NicolePresents: Wellness

Every month I look forward to LA Yoga’s newsletter from Editor-In-Chief, Felicia Tomasko.  She always has such incredibly insightful things to say.  This article resonated with me and I wanted to re-post it as it explains the fifth niyama in the Yoga Sutras, Svadhyaya or self-Study as relates to Halloween.

Happy (Almost!) Halloween!

Create!
This morning, I taught Yoga at a YMCA where both children and adults were parading in and out in a variety of colorful costumes, cheery and exuberant.

Whether we dress up as a superhero or a villain, our greatest dream, someone’s horrifying nightmare, our alter ego or just another version of ourselves, Halloween gives us permission to look in the mirror with a slightly different view.

The practice of Yoga continually asks us to examine ourselves. Svadhyaya, self-study, is the fifth of the niyamas, the observances outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Self-study helps us to see how we are placing our feet on the Earth, how we are showing up for our day, how we pay attention, how we commit, where we flail and fail and need to pick ourselves back up again.

Whether we wearing a mask, have painted our face so it is unrecognizable or are simply meeting the world as ourselves, our self (both public and private) is composed of many layers, paradoxes, conundrums. Each day that we meditate, get on the mat, become more aware of our breath and dive into the yamas and niyamas, the restraints and observances that are part of the yogic path, we sift through the many-layered manifestation of this body, this breath, this life.

And no matter what day of the year we are practicing, may we uncover our self with the joyful abandonment of a trick-or-treater inviting the neighborhood to shower them with sweets.

May we be sweet in our self-study,

Felicia Marie Tomasko, RN
LA Yoga Magazine, Editor in Chief

Hi, my Name is Nicole and I am a Mastin Kipp stalker. ;)  Yes its true. I get The Daily Love every day and I’m in love with it daily.  Mastin has so many beautiful quotes to share. I run around posting them all over Facebook!.  They are gems, seeds of enlightenment, and daily gifts.

I just wanted to extend my full gratitude to you Mastin and what you represent.  A fearless, courageous, beautiful soul with so much to offer to the world.  The best part about you is the simplicity in which you shine.  You started with a few quotes,  and will grow into a beautiful book and then into a huge lovely library of inspiration for all.  I’m inspired that you have used our social networking technologies to spread the message of love weaving a web of consciousness, awareness and positive creation.

In the spirit of sharing, I loved your section of The Daily Love today.

MASTINSAYS

My name is Mastin Kipp & I am the Founder of The Daily Love.
My experience has been that time and time again the thing that showers my life with the experience of abundance is my creativity. Not the validation of others, not what the government or markets are doing – but my own creative vision.

I love the quote from the Gospel of Thomas where Jesus is quoted as saying “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

This principle has proven true for me time and time again. The goal is to trust your creative visions, to take daily and consistent action towards them and to HANG IN THERE. It’s pretty much guaranteed that RIGHT BEFORE you are about to succeed things will get really tough. It’s called “The Dip”.

You were born a creative being. You have talents. You were born to thrive. If you don’t believe this to be true for you chances are that belief stems from early childhood when a parent, teacher or friend told you that you weren’t creative. It’s BS – everyone has creativity to bring forth. Get in touch with your creativity. It might be art, numbers, music, business or producing. You can be a creative business person or doctor. Creativity isn’t limited to “starving artists”, it’s a quality that ALL of us have been given by our Maker.

Follow your creative vision with trust. Start now.

I’ve been an artist my whole life. As a kid you couldn’t peel me away from art supplies, but I was pressured into fitting into a mold of what my parents designed for me. The “artist can’t make any money” syndrome was quite prevalent in my house hold.  It wasn’t until about 6 years after I graduated with a degree in business from Georgetown University that I realized I didn’t fit into the mold anymore.  Since then my life has been a devouring of every subject I’m interested in.  I’ve created my own adult program of discovery.  Before I leave this dimension of existence, I want to experience anything and everything that interests me. Eventually, I’d like to settle into a sharing of something I love and adore from the most authentic Self.

The concept of “The Dip” really resonated with me too. I had consistently interpreted “The Dip” as a sign that maybe something wasn’t right for me and walked away from things I’ve loved doing.  But in my work with The Law of Attraction and so many other positive messages, I’ve realized “The Dip” is ME needing to catch up with the new and expanded version of ME and that if you hang it there you can overcome your fears or deal with whatever is holding you back from shining in your greatness!

I’m still on that journey of discovery, but getting closer to the artist in me every day. I’m getting more inspired, more willing to share and ready to give back to the world in a BIG way.   I’m taking risks, failing and succeeding. But most importantly, I’m learning, all the time, every day about myself and who I am.  That in itself has been the best discovery of all.

One thing I do know is that I want to spread the message of love, raise consciousness and awareness, give gratitude to all that exists and give people a chance to become all that they can be.  My own personal statement is:

Through my wisdom and courage, I have an abundant and spiritual life that is dedicated to freedom, passion and expression. I offer my full love, gratitude, and radiant energy to connect, empower and inspire others to reach their highest potential!

Thank you Mastin. Thanks for being a force in expression, positivity and creativity!

Sign up now for THE DAILY LOVE and be a Mastin Kipp Stalker too! ;)

***NEW CLASSES***

I have added a donation based class to my schedule at my home.
I have an awesome back patio and pool, so come join the family and have some fun! ;)

WEEKLY CLASSES:

Tuesdays & Thursdays – 9am  Level 1
Urban Lily (urbanlilyyoga.com)

Wednesdays – 8pm – All Levels  * Donation Based *
Beverly Hills
EMAIL FOR ADDRESS & INFO

Sundays – 10am
Hiking Yoga Leader – Temescal Canyon
(hikingyoga.com)

PRIVATE YOGA *** INTRO SPECIAL $100 OFF***

I’m running a Fall Special…..
3 INTRODUCTORY PRIVATE SESSIONS for $150!
That’s over $100 off.

Learn the basics or master a pose. You decide what your goals are and I will provide a road map to get there.  Privates are an intelligent approach to Yoga.  I can help you meet your objectives by customizing a program designed for you. It’s an extremely effective and safe method of learning.  Yoga is not just a physical exercise, but an entire mind, body and spiritual practice.  Privates can take many forms ranging from the physical to a more philosophical approach.

Individual, duets and small groups
In-home services (travel charges may apply)
60 or 90 min sessions