and allow the changes we make in our life inspire the change we wish to see in the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 309. Appropriate Response to Stress It is no secret that some people have an inappropriate response to stress. Some people lash out at their loved ones and get angry at strangers. They internalize stress so that it becomes self- destructive. It is important to be aware of how we respond to stressful situations so that we can improve our response over time. We improve our response in such a way that we do not let it weigh heavily on our soul, our spirit, our mind, and our relationships. If we are affected by stress in a negative way, that negativity will somehow be communicated in our thoughts, words, and actions. That is why it is important to identify appropriate coping mechanisms for stress. Some people choose to exert physical energy like punching a bag, running on a treadmill, or even screaming or shouting out loud. Some people become more reserved and introverted. They sit in silence or isolate themselves. Some people just carry their stress on their sleeve for the world to see. Once we identify how we respond to stress, we can choose a more productive way to channel it. Channel stress into a project or an activity that is productive such as a meditation practice or a yoga practice. Channeling it into volunteer works or charity and into helping others helps us to not feel like we are just stuck alone with the stress. Once we identify appropriate coping mechanisms for stress, we are less likely to have an inappropriate response to the stressful situations that inevitably arise in our lives.

365 Positive Intentions Take a moment and observe how we respond to stress. Decide whether that response is serving us and how it affects us and the people in our life. Eventually, we will be able to find a more appropriate way to resolve stressful feelings. Notice how we respond to stress, and then find a more productive way to work through it one thought at a time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 310. Breath Is the Beginning The breath is a life force. Every inhale is active, and the exhale is automatic. The inhale is initiating the movement of energy through our entire body. The movement of our lungs stimulates the movement of our heart. The action of the inhale and exhale moves the energy through every cell and fiber of our bodies, and the brain is the most oxygen-hungry tissue that exists inside. The brain is feeding off this life force of energy that we invite in with every inhale. The rhythm of the breath starts to regulate the rhythm of our heart, the energy that moves through our body, and our blood flow. Ultimately, it dictates how functional our organs are. Once we think about how important the breath is, we would not want to find ourselves short of breath. Our emotions also affect us physically in our breaths. If we feel sad or depressed, our breath is often labored. We find ourselves sighing and breathing in an unnatural rhythm. When we are exhilarated or excited, we start to breathe faster as the energy moves more rapidly through our bodies. There is this intimate relationship with our breath, our energy, our emotions, and the functioning of our organs. The health and wellness of our body is intimately connected with our breath, so take a little time today. Notice the inhale and what we are inviting in with our thoughts and beliefs through it. Notice how the exhale allows us to release what we no longer need. Be aware of this rhythm of the breath and know that with every inhale, we are providing vital energy to our brain, to our heart, and

365 Positive Intentions to every organ in the body. Once we realize how powerful this breath is, we are more likely to make the most of it. This is the most important breath we will ever take and the most powerful breath of our life. Make certain that what we are inviting in with this inhale is everything we want to create more of when we release our energy to the universe on the exhale. Enjoy the day. Breathe mindfully today and allow every breath to be the beginning of the rest of our life. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

Day 311. Giving is Living Giving is living. The real measure of the value of our existence is in our ability to offer the best of ourselves to the people we touch and to impact our community in a positive way. Being in service to others is the most effective way to make an impact on the world. When we live to serve, our ego disappears. All that remains is unconditional love. We have no agenda, no expectations of reward, and no financial payoff that makes it worthwhile, only our ability to inspire the people that we touch so that they will offer to someone else that magic, happiness, love, and blessing that we offered them. We offer our energy for the benefit of our community because we know that the worth of our lives is measured by the impact that we have on the people we touch. Reach out and touch someone today. Touch their heart, their soul, and their spirit. Offer a piece of ourselves to everyone we touch and know that we will feel more alive in the act of giving. When we are in service to others, the ego disappears. All that is left is the unconditional love, happiness, and joy that we all want to see in the world. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio

365 Positive Intentions Day 312. Save Ourselves Sometimes we must save ourselves from our self. Our self-talk can put us into the role of the hero or the villain in our lives. The role we play in our own life is our choice. We decide what impact we have on ourselves with our thoughts. We either step into the role of the villain with debilitating and self-deprecating thoughts rooted in self- doubt that discourages us; or into the role of the hero who encourages, empowers, and elevates us with every thought in every moment. We decide the impact that we have on our lives and on the lives of the people we touch. We have the choice to elevate or debilitate, to be the hero or the villain. The work might just be in saving ourselves because when we start by rescuing ourselves from self-doubt and limiting belief, we can step into the role as the hero, not just for ourselves, but for everyone else. Decide to save ourselves. Start by stepping into the role as a hero to save us from ourselves. One thought at a time. Blessings, blessings, blessings, Spoken Word Yoga. Namaste! Click to play audio