Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Reclaim Your Brilliance!


This morning in our Awakened Wisdom class we discussed a Good State of Intention and a Good State of Words. "Your words are like a song out to the Universe and the Universe responds according to the lyrics and the melody that is heard.
If your song is beautiful and life giving, the Universe is willing to reflect that back to you. Conversely, if your words are distorted and filled with fear or negativity, the Universe is just as likely to mirror distortion back. Now imagine the chorus of people around you and you start to see how important it is for us all to be discerning about the words we release." From Awakened Wisdom; A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance by Patrick Ryan. I've often thought about this in the context of conversation with other people, but didn't quite put it in the context of the conversations I have with my self.
This morning I shared a story of a motor scooter accident I had last October. I ended up in the emergency room pretty scraped up, needing stitches, and a fractured bone below my eye. I shared with the class how I used meditation and Reiki to get me through the experience. I repeated my mantra over and over. They cleaned my road burns and gave me an EKG before giving me any pain medication. I repeated my mantra and it comforted me like an good friend. I spent the next several days in bed connecting with Reiki energy and repeating my mantra. By the 3rd day I was moving around easily and had a good amount of energy with the road rash mostly healed. By the 9th day I was back to teaching classes and feeling good with hardly any visible signs of my accident. I healed very quickly and I know it was because I chose to utilize Reiki and mediation.
I related this story because I felt it was a good example of a Good State of Intention. The intention being healing and comfort. It wasn't until it was pointed out how powerful the words we repeat to ourselves are that I related it to the conversations I have with my self. It was an a-ha moment! The intentional words I say to my self are very powerful...I get that. The unintentional words (conversations) I say to my self are just as powerful! Duh!
I'm pretty intentional about the words I speak to people. I practice being present and intentional frequently with others. I practice being present and intentional with my internal diologue in meditation and when teaching class but tend to leave the practice there. It's exciting and humbling to take a look around and see the manifestations of my unconscious internal dialogue! A-ha! "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. All we shall become is the result of what we think now." Buddha... intentionally and unintentionally!
Today I've decided to listen closely to the words I am saying inside my head, to the song I am singing to the Universe and when I start singing a song that doesn't tell a good story I exchange it for a new song, a new conversation, a new mantra. "I am brilliant!"
Try it and see what shows up! "I am _____________."
Namaste,
Jodi Christensen


Join me for the Reclaiming Your Brilliance Experience with Patrick Ryan.
April 1,2,3 in St. Paul.
Learn More

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Yoga as Muse workshop


The Four Preparations of Yoga as Muse™ with special guest Cat Holm, Certified Yoga Instructor, Licensed Yoga as Muse Facilitator, and Author.

April 9th, 9:30-12:30 pm, $45. We are still accepting registrations! Contact Jodi to register.

Fire up and feed your creative practice! Sustain and Maintain a powerful creative practice with the tools of Yoga! You're a writer or an artist and you'd like to be in daily touch with your Muse. But the world interferes, The day job demands attention. You're too tired after work to think about creating. Who has time to be a writer or an artist, anyway?

It doesn't have to be this way. You can harness the effectiveness of a powerful creative practice with the tools of yoga. In the process you'll establish a powerful and sustainable creative habit.

We'll work with the four preparations that every writer or artist can use to establish a powerful creative practice : INTENTION, TIME, PERSEVERANCE, and CONCENTRATION.

We'll tap into the wisdom of your body, through yoga, and merge this with our ability to create. The result is phenomenal. You'll have the tools to get into the flow at will and to access new layers of writing or art.

You'll have time to create, and time to move. We'll have the optional opportunity to share our work in a safe, supportive environment.

Tap into the awareness and wisdom that your body can bring to your creative practice!

No yoga experience necessary. Mats are available, but you can bring your own if you wish. Bring a notebook, pen, or a sketchbook.

Space in this workshop is limited to 20 people, first come, fist served. Contact Jodi to register at 218-940-1484

Optional: you may wish to purchase and read this book beforehand: The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practices as Muse for Authentic Writing, by Jeffrey Davis (Monkfish Publishing 2008). It can be purchased online or ordered through bookstore

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Distortion and Divine Essence


"The Soul uses our human body much like a carriage, being carried along through the human part of our journey. This human carriage is pulled along by two horses, one of which is Divine Essence and the other Distorted. The reins of the carriage are in the hands of our self-awareness. It is through the journey that our Soul is developed." Patrick Ryan
I like this image. I find it useful in being in relationship with myself and others. Many times I have observed myself and others handing the reigns over to distorted and even kicking it's heels with shiny spurs. I have also observed in myself and others that we hand the reigns over to our Divine Essence with caution and only on rare occasions do we kick in the spurs and unabashedly ride with our Divine Essence. It's more like an uneasy trot.
When I was a kid I loved to ride horses with my dad. I remember the joy and excitement of riding while the horse was galloping and jumping over streams, and the contentment of a long, leisurely ride in the wilderness.
I've also experienced what it feels like to be on the back of a horse that is "spooked" or startled. Suddenly I was very aware how large and powerful this animal was and how much it would hurt if I were bucked off. In that moment I had two choices, to give total control over to the spooked beast and feed into his fear or to use my human facilities to regain control and calm the horse down. A trained horse will respond to their riders commands and energy. They have the ability to switch from distortion to Divine Essence very quickly.
As you ride through your week, notice which horse has the reigns. If it's Divine take it slow and enjoy the ride and from time to time kick in the spurs!
Jodi Christensen