Tag: #justdoit

What is Kundalini Yoga?

emyminzel

I get this question all the time.

So, I’d like to explain to you what I’ve found Kundalini Yoga to be like.

Kundalini is not your typical yoga poses with sun salutations and warrior series. Although these poses can be integrated into a Kundalini fusion set it is not what a typical practice looks like. Kundalini is very focused on spinal health. All the nerves and most important arteries run through the spine so it’s important to keep it healthy. There will be flexing, bending, twisting of the spine so to keep the energy flowing through the whole spinal column for optimal health.

My friend once called it yoga for people who don’t yoga. Others say it is a yoga practice you can do until your 90!

I suggest you try kundalini at least one time. Just come with an open mind on what your practice will be like. I’ll do my best to describe a typical Kundalini yoga set so you do have some idea what to expect.

First, we connect with our breath and “tune in” by singing the Adi mantra at least three times.

‘Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo’

It means, infinite wisdom I call on you. Divine wisdom I call on you.

You are calling in the intention to bring the wisdom of your higher self to your practice. It is said to be connected to the ‘Golden chain of teachers’ you’ve had in this life and others.

Then I also like to chant the Charn mantra of protection four times. The number four refers to pillars of boundaries of the four directions and elements. This chant offers protection on the spiritual level as we open our energy to healing.

Aad Guray Nameh
I bow to (or call upon) the primal Guru (wisdom)
Jugaad Guray Nameh
I bow (or call upon) to the Truth that has existed throughout the ages.
Sat Guray Nameh
I bow to (or call upon) True Wisdom.
Siri Guru Dayvay Nameh
I bow to (or call upon) the Great Divine Wisdom within.

Chanting is an important part of Kundalini practice because it stimulates your vagus nerve which is one of the longest nerve in the body. It connects the digestive system and the brain which is pretty important. Stimulating this nerve activates the energy of the upper Chakras. (p.s. I promise nobody cares if you can’t sing! Just allow yourself to do it.)

I’d like to add that Yoga is not a religion; it is a philosophy and physical science that we use to encourage you to just tap into your own intuition and wisdom of your unique spirit.

Then we go into a Kundalini set which is called a Kriya. These exercises are deeply incorporated with the breath. Most of the exercises we do will be matched with the breath. If we are doing a leg lift, we will inhale up, exhale down. If we are doing cat cow, we inhale cow/exhale cat.

In this way it is sort of like a hatha yoga. Very connected to the breath work. Instead of flowing from one pose to the next we do a moving posture for a specific length of time. If we do leg lifts for 2 minutes we will also do cat/cow for two minutes which continues for the rest of the kriya set for each posture.

It differs from asana yoga because during the kriya I will ask you to speed up the breath and the movements to a rapid pace. This really stirs up the prana and energy in the body.

If you’ve not heard of the breath of fire, it is a rapid pace breath that creates heat and stirs energy/prana/lifeforce in the lower Chakras pulling it up to the upper body. It can be strenuous, but the effects leave you feeling energized and lighter!

Typically, we build heat then rest, build heat then rest, until it is time for savasana. After savasana we have exercised the body which is an important step. Once the body is tired the mind is more able to come into a peaceful state while we continue into a singing meditation like the Kirtan Kriya.

The Kirtan Kriya was brought to the west by Yogi Bhajan and is one of the most popular meditations used in Kundalini.

This simple yet powerful meditation uses, pranayama/breathing, mudras/hand gestures, mantras/powerful words (specifically Sat Nam), locks/root lock, and dristi (3rd eye focus.) giving the body and the mind something to do while you sing the mantra and lift the spirit. Each mantra has a specific meaning, and the singing creates vibrations in the body that promote peace and calming feelings we desire.

The Kirtan Kriya is said to promote internal peace, it is a mantra you can use to help you release habits or behaviors you no longer desire to keep. It is good for improving memory and mental clarity by increasing your ability to focus.

In short Kundalini can be intense but in short bursts. It is also very powerful physically and spiritually lifting practice.  

If you have blockages in the Chakras, a Kundalini practice could help you to heal them. Just like other types of healing physical or mental, this is not always comfortable. You may have an emotional release because you are moving those stuck energies up and out of the body. You can read more about energetic emotional release here.

What you should know about Energetic Emotional Release – Emy Minzel

I hope this clarifies any questions you have about kundalini yoga, and I hope it intrigues you enough to come and try a Kundalini class at Spirit River Yoga and Massage!

Sign up at SpiritRiverYoga.com

Blessings,

Emy Minzel

CMT-200RYT

CEO of Spirit River Yoga and Massage

SpiritRiverYoga@gmail.com

Decisions, Decisions…

emyminzel

It’s no secret that our life path is just made up of decisions we make along the way. In our careers, family, friends and even our health, the path is a product of decisions we’ve made prior. How my life looks today is directly because of the things I chose in the past. Sometimes we make bad decisions because we just don’t know, what we don’t know yet!

We must not kick ourselves in the butt when we do find out. It is then that we can use that opportunity to make an even more informed decision and move on from there. Who I am now, recognizes that in my younger years I would sometimes try to blame others for my failings instead of taking responsibility for my decisions. I had to get out of my own way and grow. I had to learn it was all up to me and my decisions to get the life I wanted.

Even when my decision was to be lazy and unproductive with my time, affecting any progress, the old me would think “Well if it’s meant to be it will be!” When really, it will be if I decide to make it so!

When Stacy posted her blog Let’s talk about Desire yesterday on stacycrep.com she hit the nail on the head talking about desire and distraction. I wanted to share my expericence of chosing destractions over what I truly desired and how I changed my thinking to prioritize what I truly wanted.

This thinking ‘if it was meant to be will be’ was justifying behaviors and decisions that were not getting me anywhere! I just didn’t see that it was me, standing in my way to the life I really wanted. It took years before I was ready to admit that my dissatisfaction was my own fault. That the decisions I made each moment of the day was the product of how I felt about life. Then, I had my “Ah ha!” moment and realized that nobody can change my life but me!

After this awakening, I started experimenting with mantras and found one that I loved and motivated me to take responsibility for my decisions. I still have it on a post-it note on my bathroom mirror. It says “I deserve the best! I take charge of my schedule and my life!” This simple yet powerful mantra moved me to get off the couch and start making progress towards the career and life I know I wanted but wasn’t making any progress getting too. I finally saw it because I stopped procrastinating and started doing what I knew I needed to do.

For years I knew I wanted to be a writer, yet I just did not believe in myself. So, I did not even attempt to write. When I did, it was in my journal and for my eyes only. I complained about it a lot because I was so unhappy with my lack of progress. Instead of taking the initiative to write something worth sharing, I would nap, clean, veg on the couch or anything at all besides write. How in the world did I expect to be a writer if I wasn’t confident enough to even try?

It was one small, yet life-changing decision several years ago, that got me fired up about my life goals again. Adventure Sister Stacy had encouraged me to start writing and she decided she was also going to write too. This sister solidarity gave me just enough support that I was willing to give it a shot. When we started writing, Stacy and I set a small goal of 500 words a week to keep us accountable. The best surprise was that we both ended up blowing the doors off that goal and had a great time while doing it!

We kept writing and writing and now have three books waiting for us to publish! As it turns out, editing is not cheap, and we needed to find a way to pay for the next step of making our publishing goals happen. A year after we got just our book proposals edited and paid for, we still needed the money to edit the rest of the books. We sat on this conundrum for a while and together made the decision to start putting together women’s retreats to help raise the funds to bring our books to fruition!

This is a very exciting next step in our writing careers, and all came about organically from our decision to keep making progress towards our goals and dreams. When it occurs to me that I wasted several years of my life because of my decision not to believe in myself, it can bum me out at times. Yet I know I cannot get down on myself too bad, because you don’t know, what you don’t know until you know! When you do, look at the progress you can make!

I am so thankful that I made myself take initiative to make one of my dreams come true. I did this by taking responsibility for how I was spending my time and energy and changed it to what I needed. These small decisions added up to big changes in myself and my life. I do my best to make good decisions and take responsibility with this life I’ve been blessed with. Doing so has increased my self-esteem and motivates me to keep moving forward with my goals and dreams; one small decision at a time.

Wishing you love and blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

http://stacycrep.com

*Photo taken at Candie Kitchen in Knife River, Minnesota

 

 

 

Do it anyway

emyminzel

There are times in our lives when we must do things we really just don’t want to do. Even if it is something we like doing, if we feel like we have no choice but to, how we feel about it can change. Of course, there are lots of days our work is just what we must do. Yet we can feel resistant about our chores, responsibilities or even recreational activities, if they become to feel excessive or if we have no choice but to do them.

Stacy and I are almost halfway through our 40-day kundalini Nabhi kriya practice. We promised to support and encourage each other as we go through this challenge. I feel I have benefitted by being held accountable and cheered on by my dear friend; to do this yoga routine every day, for 40 days, with no days off. Somedays are much harder than others but I always feel better after I do it.

At first it annoyed me that there were no days off for rest. But I now believe the main point of this Kundalini practice is to form a healthy habit and keep the promise to yourself. I have learned that keeping this promise and doing it even though I just don’t want too, has benefitted me in a way that I was not expecting. I have discovered that spend time every day tending to my mind body spirit connection, has made me feel like I am doing a better job at loving myself!

Though I love to write and have held myself to posting a blog every other day, even this can start to seem like work somedays. Like it’s something I must do, even when I don’t feel like it, but I still push through and get it done. I still do my best to write something worth reading, and I do it because I promised I would. Because it is important to my heart and soul that we build and sustain a wonderful community of Adventure Sisters readers and bring joy and positivity to the day. In a world that is bombarded daily with not so happy happenings; Stacy and I want to bring light and love to our loyal readers. Maybe even an uplifting meme to others who may just come upon our words by magic.

Through the words we write and our other daily practices, we work to keep our promises to ourselves and others and it feels great to keep promises! Yes, somedays it’s hard but in all honesty, it has turned out to be the best thing I do all day as well. Keeping my promise to myself and others fulfills me in a way that taking a day off never has.

We should rest but, when it comes to keeping promises to yourself; is that something you really want to take a break from? I have found this yoga practice has changed my perspective on things I didn’t even think were related. This daily practice of prayer and physical activity has benefitted my desire to give my body its proper nutrition. To keep healthier practices and hold myself accountable even when it’s the last thing I want to do.

So, when the responsibilities of our goals seem more like work then enjoyment; sometimes it is best to just “do it anyway”. Just maybe by pushing through we end up empowering ourselves more with the courage, confidence, and conviction to keep ourselves moving in the direction of our dreams, goals and aspirations. Nobody can do that for you!

I have been doing my best to change how I view these opportunities in life. Each choice I make either keeps me moving forward to my destination or keeps me from it. Therefore, I choose to do it anyways. That’s why it is worth it to me. I believe I am telling the Universe, “Yes I can, yes I will, and I am worth it.” And you are too!

Wishing you the magical soulful healing you need right now to be the best you can be.

With love,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@EmyMinzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

Are you a Do’er?

emyminzel

It seems to me there are two kinds of people; people who talk about what they want and people who do what they want. At different times in my life I have been both. I have even been the worst kind of person (in my opinion) which is a complainer. I complained about everything but took no action to change it.

I hate to hear complaining it is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. When I realized how I was acting I decided to acknowledge my own bull and decided to change my ways.

Instead of complaining I focused on the blessings. If I was fighting with my family I chose to accept that I am still blessed with great clients and my dogs still loved me.

While feeling despair about the environmental protections being dismantled I decided to stand up and say my peace. When that didn’t change anything, I decided to try to put myself in a position that may help me effect change I wish to see in the world.

Complaining never got me anywhere, it only alienated people who liked my happy personality but now were stuck listening to me protest and criticize others. If they offered ways to change, I disregarded it, as if it would not possibly work because I wasn’t willing to try.

When we complain and don’t do anything to fix it or help what we are complaining about it only makes the situation seem worse. In turn the person who was complaining seems like they doesn’t want to do the work it takes to change.

Until I decided to DO something about what I was complaining about, I was just a whiner. Plain and simple. They say there are three things you can do about something you don’t like;

1.Accept it. (Out of the question)

2.Leave it. (Nope, I like it here)

3.Change it. (Sounds like work… but here I am.)

I am not afraid of a little hard work, my mother raised me with hardcore work ethic. I show up, dig in, get my hands dirty or work long hours doing what needs to be done. I was willing to do hard work for my career but somehow had fell short working at defending my beliefs. Until my beliefs (clean water/air/soil/food/equal rights etc…) were being mutilated and poisoned, I realized I had to listen to the calling of my soul.

I was not happy and complaining so much because I knew I wasn’t doing anything at all to stand up for what I believe is right. Well…besides venting on Facebook which solves absolutely nothing. Until I asked myself to accept it, leave it or change it, I was stuck. These three choices are darn brilliant. I recommend you asking yourself to follow the same instruction in situations you are complaining about, it is life changing.

You know what I found out? I am not helpless, my voice matters, my opinion counts, I do have an affect on the outcome of my small corner of the world. Because my actions matter! What you do, has so much more power in manifesting your future then what you say you want in your future.

I can say I want clean water, and safe environment, but if I am complaining to all the wrong people and pointing fingers instead of working to make fixes and changes, it all stays the same.

My point is all the people you look up to, all the people you admire for doing something great…. They are all just regular people who decided to do what they say. I’ve come to realize it’s not because they are any different than me, it is only because they do.

No matter how long it takes or how much work it is. Doing is where the magic happens. You will not become a millionaire watching television or surfing the internet, these things only steal hours of your life that you could use to make your goals happen.

Come on kids! Let’s go DO something! Let’s be the change we wish to see in the world.

Wishing great blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

In mid-pursuit of Dreams, Goals, and Aspirations!

emyminzel

I have a wide range of interests that keep me busy, my day job is rewarding and makes me feel purposeful, yet I still feel pushed by Spirit to do more. I have been writing books with my Adventure Sister Stacy with the hope and purpose of helping others grow, and learn, in ways that are helpful in everyday life. We would like to use our series of books to promote the importance of working together while encouraging our differences, in sisterhood, family, friendship, and in all areas of life while caring for each other and the planet.

We have been pursuing this goal for several years and we are smack dab in the middle of working hard for no ‘reward’ except the reward is that it feels right to our souls. It is the heartfelt passion and our will to help the greater good with our writing that keeps our project moving forward, one baby step after another. We are determined to make it happen.

I also have dreams of traveling the globe far and wide, gaining experiences of other places and cultures while writing about it on my hobby farm that will rescue farm animals, bees, chickens, cows, donkey, goats, you name it. I dream that this farm will be fully functioning while being surrounded by a magnificent permaculture food oasis for my family complete with a Walipini for winter gardening. You’re probably thinking “You’re nuts girl! Do you know how much work that is?!”

Yes, I do. I am aware of the insanity that drives me forward, it is my crazy creative life that keeps me dreaming these goals. I feel the pull to add in a little mix of corporate to my creative goals, I have been moved to explore the political world feeling the need to stand up to the injustices I see and now I am considering a run to represent my local district. Because why wouldn’t you add more work on top of the work you already have?!

During my spare time I refinish and repurpose old décor that can be brought to life and funkdified into something wonderful. I have a whole basement workshop full of half finished projects I would like to complete so I could sell them in a small boutique for extra travel money. Also, I create random pieces of art when called to do so. Did you see that?! Squirrel!

Is it possible to be a State Representative, Therapist, Author, Sanctuary Farmer, Permaculture enthusiast and Artist all at the same time? What keeps me holding on to these dreams while some of them have nothing to do with the other? Could I possibly find the time, money, and energy to pursue all of them? Would Spirit give me the desire to do all these things if it weren’t possible?

It would be possible to write and have a farm sanctuary that would be a dream come true. Yet like most people I still have a day job that pays the bills and we all know that’s just a little important if you like to eat. Like I said, I enjoy my ‘job’ it doesn’t feel like work because I find it rewarding. Yet I still aspire to do so much more, to live more sustainably in a way that supports my inner truth. Would I still be able to give my family and friends the time and attention they need to keep healthy happy relationships in the pursuit of my truth?

What goals are truly attainable? And which goals should I pull my energy from? I believe time is the most precious commodity humans are given, so I would like to put my ambitions into the things that will have the best outcome for my highest and greatest good. I am human and do not know what the future will bring, but I do know what I would like my future to look like. Goals, dreams and aspirations are good to have right?!

My husband is not on board with my hobby farm dreams unless he is guaranteed not to have to do any of the work. I understand this because these are not his dreams, they are mine, and it would not be fair to push them on to him and take up his time that is also his commodity to do with as he pleases. He still loves me, encourages me, and supports me in pursuit of my goals, and that’s what matters. I also realize I cannot achieve these goals alone.

Do I take the dreams and goals I can accomplish by myself and run with them? Do I then sacrifice the rest of my goals to the boulevard of broken dreams where what if’s live forever? Or… do I get to work recruiting the help I need? Did you know I hate to ask for help? Insert exasperated sign here. The self-imposed drama I tell you! Stacy just reminded me that the more I believe my dreams will come true the more likely they will be manifested! I know she is right. I must insist and persist, if I want them to exist!

I believe in manifestation, yet lately I feel that maybe I am trying to manifest too much??? Is that even possible to have too many dreams? I call BS on that thought. We are only on this planet for a short time, there is only so much we can accomplish that’s why what we chose to spend our time doing should be purposeful and meaningful. I believe we should pursue the things that bring us joy, contentment, and purpose that will fill our souls with resolve to persevere because it is your dream and you must.

To live in my integrity while it feels like I am chasing squirrels I will call on the spirit of my Dogs to see me through to fruition. Dogs are a great representative of dedication to what you love, they are steadfast in what they believe in and that is usually you. They are consistent, persistent, and insistent every day as reliable as the sun. If my dogs can believe in me so wholly and my families support is consistent, why can’t I believe in myself the same way?

These dreams are a way to support myself through living with purpose, to live in integrity with my beliefs feels vital at this point in my life. I believe the things that call to my soul and tug at my feelings, are my callings, they should at the very minimum be pursued until I clearly see that path isn’t for me. To know that I could fail but keep my hopes up that I will not. I see that Billy goat portage in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area is once again a poignant lesson in my life.

Billy goat portage was hard, very difficult for both of the Adventure Sisters, we did not anticipate the physical, and mental challenges that it gave us that day. We had brought so much stuff that we had to travel this difficult path six times to bring all our gear to the next portage. The Billy goat portage path taught me I am capable of doing way more then I think I can. It taught me that by keeping my head down in pursuit of just making it to the end, watching my footing and being careful not to trip up, I made it to the other side just fine. Having to travel that same obstacle six times makes me laugh in the comparison of persistence and dedication most goals and dreams require.

When Stacy and I got to the five-star campsite we were exhausted and starving we would spend the next five days nurturing our beaten and battered bodies while basking in the sun and floating in the lake, enjoying each other’s company and eating very well because we carried a ton of food in! It was the most rewarding vacation full of pride in our accomplishments, the teamwork built our trust and proved to us both we could rely on each other when it was difficult.

I have a team around me that will do the same, so I feel I must pursue each one of these squirrely dreams until the sucker really truly gets too far up the tree and away from me. If it does get away I will then know it wasn’t my path, keep going on the journey where the doors open, there is no need to break them down the ones meant for me will be ajar.

So here I go again chasing garden squirrels today too, excuse me while I go start my petunia seeds! I love to play in the dirt in the middle of a Minnesota winter. It brings me joy.

Be consistent, Be persistent, Be insistent ~ Congressman John Lewis

 

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in. – Senator Bill Bradley

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

https://emyminzel.com

@emyminzel

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/BWCAdventureSisters

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

https://stacycrep.com

*Disclaimer ~ the photograph used in this blog I found many years ago on the internet and do not know who to give photo credit to. If by chance it is you I would gladly add your name to the photo that moved my soul.