As I reflect on 2011, I recall how I have changed and my business has changed. I used to be scared of this when I worked for corporate America. Change usually meant something “bad” was going to take place like my boss or company name, which meant more work for me any way you looked at it.

Today, I am smarter, wiser and happier.

Having your own business means that you are the CEO, Admin Assistant, planner, developer, goal setter and  anything else that comes with being an entrepreneur. I have learned so much (some taking longer than expected!) about computer applications, social media and just balancing work/life. (is there such a thing? really?)

What were some of your most proud moments of 2011?

What are the highlights in your Gratitude Journal?

In the end of 2011, I have completed the Business Yogini Circle (twice) having formed Youth Yoga School and a new direction for Yoga & Life. I have really defined the direction of my business and my personal goals by writing them down for 2012 with goal deadlines and dates. I continue to be blessed with a loving and healthy family. My oldest son attended his first ever State Championship Soccer Tournament for the State Title as a freshman and my youngest son’s team went to the Cereal Bowl, Championship Football Tournament Game. My husband continues to enjoy his career always striving to be more to his company and our family, and my parents are probably the healthiest they have ever been.

For all of these, plus so much more, I am so grateful!

Work your plan, girl!

Hello 2012! Bring it!

Having more on my plate than ever, how in the world should I try to plan for the year? Well, I took out a piece of paper and divided it into 3 with lines down the paper. One for Yoga & Life, then Youth Yoga School and finally, my personal life all written across the top of the page.

Down the left side of the paper were the months of the year. I then determined the months I wanted things to happen and worked backwards! My very dear friend, Yvette, says “Work it backwards, girl!” If I wanted to start a program in March, that means in Feb I had to promote it, and January I had to plan it. You get the idea.

It was the best way to map out this year ever!

Another one of my goals was from Susan Hyatt‘s “This Ain’t Your Momma’s Christmas” program. I want to have all of my Christmas shopping completed by November 30 to really maximize the holiday season and de-stress.

What is it you are trying to accomplish this year?

What frustrates you most about your business or your life right now?

What changes would you like to see in the coming year to improve your life or business?

Homework:
Take out a large piece of paper divided with your life across the top. This could be business, career, spiritual, personal, relationships, home, or whatever categories define your life this year. Next, write down the left side of the paper all of the months and input them into the proper months you would like for these to happen. For example, if you want to take a vacation in May, you must start saving in February and make your reservations. You get the idea!

I can hardly wait to hear and see the results. Please feel free to leave comments about your experience with this exercise!

I was lucky enough (yes!), to join a group of women who are in similar industries as myself called The Business Yogini’s Circle.

Be grateful for everything that serves you right now instead of focusing on the lack of.

For all painful things in your life, ask “How is this serving me right now?”

Have an awareness around gratitude by visual representation like keeping a journal, having flowers in your office,  or keeping your favorite picture in a visible location.

Look at samadhi or enlightenment as embracing what the world offers us and what we can offer the world rather than some inachieveable outcome.

Her teaching models rocked  the yoga therapy world. Students from all around the world, from many backgrounds, countries and religious teachings learned skills they could use for their practice and everyday life. Personally, I worked with her in my levels I, II, and III trainings. I remember her warm smile, enormous loving heart and generous sense of humor that helped many people through tough times.

“Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three.” –Confusius

Karen was able to open one corner and allow you to find the other three. She will be greatly missed, but there is so much gratitude for her work she left behind. Her students will continue their work in the world with the same grace, strength  and kindness Karen offered her students.

Karen’s passing poses questions of myself.

What kind of teacher am I? What qualities do I bring my students? Do I give my students the room they need for their own growth to experience teachable life moments?  What kind of space do I hold for them?

WE are all teachers to some degree. I am a yoga teacher,  a teacher to my children, and, more importantly, a teacher to myself. The opposite is also true. I will continue to be a student. I am open to learning, sharing and experiencing what life throws my way.

Who are your mentors of life? What qualities do they posses that help you cross life’s major hurdles?

Let’s remember our own personal “teachers” and honor them with respect and gratitude. I shed a tear for the passing of one of my great mentors, Karen Hasskarl. I honor all of my current and future yoga mentors and mentors of life. To you I say, “Thank you for your constant love and direction helping mold me into the person I am today. Much eternal gratitude to YOU!”

“One look back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” –Carl Jung

We continue to stand strong in our Phoenix Rising Circle, honoring her with abiding love, unfathomable respect, and tons of humor.
For now, email your thoughts and stories to her daughters in care of mlee@pryt.com.  Cards can be sent to Family of Karen Hasskarl, PO Box 200, Bristol, VT 05443.
The Karen Hasskarl Memorial Scholarship Fund is being to created to support the future education of Phoenix Rising Students.  In loving memory….

It has been a challenge to watch the news daily of the extreme tragedy and loss with our fellow humans around the world. It is heartbreaking on every level of human existence the sacrifice, loss, sadness, and unending worry.

What can we do? How can we help?

There are some incredible resources out there to donate funds. I suggest you do that to ease the burden these families and businesses are facing. Great idea!
American Red Cross

What about the inner turmoil and uneasiness?

What I have found to be comforting is an ancient Hawaiian  practice of forgiveness. Hoʻoponopono” is defined in the Hawaiian Dictionary^[11] as “mental cleansing: family conferences in which relationships were set right through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness. Saying these words, “I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, Thank you” just sends a signal to your body that all is going to be fine.  Someone says ill words about you personally or someone you love,… Ho’oponopono Mantra. Watching images of a world that is going in a direction that is disturbing, violence, anger, religious differences,..Ho’oponopono Mantra. Try it out! I would love to hear your feedback.

More information about Ho’oponopono click here

Ho\’oponopono Song Video

So I say to you, the people of Japan, friends, family and relatives…

I love you.     I’m sorry.     Please forgive me.     Thank you!

Interested in how Ho’oponopono Mantra has helped you. Let me know or share the love of this post.

Blessings.

I recently joined an amazing business group comprised of yoga teachers, health professionals and others with a healing modality interest. I find this work incredible! It has allowed me to dig deep down into my soul and question my reason for approaching this career and lifestyle. I have loved the feeling that yoga provides me in my personal practice and as a yoga teacher, I love sharing this same opportunity for others to experience it as well.

The initial exercises consist of examining personal strengths, and thinking about people we love to hang around with. When asked, “what lights you up?”, I became giddy thinking about my list. I noticed a smile on my face just writing down words on my paper. I wrote everything down from walks on the beach, dancing to some music that makes me feel alive, to sharing a hug with my dogs.

So I ask you, What makes you Light Up? What makes you giddy inside? What makes you feel so excited that you tend to lose track of time when you do it? humm…..?

Another question came in the workbook exercises:

What qualities were you criticized for as a child? Where do you get strength now from those same traits?

Ahh…very interesting. I used to get in trouble all the time for being too talkative in school. My report card was full of comments about being too talkative. Wow, how amazing that most of my day is communicating with people whether it be on my blog talk radio show, working with private clients or teaching regular classes. I wonder if every kind of teacher received those same remarks on their report card? I also wonder what other kind of life I would have if I didn’t enjoy talking and speaking live?

Another thing I was criticized for was being *spacey stacey*. What?  Was that being a dreamer? Thinking of things bigger than myself. Dreaming about a world of possibilities for myself and others.

I then began to look at my responses to my own children. My youngest son loves to whistle. He is a pretty happy child at the age of 12 (for now!)  but he is the loudest whistler in the entire world. What up with that? I spent countless hours reminding him to whistle softer (can you actually do that?) or not at all. Just to think that one day he may be the world’s best whistler or a lifeguard on a beach? In the big scheme of things, whistling shouldn’t be his problem, but my intolerability to it. How interesting!

What would your responses be to this same question? What were you criticized for as a child? Where do these same traits fit into your life now?

The experience with my first week in this group brings so many great questions up within my own life. This is part of who we are, and certainly has to do with our personal  sankalpa, our higher purpose or calling.

How in the world can we move forward with our purpose or passion until we have a good base knowledge of the kind of person we are today? Finding out what makes us Light Up or even smile.

We do the same thing in our yoga practice. We feel that deep connection to Mother Earth, to ourselves and our purpose. From this place deep down, we can explore what it is like moving forward to whatever endeavor that we want.

I have really enjoyed this initial exercise, and am really excited to move forward in my business and future!

If you want more information about my personal experience, visit www.thebusinessyogini.com. You will love working with her as I do!

Just thinking of the word “resolution” brings up ideas of commitments that will be broken at some point or sometimes lofty goals that may or may not be unattainable. “Intention” to me is something I think about before I practice yoga. What do I want this practice to be about? What do I need on or off the mat? Sometimes, intentions can be small changes that we create on a daily basis. Like stearing a ship, small changes in the direction of that ship will make that ship end up at a totally different destination.

 The practice began with a chant from the Yoga Sutras 1-1:

“Atha yoganusasanum”

Now Begins the Practice of Yoga

Audio

Looking towards 2011, “now” begins the practice of yoga. Not in the future, not only when your yoga practice begins, but each and every day. Each and every moment, there is the opportunity to begin, again and again. I love to know that as we look back on 2010 and think about things we liked or wished we could have changed, we realize we always have the opportunity to begin again, in each moment.

 
The yoga practice examined three areas:

• Our Mind
• Our Body
• Our Speech

Transformation begins within as we examined each area through pranayama, breath, and asana, yoga postures. Contemplation was asked at the end of each segment. We were asked to examine our patterns of our mind, body and speech in 2010 and see how we would like to transform for 2011.

The practice of yoga is about the inquiry or questions within our own selves. As I sat in this Transformation class, it gave me the time and space to contemplate intentions for my New Year.

I hope you, too, examine these same areas and let the practice of Yoga start in your own life.

Happy New Year~ Atha Yoganusasanum

Here is my commitment to YOU (and me)!

I am going to start this Blog-a-Thon with Dana Nelson. She has put the challenge to me! I invite you to join me. You, too, have information to share, good news to share and the world is waiting to hear from you. Join the blogosphere! Start a revolution!

I can give you a wonderful gift this HOliday Season with my new fav Christmas Song. Enjoy!

Downward facing dog pose is a unique pose and one that is the cornerstone of asanas. It is a fabulous pose because it engages your hamstrings, develops strength in your back and opens your shoulders. Yoga gurus patterned this pose from our animal friends!

Chris Crews demonstrates the basics of Downward Facing Dog pose for you here! Enjoy..sending you many blessings this holiday weekend!

Chris’ Downward Facing Dog Pose Video

Chris and Stacey