Nicole Serrano- The Heart of a Warrior

Don't forget the three R's: rest, replenishment and reflection

Meditation In Motion

I must admit....I'm not a person to sit in a place long enough to meditate longer than the minutes I'd be embarrassed to even mention here.  My thoughts tend to squander off in different directions and the slightest noise can just be as distracting.  Some days, I can be better.  But here it is, I am in abundance with peace, when I allow myself to move in my own flow of poses, I know I can reside myself to a place of serenity regardless of place and time.  Feeling completely hypnotise by the sound of my own breath moving in rhythm with the 'asanas' I set myself to.  It feels as if there's a destination where I need to get to in my 'vinyasa' (or 'flow') and the journey I choose to be in, comes from a place of kindness, love, peacefulness and self respect. 

There are times in this practice where I am caught in a place of intensity and  challenged physically and mentally, but after a while, there comes a sense of relief when I know I can break free, let go of my 'asana', my 'ego'  and to exhale whatever I was holding to.  The waves of poses comes gracefully through my body as if my entire being has been guided by a mysterious higher self.  Even when I'm struggling to move in one pose, and my mind says, 'impossible'....my heart says,'yield,....let go....and I'll show you another way....other possibilities.........'  In the process of letting go, I see the transformation even in the slightest movement of 'just being'  ......The change never stops, it only stops when I lose hope...and that's a place I choose not to be in.

This is my meditation in motion.......to move in such grace and forgiveness...I lose myself completely to a place of serenity.

There is a saying in Tibetan,"Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength." No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful the experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster.

Friday's Bliss

Another beautiful collage, by Candy C.

To practice with grace in your heart

It's good to come to a place where you can roll your mat out and be in a place of complete submersion of a soulful practice that comes from deep within your heart and mind.  Where there's complete awareness of understanding in the waves of motion and breath that moves and synchronises with each other's intentions.  Being able to move with such grace and humility teaches us to flow with our actions and thoughts in life with love and peacefulness.  So when we show ourselves the tenderness and softness of our own actions in any pose, we learn to nurture ourselves in a place of goodness.  And to align and balance ourselves physically when we act on our movements and to release from such standstills at times when we need to.  Such is the beauty in ways that only can be felt when we do our yoga practice with intentions from the heart.
With love and light
Jac :)

                 Yoga Practice Brings Cancer Patients Solace

                                                             By Jillian McKee

A cancer diagnosis such as mesothelioma can bring feelings of shock, anger and betrayal. When treatment begins, the patient can be overwhelmed physically and spiritually and may need the support of a yoga program to get back in balance and may increase life expectancy.

Cancer patients can receive many benefits from yoga. Besides improving the ability to relax, obtain proper sleep and reducing stress, yoga can also improve digestion, posture, joint flexibility and overall physical strength. Many researchers are looking into the long-term effects yoga has on cancer patients and mesothelioma prognosis.

The breathing technique used in yoga may help patients the most with healing. Breathing deep and from the stomach helps the mind to focus on the postures and find a peaceful place in the mind away from the pain and stress of treatment. Breath work can be the most difficult thing for a patient to learn, as humans have a tendency to breathe from the mouth rather than the nose. Nose breathing brings relaxation while mouth breathing tends to raise anxiety levels.

Yoga is the best form of exercise for people who are physically weakened from chemotherapy and other treatments. Each patient can assess what postures they are capable of and build from there while their strength increases. Many patients report regular yoga improved their overall energy levels and helped them cope with their treatment and find their way to recovery faster.

Cancer patients often think of the mind and body as being separate and forget that the battle they are valiantly fighting is really against themselves. Yoga can lead the mind to a place of clarity and also help it to get out of the way and allow the physical body to begin healing.

Yoga classes can also provide friendship and support to those fighting cancer and the peace and energy renewal found there can carry over into everyday life.

While most patients will have little to no trouble practicing yoga, they should always check with their health care team to make sure they are truly up to the task. Yoga has many benefits but it is not always suitable in all situations.

Be Expressive