Posts Tagged ‘angel lucia’

“Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges.” ~ Carlos Castaneda

Angel Lucia of Bindu Yoga Studio in West Palm Beach has a challenge for you: Can you live COMPLAINT FREE for 21 days? NO complaints — not the weather, our president, the war, bad drivers, coworkers, your mate …

Scientists say it takes 21 days to form a new habit and complaining is habitual for most of us. Participating in this challenge will create the space for you to stop and really consider where the complaining comes from and what effect it is having on your life.

Wear a purple bracelet on one wrist and every time you catch yourself complaining, switch it to the other wrist. The goal is to keep it on the same wrist for 21 days in a row. Through this process, begin take a closer look at the source of your complaints.

“There are two things that have struck me over and over,” says Angel. “First, I find myself complaining due to unmet expectations. I believe a situation should be the way I want or expect, and when it isn’t, my tendency is to complain. Inherent in these expectations is a belief that I know the way everything and everyone (including me) should be. In reality, there is much more going on than I could possibly imagine, and it is moving to an intelligence I do not comprehend. Surely I might be missing something in thinking that I have the ‘right way’ every time!?!

“Even within those situations, I remember that there are, at the same time, countless things going well. I may be running late to an appointment, which might trigger the complaint. However, if I stop and shift my focus, I realize that there are many things going well: I feel good and healthy, I am safe, my car is working well, etc. When I am in complaint mode, I shut myself off from the flow of grace. Honestly, it takes effort to make that shift back to gratitude/grace. At first I might remember those other things to be grateful for but initially it is lip service and only mechanical. I realize I have great health but I am still mad about the traffic or whatever. I have to be committed to wanting to make this shift, and after a few minutes of coming back to my breath – to the present moment – I have had success in genuinely feeling grateful. This feeling lets me know that I am back in that bigger intelligence and source of grace. I internally let go of the complaint, which is very freeing.

“Second, I notice an undercurrent of self-judgment when I feel the need to complain. I realize that I have a deeper belief that if things are not going well by my definition, then I am doing something wrong. Once I feel I am doing something wrong, I feel guilty or ashamed about myself. We all react differently to those feelings, but a common reaction for me is anger and frustration. Deep down, when I see something I define as ‘bad,’ I use it as proof that I am not good enough. So far, this is the biggest block I have encountered, and I look forward to the day that I outgrow this belief.

“Right now, my solution is to cultivate acceptance. A common response for me previously would be to resist what was happening and try and change it. I believed that everything could perfect and if it wasn’t, then I was doing something wrong. The truth is that life will always be a combination of things I like and things I don’t. That is the nature of life. Do I get in the shower and wonder why I get wet? No, of course not! It is the nature of water to be wet. It is the nature of life to be full of ups and downs. However, through those ups and downs – as the Yoga Rasa t-shirts say – Suffering Is Optional. The option to avoid suffering is in the choice for acceptance.

“The Complaint Free Challenge is a way to become more aware of your pattern of thinking so that you can make the changes you desire. The bracelet is a tool to bring these unconscious patterns to light, and if you do this over and over it will become a new pattern.

“I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and support your efforts toward a life of gratitude, whether you are wearing a purple bracelet or not. As you are enjoying your holiday, focus on surrendering to each moment with trust and gratitude, and allow life to unfold.”

The Rules: Angel’s Complaint-Free Challenge

1. Begin to wear the bracelet on either wrist
2. When you catch yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing (everyone does) move
the bracelet to the other arm and begin again.
3. If you hear someone else who is wearing a bracelet complain, you may point out their need to switch the bracelet to the other arm; BUT if you’re going to do this, you must move your bracelet first!
4. Stay with it. It may take many months … but when you reach 21 days with no complaints, you will find that your entire life is happier, more loving, more positive and more abundant.

Bracelets will be available at the studio, or you can e-mail binduyoga@comcast.net or visit www.bindu-studio.com.

Since renewing my yoga addiction this summer, I’ve heard a few of the same questions from non-yogis about yoga – will I lose weight? What is the difference between yoga and pilates?. It is difficult to explain how something so zen is also a powerful workout, so I thought I’d give Angel Lucia of Bindu Yoga Studio the chance to share some of the benefits of her practice.

Angel Lucia of Bindu Yoga Studio

Will yoga help you lose weight, or only tone muscle?
The most obvious physical benefits of yoga practice include loosening of muscles that have been tightened by inactivity, tension, and stress. Asana practice also increases the range of motion of joints, enhances flexibility, and can help correct postural problems that may have resulted from weight gain.

Any style of yoga helps tone, lengthen, and strengthen the muscles, which can contribute to the sculpting of the body, but not necessarily to weight loss.

On a physiological level, certain styles of yoga could be more appropriate for students who have weight loss as a primary intention. Vinyasa-style class, where movement and breath link poses together, can build heat and potentially result in greater calorie burn. This style of practice could supplement other aerobic exercise that you’re involved in, such as walking, running, biking, or swimming.

Proper diet along with a regular yoga practice will help with digestion, elimination, circulation, muscle tone, flexibility, strength, and an over all sense of well-being. I believe that yoga has the potential to be very transformative on many levels for each individual, with the physical body being a doorway to the more profound gifts of the practice.

Does yoga address core muscles?
Absolutely, yoga addresses the core muscles on many levels. the core needs to be strong for many poses to be accessible. We are engaging the muscles of the core thru many of our poses in order to just move the body in these directions. Even some of the simplest poses like standing at the top of our mat with proper alignment will engage the lower belly known as our uddiyana bandha (belly lock). All breath-work is a great way to become familiar with the different muscles in the belly as well as begin the strengthening process along with a myriad of poses that will target this area.

What are the various styles of yoga, and how do they differ? How do you know which is right for you?
There are so many styles of yoga and many hybrids of yoga today. All differ in various ways, yet all with the same intention to bring the body, mind, and spirit into harmony. The only way to know what’s right for you is to experiment. You will know its right for you when you feel it stirring deep in your soul and it calls you back time and time again.

What is the difference between yoga and pilates?
Yoga is the best and most time-tested path to physical and mental well-being known to mankind. Yoga is a complete system for overall health and well-being. It includes everything from physical postures, personal hygiene, and a healthy diet to meditation, breathing, and relaxation techniques.

Pilates focuses mainly on cultivating core strength in the body and lengthening the spine.

How often should I practice yoga?
2-3 times a week is optimal if you want to see your practice develop. But of course it depends on each individuals schedule and level of commitment.

What are the long-term (and perhaps surprising?) benefits of yoga?
The greatest benefits of yoga come from their profound effects on the internal systems of the body. By bending, stretching, twisting, and flexing in the various postures, you bathe your internal organs with oxygenated blood and prana, also known as life force energy. Yoga asanas soothe and tone your nerves and regulate the endocrine system, which is responsible for the production of hormones—one of the keys to both physical and mental health. They also improve digestion and elimination, strengthen the respiratory system, and tone the reproductive organs. Yoga techniques like asanas, breathing, and relaxation are also extremely effective in relieving stress. Along with your final savasana and meditation deep-seated stress and anxiety are released, enabling you to experience spiritual happiness and inner peace which then allows one to interact with other on a more compassionate level.

What do you say to people who tell you they are too wired or frenetic for yoga?
When people tell me they are to wired for yoga I usually ask a few questions about their lifestyle to see if there are other contributing factors. And suggest they begin with a practice that will keep them moving so they are not able to hang out in the mind stuff. Once they get somewhat comfortable in their practice I can then begin to introduce more techniques to slow down the frenetic pace of the mind. Breathing techniques are incredibly useful in calming the mind if one is patient in the practice. We are actually way more productive in our daily lives when we feel balanced in both body and mind!