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How To, Inspiration

15 Rules To Live By. Debut Post on MindBodyGreen.

April 15, 2012

I am thrilled to now be a regular contributor to MindBodyGreen.

My first post went up yesterday which was titled 15 Rules To Live By.

My friend Karen Salmansohn made me this poster to go with the article.

Click here to read the full post on MindBodyGreen and as always, feel free to comment.

Each post will delve into one of my 15 rules.

1. Be Kind.
2. Have a sense of humor especially when it comes to YOU.
3. Write poems, even if only in your head.
4. Sing out loud, even if badly.
5. Dance, even with no rhythm.
6. If you don’t have anything nice to say… you know the deal.
7. Find things to be in awe of.
8. Be grateful for what you have right now.
9. Watch Modern Family, read Wayne Dyer, and end every complaint with “But I’m so blessed!”
10. Duh, do yoga.
11. Don’t worry. Everyone on Facebook seems like they have happier and funner lives. They don’t.
12. Tell someone you love that you love them. Right now.
13.Take more pictures.
14. Forgive yourself for not being perfect. No such thing.
15. Thank the Universe in advance.
Guest Posts, How To, Inspiration

The First Day Of The Rest of Your Life. Guest Post by Erin Telford.

March 9, 2012

Today’s guest post is by New York acupuncturist, herbalist and writer Erin Telford. I highly recommend you checking her out next time you are in NYC if you do not already live there. 

I love the name of her company: Radiant Heart Acupuncture. I have truly been living my life with a radiant heart lately, and her post today, reminded me of what has already been lying dormant inside of me. Inside of all of us. 

As I write my book “I Am-ness” ( due out in 2013) I read posts like these and am reminded why I am called to write that book. She talks about becoming an agent of change in your own life.

I love that. Agent of Change indeed!

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.”  ~  Martha Graham (revolutionary modern dancer & choreographer)

How do those words feel to you?  Wow?  Hopeful?  Comforting?  Inspiring? 

Give them a minute to sink in.  Like really sink in.  They are big words and they hold one of the most important messages you may ever receive.

There is only one you.  ONLY ONE.

Your soul’s expression is shining and shimmering like sunlight skipping over an ocean.  It’s hanging out just waiting for you to give it a portal, a venue, a vintage typewriter, a ridiculously expensive pen, a string to pluck, a giant power desk to sit at, a dance floor, a strong throaty voice.

It’s 2012 and this year is not meant to be taken lightly.  We are sitting on a literal goldmine of personal alchemy right now.  If this was ever a year to make a major shift, this is the one.  The opportunity to burn through old karma and invite major transformation is absolutely available.  The atmosphere is charged with unprecedented ways to silence the internal critic and quiet the anxiety that has kept you in a holding pattern.

So in real world terms, when I’m talking about a ‘holding pattern’, I’m talking about “that thing”.  You know the one.  The thing that keeps you from just walking out of the-office-you-can’t-stand-going-to and moving towards your weird, seemingly impossible, brilliant career idea.  The thing that keeps you from going to the gym.  The thing that keeps you on Facebook until 2am so you are sleep deprived and depressed the next day.  The thing that keeps you in a relationship that’s not helping you thrive. The thing that makes you stop yourself before you tell someone how you feel.

These holding patterns are all about fear and anxiety about the unknown.  Uncertainty is VERY uncomfortable.  Trying a new lifestyle on for size can feel terrifying.   I get it.  I would consider myself a big risk taker but I am right there with you on this wild ride.  My vow to you is to support you in whatever way I possibly can on this journey.  Because we can’t stay in these holding patterns anymore.  They aren’t helping us.  They are worn out, tired, outdated expressions of ourselves.

It’s time to put on the big girl panties and step into our new shoes.  Our power-FULL shoes.  You know what your “thing” is.  You know you are tired of it.  Shake it off.  Slough off the old skin.  Detach from the old.  Radiate.  It can truly be that simple.  Baby steps are absolutely allowed.  This is life long learning.  Initiating is the key.  Just begin with grace.

The energetic tension that exists can feel uncomfortable.  This is good.  Lean into it. 

Work with it.  It’s a bit of a pressure cooker but this is how change begins.  You need to be sick enough of the old habits to form new ones.  Comfort is not a container for growth.  Think of it this way-the more discomfort you feel, the more you are growing and stretching those boundaries.

Step #1 Calls for radical self-honesty.

How will you step out of a rut if you don’t recognize the one you are currently in?  Take a peek at those areas of your life that aren’t flowing.

Where is the dis-ease?  Where is the struggle?  Get really clear with yourself about what you want and where you want to go.  Then get real with yourself, maybe even a little brutal, about what’s holding you back.  If you can identify those two pieces, you are on the road to becoming an agent of change in your own life.

I wish you-my fellow spirit in this life-joy and abundance in all its beautiful forms and fortitude for your soul’s journey!

Erin Telford

Erin Telford, MSTOM, L.Ac.

Radiant Heart Acupuncture PC
Licensed Acupuncturist | Certified Herbalist
radiantheartacupuncture.com | Phone: 646.266.4019
214 W. 29th Street, Suite 901 | NY, NY 10001

Follow Erin on Twitter!

Erin Telford holds a Masters of Science degree from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City-a rigorous four-year program that included acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, Western disease diagnosis, and treatment of over 300 patients. She is a licensed acupuncturist, board certified herbalist and is trained in Constitutional Facial Acupuncture RenewalTM. She has a private practice at the Classical Wellness Center as well as a practice at Yin & Tonic Acupuncture, a clinic focused on women’s health and infertility.

Erin believes in the powerful healing dynamic between patient and practitioner and the body’s innate ability to move towards balance. She uses a blend of traditional Chinese Medicine and 5 Element techniques to gently bring patients into harmony within their body, mind and spirit. Erin believes her role as a practitioner is to nourish life and relieve suffering of the body as well as the heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jennifer Pastiloff will be teaching at the Tadasana International Yoga & Music Festival over Earth Day weekend on the beach in Santa Monica, CA, April 20– 22. Click here to check out the festival website and purchase tickets. Enter the code Pastiloff for a $50 discount! (Please note that discount codes expire April 1.)

Daily Manifestation Challenge, How To

You Could Be Happy. The Weekend DMC.

November 26, 2011

The Weekend DMC.

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You Could Be Happy. 

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I play this song all the time in my yoga classes. It’s by by friends in the band Snow Patrol, who incidentally make me very happy. (Remember last year they donated a guitar signed by all the band members for my GAMEYoga.org fundraiser? For no other reason than just to be nice!)

I think this song is just a beautiful reminder of those 4 magic words: You Could Be Happy.

(Yes, you!)

I dare you.

This weekend’s DMC is about being happy.

In every moment there is a choice.

To be happy or not. And here’s the deal. For those of  you that feel that you don’t deserve to be happy, for whatever reason, I am here to tell you: That is BS. You do! You deserve be happy. 

And you shall.

And so it is.

How?

By doing things that make you happy. By doing things and being with people that make you feel good.

Are you ready for the ride?

In the comment section below please list all the things that make you happy.

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” Wayne Dyer of course.

And again by him: You cannot get sad enough to make another person happy.

So go on. Get happy and tell us how you got there.

Happiness is the way, Manifesters.

The only way.

Manifest Your Life,

One Laugh at a Time,

Jen (@manifestyogajen on twitter)

PS, My list is long but would start like this….

My happy list: skyping with nephews, watching movies with my husband, having a nice glass of red, a big belly laugh, Modern Family, Snow Patrol, Annie Carpenter’s yoga Class, dancing, when my yoga classes sing and dance, sleeping in, teaching the kinds with special needs yoga, writing, this blog, The Good Wife, getting letters in the mail, giving gifts, photographs, hats, bright sneakers, massages, candles and fireplaces, and on and on.

Your turn.

Guest Posts, How To, Inspiration

Keep It Simple! Guest Post by Author Alissa Finerman.

November 14, 2011

This is such a special treat, my Dear Manifesters! Alissa Finerman, the renowned author and life/business coach has written a special post just for us. You can catch her this Saturday November 19th at 5 pm in Santa Monica at the Yoga Collective as we lead our workshop “Manifesting Your Top 1%”. There are still a couple spots available. You can register here.

Enjoy this article. I know I did!

Keep it Simple by Alissa Finerman

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

~ ALBERT EINSTEIN

 

Sometimes life can be overwhelming with all the choices we have to make. So I like to keep things simple. And I find that keeping it simple is a great recipe for success.

 

I believe that deep down everyone wants to improve and lead his or her best life. Seems easy enough, but often challenging to implement because you need clarity and the courage to take action.

 

Here’s my recipe for success by keeping it SIMPLE…feel free to add on to make these rituals your OWN.

 

S:         Define SUCCESS

We all want success but are you clear on what success means to you? To do so, it’s much more effective to focus on YOUR top 1% rather than on THE top 1%. Living your best life is dependent on doing what brings you energy, makes you feel alive and connected, and leaves you feeling fulfilled. It’s not dependent on your status, role, $$’s, or education as society likes to have us believe.

A client recently shared the following…

“I recommend if you have a dream follow it as soon as you can! I stepped into the French Culinary Institute this morning for my class after having 4 hours of sleep due to work and it didn’t matter, my heart was racing and I felt alive!!!”

Success is doing what makes you feel alive! Take the time to continually redefine what success means to you.

I:         IMAGINE your ideal outcome.

I like to encourage people to think in terms of the ideal outcome. This starts with your imagination. If you want to start a business, become a yoga teacher, or buy a house, train your mind to see all the possibilities by creating an inspiring vision for what you want. Then you can work backwards to see how your vision translates into reality. However, if you start dreaming and immediately let obstacles throw you off course, you create a less than ideal outcome.

The work is to have the courage to think without obstacles rather than let your mind be clouded by everything that can go wrong or the challenges that could show up. People who create think about what can be rather than why something can’t be done. You can train yourself to do the same.

M:         Create a winning MINDSET

We all have a story. Many of us believe our story defines us, but what really defines us is how we interpret the story or facts and choose to move forward.

 

According to the National Science Foundation, our brains produce as many as 50,000 thoughts per day. Ninety-five percent of these thoughts are repeated daily.

 

Your thoughts become your beliefs, which, in turn, become your mindset.  Your mindset governs your actions, which lead to your results. In short, if you have a mindset that limits your potential, then you will likely accept limited results in your life.

 

Start becoming aware of the words you use on a consistent basis and how often you tell yourself: can vs. can’t or impossible vs. possible.

 

Is your mindset costing you success or helping you excel?

P:         PRIORITIZE What’s Important To You

Making something a priority is different than simply saying something is important.

I have lots of clients who think it’s important to make time for the gym or make themselves a priority but that doesn’t mean they do it. I start every coaching workshop by having people tell me their “wins.” Wins are anything that make you feel proud and give you the feeling of “I did it.” The consistent theme that emerges as to why the wins are accomplished is simple –people make them a priority. So if you want time to read to your kids, have a better relationship with your parents, go to sleep earlier, take a vacation, or take a photography class, make it a priority and you will see different results.

L:         LAUGH often

I learned this one from my favorite yoga teacher, Jen Pastiloff. One of the things that I love about her class is her ability to make us laugh so we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We all know that tree pose or crow is serious stuff, but who really cares if you fall out of a pose? The truth — I do! But seriously, laughing opens up your heart and brings good energy into your life. Would you prefer to surround yourself with people who are laughing and fun to be around or Debbie downers? It’s your choice!

E:      Bring EXCITEMENT into your life

Everyone can use a little excitement in his or her life and the easiest way to do this is to pursue a goal that is truly exciting rather than something you should do. How do you want to invest your time and energy? All the brilliant innovators get 24 hours in a day – the only difference is how you decide to use them.

You will naturally be more motivated and resilient when you fill your day with projects/a purpose/goals that are exciting to you.

TOP 1% BOTTOM LINE: Although life can be complicated, we always have the choice to keep it SIMPLE. To achieve this you need to know what’s most important to you and then focus on your top priorities.  The process starts by gaining clarity on how you define success and then practicing your rituals consistently.

 

Alissa is a Professional Life Coach, motivational speaker, and author of “Living in Your Top 1%: Nine Essential Rituals to Achieve Your Ultimate Life Goals” available on Amazon.com. She works with individuals and organizations to help them think bigger, redefine what’s possible, and get results.  Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. To learn more about coaching with Alissa and to take the Living in Your Top 1% quiz, please visit www.AlissaFinerman.com or www.facebook.com/alissafinermantop1.

 

Daily Manifestation Challenge, How To

Help! I’m Stuck! The DMC

November 12, 2011

What do you do when you feel stuck?

Seriously, what do you do when you are stuck like that guy in the picture?

You know, you feel like you are plastered to a wall and some chick in a red beret is just staring at you?

I will tell you what I do.

What? You don’t think I get stuck ever?

(Hold on while I LOL.)

Sometimes I get so stuck that I feel as if I have taught the same yoga class 678 times. At least.

Sometimes I feel so stuck that it seems my car could drive itself, it doesn’t even need me because it’s been to the same places so many times.

Sometimes I feel as if I have made the same mistakes over and over that I must be insane because only crazies keep doing the same things over and over and expecting different results, right?

Sometimes my thoughts feel very very stuck. Like Elmers. Like gum on a shoe. Like they are on a merry-go-round that ceased me merry a long time ago. They simply just go round and round.

And round.

There’s many days (fewer and father between lately) where I feel stuck. Where I feel down. Where I feel blue. Uninspired. Bored. Lazy.

You know. The gamut.

I did a scientific experiment that involved a lot of stuff, and here is what I found works best to get me unstuck and back to my Manifesting Self.

1. Laugh. I watch shows that makes me laugh (hint hint: Modern Family.) I hang out with funny people. I play with babies. I read funny books. I make dumb jokes. I sing out loud. When I laugh I feel the most “me” and it is from that space that I can move forward and get unstuck. From that place I can create. From that place I can take myself less seriously.

2. Hang out with people who inspire me. See earlier Daily Manifestation Challenge called “Who You Hanging With?” Who inspires you? Are you surrounding yourself with these people. Make a list in the comment section below. And, if you aren’t hanging with them yet, I suggest you make a date. It’s kind of a no-brainer but when you hang with people that excite and inspire you, it rubs off on you! It’s like a rope that they throw down the hole to pull you out of that ditch you are stuck in.

3. Make vision boards. They don’t even have to be proper Vision boards (like there is even a such thing as a “proper” vision board) but something where you are visualizing your desires and dreams and the things you want to manifest into your life. Visualization is key! Can you visualize yourself being unstuck? This is a profound question. If the answer is no my advice is to keep trying. Keep practicing. Repeat this mantra: I can manifest anything I put my attention on.

(Ahem. What are you putting your attention on anyway?)

4. Take a class. This weekend I am taking a class purely by chance My friend Juliet offered me a ticket to a wine and cheese class. Yes, I know. It had my name all over it. But you know what? It made me realize how much I love learning and miss being in school or taking class. Keep learning and studying always. Forever.

5. Do yoga. Or something. Anything! I am a yoga teacher, so yea, I do the yoga. But do whatever. Hike! Walk on the beach! Get connected to nature. Go watch the sun set or rise. Something that gives you a connection to something outside of yourself. Get your blood pumping and your adrenaline going. I notice I get majorly depressed when I am stagnant too long and yet the longer I am stagnant the harder it is to get motivated. Catch 22? Why, yes! But most of life is. Get used to it.

5. Do things that make you feel good.To quote my own poem, “How To Make A Life”

Let your joy be contagious and spread through

Your home, your job, your children.

Let it spread through the world

Like a virus so that when you forget it,

Every so often, you’ll catch it from someone else.

Whatever brings you joy, do it. Be it taking a bubble bath, curling in bed with a good book, cracking open a nice bottle of Cab, buying a nice smelling candle, painting, calling your friends in New Jersey, playing with your toddler, yoga. Whatever it is, just do it.

I want to coin that phrase “Just Do It” but I swear I have heard it somewhere before?

Today’s DMC is about being stuck and getting un-stuck. In the comment section below, list your experiences with being stuck. List what you do to get out or what you would like to do next time. List ideas you may have. Hey, I need them as much as you do, Dear Manifesters!

Being a creative and free spirit, it is easy to feel restless and bored. And blue. And yes, sometimes uninspired.  I am always looking for ways to keep blossoming and to keep my ideas fresh. I really don’t like feeling this a whole lot:

Keep on manifesting your life,

One laugh a time,

ManifestYogaJen

Daily Manifestation Challenge, How To

Live Your Life As If You Had 6 Months Left. The Daily Manifestation Challenge.

October 19, 2011

A couple weeks ago I was listening to my teacher Wayne Dyer in the car as usual (it’s either him or hip-hop. Go figure.) I was stuck on the 405 as usual, headed to Equinox Southbay.

He said we should live our lives as if we had 6 months left to live.

Whoa Nelly!

I immediately felt better in my gridlock.

Hey Traffic, you don’t bother me anymore! Screw you!

I am not trying to be Debbie Downer here or Ms. Morbid. It’s not a death sentence I am suggesting.  It’s your life sentence, your dharma. Wake up.

How would you live? What would you do? Who would you be? 

Dr. Dyer said that 6 months is a good time frame to work with because at the end of life many have said that the whole thing feels like it was 6 months or the blink of an eye.

Scary! 

(Don’t be scared.)

Take the challenge.

How would you live? Who would you be?

I know for me, I wouldn’t care about what other people thought.

I would be fearless.

I would finish my book.

I would tell everyone I loved how much I love them. Every day. A hundred times a day maybe. I would kiss more and never fell guilt again. I would call my grandfather again and again.

I would forgive anyone I hadn’t yet.

I would never ever beat myself up or judge myself harshly again. 

I would publish a book of my poems. Finally. ( What have I been waiting for?)

There is a whole life inside if me waiting to be lived and as I write this Daily Challenge I realize that I haven’t exactly been living this way. So I am with you, dear Manifesters.

I am taking this bull by the horns. This sucker is mine!

Game on!

This is not a suggestion that you live without consequence, but rather with intention, with love, and with passion. Do what makes you thrive, what inspires you, what makes you come alive!

One of my favorite quotes is by Eleanor Roosevelt.

I usually joke that she shared it with me over a good glass of Cab.

“Jen, You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

Ain’t it the truth!

We wouldn’t give a flying hoot what anyone thought anymore.

Why we do now is still something I grapple with. We would be totally self-expressed.

So today’s daily Challenge is to live as if you had 6 months left. In the comment section below share with our readers who you would be, what you would do, how you would live. More importantly, go out and live. Enjoy every flippin’ moment and laugh more, especially at yourself.

Curse more. If you feel like it.

Don’t take sh*t anymore! ( I don’t need to curse more but I will continue on with my potty mouth as long as I please.)

This exercise can easily slip into cliche. Avoid that trap.  Stop what you are doing right now. Think truthfully about the answer/s.

Maybe you wouldn’t do damn thing differently. If this is the case, can we please go out for a glass of wine tomorrow night?

You know where to find me. I want to surround myself by people who are living this way.

Alive!

Go!!

~~~~~~~~

My friend Kate has a blog that I love called 365 to 30 where she does everything she has ever dreamed of or talked about doing in her 29th year. 365 days to 30. I highly recommend checking it out. https://365til30.com/

Daily Manifestation Challenge, How To

Daily Manifestation Challenge: Don’t Let One Bad Day Make You Feel Like You Have a Bad Life.

October 11, 2011

Another piece of awesomeness from Karen Salmansohn at notsalmon.com

We’ve all had a bad day. I have had one or two. Hundred.

They suck. They make you feel like butting your head against a door and shaking your fist at the sky asking  Why me? Why does my life suck so so badly? Why can’t I be like everyone else and have a life with no problems? 

Ha. It does seem that way, doesn’t it? When life feels really sh*tty, it seems as if everybody, heck anybody’s life is shinier and happier.

Not.

I had a bad day yesterday and I said that aloud many times during the day.

I quickly realized my blunder. It wasn’t bad. It may have not been my favorite Monday, but it wasn’t bad.

I actually try and not to say things anymore like ” bad day”, my ” bad leg” referring to my injured leg, or my “bad ear”. I think it simply colors that thing in a way with no room for growth. And growth is what I am concerned with lately. So take that crappola day and flip that sucker. What can I learn from it? Who can I be because of it? What can I take away from that day which I have labeled very bad and which indeed may have been simply a lesson for me to grow kinder or simply more awesome? Maybe it is about self- awareness or being more compassionate or giving up the need to be right? Whatever it is, a bad day doesn’t mean you have a bad life.

Get over it.

The trick, for my money, which is a lot of money, millions of dollars money, is this: Laugh.

Yea, that’s right. Laugh. Like I say in class, if you fall you MUST laugh and take down your neighbor. So recently when I was on my way to Santa Fe and had a bona-fide meltdown at the airport because they wouldn’t let me board and I got rerouted to Dallas and one “bad” thing after the other kept happening, I laughed my ass off. I called my day ” Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”

Yes, it took a few hours. Might have taken a day even, but I wrote  a blog about it and laughed.

One bad day doesn’t maketh a bad life.

Unless you say it does.

Aye, there’s the rub!

Do you declare it so? Do you decide that a bad day means you’re cursed? That every one of your days until the end of time will be bad? That you might as well throw in the towel now? Do you say: My life, from here on in, will be filled with nothing but bad bad days. And so it is.”

Well, stop!

Don’t miss the forrest for the trees. Don’t miss the opportunities for the slip-ups or break-ups. Don’t miss the wine for the glass.

Todays Daily Manifestation Challenge:

In the comments section below describe a “bad” day that you’ve had go ahead a laugh at it. If you dare. Was it an opportunity for any growth? Then write ” I have a great life!” Flip it!

You can read my “bad” day here. It’s funny and sad all at once like most “bad” days inevitably are. 

Ps, every once in a while you are entitled to have a crappy day. That’s fine. In fact, have as many as you like. Just don’t decide that it’s who you are.

You are not the Possessor Of Endless Bad Days.

"I am Not The Possessor of Endless Bad Days"

How To

How To Make A Life

September 20, 2011

How to Make a Life

 


First:

Take everything you’ve ever learned and everything

You’ve yet to discover and place it in a box labeled Thank You.

Second:

Take a picture of your face and remember

That in many years time you will be amazed at how gorgeous you were.

Be amazed now.

Third:

Find someplace to live.

Make sure it has the ability to let light fall

Across the room in such a way that every so often,

You’ll stop and mouth the words “Ah, sunlight.”

Before you finish dusting the books.

Don’t let the books get dusty.

 

Fourth:

Fall in love.

Touch. More than you think.

Have a child if you want one.

If you don’t, don’t.

Let your child out into the world

Discovering for themselves just how magical

It is. Or it isn’t.

It’s theirs to decide.

 

Fifth:

Get a job.

Remember this job is not who you are.

Sixth:

Do yoga.

Let your body discover what it’s like to move

without your brain holding it’s hand.

Tell your brain to take a hike.

Let your body believe fully in it’s own powers.

Let every person you’ve stored inside your muscles out every so often,

to breathe.

Lastly:

Do things that make you feel good.

Let your joy be contagious and spread through

Your home, your job, your children.

Let it spread through the world

Like a virus so that when you forget it,

Every so often, you’ll catch it from someone else.

~~Jen Pastiloff, after a particularly focused Annie Carpenter class on Sep 20, 2011

Balinese healing waters Nov 2012 during my retreat