yoga with the Veterans

WORKING WITH THE VETERANS EVERY FRIDAY MORNING DEEPENED MY UNDERSTANDING AS FOR WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN LIFE.

Working with the veterans every Friday morning deepened my understanding as for what’s important in life. I believe that every person should contribute to the country that he lives in, whether by serving in the military or serving the country in a different ways like volunteer in shelters, hospitals, and public service. 

As for me, I decided to volunteer as a yoga instructor at the veteran’s home every Friday morning. The truth is that it was my husband’s idea, and I just loved the idea of doing something for the country that I live in, because for the first time it made me feel part of a place that I have yet grown roots in. 

On the first two Fridays I worked with the care - givers.  Friday seemed to be the perfect day for the employees who wanted to finish the week in a relaxed and calm way. Forty minutes of Yoga helped them relax, reduce stress and get into the weekend refreshed and empowered. The employees were grateful for the opportunity to practice Yoga and find a way to release stress and tension.

IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTION

The third Friday was dedicated to the veterans on wheel chairs. I was honored and humbled by the experience given to me. Most veterans were in their 80s and 90s, and some couldn’t move their hands. Although I prepared myself for my first chair yoga class, this was different. I had to adjust the whole class plan and instruct them into something that they will be able to connect with. We practiced lots of breathing techniques, a little bit of moving and meditating. We laughed in the middle because someone came in and started chatting with me while I was teaching, and somehow I convinced him to stay for the rest of the class. I took a moment to thank them for their service. I felt grateful to be able to give them something that helped them find some quiet and relaxation. In these 40 minutes of yoga they taught me a lot about them, but also about the importance of connection. It’s all about connection. Finding a way to connect with the veterans made them feel an active part of the class regardless to their physical condition. Focusing on their needs made it natural and easier to improvise through compassion and humor.  

For the first time I felt one hundred percent belong to this country, but most of all I felt belong to humanity. I thank the universe for the ability to share and give others. Giving without expecting anything in return fulfills me in a way that I can’t describe. 

Combining the ability to express your unique talent with service to humanity creates access to unlimited abundance. All you need to do is ask one question: HOW CAN I HELP ? instead of  : “what’s in it for me?”

I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW THROUGH SELFLESS SEVICE.    I feel blessed for the opportunity to bring some relaxation and peace into the lives of others. And I feel blessed for the opportunity to set an example for my kids.  THANK YOU veterans for teaching me more about life and about myself.

School and Life

School and life are just the same. You study and learn new things, and then you take a small quiz, then a big test. If you pass the test you’re good to move to the next level which could be an advanced course, such as accelerated, honor, AP, which is more advanced and challenging. If you don’t pass the test you’ll have to take it again, or take the course again, take the test again at the end of the course and again and again until you pass the test. 

Life is just the same: we are learning from our parents, our environment, our friends, and then we are being tested or challenged through a life event. We will need to go through this challenge and pass the test, if we don't pass the test, we will have to go through a similar test again and again until we succeed and move forward to the next level. 

Those levels are the levels of your consciousness. With every struggle, with every challenge, our consciousness learns, and evolves. Things that challenged us as kids are not challenging us anymore. Challenges for a freshman are no longer big challenges for a senior.  

The same is in life:  There are some tests or events in our lives that we have to go through in order to evolve and climb to the next level.  

So when you find yourself ask : why is this happening to me. know that it's this is not happening to you. Life just happens.  The only thing that  you can do is breathe deep and choose the way that is best for you to approach this challenge.

Love and light,

Karen

EXPANSION

We live in a dimension where expansion is natural. The universe is constantly expanding, galaxies are expanding, seeds are expanding when being transformed into flowers, into trees, into fruits and vegetables. Cells are going through an expansion process by forming into a living creature: animals, human....
Our spiritual growth is also an expansion, meaning there are always circumstances and situations that keep coming into our lives to challenge us to the point where growth and evolving are inevitable.
Know and accept that there are some things in your life beyond your control that you have to go through (whether you like it or not) FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR EXPANSION, for the sake of your spiritual growth. 

Instead of resisting these situations and suffer, let go and surrender to the flow of life. Put your trust in the flow of life and know that everything in our world is temporary.   

Love and Light

How to reduce stress and anxiety

How to reduce stress and anxiety

We’re all exposed to stressful situations on a daily basis whether it’s related to work, home, relationship, health, financial situations, etc. Stress is inability to cope with perceived threat whether it’s real or imagined. Whatever the cause to your stress may be, here are some tips to how to cope with it:

Educate yourself about stress and anxiety–read, learn and be an expert about it in order to be able to recognize it when you experience it. Many of us can’t tell when we’re under stress. Increase your awareness about how your body reacts when in stress and anxiety; the pace of your heartbeats, your breathings pattern, the sound of your voice, behavior pattern. This will allow you to be able to feel when it’s coming, so you'd be able to calm your body and mind before it completely takes control over you.

Breathing techniques-as a yoga teacher I always open my class with a breathing technique, to reduce stress and relax the body. When you’re under stress take a deep breath, hold your breath for 4 seconds and exhale 6 seconds. Repeat 8 -10 times. You may increase holding your breath to 5 and 6. Start your day with this breathing technique.

Water– water has healing properties. F. Batmangheligj M.D writes about all the diseases that can be prevented and cured (anxiety as well) simply by increasing the daily water intake to 2-3 quarters. Coffee, tea, alcohol, juices don’t count as water.  DRINK WATER to reduce anxiety. 

Yoga– Make time for yourself to practice yoga every day or every other day. Yoga Vinyasa teaches you to breath while moving into different stretches. When we breathe into the stretch we release tension in the body.  Some of the poses could be very helpful in reducing stress such as: brigde, wheel, shoulder stand, triangle, extended side angle, camel, downward facing dog, Savasana. You can use them as a tool to reduce stress whenever and wherever you need it.
Choose Yoga classes that combine mindfulness and focus on adopting new patterns and habits into your life that will promote peace and relaxation.  

Meditation is a powerful tool to quiet your mind and is very similar to cleaning or removing viruses in a computer. Once you quiet your mind, it can perform better. There’s many youtube posts that can teach you how to meditate. Dedicate 10-20 minutes a day for meditation. The more you practice, the better you get at it. You can not go wrong with meditation, so don’t be judgmental about yourself, some days will be better than others and it’s perfectly ok. 

Physical activity– any physical activity helps to reduce anxiety and stress. Taking a walk when you’re stressed also helps to reduce stress immediately. 

Nutrition– Change your nutrition. Less sugar. Less fast food. Less processed food.  More vegetables, more fruits. More fermented food to support your guts and immune system. More herbal tea with herbs that reduce anxiety such as: Chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm, Echinicea, passion flower, turmeric tea. 

Ayurveda herbs– there are some healing herbs in Ayurveda that can be found in special herbal stores (also online such as Banyan) :  Brahmi, Bhingaraji, Jatamas, Ashwaganda and Vacha. 

Essential oils– essential oils has a calming effect on the body; lavender, chamomile, vetiver, ylang ylang, sandalwood, and marjoram. Use it with a diffuser in your bedroom before going to sleep or anywhere else in your house.

Massage and sauna– if you have the time and the money, squeeze massages and sauna in your schedule. It’s reducing stress, anxiety and detoxifying. It keeps our mind and body healthy.

Reducing anxiety and stress require you to adopt a new life style where you are coming first on your priority, and take care of yourself! remember: when you're relaxed the people around you will be relaxed as well. 

Relationships

The quality of the relationship that you have with yourself determines the quality of the relationship that you have with others.

ask yourself theses questions: 

· Do you appreciate yourself?

· Do you feel worthy?

· Are you being hard on yourself?

· Do you listen to what your body       

  communicates to you?

· Do you listen to your inner voice?

· Do you have quality time with yourself?

· Do you feed your body with healthy    

  nutrition?

· Do you love and trust yourself?

· Do you constantly judge yourself? 

Your reality will always mirror the way you feel about yourself. If you ignore your feelings and emotions, the people that surround you will ignore your feelings and emotions as well. If you disrespect yourself, you will find yourself in situations where the people that are surrounding you will disrespect you too. If you position yourself at the bottom of your priority list, others will put you at the bottom of their priory list as well. Learn to treat yourself the way you want others to treat you.  

Do not confuse self love with selfishness. Self love is filling your own cup in order to be able to give others. self love is choosing joy for yourself, and honor your needs without disregarding others. 

If you wish to change the quality of the relationship that you have with others start with changing the quality of the relationship that you have with yourself;  love yourself, take care of yourself, rest, meditate, eat healthy, and be kind to yourself.  Trust yourself.  Be the change  you want to see. 

Start today

Light and Love

Response vs Reaction

“What is the difference between response, and reaction?” the Yoga teacher asked. Hmm...this is easy I thought. Reaction is an impulsive reply without taking a moment to think, where a response is an answer given after thinking. “Notice”, she continued…”Do you rush into the pose before I finish my sentence? Do you rush out of the pose before being asked to? Do you react, or respond?”     
   Have you ever taken a moment to think how many times you respond, and how many times you react during the day?
I was thrilled to transfer this lesson off the Yoga mat, and bring it home to my kids. For years, all the motivation talks that we had felt too heavy. This time, I pulled them aside separately and asked them what was the difference between response and reaction. After clarifying these terms, and giving examples, I encouraged them to notice the difference in their behavioral patterns. “But what if I can’t control it?” one of them asked. This is where the power of breathing comes in…   
  How often do we take a deep breath when we’re stressed out? How many times do we notice that we hold our breath when we’re overwhelmed, or confused? How often do we take the time to take a deep inhale, and exhale completely before we respond?
“Well”, I said, “try taking a deep breath (just like in Yoga practice) as many as you need. Try to throw all your negative feelings into the ocean and clear your mind…. then respond. Make sure you communicate your response in a reasonable manner and not out of anger.”   
    Controlling our actions by checking our emotions can be a challenging proposition for adults as well as children. The more this technic is practiced, the less challenging it becomes.
Start with noticing when you respond and when you react.    
   I was wondering for weeks how could I bring the wisdom behind Yoga into the lives of children. For me, the practice of Yoga is a million times better when it offers something to think about.
   Today I decided to bring these ideas to you “off mat”, hopefully you will enjoy the wisdom of Yoga as well.
Namaste

Lost In Time - Mirage - part of chapter 17 TANDEM

   “That was my plan too, but I did not anticipate this,” he signaled with his eyes towards them, and touched my ear with his lips: “When I say ‘now,’ you leave your seat and start crawling to the end of our row. Keep your head down. Do not look back. When you get to the end of the row, run to the exit, I’ll be right behind you. We’re leaving the building.”

     “Ok.” My hand trembled for a second. I looked at the bare headed hockey players for the last time, still not believing…

     “Now,” he said.

     I bent down, and crawled as fast as I could, bumping into people’s legs. But it seemed like no one cared. Everybody was completely hypnotized by the last period of the game. I did not look back for a second, just like Jason asked. When I reached the stairs I stood up and ran to the exit. Jason was faster. He took my hand and pushed the door open. We were outside. He was still holding my hand running towards South Broad Street. He found an alley and stopped in one of the hidden niches.

     I could not stay composed and looked back; I could see the two men running on the other side of the street, probably looking for us.

     “Don’t,” Jason said. “They can locate us once you notice them.”

     “Jason,” I breathed heavily, “you sound like a character in a horror movie.” 

     The worst part was that I actually liked being in this situation; it was dangerous and exciting, and I became addicted to the feeling of the adrenaline running in my blood.

     We were both breathing heavily. Jason looked at me. “Hold me tight,”  he said.

     I already knew. I held him tight, and let my body be sucked into the dark whirlwind, thirty five years forward. Back to my house, back to my room, back to my bed, back to two thousand and ten.

     I could officially say that I had “time travel sickness,” and there are no pills for that. However, I no longer needed my inhaler.

 There might be some truth in Jason’s words; maybe it’s all about practice. I came back from the bathroom, heavy as an elephant, holding my stomach, I crashed on my bed and dipped my face in the pillow.

On Thin Ice

When you live in a perfect place where crime exists only in the news, gangsters exist only in the Godfather movies, and thieves are the hottest thing, but only on “Just Cause 2”, it’s impossible to believe that they exist in your own world, and even scarier to find out that they might belong to your closest circle of friends.

   If you live in a perfect bubble where Superman is your neighbor, the Hulk lives across the street, and Alice is looking for the rabbit in your backyard, even eyeglasses, as thick as a bottom of a bottle, will not make you see the people you should be aware of.

   They could be beautiful like Alice, and impressively skillful and smart like a Jedi, but they are also the shape-shifters of the 21^st century. It’s the small nuances that expose them, similar to the shape-shifters that try to use a multi-pass in the "Fifth Element".

   However when those shape-shifters feel comfortable enough to be themselves, you can smell them from across the street, and all of a sudden the intimidating characters you only watched on TV, are invading your backyard and forcing Alice to look for a different place to wander…

   This is the shocking stage when your brain needs to adjust to the idea that gangsters are visiting your own neighborhood, and that you can’t actually do much about it because they shape-shifted into those which present the law, protect the law, and hold the power of practicing the law.  Justice, all of a sudden, seems so far-fetched that only old fashion-like Jedi and Supermen practice it these days.

If Alice wasn’t wandering in your backyard for too long, and if you haven’t spent days and hours smoking weed in Hulk’s living room, I assume that you might’ve had a chance to smell those shape-shifters when they were trying to invade your personal space.

   BUT.... if you failed to do so, prepare yourself for a long exhausting battle, which unfortunately most people would prefer to avoid.

Fifty Shades of Green

At the beginning I couldn't put the book down; it's naughty, intense and yummy. BUT the more I read the more I wondered; why a handsome, intelligent, mysterious guy with unique abilities to fulfill his dreams and live comfortably ever after, is not enough? Does he have to be disgustingly loaded with money in order to make the ladies drooling intensely? What is it with desirable guys and expensive cars, private helicopters, oh… and if this is not enough – a huge boat (and I'm only on the second book…there might be more surprises waiting around the corner). What’s next? A spaceship???  Does it add up some muscles to his already divine body? Does it bring him closer to God? Does money make it so easy to melt every inch in a young woman's body?

What happened to the Marlboro man? The rough, raspy, working hard guy who drives a big dirty sexy truck? Yes, the tanned guy who sweats while he's working out in the field, when it's unbearably hot or rainy. What's wrong with simple blue jeans T-shirt and some exposed muscles to increase the level of the adrenaline in our body? Is this an old school?

Don't get the wrong impression, I love this book. But when vanilla sex took control and my interest got lost in the "lovey dovey" scenes, I was taken aback by the many shades of green that overcame the gray. There were many ways to describe how rich heavenly Christian was. And although beautiful Ana never had interest in his money, it was very important to constantly impress her and us, the readers, until I almost forgot about fifty shades of grey.

So who is the desirable guy these days? The Marlboro man?  Fifty shades of green?  or Christian grey with fangs?

With that being said…I'm going back to the book…can't wait to bump into the next transportation monster that will add up another muscle to perfect Christian. 

LOST IN TIME- MIRAGE - back to reality

 9. Back to reality

When Morpheus offered Neo the blue and the red pill, Neo had to choose between a convenience that blinded him from the truth, or the truth – reality. The Matrix was my favorite movie, and I used to watch it whenever I felt like I was suffocating in this little world of mine.
     Sometimes when the boredom of Voorhees numbed my senses I used to imagine that the Matrix was the world we all lived in, which was a relief to me, because I knew that there is hope after Voortrix.
     Mom's voice woke me up. Confused and startled I sat up on my bed trying to understand how and when I got here? I held my head. This wasn't a dream. I shook my head. “It couldn't be,” I mumbled.     “Are you ok?” Mom said looking at me with a funny expression.     I hadn't even noticed she was there. I jumped out of my bed and stormed into Ethan's room, but I couldn't find the bag he left on the floor last night. I looked under his bed, near his desk. I left the room toward the laundry room, digging into the laundry basket. I couldn't find any of his green uniforms. I lost my balance. It was hard to breathe. As if someone hit me right in the solar plexus. My legs became weak, and I closed the door to the laundry room, which was the door to the bathroom as well. I didn't want my parents to see me like this.  I sat on the bathroom floor holding my stomach. “I wasn't dreaming,” I whispered to myself. “I wasn't dreaming. I felt him.” My hands trembled. I reached out for the necklace around my neck, just to make sure the pedant was still there.
     “Danielle?” Mom was knocking on the door. “Are you ok?”     “Yes,” I said, though I could barely speak.  I turned the water on in the shower so she would leave me alone. “I'm just taking a shower,” I said knowing she was still waiting behind the door.
     When I came out of the shower breakfast was ready.
     “When did you come back yesterday?” I asked my folks.     “After midnight. You were already sleeping,” Mom said.     “And Ethan?” I tried to confirm that he was here yesterday.     “What about Ethan?”     “Was he here?”     Mom wrinkled her forehead. “Ethan is still at the base.”     “But he was.” I paused to find a better way to say that he was here last night, and that I had seen him.
     Last night was so full of magic. I was exposed to something beautiful and abnormal that I had no one to share with, especially not with my parents who'd think that this was a side effect of the heavy heat in Israel.     Mom stood there, still waiting for a whole normal sentence to come out of my mouth.
     “I meant he was supposed to come yesterday, wasn't he?”
     “I don't think so.” She looked at me strangely. And I knew I should have just kept my thoughts to myself, because Mom's sensors were in full motion all of a sudden. And only by the look in her eyes could I tell that she didn't like seeing me like this.
     Doubting my own common sense and my healthy judgment was the most difficult thing I'd ever had to cope with. I'd never hallucinated before and I couldn't find a good reason why I should start now.
     Mom suggested that I pack the rest of my things, since our flight to New Jersey would leave at midnight. I had only a few hours left to call Ethan and find out whether I was dreaming or if he had really been here, but all my attempts to call him failed.     My whole body was tensed as I heard the knock on the door. “Ethan.”  I called, and stormed out of the room towards the entrance door pulling the handle swiftly.
     I froze realizing I had been mistaken. A strong wave of disappointment hit my body. I must have been transparent as cellophane because Jason's smile erased immediately.
     “I'm sorry,” he said. “I couldn't wait anymore. I had to say good-bye before you leave.” His eyes were searching for mine.     “Are you planning on standing here for a long time?” Mom asked standing behind me.     I felt rude for being so selfish. The least I could do was hide my disappointment.     Jason came in. Mom was already obsessively talkative, and even invited him to our house in Voorhees when he comes back to the States. Once in a while Jason glanced at me as if he could feel that something was wrong.
     I signaled him to come into my room, so in the most graceful way he could, he found his way out of the compulsive conversation he was sucked into by Mom, and followed me to my room. I closed the door behind us and leaned with my back to the door.  I wasn't sure what I was about to say, or how I was going to say it, but I had to tell him about my feelings for Ethan.     “Jason.” I sighed. “I...”     Before I could continue Jason stepped forward in such confidence, and was already too close. His finger was on my lips when he shushed me, and kissed me passionately. I was frozen. He slid a piece of paper into my pocket and said, “Keep it. You might want to see me again back in New Jersey.  I'll be waiting for your call.” He kissed me briefly on my cheek and left the house.     I stood there overwhelmed, still frozen. I touched my lips, and was surprised by the mixed feelings aroused in me by that unexpected wild kiss.  I closed my eyes and didn't look back.

Lost In Time - Mirage - Routine (part of the chapter)

"Lost In Time - mirage" Routine (part of chapter 20)

     I woke up in my bed alone. Ethan was not there, and I wasn't wrapped in his arms anymore.

     Mom's voice penetrated my sweet sleep, and woke me. It was time to get ready for school, but I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed.

     A single moment of understanding can flood a whole life with meaning.

     Nothing was the same as of that day. Every time I woke up, the first thing I did was walk to the window of my room and check up on our back yard. Just to make sure it was still there.

     Only then could I really appreciate the little things I had in my life: like the purple flowers in the back yard, and the red Geranium that hung in its hanger on the deck. Like Dad's favorite trees on the left side of the back yard, and the blue bird that came for a short visit in the mornings when it was time to wake up.

     Even Mom's voice became bearable, and I didn't hush her as often as before.

     Ethan didn't come back, and I knew none of the future events were preventable if we were to stay together. Though I had a slight hope that one day he would come back and describe a different world than the one I had seen in the future.

     I never asked Jason to stay, but I also didn't ask him to leave. I hadn't seen him for weeks, and didn't try to contact him.

     Voorhees Eastern High School became a place I learned to enjoy hanging out in. Even literature classes were more interesting than before, and I think that Mr. Adelson began to like me.

     Suddenly, Voorhees wasn't as boring as it seemed, and I was thankful for the “horrible” routine I was born into.

     I liked the smell of the trees by the lakes. I liked the quiet in the morning and in the afternoons. I liked to stare at my back yard for hours, and let myself be overwhelmed by the dark green that surrounded me.

     I was happy with what I had, and for the first time I could admit that I didn't wish to be swept off my feet, and be saved from the boredom of Voorhees. The tedium of Voorhees became a comfort not only to me, but to everyone else around me.

     It was a relief to wake up in the mornings and think about the simple things in life; like what should I wear, and how should I fix my hair before going to school. What movie should I watch on TV, and what kind of dish I'd like Mom to cook for Friday dinner. Everything became simple and easy, and I no longer felt threatened by it. Simplicity brought a great comfort to my life.

     I saw friends more often. The time I spent without Ethan and Jason was also dedicated to heal the rifts created between Natasha and me. And as always our friendship was stronger than anything else. Natasha never mentioned Jason's name again, and I never brought it up. It was a silence that kept him away from my life, and the possibility of his existence in Natasha's life.