Naturopathy, Yoga, & Mindfulness

The Abyss of Time: Naturopathy, Yoga, & Mindfulness

The journey begins!

Fast Forward 7 months... Present Day: Wednesday June 1, 2011.

Naturopathic Medicine school is ahead, I've completed my intensive yoga training, Traveled to Costa Rica to reconnect with old friends and family after eight long years apart, and have accomplished my first Silent refuge and meditation retreat.

Some Topics of Focus to look out for soon:

-My visit with a Tibetan Physician: Diet & Herbal Remedies
-Technology Fasting
-Life Lessons, Family, Costa Rica
-Spiritual Lockdown: Silent Retreats
-Reiki Connections
-Yoga for Fibromyalgia (Cultivating Compassionate Awareness)
-Healing Yoga > Applicable Therapeutic Directions & Research
-Self Care for Medical Students
-Balancing Life, Money, & Dreams

Blessings, Love & Gratitude,
Yogini Nicolasa

Waiting for My Calling

Tomorrow is the day that will determine my life for the next four years and my future as a Natural Healer, Scientist, and Yogi.

Sitting in front of the computer, I begin to feel the work of the cold against the deep ache in my shoulders. All the while, my body craves for the much needed desire to relax and let go of the day. Finally it is time to put aside the stress of my hard work, which has finally gotten me this far... to this exact point in time. I can now simply be satisfied with myself in this moment. I really can't be anymore prepared than I already am, so that I might be here now. I have made it, have I not? I have explored the depths of my weaknesses and strengths, only to know that there are always more to be found. At least as long as I am contained in this vessel known as the human condition. Nevertheless, there must be a greater message here. With every instant of life breath and energy being exerted from my very soul I can sense something great at work. My life is valuable and impermanent. In reality, all life is a fragile work of art.

While wading in this stretch of space, I suddenly have the urge to just go ahead and skip past to the next few weeks in my life. Where I can finally bask in the glory of my new journey ahead. I am deeply looking forward to all the knowledge I have yet to soak in, but I am also realizing that these next four to five years will be composed of fresh scars and several ages of learning and falling. These are just the next baby steps, which will be the beginning of a lifetime for the transformation and birth of a healer. There will be much blood, sweat, and tears left behind on this path; to be swiftly swept away with time underneath the proverbial mat, to expose a person fit to serve and heal the depths of the Earth. One day my wisdom might impart an exciting profound way in understanding the cycle of life and death. Ok maybe it seems like I am getting ahead of myself, but if I am not open to the possibility of being everything I am meant to be or can be... then how can I ever have hope that there will be a new day or simply a tomorrow to bring forth wonderful creations into my existence. 

What I really mean is that I believe we are more afraid of what great things we human beings are truly capable of and so we hold back with all these insecurities and problems we manifest with our minds. Maybe we think that our problems make us more real and our actions excusable so that we can continue the patterns that don't serve us. Well, now I am on a tangent but let's not stop ;) Like how do we even know that are dreams aren't a connection to an element of our reality that isn't more real than reality itself? Where do I get my inspirations to write and how do I know what's truly me? Can you ever really know someone else through and through, or since we are dynamic and ever-changing beings, are we just as unpredictable as animals?

Since my move to Portland, I have somehow been honored the role of leading meditations at several venues. I have discovered that I have a natural talent for guiding others into meditation, yet I have never practiced and have no sense that there is a right way to lead. The words just seem to flow into place and everything feels right. Funny thing is my experience of leading a meditation during my yoga class is a completely different feeling all together. It doesn't feel as smooth and I get this strange agitation of struggling to find the right words. Of course, it all eventually comes together. So, maybe this is merely an internal dilemma and perhaps more of a battle with myself, in this particular yogic circumstance, than with the meditation itself. Thus, this revelation may in fact be less amplified or evident to the listener. Life is a matter of perspective, is it not?

"As we learn to focus our attention, we have a means to free ourselves from illusion and begin to perceive the ultimate nature of reality."

I had a vivid dream last night of an interesting symbol tattooed on my right arm. Then today I happened upon the very inscription I saw in my dream. It turns out to be a blessing by a Tibetan Lama. Could this be a sign? Have you ever had a dream that caught you by surprise or made you discover something deeper about yourself? When you look at this image and the pattern on the cloth what do you see and what do you think it means?

Love & Wellness,

Yogini Nicolasana

Acro Yoga from all Angles

"On The Verge of Ecstatic Adventure!"

       So what is Acro Yoga and do you need to be a Yoga master?

When taking the first steps into the Yogi journey itself, it can be a bit intimidating. Especially, when there are some well-seasoned yogi's in the class. With all the buzz that yoga has received in the last decade it seems that yoga has taken its own movement as a sport or fitness challenge, with even talk of turning yoga into a contradicting race in the Olympics. As much as we are urged in class to respect our body and our limits, it seems as if we are all in the midst of a heated competition. We seemed to have lost the essence yet again about what it means to be, without turning everything into a challenge.

Not to say these aren't beautiful and exciting new ways for inspirations, but as a result the casual bystander may take a mere look at these poses and immediately think to themselves, "this is not for me." I find that the "industry" of yoga has found it's appeal in the external aspects of a yoga practice, as the postures themselves are easy to market to the public. My purpose and focus is to show the world we can begin a practice with an internal look and reveal a deeply rewarding experience of Yoga. 

While I myself have gained satisfaction by my own asana (yoga posture) milestones, we all eventually come to know that "The Journey is Everything." This deep link with our minds, bodies, and breath can transform our ways and inspires us to live more consciously. We begin to experience compassion for others by sharing our yoga practice with others in class.    

So to get to the point. What is Acro yoga, where did it begin, and do we need to be a yogi master to even experience this unique flavor of practice.

Acro yoga does in fact have a foundation which stems from an external and physical practice. However, the unique aspect and culture distinction is that it combines three modalities for external fitness and internal relaxation. The three elements of Yoga, Acrobatics, and Thai Massage are blended together, hence from each of these ancient lineages the basis for Acro Yoga was born. These exercises cultivate trust, connection and playfulness between the participants and brings forth a new opportunity for growth. The minimum settings for this practice involves a base and a flyer. For beginners, or those exploring with an advance pose for the first time, there will often be a 3rd person participant. The 3rd person acts as a spotter to assist and guide the safety of the flyer and the base.  

History Factoids: Although it is unknown where the term for Acro Yoga originated, it has been formally used and acknowledged since the 1990s in Santa Monica, CA. Nevertheless, the physical component was first recorded in 1938. Krishnamachrya, a well known father of yoga, practiced with small children as flyers.  

So remember... Allow these poses to be your yoga NV (Yogic Life Fire) and inspire yourself to impact beings in a positive way when you leave the mat. Don't get too caught up in the asanas and whether you can or can't do a pose at all or only for today or tomorrow. The whole point is to just have fun! Laugh, play, and enjoy each others company. Comfort is key and your body is your temple so respect yours as well as other beings' sacred spaces. With that in mind you will be able to fly & reach new heights than ever before imagined. Sometimes you just have to jump!

In Faith & Freedom,

Nicolasa

Love, Wonder, Connections

So whether it's this week or special day 11-11. There are a lot of changes going on and it seems like this is all happening too fast to really grasp. New connections are being made, new feats are being reached, and new beliefs and understandings about consciousness are being made.

More people are getting together than ever before to discover all areas of spiritualism, science, reality, love, experience, meditation, knowledge, and enlightenment.

There are conscious communities to support one another and to share and help in conservation. A strong calling to work in harmony with mother nature and all beings of life on Earth. Maybe it is difficult to notice or particularly evident wherever you are in life at the moment. Nevertheless, it is happening and we are all, as humankind, beginning to see what is really of value to us. We are realizing that there is great potential and wisdom within us all. 

As a result, we are making big positive changes and differences in our lives and in the lives of people we love. Even people we don't know. This interconnectedness of our species is vital to our existence. We need to begin to show R-E-S-P-E-C-T for our planet now and into the future. Embrace our culture and embrace other cultures in all the beautiful array of diversity.

We are unique individuals experiencing our own path, journey, and purpose but we are all one. Each of us is a powerful spec. Yes, even in our small existence in comparison to the entire world, the Earth, the Universe! Doesn't that feel amazing. So whatever your goals are, wherever you are in life... Love yourself now and spread happiness and healing now! It starts with a simple thought, a smile, an action or small sign of compassion. Realize, Visualize, Create and Dream Big! You're living the dream now.

Grow love and share wellness one little heart at a time.

Many blessings,

Nicolasa

Science & Heart Meditation

The heart may be the healing link that helps us re-establish a connection between mind and body. By encouraging love, we restore balance to this fundamental system of human health - and the wider world.

Science review: Recent scientific research by Dr Candace Pert, who has discovered a communication network in the body running through the immune system, seems to confirm the heart-mind link. She describes a bodywide memory system made up of neuropeptides and their receptors, supported by the heart and the thymus gland. These neuropeptides pervade the body in what Pert describes as a 'psychoimmunoendocrine' system (relating to body, mind and spirit). Understanding these ideas can bring about a paradigm shift in how we protect our health - by loving.

Meditation practice: performing heart coherence

Begin by sitting and, as you inhale visualize breathing into the heart area (not the heart organ, but the heart of yourself) and focus your attention there. Try doing this as you hold a crystal to your heart chakra. Imagine a feeling of love, and let it trigger warmth and peace in your chest area. This tells the emotional brain that everything is okay, and thus the nervous system becomes balanced. Relax as you inhale and exhale, for about 20 minutes. If your heart is still not coherent, watch it become so as you continue breathing. Do this technique daily until you get the hang of relaxing physically while remaining mentally alert.

May all be happy, healthy, & whole. 

Love & Wellness, 

Nicolasa

Note: Meditation Quote & Science Review from the Book of Tibetan Medicine by Ralph Quinlan Forde

"Awaken the Healer Within"

* Practicing Heart Awareness Reveals the Purity Within *

The beauty of the soul lies in your hearts center. Being conscious of your heart and embracing the innate strength of your body to heal and love, awakens the power of infinite possibilities.

Your full potential and life expression begins with the journey of self-love. This awareness grants each of us the capacity to share creative forms of love in exciting, rich ways with each new day. The opportunity for us to discover our true-selves and purpose is locked deep in the 4th Chakra. It's color is green, the element is air, and the orientation is self-acceptance. 

"The 4th Chakra (in truth) is the heart of the chakra system, balancing the worlds of matter and spirit, it sits with three chakras above and three below."

In Western culture, we often find ourselves dissociating our minds from our body. We fall into the notion that we are human 'doings' rather than human 'beings.' Through habits of consumerism we promote values which do not resonate with our heart's intention and as a result ignorance, disrespect, and harm come into existence. 

Our relationship with ourselves and the five elements of nature brings us back into harmony with the world. In reality, we create small yet profound subtle energies through our thoughts & actions.

 Grow Love, Spread Wellness.

In truth by YogaNV

4th Chakra: The Right to Love

* Is the right of every individual *

Self-Expansion through Devotion!

My Sol Practice!

The Sol Hatha Yoga Series is on! My first class yesterday was a beautiful one-on-one experience on a lovely cloudy day. Yes, there was rain and a little traffic to battle but that wasn't going to stop me.

I have to admit, Sunday morning it seemed as if everything could wrong. Working endlessly on my Med School applications Saturday, I had trouble getting to sleep. Then first thing in the morning I sliced my hand on a tin can in the sink and of course it was the perfect day to choose to hide my keys and have printing trouble. Somehow with all that could go awry, it possibly was just the thing that pushed me to make this first class an awesome one!

Bandaid on hand and music playlist ready to go, the Hatha Sol Brightness in our bodies heated the room. The music eased on seamlessly in the background to the beat of my heart and joy. I just love how the particular songs I chose so swiftly lifted my spirits and I really hope others will have the same experience. I also noticed that I can't help but sing along, so I guess my students better be able to tolerate my voice!

Well, one class down and plenty more to come. Also got my business cards today and they are super snazzy. Except for one fact, I decided to change my website name to www.nicolasayoga.com. So now they all have my old website link and I must white-out 250 cards, yay!

Haha, well that's all for today. Going to go work on my Naturopathic Med School essays. I'm only a few days away to making all my dreams happen! Lets do this!

Goodnight & Namaste!

Nicole