True Nature Yoga - Class Structures and Intentions and Principles

All classes will focus on mindfulness (being fully in the now and in the body, not in the mind) or presence; complete and proper breathing; deep relaxation; and finding the still space of peace and quiet and freedom that resides within each of us - the stillness and freedom and unlimited creative potential that is the source and core essence of all.

Arc of Class:

1. We will start by tuning in and relaxation. Of simply bringing our attention and awareness away from the outside world, obligations, concerns and occupations and bring our attention inward - into our bodies, into our breath, into the here and now. Bringing our awareness and our attention inward into our felt sense and our felt experience of the here and now, of the present moment.

2. From here, we will begin to flower outward into opening, balancing, and aligning movement. We will awaken our breath. We will focus on proper diaphragmatic breathing and complete breathing, and from there we will begin to flow outward into simple, effective movements for releasing tension and aligning the spine and the body. Start with small, simple but effective movements.

3. After awakening the breath and the major joints of the body, we will start to heat the body and prepare for slightly more vigorous and large movement. We will do sun salutations and vinyasas... flowing sequences connected with the breath to solidify the mind-body connection and to build warmth and heat in the body, warming up the muscles and further awakening the breath and the vital energy.

4. After the body has been awakened, opened and heated, we will commence with the most vigorous part of the practice. We will include standing poses, balancing poses, backbends, forward bends, twists, and inversions. We will move the body in all planes, in all directions, working every muscle and joint in the body and circulating the blood and the lymph.

5. After the peak of the class, we will begin to cool down as we prepare for deep guided relaxation and meditation. We will focus on forward folds, seated postures, supine twists and other such cooling, relaxing practices. We will focus on staying with the sensations of our breath and our body, of relaxing and letting go and opening and softening.

6. Finally, we will end the class with deep guided relaxation and meditation. We will mentally do a body-scan relaxation, some light visualization practices, and subtle but powerful affirmations. After a comfortable savasana/deep relaxation, we will do a few minutes of sitting meditation - of "being here now". Then, we will slowly return our awareness and our energy back outwards and back into the world - refreshed, revitalized and full of positive energy.

People will then leave the classes feeling infinitely better than they did when they came in - both in body and in spirit. They will feel free of stress, free of tension, free of worry, free of all negative thought patterns - and thus they will live in bliss, freedom, happiness, love, connection, wonder, peace, and vitality.

This is the healing. This is the path. This is one of the many gifts that I will offer to the world - a guide to healing and enlightenment and comfort and connection and happiness.

 I cannot wait! I can, but I can't. :) All is flowing as it should. As it always does. I trust and I surrender to the flow of the ALL... it always takes me exactly where I need to be to be of the highest good for ALL.

All is ONE and ONE is ALL... we are ALL the ONE, we are ALL the ALL. Thus, we should love everything and everyone because it is ALL really the same essence as us... the entire universe is all ONE ocean, and though we are all separate waves and drops in that ocean, we are ALL still the SAME OCEAN. That is the truth. That is a fact. That is freedom. That is universal love. That is ONE LOVE. That is harmony. That is enlightenment. That is good. :)

Beautiful Synchronicity

Wow, What a beautiful life this is.

Everything truly is coming together, exactly as it should.

Everything is playing out perfectly, exactly as it should.

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These past few weeks have been a tremendously powerful and trans-formative time in my life. I have experienced much difficulty and struggle but also much elation and beauty and expansion. I have been sacrificing a lot and nearly going crazy working so much to support myself, but at the same time my life is expanding in the direction of my heart more and more every day.

I now LOVE where I live. I live on my own, I have my own awesome little place, my best friend/kitty lives with me, my place is CHILL and is my haven on space and quiet and peace.

I now have a flourishing social life, moreso than I have had in a long time. I hang out with the awesome people at Ruby Tuesday's, I have 2 awesome neighbors upstairs that I am becoming good friends with.

Most importantly, I met Audrey. This beautiful soul and kindred spirit with whom I have connected with already. A beautiful union is taking place, and I am absolutely loving every minute of it. A beautiful soul with a kind heart, a sweet and free flowing energy, a wise and intelligent mind, an artistic spirit, and a real, down-to-earth, fun vibration. We see each other. I already get the sense that we get each other, naturally. Intuitively. We resonate. We vibe. It is a beautiful thing, and I just look forward to the continual blossoming and evolution of this connection.

On top of all of this, living on my own and having a blossoming social and personal life, I also now have multiple opportunities to start teaching yoga and to spread healing and enlightenment all across the community in which I live! I have the opportunity to teach downtown at the Yoga Shack, I have a group of people that already want to take donation classes from me in the woods and at parks, and I have the opportunity to teach at Reflex Arts. No doubt more opportunities will open up as well.

I just feel so incredibly blessed, abundant and fortunate, and I give so much thanks to life for being the beautiful dream that it is.

I look back, and I realize that everything Shaman Jeff foresaw in my "future" has come true. I moved, I am moving into my power and utilizing my teaching and healing abilities, my creativity is being inspired and awakened and activated, I met a girl and am having a beautiful new relationship, and I am truly coming into my own power.

 I am moving ever increasingly in the direction of my truest heart, my deepest desires and my greatest dreams. I have been through many tests and trials in the past few months, things have not been easy, but now I can see that it was all for a reason, and that it is all resolving and coming full circle now. Winter is giving way to spring, and what a beautiful spring and summer it is going to be.

Life is all about seasons. It is all about cycles. If you are in a period of dark, don't fret - be patient, it will pass, and the cold night will be replaced by a bright day before you realize it.