Category: Lifestyle

300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week Seven

by Jheni, posted in Christian, Lifestyle, Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training

Last week was the best week in studying that I’ve had since starting my 300-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (AYTT) on June 1st.  I really felt like I’ve gotten in the zone and have been able to complete assignments and stay on track while learning a lot.  I’ve noticed that the way I teach my virtual classes is also improving.  I plan out my studying schedule for the upcoming week on Sunday nights; and since I had scheduled a fun mother-daughter outing with my friend and her daughter for Friday, I made sure I got a lot done in the first half of the week.  I was so excited when I was able to get a week’s worth of assignments and studying on Monday and Tuesday (I studied from morning until just before dinner time on both of those days).  On Tuesday night, I thought to myself, “Maybe I should really get ahead and do next week’s studying tomorrow.”  Well, that did not happen.

Early on Wednesday morning, my daughter said goodbye before she left for work.  She decided to ride her skateboard to work that morning, which she has done many times before.  She always texts me when she gets to work (which is only 10 minutes away on her skateboard), so I was waiting for her text message; but instead of a text message 10 minutes later, I got a phone call from her about 7-8 minutes after she left… and she was crying!  Of course, I shot up out of bed and immediately asked her what was wrong.  She had fallen off of her skateboard and badly sprained her ankle!  Since I track her location when she’s en route, I knew exactly where she was so I got in my car and got to her in less than 4 minutes.

Her ankle was very swollen, so I had her elevate her foot, put an ice-pack on it and made sure she stayed on the couch the rest of the day.  I was glad to take care of her that day, but I literally could not get anything else done (other than teaching my virtual yoga class mid-morning) because I was going up and down the stairs to get her what she needed.  It was the same thing on Thursday, where after I finished teaching my Thursday morning virtual yoga class, I was her caretaker and companion.  We did end up going out on our outing on Friday (thanks to a pair of crutches I was able to buy through the NextDoor app), and we had a great time.

Here are a few pics from our outing! I love flowers!

So here’s the lesson I learned last week:  Sometimes God frees up your schedule not so that you can fill it back up with stuff, but because He knows you will need to be available for an unforeseen event.  Obviously, taking care of my injured daughter is not something I would’ve ignored if I had a full schedule, but I know that if I had unfinished assignments for the remainder of the week, I would’ve felt overwhelmed or tempted to sacrifice sleep to get caught up.  I’m grateful that I didn’t have to lose sleep other than waking up in the middle of the night wondering if she was sleeping okay.

There’s something to be said about having pockets of “free time” planned into our schedules.  I hope that next time you find yourself all caught up with your to-do list, you take a moment (or longer) to sit back and practice some self-care.

Oh, and my daughter is doing much better; her ankle is still slightly swollen, but she is able to walk on it with no pain and  was able to go back to work today.  😊

With Gratitude,
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300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week Five

by Jheni, posted in Lifestyle, Self Improvement, Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training

I can’t believe it.  I finally finished the first module of the 300-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (AYTT) on Saturday, 7/4!  While most Americans were celebrating 4th of July with family cookouts and mini-vacations, I was at home recording my video exam and writing a self-evaluation on it.  Normally, I would’ve skipped any studying on a holiday, but my husband wasn’t flying back home from being out of town until later that evening and my daughter was working as a lifeguard most of the day, so it was the perfect time for me to record the video and study.

I spent most of last week (Week Five of AYTT) taking the required 75-minute virtual Vinyasa Yoga classes everyday as well as watching hours and hours of Asanas Analytics lectures breaking down each yoga pose and going through the variations, modifications, and proper alignment.  There were a few differences in the way I was trained in my 200-Hr YTT and this 300-Hr AYTT, but more than anything, the differences were more about the different approaches due to different lineages:  My 200-Hour lineage is Tantra Hatha through the Himalayan Institute, and this 300-Hour program takes a multi-style approach (all the teachers have their backgrounds in different branches of yoga such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Alignment-based, Yin, etc.).  Taking this multi-style AYTT program is helping me to be more open to other yogic lineages, but I think I will always consider myself a Tantra Hatha Yogi, just because that’s where my yoga teaching journey began.  Just like Week Four and the weeks before that, there have been several nuggets of wisdom or statements that would grab my attention and would stay for a while… so last week, the phrase that one of the teachers said that stayed with me is this:

“DEPRIVATION LEADS TO DEPRESSION.”

I admit, I don’t remember which lecture I was listening to and which teacher made that statement.  I did know at that point, but when I wrote that statement down, I didn’t think to write down who said it and which lecture it was.  Anyway, this statement got me thinking about the concept of deprivation.  Merriam-Webster defines deprivation as, “The state of being kept from possessing, enjoying, or using something.”  So based on this definition, is the sense of deprivation all about perspective?  Rubicon Bakers Cake, Chocolate Blackout LayerFor example, I’ve been craving this vegan chocolate cake by Rubicon.  The last time I had it was sometime last month.  It’s rich, moist, and absolutely delicious.  Even though I could very easily drive over to the nearest Sprouts to buy one, I don’t feel like I MUST have it.  But what if I wanted this cake so bad but I didn’t have the money to buy it or I had no access to transportation or delivery service?  What if I couldn’t have chocolate cakes even if it was vegan?  What if everyone around me was having this delicious cake but no one was willing to give me any?  Would I feel so deprived that I would become depressed?  But then let’s say I got really sick last time I had a piece of chocolate cake.  I may no longer desire chocolate cakes because I would remember how it made me feel the last time I had some.  So next time I’m at a party where everyone is eating this chocolate cake, I won’t feel deprived; in fact, I may even experience a sense of aversion from even being around chocolate cakes.  I know all this probably sounds ridiculous since we’re just talking about a chocolate cake, but this could be applied to anything that we once experienced or dreamed of.

So going back to that statement, “deprivation leads to depression,” I wonder if this feeling of deprivation can be altered through changing our perspective?  I’m by no means saying that all depression is curable or that it’s just a matter of choice.  I would never say this because I have experienced depression in the past and they could not be “cured” simply by deciding to have a different perspective.  I could not choose to “have a different perspective” when I was struggling with severe depression after my dad passed away from lung cancer almost 15 years ago.  But I do believe there is some truth to that statement, “deprivation leads to depression.”  I think there are certain material things that we put so much of our focus on, that if it were to be taken away from us, we would feel deprived and fall into depression.  So the question I ask myself (and I invite you to consider) is this: “What material things am I putting my focus on that would cause a feeling of deprivation if it were taken away from me?”

Leave me a comment with your response!

With Gratitude,
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300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week Four

by Jheni, posted in Christian, Health, Lifestyle, Meditation, Self Improvement, Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training

Initially when I started on May 1st, I had plans to be finished with the 300-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (AYTT) by the end of July.  I thought I could put in 7.5 hours of studying from Monday to Friday every week so that I can finish in two months.  The goal was quite ambitious, and by the end of week one, it became very clear that I would not be able to study from 7AM to 3:30PM (with two 30 minute breaks in between).  The second week, I let go of the rigid schedule a little too much and barely got anything done.  I started to doubt whether or not I could stay disciplined to finish the program.  I also started to feel insecure about the video exams that I would have to submit (two 75-minute videos each module as well as a video recording of me lecturing on a Yoga-related topic).  By week three, I found a good balance of planning but expecting disruptions which really helped me to approach this AYTT with discipline and grace.  Last week was a great week of progress even though I had more distractions and disruptions than the first three weeks.

My daughter started her summer job as a life guard last week.  Being that she gets scheduled at various locations, I’ve had to schedule my yoga practices and studying around when I had to drive her.  So when I wasn’t chauffeuring her around or teaching virtual classes/private sessions and an hour-long hangout with a friend, I was in my home office/yoga studio studying, listening and watching lectures on Anatomy and Asanas (yoga poses), I found it challenging to stay engaged through all the lectures, but I committed to listening, watching and paying attention for some potential nuggets of information/wisdom that would spark a “Wow” moment within me… and it happened with this quote:

“STRESS IS THE ABSENCE OF AWARENESS”

This quote really got me thinking.  I started to think about how when we are not mentally/emotionally/spiritually in our bodies, we begin to experience regrets (thinking about the past) and fears (thinking about the future) which cause us to experience a neurochemical imbalance, which then leads to the body experiencing stress.  How often do you find yourself not living in the moment?  How many moments do you remember from each day?  Do you find that your Monday bleeds into your Tuesday… and then before you know it, it’s Sunday evening and you don’t know where the week went?  I ask these questions because I have personally experienced all those scenarios.  I do find myself not being aware when I’m worrying or stressing out about the what-ifs of the future.  When I catch myself letting my mind drift this way, I immediately bring myself back to my body and mind by doing the following pranayama (breath control) practice:

  1. Stand or sit still, with both feel firmly planted into the ground.
  2. Either close your eyes or allow your gaze to become fixed on one non-moving object (do not try this while driving).
  3. If you’re standing, become aware of the ground underneath your feet.  Notice how the ground feels on your feet.
  4. Become aware of your breath going in and out through your nostrils.
  5. Feel the belly rise and fall with each breath.
  6. Notice any sounds that you hear.
  7. Notice the scenery that you see.
  8. Take a moment to smile and give thanks to God for that very moment.

I encourage you to try the awareness exercise and comment below about your experience!  🙏

With Gratitude,
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300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training – Week Three

by Jheni, posted in Bible, Book, Christian, Health, Lifestyle, Self Improvement, Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training

The saying, “Third time’s a charm” definitely fits how last week went with the Virtual 300-Hr Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (AYTT) that I started on June 1st.  I was extremely rigid and strict with my study schedule the first week which led to some unnecessary stress, so I decided to go the totally opposite direction on the second week with being unstructured which resulted in barely getting anything done.  I knew I needed to find a balance between the two extreme approaches.  So last week (Week Three), I decided to somehow marry both approaches and here is what happened:

“Sadhana” is the Yoga Practice and Meditation required for this AYTT.

I started the week by creating a schedule but working around some social appointments that I decided to add in (FaceTiming with one of my best friends in North Carolina, having lunch with another best friend here in Texas, etc.).  I made sure that I was getting an average of 5 hours of studying per day, so on the days that I was teaching a class or meeting with clients (all virtually), I did not schedule any social appointments.  I made a checklist on my dry erase board and checked off the tasks as I finished them.  I decided to take Monday off from studying so that I can spend the day with my daughter since I knew she would be gone all day from Tuesday-Friday due to Lifeguard Training and Testing.

My schedule felt more balanced, but I still found myself having to protect my study times; a friend of mine wanted me to meet her and some other friends at the pool on Friday, and part of me felt bad saying no two weeks in a row.  I tried to compromise and agreed to stop by for 30 minutes which ended up not happening anyway because one of my private clients had to reschedule her appointment to Friday morning.  Speaking of clients, I’m always encouraging my private clients to not be apologetic about protecting their schedules, whether it be due to family, school, home business, etc.  Most of us who are homeschool moms, stay-at-home moms, small business owner or working from home can relate with each other on having to protect their schedules.  But the reason why I decided to compromise initially is because it’s also important to know when you’re being too strict or rigid with your schedule (which was my case the first week of my AYTT studies).

LESSON LEARNED DURING WEEK THREE: FAITH & GUNAS

One of the topics from Yoga Philosophy was about gunas.  Gunas are three basic qualities of nature and energy that are present in all things under God’s universe. They are the original elements which are behind all existing beings with life in them.

Tamas represents the element of heaviness and rigidness, Rajas represents hyperactive energy, and Sattva represents harmony and equilibrium.

These elements are available for anyone to harness, although tamas and rajas are not the qualities one would benefit from having.  There are many articles and books that explain the gunas in detail (you can find a great 5-minute read on Yoga International), but for today, I’m going to focus only on how it’s related to one’s faith.

A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:4-9

Having a tamasic faith causes one to struggle in keeping their faith when obstacles come.  In Matthew 13:20-21 reads, “The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.”

One with a rajasic faith uses their faith for selfish gains and is motivated by recognition and/or rewards.  In the next verse in Matthew (13:22) it reads, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”

Sattvic faith, which causes one to use their faith selflessly by sharing their faith, hope and contentment with others, is the kind of faith that will last.  In Matthew 13:23, Jesus says, “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

There are various factors that play into raising your sattva element, but one way to create a sattvic state is in your food choices.  If you eat foods that tend to be heavy such as fast foods and processed foods, you will experience more tamasic qualities (stubborness and unwillingness to compromise).  If you eat foods that cause spikes in energy such as caffeine and sugar (even smoking is in this category), you will notice that you struggle more with staying still mentally and physically, and you will find yourself becoming hyperactive and get distracted easily.  In order to experience the sattvic state, it will be beneficial to eat healthy foods that cause lightness such as fresh organic fruits and vegetables as well as non-processed foods.  So grab that organic apple and take a nice bite and smile, knowing that you just did your body, mind and faith a lot of good!  🍏❤️

With Gratitude,
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300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training: Week Two

by Jheni, posted in Book, Lifestyle, Meditation, Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga, Yoga Teacher Training
Before I begin this week’s blog, I want to let you know why I’m writing about my 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) journey:  First of all, I’m using it as a journal so that I can document the changes that I make throughout this program.  Secondly, I’m hoping that any yogis out there that are considering going through a YTT — whether it’s their first YTT or an additional 300 hours after their initial 200 hours — can use my blogs to make a decision on whether or not they’re ready to commit to a program.  Lastly, I want to speak to the Christian community out there, that you can absolutely be a committed, God-fearing, Jesus-loving Christian and go through a YTT without feeling like you have to denounce your faith.  In fact, Yoga is not a religion but rather a tool to enhance your faith.
Now let’s get into Week Two of 300-Hour YTT…

I learned from the first week that I can’t be super rigid with my YTT schedule.  Being that I’m taking an online YTT that’s taking place in Thailand and (Bali) Indonesia, I haven’t been able to participate in any of the live online trainings (I’ve been watching the sessions that they record during the live trainings).  The good thing is that I can study whenever I would like.  The bad thing is (also) that I can study whenever I would like.  I went from being super organized to the point of getting too rigid the first week to being very laid back this week.  I got more reading done, but I found myself strolling in and out of my home yoga studio/office and taking more breaks than I really needed.  I woke up later and started my yoga practice later which made coordinating “quiet times” in the house more tricky (my family uses the blender for smoothies every mid-morning).  Even though I have an extremely supportive family who are more than willing to modify their morning schedule to minimize noise during my 2-hour yoga practice in the mornings, I just didn’t want to inconvenience them in this way.  Somehow, I got all of my yoga and meditation practice done every day (except for last Tuesday because I woke up feeling a bit dizzy).  Towards the end of the week, I decided to try using my wireless earbuds during the yoga and meditation practices which worked out great!

LESSON LEARNED DURING WEEK TWO:

Each day felt like they were just flying by. I would get sidetracked with some things around the house and by the time I sat down to study, it would already be 4PM!  I started feeling down that I couldn’t keep up with the daily schedule that I created for myself.  On the flip side though, I was learning more and more about yoga philosophy and even about God’s will for me.  In the book that I’m currently reading (Inside The Yoga Sutras), the author (Jaganath Carrera) compares having an inaccurate view of yourself is like looking at your reflection in a cracked mirror.  The cracks represent our non-virtuous tendencies and traumas, so looking at yourself through a cracked mirror and believing that that’s exactly the way you look is the same as believing that you are those tendencies (i.e.- I am lazy, I am selfish, I am worthless, etc.).  Once you fix the mirror so that the cracks are gone, you are finally able to see a clear, accurate image of yourself.

The way that we can apply this to our lives as Christians is this:  We are not the sins that we struggle with.  We are not lazy, selfish, impure, impatient, prideful, etc.  These are the things we may struggle with, but these do not define us.  We need to “clean up” and “fix” the mirror with the Word of God so that we can see our true reflection.  God has made us fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:14).

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Psalm 139.14

One of the ways we can begin to “restore the mirror” is by opening the Word of God and incorporating the scriptures into your yoga and meditation practice.  If you don’t know how to do this or you would like to see how I practice these things, join me in my monthly virtual Scriptural Yoga & Biblical Meditation workshop and/or pick up a copy of my book, “Be Still: The Power of Biblical Meditation.”

As I start Week Three of the 300-Hr YTT, my goal is to figure out a certain consistency without being too rigid.  I will let you know next Monday how this week went!

With Gratitude,
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300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training: Week One

by Jheni, posted in Lifestyle, Meditation, Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga

As I mentioned in my blog last week, I started my 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) last Monday.  I was so excited to start my advanced studies to further my knowledge and to grow as a Yoga Teacher. For those of you that are not familiar with YTT programs:

200-Hour YTT is like getting a bachelor’s degree in Yoga, and 300-Hour YTT is equivalent to a master’s degree. 
Here’s my little home yoga studio… it’s still a work in progress. 😊

I woke up on Monday morning and went downstairs to my yoga room to begin my first yoga practice which was recorded from a live session (I chose to take the entire program using the recordings from live sessions because of the time difference; when they have their yoga practices and lessons in Bali and Thailand, it’s around 2 or 3 am here in Texas!).  After an hour and a half (which is how long the asana practice is), I started my reading and writing assignment.  I ended the day with the required 30-minute meditation practice.  I felt great about how the first and the second days went, and I was pretty confident that I would be able to keep this up… Until Day Three came.

On Wednesday, I had a harder time getting up in the morning, but I forced myself to get up and stick with my new schedule.  The yoga practice that morning was a lot more challenging (with headstands and side crow among many other physically challenging poses).  There were a few poses I opted not to do due to my wrist injury, but I did the entire practice while my core was shaking. 😅  I was so happy to go into savasana, especially because I knew I had to get ready to teach my Wednesday virtual class at 11AM.  After teaching my class, my daughter and her friend wanted to go to our community pool/water park, so I drove them over and checked her friend in (visitor’s pass).  It turned out that I needed to stay the whole time because in order to have a visitor, a resident 18 or older needed to be there the whole time.  So I attempted to doing my reading and assignments on my phone; but after an hour of trying to focus in the middle of Texas summer and a lot of visual activity all around me, I gave up and just waited for the girls to be done.  After 3 hours, we finally got back to the house, which at that point, my energy was completely gone.  I found myself reading the same line about the Sutras over and over again.  I knew my brain was pretty much done for the day (and I had developed a headache by this time).  I got upset at myself for compromising my study hours to prioritize other people’s needs — which is a common occurrence for not just me but many moms —  because I was pretty much saying that my life and my goals are less important than other people’s goals.  So lesson learned.  Stick to my schedule.

On Thursday, I had just enough energy to get through a meditation practice.  That sun and the heat from the previous day really drained my energy!  “Tomorrow will be a more productive day,” I told myself.

On Friday morning, I woke up and started a load of laundry, and I went into my home yoga studio to do my yoga practice.  When I came out of the room, my husband asked for my help… WITH CLEANING THE FLOODING!  THE WASHER HOSE HAD COME LOOSE AND THERE WAS WATER EVERYWHERE!!!  😭  So my husband and I spent half of the day into late afternoon cleaning up that mess.  By the time I sat down to study, it was the evening.  Another day gone; but I wasn’t as discourage as I was the day before.  Perhaps, I learned the lesson that although I need to stick to my schedule, I still need to be prepared for unexpected disruptions.

The plan was to study from Mondays to Fridays and take the weekends off; but it worked out that I was able to catch up on my reading and studying on Saturday while my husband and daughter went out to run some errands for a few hours.  This felt like a “Don’t worry, I got your back” wink from God.  😍🙏

Today begins Week 2, which I’m still in the middle of Yoga Philosophy.  Come back next Monday for a recap of my second week!  😃

With Gratitude,
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How Are You Doing?

by Jheni, posted in COVID-19, Current Events, Lifestyle, Pandemic, Self-Discovery

68 days.  That’s how long it’s been since I taught an in-person class due to the closures of non-essential businesses because of COVD-19.  My daily routine has changed dramatically just like everyone else.  I go out less, I wash my hands more often, and I have definitely talked on the phone and FaceTimed with friends more than I have before. So…

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

As for me, I’ve been okay.  Not awesome, not horrible; somewhere in between.  Here’s pretty much how I’ve been week-to-week:

Week 1:  Being “forced” to slow down and be home with my family = AWESOME!!!
Week 2:  Super paranoid whenever I step outside of my home.  Constantly washing my hands for at least 20 seconds.  Putting our house on the market made it quite challenging whenever we had showing appointments since all the public places were closed.  We spent a lot of time at Walmart and Lowe’s as well as long drives just to kill time.  Thank goodness our house went under contract!  Another week of showing appointments might’ve killed me (not really).  Let the packing begin!
Week 3:  We were so busy with packing that I wasn’t aware of the changes due to the stay-at-home order… but I continued loving spending extended time at home (I’m an extroverted introvert, so I value alone time because that is when I’m able to feel replenished of my energy).
Week 4:  I found myself getting really independent in a way that I felt like I didn’t really need friends (which is not true!).  I started wanting to socially withdraw from my friends.  In addition to social distancing, I think part of the reason why I was feeling this way was because I knew I was going to be moving, so I felt a sense of letting go even before the move happened.
Week 5:  Our search for our new home in Texas began.  It was a very interesting experience taking virtual tours and video tours with our agent.  By the end of the week, we were under contract on a home in one of the suburbs in North Dallas!
Week 6:  We made the drive from North Carolina to Texas!  It was really interesting to drive during quarantine (you can read about it here).
Week 7:  We spent a week in San Antonio.  While my husband worked remotely, my daughter and I got to enjoy the Riverwalk and a few other cool places.  This is the week that some of the businesses started re-opening their doors with safety precautions in order.  We got to dine in at a restaurant to celebrate my husband’s birthday!
Week 8:  We had a temporary living arrangement while waiting to close on our new house.  I continued to wear my mask in public places as well as washing my hands frequently for at least 20 seconds.  Thank goodness for moisturizing hand lotions!
Week 9:  We finally moved into our new home!  Since most of our friends are still strictly social distancing, we didn’t ask for help with the move; instead, we hired movers to come and unload our things from our moving container into our house.  With many boxes but very little furniture, they were done in no time!  It seems like I’m getting less and less cautious about social distancing.  I have to remind myself to respect others — that are at higher risk — by wearing my mask and keeping my distance.

Now that we are going into Week 10 of self-quarantine, I wonder what our new normal will be like going forward.  I don’t feel anxious, but I do feel limited in what activities I can do.  I miss teaching yoga, meditation and pilates in person at studios.  I miss being able to go to the mall where all the stores are open.  But I constantly remind myself that these are First World Problems.  I am grateful that even though I have experienced some set-backs in my business, I’m able to still move forward and work on the things that I can.  I really do have so much to be grateful for, and most likely, so do you.  Next week, I will talk more about the topic of gratitude.

Have a great week, and please continue to be safe!

With Gratitude,
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My Personal Struggles of COVID-19 (and how I combat it)

by Jheni, posted in COVID-19, Current Events, Lifestyle, Meditation, Moving, Pandemic, Self Improvement, Self-Discovery, Self-Publishing, Teacher Training

Everyone in this entire globe has been affected by the pandemic of COVID-19.  Life as we know it, has been turned upside down.  Whether or not you have been infected by the virus (or personally know someone that has been infected), the past three months have created many challenges in everyone’s lives.  Here are my top three struggles that has come out during this time:

  1. I got Zoomed Out!

    girl, computer, work, fatigue, office, woman, stand-alone, girl ...Struggle: Most people I meet in a social setting think that I’m an extrovert.  Not that I’m being deceptive, but when I have to “work a room,” I make a conscious decision to be positive, get to know people and make people feel seen and heard.  As much as I love to make people feel special, it really drains my energy.  The reason why this is important for you to know about me is because my struggles during quarantine did not include going batty over not seeing people in person.  I actually loved the time of “stay-at-home order” because I felt like it gave me permission to stay at home; but with staying home, I couldn’t get out of all the Zoom call requests!
    Solution: I started to limit my Zoom call acceptances to 2 calls per day, and they could not be back-to-back.  As an extrovert by nurture and introvert by nature, I quickly realized that I needed at least 30 minutes in between calls to energetically recover and regenerate.  This simple decision helped me maintain my energetic boundaries as well as increase my ability to mentally show up for each Zoom calls.

  2. I lost half of my income!
    Empty wallet | ✅ Marco Verch is a Professional Photographer ...Struggle: As a yoga teacher, fitness instructor and pilates instructor, the studios and gyms I taught weekly classes and monthly workshops at had to temporarily close their doors. Most health and wellness instructors and teachers are independent contractors for studios and/or part-time employees at fitness facilities, so we don’t get paid time-off.
    Solution: I chose to count my blessings and focus on the things I can be grateful for.  My husband makes enough for me to not work (some of the money I make goes toward my wellness business-related expenses).  I’m not an essential worker that is required to put myself in danger everyday (A deep, sincere thank-you to all the essential workers!). I don’t have as many expenses when I stay at home.  I can teach some classes virtually.  I was able to successfully transition all of my private clients to meeting virtually.  My monthly workshop has also been transitioned to virtual workshops.  There are people who have lost jobs and their entire income.  I pray for them everyday. 
  3. My daily routine has been thrown all over the place!
    Struggle: I’ve heard from many people (without young kids or having to work) that it’s getting easier to stay up late and harder to get up early.  For people with kids, they’ve had to add being a homeschool teacher/daycare worker/nanny to their already-existing responsibilities.  For me, I’ve been busier than ever with teaching my classes online, moving half way across the country, writing my second book, getting ready for an upcoming advanced yoga teacher training in a couple of weeks, and getting furniture for our new house.  These days, I don’t have a consistent routine other than waking up, reading my Bible, praying, meditating and practicing yoga.  Other than that, my day-to-day activities varies.

Solution: I decided to enjoy this time of slight disorder and semi-chaotic life.  This sets the perfect environment for me to truly practice stillness and being present. I also started taking walks around the lake and enjoying short yoga asana practices during sunsets.  When I’m outside (especially near lakes and beaches), it immediately calms me down and helps me to become fully present.

I’ve been making a daily decision to be okay with my new normal.  Even through my struggles of feeling like my life is on hold, I must be present and live each and every moment… because even in this new reality, our lives continue on.

What are some of your own struggles during this pandemic?  I would love to hear from you!

With Gratitude,
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Lessons from The Lotus Flower

by Jheni, posted in Ayurveda, COVID-19, Current Events, Lifestyle, Meditation, Moving, Pandemic, Self Improvement, Self-Discovery, Yoga

Pink and White Lotus Flower · Free Stock PhotoI moved back to Texas (from North Carolina) 12 days ago.  I lived in North Carolina for 4.5 years, but before that, I was a resident of the Lone Star State for almost 10 years.  Even though I grew up in California (Los Angeles), I somehow feel that I’m more of a Texan than a Californian.  I was so excited to make the move back to where my heart is, but the move was not without challenges.  In my blog last week, I talked about the Dos and Don’ts of moving in the midst of COVID-19 (it’s so important to plan ahead because there are moving-related services that may not necessarily readily available due to business closures).  Today, I want to address the emotional aspect of moving, using the symbolism of a lotus flower.

“Be like a lotus. Let the beauty of your heart speak. Be grateful to the mud, water, air and the light.”
Amit Ray

A lotus is a very unique plant: While most plants in the northern hemisphere became extinct during the Ice Age, lotus plants survived, earning the distinction as a living fossil.  It also grows in muddy waters into a beautiful flower: This fact alone can be pondered over for many hours — and I promise to dedicate an entire blog in the near future — but today, I will talk about the following characteristics of a Lotus: Purity, Enlightenment, Self-regeneration and Rebirth.

Purity

The dictionary defines purity as “freedom from contamination.”  When I think of the word contamination, I think of something being dirty, dangerous to one’s well-being, and no longer being good for its purpose.  It seems kind of odd to think about the connection between purity and moving; but the way I connect it is by asking myself, “Am I dragging my personal baggage from state to state, or am I starting anew with a blank slate, with no pre-conceived notion of what this new chapter in my life will be like?”  Being that I’m a dreamer, I like to envision the way I think certain situations will be like.  It’s hard not to go into a new experience and environment with no expectation; however, if I want to approach this with purity, I must go into my life in Texas free from contamination of bad habits that I have previously created in my life.

Enlightenment

We use this term (or some form of it) a lot in Yoga.  Some words that are in this category are understanding, insight, awareness and awakening.  I’ve been missing my friends in Charlotte a lot the past couple of days.  I found myself wondering if we made a mistake by leaving Charlotte.  When I expressed this to my friend in Dallas, she seemed concerned for me.  But I assured her that I was glad I was feeling sad and having doubts because if I didn’t feel this way, how can I say that I gave my heart fully to my life in Charlotte?  It would also indicate that I was totally out of touch with my feelings if I didn’t feel this way.  I think part of being enlightened in one’s journey in life is to be able to have self-awareness and to be able to recognize the discomforts without avoiding or ignoring them.

Self-Regeneration

When I think self-regeneration, I think of lizards.  I remember when I was at a summer camp as a teenager, one of my friends caught a lizard and was trying to hold onto it.  When it squirmed out of his hand, he grabbed the tail (you know what’s coming next), and the tail detached from the lizard… and it was moving by itself!  This was the first time I had ever seen a lizard do that in person, so it freaked me out!  We know that lizards have the ability to regenerate their tails.  I found myself asking the question, “Are there any areas in my life where my heart has been hurt or injured?  If so, am I actively taking the necessary steps to heal and regenerate those parts of my heart?

Rebirth

Rebirth.  To be born again.  This makes me think about being like a newborn, where everything is new and fascinating.  Even though I have previously lived in Dallas for almost 10 years, I want to embrace this city with a new set of eyes and new perspective.  I don’t want to go back to who I was when I lived here before; I want to allow myself to approach this new chapter of life with freshness and excitement.

Moving is tough.  It is never without discomforts and bitter-sweetness.  If you are (or will be) in the situation of moving, know that I can relate to the myriad of emotions that you are (or will be) going though… and that transition feelings are completely normal and necessary.

With Gratitude,
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Dos and Don’ts of Moving During COVID-19

by Jheni, posted in COVID-19, Lifestyle, Moving, Pandemic

Last week, my family and I made our 1,102 mile move, driving from Charlotte, NC to Dallas, TX.  We sold our house (that we loved so much) in Charlotte and we’re now under contract on a house in Dallas.  Things happened faster than we had anticipated where by the beginning of April, we were packing and making moving arrangements while house-hunting virtually.

This is such a weird time to sell/buy a house.  I didn’t know what to expect, but the process was quite easy and flawless.  Because our agent posted a virtual tour of our house on the listing, many potential buyers were able to take a tour without physically stepping inside of our house.  The few in-person showing appointments were a bit tricky, since there weren’t any cafes of businesses open that we can go to so that we can leave the house.  We ended up taking rides down to grocery stores a bit out of our way to kill time, and we took some walks in nearby neighborhoods.  But we ended up accepting an offer just six days after our listing went live, so the inconvenience of leaving the house, coming back and sanitizing everything wasn’t too exhausting.

Anyway, I did mention in my blog last week that I was going to let you know how our move in the midst of COVID-19 went, so in addition to that, I will share with you the Dos and Don’ts of moving during a world pandemic.

DOs:
    1. DO start purging items that you won’t need in your new place.
      My daughter and I tend to be more emotionally attached to things than my husband does, but we actually did pretty well in this area!  We started donating and selling a lot of clothes that we haven’t worn in over a year… and even after that, we were still left with a lot of clothes!
    2. DO start packing items that you won’t need for the next few months.
      We knew we would be in our new home before the winter, so we packed up our Christmas decor and other holiday home decor in boxes as well as winter clothes.  We also have tons of books that are yet to be read… and if I’m being honest, I probably won’t be getting to them in the next few months (so they got packed as well).
    3. DO make a checklist of places you’ll need to make address changes for.
      This includes USPS, credit card companies, subscriptions, etc.  I did a permanent address change to our temporary place; once we move into our house (in 18 days!), I will do another permanent address change.
    4. DO create a preliminary time frame and an itinerary of transition plans.
      I love checklists.  I used an Excel spreadsheet to make time frame plan, driving itinerary, and a checklist of companies we would need to contact to stop/transfer service.
    5. DO start selling things that you will not be taking with you.
      In my experience, I learned that my favorite furniture may look good in my old house, but it doesn’t mean that it will match my new house; so we sold almost all of our furniture except for my piano (which is technically an instrument, not furniture) and one table that dissembles nicely (we bought it at a yard sale, and it is such a high quality, unique piece that I knew I can use in our new house).  If you do sell your dining room furniture, I would recommend that you sell it last so that you actually have a place to sit during your last week of your move.
DON’TS
    1. DON’T overprice the items that you’re selling.
      We listed items reasonably cheap, so they sold very quickly.  We used CashApp to receive payments from people to practice social distancing, and my husband wore gloves and a mask when helping people carry the heavier/bulkier items to their cars.
    2. DON’T underestimate the size/space of the moving vehicle that you will need when you make the reservation.
      We ran out of space in the moving container quickly.  We had to discard about 90% of our kitchenware and appliances, and the 10% got put in storage in Charlotte… so I’m not sure if I will be seeing my favorite air fryer anytime soon.  One of the things that helped me not get upset about this is reminding myself that all of these things are replaceable.
    3. DON’T wait until the last day to pack up your kitchen.
      Because we waited until the day before our move to start packing up the kitchen, my brain was completely on empty which means my organizational/packing abilities were all gone.  It’s pretty insane how many knives, platters, pots and pans I had, not to mention all the silverware!  We mad the decision to donate all of our pots, pans, dishware and glasses.  In hindsight, I should’ve packed up every kitchen item a week earlier that I wasn’t going to need for that following week.
    4. DON’T try to sell items while trying to pack.
      I used to love Facebook online yard sale group pages; Now I loathe them.  I know my hatred for these pages will soon be gone, but while I was listing items, I was also trying to pack.  My mind was constantly divided and I found myself getting stressed out trying to manage selling, pick-up arrangements and dealing with no-shows while trying to pack up the leftover items so that we can play Tetris with the little space that was left in the moving container.
    5. DON’T leave your house dirty.
      I’m so grateful for my husband.  Even though we were mentally, emotionally and physically tired after moving everything out of the house, he and his best friend (thank you, Anthony) spent hours cleaning the house to make sure it’s ready for the new homeowners.

The drive itself wasn’t too bad.  We have driven to Texas from North Carolina many times in the past four and a half years that we lived in Charlotte, so we knew what to expect.  What I didn’t expect is the challenge of remembering that we were still in the middle of a pandemic because it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL: The trees were green, the mountains were green, the weather was great (we hit just a little rain in Memphis).  Other than that there were less cars on the road and we didn’t do our usual lunch stops, the drive felt the way it did before the pandemic.

I’ve now been back in Texas for five days, and it still doesn’t feel real that we have moved back.  I’ll check in next Monday to let you know if that feeling has changed yet.

With Gratitude,
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