Nicole Doherty: Wellness

One of the biggest wisdom teachings I’ve been gifted in my life is the immense power of appreciation. I stand in awe in recognition of all the amazing things that I have manifested in my life in the last two years through appreciation rituals, preparing myself for the 2012 shift in energy and consciousness. Through consistent appreciation practices, intentions and goals, I have transformed my life and have created abundance in all aspects of my life.  I’d love to share a few things that I’ve learned about appreciation.

What does it mean to appreciate? 

The dictionary states appreciation is an awareness and recognition of aesthetic values, and an expression of admiration, approval and gratitude.  The Law of Attraction would say that to appreciate guides one’s feelings toward better feeling states and thoughts which in turn increases the positive flow of energy and improves our overall state of well being.  When we feel better we are more inspired, thus we begin to tune into a more positive frequency and we attract more of what we want. With more positive energy, we enter a vortex of well being and line ourselves up with Source or the Universal Matrix where we are tapped into life and things flow easily and effortlessly.

How can we appreciate?

I listened to an amazing audio book recently, The Power of Appreciation by Mike Robbins and I want to acknowledge him for inspiring me with some additional information for my toolbox.  Mike Robbins, you have impacted me greatly and for that I’m very thankful!

Change your Perception -  Easier said than done. We live in a society that encourages cynicism and criticism of just about everything. I call it the Seinfeld syndrome. Jerry Seinfeld made complaining cool. I do believe this is changing but look at your attitude.  Can you look for what is working in your life or do you always look for what isn’t.  Notice what you like more than what you don’t.  Flip your perspective and look for the fun and pleasurable.  Release the judge and the critic.  It is challenging in the work and public environments. It seems conversations or stories revolve around people’s faults, how one measures up, one’s demise or the collapse of something. Yoga and meditation have been miraculous practices for me in noticing my negative thought patterns and how I’ve been programmed. In the Yoga Sutras, this practice is called Pratipaksa Bhavanam.  We work to catch the destructive thoughts and focus our minds and cultivate opposite, positive thoughts.  The glass can certainly be full!

Practice, Seek and Take Action – Once you are aware that you need to change your perspective, practice seeking out things to appreciate.  Take action and do and say things that are appreciative. The challenge in our society to acting appreciative is our perception that we lack time.  But little things go a very long way in the field of appreciation.  Buy a stack of cards that inspire you and keep them so that when you want to thank someone you can shoot them a quick note.  Have little post it notes near your desk and when someone does something awesome, post a note on their computer screen. Surprise someone. People love surprises in the world of all things planned. Send an inspirational quote to a friend’s Facebook page just to let them know you are acknowledging them for something. Leave a short voicemail honoring someone each day. Buy small gifts that you have on hand that you give to people you want to appreciate. Learn to be motivating, inspiring and empower people through your encouragement.

Acknowledge Externally – For just a few minutes in the morning and evening take time to journal, pray or meditate on the things that went well in your day.  From the bed that you slept on, to the clothes on your back, to the food that nourished you, to all the people that supported you, to the car that drove you to work, and so on.  There are many daily things that we own, use or encounter that have a huge impact on our lives and the choices we make day to day. Start to recognize even what seems mundane as a true miracle that you and have created in your life.

Acknowledge Yourself – For just a few minutes in the morning and evening take time to journal, pray or meditate on the things that you did well. Sometimes our own goals get in the way because we are trained to see what we didn’t achieve. We spend a disproportionate amount of time concentrating on the negative. So flip this and think about compliments that came your way.  Appreciate tasks you completed or goals you achieved.  Even if you had a rough day, acknowledge that you made it through the day, you used your breath, and you did your best.  There will always be something positive that you can appreciate about yourself.

Be Authentic in Your Appreciation:  It’s easy to say a laundry list of things that you appreciate just to get it done, but that’s not really what the magnetic laws of attraction are all about.  You need to not only name what you appreciate, but really feel the vibration of it. So be genuine when you are appreciating. Place your attention in your heart, not in your mind. Tap into your heart and let the appreciation flow from this authentic place.

Through all these practices of acknowledgment and gratitude, the wellspring of abundance appears naturally.  It really is the principle of “the more you give the more you get”, a natural law of the universe.  When we give abundantly, support appears in return.  Gratitude spreads contagiously because it makes us all feel good and joyful.

I hope today that you can find the time to take a step toward creating a life of abundance by finding a way to appreciate yourself.  Appreciating yourself is the first step in any life practice toward happiness and well being! 

As I’ve been getting deeper into my yoga and shamanism practices, I’ve become so acutely aware of the traps of the Ego and the injustices we place upon ourselves that feed it. For so long, I was so unconscious of my behaviors, patterns of resistance, and unresolved emotional charges. Now, on the flipside I am hyper-conscious of the Ego’s shenanigans. I liken the Ego to that little kid that says “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” in the backseat of the car – it’s just plain irritating! But I also know that this extreme form of self-reflection is necessary, as challenging as it might be, to expand my consciousness and evolve. Sometimes though, uggh, I’ve had just about enough! So at these times what measures do I take?  

I go deeper inside. I dive into my meditation and asana practices. I start burning off the impurities and negative energies I’ve accumulated in the physical body, and I start to work into my subtle body with the breath to release further blockages. After stilling the vrittis, the fluctuations of the mind, I am able to comfortably slide deeper into the realms of the heart. With these practices of meditation and asana, I am now more objective about my emotions, my feelings and my sensations. I can see more clearly the labels that I place on everything, good or bad, which are false perceptions too of something that just IS.  

I start to recognize that all the imbalances and frustrations I feel are due to attachments to things I can’t control. Most attachments are either painful or painless, as the Yoga Sutras state, but they do ultimately cause us pain. I try to just engage more with the Now. Be present. Be aware. I begin to realize my true nature – boundless love. I recognize that this holographic life is an illusion of separation. Soon enough I find unity within Source. It’s all an endless process and cycle. So instead of getting frustrated with it and aggravated by it, I remind myself that I have a choice to surrender to Love or engage with the Ego.   

This is life. It’s not always hard and it’s not always easy, it just is. The state of “is” is always in flux.   As long as we are here on this Earth, we have the Ego. If the Ego were that little kid, I know he would stop asking questions eventually – when either he got to the destination he desired or no one paid attention to his shenanigans. It’s really up to us to make the choice and persevere. For me, its getting easier and easier to navigate the traps and to find my balance and my bliss. I’m so grateful for my practices and for this beautiful game we call life. I hope you will find practices that will support your process as well. 

In boundless joy…

Nicole

YOGI SEASONAL FOOD CLEANSE

Winter – 14 Days

NEW DATE – moved it back because of people’s holiday schedules
Monday, January 16th – Sunday, January 29th

It’s time to cleanse after all the holiday cheer! Join our professional team of yogis for a 14 Day Yogi Seasonal Food Cleanse designed to align your physical and energetic bodies as the weather and season changes.  You will learn how to detoxify and heal the body through the use of local, organic, sustainable food and use our yoga practice to further eliminate toxins and boost your immune system in preparation for the holiday and flu season.  This is the ultimate “foodie” cleanse!  No starving here, just wholesome clean foods that will make you feel better than ever!  We hope that after participating in the 14 Day Yogi Seasonal Food Cleanse, you will attain the knowledge that will guide you toward long term healthier practices and an enhanced life!

14 Day Cleanse Includes:

• PDF workbook including a detailed description of the cleanse, expert advice on how to succeed and get the most out of the cleanse, journal templates, 2 week sample menu, shopping lists, list of local farmers markets and organic markets, vegan restaurant guide, delicious seasonal vegan recipes and more.One in-person group q & a meeting (optional attendance)
• Daily outdoor yoga classes at “Bronson Canyon Yoga” geared specifically toward the cleansing process. ** If you are out of town or pay for yoga elsewhere you can still join the cleanse (choose “no yoga” option below)
• Email forum/Facebook
• Yoga class the day before cleanse start date, plus optional Q & A

Testimonials from our past cleanse groups!

Save the Date:
Sunday, January 15th
9:00am optional Q & A; 9:30am class

Price:
$80 – $120
(see options below)
nic@nicolepresents.com

Yogi Seasonal Food Cleanse

New Cleanse Member – No Yoga $80.00 USD New Cleanse Member – Includes Yoga $120.00 USD Cleanse Member – Recipe Addendum $40.00 USD Trade for Services (Email Us) $0.00 USD

Catch HAPPY!

Did you know you can get your tickets for the SF Bay Area Premiere of HAPPY – A Documentary online? Schedule your Independence Week HAPPY movie night now (screening July 1 – 7) and purchase up to 10 tickets online for your whole group! We’re looking forward to seeing you soon!

HAPPY, the latest award-winning film by Academy Award® nominated director Roko Belic, takes us on a compelling journey across the world in search of what really makes us happy. From a scientist scanning brains in his lab to a rickshaw puller in the streets of Kolkata, India, deeply personal stories weave together with insights from renowned experts to provide the keys to our most valued emotion.



BONUS! Meet Academy Award® nominated director Roko Belic and Marci Shimoff, best‐selling author of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul and Happy for No Reason, during an exclusive Q and A after the July 1 screening. Director Roko Belic will also be available for Q and A after the July 2 and July 3 screenings.

EXTRA BONUS! Receive 15% off personal Yoga Instruction from Nicole Presents: Yoga, Health, and Wellness when you present your HAPPY ticket stub from the Roxie Theatre screening! Can also be used for Online Skype sessions!

FOR TICKETS: Link Below and then Tickets for the specific show: http://www.roxie.com/events/details.cfm?eventID=EDC65927-1143-DBB3-C6AF0572862A0C15

Website
http://www.thehappymovie.com

Click for Facebook Fan Page HERE

SCREENING TIME & LOCATION
Friday, July 1 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA