Prosperity

I received this great reminder on our perception of abundance this morning from the Daily OM.

Security is a state of mind we achieve when we believe that we are capable of caring for ourselves no matter what our circumstances. We understand that the definition of plenty can change rapidly and that it is our personal power that allows us to achieve our goals rather than an arbitrary factor such as luck. Consequently, we feel comfortable pursuing a wider variety of goals—including those that could potentially expose us to situations in which our livelihood or confidence is threatened. We can face these bravely because we know that our inner light will remain intact no matter what. We recognize that the source of our prosperity lies buried in our minds, hearts, and souls, and no force on earth can convince us otherwise. You will discover the true nature of abundance today when you accept that your existence truly is defined by plenty.

If you would like a little inspiration each day, sign up for your Daily OM at www.dailyom.com.

Exploring the Chakras, a 8 week series at Soul Body Yoga

Please come join me Sunday evenings beginning January 30th from 4 to 5:30 PM for Exploring the Chakras, an 8 week series at Soul Body Yoga in Moorpark. This series is open to all levels of practice and is $150.00 for the complete series or $25.00 per drop-in. To register, please call 805-517-1330.

Chakras, the 7 wheels of energy comprising the core of your energy field, are our spiritual and energetic bodies link to our physical bodies. Our emotions, thoughts and actions determine the balance and well-being of these energetic centers within the body. Imbalance can lead to physical ailments and disease. Explore how your chakras can influence your health and wellbeing. Each class will cover a specific chakra, poses that support that particular chakra, the attributes associated with it, ways that imbalances in the chakra surface and methods to clear and balance each chakra.

Week 1 - review of all chakra’s

Week 2 - muladhara (root) chakra

Week 3 - svadisthana (sacral)

Week 4 - manipura (solar plexus)

Week 5 - anahata (heart) chakra

Week 6 - vishuddha (throat) chakra

Week 7 - ajna (third eye) chakra

Week 8 - sahasara (crown) chakra

Find out more at www.soulbodyyoga.com.

Chipotle Chicken Soup from Season's Catering

This recipe is from my friend Gabrielle Moes at Season’s Catering. She’s an amazing chef and teacher. Learn more tricks and tips from her at www.seasonscateringca.com or, better yet, hire her to cater your next event.

Enjoy!

2 Tablespoons pure olive oil1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups canned (in glass) diced tomatoes with their juice

4 cups chicken or turkey stock

2 chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups diced cooked turkey (about 1/2 pound)

1 cup corn

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 large avocado, diced, for serving

Lime wedges, sour cream and tortilla chips, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, stock, chipotles and oregano and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down and the soup is flavorful, about 10 minutes.

Add the turkey, corn and cilantro and cook just until the turkey is heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the avocado. Serve lime wedges, sour cream and tortilla chips on the side.

Simple truths from Carolyn Myss.

As a way to refocus my energies for 2011, I have been re-reading Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Carolyn Myss, PhD. Carolyn's down-to-earth, insightful prose takes the reader through a journey of self-examination, reviewing the steps to balance, health, healing and, ultimately, happiness. A central theme within the book is our relationship to power. Negative thought patterns based in jealousy, fear and anger relinquish our personal power. Here are some golden nuggets from her book on simplifying your spirituality:

- All circumstances can be changed in a moment, and all illness can be healed. The Divine is not limited by human time, space or physical concerns.

- Be consistent: live what you believe.

- Change is constant. Every life goes through phases of difficult change as well as peace. Learn to go with the flow of change rather than try to stop change from occurring.

- Never look to another person to make you happy--happiness is an internal, personal attitude and responsibility.

- Life is essentially a learning experience. Every situation, challenge, and relationship contains some message worth learning or teaching to others.

- Live in the present moment, and practice forgiveness of others.

Reclaiming your personal power is a direct result of mindful living and essential for creating health and well-being. I highly recommend picking up her book and going on a journey of your own this year.

Wishing you the best of love, life and happiness this year and always, t

Origins

I thought you might be interested in learning how I got to where I am. Here is a little excerpt from a post I wrote on the history of The Body Defined:

After working in sport's medicine, physical therapy and doctor's offices for years, I became disillusioned with the state of the medical field. I saw people treated for symptoms, not for underlying conditions; I saw people who didn't get the access to care that they needed. It frustrated me because I really wanted to help people. At the same time, I watched my mother's battle with breast cancer. Her fight reaffirmed my belief that we, as the patient, are the strongest healers and we create our health. By establishing The Body Defined in 2006, I hoped to offer people a more comprehensive approach to their health - mental, physical and spiritual - and allow them to take over the driver's seat on their road to health. I hold true to this ideal today.

dive for dreams by ee cummings

I came across this poem via the book Charlie St. Cloud and I love it. Thought I would share.

dive for dreams

or a slogan may topple you

(trees are there roots

and wind is wind)

trust your heart

if the seas catch fire

(and live by love

though the stars walk backward)

honour the past

but welcome the future

(and dance your death

away at the wedding)

never mind a world

with its villains or heroes

(for good likes girls

and tomorrow and the earth)

in spite of everything

which breathes and moves, since Doom

(with white longest hands

neating each crease)

will smooth entirely our minds

-before leaving my room

i turn, and (stooping

through the morning) kiss

this pillow, dear

where our heads lived and were.

silently if, out of not knowable

silently if, out of not knowable

night's utmost nothing, wanders a little guess

(only which is this world) more my life does

not leap than with the mystery your smile

sings or if (spiraling as luminous

they climb oblivion) voices who are dreams,

less into heaven certainly earth swims

than each my deeper death becomes your kiss

losing through you what seemed myself, i find

selves unimaginably mine;beyond

sorrow's own joys and hoping's very fears

yours is the light by which my spirit's born:

yours is the darkness of my soul's return

-you are my sun,my moon,and all my stars

Be Safe. Be Effective.

Here are my Top 10 Workout Tips for the day:

1. 1.Know your body. Do you have an injury, weakness or imbalance? Address each issue with care every time you work out. Address problems. Don’t avoid. them.
   

2. 2.Know when to say when. No pain, no gain is not a great mantra. If you have pain, stop. Check your form. Adjust. If you still have pain, STOP!
   

3. 3.Make your time count. Maximize your time by working antagonist(opposite) muscle groups during your usual rest periods. You can also do exercises that target more than one muscle group.
   

4. 4.Add a cardiovascular component. To keep your heart rate up, do exercises between sets like skipping rope, jumping jacks or stairs.
   

5. 5.Mix it up. Your body knows routine. It will not adapt. Constantly change things up to continue to see changes in your physique.
   

6. 6.Work big to small. Use large muscle groups first like quadriceps and chest, before working on the smaller supporting muscles. If you fatigue your shoulders before you hit your max bench press, you are likely to injure your shoulder and be out for weeks.
   

7. 7.Use a mirror. It isn’t narcassitic to check your form in the mirror. Mirrors give you feedback allowing you to see your movement and check that you are using correct form.
   

8. 8.Knees and toes. The most common source of pain that I see is knee pain during exercise due to a simple misalignment of the knees. Make sure your knees are always in the same direction as your toes and that your knees do not drift over your toes.
   

9. 9.Be kind to your shoulders. The most common injury I see due to workouts gone awry is shoulder injuries. never let your elbows drift below your shoulders on a press. Learn exercises to support your rotator cuff. And, maybe, go a little lighter than you think you need to ensure you are using the best form.
   

10. 10. Ask for help. If you are not sure what you should be doing, if you are not certain that your are doing exercises correctly or if you have an injury, consult a qualified professional.