Love Yourself

Love Yourself

by | Feb 17, 2023 | Practice, Vibrant Living

“Your self love is a medicine for the earth”  ~Yung Pueblo

My teachers often speak about the importance of connecting to our own deep center and the divine essence within.  Unconditional self-love and self-compassion are the first steps to becoming free of suffering.

What does that mean to love yourself? Pure and simple, if we want to love someone, we must love ourselves unconditionally first. 

Believing in our hearts, knowing in our bones that we are enough just as we are is key for being able to live a happier healthier more love filled life.

I know this to be true.

There were a whole lot of years I didn’t feel good about who I was.

I struggled with anxiety, insecurity, and depression among other things. Looking back, I suffered a lot.

It’s not that way for me anymore. I accept who I am, the way I am, and love me for it. 

“The love and attention you always thought you wanted from someone else, is the love and attention you first need to give to yourself.” – Bryant McGill

 When struggles do arise, as they will given the human nature that I am, I don’t get gripped by fear or insecurity or feelings of less than. I don’t beat myself up anymore.

I protect me and the spirit of Debbie Keene.

“Guard the doors of your temple, do not let anyone pollute it with their mess.”― Patricio Telman Chincocolo

A morning practice has been the most significant factor in this transformation. Begin with the gift of a daily practice, a morning sadhana. If you’d like easy, on-demand access to yoga practices, consider subscribing to my Radiant Living Membership. Click HERE to learn more.

Thank you for visiting the Ayurveda Yoga Center where we provide teachings, practices, and wisdom from Yoga and Ayurveda and other spiritual traditions.

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With love and gratitude,

Deb

Inspiration for Troubling Times

Inspiration for Troubling Times

by | Jun 3, 2022 | Practice, Summer

These troubling times continue on. 

So many of us feel the heartache, anger, despair, and overwhelm. We go through our days not quite knowing how to feel or what to do. 

My daily practice helps me stay strong and steady. And, I often look to inspirational readings.

Here is one that helps keep things in perspective for me:

“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height.
Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches.
Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth.
Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously.
The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots.
In fact, it is always in proportion. That’s its balance.”  

-Osho

One thing I know to be true.

We need our practices more than ever to help us stay grounded and balanced.

Movement, breath work, mindfulness, and meditation are some of the keys to help maintain inner stability.

Training ourselves daily with our sadhana, or practice, helps us  develop a stable emotional body and a calm mind which in turns bring about peace and happiness.

When we uplift ourselves then we also deepen our roots and we can shine our light and help uplift and root all those around us as well.

This takes work.  Freedom takes work. Doing our own inner work is what is needed more than ever now.

The saying goes:  Peace begins with us.

I encourage you to reflect upon the following questions and write down insights, thoughts, or anything all all that comes to mind. This practice will help clarify and guide you on your path.

Some Questions to Ponder:

  • What are the areas within us that needs healing?
  • What are our triggers that bring on shame, anger, resentment, blame, and pain?
  • What can we do to help uplift ourselves so we can uplift all those around us?

We are encouraged to let ourselves feel what is going on.

We are encouraged to take the time to self-reflect and self-correct.

 

  • What are our thoughts, how are we behaving?
  • How are we living day in and day out? 
  • What are we surrounding ourselves with? What are we eating?
  • Are our daily habits supporting our mental and emotional health?

“Stop a minute.  Relax your shoulders, shake your head and spine like a dog shaking off cold water.

Tell that imperious voice in your head to be still.”

-Barbara Kingsolver

Rising above the chaos

Rising above the chaos

by | Mar 4, 2021 | Practice, Vibrant Living, Yoga

We have just experienced a powerful full moon with strong energies contributing to lots going on.

It can be a challenge to stay grounded while all these changes are taking place.

We are all being tested in different ways.

The question is, how can we bring a settledness to ourselves when life’s events feel chaotic.

How can we rise above the confusion, worry, anger, and divisiveness?

For me, one of my mainstays is my Yoga practice. 
My practice helps me stay steady even in the midst of all the chaos.
My struggles have much less drama, intensity, and duration.

I can often maintain a broader view, see things for what they are, and smile to my troubles.

Yoga means wholeness:  oneness with all things: coming into an integrated state of being.

A yoga practice helps us to experience the feeling of being connected to each other and to all that is.

It helps to open our heart space and expand our awareness so we can see things more clearly.

Awareness is essential to awakening:  awakening to the truth of who we really are and to what matters the most in life.

A well rounded, integrated yoga practice helps us experience a more settled feeling in our minds, bodies, and emotions.

We feel healthier, happier, more vibrant and hopeful.

Consistency is key. We need to practice daily so that the vitality we are creating is stronger than the stressors of life.

Without consistency, our new elevated state will not be stabilized in our being and then we will slide back into the old grooves and lose our grounding.

Having a sangha – a spiritual community is important to help us stay consistent and connected. 

In some ways, this past year has made it easier for folks to connect and partake of yogic offerings online.

For this, I am grateful.

Here are a few suggestions for today to help you remain settled and uplifted:

-Let the breath be long, slow, and deep.  As is the breath, so is the mind.  When the breath slows down, the mind will follow.

-Tune inside – Take a pause, take a breath, come into this moment, and place awareness on our heart space.  Feel the relief.

-Accept everything:  resist nothing.  What we resist, persists.  Allow all things to be as they are.  Trust that all will be alright.

-Find something you are grateful for. Gratitude, like love, peace, compassion and faith are high vibration words that provoke a positive feeling in the body.

For online classes please visit the website https://ayurvedayogacenter.com/online-yoga/

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Tuning Inside to Steady Us

Tuning Inside to Steady Us

by | Oct 29, 2019 | Practice, Seasonal Events, Yoga

Fall can be a dicey time of year.

Nature pulls on us to slow down; quiet down.

Yet, holidays are coming around the corner. So how can we remain calm with enough energy to help see us through the next few weeks?

We are told that true strength and stability lies within. 

Creating the conditions inside ourselves to provide the strength and resilience we need is always an inside job. My teachers have taught me that if I remain committed to my daily practice, the rest of my day will unfold in its own way and will take care of itself. I have found this to be true.

A simple daily practice that includes moving energy and our spines,  attention to our breathing, and connecting to the truth of who we are can help us remain steady and strong through the daily ups and downs.

Helping support people on their own journey through life is one of the areas I focus on in all of my offerings. This includes suggestions for creating simple practices that are easy to incorporate into your daily lives.

Just five minutes a day can go a long way to shoring us up.

COMING UP!

Monthly Reset:
Slowing Down, Tuning In ~Coming back into balance

this Friday, November 1, 6:30-8:30am

Tea is served. $25.Please e-mail to register ayuyoga@fairpoint.net (Minimum of 6 people needed to hold this offering) 

Women’s Full Moon Gathering

Tuesday, – November 12th 6-8:00pm

The full moon is a powerful time – our practices and discussions will be dedicated to our radiance.

“Like a woman who has found her authenticity, November’s beauty radiates from within.” –Sarah Ban Breathnach 

Tea is served. $25. Please e-mail to register ayuyoga@fairpoint.net (Minimum of 6 women needed to hold this offering)

Also, Weekly classes:

  • Tuesday, Vibrant Living  9-10:15am
  • Wednesday, All Levels Yoga  8:30-10am
  • Thursday, Kundalini Yoga for Anyone  6-7:15pm

Individual Ayurvedic Wellness Consultations – by appt.

 

Here’s to our well-being and peace of mind.