How to overcome limited believes?

“A thought without belief is nothing at all. A thought with belief can start a war.” Mooji

Our beliefs shape our lives. And only the thought we believe we can manifest.

It starts already in a child, for example, girls are being dressed in pink, boys in blue. And then certain culture forms another belief, so does religion, educational system, society. And all these “shoulds and should nots”  kind of make an identity costume. Is it bad? No, if one is identified with any of these or other garments is completely fine with that, great. And the big part of the society encourages us to identify with something: nationality, religion, gender, occupation etc… Nobody wants to be “nacked”. Sounds funny, but it is true.

The seeker who wants to know himself/herself understands that none of the identity costumes are true for him/her. It is only the surface, just like the clothes which we wear every day are not who we are.

The seeker tries to find out himself/herself and usually it comes through challenges. Without them there is no growth.

Most likely when we face difficulties in life we start questioning who we really are beyond our physicality. We realize the that we are not who we are being told or we are not who we thought we are. The body is going to die one day, that is true, if you are a mother/father, your children will grow one day, if you are a perfect worker, you are going to retire one day, if you are beautiful women or handsome man, you are going to get older one day and so the list goes on… The “garments” will fade, that is inevitable.

It is also true, that nobody through the centuries and thousands of years had answered exactly what is the true nature of human existence. And why do you need to know that? Well, if you have read up to this point, I guess you have some interest in YourSelf.

All answers are within us. I find it extremely powerful to be connected to the wasteness of our Universe through meditations, prayers and gratitude. For whatever reasons we start seeking for help “from above”, it has the answers, it has the faith and all the help we need at the given moment. Only if we are ready to listen to it. It may not be direct, it may not be instant, but it is here for us.

Through my own journey of looking for deeper meaning in life and seeking mySelf, I also realized how important it is to shut yourself from unnecessary distractions: e.g. social media, emails, even connections with certain people who with their various intentions not only do not help you, but also disturb your inner peace.  Send them love and do what is best for you.

Just sinking deep within every day through meditation or silent sitting is such a beautiful way of being in a present moment. That moment where your mind melts, your past and future has not power over you and there is nothing but absolute unconditional Love that we all are.

I wish you wonderful day.

I find these wonderful guided meditations to be very powerful:

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheHonestGuys

https://www.youtube.com/user/jasmuheen

Also, writing a gratitude list every morning or evening makes me appreciate every moment of this existence more and more.

Love and Peace
Brigita

Why nutrition matters?

I am big supporter of plant-based nutrition. However, I also know that everything has a right time and place.

We best learn from examples and more so from the experiences, therefore I speak from my own experience based on my own explorations.

I started a plant-based diet four years ago and I did not consume diary, red meat and white flower for over decade.

Today, it’s been about a year as I mainly eat raw vegan food and it has been one of the best discoveries in my own evolution. I feel better than 10 years ago and probably even better then 15 years ago. Sometimes, I wish I did it way earlier, but again, everything has a right time and place.

Therefore, diet to me is a big, very big component of an optimal health and quality of life.

It is definitely not the only component, but as everything else does not exists by itself, so is the diet. It goes hand in hand with exercise, sleep, mental state of being etc…

It is important not only what we eat, but also how we eat, what ingredients we choose and how we prepare our meals.

I definitely, recommend going on plant food diet and if not, at least reduce animal product to a minimum. If you have already done so, include more uncooked meals and maybe gradually go towards raw food diet.

Personally, my day always starts with a green smoothie. And I can’t imagine otherwise anymore.

Green smoothie not only provides anything you need for a day (balanced amount of vitamins, minerals and nutrients) it also supports the energy that is light and enduring.

The beauty of raw diet is that, you do not have to think too much of the nutrients, vitamins etc… Raw food has a high bioavailability which keeps the body energized but not “high”, it definitely does not overload the digestion system, because the caloric value is not as high and it is usually easily digested.

It keeps the body hydrated, because the raw food contains a lot of water, so you do not need to drink that much anymore.

In a long term, I strongly believe that organic, whole raw food diet is a key prevention for cancer, mental and cardiovascular diseases and it overall affects the lifestyle in so many positive ways.

I do not agree on terms that it is not for everyone. Maybe not today and maybe not now, but it is wonderfully balanced and efficient way of consuming the food.

Here are some sources of a great recipes to begin with, which I use a lot myself:

https://www.evolvingwellness.com/page/recipes

Raw food recipe sources:

http://rawfoodrecipes.com/

Another important thing is to consider periodic fasting: not only to give your digestion system a break to digest, but also allow the body to recover. New studies show that digestion system produces more dopamine than our brain.  Only when it functions properly. Digestion processes use more than 70% of our energy. While on the fasting regime the body can use the energy for healing, restauration or simply best self-expression. Isn't' that amazing? So, give it a break.

16/8 hours fasting/eating windows is a great time frame that I highly recommend. Try it for couple of weeks and see what happens. Most likely you will not want to go back to where you were before.

If you already doing so, congratulations!

And as with everything else, especially when starting, observe how you feel, what feels right for you, there is no one formula for everybody, you have to discover your own.

Blessings∞

Brigita

Living the life of Presence

As the calendar year comes to an end, many of us reflect on the time that has passed, rethink and look forward to the next chapter.

In the midst of the holiday busyness not always do we find time for that.

Every one of us has a thing that challenges us in our lives.

I do believe that a lot of us need more time and space for self-reflection. In other words, many of us just need to live more in presence. It all sounds good. It even sounds great, I think!

But talking is cheap. There is a big difference between talking about something and living it.

I feel that a lot of people including myself often struggle with finding time just  Be without actively doing something. Just go inwards and be in the present moment. Some of us even feel guilty doing that! I think that's insane.

It is our crazy intense World that puts a lot of pressure on us to do, to achieve, to plan, to look for tomorrow...

But don't we lose the most precious moment - now? The more we look outwards, the more we get disconnected from our limitless source. The more we get identified with who we are not.

In reality, it is not that difficult to find 10-15 min a day for yourself. Sure, like everything else in life, it requires some dedication - time and effort to build a loving relationship with Yourself.

How can we do that?

There are lots of ways to be present. Meditation is a beautiful tool, but not everyone is ready for that. It is fine. Whatever makes us be fully immersed in the moment Is already a meditation. It is as simple as that, whether it is drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, watching the sky, listening to the music, walking in nature or anything else. Anything can be our meditation as long as we are entirely in it.

Bring it into your life. Be here and now.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Brigita

Yoga for Insomnia

Hello everyone, here comes a video on how to cope with Insomnia with the help of Yoga!

Enjoy, practice and sleep well!

Thank you for reading and watching my posts!

Brigita

Pranayama to reduce stress and anxiety

Hello everyone!

In this video, you will find simple and yet very effective principles how to reduce daily stress and anxiety with Yogic Pranayama.

Here is the description of Anulom Vilom (alternate nostril breathing):

Inhale - Exhale
Press the right nostril
Inhale through the left nostril
Press the left nostril
Open the right nostril
Exhale through the right
Inhale through the right
Press the right
Open the left nostril
Exhale through the left nostril
Inhale through the left nostril

Continue for 5-10 minutes and end up with the by exhaling through the right nostril

DO NOT FORCE OR WITHHOLD YOUR BREATH
Keep your breathing rhythm natural
Concentrate on EXHALATION rather than inhalation (Best exhalation/inhalation ration is 2/1)

PLEASE FIND MORE CONSCIOUS LIVING VIDEOS AND POSTS AT

http://yourbodyawareness.blogspot.com/
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Thank you for watching and reading my posts!

Brigita

How to use your intuition?

All of us have a sixth sense called intuition. But often do we use it?
Here is a video on what is intuition and how to trust it?

Enjoy!

Brigita

Yoga improves digestion!

This is a simple yet very effective reminder of how to improve digestion with Yoga!

Enjoy!

Brigita

Commonly asked questions for vegans

Hello, everyone!

In this post, I decided to write about veganism. I went vegan about a year ago. However, it’s been years of a journey towards it. I gradually gave up the dairy, red meat, white flour and sugar…. And I became more cautious about the quality of food products. I also realized that just not eating meat and everything that was once live doesn’t make sense health wise and that if you decide to do so, there is a whole another world of food choices.

I often find people asking me the same questions, and I wanted to print out here and give thorough explanations. My vegan experience so far has been a great discovery to myself, and I want to share it with others!

So, why no meat?

Well, I have no straight answer to that. As I wrote earlier, it was a gradual process, first towards health and wellbeing. Then one day, I just noticed that I do not need meat in my diet and I went on this experiment that worked wonderfully for me. 

What difference does it make to be vegan?

To me, it makes a huge difference. First, I have to admit, my choice to go vegan was purely selfish. I did it for my better health.  And I felt better, more energy, better sleep, improved digestion, clearer thoughts.

Later, I found myself being more relaxed and more in touch with nature. It is believed that the stress animals go through the process of killing is transferred to those who eat it.

Now, the whole idea of eating someone that was once alive does not appeal to me anymore.

Proteins, proteins, proteins!

This one makes me smile a lot. And that’s probably the biggest fear of every meat eater. Well, the average amount of protein needed is about 1g per 1 body kilogram.  So say, the average person needs about 70 g of protein a day. Lots of plant-based foods are full of proteins, e.g. beans, lentils, nuts, wild rice, flaxseed, chia seed, hemp seeds… the list goes on…. The variety is amazing! Just pick the ones you like.

How about calcium, iron, and vitamin B12?

For some reason, many people have a notion that milk is the only and best source of calcium. However, it’s been a long time already proven that cow milk acidifies the blood and creates a perfect environment for inflammation, cancer, and other illnesses. Again, let’s look at nature. How many adult mammals do we know who still consume milk? Mother nature provides with the whole package of calcium choices. Green leafy vegetables (like broccoli, kale, spinach, collard, green beans)  are wonderful source calcium. They contain more calcium than milk. Then,  comes all kinds of dried fruits like dates, apricots, raisins, cranberries.  And for milk lovers, there is always an option to drink almond, cashew or coconut milk.

Iron. No problem. Spinach, kale, broccoli, cashews, almonds, quinoa beans, chickpeas, beets contain more iron than pork or chicken.  Fruit like strawberries is great iron absorption enhancers due to a high amount of vitamin C.

And finally, vitamin B12! There is a lot of propaganda about vitamin B12. Yes, this vitamin is vital to normal nervous system functioning and cell growth. However, our liver stores a big amount of this vitamin. And the body needs it in small quantities often.  There are few vegan choices to meet vitamin B12 needs such as almond milk, coconut milk or cereal. If you do not consume these products every day or feel B12 deficiency, there is a variety of supplements in the market.

So what do you eat?

I love this question :)  It would take me a long time to explain. I just have to say that you have to be creative, being vegan is fun, and it’s worth your time and dedication. And in the age of information overload, there are tons of choices of vegan recipes and ideas. Once in a while, I keep posting them on my blog too.

Hope you have a great time reading about my vegan experience. I ALWAYS ALWAYS recommend everyone to start eating vegetarian and go vegan later. I don’t believe the concept: ” I can’t live without meat.” Being meat eater is a choice and so being vegan is.

Have a beautiful day!

Brigita

Coconut pineapple parfait

Here I want to share a light non diary dessert recipe. It is easy to make and tastes delicious. 

You will need:

1 cup of coconut cream or milk (if you choose milk, consider high fat (from 16% to 25 %), usually sold in cans (my preferred brands are "Organic Coconut milk" or "Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk")

1/3 cup of Muesli  or Granola

1/2 cup of fresh pineapple 

1 teaspoon of hemp seed

1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons of sweetener ( I used palm sugar, but it could also be maple syrup, agave syrup or coconut sugar)

5-7 drops of Vanilla/Almond extract

Use blender to make a whipped cream from coconut milk, sweetener,  lemon juice, and vanilla/almond extract.

Add muesli or granola on the bottom of the glass, pour coconut whipped cream, add pineapple peaces and sprinkle hemp seeds on top . 

Bon Appetite!

Brigita

Is Love underrated?

As the holiday season comes, we talk more about love, joy, and peace. But how truly we feel it and mean it when we say these words? How many times on a regular day we think about it and appreciate it?

Let's talk about love. Not romantic love, but LOVE that is the greatest power of all, love that flows in every living creature on Earth. Indeed, true love has NO opposite. I don’t believe that opposite of love is hate.

I see love in everything whether it is a tree, a river, a sky or the eyes of a human being. We are the reflections of each other and even under the skin of the angriness and hatred there is ONLY love.

Honestly, there isn't a lot of people out there who think like that. And If you are reading this post and forget about it right away, that's ok.

There is a time for everything.

It is not easy to put into words as simply as that. What is love?

Love is the reason, and love is the cause. Love is all there is and love is all there ever will be. It is eternal. Love is You and You are It.

Happy holidays!

Brigita

Yoga flow to help circulation

Hello everyone!

As we approach the coldest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere some of you may find it really effective doing this yoga flow. In this video I demonstrate a yoga flow to improve a circulation. It is especially beneficial for those who have hold hands and feet in winter!

Enjoy and have fun!

Namaste
Brigita

What is meditation?

In this video I explain how to apply meditation in practice. Hope you enjoy and learn something new!

Always ask, if you have any questions!

Thank you for watching and reading my blog!

Namaste

Much Love

Brigita

Morning Yoga Flow

This is a short morning yoga flow demonstration that anyone can do. Not even it warms up the body, but also elevates the mood!

Don't forget to breath!

Brigita

Yoga for back pain

Yoga and back pain

Every one of us has ever had back pain. It is one of the most often issues faced by people who sit for an extended period of times, do not exercise or contrary do many repetitive back movements. Aging is also a factor to pain due to reduced tissue flexibility. 

Often, doctors cannot identify the cause of the back pain, because often images like MRI, X-ray do not show any pathology.  There are other various causes of back pain like functional (say certain positions or movements provoke pain); psychological stress  (due to myofascial tension); internal organ inflammation (e.g. kidney, prostate, uterus, bladder, etc.); adhesions caused by surgeries;  sciatic nerve compression and so on….

I will concentrate on those that are corrected by exercises and particularly by yoga. In the video, I demonstrate a yoga sequence which can help to alleviate pain associated with muscle fatigue or tension (caused by prolonged sitting or physical activities), disc pressure ( bulged disc), spinal canal narrowing (spinal stenosis), degenerative disc disease.

I love yoga (even though I combine it with simple exercises) because it brings awareness to the body. Every asana performed with breathing brings attention to the right place in the body and helps to heal. That’s why it is very important to breath in and out with every moment you do. Full breathing also helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and thus reduces the pain.

It is also important to pay attention to what could be the cause of your back pain. If it is your work, then try to make breaks, stretch in between, focus on the ergonomic workstation.

And if your back pain is manageable with exercises, keep doing them regularly (2-3 times a week) !

Please watch the video and try the sequence. If this is something that helps you, after few weeks of doing it, I recommend doing core strengthening exercises which you can find in my blog posted earlier this year.

Thank you for reading and watching my blog!

Namaste

Brigita

Prevent and treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Yoga 2

This video is a second part of "How to prevent and treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Yoga". In this video I concentrate on demonstrating how to strengthen the weakened muscles and restore a muscle balance as well as correct the posture.


Thank you for watching and reading my posts!

Brigita

How to treat and prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Treating and preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Isn’t a Carpal Tunnel Syndrome quite common word heart around those who work by the desk/computer all day?

Not necessarily someone who has a wrist pain has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But many chronic wrist issues may lead to this syndrome.

First, what is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

It has a very distinctive symptom-pain (often intense at night), tingling and numbness in the three middle fingers and half of the thumb. This happens due to median nerve compression.

“The problem, however, is not always caused by repetitive motion. Anything that decreases the space in the wrist joint and compresses the median nerve can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. For example fluid retention due to pregnancy or thyroid disease can narrow carpal tunnel, as can cysts, old fractures, or arthritic changes in the bones. One reason women are so much more likely to get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is that their wrists tend to smaller with less room to spare” (1)

Left untreated or not prevented Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may lead to permanent nerve damage and muscle weakness in the hands.

The good news is that even if you were told “You need surgery” or you were just put on medications ( which rarely treat the condition) always consider a safer and noninvasive alternative first.

And here Yoga Therapy can help!

In the video, you can see the demonstration of a simple yet effective asanas and exercises that can help to release tension and restore muscle balance. The idea of all this is to:

-Reduce the stress both physical and emotional (e.g. make breaks if your work is the major factor of the problem; meditate and do pranayama which helps to reduce tension and anxiety tremendously! (you can also look up my previous posts).

-Change the habits that increase pain, like say you drive and usually keep your hands on the steering wheel at 10 and 2 o’clock? This position increases tension in the neck and shoulders and may compress the root of the median nerve. So, if you change the hand grip to 4 and 8 o’clock that should help a least a little bit.

Also, check if your workstation is set up ergonomically ( you can look up my previous posts about it).

-Release the tension in your myofascial system ( you may visit a skilled massage therapist or other health-related professional who does hands on treatments  OR watch my  video and try a simple release for your tensed arm muscles).

-Correct and readjust the posture (Tadasana (Mountain) position is a great postural alignment reminder, and so are the other asanas that I demonstrate in the video).

-Most importantly protect your wrists! I am not talking about wrist braces; I am talking about using your fists or elbows instead of hands while putting more weight on them.

These are just basic steps that you can find in the video above.

Love your wrists and love Yourself!

Thank you for reading, ask and discuss, I am always open!

Namaste!

Brigita

Recourses:

1. McCall, Timothy (2007). Yoga as Medicine: the yogic prescription for health and healing: a yoga journal book, p. xvii. Bantam, New York. ISBN 978-0-553-38406-2

2. http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=12031

Colon cleansing and body detox exercise

In the video, you may find a demonstration of the exercise that helps to improve digestion and overcome bowel issues related to indigestion particularly  IBS, constipation, bloating.  It also improves the health overall. Healthy digestion reflects not only on itself but also on the skin, immune, respiratory systems; it has an impact on the way we feel. We are not what we eat, we are what we digest.

This exercise should be done in the morning after drinking a glass of water (with the half of lemon squeezed at best!). Normally five cycles should be completed, but one may feel a need for more or less depending on the organism.

This exercise is NOT recommended for pregnant women, women during the menstrual period, people who have a hiatal hernia.

Thank you!

Brigita

Yoga Therapy. "Downward Facing Dog"

Thank you for reading my posts and watching my videos!

I want to talk about often practiced Yoga asana "Downward Facing Dog"(Sanskrit name Adho Mukha śvānāsana).

Probably all of you who ever tried (and still practice (I hope :)) Yoga done this asana. It is a part of Sun/Moon salutations, vinyasas and can also be done alone.

It has so many benefits but also has some precautions that should be kept in mind. If you want to take advantage of Yoga first, you have to choose what is RIGHT for YOU at THE PRESENT MOMENT. In this video, I demonstrate three possible variations/adjustments that can be done by a relatively well person. RARELY a person who is not an athlete (and even so!) can do all Yoga Asanas as they are represented in the Yoga books or journals. That’s where usually the injuries and disappointment come from. I was always told that Yoga is for everyone. And I believe it, only if the One listens to the body and knows when to stop.

So, before you start your practice, here is how "Downward Facing Dog" can help you with:

•    Anxiety

•    Insomnia

•    Digestion Issues (Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Upset Stomach)

•    Infertility/Impotence

•    Peripheral vascular disease

•    Lymphedema

•    High Blood Pressure

•    Asthma

Who should NOT do Downward Facing Dog? People who have:

•    Herniated spinal discs

•    Uncontrolled headaches

•    Stroke risk patients

•    Pregnant women

•    Women during a menstrual cycle

So, please watch the video and pick what is best for you!

Always ask, I am more than willing to help!

Namaste

Brigita

Resourses:

1. McCall, Timothy (2007). Yoga as Medicine: the yogic prescription for health and healing: a yoga journal book, p. xvii. Bantam, New York. ISBN 978-0-553-38406-2

2. Elsevier Store: Atlas of Human Anatomy, 6th Edition from Frank Netter. ISBN-9781455704187

Bringing Yoga to everyday life

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” B.K.S.Iyengar

Hello, and welcome after a break! It’s been a while I have been posted anything.

I decided to write a post about Yoga and its integration into everyday life. It came into my mind since my own experience inspired me. I have practiced Hatha Yoga pretty vigorously in the past until some old health issues started coming up into the surface. Since I had a strong belief that Yoga has so many benefits to our health (and it does if it’s practiced cautiously) I did not stop and tried to convince myself even I did not feel well anymore. Later, the life changed, and I just had to put my practice aside. After I tried various of holistic therapies to heal myself (some help and some did not) and eventually got somewhat better, I wanted to get back exercising again. I do a lot of different types of movements. However, Yoga is the one that helps me feel my wholeness both on the spiritual and physical levels the most. So, I slowly started doing Asanas, Pranayama, and meditation several times a week. I noticed that when I choose my practice carefully, not only I feel better overall, but I can also heal myself!

Telling my long story short, I wanted to write more about integration. I will keep posting the posts and videos on health and wellness as I did before and also will be adding Yoga practices. My vision is to bring Yoga into life and therapy, not only keep it in the classroom or retreats. Yoga is truly for everyone – whether young or old, healthy or ill.  Most people say they have no time or motivation to do it by themselves, but the idea is that you can do little things every day and continue your classroom practice. Thus, you can improve the quality of life much more!

I will post videos on the Asanas that can be modified and adjusted to everyone needs. So, you don’t have to be an athlete or try to “achieve” the beautiful picture of asana. The concept of Yoga - is Unity of Body and Soul and it should come from within, feeling and sensing yourself first.

Namaste,

Brigita

Whole body stretch!

When the spring comes most of us feel the urge to exercise. However, don't be too fast to do anything fancy, especially if you just started. Take time and stretch your body, work on balance before you go further. Please find my video with a 3 step recommendation to start any physical activity. 

I hope you enjoy watching and DOING it :)

Have a wonderful day!

Brigita