Did you know that approximately 70% of your body’s energy come from breath alone?

That’s a whole lot!

And if I told you that learning to increase your breath capacity (calmly) leads to relaxation, revitalization and longevity, would you take a deeper breath?

Phoenix Rising

Happy New Year! I’ve been meaning to ask you this question since the New Year began: Does it feel any different from the last?

I ask because the New Year symbolizes change, hope and prosperity. Yet how strange that the nature of life is change, yet the nature of human beings is to resist change. And how ironic that the difficult times we fear might ruin us are the very ones that can break us open and help us blossom into who we were meant to be.

Last year was by far one of the most challenging years for me and everyone I know. We all have or know some one close to us who faced a serious illnesses, the loss of a loved one, their passion for their craft, a home a job and/or a fortune.

One of the biggest challenges I faced in 2011 was learning to operate from a place of clarity instead of indecision, hesitation or fear especially in regards to welcoming people into and out of my life. Whether it was personal or business life decisions, breaking out of my tight circle of fear into a new consciousness was (and quite frankly still is) f*cking hard!

And so….the biggest lessons I learned in 2011 in regards to this was best said by Elizabeth Lesser founder of the Omega Institute and author of several books:

“If we can stay awake when our lives are changing, secrets will be revealed to us-secrets about ourselves, about the nature of life, and about the eternal source of happiness and peace that is always available, always renewable, already within us.”

2012 is certainly a year of transition and self-mastery.

In some ways it is asking us to be honest with ourselves,

how we are living our life, is it attuned to our spirit,

are the people we are involved with aligned with us or in mis-alignment,

letting go of parts of ourselves that no longer serve us,

and this may also include actual people in our lives.

Some of it can be quite painful, but it is important to face the pain

in order to truly move ourselves forward.

Just know that you are not alone in this quandary of making life altering decisions.

Embrace it.  Step into the next phase. Love yourself.

I am fascinated by what it takes to stay awake in difficult times. I marvel at what we all do in times of transition-how we resist, and how we surrender, how we stay stuck and how we grow.

So here is my question for you: How can you stay awake during the challenges of 2012, even when it hurts? What will it take for your longing for wakefulness to become stronger than your fear to change? Are you bold enough to really think about these questions and put language to them?

As Lesser says “To be human is to be lost in the woods.” None of us arrives with clear directions on how to answer these types of questions or how to get from point A to point B without stumbling into the forest of confusion or catastrophe or self-doubt.

There are incredible tools I have learned through my years as a Wellness Educator that I’d like to share with you to help you explore these questions and discover your strengths.

Check out these upcoming events for more details on discovering your truths for 2012 and letting go of your “stories”: Unraveling the Mysteries Workshop, Group Classes, Private Sessions, Wellness Inquiry Coaching Sessions (starting March 2012)

Perfect gift for birthdays, holidays or a chance to say “thank you, I love you” to a special someone. Interested in more details?

Please e-mail Liza@ambrosialifestyle.com or call (786) 529-4325

The Invisible Thread and the Million-Dollar Question

We all think about it. We’ve even heard of it happening to friend of a friend, but has it happened to you?  Have you ever met a rich influential person who asked you the million -dollar question: “What is your life’s vision and how can I help you make it a reality?”

The real million dollar and one question is not whether you’ve been asked this by someone who really meant it but were you prepared to answer it clearly and succinctly in a matter of seconds?

The past few weeks in my life have been rather interesting. I’ve come across a large number of extraordinary people. It’s like the ancient Chinese proverb  about the Invisible Thread which says: an invisible thread that connects us to each of the people that come into our path and there is always a purpose behind our paths crossing.

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell indirectly talks about the invisible thread.  He describes characteristics of two types of people a maven and connector. “Mavens are “information specialists”, or “people we rely upon to connect us with new information and Connectors are the people who “link us up with the world … people with a special gift for bringing the world together.”  The Maven I met was an older retired gentleman who dedicates his time to connecting people. Ultimately when he meets someone with a vision that sparks his interest he puts them in touch with someone he thinks can make that vision a reality.

One day I introduced my friend Kevin to the Maven. When the Maven heard about Kevin’s remarkable gift for the culinary arts, he asked me to set up a meeting between them. I knew this was going to be interesting so I decided to sit in on the meeting.

The Maven opened up the meeting and asked the million-dollar question: “What do you want to do in your life and how can I make it a reality?” This is a question Kevin dreamed of being asked. There were so many ways to answer it and so many ideas flooded his mind. He began to respond mentioning his interest in opening up a restaurant. Then suddenly, in an attempt to appease the Maven, Kevin switched ideas mid-sentence and began discussing the idea of opening up a culinary institute. I could see the Maven was growing impatient and quite confused.

“What was happening?” I thought.  “Why was Kevin not speaking his truth?  This was his shot to shine!” I realized at that moment that Kevin was like the marathon runner  who stumbles over before the finish line because they loose vision. Like many of us feel around a an influential maven, Kevin was anxious about pleasing him and he completely forgot what was most sacred to him; his life’s vision.

On the car ride home, I sat in silence, feeling perplexed. And  then I thought back to the invisible thread; Why was the thread interwoven between the Maven-Connector, Kevin and myself ? What was the bigger purpose behind it? As I sat and contemplated this question here is what I came up with:

1) Being a Connector between Others Fills a Void Most of Us Carry Around in Life:

The more I spend time with my students and clients the more I get to know what parts of their life are working really well for them and which parts are hollow and empty. One of my jobs as a wellness educator is to help them see the areas of wellness that they are excelling in and the ones that they need to strengthen. The most common areas that I find lacking are the area of living with meaning, contribution and purpose. This void makes it hard to connect to the larger purpose and vision for why we are here on this planet today.

The Maven is a primary example of someone who, with the wisdom of aging, realizes that no matter how much wealth he acquired, no matter how many A-list individuals he knew and mingled with, none of it mattered if it wasn’t furthering the betterment of the greater good of humanity and the planet. He exemplified that the greatest sense of fulfillment is listening to someone who ignites and excites your interest, connecting to their message, and letting it land so you can assess if you or anyone you know that can help them take their life’s vision to the next step. But here is the catch, as a connector you do it for the pure pleasure of knowing you’ve extended the invisible thread to another, not for any reward or praise. (See The Art of Detachment Blog)

I was so inspired by the Maven that later that week, despite my previous hang ups about connecting people with one another, I took on the role of Connector. Previously a friend had mentioned  that they were looking for more yoga classes to teach. When a facility approached me about teaching and I gladly extended the invisible thread back to my friend recommending that she teach it. This was a big step for me as often times, I’ve fell for the old phrase “ Everyone wants a piece of the pie and there’s only so much of it.” What a lie!

Remember that no matter what industry you work in, there is an infinite amount of pie. It all comes down to bringing clarity to the type of pie you want. Is it cherry? Apple? Or is it sweet potato with a bit of cinnamon? Contrary to popular belief, people in your industry are not after the same type of pie although they think they are. Your audience is uniquely a reflection of who you are and the more you shift from the scarcity mentality the more you will open up to the infinite possibilities and people who are looking for you and the flavors that you bring!

PRACTICE EXERCISE: Spend time today thinking about someone in your life that has reached out to you for advice on their life’s vision. Ask yourself “Who can I connect this person to (perhaps a Maven in their field) that can help further their vision and make it a reality?” All it takes is an e-mail, a phone call or a lunch to extend the invisible thread further.

2) When Asked The Million-Dollar Question, Be Prepared & Become a Maven!

Lack of self- compassion and over self-doubt are two of the most common traits I see that impede on people’s wellbeing. We are experts on being overly critical of ourselves; constantly second guessing our intuition, thoughts and actions. This is magnified even more when we are around an influential person or someone we respect. We’ve mastered being a self-critic and quite frankly it’s not that fun.

Instead of wasting your energy on criticizing yourself and worrying about how everyone interprets what you say and do, what if you became a master and Maven in your field? How radically different would your life be if you were an expert in your field and when asked the million dollar question you answered in un-wavering?

In fact, this was exactly what happened later with Kevin shortly after his meeting with the Maven. The Maven, instinctively felt Kevin was talented, ambitious honest and innovative. All of which his is. So, he set up a second meeting between Kevin and a world renowned chef in which Kevin, having learned a lot from his previous experience, prepared himself and blew the socks off of the chef! Practice is key….

PRACTICE EXERCISE: Have a friend of yours play the role of Maven-Connector and let them ask you the million-dollar question “What is your life’s vision and how can I help you make it a reality?” Take a deep breath and try to answer the question in about 5-10 seconds. Then switch roles and keep practice being clear, succinct and as confident as a Maven! Like anything the more practice you get with this the better you will be in conveying why you are worthy of furthering your life’s work.

Here are 6 poses that will systematically stretch all the intrinsic muscles of your back, plus a passive backbend that will bring your front and back body into balance.Do each pose sequentially ALL on ONE SIDE and then switch to the other side. Practice on an empty stomach and only go as far as you feel comfortable. Take 8 breaths in each pose and/or side.

Practice them daily.

Knee to Chest

Inhale bend one knee

Exhale hug knee into chest. Clasp hands around knee, other leg either extended or if back is sensitive then put opposite foot on the floor. Do ankle rolls with the bent leg. (8 breaths into the low back)

Laying Down Spinal Twist

With the same knee into the chest, exhale guide the knee to the opposite side of the mat. If there is discomfort then bend both knees and place them to the opposite side of the mat.

Inhale, place right hand on right hip, exhale place the let hand on the left rib cage and breath into the ribs. (8breaths)

Hamstring Stretch

Inhale guide the leg back into center. Lay flat on the back.

Exhale reach the right leg up.

Inhale  clasp the hands behind the thigh and reach through the ball of the foot.

Exhale spread the toes. (Do foot rotations 4-5x)

1/2 Frog

Inhale bend the right leg.

Exhale lower the leg down a few inches from the ground at a 90 degree angle. Shin is perpendicular to the thigh and the the ankle is flexed.

Inhale send the leg forward to create space in the hip joint.

Exhale spread the toes. (Keep the leg elevated off the ground for 8 breaths)

Back Release Pose

Inhale place the hands on the outside of the right thigh and guide it back to center

Exhale cross the right ankle over the left thigh (just above the left knee cap). Flex feet.

Inhale  right arm goes through the legs.

Exhale left hand comes behind left thigh to clasps the right hand. Hands clasp behind thigh.

Shoulders down and neck relaxed.

Baddha Konasana

Inhale bend knees and bring the feet on the floor.

Exhale soles of the feet come together and press them together.

Inhale flex the toes apart.

Exhale shoulder down, neck releaxed, head on the floor. Stretch the low back toward the floor. If the hips feel too tight place a block underneath each thigh.

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yoga. a practice. an openness. a philosophy.

Anne-Kerr Kennedy, founder of Hyde, wanted yoga clothes that were natural, comfortable, stylish, and were as considered and thoughtful as her practice. The line is inspired by the notion of flexible movement. Movement of the body, movement of the mind, the flexibility of existence beyond definition. They breathe, they flow, they feel natural… the form is in a style that can be worn to class, through class, and after class. 100% sweatshop free. SHOP HERE

In response to your interest in either starting a yoga practice or deepening your understanding of it, I am planning workshops in the coming months and want your voice to be heard.

Please take 2 minutes to fill out this brief question survey to give me a better understanding of your preferences so that I can better serve you. Feel free to write comments below any of the questions.

In exchange for your time, once the survey is complete, you can receive 15% off of Victoria Keen clothing. Her clothing ROCKS and you often see me wearing her bright beautiful designs in class! The discount code will be distributed once the survey is complete.

Thanks for taking the time to complete the survey. Your feedback is tremendously valuable!

Liza Pitsirilos
Ambrosia Lifestyle