“How Full is Your Bucket?”
March 2, 2010
The Theory of the Dipper and Bucket
Excerpt from “How Full is Your Bucket?” by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, PhD:
“Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it’s empty, we feel awful.
Each of us also has an invisible dipper. When we use that dipper to fill other people’s buckets – by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions – we also fill our own buckets. But when we use that dipper to dip from others’ buckets – by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions – we diminish ourselves.
Like the cup that runneth over, a full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in that bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic.
But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy, and undermines our will. That’s why every time someone dips from our bucket, it hurts us.
So we face a choice every moment of every day: We can fill one another’s buckets, or we can dip from them. It’s an important choice – one that profoundly influences our relationships, productivity, health, and happiness.”
What will you do today to fill other people’s buckets…thereby filling your own?
“The Secret Power of Yoga”
February 26, 2010
Approximately 18 million people, most of them women, practice hatha yoga (the physical aspect of yoga). Is is because we want to tone our muscles, trim the fat, get a better looking body, decrease back pain, lessen symptoms of anxiety and depression, etc?
“If these are the reasons we initially attend a class, what keeps us coming back to Yoga, even after our problems are resolved or we’ve gotten in shape? Does something happen deep within us after we have stretched and squeezed and twisted and bent? Is there a special feeling that comes when we let go for just a moment and experience something magical inside? Something that seems familiar, something we have longed for or forgotten? Perhaps touching that mysterious part of ourselves is so powerful that we’re motivated to return to it again and again.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” said that Chinese sage Lao-tzu. Now, for growing numbers of harried Americans, a single step into a Yoga class begins a transformative journey into the vast world that unites body, mind, and spirit. The physical part of Yoga practice has become a gateway to this ancient spiritual discipline. Once we cross that threshold, we open ourselves to limitless possibilities, and to realms many of us have yet to dream of. When we let go and look within, the power we experience can transform our lives.
The Secret Power of Yoga is the knowledge that lies on the other side of that threshold, the knowledge that we are not just our bodies, our minds, or our emotions. The secret that brings endless power is knowing that we are Divine Beings. This knowledge can permeate our entire lives, bathing us in peace, joy, and love.”
-Excerpt from “The Secret Power of Yoga” by Nischala Joy Devi
Her book continues to interpret Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras from a heart-centered, feminine perspective.
How Many Calories Should I Be Eating?
February 17, 2010
If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to know how many calories your body burns per day. If you know this, you’ll know how many calories to eat and how many to burn to reach your weight loss goal. Check out this article from the American Council on Exercise to calculate your RMR (resting metabolic rate).
Stretching BEFORE Exercise?
February 17, 2010
If you’ve been stretching before working out or playing sports, you may want to think again. Check out this article to find out why. Stretching is best performed at the end of a workout.
Technique for Creating Calm
February 11, 2010
Deep Belly Breathing:
To begin, find a comfortable seated position with the spine tall and place one hand on your belly. With this type of breathing, focus on only bringing air into the abdomen. Therefore, your chest should not move. If it helps, you may place one hand on your chest as well. Exhale all the air from your lungs and feel the belly button pressing closer to your spine. Now inhale, filling the belly like a balloon. Inhale for five counts, hold for one count, and exhale for five counts. Repeat as many times as desired. As you continue to practice, you may extend the length of each portion of the breath (i.e., inhale 8, hold 4, exhale 8).
You may practice this type of breathing technique ANYWHERE for ANY amount of TIME to create a more calm and peaceful environment for yourself. The next time you feel stress or tension creeping up on you, take a moment to BREATHE.
Our Precious Breath
February 2, 2010
“Our breath is the most precious substance in our lives, and yet we totally take it for granted that when we exhale, our next breath will be there. Now if the Power that created us has given us enough breath to last as long as we shall live, can’t we have faith that everything else we need will also be supplied? When we trust Life to take care of all our little problems, then stress just melts away.” ~Louise L. Hay
Fresh Organic Fruits & Veggies
January 25, 2010
If you live in Florida and want fresh organic fruits and veggies, look no further than Annie’s Organic Buying Club (http://www.anniesbuyingclub.com). You can choose half or full shares of produce, pick up weekly or bi-weekly and customize your order by adding on specific products or choosing a different box, such as the Fruity Booty 45, Veggie-Berries 35, Juicer’s Box, All Veggie Box, or even their Baby Food for Mamas to Make Box. Annie’s even offers a Florida CSA Box that only includes fruits and veggies grown in Florida!
Positive Affirmations
January 15, 2010
I love and approve of myself. I see myself and what I do with eyes of love. I am safe.
I relax into the flow of life and let life provide all that I need easily and comfortably. Life is for me.
It is with flexibility and ease that I see all sides of an issue. There are endless ways of doing things and seeing things. I am safe. It is safe to see others viewpoints.
I trust the process of life. All I need is always taken care of. I am safe. I am peaceful with life.
I love and approve of myself. I trust the process of life. I am safe. I have the power and strength and knowledge to handle everything in my life. I am deeply centered and peaceful in life. It is safe for me to be alive and joyous.
I now choose to support myself in loving, joyous ways. I am at peace just where I am. I accept my good, knowing all my needs and desires will be fulfilled.
I nourish myself with spiritual food, and I am satisfied and free. I am at peace with my own feelings. I am safe where I am. I create my own security. I love and approve of myself.
I am safe in the here and now. I see that clearly.
I calm my thoughts, and I am serene. I accept myself as beautiful and loved.
I declare peace and harmony indwell me and surround me at all times. All is well.
I stand tall and free. I love and approve of me. My life gets better every day.
I handle all my experiences with wisdom, with love, and with ease.
I am alive to the joys of living. I give myself permission to be all that I can be, and I deserve and accept the very best in life. I love and approve of myself.
I am on an endless journey through eternity, and there is plenty of time. I communicate with my heart. All is well.
I am enthusiastic about life and filled with energy and enthusiasm.
I now go beyond other people’s fears and limitations. I create my life.
~Compiled from the book “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise L. Hay
Yoga Poem – Uttanasana
January 6, 2010
Mind, mind
how much you want to say
am I doing it right?
can I stay here long enough
or even a second longer
can I eat an ice cream sandwich
after class,
oh, but will class ever end?
Mind,
will you ever shut up?
will my legs stop shaking?
will my head reach lower?
Will I
can I
should I
could I
let go of my mind
listen to my breath
listen through my breath
let it move through this body
reach out to this moment,
this world,
this life,
& let it go?
Excerpt from “Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By” written by Leza Lowitz
Save 20% at Yoga Journal Store
January 4, 2010
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