by Jasmine | Jan 8, 2020 | Spirituality, Yoga Health
How Yoga Helps Me Battle My Cell Phone Bill
Instead of blogging about yoga poses or alternative health or wellness, I wanted to share a victory I had against Verizon so I can inspire you to see how yoga can help you when you are dealing with unfair and difficult people and situations.
We signed up with Verizon Fios with their cell phone, internet, cable and land-line package earlier this year. I’ve had a lot of problems understanding their confusing billing practices and they messed up our install as well.
They actually had our calls going to our neighbor’s phone since they got the wires crossed. I’ve been a customer of Verizon’s for over 10 years and can’t tell you how many times I’ve had some gi-normous bill that I had to battle against. One bill (which was $900…not a typo) made my knees buckle and I just fell on the ground and started to bawl and decided the only solution was to join an ashram and get away from the complexities of modern life.
This last few times I called them, I was calm but assertive, polite but firm about the $200 that was owed to us as a promotional gift for signing up with their bundled service. (On a more practical note, whenever you are not getting anywhere with the customer service rep, always ask to speak to a supervisor as quickly as you can since they are the only ones able to modify or add credits to your bill.
The other tip that works really well is to call the cancellation department and just say you want to cancel. The reps at the cancellation department will go to great lengths to save you so if they ask if there is anything they can do to keep your business, tell them what the grievance is and what you would like.) With patience and perseverance, I was able to get $208 as a credit on our bill going forward.
Because I have a pretty steady and committed yoga practice, I’m able to not be so reactive when faced with unfairness and unjustness. I stay steady and calm with whoever I am dealing with but I know that my peaceful yet powerful persona is helping me get through to the other person. I find that I am not as quick to get angry and I know that the other person is just doing the best that they know how from their level of consciousness.
And that $900 bill? After a few calls and with persistent determination I got it reduced to $250. I didn’t join an ashram to escape the responsibilities that go with living in a complex and highly wired world. My yoga practice helps round out the rough edges for me so that life goes smoother. Challenges and problems still come my way, but I find that I handle it much better by coming to terms with my response-ability….my ability to respond to chaos, challenge and confusion.
What about you? What spiritual practices help you stay grounded?
by Jasmine | Apr 10, 2018 | Meditation, Spirituality, Yoga Health, Yoga Retreat
Meditation Topics for Couples at Retreats near NJ, PA, NY
Venus Kriyas are meditation topics for couples and are excellent as a regular spiritual practice. There are several Venus Kriyas, but they are especially effective if couples choose one meditation to practice consistently for 40, 90 or 120 days to integrate a particular aspect of the relationship (40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit and 120 days to make the new habit part of you. These couples’ meditations are an especially beautiful practice that can elevate your relationship to a higher level.
Ideally at a retreat where there are meditation topics for couples. In the Northeast there are yoga retreats in NJ, PA, NY although most people usually want to go overseas for a yoga retreat.
Get closer to your significant other by taking time out of the day to bend and stretch together. Try these simple exercises.
When everyone is really busy and feeling stressed out, often the time with your partner is one of the first things to get bumped. Stretching with your loved one turns the tables on the rat race, allowing you both to be in the moment and renewing your connection.
Try these following stretches to reconnect with your partner. Whether you’re waiting for the coffee to brew in the morning or you set up an after-work date of stretching before must-see TV, these simple poses will provide the ideal break for you and your loved one.
Yoga Retreat near NJ in PA
PARTNER YOGA MOVES
Happy hug
Stand facing each other with toes touching. Hug! Relax deeply into your partner’s embrace. Breathe five long, deep breaths in unison with your partner. Let stress and tension fall away. Take turns rubbing each other’s back between the shoulder blades and spine for 30 seconds.
Tree together
Stand side by side. Lift your outside leg up and place your foot on your inside leg’s upper thigh. If your foot slips, you can hold it up with your hand. Wrap your inside arm around your partner’s waist and hold tight for balance and support. Stand tall and raise your head. Breathe in unison and relax into the pose. Take five deep breaths. Switch sides with your partner and stretch the other leg.
Upside-down smile
Stand back to back, about two feet apart and separate your legs by about three feet. Drop your upper bodies down like rag dolls with both arms hanging. Look at your partner in between your legs and smile — or make funny faces at each other. If you can, grab onto your partner’s arms or legs and pull yourself deeper into the stretch.
Tantric twist
Sit back to back, with legs crossed. Keep your lower backs as close together as possible. Twist around to your left. Place your left hand on your partner’s right knee. Place your right hand on your own left knee. Look behind you and relax your neck, pulling firmly on your partner’s knee. Take five deep breaths together. Switch directions and repeat.
“Heeling” massage
This is a great way to give a back massage without lifting a finger. Have your partner sit up with his legs straight out in front. Sit about three feet behind him, facing his back. Then, lie down and rest your feet on your partner’s back. Walk your heels up and down, and rub the sore spots in between his spine and shoulder blades. Rest your heels on top of his or her shoulders and push down. For extra leverage, raise your pelvis off the ground.
by Jasmine | Feb 15, 2017 | Meditation, Spirituality
Life can be incredibly hectic – work, family, kids, and friends all vie for your attention. All of these people and experiences add something to our lives, but they can easily steal our calm and joy also.
Mindfulness – How to Be Aware of the Present Moment
No one is able to completely disconnect and become a hermit in order to find their true center. The good news is you don’t have to! A simple meditative practice of being aware of each moment can bring you the calm and joy you long for – even in the midst of chaos.
Mindfulness – How to Be Aware of the Present Moment
A lot of us spend our lives thinking of either our past or our present. When we think of our past, we are bound to it. Bad memories cause us to never leave painful places. Even clinging to good memories can keep us from moving forward and experiencing new things. When we think of the future, we often worry about things that will never happen. We also long for future changes in circumstances, and that longing can make us forget everything we have to be thankful for in our present lives.
Being aware of every moment – also called ‘mindfulness’ in many circles – is not something we are good at right away. However, with practice, it will become a more and more natural part of your life. Here are several practices that can help you in your quest to be more aware of each present moment.
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Breathe.
All of us breathe each and every day. However, most of us aren’t mindful of our breathing. How does it feel? Take a few moments each morning or during a break to close your eyes, breathe deeply, and focus on those breaths. Feel it fill you, and then leave you. As you practice this, you will find yourself able to focus for longer periods of time, and you will feel more centered and peaceful.
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Focus on what you’re doing right now.
Whatever you’re doing – reading this article, typing an email, or talking to a friend – focus on that activity only. Don’t allow yourself to think ahead to what you need from the store, or think back to a previous experience. It may help you to say to yourself, “Right now, I am typing,” or whatever you are doing. When you really drill down, what are you doing at this moment? Being aware of your activities without racing ahead will help you feel less stressed each day.
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Feel without judging.
Many of us have emotions that we label as OK and others that we label as unacceptable. We enjoy the emotions we like, but we often try to ignore or bury the emotions we don’t like. However, that creates inner tension as our emotions try to rise up past our barriers. Instead, feel your feelings without judging them. You don’t have to give in to them, just acknowledge them. It may help once again to verbalize this and say, “Right now I am feeling angry,” or whichever emotion you have. You will find yourself able to identify but not overreact with your emotions. Best of all, you won’t be repressing what’s truly going on.
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Make a thankfulness list.
There’s no better way to acknowledge the present moment than to look around you and list all of the things you are thankful for. I’m thankful for my job, for the shining sun, and for the good food I’m eating for lunch. What are you thankful for in this present moment?
Being present in every moment is a big challenge. Don’t get frustrated when you get distracted and go back to old patterns of behavior. Just center yourself, take a breath, and once again acknowledge the present moment.
by Jasmine | Dec 5, 2016 | Couples Yoga, Date Night, New Age, Partner Yoga, Romantic Date Ideas, Spirituality, Yoga Retreat
Teaching Yoga for Couples at a Spiritual Retreat near Philadelphia and Tantra in Pennsylvania
What Happens in Yoga Couples Classes
A lot of people ask how we decided to teach couples yoga. Actually it was because of my sweetie… my best friend, partner and hottie hellenic hubby.
I have been practicing yoga for over 15 years. When we first started to live together I used to practice to yoga DVDs in the living room. Occasionally he would practice with me but then he said once, ” I really want to do the poses where we are touching each other and helping each other get in the poses.”
So I started to research more couples and partner yoga poses. Most of the partner poses that were out there were fairly acrobatic, very challenging and demanding physically and there didn’t seem to be many poses that were geared towards people that were nonathletic and that didn’t want a Cirque Du Soleil audition.
I wanted to find a mix of poses that were silly, giggly, challenging, strengthening, bonding and once in a while a little scary (adrenaline can add really add some spice and passion to a relationship that is in a long rut) and where you could get that sense that you were beyond gravity in some of the poses. I bought tapes, DVDs, book, went to other partner yoga trainings and classes. I practiced the poses with other yoga teachers.
Almost every Friday night we teach couples yoga in Philadelphia.. in Manayunk, a hip, happening part of town and we teach them quarterly at Temenos in West Chester as a couples spiritual retreat as well.
Although it is work for us to promote the classes, set up, clean up, prepare and organize the classes, we mostly do it because the two of us get so much out of it. It has sort of become our date night although we are sharing it with other couples, most of which we have met for the first time.
At the beginning of class there is usually a mix of giddiness, anxiety, nervousness and excitement. I work with a lot of yoga newbies and people that do not have a regular exercise practice.
I never know what poses I am going to teach since I have to gage the ability of the group before I teach a pose. I’m not going to teach a bunch of crazy balancing poses to someone that just had hip replacement. I don’t want to teach a lot of weight-bearing poses, where one partner has to put all their weight on the other’s body if there is a big weight difference or especially if the woman is a lot heavier than the man.
If the couples are pretty athletic then I want to make sure the moves are fresh and challenging enough to keep it spicy so I’ll avoid the easier poses. If the group is really wound up and edgy, I’ll teach a fair amount of yin or restorative poses so they start to become more tranquil.
Teaching Couples Yoga
I also like to position students in class so that two dudes are not looking right at each other, I think men don’t want to appear vulnerable in front of other men so if they are not looking right at each other then it makes for less performance anxiety for the couples at a spiritual workshops or spiritual retreat.
by Jasmine | Mar 3, 2016 | Law of Attraction, Meditation, Spirituality, The Secret, Yoga Health
Illness in any form is nothing more than our negative energies choking off so much of our Life-flow that cellular damage results. The body is not separate from the universe, so when we think a thought, the vibrations run through the body as well as everywhere else. If those vibrations are in harmony with our body’s intrinsic programming for well-being and vitality, the the cells thrive. But if it’s negative energy we are projecting, the cells can’t remain strong enough and don’t perform as well.
Without the high frequency energy of life force necessary for them to survive they eventually weaken and die before their time, no longer able to replicate normally. Illness exists in a state of dis-ease. Someone has flowed more negative energy than high frequency energy. If you find a generally happy person, you usually find a very healthy person. People who are sick have shut themselves off in some degree from their own life Life-force energy by letting negative thoughts from fear, guilt, blame, hate, worry (and the energetic resonance of those thoughts).
Anytime we think of anything, we’re flowing out some kind of positive or negative energy (feeling) Whatever we’re feeling, we’re attracting, on an energetic level. Then we live with the results. The vibration (or emotional resonance) that comes from our thoughts have the power to magnetize vitality or disease. The more thoughts we send out, the more powerful these vibrational clumps become and they start to draw into their whirling centers anything and everything of a similar vibration Like attracts like, whether it is something you desire, or something you don’t want.
When I lay my body down in bed each night I choose a few words and just repeat them in my head…. Peace…. Abundance…. Ease… sometimes I say them as an affirmation… I am Peace….. I am Abundance…. I feel Ease.
How to Heal your Body with the Law of Attraction
To turn illness around, you must start to use trickery with mind into creating higher vibrations (that come from focusing on feelings of gratitude, love, appreciation) to begin their process of regeneration. This is not a cure-all. It is simply a beginning. The key to reversing anything within the body is to get your focus of what you don’t like or want and get into the the “feeling place”, words a la positive affirmations and visualization will help but learning to shift your own energy is also paramount.
The trickery is much like writing a new script. You have to learn to consciously change the kind of energy or vibrations you are emanating since most social-conscious thinking (and feeling) is based on fear and lack. You can call this Flip-Switching your energy (vibrations). So here are two basic ways to flip-switch. You can do these at your desk (while facing a computer screen) or in the car, lying in bed or really anyplace…..so no excuses for not having a place or time to practice. (Are you committed to your excuse or are you committed to feeling better?)
Healing your Mind and Body Through Thoughts
1. Flow Appreciation– Focus on a part of your body that you are not happy with. If you have a bad back, then start to FLOOD your back with appreciation. Make yourself feel the frequency change in your body. Feel adoration, respect, gratitude and love pour and emanate out from you until you feel a buzz throughout your body.
2. Inner Smile Jump-Start. (Best to do this in private) Put a meaningful smile on your face, the kind of smile you’d have at seeing a newborn baby or watching puppies tumble and play. Feel it grow warmly inside of you until you’re encased in the glow of a gentle inner smile. While encased in this state, flow gratitude and love towards the part of your body that needs healing.
Just using these techniques once will not be a miracle-cure. It took a lifetime to get the thought and fear-based emotional habits and patterns you have and it will take discipline, commitment, faith and practice to heal as well. It helps to have a supportive buddy that you are practicing these with so you can check in with each other on your progress and keep each other inspired and accountable.
by Jasmine | Nov 12, 2015 | Spirituality, vitality health
Spiritual Practices and Fertility
What are your spiritual practices? Affirmations? Meditation? Going to church or Temple?
How can you use these practices to support you in your journey to motherhood?
What is one spiritual practice that you can do everyday?
I used to do affirmations in my car almost every day, saying with passion and conviction “ I am carrying a healthy baby in my body”.
In my car I could be as loud as I wanted since the windows were closed and the radio was loud so I didn’t have to worry about others hearing me.
What is an affirmation you can say that will support you and remind you of where you want to be?
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