Since completing my 100 days of Gita daily yoga practice challenge at the start of the year, I have done a lot of contemplating about what I learnt from the experience.

In my last post I shared that the biggest lesson was to simply SHOW UP and keep getting on the mat.

But when you've fallen from the path for an extended period of time, or trying to establish a new habit, this wasn't always easy. So I also learnt a few tricks along the way to keep me on track on those days when I could very easily fall off the wagon onto old paths and into old patterns I am seeking to break. 

In case you find yourself in a similar position, I thought I'd share them here with you...

1. WHAT'S YOUR WHY

Having a strong reason why you want to create a daily practice (or change) for yourself will help keep you motivated on those days when you feel most likely to stumble.

Dig deep and find the bigger picture for yourself. What is it that you wish to gain? How do you wish to feel and why? What is it that will have you coming back to the mat time and time again?

For me, my why is to feel balanced, grounded and empowered so I can be of bigger and better service to others.

When I had a consistent practice during my teacher training, I knew it was responsible for keeping me grounded and centred during my everyday life and stresses of studying two diplomas at once, working etc. After I had moved interstate and returned to the family home to regroup after a  tumultuous couple of years, routines were disrupted and I hit a low point. I knew deep down reinstating my daily practice to it's former glory would help me create the inner physical and mental balance I needed to regain the power back in my life. Cue: 100 Days of Gita. It did just the trick!


2. ACCOUNTABILITY

Falling short of a strong why, I found having a way to keep yourself accountable as the next best thing. 

Find yourself a coach, make a public declaration, start a 100 day goal, or a blog.
What works best for you?

One thing I find when I hit my lows and stumbling points,
the excuses to fall off the wagon seem stronger when the ego is at it's loudest.

For me, having the 100 days of Gita challenge and publicly announcing it was a great starting point, but the clincher was deciding to video my practice everyday. I couldn't have a missing day in this video, now could I?! :)


3. DO WHAT YOU LOVE

There are many styles to choose from and as I tell my first time students, "Never give up after your first class of yoga, there are 100s of styles and 1000s of teachers so the combinations are endless. Find one that resonates for you!" 

Picking a practice you love and one that makes you feel good makes it easier to keep you on track.

I also found having a practice that can be long or short enabled me to fit it into even the busiest of days. It was also handy to be able to alter its pace and intensity to match the energy I presented with on any given day. Hence, why I love the Gita style of yoga, on top of the fact that it leaves me feeling balanced, grounded and empowered every time.


4. SELF-FORGIVENESS 

 This point was not originally in my top keys, but the more I considered what had helped me to stay on track, the more I realised the vital role it played!

Stumbling and struggle can be enlightening when we look a little deeper into why it occurs.
Not sure about you, but when I stumble I am pretty good at putting myself down. The "negative committee" in my head starts going on (and on) about the "failure" story that has kept me down in the past. Stumble for longer than a day or two and it gets pretty hard to hear anything but this story. 

However, being able to bring forgiveness into that moment of realisation creates a space of self acceptance and the time gap needed to choose a different story and start over from wherever I am at.

Being able to practice a healthy dose of self-forgiveness when you stumble allows you to get back on the path without getting stuck in the story. 

Forgiveness, would probably be top of my list, and is something that is coming up time and time again in recent times for me to work on this year. As Michelle Marie McGrath once posted and I've never forgotten, forgiveness is "for giving love again". 

So that is how I did it. And I how I continue to approach my practice and any new goals I have. Once you find the winning formula that works for you, it's all about rinse and repeat. 

For example, I'm currently working on my 100 things to do in 2015 list, number 97, Handstand training. When I saw the Handstand February challenge, pictured above, I knew it was perfect for me. I love a goal with a time frame and doing it with friends and having to post a daily picture helps to keep me accountable.

Now I just have to use these keys more successfully with number 30, Blog weekly ;)
{Though, self-forgiveness says, fortnightly is more frequently than previously, so you're getting there!}

I hope sharing these with you gives you some extra tools for those moments when you're struggling with your practice, or that resolution, goal or habit you are attempting to establish in your life.

Would love to hear from you… do you have a goal you're working on, what do you do when you hit stumbling points and which of these keys or others would you use in those moments.
 
Best of wishes and love always,
Tx

I'm sure it is not a coincidence that as I write this, the new moon is peaking and we're being guided to set an intention with the words freedom and synergy in mind.

You see for some reason I always seem to get stuck when it comes to writing posts. My mind has a tendency to run away with itself , and before I know it I find myself in a world of overwhelm and the longer I leave things the bigger the inner blocks grow or so they seem. Hence why I need yoga and meditation in my life :)

So in order to step closer to the freedom I desire and to my goal of blogging regularly, I'm freeing myself of this one block using the biggest lesson I learnt from my daily yoga practice challenge…

Here she is, a 2min compilation video of my complete 100 days of Gita.

One pose from each day of my practice!

And my biggest lesson…

SHOW UP! 
Or as Nike espouses "Just do it!"

Yep, the excuses will arise, the self learning can be confronting, the negative chatter will always be there, …
but just keep showing up on the mat {and in life}.

These things will pass, clarity comes, the chatter quietens, inner strength grows, the body softens, the heart opens, the soul soars and the spirit will prevail.

It may take time, but ironically, 
the freedom you seek comes with each decision you make to show up!

When there is a will, there is a way :)

This I definitely proved to myself with 100 days of Gita!

And see just like that, the post that's held me back for over a week has been written. Yay :)

Wishing you strength on your journey to show up and shine as only you can.

Big love,
Tx

This post is basically 6 weeks overdue. So this is a bit of a catch up.

I got a part-time job. I got busy.

That pretty much sums it up :)

 BUT, I have been diligently practicing everyday!

It's just that the posting has been a little delayed.

Must say though, the practice has really been helping me cope with the extra demands the new job has been placing on me physically and energetically. 

And it has all been nicely balanced with my return to teaching!

You can find all the videos on YouTube here. Why not subscribe to my channel while you're there ;)

Can't believe the 100 days is almost up!

Often life has interesting ways of letting us know when we are not standing in our full power!
Just an observation I've made in my own life...

If you've been on this journey with me for some time, you will know that I've dabbled with videos off and on for the past year. Not because I want to be a video super star (though that could have some advantages). Yes, because I want to share with you the amazing things that have changed my life. But more so, because I have always shied away from cameras  and cringed at the sight of myself in videos... and when you're on the path to soulful heart centred living, you realise that there must be something in this. It's like Svadhyana, self study, in yoga.

You see, the things we are most afraid of, 
are often the things that will bring us the most learning and growth.

The resistance to be on video and be seen is perfectly described by beautiful Michelle Marie McGrath from SacredSelf.com in her recent post. Why do we hold ourselves back and fear being seen? For me it's the usual, fear of rejection, not being enough, failure…you name it, there is an element of that in it for me. Even with writing blogs, these fears linger there in the background {if only you knew how many times I re-edit a post before I share it}.

But when you're in business or have dreams of making a difference in the world, 
you can't really do that whilst hiding out in your Cancerian crab shell now, can you?! as Michelle so kindly reminded me.

So, from lessons learnt in the past I know that to take the power back I needed to face these fears head on to dispel the magnitude that they had grown to in my mind. Along with Michelle and a handful of other courageous women {and one man}, I enrolled in the amazing Andrea Glazier's Video Fame Academy.  In which she has been most generously sharing all her expertise and holding our hands as she guides us to show up on video. 

It's enlightening to observe the unrealistic fears and dramas that arise that hinder the path forward, when you decide to put yourself "out there", be vulnerable and seen. In the first week I had a mouth full of ulcers preventing me from talking. Then once you get over it and just get on with it, move past the self doubts, and step up to speak your truth, there's a sense of achievement and it is empowering.

The thing is that we all have a story and experiences to share. 
We are all teachers in some way. Who do we serve by not sharing it, or not shining in our own way. I'm not suggesting everyone needs to be on camera, but rather be ourselves, the unique being that you are! 
As Marianne Williamson shares in her powerful poem from A Return to Love, 

"And as we let our own light shine, 
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we're liberated from our own fear, 
Our presence automatically liberates others."

 And what would you know, I made a video I am kind of proud of. Well, it is officially only my second one, but I can already see the vast improvement that Andrea has helped me achieve. But most importantly, I hope it's message helps to inspire even just one person on this journey of Life as I share another journey to take the power back, this time over my hormonal health. So here it is...

And if you're hormones are driving you crazy you'll definitely want to watch this short 3min video ;)

As I've found, 
most lessons in life are often just letting us know 
when we are not standing in our full power!

So I'd love you to watch it and let me know what you think in the comments below. 
Why not share if there was a lesson you too took away from my video that you can apply to your life? 
Or do you have an experience of a turning point that led you to take the power back in your life?

Whether you have a hormonal issue or not, may there be something there for you. 

Thanks so much for taking this journey with me.

Shine on lovelies!

In love and light, 
 Tash x

PS: 100 days of Gita Update: going stronger and stronger as the days roll by. And happy to say the filming quality has improved 10 fold since joining VFA. So here is the compilation of my practice for week 5. The sun has been shining which means more yoga in the park, and my most enthusiastic student makes an appearance again :)

PSS: If you'd like to join me for classes in the parks of Perth, happy to say my campaign was a success and we are STARTING THIS SATURDAY 8th NOVEMBER. Might have been my first video which helped do the trick. Really can't wait to start sharing the Gita love!

 1 week into my 100 days of Gita challenge. Only 93 days to go :)

 Happy to say I have kept up my daily Gita style yoga and meditation practice.
Though I must admit that there were a few wobbly days. You know the late start, the feeling ill, and the family commitments days. They do say the first few weeks are the hardest, don't they? 
Each time I knew I could easily let myself fall off the wagon and some days I had to get creative to stay on track. 
What I did learn from this first week though is the great power of setting an intention.

I realise it may seem strange that a yoga teacher needs to create a challenge for herself to practice, but it has been refreshing and enlightening for me which is exactly what I had hoped for my practice.

You see, at some point my practice had begun to feel like a "should". 
Just because I am a yoga teacher, I should be practicing daily. 
 I had started to question my practice and explore other styles.
I was a bit like a teenager on rebellion, testing the boundaries.

But I know Gita works , I keep coming back to it. 
And now that I live in Perth I miss being able to attend a Gita class.

So I started this little personal challenge because I wanted to own my practice, remind myself of it's true magic and why I loved it so. {And I wanted to share my love of it here with you}

So setting a powerful intention to practice for 100 days straight gave me a goal and an intention. 

It's all about the intention.

A conscious decision made.
A deeper meaning given.

This is what helps during those wobbly times.

Set a powerful intention, and everything is imbued with a sense of purpose!

And this is one of the first things I noticed and loved about Gita style yoga.

Intention, and a spiritual one at that, is what I love about yoga above other forms of "exercise". 

The word yoga comes from the root word 'yug', meaning to yolk. To unite.  

What are we uniting? 
All of us. Our mind, body and breath. Our inner and outer world. Our spiritual and human selves. 
Cultivating the inner peace that reflects back out as world peace. Ourselves with the universe/life/God/the sacred/insert term you prefer here.

I know it is possible to achieve this sense though other activities, but this is what had drawn me to practice yoga.

Don't let the spiritual talk put you off, rather I hope that by sharing this extra information with you it helps you connect deeper with your practice when you see that every pose has a purpose. An intention.

The layers of intention is what drew me to Gita style yoga  and is what I love most. 
Every breath. Every movement. Every pause. Every pose. All has a purpose. An intention.

 And its this that I am looking forward to sharing with you in this blog series. 

For now, I'd love to hear from you, do you set daily intentions? How have intentions helped you? 

Look forward to hearing from you!

Wishing you every success with your dreams and goals. 

With gratitude and love,
Tx

PS: Below is one of my henna doodles. In an attempt to get my creative juices flowing more and assist my learning more about henna design I started drawing these a few weeks back. I do one #hennadoodleaday {which you can check out over on instagram}. What I found was that once I put my positive statement, mantra or intention down, every line drawn thereafter was infused with this meaning! So it has become a powerful intention setting tool in my daily practice.

PSS: You know how I said I had to get creative on the wobbly days, well I decided to film my practice to keep myself accountable, document my progress and also as a way to share it with you. Here is week one's compilation of my practice videos in time lapse mode. If you want to see more, subscribe over at my YouTube channel, Pocket Yogini TV! 

Eek! Remember me?
 Sometimes I think it may be more apt to call my blog Prodigal Yogini with the long hiatus between blogs :) 

A heap has happened up the east coast, in Cairns and now in Perth which I so want to share with you. And I will do.
It's been hugely transformational, confronting, emotional. Hence, its been hard to write about it. 
Really hard. So hard, I've considered whether all of this (blogging and business) is really for me. 

But the universe had other plans and something inside of me (aka my soul) wouldn't let me. I've been reminded time and time again that I can't turn away, and that this hump in the road is very much a part of my journey. 
My journey to finding my true voice and soul purpose.

So I am back and facing my blog "block" head on with a little challenge.

Recently when a friend shared this post about the 100 day journal/goals and that it was 100 days to Christmas, it struck a chord with me and got me thinking. The timing was right and I was ready to take on the challenge to finish what has been a huge year for me with a bang. So this Monday when it was 100days to New Years Eve, I posted on my instagram account that I was taking up the challenge for myself. 

That is, 100 days of Gita.

Gita is my yoga practice. Gita Style Yoga. It is a practice that is so much more than just on a mat. It is a way of life. A soul calling. Choosing the soul path though easy initially, isn't always so. It has been a relationship that has tested, taught and stretched me in mind, body and soul. Though not a day goes by where I don't fit in at least a little yoga and meditation practice, I'm the first to admit that I experience resistance. But it is because of this resistance and the days I have fallen from the wagon that I know what a difference my practice makes to my life. 

 In questioning life and my practice, I do enjoy exploring different styles and other movement practices, but there is simply nothing that I find that leaves me feeling the way I do at the end of a Gita class.

So over the next 100 days I have made a promise to myself to practice the full Gita sequence everyday along with this Chakra Cleanse Meditation as a way to strengthen my own practice and reaffirm why I love it so much. And as I do, I look forward to finding my mojo again in writing by sharing with you all the little and big things I love about Gita. 

 So will you join me in setting yourself a 100 day goal too? Let's do this together. It doesn't have to be yoga related. Just something you would love to achieve before the year is out. It always helps to share it with others, so why not comment below. And with the New Moon tomorrow, there is no better time to set your intentions than now.

Thanks for taking this journey with me,
Tx

Images: Deanna Whyte Photography

So today is the 2nd last day and I wanted to re-introduce you to the Gita Style Sun Salutations. 

I say re-introduce as I have a "previous life" video which I made. 
{It's quite interesting to watch and compare how much I have learnt and changed in my video production} 

So today I have a new and "improved" video for you.

Sun salutations are a great way to start the day and I always encourage students to see if they can incorporate 3 rounds first thing in the morning. After your bed stretches, of course ;)

As my teacher always said "if you can't find 5mins to do 3 salutes to the sun, then someone else is running your life." 

The great thing about Gita Style Yoga is that it focusses on the endocrine glands in particular. These are the hormone producing glands of the body, and the hormones control all of the functions of the body and how we relate with the world. That is, how we feel, what we think, our digestion, heart rate, metabolism and more.

So, the Salutes are 12 postures in one sequence, making it a mini class for you. 
Add all the other practices from previous days and you start to have a decent sized yoga practice for yourself that moves and opens up most of the body.

Do be aware though if you do these first thing that the body is not as flexible, hence it is good to start warming up the body with some lying "bed" stretches at least and always move slowly through the first round.

If you are finding that you are not managing all the transitions smoothly, I have posted a second video with variations where you can get some ideas for how to adjust the sequence until you develop more flexibility and strength.

So, will you find 5mins for you today to work with these?

I hope so ;)

Enjoy & I'll see you here tomorrow for our last day,
Tx

PS: Didn't realise it's our last day tomorrow, you can read why here. 

Congratulations on making it half way!

It's important to celebrate the milestones in life. They remind us how far we've come and what we've achieved thus far. Like the milestones we record as a baby grows a develops. The celebrations shouldn't stop there ;)

So well done, whether it is one stretch or a new body awareness, it is all a step on this journey to experiencing greater wellbeing in body and wholeness in life.

Today I thought it would be awesome to bring it all together for you so you can see if you were to weave each of the individual practices throughout your day you would actually be fitting in a 15 - 20min practice into your day! 

Thats almost half a yoga class.

My aim all along has been to show you it doesn't have to be hard to do.

If you've haven't been managing to find the 5mins for you each day, 
what is stopping you?

Sometimes we have to get out of our own way and simply do it.

Like these videos for me, if I had waited for everything to be "perfect", the right equipment, the perfect space, enough money, great outfits, perfectly written scripts, …..
 then to be totally honest with you, they would not exist.

I would still be stuck in my head thinking it through, working it out, and most probably talking myself out of it ;)

Flying by the seat of my pants, starting before I'm ready and taking imperfect action means I've been facing those fears head on, learning on the go and gaining invaluable experiences. 

The same is true for you. 

Saying you can is the first step. 

And then you take another step.

The next step could be making the decision to replace each thought of "I don't have time" or "I'm no good at that" with a pause for one conscious breath or stretch to reconnect with your body!

It only takes one second, one choice.

If that's it for you, celebrate that. 
It's one more conscious choice taken for You!

Well done.

So what's your next step? 
Please go ahead and share it in the comments below.

And may you enjoy bringing it together,
Tx

PS: As we're bringing it all together, it is a little longer video, therefore a little longer practice. Make some space in your day for you. Take your time, listen to your body and always heed it's message. It will feel different first thing in the morning to doing it later at night. It will feel different to those that move more often to those that are getting back on the wagon. Listening to your body is doing yoga! Practice this and you're right on track :) xx