Looking for love? Start your day with an affirmation:  Today, I will project a little bit of love to everyone I meet.  At the end of the day, offer a gratitude mantra:  I am loved.  Try it and see if you don't feel more loved --  and more loving!

        

        

        

A yoga pose has two layers of meaning: its physical and its philosophical meaning.   Each yoga practice begins by making a firm connection to the earth.  It's called getting grounded.  You are grounded when you are sitting or standing firmly and calmly, aware of your body touching the floor, your breath and your surroundings.

Mountain pose is the foundation posture for all standing yoga poses. But there is a lot more to it than standing around. It is a head to toe body survey that helps you develop self-awareness, strength, good posture and balance.

Poses that increase strength and endurance demand focus, concentration and commitment to stick with it even when the going gets tough.  Achieving our goals in life require us to focus and commit for long periods of time, sometimes for years.
 
Balance poses can be powerful and dynamic, demanding both strength and flexibility, effort and release, focus and joy.  Creating balance in our lives is a dynamic process, too.  Yoga practice can provide a different way to look at things in your life so that you can make good decisions that serve your best interests.

Every day for the next week, spend a few minutes standing in Mountain Pose.  When you feel balanced and strong, open your eyes and smile.  You just learned how to stand on your own two feet! 

Peace,



Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.  Roll your shoulders back, arms at your sides with the palms facing your body and fingers pointed to the floor.   To get grounded, distribute your weight evenly over both feet.  Feel all four corners of your feet on the ground.  Raise your toes up and down a few times to check your stability. Tuck your tailbone under, contract your abdomen and extend your head from your neck for a nice, long spine.  Look straight ahead or gaze down your nose.  Visualize yourself as a strong and stable mountain and begin to focus on your breathing.

        

Every time you step onto your yoga mat, you are taking action.  You are acting to improve your health and to know yourself.  Some days you may push beyond your comfort zone, to test and challenge yourself.  Other days you will hang back, listening to your body and its plea for relaxation.  Just remember, growth happens one yoga pose at a time. 

Peace,