Searching for my roots

I went to a chakra workshop today at a yoga studio. The chakras are energy centers in the body. The idea is an eastern idea that is linked to Jung's theories in the west as well. The idea is that these energy centers need to be balanced for us to be our truest selves. There are 7 chakras traditionally going from the root to the crown of the head.

The root chakra is definitely where I feel most out of balance at the moment. The root chakra is at he base of the spine and is our survival instinct. The idea is that we have to be secure in our roots in order to feel balanced. The teacher leading the workshop asked the question, "What is keeping me from being here and now?" I immediately connected with this question and had the answer come to me: I am having a hard time letting go of where I came from. I became who I am there, and I am struggling to move forward. Without roots we can't move forward and harness our power. For those familiar with Maslow, this relates really well to his hierarchy of needs. If we don't have the basics met, we have a hard time moving forward.

One area I feel strong in is the third chakra, manipura, which is our gut instinct and the source of transformation and liberation from fixed patterns. I have been able to take a leap and change my life several times in my life. One cool thing about the chakras is that one area isn't "better" than the others. We can feel set in some areas and unbalanced in others, and it can change based on what is happening in our lives at the moment.

This workshop was good for me spiritually. I love quieting the mind and getting a better understanding of myself. I also think it's kind of awesome how these ancient Eastern philosophies have been linked to modern psychology.

I finished the day with a short but gorgeous hike. Fall is freaking gorgeous here.

The last few months have been challenging. I had a retina detachment in June and lately have been very sick for several weeks with the worst sore throat I have every had. I'm finally feeling better. I have had doctors tell me to take time off from volleyball. I have had to stay home and rest instead of going out and being with friends. I have had to find my way back into volleyball and yoga two times now. Yoga is wonderful because although it is very frustrating to have my progress stalled, it is about more than just the physical postures. It's about learning to listen to your body and be where you are.

It's been difficult to learn to adjust to playing volleyball with one good eye. It can be disappointing to not be as capable.  My eye doctor told me that I am still at high risk for this happening to me again. There's nothing I can do to prevent it, so I'm going to keep living my life and doing the things I love.

I have been physically and emotionally challenged the last few months, but I am so grateful for my health overall. I finally am feeling like myself again. So here's to a great September and even better October.

Contentment

Today was such a beautiful day. A gift in the middle of winter. I made sure to walk to get groceries, divvy bike, and go for a run. Kitty and I even sat on my back deck. How have I been getting through winter? Lots of naps, my electric blanket, dinners with friends, and most of all, trip planning for Europe. We have places to stay and plane tickets. We still have things left to do, but the major stuff is nailed down. I know I'm going, but I honestly don't know if I'll believe it until I'm on the plane. I can't wait to experience new cultures and customs and languages. I can't wait to walk through places with so much history and see things I've only read about or seen in movies. This is why I've been babysitting almost every weekend. There is still money to save.

There are so many other things to look forward to in the coming weeks as well. Birthdays, events, plans with friends. I'm trying to continue to work on staying present. In yoga, one of my teachers is going over the 8 limbs of yoga. We are focusing now on the Niyamas, the things we can do to help come to terms with ourselves. The latest one we talked about was contentment, being happy in the moment. I get feelings of this pretty much every week. I am happy with where I am even as I continue to be excited for things to come. Get out and enjoy life!

Namaste

Namaste means I bow to you. The spirit in me honors the spirt in you.

We say it after each yoga class. At the beginning of class we set an intention for ourself or someone else. We honor that intention through our practice and we honor ourselves and one another.

I would do yoga every day if I could. I never leave without feeling better physically, mentally, and spiritually. I leave knowing that I have a divine energy within me, and I need to honor that by being kind to others and always kind to myself as well.

So go do some yoga. It's good for the soul.

Living in the moment

You know those moments when you just feel so incredibly alive?  Those moments when you are just living life and enjoying it in that moment to the very fullest?  I think those are some of the best moments in our lives.  I was lucky enough to have a few moments like that today.

The moment that I really felt it tonight was when Sara and I were riding the swing ride at Navy Pier after the fireworks show and it felt like we were flying and you could see the Ferris Wheel all lit up and the skyline glittering in the background.  It just made me feel thankful to be here and thankful to be alive.

Sara's visiting me this week and we've been having tons of fun.  Today we went to some of my favorite spots.  We hit up the Lincoln Park zoo and saw every exhibit.  It really is a neat little zoo and really beautiful.  We also stopped in the Conservatory which is my favorite spot in the city.  They had set up their summer flower exhibits and it was wonderful.  We then went to Molly's cupcakes which has the best cupcakes I've tasted in this city so far.  We got four different cupcakes and split each of them in half so we could try them all.  The most amazing one of all was the butterscotch caramel.  Just bliss biting into that.  We also grabbed an absurdly cheap falafel sandwich at Sultan's Market in Lincoln Park.  It was delicious.

We went back to my place and I went off to yoga while Sara went exploring the lakefront.  I had the most amazing class. I just felt so strong all class and was able to do my headstand again as well as bridge and camel!!!  It was AMAZING.  Yoga is so empowering.  You feel so good when you can go further than you ever have before.

Later Sara and I stopped in a little store and bought some groceries for dinner.  We made a homemade salad which was delish, and I chopped up my first ever pineapple (yay!  So yummy!) and I made some agua de Jamaica which I found out about thanks to our visit to Little Village yesterday.  We ate our dinner out the patio watching the sunset.

Tonight we went and saw the fireworks at Navy Pier.
Good times.

Break has been awesome.  The hiking trip through the Smokies and AT was amazing.  It was challenging and intense and such a great experience.  We met some really cool people and I really hope they make it to Mt. Katahdin.  Sadly, summer classes start Monday but at least it's only two of them!

:)  Ready for some good times this summer.  I'm already having them.