It’s cold outside, but no matter, I’m still going out…

Make friends with snow. Make friends with the cold. It takes only a few minutes to step outside and stretch, and you’ll go back in feeling refreshed and more alive.

As you inhale, slowly stretch to the right and hold the pose.  Exhale as you come back to the center. Then, inhale and  stretch the opposite way. Repeat  as many times as you wish. Your body will be really thankful for this little gift of a stretch. 

If you’re courageous, make the snow your bed for a few minutes. Find a clean snow-fluffy place and lie down. Take a few deep breaths. Expand the belly as you breathe in, and allow it to fall as you exhale. Relax your legs and let your feet freely drop to each side. When ready, take both your arms and squeeze your knees close to your chest. Breathe in and out, slowly, evenly. Feel the stretch of your spine and sacrum. Go to the next position and hold one knee close to your chest but stretch the opposite leg and arm all the way up. Feel your joints opening. Look up at your palm and see how much you are able to elongate your limbs. Hold for as long as you are comfortable. Don’t let yourself get too cold!  Repeat on the other side.

***Do not do this exercise if you feel unsafe in the snow. You can do it at home on your own bed if that makes you feel better. The most important thing is to move and stretch your body every day, especially during these long winter months.***

Seasons of Life – Mirrors of Nature

As we move through the major seasons of life – from childhood to old age – our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being is affected in a myriad of different ways. In fact, the seasons of our environment – spring, summer, autumn and winter affect us on many levels. 

Each season has its own energy and its own wisdom. If we pay attention and immerse ourselves into the season we connect to  nature as it flows through us, bringing inevitable change. Feeling safe, grounded, and stable in these moments can be possible with any kind of energy practice, such as Tai Qi, Qigong, and Yoga. We can surrender safely to the challenges of life as we  recognize ourselves as part of nature. It is even easier to envision our future when we trust the process of transformation that takes place in nature as a mirror that takes place in us.

As you contemplate winter, here are some benefits and suggestions to carry with you in this beautiful season:
You have more time for yourself, for self discovery.
It is a time of inner growth, listening to your inner rhythm, to your voice.
It allows you to contemplate your inner nature and to know your inner strengths.
Treat winter as a quiet, slow time with no distractions.
Use winter to learn about your inner resources and consider possibilities for spring.
As life holds you still feel the pristine beauty of solitude.
This is the taste of gentle, uncrushed vibration. You too can be gentle with yourself.
This calm and peace will not last long so dive into it and cherish every moment. As winter nears its conclusion, take time to go deep inside and feel the pulsing of upcoming change. Allow. You are strong. Your resources are plentiful.

Eva

Quiet Mind, Peaceful Sleep

Does your mind keep you too busy at night, leaving you to toss and turn for hours on end?  You’re not the only one!

Many people struggle with the results of a poor night’s sleep. Grogginess, irritability, low energy, not being able to concentrate, and poor performance at work are just a few of the results of not getting a solid, rejuvenating sleep. 

A good night’s sleep restores your whole body. Follow me in this short video if you have trouble falling asleep. 

 

Melt Your Stress Away!

Hi All! I recorded a few  exercises for you as they are my BEST friends when life gets a little unpleasant. Stressful situations can linger for weeks and affect our well-being. You may have a hard time sleeping, performing simple tasks or even find yourself with indigestion!  You can help your body process stress faster and release accumulated tension with four simple exercises. Memorize the exercises shown in the video below and practice right away. The next time you experience the unpleasantness of stress, find a quiet area and observe your body as it returns to harmony. It feels DELICIOUS!

Seven Days, Seven Ways for the New Year!

2022 is here! 

Making a New Year’s resolution can be exciting. To help make your resolutions last, support them with energy practice! 

Refresh, rejuvenate, recalibrate and bring harmony between your desires, intentions, and goals by starting a simple morning energy routine. 

Seven Days Seven Ways is a group of short energy practices you can incorporate into your busy schedule as they are 10 minutes or less! It doesn’t matter what day you start, or even what order you follow. The important thing is you start today! 

Happy New Year, 

Love, 

Eva

Become Just Like a Butterfly – Breathe in the Aroma of Summer!

Within the first 10 seconds of life outside of the womb, we take our first breath. Nobody actually teaches us how to breath and yet it is a complex system essential to life. The health of every cell in the body depends on this crucial exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. So even though we did just fine taking that first breath, stress, pain, emotions, blocked passages, unfriendly climate, sickness, and other circumstances may change our breathing pattern to one that is far from optimal.

If you recognize that stress or any one of those factors listed is affecting you, now is a good time to check-in on your breathing. Summertime delivers many opportunities to be with nature. You can even use these seasonal opportunities to train your body to have a deep and balanced breath. Whether you are in the woods, or walking along the ocean surf, use nature to train your body for wellness. From anxiety to pain you can ease down the magnitude of suffering, simply by conscious breathing.

Here’s a neat experiment you can try on yourself: Inhale through the nose and exhale through your mouth. Don’t force it, just let it be natural. Notice how deep or shallow your inhalation is, and how quickly or slowly you exhale. Next, find a plant or flower with a gentle aroma. Assuming you are not allergic to it, repeat the test. Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Notice how deep you breathe in when the scent of the flower or even a summer berry touches your nose. Notice how your exhale slows, and how peaceful you become. You may even notice how hungry you become for the next delicious breath. Enjoy your discovery. Your olfactory bulb will remember the pleasure of deep and balanced breathing. The skill will be very useful when you find yourself in pain or other stressful situations. Find an aroma you enjoy, and slowly, deeply, breath it in…letting go slowly, evenly.

I personally cannot get enough of breathing in the fragrances of summer. The smell of the ocean, the scent of the rain and the fresh aroma of every tree on my hiking path calls me closer. Often I’ll stop to take a deep, luxurious inhale of a flower poking its head out from my garden. As I consciously breathe in, I imagine every cell in my body accepting the gift. I hope you will try it too! Remember though, some plants can be too strong for you to take in their aroma so start your conscious summer breathing experiment with plants you already know and enjoy.

Let us know how your breathing experiment goes, we’d all love to hear from you!

Your Vagus Nerve is an Energetic Healing Pathway to Optimal Wellbeing

Bring to your mind a teacher that really inspired you. Learning from that teacher was pure bliss. Teachers like that are precious seeds that bloom through you by passing their knowledge and influencing your future.  Maybe that extraordinary teacher was able to move you from being not very interested in a topic to it becoming your main passion in life. A good teacher shines like a diamond in the classroom. You know when their love for the topic bursts out of them in the most exquisite way and ignites a passion in you to learn more.

Dr. Melanie Smith is exactly one of those teachers! She was my teacher a few years back and she impressed me with her knowledge, generous heart and incredible kindness.

On Saturday, July 24th, The Shift Network is hosting a FREE online event with Dr. Melanie and I truly believe it’s a topic important for you to explore as it may have a huge influence on your well-being!  She will be discussing in detail, methods to tap into your vagus nerve, using techniques from TCM and energy medicine.

To have a taste of Dr. Melanie’s wonderful teaching style please register for the online event which is coming soon! I know I’ll be there!

For more information or to register for this FREE event, Click here!