Stephanie's Yoga

Life Advice

2013-10-23T10:15:00.001-07:00

Little Stephanie made wisdom for the day:
Live like you are being filmed without your knowledge.

Tara Stiles's Blog

2013-07-08T21:34:00.001-07:00

Well you've seen me share my comments on her page, but today I found someone else's comment to be so inspiring that I myself didn't feel I needed to make one. I asked the user if I could quote her, haven't heard back, so I'll just share the link to the post, and want to highlight that you all check out the response made by Takako =)

Much love,
Stephanie

Oh yeah.. the link.. der =P

http://tarastiles.com/blog/do-you-have-enough-space/

posted from Bloggeroid

July's Book

2013-07-06T16:50:00.001-07:00

For July I felt it an inspiring choice in this heat to read about 'The True Power of Water- Healing and Dicovering Ourselves' by Masaru Emoto.

Its a small book, only 5 chapters in length, so a breezy read with some powerful information inside along with some stunning photos.

The summary posts will go as follows:
Chapter 1- Sunday July 7th
Chapter 2- Sunday July 14th
Chapter 3- Sunday July 21st
Chapters 4 + 5- Sunday July 28th
Book Wrap Up- Wednesday July 31st

Reminder this is just when I am uploading the summaries of the chapters.. feel free by all means to read at your own pace. Any feedback, discussions, thoughts, questions or comments may be left here in 'comments' (you don't have to be a memeber of blogger to leave one), or on my Facebook, my Youtube or email me at stephaniesyoga@yahoo.com.

(With this book and Kendra's Sliding into Home as well as all future reads.. if you have comments outside of the timeline of when I make these posts.. still feel free to leave them.. there is never any time limit on reading, sharing, growth or community *^_^*)

Much Love Everyone, and a Happy Safe and Heathy plump summer July,

Stephanie

posted from Bloggeroid

Another Tara Stiles Response

2013-07-01T10:51:00.001-07:00

My Favorite example of risk taking is the classic Bill Murray film ‘What About Bob’, because it really is all about ‘babysteps’. You don’t have to do huge grand acts to be taking a risk or impact your life or the life of someone around you. Maybe you never move out of your ‘small town’ and have never gone on a vacation before, does not mean you are not a risk taker. Everyone takes risks when they breakup with someone, or get married, apply for a job for the first time, say yes to experiencing sushi, etc. Anytime you do something, anything outside of your comfortzone, when you step forth into something either unknown or not fully known you are taking a risk, and there for growing and its a beautiful thing =) Another good film example for anyone who still doesn’t know maybe how to take that first baby step and enter into something new, ‘Yes Man’ with Jim Carey. Now that doesn’t mean you have to say ‘yes’ to something you feel is shady like following someone down a dark alley, however its a film to me that has inspired me to start saying yes to oppurtunities and invitations, examples have included: moving in with my bestfriend (who within a month became my lover, another month my boyfriend, another month my fiance, and finally a month after that my husband), or saying yes to a yogi inviting me to their studios 1st Anniversary Party which I said yes to going to even when I had a childhood friend visiting for just a day, I said hi to the studio owner for about an hour and kindly left to get back to my guest and ended up making good friends and found both a job and a home at that studio. Sometimes saying ‘yes’ means saying yes to yourself. A personal example of mine would be when I gained the courage to leave school. I felt it wasn’t the path I was supposed to be on, even though I upset everyone in the process, it was just something I had to do. I couldn’t keep going to lectures and gaining more debt from school loans just because my mom wanted me to have a corporate job. True it ended up taking me a few more years and baby step risks until my future of teaching yoga became clear to me, however that’s what its all about =) One thing that I learned at a very young age back when I was an atheist, former christian, is that the universe has a plan! More often than not its better that yours. If I didn’t learn how to go with the flow and let the river of life lead me where it wants me to go, then id probebly be where I was in highschool, with my highschool boyfriend, and having low self esteem and a shy little girls unawareness of the world or herself, I would probebly still not have a voice and I may have commited suicide by now because i used to be manic depressive. (Now true I could still have had a happy outcome, just pointing out that without oppurtunities for growth, the probability that growth will occure in the same time at the same rate is a lot less likely.) Not an example of a risk but a powerful (in my life) example of the universe having a better plan is september of 2011 my husband and I got married, the following week, the fbirst week of october we had a miscarriage, then Dec of 2012 we found out we were pregnant again, I’m 8 months alone and all is well. Some may see it as horrible that I lost the first one but I had faith then that things were playing out how they were supposed to, that the child I had was not really mine, they weren’t the one I was supposed to meet, and this one is =) plus looking back at the events inbetween the miscarriage and my sons upcoming due date, I see very clearly why the universe was protecting myself, my husband and that child that didn’t not happen, because we went through financle and emotional hardships that would have made keeping and caring for a newborn very unrealistic. So for anyone reading this: take baby steps, say yes to oppurtunities (unless your gut tells you its really not right), and relax and smile knowing the universe has a plan and that all is well and will be taken care of.
Much Love,
Stephanie

posted from Bloggeroid

A Year of Living Your Yoga-Daily Practices to Shape Your Life

2013-06-17T12:59:00.001-07:00

This book is by Judith Hanson lasater, Ph.D., P.T.

I felt like sharing the June 14th and the June 17th entries:

14- 'Only the soft earth absorbs rain.
'The practice of yoga is not about becoming more flexible but rather about becoming softer so you can fully receive life. Make time for Savasana (Basic Relaxation Pose) today. Support your head, neck, and knees, and cover your eyes. Receive the moment through your senses: sensations, sounds, and thoughts. Soften to your life as you experience it in this moment. Stay at least fifteen minutes before rolling over and getting up.'

17- 'Only you can give yourself permission to be happy.
'We grow up when we realize that no one is going to tap us on the shoulder and say, "Now you have done enough so you can be happy." Take a deep breath and make the decision that you will connect with your own happiness for the next five minutes. At the end of this time, make the commitment for the next five minutes, and then the next. Know that your ability to be happy lies within you, only you, and is not dependent on your circumstances.'

So be soft and be happy =)

Namaste,
Stephanie

posted from Bloggeroid

My Comment to Tara Stiles

2013-06-10T13:17:00.001-07:00

You know its funny, before I started my youtube channel: Stephanie’s Yoga; I didn’t know who Tara Stiles was, and as far as vlogs go getting to know Tara I am still playing catch up, but it seems our styles, and goals and intentions are on a very similar path. One little tweak or side note, I get the whole ‘Yoga Rebel’ label, its cute and cool and fresh and hip, and it does help in a way to describe Tara’s intentions, but my personal hiccup is the word ‘rebel’ because to me the whole point of a rebel is to go against someone or something, rather than just doing you for you.

That said, my ‘rebellion’ as it were, is better shared if I explain a little about my beginning. When I first got my Yoga Teaching Certification I was a bit of a deer in the headlights about what to wear, do, go, etc. I had it in my head for a while that to ‘be a yoga teahcer’ I had to ‘look like a yoga teacher’. So I was wearing minimal to no makeup, I wore plain unvibrant clothing to class, a lot of black, cream and oatmeal, I was nervous about showing my tattos, and at the time my hair was dark brown and I was afraid of being me and going with a colour change, which at the time my desire was to go blonde. As I got more comfortable I realized I was being silly because I wasn’t being myself, I was being what I thought people wanted, and to use Tara’s example it was very much like dating. When you date someone sure you want them to accept you, but they can’t do that if you aren’t you. So now I’m being spazzy colourful me, doing themed classes or goofying off in regular classes, getting people to laugh and smile because ‘who says’ that yoga has to be serious? I’ve learned and am now teaching and promoting that its ok to laugh, its ok to sing the song ‘Wild Thing’ when doing the pose wildthing, its ok to dress up like Little Bunny FuFu for an easter class, or to do a Mayan Senseral Perscption Meditation durning a Cinco De Mayo class. My intentions right now are to spread ease and smiles and laughter. To help people ebrace being themselves. And to get people outside of the yoga niche and communinty involved in yoga! *^_^*

Much Love, Stephanie

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posted from Bloggeroid

Guitar Lesson

2013-06-06T17:00:00.001-07:00

So often I hear people say they can not do yoga because they are not flexible.
To me that is like saying you can't take guitar lessons because you don't know how to play the guitar.

Control is an illusion

2013-04-22T12:11:00.001-07:00

You have no control over what others do, only over how you react to it. Control is one of life's greatest illusions. You are not in charge of your children, or partner, or boss. How will you respond to their actions today? You choose: with clarity and empath, or with anger and disappointment?

From A Year of Living Your Yoga- daily Practices to Shape Your Life by Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D, P.T.

posted from Bloggeroid

I'm Coming Out of the Closet

2013-01-26T14:51:00.001-08:00

That's right, I'm pregnant! 10 weeks tomm, baby has a strong heartbeat of 170bpm, my husband and I are so excited and so proud. And throwing it out there, an apology to all of you, I haven't been feeling well, for now obvious reasons, which is why I haven't really been in blogging spirits. Also to those doing the 8 week New Year New You, I will cont posting vids next week. =)

Believe

2013-01-26T14:48:00.001-08:00

If you don't believe, you won't receive. Something I just now am reading on a christmas ordiment about santa... struck me as powerful words for yoga as well: if you don't believe, you won't receive. Its just so true.. you get what you give..one of the 4 laws of karma. We have so much power, we can create or destroy our lives and our worlds... our entire being and exhistance rests in our hands.

New Year, New You!

2013-01-07T19:59:00.001-08:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3h4h6Nme3E&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sliding Into Home part 1

2012-12-11T13:57:00.001-08:00

The first 3 chapters mostly just give some background knowledge and content about the author, Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett, to lay foundation to the rest of the book.
Chapter 1- A Tale of Two Kendras is a flashback to her first night at the Playboy Mansion as a painted lady, cocktail server, Hugh Hefners 78th birthday, the night where he asked her to be his girlfriend and she said yes changing her whole life.
Chapter 2- No Room For Daddy goes back to when she was 3 years old. This chapter begins the speed of the book, highlighting her past, her childhood and adolences, all the events that led her to that life changing birthday party. To begin she goes in detail discussing the abandonment of her father and the strain it caused her family. Noteable events include her divorced maternal grandparents moving from New Jersey to San Diago to help her mother raise her and her brother. Also a moment of meditation occured when her father left them for good when she was about 5, and her mother took the kids out to bay where Kendra found herself surrounded by ladybugs and got so lost in their wonder that she forgot about her pain. It was also through her elementray years that she discovered her love of sports, specifically soccer and softball. It was also at age 7 that her rebellian began to surface when her babysitter informed her and her friend about sex and later the two girls were caught trying to imulate what they heard in Kendras closet.
Chapter 3- A Friend In Need, this chapter covers her last years of elementary school and her transition to middle school. This chapter mostly covers her struggle to fit in and feel accepted and her openess to befriend anyone. Such friends included elderly individuals in her community, a little boy with cancer (that sadly passed away when she was 8). And a little black girl, which taught her a valued lesson in life when Kendra discovered that there were no black Barbie dolls for her to give her friend during her birthday. She also learned to love others and how imprtant it is to not harm anyone physically or emotionally for she herself was often the victim of bully attacks. The end of the chapter she leaves elementary school and sets up the following chapter with her journey to middle school.

Thank you: forgive and forget

2012-12-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

Someone recently made a very good point that I felt inspired to share with all of you:
We are taught to forgive and forget, most already know that the forgetting and letting go is hard, and that forgiving is a challenge, but more or less easy. What we do not often think about though is the most challenging act of all is thankfulness. To really accept all the 'bad' or 'negative' events in your life and in the world and to realize that it is good and necessary and to truely be greatful for all events, 'good' or 'bad'.

New Month - November Summary

2012-12-05T16:32:00.001-08:00

'Flicking on the Light' - I discuss the ilumination that is yoga.
'Do You Know?'- Do you know that you are a gift?
'Shavasana'- Rolf Gates insights on the end of moments and how to endure loss.
'Yoga Limbs Breakdown'- Discussing the physicial and metaphysical differences between the first 4 and the last 4 limbs.
'Join Stephanie's Yoga Book Club'- A little plug about my new blog.
'MirrorMirror'- A beautifully inspiring quote from an adorable children's film.
'Principle 15'- still plugging away at breaking down Jack Kornfield's psychology of yoga.
'Yoga is not Serious'- A link to one of my Youtube Vlog posts.
'Almost Thanksgiving'- A request to hear you share what you are thankful for.
'We Are What We Think'- A quote by Sathya Sai Baba, insights on the power we have to create our lives.
'Happy Thanksgiving'- I shared my Thanksgiving prayer.

Welp that November, stayed tuned for the end of the year, Dec 2012 =)

Namaste,
Stephanie

Book Club Update

2012-12-05T11:44:00.001-08:00

Welp I have the page made, still working on some kinks, my internet is really slow, might have a bug.. but anywho not sure how my page looks from your view if it shows my other blog or not, so just incase you can find it here: stephaniesyogabookclub.blogspot.com

Update

2012-12-04T14:34:00.001-08:00

Been in a teacher training session all weekend and been working hard, tomm I will get everything caught up with the end of the month summary and share with you all my book club page and a new youtube video...so check it out =)

Also please either here, on youtube, or facebook, leave me comments positive or negative, leave me messages on facebook or via my email, I would love to get more connected with all of you.

Thank you so much for the love and support. You all are amazing and you are the inspiration behind my life and what I do. =)

Much love,
Stephanie <3

Dear Anonymous

2012-12-04T14:31:00.001-08:00

That you for the comment, and you CAN achieve that through yoga, so where ever you are I suggest you do sign up =)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

2012-11-22T12:22:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for: anguish, hate, evil and death.
I am thankful for anguis because without it we wouldn't have compassion.
I am thankful for hate, because without it we wouldn't have love.
I am thankful for evil, because without it we wouldn't have the ability to triumph over obsticals.
I am thankful for death, because without it life wouldn't be as sweet, wonderful, meaningful and worth living every moment fully for all the das we are here.
And finally I am thankful for this, right here, right now, this moment, this family, this life and the ability to share and experience it all with you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We Are What We Think

2012-11-21T18:03:00.001-08:00

'We are what we think
All that we are..arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts...we make|design|manifest our world.
When we add feelings|passion to our thoughts...they begin to form.
Speak or act with a negative mind...and trouble will follow you.
We are what we think.
Speak or act with a pure and positive mind, and happiness will follow you as your shadow.
How can a troubled mind understand 'the way'?
Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own thoughts, unguarded.
But, once mastered, no one can help you as much.
If we want to change our outer environment in our favor then we have to change the thoughts we regularly entertain, when our inner thoughts are wise we conquer the outer world quiet easily.
You are your best teacher!' - Sathya Sai Baba

Almost Thanksgiving

2012-11-19T16:09:00.001-08:00

Tell me: what are you thankful for?

(You can post a comment here or on my facebook, or email your response to: stephaniesyoga@yahoo.com)

Please respond

Yoga is not Serious

2012-11-15T18:23:00.001-08:00

Principle 15-

2012-11-13T13:40:00.001-08:00

Been a while since I've written about the Yoga Psychology according to Jack Cornfield. To be honest its part of why posts have been scarce. I had the idea to write each of them back to back so if someone were to scroll through the posts they would all be together and in order, but some days I just didn't want to write about the Principles, I wanted to post videos, or songs, or my own words, and I stopped myself says I have to wait til the principles are done. And that of course all came from my ego, when I recognized that I realized its ok to write things out of order, as long as things are labeled they still can be found. =)

So dusting myself off here is Principle 15-
'Delusion misunderstands the world and forgets who we are. Delusion gives rise to all unhealthy states. Free yourself from delusion and see with wisdom.'
Rather apropo, wouldn't you say? ;)
Great quote that captures the essence of this is: 'We were brainwashed.' By Marianne Williamson
Rolf Gates continues upon this in saying: 'We come to our mats as the sum total of all the beliefs we have ever encountered, absorbed, rejected, or lived. Our imaginations are like swollen rivers, flooded with the falsehoods of the ages as they have been passed on to us across the generations. Who we are, who everyone else is, and what we can be - all are defined by this river, which is no of our making.'

We live in a world that is not real every day, like Neo in the Matrix we choose to get uplugged and wake up. Not all of our delusions are necessarily harmful, its just that none of them are helpful. Everyone walks around in their own heads in their own little self created worlds. We think about our past, fantisize our future, we live in fear of things we don't know because someone has told us its harmful or bad. In further Rolf Gates words: 'There are as many scripts as stars in the sky, and none of them are true...' 'We have the habit of doing what our family, culture, friends and spouse think is right, and we have to train ourselves instead to listen.'

Would you rather be you, or everyone else?

'Either we can continue to bob along on the river of our imagination or we can make our way to the shore, observe the river for a while, and then just walk away. ... For today, allow your practice to deliver you from your imagination and into the light.'

When you make the choice to wake up, to free yourself of the many delusions that fill your day (such as 'i can't blog if the principles aren't done.' or 'i can't talk to that guy|girl over there because they would never like me' or 'i am the best swimmer' and give up all training to be faster or smoother or develope new moves... delusions such as 'im anger so I can't be happy' or 'im married so I have to stick it out' and on and on, all our little stories that rattle in our heads all day long.) You can free yourself of the burden and emotional termoil when you choose to know that you can.

Discover your voice, then let it be heard! =)

MirrorMirro

2012-11-13T11:26:00.001-08:00

'People think you can't be tall if you're short.
That you can't be strong if you're not.
A weakness is only a weakness if you think of it that way.'

Strong words from the film Mirror Mirror... we should all carry these with us!

Join Stephanie's Yoga Book Club

2012-11-13T00:22:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! I am very excited about this new project I am working on, it is a web based book club! At the beginning of each month I will post the book that I am reading and at the end of the month we will be able to share thoughts and comments together about the read, get a nice forum and dialogue going. I am so excited to interact with you, get your voices out there, really share and build this community further.
For more updates and information keep your eyes on this site, or as always you may refere to my website: www.stephaniesyoga.com

Thank you so much, I love you all!
Namaste,
Stephanie <3

Yoga Limbs Breakdown

2012-11-12T14:31:00.001-08:00

Quoting Rolf Gates again, 'The limbs of tapas, or action, bind us to the moment. They are actions taken or not taken in the present. The yamas do away with those negative actions that create remorse about the past and fear about the future. The niyamas take the energy freed up by the yamas and channel it into actions that promote health in ourselves and others. The asana simultaneously teach us to stay with the matter at hand, while deconstructing the personality flaws that induced us to hide out in our imaginations in the first place. Pranayama trains the mind to concentrate on one point while further refining our physical and emotional health. Consistent practice of these four limbs teaches us to live in the moment.'