Happy Thanksgiving: Give the Gift of Oneness

As we gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving weekend, let’s boldly hold hands with each other, take a few deep heartfelt breathes and reclaim our connection to one another.

 
Remember:
You are a sacred sovereign human being!
Everyone seated at your table is a sacred sovereign human being. And every person, no matter where they live or what they believe, is also a sacred sovereign human being. Why even the earth is a living sacred  being.
 
I believe it’s the most important moment in human history to recognize and acknowledge the Divine Light, Sacred Love, and Holy Spirit which shines through the heart of every man, woman and child - as the most precious asset we have. And the most nourishing gift we can bestow upon one another.
 
As we direct our attention to the Love & Light within our hearts, let’s radiate its essence into the world. When we do, we uplift ourselves,  each other, and all sentient beings on this sacred planet, including the Earth herself.
 
Perhaps, we might recall that before we assumed any particular guise  we - first and foremost – came into this lifetime as a holy human being!!
 
Before differentiating into a man or woman, a liberal or conservative, a religious person or spiritualist, a democrat or communist, straight or LGBTQ, white or BIPOC, a vaccinated or unvaccinated person – we were (and still are) ALL born of the same Holy Spirit with a human soul. Together, we comprise One Human Family.
 
From the shared experience of pandemic – I imagine that by now most humans realize how they’re connected to one another through the most basic experience of being alive – breathing. On the physical level, the act of respiration is to breathe again and again. In spiritual context, to respire is the desire and action of God/Spirit* (Spiros) to return to the physical body over and over from birth to death. If we imagine the same One Spirit breathing through us all, animating our lives, could we understand that no matter where on earth we live, we all breathe the same air? Would it then be possible to see, in essence, we have never been separate, nor could ever be separate from the Holy Spirit or from one another. Truly we are All One People.
 
The perception of our external differences - be they gender, ethnicity or politics - cause so much conflict in this world, creating an “us and them” paradigm or a “me versus you” mindset.
 
But imagine, if you can or will, this simple notion:
Our differences are meant to add color, texture and depth to our lives – to brighten the palate and make this sacred life, more sacred! Distinction is not meant to widen the gap between us. It is meant to challenge us to grow beyond our limited beliefs!
Might we then use our human capacity for imagination, compassion, forgiveness and gratitude to honor our differences, preferences and choices? Could we choose to “paint” a more beautiful work of art with kinder thoughts, words and actions each day? Masterful art that draws us closer together by honoring the needs of each individual within the needs of the collective – rather than pushing us further apart by asserting collective rights above individual rights?
When an individual person feels recognized, respected and appreciated, for who they are and for the choices they make, their heart blossoms adding more Light to the collective whole.
 
All Souls arise from the same “All One Source Love Light” matrix. We are the body of God, the hands of God, the hearts of God, the mind of God...even the tears of God.
 
As human beings our individual sovereignty is non-negotiable, our sacred divinity irrevocable. We each have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And according to Universal Law,, the most primary and precious relationship anyone can feed is the one between themselves, as an individual, and the Godhead.
 
Our humanity is our most blessed asset – more precious than any material wealth or possession. Our humanity arises before we assume roles and beliefs. As we break bread, carve a turkey, pass potatoes and pie let's remember to pass along our own blessing by making more room in our hearts for people’s uniqueness and to honor each person as the Supreme Being that they are...and that you are.

I hope and pray that we use this celebration of gratitude putting our "fear of death difference" aside and opening our hearts up wider than ever before. Choosing to gather in the Spirit of Oneness and Unity.

Peace & Harmony,

Lynne
 
 ___________
*I love to use God/Goddess/Spirit/Mystery/One/All/Love/Light/Christ/Void/Source/Supreme Consciousness/Creator interchangeably. The more words to describe this Universal Intelligence the better. What’s your favorite term for this indescribable power?

Staying Healthy in Turbulent Times!! Antiviral Herbs!!

Staying Healthy in Turbulent Times!!

Did you know many herbs can be used as effective anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungals? 

They can! And they work as good as, and often better than, toxic commercial cleaners because they have
NO negative side effects!

Here are a few that we're using to stave off the corona virus. 

In addition to washing your hands frequently with a hand sanitizer there are other ways to protect yourself!  Use essential oils! 

Plants cannot get up and run away when an animal of insect comes to munch! So they need to have built in protections to remain alive. That protection comes in the form of compounds that exist within each plant.
It's the plant's own immune system.

These compounds are extracted to make concentrated STRONG - medicine >>> essential oils.

And they can boost your immune system!

Essential oils contain the effective anti-microbial (viral, bacterial, fungal) compounds of the plant. 

This list are the most common, and all are excellent EO's for respiratory issues:

Tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon, thyme, oregano, rosemary, peppermint, pine, cinnamon, clove, lavender.  

How to buy them?

Purchase "therapeutic grade" essential oils to prevent buying cheap (diluted) oils. Go organic!!

They will store indefinitely. You'll use them before they ever go bad 'cuz they smell so wonderful.

How to use them?
Fill a little spray bottle 3/4 to top with water. Add several drops of any single or combination of oils that you have or like. Or place a drop on your palm and rub hands together, and smell. You can make steams and inhale, place them into a diffuser to keep air clean, add them to a bath, make a compress, or add them to a base oil (olive, almond, coconut, jojoba) and rub onto your skin.

We use them year round to stay healthy. 

Keep up with your yoga practices - even one pose a day is better than none!

Breathe deeply and replace any fear that arises with compassion, forgiveness and more love!
Those emotions will boost your immune system.

That's all for the moment...stay tuned.

Evolution is in the Air

Nothing in this universe ever stays the same.

No pattern ever repeats itself exactly.

As spring plants burst forth, you may notice how some plants sprout up in the same spot while others spread across your lawn or garden. Natural phenomena and scientific data indicate a Universe that is endlessly creative, ever-changing and persistently evolving.


We live in a cosmos that's ‘NEVER NOT’ changing!

The big question is:

Are you changing with it?

Or are you stuck in the ‘same old’ paradigm:

same old thoughts, same old habits,
same old patterns, same old emotional reactions?

While it’s natural inclination for humans to desire safety, security and stability (because the upside

of familiarity and repetition allows us to gain mastery in our lives), clinging to old habits puts us way out of sync with the ever-new and always-unfolding present moment. Holding onto the past blocks our current and future evolution.

With every act that is out of sync with nature/god/spirit, there’s a reckoning, reorientation, or rebalancing that eventually occurs. It’s the yin-yang of the karmic world at play, keeping the scales from tipping too far...one way or the other.

Change is gonna come!!
Whether you resist change kicking and screaming,
welcome change with open arms, or roll with change
as each new day unfolds.

So, I’m curious:

Do you create Conscious change?
Or are you subject to Unconscious change?

Unconscious Change:
This type of change can feel like some one or something is forcing change upon you!
You cross your arms in stubborn resistance or even push back.

Eating the same foods, never changing your diet with the seasons, or phases of your life makes
you more susceptible to whatever illness is going around. Succumbing to colds, flu, allergies every year is one of your body’s ways to clear toxins and regain balance...all because you don’t know
how to consciously, purposely adjust your habits to remain healthy.

Unconsciously dumping unprocessed emotions onto another person (nature or animal) when an
old wound gets triggered. Then ditching that relationship to start another, instead of healing the
inner child/ego/wound.

Resisting leaving a job that you hate in search of a new job, then getting fired before you have a chance to give notice. (The universe just gave you a nudge in the direction you were already headed, according to your heart's desire, but were afraid to initiate yourself.)

“Oh, change is gonna come...”

Life never stays the same - even if we pretend that it is the same or wish really hard that it would remain the same. When we resist change, life can broadside our best intentions, but when we realize that change is the only constant...we stand a chance of evolving consciously.

Conscious Change:
This type of change may be challenging at time, but you are clear that it is healthy for you,
and you welcome change with respect and care.
Mindfully changing your diet with the seasons helps your body clear toxins/excess and fortify immunity. Purposeful change will up the odds of staying healthy, while others get sick.

Harnessing spiritual practice to uproot self-sabotaging patterns of thought, and replace them with self-loving thoughts and conscious acts of self-care and self-kindness.

Expanding self-awareness to recognize how your own energy, actions, words positively or negatively affect the people (plants, animals) around you.

-----

Is the universe giving you a nudge?
What are you currently choosing to consciously evolve?

Are you able to find balance between a grounded center and life’s unexpected surprises?

-----

For several years, I’ve wanted to express my affinity for sound healing and crystal singing bowls with others.

Prakasa was the first yoga studio in the Pioneer Valley to offer restorative yoga and sound healing events. I’m delighted to see how this combination of healing paths has caught on.

Now, I’m stepping into another of my heart’s desires – to play music with my husband George and offer our unique sound for  inspirational healing in our local community.

Something extraordinary happens in the space of silence, stillness.
Similar to meditation or prayer, the karmic veils lift and the perceived separateness between ego self and Evolved Self falls away.

In that sacred space, deep within us, we can touch and bask in Pure Spirit, Pure Love, Pure Divine Presence...

This is how humans all around the planet are evolving:

Shift attention from one’s mind to one’s heart, from thinking to feeling, from judging to loving, from doing to being. Then making evolved choices from this new place.

As George and I continue to evolve, we will continue to offer new classes, programs and events at Prakasa to support you on your evolutionary journey.

Come over and try something new! 
This one simple action can shift you out of an old habit.
You’re never too old to begin. It’s never too late to evolve one little aspect of your ‘one precious life’.

Reach out when you’re stuck and in need of holistic guidance  on health, aging, diet, weight, sleep, or spiritual evolution or therapeutic yoga to heal back, neck, shoulder, knee, hip pain.
We’re only a click or call away.

Look out for our new events and programs.
We’ve got some good things in the works (Reiki Trainings, Back Care Program, Sound Healing Workshops). So stay tuned for upcoming announcements and dates!!

Pranams,
Lynne & George

Unblock the Heart & Release Emotional Pain

February 2019 - Happy Heart Month
Let's celebrate diversity & practice unconditional love for one another!

Love is powerful. 
Love is magnetic.
It binds atoms together in infinite complexity like
A rose. A child. An ocean. An ecosystem. A single thought. A full symphony.

Love is cohesive.
It binds people together in place and in community.
A family. A small town. A great nation. A single planet.

Unconditional Love is the most powerful force in the entire universe.
It allows us to soothe a crying child, offer compassion to someone less fortunate, infuse fun and excitement into our relationships...
yet it often seems unobtainable in daily life.

The human heart is like a flower that opens and closes.
A heart filled with unconditional love is like a lotus flower, rising out of muddy waters to offer its delicate beauty to the world. It has no idea how long it will bloom, or if anyone will even notice its presence. Still, it offers itself freely.

But sometimes the heart gets blocked, closed off from Spirit, unable to access love, compassion, kindness. An outburst of frustration, angst, anger, trepidation and fear, or sadness and depression can close the petals of the heart, one by one....
until love can neither be given or received.


What would we do in moments like these?
Could we breathe, get out in nature, or lend a helping hand? Get on our mat and practice? Stop work and go have some fun? Mediate or pray?

And if these fail to bring about the desired shift in mood, perception or thought in one's reality...
then what?

Practice acceptance for ourselves and others?
Wait until the inner storm passes? Or pry the heart back open?
Undergo years of psychotherapy?
Take a medication?

When you've done your very best to offer unconditional love and kindness, but feel thwarted by something you may or may not understand...perhaps something deeper than a passing emotion is surfacing. And that something is what ancient yogic texts call "samskara".

Samskaras are subconscious patterns of thought that can trigger a memory, feeling or behavior. They manifest as a tendency, an impulse, or habitual way of acting and reacting. Samskaras affect your daily life. They can trigger suffering or wellbeing. Or dredge up feelings of resentment, hate or sadness...or give uplifting feelings of love, joy, peace, contentment.



A few years ago, I discovered a new modality, The Emotion Code, which I successfully used to lift a heavy cloud of grief that hung over me for a long time. In just TWO days, I felt like my usual happy self again. It was amazing!!  Such relief. And that opening allowed me to feel reconnected to Source at work and at play. It was as if a floodgate opened and love poured back in.

This month, we hope you find numerous ways to unblock your heart, celebrate diversity and cultivate unlimited, unconditioned love. Love is the operating system of the universe, and the power that fuels it. As a self-sustaining energy there's an inexhaustible supply waiting for you. Just open your heart and let if fill you.

If you're feeling stuck (January doldrums) or are in need of uplifting - join us for one of our celebrations of the heart (read below). And if you're ready to shift any old unprocessed emotions (samsakara) that block your heart from giving and receiving unconditional love - check out my Emotion Code sessions. I work with people in-person and by phone. It's painless and the results to release both physical and emotional pain are immediate.

Namaste,
Lynne

Lynne Ann Paterson
Prakasa Yoga & Wellness   
www.prakasayoga.com

Certified Holistic Health Coach
http://www.prakasayoga.com/health_coaching.cfm

Certified Therapeutic Yoga Specialist
http://www.prakasayoga.com/yoga_therapeutics.cfm

Certified Emotion Code Practitioner
Complete this form to learn more.
http://www.prakasayoga.com/contact_us.cfm

Creator of The Back Care Blueprint: The Complete Spinal Health System
Watch my Free End Chronic Back Pain Training: https://1.prakasayoga.com/get-access

Top 10 Health Habits for Autumn

Top 10 Health Habits for Autumn

Lynne Ann Paterson, Prakasa Yoga & Wellness

AVOID:

1. Avoid frozen foods, frozen desserts and iced drinks.

Leave the ice cream and frozen yogurt at the store. Cold foods cool the body. A cold body is less resistant to outside influences.

2. Avoid dairy and wheat.

Stop eating all dairy and wheat for 1-3 weeks to give your lungs and large intestine a rest. Dairy and flour products (cookies, cakes, muffins, bagels, etc.) are very congesting - especially when eaten together daily day. Any grain ground into flour (wheat, coconut, barley, rice, etc.) when mixed with liquid acts like glue in your intestines and creates congestion in the lungs.

PROTECT:

3. Oil your skin, nostril and ears.
I love to use Ayurveda Nasaya Oil, but any organic unprocessed oil will do (olive, almond, ghee, sesame). In the shower, after washing, rub oil over your entire body and rinse off excess. Put a little oil in your ears, nostril and mouth. Cold and wind can enter your body through all these areas. The best line of defense is proactive self-care.

4. Essential Oils
Rub eucalyptus essential oil on your chest (after oiling your skin). That will help to clear congestion in the lungs, and ward off germs should someone cough or sneeze your way.

5. Breathe more fully and deeply.
When I feel my energy dip, I stop, sit down for a few minutes, close my eyes and breathe this way: inhale 4 seconds, hold breath for 4 seconds, exhale 4 seconds, hold breath 4 seconds. This allows your lungs to absorb more oxygen!!

6. Scarf season is officially open.
Wear a beautiful scarf to keep Autumn’s cool, dry air off your neck and skin.

7. Slow Down & Sleep More.

Nature is slowing down, so should you. Overextending yourself depletes your energy reserves and weakens your immune system. It’s better to get regular sleep, then risk an illness.

NOURISH:

8. Hydrate Daily with Warm or Hot Water

The optimal amount is half your body weight in ounces. Ex. 100 lb person = drinks 50 oz. water

Why? The cool dry winds of Autumn dehydrate your body as much as the Summer sun.

9. Eat Soft Warming Food.

Eat yummy warming foods to counteract the dryness of cold air and the dehydrating effect it has on your lungs and skin. Meals that feature soup, congee, or stew seasoned with warming spices like ginger, mustard, pepper, garlic, anise, coriander, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary. Warming spices and foods stimulate digestion and add moisture to your tissues to combat.

Add plenty of organic food grade oils like ghee, sesame, almond and olive oil (use olive oil raw and drizzle on your meal in the bowl).

10. Eat Orange & White Vegetables.
There's a good reason why orange is associated with Halloween. It's the color of Fall harvest veggies like carrots, beets and Winter squash. They offer natural sweetness and condensed energy to warm the body. White vegetables like turnips, daikon and radish help to break up phlegm and mucus because they are pungent.

What does January 1st have to do with sleep?

January 10, 2017

Happy New Year!!

Have you ever wondered why January 1 is the first day of the new year is January?

Smack dab in the middle of the Winter!

Here’s what I discovered:
The Romans had a god named Janus. He was the god of doors and gates and had two faces — one looking forward and one looking back. Julius Caesar thought it would be appropriate for January, Janus' namesake month, to be the doorway to a new year. So he created the Julian calendar and made January 1 the first day of the year.

For Caesar, the Julian calendar was a political tool and weapon. As the Roman armies conquered new lands, the Empire often gave its new subjects some freedom in retaining certain religious and social customs. After the calendar was created, it was used in every corner of the Empire, not just for consistency, but to remind all citizens of Roman authority and Caesar's power.
Who knew?

There’s always hype at New Year about making resolutions.
I for one am considering this cultural habit in a new light. For those of us who live in a 3-4 season climate, January falls in the dead of Winter. The energy of Winter according to honored traditions, based upon nature, is a time of introspection, quietude, contemplation, reflection, even hibernation. It’s the perfect time to slow down, take stock, and rest up!

But what do we modern people do instead? We turn the New Year into another reason to party! As if we were starved for celebration after Thanksgiving, Solstice, Hanukah, Christmas, and Ramadan. We stay up later than usual, drink more than normal and carry on…fun for sure, but with certain costs.

If we want to live and age well and have a great experience doing so - one thing is for certain - being in harmony with nature, her seasons and cycles will help us leverage our health, wellbeing and longevity into the future.

So this new year, as I crossed the threshold of 2016 to 2017 I an trying a new strategy. Yes, I stayed up to midnight to watch the most amazing display of fireworks on the beach in Maui, but I did so without getting plastered. And I slept in the next day. Ah.

This month, I am not rushing to make big decisions, big plans or big resolutions. I am taking my time to feel the energy of this New Year, and to honor my needs, in the dead of Winter, to rest, reflect and rejuvenate!

I hope you give yourself permission to do the same!!

Rest is the foundation of health; without adequate rest our hormones go out of balance, our physical, mental and emotional energy reserves get depleted and we lose enthusiasm for daily life. But more on that another time…

I’d love to hear how you crossed the threshold of 2017, and what you are currently contemplating in your life!

If getting adequate sleep is a challenge for you during any season,
go ahead and grab my free ebook:
7 Steps to Supremely Satisfying Sleep now.

Or if you want some real support and lasting results:
request a Get More Sleep Breakthrough Session today.

If you’re Facebook savvy: post a comment here.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on New Year, Winter, Sleep, etc.


In Health,
Lynne Ann Paterson
Holistic Health Coach
www.youngerasyouage.comYoga Instructor & Yoga Therapistwww.prakasayoga.com