Travel as a Spiritual Purpose

As a Spirit inhabiting the body, One already is traveling, therefore Travel IS a Spiritual Purpose.

Everything One does is a Spiritual Purpose.

This is the premise.

How, Why, Where, When One Travels can explain the finer details of One’s purpose generally in One’s life.

Examine your travel life for deeper understanding of your needs, desires and fears

1. What type of travel do you do? Leisure, rest, business, family, tourism, local, overseas, solitary, group, road, air, water, sport, hobby, art, culture, etc etc…
2. What type of travel do you enjoy, despise, or feel obligated to do? why?
3. What destinations do you return to? why?
4. Is travel a conversation topic for you as a recognition tool (for instagram, facebook posts), a means to keep up with the Jones? to feel successful?
5. Can you travel without showing photos to anybody? without telling anybody about it?
6. Do you travel to ” off the beaten track” destinations to explore the unknown ?
7. Do you get travel anxiety? why?

Being mindful about travel can save you time, money and effort.

You can focus on the benefits of travel for your life and minimize the negatives.

If travel brings up anxiety or fear, it could mean fear of the unknown, or a lack of control especially if your routine is quite rigid.

If travel is never enough and so much better than “home” could mean you need to examine your life, your work and other aspects you need to change.

If travel is addictive and you can’t stay anywhere very long could mean a lack of roots, or connection, or you could be a nomadic soul here to explore.

Travel can teach us so much about ourselves if we use it as a means of self-discovery.

Travel can inspire creativity.

Travel can teach us impermanence, flexibility, adaptability, patience, tolerance, acceptance.

Travel can bring deep transformation and healing.

Travel can show differing perspectives and broaden the mind.

Travel can simply be a change.

Travel can be in your own backyard, literally, with a new vision, a new state, a new presence.

Travel can be a pilgrimage.

Travel can be in your chair whilst meditating, watching an amazing show or reading an engrossing book.

Whatever type of travel you do, see it as your purpose in that moment.

Happy travels!

O

My Second Home for my spiritual purpose as a nomad

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Co-Create with Nature

Mindful Gardening is so in right now..anything mindful is in right now..finally..

However can we just be mindful about mindfulness please..too much is just too much already..

Being in the present moment whilst gardening in a no brainer..do we need to give it a name? A procedure? Mindful gardening..booooring.

If you’re thinking about mindfulness whilst gardening you’re not mindful. Worse, you’re not gardening.

My mind goes all over the shop when i garden and i find it very healing.

I always talk to my flowers, plants, insects, butterflies and other creatures.

The trees answer back.

My nails scratch the earth like chicken claws digging for worms.

I celebrate those worms making my soil richer.

Mother Nature is always in charge and as a mother myself i respect that.

However we do argue and i try to have my way.

But if mother says no, that seed ain’t gonna grow.

I feel honoured to co-create with Mother Nature if She finds me worthy of her abundance.

Get your hands filthy, dig in the mud, love your weeds and medicinals, pot plants, grow seeds, get outdoors.

Co-create with Nature.

More Nature, More Art.

Great Article: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing/articles/why-gardening-makes-us-feel-better

My Garden is 12 months old (August 2021) 100% co-created with Love. (Pesticide free)

Even Baguera Cat loves it!

Wisdom Bits by Olivia

Photography by (V.O)

Forest Therapy

When the wave of pain arises from the deep

Seek the trees in the forest

Sit under their canopy of comfort

Wash your tears in the waterfall

Connect to Mother

Breathe

Let the wave roll away

Stay in moment

Here

Now

Photography https://vostudiophoto.wordpress.com/

Cascade d’Orlu, Ariege, Pyrénées

Feather Symbolism

This week has been a “feather” week.

Went hiking way up in the Pyrénées to a waterfall and found a white feather on a rock near the water. oooh i love finding feathers in unusual places.

On the way down the mountain a black feather flew across my path. hum two feathers same day..mmmm ok…

Next day I go shopping for kitchen mats (as you do) and the only set available was the feather set…right. feathers. again.

To end the week in beauty, during the visit of my favourite yearly garden exhibition in the region, the Lieurac Gardens, I luxuriated in the Plumerium.

Feather is obviously communicating with me! right?!

So I researched (googled) the symbolism, archetypal, religious, spiritual, all rational and irrational beleifs that have existed for eons, from Dream analysis to Native Shamanism and Biblical references.

Needless to say, it was very interesting reading.

So thankyou Feather for the experience. The photography of feathers will be all the more fun now.

Olivia

Hiking and finding White and Black feathers

White Feather means connection to the spirit and angels are with you

Head in the feather cloud at Lieurac Plumerium

It’s like walking on a cloud..I am Luxuriating…

mmmm..the softness underneath the feet..yes angels are here!

I liked this blog amongst others: https://www.worldbirds.org/feather-symbolism/

All photography by V.O

Perfection as Delusion

Perfectionism, or seeking Perfection as the goal, means the mind has created and idea of what that looks like.

The image of the “perfect” result then guides the inspiration, the effort and the commitment to achieve .

Then something happens and the goal gets pushed out further and further as Perfection is never reached.

The ego freaks out in crisis.

One ego fights on and still holds on to the beleif that perfection will be obtained.

One ego collapses, flagellates, quits in shame.

One ego, after failing at the options above, gets “woke” and sees perfection in everything as is.

Photography and words by V.O

https://vostudiophoto.wordpress.com/

Yoga for Anxiety?

That’s a YES!

Yoga for Grounding and Calming

Certain Yoga Asanas (Poses) are beneficial in the management of Anxiety which manifests itself as an imbalance in mental and physical states of health.

“Too much in the head”, thinking too much, ruminating on worrying thoughts, regrets, memories or just restlessness, boredom, and lack of stimulation triggers a physical stress response and feeds back into the mental anxiety loop.

It is important to “get out of the head” and get into the body, ground to the earth, and to move the stuck mental energy.

The Chakra System is an energy system which is a great visualizing tool during Yoga and Meditation. Studying the Chakra’s colour, mantra, and traits can intensify our Yoga practice and train our mind to divert from our troubling thoughts.

A Mantra is used as a sound vibration and a concentration tool when the mind wanders. The Mantra has a meaning which when repeated allows the brain to reset itself and stop the mental cycling of the anxiety loop.

A daily Yoga and Meditation routine is a useful Anxiety Interruptor and well-being enhancer and is recommended in most therapeutic programs by professional well-being practitioners worldwide and in some cultures has been practiced for at least 5000 years (recorded).

We already know all that so lets get on with practicing this art and science for ourselves.

It can’t hurt us, can it?

Well actually one can hurt oneself in Yoga by pushing, resisting and exerting too much ego power into the mix.

Yoga is about exploring your own body, mind and spirit.

Yoga is present moment consciousness and that’s why it helps.

Yoga condenses the moment to Here and Now. Yep the Cliché.

Cliché is just that, a truth that is generalised.

So here it is, Yoga works.

Namaste

Root chakra—Mūlādhāra

Root chakra—Mūlādhāra is the chakra of stability, security, and our basic needs. The root chakra is comprised of whatever grounds you to stability in your life. This includes your basic needs such as food, water, shelter, safety, as well as your emotional needs of interconnection, and being fearless. When these needs are met, you feel grounded and safe. It is the most important Chakra as this is the Fundamental (or Mool) Chakra.

Mantra:

LAM

I AM GROUNDED

I AM SAFE

ASANAS/ POSES

WARRIOR 

VIRABHADRASANA I

Picture from https://yogaanatomy.net/

Benefits: Warrior I strengthens the legs, opens the hips and chest and stretches the arms and legs. Warrior I develops concentration, balance and groundedness. This pose improves circulation and respiration and energizes the entire body.

Contraindications: Recent or chronic injury to the hips, knees, back or shoulders.

COW FACE

Gomukhasana

Physical Benefits: 

1. Induces relaxation.
2. Improves posture by increasing energy, awareness, and opening the chest area.

Therapeutic Benefits:

1. Alleviate tension, tiredness, and anxiety.
2. Relives stiffness of the neck and shoulders.
3. Relieves backache, sciatica, rheumatism, and general stiffness in the shoulders and neck.
4. Alleviates cramps in the legs and makes the leg muscles supple.

Precautions and Contraindications:

1. Serious neck or shoulder problems.
2. Knee injury.

TWIST

Ardha Matsyendrasana

Pose Benefits:

• Opens the rib cage and chest
• Enhances digestion and elimination
• Stimulates the liver and kidneys
• Energizes the spine
• Stretches the shoulders, hips, back, and neck

Contraindications:

• Spinal injury
• Back pain and/or injury
• Pregnancy

And finally….

There are squillions of apps, online classes, courses, websites available to the masses now that Yoga is in its shiniest hour but let us always beware of the shadow that co-exists.

We all need to be discerning and note where our ego, our expectations and our intentions are when practising Yoga for self and when choosing a particular course or teacher.

Lets take advantage of this giant wave of magic and practise this mystical wonder that is Yoga..

Namaste

10 Minute Meditation Video

10 minutes only. To calm your mind and relax your body.

During work break times. First thing in the morning or evening before bed.

There’s tons of science on the merits of Meditation so let it become a discipline, a way of life, just like your diet, exercise, social, and total self-care lifestyle.

St John’s Wort is good for the blues

It’s 2019 and there are still no recent studies showing anything conclusive with regards to the efficacy of St John’s wort on treating severe depression.

(If you wish to retrace my steps in the research please do so by all means and follow the links below.)

Many studies however have shown efficacy for assisting with mild to moderate depression which is a more common experience in the main population and to whom this article is directed.

“We all suffer the blues now and then” like the song says and here’s a plant that could help and has helped thousands throughout the ages from neolithic times to now.

Be it winter blues, hormonal blues, illness blues, christmas blues, whatever blues your song is about, this root extract may offer some comfort.

I say why not!

Tinctures and capsules are sold on the market now. Best to go to your local natural health store and get advice there.

Why not consult with a natural herb specialist, naturopath, phytotherapist, etc and have the accompaniment, the support, the knowledge that they can offer you.

Self-care means caring enough for oneself to get assistance from other humans whose job it is to assist. They do it all day, they’ve studied, it’s their bread and butter and I say use them. Just don’t lump all the responsibility on the professional you choose, do your own research, create your own path of well-being.

How and when to use St John’s Wort

Use it as an intensive ‘cure’ or regimen for a few weeks along with other self-care strategies such as a diet change, some exercise, some meditation or mindfulness, a good friend to chat with, a visit to your counsellor, massage therapist, manicurist, whoever brings you joy but especially go out to NATURE.

Visit a forest today!

Namaste

Cautionary note: if you are severely depressed and on medication, please abstain from listening to any wisdom given here apart from talk to a professional now.

Research Links:

NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5010734/

NHI https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/sjw-and-depression.htm

WEBMD https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/st-johns-wort#1

Yoga Bridge Pose for Menopause

When dealing with hot flashes and hormonal shifts, try a yoga-for-menopause pose to relieve symptoms.

Practice this Asana/pose for a 7 day self challenge and practice mindfully or intentionally for 5 to 10 minutes daily. Your body will start craving it and it will become habitual.

On days when Menopausal symptoms are intense your body will remind you to practice Yoga to assist in alleviating them.

The poses will become an integral part of your self-care routine.

Healing Meditation for Menopause:

# During the Asana practice Close eyes and Meditate focusing your intent, your relaxation, your breathing your healing energy to the pelvic region.

# Imagine a bright white light filling your pelvic region and then filling your entire body.

# Use positive compassionate thoughts about your pelvis and your entire body for example:

“My pelvic region, my whole body and my hormones are in perfect harmony”

“My body, my mind and my soul are in perfect harmony”

“My body is strong and flexible during change”

“I accept change. My body accepts change. My mind accepts change”

Add your own mantras, thoughts, prayers during your practice.

Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose can be whatever you need—energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.

(SET-too BAHN-dah)
setu = dam, dike, or bridge
bandha = lock

Benefits

• Stretches the chest, neck, and spine
• Calms the brain and helps alleviate stress and mild depression
• Stimulates abdominal organs, lungs, and thyroid
• Rejuvenates tired legs
• Improves digestion
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Relieves menstrual discomfort when done supported
• Reduces anxiety, fatigue, backache, headache, and insomnia
• Therapeutic for asthma, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and sinusitis

Bridge Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Lie supine on the floor, and if necessary, place a thickly folded blanket under your shoulders to protect your neck. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible.

Step 2

Exhale and, pressing your inner feet and arms actively into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis, firming (but not hardening) the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor. Keep your thighs and inner feet parallel. Clasp the hands below your pelvis and extend through the arms to help you stay on the tops of your shoulders.

Step 3

Lift your buttocks until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels, but push them forward, away from the hips, and lengthen the tailbone toward the backs of the knees. Lift the pubis toward the navel.

Step 4

Lift your chin slightly away from the sternum and, firming the shoulder blades against your back, press the top of the sternum toward the chin. Firm the outer arms, broaden the shoulder blades, and try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck (where it’s resting on the blanket) up into the torso.

Step 5

You can go up and down slowly using the breath in the beginning to warm up the spine and legs.

Breathe in UP

Breathe out DOWN

After a few raises or when you are ready then Stay in the pose anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Release with an exhalation, rolling the spine slowly down onto the floor.

Pose Information

Sanskrit Name

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Pose Level

Contraindications and Cautions

Neck injury: avoid this pose unless you are practicing under the supervision of an experienced teacher.

Modifications and Props

If you have difficulty supporting the lift of the pelvis in this pose after taking it away from the floor, slide a block or bolster under your sacrum and rest the pelvis on this support.

Deepen the Pose

Once in the pose, lift your heels off the floor and push your tailbone up, a little closer to the pubis. Then from the lift of the tail, stretch the heels back to the floor again.

Just another self-help blog…

Giving is Receiving

Karma Yoga is about giving back..Namaste

I know what you’re thinking: “not another self-help blog” and the answer is “helas yes”. “yes it is.”

This blog joins the squillions of others that inundate our world wide web.

This blog participates in the mass consciousness of the self-help industry.

What is this blog’s product you may correctly ask as you impatiently need to scroll right and move on.

If you’re still reading, the answer is KNOWLEDGE.

Knowledge brings more choices and more discernment.

This blog’s mission is to impart current, past, global, and local knowledge gathered by experts and novices alike and perhaps to transform it into wisdom for you.

Lofty goals but a blog can dream, can’t it?

Namaste