Month: March 2020

Current Events, Lifestyle, Meditation, Self Improvement, Self-Discovery, Yoga

Get Out of The Way!

by Jheni1 Comment on Get Out of The Way!

Since the onset of COVID-19 Pandemic and all the restrictions that have come with it, I was among the thousands of people who have lost their income due to business closures.  I was also among the numerous yoga teachers/fitness instructors that transitioned to teaching live-stream classes through Zoom.  Even though teaching through an online platform was something I had wanted to do for a while, I was “forced” into this situation sooner than I was anticipating.  I say “forced” because my other option was to not teach at all.  There are several reasons why I was delaying online teaching:

    1. I don’t like hearing my recorded voice (I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like this).  When I hear my unrecorded-self talk, I like the tonality and the intonation in my speaking voice… which is not the case when I hear my recorded voice.
    2. I don’t like seeing myself talking in a video.  I start looking at how I move my mouth when I speak, my non-conscious movements, my lack of smile (making me look like I’m mad), my non-white teeth (from many years of tea and coffee drinking)… the list goes on and on.
    3. I wondered if people would actually switch from in-person classes with me to on-line/live-streaming classes.  Being that I specialize in teaching gentler forms of yoga (not necessarily easier, but I focus more on proper alignment and injury prevention), my morning classes consist of mostly women in their late 30’s to 50’s.  Half of these wonderful women are not big fans of technology, so I knew I would lose the number of people I can help by transitioning my classes online.
    4. I questioned my discipline.  Would I be able to consistently teach online every week, or would I start to lose motivation and quit?

It is interesting that it took a global crisis for me to take the leap into teaching classes online.  But before I decided to offer live-stream classes, I had to search in my heart and make sure I wasn’t doing it out of fear (check out my previous blog on overcoming fear).  Once I prayed, meditated and talked it over with my husband (who is often the voice of reason), I realized that this would be a great time for me to take a leap and see what God does with it.

Today is my second week of online teaching, and it’s going great so far.  Last week, I taught three All-Levels Yoga classes, two Yoga Nidra classes (if you don’t know what this is, sign up for my class here), and a Biblical Meditation Workshop (click here for future workshops)… and I’m happy to report that I did not feel self-conscious, and I was able to stay disciplined and organized with my schedule!  The greatest lesson I learned in this whole process is that I get in my own way (and in God’s way) which prevents me from doing and experiencing greater things.

How often do you convince yourself not to pursue a dream or an idea because you think it is:

  1. Too much work?
  2. Too much effort?
  3. Too scary?
  4. Too intimidating?
  5. Too out of your comfort zone?

Next time you feel any of the feelings above, remind yourself to get out of your way so that you can go after accomplishing and experiencing things that you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.  And if you don’t succeed in your definition of success (more on this topic next week), know that IT IS OKAY.  You are still wonderful.  You are still loved.  You are still uniquely YOU!

Current Events, Health, Lifestyle, Self Improvement

COVID-19 Self-Quarantine: Finding Your New Normal

by JheniLeave a Comment on COVID-19 Self-Quarantine: Finding Your New Normal

I recently saw a meme of a teenager holding a landline phone and trying to figure out how to use it.  I’m among the last generation that remembers fighting over who gets to use the phone next.  As a Gen-X’er, I used payphones at the mall and mail hand-written letters. I remember when we transitioned from records to cassette tapes, from cassette tapes to CDs, and from CDs to mp3.  With each transition came a new normal… but the transition we’re all facing today in social distancing and self-quarantining has been shoved into our lives.

Just like many people in the service-providing industry, I have been impacted as a yoga teacher and pilates instructor.  As of last week, the facilities that I teach weekly classes at have temporarily closed, so I decided to offer On-Demand (aka live streaming) yoga and meditation classes via Zoom (click here to see my schedule of classes).  Instead of using this time to binge-watch TV shows and movies on Netflix 24/7, I decided to keep myself on a schedule to prevent going into hermit-mode.

There are many benefits to keeping a routine in your schedule:  Mentally, stay disciplined allows our minds to be sharper and have more control over negative thoughts and feelings.  Physically, we’re able to burn more calories and prevent muscular atrophy if we stay on task and active.  Our mental and physical discipline can create a sense of safety for our souls to be still and experience the beauty of the present.

Here are some ideas to consider while you create your new normal:

Set your alarm (then wake up and face the sun).

You don’t necessarily have to wake up at 5 AM (unless you want to), but set your alarm at a reasonable hour.  Once you wake up, get out of bed and do some gentle warm-ups and slow stretches (maybe some Cat/Cow Yoga poses or Table Pose to Child’s Pose flow).  After your stretching and warming up, find a spot in your front porch or backyard (or in your house where you can be in sunlight).  Sit or stand still, close your eyes and enjoy the sunlight on your face as you take some deep diaphragmatic breaths.  When you feel present and calm, slowly open your eyes.

Go for a walk.

I’m generally not an outdoor person because of seasonal allergies during the Spring and Fall, and mosquitoes during the Summer.  But we’ve been having great weather here in North Carolina lately, so my family and I’ve been taking advantage of being outside and going for walks in different neighborhoods.  While keeping our social distance from people, we’ve been able to give them a wave, a smile or even say hello in passing.  I also take “podcast walks.” My favorites are BEMA Discipleship (for a deep-dive into context of The Bible), The Creative Penn (for indie authors), and Yoga Teacher Resource (for — you guessed it — yoga teachers).

Have a Game Night with your family.

My family and I love playing card games and board games.  Our current favorites card games are Rummy, King’s Corner, Idiot (yes, it’s an actual card game).  We also love non-card games like The Settlers of Catan, Mexican Train, and Rummikub.  Having some laughter and silliness can definitely bond a family… Just make sure you keep your competitive nature in check so that no one leaves angry.

Enjoy a Weekly Spa Day at home.

Once a week, block out 1-3 hours (or more) to enjoy some time to yourself with a spa day.  All you need are some candles, a bathtub filled with warm water, a great bathbomb (my favorite ones are from Sweet Home Bath+ Body from Plano, TX.  Free shipping until the end of March!), a sheet face mask, some spa music, a difuser with lavender essential oil and some DIY spa water (slices of cucumber and lemon in purified water is nice a refreshing).  This will be quality time of relaxation that you won’t regret.  If you have young kids, you might want to consider having a spa evening after the kids go to bed.

Read a book (or two, or three).

Most of us have several unread books on our bookshelves (or a drawer); I have over 25 unread books because I seem to buy books faster than I can finish them.  This is a great time to pick up those books and read them.  You many not have another extended stay-at-home time like this, so make the most of the time that you have by filling your brain with some useful knowledge with some non-fiction/self-help/DIY books or immerse yourself in a great fiction book to engage your great imagination.  If you need a new book to read, check out my book on biblical meditation.

Do your spring cleaning now.

In the midst of the current world pandemic, Spring has sprung!  Go from room to room to de-clutter and organize. Donate your gently worn clothes (you can find drop-off stations as well as donation bins throughout the city).  Plant some plants and flowers.  Get rid of expired canned goods and freeze-burned foods.  Whether or not you like to organize and clean, it can prove to be a therapeutic experience as you let go of the things that no longer serve your highest good.

 

 

As we all look forward to the day when we no longer need to keep 6 feet away from each other, let’s make it a goal to be better versions of ourselves than when all this began.

 

With Gratitude,
output-onlinepngtools (10)

SIGN UP FOR MY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR GIVEAWAYS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WELLNESS-RELATED INFO!

 

FOLLOW JHENI ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FB Facebook
IG Instagram
TwitterTwitter
LinkedIn LinkedIn

Health, Self Improvement

Fear is Faith (in the wrong things)

by JheniLeave a Comment on Fear is Faith (in the wrong things)

You can’t get on social media or turn on the news without hearing/seeing something about it.  Everywhere you go, people are talking about the pandemic that is Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).  Image result for coronavirusThe constant media coverage created a gripping fear in some people while for others, it’s business as usual.  I must admit, it’s easy to get caught up in all the statistics and the number of deaths reported as well as all the international travel bans.  Personally, I’m not too concerned about whether or not I contract the virus because according to many reliable and respected sources (such as Tarik Jasarevic who is World Health Organization spokesman), “Eighty percent of those who are infected with the new coronavirus (COVID-19) will have cases involving mild symptoms.”  Being that I’m pretty healthy, I’m pretty sure that I would get sick, get better and then get over it, but then when I started to cancel/postpone my upcoming workshops, it really started to hit home; however, before I can get paranoid or fearful, I read the following during my morning devotional:

FEAR IS HAVING FAITH, BUT IT’S PLACING YOUR FAITH IN THE WRONG THINGS.  FEAR IS PLACING YOUR FAITH IN THE “WHAT IFS.”  SO MUCH OF OUR FEARS ARE FOCUSED ON THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.

This devotional could not have come at a more perfect time!  After I read that, I felt a sense of lightness within my spirit.  It would’ve been easy for me to go into panic mode about my finances (as a business owner, if I don’t teach, I don’t make money) since we don’t know when all this is going to end; but because I’m making a conscious decision to put my faith in my God who created the Universe, I am confident that I will be at peace and all this will pass.  Everything on this earth is temporary including COVID-19.

Instead of giving into fear and paranoia, I hope you will join me in being careful and cautious while having faith that we will soon see the day where Coronavirus will be a thing of the past.

 

With Gratitude,
output-onlinepngtools (10)

SIGN UP FOR MY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR GIVEAWAYS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WELLNESS-RELATED INFO!

 

FOLLOW JHENI ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FB Facebook
IG Instagram
TwitterTwitter
LinkedIn LinkedIn

Lifestyle, Self Improvement, Self-Discovery

Female Friends That All Women Need

by JheniLeave a Comment on Female Friends That All Women Need

 

With yesterday being International Women’s Day, it seemed fitting that I write a blog about women.  I’m blessed to constantly be surrounded by amazing women who cheer me on, encourage me, support me, dream with me, trust me and love me.  I’m equally blessed to cheer them on, encourage them, support them, dream with them, trust them and love them.  There are many lessons God has taught me in life, but one of the most valuable lessons I learned was the need for good female friendships.

“Friendships between women, as any woman will tell you, are built of a thousand small kindnesses… swapped back and forth and all over again.”
– Michelle Obama

Here are the type of female friends to surround yourself with:

 

The Cheerleader

These are the girl friends that celebrate with you when great things happen, and encourage you when things are not so great.  You don’t have to wonder about any hidden motives, back-stabbing, or jealousy from these women.  They love you and are not threatened by your successes.  They don’t gloat when you experience set-backs.  They don’t feel the need to rain on your parade because they have a parade of their own that you’ll be showing up to cheer for as well.  Some of the common things you’ll hear from them are, “I’m so happy for you,” “I’m so proud of you,” “You got this,” “You are amazing,” “I know you can do it,” “I believe in you,” and other words of affirmation.  Majority of your friends should be in this category.

 

The Adventure-Seeker

The Adventure Seeker Friends are not just the ones that will go skydiving with you or go backpacking across Europe with you; these friends will do random things like go to brunch with you wearing pajamas or take fun pictures with you like this one on the left (I’m the second one on the right… it took us several tries to sync up our jumps! 😂).  These women bring spontaneity and extra zest to your life.  Having spontaneous, adventure-seeking girl friends keep away monotony from a daily routine, help you to be more flexible to change, increase your creativity by breaking down mental blocks, help reduce stress by helping you take a mental break, and increase the fun factor in your life.  Since adventure-seekers may not all be available at the same time, it’s best to have more than a few of these fun and spontaneous women in our Contacts List.

 

The Confidant 

These are the friends that you can trust with the most vulnerable parts of yourself.  There are less of these women in your life because of confidential things you share with them (and vice versa).  In fact, I can count on one hand how many of this type I have in my life.  It’s not that I don’t trust other people, but when it comes to the deepest parts of my soul, there are only a handful of women that I can confidently say I feel safe to lay my entire heart and guts out on the table with.  You never have to worry about whether or not they will judge you or use any information against you.  If you tell them any highly-sensitive information, you can trust that they will keep it confidential without you even telling them not to say anything.

 

The Straight Shooter

This is not the same thing as women who are brutally honest and don’t care about your feelings.  These women are the ones who will speak the truth in love and you have no doubt in your mind that they have your best interest in mind.  I have several straight-shooter girl friends that I can go to for objective feedback and advice, and I’m glad I can be the same to them while feeling loved, safe, and not judged.  Even though this can be painful and awkward at times, these female relationships are necessary in helping us become better versions of ourselves.

 

The Mother-Figure

These are women that are older and wiser than you.  These women have a wealth of knowledge and experiences that you don’t have because you haven’t gone through their season yet.  It’s so easy to neglect these mentor friendships because Ageism is so prevalent in our society.  But having one or two of these wonderful women in your life will help you to grow in your appreciation for the older generation as well as keep you humble.  She’s nurturing, loving, patient, and she will be able to share stories that might leave you wondering why her life hasn’t been made into a movie yet.  If your mother is one of your best friends, consider yourself blessed.

 

A lot of times, you will have friends who are more than one of the types listed above which is great!  Having these five types of women in your life will enrich it in a way that no money, romance, or fame ever can!

 

With Gratitude,
output-onlinepngtools (10)

 

SIGN UP FOR MY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR GIVEAWAYS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WELLNESS-RELATED INFO!

 

FOLLOW JHENI ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FB Facebook
IG Instagram
TwitterTwitter
LinkedIn LinkedIn

Uncategorized

Is Yoga a Religion?

by Jheni1 Comment on Is Yoga a Religion?

“I’m concerned for your soul,” “You’re doing the devil’s work by teaching yoga,” “How can you say you’re a Christian when you’re teaching the belief system of the Hindu religion?”  These are some of many comments and questions that I’ve received about me being a Christian who teaches yoga and meditation.  In my book, BE STILL: The Power of Biblical Meditation, I wrote about a specific incident that happened to me about 4 years ago.  I’m honestly not offended by people who express their concern for me; in fact, I appreciate the fact that they care enough to express their concerns.  What I am not crazy about is the fact that most of these people’s concerns are based on what they’ve heard other people say or on a negative experience that they’ve had either personally or through someone else.  I would like to take this time to dispel the rumor that Yoga is a religion.

YOGA IS NOT A RELIGION… UNLESS YOU WANT IT TO BE.

In my training as a Yoga Teacher (through the 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training I completed and all the advanced training I’ve received since then), I have learned that Yoga was not meant to be a religion but rather a tool to help you meet the Authentic You.  This “authentic you” is the pure essence of who you were created to be, before you accumulated all the baggage that you carry (which you received from yourself and from others).  For me, the goal of Yoga is to get in touch with who God has created me to be since the beginning of His plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11-13).  I use Yoga as a tool to get my mind quiet and my spirit still enough to hear the voice of God (1 Kings 19:12, Psalm 46:10).

Depending on the lineage and the style of Yoga a person practices, it can be a more physically-based practice or a more spiritually-based practice.  What I practice and teach are somewhere in the middle with a whole lot of science.  I start each class with setting an intention for the practice, whether it be “stillness” (to experience stillness in each movements), “gratitude” (to be grateful for breath, for movement, for strength, etc.), “perseverance” (to be okay with discomfort in the challenging poses), etc.  At the end of the postures, I guide my students through a guided relaxation during savasana which activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” response to homeostasis).  We finish with a breathing exercise called Pranayama where I guide them to use their breath to continue creating a balance mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  This is where they (and I) really experience stillness.

In addition to considering their physical levels, I take time to create yoga practices for my students in a very scientific and methodical way.  Since I only teach morning yoga classes at the moment, I make sure that the poses that I incorporate into my sequences are balancing and uplifting (if you’ve ever done a back-bending yoga pose, you can attest to the energizing/uplifting effect and a balancing/centering effect if you’ve stayed in a standing pose like Tree Pose for several breaths).  There’s science to back up the neurological benefits of yoga such as increase in endorphins and reduction in cortisol level (check out this article about “Neurobiology of Asana“).

To me, Yoga is a tool, not a religion.  It’s like walking (I use this example a lot, so if you’ve ever heard me say this in a workshop or seen it in a blog or social media post, just bear with me):  You can be walking toward someone with the intent of giving them a hug or you can be walking toward someone with the intent of robbing them.  The walking itself is not good or bad.  The walking, in this case, is simply a tool to complete your goal.  Just like this example, you can use Yoga as a religion or as a tool to enhance your faith.

At the end of each class, I bring my hands to heart-center — in prayer position — and take a moment to give thanks to God for that very moment.  I also pray that I commit to keeping my yoga practice centered around Him and Him only.

So to answer the question, is Yoga a religion or not…  I must use what one of my Yoga Teachers, Nikki Myers says a lot:

It depends.

The answer depends on you.

 

With Gratitude,
output-onlinepngtools (10)

SIGN UP FOR MY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR GIVEAWAYS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WELLNESS-RELATED INFO!

 

FOLLOW JHENI ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FB Facebook
IG Instagram
TwitterTwitter
LinkedIn LinkedIn