Body and Soul

No doubt it has been a challenging week in the media we have been bombarded with images of war, terrorism and fear. We must remember if we expose ourselves to these images, stories and negative influences constantly we are lowering our tolerance to such negativity. A great teaching I learned in yoga this week is attention is currency. Its no different to ‘you are what you eat.’
While the worlds media does a good job of bringing the badness in the world to account, and exposes the crimes of humanity , when you begin to feel troubled it is time to switch off. A sense of helplessness and oppression is not going to serve yourself or your community. Changes in the world begin with yourself.

Self care is not difficult but takes discipline, here is how:
No over thinking! You dont need to solve all the worlds problems, it is not your job to. Working hard to keep your little world problem free is more useful than filling your mind with the things you have no power over can thwart your growth and hold you back on what matters.
Accept what is and don’t push! There is a saying in zen about going downstream, this is about having grace to flow with the natural order of life and don’t push to hard against and what is not meant for you. If in doubt wait it out and see how you feel in time, sometimes you have to trust the current of what life takes you.
Dont compare yourself to others! Worse thing you can do is to compare yourself, you cant truly know another persons journey unless you have walked in their shoes. Use jealousy as a guide to show you what you want in life and let it lead you to take action.
Create Joy! Make time for little rituals that make you happier. I like to burn aromatherapy oils as I am highly olfactory and candles, I also love to bath in bubbles and drink coffee early in the mornings or have great conversation over delicious food.
Know your strength!Your weaknesses always crave attention but remaining focussed on your strengths and building your life around them will make things so much more easier for yourself.

Breathe Deep! Meditation is good for body, mind and spirit. It lowers blood pressure, increases circulation and releases endorphins.
Eat your greens! Food of the earth is good for you, the vitamins and minerals that come from the ground are natures medicines, eating as much as possible lightens your plate, body and spirit!

Don’t live on Face Book! Facebook is a great social tool and even better if your in business but too much time exposing yourself to streams of information is like watching TV life and not living it. It is not realistic, FB posts are crafted as advertising for peoples lives and often look sparkly and only the best presented.
Be of service! Always try to find ways to help others, be it animals, people, the environment, be useful. Giving is the highest form of love, life gives to the giver. Find ways to give that inspire you, speak to you and fill your heart. No matter where you’re at in life there is always something or someone who could benefit from your giving.

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