Bronson Canyon Yoga Hike
Saturday, January 21st
8:30 – 10:30 AM

Nicole & Chrissy for a yoga/hike excursion in the hills of Bronson Canyon.  This 90-minute journey will combine the cardiovascular elements of hiking with the mindful practice of yoga and meditation.  We will warm up with some breath work and sun salutations, then journey through nature and into the deepest parts of ourselves.  Throughout the hike, we will stop to stretch & release tension from the body.  Towards the end, we will cool down with some restoratives and meditation, concluding a well-rounded mind and body experience.

What to bring: Wear sneakers. Bring water. No mat required.
Where to meet: Just past the parking lot on the right. 3200 Canyon Drive
What if it rains: When you pay, I will email you to exchange # numbers.
Meeting time: 8:30a

RESERVE YOUR SPACE FOR THIS AWESOME FUN!

VISIT US “BRONSON CANYON YOGA”

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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

Bronson Canyon Yoga Hike
Saturday, December 17th
8:30 – 10:30 AM

Join Nicole & Chrissy for a yoga/hike excursion in the hills of Bronson Canyon.  This 90-minute journey will combine the cardiovascular elements of hiking with the mindful practice of yoga and meditation.  We will warm up with some breath work and sun salutations, then journey through nature and into the deepest parts of ourselves.  Throughout the hike, we will stop to stretch & release tension from the body.  Towards the end, we will cool down with some restoratives and meditation, concluding a well-rounded mind and body experience.

What to bring: Wear sneakers. Bring a towel & water. No mat required.
Where to meet: Just past the parking lot on the right. 3200 Canyon Drive
What if it rains: When you pay, I will email you to exchange # numbers.
You will be refunded or credited for your next hike.
Meeting time: 8:30a

RESERVE YOUR SPACE FOR THIS AWESOME FUN!

VISIT US “BRONSON CANYON YOGA”

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YOGI SEASONAL FOOD CLEANSE – Fall Dates Announced!

Tuesday, October 11th – Monday, October 24 (14 days). Just in time for Halloween ;)

It’s time to cleanse before the crazy holidays! Join our professional team of yogis for a 14 Day Fall 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 Fall Cleanse, you will attain the knowledge that will guide you toward long term healthier practices and an enhanced life!

14 Day Cleanse Includes:

• One in-person group q & a meeting (optional)
• Daily outdoor yoga classes at “Bronson Canyon Yoga” geared specifically toward the cleansing process. ** if you are out of town email us about discounts or book Skype privates for yoga sessions
• Email forum/Facebook
• 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.

Save the Date: (optional class)
Sunday, October 9th
9:30am morning Yoga class + in-person group meeting

Price:
Early Bird Special!!!  Pay by October 1st and pay only $150!!!
$190 (under $14 a day including yoga!!!)
Email us if you are not located in LA or can’t attend yoga for discounted cleanse options.
nic@nicolepresents.com

Yogi Seasonal Food Cleanse

Bronson Canyon Members $50.00 Cleanse No Yoga $80.00 Cleanse Yoga 6 Days $120.00 Full Program – 12 Days Yoga $190.00 Trade (email us) $0.00

Summertime is wedding season and every bride wants to look lean, fit, and calm when she flows down the aisle to say “I do”.  A great way to achieve elevated physical and mental states is through a Yoga practice. Yoga combines the toning and strength building aspects of fitness and exercise with the relaxation and stress reduction benefits of meditation. Brides find that yoga is a great way to prepare for their wedding.

There are many postures in Yoga that can help with the toning of the arms and shoulders, often the place of most concern for brides because of strapless gowns. Yoga is different from weight lifting in that you bear the body’s own weight on the arms to achieve a more natural tone appropriate for your body type.  Yoga poses like Plank, Downward Facing Dog and Chaturanga, the Yogic push up, are great for these areas.  For more advanced practitioners arm balances like Crow Pose, Dolphin or Handstands are perfect ways to build strength, flexibility and tone.  Additionally, opening the shoulder girdle leads to a more beautiful, upright standing posture illustrating confidence and grace as you walk.

Slim waistlines bring the tummy area into focus for brides. As mentioned above, many arm balance postures require core awareness to achieve them, so this area is also worked while holding these postures.  In fact, most Yoga poses require core awareness. To be in proper alignment and to protect your body during practice your teacher will consistently ask you to be aware of the core. Yoga will not let the tummy go unnoticed!

The by-product of a consistent Yoga practice brings attention to your food choices as well.  You may experience a lessened desire for heavy meals and or unhealthy food choices that may inhibit ease in your practice.  You may also find your energy level increases, possibly decreasing your need for sugars and caffeine for that extra boost.

Yoga provides stress reduction and mental relaxation through the use of the breath.  By becoming aware of the breath during the practice of movement, the mind begins to still. By the end of a Yoga practice, the mind has let go of time and task lists.  A bride can learn the art of breathing to help her achieve composure throughout the whole wedding process.

Not only is Yoga excellent for the bride, but also it’s a great way to ground the energy of the bridal party and the rest of your family. Many brides use Yoga as a method to create balance and reduce the high emotional levels of their family members the day of. Brides have also turned to Yoga as a way of connecting with their family members in a fun and relaxing environment.

Yoga is appropriate for all fitness levels and age from teens to grandparents. The Yoga teacher you hire for your wedding will discuss this with you. It’s also super easy to set up.  All that is needed is an open space, some mats and an open heart.

Brides try Yoga this summer and enlist your friends and family.  Get lean and toned. Feel calm and ready for your wedding.  Say, “I do” with grace, ease, confidence and beauty!

If you are interested in scheduling a Bridal Yoga Fitness program preparing you for your wedding day this summer, contact Nicole at nicolpresents@yahoo.com.

Results are in!  Empowering Yourself to Transform Workshops are Complete.

We just completed my post-South American spiritual journey inspired workshop series called Empower Yourself to Transform™. I must say the jungle did us good! We experienced two weeks of Yoga every morning and 3.5 hour Sunday Workshops that included one hour of motivational speaking and two hours of meditation, chanting, pranayama and Yoga. The Sundays were just outstanding!

Getting up every morning at 6:15a to get over to The Dance Loft in San Francisco was no small feat. I was used to doing this when working with the Amazonian Shamans since they rise with the sun, but in the city, when it’s cold and windy, it’s a different feeling. But every morning like clockwork, I entered that beautiful studio and found myself remarkably at home, on my mat breathing. I was so inspired that by the 7th day I started a food cleanse so I could boost my energy naturally instead of using those morning lattes!

We worked through the Chakra system for the first 7 days visualizing each energy body, beginning to understand where it is and how it affects the whole body temple. We observed each chakra as a container and asked to release emotional tension, resistance or fear. We went within to understand where blocks might reside. We accepted the emotions as they bubbled up and addressed them with compassion and love.

Sunday, May 8th was Mother’s Day and our Releasing Negative Thoughts and Patterns workshop. What a perfect day! For the moms in the room we gave eternal gratitude for their courage to bring energy into form, into matter, the root word for mother.

We discussed the human condition of the mind and its role in our experience here on this plane of existence. We explored how we use tools like Yoga, Meditation, and Inspirational Teachings to guide us out of the subconscious negative thinking to a more conscious awareness of who we really are.

We learned to not think of “negative” as being bad, but as a gift and a signpost along our journey that we can acknowledge to help guide us to decisions that feel good. Negative is not to be judged as bad, but simply the opposite of positive. We addressed the concepts of negative thoughts being fear and resistance. Once we could see our fears and resistance we could acknowledge those fears, identify the resistance and challenge our thoughts. In challenging our thoughts we became creative and could see other perspectives. We also played with tools from Yoga and the Law of Attraction. In Yoga when we are addressed with negative thoughts we replace them with positive ones, called Pratipaksha Bhavana. In the Law of Attraction, we call this Pivoting.

On Sunday, May 15th it was Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. A big day of celebration in the city, so it was vibrating with some seriously fun energy! This was our Tools for Transformation workshop day. This workshop was designed to be the follow up to the prior week. Once we release emotion and identify our resistance what do we do with this new information? I have spent the last several years in deep study of the Laws of the Universe and I wanted to share some fun games that I’ve encountered along the way. We laughed, we shared, we cried. It was a beautiful day. We watched videos about the power of language and words. We shared some of our patterns of thought. We explored partner work using affirmations and journaling. We powerfully affirmed each other’s gifts. We used engaging tools from the Law of Attraction work and other great inspirational teachers. In the end, we started to feel how we really could EMPOWER OURSELVES TO TRANSFORM™!

After each inspirational discussion, we got on our mats and explored the various gifts that we were granted 5000 plus years ago. I’m sure these gifts are a lot older than the recording of them. We practiced meditation and pranayama techniques to clear our mind and extend our prana through the breath. We chanted beautiful mantras and then opened our bodies with Yoga asanas.

Just writing this I get goose bumps (or as my friend calls them, truth bumps!). This work really resonates with my heart. I know that my path, my dharma, is to help inspire people to reach their highest potential. I am here for Joy and Love. That’s it. I want to bring you more Joy and Love!

Below are testimonials from some of the workshop attendees. If you wish to bring these workshops to your city, I would be honored and I love to travel!

“You are pure BRILLIANT Nicole-your words of wisdom, your knowledge, your teachings all truly Inspiring and Uplifting!” ~Val C

“Thank you for such a great workshop. Even though it was just an afternoon it shed light on what has been happening for me this entire year. Such a gift you are! ” ~ Michelle M.

“Add “motivational speaker” to the already impressive array of hats that miss Doherty wears. I just attended her Sunday class on “How to get rid of negative thoughts and patterns” and have instantly noticed a boost in my energy, outlook and general satisfaction with life. I only wish the sessions were longer and had more interaction between classmates. Next up: Tools for Transformation. If I am a better yoga practitioner and person at the end of this year, Nicole will surely be a huge part of it.” ~ Michi V.

“I have been taking private yoga as well as group yoga from Nicole for a couple of years and she is a truly gifted teacher. Her warm approach and extensive knowledge of anatomy make taking class with Nicole not only relaxing but beneficial for our tired, tight bodies. Most recently I attended a workshop called Empower Yourself to Transform with Nicole. The information she gave us was very helpful and pertinent to anyone’s yoga practice. The fun style in which the workshop was held makes it accessible for any level yoga student from the beginner to the seasoned yogi.” ~ Roxanne G

“Thanks sssooooooo much for the workshop.  I truly enjoyed it.  I’ve already had 3 opportunities to apply what we learned about the power of words!  It is amazing how sharing that with 3 different friends was so inspiring.  I didn’t really intend that to happen.  I was just going to start applying it for myself.  But, Sunday evening a friend called and said something like, “Wouldn’t it be nice if all I had to do is (blah blah blah?)”  And, I just said, “OMG, I have to share what I just learned in this workshop today!”  And, we just had a great laugh.  Then, early this morning, a friend started texting me from NYC about how horrible her life was going to be as soon as she moved and how she wasn’t looking forward to it.   And, of course, I immediately sent her the video via email and started explaining the power of words and what I’d learned.  Then, this afternoon, I was talking to a friend about her career….same thing!  So, I just wanted to share with you the impact you made on my life this week and thank you again for an amazing yoga class.  I look forward to another one soon.” ~ Lisa H

To bring these workshops to your city email Nicole Doherty at nic@nicolepresents.com
Website: http://wellness.nicolepresents.com
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I launched a discussion last year on Linked In with various Corporate Wellness and Yoga related groups asking people how to tap into the Corporate Wellness space in Los Angeles. Until recently my questions went unanswered.  Interestingly enough my discussion is now generating eyeballs and things are getting juicy! I wanted to share some of the insights coming through.

First of all, I see a few things happening in the marketplace resulting in this shift of interest.

On the Yoga side of things…

1) Yoga is a huge business and growing rapidly

2) Teachers are graduating teacher trainings at a rapid rate and can’t find work in studios anymore

3) Studios aren’t paying well so Yogis are turning to Corporations with larger budgets

4) Yoga instructors are getting more business savvy and joining Linked In and other social media platforms to help them grow their business

On the corporate side of things…

1) Employees are generating more demand for wellness since they spend so much time at work

2) In general people are becoming more aware of their health and wellness

3) Health care and sick days are expensive for the employer so it benefits corporations to keep their employees healthy

4) Yoga is now an accepted, respectable and understood practice, which helps the HR department to sell it

According to leading wellness industry consultant and prolific writer John Bates, “most people spend more hours at work than anywhere else in addition to the time they spend commuting each day. In fact, the typical American works approximately 47 hours a week which is at least 164 hours more than the average 20 years ago.”

If we are spending so much time at work, don’t we want to feel good? I ask my friends every so often if their companies would support a wellness program. Usually, I get these answers:

1) I don’t know

2) It’s not my job, maybe…

3) They are too cheap

4) They don’t know what Yoga is

5) I don’t think anyone has much time

Maybe my friends don’t care much about Yoga or maybe they don’t care much about their bodies. Or, if they do care about their bodies and Yoga perhaps they prefer to get the hell out of work and go to the studio for some peace and quiet!  But, my friends may not have kids, play dates, partners, and countless other things to rush home to that keep them from exercising.

I’ve decided now when I go to a party I am going to ask my friends for the name and number of their HR Director.  You ask, “Why should an HR person care about all this?” and I respond with more of John Bates’ great information!

“Given these statistics (referencing 47 hours a week average time spent at work), it is easy to see why maintaining a healthy work / life balance is becoming increasingly important. Corporate wellness programs are important tools to establish this balance. Programs that emphasize the benefits of corporate wellness can be implemented in a variety of ways.

However, they all share a common goal – to promote the well-being of their employees, employers and organization in general. Many companies are starting to realize the tremendous benefits of corporate wellness.

One of the primary benefits of corporate wellness involves a reduction in the rates of illness and injuries among employees. Unhealthy employees experience a wide range of work-related injuries such as muscle strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, stress fractures or back pain. These individuals are also susceptible to developing complications such as diabetes, heart disease or a stroke. Employees without the opportunity to participate in corporate wellness programs may develop serious illnesses. Consequently, they could find themselves on long-term disability for an extended period of time or be forced to discontinue working entirely.

In addition, …corporate wellness programs also lead to a reduction in employee absenteeism. Employees who are stressed, unhealthy or overworked tend to become sick much more often than healthy employees.

When programs that focus on the benefits of corporate wellness are implemented, this rate can be drastically reduced. For example, Coors Brewing Company experienced a remarkable 18% decrease in employee absenteeism after implementing a corporate wellness program within their workplace.

Another benefit of corporate wellness programming is a reduction in the cost of healthcare. When employees are healthy and less stressed they tend to rely less on costly programs such as disability insurance and sick leave.

Companies will notice a significant decrease in healthcare costs once they incorporate wellness programs into their workplace. For example, after implementing a fitness program in which only 60% of the employees participated, Coca-Cola was able to save $500 per employee every year.

Increased productivity is another benefit of corporate wellness. Employees who are happy and healthy tend to produce a greater volume of work at a higher quality than unhealthy employees. Employers need to realize that implementing programs that lower fitness and stress levels will increase the overall output of their employees.

Corporate wellness programs also contribute to the enhanced retention of key employees. Companies that implement wellness programs normally experience a much lower rate of employee turnover. Recruiting, marketing and advertising for vacant positions are very costly, not to mention time-consuming. If your employees are happy and healthy and enjoy working at your company, you will be able to focus more time and energy on actually getting the job done.

The bottom line is you should take advantage of the benefits of corporate wellness. Make it a goal to implement a program as soon as possible – don’t wait until most of your employees are stressed, sick or applying to other jobs. You will experience a reduction in employee injuries, illness, absenteeism and healthcare costs, as well as an increase in employee retention and productivity. Assuming responsibility for establishing a healthy, harmonious working environment will allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of corporate wellness.“

There are great websites out there like John’s that provide HR leaders with presentations, information and proposals for download that will help sell these programs to their company!  Can it get any easier than that? If the HR Director doesn’t have time to put a presentation together then as Yoga Instructors we can be proactive and create one for them.

For the HR leaders out there, Yoga instructors can be flexible with any working arrangement.  Not only are we flexible on the mat, we are in the mind!

Now, I want to share some of the great feedback that I have received on this discussion just to get the wheels turning for both Yogis and HR Directors!

From a member of the Linked In Group who is an ex HR Director:

1. Be very clear about what you can offer and what it can do for individuals and therefore, the company. Find and sell benefits – not just features! Don’t take on more than you can effectively deliver, so find companies with a head count that you can properly manage, evaluate and report back on.

2. Determine what kinds of problems companies need to resolve; some will just want to comply with regulations: some will be running employee engagement programs – some may have issues with absenteeism, sick days, low morale – find the problems that you confidently feel your offering addresses and align with those.

3. Create ways of delivering your work that will be acceptable to the client at an operational level, (e.g. flexible timings, a mix of delivery options) and also find ways of showing results. This is usually very important to organisations – not always of course – some will invest for pure altruism – but most will find your services easier to justify when they can easily justify what they have spent on you.

4. Align yourself with professional bodies in your specialist field to increase your credibility.

5. Budget – well, you’re the one who has to determine how much money you want to make. Once you’re clear about this, you need to calculate how much your programs will cost and then you can more easily identify who can afford your services. The best thing is always to ask – “How much have you in your budget for this” – once you get face-to-face with a potential client. Ideally, you are probably looking at organisations who have a legal duty of care to their staff, and there is no doubt a minimum headcount for that in the U.S. as there is in the U.K. which would at least give you a criteria to search on, when you start to identify your potential clients.

Another great participant in the discussion:

“It really helps having a business background as you can relate to the needs of the business and deliver something that fits in with a busy, buzzy office world.”

A Linked In member offered this:

“I teach regular weekly classes at a health club and a community center. From time to time I mention to my students that I am available to come to their companies or organization for a private class. Even without mentioning it often, I have had students approach me asking for it. Once you develop loyal students who appreciate your teaching style, they will want to share you with others.

I have found teaching in the corporate environment very rewarding. As a former corporate person myself, I can relate to the stress levels. You can see a visible difference in the energy they bring into the room, versus how they leave the practice. Yoga is for everyone, but especially needed in this environment. And, it is a nice way to be well compensated as a teacher. Win-win.”

I love this idea too:

“What I think would be great is some sharing of real-world “case studies” and examples of how the disciplines of yoga have been successfully integrated into a corporate environment, with evidence of the benefits [ideally in terms of increased productivity, improved relationships and collaboration, improved organizational performance, etc.].”

Thank you to everyone for participating in the Linked In group forums.  I really find the discussions to be so rewarding, purposeful and enlightening.

On a final personal note, I have an interest in this topic because I started my Yoga practice as a result of being overworked, stressed and in lots of physical pain while in a corporate environment.  So, I get it!  I really want to help people find the peace, happiness and joy that I did. That is why I got my teaching certifications.  I want to give back what I so humbly have received from this amazing Universe!

Thank you to John Bates for your wonderful information!  John is a leading wellness industry consultant and prolific writer about all aspects of health and wellness programs. His work can be found on numerous wellness websites including his own: Wellness Proposals, Infinite Wellness Solution’s and Infinite Health Coach.

Blessings!

Repost by Inspire Yoga

From a recent DailyGood article called “In Pursuit of Silence: How Noise is Really Killing Us.” In this article, the writer explores how noise wreaks havoc throughout the body and how, as a culture, we tend to view noise as being linked with the pursuit of fun and happiness.

He discovered how marketers actually play loud music in stores to attract customers and how noise is also connected with the pursuit of individuality. It is true that in cultures like the Indian one I come from, quietness is looked upon very highly, whereas it’s misunderstood to be something dull and boring in places like America, where people often compete to be the loudest. Examples of this include dressing a certain way to ‘make a statement’ or express oneself, noisy rock and punk bands that blast their music and the “boom car” competitions to see whose stereo can make the most noise.

Noise, however, is not just something external. There is much noise to be found inside the mind when one turns inward for the practice of meditation and contemplation. Often, in life, however, we cannot even hear ourselves, much less be receptive and available to listen deeply to the unspoken needs of others around us. I love this idea that the soul speaks in a whisper, which often gets tuned out by the noise of the senses.

To me, silence is an invitation to listen deeply to oneself, as a necessary prerequisite for being able to listen deeply to others. To be able to know the deeper aspects of ourselves and others. I liked how Viralbhai shared how people ask him what he has gotten out of his many experiments in silence (he has meditated continuously for up to 30 days at a time and has been practicing the past 13 years!). He said that there is now noticeably less ‘nattering’ in his mind than there was when he began meditating at age 18.

Listening, whether inwardly to oneself, or being receptive to what’s between the lines of what others share, is such a wonderful, subtle art and powerful tool. It is a rare and auspicious quality that is hard for most to master, one that invites insight and intuition, bringing us into a sort of active consciousness.

When I listen, I notice I become immediately calmer and can let go of self-consciousness. I become free. I always think of deep listening as being an act of love and compassion, one that invites growth and transformation. When I truly listen, I am able to step away from my own thoughts and feelings (particularly the negative ones) and embrace new perspectives. My mind becomes free and open to change and the space of infinite possibilities.

In deepening my ability to listen, I’ve found how much not listening is connected with the ego. How interrupting is generally an act we engage in when we do not feel safe. It’s been interesting and important to observe when people interrupt a lot, as I can now see how this stems from insecurity. I try to honor others by interrupting as seldom as possible when someone else is speaking and have found that I have the chance and the honor, really, to bare witness to the candid, personal testimonials of others who I may or may not even know very well to begin with. I know i have personally benefitted so much from the many mentors who have listened deeply to me and try to pass that on to others, to pay it forward.

It has been interesting to observe which groups of people are most receptive to the journey of going inward, of accessing the inner self and the inner knowing that is always available for guidance. People who have not gone through as traumatic of experiences have tended to like to talk a lot and to really check me out before I can ever start teaching yoga or meditation. My young female Indian students in particular used to ask me so many questions about myself. They always wanted to know how old I was, what I did for a living, where and what I studied, what my goals were for the future. One girl even asked me if my life goal was to become Miss India!

As Master Patanjali has shared, however, in the very first yoga sutra, “Atha yoga nushasanam” (meaning “Now this is yoga”), yoga is not something one simply comes to. The word “now” is very important, as it indicates that something significant had to have happened for one to come to the path of Yoga. It can be really scary to go inside oneself, as we don’t know what we will find there. Most people who come to Yoga have faced some kind of crisis, where the outer world has failed to provide them something essential, whether that be the security of a safe and loving home, caring parents or a stable job.

I remember helping clean out the main center at Manav Sadhna (the organization I volunteered for in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India) the day before I left for Vipassana (a silent 10-day meditation course) a year and a half ago. While the space wasn’t noticeably dirty before we began cleaning, it became quickly apparent just how filthy it was once we started sweeping, scrubbing and polishing. Sometimes while cleaning, we uncovered brand new, deeply rooted layers of dust and dirt in the windowsills, cabinets and cubby holes. We all had to wear handkerchiefs over our mouths and noses to protect ourselves as we cleaned.

I found the Vipassana course to be very similar to this experience of cleaning, in the sense that it was really an opportunity to go beyond cleaning up the surface layers of dirt, to dig out and clean up the dust that had been previously swept under the rugs. To really pull the weeds out from the roots and plant the seeds of beautiful flowers in their place. As Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Chapter 2, Verse 33 states,

“Vitarka-badhane-pratipaksha-bhavanam.”

“When disturbed by disturbing thoughts, think of the opposite.”

A yogi must be ever alert, observing his or her mind. When seeing useless thought waves arising, we replace them with positive ones to create new mental habits that are more conducive to spiritual evolution.

So much of yoga is about this process of replacing what is negative within us with something pure and positive. Transforming out weaknesses into strengths. Fear into faith. Confusion to clarity. As in Vipassana, it is important to have the protection of the (at least) 10 days in silence, to allow the space and time necessary to delve deeply within without having the dangers of distraction (from the phone, friends, Facebook and mostly, our own deepest fears). The support of the satsangha (like-minded/hearted community) in this process of personal transformation is crucial, as the people we choose to associate with comprise our environment. As a flower needs fertile soil to grow, so, too, do we need fearless and faith-filled friends to evolve spiritually, to unfold our own consciousness. Sunlight and water are necessary for the development of beautiful flowers, as are practice and a proper lifestyle for the development of beautiful people, on the inside as well as the outside.

My relationship with food has been huge in my spiritual evolution. I’ve gone to both extremes of severe under-eating and overeating and felt horrible in both cases. I’ve loved following the Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle guidelines, including eating my biggest meal at lunch, not eating too much late in the day and including plenty of fresh, farmers market fruits and vegetables in my meals. It has made it so much easier to wake up to meditate and practice yoga early in the morning. It’s also given me the energy I need to do my marketing work, to teach yoga and meditation in a variety of places (including juvenile halls), take a distance learning course in Ayurveda, learn and practice Odissi dance, plan for India and do whatever else is needed.

I remember another key insight I gained from Vipassana (my first experience of prolonged silence) was how much we seek validation from the outside, to the extent that the greed for approval can really motivate a lot of our actions. I saw this in myself when I meditated and in going deeper into the root causes of this, found it to be so deeply connected with the desire for love. Practicing yoga and meditation, living by Ayurvedic principles and devoting myself to serving others, however, has really helped me to connect with the deep love that resides in my self, as my true Self (capital-S for that aspect of divinity that exists within me – and within us all).

It has been such a blessing to be able to judge my actions and behavior from the basis of whether what I am doing could serve the poorest person. Whether my thoughts, words and actions bring me, and those around me, greater peace and harmony. When I realize they don’t, I find myself much more able to let them go, thanks to the practice of connecting with silence.

Having found the strength to provide myself such internal validation has been a big source of growth for me. It is what allows me to be able to extend the peace I generate within myself to others around me, connecting always with the knowledge that healing does not come from me, anyways, but through me as a channel of a higher divine power and energy. As spiritual healers and teachers, I think it’s really important to keep in mind that others one serves can never be more peaceful than we ourselves are, which is why it’s so important to continue to, as Gandhiji has been quoted to say,

“be the change we wish to see in the world.”

I really believe that the seed of new beginnings, the invitation to go into the deep silence that sparks transformation, is available to all who are given adequate opportunities, patience and support for the hard work of changing deeply-rooted habits – from the inside out.