Navigate your change with Inspirit Yoga Studio Orlando

7 Ways to Navigate Change Like a Yogi
Most of us who practice yoga will, at some point, find ourselves facing internally motivated choices that can radically alter our lives. That’s when we need to learn how to bring our practice off the mat so it can help us birth the emerging self that change promises to bring forth—and support us as we work through the fear and confusion that change can bring.
Yoga—in its widest sense—can give us the strength and insight we need to navigate the most radical forms of change. Equally as important as the practices of yoga are some of yoga’s basic (and highly applicable) teachings—the recognition that we affect the exterior by working on the interior.
1. Know That Change is Inevitable
The Buddhist Doctrine of Impermanence, annica, tells us that change is inevitable, continuous, and unavoidable. Everything changes. Just realizing that fact can protect you from turning to that most disempowering of reactions to change: “Why me?
2. View the Change as an Initiation
In traditional societies, every phase of life was regarded as an initiation into a new way of being and was marked with a ceremony that often asked the initiates to step into the unknown in some way, whether it was observing a prayer vigil, spending the night in darkness, or answering questions that tested their skills. The change itself, if you go through it consciously, is the doorway into the next stage of growth—one that propels you into a deeper relationship with yourself and the world.
3. Meditate Through Uncertainty
The deep uncertainty that arises during processes of change is perhaps the most daunting part of the experience. Why? Because a true change process will involve surprises, reversals, false starts, and periods of coming to a dead halt. In these moments, you’re likely to experience fear, anxiety, anger, irritability, sadness, grief, and the physical and psychological contraction that often goes along with feeling uncertain and unclear. It’s much easier to stay steady through a life-change process when you have a meditation practice, because meditation teaches you how to keep going back into your center, the core awareness that is your contact point with the Self and that aligns your individual consciousness with the heart of the universe.
4. Uncover Your Truest Desire
Self-inquiry, or atma vichara, is the core yogic process for navigating change. It’s a simple but effective process of asking yourself core questions such as, “What is my true desire in this situation?” or “What outcome would be the best for everyone?” As answers surface, write them down.
5. Set a Strong Intention
The next step is to make a sankalpa—a clearly articulated, affirmative statement about what you intend to do. When you make a true sankalpa, you call on the power of your personal will and align your personal will with the cosmic will. If you have gone through the self-inquiry process and have a sense of what your true desire is, you should be able to make a sankalpa that is in line with your truest wish. The deeper the alignment between your core desire and your intention, the more likely you are to successfully initiate a life change that supports that alignment.
6. Take Action, One Step at a Time
The very heart of the practice of yoga is abhyasa—steady effort in the direction you want to go. So when you are initiating a life change, consider the steps you need to take to make it happen, again using the technique of self-inquiry. Once you’ve thought things through, it’s crucial to take action. Effective abhyasa, in the yoga of life change, is to take things one step at a time so you avoid feeling overwhelmed.
7. Practice Letting Go
One of the positive byproducts of making a life change, from a yogic perspective, is the opportunity that it gives you to practice vairagya, which is usually translated as “detachment,” or letting go. That means letting go of the past; letting go of the way that things used to be; letting go of your fear, your grief, your old relationship, your old job. But you don’t want to let go in a “hard” way, forcing yourself to be a samurai of change. Instead, let yourself grieve the losses or feel the anxiety. Then breathe out and imagine that whatever you’re holding on to is flowing out with the breath

We're here to help you navigate your change. Come visit.
http://inspirityogastudio.com/

7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida

Yoga Poses to Boost Creativity - Inspirit Yoga Studio Orlando

5 Poses to Boost Creativity

It happens to the best of us: We carve out plenty of time in our schedules. We make sure we’re well fed and well rested. We tidy up our surroundings so that there’s nothing else to do but create. Yet, when we sit down to actually make it happen, our minds are as blank as the white screen we sit staring at. As someone who writes for a living, it happens to me far more than I’d like to admit. Although I’m a writer, this cycle of stifled creativity shows up in other places in my life, too. When I’m uninspired in the kitchen, I end up eating the same meals over and over again. I stare blankly at the clothes in my closet as I try to get ready to go somewhere thinking, How can someone have so many clothes and yet nothing to wear?! Even my yoga practice suffers when my creative mind hasn’t been nurtured. While sometimes a few cups of coffee and a long walk in the sunshine can get things moving, nothing is more effective at boosting my creativity than a good yoga session. The right poses in the right combination almost always clear the cobwebs in my mind to make way for new ideas and motivate me to create great things–whether it’s a blog post or a fabulous dish for a potluck.

Here are 5 poses that help be get the creative juices flowing:

Pigeon Pose. It’s common knowledge among yoga students that we store emotions in our hips, so hip-openers like Pigeon Pose can help people release a lot of negative emotions. But the hips and pelvis are also a center for creativity. This part of the body is aligned with the second chakra, which represents creative energy (as well as sexual energy and reproduction). Honestly, I don’t know that much about chakras, but I know from experience that taking Pigeon Pose on both sides and forward bending with my forehead pressing into the ground for a few minutes is the best medicine for blocked creativity.

Seated Garudasana (Eagle Pose). This is another hip-opener that I love to do whenever I feel creatively blocked. As an added bonus, it’s also a shoulder stretch. Since I hold a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders, it’s a good way for me to soften both tension and any apprehension that might be holding me back from self-expression.

Headstand. There’s something amazingly grounding about Headstand. It offers a fresh perspective, which is crucial to creating. And it can’t hurt that this pose brings a little extra oxygen to the brain.

Child’s Pose. You can’t force creativity. Sometimes all you need to do is relax, take a break, and let the wisdom bubble up naturally. Child’s Pose helps me do this when I feel like I’ve run out of steam.

Seated Meditation. Spending a few minutes in seated meditation always reminds me that I’m a part of something so much bigger than myself. Connecting with this idea, puts me in the right frame of mind to hone my craft and put my creations out into the world.

Let's get creative together!
http://inspirityogastudio.com/
7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida
(407) 203-6866

What is Qi Gong?

Q
i Gong is a gentle form of exercise that helps improve health and overall well-being. Qi Gong (pronounced CHEE-GONG) can be traced back 4,000 years to ancient China. "Qi" is simply the Chinese word for energy, and "Gong" means skill that is cultivated through steady practice. So, put together, "Qi Gong" means "cultivating the body's vital energy," and then using it to heal and strengthen every system throughout the body.

There are three main elements to Qi Gong exercise:

Slow, fluid movements that stretch and strengthen
Deep breathing
A meditative state of mind
The exercises found in Qi Gong involve gentle, rhythmic movements, mirroring movements found in nature, such as the lapping of water or blowing of wind. Water, for instance, flows effortlessly along the path of least resistance, and Qi Gong teaches us to move our bodies in a similar fluid motion, minimizing the risk of injury, while maintaining balance and focus. Sometimes the exercises are named after animals, such as bird, bear, monkey, tiger, and deer.

The Mind-Body Connection

Qi Gong is often referred to as a mind-body exercise because it explores the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. Sometimes Qi Gong is classified as complementary or alternative medicine. Other forms of mind-body therapy or alternative medicine include yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, massage, and traditional Chinese medicine. In fact, tai chi, which is already quite popular in America, is actually a somewhat more complicated form of Qi Gong!

Understanding Qi

In Chinese medicine, freely flowing Qi is essential to good health. It is believed that Qi circulates through a system of pathways called meridians, which can be thought of as an energy highway throughout the body. Health is an ongoing process of maintaining the balance and harmony of these meridians, and practicing Qi Gong is one way to keep Qi flowing freely.

Specific Benefits of Qi Gong

Qi Gong provides a core group of benefits to improve health and well-being. Its gentle movements stretch and strengthen muscles, improve balance and flexibility, and reduce inflammation in joints. This movement helps to improve the circulation of blood and oxygen throughout the body, which is thought to improve the immune system and help to remove toxins.

Qi Gong's deep breathing exercises help to reduce stress, anxiety, and tension. The breath techniques emphasize slow breathing from the diaphragm with a relaxed posture and straight spine. They help to calm and center and can be an effective aid for reducing anxiety and aiding sleep.

The meditative state of mind achieved by practicing Qi Gong provides powerful mental and emotional benefits, often after only a few minutes of practice. Qi Gong requires concentration, requiring focus and clear thinking. This discipline is reported to help foster creativity, improved mood, and to enhance cognitive capability.

Come see our daily schedule to enroll in the available class.
http://inspirityogastudio.com/
7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida
(407) 203-6866