Everyone has within them the same bright light. This light is pure love and is the essence of who you truly are. What makes us different, is how brightly we allow our light to shine. We dim this light by the layers of emotions we carry and experience. Anger, resentments, blame, criticism....all of these emotions dim our light on the outside like heavy cloaks. When you stand in your truth and lead in love, these layers fall away and allow the light to shine brighter. When your light shines brighter, it impacts those around you for they can see and feel your light.
If your light is dim, take the time to nurture yourself, have compassion for yourself and others and heal the wounds that dim your light. Let your light shine brightly through acts of kindness, compassion and love for yourself and others. Go forth and shine brightly.
With love,
Bonnie
Bonnie
By the way...if you need some relaxation in your life, click the link below to get access to my FREE Yoga Nidra Guided meditation for relaxation.
The information presented here is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The information in this post is subject to interpretation and is an expression of opinion. It is not intended for, and does not replace professional, medical, legal, business, and/or health related opinions and advice. It is not a substitute for counselling or any other type of therapy, or medical advice from qualified professionals.
The notion of loving thyself is a powerful message. How can you love others when you do not love yourself? Do you know that you are a spiritual being having a human experience? There is only love. When you deny yourself of this love, you deny yourself your own truth which is love. We are all connected in this Universe and when you lead with love, you bring more love into your life. When you feel "bad", your Inner Being isn't joining your "party" because all your Inner Being knows is love. This is your guidance system and a way of knowing if you are living your truth or straying away from it.
You needn't fill this void of lack of love with anything else as all you need is already within you. You don't have to search for this love on the outside because it exists on the inside. Your outside world is a reflection of your inner world. If you use the scales as an example, what weighs more? How you love yourself and show love to others, or is it how you blame yourself and others for your life experience?
You are encouraged to tip the scales in favour of love. Love for yourself and love for all. Put your hand on your heart centre and feel the magnificence of the love emanating from inside of you. You can feel this. It is energy. Love is energy! How would your life be different if you lead your life from love? What is your dominant view of yourself and others? Is it love, or blame, judgement and criticism?
Love more, blame less. Love more, judge less. Love and praise more and criticize less. As humans, we love to blame others for how our lives turned out. What does that make you? A victim of other people's action. You are encouraged to take back the reigns on your life and tell a new story. Where you are now is only a point in time. If you keep thinking about the past and blaming and judging yourself for where you are now, the past will continue to repeat itself. You have the ability to change your life course with your thoughts and actions going forward.
People who love themselves do not feel the need to criticize or harm others emotionally or physically. People who behave this way do not understand the path of love and light. But you are awakening to this notion that love is the only way forward to your desires. This love starts with you. Do not wait to look and feel a certain way to begin to love yourself. Treat yourself with the respect and dignity that you deserve. You are worthy no matter how people have made you feel in the past. But in order to feel worthy you must treat yourself with kindness and love.
Those who "make" you feel unworthy, feel unworthy themselves. Break this pattern. The only way you can is to know your worth. You are worthy because you are here. We are all worthy. No one is more worthy than the other even if you believe it is so. When you place judgements on others, this is a reflection of the judgements you place on yourself. When you see the faults in others, you see the faults in yourself. When you see the world through the eyes of God, source, love, you recognize the love in yourself. Remember this always!
Be the light and shine that light brightly. Your world will change and your perceptions will begin to change. Lead in love. Come from a place of love and see how life will begin to unfold for you. You are lovable as you are. Know your worth for your Inner Being knows this. Connect with your truth that is love and go forth and live your life best life. Your life is based on your thoughts and perceptions. You are surrounded by so much love. Allow the love to enter your body and soul. There is so much love for you here.
With love,
Bonnie
Bonnie
By the way...if you need some relaxation in your life, click the link below to get access to my FREE Yoga Nidra Guided meditation for relaxation.
The information presented here is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The information in this post is subject to interpretation and is an expression of opinion. It is not intended for, and does not replace professional, medical, legal, business, and/or health related opinions and advice. It is not a substitute for counselling or any other type of therapy, or medical advice from qualified professionals.
Joy and love is your natural state of being. You either choose to allow it to flow, or you block it. It doesn't magically appear when you "get something" or have an experience. It's an energy that lives within you and you are the only one who allows it to flow or blocks it from flowing. That's why you feel "bad" because this natural vibration is blocked like a river dam. We are always looking outside of ourselves to experience this natural state of joy, but all we have to do is look within. Take a breath and notice this ever flowing life force energy. Our breath is our awareness back to our true self. Our breath connects us back to our own Inner Being who only knows love. When you are not in alignment with your Inner Being (state of love and joy), you feel discomfort because those emotions are not experienced by your true Self - the source of who you really are which is pure love.
Every moment is a new opportunity to experience peace, love and joy. Bring awareness to this moment and capture the beauty in this awareness as you observe life around you. Notice the trees, flowers, sunshine, smile on a child's face, the comfort of your home, your cup of coffee or tea. Every moment is a new opportunity to feel and sense joy and love.
Of course, there are moments that are difficult, uncomfortable and painful. During these times, we must honour what we are feeling. But this is still an opportunity to become aware of being in this moment. Thank the emotions for coming up as they are there to be acknowledged and released. Once we experience more love and joy in our lives by becoming aware of our breath and being present, we experience this more often. And in times of discomfort, we can allow these shifts to happen more quickly and are able to experience them in a more gentle way.
We all have desires, that is part of life and that is good, but we all have the capacity to tune into this awareness of love and joy that lives inside of us in any given moment. We don't have to wait for something external to happen to experience joy. Joy is just a breath away. You can choose to let it flow or block it. How will you choose today?
With love,
Bonnie
Bonnie
By the way...if you need some relaxation in your life, click the link below to get access to my FREE Yoga Nidra Guided meditation for relaxation.
The information presented here is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The information in this post is subject to interpretation and is an expression of opinion. It is not intended for, and does not replace professional, medical, legal, business, and/or health related opinions and advice. It is not a substitute for counselling or any other type of therapy, or medical advice from qualified professionals.
Get the Most out of your Yoga Nidra Practice!Hey there! I'm so happy you're here! That must mean you've signed up for my FREE Yoga Nidra guided meditation for relaxation! So excited for you. I hope you love it and make time to fit this into your daily self care routine.
If you don't have access yet, you can sign up HERE to start listening right away.
Now that you can listen whenever you want, I want to give you some tips on how to make the most out of your practice.
A main part of Yoga Nidra is creating an affirmation to use as the focus for your meditation. If you haven't listened yet, you will have an opportunity to create an affirmation (positive statement) that aligns with your heart's desire. This is why I love Yoga Nidra so much. It combines relaxation with focusing on a desire that we have to feel a certain way, or accomplish something. I can tell you from experience that it's an unbelievable feeling when you start to see your desire unfold for you in your everyday life!
So....I want to make sure you're getting the most out of your practice each time you do it. Here are three tips for getting the most out of your affirmation:
1. When it's time to create an intention during practice, make sure it's in the PRESENT tense! For example, if your desire is to be healthy and strong, don't say "I will be healthy and strong", or "I want to be healthy and strong". It's much more powerful to state your desire as the truth (as if it's already come true) because when you do that, you'll be in alignment with your desire and not just hoping that one day it will happen.
2. Write that puppy down! When I have a new affirmation that I'm working towards, I write it on a sticky note and post it on my bathroom mirror. That way, I see it in the morning and at night before I go to bed. Don't just wait to practice Yoga Nidra to recite your affirmation, keep that as a focus in your life and watch as it unfolds for you.
3. Keep using the same affirmation. When practicing Yoga Nidra, it helps to keep the same affirmation until it becomes real for you. That's why this practice is so beneficial. It helps you to focus on a desire and to eventually see it realize in your life!
- However, don't feel like you can never switch out your affirmation. Remember, this is your practice and you can use it however it serves you. While I like to work towards my overall desire, sometimes I'm feeling anxious or upset about a certain situation. In this case, I will create a new intention as the focus for my meditation that day to help me overcome my emotions. Then, next time I practice, I go back to my original affirmation.
Ok, so now you have a solid foundation for your affirmation. Here are the three steps again:
- Make sure it's phrased in the present tense
- Write it down so you can remember it (and see it daily)
- Continue to use the same affirmation until it becomes real for you (and then create a new one)...
Enjoy your practice!
If you'd like more insights about Yoga Nidra, check out this post Yoga Nidra Guided Meditation - WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY
Namaste,
xo, Bonnie
*Please note: relaxation and meditation practices may cause you to experience upsetting memories or difficult emotions. While these practices can be a beneficial way to release these emotions and memories, it is important that you check with your health care provider before starting a relaxation/meditation practice if you feel you may have difficulties processing memories and emotions should they come up during practice.
The information presented here is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The information in this post is subject to interpretation and is an expression of opinion. It is not intended for, and does not replace professional, medical, legal, business, and/or health related opinions and advice. It is not a substitute for counselling or any other type of therapy, or medical advice from qualified professionals.
The 5 Ws of Yoga Nidra Guided MeditationOk, so you're either curious about Yoga Nidra, or you've tried a few times, but want to understand it a bit more....I've got you covered!
In this post, I'll highlight the basics of Yoga Nidra.....the 5 Ws if you will.....who, what, where, when and why....
Who
Anyone can practice Yoga Nidra*. No experience is necessary. It's even great for kids. Not to mention my dog Coconut loves to snuggle up to me when I practice during the day. It's a great place to start if you've never practiced meditation or relaxation techniques before because it's so EASY to do.
What
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation and type of Yoga that can be referred to as Yogic sleep. The purpose is to be guided so you can experience many levels of relaxation. After practicing for a while, you will notice that you float between being conscious and asleep. Yoga Nidra is also helpful to release emotions and focus on something you desire.
Where
There are different ways to practice Yoga Nidra. First of all, make sure you're somewhere quiet to reduce distractions....
Traditionally it's practiced lying down in a supported position. But if you prefer, you can practice sitting up straight in a seated position. Here are some tips on how you can support yourself to be super comfortable:
- When you lie flat on your back, it can cause discomfort in your lower back, so it's important to place something under your knees like a bolster, rolled up towel, blanket or pillow.
- I also like to place yoga blocks or a smaller pillow under my feet if I'm lying on my yoga mat on the floor with my knees supported.
- If you need to place something under your head, just use a very thin pillow. You want to ensure your chin is slightly tucked down towards your chest.
- Lie down with your arms by your side and palms facing up, or hands can rest on the belly.
- Your feet are just a bit more than hip width distance apart and your toes can flop out to the sides.
- I definitely recommend an eye pillow, eye mask or something to cover your eyes to block out the light. Also having something like an eye pillow has a physiological effect on the body and can help you to relax even more.
- It's important to be warm during practice. Sometimes when our bodies relax, our body temperature can go down. Make sure you have a blanket to cover yourself so you are warm.
- You could also practice lying on your side. Just make sure your head and top knee are supported.
When
I'm a huge advocate of practicing whenever you are able to fit it into your schedule. It helps to have a routine so that you can practice daily.
If you don't already have a regular practice, I suggest listening at different times of the day to figure out what suits you best. Some people find it energizing and refreshing, so they prefer the mornings, others find it soothing and calming, so they prefer night time to get them ready for sleep. Others need a break during the day, so it's great to do at your lunch hour to give your body and mind time to unwind.
Once you find a time that works for you, I do recommend practicing daily because you will start to see many benefits after developing a regular practice.
When I first started out, I did it first thing in the morning. I actually did it lying in my bed before I got up. Many people will tell you not to meditate in bed because when you're in bed, your body knows it's for sleeping. But at that point in my life, that's the only time I could do it, so I say whatever helps you start practicing is best. Then later, you can change when and where you practice to suit your routine. Just start any way you can.
Why
Why practice Yoga Nidra anyway? Well, it helps to activate your relaxation response so you can give your body and mind time to unwind, be in the present moment and let go of the other stressors in your life.
I used to think meditation was a waste of time. I didn't understand how "relaxing" and doing "nothing" could actually help you to feel better and make changes in your life. Well, now I know better. When we meditate and give our bodies and mind the time it needs to break free from all of the noise of our regular lives, it can help us to see the bigger picture. New mindsets, ideas and beliefs can emerge when we focus on the present moment (not regretting the past and worrying about the future).
Ok so now you have a pretty good understanding of what Yoga Nidra is all about.....
If you don't already have access to my FREE Yoga Nidra guided meditation for Relaxation, click HERE to get access right away.
I also offer virtual classes and courses. Click below to see my current schedule.
I hope you love practicing Yoga Nidra as much as I do!
Namaste,
xo Bonnie
*Please note: relaxation and meditation practices may cause you to experience upsetting memories or difficult emotions. While these practices can be a beneficial way to release these emotions and memories, it is important that you check with your health care provider before starting a relaxation/meditation practice if you feel you may have difficulties processing memories and emotions should they come up during practice.
The information presented here is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The information in this post is subject to interpretation and is an expression of opinion. It is not intended for, and does not replace professional, medical, legal, business, and/or health related opinions and advice. It is not a substitute for counselling or any other type of therapy, or medical advice from qualified professionals.
