I was born and raised in the south. My family definitely loved to cook and I began to learn from a young age how to prepare food from scratch. Growing up I learned how to make fried catfish, grits, fried okra, and boiled peanuts.  We ate vegetables, and they were delicious. But I didn’t have the same affinity for them as I do today. I also wasn’t raised with any traditional food preparation around fermenting and preserving which would have added so many new characteristics and unique tastes to the plain-jane vegetables.

Rediscovering A Lost Art

Fermentation dates back thousands of years- each early civilization around the globe had their culinary specialty unique to the local ecosystem. This food preservation process is the ultimate collaboration with nature-  in geographic areas having poor sanitation, fermented foods have helped the locals fight food-borne illnesses.

After the advent of convenient, packaged, processed and even fresh frozen food, much of our shared traditions of preserving was set aside and forgotten.  When I began to explore my southern roots I found a love for the traditional recipes around preserving, pickling and fermenting. These are the time tested processes that keep the fresh flavor of the produce while introducing very healthy microbes to the food. You can think of this as our ancestor’s version of modern day probiotics. This global tradition of preserving and fermenting foods has been keeping our heritage healthy with small amounts of immune supporting microbes.

How Basic Fermentation Works

The most basic way to ferment is with salt. When salt is added to a jar filled with a produce item, it creates an environment where the good bacteria can begin to break down sugars into lactic acid, aka lacto-fermentation. The lactic acid begins to act as a preservative while adding deeper flavor. This process also prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria. It is a delicate dance between what is not enough and too much salt. If there is not enough then the pathogenic micro-organisms will have a great chance to take over and conquer the produce, leaving you with an inferior product that tastes down-right awful. Too much salt and no bacteria will begin to populate.

More Than Just a Pickle

Combining flavors, spices, and vibrantly colored produce is an art.  A delicate blend of ingredients that has the potential to please all of the senses, creating a state of euphoria and deep connection to nature. Food combining is about what works together-  a love for the intelligence of nature and goes deeper into appreciating the microbes and nutrients within the soil.

When we look at our ancestors they ate what was available when it was available because they had no other option. There is trust that nature is collaborating with us, supplying what we need to stay balanced all year long. When you adjust your food choices to meet that of seasonal availability and combine small amounts of fermented food in your diet, you are choosing to participate in the collaboration we have with nature, fostering the health of your ecosystem inside and out.

Fermenting Your Own Favorite Veggies.

What you will need

• Your favorite seasonal organic vegetables. Root vegetable are great but don’t be afraid to get creative using different types of stalks and even hearty greens.
• Salt
• A few glass jars with tight-fitting lids.
• Clean water.

How to do it.

• Be sure your jars, lids and utensils and workspace are clean.
• Lightly wash the produce. You want to keep as much of the good bacteria on the veggies as possible so don’t use soaps or sanitizer.
• Cut the veggies into desirable pieces so that they fit into the jars nicely.
• Dissolve 2Tbs of salt into a quart of clean water to make a brine.
• Pour the brine over the veggies until they are covered, being sure to leave 2 inches of space from the top.
• Make as much brine as you need to cover the amount of vegetables you wish to ferment.
• Close the lids and let rest in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

How long does it take?

This depends on the temperature of where your fermentation is taking place. The cooler it is the longer it will take. The warmer it is, the faster the fermentation will take place. A good starting place is to check the flavor of your veggies at three days. They should begin to have a small amount of effervescence in the liquid and a slightly tangy flavor. From here it is all preference. You can halt or slow down the process by placing the jar in a refrigerator, or keep it going for longer.

Pro tip!

Always use clean utensils to grab your veggies when tasting your ferments. This will help prevent any pathogenic microbes from spoiling your goodies!

Another pro tip!

Try adding your favorite spices and herbs to create unique tastes.

It is important as tribe leaders to have clear values and standards that keep us uplifted and able to serve every time we enter our role. So what keeps you in a high-vibe state so you can serve and lead in your unique way?

These are a few of the ways I continue to explore through the invaluable practice of refinement.

Iterating and Deepening Through Experience

“Never stop learning”. This phrase has stuck with me ever since I first heard it. But I was never really turned-on by the idea of learning so I shifted it to “never stop experimenting”. 

This can mean a life of exploring what works and what doesn’t. Practicing, refining and repeating- this is the practice of yoga. Take time to reflect- what is helping you show up as a teacher? What is not helping you?

Highly effective teachers carry a high vibe. They embody what they are teaching and aren’t afraid of learning. The difference between an effective teacher and a highly effective teacher is the ability to integrate what is working and to let go of what is not working.

Adaptability and Collaboration

What the phrase “never stop experimenting”  taught me was to be willing to try out new ways of doing things and new ways of being. Be it a new perspective, a new model, or a new way of interacting with other tribe leaders, experimentation leads to adaptability.

If it works keep it, if it doesn’t throw it out. Adaptability is one skill I have been honing for a while now and has led me to adopt a collaborative mindset. Not long ago I had limiting tendencies that confined me in outdated ways of interacting. I considered other coaches and teachers on a similar path to be competitors. I didn’t really see how much I was limiting myself until I began to see other tribe leaders as fellow influencers and supporters. Through experimenting, I became adaptable and able to go beyond my cultural programming of competition.

In what areas of business and life can you as a tribe leader become more adaptable? Experiment, explore and have fun trying something new.

Communication

Clear communication is key for tribe support and is most accessible when we are in a high-vibe state. I was never a talker. Growing up I was the quiet and content boy, the one who wouldn’t engage in school unless forced to. I didn’t learn how to articulate my voice clearly until I began teaching yoga.

Beyond the clarity of your words is the subtle energy behind them which influences the tribe in deeper ways. Communicating passionately and honestly can have deep long lasting effects on those who are receiving your teaching. Beyond the words, how would you describe the subtle communication of your energy? When a tribe leader is implementing self care in ways which nourish their body, mind and spirit, communication comes through much more clearly. The subtle energy behind the words is in some ways more influential. Subtle energy can deepen or hinder the message being communicated, which is why this is such a valuable area to refine.

Basic practices of self care go along way.

Self care practices are an essential way that health coaches demonstrate integrity.  Do them because they support you. Continue doing them so we can support others. Clear values are key. Any embodied teacher knows the value of deeply rejuvenating down time. Time to disconnect, recharge and tune-in. If you have ever traveled by air you know the drill. If the oxygen masks come down, secure yours before helping others. It makes sense: with no time for self care and rejuvenation, a tribe leader will burn out, or in this case suffocate.

The basics are the beginning and they deepen over time. Through practice the basics evolve into unconscious, deeply nourishing and rejuvenating behaviors that directly influence the effectiveness of what is being shared, taught, and discussed.

If a teacher wants to impact the tribe in a deeper way, it begins with learning to practice self care in a deeper way. My current passion is in creating support for those leaders who want to go deeper- and inspiring them to get clear on what it is they need to keep them going and evolving in the way they need and desire.

Experimenting with what is working and what is not working. I invite you to continue the process of refinement to become a highly effective tribe leader.

To find balance in the midst of this changeable season, Vata needs deep rhythm. This could look like a consistent routine of daily habits that help set the pace for ease and grace during the coming months. Or it might look like new rhythmic ways of nourishing yourself with easily digestible foods that help ignite your digestive fire while grounding your inner spaciousness.

To tap into your best autumn rhythm check out this simple and versatile soup recipe which includes activating spices and earthy seasonal veggies – a satisfying meal that helps feed your autumn fire.

But first, let’s explore more deeply deeper how this recipe helps balance the vata qualities of autumn.

Like Attracts Like While Opposites Balance.

One of the ways we can balance Vata is by including foods that have the opposite qualities of this dosha. Since Vata is known to be cool, light, dry and rough, the opposite qualities we should include in our diet are foods that are warm, oily, soft, and sticky.

What you choose to nourish yourself with can greatly support balance during this dry windy season, or instead invite the subtle energy of Vata to become sporadic in a way that compromises your health. You may notice when this imbalance occurs with disruptions in your sleep or mood, physical achiness, and spending more time in the restroom. So then how do you avoid this imbalance? To optimize balance add in deep rhythm by eating at a consistent time every day and by choosing foods that offer these grounding and balancing qualities.

Spices and Agni

Agni is the digestive fire within your belly. With strong Agni comes the ability to fully digest and assimilate your food and year-long vitality and health. Spices and herbs are great kindling for this fire because they contain robust flavors that signal the body to produce specific fluids that support your digestion. This is important because autumn is the ideal time of year to boost the immune system which resides largely in the gut.

Seasonal Veggies

Choosing to eat seasonal and local produce helps you attune to nature’s rhythms. In the northern hemisphere think of the squash, tubers and other veggies that are growing close to the ground this time of year. The earthiness of these veggies is very stabilizing for the subtle qualities of autumn and Vata. Now onto the recipe!

Autumn Balance Soup

Ingredients

2 cups of your favorite squash (winter squash varieties need to be peeled)
1 small yellow onion
½ bulb fennel
2 stalks celery
5 baby purple potatoes
2 carrots peeled
1 Tbs ghee (coconut and olive oil also work)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
Vegetable broth or filtered water
1 lemon or lime
Your favorite fresh herbs chopped
salt to taste

Directions

Wash your veggies and chop them into large 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large pot toast the seeds in the ghee for 2 minutes or until they begin to pop. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and fennel and sauté on medium high for 2 minutes. Add potato, squash and enough filtered water to cover the veggies. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a soft simmer for 20 minutes or until the veggies are soft. No need to cover the pot.

Let the soup cool for a few minutes then add it to a blender that does not completely seal. I recommend using a vitamix. Blend until it’s a smooth consistency. About 20 – 30 seconds does it in a vitamix.

Season with salt to taste and serve with fresh lemon juice and fresh herbs.
This soup goes well with a side of steamed rice.  You can double and triple this recipe as needed.

As you enjoy the creativity, clarity and spaciousness of fall remember to ground yourself into a new rhythm. Seasonal soups like Autumn Balance are the perfect way to create deep nourishment as we move into the last months of the year.

As I reflect back on my learnings I noticed a few areas in my life that when I began to refine and up-level which supported this skill. Refinement is a daily process.

Grow your intuition with a supportive lifestyle

Is your lifestyle supporting your ability to make good well-informed decisions?

You want to support yourself with actions that support the things you value. First you have to know what matters to you. What are your values? When values are clearly-defined, it is easier to feel the friction present when your words or actions run contrary to them. When action aligns with values, this can support the kind of lifestyle you desire.

Each choice you make shapes your lifestyle. Essentially your lifestyle is the accumulation of your past actions which shape your current reality. These choices also signal your body to respond in a specific way. Example, if you exercise, you become stronger. With every choice, you have the ability to learn and to listen to your gut feeling and the opportunity to respond accordingly.

Is strengthening your intuition something that interests you? Trust your gut one choice at a time.

It takes time, patience and a level of responsibility to continue fostering good decision- making. So a well-rounded lifestyle which supports your emotional, spiritual and physical health is key to making good decisions. Meditation and quiet time with low stimulus are key for healthy emotions along with exercise and recovery. Think rhythm, pulsing between rest and activity. You want a good balance of both.

Build your intuitive gut.

Your gut health directly influences your ability to make good clear decisions, hence the name for this is the gut-brain axis. It is this enteric nervous system which resides in your gut that sends and receives signals to your central nervous system. When the central nervous system is relaxed, as clear communication helps to infer, you are better able to respond and make well informed decisions.

What you feed yourself will either support your gut health, as in helping with clear communication along the gut-brain axis or not. Going deeper, trusting your gut comes down to the symbiotic relationship between your gut bacteria and what you feed them. If you are not supporting this relationship you are hindering your ability for deeper intuitive connection. So choosing to consume gut-healthy foods on a regular basis will help support a healthy gut-brain axis. You could say your gut biome learns to trust and even guide you based on how well you support it.

A gut healthy diet looks different for everyone, but in a broad view there is a template. This template includes creating a supportive environment for good bacteria. Think of a house with strong walls for the bacteria to live and be protected, and feeding the good bacteria with fresh earth-grown foods so they can thrive as a healthy community. While food matters to having a healthy gut, so do other lifestyle factors. In fact, recent research shows that one of the most influential factors on maintaining gut health may be stress, or rather and one’s ability to regulate their response to stressful situations.

Enter meditation and time to relax.

Today’s modern diet is far from being supportive of your gut and a healthy gut is only a part of the whole picture. How do you know what works? Experiment with new ways of feeding your gut and supporting a healthy connection to the feelings you experience.

Support your intuition with awareness.

Have you noticed the difference between your thoughts, emotions and intuition? This was a learned skill for me which I developed after many years of noticing and listening. This skill has showed me is the subtle difference in qualities intuition has from thoughts and emotions. I experience intuition with a light, pure and clear feeling to it. My thoughts have the subtle sensation of dense air or humidity, and emotions carry the quality of a visceral physical experience.

Meditation is great place to explore the differences between your thoughts, emotions and intuitive insights. And it was through listening, trusting and taking action daily that taught me how to discern these differences. How do each of these feel differently for you? Through reflecting on past choices you can notice trends and tendencies, and begin discerning the differences.

Have you been accurate with past intuitive insights? Have a regular time to reflecting and acknowledge the gut feelings you have and if they contain any truth.

Intuition is an easy thing to dismiss. On one level you may know something needs to happen or is true, yet you ignore the signal and move forward based on an emotional response. What to do? Practice listening, trusting and taking action. The more you do it, the more developed your awareness becomes.

Practice, refine, repeat. A healthy dose of curiosity will positively impact your relationship with your intuition. Curiosity helps me enter my life as a living experiment. This experiment includes the practice of listening to my gut, refining my choices and repeating often. Do you want to become more intuitive? Practice listening to your gut feeling. Spend time in reflection and meditation to intentionally sense the different qualities of thoughts, emotions and the sense of knowing.

There are many paths to this place of stillness, but first of all, what is stillness? To the beginner, it may seem like the elusive state of mind that you read about in the ancient spiritual texts. To the novice, it may be a glorious state of calm that is reached every so often. To the seasoned meditator, it is a state of being, the state that scientists of the highest caliber are studying.  So how would one turn off the mind and find their way into this place of stillness? Well for starters the mind is a thinking machine. And behind this thinking machine are the subtle layers of clarity. Some lineages of meditation have called these layers the “clear light mind” while others have referred to it as the “seat of the observer”. This is the place of stillness beyond your senses, void of thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.

Our minds love to wander, don’t they? Sometimes you may feel that you can’t sit still, or your mind won’t stop. This could be from stress, overwhelm and/or not processing a portion of your inner dialogue, emotions and experiences. That was my experience.

So how does it work and how can you learn to experience this state even when the mind is reflecting a relentless hungry child? Let’s explore two practices I have adopted to help continue a meditation practice and cultivate inner peace.

Two meditative practices that help you find your zen.

1. Mind wandering.

I have discovered that during my day, my mind becomes overwhelmed and then fatigued. Meditation is a great place for me to find some rejuvenation from this fatigue, and this is my strategy to enhance the practice. Through trial and error, when I sit on my cushion to meditate, the mental fatigue would keep my mind very active and easily distracted. So I tried pulsing between focus and freedom  — focusing my mind for as long as possible and then allowing it to wander. I liken this to exercising a muscle, it is the strengthening and releasing that builds strength and resilience.

This is a particularly easy way to zentopia and a very popular route to spark creativity and thinking outside of the box. If you find yourself trying to hard or having a hard time staying focused, mind wandering can be a great tool to troubleshoot an overactive mind.  It is like letting the dog off the leash in a park. After running, sniffing and exploring every scent and corner of the park, it calms down and begins to rest in the tranquility of being.

Life can be very heavy and stressful, so inviting lightness into your practice can leave you feeling refreshed to keep you coming back for more. What I have found during those times the mind just wants to lick every thought and eat every sensation, let it! Let it go for a few minutes and tire itself out. You will see that after a few minutes of running wild it is much easier to go deeper into your inner zen-den and find the calm seat behind the chaotic mind.

2. Explore the senses.

Your senses are interpreters of your world. When overstimulated they can become dull and, well, desensitized. The act of moving your awareness through the senses helps to calibrate the senses and calm the mind. To do this, grab a timer and set it for 2-3 minutes. During that time fix your attention on one sense. For example:

• When you are fixed on the sense of smell, focus on the smells around you and notice them as they are. Experience the smell or lack thereof without labeling or judgment.
• Explore the different sounds happening from all directions. The sounds near to you, and far from you, receiving them as they come.
• Soften your gaze on a stationary object and look at it. Without trying to focus on the object itself, continually let go of the need to focus and relax the eyes.
• Feel all of the things touching your skin, clothes, floor and even air temperature. Feel the contrast between all of the sensations. For example, cool and warm, soft and firm.
• Notice the tastes in your mouth. Without preference to change anything, accept the flavors as they are in the moment.

Technically this is an alternating concentration practice and is a great warm-up for the longer single-pointed focus practices. It is highly effective because it promotes concentration while calming the senses and organs of action.

While a meditation technique such as single-pointed focus (or dharana) is a powerful step along your path to inner peace, these two practices can be helpful strategies when your meditations could use a little help. It is still a great idea to find a quiet time with the intention to focus the mind. The practice of focus and concentration helps find balance in the overstimulating world we live in and helps to cultivate strong mental focus, presence and bodily awareness.

I think of meditation as shifting to be a state of being more than a practice itself, so enjoy your journey to zen-topia and choose a meditative practice that suits your needs in the moment.

I have to admit.. I haven’t always been a morning person. Well, unless the surf was up. I would drop anything to be at the ocean’s edge for the break of first light. My drive was definitely not to create consistency or honor my circadian rhythm. I would n’t have even called it a routine per se. I was simply chasing the highs from surfing and embracing the lows with napping and lounging when I had the chance to catch up. Was it fun? Absolutely. Is it sustainable? Not a chance.

Circadian what?? The old me didn’t connect my own body rhythms to the rising and setting sun. I had no idea what this concept was in practice. I was working late nights in the kitchen, drinking too much alcohol, numbing my mind with pot daily. Looking back, I was numbing all of the signs my body was telling me. Each morning when the surf was not up, I would sleep until I would be late for work. I was just getting by.

Things have definitely changed. Consistency is my morning motive which includes hydrating and moving in ways that make me feel good. Over time, I have architected a solid framework for what my morning will look like. And now it is pretty darn consistent.

I like to focus on the important biorhythms we all share which relate directly to your vitality. Starting my day right is about honoring my bodies need for hydration and elimination. What does starting the day right look like for you? If you are already a champ in this department. Bravo! How about meditation, gratitude practice, exercise and cold showers? These may be on the list of practices to put in place if you are craving a gratifying and grounded start to your day.

How does this relate to your morning biorhythms?

Your colon and brain are constantly communicating with each other, influencing your mood, emotions, your ability to focus, and even your ability to poop. We know inconsistent bowels stress the body.

This stress has the potential to cause many complications throughout your body. You don’t want that. You want the opposite. You want a smoothly operating system from entrance to exit. So then what does it take to have everything in place?

Fundamentally, starting the day right is about cleaning house (your bowels) and organizing your energy ( grounding yourself with intention). Each day is a new opportunity to create consistency. Just as the best chefs in the world have preplists, you can create a prep list for your morning. Of course yours will not include the fancy garnishes and sauces for plating creative delights, yet it will include the need to do things so you can create your day from a place of balance and stability.

First step is to be sure you are properly hydrating every morning.

If the food channel is not hydrated, your waste becomes stuck and the process of eliminating just takes more energy. The bowels have to work harder to get things moving. When the elimination organs become overworked you may become depleted on many layers. This happens when your precious energy is used insufficiently. So remember, hydrate your body.

Second step is to relax and give yourself the time to ground into the day. Your body is primed in the morning to eliminate yesterdays’ trash and you want to honor this. If you find yourself stressed or not having enough time to ground yourself before entering your day then it may be time to start. Stress will activate the sympathetic nervous system and make it challenging for your organs to function as they need to. Not only is this taxing on your energy levels, this will prevent the waste from exiting, allowing the ready-to-exit toxins to re-absorb through the intestine and colon. Think of this channel as the support for our more subtle channels.  We need this food channel clean for a clear mind. You need to eliminate the garbage of yesterday so you can process your life today.

Here are some suggestions to set yourself up for a successful morning.

Have a plan. Write a list what you intend to do in the morning and have it somewhere you will see it. So what would this preplist include? Here are my non-negotiable morning prep list items.

• Visualize – While still in bed, I visualize myself on the planet and invite gratitude for the new day and opportunities ahead.
• Make the bed – or at least your half of the bed if you have a partner.
• Oral hygiene — scrape tongue, brush teeth.
• Wash – face, eyes and nose with water.
• Lubricate – I lube my nostrils with sesame oil. This keeps the protective layer in the nasal cavity hydrated and healthy.
• Hydrate – with warm water, about 48 oz while I gaze out at the trees.
• Movement and breath – dance, jump, yoga, free weights – do what moves you
• Dry brush, cold shower and sit in silence.

Stick to your plan. I know, it is easier to continue doing the same things you are comfortable with. But if your morning could use an upgrade, then you want to stick to the plan.

Remember to be kind to yourself when creating a new routine or refining old habits. I have noticed when I keep a structured morning not only my experience within each task deepens, the support deepens. This is helping me become resilient to outer influences and to stay on track.

What is the cosmic pulse?

Inner pulse

Everything in and around you is in a rhythm. Let’s begin with you and your body. There is a wisdom within your body — call it a divine intelligence — governing you, me and our shared world. It is the supporting wisdom behind your living and breathing body. A regular practice of dinacharya promotes harmony within our bodily systems. Dinacharya is the synchronized daily routine which promotes wellness and includes practices for a nourished body, balanced mind and connected spirit. Placing these routines with intention in your day helps to restore balance and connection to your inner pulse.

Outer pulse

The larger rhythms around you such as the circadian (light and dark) cycle, seasonal cycle and lunar phases are among the biggest. These are the members of the divine orchestra reminding you when to sleep, eat, play and take time to do nothing at all. Throughout evolution, humans have been living in harmony with these cosmic pulses, that is until the recent advancements of technology, artificial lighting and food grown out of it’s natural season. This shift is driving humans offbeat and likening the experience of physical disease and emotional distress.

Syncing the beats

Why it is important.

The relationship of your inner and outer pulse greatly influences the overall health and wellbeing you experience. Ayurveda is perhaps the oldest tradition exploring the relation of inner and outer rhythms. When I began to go deeper into Ayurveda and explore my relationship to the larger pulse of life I had many questions. Why does an arhythmic schedule cause stress? What is the importance of sleep? How does eating out of the seasonal rhythms affect my meditation? And then something clicked. We are nature and are born into the beautiful cosmic dance but it is the lifestyle we live and choices we make that bring us in or out of this rhythm.

The roadmap for balance

To thrive as a human you need a balance between rest and activity. A balance between eating and digesting. So we look to the rhythmic structure of Ayurveda to guide us on the path to restoring a balanced, healthy life.

Are you familiar with the doshas? These are the three combinations of the five states of matter.

Vata = air + ether  ～  Pitta = fire + water  ～ Kapha = earth + water

The doshas are the governing qualities on the human physiology, biorhythms and influence behind mental/emotional tendency. They represent the movement of the energy and are shown on the dosha clock. The dosha clock is the cyclical roadmap of the day focusing on what is happening in relation to the sunrise and sunset. The clock runs on two 12-hour cycles, each 12 hour cycle is divided with the three doshas. Simply put, honoring the rhythmic nature of the doshic clock gives us insight for balancing our daily routines with the present attribute.

Restoring your balance through rhythm

Do you want to learn to live in balance with nature’s rhythms? If you desire to restore balance in your body, mind and cosmic connection, then it is time to evaluate where your routine can evolve to support you on your path. Begin with simple dinacharya during specific times of the clock to find the balance with the current dosha such as exercising in the morning and eating your largest meal in the heat of the day. Come back to basics and honor the diurnal nature of life. Setting a bedtime for yourself and your electronics to limit stimulus during the evening. An evening dinacharya like a self foot massage, helps you let go of the day by creating time for your rejuvenation. With proper time to rest and recalibrate, the nervous system can return to homeostasis and ease of life is restored. Inviting curiosity is a great way to evaluate where your rhythms are supporting you and where they could be upgraded. Are you ready to refine your rhythms? Here a few questions to ask yourself. Remember to invite curiosity about areas that could use an upgrade. Do I feel natural energy upon waking in the morning? Where was the food on my plate grown? What would help me charge my internal battery? From a scientific perspective, being in sync with the natural rhythm is how we recharge our cells. Like charging your cell phone battery, your cells need to be in sync with these larger cycles to optimize their functions. With charged cells and relaxed nervous system, the microbes in the body are able to perform their jobs well, supporting the the detox and digestive systems. When out of sync, your cells are overworked and your body and mind become stressed. If this persists, stress induced digestive diseases and a whole grocery list of other symptoms may enter the scene.

Think long term and begin to identify where are you in sync and where could you enter the cosmic dance more harmoniously. Where is there potential to build momentum of health and vitality? Where could the cosmic pulse support you on your path? Coming back to the beating heart, you have reminders within and around you reflecting the pulse of the cosmos. As a human you can choose to align with these rhythms enhancing the quality of life you experience with deeper connection and well-being.

Drop the perfection and show up

Just do it, a friend kept telling me when it came to writing on my blog. I told him I waited for my inspiration to come. And they would come. But they would also go. This made my posting inconsistent – not a good strategy if I was looking to build my tribe. Consistency is key. So I listened to my friends’ advice: show up consistently and write about a topic that interests me. So simple, I thought. Developing a regular writing practice has helped tremendously with showing up and staying present. When I showed up consistently, I worried less about creating a masterpiece and more about creating momentum. I no longer rely on inspiration to trigger my writing, rather I find inspiration through reflection and meditation. Practice and repetition creates momentum. While my writing will never be perfect, it is more authentic and more me.

Schedule integrity and project management

What is schedule integrity? I wondered when I first heard the term. I had an idea of what it means but had never adopted it in practice. To me it is the practice of creating a clearly defined schedule and blocking time to complete it. It begins with identifying my priorities. My personal practice is to complete my priorities first. If you are anything like me, you may find the practice of owning your actions and holding yourself accountable rather uncomfortable. It was, and still is, a challenge for me and a working progress. But I couldn’t imagine my life without it.  Now I know exactly what I will be doing when I show up to work in the morning. This creates greater clarity and ease in my mind.

The power of aligned actions

Actions head in a direction and carry a momentum, so I began with identifying my vision, my purpose and the deeper reasons for why I am starting a business. Are you a business newbie? What drives you? What inspires you? What drives me is my desire to help my community connect. This was my BIG WHY.  Then I connected my BIG WHY with my daily actions and create a support system for that to happen. By aligning my actions I can choose how I support myself, how I am able to show up for my community and how well I will do as a business newbie. Community interaction inspires me to continue showing up as a facilitator and pro-healer and my choices affect how deep I will impact my tribe. Are you looking to shift how you show up in your work and as your own boss? I am still learning but it is much easier now to align my actions with my clearly identified values. Dig deeper and ask the questions and find what is driving you to do what you do. Do you feel a deep desire to align to your beliefs with direct action to impact your community and build your tribe? How will your actions support you on this journey and how will you show up? The impact these simple practices have had on my work is huge and I invite you to challenge how you show up as your own boss.

The language of sensation

Our body speaks to us through the language of sensation. This is the language of tiny impulses expressed in many forms through all of the layers of the body. And just like any other language, it takes time to learn and our understanding deepens over time. The Yoga classroom is where I began to learn this language and feel the sensations of my body. Through learning this language yoga has become my personal sanctuary. My place to create deeper states of wellness through attention and focus to all the layers of my body.

The Koshas

Kosha means sheaths or layers of our body in yoga philosophy. They range from dense to subtle and are interconnected without any real separation. Together, the koshas form a treasure map for the journey of self-discovery. You will notice as we go through the koshas the influence one has to to the next and the power of a consistent yoga practice.

The Annamaya Kosha – Physical/food layer

There are many routes to the yoga practice but in the west most enter through the physical exercises known as asana practice. This layer makes up our physical physical body ( bones, muscles, organs, etc.) This is the layer directly influenced by the physical practice of yoga. Here is where we deepen our understanding of the more physical sensation through yoga asana practice. Feeling your feet on the floor and touching the sky above you. When grounded in this kosha, physical awareness is opened and you will find your posture naturally aligns.

The Pranamaya Kosha – Energy layer

This layer is also affected by the physical practice and related to the breath, the nervous system and your inner world. The breath is used to unblock stagnation in the whole system, and believe me, we all have it. The breath directly affects the nervous system. Think fast shallow breathing and its correlation to anxiety and fear. Now think of how a slow, deep and rhythmic breathing pattern soothes your whole being. When breathing practices (pranayama) are regular, deeper connection and control of the nervous system is achieved.

The Manomaya Kosha – Mental/emotional layer

This is where the impacts of your yoga practice can be reflected almost immediately. When physical exercise and controlled breath are combined (the previous two layers) balance and flow are restored to this layer fairly quickly. Ever feel calm and content right after a yoga class? This kosha is related to our sense of self, our mind and our relational capacity. The manomaya kosha is an easy place to get stuck and accumulate stagnation. Do you know someone who is all in their head? The practice of Japa yoga or repeating affirmations directly affects this layer by untying the tethers of the mind which so easily get wound up. When balance is cultivated here, our senses begin to shift inward and the internal language of our mind is understood.

The Vijnanamaya Kosha – Intuitive/wisdom layer

Consistency is your ally. This Kosha is the seat of our intuition, or our higher connection. After months or years of regular practice you will notice things begin to shift.  As the layers become more subtle our awareness expands and the language of our body goes beyond the five main senses. This layer opens up when the previous three are active with a regular yoga practice to help keep them clean and flowing.

The Anandamaya Kosha – Bliss layer

Oooommmmmm. This most subtle layer is our seat of bliss. The center most kosha yet its the most expansive in its experience. Regular meditation helps connect with this layer and to maintain these expansive qualities. Think interconnectedness and vastness for the sensations coming through here.

Compassion, awareness and curiosity

As we practice yoga and meditation our old stored emotions, habits, experiences and just plain old stuff comes up. When it does come up, inviting a sense of compassion is key. Presencing this is what the practice of yoga is designed to do. Imagine looking back after decades of practice and having the mental clarity to learn the deeper lessons of the choices made earlier in life. After all, yoga is a powerful way to learn the language of sensation so get curious about what it is saying.