 If you want to get serious and challenge yourself with New Year Resolutions than Yoga can be the tool you are seeking. I see a trend of New Year Resolutions and the overall story is that people want to give up some sort of negative repetitious cycle. People want to change a particular way to be a better, happier, and healthier person. Who wouldn’t want that? I have seen repetitious patterns/addictions come in so many shapes and forms. Most of us like what is familiar and it is easy to let the brain and the body hold onto these patterns. Certain types of chemicals that are correlated to these behaviors of repetition/addiction will start to store within the body. Just as the body stores tension and stress in particular parts of our bodies. Overtime, addictions create more stress, unhappiness, and possible health issues. There is a wide spectrum of addictions and they can show up as unhealthy eating, nail biting, smoking cigarettes, over sleeping, unhealthy relationships, or stressful career choices. Whether something is good or bad for you everything should come in moderation. The movements we find in yoga allow the chemicals and hormones of the body to find circulation. With a routine yoga schedule the body can stay fluid and resilient. The body can then release unwanted chemical build-up that is associated with types of addictions, repetitive behaviors, negative choices, etc. Overtime healthy body chemicals (endorphins, GABA: gamma-amino butyric acid, etc.) will be stimulated and will replace trapped chemicals, reduce stress, and break addictions. I am not an expert on addictions or the types of chemical imbalances your body may form but I do practice yoga. I still battle repetitious cycles such as negative thinking, lack of motivation, and so on. Yoga is my tool to take time out for myself and allow the breath and my mind to sync up with my body. I listen to what the mind is telling me but then only absorb what I need in that particular moment and then let everything else go without holding any judgment. These moments inspire me to meet my intentions or New Year Resolutions. I hope to see you in class! 2015 intentions for JoJo. I am moving forward from an existing 2014 resolution I set in my Yoga Nidra practice, “I am empowered to love and to give love”. Today, I set my resolutions a little higher and I believe the pose “Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Pose” represents myself thoroughly. This pose is a deep heart opener that has allowed myself to peel away from addictive patterns, unhappiness, and stress. This pose resembles the courage I needed in the past and it resembles what I honor in myself today. I do not know what is in store for me tomorrow but I trust in myself to be the guide to live this very short life. I will continue to ground myself but also to keep an open heart. I will dig deep in\to many relationships, laughs, love, bottles of wine, self-care, and giving back to the world around me.
Let it GO. Let IT GO. LET IT GO. If you have been attending my yoga classes, you are probably hoping I don’t say, “Let it go”, one more time. But come on…let it go already! It’s fall and there is change all around. I can’t help but not notice the leaves slowly changing color and everyday there are more colorful Sugar Maple leaves in my yard. I cant help but wonder, if trees had a choice, would they want to loose their leaves? (Yes, these are the hippie thoughts that run through my head.) If any living organism had the choice to constantly thrive, grow, be happy, etc. of course that is what anyone or thing would choose. However, life is what I consider to be a pulse or maybe a roller coaster. What helps us in the times of change? Surround yourself with the ones who love you and the ones you love. We do have that choice. Ask yourself, who are the people that show up in your life? Who are the people that make themselves present whether you are in full bloom or if you have lost every leaf. Just take a moment to sit in silence, close your eyes, and see the faces of these people in your life. Everyone knows how quickly time can go. Before we know it, we will soon be seeing tiny green buds drawing anew on the trees. So my advice to you is to stay in the present and accept all change. Whether positive or negative, accepting change in your life can be a difficult task. We need to trust in ourselves that everything that is supposed to happen…will happen. This doesn’t mean stop working hard for what you want in life but to maybe just sit down, watch, wait, and listen. Let the world unravel around you. Find the faith within you and let go. Then let go a little more.  I am doing 2 donation based yoga classes in Golden, Colorado at Parfet Park The classes will be 9-10am
blocks and straps for safety and modifications. Since, talking my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training I have been striving to find ways to "Give Back" and to find ways to be a positive influence in Community. What better way is there than to open a yoga studio in my hometown, Sullivan, IL Come practice with me. I am thankful I get to teach a few more times in wonderful Colorado and then off to IL I go! Thank you Golden Yoga & Healing Arts for all your love, kindness, and support! A few of you have mentioned that you would still like to donate to my journey but can not participate in the donation classes. I do have a paypal account: jolenewright4@msn.com or you can mail donations to: 804 Sunset Drive Sullivan, IL 61951. Please continue to follow my teaching progress and the studio!  Once again I get to fly back to my home state to be apart of I what I envision to be an AWESOME workshop! This is the first time this group of instructors are working together but I know it will not be the last! Winter retreats will soon be organized with Ashley Davis, Joanne Leblanc, and myself.
Clarity, Align, Breath & Connect ALIGN Your Practice & Your Life May 3rd, 2014 Alignment Workshop - 9am - 3:30pm Group Meditation & Gentle Asana Practice Guest Speakers on Natural Life & Aroma Therapy Choose your focus group for ALIGNMENT: Alignment for Gentle/Restorative - Pre & Post Natal (Beginner & Beyond) OR Alignment for Vinyasa, Binds & Balance Postures (Intermediate to Advanced) Discussion Topic: Life Choices, becoming your Truest & Greatest Self Hosted by Bad Ash Yoga Instructors: Ashley Davis, Chris Ita, Kirsten Hedden, Joanne Leblanc & Jolene Wright Please bring a mat,water bottle, towel, strap, an open heart & big smile! *Extra Yoga Materials will be on hand if needed 8:30am - Registration - Drop-ins Welcome! Registration Fee $95 - includes Refreshments & Snack, as well as a Vegetarian Lunch - Protein can be ordered upon request & for additional fee Early Bird Registration prior to 5/1/14 save $15! Located 1920 N. Main Street - Big Racks in Canton, IL https://www.facebook.com/events/552512438195774/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming  Are you living your dream?
I know you want to. I know I want to. So what do we do to get to the place where we we know we are living the dream? I'll give you a few techniques that I know that work for me. First, I practice Yoga Nidra, a guided meditation. It is a practice that allows you to show up and do nothing! Well you lay down, support yourself with pillows and blankets, and then close your eyes and simply breathe. I have experienced a huge transformation with the practice of Yoga Nidra. It does work differently for everyone because everyone sets their own intentions for themselves. Since practicing I feel happy and stress free. Truly happier than I have been in a long time! Another thing I do to move me one step closer to living the dream is surround myself with people who support me in living my dream. Who in your life supports you for you and your dreams? Who in your life may show up more on the negative side? You have got to weed out the negative people in your life. These people do not serve you. Maybe they will come around and learn from your positivity and motivation, so be sure to show up for them then but until then do not let these people hold you down. One of the last things I can think of that have gotten me one step closer to living my dream is to not give up. It is likely there have already been others on the same path as you and there are going to be even more that want to join the same path. You will see people give up, you will see people fail, or you may even fail. The times in my life when I have failed my mind is so quick to tell me "that's it! your done, you are not good enough". Luckily, I have been able to qucikly shut the negativity out of my mind. I study harder. I surround myself with even stronger people and after awhile I am even stronger than before. Surround yourself in your community. Learn from the ones who have came before you, teach the ones who come after you. Life is not a competition. We are all here to live the dream and we should live it together in community. Your God, your creator did not create you to improve or to wait for the perfect time to shine. By now everyone should know the value of life and unfortunately, life is short. Your God, your creator created you to shine now. If you could be doing anything right now in the moment what would you be doing? Live your passion and worry about everything else later.  I am so excited to be apart of The Denver Chant Fest 2014! My favorite part of these festivals is having so many people from different areas come together. The yoga community is constantly growing around me sInce I use to live and practice in Boulder but now live and teach Yoga in Golden and also practice and study in Denver. It is AWESOME! (not to mention it is my birthday weekend!)
Join Denver Chant Fest Feb 14th-16th in Denver at the Sherman Street Event Center. 1 day passes are now on sale from $99-$139 and drop in yoga and /or Kirtan will be sold at the door for only $40 per. Don't miss out on this weekend of Bhakti and Yoga love. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxLxc9JVSJQ COSTA RICA....WHAT? Check back soon as details unfold for a Yoga Retreat in Winter 2015!  |
Photo used under Creative Commons from Sweet One
